Outgunned, Iran invests in means to indirectly confront superpower enemy

[snoop1130]

Outgunned, Iran invests in means to indirectly confront superpower enemy

By Babak Dehghanpisheh

 

FILE PHOTO: A display featuring missiles and a portrait of Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is seen at Baharestan Square in Tehran, Iran September 27, 2017. Nazanin Tabatabaee Yazdi/TIMA via REUTERS

 

DUBAI (Reuters) - Iran’s launching of more than a dozen missiles at American-led forces in Iraq on Wednesday came after years of preparing for a confrontation with its superpower foe, whose forces are vastly larger and more advanced.

 

The Gulf country has more than 500,000 active-duty personnel, including 125,000 members of its elite Revolutionary Guards, according to a report last year by the International Institute for Strategic Studies. But international sanctions and restrictions on arms imports have made it hard for Iran to develop or buy more sophisticated weaponry.

 

To compensate for the imbalance, Iran has developed “asymmetrical” responses - ballistic missiles, deadly drones and a web of militia allies in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen, among other things - with the aim of being able to inflict pain while avoiding the traditional battlefield.

 

“From a conventional military perspective they would get absolutely hammered,” said a British former military commander who asked not to be identified because of the sensitivity of the matter. “Their conventional military is very, very sparse and quite old and quite out of date. They’ve spent all their money on asymmetric attack capabilities. In that regard they’re very well prepared.”

 

Until Wednesday, the strategy had deterred a direct conflict with the U.S. as tensions spiked since Washington quit a multi-lateral nuclear deal in 2018 and reimposed sanctions.

 

Gulf rival Saudi Arabia recently witnessed the damage that missile and drone assaults can cause, after a strike on its oil facilities last year briefly halved production and knocked out 5% of global crude supply. Riyadh and Washington blamed Iran for the attack, a charge Tehran denied.

 

Iran has built the largest stockpile of ballistic missiles in the Middle East. Some are based on the older, widely used “Scud” designs, with a range of at least 750km (466 miles). Others, based on the North Korean No Dong, can reach up to 2,000km, within reach of Israel or southeast Europe, according to a U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) report last year.

 

The Revolutionary Guards fields a fleet of missile-armed speedboats and midget submarines it can deploy against U.S. military ships or commercial tankers to disrupt the flow of oil in Gulf waters, where Washington says Tehran attacked six tankers last year.

 

“If you look at ships, tanks, jet fighters, Iran looks very weak. But if you’re looking at anti-ship missiles, ballistic missiles, UAVs and things like that then it looks a lot more capable,” said Jeremy Binnie, Middle East and Africa editor for Jane’s Defence Weekly.

 

Iran’s fleet of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can be used for surveillance or armed with explosives, according to military experts.

 

“Iran in the Persian Gulf doesn’t really need to have big ships, not necessarily frigates and destroyers. Speedboats, gun boats, missile boats can do the job,” said Hossein Aryan, a military analyst who served 18 years in Iran’s navy before and after the 1979 Islamic revolution.

 

Major-General Qassem Soleimani, whose killing in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad last week sparked the Iranian retaliation on Wednesday, was the head of the Revolutionary Guards Quds Force. The group handled clandestine operations outside Iran, working closely with allied military forces and militias in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon.

 

Iran’s leaders have promised harsh reprisals over the death of Soleimani, who was a national hero to many Iranians but considered a dangerous villain by Western governments.

 

He was buried in Iran on Tuesday after tens of thousands mourned him in a ceremony led by Iran’s supreme leader.

 

U.S. officials have said Soleimani was killed because intelligence indicated forces under his command planned attacks on U.S. targets in the region, although they have provided no evidence.

 

Democrats in the U.S. Congress and some of the party’s presidential contenders warned that the escalating conflict could spark a wider war in the Middle East.

 

Lebanon’s Hezbollah, along with a handful of the Iraqi militias closely allied with Iran, have already pledged to take revenge against American forces for Soleimani’s death.

 

More than 5,000 U.S. troops are in Iraq along with other foreign forces as part of a coalition that has trained and supported Iraqi security forces against the threat of Islamic State militants.

