2026 Israeli–United States strikes on Iran

[fizzBuzz]

FWIW, my take on this is not that one or the other of them is lying, or wrong, or exaggerating -- it is that the administration as a whole does not have a defined position, nor any clear understanding of what its goals are in attacking Iran, nor on why they did it.

I whole-heartedly disagree with this. Both Rubio and Hegseth have been very clear and unwavering about what the mission is. Just watch their full press conferences. Not clips.

In normal administrations, the folks at the top would have had meetings on this in which pros and cons were argued, then everybody got on the same page, an official position was reached and the President would then order whatever action was to be carried out with everybody understanding what was being done and why. That does not seem to be the case here, given that there is no agreement among the leadership in the current US regime as to why the attack was launched, nor what the goals are that would define success.

??? It really seems like you haven't watched Rubio and Hegseth's press confrerences.

These are quotes from the two of them in recent days:

HEGSETH: The mission of Operation Epic Fury is laser-focused: Destroy Iranian offensive missiles, destroy Iranian missile production, destroy their navy and other security infrastructure and they will never have nuclear weapons.

HEGSETH: This operation is a clear, devastating, decisive mission: destroy the missile threat, destroy the navy, no nukes

RUBIO: The United States is conducting an operation to eliminate the threat of Iran's short-range ballistic missiles and the threat posed by their navy, particularly to naval assets. That is what it is focused on doing right now and it's doing quite successfully.

RUBIO: Number one is our mission and our focus is the destruction of their ballistic missile capabilities and their ability to manufacture them, as well as the threat posed by their navy to global shipping. That's our objective.

That said, we would not mind, we would not be heartbroken, and we hope that the Iranian people can overthrow this government and establish a new future for that country. We would love for that to be possible. But the objective of this mission is the destruction of their ballistic missile capabilities and of their naval capabilities.

That's just a handful I've found, there may be more. Can you post links to comments that you think have caused confusion?

 

[NoParty]

Rubio very clearly explained the situation yesterday. He said this is a question of timing, not of intent. The US was going to strike Iran regardless of what Israel did. Israel striking first affected the timing of when the US struck Iran. In the 3/2 presser, Rubio was talking about the timing of the strike, not the intent to strike. But, unsurprisingly, the clip you provided cuts Rubio short. Shocker. I suggest you watch the full clip.

Rubio's 3/3 press conference (3:29 - 4:34)


Source: https://youtu.be/FuCkP2LnmJs?si=FGyg-PmDkrNeXxEp&t=209


Quite funny how he ends his statement this, isn't it?

No, where it cuts off makes no difference.
I clearly stated "...lil' Marco not only to awkwardly try to revise his Monday pronouncements, to fit Trump's contradictions, and then,
of course, because it's this trash Trump Administration, to try to gaslight the American people into believing that his new (Tuesday)
position was actually not new." So you're saying that he successfully gaslit you.
That's fine. But not me, and not most, and that's why "Rubio backtracks" was such a common headline. Listening to more of his
attempted fix, does not make him credible. Especially after Trump so clearly contradicted him. Okay, I'm done engaging you...

 

[fizzBuzz]

No, where it cuts off makes no difference.
I clearly stated "...lil' Marco not only to awkwardly try to revise his Monday pronouncements, to fit Trump's contradictions, and then,
of course, because it's this trash Trump Administration, to try to gaslight the American people into believing that his new (Tuesday)
position was actually not new." So you're saying that he successfully gaslit you.
That's fine. But not me, and not most, and that's why "Rubio backtracks" was such a common headline. Listening to more of his
attempted fix, does not make him credible. Especially after Trump so clearly contradicted him. Okay, I'm done engaging you...

He didn't backtrack. I take this as you were gaslit by headlines. We were always going to strike Iran. Israel affected the timing of when we did that. I'm sorry if this is incomprehensible to you.

To further hit home the fact you're wrong, in the clip you provide, the 3/2 part was clipped to not include the words he said just prior. This is Rubio's full opening statement from 3/2:

The United States conducted this operation with a very clear goal in mind. I haven't gotten a chance to see a lot of reporting. I don't understand what the confusion is. Let me explain it to you, and I'll do it once again as clearly as possible. Perhaps you'll report it that way.

The United States is conducting an operation to eliminate the threat of Iran's short-range ballistic missiles and the threat posed by their navy, particularly to naval assets. That is what it is focused on doing right now and it's doing quite successfully. I'll leave it to the Pentagon and the Department of War to discuss the tactics behind that and the progress that's being made. That is the clear objective of this mission.

