With Europe ablaze the shadow of war quickly crept across the globe. In the Middle East, Iran and Iraq had been locked in a conflict across their border since 1980, and looked unlikely to stop anytime soon. Further west, Israel and Syria had come to blows in Lebanon as Israel fought PLO forces operating from inside their northern neighbour. The oil rich region, already rife with conflict and tension, was about to be drawn into World War III as the Soviet Union and US led NATO set about protecting their interests in the black gold that kept the wheels of industry turning.