War with...Iran?

[Locke]

AP is reporting that 1000 soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division are being deployed to the Middle East. These soldiers are trained to parachute into hostile areas and secure strategic positions.

If a boots-on-the-ground assault is coming, its going to happen soon.

I wasn't joking earlier when I said the Hegseth doctrine was "Light Infantry + War Crimes = Victory"

A lot of the right wing brain has been completely cooked by "Spec Ops" pod caster/grifters and Call Of Duty to think a single elite mlg operator is worth a thousand GIs.

In a lot of ways its pure cope from Vietnam and GWOT where the myth of the US refusing to take off the gloves in vietnam/GWOT and the general guys being more interested in surviving their draft tour than being ELITE OPERATORS is why things didn't go well. It couldn't be that the wars were unwinnable because the US choose strategic goals that were impossible to achieve militarily. No, the problem was the US military was ahem "stabbed in the back" by corrupt politicians.

The degradation of US Special Forces is probably worth its own thread because there is some really fucked up things that happened during GWOT, but the short version is they rapidly expanded, lowered standards and ended up with multiple drug smuggling rings and torture camps and massive drug/steroid problems. And that is just the stuff that has publicly leaked.

background links:
https://secretaryrofdefenserock.substack.com/p/the-triumph-of-the-operator
https://secretaryrofdefenserock.substack.com/p/the-rise-of-american-bushido

No, really its a marketing gimick
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Fort_Bragg_Cartel

 

[Zod]

While also carefully not condemning those actions and, in previous posts, casting doubts on whether those actions did in fact occur. And the posts sure are advocating for restraint against the IRGC and supporting actions that would benefit the IRGC, while laying moral blame on the US. It's getting increasingly hard to see the difference between this and what someone who would support or excuse the actions of the IRGC would advocate for.

Bullshit. Nobody has "carefully not condemn[ed]" or cast any such doubt on the IRGC's attrocities.

You turn the whole thing around. The point is that Trump and Hegseth should never have followed Netanyahu into this stupid war. Trump doesn't give a shit about whether the Iranian people's lives improve or get even worse as a result of his actions.

 

[Zod]

As long as he keeps it all stacked together in one neat pile.

Under his bed.

 

[Shavano]

AP is reporting that 1000 soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division are being deployed to the Middle East. These soldiers are trained to parachute into hostile areas and secure strategic positions.

If a boots-on-the-ground assault is coming, its going to happen soon.

sounds like a great idea. I'm sure it will work out well.

This is why they must send in Kid Rock and RFK Jr. Only they can secure the nuclear material. Load them onto a C-130 and let them fly over the skies of Isfahan.

RFK doesn't seem like the type. I think it needs to be Pete Hegseth leading the assault, parachuting into Tehran with an assault rifle, a few cans of beer ammo, and some hand grenades. Kid Rock as his second in command. Alex Jones should go too. He needs to earn back his reputation, right?

In fact everybody who's all gung ho to kill Iranians needs to go. This is their chance to shine.

Don't forget their Israeli friends. There's plenty of warmongers in Israel who shouldn't miss this opportunity to cover themselves in glory.

 

[Shavano]

I do think it is doable to break IRGC if they really want to go "No Quarter", but we are talk about WWII fire bombing and/or nuclear weapon level of kill/damage. That would also for sure end with a lot of terrorist attacks on USA/Israel, and make USA officially a bully.

No quarter means murder those who try to surrender. That is both a war crime and not a way to get to an end of a war because once the enemy knows you'll kill them if they surrender, they will fight to the death.

 

[Gary Patterson]

No quarter means murder those who try to surrender. That is both a war crime and not a way to get to an end of a war because once the enemy knows you'll kill them if they surrender, they will fight to the death.

It also means the execution of any US POWs that Iran captures.

Allowing your soldiers to murder and torture gives licence to the other side to do exactly the same.

Not that Pete “war criminal” Hegseth cares about the conditions he’s sending soldiers into.