The second question I've been asked is: Why now? Well, there's two reasons why now. The first is it was abundantly clear that if Iran came under attack by anyone, the United States or Israel or anyone, they were going to respond and respond against the United States. The orders had been delegated down to the field commanders. It was automatic, and in fact it beared to be true because, in fact, the – within an hour of the initial attack on the leadership compound, the missile forces in the south and in the north for that matter had already been activated to launch. In fact, those had already been pre-positioned.

The third is the assessment that was made that if we stood and waited for that attack to come first before we hit them, we would suffer much higher casualties. And so the President made the very wise decision. We knew that there was going to be an Israeli action, we knew that that would precipitate an attack against American forces, and we knew that if we didn't preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks, we would suffer higher casualties and perhaps even higher those killed, and then we would all be here answering questions about why we knew that and didn't act.

Going back to the purpose, the purpose of this is to destroy that missile capability. Why does Iran want that ballistic missile capability? What they are trying to do and have been trying to do for a very long time is build a conventional weapons capability as a shield where they can hide behind, meaning there would come a point where they have so many conventional missiles, so many drones, and can inflict so much damage, that no one can do anything about their nuclear program. That is what they were trying to do, is put themselves in a place of immunity where the damage they can inflict on the region would be so high that no one can do anything about their nuclear program or their nuclear ambitions.

They are producing, by some estimates, over 100 of these missiles a month. Compare that to the six or seven interceptors that can be built a month. They can build a hundred of these a month, not to mention the thousands of one-way attack drones that they also have. They've been doing this for a very long time. And by the way, they've been doing it under sanction. You see the attacks they're conducting right now. They're attacking airports. They're attacking hotels. They are hitting, not just military bases; they're attacking our embassies directly. They're attacking facilities that have nothing to do with war or with military.

And that's a weakened Iran. That's an Iran despite years of sanction. Imagine a year from now or a year and a half from now the capabilities they would have to inflict damage on us. It's an unacceptable risk, especially in the hands of a regime that's run by radical clerics. The ayatollah is a radical – was a radical cleric. That entire regime is led by radical clerics who don't make geopolitical decisions; they make decisions on the basis of theology – their view of theology, which is an apocalyptic one. That has to be taken very seriously as well.

So that was the purpose for what this operation is all about. That's what it's focused on. As the President said earlier today, it is on or ahead of schedule. I will defer to the Department of War to discuss the progress being made at a tactical level. But it was the right decision and an important decision for the safety and security of the world.

Rubio also said this on 3/2:

QUESTION: Are you saying the U.S. was forced to strike because of an impending Israeli action?

SECRETARY RUBIO: No, first – well, two things I would say. Number one is: no matter what, ultimately this operation needed to happen. That's the question of why now. But this operation needed to happen because Iran in about a year or a year and a half would cross the line of immunity, meaning they would have so many short-range missiles, so many drones, that no one could do anything about it because they could hold the whole world hostage.

Look at the damage they're doing now. And this is a weakened Iran. Imagine a year from now. So that had to happen. Obviously, we were aware of Israeli intentions and understood what that would mean for us, and we had to be prepared to act as a result of it. But this had to happen no matter what.

Anyone who thinks he "backtracked" on 3/3 is making things up. He talks about the timing in both the 3/2 and 3/3 press conferences, and he talks about the intent in both the 3/2 and 3/3 press conferences. Why this is so confusing to you all, I have no clue.

 

[Giddierone]

Rubio backtracks

Can anyone trust Marco Rubio? He's been completely, and shamelessly, inconsistent.
For a comprehensive look (too much to quote here) at how Rubio has changed his deeply held convictions on foreign affairs, like Russia and Ukraine, see this list of bills he sponsored and remarks he made about the conflict before becoming Secretary of State, and then compare them to the current situation and the reversal of sentiment — where the administation is no longer taking any actions to condem or punish the invaders. The fact is that this administration no longer even bothers to condemn the daily killing of civilians in by Russian drone attacks and will likely do the same when more civilians inevitably die in this new war.

https://daviscenter.fas.harvard.edu/insights/marco-rubio-russia-and-ukraine

 

[NoParty]

Maybe the Trump Administration really does have an actual plan, but it's soooooo good, that to reveal it, would be dangerous!
Think: The scene in Raiders of the Lost Ark, in which the Ark (Trump's Secret Exit Plan, here) is opened & everyone's faces melt.

