War with Iran

[Anonymous]

Thomas Keith
@iwasnevrhere_
“The Pentagon has burned through so many missiles in the Iran exchange that Trump is dragging Lockheed and Raytheon CEOs into the White House like a failing factory boss demanding overtime. The military admits the Iran strike consumed more long-range munitions than 4 years of Ukraine.
Trump is posting fantasies about "unlimited supply" while Raytheon can barely promise to "eventually" reach 1,000 Tomahawks a year and the Pentagon only budgeted 57 for 2026.
The industrial base is so hollowed out they're threatening contractors with punishment if they don't ramp up, even though the system physically can't produce at wartime tempo.
America just showed the world that one regional confrontation with Iran drained decades of planning assumptions.”

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24ryHuOLVmQ. From Haviv Rettig Gur. He is an Israeli journalist, but not a right-winger, and has been quite critical of the Israeli government and its actions in Gaza.

FWIW, I am very much NOT a Trump supporter and certainly do not believe his motives vis a vis Iran are pure. That said, I've never understood (and still don't) the position that everything America does in the Middle East is at Israel's behest or on Israel's behalf. Two seconds of scrutiny would reveal that to be ridiculous. The attack on Iran benefits Israel, yes - that is absolutely undeniable. But the US independently perceives it to be in the US's interests, for several reasons: (1) it threatens Chinese/Russian hegemonic ambitions, (2) it pushes Iran's Arab neighbors closer to the US, and (3) it weakens an American adversary and reduces the threat of a nuclear Iran. Whether the attack can/will actually achieve these aims (or whether these aims are worth achieving) is certainly up for debate. Personally, I'm skeptical, but also don't think the US is WORSE off for having eliminated Khamenei and damaged the power structure surrounding him. If the US gets bogged down in a ground war, that calculus changes obviously.

But seriously - why would America, the most powerful country in the world, act exclusively on behalf of Israel, a tiny, politically fractured nation of ten million people? Some nebulous "Israel lobby" that somehow pulls all the strings in US politics? That strikes me as conspiracy theory nonsense. Funds expended by AIPAC and other pro-Israel organizations are absolutely DWARFED by political spending by Arab nations. Take Qatar for instance. Since about 2017, Qatar has spent on the order of $225 – $256 million on registered lobbying, public relations, and related paid influence work. That's not including the billions (yes billions) of dollars it has given to U.S. universities and educational programs. And that's ONE country. The Middle East is full of oil-rich Arab/Muslim-majority countries who likewise spend billions on influencing U.S. politics.

If someone can explain this to me with actual sources (that aren't, like, Al Jazeera), I'd appreciate it because I am actually curious what animates this view other than bizarre monomania re: Israel.

Why does our government uphold a totally broken healthcare system? Money. The answer is always money. There is money behind the Israeli lobby. That’s literally it.

The reason for this war is that something terrible is in the Epstein files. That’s it. It’s not geopolitically wise to go after Persia.

Persia predates Judaism. It will outlast Judaism and Christianity. It has never been colonized. Oil prices will go through the roof. This is stupid.

Maybe I am being quaint but it is actually totally illegal to attack other sovereign nations because you don’t like their leaders.

Also, we killed Khamenei and our prize is a younger Khamenei.

The Arab countries do not have real skin in the game vis a vis Israel. They do not care what happens to the Palestinians. Egypt is the only country that has ever taken action on behalf of Israel.

Yeah this doesn't answer my question, like at all. Again, spending by lobby groups representing countries hostile to Israel far, FAR outstrips spending by the Israel lobby. And FWIW, the term "Israel Lobby" includes groups like J Street, which believe Israel should exist but oppose the current war in Iran. So why do people think the US is acting primarily/exclusively at the behest of Israel?

If your argument is that the Arab countries also support a war in Iran, then again - why is Israel being blamed exclusively? It would seem, if you're correct, that everyone in the region benefits from a weaker Iran. It would seem, in fact, that the only people who benefit from a nuclear/strong/unchecked Iranian regime are the members of that regime itself.

