It is easy to start a war. It is more difficult to stop one.
President Trump’s military intervention was too late to give victory to the mass protesters out to topple the government.
Now he is bombing, the protesters are more circumspect because the Revolutionary guards still seem to be in charge and have shown their willingness to murder protesters in large numbers.
The US claims to have destroyed the Iranian navy and airforce, but Iran is still able to direct missiles and drones against US bases and to offer a credible threat to shipping.
The US can carry on bombing as they find other stocks of weapons. They could try to bomb Revolutionary guards, though presumably they do not assemble in obvious locations. Where they blend into the local communities they gain some protection as the US needs to avoid civilian casualties.
Maybe the best the President can do is to bomb as much military and kill as many top officials as possible and declare victory. He will have to have destroyed most Iranian missiles and drones to greatly reduce the threats.
It would help if he can urgently establish a convoy protection system for tankers in the area.
March 11, 2026
Good morning.
Battles and wars end when one side concedes that victory is not possible and either seeks a truce or surrenders, or the other side considers its objectives met.
President Trump objectives are clear – To prevent the Iranian government obtaining a nuclear weapon. It also seeks to dismantle the means by any such weapon can be delivered. This would be obtained by making the Iranian government sign an agreement to that effect and allow unrestricted monitoring. No need for boots on the ground, this is not a dispute over territory, or even regime change.
As to the situation between the Iranian government and its people, it has lost all legitimacy. It is just a matter of time before it falls and is replaced by something else. I do not think the Iranian people what the former Shah’s son back.
They just want to be free. I wish them luck.
March 11, 2026
Mark B,
I agree with your views other than that the Iranian ‘Government’ does not exist. It is a Theocracy imposed upon, and determined to control, the Iranian people, 95% of whom oppose it. The regime wants to force surrounding middle eastern countries to comply with its mantra and to destroy any non-radical Islamic countries, Israel, the US and the UK included, which resist its ideology. As such, even though it may come to know that its demise is imminent, it will never surrender and will, in its dying breath, throw everything it can at its perceived enemies to kill as many ‘non-believers’ as it can, regardless of the consequences for themselves.
President Trump, despite his many detractors, who criticize wholly on political grounds, is right to undertake this current action, when failure to do so would see tyranny fester for many decades to come, much to the detriment of non-Muslim countries throughout the world. What a shame that the UK, almost certainly contrary to the views of the vast majority of the population, is being shown as unsupportive of this critical conflict. A decisive outcome, which should see self-determination for the Iranians, much needed stability restored in the Middle East, and sensible fuel prices worldwide, is close at hand.
Any person, or any sensible Government, should try to ensure that they were blatantly supportive of the current action, or accept the repercussions of being perceived as not. It looks too late for the UK!
March 11, 2026
‘ too late to give victory to the mass protesters out to topple the government.’?
What mass protesters? Politicians say there were Mossad agents on the ground and starlink communications set up.
We don’t know all that is going on because of censorship in Israel and Iran. We know more about damage elsewhere in the Gulf and Cyprus.
It would seem that Iran is taking a pounding and that the 168 schoolgirls were killed by an American strike, though Trump and Hegseth continue to deny and deflect.
Lots of so-called experts predict various outcomes – but it is all speculation.
Does Iran have a huge stockpile of missiles ? No evidence of their use so far. Have US Israeli anti missile detectors been knocked out? Are the gulf states now rendered defenceless?
Is America looking for a way to get out without losing face?
Is Iran determined to keep going in an existential battle?
Will other nations be drawn in?
Will nuclear weapons be used ?
March 11, 2026
@Peter. +1. I guess we don’t both rely greatly on the mainstream media to inform our judgement.
Having said that, none of us here really know what’s happening. Our leaders and militaries don’t have crystal balls, either.
As far as I can see, this is a war fought to change the balance of power regionally and internationally. Hence it will bring in participants from across the world and destabilise a far greater area than Iran or even the middle east.
Israel is pursuing the Euphrates to the Nile “Greater Israel” project, using American force. The US wants control of hydrocarbons in the Gulf, as leverage with Russia (producer) and China (consumer), and to send a bullying message to BRICS and any state that wants to be independent. All such nations will try to get nuclear weapons if they can, or second best, hide under a true ally’s umbrella.
If Trump pulls the US out, it will be seen as dangerous but weak. And if he carries on? Either way, he has unnecessarily opened a Pandora’s box.
