Let me put it this way.
He is right.
Middle East Running Iranian threat news and discussion thread
- Thread starter GoldRanger
- Start date
He is right.
...when I get off today I will let you know more.
But to let you know, this is sorta my jon
Arch Dornan
Oh, lovely. They've sent me a mo-ron.
The dangerous, disappearing Persians - Asia Times
Iran will decide sometime in the next few months whether it will risk war in the hope of becoming the dominant regional power, or whether it will accept national decline in the hope of a modest degree of prosperity. It is running out of people slowly, but it is running out of Persians at an...
asiatimes.com
Too much Jihading is killing the people.
Arch Dornan
Oh, lovely. They've sent me a mo-ron.
Belgian court jails Iranian diplomat for 20 years over bomb plot
Iranian diplomat was accused of plotting a thwarted 2018 bombing of an opposition rally outside French capital, Paris.
History Learner
Well-known member
Honestly, the U.S. just needs to close up shop and pull out of the Middle East for the most part; Iran getting nuclear weapons-if they actually are going to get them-just isn't a valid security threat.
Terthna
Professional Lurker
It is, however, a casus belli (read: flimsy excuse) for yet more military adventurism in the Middle East; which is really all they're looking for.
History Learner
Well-known member
As long as I've been alive, they've been gunning for some damn thing with Iran in the Middle East; anybody remember Khobar Towers in 1996?
Arch Dornan
Oh, lovely. They've sent me a mo-ron.
What happened there?
History Learner
Well-known member
Most likely AQ attempted to blow up an apartment complex full of Americans, but Iran was blamed for it.
LordsFire
Internet Wizard
It absolutely is a valid security threat.
That doesn't mean that forever wars in Afghanistan, Iraq, or Syria are the answer to the problem. Maybe just throwing some money at the Israelis to ramp-up their espionage efforts against the Iranian nuclear program is.
History Learner
Well-known member
If-and it is a big "if"-Iran is actually building nuclear weapons, I fail to see why any action is really necessary. We don't exactly have friendly relations with Russia, China, and North Korea but have managed to avoid nuclear conflict with them, so I don't see any special reason here. In particular, our relationship with Israel and their actions in that regard (cyber-attacks, assassinations, etc) have helped to contribute to the current poor relationship.
LordsFire
Internet Wizard
The Iranians have an explicit policy that if they ever get nuclear weapons, they will use them. Not as a deterrent, but to wipe the nation of Israel off the face of the Earth, and then come after the US.
That is why it's different than Russia or China having them. Even the North Koreans know that they want them to act as a deterrent, because now that they have nukes (even if very shitty ones), the US military can't just slap them over at-will, because if we do, the price paid will be Seoul becoming radioactive.
They also almost certainly have the network to smuggle a nuclear device into Palestinian territory, at which point there's very few ways for things to end well.
North Korea would not use nukes unless needed to as a final resort
wellis
Active member
Considering Iran did support AQ for awhile, one never knows if it may have had a hand in it as well.
Nah, it'll just use them for nuclear blackmail on South Korea.
Arch Dornan
Oh, lovely. They've sent me a mo-ron.
History Learner
Well-known member
In 1996, Iran and the Taliban (supported by AQ) were in the middle of an intense diplomatic crisis. Add in the fact AQ is Sunni while Iran is ruled by Shia and it makes no sense.
The same way North Korea has repeatedly threatened to destroy the United States? Taking propaganda at face value just isn't sound foreign policy, in particular when there is scant evidence they are even working to get nuclear weapons. Most likely, Iran getting nuclear weapons would be a stabilizing factor in the Middle East, as it would also serve as a deterrent to Israeli actions in Palestine, Lebanon, etc.
I very much disagree with this. There's a significant difference between Iran and North Korea. Iran, especially their leaders and the IRGC who would control any nuclear device, follow an ideology that honestly believes in martyrdom. They are more likely to use the nukes than nearly any other country.
History Learner
Well-known member
And this is any different from the true believers in Juche in North Korea? If Iran is truly as crazy as being suggested, why have they not started a war yet? Even better question, why have they failed to use chemical weapons?
Oh, Juche is crazy, but it isn't worshipping suicide. That's a huge difference. On top of that, I'm much more skeptical that the leaders actually believe in it than Iran.
And Iran has done wars. Just because they believe suicide is good doesn't mean they are stupid other wise. They are currently doing war through proxies (which is probably what they'll do with nukes as well), including Hezbollah, Hamas, and a number of Iraqi Militia.