I'm wondering where the EU should get its natural gas from now.Bro no need, by attacking the GCC, the side effect is that Loyds just cancel their insurance, no ship owners dare sail the strait.
I'm wondering where the EU should get its natural gas from now.Bro no need, by attacking the GCC, the side effect is that Loyds just cancel their insurance, no ship owners dare sail the strait.
That strategy feels overly idealistic. Consider this: why has Iran avoided targeting the primary oil fields and ports in the Gulf, despite them being well within range of its short-range missiles and even artillery? These regions also have significant Shia populations. The nightmare scenario is that Iran, using a mix of drone strikes and local proxies, moves to systematically cripple that energy infrastructure. You want to bet why both sides avoided oil infrastructure?
I would argue the US objective is already complete. They set the region on fire and all they have to do now is sit back and watch one grind the other. Their destroyed infrastructure? That's pocket change to Gulf weirdos.US/Israel are still betting on civil war within Iran to achieve their objective. Dont think they will deploy ground troops in near future as well
Anyway, Looking at the strikes from both sides, I wish Iran's missiles have more oomph. Yes, their missiles can reach targets, but the payload is so tame compared to US/Israel's
Then Iran will attack the oil facilities of the Gulf states.From the perspective of DC and Tel Aviv, regime change in Tehran is unnecessary if Iran is sufficiently weakened, if not rendered into a failed state. To get there, the US and Israel will need to destroy the Kharg Island oil terminal, and deny its reconstruction via follow-on strikes. They will also need to do the same to the Jask oil terminal — and perhaps smaller terminals like Lavan and Sirri too — to effectively destroy Iran's physical ability to export crude.
The oil industry generates roughly 1/4 of Iran's GDP, so there's going to be real and sustained pain if the country can't export crude — not even to Chinese buyers unafraid of Western sanctions — due to the destruction of requisite infrastructure.
Such a strategy will sustainably and thoroughly strangle the Iranian economy to the point where the Iranian state will struggle to make payroll for its civil servants and service members — never mind bankroll regional proxies — which will further degrade Iran's ability to be a consequential regional player, if not set the stage for regime change. Granted, periodic airstrikes will be required to ensure Tehran doesn't reconstitute its ballistic missile capabilities or develop nuclear weapons.
It's an absolutely vicious strategy and a lot of innocent Iranian civilians will suffer — if not literally starve — while refugee flows will burden — if not potentially destabilize — neighboring states like Turkey and Iraq. However, those are features, not bugs as far as Netanyahu and his cohorts are concerned.
The problem with destroying the Kharg and Jask terminals is that the Iranians will likely retaliate with missile and OWA drone strikes against the energy infrastructure of neighboring GCC sheikhdoms, which may very well trigger a global energy and economic crisis that will be felt at home by American voters and impact the upcoming US midterm elections.
So if the US and Israel are to move forward with destroying Iran's physical ability to export crude, they're going to need to sufficiently degrade Iran's offensive strike capabilities first, as well as effectively destroy the Iranian Navy so it can't blockade or threaten shipping transiting through the Strait of Hormuz.
US (and Canada) produce lots of oil.
US isn't on the best of terms with EU currently.
Crippeled oil infrastructure could be used as a reminder to EU to not bite the hand that feeds. I'm not convinced US is that hurt by it.
How exactly would his death change anything for the worse? From what we have seen, the population has only been more energized, and so has the military apparatus.How on earth is a country supposed to win a war if its highest leader WANTS to die in an enemy attack?? This is why theocracies always lose. They concern themselves more with matters of the afterlife than this world and are not able to act rationally.
He wasnt really a leader in that sense, he was more of a figurehead/spiritual figure. Khamenei is made some evil supervillain in western circles but in reality he hasnt been involved in anything big for years years, since the 2000'sHow on earth is a country supposed to win a war if its highest leader WANTS to die in an enemy attack?? This is why theocracies always lose. They concern themselves more with matters of the afterlife than this world and are not able to act rationally.
Israel ofcourseI'm wondering where the EU should get its natural gas from now.

Maybe because Iran has large number of Azeri's living in the country, might be destabilizing internally. But this is their best chance to knock some base out if they know about Khamenei's death is the excusewhy leave out the installations and bases in azerb?