Mass grave prepared for the school girl massacre, 165 souls

Thanks, I have so many friends in the region and have spent the last 2 years+ listening to them and folk like Alaistair Crooke.

It's difficult to be certain about how much America is aware about the Israeli governments actions before them being executed.

Trump with his ego would likely not want to appear weak/tricked so he will sometimes say we did that together or it was my idea in public, whilst raging in private like Bannon alluded to.

Netanyahu banks on the fact that the Americans would never let Israel get destroyed.

P.s Tucker Carlson and other commentators have alluded to the fact that Bibi did blackmail Trump to get involved in bombing Iran or else Bibi would use nukes.

Thanks. You have an excellent knowledge of the details. The Israeli attack on Qatar (an ally) was shocking. I'm pretty sure it was reported/discussed at the time that the US would undoubtedly have been aware of the attack and were therefore content for it to go ahead despite being during negotiations, hence my comment about the US being untrustworthy.
I only hope that Bibi doesn't do something crazy this time like reach for his nuclear weapons....

The Qatar attack was actually against Hamas, whilst negotiating for the ceasefire in Gaza, Netanyahu unilaterally bombed Qatar. Qatar got an apology call.

The first time Iran was attacked during negotiations was last June 2025, again Netanyahu unilaterally. This led to True promise 3, where Iran depleted Israel's air defences so throughly that Netanyahu begged Trump to help. Steve Bannon former Trump adviser (and a convict and friend of Jeffrey Epstein) exposed Bibi:

This followed:

*Israel bombing the Iranian embassy in Syria. True promise 1.

• Assasinating Ismail Haniyeh (Hamas) whilst he was in Iran. True promise 2.

It's going to be a potential disaster for many if it isn't stopped soon, including those living in the UK.

Agreed. They were also upfront in warning that they would retaliate this time if attacked. This was at least the second time that the Iranians have been attacked by the US/Israelis during negotations. The last time that I am aware of, the negotiating team themselves were attacked during negotiations in Qatar. I can't imagine why any country would consider the US to be a trustworthy country when they have repeatedly behaved like this.

Not only is he exceptionally knowledgable but he also seems humble. As you say, if only our leaders were selected on the basis of merit, we would be better off.

Agreed.

Some of the poorest people in the world suffering now because of the cooking gas shortage. Economies everywhere crumbling.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm2xg0p4y84o

I would love this teribble and mistaken war to be over tomorrow but I'm not optimistic, given the above and other factors.

Same. It’s not going to achieve anything positive for anyone.

Which Iran would not have done if they had not been attacked in the middle of diplomatic discussions and their leader assassinated.

@rainingsnoring No problem at all and fully concur with your praise of Alaistair Crooke, if we still had people like him in the Foreign Office we wouldn't be in half the mess that we are in, He is from a different era where intellectual capacity and ability was the bare minimum. He speaks many languages and actually talks to people in the region to fully understand them.

No idea why your post was deleted, we were having a conversation about all religions.

I didn't know about the Hesgeth tattoo, nor some of the other things you have mentioned. Thanks.
Alistair Crooke is excellent and so worth watching; highly intelligent, exceptionally well educated on geopolitics and history and a clear communicator.

I wonder why my earlier post was deleted @BelleHathor. No idea what was offensive about it. Can you clarify @MNHQ?

The scene with everyone's hands on Trump, yeah it's an absolute crazy situation, my jaw was on the floor as many politicians were talking about Iranian religious fundamentalism (see their lack of self awareness).

Remember Secretary of War Hegseth has a "Kafir" tattoo and has previously mentioned the crusades aka Christianity vs Islam.

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/mar/27/pete-hegseth-tattoo-arabic-language

Alistair Crooke, former British Diplomat was talking about how the conflict (including Gaza, Lebanon, Yemen and Iran) was based on eschatology since October 2023.

The late Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson told Netanyahu he would be the last Prime minister of Israel.