Republicans would totally believe this, as they believed Trump had a double-secret health plan, that would only be revealed if folks
could be conned convinced to "Repeal & Replace" the Affordable Care Act. Beginning in 2015, Trump told them the secret plan
would be revealed in "two weeks" dozens of times...and after nine years of that, it was somehow lesser in late 2024,
becoming, meekly, "concepts of a plan" [1:30 in vid] in the debate he lost to VP Harris. As with the fictional health plan, the main
reason people keep asking--but not getting--answers to "the Plan" re. Iran question...is because obviously no plan actually exists.
This is why Trump has said 6 or 8 different things (so far...there will probably be more). Obviously they could "Put up or shut up"
to counter the skeptics...but it seems like they don't even have "concepts of a plan" in Iran, in 2026.

[p.s. Many times Trump said that the secret plan was done, complete! But here, years later (2024) he admits:
"If we can come up with a plan..." [1:13 in] unintentionally admitting that his public claims of a "finished" plan, were pure lies]


Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8p6zZZ3DPGE

 

[deirdre]

The fact is that this administration no longer even bothers to condemn the daily killing of civilians in by Russian drone attacks

to be fair, neither does our main stream media really.

i just scrolled 15 pages of google search (time frame: 1 year) and -as far as amrican media-in jan/feb we've got the "yearly totals" of casualties articles (pbs, npr, la times, bloomberg, cnn, reuters, detroit catholic,) and articles on individual attacks Cbs nov 2025, AP News aug 1, Pbs june 24 and NBC june 4th with the headline "1 million russian troops killed or wounded".

that's it.

 

[deirdre]

Maybe the Trump Administration really does have an actual plan, but it's soooooo good, that to reveal it, would be dangerous!

Hegseth and some military general just gave a break down this morning with maps and laser pointers and stuff. They certainly have a military plan about which targets they want to take out.

If you mean 'do they have a plan for the people of Iran after Mission Accomplished'.. everyone from Trump on down has been pretty clear the answer is "no". The iranians can figure it out.

 

[MapperGuy]

Why would there be famine in Iran if it were occupied?
(I agree that an opposed occupation would be ghastly, with a steady flow of casualties).

Occupation imposes many restrictions on the people being occupied. Their ability to move about (checkpoints, ID checks, searches for weapons, etc.), their ability to buy/sell to foreign sources of food. Uncertainty also leads a population to hoard their resources, like food, because you don't know if you will be able to buy any tomorrow. Prices fluctuations also cause hoarding, because if prices soar you can get rich selling hoarded food. Fuel shortages, electric outages, lockdowns because of terrorist/freedom fighter attacks, fear of moving in public in general all increase the difficulty of keeping food on the table.

 

[Mendel]

FWIW, my take on this is not that one or the other of them is lying, or wrong, or exaggerating -- it is that the administration as a whole does not have a defined position, nor any clear understanding of what its goals are in attacking Iran, nor on why they did it.

In normal administrations, the folks at the top would have had meetings on this in which pros and cons were argued, then everybody got on the same page, an official position was reached and the President would then order whatever action was to be carried out with everybody understanding what was being done and why. That does not seem to be the case here, given that there is no agreement among the leadership in the current US regime as to why the attack was launched, nor what the goals are that would define success.

Compared to past administrations, of either party, this is amateur hour.

I'm assuming that the joint chiefs of staff and Marco Rubio (and maybe Hegseth) got together and had that discussion and made the plan that was then executed.
And then there were people tasked with explaining this plan to Donald Trump, who, given past performance, understood only half of it, forgot half of it before he talked to the press/social media, and then made the rest up. Since the Supreme Leader's word is The Truth, after Trump pronounces something, his underlings (incl. Rubio) need to fall in line, and must appear to never have been out of line, to avoid falling out of favor with Trump.
Because of that, I would trust Monday Rubio over Tuesday Rubio, because Monday Rubio still acted as if truth was something we all share, instead of something defined by the Supreme Leader.

The fact that the USSR's lead propaganda vehicle, Pravda, means "truth", and that Trump dubbed his "truth social", is beyond ironic at this point.

 

[Gary C]

@NoParty - Given SecDUI Hegseth's open distain for anyone who isn't a "warrior" and the chaos he's caused by arbitrarily removing anyone who isn't a straight white male from any position of importance, there is zero chance he will admit that any of his warriors did anything improper. This will get buried by whatever scandal inevitably follows in 47's clown show of an administration.

But to the point, someone circled the wrong building on a computer screen, that data got sent to a tactical squadron as part of a target package, those coordinates were loaded into the guidance system of a JDAM, a pilot flew to the coordinates he was given and pushed a button when it was scheduled to be pushed. Whoever should have cross checked the data could have been anywhere in chain back to when NRO first acquired the satellite image.

