For some 46 years, until 2025, Iran enjoyed a North Korea-like reputation in the heart of the Middle East: unpredictable, reckless, dangerous, self-destructive, nihilistic and inevitably, one day, nuclear.

But was it really ever all that formidable?

The mullahs came into power after the removal of the Shah and subsequently the interim secular socialists.

They did so by taking American hostages, murdering opponents, executing former supporters and transforming the most secular and modern of the Middle East Muslim nations into the most medieval — one that routinely hangedhomosexuals, adulterers and almost anyone who questioned the authority of the ayatollahs.

In other words, these were gruesome people, but they didn’t necessarily have a competent military.

https://nypost.com/2026/03/15/opinion/trump-challenged-50-years-of-iran-fears-and-revealed-the-rotten-decaying-truth/

I really don't give a rat's toss about the Iranian regime good or bad there are far worse out there - what I do care about though is US/Israel imposing their financial chaos on the planet cheered on by idiots and I hope the US loses so it's stops meddling in the affairs of countries far away of which they know little. Trump needs to get a good hiding sadly it won't be him that gets it poor hapless soldiers forced by oath to go to war for an idiot - full of sound and fury signifying nothing.

1 hour ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

I really don't give a rat's toss about the Iranian regime good or bad there are far worse out there - what I do care about though is US/Israel imposing their financial chaos on the planet cheered on by idiots and I hope the US loses so it's stops meddling in the affairs of countries far away of which they know little. Trump needs to get a good hiding sadly it won't be him that gets it poor hapless soldiers forced by oath to go to war for an idiot - full of sound and fury signifying nothing.

I agree with everything you said but why spoil it with the Daily Mail.

1 hour ago, Bannoi said:

I agree with everything you said but why spoil it with the Daily Mail.

Thanks and I agree - but I felt its alarmist populist message suited my rhetoric whilst I was constructing the arguement and it was to hand. I do do the high ground when I can be arsed. The dominant global message now that this it Trump's war and he owns it along with Netahayu. Hearing him vituperaritvely and with ill grace begging is a pleasure to behold. Probably the greatest foreign policy blunder since Suez which was the last flailings of a once great empire in it's imperial death throes and this time's it the US. Here's a higher brow newspaper to make my points.

Well to be fair there were the hostages ,

Carter tried to rescue them and Ollie North

arranged to SELL Iran 2000 TOW missiles !All very

complicated !

It seems the man who cried for a peace price eventually will be the one who kicked off WW3.

When Nato joins, China will act, but they will act slowly, because they have time, while russia keeps Europe on their toes. Israel and Usa burning the candle from both ends,

10 hours ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

what I do care about though is US/Israel imposing their financial chaos on the planet cheered on by idiots and I hope the US loses so it's stops meddling in the affairs of countries far away of which they know little.

It depends what unfolds in the future.

If Trump is genuinely trying to establish stability in the Middle East long-term, maybe the war is justified.

My understanding is most Arab states hated the Iran regime and considered them a threat to stability.

We need to wait to see what unfolds in the future to be able to judge this war clearly.

Many comments on the 'tinterweb about how Iran had this coming, they started it, they took US embassy hostages etc.....

I wonder how the Vietnamese might react and if they were in any position do so......would they bomb the **** out of US cities?

• The U.S. dropped more bombs on Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia than were dropped in all of WWII.

• Millions of civilians died.

• Agent Orange caused generational birth defects and environmental devastation.

• The U.S. invaded a country that had not attacked it.

• The war was justified with a fabricated incident (the second Gulf of Tonkin attack).

7 minutes ago, MIke B Bad said:

Many comments on the 'tinterweb about how Iran had this coming, they started it, they took US embassy hostages etc.....

I wonder how the Vietnamese might react and if they were in any position do so......would they bomb the **** out of US cities?

• The U.S. dropped more bombs on Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia than were dropped in all of WWII.

• Millions of civilians died.

• Agent Orange caused generational birth defects and environmental devastation.

• The U.S. invaded a country that had not attacked it.

• The war was justified with a fabricated incident (the second Gulf of Tonkin attack).

Short time memory is great when you need it! Most Americans cant place Iran on a map, or knows why they are there!

And you scroll back Pete Hegseth timeline where he speaks about his personal relationship with god, his speeches, his books, his vision of the 3. temple, who supported him to become the Secretary of defence, where they changed his title to Secretary of war, while Trump was crying for his peace price. Cant make this deleted up.

Everyone should read American Crusade: Our Fight to Stay Free (2020), and seh for themself, and it is tempting to say, this is exactly whats going on now, right now as we speech.

