Iran
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From: 3rd Rock, #29B
You're right! Senator Mullion, R-OK, and others https://www.aol.com/articles/gop-law...183815693.html
Seems like a bit of parsing is going on here.....
Seems like a bit of parsing is going on here.....
From a practical, legal point of view, there is the weird human condition that considers war to be a legal activity, but going around and capping the other side, or taking their leaders into incarceration is no longer assumed to be illegal. Presumably all of our lawyers are far too busy on really important stuff and do not have the bandwidth to deal with such mere pedantic points.
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From: on the ground
Ali had finished school in Iran, then served in the Iran-Iraq war before travelling to Kuala Lumpur to learn English and complete an Australian high school qualification to get entry into an Australian university.
This was his first time ever outside of Iran and Malaysia, and his initial beliefs about western society were comically off the mark. Upon finding that the faculty sub dean for first year students was a woman (and not much older than us at about 30) his first question to me was "but who really does her job?". He really did initially think that Australian society was just like Iranian society, except in details like women's place in society, where we pretended it was different but they were nonetheless useless.
A now ex-friend who was simultaneously proudly left leaning and yet incredibly racist towards muslims hated him for being what she had decided being muslim meant and for such attitudes towards women, while Ali's attitude very quickly changed as he recognised that what he had been taught about western society was a load of nonsense and he rapidly adjusted to reality on the ground.
One of the things that struck me about Ali as I got to know him was just how similar his family, concerns, ambitions, etc, were, but in an entirely different culture, to every day Aussies. On one occasion I was going out to lunch with a jewish friend I had know a decade or so. Ali very seriously warned me to be very careful, that you could not trust jews at all. I think he almost thought my jewish friend might slit my throat at any moment! I looked at him and told him that jews were just people, like him and me, with families and hopes and ambitions. Jews are not inherently untrustworthy, but jews in Israel might reasonably be just a wee bit hostile to Iran!
So, yeah, believing "everyone is just like us" or at least "just like the limited subset of humanity I have encountered so far" is in fact completely normal for all humans. The worst racists are always the people who live amongst the fewest foreigners.
"Enter into the Royal Exchange of London, a place more respectable than many courts, in which deputies from all nations assemble for the advantage of mankind. There the Jew, the Mahometan, and the Christian bargain with one another as if they were of the same religion, and bestow the name of infidel on bankrupts only. There the Presbyterian gives credit to the Anabaptist, and the votary of the establishment accepts the promise of the Quaker. On the separation of these free and pacific assemblies, some visit the synagogue, others repair to the tavern.
Here one proceeds to baptize his son in a great tub, in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; there another deprives his boy of a small portion of his foreskin, and mutters over the child some Hebrew words which he cannot understand; a third kind hasten to their chapels to wait for the inspiration of the Lord with their hats on; and all are content.
Was there in London but one religion, despotism might be apprehended; if two only, they would seek to cut each other’s throats; but as there are at least thirty, they live together in peace and happiness."
Voltaire
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Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
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From: Peripatetic
Seems the Iranians got an F-15, unless it turns out to have been blue on blue.
After speaking to several direct sources, I now feel confident in reporting that an F-15E Strike Eagle with the U.S. Air Force crashed early Wednesday during a strike mission over Southwestern Iran.
The cause of the crash is still unknown, though at least one source attributed it to Iranian air defenses, with both the Pilot and Weapon Systems Officer (WSO) able to successfully eject over Iran.
Following the crash, Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) elements with the U.S and Israeli Air Force - on standby in a neighboring country - were activated, entering Iran roughly an hour after the crash of the F-15.
In the resulting operation, both crewmembers were found and safely evacuated without further incident, being transported to Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
The Pilot and WSO are claimed to suffered minor injuries but were in otherwise “good condition,” with both being airlifted for further treatment to Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan.
Further confirmation and details of the incident are expected to come at a later time from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
The cause of the crash is still unknown, though at least one source attributed it to Iranian air defenses, with both the Pilot and Weapon Systems Officer (WSO) able to successfully eject over Iran.
Following the crash, Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR) elements with the U.S and Israeli Air Force - on standby in a neighboring country - were activated, entering Iran roughly an hour after the crash of the F-15.
In the resulting operation, both crewmembers were found and safely evacuated without further incident, being transported to Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.
