It has long been said that there are wars of necessity and wars of choice. But enemies always adapt, especially in our world of terrorists, failing states and delinquent regimes. Every war is a war of choice.
Change in Iran is in the air, and it could be dramatic--but this is speculative and both the timetable and the actual policy implications are impossible to specify.
The achievement of independence by the Indian subcontinent marked the effective end of the age of European imperialism.