 

[redtomato]

AP is reporting that 1000 soldiers of the 82nd Airborne Division are being deployed to the Middle East. These soldiers are trained to parachute into hostile areas and secure strategic positions.

If a boots-on-the-ground assault is coming, its going to happen soon.

My prediction is several thousand US troops will be successfully parachuted onto Kharg island, and Trump will declare a successful war won.

As for what happens to these troops, with the nearest US boats 1000 hostile miles away? That’s tomorrow’s problem.

I also think it is optimistic to think the US Armed Forces will refuse this mission. A refusal would be disobeying both the US President and the US Secretary of Defence.

The time for refusing was 4 weeks ago. It didn’t happen.

Somehow the MAGA base will view this horrendous loss as a win for Trump, who will emerge untouched.

 

[Locke]

No quarter means murder those who try to surrender. That is both a war crime and not a way to get to an end of a war because once the enemy knows you'll kill them if they surrender, they will fight to the death.

This is the practical reason why the US has, at least during WW2, tried to treat POWs extremely well.

If a guy in a trench is staring down the coming attack and he views surrender as being tortured and executed he will fight to the last. If he thinks surrender means he gets a hot meal and 6 months at a boring summer camp he is probably surrendering long before the fight.

Treating POWs well isn't woke, weak or liberal craptrap or whatever the word of the decade is. Its good policy for winning wars.

 

[Megalodon]

This is the practical reason why the US has, at least during WW2, tried to treat POWs extremely well.

If a guy in a trench is staring down the coming attack and he views surrender as being tortured and executed he will fight to the last. If he thinks surrender means he gets a hot meal and 6 months at a boring summer camp he is probably surrendering long before the fight.

Treating POWs well isn't woke, weak or liberal craptrap or whatever the word of the decade is. Its good policy for winning wars.

It's also an investment in making sure US POWs are treated well, which is still contributing to the war effort by soaking up enemy resources to feed/house/provide medical treatment for/guard them, which ultimately allows the US to leverage its overwhelming logistical advantages even more, as well as improving morale.

 

[Alexander]

My prediction is several thousand US troops will be successfully parachuted onto Kharg island, and Trump will declare a successful war won.

As for what happens to these troops, with the nearest US boats 1000 hostile miles away? That’s tomorrow’s problem.

All the stupid announcements about them taking Kharg Island is the administration's clown show version of a head fake.

Most likely they will establish a beachhead at Chabahar port in Iranian Baluchistan where they can push up the highway along the coastline (that runs along the Strait of Hormuz). That's the speculation from analysts and former officials.

If they try to capture Kharg Island I'll eat my hat.

 

[goates]

If they try to capture Kharg Island I'll eat my hat.

They could be sending the Marines to the southern Iranian coast and the 82nd Airborne to Kharg Island.

 

[Megalodon]

All the stupid announcements about them taking Kharg Island is the administration's clown show version of a head fake.

Most likely they will establish a beachhead at Chabahar port in Iranian Baluchistan where they can push up the highway along the coastline (that runs along the Strait of Hormuz). That's the speculation from analysts and former officials.

If they try to capture Kharg Island I'll eat my hat.

Are you really making a "they couldn't possibly be that stupid" argument about the Trump administration?

 

[VividVerism]

No quarter means murder those who try to surrender. That is both a war crime and not a way to get to an end of a war because once the enemy knows you'll kill them if they surrender, they will fight to the death.

It's also the exact wording used by Hegseth the other day. It's possible he didn't mean it literally and is just an ignorant fool using "tough guy" language he doesn't actually understand the meaning of. But considering he is former military himself he really ought to know what it means, and considering he's in charge of the military he really shouldn't be using words he doesn't understand when describing military policies.

 

[Da Xiang]

I hate how true this is. We could literally walk away today, let the President make up whatever reason he wanted for why we "won" and just ... call it a day.

He won't even bother with a reason. He will just announce "We Won!" and that will be the end of it.

 

[Macam]

All the stupid announcements about them taking Kharg Island is the administration's clown show version of a head fake.

