Iran has launched a swarm of missile and drone strikes on Israel from Iranian territory, marking a significant military escalation between the two nations. Israel and Iran have been engaged in a so-called shadow war for decades, with Iranian proxies like Hezbollah rocketing Israel from Lebanon and Syria, and Israel retaliating by launching air strikes on Hezbollah missile sites. Israel has also launched strikes on Iranian targets in other countries, most recently an airstrike on part of the Iranian embassy in Damascus, Syria, which killed several top Iranian “advisers” to its military, including Mohammad Reza Zahedi, a senior officer in Iran’s Quds Force, an espionage and paramilitary arm of Iran’s army.
At this moment I'm glad we have a Commander in Chief with a brain (even an aging one) instead of a talking head that just spews hate and venom. Hoping this will not escalate out of control
Iran issued a tweet that this rash of drones and missiles will be its only response to Israel’s attack on their Syrian embassy in Damascus that killed several Iranian military leaders as you pointed out. That seems to be part of a plan by Iran to hit back once to save face, but to do so in a way that doesn’t escalate the situation. Israel’s next step against Iran will be a telling point of whether there is further escalation or not.
Meanwhile, the bad blood between Israel and Iran will continue, but most likely through proxies like Hezbollah and Houthis. So how does this conflict get resolved? The Iranian people don’t want this; the Israeli people don’t want this. It is the leadership of both that is continuing policies that create this threat. An honest broker (not the US) should be found to get all sides to sit down and talk, to include Gaza and the two-state solution. I know it is wishful thinking but anything else just leads to further violence and potential regional war.
And Trump should be ignored in all this as he did much to exacerbate US relations with Iran by saber-rattling and withdrawing from the nuclear agreement. He is a moron to be sure and his bloviating is just so much background noise that no one needs or wants to hear.
I see that we should protect American facilities and personel, but Israel has one of the most powerful militaries in the world. They can take care of themselves. We have given them the finest weapons in the world and funds to purchase more. I know some will not like this, but Israel needs to stop the killing of innocent women and children. The Zionists need to stop their apartheid policies. I am not against Israel, but they have the ability to defend themselves from much weaker terrorist groups. We do not need to be involved. The 10/7 attack was a tragedy. However, Israel has had their revenge by killing innocent civilians. It is time to stop. Again, some of you will not like my comment, but I have been in one meaningless war and we do not need another. I will not have a further comment.
It's difficult for the West to grasp the adherence to and the role of martyrdom in the region as well as the region's unadulterated quest for revenge. Will say all the parties are reasonable up until the first slight. From there it is full-throttle madness.
While many might argue could this start WW3 the answer is best put this way, this is just another weekend in the region.
So peculiar as we watch like a fireworks show in July. Very unreal. Remarkable (and not Biden’s fault actually though I’ll blame my paper cut on him in a heartbeat)an eerie.
Have we warned other countries not to interfere?
Or Is this the’”spark? Or yet another Iranian burp.
Excuse me, but this Iranian attack is a direct result of Israel attacking Iran's embassy in Syria in order to kill a few Iranian generals. Were these guys really that irreplaceable? And I thought that embassies were supposed to be safe places under international law. We have to ask what the politics of that stupid attack really were. Yet Biden once again gives Israel carte blanc to act without consulting us.
When ya kill 10x more folks than your opponent, ya automatically lose the War. In this case, it’s about 30x.
Israel has already lost this War.
And Israel’s continuing attacks by Settlers in the West Bank, and upon its neighbors….accomplishing nothing (may I repeat—nothing), are a Shonda for the Jews.
Israel has been hijacked by Bibi and his co-conspirators. How can I put this mildly — they are fucking themselves.
I've been watching it on MSNBC! So far, no damage and no casualties is what I heard so far! What a Saturday night and hope it doesn't turn into WWIII! I wonder what SNL will be like later.
I haven’t been following events in the ME very closely of late, and may have things all wrong. Do we know what Israel’s rationale was for attacking the Iranian embassy (without telling Washington in advance)? It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Yahoo wanted to provoke an Iranian attack, as is happening this moment, to get the Israeli aid bill through Congress, to make himself a war time leader, to keep his butt out of prison, to attempt regaining a smidgeon of the moral high ground. As ridiculous as that is. The Gaza war hasn’t worked out well for him or Israel, never mind what it’s done to the Palestinians, and so a full out Iranian attack, even provoked, makes Israel look like a sort-of victim. What a barbaric thing to do! I also think Yahoo is trying to suck us into a war with Iran. That’s not so far fetched either, but I have confidence in Biden not to take that bait. Yahoo is truly evil, and for how much longer will the Israelis tolerate him. For how much longer will we tolerate him.
