Iran

[sockeye]

UK embassy in Tehran has been evacuated🫣

[sadoldgit]

It seems like his “friends” in the Middle East outside of Israel have persuaded him to put his TACO cap on.

[benjii]

If Iran kills a protestor, I'll ruin them!

[Noise of protesters being shot in Minnesota in the background]

If Iran hangs anyone, I'll ruin them!

[2,000+ killed]

Maybe next week!

[sadoldgit]

A decent summary of where we are and how we got here. If you don’t want to read the whole thing, the author sums up Trump perfectly with this quote.

”Trump doesn’t have any overarching strategic policy or goal. He is motivated by showmanship, vengeance and self-aggrandisement.”

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jan/16/trump-war-iran

[whelk]

Probably the more appropriate thread as seems very much US led

[Lighthouse]

Not that I particularly like any of this but the world would be well rid of that Iranian government and the IRG. If the US and Israel are going to do this, I hope they finish them off for good.

[whelk]

Clearly not Trump’s motive but wonder if the ordinary Iranians welcome this?

[Sheaf Saint]

My brother lives in Bahrain, and two days ago his wife died from cancer. Last night I booked flights for Monday for my nephew and me to go over for her funeral.

My brother has messaged to say the government has issued shelter in place alerts as the US naval base there has now been hit in retaliation by Iran. He's been sent pictures of explosions at the base from friends who live near there. 

Needless to say, I won't now be travelling.

[hypochondriac]

1 hour ago, whelk said:

Clearly not Trump’s motive but wonder if the ordinary Iranians welcome this?

Spoke to an Iranian work colleague yesterday with family in Iran. She said everyone was waiting for Trump to save them.

[Lighthouse]

20 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

My brother lives in Bahrain, and two days ago his wife died from cancer. Last night I booked flights for Monday for my nephew and me to go over for her funeral.

My brother has messaged to say the government has issued shelter in place alerts as the US naval base there has now been hit in retaliation by Iran. He's been sent pictures of explosions at the base from friends who live near there. 

Needless to say, I won't now be travelling.

All airspace in the area is currently closed, including Bahrain, Qatar and UAE.

[egg]

13 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

Spoke to an Iranian work colleague yesterday with family in Iran. She said everyone was waiting for Trump to save them.

If SoG posted similar you'd be laughing it off. On subject, as much as many Iranians want regime change, none will want their military deterrent decimated and/or for them to suffer an Iraq esque downfall. People shouldn't kid themselves that the US and Israel want Iran to be a free and prosperous nation - people forget that it was before the US and Britain meddled years ago essentially creating what they now oppose.

[badgerx16]

Has Trump started another war just so that when it finishes he can add it to the eight mythical conflicts he has already brought to a conclusion ?

 

Peace prize, my arse !

[badgerx16]

8 minutes ago, egg said:

If SoG posted similar you'd be laughing it off. On subject, as much as many Iranians want regime change, none will want their military deterrent decimated and/or for them to suffer an Iraq esque downfall. People shouldn't kid themselves that the US and Israel want Iran to be a free and prosperous nation - people forget that it was before the US and Britain meddled years ago essentially creating what they now oppose.

But it's not about the oil.

[egg]

8 minutes ago, badgerx16 said:

But it's not about the oil.

Of course, nor Israeli dominance. It's about peace. Fancy Iran moving it's country within range of those US bases which are all there just for peaceful purposes.

I'm going to keep repeating that Iran was peaceful, democratic and prosperous until the US and the UK decided it shouldn't be any more.

Whatever angle people have on this conflict, the fact is that Iran is the only middle eastern/arabic nation of note that hasn't either been smashed up or coerced into being an ally, so taking it down at some point was inevitable. My only surprise is that it's taken so long. 

[Picard]

9 minutes ago, egg said:

Of course, nor Israeli dominance. It's about peace. Fancy Iran moving it's country within range of those US bases which are all there just for peaceful purposes.

I'm going to keep repeating that Iran was peaceful, democratic and prosperous until the US and the UK decided it shouldn't be any more.

Whatever angle people have on this conflict, the fact is that Iran is the only middle eastern/arabic nation of note that hasn't either been smashed up or coerced into being an ally, so taking it down at some point was inevitable. My only surprise is that it's taken so long. 

If Iran was allowed to develop arms as it wanted how would that play out?

[badgerx16]

8 minutes ago, egg said:

Of course, nor Israeli dominance. It's about peace. Fancy Iran moving it's country within range of those US bases which are all there just for peaceful purposes.. 

As I have said before, there is no point in maintaing 11 carrier strike groups, ( 9 active ), if you have nothing for them to do.

[egg]

Just now, Picard said:

If Iran was allowed to develop arms as it wanted how would that play out?

What do you believe they want? 

Nuclear, no way, but the mediatior said pre attack that they had agreed to get rid of their enriched uranium and break it down to fuel. What else should they give up?  How do you think it would play out if things stayed as they were, but with uranium removed from the equation? 

 

[Sheaf Saint]

Juffair naval base in Bahrain 

 

[Farmer Saint]

7 minutes ago, Sheaf Saint said:

Juffair naval base in Bahrain 

 

Jeez

[hypochondriac]

1 hour ago, egg said:

If SoG posted similar you'd be laughing it off. On subject, as much as many Iranians want regime change, none will want their military deterrent decimated and/or for them to suffer an Iraq esque downfall. People shouldn't kid themselves that the US and Israel want Iran to be a free and prosperous nation - people forget that it was before the US and Britain meddled years ago essentially creating what they now oppose.