"Maybe I am being quaint but it is actually totally illegal to attack other sovereign nations because you don’t like their leaders." Ah yes, the inevitable appeal to international law. It is pretty quaint actually. What is international law nowadays, and who does it benefit? In 2026, the United Nations elected - you guessed it - IRAN vice-chair of its Charter Committee. Where was international law when 40,000 unarmed Iranian civilians were butchered by their own government? Ask yourself - whose sovereignty are you protecting? Certainly not that of the Iranian people, who overwhelmingly oppose the current regime, didn't vote for it, and are willing to die to overthrow it.

I think "if you threaten us, attack our allies, illegally seek to acquire nukes, and slaughter tens of thousands of your own people, we are going to do something about it" is a pretty good precedent to set, actually. Whether it ends up benefitting the US long term is an open question that neither you nor I know the answer to, but I'm not losing a single wink of sleep over the IRGC's "sovereignty."

What do you think the Arab countries are advocating for, exactly? They don’t give 2 sh**s about Israel. They have much bigger, real governance issues. They want to increase trade, they want military hardware (and now you can see why). Gulf states are not actually that rich or that productive, and the more forward thinking leaders are trying to prepare for a future where oil is worth less and they still have to feed their people.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Exclusive: Iran nears deal to buy supersonic anti-ship missiles from China
By John Irish, Parisa Hafezi and Gavin Finch

February 24, 2026

LONDON, Feb 24 (Reuters) - Iran is close to a deal with China to purchase anti‑ship cruise missiles, according to six people with knowledge of the negotiations, just as the United States deploys a vast naval force near the Iranian coast ahead of possible strikes on the Islamic Republic.
The deal for the Chinese‑made CM‑302 missiles is near completion, though no delivery date has been agreed, the people said. The supersonic missiles have a range of about 290 kilometres and are designed to evade shipborne defences by flying low and fast. Their deployment would significantly enhance Iran’s strike capabilities and pose a threat to U.S. naval forces in the region, two weapons experts said.

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/iran-nears-deal-buy-supersonic-anti-ship-missiles-china-2026-02-24/

Iran has a right to defend itself.

We have a right to punch hard before they can.

Actually we don’t- Do people not know this?

When you dehumanize other people, it’s easy to kill them.

That's how the IRGC killed 40,000 of their own people in the past few weeks. Keep bowing to them.

True. Also how the IDF killed over 70,000 Palestinians in Gaza, including starving them to death.

I guess the Palestinians should have thought twice before murdering 1200 Israelis on October 7th. The atrocities they committed will never be forgotten.

See I knew you didn’t actually give a sh$t about civilian deaths. Thanks for confirming.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

It doesn’t matter how much money they throw at it, it will take years to ramp up capacity to make 1,000 per year. Even then, that’s one weeks supply at current burn rates.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe off topic but I can’t stand to watch all those white men smiling at Trump constantly. He’s off on a tangent, smile, he’s spouting misinformation, smile, he makes a joke, smile and laugh. When will one of them snap? My bet is Lil Marco.

Not a Rubio fan- at least his politics, but him being part of the Trump administration is something I never imagined. He always seemed like somewhat of a straight shooter and above the Trump madness. He, like most Republicans have made their bed. MTG jumped ship and has saved herself. VP Pence waited too long. How long will the others wait?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Kuwaiti F/A-18 Hornet Responsible For Shooting Down Three USAF F-15E Strike Eagles: Report
The three F-15Es shot down over Kuwait yesterday met their demise at the hand of a Kuwaiti Air Force F/A-18 Hornet, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal’s Lara Seligman. While it was rumored to have been a ground-based air defense system that took the aircraft out, it does make sense that the friendly fire incident was the result of a series of air-to-air engagements, based on the damage to one of the aircraft. That being said, we cannot independently confirm the report at this time.
Seligman’s story is based on three sources “familiar with initial reports of the incident.” Just one Hornet was supposedly involved, launching three missiles and taking down the three Strike Eagles. Thankfully, the crews all survived. The report goes on to state that the ‘blue-on-blue’ incident occurred as multiple Iranian drones were penetrating Kuwaiti airspace. One of these impacted a base that resulted in the death of six Americans

https://www.twz.com/news-features/kuwaiti-f-a-18-hornet-responsible-for-shooting-down-three-usaf-f-15e-strike-eagles-report

Lots of chatter that this was an intentional by the Kuwait pilot. F15s are very distinctive, shot three down very quickly, sidewinder missiles are close in weapons, etc.


