Look at mapped locations of US military bases before and after the "War on Terror". It was always about establishing a foothold in the region to threaten Iran and displace competing imperial powers - although much of that has been ceded in the last decade or so.

Iraq, Iran and North Korea. The "Axis of Evil."

I can only assume that if Iraq had gone better we would probably be through Iran and on NK by now, but I don't know. Now it looks like they're ginning us up for a war with China.