US kills Iran's General Soleimani

Rroff · 8 Jan 2020 at 01:10

banbom44 said:
It depends does Iran have the S400 that is a lethal weapon system that could take down US aircraft.

No - they supposedly are developing a domestic equivalent but don't think it is functional - they do have plenty of anti-air defences of all kind however.

StriderX said:
Is Iran alone?

Possibly - rumour is Russia (hence meeting with Merkel) has talked about staying out of it if the US makes certain assurances :s

hardkore · 8 Jan 2020 at 01:11

banbom44 said:
It depends does Iran have the S400 that is a lethal weapon system that could take down US aircraft.

Nope, not officially anyway...

Rroff · 8 Jan 2020 at 01:13

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1214716589716770817

Not sure if that is true or what their intentions are if it is.

StriderX · 8 Jan 2020 at 01:15

I wonder if the US will actually lose a ship in the Gulf, I mean I doubt it heavily, but the simulations did imply this was far more likely.

Sankari · 8 Jan 2020 at 01:16

TJM said:
That must be it. There's no way that the actions of a few or mishandling of a massive crowd could trigger a surge.

It was sarcasm, but the point still stands. List all the high profile Western funerals where people have been crushed in a stampede. I'll wait.

StriderX said:
I wonder if the US will actually lose a ship in the Gulf, I mean I doubt it heavily, but the simulations did imply this was far more likely.

Not gonna happen without full scale war, which both countries want to avoid.

dowie · 8 Jan 2020 at 01:16

banbom44 said:
It depends does Iran have the S400 that is a lethal weapon system that could take down US aircraft.

I was refering to the Iranian pilots - see this post now - that would be a suicide mission essentially:

Rroff said:
https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1214716589716770817

Not sure if that is true or what their intentions are if it is.

dowie · 8 Jan 2020 at 01:17

StriderX said:
I wonder if the US will actually lose a ship in the Gulf, I mean I doubt it heavily, but the simulations did imply this was far more likely.

Quite possibly, if Iran went all out... quite possibly more than one. But... that would come at a hefty price for Iran - the response would cost them potentially all their ships!

Remember the US can locate them all and would have no trouble taking them down either at sea or just a stand-off attack wherever they're docked.

CAT-THE-FIFTH · 8 Jan 2020 at 01:18

Saw this mentioned on the Guardian:

Iran’s Tasnim news agency is now quoting Iranian officials warning that if the US retaliates against these strikes in Iraq, Hezbollah will fire rockets at Israel — a threat to widen the conflict and bring Iran’s regional allies into play.

Rroff · 8 Jan 2020 at 01:20

I suspect if Iranian fighters have left the ground they are either spreading out so they can't be so easily destroyed if the US counter-attacks or defecting pilots.

Everything seems to be getting blown out of proportion now though.

dowie · 8 Jan 2020 at 01:21

Rroff said:
I suspect if Iranian fighters have left the ground they are either spreading out so they can't be so easily destroyed if the US counter-attacks or defecting pilots.

Everything seems to be getting blown out of proportion now though.

Makes little difference - given the ranges at which they can be engaged... the airspace is only so big.

If they've seriously launched their several generations behind jets in an attempt to take on the USAF then good luck to them, would't want to be one of those pilots.

StriderX · 8 Jan 2020 at 01:21

dowie said:
Quite possibly, if Iran went all out... quite possibly more than one. But... that would come at a hefty price for Iran - the response would cost them potentially all their ships!

Remember the US can locate them all and would have no trouble taking them down either at sea or just a stand-off attack wherever they're docked.

I doubt they'd use their own ships... while for sure they wont be able to just plant mines from the harbour, like the ships last year, that kind shows how well they've been able to operate on the Arab Peninsula and there may be reasonable suspicions that it goes beyond that.

banbom44 · 8 Jan 2020 at 01:21

dowie said:
Quite possibly, if Iran went all out... quite possibly more than one. But... that would come at a hefty price for Iran - the response would cost them potentially all their ships!

Remember the US can locate them all and would have no trouble taking them down either at sea or just a stand-off attack wherever they're docked.

If there are some American casualties from the base attack the retaliation might be heavy if no casualties I think the Americans might just leave it.

CAT-THE-FIFTH · 8 Jan 2020 at 01:23

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1214716105396228096

If they did that,it won't be only the US they would need to contend with it. Israel and the UAE are pretty well armed.

dowie · 8 Jan 2020 at 01:24

StriderX said:
I doubt they'd use their own ships...

Same, more likely boats, lots of them in a swarm.... doesn't change my comment though. The response could easily involved just taking out the Iranian navy.

Yadda · 8 Jan 2020 at 01:24

Good interview with a US advisor in Iraq on the BBC News channel just now.

He was speculating that Iran may have deliverately avoided hitting the parts of the bases containing US assets by using precision weapons. A "token" retaliation if you like.

Amnesia · 8 Jan 2020 at 01:24

Iran may aswell send its airforce now, otherwise they will be targetted while on the ground and have made zero difference.

Rroff · 8 Jan 2020 at 01:27

dowie said:
Makes little difference - given the ranges at which they can be engaged... the airspace is only so big.

If they've seriously launched their several generations behind jets in an attempt to take on the USAF then good luck to them, would't want to be one of those pilots.

If they have launched them for combat operations probably more likely suicidal air to ground attacks rather than to engage the USAF.

Yadda said:
Good interview with a US advisor in Iraq on the BBC News channel just now.

He was speculating that Iran may have deliverately avoided hitting the parts of the bases containing US assets by using precision weapons. A "token" retaliation if you like.

Does sound quite likely.

StriderX · 8 Jan 2020 at 01:28

Rroff said:
If they have launched them for combat operations probably more likely suicidal air to ground attacks rather than to engage the USAF.

Does sound quite likely.

US embassy maybe? Probably empty though and if it is, Iran knows that.

banbom44 · 8 Jan 2020 at 01:33

Watching Russia today is so funny its so Anti American they had a supposed expert on saying Iran would win any war of attrition lol cause they would.

Trusty · 8 Jan 2020 at 01:33

Yadda said:
Good interview with a US advisor in Iraq on the BBC News channel just now.

He was speculating that Iran may have deliverately avoided hitting the parts of the bases containing US assets by using precision weapons. A "token" retaliation if you like.

Makes sense, Iran needs to be seen to be doing something on the world stage, they can't be mugged off like that and not do anything, it'll show weakness. It just depends whether its enough for the people of Iran, if the reports are true that he was a proper hero for them. I suppose this is the benefit of propaganda and Iranian state TV, Iran can just say they've killed 80, 40, 10 troops, whatever number..and it doesn't matter, the population will never know..