INTL Iranians going nuts -- 4 bombs kill at least 73, injure 170

Melodi

Melodi

Disaster Cat
This is huge! It is now starting to be all over the European news sites. This would be like multiple bombs going off in a crowded line of people waiting to visit Arlington on Veterans Day (it isn't the same, but it is a similar idea of the scope in terms of Iran and who was hit).

Most of those 73 people were probably waiting in line to pay their respects voluntarily or otherwise. It also won't surprise me if several VIPs were taken out simultaneously (it was a big ceremony, after all). The real question is who did it and what the reaction would be.

It is doubtful this is Iranians bombing the first anniversary of the death of their great military leader who was taken out by the US (while on a peace mission, supposedly). If it was Israel, all heck is about to break loose, and if it wasn't, that could still happen, but the lines may be fuzzier.

We can hope the US didn't have anything to do with things, this time.
 
mzkitty

mzkitty

I give up.
Melodi said:
This is huge! It is now starting to be all over the European news sites. This would be like multiple bombs going off in a crowded line of people waiting to visit Arlington on Veterans Day (it isn't the same, but it is a similar idea of the scope in terms of Iran and who was hit).

Most of those 73 people were probably waiting in line to pay their respects voluntarily or otherwise. It also won't surprise me if several VIPs were taken out simultaneously (it was a big ceremony, after all). The real question is who did it and what the reaction would be.

It is doubtful this is Iranians bombing the first anniversary of the death of their great military leader who was taken out by the US (while on a peace mission, supposedly). If it was Israel, all heck is about to break loose, and if it wasn't, that could still happen, but the lines may be fuzzier.

We can hope the US didn't have anything to do with things, this time.
Click to expand...

I saw one tweet that said it was disgruntled Iranians of one ilk or another, but it scrolled by too fast. If I see another one, I'll post it.
 
jed turtle

jed turtle

a brother in the Lord
That’s the problem with anytime something -good or bad- you never know who to thank or “ return the favor” to. I had a piece of mail delivered to me once 50 years ago when I was a single parent with 3 young children. it contained 4 crisp 50 dollar bills. And arrived just in time for Christmas. No way to know who sent it. I paid it forward in the same fashion a few years later to a single mom with children. But here was the problem: not knowing who had bestowed such a wonderful blessing on us, I had to be kind and attentive to EVERYONE….all the time, forevermore. Humbling.
 
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Illini Warrior

Illini Warrior

Illini Warrior
everybody is cultivating the underground discontents in Iran - its now going to the 3rd generation after the revolution >>>

the young is seeing another body count war like the Iran-Iraq War - wiping out the whole generation - Trump had the entire ME talking peace with Isreal and Iran was on the outside looking in and swearing nuke war ....

could be moving closer to another Spring Revolution >>>
 
Infoscout

Infoscout

The Dude Abides
Isn’t this how Arab spring started in Egypt and Libya years ago? I suspect a magical brand new opposition group with support of a general or two to spring up and we will have a civil war in Iran. They are supplying drones to Russia and money and arms to to groups acting against the West. This is almost textbook at this point.
 
WildDaisy

WildDaisy

God has a plan, Trust it!
Melodi said:
This is huge! It is now starting to be all over the European news sites. This would be like multiple bombs going off in a crowded line of people waiting to visit Arlington on Veterans Day (it isn't the same, but it is a similar idea of the scope in terms of Iran and who was hit).

Most of those 73 people were probably waiting in line to pay their respects voluntarily or otherwise. It also won't surprise me if several VIPs were taken out simultaneously (it was a big ceremony, after all). The real question is who did it and what the reaction would be.

It is doubtful this is Iranians bombing the first anniversary of the death of their great military leader who was taken out by the US (while on a peace mission, supposedly). If it was Israel, all heck is about to break loose, and if it wasn't, that could still happen, but the lines may be fuzzier.

We can hope the US didn't have anything to do with things, this time.
Click to expand...
Doesnt seem to me to be the "style" of either Israel or US. They would do targeted drone attacks, etc. Not bombs in a car. This is a simplistic terrorist MO - so an opposition group to the ruling party or another caliphate group? This seems internal, not external attack.
 
Wildweasel

Wildweasel

F-4 Phantoms Phorever
Kathy in FL said:
Suitcase bombs sounds like someone is hacked off at the Iranians for breaking their word to support them in the ongoing war and they haven't.
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An angle I had not considered. I was thinking more towards the idea that anti-Houthi forces from Yemen had gone after Iranian and Houthi leadership attending the event. Doing that would roll back pressure for attacks against Yemen to end Houthi anti-ship activities.

It could even have been someone contracted by shipping and insurance companies to end the attacks.
 
Melodi

Melodi

Disaster Cat
I am not saying it was Israel (although, for the first time in a long time, I agree with Mongo on something, which is scary). It could be something internal, though that is less likely. The reason is that plenty of people in Iran want their current government (or governments, there are three) gone. That has been true for the last thirty-plus years now (so two generations that hate the system).

So, if the attack had been different, I might very suspect something like the radical Revolutionary Guards (think SS Officers) vs. The Regular Military (or vice versus), anyone Versus the Mullahs or the New, Improved, Not Your Grandfather's Revolution Freedom Underground (I just made that up).

But someone will likely claim responsibility soon if it is internal or a Sunni State/Non-State actor. The problem with "internal" is that Sulimani seems to have been a popular figure in Iran and seen as a war hero by many, even those who might not approve of their government much. Killing a hundred or more civilians waiting in lines of thousands (one source said up to 10,000 plus) doesn't seem like a great way to kick off an internal revolution.

However, things are so hot and crazy right now that anyone with a match might be willing to try to kick things off. Iran, aka Persia, is much more complicated than most Americans (or Europeans) think. This isn't a place that was goat herders and camel drivers until seventy years ago. These are the original "Aryans," an Indo-European culture. One is temporarily taken over by Islamic fanatics, but their basic worldview is anything but Arab.
 
Melodi

Melodi

Disaster Cat
Adding because of cross-posting - The High-Value Targets at such a ceremony are the wild card here. Yesterday, a bunch of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders flew to Tehran. After the execution of their fellow
leaders. If it was for the ceremony, and they were there, well, someone(s) might have considered it worth it, and several people might want to have them eliminated.
 
Ragnarok

Ragnarok

On and On, South of Heaven
Melodi said:
Adding because of cross-posting - The High-Value Targets at such a ceremony are the wild card here. Yesterday, a bunch of Hamas and Hezbollah leaders flew to Tehran. After the execution of their fellow
leaders. If it was for the ceremony, and they were there, well, someone(s) might have considered it worth it, and several people might want to have them eliminated.
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Agreed.

Now, if someone like Nasrallah was there to pay respects the Mossad card is right back on the table.
 
Melodi

Melodi

Disaster Cat
Ragnarok said:
Not even close.

Not the same ballpark, not even the same sport.
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Well, several military experts have told me that they are, sort of. That is a fairly good analogy when talking about the situation. They are a special, elite group that is not entirely under the control of the regular military and sometimes do their own thing. But I don't pretend to understand the specifics of the military organization either.

Edited to add: I don't think the military instructor told me this meant that the Revolutionary Guards was an organization or as great a fighting force as the SS. Just that they are and independent military within (or beside) the military.
 
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