The story is so surprising to some (that Israel would join in from the first), and the media need to move quickly to understand what is happening, that even I24 gets the headline wrong. “Israel, U.S. launch preemptive military operation against Israel, emergency situation declared in Israel | LIVE BLOG,” I24, 2-28-26.
“US, Israel attack Iran live: Trump announces ‘major combat operations’,” Al Jazeera, 2-28-26.
“US UN Ambassador Tells Off Iran To His Face at Tense UN Meeting,” New York Post, 2-28-26. Statement (video in the UNSC) by the U.S. at the United Nations of its rationale based on the actions of Iran, including the global security declaration as long as 20 years ago that Iran give up its enrichment activities. Here in the past three weeks, Iran continues to refuse to give up its program. The Ayatollah has lost his chance.
A word about the NYT and those who don’t understand the Regime. See “Why Have You Started This War, Mr. President?,” NYT, 2-28-26. The premise is flawed. The U.S. didn’t start this war, it is decades and years and issues and threats and deaths long. Iran started it with the founding mantra “Death to America.” It is how the country is founded and run. There is also Death to Israel and Death to Saudi Arabia. They are Little Satans. This is not what a normal country does and is why Henry Kissinger’s statement about the ISI started this blog. All American presidents since Jimmy Carter have had to deal with this Shia Crescent Mahdi Death Cult. All regional presidents and monarchs and countries of the Middle East but really around the world because of the long arm of Iran and its Quds Force and IRGC have had to deal with the two Supreme Leaders and their twisted view of Islam. There have been proxies, the long war with Iraq, hostages, missile strikes, the largest state-sponsor of terror, the nuclear weapons program, the list of negatives is so long. And the list of brutality and human rights denials and corruption against common Iranians are too numerous to count. Well, more than 30,000 is the latest number to count, those killed in the Jan. 8-9 military-grade weapons murders of their countrymen and women. Why doesn’t the NYT ask which countries or international organizations are holding Iran to account for that most recent event, which is the largest government mass killing at one time of a country’s people?
Israel will forever have the credit for removing this Haman. “Israel kills Iran’s Supreme Leader Khamenei in Saturday strikes | LIVE BLOG,” I24, 2-28-26. Khamenei will never order another person dead. Or an entire nation. I wonder if Quds Day is no officially over? I wonder if the Doomsday clock in Tehran will ever be reconstituted? I wonder if the new head of government in Iran will make predictions of how long will Israel will exist?
“Israel, US timed Iran strikes to Khamenei meeting with inner circle – report,” I24, 2-28-26. “Israeli officials said Khamenei was killed along with key lieutenants, including Ali Shamkhani, the powerful former secretary of Iran’s National Security Council, and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Mohammad Pakpour. Two Iranian sources told Reuters that Khamenei met on Saturday with Shamkhani and Supreme National Security Council Secretary Ali Larijani at a secure location shortly before the strikes began. A senior Israeli official told Reuters that Khamenei’s body had been found.” [was Larijani killed?] Two US sources and a US official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said confirmation that Khamenei was meeting his top aides triggered the joint Israeli-US operation. The US official said the attack needed to hit Khamenei first to maintain the element of surprise, suggesting concerns that the Iranian leader would go into hiding if he had advance warning. One US source said Khamenei had originally been expected to hold the meeting on Saturday evening in Tehran, but Israeli intelligence detected a meeting on Saturday morning, and the strikes were moved forward. The precise location of the meeting was not immediately clear, the sources said. However, Khamenei’s high‑security compound in Tehran was struck at the beginning of the operation, and satellite imagery reviewed by Reuters confirmed that the site was destroyed. … After Khamenei’s death, Head of Iran’s National Security Council said a temporary Leadership Council will be formed today. According to a report by Iran International, Iran’s president, judiciary chief, Guardian Council jurist will assume the supreme leader’s duties. The impact of Khamenei’s death on Iran’s internal power structure and regional policy remains uncertain. In a pre‑attack assessment, the US Central Intelligence Agency concluded that he could be replaced by hardliners from within the IRGC [this is what I think, that Iran becomes a military dictatorship or junta for the moment], according to two sources briefed on the intelligence. Officials and analysts warn that the killing of Iran’s supreme leader, combined with ongoing military exchanges, could further destabilize the region and complicate efforts to contain wider escalation.”