Most likely they will establish a beachhead at Chabahar port in Iranian Baluchistan where they can push up the highway along the coastline (that runs along the Strait of Hormuz). That's the speculation from analysts and former officials.

If they try to capture Kharg Island I'll eat my hat.

Former officials? Analysts? The ones that are no longer in charge and got booted precisely because they had some modicum of expertise?

I hope we're all wrong for a number of reasons, but I also hope you have a backup hat, a robust spice rack, and perhaps a marinade you may want to try out in the near future.

 

[Made in Hurry]

$11.60 pr gallon of diesel here this morning, and news blaring that it might reach $15+ in the near future.

 

[Gary Patterson]

$11.60 pr gallon of diesel here this morning, and news blaring that it might reach $15+ in the near future.

Unleaded 98 has gone from hovering around $2/litre to $2.70 here in Melbourne. We’re drawing from our national reserves now though. I don’t know what that converts to in weird imperial measurements. I think I get 2.5 rods to the hogshead on a straight road.

 

[metlman13]

It's also the exact wording used by Hegseth the other day. It's possible he didn't mean it literally and is just an ignorant fool using "tough guy" language he doesn't actually understand the meaning of. But considering he is former military himself he really ought to know what it means, and considering he's in charge of the military he really shouldn't be using words he doesn't understand when describing military policies.

Hegseth knows damn well what he's advocating for and is saying it because like every other criminal in the administration, he knows he is essentially immune from prosecution and will never have to appear in any courtroom to justify his actions for the rest of his life.

Would you have anything other than contempt for the law if you knew it only applied to other people and not you?

 

[Gary Patterson]

If Hegseth orders war crimes and his soldiers commit them, can he be prosecuted outside the US?

 

[Megalodon]

If Hegseth orders war crimes and his soldiers commit them, can he be prosecuted outside the US?

Sure. Extradition might be a problem though.

 

[JGurnett617]

All the stupid announcements about them taking Kharg Island is the administration's clown show version of a head fake.

Most likely they will establish a beachhead at Chabahar port in Iranian Baluchistan where they can push up the highway along the coastline (that runs along the Strait of Hormuz). That's the speculation from analysts and former officials.

If they try to capture Kharg Island I'll eat my hat.

Wow, the administration seems really set on pissing off India during the course of this war.

My question is, how many troops are these analysts and officials you're watching expecting to take part in this operation? Because that's a fair chunk of territory to take and hold just to reach the bloodbath at Bandar Abbas and Qeshm.

 

[dio82]

Sure. Extradition might be a problem though.

We have learned from Trump that kidnapping is always a valid option.

 

[zenparadox]

It also means the execution of any US POWs that Iran captures.

Allowing your soldiers to murder and torture gives licence to the other side to do exactly the same.

Not that Pete “war criminal” Hegseth cares about the conditions he’s sending soldiers into.

Yep, sux be to those who suffer, but that's not me so woohoo!!! fistpump

Spoiler: Ah shit

Hegseth deserves to hang for his crimes.

I realised a moment after posting that, that while not many would legit argue the case against, we're trying to stay firmly in the non-yellow to mitigate the chaos of this timeline on the fora. To clarify I believe Mr Hegseth would be an open and shut case at the Hague for warcrimes, sufficiently egregious that it would result in the ultimate punishment.
I could be wrong, hopefully not as far as a legitprosecution might go; but it's never going to happen anyway.
I do not wish death upon him; but should it work out that way in an international court the man would have no-one to blame but his own actions.

 

[Da Xiang]

Yep, sux be to those who suffer, but that's not me so woohoo!!! fistpump

Hegseth deserves to hang for his crimes.

...and his boss

 

[zenparadox]

...and his boss

Indeed.

 

[unregister]

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/24/...unlocked_article_code=1.VlA.tGWI.AzAFt1X9Mtfi

Do the Saudi's (MBS) really think the commitment of US ground troops in Iran would usher in in a non-hostile (or friendly) new regime in Tehran, a strategic goal that seems much more ambitious and time-consuming to achieve than Israel's where merely seeing Iran devolving into a failed state would suffice? Do they really believe it could be done within tolerable bounds of damage (of all kinds) to themselves, never mind the other Gulf states and throughout the world?

