Iran vs the US and Israel — Kabuki Theater on Steroids

Any moment now I am expecting John Cleese (a veteran of Monty Python) to jump out of the bushes and announce the creation of the Ministry of Silly Wars, with Donald Trump as the deranged leader. For you youngsters out there, Monty Python’s skit, The Ministry of Silly Walks, helped make the members of MP legends. I had to reference Monty Python because the line of bullshit the Trump administration is feeding the American people and the world about the amazing, obliterating US attack on Iranian nuclear sites on Sunday morning, is more ridiculous than all of the silly walks pictured in the following video:

My hopes that Donald Trump would finally act like a responsible adult are dashed. He’s a dangerous buffoon. While the team around him are working frantically to maintain the fiction that Trump has a vision and is calling the shots on the foreign policy front, he is careening around the globe like an out-of-control cue ball on a billiards table. It started a week ago… first, he claimed to know everything about the timing of the Israeli decapitation attack, and then, within 48 hours, denied knowing anything. He insists he wants peace but did nothing to stop Israel from launching an unprovoked attack on Iran on the eve of negotiations in Oman between the US and Iran.

Now comes the Sunday morning bombings of Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan. White House insists all were obliterated and Iran’s nuclear program wiped out. Only one teeny, tiny problem… none of the satellite imagery supports that claim. Before Sunday, we knew where Iran’s enriched uranium was located and IAEA inspectors had access to the three sites. Now? Iran removed the enriched uranium to a classified site and is moving to end IAEA inspections of Iran’s nuclear program.

The national security committee of Iran’s parliament approved the general outline of a bill meant to fully suspend Tehran’s cooperation with the UN nuclear watchdog, semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on, citing committee spokesperson Ebrahim Rezaei.

Rezaei said that according to the bill, installing surveillance cameras, allowing inspections, and submitting reports to the IAEA would be suspended as long as the security of nuclear facilities is not guaranteed. Parliament still has to approve the bill in a plenary.

Way to go Trump!! Instead of ending Iran’s quest for a nuclear weapon — which Iran shelved 22 years ago — Donald Trump has given Iranian hardliners more proof that the only way Iran can be secure in the future is to manufacture nuclear warheads.

Then, today in Washington, DC around 6 pm, Trump announced a ceasefire between Iran and Israel. Following his meeting in Moscow with Vladimir Putin, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi, issued the following statement:

The military operations of our powerful Armed Forces to punish Israel for its aggression continued until the very last minute, until 4 am.

Together with all Iranians, I thank our brave Armed Forces, who remain ready to defend our dear country until the last drop of blood and who responded to any enemy attacks until the very last minute.

Israel launched a flurry of final attacks on Tehran immediately prior to the 4 am (Tehran time) deadline for the ceasefire to go into effect. Meanwhile, in Iraq, there were several attacks on US bases prior to 4 am by Iraqi groups aligned with Iran:

In central Iraq, a suicide drone struck (https://t.me/PalestineResist/79412) the military airport in Camp Taji, north of Baghdad, targeting a radar unit and fuel tanks (Media 1, 4). No casualties were reported. West of Baghdad, an explosion was reported near the American Victoria base, with reports of power outages. American drones were reported flying over Baghdad.

In northern Iraq, two explosions were heard at the Balad Air Base (Bakr Air Base) in Salah Al-Din Governorate, with flames seem rising from the base.

In southern Iraq, a drone attack targeted the air radar systems at Imam Ali Base (Talil Air Base) in Nasiriyah (Media 2). Moments ago, air defenses also activated at the American Ain Al-Assad Air Base in Anbar in western Iraq, following a reported targeting by one drone.

While Trump is desperately trying to take credit for these developments, the ceasefire happened in spite of him, not because of his actions. I suspect that Russia, with an assist from China, made this happen. The real story is that Israel caved. Notwithstanding the massive pro-Israel propaganda campaign claiming that Iran was crumpling under Israel’s assault, Iran’s bevy of ballistic and cruise missiles wreaked havoc on Israel and caused significant damage. This is a major defeat for Netanyahu. Let’s hope he is quickly ushered out of office.

I discussed the events of the weekend with Nima and with Judge Napolitano. I was not yet privy to all of the news that broke in the afternoon. I did, however, have a chat with Rasheed at 4 pm and was able to comment on the news of Iran’s scripted attack on Al Udeid air base in Qatar.