Accident or Crime? A Kuwaiti F/A-18 Hornet Shot Down Three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cNFIFqlvoGk

Yipes!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Maybe off topic but I can’t stand to watch all those white men smiling at Trump constantly. He’s off on a tangent, smile, he’s spouting misinformation, smile, he makes a joke, smile and laugh. When will one of them snap? My bet is Lil Marco.

Not a Rubio fan- at least his politics, but him being part of the Trump administration is something I never imagined. He always seemed like somewhat of a straight shooter and above the Trump madness. He, like most Republicans have made their bed. MTG jumped ship and has saved herself. VP Pence waited too long. How long will the others wait?

Those who stuck around (didn’t even enter) until Trump term 2 get no credit for jumping ship now. Trump showed his cards in term 1.

[Anonymous]

Looks like US/Israel are using the same strategy of double tap strikes in Iran as they did in Gaza including the school in Tehran to maximize civilian casualties

https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/tehran-iran-double-tap-bombing-trump-israel-war-niloofar-square

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/exclusive-iranian-girls-killed-double-tap-strikes-minab-school

[Anonymous]

🤔

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24ryHuOLVmQ. From Haviv Rettig Gur. He is an Israeli journalist, but not a right-winger, and has been quite critical of the Israeli government and its actions in Gaza.

FWIW, I am very much NOT a Trump supporter and certainly do not believe his motives vis a vis Iran are pure. That said, I've never understood (and still don't) the position that everything America does in the Middle East is at Israel's behest or on Israel's behalf. Two seconds of scrutiny would reveal that to be ridiculous. The attack on Iran benefits Israel, yes - that is absolutely undeniable. But the US independently perceives it to be in the US's interests, for several reasons: (1) it threatens Chinese/Russian hegemonic ambitions, (2) it pushes Iran's Arab neighbors closer to the US, and (3) it weakens an American adversary and reduces the threat of a nuclear Iran. Whether the attack can/will actually achieve these aims (or whether these aims are worth achieving) is certainly up for debate. Personally, I'm skeptical, but also don't think the US is WORSE off for having eliminated Khamenei and damaged the power structure surrounding him. If the US gets bogged down in a ground war, that calculus changes obviously.

But seriously - why would America, the most powerful country in the world, act exclusively on behalf of Israel, a tiny, politically fractured nation of ten million people? Some nebulous "Israel lobby" that somehow pulls all the strings in US politics? That strikes me as conspiracy theory nonsense. Funds expended by AIPAC and other pro-Israel organizations are absolutely DWARFED by political spending by Arab nations. Take Qatar for instance. Since about 2017, Qatar has spent on the order of $225 – $256 million on registered lobbying, public relations, and related paid influence work. That's not including the billions (yes billions) of dollars it has given to U.S. universities and educational programs. And that's ONE country. The Middle East is full of oil-rich Arab/Muslim-majority countries who likewise spend billions on influencing U.S. politics.

If someone can explain this to me with actual sources (that aren't, like, Al Jazeera), I'd appreciate it because I am actually curious what animates this view other than bizarre monomania re: Israel.

Why does our government uphold a totally broken healthcare system? Money. The answer is always money. There is money behind the Israeli lobby. That’s literally it.

The reason for this war is that something terrible is in the Epstein files. That’s it. It’s not geopolitically wise to go after Persia.

Persia predates Judaism. It will outlast Judaism and Christianity. It has never been colonized. Oil prices will go through the roof. This is stupid.

Maybe I am being quaint but it is actually totally illegal to attack other sovereign nations because you don’t like their leaders.

Also, we killed Khamenei and our prize is a younger Khamenei.

The Arab countries do not have real skin in the game vis a vis Israel. They do not care what happens to the Palestinians. Egypt is the only country that has ever taken action on behalf of Israel.

Yeah this doesn't answer my question, like at all. Again, spending by lobby groups representing countries hostile to Israel far, FAR outstrips spending by the Israel lobby. And FWIW, the term "Israel Lobby" includes groups like J Street, which believe Israel should exist but oppose the current war in Iran. So why do people think the US is acting primarily/exclusively at the behest of Israel?

