On March 13, a massive billboard appeared in Tehran’s Enqelab Square. It showed Iran’s newly selected supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, standing in a trench and instructing commanders of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to fire missiles at their enemies. The text suggested the mission is divinely inspired, comparing Khamenei to Imam Ali, a revered Muslim figure known for his legendary victory over Jewish tribes.
For opponents of Iran’s regime, the image is the visual representation of their worst nightmare: a militarized Iran ruled by a younger, hard-line leader where the Revolutionary Guard plays an even more dominant role.
The U.S. and Israel launched the war with the hope that killing top Iranian officials—starting with Mojtaba’s father, Ali Khamenei—would create the conditions for regime change or at least the emergence of leaders more willing to bend to America and Israel’s interests. In an address to the nation one month into the war, President Trump called the new leadership “more reasonable.”
Instead, the void is being filled by radical new leaders who have shown little interest in political compromise at home or abroad.
Full article-
What is bro pointing at? Do they want to hit the gulf states again? This is an asymmetric hostage negotiation between a nation-state and a gang of terrorists. The Branch Davidians had a better kill-death ratio than the IRGC.
True- Irans only significant leverage is blocking the strait of Hormuz - and the determination of most Iranians to avoid again becoming puppet state to US-Israeli hegemony...like they were under the CIA installed shah from 1953-1979.
They are quite determined on this and like the Israelis are in large part motivated by nationalistic - religious fervour.
Iran resisted the US backed invasion by Iraq from 1980-88 and eventually won.
After which US removed their ultimately ineffective puppet Saddam and created what is now a complete and utter mess in Iraq.
Who cares about the 80's? They're not winning this year. Determination isn't leverage if it would only take the US one day to bomb them and their oil out of geopolitical relevance for eternity. Made-up historical grievances are also not leverage. We have grievances too. If political power comes from the barrel of a gun, the US wins. It sure as Hell doesn't come from UN resolutions.
Iraq is only a mess because of IRGC meddling. This fixes it.
We have an important meeting next month so there's no more time left for negotiations. If they can't agree to a deal then they end up with no energy plants and no bridges. And you know what the consequence for the US would be? Nothing.
The cost of this war is less than half what we already pay in fraud and ransom expenses to communist proxies every year, which are now being revoked. It's over. The US won the trade war and now we're winning the war war.
In the long run you could not defeat the Teleban.
All US military attacks and occupation did was brutalise them into becoming even more reactionary and hardline.
The Afghans always preferred working with the west than USSR as USSR was atheist but as Mullah Omar said, the problem with the modern day USA is it does not act in accordance with Christian values.
The US has acted as if it is above international law and Christian values and if it bombs Iran back to the Stone Ages any credibility USA had internationally left will be gone up in smoke.
Good luck with the threats and bluster - the TACO US lacks the grit to carry out its threats anyway - Iran and the world knows it.
Petrodollar hegemony is unraveling.
China won the trade war.
Your interceptor missiles are all used up and you cannot build anymore because China has cut the supply of refined rear earths to US military industrial combine.
You are not the Taliban, Trump is not Biden, 2026 is not 1989, the US is not Britain. Historical anecdotes are not prophecy. They are blinding you to the modern day reality that the current administration is willing to pay absolutely any price to prevent the PRC from meddling in Taiwan's internal affairs. If it necessitates millions of civilian deaths from collateral damage in Iran, that's a sacrifice the US is willing to make.
It sounds like bombing Iran would improve our credibility.
US reputation, as if it mattered, would be exactly the same before and after. People have made up their minds. We don't need or want Europe's help in the Pacific. If anything they should go ahead and fight on the PRC's side to make it fair.
The US was founded on violating international law. We don't want to be liked by people that we don't like.
The military is still following orders. That's literally all we need.
Only blue states are harmed by hyperinflation. Everyone other than coastal elites was already living paycheck to paycheck. The collapse of the government would be good for the private sector and the collapse of USD would be good for Bitcoin. We have multiple contingency plans in place to deal with whatever happens. You're not getting Taiwan.
China won the trade war.
Refined rare earths...you ain't got none.
You have run out of Interceptors and cannot make anymore.
With USAs crumbling credibility as a military and economic power Taiwan will be begging China to join them.
Only one way to find out if we have enough interceptors. Before and during the war everything is speculation.
Taiwan and the US already voted to keep the PRC out and don't have another election until 2028. The debate is over. We're going to war. Do you not see that? Did you think you could negotiate your way into annexing Taiwan? We're not negotiating shit. We're going to physically kill the communist party because that's all they understand.
Is that why US is desperately reshoring microchip production facilities back to the USA as swiftly as it can?
China is in no hurry- they will not use violence to regain territory- they will simply end up the better option for Taiwan as the Taiwan oppositions very cordial meeting with Xi recently indicates.
Economic self interest and political expediency and security strongly shifting toward a return to the motherland for Taiwan.
Ditto for the Middle East - China is their biggest customer for oil and gas...and for imports of manufactured goods and infrastructure development partnerships.
Iraqs oilfeilds for example are populated by Chinese engineers and technicians.
Many Middle East states have already joined BRICS and mBridge.
The world is changing- like it or not.
Partnership with the USA rogue state and its Zionist sponsoring war crimes is increasingly a curse.
Most of the Middle East is asking itself is USA a good security partner when it invaded Iran without consulting us and then drags us into a war we never wanted?
Yes only one way to find out if USA has any interceptors left!
Trumps TACO bluffs are wearing very thin!