“War is math” is an adage in military sciences. Trump, Hegseth, and Rubio threatened Iran with “tanker for tanker” in the “tanker wars,” but forgot to count the tankers available for Iran to bomb: GCC members (minus Oman) are combatant states; their tankers are, therefore, legitimate targets. This morning, in addition to targeting eight GCC tankers, ten enemy merchant vessels, and two US warships in retaliation for US strikes on five Iranian tankers, Iran launched three waves of ballistic missiles at US bases in Jordan.
On Tue. evening, 1 Sep., Trump, following Obama’s practices from AFPAK, bombed a wedding in Sirik, Iran, killing and injuring scores of men, women, and children. This has opened the gates for Iran to retaliate disproportionately. A “perfect storm”—economic and military—is brewing against the US. Will Tehran press its advantage?
Iranian Jews represent the oldest continuous Jewish community in the Middle East. They have a 3,000-year history that predates and belies Israeli narratives. Iran’s Jewish community is anti-Zionist and patriotic; they challenge Western assumptions and propaganda by thriving in Iran. Iran’s Jewish community is explored in the independent documentary, “Uncaptured: Jews in the Islamic Republic of Iran.”
Mary Renault is lauded as a groundbreaking LGBT authoress, but this detracts from her brilliance as a historian of ancient Greece and Iran. She masterfully weaves history, geography, and Greek literature with fiction to depict the life of Alexander the Great. Her “Persian Boy” was my introduction to Iran.
Notes on US Government’s censorship of Iran War losses and US media’s self-censorship of same; demise of US bases in Middle East; “Economic D-Day”; likelihood of resumption of kinetic actions; and “Perspectives” podcast schedule.
US and Israel handed Tehran the precious gift of nuclear ambiguity. Before 13 June 2025, Iran had the most open nuclear program in the world; today, the most opaque program. 440.9kg of 60% “highly-enriched uranium” survives at scattered sites; there is no single target for Special Forces or USAF to strike. The hoopla about “Pickaxe Mountain” is manufactured by Israel to force Trump to attack and re-ignite the Iran War.
In 2025 and 2026, US and Israeli wars against Iran transformed Tehran's nuclear program from transparent to highly opaque. Iran now possesses 440.9kg of scattered highly-enriched uranium, complicating potential strikes by US forces. The mention of “Pickaxe Mountain” reflects disinformation tactics employed by Israel.
“The Iranian missile cities the US could not destroy” by the Financial Times caused a stir, but Iran specialists knew that underground bases were selected for their geography and geology. They are impregnable. Evidence and analysis in the essay.
Note on the Iran War, and announcement that ‘Perspectives’ now has a podcast that you can follow on Apple, Spotify, Amazon, Audible, etc.
China’s satellite network provides Iran with 24/7/365 coverage and real-time updates: SIGINT, terrain mapping, telemetry; radar, optical, and infrared all-weather, day & night imaging, allowing Iran to precisely strike Israeli and U.S. targets. Details in the essay.
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