Some Evangelical dispensationalist Christians (especially those who follow the Scofield Bible):
"began to see the modern state of Israel as the fulfillment of prophecy and a necessary precursor to Christ’s return. This set the stage for generations of evangelicals offering uncritical support for Israeli policy."
https://shiftingculture.substack.com/p/why-do-some-pockets-of-american-evangelicalism

For some Muslims it's the return of El Mahdi:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahdi

I think you identified it in reference to them having Dark Triad traits, we are dealing with narcissistic psychopaths who don't have the intelligence to realise that they actually do not have the skill to be Machiavellian so they fail, which makes them angry so they kill more.
They are racist and religious supremacists whose views are fed by eschatology (return of the Messiah) , they've even been bullying soldiers telling them:
"that the Iran war is part of God’s plan and that President Donald Trump was “anointed by Jesus to light the signal fire in Iran to cause Armageddon and mark his return to Earth,” as originally reported by journalist Jonathan Larsen"

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2026/03/06/lawmakers-want-dod-hegseth-investigated-biblical-armageddon-claims.html

These are the crazy fuckers with access to 1000s of nukes, ready to burn the whole world down.

Yes, absolutely. I don't think the majority understand how catastrophic this will be in the short term, not to speak of the longer term, if the Straits don't open extremely quickly. Some gulf countries have apparently already stopped/reduced oil production, others (Iran) are considering it. As you say, there are also implications for fertiliser and therefore food plus extraction of essential minerals, needed for chips, EVs, etc, etc. Putin must be laughing at the utter folly of the Western leaders. Europe, including the UK, have made themselves so totally dependent on the US that they are in an incredibly weak position. Why they didn't consider all this years ago, I have no idea.

He and his wife are scary. Lindsay Graham has been making some insane statements too. As I said earlier, there administration seems to be full of dark triad personalities. I would love this teribble and mistaken war to be over tomorrow but I'm not optimistic, given the above and other factors.

I know. It's a nonsensical argument, if you can call it an argument.
Unfortunately, this pattern is a recurrent theme with that particular poster.

Iran literally pressed the economic Nuclear button

That is an excellent, if frightening, way of putting it @BelleHathor

Trump needs Putin (or more accurately Russian Gas, Oil and Fertiliser) back in the market to be supplied due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz.

Putin literally has the power to send the World's economies into the type of recession we've not seen since the 1920s.

Everything made depends on energy, food supplies depend on fertiliser.

Iran literally pressed the economic Nuclear button. People are not yet aware of the precarious situation that this war of choice by America and Israel has plunged the world into.

The Oil Crisis in the 1970s only lasted 6 months but it took decades for economies to recover (and some still have not).

https://fortune.com/2026/03/11/iran-war-fuel-crisis-asia-work-from-home-closed-schools-price-caps/

Yes, agree with pp, this war is proving beneficial for Putin and Russia - absolutely baffled (as ever!) by Trump’s comments that Putin ‘wants to be helpful in the Middle East.’ Is Trump being played by both Netanyahu and Putin? Trump’s approach to Israel/Iran and Russia/Ukraine so very different.

And while the Middle East burns and this illegal, no-plan war has global impact, The White House social media posts are trivialising the attacks by comparing them to video games and Trump is dancing to the YMCA: indefensible.

BBC Radio 4 “Today” programme.
1:38 minutes in they talk more about the strike on the girls’ school in Iran.

You hear the White House Press Secretary Caroline Leavitt say it is Iranian propaganda and ‘unfortunately the people in this room have fallen for it’.

To my mind this statement is a clue as to the US propaganda we must often be hearing.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/live/bbc_radio_fourfm?partner=uk.co.bbc&origin=share-mobile

If there is a difference between ‘Sounds’ and ‘iPlayer’ I am sure it will be on iPlayer too.

So the US has lifted sanctions on Russian oil across the board.
Great for Russia. But the chance to boost Russian economy puts Europe/NATO at greater risk.

Thank goodness.