Is the regime in Iran soon to be toast?

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“Many Will Die:” Military Expert Warns of Iran Escalation Trap | Amanpour and Company
Amanpour and Company

Mar 25, 2026 #amanpourpbs

Is America's war in Iran headed toward an escalation trap? Robert Pape, a professor of political science and an expert on global security, argues that the decapitation of Iran's leadership failed to break the regime, while upping the pressure for more force -- including raising the specter of a ground war. Pape joins Hari Sreenivasan to discuss the difference between initial tactical success and long-term strategic success.





Iran’s reported missile strike reaching toward Diego Garcia marks a sharp shift in this war’s trajectory.

This is not just another exchange.

It is a signal that the conflict is moving along a predictable—but dangerous—path I call the Escalation Trap.

The Escalation Trap unfolds in three stages.

Stage 1: Limited force to control the conflict.
A state launches precise strikes to degrade capabilities, signal resolve, or compel change—believing escalation can be contained.

Stage 2: Horizontal escalation.
The opponent does not collapse. It adapts—expanding the battlefield, targeting partners, and raising costs in new domains. What begins as a localized conflict spreads geographically and economically.

Stage 3: Forced expansion of the war.
The initiating side faces a choice: accept failure or escalate further—often through ground operations or direct control of territory and critical assets. This is the point where wars become far more costly and far harder to end.

We are now approaching this third stage.
..


 
Lloyd Blankfein told CNBC that the Iran war's economic damage will outlast the conflict itself, warning that even a resolution tomorrow wouldn't quickly unwind the infrastructure damage and energy disruption already done. Goldman Sachs separately raised its US recession probability to 30% this week, with Brent crude above $100, February payrolls down 92,000, unemployment at 4.5%, and core PCE running at 3.1%.

 
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The War Is Going Better Than You Think
New York Times ^ | 3/24/26 | Bret Stephens

Most Americans probably don’t look back at March 2012 — if they remember it at all — and think of terrifyingly high gas prices. In the month when “The Hunger Games” ruled the box office and President Barack Obama was on his way to a comfortable re-election, the price of Brent crude closed the month around $123 a barrel. That would be about $175 a barrel in today’s dollars.

As of Tuesday, despite Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz and its attacks on its neighbors’ energy facilities, it’s hovering around $100, slightly higher than the average inflation-adjusted price since January 2001, roughly $95.

That ought to provide some perspective on the panic over the war in the Middle East. To hear the critics’ version of events, an unprovoked and unnecessary attack on Iran, launched at Israel’s behest, is already a foreign-policy fiasco that has put the global economy at risk without any clear objective or endgame. As Senator Chris Murphy, a Connecticut Democrat, told NBC’s Kristen Welker over the weekend, “We’ve never seen this level of incompetence in war-making in this country’s history.”

Really? Let’s take a tour of some of the recent history.

(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Oil was $100+ for 3.5 years under President Obummer and people are now crying about the past 3.5 weeks.
 
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What's launching soon?! :wtf:

View attachment 240651







Maybe it’s the new digital TrumpCoin….the future of crypto…. Or perhaps she is referring to the Trump Phone that we all have of course been eagerly awaiting…. It is possible that she may have been referencing the latest edition of Trumpy Bear? Our most favorite and highly prized and snuggle-able plush possession?
 
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Is there a second Valero fire? This post says it's currently ablaze on 3/25, AP says it was put out on 3/24.

" An oil refinery fire near the Texas coast was put out Tuesday ...."
Fire out and shelter-in-place order is lifted after oil refinery explosion near Texas coast

Additionally the post says "The Valero energy refinery in the U.S. .....". According to Valero there are actually 12 of them.
Our Locations

But I suppose everything else the post says is correct ;).
 
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Thought about this for a bit .. Trump should be sending in troops to open up the strait of Hormuz

Not close to over, going to see economic hurt globally.



This is good ..


