The United States shot down more drones and missiles than Israel did on Saturday night during Iran’s attack, The Intercept can report.
More than half of Iran’s weapons were destroyed by U.S. aircraft and missiles before they ever reached Israel. In fact, by commanding a multinational air defense operation and scrambling American fighter jets, this was a U.S. military triumph.
The extent of the U.S. military operation is unbeknownst to the American public, but the Pentagon coordinated a multination, regionwide defense extending from northern Iraq to the southern Persian Gulf on Saturday. During the operation, the U.S., U.K., France, and Jordan all shot down the majority of Iranian drones and missiles. In fact, where U.S. aircraft originated from has not been officially announced, an omission that has been repeated by the mainstream media. Additionally, the role of Saudi Arabia is unclear, both as a base for the United States and in terms of any actions by the Saudi military.
“U.S. intelligence estimates that half of the weapons fired by Iran failed upon launch or in flight due to technical issues,” a U.S. Air Force senior officer told The Intercept. Of the remaining 160 or so, the U.S. shot down the majority, the officer said. The officer was granted anonymity to speak about sensitive operational matters.
I don’t know if this ventures into conspiracy theory territory or not but in real time, I thought the Iranians had essentially told the U.S. what was coming and to prepare for it because Iran wanted a show and to test Israel’s air defense systems without provoking a war.
When it happened, one of my friends was like, “Great. World War III.” And I said I didn’t think so because Iran announced that they had launched it all as they launched it all. You don’t announce, “Here come some bombs!” to the media when your goal is having them actually land.
That’s not conspiratorial thinking at all, that’s just geopolitical literacy. Your assessment is correct: Iran planned this carefully to avoid causing any major damage. This was pro wrestling.
Which honestly makes it sad to consider that Iran has become the more restrained, rational actor here. The US needs to put Netanyahu on a short leash. He is not worth this.
I suspect Netanyahu wants a Trump presidency. I don’t expect him to do Biden any favors - quite the opposite, really.
This. The “Genocide Joe” cohort doesn’t realize they are falling right into Netanyahu and Trump’s plan. I mean, at least the small number of them who aren’t propagandists in the first place.
I would hold my nose to vote for Biden if my vote really counted, but I will still call him genocide Joe. If he continues down this path, I hope he is forever known as Genocide Joe. Let history know it.
And the Kremlin, and the CCP.
They don’t give a shit because the genocide is already in progress. Also these people are very real, real enough to make an impact on the primaries. You liberals really just can’t help but constantly condescend to anyone who doesn’t do what you want them to.
It’s hilarious watching liberals try to blame their campaign failures on “Russian bots”. It’s always someone else’s fault
Yet they’re funding the democrats more than the republicans.
They get everything they want with Biden and the Dems, no one has stopped them.
With Trump they get a man who cohorts with neonazis, and they may get literal WW3 or a flakey ally.
Trump pushed US policy much closer to Israel. Biden has been mostly status quo, though leaning away from them which the US has never done before. I need a citation on funding to believe that claim, but regardless they already have republicans in their pocket. They don’t need to spend any more to purchase them.
Is the US really leaning away from Israel though. They’re still actively funding and aiding them.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68173904.amp - “US sanctions Israeli settlers over West Bank violence”
https://time.com/6591139/biden-israel-executive-order-sanctions/ - “What to Make of Biden’s Historic Sanctions on Israeli Settlers”
https://www.voanews.com/amp/calls-increase-for-israeli-accounting-for-gaza-airstrike/7556362.html
https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2024/4/10/biden-israels-netanyahu-making-mistake-on-gaza
https://www.politico.eu/article/israels-netanyahu-says-he-will-defy-bidens-red-line-and-invade-rafah/
https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2024/03/22/biden-netanyahu-friendship-pressure-campaign-00148328
https://www.france24.com/en/middle-east/20240404-🔴live-israel-accused-of-targeting-gaza-aid-convoy-car-by-car -
Man, thanks for listing the sources. I didn’t want to do the work. Yet, you got downvoted for it because they don’t actually want to know the truth. They want to spread a lie.
Leaning away as in away from our usual stance? Hell yeah. We historically wouldn’t even criticize them.
The first time ever? Why do liberals constantly lie and exaggerate? No one with a brain believes you. Obama leaned away from Israel by actually blowing them off, Biden scolding Netanyahu a couple times while proceeding to give him billions in aid isn’t leaning away from shit.
Obama I think criticized them, but I don’t think there was ever any action behind it. I could be wrong about this but I think that’s the case. That said, Obama never faced a situation like this. He would probably handle it I a way I more agree with, but he’s not president so it doesn’t really matter.
There weren’t any major wars when Trump was in office.
It was a small 4 year period where most of the world was battling Covid and increasing death rates at home.
U right.
The best part of the “Genocide Joe” cohort is they call him that - despite the fact that he hasn’t committed a genocide - while simultaneously virulently denying the very real and well-documented genocides committed by communist Russia and China.
Pretty sure I’ve called them out multiple times.
Ah so despite the fact that you seem to be aware of what an actual genocide is you decide to call Biden that…why, exactly? Because it sounds clever? Because you along with 90% of the rest of the world allowed Donald Trump to lead you down to the level of grown ass adults referring to literally fucking everybody by childish, idiotic nicknames?
Ah so you deny there is a genocide in Palestine.
Disgusting.
I don’t deny there’s a genocide I just have a fucking brain in my skull and am capable of recognizing that Biden isn’t the person responsible for it because I don’t have my opinions spoon-fed to me by Russian bot-farms lol.
This was millions and millions of tax payer dollars spent for “pro wrestling”. Damn that’s sad. 😆
I wouldn’t call it a wrestling show, but an attempt to prevent two smoking drunks from a bar fight by enabling them to save face. Also the bar is covered in burnable liquor and we are all standing in it while the doors are shut.
1 billion for defence, not that much for offence.
The main point to announce it was so they would get shot down. If they had reached their targets that would be a war they would lose very quickly. This way no harm was done. But now the people in charge in Iran can tell everyone in the country look how we attacked the bad people. Kind of like when north Korea talks a bunch of shit to everyone then launches a missile to no where. They can brag about it in country how they almost fucked up Japan and no one is the wiser because the only news coming in is things they ban see internally. Iranians saw the missles and drones leave their airspace then get told lies about what happened.
They did the same thing back when you guys turned Qassem “Kotlett” Soleimani into a fine paste. Announcing an air strike, notifying the target in advance and declare victory. Noone was killed in their retaliatory attack.
While the Mullahs have fucked up Iran beyond recognition, their handling of crises like this is pretty good.