# 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:** 51
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2026, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1006 "2026-03-22T14:55:48Z")
They tried long term peace negotiations, twice, and both times the other party attacked them anyway, the second time in the middle of the negotiations. Any regime, democratic, human-rights-respecting, or not, would reach the same conclusion: if they don’t make them pay a significant enough price they’ll be attacked again in six months or so, or whenever Trump and co feel like it. ---
**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 22, 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/1028071/1007 "2026-03-22T15:00:55Z")
Good point. With adversaries as dishonest as the present Israeli and US governments, negotiation is very dubious. Iran supports and engages in terrorism, but AFAICT they haven’t violated or abandoned any agreements they’ve made. ---
**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 22, 2026, 3:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1008 "2026-03-22T15:48:16Z")
Iran has never agreed to negotiate with Israel, and has definitely never entered into any agreements with it. Any violations were America’s alone. If Iran had invited Israel to the table the situation might have been very different now. (Besides, launching an attack before an agreement is reached is underhanded, but technically not a violation of any agreement. Violence is always on the table in negotiations - otherwise why bother to talk?) ---
**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 22, 2026, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1009 "2026-03-22T16:12:51Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Iran has never agreed to negotiate with Israel, and has definitely never entered into any agreements with it. In the U.S. the public have never been privy to a public address from our head of state explaining the plans for this war. I presume Israel has had more direct messaging from their government. What is Israel’s present exit strategy? Are they even looking for a peace treaty? At this stage, are they pushing regime change, or is it still just some vague notion of crippling the military? ---
**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 22, 2026, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1010 "2026-03-22T16:19:48Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > In the U.S. the public have never been privy to a public address from our head of state explaining the plans for this war. To the extent that we have, at all, it’s been in little sound bites in press opportunities and social media posts, which are often contradictory from one day to the next. ---
**Author:** ![Dinsdale](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/97f17d/32.png) [@Dinsdale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dinsdale)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2026, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1011 "2026-03-22T16:22:10Z")
> [@thorny\_locust](#): > > The USA’s stakes are indeed higher than I expect Trump thinks they are. But they’re not remotely in the same ballpark. Fair enough. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 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/1028071/1012 "2026-03-22T16:41:30Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Besides, launching an attack before an agreement is reached is underhanded, but technically not a violation of any agreement. Violence is always on the table in negotiations - otherwise why bother to talk? The backwards logic never fails to amaze and entertain. Yes it’s unreasonable to expect a full ceasefire prior to the conclusion of negotiations in which a ceasefire is one of the bargaining chips. But it’s also the very definition of bad faith to massively escalate into a full blown war including killing most of the people who were negotiating with you, without any apparent provocation. As for not being technically against any agreement – yeah **nothing** would be, because there was no agreement yet. Iran having and detonating a nuke wouldn’t be against any agreement. No one was making that claim. ---
**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 22, 2026, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1013 "2026-03-22T16:49:19Z")
> [@Moriarty](#): > > In the U.S. the public have never been privy to a public address from our head of state explaining the plans for this war. > > I presume Israel has had more direct messaging from their government. What is Israel’s present exit strategy? More than you, but not nearly enough. The government has been talking about destroying Iran’s nuclear and missile capabilities and preventing them from rearming; and yes, they’re still talking about regime change, but they’re starting to admit that if it happens, it’ll happen organically, after the fighting stops. But beyond that, we’re not getting enough information from our government. Bibi, despite his image, tends to react to events rather than lead them, and I also suspect that he’s terrified of Trump, and of saying anything that contradicts his next random statement. I’d almost feel sorry for the man if I didn’t despise him so much. But there’s no need to sell a war to us, because we were already at war - what ended on February 28 wasn’t peace, it was a lull in the fighting. Iran has been at war with us directly since it attacked us two years ago, and indirectly through its proxies for almost 45 year. Today I watched my old neighborhood, where I lived for almost 20 years, get bombed, again, this trime with cluster munitions. The plaza where I taught my son to ride a bike now has bomb craters in it. So yes, as much as despise my current government, I still want to win this war. We can’t keep on living like this. ---