“Live Updates: U.S. and Israel Strike Iran as Trump Calls for Overthrow of Government,” NYT, 2-28-26. First, the Supreme Leader is now a marked man the rest of his life, much more so than by his own persons. I don’t know if he will ever go outside again. Another comment–Classless by the NYT. It complains that “This is the second time President Trump has attacked Iran during ongoing negotiations on its nuclear program. Already, Iranian officials were doubtful they could trust Trump to negotiate seriously or if he intended to reach a lasting agreement. Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, has an abiding mistrust of the United States, which was reinforced in 2018 when Trump pulled out of the 2015 nuclear deal and reimposed harsh economic sanctions on Iran.” This is distorting history and reality. We have been negotiating for years. And the NYT ignores the many reports in the last few days that Iran was not negotiating in good faith, was not offering much, and certainly wasn’t giving up its nuclear program. Why should anyone continue so-called negotiating or diplomacy that is not going anywhere? Here’s another point–“In a letter to the U.N. Security Council, Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, asked for the council to intervene and said Israel and the United States had violated international law in attacking Iran. “The United States and the Israeli regime shall bear full and direct responsibility for all ensuing consequences, including any escalation arising from their unlawful actions,” Mr. Araghchi said in the letter. “All bases, facilities and assets of the hostile forces in the region shall be regarded as legitimate military objectives within the framework of Iran’s lawful exercise of self-defense.” Good luck on whether the world defends this interpretation of IL. As an example of my point, “Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Union’s executive arm, announced on social media that she would convene a special security update meeting on Monday on the situation in Iran. She said that it is “of the utmost importance that there is no further escalation through Iran’s unjustified attacks on partners in the region.” And “Saudi Arabia’s foreign ministry said that there had been “blatant and cowardly Iranian attacks” on its capital Riyadh and in the country’s oil-rich eastern province. The statement said the attacks came even after Saudi Arabia had said it would not allow its airspace or territory to be used to target Iran.” Also, the NYT is reporting that “Abbas Araghchi, the Iranian foreign minister, said there were currently no backchannel negotiations taking place in an effort to end the war with the United States and Israel. “If the Americans want to talk to us, they know how they can contact me,” Araghchi said in an interview on NBC News.” Note that Araghchi didn’t say he was trying to contact the U.S. or Israel. The next comment I have is what is important now is will the Iranian people step up, and will the Army and Basij step down. It will be interesting to learn more about the contacts between Western intelligence and freedom advocates. Here’s another point—only Iran brings its rivals together so well. “Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed, the president of the United Arab Emirates, spoke with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman of Saudi Arabia by phone on Saturday, according to U.A.E. state media, after the Emirates came under retaliatory Iranian strikes. Prince Mohammed told the Emirati leader that Saudi Arabia would be “placing all its capabilities at its disposal,” to support the Emirates. Relations between the two Gulf neighbors have been strained in recent months. Finally, “Iran’s semiofficial news agency Fars reported that Iranian missile attacks had targeted U.S. military facilities including the Al Udeid Air Base in Qatar, Ali Al Salem Air Base in Kuwait, Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates and the U.S. Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain.” Apparently, though, little damage as the missiles are being shot out of the sky.
Where is Esmail Qaani, leader of the Quds Force? I guess he survived June 25, and now March 26. But why no public appearances if he is alive? Not even a mention of him in the Regime news sources. “Diagramming the Blows to Iran’s Leadership,” NYT, 2-28-26.
This is from the man who hardly ever criticizes the largest state-sponsor of terror. “UN chief condemns U.S.-Israeli attacks on Iran during emergency Security Council meeting,” PBS, 2-28-26.