I feel unutterably sad. A nation has just waged a war of no necessity. And that nation claims me as one of its own. Yet I want nothing to do with it.
This is a tragedy. A man-made tragedy. One that need not have been. One which three presidents have managed to prevent. Now, when two evil men run two countries and enable the worst in each other, another third country must be a victim of their savagery.
Israel’s attack on Iran (NY Times coverage) caused extensive damage to the country’s nuclear sites. The head of its nuclear program has been killed along with its military chief:
IDF Spokesperson Effie Defrin confirmed on Friday morning that overnight Israeli strikes killed Iranian Army Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri and the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Hossein Salami – two of Iran’s highest-ranking military officers.
In a second round of strikes, Israel has attacked Iran’s energy infrastructure, destroying its oil depots and causing major fires. Its claim that it is seeking to destroy Iran’s nuclear program is belied by this assault, which cripples a key sector of the country’s economy. Without such exports it is the common ordinary people who will suffer because vehicles will have no fuel, the transportation sector will fail; and they will not be able to travel to work or feed their families.
Though all this destruction will be a setback, it is by no means a decisive or permanent blow.
But it marks the onset of the Israeli Imperium. The untrammeled dominance of Israel in the Middle East. And it’s unfettered pursuit of its interests, facing no Opposition from anyone, anywhere. The more Israel gets away with, the more aggressive it becomes, the greater the havoc it wreaks; and the less able the world is to take any deterrent action.
Iran has three options it can pursue (or a combination of them):
- Mount a full scale retaliatory attack on Israel (and likely US Targets in the region as well). Activate its allies (Iraqi militias,Houthis, Hezbollah, etc.) for wider region of conflict
- Quit IAEA
- Announce it will pursue accelerate its nuclear program and build a nuclear weapon along with a delivery vehicle
Iran so far has pursued option 1. 150 missiles fell on Israel in the past 24 hours. Despite virtually the entire Israeli population in air raid shelters, at least a score were injured. Three have died.
US complicity
The Trump administration claims the US played no role in the attack. This is a ridiculous claim.
Key weapons systems Israel employed in its attack were US-made. Only days before the Israeli strike the US off-loaded 300 Hellfire missiles at Israeli air bases as it claimed it was preparing for a sixth round of nuclear talks. Clearly, this was a ruse concocted by Trump and Netanyahu to conceal the planned secret attack:
The transfer of such a large quantity of Hellfires suggests that the Trump administration was well-informed [in advance] of Israel’s plans to attack the Islamic Republic of Iran, two US officials told MEE…
The Trump administration knew about Israel’s attack plans for months.
These particular missiles are specially designed for maximum firepower at a specific target. They were used to target the residences of the senior military commanders and nuclear scientists who were murdered. In the past, Israel used them to assassinate Hamas’ founder, Sheikh Ahmed Yassine. The CIA assassintaed Yemeni al Qaeda leader and US citizen, Anwar al Awlaki using a Hellfire. It also murdered the Iranian military chief, Qassem Soleimani in a Hellfire drone strike. Our fingerprints are all over this.
The US-made F-35 war planes could not have flown to Iran and back without specially designed fuel tanks (“drop tanks”) manufactured by US weapons manufacturers in collaboration with their Israeli counterparts. The tanks enabled the jets to fly to Iran and back without in-flight refueling:
US officials…confirmed that Israel did not use mid-air refuelling during its Friday attack on Iran or land their warplanes for refuelling at any nearby countries. Instead, the US officials told MEE that Israel and the US modified the F-35’s system to carry additional fuel…
Both officials confirmed that Israel modified their F-35Is with US involvement.
Who supplied the intelligence enabling Israel to target sites and military commanders for elimination? Who set the stage for failure of the nuclear talks by offering, and then withdrawing a proposal permitting Iran to enrich uranium to low level? Who caved to Israeli pressure to eliminate this provision from an agreement? Who knew about the attack and approved it? Trump is up to his eyeballs in it.
This is an explicit rebuttal of the claim the US had no involvement:
The U.S. military is helping Israel to intercept some of the ballistic missiles which Iran fired in retaliation of Israeli strikes, an American official said. The U.S. has already begun moving more military assets to the eastern Mediterranean to help defend American troops in the region.
The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive operations, said that American military assets already in the region were used to intercept Iranian missiles on Friday.
So don’t try to weasel out of culpability. Blood is just as much on Trump’s hands as Netanyahu’s. And Iran will act accordingly. US assets, including 40,000 troops in the region, are in its sites.
Trump even implies that Israel assassinated the very Iranian officials who were negotiating for a nuclear deal (see below). Media reports confirm that a member of the country’s negotiating team was killed. This is reminiscent of the US assassination, ordered by Trump, of Iran’s chief military commander, Qassem Soleimani. Yet another gift” to the Israelis.
