[SDUT] Something available for one of our trusted allies? Not so fast there, UK.
The Navy says that it will decommission a pair of San Diego-based surface warships and a submarine this year, as well as several large support vessels that were built in Barrio Logan by General Dynamics-NASSCO.
The best known of the ships is the USS Lake Erie, a 33-year-old Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser that was scheduled to be decommissioned last year. The Navy extended its service life and dispatched it to the Caribbean Sea, where it is still on patrol. The ship — one of the last "Tico" cruisers in the Navy — is now set to decommission on Sept. 30.
One day earlier, the Navy will decommission the USS Germantown, a 40-year-old Whidbey Island-class dock landing ship that transports and delivers Marines to various parts of the world, notably war zones. The Germantown participated in Operations Desert Shield/Storm and Iraqi Freedom.
Those two ceremonies will be preceded on Aug. 4 by the decommissioning of the USS Alexandria, a 35-year-old Los Angeles-class hunter-killer submarine that is based at Naval Base Point Loma. It returned from its final deployment in May 2025.
The Navy is phasing out older Los Angles-class boats to make way for the newer and more capable Virginia-class subs. The Navy has not indicated which sub will replace the Alexandria in San Diego.
The shipyard is nearly finished building the USNS Hector A. Cafferata Jr., the last of the Expeditionary Sea Base type of vessels scheduled for NASSCO. The ships serve as forward-deployed staging bases for special operations and rotary-wing aircraft.
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/01/2026 11:34 ||
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#1
Did a 6 month float on the Ft McHenry which is a sister ship to the Germantown. I had a unique role as Embark Officer for the Marines onboard. Got to know just about every space on that ship. Great memories (mostly) and great ships.
Posted by: Bangkok Billy ||
03/01/2026 12:44 Comments ||
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Because Pakistan is not enough trouble for them? Oy.
More: "Maybe someone we can beat"?
🚨 🇦🇫 🇮🇷 🇮🇱 – 𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗕𝗔𝗡 𝗧𝗛𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗡𝗦 𝗜𝗥𝗔𝗡𝗜𝗔𝗡 𝗥𝗘𝗚𝗜𝗠𝗘
Taliban leader Abdul Hamid Khorasani says that "Israel and Iran are one coin" and called upon Muslims worldwide to stay vigilant and not support the "infidel regime of Iran" pic.twitter.com/ndiFIJLFk9
#1
1 The old Shia-Sunna love fest
2 While they're getting their Persian butts kicked, maybe we can slice off a piece.
3 The old malice vs stupidity schtick
[Breitbart] Saudi Arabia on Saturday morning strongly condemned Iranian missile attacks against U.S. bases hosted by their Gulf allies, and threatened to take actions if Iran continues violating their sovereignty.
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia condemns and denounces in strongest terms the blatant Iranian aggression and the flagrant violation of the sovereignty of the United Arab Emirates, the Kingdom of Bahrain, the State of Qatar, the State of Kuwait, and the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,” read a statement from the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The Saudi government affirmed its “full solidarity with, and unwavering support for, the brotherly countries, and its readiness to place all its capabilities at their disposal in support of any measures they may undertake.”
The Saudi statement further warned of “the grave consequences resulting from the continued violation of states’ sovereignty and the principles of international law.”
“The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia calls on the international community to condemn these blatant attacks and to take all firm measures necessary to confront Iranian violations that undermine the security and stability of the region,” the statement concluded.
Iran launched missile attacks against the Gulf states on Saturday morning after the United States and Israel began military operations against Iran that hit at least 30 targets with airstrikes, including government buildings in the capital city of Tehran and facilities associated with Iran’s nuclear program.
The Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a designated terrorist organization, reportedly launched several waves of missile barrages against Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, and Bahrain, as part of what they called “Operation True Promise 4.”
The name was chosen to imply that the IRGC was keeping its “promise” to respond to any attack with aggression against all of its perceived enemies, using Iran’s huge inventory of missiles. Iran’s largely ineffectual missile attacks against Israel in 2024 and 2025 also used the “Operation True Promise” designation.
