quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
Like the government is giving out classified exact inventories to the enemy.

What was posted was the use rate versus the replenishment rate, neither of which tell us what the inventory actually is. I have no idea, but if we have 20,000 Tomahawks, used 1000, and replenished 200 of them, we still have 19,200 Tomahawks. Of course, no one posts what is in the inventory, which is a crucial part of the equation.

quote:

Originally posted by old rugged cross:
[QUOTE]Originally posted by Fed161:
Asked whether Putin is helping Iran target Americans, President Trump said that he would ask Putin. He said he trusts Putin to tell the truth. This conflicts with what Hegseth. who said categorically that the Russians are assisting the Iranians.

No one with a half a brain would not think
Russia would assist Iran. Or China for that matter. Of course they would want to assist them.
We have been the primary reason ukraine is still fighting them.

Ukraine has entered the chat.

They smoked two Russian/Iranian cargo vessels exchanging weapons this week.

Russia damn sure is in on this along with Chinese intel.

Iran to Get Chinese Shoulder-Launched Missile Systems in Weeks: Reuters
The $60 million deal would add up to 400 shoulder-fired missiles as Tehran rebuilds defenses after U.S. and Israeli strikes exposed gaps.

Iran is expected to receive within weeks up to 400 Chinese-made shoulder-fired missile launchers, significantly expanding its short-range air-defense inventory amid ongoing war with the United States.
The $60-70 million purchase addresses vulnerabilities exposed during the five-month-old conflict with the United States and Israel, as Tehran seeks to secure military and strategic infrastructure against precision-guided threats.
Signed through Hong Kong-based intermediary Zhongqing Baoshang International Investment, the contract covers 300 to 400 QW-12 and FN-16 missile systems designed for rapid deployment around military installations and sensitive sites.
China's Foreign Ministry dismissed reports as "completely groundless," while Pakistan's military public relations wing ISPR labeled involvement speculations as "absolutely concocted and false" on Tuesday.
President Donald Trump stated strikes will resume if negotiations fail to end the conflict, which has been in ceasefire since April, as Tehran explores overland routes to reduce delivery disruption risks.

https://ground.news/article/ir...in-weeks-sources-say

This should have been finished when we had our foot on their throats, IMO

quote:

This should have been finished when we had our foot on their throats, IMO

That's the problem. We never had our feet on their throats. Iran poses a number of problems that the US cannot address without a full scale military effort along the lines of WWII. The American public won't tolerate that, and if they did, it would likely trigger global conflict.

China, for example, would not sit still while America completely conquers Iran, killing or imprisoning the majority of its population, taking unilateral control of the Straits of Hormuz.

The Iranian people have been subjugated by a brutal government for a generation. The populace does not have the tools or inclination to rise up, overthrow the government (which is now decentralized anyway), and create a modern, enlightened, democratic substitute that is friendly to the US.

We are in a mess and it has to be dealt with, but I don't think notions of us just stamping them out, or ripping them up by the roots, or turning the country into glass are realistic. The truth is that it is an incredibly complex problem, and we made it worse with the current war. And we're not going to bomb our way out of it.

quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
Ukraine has entered the chat.
They smoked two Russian/Iranian cargo vessels exchanging weapons this week.
Russia damn sure is in on this along with Chinese intel.

Ukraine initially boasted about the strike, but is now downplaying it.
If the Ukraine and Iran wars merge... it quickly becomes WWIII.


Ukraine's FM Claims Attack On Iranian Ship In Caspian Sea Was 'Unintentional'

The week started with a bizarre incident in the Caspian Sea involving an Iranian commercial vessel and the Iranian military, an episode which threatened to expand the war by merging two conflict theatres.

Iran had accused Ukraine of attacking an Iranian commercial vessel by long-range drone in the Caspian Sea on Saturday, which resulted in an explosion that killed one sailor and injured another.

Soon after, Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires in Tehran to severely protest the "hostile and criminal" attack, IRNA reported.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned that the "blatant UN Charter violation" which was "done at Israel's behest" could serve to "drag Europe into its war." Araghchi also denounced and attacked Zelensky personally, calling him the "freeloader in Kyiv".

