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Forums - Politics - "Operation Epstein Fury" - US and Israel Unprovoked invasion of Iran

Bofferbrauer2 said:
SanAndreasX said:

So Khamenei has officially been confirmed to be dead by Iranian state media. That would be no great loss, except that Khamenei was 86, and there are always successors, and there will be an election by the Council of Experts, the governing body of Iran. Possible successors include Khamenei's son, Mojitaba Khamenei, and Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, and Sadiq Larijani, the former chief justics.

The U.S., of course, would rather hand the country over to Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late shah.

The Question is: Does Iran really need to replace Khamenei?

I mean, they have a president, and he's still alive. Khamenei was in theory just a religious leader, though he had massive power and influence beyond that. The president could take over the political power from Khamenei and be done with it. The question would probably be more about his succession, as Khamenei had a hand in selecting the persons who were allowed to run in the first place, so this could be widened.

Reza Pahlavi is pretty popular by dissidents of Khamenei both inside and out of Iran - though certainly not with the same powers as his dad had, rather either as a president or a constitutional monarch like those in Europe.

Either would be fine by me: As a constitutional monarch he wouldn't wield much power either way and if he can get elected to the office of president in an open and fair election, then he would have earned the position.

https://blogs.timesofisrael.com/the-pahlavi-team-has-chosen-the-path-of-autocratic-dictatorship-before-the-iranian-regime-has-even-fallen/

Like many others, I also held hopes that the Crown Prince would presumptuously work to restore Iran’s prosperous status quo ante. But the dark plans of the Crown Prince’s campaign would not be known to me or anyone else until the summer of 2025.

My hopes came crashing down in June 2025 when out of the blue, the Pahlavi campaign released a transition plan glibly called the “Emergency Booklet” – as if Iran could be reconstituted and reimagined in a booklet. The plan, still endorsed by Pahlavi, formally abandons his role as Crown Prince or King, voids the Constitution of 1906, and places all three branches of government, the military, and the media, in the hands of a secret council. The identity and numbers of this council shall “remain secret until after the regime falls due to security concerns”. Not only does this document close the door to any hopes to restoring order to Iran, but it also opens the door to a planned period of dark tyranny worse than anything anyone could have fathomed.

Regime change usually doesn't lead to democracy, last time it sorta worked was Panama 1989.



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SvennoJ said:
Zkuq said:

Developing nukes can't possibly take 15 years, even with some setbacks. Iran must have consciously chosen to not take the final steps. If Iran finally decided to actually pursue nukes, it was because of the strikes last summer, and guess who did that? If there was any urgent threat, it was because of Trump. If this was more of a future thing, e.g. for the time after Khamenei's death, that's another thing, but it was also not urgent.

I say this is Trump wanting to leave a mark, and triggering a regime change in Iran would definitely be one way to leave a mark. Trump is old enough to probably care about his legacy a lot, and his legacy until the start of his second term probably wasn't particularly notable. Before his second term, he would probably have been remembered as the president that stirred up the pot and not much more.

It reportedly was Khamenei that forbid the pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei maintained a long-standing public stance against nuclear weapons, issuing a
fatwa in the early 2000s declaring their development and use "haram" (forbidden). He consistently argued that such weapons contradict Islamic principles and are unnecessary for Iran's security.

True or not, Iran has reportedly been weeks away from Nuclear weapons for decades.

The IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency found Iran to have over 60%+ enriched uranium (back in early-mid 2021) (last allowed visit by iran).
Then they detected "particles" nearby enrichment plants of over 83% in 2023.
In 2025 they suddenly had stockpiled more than 400 Kg of enriched uranium (over 60%).
latest intelligence is they have over 450 kg now.

At ~90% enrichment you can make a modern day nuke.
(you can make one with lower %, but its effect won't be as drastic, and will need more material (kg))

Also you need around 25kg to make a functional nuke.
~450 kg is enough to make ~18 war heads (if enriched to 90%).
if they settle for making a dirty / poorly made nuke, at like 60-70%, they would need like ~40kg each.
Still enough to make 10 such weapons.


You only need 3-5% enrichment for a nuclear power plant to work.   < -------

If they were not trying for nukes, why did they enrich uranium that high?
Why are they not allowing scientists that do these "check-ups" access anymore?
So like all the data is now from traitors and spies, and like satellite detection ect.

Esp. after being told, not to do so. That them having nukes would not be allowed.

 
So can we stop the "they were not trying to make nukes" theories? 
or the "they have been years away from making them, forever" ?

They where obviously going ahead with it, and were getting closer as time went by.

*edit:

I just wanted to say that the US probably didn't want it to come to this.
They tried striking a deal with them, first (before this strike).

They did everything they could to slow down or disrupt their research, over the years.
Ei. fed them faulty intel, hardware, software hacks, assassinated a few of their researchers.
Iran kept at it, and were still progressing though slowly. 