 

American troops are also stationed at bases in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, which hosts Al-Udeid air base, the largest U.S. military facility in the region. Bahrain is headquarters of the U.S. Navy’s Fifth Fleet.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-01-08

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[FarFlungFalang]

How do the yanks get off doing blatant and open assassinations?I thought that was illegal!

[URMySunshine]

His twitter has not  tweeted for over 9 hours. The Donald is thinking.....

[AussieBob18]

Bush tried to tell Sadam that he would be destroyed - he didnt listen and kept causing problems.

Same same - just another Dictatorship regime about to be destroyed if they dont pull their heads in.

[Matzzon]

According to the article above, it just feels like a 4 year old entering the ring with a 19 year old assassin.

 

25 minutes ago, FarFlungFalang said:

How do the yanks get off doing blatant and open assassinations?I thought that was illegal!

They are the biggest superpower in the world. Not because I agree with what they do, but just because of the fact.
 

21 minutes ago, URMySunshine said:

His twitter has not  tweeted for over 9 hours. The Donald is thinking.....

The Donald is an ar$e. The Donald can´t think.

[Cryingdick]

Seems like it was a rough night for Iran. A plane crash, an earthquake and their version of severe and harsh vengeance. I hope the dems predicting world war 3 have surfaced from their nuclear fall out shelters. 

 

Trump has put Iran in their place. Fire off some more bottle rockets if it helps you lie to your people. Just don't kill anybody, seems fair enough.

[Chomper Higgot]

9 minutes ago, Cryingdick said:

Seems like it was a rough night for Iran. A plane crash, an earthquake and their version of severe and harsh vengeance. I hope the dems predicting world war 3 have surfaced from their nuclear fall out shelters. 

 

Trump has put Iran in their place. Fire off some more bottle rockets if it helps you lie to your people. Just don't kill anybody, seems fair enough.

 The leaders of Israel, the UK, Germany, and France (normally staunch allies) have all signaled they want nothing to do with Trump’s failures over Iran.

 

How is this bad news for Iran?

[Cryingdick]

3 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

 The leaders of Israel, the UK, Germany, and France (normally staunch allies) have all signaled they want nothing to do with Trump’s failures over Iran.

 

How is this bad news for Iran?

 

I made no mention of US allies so not sure what any of that has to do with what I said. I just said it has been a rough night for them. 

[bristolboy]

3 hours ago, AussieBob18 said:

Bush tried to tell Sadam that he would be destroyed - he didnt listen and kept causing problems.

Same same - just another Dictatorship regime about to be destroyed if they dont pull their heads in.

You anticipating an American invasion? It's going to have to be amphibious and this time the US is going to have to do it pretty much alone.

[car720]

7 hours ago, URMySunshine said:

the Iranians test their missiles for accuracy

and discover that the Chinese have sold them duds. 

Even the Chinese are laughing. 

[Boon Mee]

Iran could start behaving like a normal country and their troubles would all be over. 

[URMySunshine]

We shall hear no more of the Donald's and his supporters arrogant bloodthirsty 'bomb them back to the stone age' rhetoric and for that we should be grateful. He cut a sad figure flanked by serious looking Generals as he sounded the retreat. And walked back uneasily without questions to his lair.

 

One moral of the tale is don't pick fights that you can't win that expose your vulnerability.

 

“Trump ... is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.”

 

 

[Cryingdick]

2 minutes ago, URMySunshine said:

We shall hear no more of the Donald's and his supporters arrogant bloodthirsty 'bomb them back to the stone age' rhetoric and for that we should be grateful. He cut a sad figure flanked by serious looking Generals as he sounded the retreat. And walked back uneasily without questions to his lair.

 

One moral of the tale is don't pick fights that you can't win that expose your vulnerability.

 

“Trump ... is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.”

 

 

 

At least we know what Bob Dylan is doing these days when he isn't winning Nobel prizes.

[ChipButty]

18 minutes ago, Boon Mee said:

Iran could start behaving like a normal country and their troubles would all be over. 

Do you mean like not hanging people for being Gay?