Israel claims it has killed the top IRG commander and other senior generals in an attack in Damascus. Don’t worry. There are 10 senior officers in line to take each of their places. The level of delusion here is immense:
The president went on to urge Iran to reach a deal. “Iran should have listened to me when I said — you know, I gave them, I don’t know if you know but I gave them a 60-day warning and today is day 61,” he told CNN.
“They should now come to the table to make a deal before it’s too late. It will be too late for them. You know, the people I was dealing with are dead, the hardliners,” the president said. He would not specify which people he was referring to.
…“There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end. Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left,” Trump added.
Neither he nor Israel can destroy Iran. Nor will the Iranians be vanquished or cowed. They are a proud country with centuries of history and survival despite powerful enemies and invasions. Any foe who underestimates them is making a grievous mistake. Israel is replete with such assumptions of its invincibility. To its ultimate chagrin.
Netanyahu’s “address to the people of Iran” is full of such hubris:
[He] addressed the people of Iran…telling them Israel’s fight was not with them, but with the Iranian regime, and he encouraged them to rise up against their leaders. “The regime does not know what hit them, or what will hit them. It has never been weaker,” Netanyahu said, adding, in English and Farsi, “This is your opportunity to stand up and let your voices be heard.”
An utter fool.
נתניהו, בשיחות סגורות, בסוג של אופוריה. מדבר על ״תום עידן המלחמות״ אחרי שהמלחמה הזו תסתיים. על הצטרפות של סעודיה, סוריה ולבנון להסכמי אברהם. על סיום המלחמה בעזה.
ואני מעריך שאם כל זה יקרה (הלוואי), הוא יילך לבחירות.
מצד שני, אופוריה זה מסוכן.— Ben Caspit בן כספית (@BenCaspit) June 13, 2025
Bellum Iudaicum
We are now in the period not of Pax Israeliana, since Israel is a perpetual-war state, but of Bellum Iudaicum. That was also the title of Josephus’s account of the Judean revolt against Rome. Israel rules by war, it exists by and for war; it cows enenies and rivals by war. War gives Israel meaning. This translation of the tweet above displays his delusion:
Netanyahu, in closed-door discussions, is in a state of euphoria. Talking about “the end of an age of wars” after this one ends. About Saudi Arabia, Syria, and Lebanon joining the Abraham Accords. About the end of the war in Gaza. And I imagine that if all this [Israeli military succeses] happens (I hope so), he will go to elections. On the other hand, euphoria is dangerous.
The war against Iran will be prolonged. And the outcome will fail to realize Israeli geostrategic goals. Israel will merely degrade Iranian capabilities and leadership. It will not eliminate either. Nothing short of regime change and boots-on-the-ground invasion and imposition of a collaborationist government can do that. It is not in the cards.
The difference between Nazi Germany and Israel, between today and WWII is that the Allies united against the Nazi threat and vanquished it. Today, the world stands mute in the face of naked aggression. It calls mass airstrikes on a nation’s capital “defensive.” It calls any Iranian response “terrorism.”
Imagine FDR declaring Hitler’s invasions of Poland, Britain and France justified as “defensive acts” as US officials have done. Imagine calling the extermination of European Jewry an “unfortunate casualty of war.” This is what the world has done. We are guilty. We are accomplices.
Decades ago I was a Zionist. I lived and studied in Israel. I once believed it was possible for it to be a Jewish and democratic state. But those illusions have long faded. Instead Israel has become evil. To use a Jewish term, it has committed a chilul Hashem, a desecration of God’s name. Never in the history of the Jewish people has there been a regime committing such evil in its name.
Netanyahu has a new distraction to guarantee his longevity. He has made himself the Indispensable Man: intent not just on one genocide, but two. A leader who invaded and now occupies three countries. One who is corrupt, a sociopath. Who expends lives to prolong how own political life.
If there were justice, he would either be in prison or the grave. But we’re long past that. On the contrary, the wicked are rewarded. The innocent are slaughtered. The monsters rule. There is no mercy in the world.
Palantir, Elon Musk, Silicon Valley Big Tech
Deep involvement Pentagon AI war machine
Ukraine – Syria regime change – Israel Gaza war –
USAF planned B-2 Armada bombing raid – no scruples.
Mankind applauds success of inhumanity.
See interview @CNBC here
[https://] link to youtube.com
Palantir Founder Stuns CNBC on Iran, AI & Elon | CNBC |
End of the World In a Flash
Mossad all over Ukraine …
22 Years on the cards of Bibi Netanyahu and the Deep State in Washington DC supports it … attrition for the 1982 Beirut barracks bombing of U.S. Marines. Only Eisenhower, James Baker III and somewhat Barack Obama (w Joe Biden at his side) stood up to Israel. Was Johnson a fundamental Christian Evangelist? Accepting the terror attack on USS Liberty in 1967. Killed 34 crew members (naval officers, seamen, two marines, and one civilian NSA employee. The crew intercepted messages evidence of IDF war crimes, executions of Egyptian POWs in the Sinai campaign. A worst disaster than the AQ attack on the USS Cole off Aden in 2000.
