[News] Top Iranian military commander killed by air strikes

[spence]

Welp, I was wrong too.
I’m a little surprised the government admitted it. Preponderance of evidence has never stopped states from denying. Russia still takes no responsibility for the downing of the Malaysian jet in Ukraine and when the USS Vincennes shot down the Iranian airliner, despite an overwhelming amount of evidence that this was done with malice by the captain and not unintentionally, they still gave him a medal for it. I suppose Iran’s statement is aimed at deescalation.

No one wins here. Everyone loses, as is too often in war.
Friendly fire happens in all wars as humans are not perfect.
This was an avoidable tragedy, a horrendous tragedy.
And this is the reason military options should always be the last option. The unintended consequences are often unknown and uncontrollable.

RIP

Only flaw with this post was is that Iran isn't at war and certainly not with the US despite tensions being high.. Russia was at war at the time.

 

[drew]

Only flaw with this post was is that Iran isn't at war and certainly not with the US despite tensions being high.. Russia was at war at the time.

Was Russia actually at war? Thought they were doing a backdoor annex of Crimea but were never officially at war.

 

[teammelli]

Only flaw with this post was is that Iran isn't at war and certainly not with the US despite tensions being high.. Russia was at war at the time.

With news breaking late yesterday that the US simultaneously targeted (but missed) an IRGC commander in Yemen, this seems more like a coordinated attack against Iran’s top military and intelligence officers abroad and the imminence (or existence) of a planned “attack” is under heavy scrutiny, including within domestic US circles. It would be easy to see from the Iranian point of view how the assassination, a simultaneous failed assassination, consistent talk of heavy retribution for a counterattack, consistent threat to destroy cultural heritage, and the recurrent and public threats by the US president, in the context of the launch of tens of missiles at combatant military bases, would qualify as war rather than “tensions”. You don’t need a resolution of war for it to count as war. Don’t forget that the Vietnam War, Persian Gulf War, Afghanistan War and Iraq War all were and remain undeclared wars. This does not even count ongoing military activities against IS, Horn of Africa, etc.

I have lived through several wars, unfortunately. War is not a chess match. You do not make a move, wait your turn, see the other person move within a designated number of options, then plan a strategy. War is mayhem, it is ugly, dirty, and there are simultaneous and unexpected catastrophic consequences of every good and poor decision. It is exceedingly unlikely to see a war that kills no innocents. This is why our leaders should not use military force unless as a final and last option.

 

[symyjym]

It's interesting that there are now Iranian protests demanding Ayatollah Khamenei's resignation because of the initial lies over the downing of the plane and the tampering with evidence.