If your argument is that the Arab countries also support a war in Iran, then again - why is Israel being blamed exclusively? It would seem, if you're correct, that everyone in the region benefits from a weaker Iran. It would seem, in fact, that the only people who benefit from a nuclear/strong/unchecked Iranian regime are the members of that regime itself.

"Maybe I am being quaint but it is actually totally illegal to attack other sovereign nations because you don’t like their leaders." Ah yes, the inevitable appeal to international law. It is pretty quaint actually. What is international law nowadays, and who does it benefit? In 2026, the United Nations elected - you guessed it - IRAN vice-chair of its Charter Committee. Where was international law when 40,000 unarmed Iranian civilians were butchered by their own government? Ask yourself - whose sovereignty are you protecting? Certainly not that of the Iranian people, who overwhelmingly oppose the current regime, didn't vote for it, and are willing to die to overthrow it.

I think "if you threaten us, attack our allies, illegally seek to acquire nukes, and slaughter tens of thousands of your own people, we are going to do something about it" is a pretty good precedent to set, actually. Whether it ends up benefitting the US long term is an open question that neither you nor I know the answer to, but I'm not losing a single wink of sleep over the IRGC's "sovereignty."

What do you think the Arab countries are advocating for, exactly? They don’t give 2 sh**s about Israel. They have much bigger, real governance issues. They want to increase trade, they want military hardware (and now you can see why). Gulf states are not actually that rich or that productive, and the more forward thinking leaders are trying to prepare for a future where oil is worth less and they still have to feed their people.

Ok so you're saying the Arab countries oppose the strike on Iran? I don't think that's accurate but let's assume you're right. Again, lobbying dollars expended by Arab states to influence US politics far outstrips funds expended by the "Israel lobby." So why do you think America is acting on Israel's behalf as opposed to on behalf of those nations?

Or if you're saying the Arab countries are agnostic about/in favor a strike on Iran - great. So who opposes it exactly? The Iranian regime? Why should I care what they think exactly? So far, the strike has had zero negative repercussions for the US that I can see (minus a very, very few casualties on the US side. Far fewer than the number of Americans that have been killed by Iran's terror proxies).

I just don't get this line of thinking. The US is not a puppet state of Israel. That's Islamist propaganda BS 101. It's astounding that educated Americans fall for this third-world nonsense.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Looks like US/Israel are using the same strategy of double tap strikes in Iran as they did in Gaza including the school in Tehran to maximize civilian casualties

https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/tehran-iran-double-tap-bombing-trump-israel-war-niloofar-square

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/exclusive-iranian-girls-killed-double-tap-strikes-minab-school

There is literally zero evidence that Israel and/or the US are trying to maximize civilian casualties. Middle East Eye dot net is not a credible source. Its parent company is registered to a single director, Jamal Awn Jamal Bessasso, a former official for Al Jazeera and the Hamas-affiliated al-Quds TV. Dropsite News dot com is likewise not a legitimate news outlet. It operates on a Substack platform - it's basically a blog run by independent "journalists." This all took me four minutes to look up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24ryHuOLVmQ. From Haviv Rettig Gur. He is an Israeli journalist, but not a right-winger, and has been quite critical of the Israeli government and its actions in Gaza.

FWIW, I am very much NOT a Trump supporter and certainly do not believe his motives vis a vis Iran are pure. That said, I've never understood (and still don't) the position that everything America does in the Middle East is at Israel's behest or on Israel's behalf. Two seconds of scrutiny would reveal that to be ridiculous. The attack on Iran benefits Israel, yes - that is absolutely undeniable. But the US independently perceives it to be in the US's interests, for several reasons: (1) it threatens Chinese/Russian hegemonic ambitions, (2) it pushes Iran's Arab neighbors closer to the US, and (3) it weakens an American adversary and reduces the threat of a nuclear Iran. Whether the attack can/will actually achieve these aims (or whether these aims are worth achieving) is certainly up for debate. Personally, I'm skeptical, but also don't think the US is WORSE off for having eliminated Khamenei and damaged the power structure surrounding him. If the US gets bogged down in a ground war, that calculus changes obviously.

