# 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:** 19
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2026, 4:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/362 "2026-03-03T04:05:46Z")
> [@DWMarch](#): > > I may be getting this from old Tom Clancy novels but I am under the impression that Kuwait does not possess the world’s most… skilled military. Lots of very shiny equipment and no one who knows how to use it. Well, they know where the “launch” button is at least. Aside from Israel, I’d say that describes most militaries in the Middle East region regardless of whose equipment they’re using. ---
**Author:** ![EddyTeddyFreddy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eddyteddyfreddy/32/18796_2.png) [@EddyTeddyFreddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EddyTeddyFreddy)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2026, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/363 "2026-03-03T04:08:01Z")
Hey, at least they’ll get some useful practice in, so there’s that. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2026, 4:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/364 "2026-03-03T04:20:44Z")
> [@smithsb](#): > > Kuwait uses the PATRIOT air defense system, same radars, launchers, and missiles. Top shelf equipment. I’m super ignorant in this area, so please excuse my ignorance. Does the US sell PATRIOT air defense systems that can be easily used to shoot down US F-15s? That is assuming the PATRIOTs are what shot down the F-15s. ---
**Author:** ![Snarky\_Kong](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a183cd/32.png) [@Snarky\_Kong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snarky_Kong)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2026, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/365 "2026-03-03T04:23:33Z")
I don’t understand your question. The US sells Patriots. Patriots can shoot down F-15s. Is the question about how easily they can shoot down F-15s? ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2026, 4:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/366 "2026-03-03T04:27:39Z")
> [@Snarky\_Kong](#): > > I don’t understand your question. The US sells Patriots. Patriots can shoot down F-15s. You got my question 100%. You’ve confirmed that the US sells Patriots that can shoot down US F-15s. I would’ve thought we sold surface-to-air missile systems that couldn’t target US air platforms. My thought is now shot down, like our F-15s. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2026, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/367 "2026-03-03T04:33:42Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > would’ve thought we sold surface-to-air missile systems that couldn’t target US air platforms. The F15 is from the 70s, if our surface to air missiles couldn’t shoot it down they wouldn’t be useful against Russian planes either. Unless you mean that they could somehow detect that a plane is American made and refuse to engage it? That’s not really practical. And if it was, we’d want. To make our own missiles that way too to avoid friendly fire. ---
**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 3, 2026, 4:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/368 "2026-03-03T04:33:59Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > You got my question 100%. You’ve confirmed that the US sells Patriots that can shoot down US F-15s. I would’ve thought we sold surface-to-air missile systems that couldn’t target US air platforms. My thought is now shot down, like our F-15s. An anti-air missile that can’t shoot down even older planes like those isn’t going to be much use. Nobody would bother buying them. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2026, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/369 "2026-03-03T04:37:21Z")
I’m very surprised there weren’t any casualties among the shot down F15’s. Very thankfull no one was hurt in this incident. ---
**Author:** ![wguy123](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wguy123/32/3161_2.png) [@wguy123](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wguy123)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2026, 4:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/370 "2026-03-03T04:38:27Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > I’m super ignorant in this area, so please excuse my ignorance. I think the posters missed this key sentence. I now know they are shooting down old jets. Ignorance fought. Thanks all. Would our Patriots shoot down our new fighter jets? ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2026, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/371 "2026-03-03T04:47:13Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > Would our Patriots shoot down our new fighter jets? It would be harder, but yes, they could shoot down an F35. ---
**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 3, 2026, 4:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/372 "2026-03-03T04:52:30Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I’m very surprised there weren’t any casualties among the shot down F15’s. > > Very thankfull no one was hurt in this incident. I recall it coming up during the first Gulf War when they were used to shoot down Scud missiles that Patriots are made to explode into shrapnel near targets rather than directly hit them, as it’s easier to intercept targets that way. The idea is to damage the target so it crashes rather than blow it to smithereens, since that’s “good enough” for the purpose; but it means that the target tends to end up much more intact that you’d expect from something stopped by a missile. So the pilots would be a lot more likely to have the chance to eject from their wrecked plane than they would against a missile that hit the plane directly and basically turned it into a fireball. ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2026, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/373 "2026-03-03T04:58:11Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > For anyone who’s still unsure whether the clown Pahlavi has any credibility in the planning for a succession regime Having watched his 60 minutes interview, I certainly don’t see why you’d think he deserves a title like “clown prince”. He clearly doesn’t want to lead Iran in the long term, he’s a symbolic transitional figure and seems perfectly aware of this. [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/x2mIUZ3WCEg/hqdefault.jpg "Iran; Under Siege; Breaking the Cycle | 60 Minutes Full Episodes") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x2mIUZ3WCEg) He wants to lead Iran through a transitionary period, has four main goals: 1. Iran should have separation of religion and state 2. Iran should have democracy 3. Iran should have individual liberties 4. Iran should remain united They asked him some tough questions, and I thought he answered them well. Does the Jacobin article have any specific criticisms of him, for those of us who found it TMDR? ---
**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 3, 2026, 8:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/374 "2026-03-03T08:10:19Z")
> [@wguy123](#): > > I’m super ignorant in this area, so please excuse my ignorance. Does the US sell PATRIOT air defense systems that can be easily used to shoot down US F-15s? That is assuming the PATRIOTs are what shot down the F-15s. That’s like asking whether the US sells rifles than can be used to shoot Americans. Yes, of course it does. ---