“Many Will Die:” Military Expert Warns of Iran Escalation Trap | Amanpour and Company
Amanpour and Company

Mar 25, 2026 #amanpourpbs

Is America's war in Iran headed toward an escalation trap? Robert Pape, a professor of political science and an expert on global security, argues that the decapitation of Iran's leadership failed to break the regime, while upping the pressure for more force -- including raising the specter of a ground war. Pape joins Hari Sreenivasan to discuss the difference between initial tactical success and long-term strategic success.





Iran’s reported missile strike reaching toward Diego Garcia marks a sharp shift in this war’s trajectory.

This is not just another exchange.

It is a signal that the conflict is moving along a predictable—but dangerous—path I call the Escalation Trap.

The Escalation Trap unfolds in three stages.

Stage 1: Limited force to control the conflict.
A state launches precise strikes to degrade capabilities, signal resolve, or compel change—believing escalation can be contained.

Stage 2: Horizontal escalation.
The opponent does not collapse. It adapts—expanding the battlefield, targeting partners, and raising costs in new domains. What begins as a localized conflict spreads geographically and economically.

Stage 3: Forced expansion of the war.
The initiating side faces a choice: accept failure or escalate further—often through ground operations or direct control of territory and critical assets. This is the point where wars become far more costly and far harder to end.

We are now approaching this third stage.
..


 
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A couple of secularists who don’t have mindless TDS discussing the Iran situation…



Your statement just proves mindless TDS is not a real thing... as if that's not already obvious/common sense... here's what your "non-mindless TDS guy" says around 6:15 in the video...

"We are being led by some of the most incompetent & corrupt & amoral people who have ever been in public life in America. Now, so, these are just cartoon characters & grifters & social media stars & moral lunatics in the second Trump administration, inspiring no confidence whatsoever from Trump on down."

Brutal... and yet you don't accuse him of being infected with TDS. Why? Because you agree with the rest of what the "non-mindless TDS guy" says?

IMHO, declaring TDS is a coping mechanism used by those who don't want to hear something that doesn't fit their existing beliefs/narrative/outlook, even if they can acknowledge and accept this "alleged" reality of the Trump administration.

Or maybe I'm wrong and it's just my TDS flaring up. :)
 
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Your statement just proves mindless TDS is not a real thing... as if that's not already obvious/common sense... here's what your "non-mindless TDS guy" says around 6:15 in the video...

"We are being led by some of the most incompetent & corrupt & amoral people who have ever been in public life in America. Now, so, these are just cartoon characters & grifters & social media stars & moral lunatics in the second Trump administration, inspiring no confidence whatsoever from Trump on down."

Brutal... and yet you don't accuse him of being infected with TDS. Why? Because you agree with the rest of what the "non-mindless TDS guy" says?

IMHO, declaring TDS is a coping mechanism used by those who don't want to hear something that doesn't fit their existing beliefs/narrative/outlook, even if they can acknowledge and accept this "alleged" reality of the Trump administration.

Or maybe I'm wrong and it's just my TDS flaring up. :)
Your statement just proves mindless TDS is not a real thing... as if that's not already obvious/common sense... here's what your "non-mindless TDS guy" says around 6:15 in the video...

"We are being led by some of the most incompetent & corrupt & amoral people who have ever been in public life in America. Now, so, these are just cartoon characters & grifters & social media stars & moral lunatics in the second Trump administration, inspiring no confidence whatsoever from Trump on down."

Brutal... and yet you don't accuse him of being infected with TDS. Why? Because you agree with the rest of what the "non-mindless TDS guy" says?

IMHO, declaring TDS is a coping mechanism used by those who don't want to hear something that doesn't fit their existing beliefs/narrative/outlook, even if they can acknowledge and accept this "alleged" reality of the Trump administration.

Or maybe I'm wrong and it's just my TDS flaring up. :)
Yes Sam Harris, a Kamala supporter, saying that she would bring back normalcy, has a full on case of TDS

 
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