Iran plot story a shot in the arm for hawks

If anyone comes to you with firm conclusions drawn from this, stop listening. It's far too early to do that. America was rushed into a war in Iraq eight years ago without scrutinizing our evidence and theories enough, and we're still paying the price. We ought to take a step back and think about what's been alleged here before doing anything rash.

First: Assuming everything alleged is precisely true, what was assassinating Adel al-Jubeir at a Washington restaurant supposed to accomplish? It's no secret that the Saudis and Iranians have been struggling with each other for influence across the Middle East for years. But whether you think the Iranians are making decisions on the basis of realpolitik or trying to get the 12th Imam to reemerge, how was whacking the Saudi ambassador supposed to help?