Iran: the collapse

https://www.iranintl.com/en/202603051892

https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-eas...ry-deaths-calls-it-unjust-war-on-iran/3850281

The claims are coming from Iran. Rejected by the US State Department. So a he said she said situation.

 

I have no words...This is a game to these people.

OPERATION EPIC FURY

• Destroy Iran’s missile arsenal.
• Destroy their navy.
• Ensure they NEVER get a nuclear weapon.

Locked in. pic.twitter.com/ika3MMJmZT

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 6, 2026

 

News is moving fast.

Pakistan started a war with Afghanistan two days before Trump on Iran. Not sure what that means for this war but I would guess Iran will feel at least more secure on their south-east.

Azerbaijan has gone from complaining about errant Iranian drone to amassing troops on the border. FWI, There are 15 to 20 million Azeri Iranians compared to 10 million in Azerbaijan proper. That is a big problem for Iran but Armenia might have something to say about how things are developing. If combined with a Kurd separation bid then we could see a fracturing of the current Iran.

 

I do not think the Americans can hide hundred of casualties for any period of time. The israelis can, they have strict censorship, but there’s no way the Americans can deny hundreds of American deaths without the families in the US going to the press.

 

You must have missed the last 12 day war, when both Iran and israel-America used their best weapons at the end of the conflict.

 

It doesn't say how 500 Americans have died. How could that number be even remotely believable given their peripheral involvement (in terms of actual physical location of troops relative to Iran soil) in the war so far?

 

The ship posed no threat. Sinking it was gratuitous.

 

Sure, but this is an all out war by the israeli-American side so it was very careless for the Iranians to assume that a ship, armed or not, can safely return to the Persian gulf during a time of war where it might be used in hostilities.

Of course it was a dishonourable act by the israeli-Americans, but you are talking about a people who use Admiral Tojo as a role model.

 

The entire Iranian Navy posed 0 threat.

Now it is almost all gone sans the ship with the "engine issues" docked in Sri Lanka

Also Iran is attacking Gulf countries why are they fair game?

 

Realistically, how would Iran even know how many American troops they've killed? Their intelligence gathering capabilities are likely in tatters at this point.

 

The US and Israel do have a cost effective laser-based missile defense system. I believe the only operational ones in the world. There are no reports on what percentage of the interceptions were laser so no idea if Iran has really depleted air defense stockpiles to a significant level. From what I understand laser is better against drones so I am skeptical that Iran will ever do any significant damage to the US or Israel.

 

Uhm, it was an American act. Israel had nothing to do with it.

 

It took American intelligence two days to work out that the Iranians had killed two of their soldiers, so yes, it will take Iranian intelligence way longer.

I saw the 200 American casualties rumours a day or two ago and immediately thought they were false. I am still sure they are.

 

Iran is current AI slop posting champions and re-intepreting videos. First the YAK 130 downing they said it was an F-15. Now we have Ali Larijani posting a video of MIG-29 thinking it is US aircraft.

They literally know nothing

https://x.com/alilarijani_ir

GBUs and Hellfires are also anti ballistic missiles too if you catch my drift

 

Isn’t it the opposite? They use their good stuff until they achieve aerial supremacy, and then just hit with JDAMs.

 

I think your sarcasm meter is off.

And to the wider group: tensions have been high in this thread. If you are going to be sarcastic in here, please use some emojis or a “/s” or something else ridiculous. Deadpanning isn’t going to go over well in a serious topic. This will save us all some grief.

 

This is flat out wrong. It was destroyed off the coast of Sri Lanka and the US knew where it was coming from (because the US was invited to the same training exercise and withdrew at the last minute).

Would have been trivially easy to demand a surrender instead.

 

The US Navy’s own legal manual, specifically Chapter 8 of NWP 1‑14M requires that a warship be actively contributing to hostilities before it can be attacked. An unarmed vessel returning from a foreign port doesn’t meet that standard, so a strike on it would run contrary to the Navy’s own targeting rules.

I recommend looking up into Chapter 8
https://www.marines.mil/Portals/1/Publications/MCTP 11-10B.pdf

Section 8.2
This defines the conditions under which a vessel becomes a lawful target. A warship is not automatically a military objective; it must be performing a military function or directly contributing to hostilities.

Section 8.3
This section explains that commanders must determine whether the vessel is engaged in hostilities, poses an imminent threat, or is otherwise contributing to military action.
A warship that is unarmed, not on a military mission, or not participating in hostilities does not meet the criteria.

Section 8.6
This requires commanders to take feasible steps to verify the target’s status and avoid unlawful attacks. Uncertainty about what a ship “might” be carrying is not enough.

 

On the israeli-American side, the 12 day war ended with B2’s dropping GBU57s.

 

It is clear your nation has never been in a serious war in your living memory.