Donald I, emperor of the world.

[PurplePenguin]

Interesting how your history conveniently starts in 1979.

That’s a very useful place to begin if you want Iran to look like the origin of everything.

But history didn’t start in 1979.

It didn’t even start with the Iranian Revolution. It started decades earlier when the United States and the UK overthrew Iran’s elected government in the Operation Ajax, removing Mohammad Mossadegh after he nationalized oil from the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company.

That coup installed the rule of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, backed by the secret police SAVAK, whose repression lasted until the Iranian Revolution.

Once you remove that part of history, the rest of the narrative suddenly looks very clean.

But geopolitics doesn’t work that way.

Yes, Iran has built proxy networks like Hezbollah and others. That’s real.

But presenting forty years of Middle Eastern geopolitics as a simple battle of “good versus evil” is not analysis. It’s mobilization rhetoric.

States don’t act because they are evil or righteous.
They act because they pursue power, security, and leverage.

The United States does it.
Iran does it.
Russia does it.
China does it.
Israel does it.

And here is the part people underestimate.

Conflicts like this rarely stay contained.
They spread through alliances, proxies, ideology, economics and retaliation.

What begins as a regional confrontation can easily merge into something much larger.
Not a clean coalition. Not a clear battlefield.

But a fragmented, unstable front that rises above borders.

And once that kind of front forms, you no longer have a regional crisis.

You have a geopolitical fault line capable of sending shockwaves through the entire world.

So when history is reduced to simple moral clarity, people should be careful.

Because the world rarely breaks along the lines of good and evil.

It breaks along the lines of power.

Re history. See second post on Iran war thread.

 

[C R]

Interesting how your history conveniently starts in 1979.

That’s a very useful place to begin if you want Iran to look like the origin of everything.

But history didn’t start in 1979.

It didn’t even start with the Iranian Revolution. It started decades earlier when the United States and the UK overthrew Iran’s elected government in the Operation Ajax, removing Mohammad Mossadegh after he nationalized oil from the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company.

That coup installed the rule of Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, backed by the secret police SAVAK, whose repression lasted until the Iranian Revolution.

Once you remove that part of history, the rest of the narrative suddenly looks very clean.

But geopolitics doesn’t work that way.

Yes, Iran has built proxy networks like Hezbollah and others. That’s real.

But presenting forty years of Middle Eastern geopolitics as a simple battle of “good versus evil” is not analysis. It’s mobilization rhetoric.

States don’t act because they are evil or righteous.
They act because they pursue power, security, and leverage.

The United States does it.
Iran does it.
Russia does it.
China does it.
Israel does it.

And here is the part people underestimate.

Conflicts like this rarely stay contained.
They spread through alliances, proxies, ideology, economics and retaliation.

What begins as a regional confrontation can easily merge into something much larger.
Not a clean coalition. Not a clear battlefield.

But a fragmented, unstable front that rises above borders.

And once that kind of front forms, you no longer have a regional crisis.

You have a geopolitical fault line capable of sending shockwaves through the entire world.

So when history is reduced to simple moral clarity, people should be careful.

Because the world rarely breaks along the lines of good and evil.

It breaks along the lines of power.

Things properly started around the turn of the 20th century. Before the Soviet revolution. Things started with the Persian Constitutional Revolution. The Qajar dynasty had presided over the slow decay of the Persian empire since the fall of Nader Shah about 200 years earlier, and by 1905, much like in Russia, people were fed up with quasi feudal rule, and forced a constitution on the monarchy.

Of course, the Russian crown got worried that their citizens might follow that path, and with the help of the British, who didn't want the Indians to get ideas either. Russia and Britain schemed with the Qajars and eventually helped them to quash the constitution and restore absolute rule by 1911.

As it turns out, The British weren't happy with the Qajars, and in the early 1920s they engineered a coup headed by a soldier called Reza Khan, who eventually took the throne of Persia in 1925 as Reza Pahlavi, this is grandpa Pahlavi.

Grandpa Pahlavi was fond of the ideas of a certain Austrian failed painter. In the mid 30s grandpa Pahlavi decided that foreigners should call the country Iran, like Iranians had always done, but the main reason was because Iran comes from the same root as aryan, and so it showed the superiority of the Iranian nation. Problem was, when war broke out, the British couldn't be sure any more that their puppet would remain reliable, so despite Iran being a neutral country, Britain invaded it.

Not content with having invaded, the British replaced Reza with his son, Mohammad Reza, papa Pahlavi. And then Mosaddeq suffered the same fate as the constitutionalists of 1905, with Britain and the United States restoring papa Pahalvi as the absolute ruler in the 1950s.

Now the current Pahlavi continues the proud history of his dynasty by making himself available as a puppet.

 

[Shortfall]

Where is that being reported?

It's not but I think it's linked to Trump's toppling of Maduro in Venezuela who had previously been propping up Cuba's crippled economy with cheap oil. TLDR Cuba is fücked and likely to have to start dancing to America's tune.