March 11, 2026
There was NOT a strike on a school. No schoolgirls were killed. Admitted by the Islamic Regime publicly.
You are not following the flood of information available re the war or you would not be asking these questions.
There was a ‘new’ unidentified Us weapon used as Trump promised. Blue light, flat plate like ‘plume’ extending horizontally. Not nuclear, not hypersonic. Not yet identified.
Read Melanie Phillips, she is in Tel Aviv. Putting out first hand reports daily.
March 11, 2026
Both regime and non-regime media confirm that drone strikes have begun against street level IRGC and basiji units. Checkpoints and vehicles are being struck. Suppression forces are being killed in large numbers.
A new mopping up phase has begun.
March 11, 2026
No evidence for the stockpile of missiles or their use so far? Are you joking? Mass protesters just Mossad agents. Those tens of thousands they just shot and hung didn’t look like agents. Most were young people.
March 11, 2026
Peter
You believe Hamas’s figures about how many people were killed in Palestine but you are very skeptical about any figures for protesters killed trying to get freedom in Iran.
PS You lefties love paragraphs
March 11, 2026
Why do so many Westerners talk down the Crown Prince? Is it kneejerk republicanism? Or is it the memory of the KGB’s very effective black propaganda 1976-9, which the BBC has faithfully carried on? The MEK, the communist islamist terrorist offshoot from the Ayatollahs, have done a grand job ingratiating themselves with Westerners, all too many of whom call them the official opposition.
I have yet to come across an Iranian who doesn’t want to unite behind the Crown Prince while he leads a transition government towards a referendum and elections. His name is called out in the streets all over Iran, not just in the cities, and that includes the minorities. There are continual reports of army and even IRGC men defecting to him and he has been seriously organized in managing this for quite some time.
March 11, 2026
Iran and Iranian people are not an homogenous mass. There are numerous cultures and tribes, such as the Kurds in the North West who want their own homeland. Do you think that they would be happy to exchange one master for another ? If it me I would say no !
March 12, 2026
If you think the Crown Prince is like the Ayatollah you have an awful lot to learn!
He has offered to lead a TRANSITIONAL government, to a referendum and elections, for the people to choose their form of government – Constitutional Monarchy and Parliamentary Democracy, or a Democratic Republic – and then who their politicians are to be.
Yes, there are several minorities though nothing like as many as here, but most seem content to fall in behind the Crown Prince to free themselves of what they have now. No-one gets 100% support. And there are plenty of sour critics in the West trying to pull him down. Plenty of malicious people too, wanting to stir up separatism when Iran has been a unified state for a very long time.
March 11, 2026
There is a large minority of powerful repressive forces who fear the consequence of loss of power because of the extreme evil they have used inevitably risking extreme revenge. They will not give up easily. If they are pushed aside a period of semi lawless anarchy is likely as new founts of power battle to get established. See at least much of the Former Soviet Union post 1991, but probably also fuelled by religion.
March 11, 2026
Good Morning,
To get some idea how this ends, it would be helpful to hear what the orange president wants to achieve, we don’t know. Netanyahu has given his objectives, no nukes or missiles, but leaving the regime means those can be rebuilt if the regime stays.
Trump is notoriously short on attention, when it suits him, he’ll walk away. Are there special forces going in across the Iraq border….?
March 11, 2026
Peter, your points about Trump’s aims and attention span are key. In a few days/weeks he will declare THE WAR IS OVER. USA WON BIGGEST, NOBODY MESSES WITH ME.
As to whether anything has been achieved, that is a different matter. Based on the experience last year nothing will really change in Iran. Dissent will be suppressed, terrorists will be supported, nuclear programme will continue and the ruling elite will retain their power.
March 11, 2026
Two other Peters,
Meanwhile China and Russia look on while America’s costly arsenal is depleted. These missiles apparently also take a long time to replace. Stocks are low.
If China were minded – and it’s a big if – it might be an opportune moment to invade Taiwan.
There are reports that inexpensive drones are bait for the more expensive American defensive missiles. Allegedly, Iran sends out the cheap stuff first to draw in/waste their opponents expensive kit.
There are also claims than Iran’s more expensive missiles travel at extremely fast speed and can accelerate and bob and weave through remote control. Allegedly, standard missile defences are based on incoming attacks travelling in a standard arc.