“In response to the aggression of the criminal U.S. military and the child-killing Zionist regime, and with divine assistance, the first phase of Operation True Promise 4 has commenced, marked by extensive strikes carried out by the Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran against regional targets of the aggressor,” the IRGC said in a statement on Saturday.
“IRGC missiles and drones targeted the headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet in Bahrain, as well as other American bases in Qatar and the United Arab Emirates. In addition, military and security centers in the heart of the occupied territories were struck with decisive force,” the IRGC said.
The U.S. Navy base in Manama, Bahrain was evidently hit and damaged by Iranian missiles, causing a large explosion and panic in the streets. A cloud of black smoke rose over the city from the impact.
Analysts told the Jerusalem Post that the explosion occurred in an “empty quarter” of the base, and other missiles launched against Bahrain were intercepted. The choice of empty buildings for the strike could be an indication that Iran wanted to minimize retaliation from the Gulf states by choosing symbolic targets.
Explosions were also heard in Abu Dhabi, where UAE state media reported one person was killed. Kuwait and Jordan both said they intercepted Iranian missiles in their airspace.
Posted by: Skidmark ||
03/01/2026 00:00 ||
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#1
Y'all could use some of that weaponry that you're always buying to help out.
Posted by: chris ||
03/01/2026 1:22 Comments ||
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[Breitbart] The terrorist cartel leader known as El Mencho kept a series of detailed records that show that in the area where he was hiding out, he had several local police forces in his payroll, as well as state and federal investigators also working for him. The records provide additional evidence that further support numerous prior reports from Breitbart Texas about how El Mencho and his terrorist group Cartel Jalisco New Generation had been able to buy influence at all levels of Mexico’s government.
This week, Mexico’s El Universal published a series of photographs from ledgers found at the cabin where Mexican military forces working under U.S. intelligence and direction found and killed the feared drug lord. The photographs include detailed accounts of the money paid out by CJNG to its members and to authorities and public officials.
The documents use a series of codenames to avoid directly identifying individuals, but they do mention individuals within Mexico’s Attorney General’s Office (FGR), as well as members of Mexico’s military and state agencies. The documents help explain who El Mencho felt safe "hiding out" in a series of luxury cabins that, as Breitbart Texas reported, had previously been identified by the U.S. Department of the Treasury as being CJNG assets used for money laundering.
The documents provide a glimpse of the finances required to control a small region by CJNG. The terrorist organization has a controlling presence in most of Mexico, and it is expected that similar payouts take place throughout the country.
In the past, various journalists in Mexico, as well as politicians, have pointed to CJNG’s support for and bankrolling of the campaigns of members of the country’s ruling party, MORENA. This narco-alliance is what gave CJNG and other criminal organizations years of relative impunity during MORENA’s reign in Mexico.
That term of impunity has changed since the start of the Trump administration, which began pressuring Mexico over the way cartels operated in the country. The U.S. government has since designated CJNG and other organizations as Foreign Terrorist Organizations.
As Breitbart Texas reported, last Sunday, as a response to the pressure from the U.S., as well as threats of unilateral action, Mexican military forces working under intelligence and direction from the U.S. raided a series of luxury cabins in Tapalpa, Jalisco, where they ultimately killed El Mencho. In response, his terrorist organization spread a wave of terror throughout Mexico that included prison breakouts, carjackings, torched buildings, and blockades that brought most of Mexico to a halt.
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] Canada threw its support behind the US after President Donald Trump ordered strikes on Iran in partnership with Israel.
Prime Minister Mark Carney announced his backing for Trump's attack in a statement issued alongside Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand.
'Canada supports the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent its regime from further threatening international peace and security,' the statement said.
Trump announced the attack in an eight–minute video posted on Truth Social around 2.30am ET, calling it a 'massive and ongoing operation' to prevent Iran from ever acquiring a nuclear weapon.
The US President vowed to 'raze their missile industry to the ground' and 'annihilate their navy.'
Carney and Anand said Canada's position remained 'clear' in the wake of the US–Israeli airstrikes.
Carney's statement said that Canada had 'consistently called upon the Iranian regime to end its nuclear program' – only for this to not happen.
'Despite diplomatic efforts, Iran has neither fully dismantled its nuclear program, halted all enrichment activities, nor ended its support for regional terrorist proxy groups,' it read.
