# 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:** 3
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/41 "2026-02-28T15:00:22Z")
It depends on what you and iiandyii mean by “us”. I assumed you meant the US generally including US interests in the region. In that realm, they’re not only a current threat, given the last few years in the Straits and Gulf generally, they are an active threat. I COMPLETELY agree that diplomatic efforts are the better path for most problems. ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/42 "2026-02-28T15:00:30Z")
> [@yendis](#): > > > [@octopus](#): > > > > The end goal is to eliminate the current government is my best guess > > Unfortunately if that is the goal, the method is woefully insufficient. Airstrikes can kill a tremendous number of people but do little to affect regime change. Instead, it’s likely to result in the opposite effect, at least in the short term. Air strikes validate the regime and will likely cause the populace to redirect their anger from the oppressive regime to their attackers in a “rally ‘round the flag” effect. ETA: I see this point was already made upthread by @Der_Trihs. ---
**Author:** ![FairyChatMom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fairychatmom/32/21906_2.png) [@FairyChatMom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FairyChatMom)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 3:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/43 "2026-02-28T15:04:18Z")
On cnn’s website, it says “Trump encourages Iranians to take over their government” - imagine his reaction if Americans tried to do the same. So, is Congress in thumb-twiddling mode? ---
**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:** [February 28, 2026, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/44 "2026-02-28T15:08:36Z")
The powers that be have been saying Iran is a threat for decades. We made a peace deal that was working ten years ago. I don’t remotely buy the minimal, outdated case presented by the biggest liars in the world why somehow this war is remotely necessary. ---
**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:** [February 28, 2026, 3:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/45 "2026-02-28T15:08:56Z")
I for one am tired of “US interests” being a thing we need to defend everywhere. Your assumption, I think, is wrong. Iran is a negligible threat to the US. Our “interests” in the region don’t count. ---
**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:** [February 28, 2026, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/46 "2026-02-28T15:11:41Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > We made a peace deal that was working ten years ago. Wow, amazing! Iran dismantled their nuclear and ballistics weapons projects ten years ago? Incredible! How did they pull an entire ballistic missile program out of Khamenei’s ass in such a short period of time if that was the case? How did they build their network of terrorist proxies up overnight, since they apparently dismantled it ten years ago? ---
**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:** [February 28, 2026, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/47 "2026-02-28T15:20:02Z")
The deal has been dead for 8 years… ---
**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:** [February 28, 2026, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/48 "2026-02-28T15:21:48Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > Trump bombs girl’s school in Iran, 51 dead. Is there any cite other than IRNA so far? Every article I’ve seen just quotes the Iranian state media report. ---
**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:** [February 28, 2026, 3:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/49 "2026-02-28T15:33:32Z")
Is it your contention that a peace deal has failed unless everything desired is accomplished instantaneously? ---
**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:** [February 28, 2026, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/50 "2026-02-28T15:34:31Z")
---
**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:** [February 28, 2026, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/51 "2026-02-28T15:35:44Z")
**Moderating:** @iiandyiiii & @Babale Find or start a new thread for this peace deal debate. This is a big pull away from the current ongoing bombing. I feel like there must already be another thread for you two to hash this out. ---
**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:** [February 28, 2026, 3:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/52 "2026-02-28T15:42:36Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > Cracking down and imposing a new even more hard-line regime is something I’m sure the Iranian leadership would _like_ to do, but it may well be far beyond their capacity It probably was beyond their capacity last week. Now, though, thanks to Trump, it’ll be easy for them. ---
**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:** [February 28, 2026, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/54 "2026-02-28T15:52:19Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > It probably was beyond their capacity last week. Now, though, thanks to Trump, it’ll be easy for them I highly, highly doubt that. “Listen, Iranians, we know we