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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region Forums"A nasty, brutal fight": what a US-Iran war would look like
https://www.vox.com/world/2019/7/8/18693297/us-iran-war-trump-nuclear-iraq
A deadly opening attack. Nearly untraceable, ruthless proxies spreading chaos on multiple continents. Costly miscalculations. And thousands perhaps hundreds of thousands killed in a conflict that would dwarf the war in Iraq.
Welcome to the US-Iran war, which has the potential to be one of the worst conflicts in history.
The Thursday night killing of Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who led Iranian covert operations and intelligence and was one of the countrys most senior leaders, brought Washington and Tehran closer to fighting that war. Iran has every incentive to retaliate, experts says, using its proxies to target US commercial interests in the Middle East, American allies, or even American troops and diplomats hunkered down in regional bases and embassies.
Its partly why the Eurasia Group, a prominent international consulting firm, now puts the chance of a limited or major military confrontation at 40 percent.
But the seeds of conflict werent planted with Thursdays airstrikes alone. Washington and Tehran have remained locked in a months-long standoff that only continues to escalate. The US imposed crushing sanctions on Irans economy over its support for terrorism and its growing missile program, among other things, after withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal last year; Iran has fought back by violating parts of the nuclear agreement, bombing oil tankers, and downing an American military drone.
The crisis has become more acute over the past week. An Iranian-backed militia killed an American contractor while wounding others in rocket attacks, leading the Trump administration to order retaliatory strikes on five targets in Iraq and Syria that killed 25 of the militias fighters. In protest, the militia Ketaib Hezbollah organized a rally outside the US embassy in Baghdad where some got inside the compound and set parts of it ablaze.
That led Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to tell reporters on Thursday that if we get word of attacks, we will take pre-emptive action as well to protect American forces, protect American lives, adding the game has changed. The US killed Soleimani hours after that statement, underscoring that change.
A deadly opening attack. Nearly untraceable, ruthless proxies spreading chaos on multiple continents. Costly miscalculations. And thousands perhaps hundreds of thousands killed in a conflict that would dwarf the war in Iraq.
Welcome to the US-Iran war, which has the potential to be one of the worst conflicts in history.
The Thursday night killing of Maj. Gen. Qassem Soleimani, who led Iranian covert operations and intelligence and was one of the countrys most senior leaders, brought Washington and Tehran closer to fighting that war. Iran has every incentive to retaliate, experts says, using its proxies to target US commercial interests in the Middle East, American allies, or even American troops and diplomats hunkered down in regional bases and embassies.
Its partly why the Eurasia Group, a prominent international consulting firm, now puts the chance of a limited or major military confrontation at 40 percent.
But the seeds of conflict werent planted with Thursdays airstrikes alone. Washington and Tehran have remained locked in a months-long standoff that only continues to escalate. The US imposed crushing sanctions on Irans economy over its support for terrorism and its growing missile program, among other things, after withdrawing from the 2015 nuclear deal last year; Iran has fought back by violating parts of the nuclear agreement, bombing oil tankers, and downing an American military drone.
The crisis has become more acute over the past week. An Iranian-backed militia killed an American contractor while wounding others in rocket attacks, leading the Trump administration to order retaliatory strikes on five targets in Iraq and Syria that killed 25 of the militias fighters. In protest, the militia Ketaib Hezbollah organized a rally outside the US embassy in Baghdad where some got inside the compound and set parts of it ablaze.
That led Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to tell reporters on Thursday that if we get word of attacks, we will take pre-emptive action as well to protect American forces, protect American lives, adding the game has changed. The US killed Soleimani hours after that statement, underscoring that change.
Iraq was unnecessary and a complete shit show. Iran would be exponentially worse. And neither country had jack shit to do with 9/11. That was Saudis. The terrorist who killed US Navy airmen in Pensacola? A second lieutenant in the Royal Saudi Air Force. Saudi Arabia wants the US to go to war with their long-time rivals, Iran.
Vox explains the hell on earth that is coming just to help reelect Trump.
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"A nasty, brutal fight": what a US-Iran war would look like (Original Post)
IronLionZion
Jan 2020
OP
brush
(53,924 posts)1. trump is the one who pulled out of nuke deal.
bullwinkle428
(20,631 posts)2. I read this last night - I recommend all of DU to read it if possible.
doc03
(35,389 posts)3. Nut job will nuke them.That is the wet dream of
every Trump supporter.
cwydro
(51,308 posts)4. I'm glad I'm not flying internationally anytime soon.
Scary.
SQUEE
(1,315 posts)5. Mother of all battles?