Thank you, Lucian. I have friends with relatives in Israel, as I do too. Thank goodness for the Iron Dome to thwart off those drones! I heard Sec’y of Defense, Lloyd Austin, was none too happy with Yoav Galant, his Israeli counterpart for not informing him or his staff of their plans. Galant is as dangerous as Bibi.
Russia will back Iran if Israel fires on Iran. Not sure though how much extra military power is available that is not in Ukraine. I felt this was inevitable due to Israel's devastation of Gaza. There is much I haven't kept up on as far as internecine conflicts in the ME. It just seems to be escalating lately; I hope without international repercussions. I, too, am thankful we have leadership in DC with experience and calm heads.
Thoughts at large after watching events unfold... don't claim to be an expert ...
Hamas attacks 7 Oct – murderous, savage killing spree with unspeakable atrocities
Netanyahu and his government vow reprisals and revenge, including claims, echoed in some US circles, that there are no innocent Gazans
Prior to this, Qatar had sent millions of dollars to Hamas through Israel and with Israeli government compliance. As verified later by defense minister, this money was an attempt to split Hamas from West Bank Palestinians so as to prevent a united front for two state solution
It seems Israeli government figured Hamas had been effectively bought off with payment, as Israel focused efforts on preparing for attack from Lebanon. The number of Israeli soldiers listening to Hamas radio comms before the attack had been significantly reduced. After 7 Oct, there were reports that Hamas dead had the types of comm equipment with them that Israeli listening posts would have been monitoring had there not been a reduction in the number of listeners.
Israel warns Gazans to evacuate before military assault – very hard for millions to move quickly and the counterattack began soon after the warning.
War has evolved into massive destruction and loss of life in Gaza. Hamas has suffered thousands of casualties, but the civilian population, including children, have suffered greatly and is on the verge of starvation. The massive counterattack and destruction have not stopped Hamas from launching missiles toward Israel nor has it prompted release of hostages. Is part of the Israeli response anger that Hamas attacked despite being funded with Israeli compliance?
To be sure, genocide is hard to prove. But one does not need to be caught up in legal wrangling over whether this is genocide to believe that the Israeli response is disproportionate. And it seems to me, counterproductive.
A former Israeli Chief of Staff warned that individuals may seek revenge, but that government cannot. What leaders say matter – and if you state and believe that there are no innocent Gazans, then this wholesale destruction is what you get.
While simultaneously replenishing Israeli ammo stocks, the US has been begging, urging,pleading etc.. with Israel for months to prevent civilian losses while hunting down Hamas. Israel has not listened. That same former Israeli Chief of Staff claims that Israeli soldiers have become hardened toward the population, and that lives have lost meaning. He also added that more former Israeli officers have been questioning the apparent lack of an endgame strategy by the current hard line government.
Those Gazans who have trekked back north have seen their homes destroyed and cities reduced to rubble. Even if as a Gazan you did not like Hamas, is it beyond the pale to think that a new version of Hamas will rise from the ruins to take revenge against Israel? That’s what I mean by counterproductive strategy.
The daughter of former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres believes that there must be a two-state solution.
Israel’s launching of a strike in the Syrian capital of Damascus, as a counter to missile launches by Hezbollah from Lebanon, killed key Iranian officials and prompted this latest attack from Iran. I find it ironic that US officials labeled the Iranian response with hundreds of weapon systems “disproportionate.” (Which it was). Note that US forces stationed in the area also helped shoot down Iranian missiles, drones, etc… so we are more involved than ever in this latest escalation.
Is Iran funding and supporting Hezbollah, Hamas, and Houthis? Yes
Does Iran wish to see Israel destroyed? Yes
Does Hamas leadership want a two-state solution? No
Does the current Israeli leadership want a two-state solution? No
Is the current Israeli method of retaliating against Gaza counterproductive? Yes
It seems only a regional league of the US, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the emirates can bring Israel and Hamas to the table to work out a solution. This is not something that can be fixed simply by military means, nor can it be addressed with pithy statement designed to generate heat and not light.
Seems to me that if Israel counter attacks Iran there's a danger of WWIII (if we're not already in it in slow motion) and if they do nothing they will be seen as weakened and more will come. There's a side of this that suggests that maybe it's time for Israel to target just the Mullahs and single out the leaders of these religious fanatics and end it once and for all.
Keep in mind that there are lsraeli leaders who are more aggressive than Bibi. The region is a tinderbox which is why the stakes are so high. Descolation is unrealistic in a nation that was formed out of the ashes of near-complete annihilation.
The per-capita population ratio between Jews and Muslins staggering. And certainly Palestinians are winning the public relations contest.
If the price of liberty is eternal vigilance, we are up to our necks in debt! But the alternative is unacceptable. There’s enough room and resources, the difficulty is developing and maintaining neighbors you can trust. And if you can’t trust your neighbors, you’ve got to make friends abroad! And if you’re being attacked, you have a duty to defend yourself.