crack down on you guys and beat the shit out of you with our morality police and we murdered 30,000 of you a few weeks ago. But you have to understand, we did it all to _protect you_ from Israel and America” is a much tougher sell when you’ve demonstrated your complete and utter worthlessness at fighting Israel and America. There’s a reason why the last go-around of fighting caused the protests rather than helping Iran quell their internal dissent. You don’t demonstrate your value as an authoritarian strongman by being exceedingly weak and ineffective. ---
**Author:** ![Steve\_MB](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steve_mb/32/5339_2.png) [@Steve\_MB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Steve_MB)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/55 "2026-02-28T16:23:48Z")
Over/Under on how soon he belches forth his next complaint about not getting the Nobel Peace Prize? (To be fair, they gave it to Henry Kissinger, so I hesitate to call this contretemps disqualifying…) ---
**Author:** ![Idle\_Thoughts](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/838e76/32.png) [@Idle\_Thoughts](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Idle_Thoughts)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/56 "2026-02-28T16:25:36Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > > [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > > > Trump bombs girl’s school in Iran, 51 dead. > > Is there any cite other than IRNA so far? Every article I’ve seen just quotes the Iranian state media report. As far as I can tell, no, which also makes me a bit skeptical of the report. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/57 "2026-02-28T16:30:44Z")
I think I have three thoughts about this. 1. When did the US decide it was OK to use military force not in response to an actual attack? I suppose there was Vietnam, but Bush’s Iraq invasion was probably the turning point? 2. Strategically, I suspect it is correct that regime change is not going to happen just from air attacks. It would have to be boots on the ground. 3. The outcome will probably be disasterous. Did Bush’s invasion result in a stable, prosperous, democratic Iraq? As far as I can see, Iraq has become, if not an actual failed state, a fragile one, with no strong government and a lot of disruption caused by various armed militias etc. I will admit that I have no first hand information about this and would welcome informed data. ---
**Author:** ![Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/son_of_a_rich/32/5439_2.png) [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Son_of_a_Rich)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/58 "2026-02-28T16:35:05Z")
> [@Zakalwe](#): > > I COMPLETELY agree that diplomatic efforts are the better path for most problems. If only there was some kind of “Board of Peace”. ---
**Author:** ![xtenkfarpl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c2a13f/32.png) [@xtenkfarpl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xtenkfarpl)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/59 "2026-02-28T16:37:52Z")
> [@Son\_of\_a\_Rich](#): > > If only there was some kind of “Board of Peace”. It would be nice if we had something like Kipling’s Aerial Board of Control. > **[Aerial Board of Control](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aerial_Board_of_Control)** > > The Aerial Board of Control is a fictional supranational organization dedicated to the control and aid of airship traffic across the whole world. It was first described in the science fiction novella by Rudyard Kipling "With the Night Mail" (1905), and later in "As Easy as ABC" (1912.) > "With the Night Mail", the first story about the Aerial Board of Control, is set in 2000 A.D.\[a\] By this date the Aerial Board of Control was established as an ad hoc working world organisation, much as the glob... ---
**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:** [February 28, 2026, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/60 "2026-02-28T16:39:10Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > > [@Babale](#): > > > > > [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > > > > > Trump bombs girl’s school in Iran, 51 dead. > > > > Is there any cite other than IRNA so far? Every article I’ve seen just quotes the Iranian state media report. > > As far as I can tell, no, which also makes me a bit skeptical of the report. There is a picture. [![](https://i.ibb.co/ZR0XDqtt/IMG-2158.jpg) ](https://i.ibb.co/ZR0XDqtt/IMG-2158.jpg) I realize we don’t know what type of building that is, but it seems undeniable that civilians are present. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2026, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/61 "2026-02-28T16:41:19Z")
> [@Idle\_Thoughts](#): > > > [@Babale](#): > > > > > [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > > > > > Trump bombs girl’s school in Iran, 51 dead. > > > > Is there any cite other than IRNA so far? Every article I’ve seen just quotes the Iranian state media report. > > As far as I can tell, no, which also makes me a bit skeptical of the report. Yes, we should wait for the official report from the Department of War. [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=2) [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=4)