Iran

[rekinhavoc]

They lied? No way!

 

[Vol8188]

I hope we don't really plan to permanently occupy and play bridge troll in an Asian powder keg.

Either way as long as they force us to ensure the safety of their shipments, they should be charged for that service.

 

[DuckInAPen]

So if it hits we go to war on the defensive. . NATO.

There's no shortage of hostile governments in possession of missiles that could hit not just America's European allies but America herself. Thousands of those missiles are armed with nuclear warheads. We can't launch a preemptive war over every fear of "if it hits" ("it" being a missile that's neither launched nor an imminent threat to launch).

 

[DuckInAPen]

Either way as long as they force us to ensure the safety of their shipments, they should be charged for that service.

They can't simultaneously be strong enough to force us to ensure the safety of their shipments and weak enough to pay us tribute for our doing what they've forced us to do.

The reality is that they haven't forced us to do anything, nor do they have the power to have done so.

 

[Vol8188]

They can't simultaneously be strong enough to force us to ensure the safety of their shipments

Edit: I reread my post. They’re not forcing us, on that we agree. But if we are having to do their dirty work, we should be paid

and weak enough to pay us tribute for our doing what they've forced us to do.

Literally no one has claimed either the EU or China to be incapable of paying.

 

[ButchPlz]

https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/iran-war-negotiations-demands-85555522?mod=WSJ_home_mediumtopper_pos_1

"DUBAI—Three weeks into the war, the Iranian regime is signaling that it believes it is winning and has the power to impose a settlement on Washington that entrenches Tehran’s dominance of Middle East energy resources for decades to come.

This attitude may prove to be a dangerous misreading of President Trump’s determination, or of Israel’s capacity to inflict strategic blows on the Islamic Republic’s surviving leadership and military capabilities.

Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have given mixed signals on how long the war would go on, as they try to talk markets down and keep Tehran guessing. Netanyahu said Thursday that the war would end “a lot faster than people think.” Trump said this week the U.S. would wrap up the conflict in the “near future” even as the Pentagon dispatched thousands of additional Marines to the Middle East.

The problem is, Iran also has a say in when the guns fall silent—and, for now, it seems to think time works to its benefit.

Despite optimistic U.S. and Israeli pronouncements about destroying launchers and missile stocks, Iran has retained the ability to fire dozens of ballistic missiles, and many more drones, every day across the Middle East.

Instead of declining, the rate of fire actually picked up in recent days compared with 10 days ago. Iranian strikes inflicted catastrophic damage this week on key energy installations in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates—while Iran’s own oil exports kept booming.

Shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf’s chokepoint, remains only possible with Iranian permission. Surging oil and gas prices, meanwhile, are exacting growing pain on economies worldwide—and putting pressure on Trump to end the war that he began in expectation of swift victory on Feb. 28."

The bolded part is what anyone with a brain worried about. We have to see, but if they used up all of our good stuff by throwing constant garbage over the wall, this is going to be a nasty situation for us.

 

[Smokey123]

Irrelevant.

The is about protecting the freeloading Europeans whom we don't want or need as allies from an 'imminent threat'.

View attachment 821027

It’s relevant because the absolute closest points are still 4,000 miles. Tehran to NYC or DC is over 6,000

His point is stupid

 

[adam.vol]

You realize that’s just some person putting dots on a map, right? It doesn’t mean anything actually happened, especially not in any certain way.

 

[me_grag53]

There's no shortage of hostile governments in possession of missiles that could hit not just America's European allies but America herself. Thousands of those missiles are armed with nuclear warheads. We can't launch a preemptive war over every fear of "if it hits" ("it" being a missile that's neither launched nor an imminent threat to launch).

It is about intent. When does it become imminent. It's too late when they are pushing the button . "Death to America" " The great satan" .

 

[CobbVol]

You realize that’s just some person putting dots on a map, right? It doesn’t mean anything actually happened, especially not in any certain way.

 

[adam.vol]

View attachment 821040

Sorry. Hard to catch those.

 

[Persian Vol]

@Persian Vol thougts

That’s what just baffles me about the Muslim man. How are 10s of thousands of regular Army men with access to weapons allowing these murderous POS stay in power?

Irans Military in a nutshell…

IRGC: ~150k. Ideologically driven, often recruited from hyper religious families and further brainwashed and indoctrinated into the regime. Their entire existence is to protect the regime. They are well taken care of financially and are not feeling the effects as the average Iranian from a financial standpoint. They’re beneficiaries of the Islamic republic, and with almost certainty will defend the regime until it’s clearly inevitable for collapse.

Artesh: ~300k. This is the typical military. Trained like any other military. They are not as ideologically driven as the IRGC, and while trained adequately as far as being a military, they don’t have the level of resources and training as the IRGC. Most Iranian men upon turning 18 have to serve at least 2 years in the military. Their job is to protect Iran defensively, but like the IRGC they take ultimate command from the regime and supreme leader. While conceivable they could defect, it’s highly unlikely as traitors are quickly executed. Again, unless collapse was at 100% certainty, people run the risk of imminent death if they defect.

