here’s a link from the BBC which interviews several average Iranians (anonymously,of course).
They appear to be split about half and half. Not happy with Trump, but not absolutely hating him.
They are deeply afraid for their personal misfortunes – loss of jobs, financial collapse, and, of course, potential loss of electric power.
But they sound like they would be happy if by some miracle Trump helps end the Islamic regime. They are realistic enough to know that deposing the Ayatollah is impossible , so they are opposed to Trump continuing the war. But they do not sound like they want to fill the streets with mobs screaming “Death to America” while wearing hijabs and submitting to the Islamic Guard.
They haven’t even named them, much less turned them into a hero. For that matter, I haven’t heard the name of the pilot, who is also not been turned into a hero.
Now maybe this is due to a change in Pentagon policy about downed airmen since the Scott O’Grady episode. But if so, I would expect the current admin to ignore that.
I have the impression you are getting my post wrong. Der_Trihs wrote about the possibility that the rescue was not as straighforward as many, you included, like to assume. I answered starting my post with “So what I wrote two days ago is no longer true”, which I thought was an indication that I was going with his assumption and following the consequences of it. That is what the So in that sentence was meant to convey: OK, suppose this is as you say. Then the rest of my post examines what that would mean. I don’t deny what he wrote, just explain what that would mean. A bit superficially, granted, but it is not worth a serious deep analisys. It is internet speculation against propaganda.
You take that personally. I am agnostic about the truth of the official declarations of the US press corps. I am certain there is some truth to their claims, and some exageration and distortion too. This is war, and propaganda too. Some day we may know more.
But if I had to guess, I would err on the side of skepticism on anything any party in this war claims, and particularly what the US Department of War Crimes publishes on X or Truth Social.
As dtilque rightly writes, they are not 100% credible, or coherent. Something is most probably not exactly as they claim. I hope the airman is well and recovering in a modern hospital. But we, the outsiders, don’t know what the situation was or what happened.
Trouble is, Iran was not talking to him, so this is just another unilateral demand. Why would Iran open the strait with only the promise of a two week lull in the bombing? I expect they’ll just laugh at this.
Trump operates on the belief that he can just declare what he wants to happen and everyone will bend over backwards to make it so because he’s the universe’s Most Special Boy and everyone wants to make him happy. He’s too dumb to understand that Iran doesn’t respond to that approach.
Reports that Iran has “accepted the ceasefire”, would that include opening the Strait? if so Trump will have something to save face (but still no better than the Statu Quo Ante)
Imagine they say yes. What would have changed compared to five weeks ago? Apart from the fact that Iran has shown that they can block the Strait of Hormuz. And that their old leaders are dead. Meet the new leaders, same as the old leaders.
Oh, ninja’d! They have said yes. Sort of. The details are up in the air. Wall St. rises, oil falls.
Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) has said in a statement following the announced conditional ceasefire that negotiations will be held in Pakistan’s capital Islamabad within a maximum period of 15 days for the details to be “finalised”. The statement has said that the negotiations will be held so that “Iran’s victory in the field would also be consolidated in political negotiations”.
The statement has gone beyond the 10-point plan that had been announced by state TV, and the statement has said that the US has agreed to:
Guarantee not to repeat its “aggression” against Iran
The continuation of Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz
Acceptance of [uranium] enrichment
Lifting of all primary and secondary sanctions
Termination of all resolutions of the [UN] Security Council and International Atomic Energy Agency
Payment of compensation to Iran
Withdrawal of US combat forces from the region
And the cessation of war on all fronts, including against the “Islamic resistance of Lebanon”
Is that the bigglyest, bestiest, most unprecedented win in American, if not world, history for a country/regime that has barely laid a glove on their attacker since the invasion started?
Retired Army Major General Randy Manner told MS NOW’s Nicolle Wallace on Tuesday he had secondhand knowledge that military officials were “saying no” to Pentagon leadership.
He continued:
I have already indications that many targets that were recommended by the Secretary of Defense were rejected by CENTCOM, that they were civilian targets. It is something where, again, I don’t have firsthand knowledge. It’s secondhand knowledge. But I believe that people are already saying no to the hierarchy.
Basically, it sounds like Hegseth lost complete control over the military. They simply refused to follow illegal orders.