I grew up (decades ago, this was less common) with a first-gen Iranian, in 90s Texas. She is a brilliant female, whose overbearing father is (now) proud of the woman/mother she's become — but watching her having to deal with his parenting style/culture was a gruesome decade of friendship.
Even at 18 years old, she was not allowed to go out on dates with her long-time boyfriend. When she'd visit her birthplace, she required father's permission to exit Iran. Perhaps only through her own brilliance, she grew into a fine american mother/friend.
#DataPointOne
I think I would have left much sooner if I were there. Iran has claimed this January to have tested a 10,000 km ICBM with Russia allowing it to fly towards Siberia. This puts NYC and East Coast possibly within range. The claim has not been verified, but given the vitriol between the US and Iran, if they have it, and we overwhelm them with naval and air force presence, we may provoke a real world test of their claim.
> Iran has claimed this January to have tested a 10,000 km ICBM with Russia allowing it to fly towards Siberia.
It didn’t happen. Suborbital flights don’t go unnoticed. Wikipedia has the list [1], there were 5 in January, and an Iranian one was not among them.
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_spaceflight_launches_i...
What would targeting NYC help Iran? Aren't there more interesting targets they could go for which would take advantage of the inflamed political situation in the US?
I think it's much more likely that they would strike back at a regional ally if anything. Keeping some of their cards hidden and not risking a unifying shock to the US populace
Iran's leaders are caught in a trap of their own making. For decades they've held up America and Israel as villains and used that boogeyman to justify their military and police expenditure.
After this Israel-Gaza war, Iran's proxies who fought Israel on their behalf (Hamas, Hezbollah) are mostly destroyed. Their allies in the Gulf States (Qatar) have buckled to US pressure over the war. When they've tried to strike Israel directly, combined US-Israeli antimissile defenses stopped it dead in its tracks. Now hundreds of thousands of protestors are thronging the streets and the regime realizes it cannot kill or jail all of them.
In short, Iran has realized that its conventional military will not be able to prop up the regime if anyone decides to attack or arm a rebellion.
That's the motivation for this. The hateful theocratic rulers of Iran see the US as a bigger threat, and are chasing a nuclear weapon as the one they might actually get some protection with.
That’s one reading.
The other reading is that Iran tried pursuing nuclear power through legal means (since the 50s!), but deals were reneged and obstacles were put up at every turn. They then pursued enrichment on their own terms while keeping the door open for negotiation.
But Israel and the US do not want to negotiate. The empire wants to neuter Iran’s capabilities by force, hence the escalation and ongoing threat of war.
In fact, I would argue that Iran has proven time and again to be a much more restrained and diplomatic regional power than Israel. At best, it’s the pot calling the kettle black.
Also, defeating Iran is not going to be as “simple” as it was with Iraq. They are a resilient people with a long history of struggle in a country with highly defensible terrain. The opposition is overblown, and was actually damaged after the 12 day war as it ended up rallying many Iranians around the flag. Read up on the Iran-Iraq war to see what they’re capable of.
Your argument of "Iran is just a misunderstood peaceful state!" is somewhat undercut by the fact that the multiple leaders of Iran have sworn to destroy Israel by any means necessary, and the even more inconvenient fact that Iran is objectively ruled by an awful regime which the world will not miss.
Iran doesn't need to be defeated, it needs a revolution. Iranian people are great and deserve a better government.
> What would targeting NYC help Iran?
I don’t think modelling Iran as a monolithic political actor works anymore.
Between the IRGC, President, clerical ranks and others, I’m sure, some groups may benefit from striking New York or even inviting American retaliation in ways that don’t make sense for the country as a whole.
If Iran had the ability to drop a nuclear bomb on the ocean 50km off the coast of NY, I can assure you that it would help it immensely.
Probably similar reasons for Iraq targeting NYC in 2001
Iraq was not involved in the 9/11 attack.
'/s' not added, for dramatic effect?
Bush-era fabrications really worked on some people, I guess
Or is this a hard-to-parse witticism about Iran?
The poster is obviously being sarcastic…
They’re suggesting that threats about Iran attacking US cities serve the same purpose as the propaganda about Iraq harboring WMDs. To gin up the public for war.
> What would targeting NYC help Iran?
Destroy the infidels? Of course it doesn't exactly help anyone, but at least that's what their leadership keeps telling Iranians.
https://nolabels.org/the-latest/irans-leaders-still-hate-ame...
If Iran hit NYC with any sort of weapon, there would not be an Iran tomorrow. They know this.
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While I doubt the test actually happened, this was reported by a number of well known sources, example https://www.msn.com/en-in/news/world/meet-khorramshahr-5-ira... so it's disingenuous to claim the OP is lying on purpose.
The virtual embassy posted this mid January. It's not new.
The proxy war is coming to a head.
Does Iran deserve better leaders ? Yeah
are they gonna get bombed to the smithereens as a distraction for Epstein affairs - yep - do Iranian civilians deserve to suffer - no
> U.S. asks American citizens to 'leave Iran now'
Iran shall ask Iranian citizens to 'leave USA now' /s