But seriously - why would America, the most powerful country in the world, act exclusively on behalf of Israel, a tiny, politically fractured nation of ten million people? Some nebulous "Israel lobby" that somehow pulls all the strings in US politics? That strikes me as conspiracy theory nonsense. Funds expended by AIPAC and other pro-Israel organizations are absolutely DWARFED by political spending by Arab nations. Take Qatar for instance. Since about 2017, Qatar has spent on the order of $225 – $256 million on registered lobbying, public relations, and related paid influence work. That's not including the billions (yes billions) of dollars it has given to U.S. universities and educational programs. And that's ONE country. The Middle East is full of oil-rich Arab/Muslim-majority countries who likewise spend billions on influencing U.S. politics.

If someone can explain this to me with actual sources (that aren't, like, Al Jazeera), I'd appreciate it because I am actually curious what animates this view other than bizarre monomania re: Israel.

Why does our government uphold a totally broken healthcare system? Money. The answer is always money. There is money behind the Israeli lobby. That’s literally it.

The reason for this war is that something terrible is in the Epstein files. That’s it. It’s not geopolitically wise to go after Persia.

Persia predates Judaism. It will outlast Judaism and Christianity. It has never been colonized. Oil prices will go through the roof. This is stupid.

Maybe I am being quaint but it is actually totally illegal to attack other sovereign nations because you don’t like their leaders.

Also, we killed Khamenei and our prize is a younger Khamenei.

The Arab countries do not have real skin in the game vis a vis Israel. They do not care what happens to the Palestinians. Egypt is the only country that has ever taken action on behalf of Israel.

Yeah this doesn't answer my question, like at all. Again, spending by lobby groups representing countries hostile to Israel far, FAR outstrips spending by the Israel lobby. And FWIW, the term "Israel Lobby" includes groups like J Street, which believe Israel should exist but oppose the current war in Iran. So why do people think the US is acting primarily/exclusively at the behest of Israel?

If your argument is that the Arab countries also support a war in Iran, then again - why is Israel being blamed exclusively? It would seem, if you're correct, that everyone in the region benefits from a weaker Iran. It would seem, in fact, that the only people who benefit from a nuclear/strong/unchecked Iranian regime are the members of that regime itself.

"Maybe I am being quaint but it is actually totally illegal to attack other sovereign nations because you don’t like their leaders." Ah yes, the inevitable appeal to international law. It is pretty quaint actually. What is international law nowadays, and who does it benefit? In 2026, the United Nations elected - you guessed it - IRAN vice-chair of its Charter Committee. Where was international law when 40,000 unarmed Iranian civilians were butchered by their own government? Ask yourself - whose sovereignty are you protecting? Certainly not that of the Iranian people, who overwhelmingly oppose the current regime, didn't vote for it, and are willing to die to overthrow it.

I think "if you threaten us, attack our allies, illegally seek to acquire nukes, and slaughter tens of thousands of your own people, we are going to do something about it" is a pretty good precedent to set, actually. Whether it ends up benefitting the US long term is an open question that neither you nor I know the answer to, but I'm not losing a single wink of sleep over the IRGC's "sovereignty."

What do you think the Arab countries are advocating for, exactly? They don’t give 2 sh**s about Israel. They have much bigger, real governance issues. They want to increase trade, they want military hardware (and now you can see why). Gulf states are not actually that rich or that productive, and the more forward thinking leaders are trying to prepare for a future where oil is worth less and they still have to feed their people.

Ok so you're saying the Arab countries oppose the strike on Iran? I don't think that's accurate but let's assume you're right. Again, lobbying dollars expended by Arab states to influence US politics far outstrips funds expended by the "Israel lobby." So why do you think America is acting on Israel's behalf as opposed to on behalf of those nations?

Or if you're saying the Arab countries are agnostic about/in favor a strike on Iran - great. So who opposes it exactly? The Iranian regime? Why should I care what they think exactly? So far, the strike has had zero negative repercussions for the US that I can see (minus a very, very few casualties on the US side. Far fewer than the number of Americans that have been killed by Iran's terror proxies).