But on Tuesday, there was a rapid walk-back and climb-down of sorts regarding the whole murky incident.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi newly stated that Ukraine's foreign minister assured him that the Ukrainian drone attack on the Iranian commercial vessel was "unintentional".

"Was assured by Ukrainian FM [Andrii Sybiha] that the attack on an Iranian ship was unintentional and Ukraine seeks no escalation," Araghchi wrote on X. "Iran does not seek escalation either, but made clear any attack on our citizens or interests is unacceptable. There must be restitution for losses."

Ukraine's top diplomat Andrii Sybiha‎ in turn didn't exactly deny it was an intentional attack; however, he did acknowledge that a civilian vessel was struck, and not a military one.

"I reiterated that all of Ukraine’s actions are aimed solely at defending our country from Russian aggression and never intended to target civilian vessels or people," Sybiha said after a call with Araghchi.

"This is also true with regard to Iran’s statements about their national who died and a civilian vessel that was targeted in a recent incident. Our goal is to counter Russian aggression, which is the root cause of all incidents, and it is Russia who bears full responsibility for all provocations and casualties," he added.

So it seems the two sides have agreed to downplay the attack incident and just move on. And yet what makes this bizarre and unexpected is that Ukraine seemed to initially be openly boasting of the escalation.

President Zelensky himself announced soon after on X, "We also have very good results from long-range strikes in the waters of the Caspian Sea. In particular, these are vessels that were involved in transporting military cargo from Iran, and a warship."

It is also perplexing how a long-range drone attack on a maritime vessel, presumably hundreds of miles away and which would require very precision targeting, could result in a direct hit and yet be 'unintentional'.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geop...ea-was-unintentional

quote:

We are in a mess and it has to be dealt with, but I don't think notions of us just stamping them out, or ripping them up by the roots, or turning the country into glass are realistic. The truth is that it is an incredibly complex problem, and we made it worse with the current war. And we're not going to bomb our way out of it.

I agree with this and the frustration it evokes. But I do think we had to do something regarding their nuclear intentions and it's been said that they were very close to being capable of using that weaponry against its neighbors and Europe.

quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:


Soon after, Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Ukraine’s chargé d’affaires in Tehran to severely protest the "hostile and criminal" attack, IRNA reported.

Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has warned that the "blatant UN Charter violation" which was "done at Israel's behest" could serve to "drag Europe into its war." Araghchi also denounced and attacked Zelensky personally, calling him the "freeloader in Kyiv".


https://www.zerohedge.com/geop...ea-was-unintentional

100% ANYTHING from Iran is a LIE.

100% ANYTHING from zerohedge is unreliable sensationalist propaganda.

Try again. Iran already went whining to the UN and got spanked.

Keep cheering on the enemy with the doom and gloom.

quote:

Keep cheering on the enemy with the doom and gloom.

Just because you support unlimited and unconditional war in Ukraine... and probably Iran as well...
This is tiresome.
No one here has ever cheered on the enemy.

quote:

100% ANYTHING from zerohedge is unreliable sensationalist propaganda.

Can you show me another source where the person quoted said something different than the quote?

I'm certainly not saying I agree with this person...

The first casualty of War, is the truth.

I’m setting here peacefully watching ‘Full Metal Jacket’ on Prime and I escaped being called to fight in the Vietnam War (Thank you God in Heaven)…but that alone is a double source of my sadness from what we as Patriotic Americans are exposed to on a daily basis via the media…we as a Nation need to have OUR Government stand accountable for every single round sent down range in the defense of our country… things are changing quickly and those we elected to office must positively answer those threats in the most meaningful and pro-American way possible with the loss of more American lives being in the forefront while putting an end to this fucking bullshit before it overwhelms our Nation…just my thoughts on the subject Y’all…remember that we are getting older and our votes really do matter in the scheme of things! Take care y’all!

quote:

Originally posted by Lunasee:
The first casualty of War, is the truth.

Clearly some of you don't follow Truth Social and know what's actually going on. Trump is the most direct source we have as this is his conflict and he posts multiple times a day about the overwhelming success our military is having. I would rather believe my president than join the doom and gloom party.