[URMySunshine]

So how much are these wonderful air defense systems that the bases had cost and why didn't they work ? Some folk and companies have a lot of explaining to do. 

 

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/what-irans-missile-attack-on-us-forces-in-iraq-may-say-about-the-islamic-republics-ballistic-capability-2020-01-07

[metisdead]

A post containing trolling comments in reference to Trump has been removed. 

[Chomper Higgot]

18 minutes ago, URMySunshine said:

We shall hear no more of the Donald's and his supporters arrogant bloodthirsty 'bomb them back to the stone age' rhetoric and for that we should be grateful. He cut a sad figure flanked by serious looking Generals as he sounded the retreat. And walked back uneasily without questions to his lair.

 

One moral of the tale is don't pick fights that you can't win that expose your vulnerability.

 

“Trump ... is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.”

 

 

He didn’t sound well, barely coherent, slurring his words and seemingly suffering a bad attack of rhinitis.

 

[URMySunshine]

14 minutes ago, Chomper Higgot said:

He didn’t sound well, barely coherent, slurring his words and seemingly suffering a bad attack of rhinitis.

 

He had just found out that ballistic missiles that evade radar and are accurate was the ticket price to nuclear non-proliferation talks with the mad mullahs. A price that Obama and the rest had determined long ago. The sound was him choking on his humble pie. I think he wants a deal now or at least I hope so. Yesterday was a great day for peace , thank God , let us continue on that trajectory. 

Edited January 9, 2020 by URMySunshine

[ChipButty]

7 minutes ago, URMySunshine said:

He had just found out that ballistic missiles that evade radar and are accurate was the ticket price to nuclear non-proliferation talks with the mad mullahs. A price that Obama and the rest had determined long ago. The sound was him choking on his humble pie. I think he wants a deal now or at least I hope so. Yesterday was a great day for peace , thank God , let us continue on that trajectory. 

There will never be peace in the middle east history just carries on repeating itself

[URMySunshine]

I imagine if you are a member of Dictator Inc. you will be on the phone today trying to buy Iranian whizz bangs. At a stretch, you could almost call this a Bay of pigs moment without the casualties, other than General Salami. 

 

Satellite photos made by Planet Labs show extensive damage to the Al Asad Airbase. At least five structures were damaged in the attack which apparently was precise enough to hit individual buildings. David Schmerler, an analyst with the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey ,which evaluated the photos, said that the attacks seem to have hit buildings that store aircraft, while buildings used for housing staff were not hit.

 

https://www.npr.org/2020/01/08/794517031/satellite-photos-reveal-extent-of-damage-at-al-assad-air-base

 

Edited January 9, 2020 by URMySunshine

[Dumbastheycome]

12 minutes ago, URMySunshine said:

I imagine if you are a member of Dictator Inc. you will be on the phone today trying to buy Iranian whizz bangs. At a stretch, you could almost call this a Bay of pigs moment without the casualties, other than General Salami. 

 

Satellite photos made by Planet Labs show extensive damage to the Al Asad Airbase. At least five structures were damaged in the attack which apparently was precise enough to hit individual buildings. David Schmerler, an analyst with the Middlebury Institute of International Studies at Monterey ,which evaluated the photos, said that the attacks seem to have hit buildings that store aircraft, while buildings used for housing staff were not hit.

 

https://www.npr.org/2020/01/08/794517031/satellite-photos-reveal-extent-of-damage-at-al-assad-air-base

 

There  has been quite a lot of commentary about exactly that. The apparent accuracy in targeting  infrastructure and avoiding casualties is a significant way to  send  a message. It was  enough to appease  the indignation of  the Iranian public, fulfilled the promise of  retaliation, but avoided the risk of  escalation. The major damage was  in actual  fact done to Iraqi property, not US, but provided a demonstration of significant  capability.

The remaining  question of curiosity is  why there seems to have been  no triggering of  defense systems.

[Brickbat]

Nice decoy from the Impeachment process. Clever move for the don. Dangerous for all of us. Has certainly rallied the fools. Including dopes from my country, Oz.