I just don't get this line of thinking. The US is not a puppet state of Israel. That's Islamist propaganda BS 101. It's astounding that educated Americans fall for this third-world nonsense.

But that's basically what Rubio said on Monday.

Also, Mike Johnson.

And Tom Cotton.

Until they got the memo with the new talking points yesterday.

But it's too late. Everyone now knows that Israel is in charge our foreign policy and led us into this war.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24ryHuOLVmQ. From Haviv Rettig Gur. He is an Israeli journalist, but not a right-winger, and has been quite critical of the Israeli government and its actions in Gaza.

FWIW, I am very much NOT a Trump supporter and certainly do not believe his motives vis a vis Iran are pure. That said, I've never understood (and still don't) the position that everything America does in the Middle East is at Israel's behest or on Israel's behalf. Two seconds of scrutiny would reveal that to be ridiculous. The attack on Iran benefits Israel, yes - that is absolutely undeniable. But the US independently perceives it to be in the US's interests, for several reasons: (1) it threatens Chinese/Russian hegemonic ambitions, (2) it pushes Iran's Arab neighbors closer to the US, and (3) it weakens an American adversary and reduces the threat of a nuclear Iran. Whether the attack can/will actually achieve these aims (or whether these aims are worth achieving) is certainly up for debate. Personally, I'm skeptical, but also don't think the US is WORSE off for having eliminated Khamenei and damaged the power structure surrounding him. If the US gets bogged down in a ground war, that calculus changes obviously.

But seriously - why would America, the most powerful country in the world, act exclusively on behalf of Israel, a tiny, politically fractured nation of ten million people? Some nebulous "Israel lobby" that somehow pulls all the strings in US politics? That strikes me as conspiracy theory nonsense. Funds expended by AIPAC and other pro-Israel organizations are absolutely DWARFED by political spending by Arab nations. Take Qatar for instance. Since about 2017, Qatar has spent on the order of $225 – $256 million on registered lobbying, public relations, and related paid influence work. That's not including the billions (yes billions) of dollars it has given to U.S. universities and educational programs. And that's ONE country. The Middle East is full of oil-rich Arab/Muslim-majority countries who likewise spend billions on influencing U.S. politics.

If someone can explain this to me with actual sources (that aren't, like, Al Jazeera), I'd appreciate it because I am actually curious what animates this view other than bizarre monomania re: Israel.

Why does our government uphold a totally broken healthcare system? Money. The answer is always money. There is money behind the Israeli lobby. That’s literally it.

The reason for this war is that something terrible is in the Epstein files. That’s it. It’s not geopolitically wise to go after Persia.

Persia predates Judaism. It will outlast Judaism and Christianity. It has never been colonized. Oil prices will go through the roof. This is stupid.

Maybe I am being quaint but it is actually totally illegal to attack other sovereign nations because you don’t like their leaders.

Also, we killed Khamenei and our prize is a younger Khamenei.

The Arab countries do not have real skin in the game vis a vis Israel. They do not care what happens to the Palestinians. Egypt is the only country that has ever taken action on behalf of Israel.

Yeah this doesn't answer my question, like at all. Again, spending by lobby groups representing countries hostile to Israel far, FAR outstrips spending by the Israel lobby. And FWIW, the term "Israel Lobby" includes groups like J Street, which believe Israel should exist but oppose the current war in Iran. So why do people think the US is acting primarily/exclusively at the behest of Israel?

If your argument is that the Arab countries also support a war in Iran, then again - why is Israel being blamed exclusively? It would seem, if you're correct, that everyone in the region benefits from a weaker Iran. It would seem, in fact, that the only people who benefit from a nuclear/strong/unchecked Iranian regime are the members of that regime itself.

"Maybe I am being quaint but it is actually totally illegal to attack other sovereign nations because you don’t like their leaders." Ah yes, the inevitable appeal to international law. It is pretty quaint actually. What is international law nowadays, and who does it benefit? In 2026, the United Nations elected - you guessed it - IRAN vice-chair of its Charter Committee. Where was international law when 40,000 unarmed Iranian civilians were butchered by their own government? Ask yourself - whose sovereignty are you protecting? Certainly not that of the Iranian people, who overwhelmingly oppose the current regime, didn't vote for it, and are willing to die to overthrow it.