The first wave of US–Israeli strikes – titled Operation Epic Fury – happened near the offices of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei early Saturday morning.
Khamenei's condition remained unknown, as of Saturday morning. He has not been heard from since the attack.
Trump cautioned Iranian people to 'stay sheltered' but also urged them to take advantage of the US–Israeli operation.
Explosions were also reported in Isfahan, Shiraz and Tabriz, as well as port cities around the Persian Gulf.
'When we are finished, take over your government,' he said. 'It will be yours to take.'
Trump added: 'This will be probably your only chance for generations.'
The US President also issued a caution and said: 'The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost and we may have casualties.
'That often happens in war.'
'The Islamic Republic of Iran is the principal source of instability and terror throughout the Middle East, has one of the world's worst human rights records, and must never be allowed to obtain or develop nuclear weapons,' the statement read. Canada added it would 'take all possible measures to protect our nationals and Canadian diplomatic missions throughout the region.'
Reactions from around the world poured in Saturday morning following the US–Israeli attack on Iran.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, a Trump ally, offered his full backing of the strikes.
'We support the United States acting to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and to prevent Iran continuing to threaten international peace and security,' Albanese wrote on X.
He said that calls for 'the Iranian regime to uphold the human rights and fundamental freedoms of Iran's citizens' had been ignored.
Most global leaders were more restrained in their statements after the airstrikes.
French President Emmanuel Macron warned that war between the US, Israel and Iran threatened 'grave consequences for international peace and security.'
Macron called for the 'ongoing escalation' to end and for Iran to engage in negotiations to end its nuclear program.
He said: 'The Iranian people must also be able to freely build their future. The massacres committed by the Islamic regime disqualify it and demand that the voice be returned to the people. The sooner, the better.'
A spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: 'We do not want to see further escalation into a wider regional conflict.'
The statement added: 'Iran must never be allowed to develop a nuclear weapon and that is why we have continually supported efforts to reach a negotiated solution.'
Awfully big of him after announcing that America may not use Britain as a base for attacking Iran.
Posted by: Skidmark ||
03/01/2026 00:00 ||
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#1
While Canada let the ChiComs build an all Chicom military base on Prince Edward Island just north of the USA . I hope that evil country of Canukistan is broken up into little pieces.
🚨 IN OTHER NEWS: Pakistan Escalates Offensive Against Taliban
Pakistan has intensified air and artillery strikes on Taliban targets inside Afghanistan amid rising cross-border clashes. Islamabad says it is targeting militants operating from Afghan territory. Pakistan’s defense… pic.twitter.com/bDHHFpjN5N
#3
This whole Taliban creation thing appears not to have worked out well for Pakistan. For perspective, the whole Pakistan creation thing has worked out worse for the UK.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
03/01/2026 10:50 Comments ||
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#4
At least East Paki Bangladesh has been a roaring success.
Oh...wait. Nevermind
/Emily Littella
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/01/2026 10:53 Comments ||
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#5
Pakies have nukes. Doubtful to use them.
Wondering how much intel is flowing from the Pentagon? Would love to be a fly in Peter's office.
#6
Seen elsewhere: The strikes aren't illegal, they're just undocumented.
Posted by: Matt ||
03/01/2026 10:33 Comments ||
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#7
Are the Somalis still chairing tge Security Council or did it get passed to the Houthi?
Posted by: Super Hose ||
03/01/2026 11:06 Comments ||
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#8
On Iran, the eurochickens make fools of themselves Is there any better evidence that the Europeans are as hidebound, bureaucratic, and ridiculous as we think they are than this statement from European Union Commissioner Ursula von der Leyen in the wake of the U.S.-Israeli strike on Iran's mullah regime?
Following the ongoing situation in Iran, I am convening a special Security College on Monday.
For regional security and stability, it is of the utmost importance that there is no further escalation through Iran’s unjustified attacks on partners in the region.
EXPOSED! IRAN’S $100 BILLION EUROPEAN EMPIRE AND GLOBALIST NETWORKS FUNDING TERRORISM—HERE’S WHAT YOU DIDN’T KNOW!