The cheaper drones are unlike the drones that delayed a Premier League football match I was watching a few years ago. These ones look like standard rockets. All this stuff is on the internet with technical descriptions. However, it remains to be seen whether they are effective or not. All very interesting in theory – but unproven in battle so far.
March 11, 2026
If you were to listen to the US Press briefings you would know what President Trumps objectives were. They are simple and clear – Iran cannot have nukes !!!
March 11, 2026
@Mark B. His NSA reported they didn’t have nukes or a nuckear weapons programme. Tulsi Gabbard has now been sidelined. Khameni senior had issued a fatwa agains it, too. There was the monitoring deal which Trump threw out, and on the eve of war the Iranians were (according to the Omani negotiating mediators) ready to offer a much better deal. This isn’t about nukes alone. That was solveable without war.
March 11, 2026
He set out his objectives in word of one syllable before the war started.
You should do a search.
March 11, 2026
Trump was crystal clear on his war aims in his early press conference. How come you are ignoring that ? Suits your preconceptions ?
March 11, 2026
Trump was not clear. He switches between regime change, destroying the nuclear threat(that he told us was destroyed a few months ago) and because Iran has been a threat for 47 years.
His colleague Lindsay Graham chips in to say that Iran’s oil stocks are the prize along with undermining China. Hegseth says Iranians are dangerous barbarians. Rubio says one thing, then denies it the following day to fall in line with Trump.
‘Short term pain, long term gain’ is the new mantra to counter the reaction to higher gas prices and the impact on voters’ living costs.
March 11, 2026
We have been told the American objectives over and over again: to remove all nuclear capability; to remove most of the missiles and their production and development so missiles cannot reach Europe or America; to cut off support for proxies; to prevent sabotage at sea; to enable the people to effect regime change.
As for minute plans, it is not normal for war cabinets to share these with any Tom, Dick, or Harry.
Anther objective we can all discern is to disrupt China’s cut price supply of oil from both Venezuela and Iran. The Venezuelan and Iranian operations have not been good for Russia either. We can also discern that somebody’s special forces have been operating very effectively inside Iran for quite some time. Definitely not something to discuss with Tom, Dick, or Harry.
March 11, 2026
The blockade causes increased oil and gas price and helps Russia.
March 12, 2026
Yes, a lot of undesirable things will happen in the short term.
March 11, 2026
China has seen supply cut from the whole AG, not just Iran. It is in their interests to see supply recommenced. Yet Trump is also trying to dissuade ttem from invading Taiwan. That makes it difficult for getting China to get client Iranian state hotheads to cool off.
March 11, 2026
Peter, from what I read on the BBC, he laid out an expansive mission for the war. His goal – to ensure that Iran could not develop weaponry to target the USA, Israel or any American allies for a very long time. Trump commented on Monday to CBS that the war ‘is very complete, pretty much’, stock markets rallied. Trump called it an excursion rather than a war but said the US would intensify its strikes if Iran continued to threaten oil tankers exiting the Persian Gulf. Trump discussed how Iran’s navy has been sunk, its air force estroyed, its radar and anti-aircraft equipment disabled.
They’re not going to reveal military strategy in advance though are they. This ‘excursion’ is not popular, a gallon of gasoline has gone up 48 cents in a week – cheap for us at $3.48 per gallon! But a surge to US citizens.
March 12, 2026
The orange president, as you call him, is not stupid enough to declare everything to his enemies. That is basic wargaming 101. It is also basic wargaming to to be inconsistent inorder to maintain an element of surprise and to make it more difficult for the enemy to develop its countermeasures. A predictable enemy is more easily defeated. You should remember his enemies. The West’s enemies, are not only the Islamist regime, that is merely the worst of them. Much of the Woke Left is on the side of the Islamists and firmly entrenched in governments and institutions of the states of countries that are nominally allies and that are supposed to be upholders of Western values, the UK included. These are founded in Christianity and Judaism, a fact the Woke Left hates and takes every opportunity to undermine or destroy.
This war is not just about Iran. It is a war to defend the West against an enemy that has been waging war against it since the 7th century. Starmer’s Gang, riddled with and controlled by Fabians, is not on our side. It is the doormat for Islamist entry into Britain.
March 11, 2026
It will help if he can start a convoy protection system through the straights.
Once again the west expecting Americans to stand in the firing line to protect oil flows. We need a multi national force but of course very few European countries have the assets, certainly not Britain.
Trump once again exposes the sheer stupidity of western governments preferring welfare over defence.
