# United States and Israel are bombing Iran {for current/ongoing events, past/future have specific threads} **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump, iran-strikes-2026\ **Created:** [February 28, 2026, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071 "2026-02-28T07:56:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 13
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2026, 7:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/242 "2026-03-01T19:11:59Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > If the “goal is to make sure Iran cannot become again the largest state sponsor of terrorism” then you are reasonably expected to have a plan to make that happen. Especially if you are giving up American lives and treasure, killing others, putting allies at risk, to accomplish it Yes, and by doing something like this, this administration is giving a tremendous amount of fuel to the people of Iran to become terrorists or generally anti-American people. I can also see the people of North Korea hearing about this situation and how it will be feeding their anti-American government to become even more anti-American. They teach that we are colonialists and conquerors and things like this only feed it. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2026, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/243 "2026-03-01T19:12:32Z")
No, absolutely not. In fact, in my experience even something as minor as asking a non-Jew or less observant soldier to cover a shift on the Sabbath is frowned upon. Actually ordering someone to fight instead of you would be abhorrent. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2026, 7:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/244 "2026-03-01T19:14:40Z")
> [@DSeid](#): > > If the “goal is to make sure Iran cannot become again the largest state sponsor of terrorism” then you are reasonably expected to have a plan to make that happen. And you don’t think a precision strike on military and political targets in support of millions of Iranians isn’t a plan? ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2026, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/245 "2026-03-01T19:15:00Z")
> [@Happy\_Lendervedder](#): > > LINDSEY GRAHAM: Our goal is to make sure Iran cannot become again the largest state sponsor of terrorism. > > WELKER: Does the the president have a plan to guarantee that happens? > > GRAHAM: No. It’s not his job. Harry S Truman: “The buck stops here.” Donald J. Trump: “The buck stops somewhere else, unless it’s actually a dollar bill, in which case it’s _mine_.” ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2026, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/246 "2026-03-01T19:17:53Z")
Take it up with Lindsey Graham. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2026, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/247 "2026-03-01T19:25:08Z")
There’s nothing to take up. It’s clearly up to Iranians to fight their own battle. It’s not up to the US to conquer Iran any more than it is to conquer Russia in the conflict with Ukraine. We are supporting Iranians in their effort. ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2026, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/248 "2026-03-01T19:27:12Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > And you don’t think a precision strike on military and political targets in support of millions of Iranians isn’t a plan? To prevent them from doing what they’ve been doing? No. I mean, I guess technically blowing some shit up and getting different leadership with the same philosophy and actions is a plan, but not one that could remotely be expected to accomplish the sated goal. There is no reason to think that whatever remote control destruction we cause will result in meaningful change in Iran. And I haven’t seen any _serious_ claim that it will. Do you know of one? ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2026, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/249 "2026-03-01T19:29:05Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > > [@Moriarty](#): > > > > I’m just too dumb to understand how a bunch of citizens, who otherwise have jobs and lives, are supposed to coalesce - Voltron-style - into a functioning government. > > You mean like the revolution in Iran 47 years ago? From what I can research, the 1979 revolution was a lot more coordinated. > [@](#): > > Chaos increased in September with the Black Friday incident. On September 8, thousands of mostly peaceful protesters turned out in Jaleh Square, Tehran against the Shah’s new declaration of martial law. The Shah responded with an all-out military attack on the protest, using tanks and helicopter gun-ships in addition to ground troops. Anywhere from 88 to 300 people died; opposition leaders claimed that the death toll was in the thousands. **Large-scale strikes rocked the country, virtually shutting down both the public and private sectors that autumn, including the crucial oil industry.** (My bold) And the eventual toppling of the Shah’s government came from within > [@](#): > > On Jan. 16, 1979, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi announced that he and his wife were going abroad for a brief vacation. As their plane took off, jubilant crowds filled the streets of Iran’s cities and began tearing down statues and pictures of the Shah and his family. **Prime Minister Shapour Bakhtiar, who had been in office for just a few weeks, freed all political prisoners, ordered the army to stand down in the face of demonstrations and abolished the SAVAK. Bakhtiar also allowed Ayatollah Khomeini to return to Iran and called for free elections.** > > Khomeini flew into Tehran from Paris on Feb. 1, 1979, to a delirious welcome. Once he was safely inside the country’s borders, Khomeini called for the dissolution of the Bakhtiar government, vowing “I shall kick their teeth in.” He appointed a prime minister and cabinet of his own. On Febr. 9-10, fighting broke out between the Imperial Guard (the “Immortals”), who were still loyal to the Shah, and the **pro-Khomeini faction of the Iranian Air Force**. On Feb. 11, the pro-Shah forces collapsed, and the Islamic Revolution declared victory over the Pahlavi dynasty. (My bold) Can we expect an Iranian president to usher in a new leader? Are there factions within the military who will support this person? I’m not sure it’s as simple as saying that they are both “revolutions” occurring in Iran. [https://www.thoughtco.com/the-iranian-revolution-of-1979-195528#](https://www.thoughtco.com/the-iranian-revolution-of-1979-195528#) ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2026, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/250 "2026-03-01T19:30:32Z")