TDS - Trump Derangement Syndrome

I don't suffer from that. If I did I wouldn't have voted for him three times.

TDS - Trump Deity Syndrome

I don't suffer from that either. He can and does make mistakes.

Tell me who you see around here who is treating Donald Trump as if he is divine.

What is the point of saying he can make mistakes? Who doesn't know that everyone makes mistakes all the time?

^^^ exactly

I have grown tired of people feeling it necessary to tell the world that they voted for the President 3 times while criticizing him.

If you don't agree with him on a subject, so be it.

Do not mistake my reticence to criticize Donald Trump as an indication I think him to be infallible.

2016- Who would have been POTUS if Donald Trump had not won?

Hillary Clinton. Who else could have stopped her? Jeb Bush?

2024- Who would have been POTUS if Donald Trump had not won?

Kamala Harris

Imagine four years (eight years, actually) of Hillary Clinton. Go on. Stop for a minute and ponder eight years of that demon.

Imagine Kamala Harris as POTUS right now. Go ahead. Stop for a minute and think what things would be like right now. You think you have things to complain about?

Donald Trump saved this nation. TWICE

Tell me it's not true. Tell me, also, that you do not see what he is doing for us right now. Tell me that you do not see that his appointment of Marco Rubio as SoS has positioned a fine candidate for 2028- far better than anything the Democrats have.

Tell me that you know better than Donald Trump and his advisors, how to walk the knife edge that is the Iranian situation. Tell me you don't understand that dealing with these psychopathic, suicidal religious zealots is a near-impossible situation. Tell me how you would literally destroy the entire nation of Iran without destabilizing the region, the US economy, and possibly the entire world.

Tell me about navigating to the mid-terms, and how there is an easy solution to all of this, while making sure that the Democrats don't re-take Congress.

No one- N-O O-N-E could be doing a better job for us right now than Donald Trump, and if you think that means that I and others think he's a god, then you're simply blinded by your own prejudices.

Or maybe we should just get Kamala's input.

^^^^^^^^^

Precisely.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
Tell me who you see around here who is treating Donald Trump as if he is divine.

What is the point of saying he can make mistakes? Who doesn't know that everyone makes mistakes all the time?

I was simply agreeing with reloader-1's comment (the post just above mine). As reloader said, "I love Trump, but he's not God. He can and does make mistakes." Nothing more.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to point out that I was simply agreeing with reloader. Reflecting on it, of course my post, while accurate, was also obvious and unnecessary.

I have no idea what the conclusion of this war will be.  Nor does anyone else.  But:

1. Iran was likely months, or weeks away from developing nuclear weapons.  Plural.  They may be given others of course, from the other well-known bad players in the game, but they would have had their own, soon.
2. They would have used them. At a minimum, as leverage across the ME and the world, but potentially and depending on their own internal instability and insanity, literally.
3. They have been direct and indirect contributors to conflict, murder and coercion across the globe and regionally, for decades.  A debt of blood was owed to many nations, but particularly to America.
4. And the country of Iran had and has the potential to not only destabilize the region but the planet, with no corner untouched, and with results unknowable on one end and unimaginable on the other.

President Trump spent and is spending political capital, America lives and American treasure to stop them, knowing full well he will not be elected again, and very likely may compromise the Republican party's chances of a majority in the midterms.  He knew what he was spending, and he knew what he was buying.  But he did it anyway in spite of multiple assassination attempts and the scorn of his countrymen and the world.  He will not be applauded by many in his own party, for reducing their chances, and he certainly won't be praised by the Democrats, obsessed as they are with destroying the man and the country which created them.  But this moment is very likely the world's last chance (or at least for long decades) to shore up the flimsy dike between the civilized Western world and an age of absolute chaos - again.  Trump may not be remembered tomorrow, but if we live through this, as God gives us the light and His favor, history will remember him, and thank their stars.

"And how can man die better
Than facing fearful odds,
For the ashes of his fathers,
And the temples of his Gods..." 

T. B. Macaulay

There is so much incredible wisdom being posted in this thread, from Para's last post, Doc H's post, and so many others.