Patriots, wake up—this is the bombshell the Deep State never wanted you to see. While the fake news distracts with their lies, President Trump is unleashing… pic.twitter.com/ShSyjpVdyp
— Paul White Gold Eagle (@PaulGoldEagle) March 1, 2026
Zedcex Zedxion MBaer Bank Ali Ansari Ayandeh Bank Mallorca
[Townhall] Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has been killed. He, along with other family members, was targeted in the first wave of airstrikes early Saturday. These strikes came roughly an hour after President Trump’s negotiation deadline regarding Iran's nuclear program. Significant Iranian military and intelligence sites were also targeted. Iran is now at its most vulnerable in over twenty years. The future depends on the Iranian people. We are witnessing a historic moment.
We’re also seeing some amusing media reactions. For starters, the media must acknowledge that Iranians abroad and here in the United States are ecstatic about this news. CNN was forced to admit in Los Angeles that the celebration was widespread among this community.
The Tehran server didn’t just hold Epstein’s tapes. It held his LEDGER.
$1.2 billion. Exposed.
3 major news networks — paid.
17 journalists — bought.
2 “fact-checking” organizations — created from scratch.
Payments disguised as consulting fees. Syndication rights. Charitable donations.
They weren’t paid to cover up the story.
They were paid to write the story.
The wars. The pandemics. The elections. The division.
Scripted. All of it.
Every time you asked “why won’t they report this?” — now you know. They couldn’t. They were on the payroll.
One anchor. Prime time. $14 million a year. Not from the network. From a Cayman Islands trust called Butterfly Foundation. The same trust in today’s DOJ files.
I hope they're also willing to fight. Because we gave them reason to celebrate about a month ago...and that's all they did. Could they please step up and fight?
[TOWNHALL] President Trump has released a statement on the death of Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei ...the very aged actual dictator of Iran, successor to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini...> , following more than 12 hours of continuous strikes by the United States and Israeli military forces.
"Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead," the president wrote on Truth Social.
This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS. He was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do. This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country. We are hearing that many of their IRGC, Military, and other Security and Police Forces, no longer want to fight, and are looking for Immunity from us. As I said last night, 'Now they can have Immunity, later they only get Death!'
Posted by: Fred ||
03/01/2026 00:00 ||
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#2
WASH POST had 1000+ word obit of Supreme leader today. Some neutral stuff, some negative but they also had this gem,
"With his bushy white beard and easy smile, Ayatollah Khamenei cut a more avuncular figure in public than his perpetually scowling but much more revered mentor, and he was known to be fond of Persian poetry and classic Western novels, especially Victor Hugo’s “Les Misérables.”
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
03/01/2026 10:13 Comments ||
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#3
His youngest bride can rejoin her fellow kindergartners.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
03/01/2026 10:53 Comments ||
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#4
I'm a firm believer in peaceful settlements and nobody's more peaceful than a DEAD TROUBLEMAKER!
Keith Laumer I believe from Reteif"s War
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited by Artemy Sharapov
[REGNUM] On the night of February 27-28, the United States and Israel launched a joint military operation against Iran.
A series of missile strikes hit military and government targets across the country. American sources dubbed the operation "Epic Fury," while Israeli sources called it "Lion's Roar."
The Iranian government announced the launch of a retaliatory military operation, attacking Israeli territory as well as American military facilities in the Persian Gulf countries.
American officials say they have no intention of winding down the operation, which will continue for at least the next few days and possibly weeks.
Moreover, the Pentagon has concentrated an impressive force in the Middle East for a long-term campaign.
AVIATION
The buildup of forces in the US Central Command area of responsibility began in January, after a wave of anti-government protests swept across Iran.
Observers estimate that US Air Force transport aircraft have made more than 300 flights to military bases across the Middle East since January 15. The deployment of additional air defense systems to cover American military installations was later recorded.
Moreover, users of aviation traffic tracking services have recorded in recent months a massive deployment of US Air Force strike aircraft across the Atlantic with refueling stops at air bases in Europe.
According to the most preliminary data, the total number of combat vehicles deployed to the region the day before or currently en route exceeds 140 units, excluding carrier-based aircraft and specialized aircraft.
