Iran ; explosions across Tehran following Israeli and US strikes, 28 February 2026

[Lebowski]

I'm pretty sure the Iranian people are reminded of 1953 every day! That's the way Iran is. It certainly makes any regime change more challenging. (When the CIA was involved with overthrowing their prime minister and bringing back the shah)

I would love to see the IR topple, but it is a huge challenge because of this and numerous factors.

here's the thing. suppose the regime falls. without a huge number of boots on the ground -- far more and for far longer than we're willing to put there -- we can't steer what happens next. the next government might be better, might be worse, might be about the same. or maybe no one will be strong enough to maintain centralized power and the country will collapse into another afghanistan.

 

[Mysteries1974]

You can't attack Russia BECAUSE they have nuclear capabilities. They are many things, but they are not suicidal.

I find it fascinating that you leave out the Hamas attacks, and ignore decades of suicide bombs that preceded that. That's astounding to me.

All funded by Iran.

Why was Hamas formed though? Not saying I agree or support Hamas but what happened in 1948 in Palestine? I’ll wait. You know, the event that predates Hamas by decades

I’ll give you a hint… a bunch of European Jewish immigrants came to Palestine seeking refuge and instead perpetuated the same violence they experienced against other people.

 

[otto]

Translation, he wants the Iranian people to put their lives on the line to remove this puppet regime so that Trump and his cronies can install yet another puppet state that will let the USA/Israel drain Iran of it’s resources and leave the country in more disrepair than it was before America got involved.

Also, I don’t agree with the regime in Iran but anyone who knows what happened in Iran in 1953 knows that what’s happening now isn’t good for the Iranian people.

That appears to be the US plan for Iran:

"When asked about whether the U.S. has a plan on how to fill the power vacuum left by the death of the nation's supreme leader, Rubio reiterated that their goal was to destroy Iran's short-range ballistic missile capability and eliminate the threat posed by its navy.

"We hope that the Iranian people can overthrow this government," Rubio said. "We would love for that to be possible."

When asked directly if the U.S. will play any role in helping Iran with its government, Rubio shrugged and said, "we might."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/livestory/conflict-with-iran-9.7109761

 

[justtrish]

Reading this ... although this starts as a war against Iran, it looks like the US expects conflict to expand beyond Iran.

"The U.S. Department of State has called on Americans to immediately leave more than a dozen countries in the Middle East.

Due to "serious safety risks," Americans are being urged to depart using commercial transportation ⁠from Bahrain, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Israel, ‌the West Bank and Gaza, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, ⁠Syria, United Arab Emirates ⁠and Yemen, ⁠according ⁠to Mora Namdar, the State Department's assistant ⁠secretary for consular affairs."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/livestory/conflict-with-iran-9.7109761

These places are already being attacked by Iran. It makes sense for the US to urge its citizens to leave those areas.

 

[SouthAussie]

“I’m not going to give away the details of our tactical efforts, but the hardest hits are yet to come from the U.S. military,” Rubio told reporters on Capitol Hill.

“The next phase will be even more punishing on Iran than it is right now,” he said.

Sounds as if the Iranian people will be made to suffer. For the actions of the Ayatollah.

imo

 

[Mysteries1974]

That appears to be the US plan for Iran:

"When asked about whether the U.S. has a plan on how to fill the power vacuum left by the death of the nation's supreme leader, Rubio reiterated that their goal was to destroy Iran's short-range ballistic missile capability and eliminate the threat posed by its navy.

"We hope that the Iranian people can overthrow this government," Rubio said. "We would love for that to be possible."

When asked directly if the U.S. will play any role in helping Iran with its government, Rubio shrugged and said, "we might."

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/livestory/conflict-with-iran-9.7109761

Exactly. They expect civilians to clean up the messes that they started

 

[MassGuy]

Why was Hamas formed though? Not saying I agree or support Hamas but what happened in 1948 in Palestine? I’ll wait. You know, the event that predates Hamas by decades

I’ll give you a hint… a bunch of European Jewish immigrants came to Palestine seeking refuge and instead perpetuated the same violence they experienced against other people.