Slnce Iran has stated more than once their desire for the complete destruction of Israel, I wondering if thought crossed Netanyahu's mind that if they (Iran) had the bomb right now would one of those missiles have had a nuclear warhead, and will that happen in the future? They might be thinking this would be a good time to make sure that never happens.
At this moment I'm glad we have a Commander in Chief with a brain (even an aging one) instead of a talking head that just spews hate and venom. Hoping this will not escalate out of control
Iran issued a tweet that this rash of drones and missiles will be its only response to Israel’s attack on their Syrian embassy in Damascus that killed several Iranian military leaders as you pointed out. That seems to be part of a plan by Iran to hit back once to save face, but to do so in a way that doesn’t escalate the situation. Israel’s next step against Iran will be a telling point of whether there is further escalation or not.
Meanwhile, the bad blood between Israel and Iran will continue, but most likely through proxies like Hezbollah and Houthis. So how does this conflict get resolved? The Iranian people don’t want this; the Israeli people don’t want this. It is the leadership of both that is continuing policies that create this threat. An honest broker (not the US) should be found to get all sides to sit down and talk, to include Gaza and the two-state solution. I know it is wishful thinking but anything else just leads to further violence and potential regional war.
And Trump should be ignored in all this as he did much to exacerbate US relations with Iran by saber-rattling and withdrawing from the nuclear agreement. He is a moron to be sure and his bloviating is just so much background noise that no one needs or wants to hear.
I see that we should protect American facilities and personel, but Israel has one of the most powerful militaries in the world. They can take care of themselves. We have given them the finest weapons in the world and funds to purchase more. I know some will not like this, but Israel needs to stop the killing of innocent women and children. The Zionists need to stop their apartheid policies. I am not against Israel, but they have the ability to defend themselves from much weaker terrorist groups. We do not need to be involved. The 10/7 attack was a tragedy. However, Israel has had their revenge by killing innocent civilians. It is time to stop. Again, some of you will not like my comment, but I have been in one meaningless war and we do not need another. I will not have a further comment.
It's difficult for the West to grasp the adherence to and the role of martyrdom in the region as well as the region's unadulterated quest for revenge. Will say all the parties are reasonable up until the first slight. From there it is full-throttle madness.
While many might argue could this start WW3 the answer is best put this way, this is just another weekend in the region.
So peculiar as we watch like a fireworks show in July. Very unreal. Remarkable (and not Biden’s fault actually though I’ll blame my paper cut on him in a heartbeat)an eerie.
Have we warned other countries not to interfere?
Or Is this the’”spark? Or yet another Iranian burp.
Excuse me, but this Iranian attack is a direct result of Israel attacking Iran's embassy in Syria in order to kill a few Iranian generals. Were these guys really that irreplaceable? And I thought that embassies were supposed to be safe places under international law. We have to ask what the politics of that stupid attack really were. Yet Biden once again gives Israel carte blanc to act without consulting us.
When ya kill 10x more folks than your opponent, ya automatically lose the War. In this case, it’s about 30x.
Israel has already lost this War.
And Israel’s continuing attacks by Settlers in the West Bank, and upon its neighbors….accomplishing nothing (may I repeat—nothing), are a Shonda for the Jews.
Israel has been hijacked by Bibi and his co-conspirators. How can I put this mildly — they are fucking themselves.
I've been watching it on MSNBC! So far, no damage and no casualties is what I heard so far! What a Saturday night and hope it doesn't turn into WWIII! I wonder what SNL will be like later.
I haven’t been following events in the ME very closely of late, and may have things all wrong. Do we know what Israel’s rationale was for attacking the Iranian embassy (without telling Washington in advance)? It’s not out of the realm of possibility that Yahoo wanted to provoke an Iranian attack, as is happening this moment, to get the Israeli aid bill through Congress, to make himself a war time leader, to keep his butt out of prison, to attempt regaining a smidgeon of the moral high ground. As ridiculous as that is. The Gaza war hasn’t worked out well for him or Israel, never mind what it’s done to the Palestinians, and so a full out Iranian attack, even provoked, makes Israel look like a sort-of victim. What a barbaric thing to do! I also think Yahoo is trying to suck us into a war with Iran. That’s not so far fetched either, but I have confidence in Biden not to take that bait. Yahoo is truly evil, and for how much longer will the Israelis tolerate him. For how much longer will we tolerate him.
Thank you, Lucian. I have friends with relatives in Israel, as I do too. Thank goodness for the Iron Dome to thwart off those drones! I heard Sec’y of Defense, Lloyd Austin, was none too happy with Yoav Galant, his Israeli counterpart for not informing him or his staff of their plans. Galant is as dangerous as Bibi.