Satellite images published online indicate that at least 30 F-35A Lightning II fighter jets, 48 F-16C Fighting Falcon fighter jets, 36 F-15E Strike Eagle fighter jets and 12 A-10C Thunderbolt II attack aircraft were deployed in Jordan.
Approximately 20 F-22 Raptor fighters and six EA-18G Growler electronic warfare aircraft on land, as well as additional aircraft of this type in carrier groups, are deployed to achieve air superiority and suppress air defenses.
Intelligence gathering is carried out by six E-3G Sentry airborne early warning aircraft and five E-11A BACN communications aircraft stationed at air bases in Saudi Arabia.
For a long time, RC-135V Rivet Joint reconnaissance aircraft, high-altitude U-2S Dragon Lady aircraft, P-8A Poseidon maritime reconnaissance aircraft, as well as MQ-4C Triton and RQ-4B Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicles, have carried out flights to the borders of Iran.
A vast network of tanker aircraft provides support for the airlift and potential combat sorties. A total of 107 KC-135 Stratotanker, KC-46 Pegasus, and KC-10 Extender aircraft are deployed. Of these, over 30 are in the Middle East, and another 57 are deployed along the Atlantic and Mediterranean airlift routes.
The concentration of such a large number of tankers allows hundreds of aircraft to be kept in the air at all times. This allows the US to achieve a critical air presence for massive air strikes.
Moreover, footage published online shows US Air Force tankers refueling Israeli aircraft over Syria.
The air group at the airfields is joined by deck-based aircraft from two carrier strike groups, consisting of approximately 80–90 F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and F-35C fighters.
These forces should also be supplemented by up to 300 Israeli Air Force strike aircraft. Therefore, the air force operating against Iran could number up to 500 aircraft.
This unprecedented concentration of military equipment will allow the US and Israel to carry out strikes in "shifting" fashion over an extended period.
The use of US Air Force strategic aircraft, including B-2 bombers stationed at Diego Garcia Air Base in the Indian Ocean, cannot be ruled out. These aircraft have previously been used to strike Iranian nuclear program targets.
FLEET
In addition to military aircraft, the US has concentrated two naval task forces in the Middle East in recent months.
One of the groups is led by the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), located in the Persian Gulf. It is accompanied by several dozen strike ships and support vessels.
American warships have also been spotted in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean waters.
A second aircraft carrier, USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78), is operating in the eastern Mediterranean. It is believed this group participated in the first phase of the operation.
Footage has been shared on social media of dozens of BGM-109 Tomahawk cruise missiles flying through Iraqi airspace toward Iran, heading from west to east. Several missiles of this type later struck military targets in Tehran.
The BGM-109 Tomahawk is a long-range subsonic cruise missile designed for precision strikes against ground targets. Depending on the version, its range reaches approximately 1,300–1,600 kilometers, allowing it to strike far beyond the zone of direct military contact.
The Tomahawk missile weighs approximately 1.5 tons at launch, carrying a 450-kilogram warhead—typically a penetrating or high-explosive type. It is launched from ships equipped with vertical launch systems, as well as from nuclear submarines.
According to the most general estimates, the ships that make up the two US Navy groups can simultaneously launch 200-300 cruise missiles.
RESULTS OF THE FIRST STRIKE
The operation began with missions to suppress and destroy air defense and radar systems—the so-called Suppression of Enemy Air Defenses and Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses, which can be considered the "calling card" of the US Air Force.
In other words, these were targeted strikes against radar stations, anti-aircraft missile systems, and command and control centers. It can be concluded that the strike involved combined Israeli forces, as well as the US Air Force and Navy.
The strikes covered several strategically important areas of the country. Targets along Iran's borders and coastline, as well as in the vicinity of major cities, were reportedly hit.
Yesterday, satellite images appeared online indicating the deployment of Bavar-373 and S-300 anti-aircraft missile launchers in Tehran. Iran also deployed older S-200 and Khordad-15 systems. According to preliminary data, they were the targets of the cruise missile strikes.
The targeting indicates an attempt to weaken Iran's airborne detection and tracking system by reducing its radar capabilities. Such actions typically precede a more extensive phase of an air campaign, when the focus shifts to infrastructure and military targets.
As the effectiveness of the radar field decreases, the possibilities for using guided air munitions expand.
