Iran War Update 15

The costs are mounting for the US

The Iran War is back in full flow after the ceasefire that was not a ceasefire. The US has just conducted its ninth consecutive night of attacks. Although it’s not quite as it was before — Trump has so far successfully managed to keep Netanyahu out of the bombing for fear of a wider escalation. Yet, as always with this totally unnecessary, illegal war, things are not looking good.

• Two US soldiers were killed in an Iranian ballistic missile strike on Jordan’s Muwaffaq al-Salti Air Base. Four other soldiers were injured and medically evacuated. The attack also destroyed four hangars sheltering US MQ-9 Reaper drones.

• The response from Secretary of War/Defense Pete Hegseth to the deaths: “Godspeed, heroes. Their sacrifice only stiffens our resolve.”

• Trump’s response to reporters with the sensitivity that he’s known for: “Have you ever asked how many people died in Vietnam? Have you ever asked how many people died in Afghanistan in one day?”

• Another US soldier was killed during the “controlled” detonation of unexploded ordnance from a downed Iranian attack drone. A second service member was wounded.

• The Pentagon is still covering up the extent of Iranian strikes, the NYT has found. Five US service members were injured in a strike on a residential facility at the King Faisal Air Base. Another strike at a second base damaged “a significant number of Blackhawk helicopters”. Twenty more US troops have been wounded in attacks on Jordan’s Muwaffaq al-Salti Air Base in Azraq.

• The US has been committing war crimes. In its fourth strike on civilian water infrastructure, the US destroyed two water tanks in Sirik, Iran, completely cutting off water distribution in all villages of the Bemani district and the city of Kohstak, the Hormozgan Water and Sanitation Authority says. Iran’s people are still suffering from the effects of a long drought.

• Iran has suspended the Memorandum of Understanding, accusing the US of violations, Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi said. He added: “We are busy defending our country.” That takes everything back to square one. The US has nothing to show for the weeks of fighting.

• Iran hit vital oil facilities in Kuwait as well as the Kuwaiti Academy of Security. Iran also struck Kurdish militant positions in Erbil, the capital of Kurdistan Iraq.

• The Iranian Guard Corps claims to have targeted:

• Kuwait:

• •Camp Arifjan, a US logistics hub

• •Ali Al Salem Air Base: radar, weapons maintenance hangar, and drone shelter

• •US Navy fuel support pier at Al Ahmadi Port

• •US signals and communications facility

• Bahrain

• •US military aircraft at Sheikh Isa Air Base

• •Batelco data center, a US command and control and AI processing hub

• Iran remains divided between the politicians who are prepared to search for a diplomatic solution and the fanatical Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps which carries out military attacks without oversight. In other words, no one is in charge. This is not new. One of the reasons why world governments always cautioned against any attack on Iran was because the internal divisions of the country were so steep change was always more likely to come from within — any attack would only lead to a quagmire or unite the Iranians against a common enemy. Trump thought he knew better. Once again he’s been proved wrong.

• Secretary of State Marco Rubio seemed to recognise that as he set off for the ASEAN Summit: “If the guys that want to do something productive for Iran win and take control of that system—or take control of the negotiations—that’ll be a very positive development. That’s not where we are tonight.” His parting comment showed the fatigue setting in in the Trump administration and suggested the possibility that the US might simply pull out: “It is not the United States’ job to protect the planet forever.” A final bit of gaslighting from Rubio: the Trump administration has caused this mess the world now finds itself in.