Are people still rejoicing about Iran?

The UK doesn't need Gulf oil any more than the US does - all our imported oil comes from Norway and the US, with smaller amounts from Libya and Nigeria, none of which are affected by the current war.

But everyone, including the US, needs the Gulf open again - because we all pay the same price for oil regardless of where it is produced. And that price has doubled since the war started. Just because the US is a net exporter of oil doesn't mean they get a discount - they are being hit with huge price rises just the same as everyone else.

Knowing Trump he will just decide at some point he’s going to invade the UK and force the issue ! He’s that mad. You can imagine his posts about it already.

Article here. Take it up with Sir John Scarlett. He said it.

'Unsurprising' supreme leader remains unseen, says former MI6 chief | UK News | Sky News

Sure ... if he appears in 40 days healthy I will eat my hat.

But it is not pleading, it is demanding! He is playing at many levels here, pushing his drill baby drill and be nice (to Putin....). And he is right, US does not need it. It is us who do!

40 days mourning apparently. Sky news had a bit about it yesterday with an ex MI6 boss. It's a theocracy, so they need to do their religious rules. He is their Pope equivalent. Religion comes first.

It’s all very unclear at the moment, but it is strange that the one who has been elected hasn’t made any public appearances before or after his election.
If he’s really in no state to take over, why wasn’t one of his brothers elected in the first place?
As for the regime still being in place, the war has only been going on for two weeks. It still remains to be seen where it’s going to lead.

Trump on pleading with allies to send minesweepers to the Gulf (because the US decommissioned theirs last year):

“Really, I’m demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory – because it is their territory. They should come and they should help us protect it. You could make the case that maybe we shouldn’t even be there at all, because we don’t need it. We have a lot of oil. We’re the number one producer anywhere in the world times two.”

Same. Can you imagine why the Iranian footballers initially wanted asylum and what will happen to them when they go back. Risking their lives to get people to notice.

It's something when a Neocon grandee like Robert Kagan, alum of Project for a New American Century (PNAC) is basically calling Israel a strategic liability:

"PNAC was a neoconservative think tank (1997–2006) aimed at promoting American global leadership and a strong, proactive military. Founded by William Kristol and Robert Kagan, it heavily influenced the George W. Bush administration and advocated for increased military strength, particularly through the "Rebuilding America's Defences" document.

Key aspects of PNAC include:

• Mission: Promoted a "Reaganite policy of military strength and moral clarity".
• Key Personnel: Members included prominent figures such as Dick Cheney, Donald Rumsfeld, Paul Wolfowitz, and John Bolton.
• Focus: Focused heavily on Middle Eastern policy, specifically advocating for regime change in Iraq through their policy document, "Rebuilding America's Defences," which sought to accelerate U.S. military dominance.
• End Goal: Aimed to build support for American global hegemony and the maintenance of US military preeminence.

PNAC alum advocated heavily for US intervention in Iraq and manufactured consent for US intervention in the region.

https://responsiblestatecraft.org/2023/03/28/aei-panel-claims-iraq-war-failures-and-lies-are-just-mythmaking-and-politicized-history/

Kagan and Kristol did this interview yesterday, interesting part from 16m:20s

Kagan it's kind of a syllogism when people talk about what a great ally Israel is. It it is a great ally in defence of Israel, you know. I mean,

Kristol: which is fine. I mean, they're entitled to put that first, you know.

Kagan No, no, no. Right. That that's their great concern. Look, I mean, let's face it, at the end of the day, Iran is a much greater threat to Israel than it is to the United States. So when they say that people and when people say that Israel is a great ally in the fight against Iran, I it's kind of like saying that South Vietnam was a great ally in the fight against North Vietnam, you know, I mean it was, but weren't we there to defend South Vietnam, you know?

So, um, but I think Israel also has got I don't know what I don't can't speak for what's in B Netanyahu's head, but if I were the Israelis, I would also be worried about the reliability of the American commitment over the long term. I mean, Israel has used its power with the United States now to really create a kind of hegemonic dominance in the region. uh let's say that let's say that they do get rid of this Iranian regime um and therefore is sort of involved in Iran to make sure that it doesn't come back. It is involved in Lebanon, is involved in Gaza, etc., etc. Can Israel sustain that without the United States?

