Response to CDR Salamander

Response to CDR Salamander's "Iran, Persia, and All That Jazz"

SNIP

 I pray for the good folks in Iran. And, I admire them as being a more challenging opponent than the rest of the Islamists. Bridgeton, Roberts, they got their hits in. 

From my Pensacola classmate (later IAF F-14 pilot), to the time spent in the Persian Gulf and SOHEPA (did you ever notice the fish bits in the chow hall resembled ... never mind), Iran was a big, largely disappointing, influence on my career as well. 

Let me respectfully differ with you on two points you make however ... 

1. You say "Iran has thrown everything it had at Israel and the USA in the last year to little effect." Oh dear, no they haven't. As terrorists go, Hizballah is very capable and has been operating within the US for decades. https://www.dni.gov/nctc/groups/hizballah.html https://www.unomaha.edu/ncite/research/gw-reports/hezbollahs-operations-and-networks-in-the-us.pdf You can be certain they have extensively studied US critical infrastructure targets - hard and soft - and can rely on at the least intel assistance from the PRC as well. To date we've not seen the Mullas play this card. Hopefully the FBI is done sortin' thru Melania's underwear drawer and has begun to get a more thorough clue who these folks are. 

2. You also say "The USA and Israel proved that they can attack Iran at will should they desire, knocking back the Iranian nuclear weapons program perhaps a decade or more. " That presumes, probably heavily based on intel from "our special friend", that bombing a target in Iran did anything but bring the US closer to what "our special friend" wants - US directly in combat with Iran to eliminate "our special friend's" regional foe at minimal cost to them - regardless of the cost to us. May I suggest the Iranian nuclear weapons program has less to do with targets they've know we've been planning to hit for decades ... and more to do with li'l Kim's production facilities and Xi - or some very influential General's - accommodation regarding delivery. The Iranian's have paid Kim handsomely for his efforts on their behalf. 

Speculating some but, there was some drama between Xi and the Generals around the time of the "12 day war". Has there been a delivery to Iran? Say, a secret flight or two via China? Are there some high yield 'scuds on a tub' in our future? Dunno. 

Just sayin' we haven't seen Iran throw it's all at us, not hardly, not yet.

SNIP

I might have added that before Trump jumps into visibly supporting the overthrow of the regime in Iran he has to assess how much this is Israel's doing.  Did Bebe get a half assed revolution going full expecting Trump to bail him out - and own the whole problem?   

Seems SOP for "our special friend".  

UPDATE: Same day - Yup, here's the story, Israel gets the revolution going, kids shot in the streets, then the US attacks, Israel "helps" ...   We (the USofA, not Israel) broke it so WE own it and Israel slips out clean, win-win.

https://x.com/Jerusalem_Post/status/2011239081196290232

Let's see how dumb Trump is.  Clearly Bibi's got his wallet ..

https://thelibertydaily.com/u-s-army-planning-build-2-billion-armored/