Iran

[GDS_Starfury]

next up on the fuck around and find out list is Iran.

Iranian Sources are reporting the Attack tonight near the U.S. Consulate within the City of Erbil in Northern Iraq was carried out by 6 Fateh-110 Tactical Short-Range Ballistic Missiles launched by the IRGC.

no proxies to hide behind with this. 

[Gusington]

With some good 'clandestine nudging,' I feel Iran is ready to implode. Which is probably why they want to start something...to save their sorry theocratic-governmental buttocks.

[SirAndrewD]

With some good 'clandestine nudging,' I feel Iran is ready to implode. Which is probably why they want to start something...to save their sorry theocratic-governmental buttocks.

And that's exactly why Iran has continually engaged in this kind of inciteful violence since the 80's. 

The Communist idea of "perpetual revolution" was adopted by Iran from the very first day the Islamic Republic took power.  Part of that endless revolution involves constantly demonstrating to its people that the Revolutionary Government is strong, in charge, and not afraid of any outside pressures to reverse progress. 

The more they keep external threats alive and well to their people, they have less to fear internally.

[GDS_Starfury]

I hope Praying Mantis Part 2 starts soon.

[GDS_Starfury]

so who had Iran launching missiles at Pakistan on their bingo card?

[W8taminute]

Pakistan is saying there will be consequences for the attack and has withdrawn it's ambassador from Iran.

[Gusington]

  Makes perfect sense in a world that makes no sense at all.

[JasonPratt]

Feels like the Ayatollah discovered his grandkids were playing Hearts of Iron, and got into the game recently, then thought hey I could actually do this...!

[Uberhaus]

China is telling Iran and Pakistan, both its allies, to play nice.  https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-67999465

China on Wednesday urged Pakistan and Iran to show "restraint" and "avoid actions that would lead to an escalation of tension". Foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning added that Beijing saw the countries as "close neighbours".

Nothing to ruin your cabal's plan than something like this.  Am I talking out of my ass?  Maybe, but I don't think Gordon Chang of the Gatestone Institute is.  https://www.businessinsider.com/xi-jinpings-battle-with-chinas-military-could-drag-us-ww3-2024-1  While explaining the December 29 purge of Chinese senior commanders unwilling to go to war, Chang makes the following statement: 

All the conditions are in place for a third world war, Chang said: There is widespread conflict — war in Ukraine, insurgencies in Africa, Israel's war on Hamas in Gaza, and military activity in the Red Sea, Persian Gulf, and Indian Ocean.

"Remember, in the 1930s, there were separate wars that merged into what we now call World War II," he said.

"The same dynamics exist today, and it's entirely possible, and some people can even argue that it's probable that these will merge into a global conflict," Chang said.

A Chinese invasion in East Asia would drag Western countries into something larger, he predicted.

"I think that Xi Jinping is taking two pages out of Mao's Peasant Revolution playbook."

"One of them was to encircle the cities from the countryside. And in this, I think that Xi Jinping views Ukraine, north Africa, Israel as the countryside, and the United States as the city," he said.

I'm not trying to misdirect the thread but China's statement to Iran and Pakistan gives an indication of what it wants from its ally, Iran.  It hasn't said anything to rein in Iran's actions until now, when nuclear armed Pakistan has threatened consequences.

[GDS_Starfury]

so Pakistan seems to be hitting targets in Iran right now.....

[MengJiao]

so who had Iran launching missiles at Pakistan on their bingo card?

Not me.  I blame Russia for opening this whole can of worms by showing that there's no superpower but the USA and we
can't afford to annihilate anybody cuz we already control everything so why blow anything up?  It will just make consummers suffer.

[JasonPratt]

Question: what do you get if you combine carpet bombing with modern precision?

Answer: fewer Iranian-proxy military bases across the Middle-East today.

80+ bases reported hit in the past several hours, action appears to be ongoing.

[JasonPratt]

Update: most (maybe all?) ordnance was spiked down by B-1B Lancers (staging out of Lakenheath UK at least, possibly elsewhere). Time to destroy the target packages, about 30 minutes.

[JasonPratt]

ISW confirms more than 85 bases scoured. https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/iran-update-february-2-2024

[JasonPratt]

https://www.reddit.com/r/CombatFootage/comments/1ahhuab/clips_showing_secondary_explosions_in_albukamal/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3&rdt=60173&force_seo=1

https://www.reddit.com/r/CombatFootage/comments/1ahgsme/clips_of_secondary_explosions_going_off_after/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

https://www.reddit.com/r/CombatFootage/comments/1ahfzel/us_airstrikes_targeting_irgclinked_warehouse/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

https://www.reddit.com/r/CombatFootage/comments/1ahfp5u/rockets_cook_off_from_an_iranian_munitions_depot/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

Enforcer Matt is collecting news on the strikes and posting them on a map here (along with related Houthi-war news from the past few days). Today's links are in olive color.

https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?entry=yt&mid=1DDkdAWQO_i0m8YSubTGMGg1Ljk2LV_M&ll=34.36126622785165%2C41.65219348731058&z=9