Python: Splat/unpack operator * in python cannot be used in an expression?

Question

Does anybody know the reasoning as to why the unary (*) operator cannot be used in an expression involving iterators/lists/tuples?

Why is it only limite

Answer 1

This is not supported. Python 3 gives a better message (though Python 2 does not support * in the left part of an assignment, afaik):

Python 3.4.3+ (default, Oct 14 2015, 16:03:50) 
>>> [1,2,3, *[4,5,6]]
  File "", line 1
SyntaxError: can use starred expression only as assignment target
>>> 

f(*[4,5,6]) is equivalent to f(4,5,6)

Function argument unfolding is a special case.