I don't know anyone who was remotely positive about it at any point, let alone "rejoicing".

I am listening to the radio and it looks like more people feel the same. Stop pandering to the huge wotsit toddler, say it srraight to his face and stand our ground. There is no special relationship with US no kore. And we better get closer to the rest of our allies.

It could be the case but the main issue is the regime is still in place. Plus it's not confirmed that his brothers are dead. All four of the previous leaders sons were thought to have survived - at least from the original reporting. So it's not really much of a success if another of the previous leader's sons takes over or another extremist.

The “new Khamenei“ is allegedly in a coma (if still alive) and hasn’t been seen publicly since the February 28th strike.

Awful isn't it. Everyone needs to unite against terrorism and the funding and this dreadful regime.

Hoping the Iranian people will regain their country and they all prosper.

Weaker Europe= stronger US dollar.
Maybe he can try for Greenland again, before the half term elections. Or even Canada!
To be honest, if we are going down, and we are facing a depression, I would rather go down saying to Trump what we actually think of him and stop the pandering around. He may even show a bit of respect.

I couldn’t agree with you more. I think the Israeli government are the world’s greatest terrorists, and I don’t understand how the world sat back while they were, and still are, massacring thousands of Palestinians. I also don’t understand how anyone in the US can still be supporting trump.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/03/16/extra-100000-britons-out-of-work-within-months/
The US will survive. We won't.
Posting a Torygraph link to avoid shouts of leftist bias.

Trump is not even asking the European countries to help scort tankers and find mines, he is threarening, yet again, the future of NATO. Apparently, he can talk in any way he wishes to, call our country and army and PM whatever he wants and still demand we jump when he says so or the future of NATO will be bad!!!!!
This is the man who has already killed NATO as we knew it. Canada and Europe will help each other, but US will not move a finger for us, so why should we for US? Look at the economic mess we are heading into. US has huge reserves of their own oil in their own soil.
US will profit, they have their own oil plus Venezuela. Putin will profit, meaning Ukraine and Europe's safety is severely affected. Asia and Europe will suffer.
I think we are already sending mine finding devices. Good. At the end of the day, we need the oil. But to be bullied into it....
I hope we join France and Europe on the negotiations regarding the strait.
Trump is just bullying his way through all of it. And it is working for him, for the time being...

Of course, wrt all other conflicts in the MENA region, nothing to see here, business as usual.

Interesting x-link @KitKatKrums
Are Germany really closing IRGC funded institutes?
Was one of the hamasniks manhandling Naama Levy speaking Persian?
Did the regime that deliberately shot womens' eyes out for protesting offer to treat Hezbollah operatives whose eyes had been injured by exploding pagers?
Interesting times indeed. I hope Persians find the strength and support to rebuild their country and send the IRGC to hell.

I wonder if school kids will be encouraged to also completely absolve Hamas for any blame at all for the devastation in Gaza? Or will it just be straight up blame the Israelis for absolutely everything- like you just did? No blame for Hamas for Gaza. No blame for the US for this war. No blame for Iran for its support for terrorism and abuse of its citizens. In your future world all of that will be forgotten and only Israel will be to blame? I hope not, because that sounds awfully familiar doesn't it?

The 2003 one. I guess you could say the other two which were started by Saddam Hussein were also poorly planned but given I was talking about the US I thought it was clear.

Which Iraq war should I remember? The Iran Iraq war.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iran%E2%80%93Iraq_War
The one after Iraq invaded Kuwait?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraqi_invasion_of_Kuwait
The one after 9/11?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_War

Yes, but there are also civilians calling for an end to the war. Plenty on X and in the media, including Naznin Zaghari- Ratliffe.

I read a very touching post on X today, from an Iranian civilian, using an unstable VPN to communicate with the outside world as all internal internet access has been shut down.
He/she made it very clear that Iranian civilians are still optimistic. They very much see the situation as a rescue effort, not a war. And they firmly place the blame for every single civilian death on the regime.

It’s not really for outsiders to judge, is it? The only people qualified to decide if this intervention is a good thing or not are those directly affected. If you want it straight from the horse’s mouth, here’s the link:

https://x.com/itsdecado/status/2033381939055309212?s=46&t=FiIL7aGotDu-poEx5VL-MQ