**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 3, 2026, 8:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/375 "2026-03-03T08:11:42Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > Why not? Part-time leading seems to be working out well for Rama X. Or Charles III, for that matter. ---
**Author:** ![scudsucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scudsucker/32/14101_2.png) [@scudsucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scudsucker)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2026, 8:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/376 "2026-03-03T08:23:11Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > 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 Closer to my home. The deposing of Mobutu Sese Seko in favour of Laurent Kabila in the Democratic Republic of Congo went fairly smoothly, thanks to the CIA. It just caused a major regional and inter-regional conflict, but hey… the USA got access to the uranium mines. Edit: I seem to have a habit of off-topic and extremely late responses. I will try to overcome this. ---
**Author:** ![Pardel-Lux](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pardel-lux/32/20182_2.png) [@Pardel-Lux](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pardel-Lux)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2026, 9:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/377 "2026-03-03T09:36:50Z")
> [@PhillyGuy](#): > > > [@](#): > > > > Three very expensive planes. > > Yes, extremely expensive when built in the last century. A modern, upgraded F-15 seems to cost about 100 million dollars, so we are talking about 300 million, as I guess the USA is sending up to date machines. > **[How Much Do F-15 Fighter Jets Cost? Kuwait Shoots Down Three Strike Eagles In...](https://www.timesnownews.com/world/us/us-news/how-much-do-f-15-fighter-jets-cost-kuwait-shoots-down-three-strike-eagles-in-friendly-fire-mishap-article-153737578)** > > Three U.S. F-15E Strike Eagles were mistakenly shot down by Kuwaiti air defenses during active combat operations against Iran, though all crew members survived., US News, Times Now > Introduced in the 1980s, the F-15E Strike Eagle is designed to perform both air-to-air and air-to-ground missions. While the older Strike Eagle model reflects the 1998 valuation, newer versions of the F-15 aircraft cost close to $100 million per jet. > [@Babale](#): > > > [@Pardel-Lux](#): > > > > Are you really sure they did not shoot the planes down on purpose? Really? > > I suppose it’s entirely possible that Qatar decided to risk the wrath of the United States (under Trump, a notoriously vindictive and hotheaded man) in order to slightly reduce the number of jets the US has access to. Do you find that at all likely though? I think it is possible that one soldier or perhaps even a unit in control of anti aircraft defenses is not loyal to the USA. Probably not at the behest of the political leaders or the high command, but individuals are sometimes traitors. And I thought the planes were shot down over Kuwait, not Qatar, but that is not really the point. Of course incompetence, human error in good faith or bad communication are also entirely possible. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2026, 12:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/378 "2026-03-03T12:20:29Z")
Iran can do a lot of damage with drones. They’ve been a significant factor in the Russia-Ukraine war. Drone attacks penetrate defenses and can do a lot of damage against civilian targets. Apparently the US and Israel are gambling that a regime change in Iran will end the war quickly. Otherwise these drone attacks could escalate and go on for months or even years. Link [US embassy in Riyadh hit by Iranian drones as Israeli troops enter southern Lebanon | US-Israel war on Iran | The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/03/us-embassy-riyadh-hit-iranian-drones-israeli-troops-southern-lebanon) > [@](#): > > Iranian drones hit the US embassy in Riyadh as Tehran continued to launch waves of retaliatory strikes at the Gulf and Israel, while Israeli soldiers began operating in southern [Lebanon](https://www.theguardian.com/world/lebanon) on the fourth day of an increasingly regional war in the Middle East. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2026, 12:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/379 "2026-03-03T12:55:22Z")
White House talking points are that it’s not a war, just “major combat operations”. What a joke! > **[Ken Klippenstein (@kenklippenstein.bsky.social)](https://bsky.app/profile/kenklippenstein.bsky.social/post/3mg4hh2oiec2l)** > > White House talking points for congressional Republicans say we're not at war, we're just in "major combat operations against Iran" lol ---
**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 3, 2026, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/380 "2026-03-03T12:56:08Z")
So I haven’t heard Trump coherently state what our (US) mission is. Can you believe that? Is it regime change? If so, do we have a favorite? Is it just to see smoke rising in the air? ---
**Author:** ![Jasmine](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jasmine/32/2964_2.png) [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Post date:** [March 3, 2026, 1:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/381 "2026-03-03T13:06:32Z")
Apparently, we learn NOTHING from history. Bush thought his “Shock and Awe” campaign would just overwhelm Iraq, but it turned into years of attrition instead. We are in for a prolonged mess. We are in for a sharp spike in terrorism, especially here in the United States. [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=18) [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=20)