The Iran attack story continues to unfold. Everybody has an opinion – but we still don't actually know what really happened. As a result, some think the attack was a victory for Iran. Others, even those on the Left, think not. Finian Cunningham calls it “lame retaliation”.
The Iranians say they gave the American 72 hours’ notice.
Pepe Escobar says that the Iranians and Americans met in Oman and the Iranians told the Americans their attack would be on military bases only. And…
THE SHADOWPLAY So this is how it happened. Burns met an Iranian delegation in Oman. He was told the Israeli punishment was inevitable - and if the US got involved then all US bases will be attacked, and the Strait of Hormuz would be blocked. Burns said we do nothing if no civilians are harmed. The Iranians said it will be a military base or an embassy. The CIA said go ahead and do it.
The Americans of course deny this.
So, somebody's lying.
Over the years the Iranians have shown a tendency to exaggerate – usually about military capability—but they do not usually lie directly.
The US however doesn't just fib a bit – it likes really really big lies. For America, the truth is whatever is most convenient for its policies, knowing that the media will always propagate Official Doctrine, just as in the Middle Ages the Vatican could be sure it's pronouncements would be heard in sermons all over Europe, and believers would take them to heart. Those who dissented could be burned at the stake. We don’t do that — we have Belmarsh prison.
As Putin says, the US is the Empire of Lies.
In this case, the Americans keep on changing their story.
At first, the American said there were 170 drones and 30 cruise missiles. They did not mention ballistic missiles.
Now, the number is 170 drones, 30 cruise missiles, and 100 ballistic missiles. T The media are talking up MIRVs and hypersonic weapons.
The US number now is the same as the IDF was claiming in the beginning. but it seems the number is going up.
The IDF insists that its ”David Sling” system intercepted 99% of 120 missiles breaching its airspace.
The Americans and Brits intercepted only drones apparently—47% of the drones— which means that about 80 entered Israeli airspace to add to the other hardware hurtling through Israeli skies.
Israelis say — or at least said — there were only two hits – with an unrealistically high percentage of interception. According to some Western analysts, however, the Iranians achieved a 6% success rate and 9 hits on Israeli targets— with both drones and missiles.
Israeli missile interceptors are impressive in the sky.
But take a look at this video that appeared on Larry Johnson’s site, purportedly a ballistic missile maneuvering to avoid an interceptor.
Where are the interceptors?
Is this a ballistic missile?
Or a cruise missile?
It is too slow for a hypersonic missile and unlike a ballistic missile — which is …well…ballistic — it can maneuver at low altitude—not to avoid interception I think (I couldn’t see Israeli Interceptors— but for precision targeting—in any case, performance which would be characteristic of a cruise missile.
You can see it projectile changes course at the very last moment at low altitude as if adjusting its trajectory to acquire its target.
Let us keep in mind that Iranian missiles do not use GPS for targeting – despite what the Israelis claim!
Given 72 hours advance warning, Western media speculate the Israelis should have been able to do a lot better, especially with US support.
Now we hear talk of MIRV missiles (multiple warheads) or hypersonic missiles which neither the Americans nor the Israelis would be able to intercept at all, much less 99%.
The Iranians may have, in fact, experimented with both kinds of sophisticated weaponry – but not in any quantity.
The fact that the Israelis were able to down so many “projectiles” – albeit at a cost of $3 billion suggests that the Iranians were, as I posited before, mostly using old stuff, demonstrating that even with that they could get through.
That said, while American sources are admitting nine hits, there may have been more as Andrei Martynov suggests.
So what happens if shit hits the fan? What if Finian Cunningham is right? What if the Israelis mistake the message and escalate?
The Iranians have promised a gloves off response of a magnitude perhaps 100 times greater.
The Russian Playbook
Netanyahu is Israel’s Zelensky. Israel is America's Ukraine.
By contrast, Iran seems to be following the Russian playbook.
Their attack was classic Russian tactics. Drones, decoys air defense systems, followed by missiles of different types. Precision targeting. Avoidance of civilian casualties. Restraint
IF Israel mounts a major attack against Iran, it is likely to be vicious – just like Ukrainian attacks in Ukraine. Therefore, you can expect Iranians to apply other successful Russian strategies.
