Posted on 01/09/2020 10:12:02 AM PST by Mariner
DUBAI/BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iran spurned the U.S. president's call for a new nuclear pact and its commanders threatened more attacks as the Middle East remained on edge following the U.S. killing of an Iranian general and Tehran's retaliatory missile strikes.
Concern the war-scarred region was primed for a wider conflict eased after U.S President Donald Trump refrained from ordering more military action and Iran's foreign minister diplomat said missile strikes "concluded" Tehran's response.
But each side's next move in their protracted shadow war was uncertain. Iranian generals resumed their habitual barrage of warnings to Washington and Trump said new sanctions were being imposed, as his Democratic rivals criticized his handling of the crisis.
Analysts say that in an election year, Trump wants to avoid getting into a drawn-out conflict. In turn, Iran will try to avert direct confrontation with superior U.S. forces but can call on proxy militias across the region as U.S. sanctions bite.
Iran fired missiles on Wednesday at bases in Iraq where U.S. troops were stationed in retaliation for the killing in a U.S. drone attack of powerful Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad on Jan. 3...
...Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guards also issued new threats to Washington, with one senior commander warning of "harsher revenge soon" and another saying Wednesday's missile strikes were only the start of a series of attacks across the region.
The new head of the Quds Force, which handles Iran's foreign military operations, said he would follow the course pursued by his slain predecessor Soleimani.
"We will continue in this luminous path with power," Brigadier General Esmail Ghaani said.
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
Every day Iran builds and fields more missiles and is a day closer to nukes.
Keep tuning in because something could STILL happen. REALLY!
never underestimate the ability of the left to create a crisis out of nothing-
Iran is NOT going to risk losing their grip over iran by waging a war they can’t possibly win against the US- period-
It’s a wonder the left have any hair at all!
Naw. Iran is back to their verbal crap, but they’ve been exposed as a fraud. Their teeth have been effectively extracted.
“We will continue in this luminous path with power,” Brigadier General Esmail Ghaani said.
Glow baby, GLOW!
Blowing up a Ukrainian airliner isn’t going to help.
I don’t mean to be “ nativist “, but check out the three authors of this story.
Where did this alarmism originate........in New Delhi ?
What is so ironic about that is that it appears they were trying to do a “harmless” face saving response, but they accidentally shot themself in the foot when trying to replace the real bullets with blanks.
This shoot down will cost Iran. It makes them look like Keystone Cops. And a lot of innocent people from various nations are dead. So it’s like Keystone cops, only not funny.
I fear you have no clue at all what you are talking about
Kind of ironic that so many that want us out have angst we didn’t do enough - Iran has been chastised and told they will not be allowed nukes and sanctions will remain and even increase...would have been a strategic err to act as if their pitiful face-saving action was worrying us...they know that killing any Americans is now no longer a freebie and if they want to test it, they will then be bitch-slapped - which will further embolden the Iranian People to resist.
Fixed
Shooting down the commercial airliner absolutely certifies Iran cannot be entrusted with nuclear weapons.
Looks like Iran might be in deep doo-doo if they did indeed shoot down the Ukrainian jet. Of course, it will probably be blamed on the United States.
“they know that killing any Americans is now no longer a freebie and if they want to test it, they will then be bitch-slapped”
They tried and failed.
I know as much about it as anyone on this forum.
Let everyone on the planet know we have the capabilities to track anyone, anywhere, any time.
Eliminate them before they get comfortable.
By these two actions, he puts Iran on notice that their missile bases, manufacturing process plants, centrifuges, and more importantly, their leadership, are in the crosshairs at a moments notice.
The mullahs and their henchmen are going to bark like a dog at the fence, but they are not dumb. Even if their proxies commit some act, they understand all roads lead back to them.
Pretty much the equivalent of telling an obnoxious 5-year-old to knock it off before he gets his ass smacked hard.
“Shooting down the commercial airliner absolutely certifies Iran cannot be entrusted with nuclear weapons.”
Are you aware the US once shot down an Iranian airliner?
I was saying this as well. I repeat an earlier post from a different thread:
While I can live with Trumps decision not to counterstrike, I will say I do not agree with it. Two reasons:
1) Awful lot of crap about needing to kill an America before we should respond. Sorry, I dont buy that. You shoot at me, I am going to shoot back with intent to stop you from doing it ever again.
2) I do not believe the Mullahs will change. And I do not believe the people of Iran are capable of overthrowing the present evil government without a catastrophic intervention, anymore than the North Korean people are capable of ousting evil Kim. Trump said while he is President Iran will never have a nuclear weapon. Thats only 4 more years at the most. We have 4 years to undo the last 40 years in Iran.
So we have just kicked the can down the road, again.
I also don’t believe Iran can restrain themselves. They will, again, be emboldened by US ‘restraint’. Lets hope we are as lucky next time with respect to no lives lost.
I said six months ago after the drone shoot down and the shipping attacks that inaction (strategic patience) then, was fine, but that we would be back in the same situation six months later. So here we are six months later. So I will make the same prediction again. Six months. The president has shown again that he wants to end our endless wars, but before the election, he will again be tested. Thats my prediction. Question is, will he be able to kick the can again?
I don’t mean to imply that Trump is driven by election politics, but once the next election is done, if Iran attacks again, will the restraint be the same?
In the end, if we don’t want a nuclear Iran in 2025, we have to deal with them before then.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.