 

[Pinno718]

Uh-oh

View attachment 13680

Oooh goody.
The problem I see is more war distraction i.e Cuba.
Wouldn't it be ironic if a MAGA lynch mob assembled...

 

[C R]

It's not but I think it's linked to Trump's toppling of Maduro in Venezuela who had previously been propping up Cuba's crippled economy with cheap oil. TLDR Cuba is fücked and likely to have to start dancing to America's tune.

Thanks, that was my impression, but the post sounded like the US had actually attacked.

 

[icowden]

"when the goals of operation Epic Fury have been fully realized"

Interesting side note I heard from Hugo Rifkind...

Epic = A long and arduous task or activity
Fury = Wild and violent anger.

Thusly Trump has named this "Operation Massively Prolonged Tantrum". Odd name for something that was supposed to be over in 4 days. Mind you, there was some other bloke reckoned he could win a war in less than a week...

 

[Pinno718]

Things properly started around the turn of the 20th century. Before the Soviet revolution. Things started with the Persian Constitutional Revolution. The Qajar dynasty had presided over the slow decay of the Persian empire since the fall of Nader Shah about 200 years earlier, and by 1905, much like in Russia, people were fed up with quasi feudal rule, and forced a constitution on the monarchy.

Of course, the Russian crown got worried that their citizens might follow that path, and with the help of the British, who didn't want the Indians to get ideas either. Russia and Britain schemed with the Qajars and eventually helped them to quash the constitution and restore absolute rule by 1911.

As it turns out, The British weren't happy with the Qajars, and in the early 1920s they engineered a coup headed by a soldier called Reza Khan, who eventually took the throne of Persia in 1925 as Reza Pahlavi, this is grandpa Pahlavi.

Grandpa Pahlavi was fond of the ideas of a certain Austrian failed painter. In the mid 30s grandpa Pahlavi decided that foreigners should call the country Iran, like Iranians had always done, but the main reason was because Iran comes from the same root as aryan, and so it showed the superiority of the Iranian nation. Problem was, when war broke out, the British couldn't be sure any more that their puppet would remain reliable, so despite Iran being a neutral country, Britain invaded it.

Not content with having invaded, the British replaced Reza with his son, Mohammad Reza, papa Pahlavi. And then Mosaddeq suffered the same fate as the constitutionalists of 1905, with Britain and the United States restoring papa Pahalvi as the absolute ruler in the 1950s.

Now the current Pahlavi continues the proud history of his dynasty by making himself available as a puppet.

Add the CIA and MI6 colluding to overthrow Mossaddagh in 1953 who wanted to bring back control and accountability of oil revenues and nationalise oil procurement and production.

 

[Pinno718]

I’ve got this funny feeling Isreal is going to get obliterated. It was a really dumb move.

I've missed something.

 

[C R]

Add the CIA and MI6 colluding to overthrow Mossaddagh in 1953 who wanted to bring back control and accountability of oil revenues and nationalise oil procurement and production.

Yes, that was my second from last paragraph.

 

[Pblakeney]

Thanks, that was my impression, but the post sounded like the US had actually attacked.

They haven't done anything militarily, yet. They have however tried to destabilise the country enough that Cuba would beg for help.
That hasn't worked and since Donnie has said that he will take control you have to wonder what the next step will be.
He may shed a little more light this weekend with an announcement on "The Shield of the Americas", which will no doubt include Cuba. Amongst others.

Edit:- Note the use of the word "Americas", not "America".

 

[Pinno718]

Yes, that was my second from last paragraph.

I was clarifying the final details. No need to thank me.

 

[All uphill]

Oooh goody.
The problem I see is more war distraction i.e Cuba.
Wouldn't it be ironic if a MAGA lynch mob assembled...

I can't link it, but Politico reports Trump as having said "Cuba is next, we could do it at the same time but that's not the way to do it .."

 

[Milzy]

I've missed something.

Damage is adding up dailey there. Soldiers are now crapping their pants because they’re not shooting at children throwing stones. Iran can cause a lot more destruction than people think. All the US bases surrounding the region have been hit.
I’ve a 6th sense, Isreal will be last to go but they’ll get a bloody nose that might not have been worth it.

 

[Pross]

It feels like he’s at least 40 years out of date on Cuba. Not sure they pose any kind of threat to the US these days.

The whole Shield think makes me think he spent last weekend at Mar a Lago watching a load of Marvel stuff on Disney +

 

[Pinno718]

Damage is adding up dailey there. Soldiers are now crapping their pants because they’re not shooting at children throwing stones. Iran can cause a lot more destruction than people think. All the US bases surrounding the region have been hit.
I’ve a 6th sense, Isreal will be last to go but they’ll get a bloody nose that might not have been worth it.

Something has to peg back Netanyahu's hegemonic ambitions.