[Nigel Garvie]

1 hour ago, URMySunshine said:

We shall hear no more of the Donald's and his supporters arrogant bloodthirsty 'bomb them back to the stone age' rhetoric and for that we should be grateful. He cut a sad figure flanked by serious looking Generals as he sounded the retreat. And walked back uneasily without questions to his lair.

 

One moral of the tale is don't pick fights that you can't win that expose your vulnerability.

 

“Trump ... is a tale
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury,
Signifying nothing.”

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Cryingdick said:

 

At least we know what Bob Dylan is doing these days when he isn't winning Nobel prizes.

I guess this was tongue in cheek, of course nothing to do with Bob Dylan (Matt Dillon, or Dylan Thomas!)

 

MacBeth .... from Willie Shakespeares play of the same name..............

Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player 
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, 
And then is heard no more. It is a tale 
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, 
Signifying nothing.

 

At this point in the plot, Macbeth is losing his sanity, everything seems to be quickly spinning out of control and toward his doom. Life looks ominous and meaningless after all his seemingly futile efforts to come out on top via the schemes he has played.

 

The parallels to Trump are blindingly obvious.

 

Incidentally MacBeth was a good king according to history. The murder and a lot of the rest of the play Shakespeare  made up to gain favour with the King in power who was related to the one who defeated MacBeth. (Names escape me).

[traveller101]

4 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

Iran could start behaving like a normal country and their troubles would all be over. 

Same could be said of US

[roquefort]

5 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

Iran could start behaving like a normal country and their troubles would all be over. 

You mean like invading countries on the pretext of non-existent WMD, overthrowing foreign governments you don’t like.....that kind of normal country?

[Baerboxer]

17 hours ago, FarFlungFalang said:

How do the yanks get off doing blatant and open assassinations?I thought that was illegal!

 

Not according to Angela Merkel. Perhaps you should contact her and ask her to explain why she said the US had every right to do it.

[Baerboxer]

3 hours ago, Nigel Garvie said:

 

I guess this was tongue in cheek, of course nothing to do with Bob Dylan (Matt Dillon, or Dylan Thomas!)

 

MacBeth .... from Willie Shakespeares play of the same name..............

Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player 
That struts and frets his hour upon the stage, 
And then is heard no more. It is a tale 
Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, 
Signifying nothing.

 

At this point in the plot, Macbeth is losing his sanity, everything seems to be quickly spinning out of control and toward his doom. Life looks ominous and meaningless after all his seemingly futile efforts to come out on top via the schemes he has played.

 

The parallels to Trump are blindingly obvious.

 

Incidentally MacBeth was a good king according to history. The murder and a lot of the rest of the play Shakespeare  made up to gain favour with the King in power who was related to the one who defeated MacBeth. (Names escape me).

 

Shakespeare was careful to ensure his plays always showed the powers that be, e.g. the Tudors, in the best possible light whilst showing their enemies in the worst. Even if that meant being very economical with the truth.

Hollywood, later, was much the same in the way they show certain countries and people regardless of historical fact.

 

Now we all enjoy such propaganda via mainstream and social news media!

[Lacessit]

5 hours ago, Boon Mee said:

Iran could start behaving like a normal country and their troubles would all be over. 

Please define a normal country, because America certainly does not look like that to me.

Most other countries know the USA is not there for the long haul. The American public gets tired of seeing body bags coming back from a particular region, America pulls out, then the hawks look around for another target. Rinse and repeat.

Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Iraq and now Iran.

[atyclb]

19 hours ago, AussieBob18 said:

Bush tried to tell Sadam that he would be destroyed - he didnt listen and kept causing problems.

Same same - just another Dictatorship regime about to be destroyed if they dont pull their heads in.

 

regarding bush and saddam the old cliche "if you break it you own it" has lots of wisdom therein

[zydeco]

20 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

To compensate for the imbalance, Iran has developed “asymmetrical” responses - ballistic missiles, deadly drones and a web of militia allies in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen, among other things - with the aim of being able to inflict pain while avoiding the traditional battlefield.

Until the implementation of Trump's brilliant strategical thinking, American soldiers stood between Iranian terror and American citizens. Now, it will be citizens on the frontline, instead of soldiers. Just remember, "All is well."