If Dubya was in charge, I’d agree. I don’t trust Team Trump to go to war and not muck it up. OTOH I don’t trust them to not muck up negotiations either, so 🤷♂️
President Trump could go a long way toward ending a nuclear threat by taking out Iran with Israel as an ally, but I don't believe a democracy could survive there without constant meddling. The late Shah used his authoritarian powers to make necessary humanitarian changes in the nation but was opposed every step of the way by the religious and anti-western radicals. Maybe some of those radicals and their offspring have learned a lesson from four decades under a repressive theocracy.
How do you know, were you privy to the agreements? And carrier strike group or no, Israel needs to do what it has to do, and it will have to do so eventually anyway as at some point the whole world will be against them, including us.
Btw, I just saw today where Iran has deployed underground lrbms that can reach Israel within 10 minutes, and Israel's govt and IDF has been having meetings as to how to respond to this, one option on the table being going in even if we don't do anything.
Could the fact that Iran has defense pacts with both China and Russia be making Trump hesitant to follow through? And why doesn't Israel tell Trump to go jump in a lake and take care of Iran itself? After all, they only have their very survival at stake...
There is no mutual defense obligation in any of Iran’s treaties with Russia or China. They would complain but not interfere. As for Israel, they might do something but not while we have a carrier strike group present.
And: Russia has already shown it doesn't uphold its mutual defense obligations under the Collective Security Treaty Organization (seen most visibly with Armenia appealing to the CSTO Article 4 and the alliance failing to take any action).
Prediction: Trump will strike some deal with the existing regime - one that personally enriches him in some significant way.
Everyone knows that Trump is for sale.[1] The only way you get your war is if the Saudis or Israelis offer Trump a deal that enriches him even more.
[1] https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/02/trump-uae-crypto-deal
If Dubya was in charge, I’d agree. I don’t trust Team Trump to go to war and not muck it up. OTOH I don’t trust them to not muck up negotiations either, so 🤷♂️
All other things being equal (and that our military still functions under an operational chain of command) it’s better to do the right thing.
But what is the right? Getting involved without a clear idea of what we’re doing or the resolve to see it through might well create more problems.
WWII ended the Great Depression at a great cost.
President Trump could go a long way toward ending a nuclear threat by taking out Iran with Israel as an ally, but I don't believe a democracy could survive there without constant meddling. The late Shah used his authoritarian powers to make necessary humanitarian changes in the nation but was opposed every step of the way by the religious and anti-western radicals. Maybe some of those radicals and their offspring have learned a lesson from four decades under a repressive theocracy.
How do you know, were you privy to the agreements? And carrier strike group or no, Israel needs to do what it has to do, and it will have to do so eventually anyway as at some point the whole world will be against them, including us.
Who makes a secret mutual defense pact? I am basing my information on publicly available data.
From what I have read from Christian former defense sources, Russia has had a defense pact with Iran for years, and China just signed one recently.
Btw, I just saw today where Iran has deployed underground lrbms that can reach Israel within 10 minutes, and Israel's govt and IDF has been having meetings as to how to respond to this, one option on the table being going in even if we don't do anything.
Could the fact that Iran has defense pacts with both China and Russia be making Trump hesitant to follow through? And why doesn't Israel tell Trump to go jump in a lake and take care of Iran itself? After all, they only have their very survival at stake...
There is no mutual defense obligation in any of Iran’s treaties with Russia or China. They would complain but not interfere. As for Israel, they might do something but not while we have a carrier strike group present.
And: Russia has already shown it doesn't uphold its mutual defense obligations under the Collective Security Treaty Organization (seen most visibly with Armenia appealing to the CSTO Article 4 and the alliance failing to take any action).