Zeph C.’s Post

#MiddleEastTensions | “By sticking to strictly military targets with few reported casualties, the operation also fell within the guidelines suggested by the Biden administration, and the threshold Iranian officials had previously suggested would result in no further kinetic actions.” “The question still remains if any Israeli Air Force crewed assets ever even entered into Iranian airspace. Standoff munitions, especially air-launched ballistic missiles, could have been responsible for striking the limited target sets that were hit. “The question of if and how Tehran will respond looms large over the region. Iranian authorities ‘strongly condemned’ the attack, saying they reserved the right to respond. However, they downplayed the results, a possible indication that they may not. Still, they have to walk a fine line between their actions and appeasing that segment of the population calling for war with Israel.” SOURCE(S): The War Zone

#Israel and #Iran’s apparent #strikes and #counterstrikes give new insights into both #militaries […] In response to international appeals, however, both Israel and Iran had appeared to be holding back their full military force throughout the more than two weeks of hostilities, aiming to send messages rather than escalate to a full-scale war. Crucially, experts also cautioned that Iran had not brought into the main battle its greatest military advantage over Israel — #Hezbollah and other Iran-allied armed groups in the region. Hezbollah in particular is capable of straining Israel’s ability to defend itself, especially in any multifront conflict. Overall, “the big-picture lesson to take away is that unless Iran does absolutely everything at its disposal all at once, it is just the David, and not the Goliath, in this equation,” said Charles Lister, a senior fellow and longtime regional researcher at the Washington-based #MiddleEastInstitute. Aside from those Iranian #proxyforces, “the Israelis have every single advantage on every single #military level,” Lister said. In Friday’s attack, Iranian state television said the country’s air defense batteries fired in several provinces following reports of #drones. Iranian army commander Gen. Abdolrahim Mousavi said crews targeted several flying objects. Lister said it appeared to have been a single mission by a small number of Israeli aircraft. After crossing Syrian airspace, it appears they fired only two or three #BlueSparrow air-to-surface missiles into Iran, most likely from a standoff position in the airspace of Iran’s neighbor #Iraq, he said. Iran said its #airdefenses fired at a major air base near #Isfahan. Isfahan also is home to sites associated with Iran’s nuclear program, including its underground #Natanz enrichment site, which has been repeatedly targeted by suspected Israeli #sabotage attacks. Israel has not taken responsibility for either the April 1 or Friday strikes. #airfefence #airdefense

Ukraine has single handily changed naval warfare for ever. Putin no longer has a Black Sea Fleet he can use to blackmail the West with a Grain Corridor ( a device to stop/slow up Ukrainian Grain exports). When Putin loses a capital ship NATO should capitalise by declaring that NATO forces will offer defensive protection to vessels trading in the Black Sea. Look to the International Convention of the Law of the Sea for authority on this. (Countries were quick to claim Freedom of Navigation in the Red Sea & take action against the Houthis - why not in the Black Sea?), Attacks on load ports in Ukraine should be treated as attacks on Freedom of Navigation under this heading. Missile bases used for such attacks would be valid targets for NATO Defensive action. Now that would really show NATO standing up to Putin and grab his attention. #slavaukraini #stoprussianagression #supportukraine #speakmoreukrainianv

Ukrainian armed forces successfully struck and sank two more large Russian landing ships near the occupied Crimean Peninsula, in addition to destroying a major Black Sea Fleet command and control center, according to latest reporting. By destroying these landing ships, Ukraine has largely eliminated the ability of Russia to threaten an amphibious assault anywhere in the Black Sea. However, the Russians have primarily been using these ships to transport armored vehicles and ammunition to the occupation forces. These latest devastating losses inflicted on the Russian invaders are part of a sustained campaign to make the Kremlin’s position in Crimea untenable ahead of future Ukrainian counteroffensives. Ukraine’s patriots are fighting with all their strength each and every day, punching far above their weight class and checking Russia’s imperial ambitions. We owe them our continued support as they fight to safeguard the free world and liberate their people and lands.

A ship in harbor is NOT safe, and that is not what ships are built for.