I think "if you threaten us, attack our allies, illegally seek to acquire nukes, and slaughter tens of thousands of your own people, we are going to do something about it" is a pretty good precedent to set, actually. Whether it ends up benefitting the US long term is an open question that neither you nor I know the answer to, but I'm not losing a single wink of sleep over the IRGC's "sovereignty."

What do you think the Arab countries are advocating for, exactly? They don’t give 2 sh**s about Israel. They have much bigger, real governance issues. They want to increase trade, they want military hardware (and now you can see why). Gulf states are not actually that rich or that productive, and the more forward thinking leaders are trying to prepare for a future where oil is worth less and they still have to feed their people.

Ok so you're saying the Arab countries oppose the strike on Iran? I don't think that's accurate but let's assume you're right. Again, lobbying dollars expended by Arab states to influence US politics far outstrips funds expended by the "Israel lobby." So why do you think America is acting on Israel's behalf as opposed to on behalf of those nations?

Or if you're saying the Arab countries are agnostic about/in favor a strike on Iran - great. So who opposes it exactly? The Iranian regime? Why should I care what they think exactly? So far, the strike has had zero negative repercussions for the US that I can see (minus a very, very few casualties on the US side. Far fewer than the number of Americans that have been killed by Iran's terror proxies).

I just don't get this line of thinking. The US is not a puppet state of Israel. That's Islamist propaganda BS 101. It's astounding that educated Americans fall for this third-world nonsense.

But that's basically what Rubio said on Monday.

Also, Mike Johnson.

And Tom Cotton.

Until they got the memo with the new talking points yesterday.

But it's too late. Everyone now knows that Israel is in charge our foreign policy and led us into this war.

Again - nobody is answering my question. If you think Israel is in charge of our foreign policy, why? How? Literally how is a tiny country the size of New Jersey with ten million inhabitants running the foreign policy of the most powerful country in the world? I have submitted to you that the "Israel lobby" is far eclipsed by the collective lobbying power/dollars of Arab states who are typically hostile to its interests. So aside from conspiracy theories, what's your explanation?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Looks like US/Israel are using the same strategy of double tap strikes in Iran as they did in Gaza including the school in Tehran to maximize civilian casualties

https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/tehran-iran-double-tap-bombing-trump-israel-war-niloofar-square

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/exclusive-iranian-girls-killed-double-tap-strikes-minab-school

There is literally zero evidence that Israel and/or the US are trying to maximize civilian casualties. Middle East Eye dot net is not a credible source. Its parent company is registered to a single director, Jamal Awn Jamal Bessasso, a former official for Al Jazeera and the Hamas-affiliated al-Quds TV. Dropsite News dot com is likewise not a legitimate news outlet. It operates on a Substack platform - it's basically a blog run by independent "journalists." This all took me four minutes to look up.

There’s Gaza. History repeats. I’ll trust that over your four minutes of research.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=24ryHuOLVmQ. From Haviv Rettig Gur. He is an Israeli journalist, but not a right-winger, and has been quite critical of the Israeli government and its actions in Gaza.

FWIW, I am very much NOT a Trump supporter and certainly do not believe his motives vis a vis Iran are pure. That said, I've never understood (and still don't) the position that everything America does in the Middle East is at Israel's behest or on Israel's behalf. Two seconds of scrutiny would reveal that to be ridiculous. The attack on Iran benefits Israel, yes - that is absolutely undeniable. But the US independently perceives it to be in the US's interests, for several reasons: (1) it threatens Chinese/Russian hegemonic ambitions, (2) it pushes Iran's Arab neighbors closer to the US, and (3) it weakens an American adversary and reduces the threat of a nuclear Iran. Whether the attack can/will actually achieve these aims (or whether these aims are worth achieving) is certainly up for debate. Personally, I'm skeptical, but also don't think the US is WORSE off for having eliminated Khamenei and damaged the power structure surrounding him. If the US gets bogged down in a ground war, that calculus changes obviously.

