"Russia is weak. It’s just a gas station with nukes. Russia is losing badly. Russia is running out of missiles. Russian people are ready to revolt.”

“Iran is finished. Its proxies have all been wiped out. It has no meaningful air defenses. Israel has dismantled Iran’s entire air defense network. Iran’s missiles are useless. Iranian missiles can’t hit anything accurately. Iran's missile stockpiles are nearly gone. Iran's nuclear program has been obliterated. Russia and China have abandoned Iran.”

What have we learned thus far about Western Propaganda? Anything?

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Thinkerbell · 41-45, F

@Jokersswild

The good professor is falling all over himself to convince himself (and/or others) that Israel lost the war. The only thing he has actually shown is what he dearly wishes to be true. 🙄

1. It is much too soon to have determined exactly what the extent of the damage to Iran's nuclear program is, despite the "severe damage" Iran's foreign minister has "admitted."

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crmv3kp744ro?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us

This of course is what Iran would say even if the damage had been slight, in an effort to avoid further attacks, and further proof that Iran has no working air defense.

2. It is also much too soon to say if an internal revolt has been "triggered". What would the good professor say if the revolt came 3 or 6 months or years from now? "Oh, that had nothing to do with the 12-day war," he would no doubt say, completely overlooking that Egypt's transition from militant Nasser to peace-making Sadat took over 10 years and two lost wars by Egypt.

3. And as for the "unconditional surrender," the good professor is evidently unacquainted with the art of bargaining, and in particular, Trump's style of bargaining.

Jokersswild

@Thinkerbell Your comment was noted, respectfully. Apologies for the delayed reply. I’ve been traveling with family this week.

"It is much too soon to have determined exactly what the extent of the damage to Iran's nuclear program is, despite the 'severe damage' Iran's foreign minister has 'admitted.'"

Agreed, it is premature to fully assess the damage, particularly at Fordow. The "severe damage" statement came from Iran’s Foreign Minister Seyyed Abbas Araghchi.

Look, I'm an American. I'm proud of my country's military might. We are the safest country in the world in terms of fending off external aggression. The GBU-57 MOP is a powerful bomb, especially when you know exactly where to strike. However, Trump's statements about Iran's nuclear program being "obliterated" were premature. Iranian authorities know exactly where their sensitive installations are, and so does IAEA Director Rafael Grossi. It's been reported that he shared information with both Israeli and U.S. intelligence on underground site layouts. If true, this would have allowed Israeli planners to strike with precision. Still, as of now, Iranian recovery crews are still clearing the tunnel entrances and assessing the damage. No independent party, including Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization, has confirmed the full extent of the operational degradation. So in that respect, final judgments should await on-site assessments.

"Completely overlooking that Egypt's transition from militant Nasser to peace-making Sadat took over 10 years and two lost wars by Egypt."

That is historically accurate, but Iran is not Egypt. It has learned from modern history just as well as Washington or Tel Aviv. We know that Israel has repeatedly succeeded in pushing or assisting regime change in the region. In Egypt, in Libya with Gaddafi, in Syria with ousting of Assad, and in Iraq with Saddam Hussein. That pattern may have led Israeli strategic planners to believe similar tactics could destabilize Iran. However, as of now, Iranians are rallying behind the state in the face of external aggression.

"And as for the 'unconditional surrender,' the good professor is evidently unacquainted with the art of bargaining, and in particular, Trump's style of bargaining."

Well, unconditional surrender is a specific term with military and diplomatic implications. Those were Trump's own words. Maybe you're right. In any case, Iran has not surrendered, conditionally or otherwise.

We now know the Israeli strike plan had been in development for at least 18 months, originating during Biden’s administration. Of course, Trump was outspoken against Iran prior to taking office, but let's be clear: this war was not all Trump. Netanyahu is the one who pushed for this war and sought U.S. backing to support it. Trump only went so far.