1 hour ago, Hummin said:

Cant make this deleted up.

If Pete Hegseth has a religious background and he is following Biblical "prophecy", then yeah it's not a "war" .... it's a continuation of the CRUSADES.

They should rename his title "Secretary of Biblical Crusades" then.

Certainly makes everything more "intriguing" for sure.

Nice find!

I thought countries like India, Pakistan and North Korea previously had programs to create nuclear weapons so why didn't the USA bomb them into the stone age?

Couldn't be cowardice in the face of a state that could return fire?

So much for Hegseth's excuses.

1 hour ago, Hummin said:

Everyone should read American Crusade: Our Fight to Stay Free (2020),

There are several Youtubers running with this "Crusade" idea.

I haven't bothered to watch this ..... who knows ??

To me, a war is a war is a war. No matter what you call it or if it has religious implications.

7 minutes ago, save the frogs said:

There are several Youtubers running with this "Crusade" idea.

I haven't bothered to watch this ..... who knows ??

To me, a war is a war is a war. No matter what you call it or if it has religious implications.

It changes the premises for allies to jump onbaord, or abundant while they can!

A good strategy would be to use the American method, and arrive late to the party when Usa and Israel is on the brink of collapse, and save them last minute. Then make sure to establish a huge humanitarian save package, and then make the trade deals on our premises.

Worked once before, it will work again.

preserve optionality, avoid early entanglement, prepare relief capacity, and intervene diplomatically when leverage is highest but before systemic collapse,

The Secretary of Biblical Prophecy - Armageddon

Iranian flag has a lion with a sword ...

3 hours ago, save the frogs said:

It depends what unfolds in the future.

If Trump is genuinely trying to establish stability in the Middle East long-term, maybe the war is justified.

My understanding is most Arab states hated the Iran regime and considered them a threat to stability.

We need to wait to see what unfolds in the future to be able to judge this war clearly.

Truth, as some here are obviously strong against Trump, and I'm wondering if they actually know the history of Iran against the world, including the USA. Take away that hatred and would they still be this way against the USA, even though it's not the USA's fault but a choice by Trump and Congress? This will all come out in the wash eventually, even though we do know much of the motives behind this conflict. There is so much news about this conflict it's hard to know what's true, exaggerated or false, and making judgements on that won't work until the facts are out.

46 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Truth, as some here are obviously strong against Trump, and I'm wondering if they actually know the history of Iran against the world, including the USA. Take away that hatred and would they still be this way against the USA, even though it's not the USA's fault but a choice by Trump and Congress? This will all come out in the wash eventually, even though we do know much of the motives behind this conflict. There is so much news about this conflict it's hard to know what's true, exaggerated or false, and making judgements on that won't work until the facts are out.

I'm certainly not supporting the current regime, but the history of Iran is also the history of the US against Iran.

Starting with the US support of the Sha, the plotting of a coup to reinstate him in 1953, the support of his political police by the CIA, the support of the Iraqi war against Iran, etc....

A one sided perspective won't help understanding what led to the current situation.

3 minutes ago, candide said:

I'm certainly not supporting the current regime, but the history of Iran is also the history of the US against Iran.

Starting with the US support of the Sha, the plotting of a coup to reinstate him in 1953, the support of his political police by the CIA, the support of the Iraqi war against Iran, etc....

A one sided perspective won't help understanding what led to the current situation.

Yes, I know what went on for quite awhile, all the way back to before I was born in 1953, shooting down an Iran plane killing almost 300 people, and how a weakness in the presidencies before hurt the future. Supporting Iraq in the Iraq- Iran War also.

15 minutes ago, candide said:

Starting with the US support of the Sha, the plotting of a coup to reinstate him in 1953, the support of his political police by the CIA, the support of the Iraqi war against Iran, etc....

Looks like the CIA might be bringing out it's ol' playbook out of the dustbin.

41 minutes ago, fredwiggy said:

Yes, I know what went on for quite awhile, all the way back to before I was born in 1953, shooting down an Iran plane killing almost 300 people, and how a weakness in the presidencies before hurt the future. Supporting Iraq in the Iraq- Iran War also.

This war have been on the blueprint since 1979, and every president have been presented this as the war that sooner or later gave to be done.

Just wondering if Trump got the peace Price, would he ? Har to know, but I'm tempted to believe this is his revenge against the establishment

4 hours ago, MIke B Bad said:

Many comments on the 'tinterweb about how Iran had this coming, they started it, they took US embassy hostages etc.....