That's because soggy has a history of just meeting people talking about the topic at hand. I have never said anything like that before but thought it was worth mentioning given it had just come up. It could be a load of bollocks I just noticed she had a foreign accent and asked where she was from and I asked if she had family in Iran and that was the extent of the conversation. Believe it or not I'm not overly bothered. If she'd said the Iranian people wanted Trump to leave them alone I'd have posted that too 

Edited 2 hours ago by hypochondriac

[egg]

More kids targeted by Israel, and in pre emptive strikes that weren't actually pre emptive. Doubtless someone will suggest an IRGC bloke was seen in the vicinity. 

"Number of students killed in Israeli attack on school in southern Iran rises to 24

We have reported earlier that an Israeli strike hit an elementary girl’s school in Minab, a city in the Hormozgan province of southern Iran, killing five people.

Now, Iran’s Fars news agency is reporting that the number of students killed rose to 24". 

[Farmer Saint]

6 minutes ago, egg said:

More kids targeted by Israel, and in pre emptive strikes that weren't actually pre emptive. Doubtless someone will suggest an IRGC bloke was seen in the vicinity. 

"Number of students killed in Israeli attack on school in southern Iran rises to 24

We have reported earlier that an Israeli strike hit an elementary girl’s school in Minab, a city in the Hormozgan province of southern Iran, killing five people.

Now, Iran’s Fars news agency is reporting that the number of students killed rose to 24". 

That'll give Benjamin his mid-afternoon wank material no doubt.

[inspectorfrost]

2 hours ago, hypochondriac said:

Spoke to an Iranian work colleague yesterday with family in Iran. She said everyone was waiting for Trump to save them.

Until they find out what the Iraqis found out after Saddam was removed ie. what happens when a dictatorship falls.

People want different things.

Edited 1 hour ago by inspectorfrost

[hypochondriac]

1 minute ago, inspectorfrost said:

Until they find out what the Iraqis found out after Saddam was removed.

People want different things.

I'm sure they do and never suggested otherwise.

[hypochondriac]

I think we can all agree that what happened to Iran from when it was liberal and progressive to what it is like now is absolutely tragic. If there's a way to get back to anything approaching that it would be a very good thing. Could well be the case that things get worse though obviously. 

[Lighthouse]

1 hour ago, egg said:

More kids targeted by Israel, and in pre emptive strikes that weren't actually pre emptive. Doubtless someone will suggest an IRGC bloke was seen in the vicinity. 

"Number of students killed in Israeli attack on school in southern Iran rises to 24

We have reported earlier that an Israeli strike hit an elementary girl’s school in Minab, a city in the Hormozgan province of southern Iran, killing five people.

Now, Iran’s Fars news agency is reporting that the number of students killed rose to 24". 

Targeted or hit? There's a difference.

[egg]

1 minute ago, Lighthouse said:

Targeted or hit? There's a difference.

With their precision, are you suggesting it was potentially inadvertent? 51 kids dead now. 

[badgerx16]

3 minutes ago, egg said:

With their precision, are you suggesting it was potentially inadvertent? 51 kids dead now. 

The main problem with "smart" weapons is that they are operated by humans.

[egg]

1 minute ago, badgerx16 said:

The main problem with "smart" weapons is that they are operated by humans.

Who are smart, and in this case, demonstrably callous. 

[badgerx16]

Just now, egg said:

Who are smart, and in this case, demonstrably callous. 

Or that classc contradiction - Military Intelligence.

[Lighthouse]

8 minutes ago, egg said:

With their precision, are you suggesting it was potentially inadvertent? 51 kids dead now. 

Well what are youy suggesting? That in the middle of a massive military operation against a very capable and dangerous Iranian military, one of Israel's commanders said, "yeah leave that Iranian radar site for now, make sure you hit the primary school first."

Even the most advanced militaries are not adverse to hitting their own forces in friendly fire incidents. Hitting some civilian infrastructure in an operation this big is hardly surprising.

[egg]

27 minutes ago, hypochondriac said:

I think we can all agree that what happened to Iran from when it was liberal and progressive to what it is like now is absolutely tragic. If there's a way to get back to anything approaching that it would be a very good thing. Could well be the case that things get worse though obviously. 

This has nothing to do with improving things for the Iranian people. They'll endure death, destruction, displacement and instability. Regime change only gives a subservient state who'll be powerless to react to whatever Israel get up to in Gaza, West bank (Inc inevitable US approved annexation), Lebanon, and wherever else they want to meddle. 

[egg]

2 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

Well what are youy suggesting? That in the middle of a massive military operation against a very capable and dangerous Iranian military, one of Israel's commanders said, "yeah leave that Iranian radar site for now, make sure you hit the primary school first."

Even the most advanced militaries are not adverse to hitting their own forces in friendly fire incidents. Hitting some civilian infrastructure in an operation this big is hardly surprising.

So friendly fire? FFS. 

[Lighthouse]

Just now, egg said:

So friendly fire? FFS. 

I’m saying if you can kill your own soldiers accidentally then you can hit a civilian building accidentally. I don’t know why that’s contentious.

[egg]

4 minutes ago, Lighthouse said:

I’m saying if you can kill your own soldiers accidentally then you can hit a civilian building accidentally. I don’t know why that’s contentious.

Of course, but I'm in no doubt this was a deliberate hit by the IDF. There'll be some excuse that people will buy. 

[whelk]