We can’t (or won’t) even protect our own shores let alone the Straights of Hormuz. No doubt the uniparty will be welcoming the Revolutionary Guards into 4 star hotels in Britain.
March 11, 2026
I have been closely watching the electricity grid for sime time and am somewhat puzzled. Today wind is providing 50% at this time of day but we continue to import significant amounts from France.
It would appear that there is sime agreement ti take power from France regardless of the demand. Could it be that EDF is state owned and large amounts of UK infrastructure belongs to EDF, so we subsidise French consumers.
March 11, 2026
Interesting.
March 11, 2026
It could be that the Green Brigade prefer nuclear electricity from France because it’s lower CO2 than gas. Cost doesn’t matter to them. They also don’t care if industry closes because the UK has lower CO2 on its books.
March 11, 2026
French nuclear based power has consistently remained cheaper than the rest of the EU except when Spain is overproducing solar.
March 11, 2026
@Ian Wragg
Your post smacks of panic – at the prospect of being unable to drive your ICE car when petrol rationing is introduced. This morning unleaded near me is £1.67/l already
Do try to keep a level head. Panic stricken rants about how it’s all somebody else’s fault are unhelpful
March 11, 2026
Indeed, not easy but let us hope for a rapid and positive outcome for the region. But surely better than allowing Iran to gain nuclear weapons and then tackling them.
Meanwhile more appalling moves from this dreadful two tier Kier government on abolition of Juries and the new anti-free speech Islamophobia definition and Tzar which will obviously further increase racial tensions hugely. Changing from 12 jurors to 1 or 2 people is clearly insane (you get far more ransom results). If these fewer people are only judges then you are damaging justice even further as judges have far less varied backgrounds and experiences and they are appointed by another small group think group. Plus they have career advancement to consider.
Take (12 jury) balls at random from a bag of 50% red 50% blue only on in 4096 will you get all red generally you get a decent mix. But take one (judge out) 50% are red 50% blue! Even then you have the problem that they suffer from Judge/Lawyer group think.
A truly appalling move. Thanks due to the 14 years of Consocialists for giving the dire Starmer his huge majority! Sunak even pathetically quitting 6 months early.
March 11, 2026
“It would help if he can urgently establish a convoy protection system for tankers in the area.”
Indeed but not easy with mines and missiles fairly easy to arrange on such a narrow stretch of water and the ships being so vulnerable and so easy to set fire too.
March 11, 2026
With just one Judge it will also always be one gender, one person who may have some mad religious views, may have or their family may have personally suffered from rape or other criminal actions, may be very keen on self promotion, may believe strongly in the net zero religion and will have a lawyer’s and state sector group think background. They will rarely be asking is this even a fair and reasonable law that deserved to be be enforced at all.
The outcome is going to be far more arbitrary than a random mixed jury of 12.
March 11, 2026
“No doubt the Uniparty will be allowing the Revolutionary Guards into 4 Star hotels”
How would they know Ian? We have no real idea who any of these people are.
March 11, 2026
No need for hotels, the new Ayatollah owns a massive house in London.
March 11, 2026
Where is the civil uprising? Seems deep down that the Middle East prefers to live under dictatorships
March 11, 2026
I don’t think its a choice to live under a dictatorship ….the Iranian state today informed its people that they would be shot in the street, as an enermy, if protesting !
March 11, 2026
Possibly because the last time anyone complained – they all got shot?
March 11, 2026
The Donald’s Epstein files distraction campaign in Iran will continue indefinitely. The IRGC have now mined the Straits of Hormuz and have bombed the Gulf states oil/gas production, storage and infrastructure facilities. Neither side have shown the slightest interest in diplomacy.
One observes that for the Ayatollah regime, this war is existential
Despite Trump’s boasting about organising convoys through Hormuz, insured by the Americans, there is no indication that the US Navy has been able to do so. In any case the petro-states oil/gas infrastructure has been destroyed. The IRGC are now successfully targeting water desalination plant and the Israeli nuclear facilities in central Israel at Dimona using targeting information provided by the Russians
The fossil fuel cartel is rubbing its hands together with glee, as the forecourts here ramp up the price of unleaded to £1.59/l yesterday with every prospect of £2.00 shortly, followed by petrol rationing, panic buying of food/bottled water and government subsidies on everyone’s energy bills. Straight from British taxpayers to the oil company’s bottom line
When this war eventually concludes, the world will rapidly move away from fossil fuels to EV’s, renewable energy and battery storage. At last
March 11, 2026
I wonder if the delay was caused by Two-Tier refusing permission to use Diego Garcia and our air bases, requiring revision of attack plans?