Yet the Netanyahu War Cabinet begs the White House to complete the goal of destroying the uranium enrichment facility buried in a bunker complex at Fordow with their B-2 and bunker penetrating GBU-57A/B ordinance. Same position as in 2012 really when Obama refused and leaked the Azerbaijan route to Tehran. Israel (Netanyahu) needed the ultimate support of Pentagon power.
link to nytimes.com
The B-2 bombers operating out of Diego Garcia have been reportedly using 30,000 lb GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrators against underground Houthi targets. Training runs?
The NATO consortium of the “willing” and fleet of refueling tankers on stand-by for the aftermath or interference by other nations? A warning to the world.
Trump demands unconditional surrender of Iran
Moving USAF assets into place from NATO allies UK-Spain-Germany-Italy to the Middle East … likely Bahrain, Qatar, perhaps NATO base Incirlik, Türkiye.
US Needs to Escalate to Save Israel!
China too hasn’t kept quiet and condemned Israel’s aggression. Today in a statement from President Xi Jinping.
Full Circle: Trump Thanks Jeb Bush [full circle UANI chairman] for Support on Iran Bombing
Trump previously attacking the Bush family for waging war in the Middle East
link to meidasnews.com
Russia is providing satellite intelligence as China is shipping anti-aircraft missiles.
G7: German Chancellor Merz Praises Israel
Merz defended Israel’s actions and stated that the “terrorist regime” in Tehran also affects Germany. Israel has the right to self-defense. [ZDF source]
Bundeskanzler Merz im ZDF-Interview zur Rolle der G7 im Nahost-Konflikt | ZDFheute |
(Extract w translation “drecksarbeit” or “dirty work” for all of us.)
Quite clear the Israeli war and Ukraine conflict are morphed into one and the same: war to confront Russia-China.
Never ever read such utter nonsense from any German Chancellor post fall of Berlin Wall.
Our German chancellor is disgusting. He also praised his grandfather, Josef Paul Sauvigny, without any criticism. This Josef Sauvigny sucked up to the ruling Nazis with the following words: “Whereas in the past German power was fragmented and bled dry by the eternal change of leaders, today it is a force that leads us, a leader who calls us. (…) The venerable Reich President and Reich Chancellor Hitler, they live high, high, high.” Source: link to taz.de
So it is a tradition in the Merz household to kiss the feet of those in power and justify immoral actions as necessary dirty work. The face of fascism.
WAR NOT GOING AS NETANYAHU HOPED … NATO ALLIES JOIN IN
From the start the Jordanian AF was shooting down Iranian drones in first retaliatory attack on Israel.
German refuelling tanker Airbus A400M Atlas over Jordan accidently turned on their transponder, it is off now. Whoops. Luftwaffe is confirmed joining in on defending Israel despite not publicly announcing their participation. How ironic.
Hypersonic Missiles Penetrate Israel’s Three Tier Defense Shield or Iron Dome
Israel’s military censors warn citizens NOT TO SHARE IMAGES of strikes.
Israel and Iran enter a dangerous new phase of open conflict | UK sends jets to the Middle East | SBS News – Video |
Hear how China responds to Israeli attacks on Iran which killed military generals, nuke scientists | ShanghaiEye 魔都眼 |
Sources: China Starts Weapons Deliveries to Iran. Of interest are the missile defense systems as supplied to Pakistan.
US has lost its tiny bit of credibility … negotiations untrustworthy, treaties broken and mediation utterly biased. A true pariah state as I have written some years ago.
Bernie Sanders A Fig Leaf for Trump’s Complicity
Bernie Sanders declared in a statement:
“Now, his illegal unilateral attack on Iran risks a full-blown regional war.”
Israel’s “unilateral attack” on Iran was staged with more actors involved US-Qatar-UK and most likely France, Germany and Erdogan’s Türkiye as NATO member and self-interest.
This is going to be absolutely devastating for Iraq. No way that the Iranians allow US or Israeli forces into their country in a ground invasion. They will sooner preemptively invade Iraq and fight them there instead.
Richard, do you think the Iranian regime has had a positive effect on the region? Do you have any criticism of them? I think that a large number of citizens of Lebanon, Syria, Iraq, Yemen, and even Iran, are strongly routing for Israel in this conflict, and not because they have any sympathy to Netanyahu or any other Zionist.
@Charles: and you know what he peoples of Lebanon, Syria, Iraq and Yemen believe how??