John Helmer has suggested Iran might adopt Russia's current strategy of attacking critical infrastructure. That means Israel's offshore oilfields and especially power stations – the electrical grid—which are highly vulnerable— and unlike in the Ukraine, localized.
If you read my upcoming special article for coffee buyers, you will understand that the US faces an economic and social crisis very soon – no matter who is president.
A war with Iran would make things much, much worse for it. If this were a poker game Iran, China, and Russia have all the chips— and all the cards.
Masada
Does history repeat itself? Of course it does.
Everyone thinks it doesn't.
That’s because no one really knows – or wants to know – what happened in the first place—we mythologize and fictionalize events in the past to correspond to present day realities and needs.
Masada never happened as Israelis think it did – so they have learnt nothing. That thing about history —we don’t want to learn and when it repeats we don’t know what’s happening..
Masada? It wasn't the Romans that “done it”.
It was a crazy sect of Jewish true believers who self-destructed.
That historical Masada is a rationalization for a future Masada —another crazy sect – of Jewish true believers self-destructing—Zionists.
You’re never too young to rock 'n' roll
There is a lot of talk about the “longevity plateau”.
It seems that there are two. One occurs at about 80. If you've had no serious conditions by this age, the aging process seems to slow down— in fact, your biological condition can actually improve —if you are active and eat for nutrition instead for your food addictions.
The second plateau is after 100! when the risk of death no longer increases.
Tread carefully though—the risk does not increase but it does not decrease either.
In this regard, you might like my article Community — the Secret to Longevity.
Who doesn’t love dolphins?
If you liked today’s article or just want to show support and get the next Special Article for Coffee Buyers which discusses coming American collapse you can click here to buy me a coffee! (Yes, that article IS coming!) Or on the photo above.
I read Cunningham's post. I find it quite lame. The MSM and plenty in the US and EU governments have been doing plenty to downplay interest in the genocide--which of course, our fearless leaders won't even call a spade a spade. Now they have Trump lawfare to splash all over their pages. I thought Iran's response was rather shrewd--expend those high cost iron dome resources on low cost drones.
I think the Iron Dome turned out to be more of an Aluminum Foil Hat :-)
Seriously though, the current conflict between Israel Palestine et al was baked into the cake at its foundation. Those of good will and sincerity were used as popular support for a deceptive architecture designed by depraved people with a colonial/militarist agenda for Israel to perform on behalf of the usual suspects (usa/uk). I recall Chris Floyd at Empire Burlesque referring to it as “America’s plucky little outpost in the Middle East.” It’s always been a win-lose set up. Seems to me the only quasi resolution is a period (say 99 years) of international governance of those holy lands. It would allow religious and cultural freedom for citizens and sharply reduce its use as an aircraft carrier for us/uk. I can’t think of anything else that could curtail the eliminationism widely exhibited in the region (at least all the players have that in common?!).
Now if we could just curtail the impulse in the Anglo American deep state to lovingly cultivate extremist ideologies everywhere. Perhaps the collapse of the U$D will put an end to the virtually limitless amount of fake money conjured and then laundered into hard assets through resource theft around the world. Having such deep pockets has allowed the direct purchase of venal characters everywhere in the world (and the elimination of their opponents) with literal bags of cash. I’d like to think we could get maybe 75-100 years of relative peace that way were this to pass. It might have to wait until BRICS+ rises far enough to fully balance the G7 monopole. This would mean, of course that BRICS+ would have to seize political opportunity (within the UN framework probably) rather than claiming to be economic only. I think political muscle flexing on their part is inevitable anyway. History is waiting for is a suitable visionary to facilitate it. I don’t think this visionary will come from the collective west. I think it was Anias Nin who said that a society in decline has no need for visionaries. One look at the institutional leadership of the western empire and the rot at the head is obvious, and it trickled on down the line.
I have a hunch this visionary will come from Russia, as Russia takes its place as the mediator both culturally and economically between East and West in the emerging multipolar world, particularly as Eurasian economic integration becomes a reality.
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Regarding aging, if you reach 100, there’s no telling how long you’ll go. After all, very few people die after age 100 (h/t George Burns).