History, Religion, Politics, Culture, and Travels in the Islamic World
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?
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.
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.
The war on Iran picked up where it left off on 8 April, with the Iranians denuding the region of US bases, forcing the US to relocate assets to Israel and Europe. The Iranian campaign has been brilliant and will be studied in military colleges.
“The Iranian missile cities the US could not destroy” article by the Financial Times caused a stir among the unwashed, but (real) scholars of Iran knew that all underground bases were selected on geography and geology, and were impregnable. To adapt Bill Clinton’s slogan, “It’s the geology, stupid”
Since the Iran War has become a Sitzkrieg, I am returning to writing about what I love: Iranian history and culture. What were Iranians doing in the “Stone Age”? Inventing fun stuff. The yakhchal (“ice pit”) is from ca. 500 BC. It is a pre-modern fridge.
Trump and Hegseth threatened to send Iran back to the “Stone Age.” However, in the Stone Age (to 4,500 BC), Iranians had thriving civilization; and by the Bronze Age (3,300—1,200 BC), had empires that predated Ancient Greece by 2,000 years and Rome by 2,500 years. The the world has discovered that the Iranians are civilized while savages run the United States.
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