But seriously - why would America, the most powerful country in the world, act exclusively on behalf of Israel, a tiny, politically fractured nation of ten million people? Some nebulous "Israel lobby" that somehow pulls all the strings in US politics? That strikes me as conspiracy theory nonsense. Funds expended by AIPAC and other pro-Israel organizations are absolutely DWARFED by political spending by Arab nations. Take Qatar for instance. Since about 2017, Qatar has spent on the order of $225 – $256 million on registered lobbying, public relations, and related paid influence work. That's not including the billions (yes billions) of dollars it has given to U.S. universities and educational programs. And that's ONE country. The Middle East is full of oil-rich Arab/Muslim-majority countries who likewise spend billions on influencing U.S. politics.

If someone can explain this to me with actual sources (that aren't, like, Al Jazeera), I'd appreciate it because I am actually curious what animates this view other than bizarre monomania re: Israel.

Why does our government uphold a totally broken healthcare system? Money. The answer is always money. There is money behind the Israeli lobby. That’s literally it.

The reason for this war is that something terrible is in the Epstein files. That’s it. It’s not geopolitically wise to go after Persia.

Persia predates Judaism. It will outlast Judaism and Christianity. It has never been colonized. Oil prices will go through the roof. This is stupid.

Maybe I am being quaint but it is actually totally illegal to attack other sovereign nations because you don’t like their leaders.

Also, we killed Khamenei and our prize is a younger Khamenei.

The Arab countries do not have real skin in the game vis a vis Israel. They do not care what happens to the Palestinians. Egypt is the only country that has ever taken action on behalf of Israel.

Yeah this doesn't answer my question, like at all. Again, spending by lobby groups representing countries hostile to Israel far, FAR outstrips spending by the Israel lobby. And FWIW, the term "Israel Lobby" includes groups like J Street, which believe Israel should exist but oppose the current war in Iran. So why do people think the US is acting primarily/exclusively at the behest of Israel?

If your argument is that the Arab countries also support a war in Iran, then again - why is Israel being blamed exclusively? It would seem, if you're correct, that everyone in the region benefits from a weaker Iran. It would seem, in fact, that the only people who benefit from a nuclear/strong/unchecked Iranian regime are the members of that regime itself.

"Maybe I am being quaint but it is actually totally illegal to attack other sovereign nations because you don’t like their leaders." Ah yes, the inevitable appeal to international law. It is pretty quaint actually. What is international law nowadays, and who does it benefit? In 2026, the United Nations elected - you guessed it - IRAN vice-chair of its Charter Committee. Where was international law when 40,000 unarmed Iranian civilians were butchered by their own government? Ask yourself - whose sovereignty are you protecting? Certainly not that of the Iranian people, who overwhelmingly oppose the current regime, didn't vote for it, and are willing to die to overthrow it.

I think "if you threaten us, attack our allies, illegally seek to acquire nukes, and slaughter tens of thousands of your own people, we are going to do something about it" is a pretty good precedent to set, actually. Whether it ends up benefitting the US long term is an open question that neither you nor I know the answer to, but I'm not losing a single wink of sleep over the IRGC's "sovereignty."

What do you think the Arab countries are advocating for, exactly? They don’t give 2 sh**s about Israel. They have much bigger, real governance issues. They want to increase trade, they want military hardware (and now you can see why). Gulf states are not actually that rich or that productive, and the more forward thinking leaders are trying to prepare for a future where oil is worth less and they still have to feed their people.

Ok so you're saying the Arab countries oppose the strike on Iran? I don't think that's accurate but let's assume you're right. Again, lobbying dollars expended by Arab states to influence US politics far outstrips funds expended by the "Israel lobby." So why do you think America is acting on Israel's behalf as opposed to on behalf of those nations?

Or if you're saying the Arab countries are agnostic about/in favor a strike on Iran - great. So who opposes it exactly? The Iranian regime? Why should I care what they think exactly? So far, the strike has had zero negative repercussions for the US that I can see (minus a very, very few casualties on the US side. Far fewer than the number of Americans that have been killed by Iran's terror proxies).

I just don't get this line of thinking. The US is not a puppet state of Israel. That's Islamist propaganda BS 101. It's astounding that educated Americans fall for this third-world nonsense.

Marco Rubio said that we are a puppet state of Israel. “We attacked because they forced us into doing this” is essentially what he stated to the press