**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 22, 2026, 4:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1014 "2026-03-22T16:53:33Z")
The thing is, we still don’t know what happened. Sure, we have reports from diplomats, but diplomats say whatever is in their country’s interest to say. They’re not honest reporters of anything, at least to the public. Maybe talks were going swimmingly, and Trump decided to launch an attack on a whim. That’s certainly possible - I’d give that a 50% chance. But maybe they talks had reached a deadlock, the American negotiators said “Show some flexibility or the ceasefire’s over”, and the Iranians decided to call their bluff. We don’t know how things went down. I hope some day we will. ---
**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 22, 2026, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1015 "2026-03-22T17:14:18Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > The plaza where I taught my son to ride a bike now has bomb craters in it. So yes, as much as despise my current government, I still want to win this war. My fear is that, if the standard for winning is no more attacks in Israel, then we are in for _years_ of stalemate fighting. The attacks in Israel don’t even need to be directly attributable to Iran. Iran is regularly credited with operating through proxies, so basically any terrorism within Israel is going to prolong the war. ---
**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 22, 2026, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1016 "2026-03-22T17:15:46Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > […] and the Iranians decided to call their bluff. You and I have different a concept of a bluff. Whatever that was, backstabbing or underhanded ball, diplomatic sucker punch or trojan horse decapitation, a bluff it has turned out not to be. ---
**Author:** ![Mijin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mijin/32/9369_2.png) [@Mijin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mijin)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2026, 5:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1017 "2026-03-22T17:19:42Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > Maybe talks were going swimmingly, and Trump decided to launch an attack on a whim. That’s certainly possible - I’d give that a 50% chance. But maybe they talks had reached a deadlock, the American negotiators said “Show some flexibility or the ceasefire’s over”, and the Iranians decided to call their bluff. We don’t know how things went down. I hope some day we will. Well one of those claims has supporting evidence – what the people mediating the discussions have said. And the other not only has no supporting evidence, but is in fact contradicted by the only data we have. To people trying to be objective, that matters. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2026, 8:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1018 "2026-03-22T20:21:43Z")
**Moderating:** First, I’m going to point out that less than 24 hours ago, I quoted the exact language used when we split the threads, and then emphasized the huge distinction based on Chronology. A majority of the posts since then have instead been heavily focused on the events leading up to, and speculation about the causation of the attack, especially in terms of negotiating in good faith, both _past_ and _future_. I know it’s hard, but in the same post I quoted in part, we P&E mods stated that while we were going to be giving some slack, that posters who _persistently_ ignored the split were likely to draw more serious moderation. We are on the cusp of that moment. Again, in the same section I quoted less than 24 hours ago: > [@Aspenglow](#): > > The current thread is to discuss actual actions being taken. It’s not a Breaking News thread, but let’s keep the discussion confined to what is actually happening and the immediate, direct repercussions. I am not issuing any warnings, or calling any poster out by name. I believe that most posters are trying to comply, and posting more trying to address what they see as bad assumptions, or from different POVs. But the aggregate result is _nearly_ indistinguishable from willful refusal to follow moderator instructions. The P&E mods are working on ways to balance the apparent desire for looser moderation vs. functional discussions. We still expect posters to comply with the existing moderation and rules until such time as they may be changed. ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2026, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1019 "2026-03-22T20:28:55Z")
Nevermind, I didn’t see the mod post above mine. ---
**Author:** ![DPRK](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4491bb/32.png) [@DPRK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DPRK)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2026, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1020 "2026-03-22T22:01:42Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > So yes, as much as despise my current government, I still want to win this war. We can’t keep on living like this. Is bombing Iran expected to win anything? Suppose you blow up a bunch of ballistic missile factories; they will build more. ---
**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 22, 2026, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1021 "2026-03-22T22:44:24Z")
> [@DPRK](#): > > Is bombing Iran expected to win anything? Why are the Iranians bombing Israel? Do _they_ expect to win anything? ---
**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 23, 2026, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1022 "2026-03-23T00:58:28Z")
> **[Aman Batheja (@amanbatheja.bsky.social)](https://bsky.app/profile/amanbatheja.bsky.social/post/3mhooy6am7c2o)** > > The “main goal” of the Iran War may have changed, reports Washington Post: “Israeli officials said securing the \[Strait of Hormuz\] for energy shipments could become the war’s main goal now that regime change and ending Iran’s ability to obtain a... The Washington Post reports that the goal of this war is changing to reopening the Strait of Hormuz, now that regime change and even stopping nuclear weapons are out of reach. So, basically, the goal now of the war appears to be to restore the pre-war status quo. Great job! ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2026, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1023 "2026-03-23T17:16:10Z")