The Pilot and WSO are claimed to suffered minor injuries but were in otherwise “good condition,” with both being airlifted for further treatment to Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan.
Further confirmation and details of the incident are expected to come at a later time from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM).
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From: Australia
Lots of chatter on Twitter about a significant incident involving ground troops within Iran. Possibly involving US Special Forces and a casualties and/or captures. Who knows what to believe these days though….
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From: Texas
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From: Peripatetic
The Times: https://www.thetimes.com/uk/defence/...test-b7m3v5vn5
You’ve failed us on Iran, Middle East allies tell UK
Bahrain and the UAE join Cyprus in criticising Sir Keir Starmer’s slow response to Tehran’s retaliatory strikes
Britain’s allies in the Gulf and Cyprus have accused Sir Keir Starmer of failing to do enough to protect the region and UK citizens from Iranian missile strikes.
The Times has been told that Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have concerns about the UK’s response to the Middle East conflict. At the same time Cyprus’s high commissioner to the UK said the “least” his country expected was for the government to provide a robust defence of the island that is home to two British bases.
Britain operates a naval support facility in Bahrain, with about 300 service personnel, which is next to the site of a successful Iranian missile strike on the US Fifth Fleet headquarters. John Healey, the defence secretary, said that the missile had landed less than 200 metres from UK forces.
Gulf nations including the United Arab Emirates were also angered by the delay in giving the US permission to use joint bases, including Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, to carry out “defence” airstrikes against Iranian missile sites. Starmer eventually gave America approval on Sunday evening.
The public criticisms reflect deep anger among Britain’s allies in the region over its slow response to the Iranian attacks.
While British F-35s and Typhoon aircraft based in Cyprus are flying defensive missions to take down Iranian missiles and drones, HMS Dragon, a UK destroyer, will not set sail for Cyprus until next week because it is being brought out of maintenance and fitted with the right weapons.
One western official said that the proposal to send the ship did not cross the desk of the chief of defence staff until 9.30am on Tuesday — four days after the war started and nearly two days after RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus was hit by a drone strike. He passed the proposal to ministers and a decision was made shortly after that.
Royal Navy Wildcat helicopters, armed with Martlet missiles capable of dealing with aerial threats, will arrive in Cyprus in the coming days. Kyriacos Kouros, Cyprus’s high commissioner to the UK, said that while the deployment of HMS Dragon was “welcome”, it would take more than a week to arrive.
He contrasted the slowness of the UK response with that of Greece and France, which had announced support for Cyprus earlier. Kouros said: “The French are coming. The least we expect is the Britons to also be present since, as I said, we are not only defending Cypriots on the islands.”
The criticism came after it emerged that Starmer delayed giving his approval for America to use UK bases to attack Iran after a cabinet revolt. The delay from Starmer in approving the use of UK bases is said to have infuriated Gulf nations, particularly the United Arab Emirates, where most of the 300,000 Britons in the region are based.
“There was a feeling that the prime minister had to be dragged there,” a source familiar with the UAE’s concerns said. “It obviously reflects badly in the eyes of the Gulf Cooperation Council.”…….
Bahrain and the UAE join Cyprus in criticising Sir Keir Starmer’s slow response to Tehran’s retaliatory strikes
Britain’s allies in the Gulf and Cyprus have accused Sir Keir Starmer of failing to do enough to protect the region and UK citizens from Iranian missile strikes.
The Times has been told that Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates have concerns about the UK’s response to the Middle East conflict. At the same time Cyprus’s high commissioner to the UK said the “least” his country expected was for the government to provide a robust defence of the island that is home to two British bases.
Britain operates a naval support facility in Bahrain, with about 300 service personnel, which is next to the site of a successful Iranian missile strike on the US Fifth Fleet headquarters. John Healey, the defence secretary, said that the missile had landed less than 200 metres from UK forces.
Gulf nations including the United Arab Emirates were also angered by the delay in giving the US permission to use joint bases, including Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean, to carry out “defence” airstrikes against Iranian missile sites. Starmer eventually gave America approval on Sunday evening.
The public criticisms reflect deep anger among Britain’s allies in the region over its slow response to the Iranian attacks.