As the applicable manual states, "Proper database management is necessary for effective targeting. The Joint Targeting. Toolbox (JTT) is the tool of record for the joint targeting community."

free download, your tax dollars at work - https://www.doctrine.af.mil/Portals/61/documents/AFDP_3-60/3-60-AFDP-TARGETING.pdf

 

[Gary C]

Not what I was expecting:

Kuwaiti F/A-18 Hornet Responsible For Shooting Down Three USAF F-15E Strike Eagles: [unconfirmed] Report

Seligman's story is based on three sources "familiar with initial reports of the incident." Just one Hornet was supposedly involved, launching three missiles and taking down the three Strike Eagles. Thankfully, the crews all survived. The report goes on to state that the 'blue-on-blue' incident occurred as multiple Iranian drones were penetrating Kuwaiti airspace. One of these impacted a base that resulted in the death of six Americans.

https://www.twz.com/news-features/k...ng-down-three-usaf-f-15e-strike-eagles-report

This actually makes more sense as a pilot who thinks he's looking at a drone has far fewer system safeguards in place to prevent a friendly fire incident. Still, I imagine several procedures were violated if this is how it really went down.

 

[Mendel]

A copy of the full [WaPo] article is at https://mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com...s-campaign-in-iran/articleshow/129040273.html

The military's Maven Smart System, which is built by data mining company Palantir, is generating insights from an astonishing amount of classified data from satellites, surveillance and other intelligence, helping provide real-time targeting and target prioritisation to military operations in Iran, according to three people familiar with the system. Embedded into the system is Anthropic's AI tool Claude, a technology that was banned by the Pentagon last week after heated negotiations over the terms of its use in war.

[...]

As planning for a potential strike in Iran was underway, Maven, powered by Claude, suggested hundreds of targets, issued location coordinates, and prioritised those targets according to importance, said two of the people. The pairing of Maven and Claude has created a tool that is speeding the pace of the campaign, reducing Iran's ability to counterstrike and turning weeks-long battle planning into real-time operations, said one of the people. The AI tools also evaluate a strike after it is initiated, the person said.

This may be the first war where AI makes kill decisions.

 

[Ann K]

This may be the first war where AI makes kill decisions.

I wonder if AI will become a way for humans to avoid taking responsibility for their own actions, a "plausible deniability" tool.

 

[Todd Feinman]

I wonder if AI will become a way for humans to avoid taking responsibility for their own actions, a "plausible deniability" tool.

"I was just following orders"?
But you'd have to get rid of the JAGs.. And allow AI to take actions that violate laws of war or perhaps constitutional rights, and to conduct surveillance. Wait a minute…

 

[deirdre]

This may be the first war where AI makes kill decisions.

Russia doesn't have this yet? i'd think with China as their ally they would.

 

[Gary C]

Russia doesn't have this yet? i'd think with China as their ally they would.

Many of the systems the military uses to collect and process intelligence data, analyze it, develop target lists, and pass that data to commanders in the field are already so highly automated that "AI" is matter of semantics in some cases. The LLMs taking the software world by storm are just the next evolution in an ongoing race for digital supremacy.

If Russia had similar capabilities I would have expected much better performance in the Ukraine war than we have actually seen so far. As to China, that's anyone's guess but based on their available Deep Seek LLM they are clearly hard at work.

 

[deirdre]

If Russia had similar capabilities I would have expected much better performance in the Ukraine war than we have actually seen so far

plus im guessing you need data to input and while we (and mostly israel, other middle east countries) likely have had a big spy presence in iran for years, Russia maybe doesnt have that kind of detail about ukraine?

i was reading that we've been testing Maven in ukraine (ukrainians testing it for us i guess would be the politically correct way to say it), but nothing that sounds like their version of it is making "kill decisions".

 

[Mendel]

Article:

U.S. Central Command, meanwhile, is asking the Pentagon to send more military intelligence officers to its headquarters in Tampa, Florida, to support operations against Iran for at least 100 days but likely through September, according to a notification obtained by POLITICO.

The rush to add people and resources to support efforts that are often organized well in advance of U.S. military action highlights how the Trump team had not fully anticipated the wide fallout of the war it launched alongside Israel on Saturday.

"What we've seen is a completely ad hoc operation where it appeared that nobody actually understood or believed that military action was imminent," said Gerald Feierstein, a former senior U.S. diplomat who dealt with the Middle East. "It seems like they woke up on Saturday morning and decided that they were going to start a war."