I wonder how the Vietnamese might react and if they were in any position do so......would they bomb the **** out of US cities?

• The U.S. dropped more bombs on Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia than were dropped in all of WWII.

• Millions of civilians died.

• Agent Orange caused generational birth defects and environmental devastation.

• The U.S. invaded a country that had not attacked it.

• The war was justified with a fabricated incident (the second Gulf of Tonkin attack).

Absolutely. Never forget the staggering human and material cost of Pax Americana. Just because the architects of empire were articulate, spoke English, and upheld democracy (or did pre-Trump) at home does not negate the fact that they could be as ruthless as any other empire to those who resisted their embrace. To the foreigner who resisted, this era has been as devastating as any imperial expansion in history. When we look at the raw data of the post-WWII era, the "peace" looks more like a global graveyard.We cannot allow the "civilized" veneer of the American domestic life to blind us to its external footprint. An empire that upholds the law at home while dismantling it abroad is still an empire. Whether through direct intervention, proxy wars, or economic sanctions, the "material cost" of this era is a debt of blood and treasure that the world is still paying.

The Cold War Era: Between the Korean War (3–4 million dead) and the Vietnam War (1.3–3.8 million dead), the "containment" of communism cost millions of lives in Southeast Asia alone.

The Post-9/11 Era: Research from the Costs of War Project estimate that the "War on Terror" has resulted in approximately 4.5 to 4.7 million deaths.

Direct vs. Indirect: While nearly a million died from direct violence (bombs and bullets), over 3.5 million died from the "echoes" of war the destruction of power grids, hospitals, and water systems leading to famine and disease.The scale of the wreckage isn't just measured in graves, but in the 38 million people displaced by post-9/11 conflicts a refugee crisis unmatched since the Second World War. It's the same calculus of the British Empire - elites work with us and you will get as rich as Crosues but resist us then we will destroy you.

So yeah Iran is a terrorist regime but hasn't a the tiniest of patches on the USA. This is evil - clever, refined but the greedy iron fist of hegemeonic power gorging at the global trough of spoils. Oh and if you want any ships then ask Isarel - they started this. They have 108 vessels and 6 submarines. They were quick off the mark when the Gaza flotilla wanted to deliver baby food to starving Palestinians.

Regarding the illegal bombing of Cambodia (which killed hundreds of thousands of civilians), Kissinger gave this order to Alexander Haig:

"It's an order, it's to be done. Anything that flies, on anything that moves. You got that?"

"I don't see why we need to stand by and watch a country go communist due to the irresponsibility of its people. The issues are much too important for the Chilean voters to be left to decide for themselves."

— Henry Kissinger, June 27, 1970

We should bomb them just for fun - Trump LAST WEEK

Sure but all the war crimes in Israel and the occupied colonies need to be solved and israel thrown out of certain regions that they are illegaly occupying. These terrorist wars on all sides must stop once and for all. And the only solution to get some peace and stability would be to push out the jews in some illegally occupied territories. It's only fair after all. Not to misunderstand my statement, as I believe there are bad terrorist type people on all sides, be them muslims, jews, christians what ever. Nobody can make a generalization on religion or race. But in this situation, it is obvious that the illegal land grabbing of Israel, with support of America since 1947, is creating wars all over. But then., wars means big money when oil prices inflate and weapons are sold all over. So many are happy maybe ?

This guy's theory is that the war is a plot to pay off the US debt ...

Oil prices rising benefits the US

Inflation will be massive and the US will devalue further

He predicts that in the next 3-4 years, the value of the US dollar will devalue so much that paying off the debt will be a lot easier.

Also, the devaluation of the US dollar will make it feasible to manufacture in the US.

Here's the "Truth."

Truth 1: The US wants Iran's OIL and therefore it has been targeted for "regime change" by the US for decades.
Truth 2: Any country who the US wishes to overthrow and take their resources is labeled "terrorists," "dictatorships," "oppressive," etc. Pile on the pejorative propaganda.
Truth 3: The US can not beat a peer or near-peer adversary.
Uncomfortable Truth 4: Technologically, Iran is a near-peer adversary.
Uncomfortable Truth 5: The US will lose this war just like it lost Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

Universal Truth: Like the Roman Empire, the US is a falling empire, and this war with Iran may be the final nail in their coffin.
"Ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant."
-Tacitus (Agricola 30)

Common English translation:
"They make a desert and call it peace."

-Attributed to Calgacus, Caledonian chieftain, criticizing Roman conquest

17 minutes ago, connda said:

Here's the "Truth."

