Honest question
 

Do you really believe that a nuclear Iran is even remotely likely to threaten the UK?

BV

According to Mr Blair and Mr Campbell a nuclear armed Iraq was a threat to the UK....

As to whether I personally believed that...

Netenyahu beating the same war drum back in 2002

Yet the IDF never got involved, leaving our countrymen to die in some pointless war

Next topic might be a campaign gong for Akrotiri?

Not repeat not that I would advocate that.

When the stakes are that high, it would be foolish to discount the possibility.

Hmm so much for his much-vaunted "neighborhood effect".

Maybe he should write a sequel on unintended consequences?

No-one believed this BS, least of all them

Whether they believed it or not, they used it to justify dragging this country into a war.

That was my point. In a hypothetical situation, Iran doesn't have to be a viable threat for the UK to end up at war with them (in coalition?).

Not that I can see Starmer doing so.

The UK had the means to do so in 2003.
The UK doesn't now.
I'd not be to worried about it.
I will offer a guess that Mr. Starmer is still far more concerned about the Ukraine/Russia thing.
(And if I am wrong, so be it).

Numerous reports and videos of between 6-10 car bomb explosions in Teheran. Other reports identify them as further targeted military leadership (including the head of Iranian military intelligence and his deputy) and more senior nuclear scientists.

To be carried by what?
The RAM can carry the GBU-28, but surely that's not enough to finish off Fordow.
That job would require the MOP, only carried by the B2 - and the suggestion is even that may not be up to the task.
Two lengthy EAMs broadcast in the last two days.
And Trump saying they `could' get involved.
I think there is already a plan for the US to join in and finish off the job using the MOPs - as only they can.

Wasn't there some big 'bunker buster' type bomb that they could drop out the back of a C130?

MOAB, I believe it’s called?

Is this what you are referring to (GBU-43)?

https://www.defense.gov/Multimedia/P...to/2001732840/

I ask because it is C-130 delivered, but I don't recall it being a bunker buster style bomb.

Correct - the GBU-43/B - but that won't finish off Fordow. Unless there's some variant, or something else non-nuclear that we're not aware of: From Wiki (my highlights):

The MOAB is not a penetrator weapon and is primarily an air burst bomb intended for soft to medium surface targets covering extended areas and targets in a contained environment such as a deep canyon or within a cave system.[9

More detail on MOP here:
https://www.twz.com/air/massive-ordn...s-to-new-tests

That’s the one! No idea myself what it’s actually used for. Just heard it’s pretty big and goes off with a bit of a bang.

Apparently they're already working on a deeper penetrating but smaller, rocket assisted successor to the GBU-43.
I also read somewhere that there's a proven capability to land bunker buster bombs on top of one another in successive strikes to drill down to very deep targets.

Try a GBU-57 weighing in at 30,000 pounds....x2 per B-2 Bomber such as those forward deployed to Diego Garcia for no announced reason. Now that the live fire test on the Houthis went well.

https://maritime-executive.com/artic...-busting-bombs

https://fas.org/publication/half-of-...-diego-garcia/

The original concept of dropping very large bombs by parachute using C-130's began during the Vietnam War when 15,000 pound bombs with modified fuses were used to create instant LZ's in the Jungle.

Precsion weapons they were not back then.

I think that may have been the one nicknamed 'The Daisy Cutter' for self evident reasons. Happy to be corrected.

I am fine if we and the Israelis bounce pebbles. Enough of these theocracies threatening the existence of our species.

- Ed