While British F-35s and Typhoon aircraft based in Cyprus are flying defensive missions to take down Iranian missiles and drones, HMS Dragon, a UK destroyer, will not set sail for Cyprus until next week because it is being brought out of maintenance and fitted with the right weapons.
One western official said that the proposal to send the ship did not cross the desk of the chief of defence staff until 9.30am on Tuesday — four days after the war started and nearly two days after RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus was hit by a drone strike. He passed the proposal to ministers and a decision was made shortly after that.
Royal Navy Wildcat helicopters, armed with Martlet missiles capable of dealing with aerial threats, will arrive in Cyprus in the coming days. Kyriacos Kouros, Cyprus’s high commissioner to the UK, said that while the deployment of HMS Dragon was “welcome”, it would take more than a week to arrive.
He contrasted the slowness of the UK response with that of Greece and France, which had announced support for Cyprus earlier. Kouros said: “The French are coming. The least we expect is the Britons to also be present since, as I said, we are not only defending Cypriots on the islands.”
The criticism came after it emerged that Starmer delayed giving his approval for America to use UK bases to attack Iran after a cabinet revolt. The delay from Starmer in approving the use of UK bases is said to have infuriated Gulf nations, particularly the United Arab Emirates, where most of the 300,000 Britons in the region are based.
“There was a feeling that the prime minister had to be dragged there,” a source familiar with the UAE’s concerns said. “It obviously reflects badly in the eyes of the Gulf Cooperation Council.”…….
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Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
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From: Peripatetic
Report from Iran: Brigadier General Qalibaf, the speaker of the parliament and a former member of the Revolutionary Guard, is now fully in charge of the war.
There is significant chaos in the chain of command among Iran’s military forces. Many missile and drone launching sites have lost contact with the main command and are operating on autopilot or as it is known in Iran, Atash be Ekhtiar.
This might sound crazy to outsiders but at the moment, people in Qalibaf’s circle remain very hawkish about the war and believe they will ultimately win. They believe the United States will eventually give up, and considering the havoc the Iranian regime has caused in the region, it will become immune to future attacks.
To better illustrate this mindset, I have included screenshots of postings by one of Qalibaf’s advisers.
There is significant chaos in the chain of command among Iran’s military forces. Many missile and drone launching sites have lost contact with the main command and are operating on autopilot or as it is known in Iran, Atash be Ekhtiar.
This might sound crazy to outsiders but at the moment, people in Qalibaf’s circle remain very hawkish about the war and believe they will ultimately win. They believe the United States will eventually give up, and considering the havoc the Iranian regime has caused in the region, it will become immune to future attacks.
To better illustrate this mindset, I have included screenshots of postings by one of Qalibaf’s advisers.
Tabs please!
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From: Biffins Bridge
Be fair Orac, we were 6 months early in assisting Ukraine so being late on Iran is simply restoring the balance. 2-Tier has finally stopped a boat .......... so credit where it is due 
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From: Japan
Iran's Samson Option.
This article written back in January seems to be describing some of Iran's actions today.
As a last resort, activate Hezbollah and burn everything for everyone.
Iran’s Samson Option: Hezbollah, Fatwas, and the Regime’s Endgame - Nowlebanon
Quote:"This is where a Samson-like option emerges, not as a declared doctrine, but as a governing mindset. Much like the logic historically attributed to Israel, drawn from the biblical story of Samson who brought down the temple on himself and his enemies, declaring, “Let me die with the Philistines,” the Iranian regime has its own version of a last-resort strategy, one designed to drag the region into chaos and deny its enemies a clean victory. The message would be implicit but unmistakable: if we fall, the region burns with us.
In this framework, Hezbollah and other regime proxies cease to be tools of influence or negotiation and become instruments of final leverage. Their activation would not aim to reverse collapse, but to punish, destabilize, and raise the cost of regime change to intolerable levels for all involved. This is not about winning; it is about ensuring that no orderly post-regime reality can emerge.
Such an option would only be triggered if Khamenei believes death, political or physical, is imminent. At that point, restraint gives way to nihilism, and escalation becomes existential. This is the regime’s true final card and the reason why the closing phase of Iran’s crisis is the most dangerous. When survival is no longer possible, destruction becomes a strategy."
This article written back in January seems to be describing some of Iran's actions today.
As a last resort, activate Hezbollah and burn everything for everyone.
