Far from producing the outcome that they feared in 2003, Bush’s wars in the Middle East left Iran as the most influential actor in Iraq. As Saudi officials have observed, Iranian militias fighting the Islamic State in predominantly Sunni regions north and west of Baghdad hope to reinforce their country’s control over Iraq.
伊朗领导人可以感谢小布什。布什的中东战争并没有创造出2003年伊朗所害怕的结果，而是让伊朗成为伊拉克最有影响力的行动方。沙特官员观察到，在以逊尼派为主题的北部和巴格达以西为伊斯兰国战斗的伊朗民间武装希望加强伊朗对伊拉克的控制。