I feel like you’re struggling to follow your own argument here. Lindsay Graham said Trump doesn’t have a plan. You think he does. Go argue with Lindsay. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2026, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/251 "2026-03-01T19:35:10Z")
> [@OldOlds](#): > > There is no reason to think that whatever remote control destruction we cause will result in meaningful change in Iran. And I haven’t seen any _serious_ claim that it will. Do you know of one? That makes no sense at all. These people have died by the thousands and needed help. That help was applied by eliminating assets and leadership in a way they could not do. It was done without destroying the country or it’s civilian assets. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2026, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/252 "2026-03-01T19:36:52Z")
Fearless leader also mangles language: > Still, Trump warned more attacks were coming. “We are going after the rest — They will soon be **floating at the bottom of the sea** , also!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. My bolding. From here: [https://www.npr.org/2026/03/01/nx-s1-5731365/us-israeli-strikes-region](https://www.npr.org/2026/03/01/nx-s1-5731365/us-israeli-strikes-region) ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2026, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/253 "2026-03-01T19:38:20Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > It was done without destroying the country or it’s civilian assets. Because civilians don’t count as civilian assets, apparently. It wasn’t done to support the people of Iran; we’ve hated them for decades, and want to slaughter and torment them. Trump wanted to feel like a Big Man, and a lot of Americans are indulging their bloodlust. _That’s_ what this is about. It is not in _any_ way well-meaning. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2026, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/254 "2026-03-01T19:40:30Z")
First of all, we have an amazing track record of failing at regime change with much more involvement than just taking out a few leaders. Why some people never learn the lesson is beyond me. Secondly, if Iran killed Trump and his entire cabinet, who would take over? (Hint: it wouldn’t be the No Kings protestors, or even Democrats.) ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2026, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/255 "2026-03-01T19:43:12Z")
That’s a fine argument for why we should help them. An argument that there is a plan, or a plan that makes sense, or that it’s not our responsibility (or Trump’s) to have a coherent plan before we start this? Not so much. Lots and lots and lots of repressive governments have successfully put down uprisings over and over. The fact that the regime isn’t popular does not magically turn into meaningful action (or a plan) just because you killed the top of the government. And what makes no sense? My argument that air strikes won’t necessarily lead to regime change? I think I have the preponderance of history on my side. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2026, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/256 "2026-03-01T19:44:38Z")
> [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > It wasn’t done to support the people of Iran; we’ve hated them for decades, and want to slaughter and torment them. Bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2026, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/257 "2026-03-01T19:45:53Z")
Frankly the most well executed regime change done by the US was Mosaddegh in 1953 because we didn’t like the result of a completely legitimate election. We installed a dictator and we can directly follow the dots to this shit from there. ---
**Author:** ![OldOlds](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/a3d4f5/32.png) [@OldOlds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OldOlds)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2026, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/258 "2026-03-01T19:58:49Z")
It occurs to me I have a better analogy (missed the edit window): I have a plan to get my brother to finish college. FIRST, I get him fired from his job. Then it’s his responsibility. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2026, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/259 "2026-03-01T20:12:46Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > And you don’t think a precision strike on military and political targets in support of millions of Iranians isn’t a plan? There you go, that’s already more of a plan than anyone in this administration had. > [@Magiver](#): > > There’s nothing to take up. It’s clearly up to Iranians to fight their own battle. And now, their own battle is against us, instead of being against the regime. How does this help us? > [@Magiver](#): > > > [@Der\_Trihs](#): > > > > It wasn’t done to support the people of Iran; we’ve hated them for decades, and want to slaughter and torment them. > > Bullshit. Maybe “we” don’t want to slaughter the people of Iran, but Trump does. As evidenced by him actually, you know, slaughtering people of Iran. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2026, 8:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/260 "2026-03-01T20:52:47Z")
I repeatedly hear Trump defenders refer to “precision” strikes, with the obvious inference that this is being done with care and attention to detail. Was it a precision strike that killed the school kids, Trump? ---
**Author:** ![Moriarty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/moriarty/32/49_2.png) [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2026, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/261 "2026-03-01T20:54:54Z")
If you wanted proof that trump has no plan for what he expects to happen to Iran, consider that he’s now saying he’s willing to negotiate with the regime. > [@](#): > > ““They want to talk, and I have agreed to talk, so I will be talking to them. They should have done it sooner. They should have given what was very practical and easy to do sooner. They waited too long,” Trump told me in a phone call from his Mar-a-Lago resort shortly before 9:30 a.m. > **[‘I Have Agreed to Talk’ — The Atlantic](https://apple.news/AFTLKaR_vRoqtVnBXmY6m4A)** > > Trump tells The Atlantic that Iranian leaders want to resume negotiations. Is this the end of the Islamic Republic or not? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071.md?page=12) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071.md?page=14)