The late of Russian air defence have fallen apart completely. One could argue that Venezuelans of Iraqi weren't good at operating them, but Iranians are certainly extremely competent using every piece of gear they get their hands onto.
Why is that?
In a global world with cultures permeating borders too easily, and declining role of religion, there's no way Jews can sustain themselves for long without their own state anymore - i know it worked for 2k years, but now will be a lot, lot harder. Especially since they will have to be spread out way wider now as places where one can make money are not limited to a few West European countries anymore. Their strength depends on having their own state, which they in turn use to lobby for their interests with the governments of the free world.
https://www.npr.org/2023/07/11/1186949348/us-cluster-munitio...
> and YOLO fires missiles at its neighbours
Perfidy in international waters? Double tap kill strikes on fishing boats?
So far, Pot meet Kettle.
The US, and the rest of the world, are still waiting to know the answer to the first. Why was this war on a whim needed now? What was so imminent that the ongoing negotiations could not have continued?
The second answer is a definitive no, it's never been except for that one time that ended of WW2 when no one else had nukes.
That's problematic here, because neither the US nor Iran are strangers to initiating violence. So a further refinement is necessary, based on a principle that I haven't had to fall back on very often: whoever initiates violence during negotiations is the bad guy.
Nothing against them personally but they did volunteer to serve in an Israeli proxy force, it really is on them.
They're lucky it's still at this level.
Speaking of terrorism, only one of the belligerents has been antagonizing both its allies and its enemies recently. Didn't they just snatch another country's head of state? Try a decapitation strike unprompted against Iran? Threaten to invade Canada, Greenland and Cuba? If one regime is using terror to achieve political aims these days...
LOL
* US out of middle east entirely (meaning removing the army bases protecting the gulf countries)
* Cessation of hostilities, including their proxy forces
* Security guarantees, including for their proxy forces (translation: letting Iran fully take over Lebanon, Yemen, Iraq and probably soon Saudi Arabia)
* Payment of war reparations to the IRGC
* Taxing the strait of Hormuz
They're down to 1 demand only (according to the politicians who don't seem to be able to actually command their own forces): cessation of hostilities, only against Iran itself.
This war is the culmination of Iran's plans to remove US influence from the middle east. The result of the islamists strategy is that every other country is screaming for the US to do more. Iran's war aims haven't just failed, they've cemented the US position 10x tighter than it was. They've shown gulf countries how much Chinese support is worth. How much French support is worth. How much EU support is worth when shit hits the fan.
Hell, at this point, if I was the EU, I'd ask myself the question "given how much we've, yet again, helped our allies ... let's double check WHY Ukraine would ever pay back our support" (EU support to Ukraine only ever came in the form of loans, and some Russian cash under EU control)
I'd say the assessment that the US is winning big is pretty accurate. Iran no longer believes what they want, what they were fighting for is worth fighting for, and they're down to mere survival. One might even say: they're down to begging for their survival, because they're not doing much other than asking. On the upside: this can only mean that the islamist regime sees total defeat as a real possibility now. On the downside, it probably means they're getting ready to massacre Iranians indiscriminately ... and then what do we do? I mean if Iranian islamists start massacring their own civilians, like all of them, whoever they can (like they've already done in Lebanon and Syria) on the one hand that solves our problem, on the other hand US will probably fight to prevent that from happening.
You could even say that the other theory that now that the US is back to selling processed Venezuelan oil, arguably it's a good thing for the US that Hormuz is closed. If you calculate it out $100 oil delivers about 65 billion profit (not revenue, profit) for the US as a whole, and forces the EU to pay for that. Of course, that money is going to big oil, but still, that's the US. In effect it's the EU and China that are paying for the US war on Iran.
Oh, AND this war ... it's showing Israeli, including the diaspora, yet again they have to fight for their survival (the new generation wasn't all that convinced, but they are now). In other words, this may even get Netanyahu reelected.
Like any war, this can go very badly very quickly ... but it appears to be going pretty well.
EU does not expect to be paid back for Ukraine, they are paying with their lives and by being a lab for testing weapons and strategies. I'm just flabbedgasted by pro russian europeans thinking it'll be great to live under Putin. It's not like it hasn't been the case already.
Ukraine Facility (2024–2027): €33 billion of €50 billion is loans → 66%
MFA+ for 2023: €18 billion, all loans
Exceptional MFA backed by Russian-asset revenues (2024 package): €18.1 billion disbursed so far, loan
New EU package for 2026–2027: €90 billion, loan
Adding those together gives about €159.1 billion in loans out of €176.1 billion, or roughly 90% loans.
Oh, and before you ask, 2 out of 3 are not low-interest loans (only the one where the interest would go to Russia). If you're in France or Germany, your mortgage is cheaper than what Ukraine is paying the EU to defend itself from Russia "with EU help". And, yes, one might even point out that this means that Trump is correct when he says the US has given more to Ukraine than the EU. Given more, loaned (much) less. EU help consists 90% of allowing these loans in the first place.
How can we define what this even means? I don’t think any of the naive initial aims were ever attainable - and the entire impulsive and irresponsible adventure has spiraled down into what looks like impatient and petty spite: smashing the toys because the big baby didn’t get the present he wanted.
... and shows you how much priority Iranians have for the islamist regime.
WE GOT HIM!
My fellow Americans, over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History, for one of our incredible Crew Member Officers, who also happens to be a highly respected Colonel, and who I am thrilled to let you know is now SAFE and SOUND! This brave Warrior was behind enemy lines in the treacherous mountains of Iran, being hunted down by our enemies, who were getting closer and closer by the hour, but was never truly alone because his Commander in Chief, Secretary of War, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, and fellow Warfighters were monitoring his location 24 hours a day, and diligently planning for his rescue. At my direction, the U.S. Military sent dozens of aircraft, armed with the most lethal weapons in the World, to retrieve him. He sustained injuries, but he will be just fine. This miraculous Search and Rescue Operation comes in addition to a successful rescue of another brave Pilot, yesterday, which we did not confirm, because we did not want to jeopardize our second rescue operation. This is the first time in military memory that two U.S. Pilots have been rescued, separately, deep in Enemy Territory. WE WILL NEVER LEAVE AN AMERICAN WARFIGHTER BEHIND! The fact that we were able to pull off both of these operations, without a SINGLE American killed, or even wounded, just proves once again, that we have achieved overwhelming Air Dominance and Superiority over the Iranian skies. This is a moment that ALL Americans, Republican, Democrat, and everyone else, should be proud of and united around. We truly have the best, most professional, and lethal Military in the History of the World. GOD BLESS AMERICA, GOD BLESS OUR TROOPS, AND HAPPY EASTER TO ALL!
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