Basij: A paramilitary force of volunteers. Anywhere between 100k to 1 million depending on a lot of factors. They are not nearly as trained as the military forces mentioned above. They are essentially hyper religious thugs from the street that weren’t cut out for the IRGC. The government offers job prospects, promotions, etc in favor of their assistance when necessary. They are often most responsible for civilian suppression. They are not as organized as the military, but they are used as an accessory force of the IRGC.



So to answer @hog88 and your question, because they don’t want to die, and more importantly they don’t want their family to die. They have massacred 10s of thousands on the street. They will hang recognizable professional athletes publically. They do all of this for suppression. It’s a hostage state.

 

[marcusluvsvols]

England and France- "glad we didnt join the US in this one. Iran might have aimed one of those missiles at us and hit Austria or Spain."

What they are really thinking : "No way in Hell we could join in this one up front. We already have thousands of Muslim radicals we imported. The terror attacks here would be a powderkeg."

 

[DuckInAPen]

Edit: I reread my post. They’re not forcing us, on that we agree.

I sincerely appreciate the revision. Not everyone who posts here would have offered it.

But if we are having to do their dirty work, we should be paid

If circumstances were as you say, I wouldn't disagree with the justice of your proposal. But on what basis, other than the president's passive-agressive tweets, are we to believe that we are having (in other words, being compelled) to do their dirty work?

It may or may not be in our interest to be the world's policeman, but I sure as hell don't want America to be the world's codependent martyr policeman.

Literally no one has claimed either the EU or China to be incapable of paying.

That "literally no one" includes me.

 

[MAD]

Irrelevant.

The is about protecting the freeloading Europeans whom we don't want or need as allies from an 'imminent threat'.

View attachment 821027

I don’t care about no Europe or nobody other than me, myself and I.

But Iran is now targeting US military bases in the Indian Ocean, 2,500 miles away!

I’m not worried because, Joe Kent told Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly that Iran is not a threat to America!

 

[TVOLS]

View attachment 821021
"When the war has been won, very strongly, but your vassals refuse to send troops to your aid, which you didn't need, as you have prevailed—that is when one opens new fronts, and makes war upon one's vassals, to prevail all the stronger, which you have already acccomplished."

-Don Tzu, The War of Deal

Getting nothing in return huh? Can emperor Trump calculate how many American lives could have possible been saved spending this money regardless of how unfair he thinks it was during said time?

 

[Vol8188]

I sincerely appreciate the revision. Not everyone who posts here would have offered it.



If circumstances were as you say, I wouldn't disagree with the justice of your proposal. But on what basis, other than the president's passive-agressive tweets, are we to believe that we are having (in other words, being compelled) to do their dirty work?

Why would force matter? They are not doing it and the oil needs to move, so we are. If we secure the strait, we should charge them.

It may or may not be in our interest to be the world's policeman, but I sure as hell don't want America to be the world's codependent martyr policeman.

That "literally no one" includes me.

 

[BeardedVol]

I don’t care about no Europe or nobody other than me, myself and I.

But Iran is now targeting US military bases in the Indian Ocean, 2,500 miles away!

I’m not worried because, Joe Kent told Tucker Carlson and Megyn Kelly that Iran is not a threat to America!

View attachment 821054

Who could have imagined that Iran would target US military bases, once we started bombing them?

 

[Ashevolle]

Iran shot missiles at Diego Garcia, which is 4,000 km away, or 2,485 miles.
Iran has missiles that can reach London, which is 2,173 miles. That is an imminent threat.

https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/iran-us-israel-war-updates-2026?mod=lc_navigation

Maybe we should have thought of that before provoking said aggression. It certainly wasnt imminent 3 weeks ago. Its just dumb to play the "imminent threat" game when the crisis is entirely of our own creation.

 

[Smokey123]

 

[Weezer]

There's no shortage of hostile governments in possession of missiles that could hit not just America's European allies but America herself. Thousands of those missiles are armed with nuclear warheads. We can't launch a preemptive war over every fear of "if it hits" ("it" being a missile that's neither launched nor an imminent threat to launch).

Mutually assured destruction has worked thus far. Bout all we can count on.

 

[RavinDave]

Mutually assured destruction has worked thus far. Bout all we can count on.

Mutually assured destruction is only a deterrent for rationally led nations.

 

[Weezer]

Mutually assured destruction is only a deterrent for rationally led nations.

Are most nations really rationally led? I don't think so. I don't think our own government is really that rational.

 

[RavinDave]

Are most nations really rationally led? I don't think so. I don't think our own government is really that rational.

Dare I say it’s on a continuum?

 

[CobbVol]