That is a complete oversimplification of history. <modsnip>

 

[Mysteries1974]

Sounds as if the Iranian people will be made to suffer. For the actions of the Ayatollah.

imo

But somehow we’re “liberating” them. BS.

 

[otto]

These places are already being attacked by Iran. It makes sense for the US to urge its citizens to leave those areas.

True, but if Israel and the US had the situation under control, would there be concerns about Iran continuing to target military bases in neighbouring countries?

 

[PrairieWind]

Anyone trying to glorify what we as America did in Iran is not worth conversing with. Most people glorifying it are denying the 80+ deaths of school children and the 500+ deaths that have occurred since this started

But you defend the 30,000 murdered by the regime last month from the protests?

 

[PrairieWind]

But somehow we’re “liberating” them. BS.

You would just leave them to their fate. Is that ok?

 

[Mysteries1974]

But you defend the 30,000 murdered by the regime last month from the protests?

Did I say that? I’ve said in several posts that I don’t agree with the puppet regime that just had several of its leaders killed but I also don’t agree with what’s happening now.

<modsnip>

 

[SouthAussie]

Exactly. They expect civilians to clean up the messes that they started

With infrastructure being destroyed, civilians will have a whole bunch of rubble in which to start any new govt. No government offices, no military offices, no navy.

How are they supposed to form a new government?

imo

 

[Mysteries1974]

You would just leave them to their fate. Is that ok?

So killing 500+ civilians including 85 school girls was the solution to removing this regime?

 

[justtrish]

True, but if Israel and the US had the situation under control, would there be concerns about Iran continuing to target military bases in neighbouring countries?

I don't think anything is 100% and as hard as we try to intercept missiles and drones, we are never going to be 100%. I'd rather be safe than sorry.

 

[Mysteries1974]

I don't think anything is 100% and as hard as we try to intercept missiles and drones, we are never going to be 100%. I'd rather be safe than sorry.

if we were actually trying there wouldn’t be this much death.

 

[MassGuy]

Typical Zionist deflection…. Guess every time someone has a valid criticism of Israel they are an antisemite. That’s just childish on your part sir.

Also, one side of my family is Jewish. Many of them fled Germany and Poland because you know what happened. But yeah, I’m an antisemite for being critical of the fact that the IOF bombs children, rape Palestinian women, and commit atrocities with our tax dollars.

Spoiler alert, the guys kidnapping toddlers and raping people at music festivals are not “freedom fighters.”

They are terrorists.

 

[Lebowski]

i sense a thread closure coming, lol

 

[Simply Southern]

Honestly, the best person to do the messaging re: mission goals for the US would be Sec. Rubio because of his outstanding communication skills, but that's not his job.

This article outlined the goals in what for me was the clearest mission statement I've seen to date:

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/trump-says-iran-strikes-last-best-chance-to-eliminate-the-intolerable-threats-posed-by-this-sick-regime/

Snipped from article:
After coming under criticism for failing to present a clear case for the operation to the American public, Trump lists four goals for the operation, in prepared remarks at a White House event.

One, destroying Iran’s missile capabilities <snip>
The second goal is to “annihilate” Iran’s navy <snip>
The third goal is to ensure Iran can never obtain a nuclear weapon.<snip>
The fourth goal for the operation that Trump lists is to ensure that Iran cannot continue to back proxy militia groups beyond its borders.

That’s is my understanding especially after the DOW presser this am. Raising Caine gave a detailed, blow by blow update. We are focused on removing threats to the US.

Israel seems to be, in my opinion focused on taking out the leaders and government entities. Ive tried to keep up with a couple of Israel newspapers.


All my opinion

 

[justtrish]

if we were actually trying there wouldn’t be this much death. <modsnip>

Are you suggesting that we are letting missiles through on purpose? If so I will see myself out of this conversation because my son is currently working in missile defense shooting down Iranian missiles and drones and to suggest they would let some through ?