Truth 1: The US wants Iran's OIL and therefore it has been targeted for "regime change" by the US for decades.
Truth 2: Any country who the US wishes to overthrow and take their resources is labeled "terrorists," "dictatorships," "oppressive," etc. Pile on the pejorative propaganda.
Truth 3: The US can not beat a peer or near-peer adversary.
Uncomfortable Truth 4: Technologically, Iran is a near-peer adversary.
Uncomfortable Truth 5: The US will lose this war just like it lost Vietnam, Iraq, and Afghanistan.

Universal Truth: Like the Roman Empire, the US is a falling empire, and this war with Iran may be the final nail in their coffin.
"Ubi solitudinem faciunt, pacem appellant."
-Tacitus (Agricola 30)

Common English translation:
"They make a desert and call it peace."

-Attributed to Calgacus, Caledonian chieftain, criticizing Roman conquest

Iran is winning in the sense they are not defeated, the regime is holding and fighting back and they have the resources and capacity for fight for years assymetrically and cause econmic chaos. Trump was told but he is an idiot and you can't fix stupid. The Mail (sorry!)

They realised that, over recent years, the US has placed increasing faith in that single, brutal idea: remove the head and the body collapses. It worked, more or less, with Saddam Hussein. (It didn’t with Osama bin Laden, whose death did little to destroy Al Qaeda, while the assassination of ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi did not end the group’s terror either.)

But the Iranians knew that, eventually, the Americans would go straight for their Supreme Leader – and they had a plan to inoculate themselves when it happened.

They dispersed their nuclear infrastructure across the country, burying key sites deep underground. The principle was identical: never give the enemy a single target whose destruction can end the fight.

In both cases, Iran looked at what Iraq had done and built the exact opposite.

And, two decades on, the plan paid off the moment Khamenei was killed.

The IRGC has been divided into provincial commands across Iran’s 31 provinces. Each unit functions like a self-contained mini-military, with its own intelligence cells, and ground forces. Provincial commanders have full tactical authority: they can launch missile strikes, drone swarms, and even harass ships without seeking approval from above.

Mail Online

DAVID PATRIKARAKOS: How Iran learnt from the defeat of Sa...

PATRIKARAKOS: War is now into its third week, and its effects are global. By March 12 combined US and Israeli forces had struck around 6,000 targets in Iran since operations began.

There is an astonishing video on X of a fpv drone moving around the US Embassy undeterred in Iraq after a drone put out days earlier the Saab Giraffe-1X radar on the embassy roof, blinding the C-RAM system.If true then it truly is a sitting duck and now reports of sustained attacks on the compound.I strongly suspect the Russians are using sarellite intel to help Iran and their proxies to target the most important elements of the compounds structures. Not a drone net in site either - Ukraine could have helped thyem bigly but Trump knows best.

Grok confirms it as probably trur;

1. The post captures FPV drone footage from an Iranian-backed Iraqi militia's unchallenged flight over the US Embassy in Baghdad, lasting about two minutes, after a prior strike disabled the Saab Giraffe-1X radar and C-RAM system on March 15, exposing vulnerabilities in layered defenses.

2. Released as propaganda by Saraya Awliya al-Dam, the video shows the drone surveying the compound amid software glitches like "failed to create log directory," underscoring low-cost FPV tech's role in asymmetric warfare against fortified targets.

3. This attack, involving at least five drones and rockets, marks the most intense since the US-Israel-Iran war began, coinciding with strikes on Gulf oil sites and causing fires at the embassy, with Iraqi sources reporting partial interceptions but confirmed penetrations.

Component	Status	Impact
Saab Giraffe-1X	Destroyed	Total loss of short-range drone detection.
C-RAM System	Disabled/Degraded	No automated fire against incoming rockets.
SATCOM System	Damaged	Disrupted secure data exchange for diplomats.
FPV Visibility	Active	Militias now have "eyes inside" the wire.

IRGC Spokesperson trolling Trump.
"The outcome of the war cannot be determined by tweets. The result of a war is determined in the field, the very place where you and your forces do not dare to approach, and which you can only talk about in your tweets. It would be better to name this war 'Epic Fear' instead of 'Epic Fury.'"

I'm not a CNN fan, but this one is so appropriate as Trump contradicts himself multiple times in the same press conference. Here' his MAGA's savior.

23 minutes ago, connda said:

Here' his MAGA's savior.

He should be in a care home, not the White House

Recall the Iranian embassy siege in London in 1980 when the sas had to storm the embassy to clear em all out,most were shot dead