It is expected that as Iran's air defenses are weakened, the US and Israel will begin a new phase of the operation, which will involve aircraft and drones operating directly in the country's airspace.
Posted by: badanov ||
03/01/2026 00:00 ||
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No mention of the LUCAS drones - guess Artemy hasn't kept up with his reading...
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited by Leonid Tsukanov
[REGNUM] Israel and the United States have launched a new, large-scale operation against Iran, aimed, they say, at "stabilizing the situation in the Middle East." The campaign, while little different from previous attacks, this time also aimed at the "symbolic collapse" of the Iranian state system. The United States and Israel have launched a hunt for key figures in the Iranian establishment.
Tehran, meanwhile, finds itself at a crossroads. On the one hand, the country was prepared for a full-scale war, but so far it has been escalating gradually, without deploying even half of its available forces. Meanwhile, the "nuclear question," which sparked the current conflict, remains unanswered.
BRANDING THE OPERATION
The Israeli preemptive strike was named "Shield of Judah," after the Jewish epic hero who rose to fame through his rebellion against the Seleucid Empire in the second century BCE.
However, the operation was subsequently renamed "Lion's Roar" at the personal insistence of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in order to emphasize continuity with June's "Lion's Force" and to "sound better" in foreign news reports.
The reference to the June operation is no coincidence: West Jerusalem is making every effort to indicate that it prioritizes the destruction of the Iranian nuclear program, as well as the key political figures involved in its development.
The United States pondered the name for a while, and for a while even tried to keep a low profile on its involvement in strikes on Iranian territory. However, Donald Trump's emotional speech, in which he declared himself "tired of fruitless negotiations" and intended to take on Tehran "seriously and with all the fury," quickly put paid to this idea.
The Pentagon dubbed the new operation against Tehran "Epic Fury." However, unlike the Israelis, Washington chose to focus on Iran's missile industry, for which the Americans had been unsuccessfully trying for several years to establish "development ceilings" as an integral part of the nuclear deal.
And having dealt with the missiles, the United States wants to finish off the Iranian nuclear program by bombing its key facilities.
Of course, American participation in the military operations is still very limited – the United States has deployed troops in the region primarily to “close the skies” for Iranian missiles and UAVs, as well as to provide more effective targeting for Israeli aircraft.
They are not yet conducting a targeted “hunt” for Iranian arsenals, apparently expecting that the Israelis will take over this work, as they did last time.
DEJA VU TIME
The current round of escalation is little different from the "twelve-day war" between Iran and Israel that occurred in June 2025. As before, the escalation was preceded by months of "intimidation" involving the redeployment of strike forces from one base to another and a series of military exercises with live-fire exercises in close proximity to the conflict zone.
Moreover, the first bombs fell on Iranian territory just before the next round of negotiations on the future of the nuclear program, which was supposed to take place in early March in Oman or the UAE, and the “promising” nature of which was insisted on by both the Americans and the mediators involved in the matter.
Finally, Washington and West Jerusalem, in assessing the risks, once again ignored Tehran's significant concessions—in particular, its willingness to give up its previously accumulated stockpiles of enriched uranium for the first time and hand them over to the control of intermediaries, as publicly stated by Omani Foreign Minister and chief mediator Badr al-Busaidi.
Similarly, the United States found Iran's willingness to consider joining a joint uranium enrichment consortium with the United States and the Gulf monarchies in June 2025 "unconvincing."
THE DIFFERENCE IS IN THE DETAILS
However, a closer look at the progress of the new anti-Iranian campaign reveals some changes in Western strategy. For example, this time, Israel has focused not on disrupting the chain of command in Iran's military and intelligence services, but on eliminating the Islamic Republic's "meaningful pillar."
Israeli military units have launched a hunt for Iran's Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, one of the main symbols of the Iranian system of power and a figure whose opinion, among other things, determines the future direction of Iran's nuclear program.
Khamenei's residence was among the first to be attacked, along with the intelligence headquarters and the Security Council. The presidential apartments and air defense command posts were attacked later, as part of subsequent waves of strikes.
In addition to Khamenei, the attack also hit Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, a key negotiator for the nuclear deal, and several high-ranking advisers (Defense Council Secretary Ali Shamkhani and Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani ), who were involved in developing the negotiating strategy with the West. Although Iranian media reports indicate that none of the key politicians were seriously injured, their safety remains at risk.
