This was a long-telegraphed attack by Iran, and they knew nearly all missiles would be shot down

[TomDaisy]

This is perfunctory and performative, it is not an escalation, it is a measured response to Israel's recent deadly attack on the Iranian embassy in Syria.

This attack was announced by our own White House days ago.

Israel forced Iran's hand. Iran had to respond with something.

In fact, Iran just issued a statement saying that the engagement is over unless Israel provokes them again.

[Irish_Dem]

1. So the planned drama is over.

[TomDaisy]

2. exactly correct.

[Irish_Dem]

4. It was quite the dramatic performance.

Almost performative art.

[orangecrush]

29. ...

[Igel]

45. Except for the injured kid.

But aet includes red.

Ironically, the kid was (apparently) Bedouin.

Then again, Persians are the imperialists. Arabs, their tool or subjects.

Remember, Iran is a rump empire with Putinesque delusions of revanchist grandeur.

[Irish_Dem]

8. Reminds me of something that happened in WWII.

Germany used to put out fake airplanes and tanks to try to fool the allies.
The American pilots would waste bombs and fuel bombing cardboard and wood.

Then the Americans started dropping pretend bombs on the pretend airplanes and tanks.

[Kennah]

47. US had a whole fake Army

[Irish_Dem]

54. Oh yes that is another story.

It was brilliant.

[womanofthehills]

18. No - 4th wave of 40 drones minutes ago

No one knows if there will be more.

[Gore1FL]

3. Exactly.

Measured retaliatory responses are commonplace. No one really wants to escalate this.

The attack, despite being ineffective, did come at a weapons-replacement cost.

Everyone leaves a with a little less.

[Mountainguy]

5. You think that Iran wanted to make a public display of how

weak its attack is against Israel's Missile defense?

I don't but that for a second. Iran launched the magnitude of weapons it believed it could overwhelm those systems and get some solid hits.

Israel is going to answer this attack and I bet Iran won't be as successful at defending.

[TomDaisy]

7. Iran sent the drones first, knowing it would take hours from them to reach Israel

and Israel knew very well the missiles were coming.

The Biden administration said days ago the attack was coming.

Iran doesn't want a larger war, but they wanted to make a response. This is what is called a proportional, non-escalatory response. If Iran wanted to attack Israel without warning - the would have. They didn't.

[Mountainguy]

17. If that was the case, they wouldn't have launched the ballistic missiles

On top of that they had Houthis and Hezbollah launching rockets as well.

They clearly expected some to get through. They have egg on their face tonight that their attacks were repelled.

[wnylib]

26. Iran is fighting a proxy war using

Hamas, Hezbollah, and Houthis to gain absolute control in the region. If they get that control, they will annihilate Israel from the map.

[Kennah]

48. Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Houthis are far better at killing people. Iran looks weak.

[sarisataka]

6. So no harm, no foul?

[TomDaisy]

10. so the WWIII screaming is just hysterical blathering by people who don't know anything.

[wnylib]

28. The risk is there but is so far being averted.

[Kennah]

49. Delayed

[AZ8theist]

43. I would hardly classify Malcom Nance as a "know-nothing".....

Ans he is stating we're in WWIII ALREADY.

Of course, it's all a matter of interpretation. But Nance is a national security expert and has been pretty much on-the-money since BEFORE Russia got Doturd elected in 2016.

[Zipgun]

16. As long as nothing slips through and hits something important or causes casualties. Should be yes.

Though Bibi has wanted the US to fight Iran for a LONG time, so always the possibility that it continues. If the response from Israel is low key, like smacking a bunch of Iranian proxies, everything should be good. Hit Iranian soil again, and not so much.

[womanofthehills]

34. Supposedly, another 80 drones are heading to Israel

They are trying to exhaust Iron Dome & Patriot systems. Sounds like some - 10 % are now getting through tonight according to different reports.

Each Iron Dome missile costs $40,000 to $50,000 so it costs mega bucks to replace them

[Disaffected]

37. That points out a weakness in pretty much all

missile defense systems - overwhelm the defenses with cheap missiles (or drones or decoys). It's a primary reason BTW why the Regan's "Star Wars" missile defense system was a no-go from the outset.

[enid602]

9. Joe

Thank you Joe Biden for working tirelessly via diplomatic channels. Glad to see there are still some adults in the room.

[TomDaisy]

11. yes

[BannonsLiver]

12. It's getting really weird here.

Bizarro nutball stuff.