Iran's air defence systems are a joke. The 4 Russian-made S-300 air defense systems that Israel has reportedly destroyed in strikes on Iran this year — one in April & 3 this past weekend — had been the only such systems possessed by Iran. The S-300 has a range of up to 200 kilometers (125 miles) & the capability to track down and strike multiple targets simultaneously. It is considered one of the most potent air defense weapons in the world & can be used to shoot down missiles as well as aircraft. While the S-300 has been steadily updated since it was first introduced by the USSR in the late 1970s, it is now an aging system & one that has proven vulnerable in Ukraine. Nevertheless, it remains a significant threat, especially if used as part of a layered air defense system & these surface-to-air missile systems were the most capable of their kind available to Iran. However with these systems now destroyed, Iran is essentially naked & vulnerable to potential future aerial attacks. Israel’s destruction of the air-defense systems has raised deep alarm in Iran, as critical energy & economic hubs are now vulnerable to future attacks if the cycle of retaliation between Iran & Israel continues. Replacement of these destroyed S-300s, at least in the near term, is hardly straightforward. Russia currently needs as much air defense equipment as it can produce, for the war in Ukraine, so the transfer of systems from its own stocks to Tehran seems less realistic. There’s also likely to be a long wait for new-production Russian air defense systems in the same class, like the more capable S-400. One option might be the deployment of 1-2 Russian batteries, as has happened before in Syria, but this would be more symbolic than anything else. The Israeli retaliatory attack also battered the reputation of Russian military equipment, which has been pummeled by poor performance during Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. Iran's Russian-made air defences stopped few, if any, of the missiles that Israel launched from 100 jet fighters.

Breaking: Israel Launches Airstrikes On Iran #Israel Conducts ‘Precise Strikes on Military Targets’ in #Iran Amid Rising Tensions. Israel has confirmed it is conducting targeted airstrikes on #military sites within Iran, describing the action as a defensive response to continued aggression from the #Iranian regime. The Israel Defense Forces (#IDF) reported that these “precise strikes” follow “months of continuous attacks” originating from Iran, including a #ballistic missile attack on Israel on 1 October. The White House has expressed support for #Israel’s actions, acknowledging the strikes as an “exercise of self-defence.” A National Security Council spokesperson stated, “We understand that Israel is conducting targeted strikes against military targets in Iran as an exercise of self-defence and in response to Iran’s ballistic missile attack.” This statement reflects the #UnitedStates’ ongoing alignment with Israel’s stance against what it perceives as mounting Iranian hostility. Iranian state #media reported several loud explosions in the capital, #Tehran, shortly after the strikes began. Iranian intelligence officials indicated that these explosions “could be from the activation of Iran’s air defence system,” as reported by #Reuters. Iran has yet to issue an official response to the strikes, though reports suggest heightened defensive operations within the country. https://lnkd.in/e_GFGM5r

𝗜𝗿𝗮𝗻 𝗺𝘂𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝘀𝗿𝗮𝗲𝗹𝗶 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗸𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗴𝗲𝗱𝗹𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗶𝗿 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝘆 𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲𝘀 Masoud Pezeshkian, Iran’s president, said that they aren't looking for a war but would respond “appropriately” to the strikes. 𝘊𝘭𝘪𝘤𝘬 𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 👉 https://lnkd.in/ge_rCZAE #IranIsraelTensions #MiddleEastCrisis #AirDefense #InternationalRelations #Geopolitics #LatestNews #EPNews

Ukraine continues to defend itself valiantly while shackled by its western “friends”, while a weakened Russia is free to inflict any amount of damage and pain it can while supplied with weapons by the foes of western nations. The western foes, with intent, want western defence alliances to crack and crumble. Ukraine has to be able to strike military objectives deep in Russia, Asa means of active defence. Allowing it to do so is the only way to #StandWithUkraine

Israel launched airstrikes on Iranian military bases that killed two Iranian soldiers. The strikes, launched after 2 a.m. local time Saturday (22:30 GMT Friday), followed what Israel described as “months of aggression” from Iran and its regional allies. See Report: https://lnkd.in/gEuHJp4J #Israel #Airstrikes #iran #military #militarylife #monthofagression #warzone #RussiaIran #Conflicts #warzoneclips #trending #trendingnews #virals #Viralnews #WorldNews #worldaffairs