Because I grew up in Lebanon, and have family still there and in Syria. No, I’m certainly not a Zionist, and no fan of Netanyahu, but you’d have to be blind not to see the horrific damage that Iran has inflicted on the entire region. I wish someone else had stood up to them, but we’ll take relief wherever we can get it.
@ Charles: Ignoring the far, far greater damage Israel has done to the region is morally blind. Whether you realize it or not you’re doing the work of the Israeli genociders.
And what damage is that, and how is it worse than the damage of political Zionism and warranting bombing of Iran ?
Also, if radical Islam is such a problem for America, why are they cool with ISIS spin offs, like HTS in Syria, and more than happy to have good relations with backwards Gulf states ?
What are things like for women in HTS run Syria, or one of the Israel and Western friendly Gulf states Charles ? How does the way women are treated in Iran justify Israel and Americas action, and what place do Israel and the West have in saying what Iran should do ?
RS: “A nation has just waged a war of no necessity.”
Iran has made very clear its annihilationist intentions toward Israel for decades. And it has put considerable time, money, and effort towards that end through various means, including its various Islamofascist proxies, in addition to its own attacks on Israelis and Jews abroad (e.g., Argentina). Hardly “a war of no necessity.”
@offen: Israel has made very clear through words and deeds it’s intent of regime change and inflicting maximum punishment on Iran. Netanyahu explicitly threatened to use a nuclear weapon against Iran. Your Iranophobia is nakedly exposed
You do or do not deny that on multiple occasionDeas Iran crowds have been heard chanting calls for Death to America and to Israel?
link to theatlantic.com
@ Maurice Offen:
Why the hell would I or anyone find anything former Kahanist IDF jailer, now managing editor publishes there?
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You mention that Iran has three options it can pursue, however, you neglected to mention a fourth option: the total and entire capitulation and surrender of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
@Sim9n Ben Davis: that’s no Option. But how about this 4th to replace it: the complete transformation of Israrl PaIestine into a single state for all its citizens. Dismantling Judeo supremacism., toxic messianism, apartheid, and the garrison state.
Bibi and now Katz claim they will burn down ancient Tehran, a city of over 10 million when they can’t even defeat 2 million hungry people in a cage – Iran is inflicting huge damage on Israel and that fly over flight of drones they did year is what they are using.
But Richard – surely you didn’t really think Israel was ever a decent place when it was born out of terrorism by jewish murderers and destructive thugs going back to 1882.
Netanyahu, a liar and a fear-monger, hate-monger, has been obsessed with Iran for decades now, and picked on that sore, made it worse, used it, regardless of who had to pay including Israelis who have kept him as leader. Here, don’t you dare demonstrate against Israel, or the war on (or call it genocide of) Palestinians. That is what is construed (apparently) as anti-Semitism. Trump is using this here for his revenge and retribution campaign, opposition to him. I agree with those who have said that this is *Trump’s* own anti-Semitism, using Jews as an excuse. That in turn causes more backlash on Jews. Talk about political life extension… we will see how stupid and complacent we are.
Unutterably sad, indeed.
the US steps in….
link to wsj.com
Imagine FDR attack Germany and save Europe’s invasion and the life of 6 million Jews, and millions of other nationals.
Hasbarist, not even original …
Inhumane … quite pitiful
Israel Lobby Nuke Iran As Early As 2013
Imagine if Nazi Germany had been the dominant power in a unipolar world.
Human nature being what it is, we probably have to rely on a multi-polar world so that at least the sensible people can rely on a rule-based order that applies to everyone (with no exceptions!).
I heard Netanyahu say he was giving the Iranians the opportunity to free themselves from the clutches of the ayatollahs. Why does he not give the Palestinians the opportunity for freedom? That would ease tensions in the region.
Bibi is probably being told what to do by Trump, and Trump is likely very keen for a Western (US) installed regime in Iran. Bush, Obama, and Biden have likely wanted this too, but perhaps differ in tactics – Trump isn’t exactly subtle. Palestinian freedom would very likely pose a challenge to Zionist, and Western, domination, so of course the Israeli establishment won’t promote it.
I doubt whether Netanyahu listens to Trump or anybody. His only thoughts are about his own survival. Of course WE would like a Western installed government in Iran, but the people of Iran should make the decision about what kind of government they want, jut like the Palestinians should decide what kind of gobvernment they want. The Israelis unfortunately have decided for 70 years that they want aggressive governments, they are not interested in peace with their neighbours.
🙏🏽
Perhaps, but I think America is still the more dominant power and is the one dictating to Israel what to do. Any regime change has to come organically from the Iranian people, not America. I notice the media are rolling out comprador elements from the Iranian diaspora in a bid to legitimise the bombing campaign against Iran.