Iran’s Samson Option: Hezbollah, Fatwas, and the Regime’s Endgame - Nowlebanon
Quote:"This is where a Samson-like option emerges, not as a declared doctrine, but as a governing mindset. Much like the logic historically attributed to Israel, drawn from the biblical story of Samson who brought down the temple on himself and his enemies, declaring, “Let me die with the Philistines,” the Iranian regime has its own version of a last-resort strategy, one designed to drag the region into chaos and deny its enemies a clean victory. The message would be implicit but unmistakable: if we fall, the region burns with us.
In this framework, Hezbollah and other regime proxies cease to be tools of influence or negotiation and become instruments of final leverage. Their activation would not aim to reverse collapse, but to punish, destabilize, and raise the cost of regime change to intolerable levels for all involved. This is not about winning; it is about ensuring that no orderly post-regime reality can emerge.
Such an option would only be triggered if Khamenei believes death, political or physical, is imminent. At that point, restraint gives way to nihilism, and escalation becomes existential. This is the regime’s true final card and the reason why the closing phase of Iran’s crisis is the most dangerous. When survival is no longer possible, destruction becomes a strategy."
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Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
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From: Peripatetic
Iran attack on an airport in Azerbaijan.
Videos
Videos
Reuters reports that missiles and drones launched from Iran fell near Nakhchivan Airport
https://x.com/nexta_tv/status/2029476961513279917?s=20
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From: Peripatetic
Seems the target was the OH hangar.
MoD confirmed overnight that the Iranian drone which hit RAF Akrotiri on Saturday night actually hit a structure on the airbase. So this was a direct attack not on the airfield as Yvette Cooper said on broadcast, but on the airbase.
The Sun reported (unconfirmed) that this hangar houses US U2 spy planes and the drone is Shahed type.
The Sun reported (unconfirmed) that this hangar houses US U2 spy planes and the drone is Shahed type.
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Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
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From: Peripatetic
Speech by Zelenskyy. Says they are also talking to the UAE, Bahrain, Jordan, Qatar and others….
BREAKING: The US just asked Ukraine for help intercepting Iranian drones.
Let that sink in.
The same administration that cut off Ukraine’s weapons. That humiliated Zelensky in the Oval Office. That called him a dictator. That parroted Russian talking points for months.
Just called Ukraine for help.
And Zelensky said yes — on his terms.
Who has the leverage now?
Trump started an illegal war with no plan, lost bases across the Middle East, closed the Strait of Hormuz to China, and now needs the man he tried to destroy to bail him out.
The tables didn’t just turn. They flipped.
Let that sink in.
The same administration that cut off Ukraine’s weapons. That humiliated Zelensky in the Oval Office. That called him a dictator. That parroted Russian talking points for months.
Just called Ukraine for help.
And Zelensky said yes — on his terms.
Who has the leverage now?
Trump started an illegal war with no plan, lost bases across the Middle East, closed the Strait of Hormuz to China, and now needs the man he tried to destroy to bail him out.
The tables didn’t just turn. They flipped.
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From: Australia
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Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
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From: Peripatetic
……………
Video
Video
Reports Claim U.S. Strike on Suspected Underground Nuclear Site in Iran
Unconfirmed reports circulating overnight claim the U.S. Air Force struck a suspected underground uranium enrichment facility in Bukan, Iran.
According to the reports, the facility was allegedly concealed beneath a dairy company used as a cover operation. The claims further suggest that several Iranian nuclear scientists were killed in the strike and that the site was completely destroyed.
At this stage, major international news agencies have not yet confirmed the existence of the facility or the strike, and details remain unclear.
If verified, it would represent a significant development in the ongoing campaign targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
More information is expected as intelligence assessments and satellite imagery begin to emerge.
Unconfirmed reports circulating overnight claim the U.S. Air Force struck a suspected underground uranium enrichment facility in Bukan, Iran.
According to the reports, the facility was allegedly concealed beneath a dairy company used as a cover operation. The claims further suggest that several Iranian nuclear scientists were killed in the strike and that the site was completely destroyed.
At this stage, major international news agencies have not yet confirmed the existence of the facility or the strike, and details remain unclear.
If verified, it would represent a significant development in the ongoing campaign targeting Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.
More information is expected as intelligence assessments and satellite imagery begin to emerge.