Source: https://www.politico.com/news/2026/03/04/evacuation-middle-east-iran-war-00812898

 

[enilc]

Why would there be famine in Iran if it were occupied?
(I agree that an opposed occupation would be ghastly, with a steady flow of casualties).

Israel is trying for the "ethnic cleansing triple-play."
It's working in the West Bank.
It's starting in S. Lebanon.
Why not Iran?

 

[enilc]

i dont think it is technically a war.


Quelle surprise

If it's not a war, why does Iran need to "surrender?"

There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER! After that, and the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s), we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before. IRAN WILL HAVE A GREAT FUTURE. "MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN (MIGA!)." Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP

https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116182551337254643

 

[Giddierone]

What are the chances we will we hear this admission from the podium?

LATEST ON SCHOOL STRIKE: Trump administration officials told lawmakers in closed-door briefings this week that the United States was targeting the area in Iran where an elementary school was struck and scores of children were killed, two U.S. officials told NBC News.

https://www.nbcnews.com/world/iran/...strikes-tehran-beirut-trump-leader-rcna262018

 

[deirdre]

If it's not a war, why does Iran need to "surrender?"

i'm guessing the same reason that Korea was a military action and not a war. because Congress had not declared war?

 

[NoParty]

I can't think of any scenario/excuse/"explanation" etc. that this administration can make, a week late,
that will not result in them looking like double-tapping monsters.

So why keep stonewalling? Currently, my guess is that they're using this time to leak details, resulting in headlines like:
"Pentagon believes U.S. struck Iran girls elementary school, killing 150"
Keep Hegseth. Rubio, Leavitt, etc., making bs statements like: "Dang! War is hard! We got no idea what's going on.
Give us more time to 'investigate'."

Until everyone in the world--except Fox News viewers--realizes that the US bombed that girls school on day one,
then pretended not to know, until a cover story could be cobbled together (also 'hard') when they finally are forced to tell the truth
they can take the avenue scoundrels often do: "Oh, that?!? That's old news! No one cares about that anymore!"

https://www.nydailynews.com/2026/03...uck-iran-girls-elementary-school-killing-150/

 

[NoParty]

If it's not a war, why does Iran need to "surrender?"
https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116182551337254643

The late night comics have been running wild with this one: I think all of them have run multiple montages of guys like
Markwayne chastising reporters for calling the war a "war." followed by tons of clips of Trump & Hegseth calling it a war.
Admittedly, a pretty tiny thing, compared to recklessly killing 175 people at once, but emblematic of their inability to get their story straight.

ETA: Forgot url to clip...I think every comedian had fun with "misspoke" as a noun. No wonder Trump just gave him a huge promotion!
https://www.thedailybeast.com/maga-...all-in-a-tangle-over-war-that-was-a-misspoke/

 

[deirdre]

"Oh, that?!? That's old news! No one cares about that anymore!"

they arent going to say that.

they are going to use words like unfortunate and devastating and remind us that Iran is the #1 state sponsor of terrorism in the world.

march 5, 2026

Article:

The House did pass a separate nonbinding resolution, backed by GOP leaders, reaffirming that Iran remains the largest state sponsor of terrorism. That vote was 372-53, with all of the no votes coming from Democrats.

Source: https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/republican-led-house-declines-constrain-trumps-war-iran-just-senate-rcna261909

 

[deirdre]

Markwayne chastising reporters for calling the war a "war."

actually HE called it a war, i remember thinking it was funny because people on MB dont seem to understand the difference between common usage of words and technical meanings of words either. (hence why i used the word "technically" in my statement)

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixAj4eX00a4

 

[fizzBuzz]

The late night comics have been running wild with this one: I think all of them have run multiple montages of guys like
Markwayne chastising reporters for calling the war a "war." followed by tons of clips of Trump & Hegseth calling it a war.
Admittedly, a pretty tiny thing, compared to recklessly killing 175 people at once, but emblematic of their inability to get their story straight.

The mission has been clear and consistently clear, as I posted above. You can call it whatever you want, no one cares. The people making a stink about calling this a "war" vs an "operation" are people looking for things to cry about.

 

[Gary C]

And in case you were wondering ...

"Russia has provided Iran with information that can help Tehran strike US military, AP sources say"

WASHINGTON (AP) — Russia has provided Iran with information that could help Tehran strike American warships, aircraft and other assets in the region, according to two officials familiar with U.S. intelligence on the matter.