Last edited by JRPGfan - 3 days ago

JRPGfan said:
SvennoJ said:

It reportedly was Khamenei that forbid the pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei maintained a long-standing public stance against nuclear weapons, issuing a
fatwa in the early 2000s declaring their development and use "haram" (forbidden). He consistently argued that such weapons contradict Islamic principles and are unnecessary for Iran's security.

True or not, Iran has reportedly been weeks away from Nuclear weapons for decades.

The IAEA International Atomic Energy Agency found Iran to have over 60%+ enriched uranium (back in early-mid 2021) (last allowed visit by iran).
Then they detected "particles" nearby enrichment plants of over 83% in 2023.
In 2025 they suddenly had stockpiled more than 400 Kg of enriched uranium (over 60%).
latest intelligence is they have over 450 kg now.

At ~90% enrichment you can make a modern day nuke.
(you can make one with lower %, but its effect won't be as drastic, and will need more material (kg))

Also you need around 25kg to make a functional nuke.
~450 kg is enough to make ~18 war heads (if enriched to 90%).
if they settle for making a dirty / poorly made nuke, at like 60-70%, they would need like ~40kg each.
Still enough to make 10 such weapons.


You only need 3-5% enrichment for a nuclear power plant to work.   
If they were not trying for nukes, why did they enrich uranium that high?
Why are they not allowing scientists that do these "check-ups" access anymore?
So like all the data is now from traitors and spies, and like satellite detection ect.

Esp. after being told, not to do so. That them having nukes would not be allowed.

 
So can we stop the "they were not trying to make nukes" theories? 
or the "they have been years away from making them, forever" ?

They where obviously going ahead with it, and were getting closer as time went by.

*edit:

I just wanted to say that the US probably didn't want it to come to this.
They tried striking a deal with them, first (before this strike).

They did everything they could to slow down or disrupt their research, over the years.
Ei. fed them faulty intel, hardware, software hacks, assassinated a few of their researchers.
Iran kept at it, and were still progressing though slowly. 

And the US/Israel turned it into a self full filling prophecy.

Trump scrapped the nuclear agreement, then Israel bombed Iran which prompted Iran to deny entry to IAEA.

https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/statements/iaea-director-general-grossis-statement-to-unsc-on-situation-in-iran-20-june-2025


Why is Trump not going after NK? Much more dangerous with nukes, as well as Israel, see the Samson option.



drkohler said:
Eagle367 said:

You know that is a hoax right? 

You know that is PRECISELY what the Quran says?

Read Quran 78:33 for the details...

I'm not an expert on the Quran, but whenever someone says to look something up, I can't help myself:

Surah an-Naba' (78:31-34) (Note: There are various translations, but they all seem pretty similar to the following):

But, for the God-fearing is a blissful abode, Enclosed gardens and vineyards; And damsels with swelling breasts, their peers in age, And a full cup.

This whole passage is pretty similar to what is seen in the bible, but with a little more sex appeal. Essentially stating, if you believe and are righteous (note there is no specificity to the meaning of righteousness) you will be granted access to the kingdom of heaven, which is a nice place with hot ladies. It doesn't specify that these ladies are virgins, nor does it specify what must be done to get there beyond being "god-fearing". Make of that what you will.



Bofferbrauer2 said:
SanAndreasX said:

So Khamenei has officially been confirmed to be dead by Iranian state media. That would be no great loss, except that Khamenei was 86, and there are always successors, and there will be an election by the Council of Experts, the governing body of Iran. Possible successors include Khamenei's son, Mojitaba Khamenei, and Hassan Khomeini, the grandson of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini, the founder of the Islamic Republic, and Sadiq Larijani, the former chief justics.

The U.S., of course, would rather hand the country over to Crown Prince Reza Pahlavi, the son of the late shah.

The Question is: Does Iran really need to replace Khamenei?

I mean, they have a president, and he's still alive. Khamenei was in theory just a religious leader, though he had massive power and influence beyond that. The president could take over the political power from Khamenei and be done with it. The question would probably be more about his succession, as Khamenei had a hand in selecting the persons who were allowed to run in the first place, so this could be widened.

Reza Pahlavi is pretty popular by dissidents of Khamenei both inside and out of Iran - though certainly not with the same powers as his dad had, rather either as a president or a constitutional monarch like those in Europe.

Either would be fine by me: As a constitutional monarch he wouldn't wield much power either way and if he can get elected to the office of president in an open and fair election, then he would have earned the position.

Optimally, the result would be Iranians deciding their own destiny in free and fair elections. Also optimally, if the U.S. didn't like who the Iranian people chose, oh, well. 

The last time the Iranians tried free and fair elections was in 1951, when Mohammad Mosaddegh was elected prime minister on the promise to nationalize the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company and return the Iranian's oil wealth to them instead of seeing it siphoned off to the dying remains of the British Empire. The U.K. and the U.S. naturally didn't like their choice, demonized Mosaddegh as a Communist (he was not affiliated with any Communist movements in Iran, and the CIA even said as much later down the road), and orchestrated his overthrow. Muhammad Reza Shah went from a constitutional monarch to an absolute monarch, becoming increasingly brutal and repressive to the point where his SAVAK were a feared feature of Iranian life in the 1970s, when the Shah had begun referring to himself as Shahanshah, or Emperor.