[TomDaisy]

13. couldn't agree more

[OAITW r.2.0]

20. Where are you?

I am 2 sheets to the wind.

[Johnny2X2X]

14. It was a save face attack

They’ll claim it was wildly successful. But it was highly coordinated to be innocuous.

[Autumn]

15. It seems like a measured reasonable response.

Now what will Netanyahu do? He's the wild card, a school yard bully. He doesn't give a fuck what happens.

[OAITW r.2.0]

19. Iran makes a rational response after testing Israeli defense systems.

"OK, don't hurt me."

[dutch777]

21. Crazy, but if Iran wanted to seriously hit Israel it would have a} fired more and b} had a coordinated attack with...

...Hezbollah. Israel has a finite number of enemy rockets/missiles it can engage with in real time. 200 or a few more based on 10 Iron Dome systems with 20 intercept rounds each. Would fighter jets and other systems maybe intercept more longer range weapons, yes. But, could Iran coupled with Hezbollah unleash 1,000 or more missiles/rockets in very close coordinated and timed attacks, probably so. If that did not happen, indeed looks like Iran did minimum it had to do so it seemed to respond to the affront of Israel attacking one of its consulates. The fact that this is not much more serious a response is total luck on Israel's part. Killing who Israel killed is totally understandable. Doing it by striking a diplomatic facility is WAY across the line they should not have crossed and sets a terrible precedent for them and the whole world. Another dumb Bibi move the US will be blamed for by association.

[BlueWaveNeverEnd]

22. thx for the explanation

[Silent Type]

23. If/When they get serious, they'll come with 10 times as many drones and missiles?

[Kennah]

50. At which point, the US will likely hit Iranian military sites

[TeamProg]

24. So, it's the Hatfields versus the McCoys?

[BigmanPigman]

25. Good to know!

Thanks for the info.

[orangecrush]

27. Yeah, OK

[Beastly Boy]

30. Iran firing over 200 real rockets and drones into Israel is not an escalation?

Israel forced Iran's hand to fire live munitions into Israel? Are you kidding?

No, Iran's attack wasn't harmless. Iran didn't do it for kicks and giggles. Iran did it with full intent to harm Israel. That was a deliberate attack by one state on another. This is what in military legalese is called a casus belli, an event that calls for a declaration of war. This is not measured. It is an act of aggression that requires a decisive response, no matter how ineffective this act of aggression may have been.

When someone telegraphs intent to shoot you, then shoots you and misses, it would be insane to call this chain of events perfunctory, or performative, or measured. This is attempted murder, whether anyone gets murdered in the process or not (BTW, a Bedouin Arab child was murdered in Iran's attack).

And when someone shoots at you and then issues a statement that they are done shooting unless you provoke them "again", what would your most measured response be? Assuming that you are not completely suicidal, of course.

[Bernardo de La Paz]

31. All the drones are not sold to Russia and not launched against Ukraine. . . . .nt

[Silent Type]

40. Think I'm gonna disagree on using nukes, sorry.

[Celerity]

41. You forgot the sarcasm emoji (hopefully).

I hope Israel responds to the Iranian attack with nuclear weapons

If you are serious, you are advocating for WWIII, and with nukes involved from the beginning.

Thankfully you are not in charge.

[LexVegas]

33. Poor Iran. nt

[womanofthehills]

35. Iran has Russia, China, N Korea, Yemen, Iraq

This is a very dangerous situation.

[BidenRocks]

36. Iran pulled a trump.

They threw a tantrum which looks good to the Iranian public, but was simply target practice for Israel and NATO.
It's a deadly game. Let it lie for now. Ya done good.

[Kennah]

52. So a dotard move?

[tritsofme]

38. Interesting worldview where folks are so eager to be apologists for the tyrannical Islamist regime in Iran

Putin’s close relationship with Iran is also not particularly surprising in that context.

To each their own, I suppose.

[LexVegas]

39. Its bizarro....nt

[Ilsa]

42. So Saudi Arabia allowed the drones and missiles

to fly over their nation? Or were they launched from a place outside of Iran?

[Kennah]

51. From Iran and Yemen according to what I read, so yes, it seems the Saudis allowed it

[AnrothElf]

44. LOL n'kay. This is why I come to DU...

The incisive analysis

[LeftInTX]

46. The little Bedouin girl who was injured did not have access to a bomb shelter.

[Skittles]

53. dick waving

yup