If that is the case (and it may well be) then Trump will have yet another reason to despise the Legal Android currently masquerading as a British Prime Minister if it gave the Iranian regime time to murder 30,000 citizen-protesters and caused the delay (or possible failure) in the overthrow of the Iranian Regime.
This article in the DT a couple of days ago was interesting. If Trump seizes Kharg Island and “polices” the Strait of Hormuz, the Iranian Regime will be strangled.
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/us/news/2026/03/08/us-could-seize-strategic-oil-island/
March 11, 2026
Agree and I think the US are on to this idea hence “boots on the ground” are being positioned.
Certainly smaller than Greenland.
March 11, 2026
Not sure that being sitting duck targets for remaining Iranian missiles and drones makes sense.
March 11, 2026
A good article in the Telegraph on this yesterday. The USA chose to start the war, but it is not in their gift to end it. The war will carry on as long as the new leader and IRG want it to and as long as Israel wishes to keep going.
Iran were on the path to a nuclear bomb – have yet to see any building of the nuclear power stations required for nuclear energy- and when they have it, they will use it. Not only do they have to be stopped getting nuclear weapon, but also chemical and biological weapons.
Pandora’s box is well and truly opened.
March 11, 2026
There is a nuclear power station at Bushehr based on Russian technology. The Russians were building a further 2 reactors at the site which were originally due on stream this year. 2 days ago, Russia evacuated all workers from the site, fearing attack.
March 11, 2026
Ukraine has shown that a determined attacked state can continue against their attacker endlessly while they can arm themselves.
Iran will be able to continue this war beyond the rest of the world’s economic appetite. They will then claim they have won.
I can not understand why a pipeline across Saudi to Oman has not been built so that there is no reliance on that small peace of sea at the Strait of Hormuz.
Russia and Iran at war with the West kind of emasculates our economies. We need to drill.
March 11, 2026
Pipelines can be very vulnerable too.
March 11, 2026
Iran will not win!
Israel now exports more armaments than the U.K.
Russia has been ‘helpful’ if you look at their actions.
The Persians will recover themselves.
March 11, 2026
John your quick answer to stopping this conflict does not embrace what is actually happening. The Iranian theocratic rule was a working example of what happens when religious zealots have control over modern technology and opportunities. The destabilised Middle East is entirely due to inflexible beliefs surrounding Islam and has been in place growing in influence for 1400 years. Whole countries once peaceful, stable though poor, are now waring unstable and poor. Think Syria, Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Lebanon, Egypt, and every Islamic based country in North Africa. These countries may be poor but are able to access modern weapons increasingly sophisticated weapons, thanks to Iran, and are happy to use those weapons when ever they can.
In the middle of this region of hostility sits Israel the only western democracy and the country Islam under the influence of Iran has declared its eternal enemy and must be destroyed.
With that as the backdrop, it is difficult to see how this conflict driven by the Israeli survival needs, can be stopped without a complete rejigging of the Islamic mental state of mind promoting death top the infidels.
March 11, 2026
The actual Bombing War can stop anytime America and Israel want it to, but that will not stop Iran from infiltrating the west and like nations with subversive attacks on their home soil, hotels, ships, trains, or planes.
As long as the Republican Guard are in place and in control, there will be no change or freedom and peace within Iran for their own people.
March 12, 2026
Correct
March 11, 2026
Trump has to finish decisively. The remnants of the old regime cannot be allowed to hang on for round 2 (or is it 3?). Khamenei’s son will be embittered and sworn to revenge. Supported by the IRGC, he will rebuild, export more terrorism and move heaven and earth to get a nuclear device. If regime change requires boots on the ground now, so be it.
March 11, 2026
I’m not sure Trump really can win.
Iranian leadership seems to have a strong grip on power, they have a lot of people who depend on their patronage for a good life. The more fanatical ones view death as the honourable way out rather than working with the non believers, so threatening to kill them all probably won’t achieve much.
As for missiles and especially drones (air and sea) then all they need is to fire off a few every so often towards the Gulf States and shipping to cause massive economic disruption to the world. They cost 50k, the interceptor missiles 1.5million.
It is good that Iran threat is significantly reduced, however it doesn’t need to retain much in order to play a very disruptive role via the credible threats mentioned.
