Trump has attacked Iran

Going back through recent history the west should never have started meddling with the Middle East; carving it up, trying to change their culture by stopping them from having a nomadic way of life etc etc.

It's never constructive to meddle in the Middle East ' or other countries for thst matter.

It just causes resentment and more ongoing trouble.

Claremont

Can you put your hand on your heart and state that you are not concerned about escalation- and the fact the UK has placed itself right in the middle of it all.

Not for one nano second.

This was a unilateral decision.

Allira

^Going back through recent history the west should never have started meddling with the Middle East; carving it up, trying to change their culture by stopping them from having a nomadic way of life etc etc.^

It's never constructive to meddle in the Middle East ' or other countries for thst matter.

It just causes resentment and more ongoing trouble.

One of the last scenes in Laurence of Arabia demonstrates that completely.
If the scene wasn’t so serious it could almost be a sketch produced by the Monty python team 😥

petra

Claremont

Can you put your hand on your heart and state that you are not concerned about escalation- and the fact the UK has placed itself right in the middle of it all.

Not for one nano second.

In any case the UK hasn’t placed itself ‘in the middle of it all’ that’s really a non scenario.
I do wonder about some people as there seems to be a sense of enjoyment about doom mongering that’s really off .

lafergar

*Iran is a terrible and dangerous country*

I am very ashamed to say I was affected by propaganda to think like this. How it had slipped into my consciousness, the endless pictures of men in black shouting and self flagellating.

Then my neighbours moved in.Guess what? They were just the same as us, slightly more hospitable, slightly more sociable, slightly more animated.

Your Iranian neighbours had the good sense to leave a ‘terrible and dangerous country’.
Nobody would say that ordinary people from Iran are anything other than pleasant people, assuming they weren’t radicals, which they wouldn’t be if they had managed to leave the country.

Oreo

petra

Claremont

Can you put your hand on your heart and state that you are not concerned about escalation- and the fact the UK has placed itself right in the middle of it all.

Not for one nano second.

In any case the UK hasn’t placed itself ‘in the middle of it all’ that’s really a non scenario.
I do wonder about some people as there seems to be a sense of enjoyment about doom mongering that’s really off .

I can categorically state that those of us that are worried about the escalation ( on top of all the awful things that have happened in the world over the past few years) are not ‘enjoying it’. Why on earth would you think that?

No proof they have got all the uranium at all. Trump parading the stage makes me sick.

My Iranian woman artist friend was part of that time when they were out on the streets, headscarf less, men and women mixing feely, although she said it was different in rural areas. The regime will just get more hard line.

Trum and Netanyahu postering, Gaza forgotton

Well Nixon was impeached but compared with Trump he was Lilly white . How can he still get away with it? He has been convicted before the election but nothing stopped him standing. Now once more he can bomb without discussion or warning. It is illegal and he doesn’t care. Why? because he can.

.

He’ll drag half the world in with him. We will follow him because we are weak and depend on the US. No doubt the UK will follow him, too, for the same reason. Iran will not just sit there and do nothing.

Good to see Macron, Merz and Starmer working together and in agreement. Albanese seems to be saying much the same thing?

Not so good to read of a close alignment with Russia and Iran developing…..

ronib

Not so good to read of a close alignment with Russia and Iran developing…..

Iran has close relationships with both Russia and China.

USA recognises this as it has asked China to intervene should Iran decide to close the Strait of Hormuz.

Claremont

Iran is planning to close the Straights of Hormuz, which will cause massive economic damage to the West and the UK, as the majority of oil trades go via that route.

Closing the Gulf would cause major problems in China who are dependant on the oil, as well as a loss of revenue to Iran. It’s more likely that US ships will be targeted.

One thing that I couldn’t understand yesterday, was that the radiation levels had not altered since the apparent destruction of the sites.

Now I suspect we may have the answer.

Satellite images showed numerous lorries on the days to the run up of the bombing, which suggests that the enriched uranium was being moved to an undisclosed destination.

This is all supposition on my part, but it is one idea to answer the conundrum of no rise in the radiation levels.

I’m probably wrong, but it keeps me thinking😊

At least Trump will now be able to blame Iran for the USA economy rather than his incompetence. How convenient it all is.

Whitewavemark2

One thing that I couldn’t understand yesterday, was that the radiation levels had not altered since the apparent destruction of the sites.

Now I suspect we may have the answer.

Satellite images showed numerous lorries on the days to the run up of the bombing, which suggests that the enriched uranium was being moved to an undisclosed destination.

This is all supposition on my part, but it is one idea to answer the conundrum of no rise in the radiation levels.

I’m probably wrong, but it keeps me thinking😊

One theory is that the nuclear reactors had been shut down incase there was an attack, also the enriched uranium would be in massively strong containers that only a direct hit from a large bomb would breach.

Yes I read that. It is a puzzle though, as the IAEA seemed to be expected a rise in the readings.

If they moved the stuff I wonder where it went? I guess they always had contingency measures in hand.

The thinking now is that Trump has guaranteed that Iran will now go hell for leather to develop a nuclear bomb.

I guess China or Russia could supply them with the extra uranium.

He’ll drag half the world in with him. We will follow him because we are weak and depend on the US. No doubt the UK will follow him, too, for the same reason

I have been musing on that.
Not come to any definite conclusions.

Claremont

We let Israel do this totally illegally. Many other dangerous states have nuclear arms. Russia took all the ones that were on Why sUkraine soil, in exchange for a promise not to attack.

As said before, nuclear proliferationw as always the massive worry, and this illustrates it very well. Who are the good guys who should be allowed to have nuclear arms. Who decides that and on what basis? The good guys often become the bad ones, and vice versa.

Why should it be tolerated that Israel develops its own nuclear weapons, illegally and with the support of the USA, and to some extent, the UK.

Precisely!

I certainly think that we are dependent on the USA, but not sure it is because we are weak.

It is all part of the post war agreement NATO etc. It also suited the USA to be top dog as it were.

As this agreement is beginning to break down it makes us look weak, but it just means that we need to form new alliances and Europe seems our best chance. We can then form a strong alliance of military interdependence if ever needed. Hopefully never.

As for the U.K. joining the USA in the war. Well, Trump has gone it alone so far. And if it stops at this (doubtful) then no, but even if it proliferates it is by no means a done deal that we will join in. There is always hope😕

Smileless2012

I don't agree that Claremont is catastrophising or goading; I agree with her post.

I also agree.

Trump announced that Iran's nuclear programme was 'completely and totally obliterated',
but now Vance is saying that the USA will 'permanently dismantle that nuclear programme over the coming years'.
So, perhaps the bombing mission was not as successful as was thought.

Wyllow3

No proof they have got all the uranium at all. Trump parading the stage makes me sick.

My Iranian woman artist friend was part of that time when they were out on the streets, headscarf less, men and women mixing feely, although she said it was different in rural areas. The regime will just get more hard line.

Trum and Netanyahu postering, Gaza forgotton

Absolutely, all of this is absolutely and uttering heartbreaking and sickening!

Does that make me a weak supporter of terrorism? No, it most certainly does not!

Starmer is playing this right I think. He cannot totally distance himself from the US as this would be to the detriment of the UK longterm in so many ways. He is engaging in conversation with Trump whilst at the same time not endorsing his action and stressing the need for negotiation.
I do not envy Starmer his job at this moment, but thank goodness it is him who is at the helm now.