The officials, who were not authorized to comment publicly on the sensitive matter and spoke on the condition of anonymity, cautioned that the U.S. intelligence has not uncovered that Russia is directing Iran on what to do with the information as the U.S. and Israel continue their bombardment and Iran fires retaliatory salvos at American assets and allies in the Persian Gulf.

https://apnews.com/article/trump-iran-russia-intelligence-35afae34198408d670941f971d383378

 

[john.phil]

Israel is trying for the "ethnic cleansing triple-play."
It's working in the West Bank.
It's starting in S. Lebanon.
Why not Iran?

The term "genocide" was coined by Polish-Jewish lawyer Raphael Lemkin in 1944, in his book "Axis Rule in Occupied Europe". His definition described, either the destruction of a nation, or ethnic cleansing. You are accusing Israel of the latter.

According to Lemkin, the objectives of ethnic cleansing would be the disintegration of the culture, language, religion, birth rate, and the economic existence of ethnical groups.
source: https://www.lawandisrael.org/wp-content/uploads/Topics/Holocaust/Genocide/Lemkin-Axis-Rule-Genocide.pdf

Thus, for ethnic cleansing to be the case, as you claim, Israel would need to be trying to:

• Either eliminate every person identifying as Palestinians in the region, or;
• Erase their culture and;
• Erase their language and;
• Erase their religion and;
• Erase their source of economic existence and;
• Introduce birth control.

However:

• Their language consists of mostly Arabic and Semitic dialects spoken across the Middle East;
• Their religion and culture are rooted in Islam, which is present across the globe;
• They had no recognised nation before Hamas attacked Israel with popular support;
• Their economy is solely based on external financial injections from Europe and majority-Muslim nations. They have never produced anything domestically to support over 2 million people.

Thus, even if Israel were trying to transfer Gazans to Sinai Peninsula, that would not constitute ethnic cleansing, as they would still be more than 2 million strong, retaining their language, culture, and religion, and capable of founding their own nation somewhere else; or adopting Egyptian nationality, starting their own economy, or continuing to live on external financial support. Their population would continue to grow the same.

For comparison, what Russia is trying to do in Ukraine fits exactly the description of genocide by ethnic cleansing. Russia seeks the dissolution of Ukraine, the destruction of Ukraine's economy, but also the elimination of the Ukrainian language, culture, and heritage, the reduction of the birth rate, and the imposition of Russian (FSB/KGB) Orthodox religion in place of the Ukrainian Orthodox church.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allegations_of_genocide_of_Ukrainians_in_the_Russo-Ukrainian_war

Israel is trying for the "ethnic cleansing triple-play."
It's working in the West Bank.
It's starting in S. Lebanon.
Why not Iran?

The operation in the West Bank is a land grab, not ethnic cleansing. The operation in Gaza Strip is aimed at the removal of Hamas, which attacked Israel, and has now evolved into an effective land grab with the introduction of the "yellow line" and its apparent gradual progress towards the sea.
source: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/ckgxl6zkenqo

Israel is trying for the "ethnic cleansing triple-play."
It's working in the West Bank.
It's starting in S. Lebanon.
Why not Iran?

The operation in southern Lebanon is aimed at eliminating any Hezbollah presence there, because they routinely fire rockets at Israel and are funded by Iran; thus, there's a risk that Iran could incite them into invading Israel. Lebanese civilians are being asked to leave the area so they do not become casualties. This is the very opposite of ethnic cleansing of the Lebanese people that you are suggesting. The Government of Lebanon has repeatedly asked Hezbollah to hand over their weapons in exchange of amnesty, but the terrorist group is still refusing.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disarmament_of_Hezbollah

Israel is trying for the "ethnic cleansing triple-play."
It's working in the West Bank.
It's starting in S. Lebanon.
Why not Iran?

The Israeli operation against Iran is a survival necessity, as Iran have been threatening Israel since 1979, and even installed a clock counting down to the destruction of Israel, hinting at developing nukes to launch them at Israel:


Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPi8yaNUPoA&t=46s

In June 2017, coinciding with the annual Quds Day rallies, Iran unveiled a large digital clock in Palestine Square. The clock was programmed to count down from 8,411 days, corresponding to a 2015 statement by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who predicted that "Israel won't exist in 25 years". He claimed in his statement that there will be nothing left of the Jewish state by 2040. The statement was made in the aftermath of a September 2015 nuclear deal that had a timeline of 25 years to complete. He predicted that it would not take that long for Israel to cease existing. Protesters annually chant "Death to Israel". The installation was part of a much broader demonstration involving over a million participants, where anti-Israel slogans and imagery were prominently featured.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestine_Square_Countdown_Clock

What did Israel do against Iran since 1948? Nothing. Both countries had diplomatic cooperation until 1979 when the Shah was deposed and the new Iranian government turned against Israel and began indoctrinating the population (and, much later, people on the internet). The primary reason for this shift is Islamic ideology combined with anti-Western sentiment.

