… and don't you come back no more, no more, no more, no more.
Posted on 01/05/2026 7:03:11 AM PST by Red Badger
Call it the Trump Effect. Or the Maduro Effect, if you don’t like naming it after Orange Man Bad.
The point is, if a report in Sunday’s Times of London is to be believed, it’s very real — and it could mean regime change is coming to Iran the same way it came to Venezuela.
Just one day after the daring capture of Venezuelan strongman Nicolás Maduro in an early-morning raid, the Times quoted intelligence sources which said that Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the 86-year-old supreme leader of Iran’s theocratic regime, had formulated a back-up plan to get out of Dodge (or Tehran, in this case) if the protests against his regime, which began in late December, intensified.
Mass uprisings in Iran have been nothing new, especially under Khamenei. In 1999, 2009, 2017, 2019, and 2022, Khamenei’s government has faced massive popular opposition; it’s as regular as the swallows returning to San Juan Capistrano, almost, only if the swallows were forced to wear the niqab and were gunned down by the IRGC if they did not disperse.
This spate of protests is fueled by the same reasons past protests have broken out, as well: economic collapse and political repression. But, for several reasons, things could be different.
First, the country’s paper tiger status was fully confirmed with the 12-Day War, in which Israeli and U.S. forces were able to operate without even the slightest resistance inside Iran’s airspace, crippling the country’s military and nuclear facilities.
Second, Trump has taken an active interest in the protests, saying on Truth Social that “[i]f Iran [shoots] and violently kills peaceful protesters, which is their custom, the United States of America will come to their rescue.”
(Excerpt) Read more at westernjournal.com ...
Great. Now let’s do the same for New York City, Chicago, Seattle, San Francisco, Portland, etc.
It is essentially the same political and power reality in Iran as exists in Venezuela. Khamenei and Maduro are simply the most prominent heads of multiheaded evil hydras. You can remove or kill both of these guys but what will remain are the generals,colonels administrators etc who control the armies, police ,intelligence agencies and what is left of the productive economy. These people have nowhere to go and either remain in power or face a dire future. They will double down on their corruption, control and oppression of their populations. They have the guns. Unless Trump has a way to purge the largely nameless lowlifes, little will change long term.
… and don't you come back no more, no more, no more, no more.
Quite the rogues’ gallery they are assembling in Moscow, eh?
I hope its true but we’ve seen this story many times before. The Iranian theocracy is a brutal, fascist regime that will kill anyone who opposes it. They are starting to kill protestors now. The protestors are not organized and don’t have weapons. I have great sympathy for the protestors but the Iranian regime is not at the point of collapse and won’t be absent foreign intervention.
OT: check this out from Sec Hegseth:
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth
@SecWar
·
35m
“Six weeks ago, Senator Mark Kelly — and five other members of Congress — released a reckless and seditious video that was clearly intended to undermine good order and military discipline. As a retired Navy Captain who is still receiving a military pension, Captain Kelly knows he is still accountable to military justice. And the Department of War — and the American people — expect justice.
Therefore, in response to Senator Mark Kelly’s seditious statements — and his pattern of reckless misconduct — the Department of War is taking administrative action against Captain Mark E. Kelly, USN (Ret). The department has initiated retirement grade determination proceedings under 10 U.S.C. § 1370(f), with reduction in his retired grade resulting in a corresponding reduction in retired pay.
To ensure this action, the Secretary of War has also issued a formal Letter of Censure, which outlines the totality of Captain (for now) Kelly’s reckless misconduct. This Censure is a necessary process step, and will be placed in Captain Kelly’s official and permanent military personnel file.
Captain Kelly has been provided notice of the basis for this action and has thirty days to submit a response. The retirement grade determination process directed by Secretary Hegseth will be completed within forty five days.
Captain Kelly’s status as a sitting United States Senator does not exempt him from accountability, and further violations could result in further action.
These actions are based on Captain Kelly’s public statements from June through December 2025 in which he characterized lawful military operations as illegal and counseled members of the Armed Forces to refuse lawful orders. This conduct was seditious in nature and violated Articles 133 and 134 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, to which Captain Kelly remains subject as a retired officer receiving pay.”
> Quite the rogues’ gallery they are assembling in Moscow, eh? <
I heard that because of the fraud scandal, Tim Walz is preparing to flee to Moscow.
But that just might be a rumor.
🙂
KGB-sponsored dictatorships have been withering and falling around the globe for 30 years.
The CCP, being domestically-focused and lacking the international scope of the CCCP, has dropped the hand-off from KGB-Russia.
They are Tofu dictatorships now.
true or not, moscow is the only livable place in the world remaining hospitable to fleeing high-level despots ...
The London Times story was from an Israelii woman that lives in Tel Aviv. Now other news outlets are reporting her story. It’s push propaganda straight out of Israel.
It could be real, or it might be more like an Iranian outlet reporting about politics in Israel.
“Unless Trump has a way to purge the largely nameless lowlifes, little will change long term”.
Very good post, my friend.
You would think we would have learned from the purple fingers in Iraq, or the return of the Taliban five minutes after we left - but no.
What does it matter if we “have given the Venezuelan people a chance”? The Venezuelan people are no more in charge of Venezuela than the American people are in charge of America.
“Supreme Leader Preparing to Flee” seems rather oxymoronic.
More like “Cornered Rat Preparing to Flee”
He’d better stay away from windows.
and helicopters.............
But people who suggest that all of this is being run from Moscow get told surely not.
Pure as the driven snow KGB Poot is. (well maybe a few tire tracks)
HAs anyone ever run to Beijing?....................
A few spies and other criminals.
Moscow would take him?? Yeh...and maybe ship him to Siberia until he cools off.
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