If you look on a map, Iraq and Afghanistan are both border states with Iran, one on either side. Do you think that's just a coincidence? I'm not saying either

If you look on a map, Iraq and Afghanistan are both border states with Iran, one on either side. Do you think that's just a coincidence? I'm not saying either was a good idea at the time, and they were both obviously bad ideas with hindsight, but it seems there was possibly a greater strategy at play.