Exchange. I’m not sure what JM’s gotcha is here, but the board Trumpies are clearly peeved at Israel’s dominance, making a regional war raging through an election year very unlikely. In terms of Iranian restraint, McKenzie points to Hezbollah not joining in the barrage, which would have given Israel much less time to respond. And Iran did not target American bases at all.

McKenzie doesn’t say Iran intended no damage at all beyond the minor hits to the base in the Negev. In fact he says they fired every missile in their arsenal capable of reaching Israel. It got gobsmacked. McKenzie thinks Iran is reeling today over its complete failure. To paraphrase, many thought Iran was 10 feet tall, and this weekend showed they are barely 2 feet tall.

So, in fact, as much as some in this country want to spin this as a massive failure, it is in reality a stunning success. Israel won the top half of the inning by significantly impacting Iranian command and control of its proxies, and the bottom half with a live fire drill showing western ironclad commitment to Israel’s defense, and Iran’s impotence in trying to pierce it.

Trumpies desperately want this to escalate, but I don’t think it will. Although the next week should be crucial.
[Post edited by hoolstoptheheels at 04/15/2024 09:10AM]