And if Trump is really trying to please both of those two (the Saudi's and Israel), yikes.

 

[Tijger]

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/24/...unlocked_article_code=1.VlA.tGWI.AzAFt1X9Mtfi

Do the Saudi's (MBS) really think the commitment of US ground troops in Iran would usher in in a non-hostile (or friendly) new regime in Tehran, a strategic goal that seems much more ambitious and time-consuming to achieve than Israel's where merely seeing Iran devolving into a failed state would suffice? Do they really believe it could be done within tolerable bounds of damage (of all kinds) to themselves, never mind the other Gulf states and throughout the world?

And if Trump is really trying to please both of those two (the Saudi's and Israel), yikes.

The Saudi's think its a great idea to use the US as mercenaries to do their bidding and the issue between the Saudi's and Iran goes far beyond the normal state on state animosity but also have a very big religious component.
They might also consider that their neighbours, while not enemies, being weaker is fine with them and that they have enough wealth and strategic resources to weather any passing storm.

 

[Zod]

Unleaded 98 has gone from hovering around $2/litre to $2.70 here in Melbourne. We’re drawing from our national reserves now though. I don’t know what that converts to in weird imperial measurements. I think I get 2.5 rods to the hogshead on a straight road.

I paid £1.70 per litre for unleaded 99 this weekend, so Aus is doing OK by comparison (petrol’s always cheaper because you pay less tax). I put in about fifty litres three times between Wednesday and Sunday to do about 600 miles over five days. Driving is an expensive business now, thanks to Trump, Putin and the oil industry.

We could have taken our EV, but I just fancied driving my beloved V12 around Yorkshire.

 

[Zod]

Hegseth knows damn well what he's advocating for and is saying it because like every other criminal in the administration, he knows he is essentially immune from prosecution and will never have to appear in any courtroom to justify his actions for the rest of his life.

Would you have anything other than contempt for the law if you knew it only applied to other people and not you?

For Hegseth to be immune would require either no elections in the US or the return of Merrick Garland as AG.

 

[VividVerism]

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/24/...unlocked_article_code=1.VlA.tGWI.AzAFt1X9Mtfi

Do the Saudi's (MBS) really think the commitment of US ground troops in Iran would usher in in a non-hostile (or friendly) new regime in Tehran, a strategic goal that seems much more ambitious and time-consuming to achieve than Israel's where merely seeing Iran devolving into a failed state would suffice? Do they really believe it could be done within tolerable bounds of damage (of all kinds) to themselves, never mind the other Gulf states and throughout the world?

And if Trump is really trying to please both of those two (the Saudi's and Israel), yikes.

This truly is the greatest and most transparent administration ever!

The New York Times interviewed people with a variety of views on the wisdom of continuing the war and of Prince Mohammed’s role in advising Mr. Trump.

Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said the administration “does not comment on the president’s private conversations.”

...yes, those "private conversations" between the President and a foreign head of state, where they discuss official US foreign policy and military strategy, and are totally not subject to official records-keeping laws or anything.

Nothing new for Trump, of course, just a continuation of illegal practices from his first term: https://nsarchive.gwu.edu/news/foia...ent-heads-state-meetings-violates-records-law

 

[Sajuuk]

For Hegseth to be immune would require either no elections in the US or the return of Merrick Garland as AG.

When was the last time this country ever held an official liable for war crimes, regardless of the label in power? Hell, we made an extraordinary rendition (that’s our secret torture prison system, to be clear) to CIA Director pipeline and nobody batted a fucking eye.

 

[Da Xiang]

When was the last time this country ever held an official liable for war crimes, regardless of the label in power? Hell, we made an extraordinary rendition (that’s our secret torture prison system, to be clear) to CIA Director pipeline and nobody batted a fucking eye.

William Laws Calley Jr. comes to mind.....

 

[Sajuuk]

William Laws Calley Jr. comes to mind.....

Political officials, not officers. I probably should have been clearer. Note how Kissinger is not officially a war criminal.