I am of the belief that something probably needed to be done about Iran sooner rather than later, but I also do not believe the eventual outcomes have been well thought through, or if they have the key people have not taken them sufficiently into account.
March 11, 2026
They are all dead. The current stand in leader threatened to assassinate Trump.
Trump can’t stop until that capability is crushed and the flow of money funding terrorism all over the world is stopped.
March 11, 2026
As with so many American overseas interventions using air power alone does not work. There’s no appetite for this war in America and with mid terms looming Trump will struggle to retain control of both Congress and Senate. With a crisis over energy supply I cannot see America prevailing, all I see is death, destruction and misery for the Iranian people and a destabilised Middle East.
March 11, 2026
Quentin Letts dailymail.co.uk 11 March Why I now wish I was French. Sic transit gloria mundi …
March 11, 2026
The UK is such a ‘lame duck’. No military, no navy, no air-force to talk of that could protect the UK let alone project powers, as such it(the UK) appears to be outside the loop of the major players so much so they wouldn’t even talk to the UK.
March 11, 2026
The UK needs to evolve to the situation and position that it can stand on it own two feet, be self-reliant, resilient and able to protect itself in troubled times before it can even offer advice or opinions to others.
The UK Parliament has overseen 30 years of destruction and in the basics of duty, keeping us safe they have failed big time – these 650 MPs individually and personally ‘OWN’ failure. Ban jury trials, ban kids using the internet, ban industry producing, ban the production of energy, ban free-speech, ban, ban, ban. The UK is good at banning, mainly acting as a clueless Local Council not a cohesive national government not able protect, grow, encourage. A house of wannabee failures that own destruction and nothing else.
March 12, 2026
and via the back door sell the UK to the EU
March 12, 2026
Do you think the feminising of Parliament has let defence go and put in its place multiple bans? And rocket boosted the international welfare state?
March 11, 2026
Ah but, Ian B have you not forgotten that the UK Government aspires to be number one in soft power – ie Giving away borrowed money for nothing in return.
March 11, 2026
There are dangers of course in keeping any military structure in place, and that applies to personnel.
The bombs would still fly unless they were 98% eradicated, while those in charge of the regime are effectively redundant if they can so easily be replaced by less senior figures with the same ideology.
The key thing is to understand the state and quality of those stepping up and how easily they could be manipulated to throw in the towel – but could they ever be trusted to form a real democratic regime?
Iran must be greatly reduced as far as missiles and arms are concerned, otherwise this could open the future to more trouble.
March 11, 2026
The are two militaries in Iran. The conventional State Military, much like our own, and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It is the latter that is the problem and must be destroyed.
March 11, 2026
Perhaps the best hope is for the military, rather than the IRGC/Basij/mullocracy to take over.
March 11, 2026
Trump has already achieved important things – he is stopping a country that has now proved it will fire its weapons at anybody and anything from getting nuclear weapons. By ridding the world of another leader he is making leaders think twice about what they do because he is showing that there can be devastating repercussions on them personally. So I am not going to be critical of him over this but leave him to resolve the end of this operation in his own way.
March 11, 2026
+1
March 11, 2026
The Islamic Republic hope to just exist when the war stops. Then they can regroup.
So the war can’t stop until the west and the Persian population win.
However the result is not in question anymore. But the mopping up must continue. We can’t fight this again.
March 11, 2026
Lynn, you appear to be one of very few who have grasped this: the Ayatollahs and the IRGC are like HAMAS. All they need is to survive and say, look, we beat NATO and Israel. Never mind that the new Supreme Leader is in a coma; never mind that they can’t function as a government; never mind that they are running out of ships and missiles; never mind that they have lost control of the air. They are still there and they can still kill their people. If they hide in hospitals as HAMAS do, they will last all the longer. This is a death cult the West does not understand. That is why they find the Secretary for War so distasteful. It is his job to convince the Islamic Republic that it is not worth rebuilding their nuclear facilities and their missile and drone production. That requires very different strategy and psychology from what Westerners are used to and find acceptable. But the Arabs in the coalition understand it.
March 11, 2026
I find it hard to believe that a satisfactory end can come to the Iran war without boots on the ground.
Think about the WW2 example. DDay preceded with SOE activities, intelligence, training and arming. Followed by a build up using the SAS and OSS. Then lots of military activity in support of the D Day operation.