Russia will back Iran if Israel fires on Iran. Not sure though how much extra military power is available that is not in Ukraine. I felt this was inevitable due to Israel's devastation of Gaza. There is much I haven't kept up on as far as internecine conflicts in the ME. It just seems to be escalating lately; I hope without international repercussions. I, too, am thankful we have leadership in DC with experience and calm heads.
Thoughts at large after watching events unfold... don't claim to be an expert ...
Hamas attacks 7 Oct – murderous, savage killing spree with unspeakable atrocities
Netanyahu and his government vow reprisals and revenge, including claims, echoed in some US circles, that there are no innocent Gazans
Prior to this, Qatar had sent millions of dollars to Hamas through Israel and with Israeli government compliance. As verified later by defense minister, this money was an attempt to split Hamas from West Bank Palestinians so as to prevent a united front for two state solution
It seems Israeli government figured Hamas had been effectively bought off with payment, as Israel focused efforts on preparing for attack from Lebanon. The number of Israeli soldiers listening to Hamas radio comms before the attack had been significantly reduced. After 7 Oct, there were reports that Hamas dead had the types of comm equipment with them that Israeli listening posts would have been monitoring had there not been a reduction in the number of listeners.
Israel warns Gazans to evacuate before military assault – very hard for millions to move quickly and the counterattack began soon after the warning.
War has evolved into massive destruction and loss of life in Gaza. Hamas has suffered thousands of casualties, but the civilian population, including children, have suffered greatly and is on the verge of starvation. The massive counterattack and destruction have not stopped Hamas from launching missiles toward Israel nor has it prompted release of hostages. Is part of the Israeli response anger that Hamas attacked despite being funded with Israeli compliance?
To be sure, genocide is hard to prove. But one does not need to be caught up in legal wrangling over whether this is genocide to believe that the Israeli response is disproportionate. And it seems to me, counterproductive.
A former Israeli Chief of Staff warned that individuals may seek revenge, but that government cannot. What leaders say matter – and if you state and believe that there are no innocent Gazans, then this wholesale destruction is what you get.
While simultaneously replenishing Israeli ammo stocks, the US has been begging, urging,pleading etc.. with Israel for months to prevent civilian losses while hunting down Hamas. Israel has not listened. That same former Israeli Chief of Staff claims that Israeli soldiers have become hardened toward the population, and that lives have lost meaning. He also added that more former Israeli officers have been questioning the apparent lack of an endgame strategy by the current hard line government.
Those Gazans who have trekked back north have seen their homes destroyed and cities reduced to rubble. Even if as a Gazan you did not like Hamas, is it beyond the pale to think that a new version of Hamas will rise from the ruins to take revenge against Israel? That’s what I mean by counterproductive strategy.
The daughter of former Israeli Prime Minister Shimon Peres believes that there must be a two-state solution.
Israel’s launching of a strike in the Syrian capital of Damascus, as a counter to missile launches by Hezbollah from Lebanon, killed key Iranian officials and prompted this latest attack from Iran. I find it ironic that US officials labeled the Iranian response with hundreds of weapon systems “disproportionate.” (Which it was). Note that US forces stationed in the area also helped shoot down Iranian missiles, drones, etc… so we are more involved than ever in this latest escalation.
Is Iran funding and supporting Hezbollah, Hamas, and Houthis? Yes
Does Iran wish to see Israel destroyed? Yes
Does Hamas leadership want a two-state solution? No
Does the current Israeli leadership want a two-state solution? No
Is the current Israeli method of retaliating against Gaza counterproductive? Yes
It seems only a regional league of the US, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the emirates can bring Israel and Hamas to the table to work out a solution. This is not something that can be fixed simply by military means, nor can it be addressed with pithy statement designed to generate heat and not light.
Seems to me that if Israel counter attacks Iran there's a danger of WWIII (if we're not already in it in slow motion) and if they do nothing they will be seen as weakened and more will come. There's a side of this that suggests that maybe it's time for Israel to target just the Mullahs and single out the leaders of these religious fanatics and end it once and for all.
Keep in mind that there are lsraeli leaders who are more aggressive than Bibi. The region is a tinderbox which is why the stakes are so high. Descolation is unrealistic in a nation that was formed out of the ashes of near-complete annihilation.
The per-capita population ratio between Jews and Muslins staggering. And certainly Palestinians are winning the public relations contest.
If the price of liberty is eternal vigilance, we are up to our necks in debt! But the alternative is unacceptable. There’s enough room and resources, the difficulty is developing and maintaining neighbors you can trust. And if you can’t trust your neighbors, you’ve got to make friends abroad! And if you’re being attacked, you have a duty to defend yourself.
Slnce Iran has stated more than once their desire for the complete destruction of Israel, I wondering if thought crossed Netanyahu's mind that if they (Iran) had the bomb right now would one of those missiles have had a nuclear warhead, and will that happen in the future? They might be thinking this would be a good time to make sure that never happens.
As Charlie Pierce says 'this will not end well.'