Ultimately, the Iranian Revolution happened, and the Iranian people were dancing in the streets when the Shah left for the U.S. for cancer treatment and never returned. The Ayatollah Khomeini, who had been living in exile in France, returned to Iran to the exuberant cheers of millions of Iranians. However, a little over a month later, came the International Women's Day Protests over the hijab edict. (Ironically, the father of Muhammad Reza Shah had caused violent protests from women when he banned the hijab for a five year period in the 1930s). 

So hopefully this time, the Iranians will be free to actually choose their leadership, without the say-so of either a bunch of high-ranking hardline Islamist clergy or a bunch of people with big guns and imperial ambitions to rule Asia and siphon its wealth to North America. I'm very skeptical of them avoiding either outcome, sadly. 



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I am not right-wing in politics but i don't have problem U.S. bomb any country that helps fascists Putin And Chinese Goverment.
They oppress and kill many people.



SvennoJ said:
Zkuq said:

Developing nukes can't possibly take 15 years, even with some setbacks. Iran must have consciously chosen to not take the final steps. If Iran finally decided to actually pursue nukes, it was because of the strikes last summer, and guess who did that? If there was any urgent threat, it was because of Trump. If this was more of a future thing, e.g. for the time after Khamenei's death, that's another thing, but it was also not urgent.

I say this is Trump wanting to leave a mark, and triggering a regime change in Iran would definitely be one way to leave a mark. Trump is old enough to probably care about his legacy a lot, and his legacy until the start of his second term probably wasn't particularly notable. Before his second term, he would probably have been remembered as the president that stirred up the pot and not much more.

It reportedly was Khamenei that forbid the pursuit of nuclear weapons.

Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei maintained a long-standing public stance against nuclear weapons, issuing a
fatwa in the early 2000s declaring their development and use "haram" (forbidden). He consistently argued that such weapons contradict Islamic principles and are unnecessary for Iran's security.

True or not, Iran has reportedly been weeks away from Nuclear weapons for decades.

Since at least 1992, Netanyahu has claimed Tehran was only 3–5 years away from producing a nuclear bomb.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has claimed Iran is on the verge of developing nuclear weapons for over three decades, with specific warnings of an imminent, short-term threat—often mentioned as "months" or "weeks"—gaining prominence around 2012
https://news.un.org/en/story/2012/09/421552


Murdering Khamenei opens the door for Iran to actually develop nukes. No doubt his successors have been advising him that nukes are essential for defense. No better proof now.


Anyway it never was about nukes, it's about removing the last opposing force from the ME and weakening Iran-China and Iran-Russia relations. Turning Iran into another unstable Lebanon / Syria / Yemen / Iraq is Netanyahu's dream. Netanyahu already moved the goal posts from nukes to ballistic missiles, any nuclear deal would not have stopped this.


Trump knows he's close to death and has become a rambling fool only about his legacy, from begging for peace prices to leaving his mark on the White House by adding a ballroom, to creating a 'Board of Peace' and getting his son in law to turn Gaza into the 'Riviera of the ME'.

He's certainly leaving a legacy as a thief, war criminal and pedophile, destroying US soft power, the illusion of US democracy and likely the US economy as well. Trump will be remembered as the president that ended US hegemony. Yet for now he still has command of the world most powerful army. A very dangerous combination.

How many more countries will Trump bomb

Based on reported military actions since taking office in January 2025, the Trump administration has engaged in bombing or direct military strikes in at least 6-7 countries, including Iran, Venezuela, Syria, Somalia, Iraq, Yemen, and Nigeria.

Cuba is likely next.

Isrrael convinced the world, Iraq had weapons of mass destruction...

Israel convinced the world, Iran has weapons of mass destruction any minute now.



Davy said:

I am not right-wing in politics but i don't have problem U.S. bomb any country that helps fascists Putin And Chinese Goverment.
They oppress and kill many people.

As does the USA.





Oman’s foreign minister says Iran agreed to “zero enriched uranium stockpiling.”

Within hours, Israel and the USA attacked them.

It was never about peace or uranium but about acting out Netanyahu's biggest bloodthirsty fantasy.



Davy said:

I am not right-wing in politics but i don't have problem U.S. bomb any country that helps fascists Putin And Chinese Goverment.
They oppress and kill many people.


The post-9/11 "War on Terror" resulted in an estimated 4.5 to 4.6 million+ total deaths (direct and indirect) across various theaters, including over 937,000 direct war deaths, according to the Costs of War project.

These conflicts, primarily in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Syria, and Yemen, also caused at least 38 million people to be displaced.

https://costsofwar.watson.brown.edu/papers


No problem with that?