 

[Shavano]

$11.60 pr gallon of diesel here this morning, and news blaring that it might reach $15+ in the near future.

At its current price, crude oil only accounts for a little over $2 of that diesel price, if we're talking about US dollars.

 

[Maxxim]

At its current price, crude oil only accounts for a little over $2 of that diesel price, if we're talking about US dollars.

Meanwhile, here in rural UK. driving past several petrol stations this morning, diesel is selling at between £1.68 and £1.82 / litre. This works out to about $8.57 to $9.15 / US gallon.

Meanwhile regular Unleaded is £1.47 to £1.61 - $7.40 - $8.17 / US gallon.

Meanwhile electric prices have dropped - our overnight rate is £0.052 / kWh (about 6.3 cents) - and my ID3 is averaging 4.2miles / kWk. For obvious reasons, our Defender is parked up and not seeing any use.

 

[BigVince]

Yep, sux be to those who suffer, but that's not me so woohoo!!! fistpump

Spoiler: Ah shit

Hegseth deserves to hang for his crimes.

I realised a moment after posting that, that while not many would legit argue the case against, we're trying to stay firmly in the non-yellow to mitigate the chaos of this timeline on the fora. To clarify I believe Mr Hegseth would be an open and shut case at the Hague for warcrimes, sufficiently egregious that it would result in the ultimate punishment.
I could be wrong, hopefully not as far as a legitprosecution might go; but it's never going to happen anyway.
I do not wish death upon him; but should it work out that way in an international court the man would have no-one to blame but his own actions.

Fortunately or unfortunately depending on your perspective, the modern world does not have the stomach for that kind of punishment. Not for war crimes, where the accused person did not directly cause loss of life by their own hands. The death penalty has supporters here in the US because of the visceral nature of the crimes committed by folks who end up on death row. Its easy to say that x person murdered people so that person should also have their life taken. Its not so easy when the person to be hanged was giving orders to another person to do the actual killing. Treason still carries the death penalty but no one has executed for treason in over 150 years, despite people having been convicted since then.

 

[Zod]

When was the last time this country ever held an official liable for war crimes, regardless of the label in power? Hell, we made an extraordinary rendition (that’s our secret torture prison system, to be clear) to CIA Director pipeline and nobody batted a fucking eye.

It’s never too late to do the right thing.

 

[ice9]

Treason still carries the death penalty but no one has executed for treason in over 150 years, despite people having been convicted since then.

Its high time there were a few convictions for treason again. Im not advocating the death penalty but I would like some fucking consequences for USA and British politicians who put their loyalty to israel above that of their own country.

 

[zenparadox]

Fortunately or unfortunately depending on your perspective, the modern world does not have the stomach for that kind of punishment. Not for war crimes, where the accused person did not directly cause loss of life by their own hands. The death penalty has supporters here in the US because of the visceral nature of the crimes committed by folks who end up on death row. Its easy to say that x person murdered people so that person should also have their life taken. Its not so easy when the person to be hanged was giving orders to another person to do the actual killing. Treason still carries the death penalty but no one has executed for treason in over 150 years, despite people having been convicted since then.

Yeah, in all honesty I lost my last feint support for capital punishment for any crimes once I learned what it does to executioners, over time. We put upon someone to become a killer, and it's inherently unhealthy as a choice. You end up punishing the executioners more than anyone else.
And capital punishment is an ineffective deterrent in so far as the majority of research I'm aware of. Doesn't work, harms people that do it as a job...
I am not an expert in any way, to be clear. Just my 2c.

 

[NewNinetyNine]

This is morbidly fascinating.

What is the wartime geopolitical equivalent to your Canadian underwear model girlfriend's bus breaking down on the way to visit you for senior prom? And will the markets swallow it as an excuse to surge asset prices yet again?

https://www.theguardian.com/world/l...edly-deployed-donald-trump-attacks-on-lebanon

(Live Update Link, subject to change)

"No no she didn't dump me; we worked it out. She just had a surprise modeling gig that came up right before the dance."