It's particularly noteworthy that Israel also decided to sideline some "forgotten" figures. For example, one of the airstrikes targeted the Tehran neighborhood where the hawkish former Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lives.
Despite his general odiousness, Ahmadinejad remains a respected figure in the eyes of some ultra-conservative circles and could well return to big politics as a “wartime leader” and, more importantly, the ideologist of Iran’s acquisition of a nuclear bomb.
Given that the ratings of Masoud Pezeshkian's reformist bloc are rapidly declining (which, however, did not prevent the Israelis from including the latter on the assassination list), and any calls to "negotiate with the West" are perceived as internal betrayal, a conservative tilt in Iran is only a matter of time.
It is not surprising that the Israelis decided to play a preemptive role here and, if not eliminate, then at least frighten Ahmadinejad and other high-ranking “hawks.”
A BLOW TO THE "SPECTATORS"
A significant difference from the first Iran-Israel war is that Tehran apparently failed to be caught off guard. The chain of command was intact: according to local monitoring resources, massive retaliatory missile and drone launches began within an hour of the escalation.
At the same time, the Persians kept their promise to respond to their offenders "on a broad front." In addition to Israeli targets, Tehran attacked American bases and headquarters in Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan—in all cases, the strikes resulted in hits on local infrastructure or minor damage to the ground from falling debris.
Later, there was also an attempt to strike infrastructure in the UAE and Kuwait, but the launched missiles were shot down before entering the airspace of the Arabian monarchies.
Interestingly, unlike in the summer of 2025, when Iranian strikes on targets belonging to the US's Arab allies were of a markedly symbolic nature, Tehran is striking silently and indiscriminately, without regard for possible collateral damage to its neighbors.
Even though most of the damaged facilities had been evacuated in advance and were in a "mothballed" state, the morning raid seriously stung Arab leaders accustomed to more subtle games around the Gulf.
True, Tehran did make some symbolic concessions. For example, Oman was excluded from the retaliatory strikes, even though the Sultanate has at least two airbases (Tumrit and Duqm), which were actively used by the United States for reconnaissance along the Iranian border.
Apparently, the Iranian authorities decided to thank Muscat for its mediation efforts in this way – and at the same time, perhaps, to leave a “negotiating window” for a future settlement.
TIME OF WAITING
Another interesting aspect of the escalation is the weak involvement of the pro-Iranian "Axis of Resistance." Tehran is currently attacking Israel alone and exclusively using its own arsenals.
In Israel and the West, this is interpreted as "weakness and confusion": neither Lebanese Hezbollah nor Yemen's Houthis, despite their recent bravado, dared to take the plunge. The Iraqi groups, meanwhile, were allegedly knocked out of the game before they could fully deploy, having lost part of their headquarters and several key commanders.
As a result, at the decisive moment, Tehran was left without a “support group,” thanks to whose efforts it was able to withstand Western attacks in June 2025.
However, such assessments are overly optimistic. Iran's proxy system continues to function and maintains enhanced combat readiness. However, Tehran is in no rush to use it directly, in part because this time, its national armed forces were relatively prepared for provocations and there is little need to urgently patch holes in its defenses.
Moreover, Iranian authorities are apparently interested in how long the US and Israel's momentum will last. Especially since White House sources have already shifted their assessments from "month-long crushing operations" to a "short but intense struggle" that will last a few days and force Tehran to return to negotiations more pliable. In this context, Iran doesn't need to lay out all its cards at once.
However, if the balance of power begins to change rapidly, Tehran will not fail to use all available forces to carry out “retaliatory strikes,” including combined ones.
Moreover, Trump intends to give the current operation even greater symbolic significance and deliver an additional address to the nation, in which, as the White House and the Pentagon are ironically saying, he will “sign the death warrant for Tehran.”
Iran's future tactics will largely depend on the "red lines" the Republican identifies. This includes the future of its nuclear program.
The hawks, who called on Tehran to withdraw from binding treaties and develop its own arsenal back in June 2025, now have a nearly ironclad argument: reaching an agreement with the US has proven impossible, despite all the significant concessions. This means that acquiring nuclear weapons is no longer a matter of prestige, but of the country's survival.
