Great posts in this thread, including Michael's just above.
If the USA drops bunker busters on Iranian nuclear facilities, there's a good chance America gets drawn into the war. Iran will retaliate, the U.S. may escalate, and the next thing you know we've got a mess.
Iran needs a face saving way out of this. Without one the mullahs will continue the fight.
Originally Posted by Tiny
Well it looks like the official retaliation has started.
https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/ira...us-latest-news
Iran Fires on U.S. Base in Qatar, as Gulf Neighbors Close Air Space
Iran’s military said it attacked Al Udeid in Qatar, the biggest U.S. base in the Middle East. Qatar said it intercepted a rocket attack. Officials said Iran also fired on Iraq.
Iran launched missiles at a U.S. base in Qatar and at Iraq, where the U.S. keeps military facilities, officials said. The U.A.E, Bahrain and Kuwait closed their air spaces. Qatar said it intercepted a rocket attack and there were no casualties.
Earlier, Israel continued to strike targets in Iran but was looking to end its war soon, officials said. The U.N.'s atomic-agency chief said U.S. attacks on Iran’s Fordow enrichment site likely caused “very significant damage.” Israel followed up with strikes to entry points to Fordow. Israel's attack on symbols of the Iranian regime, including a prison where political prisoners are held, was a signal to Iranians that the regime is fragile, said an Israeli lawmaker.
The Iranian regime’s clerical leaders now risk widening a war with two militarily superior foes, the U.S. and Israel.
Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, in what appeared to be his first comments since the U.S. attack, didn’t mention the U.S. and instead focused on Israel in a post on X. Israel made a “grave mistake” and “it is being punished right now,” the post said.
Iran's response defied leaders in Europe who urged Iran not to respond in a way that would “destabilize the region.” President Trump had given no ground on his demand for Iran to agree on the U.S.’s terms for a peace deal. Trump on Sunday didn’t rule out backing a change in Iran’s leadership.
What else to know:
Russian President Vladimir Putin met with Iran's foreign minister in Moscow, saying the strikes by the U.S. over the weekend weren't justified and that Russia was taking steps to help the Iranian people.
Iranian military officials said Sunday’s strikes against the country's nuclear facilities had violated Iranian sovereignty, making the U.S. a party to the war and its assets legitimate targets.
Half a dozen ships have diverted course on the way to the Strait of Hormuz, the crucial waterway connecting the Persian Gulf to global markets since Sunday.
The U.S. warned about the threat of retaliatory actions due to the U.S. military strikes against Iran, including hate crimes and cyberattacks