How exactly would Israel ethnically cleanse the Persians? By marching more than 2,400km (1,500mi) with 200,000 soldiers across two countries, inhabited by hostile actors, against 1 million Iranian soldiers and occupying a territory almost three times the size of Ukraine? How can a +5,000km (+3,100mi) border be secured against a mass exodus?

Furthermore, Iran's northwestern border is with Turkiye, a declared enemy of Israel and the main sponsor of the Muslim Brotherhood, whose goal is to establish Allah's government on Earth and destroy Israel. The eastern border is with nuclear-armed Pakistan, and with the undefeated Taleban. The other neighbouring country is Azerbaijan, Turkiye's ally. How long before they would cross the border to help Iran vs Israel? And don't forget Russia, which is still capable of helping Iran with intelligence, and China can supply ammunition.

 

[JMartJr]

The people making a stink about calling this a "war" vs an "operation" are people looking for things to cry about.

Would you agree that THEY ought to know if the aggression they launched is a war or not?

 

[fizzBuzz]

Would you agree that THEY ought to know if the aggression they launched is a war or not?

They know it's not a war (whatever that term actually means). According to them, it's a clearly defined operation with a clear goal. They claim this won't last too long, we shall see. But you or they can call it a war, conflict, operation, etc.. I don't care because I don't think it matters.

Why does the label matter? For all intents and purposes, what's the difference between it being a "war" or a "conflict" or an "operation"????

 

[John J.]

The other neighbouring country is Azerbaijan, Turkiye's ally. How long before they would cross the border to help Iran vs Israel?

That doesn't seem likely, seeing as Iran attacked Azerbaijan two days ago.

Azerbaijan has said it is pulling its diplomatic staff out of Iran after it accused Iran of launching four drones across the border into the Azerbaijani exclave of Nakhchivan.
The airport terminal was hit, a drone exploded near a school, injuring civilians, and another drone was shot down, as the war in the Middle East spilled over Iran's northern border.

Azerbaijan's President Ilham Aliyev condemned the "act of terror", demanding an explanation and apology from Tehran.

On Friday he went further, announcing the withdrawal of staff from Azerbaijan's embassy in Tehran and consulate in Tabriz "for their own safety", and state media said the military had been placed on maximum combat readiness.

...The drones triggered Aliyev's strongest public attack on Tehran since he took office.
He said the Iranian forces behind the strike were "ugly, cowardly and disgusting" - an unusually blunt personal insult for a head of state.

Azerbaijan is a major energy supplier... ...It also supplies Israel with a significant proportion of its oil.

"Azerbaijan furious with Iran as war spills over its border", BBC News, Middle East, Könül Khalilova 05 March 2026
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c1e9qpy90g3o

Relations between Israel and Azerbaijan have been relatively cordial for many years.

During the ongoing Gaza war, Azerbaijan was reported as the only Muslim-majority country supporting Israel. Despite pressure from other Muslim nations, Azerbaijani leadership maintained its strategic partnership with Israel.
...
Since the late 2000s, Azerbaijan has been a top importer of Israeli military products, with Israeli supplies comprising 60–69% of its military imports in the 2010s. A new agreement was signed in September 2024. These deals generate billions, supporting Israeli jobs, funding new military developments, and contributing to joint Israeli-U.S. projects critical to Israel's security.

Azerbaijan is a key Israeli partner against Iran, with both viewing the Ayatollah regime as an existential threat and cooperating for many years.

"Azerbaijan: One of the Pillars of Israel's Regional Security System – A Brief Overview for the Trump Administration", Ze'ev Khanin, Alex Grinberg, 15 January 2025, Bar-Ilan University Begin-Sadat Center for Strategic Studies https://besacenter.org/azerbaijan-one-of-the-pillars-of-israels-regional-security/

The Azeris also read the big map. Everywhere we heard again their enormous appreciation for Israel. Assistant to the President, Dr. Ali Hasanov, is well informed of the results of the elections in Israel: "The Azerbaijanis are also happy that Netanyahu took a lot of seats. We respect the will of the Israeli electorate..."

And if you were wondering what Israel gets in this relationship, the answer is at the gas stations closest to your home. More than 60 percent of trips in Israel are made using Azerbaijani fuel.

Israel Hayom, David Peretz, 2019 https://www.israelhayom.co.il/article/650899, machine translated from Hebrew.