6 posts were merged into an existing topic: [Speculation About Trump’s Underlying Reasons for Bombing Iran and Other Targets](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speculation-about-trumps-underlying-reasons-for-bombing-iran-and-other-targets/1028209/110) ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2026, 5:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1024 "2026-03-23T17:20:32Z")
3 posts were merged into an existing topic: [Speculation About Trump’s Underlying Reasons for Bombing Iran and Other Targets](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speculation-about-trumps-underlying-reasons-for-bombing-iran-and-other-targets/1028209/111) ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2026, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1025 "2026-03-23T05:08:52Z")
> [@Speculation About Trump's Underlying Reasons for Bombing Iran and Other Targets](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/speculation-about-trumps-underlying-reasons-for-bombing-iran-and-other-targets/1028209/110): > > The Washington Post is not in charge of the war. Marines are moving into place for the next phase of the war which is likely the capture of nuclear material. The Washington Post provided accurate reporting. That’s not being in charge of the war. And how do you think “capturing nuclear material” is going to go? [The US administration doesn’t seem to have a plan for even dealing with closure of the Strait of Hormuz.](https://www.aol.com/articles/trumps-changing-course-strait-hormuz-190550261.html) > [@](#): > > WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (AP) — At war with Iran, [President Donald Trump](https://apnews.com/hub/donald-trump) is cycling through an increasingly desperate list of options as he searches for a solution to the crisis in the [Strait of Hormuz](https://apnews.com/article/ships-iran-oil-china-us-trump-hormuz-82a9acb473837f1bf7a821d0c3f95205). He has jumped from calls to secure the waterway through diplomatic means to lifting sanctions and now escalating to a direct threat against civilian infrastructure in the Islamic Republic. > > Trump and his allies insist they were always prepared for Iran to block the strait, yet the Republican president’s erratic strategy has fueled criticism that he is grasping for answers after going to war without a clear exit plan. On Saturday came his latest attempt, via an [ultimatum to Iran](http://apnews.com/article/iran-us-israel-trump-lebanon-march-22-2026-16cc60862529b873666ce4c1f6529d78): Open the strait within 48 hours or the United States will “obliterate” the country’s power plants. > > Trump’s aides defended the threat as a hard-edged tactic to press Iran into submission. Opponents framed it as the failure of a president who miscalculated what it would take to get out of a geopolitical mire. > > “Trump has no plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, so he is threatening to attack Iran’s civil power plants,” said Sen. Ed Markey, D-Mass, adding: “This would be a war crime.” > > “He’s lost control of the war and he is panicking,” said Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., responding to Trump’s post. > > Over the course of about a week, Trump has repeatedly shifted his approach on the crucial waterway for global oil and gas transport. There is growing urgency for Trump as [soaring oil prices](https://apnews.com/article/stocks-markets-oil-iran-trump-gas-b797f3819f7caac46893afb5b770f44c) rattle global markets and pinch American consumers months before pivotal midterm elections. [Iran, though, does have a plan if its power plants are attacked.](https://www.aol.com/news/iran-refuses-back-down-trump-120439353.html) > [@](#): > > Tehran has threatened to escalate strikes on energy infrastructure and target critical water desalination facilities should President [Donald Trump](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/donald-trump)make good on a promise to[“obliterate” the country’s power plants](https://www.nbcnews.com/world/iran/natanz-iran-nuclear-enrichment-site-rcna264576)if it does not reopen the[Strait of Hormuz](https://www.nbcnews.com/world/iran/us-allies-respond-trump-strait-of-hormuz-demands-nato-iran-war-rcna263650). > > Trump on Saturday evening gave Tehran a [48-hour deadline](https://www.nbcnews.com/world/ukraine/ukraine-talks-trump-deploys-ticking-clock-rcna258002)to reopen the critical trade route, through which around 20% of the world’s oil passes, threatening in a post on [Truth Social](https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/116269822349947644)to target Iran’s energy infrastructure if the demand is not met. > > Iran has effectively blocked the strait since the U.S. and Israel [launched their attacks](https://www.nbcnews.com/world/iran/live-blog/live-updates-iran-war-gulf-energy-attacks-israel-trump-nowruz-rcna264408) on the country on Feb. 28, sparking swift retaliation from the Islamic Republic and triggering a wider war in the region. & > [@](#): > > Tehran on Sunday morning showed no signs of backing down, responding to Trump’s ultimatum with its own threat of retaliation as it vowed to strike U.S. and Israeli infrastructure in the region in response to any attack on its power plants. > > “If Iran’s fuel and energy infrastructure is attacked, then fuel, energy, information technology systems and desalination infrastructure used by America and the regime in the region will be struck,” Col. Ebrahim Zolfaqari, spokesman for Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya military command headquarters, warned on Sunday, according to the IRNA Iranian state news agency. [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=50) [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=52)