Posted by: badanov ||
03/01/2026 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1804 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#5
Despite his general odiousness, Ahmadinejad remains a respected figure in the eyes of some ultra-conservative circles and could well return to big politics as a “wartime leader”
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] Iran's resistance could deal a significant blow to both the American military and US President Donald Trump. Military expert Yuri Knutov stated this in a conversation with Regnum News Agency on Saturday, February 28.
Major General Ebrahim Jabari of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps stated on February 28 that Iran is prepared to wage a multi-year war against the United States. Trump had previously announced the start of a military operation against Iran, although Washington believes it will last days or weeks.
"Statements that the US could wage war for weeks already indicate the potential for serious damage to American forces and Israel. This operation is literally a gamble. Trump wanted a lightning-fast, victorious war, but Tehran was prepared to attack, and its strikes on American bases, although asymmetrical, could be quite painful. It should be noted that the Iranian army is armed with Phatak 2 hypersonic missiles, which are considered invulnerable to air defenses.
China also recently transferred CM-302 missiles, known as "aircraft carrier killers," to Tehran. Iran could sink tankers in the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off crude oil trade, and also strike Israeli nuclear facilities. For Israel, this could spell catastrophic ruin; the leadership would be forced to make peace with Iran. Trump's position would be undermined in the lead-up to the congressional elections. If the US losses are significant, the matter could lead to impeachment,” Knutov explained.
The expert believes that the operation was initially planned according to the "Venezuelan" scenario. The plan was to eliminate Iran's leadership, and the military intervention was expected to last four days. During this time, the opposition would attempt to seize power in the decapitated country. Türkiye could also occupy Iranian Kurdistan.
"Trump hoped to boost his approval ratings. The operation in Venezuela, which he considered victorious, was disavowed by the Democrats with the publication of the 'Epstein files.' He's not succeeding with Ukraine—Trump realizes that the peace deal he's demanding is impossible as long as Kyiv's regime leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, refuses to withdraw troops from Donbas. Under these circumstances, the US president has taken risky actions that, instead of winning, could lead to defeat," Knutov believes.
The US military operation in Iran is dubbed "Epic Fury." Israel's parallel operation is called "Lion's Roar." Tehran launched a retaliatory operation using missiles and drones. US military bases in the Middle East were attacked.
The Russian Foreign Ministry demanded that the conflict be returned to diplomatic channels. In a conversation with his Iranian counterpart, Abbas Araghchi, the head of the ministry, Sergey Lavrov, called the US and Israeli attack unprovoked.
Posted by: badanov ||
03/01/2026 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[1776 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
Brought to you by the same people who sold air defenses to Iran as "Fully capable of shooting down any American or Israeli planes easily."
#2
^^ good point, we've been hearing about how fucking dire these s-300, 400 are for years , yet them mf'ers have did less damage than my fly swatter in the summer.
Posted by: chris ||
03/01/2026 1:24 Comments ||
Top||
#3
The man campaigned on a 'no more foreign wars' platform but this is his third foreign war so far. How many did Obama have?
#7
I'm thinking we should help arm & support the Gepids
Posted by: Frank G ||
03/01/2026 10:02 Comments ||
Top||
#8
I support Trump unequivocally unless he takes Bar Cheddar. If that happens, I’m out.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
03/01/2026 10:32 Comments ||
Top||
#9
but this is his third foreign war so far.
These are Blitzkriegs, not carefully calibrated, endless engagements.
Look at the Venezuela thing. We captured President Maduro and his wife, killed some Cuban bodyguards, and skedaddled. Or last year’s Twelve Day War with Iran. Though it turned out to br only the first engagement, as Steve S said, it was still only twelve days, not an invasion that left us running the place.
#11
The recent Venezuela excursion hardly counts as a war. More like an episode of Cops. We rolled up, snatched our guy, and left. We didn't even stay overnight. No occupation. No regime change. Although the current administration there does seem unusually cooperative for some reason.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
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Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
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Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
[Breitbart] The terrorist cartel leader known as 
[Breitbart]
...the very aged actual dictator of Iran, successor to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini...>