 

[Ann K]

Their economy is solely based on external financial injections from Europe and majority-Muslim nations. They have never produced anything domestically to support over 2 million people.

"Not a country" is a distinction without a difference. The people, originally called "Philistines", have been there for over three thousand years, and of course managed to provide for their population throughout that time until their current imprisonment (not too harsh a word) by the Israelis.

Although the causes of the 1948 Palestinian exodus remain a significantly controversial topic in public and political discourse, with a prominent amount of denialism regarding the responsibility of Israeli/Yishuv forces, most scholarship today agrees that expulsions and violence, and the fear thereof, were the primary causes.[14]​[15]​[16]​ Scholars widely describe the event as ethnic cleansing,[17]​[7]​[18]​ although some disagree.[19]​[20]​[21]​Factors involved in the exodus include direct expulsions by Israeli forces; destruction of Arab villages; psychological warfare including terrorism; massacres such as the widely publicized Deir Yassin massacre,[22]​: 239–240 ​ which caused many to flee out of fear; crop burning;[23]​[24]​ typhoid epidemics in some areas caused by Israeli well-poisoning;[25]​ and the collapse of Palestinian leadership including the demoralizing impact of wealthier classes fleeing.[26]​

Nakba
Part of a series on the
Background​
1948 Nakba​
Ongoing Nakba​
Discourse​
Symbols and memory​

[td]

• v
• t
• e

[/td]​

Later, a series of land and property lawspassed by the first Israeli government prevented Arabs who had left from returning to their homes or claiming their property. They and many of their descendants remain refugees.[27]​[28]​ The existence of the Israeli Law of Returnallowing for immigration and naturalization of any Jewish person and their family to Israel, while a Palestinian right of returnhas been denied, has been cited as evidence for the charge that Israel practices apartheid.[29]​[30]​ The status of the refugees, particularly whether Israel will allow them to return to their homes, or compensate them, are key issues in the ongoing Israeli–Palestinian conflict.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1948_Palestinian_expulsion_and_flight

 

[NoParty]

Would you agree that THEY ought to know if the aggression they launched is a war or not?

It's breathtaking how disingenuous this is:
Trump & Hegseth run around yelling "WAR, WAR, WAR, WAR, WAR!!" and then other Republicans act put out at reporters
for calling it what Trump & Hegseth call it.

Now, normally, I'd say no big deal: Vietnam was war, no matter what we call it.

But what makes this so extra insufferably stupid, is that--while the terminology may be small potatoes to most of us normal folks,
it's a super big fucking deal to these two: Especially Hegseth, who is trying soooooo hard to convince us that he's tougher than he is.

The United States has no "Department of War" and hasn't since 1947. Petey doesn't like people concerned with pronouns, but he
insists on calling himself by his special name: Secretary of War. And the other clowns around him are all supposed to play along.

The United States has no "Department of War" but lil' Petey had them create a fake website, probably hoping that labeling it
"An official website of the United States Government" would fool dummies into thinking that he had been able to convince
Congress to change the name. Nope. There is no "Department of War" and he is not "Secretary of War." And all his romanticizing
about "lethality" etc. is gonna look great when he finally has to own up to his war machine brutally killing all those little girls. So,
this "War" shit is on them...they own it 100%...I'm not about to pretend otherwise, just because it'll hurt Republicans in the mid-terms...

 

[john.phil]

"Not a country" is a distinction without a difference. The people, originally called "Philistines", have been there for over three thousand years, and of course managed to provide for their population throughout that time until their current imprisonment (not too harsh a word) by the Israelis.

The Philistines were defeated in 604 BCE by the Neo-Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar II. No longer having a government of their own "to provide for them". Instead, they partially emigrated, were exiled and eventually assimilated into Mesopotamian cultures; and then into the Achaemenid Persian, when the latter conquered the former in 539 BCE, completely ceasing to exist as a distinct ethnic group by the end of the 5th century BCE.

How could Israel keep Gazans imprisoned when there's a border with Egypt, the sea, and Gaza even operated an international airport (GZA) from 1998 to 2001? Isn't Israel supposedly interested in Gazans leaving the region, so the prison would work the other way around, prohibiting people from going back instead?

 

[NoParty]

The people, originally called "Philistines", have been there for over three thousand years, and of course managed to provide for their population throughout that time until their current imprisonment (not too harsh a word) by the Israelis.

The Philistines were defeated in 604 BCE by the Neo-Babylonian Empire under Nebuchadnezzar II.

Boy, you two like your Middle East beef old school...