Were it my operation, I would have SAS infiltrated Iran for the last six months in cooperation with Mossad and any American small units with the right mind set, for the express purpose of collecting intelligence on any potential organised resistance to eventual boots on the ground. Organised resistance, reported on, can be dealt with using AirPower, but you will still need those boots on the ground to support the process of reversion to democracy. An SAS type infiltration would smooth the task of eventual boots on the ground.
If Donald has thought it through I will be the first to congratulate him. My expectation is that the USA thinking remains that overwhelming air power will sort it. Very misguided. Remember Vietnam, and Afghanistan with overwhelming AirPower ended in ignominious failure.
March 11, 2026
Trump gives the impression in his announcements that he thinks you can just turn a war on and off like a tap, and of course this is easier to achieve without ground forces being involved. But I think this is exactly what he will hope to do, when he thinks he can put out a believable message that he has done all that is necessary, and I have no doubt that he will believe what he is saying, even if no one else does. The complicating factor though, in my view, is being sure that the Straights of Hormuz are not still closed.
One thing the Iranian adventure does demonstrate very clearly, is how unimportant to Mr Trump the Russia/Ukraine conflict is.
March 11, 2026
Looking at the ship tracker for the Hormuz Straits area we can clearly see the bulk carrier that was hit ‘Mayuree Naree’ a Thai flagged vessel stopped in the water and presumably on fire with crew abandoned from news reports. We also know that some other ships have tried to pass have been hit including a Japanese but at same time we can see on the Tracker App the odd Chinese ship passing freely and with no reports of any incidents so by joining the dots it’s not hard to see what’s happening. Then the idea of putting naval ships there or using them for escorts to convoys is also a non runner – some countries might be able to square the insurance costs but the whole thing as regards safety to life would be highly dangerous – the US Navy would have had ships in there long before now if it were safe to do so – once again Strategic Planning and for all scenarios has let us all down
March 11, 2026
The Islamic Republic of Iran is an outworking of spiritual wickedness in high places (Ephesians 6:12). Trump’s America seems to understand this. Israel must be so grateful to them – especially as they celebrate Purim, and the deliverance from Haman’s evil genocidal scheme in the days of Esther.
March 11, 2026
History tells us war cannot be won by air power alone. Gulf states are extremely vulnerable; oil and gas assets and especially desalination plants are relatively easy targets from Iran. I fear America has miscalculated by underestimating strategic economic issues and Iran’s military capabilities?
March 12, 2026
The boots on the ground ‘are the people of Iran’
March 11, 2026
The war will be won once we realise that the war is about religion and democracy ….Iran understands this, we don’t
March 11, 2026
Although there may be a lull in hot, kinetic fighting this war will never end. A medieval and suicidal death cult will never cease in its wish to convert everyone to its beliefs. Our leaders, having seen the effect of sectarianism in Northern Ireland, never-the-less thought that bringing this cult to our nation would be good for us. It is not a surprise to see the Green Party become a coalition between this cult and that of CAGW/Net Zero as this cult too has a death wish. In this case for all life on the planet through the removal of CO2, the gas of life, which has been on a slow decline for the last 150 million years.
March 11, 2026
The Iran/Iraq war in the 1980’s lasted for eight years it’s typical of some of these outbreaks – so better buckle up we could be in for a long one – anyway am sure the excursion planners have it all factored in
March 12, 2026
I observed that quite closely, aided by some access to military and policy intelligence. It was a proxy war, with Iraq financed by the GCC countries and China providing backing for Iran, on nominal Shia/Sunni religious lines. Henry Kissinger famously said “It’s a pity they can’t both lose.” The US gave support to both sides according to which appeared to be in danger of getting the upper hand. We had the Iran Contra scandal with spare parts for Iranian Phantoms supplied via Israel and Turkey and supply of satellite intelligence to Iraq.
March 11, 2026
leave the USA alone, at least they are trying.
in the UK we have far bigger problems, like rape and murder on our streets. the state hiding the sheer scale from some demographics, and importing more of those demographics. rapists being allowed out on bail the very same day they commit the offence, and got arrested.
immigration out of control, both legal and illegal.
the state forcing the closure of many of our businesses.
at least the USA can run a defence department, our equivalents are an international embarrassment
March 11, 2026
drove up and down the M6 a few times in the last few days. the permanent “temporary” 50 mph speed restrictions are still there for many parts of the journey. with no road works or bad weather.
the public sector anti car measures are in full swing, with no push back from politicians.
March 12, 2026
Tax revenue