What’s Israel’s Endgame?

“Even if the regime falls, there’s no reason to be certain that something better will replace it, current and former officials warn. A failed, leaderless Iranian state could be a breeding ground for all sorts of new problems. A much more militarized autocracy also could take over, one unabashedly determined to obtain a nuclear weapon.

“History tells us it can always be worse,” Jonathan Panikoff, a former U.S. intelligence officer, wrote in an online analysis. “Israel might find itself in a perpetual, ongoing, and far more intense war that is no longer in the shadows, as it has been for years.”

Israel, however, may not be thinking that many steps ahead, argued one U.S. official who has long worked on the Middle East.

“I don’t think they care enough about what comes next as long as it’s too weak to threaten Israel,” the official said.”

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/06/13/israel-iran-regime-attack-goal-column-00405153

Opinion | Iran’s Target Isn’t Just Israel. It’s Us.

“Iran is the most aggressive and dangerous totalitarian force of our time. Its leaders seek to weaken and destroy free society, democracy and human rights with Russian and Chinese support. In Iran, women are systematically oppressed and abused. Homosexuals are murdered. Those who think differently are imprisoned and tortured. In Tehran, the cynical abuse of the civilian population in Gaza as human shields is also cold-bloodedly conceived and financed.

According to official state doctrine, the primary goal of the mullahs in Tehran is the annihilation of the State of Israel. Ayatollah Khamenei has described Israel as a “cancerous tumor.” And clocks in the streets of Tehran celebrate countdowns to the “destruction of Israel.”

But Israel is only the first target. Once Israel falls, Europe and America will be the focus. Radical Sunni and Shiite Islamism has been preparing for this for decades. The fatwa against Salman Rushdie, 9/11, the attacks in Paris, the caliphate of ISIS — each event was a warning sign. Only those who did not want to see the signs are surprised today. The attacks are directed against our values, our way of life.”

https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/06/14/israel-iran-attack-freedom-autocracy-00406288

America Preps For War

One aspect of the Israel-Iran war is supply of missiles and missile interceptors. The U.S. and Israel have limited interceptors and build them slowly. Iran has a variety of weapons, but only have two-thirds of their ballistic missiles left (most of the gone one-third being destroyed on the ground).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KutDAL8hXgU

Iran/Israel War Update: MAGA Fractures as Unpopular Intervention Looms w/ Propaganda and Co.

Israel can’t destroy Iran’s nuclear program. Iran can just rebuild what Israel damages. Then what is the goal of Israel’s attack? Just to set back the nuclear program? Or, to keep killing commanders until a coup happens or someone is in charge who will agree to end the nuclear program?

The U.S. doesn’t have enough ammunition to supply Israel and Ukraine while also having the stocks to defend Taiwan. U.S. military industrial capacity is way too low.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSlEujOfBi0

DEBATE: John Mearsheimer & Yoram Hazony on Israel vs. Iran

As long as Iran maintains the ability to quickly rebuild their nuclear program, Israel’s attack is a failure.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J6wfyac4DpA

Jon Stewart on Israel’s “Urgent” Iran Strike, Minnesota Murders & MAGA’s Blame Game | The Daily Show

Israel leader Netanyahu has been saying Iran is weeks away from a nuke for over a decade.

Many Republicans called for the violence in LA to be crushed with military force and for Democrats to be removed from office, even though the violence and vandalism were contained and the Los Angeles Police Department had it under control.

When an immigrant kills someone, Republicans want to move and spend Heaven and Earth to limit all immigration and deport all illegals, devastating the lives of many people, but when Americans repeatedly murder, massacre, and assassinate fellow Americans with guns, they offer simple condolences.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q08a7BI9XI

Israel says Iran was racing toward a nuclear weapon. US intel says it was years away

“When Israel launched its series of strikes against Iran last week, it also issued a number of dire warnings about the country’s nuclear program, suggesting Iran was fast approaching a point of no return in its quest to obtain nuclear weapons and that the strikes were necessary to preempt that outcome.

But US intelligence assessments had reached a different conclusion – not only was Iran not actively pursuing a nuclear weapon, it was also up to three years away from being able to produce and deliver one to a target of its choosing, according to four people familiar with the assessment.

Another senior US official told CNN that Iran is “about as close as you can get before building (a nuclear weapon). If Iran wanted one, they have all the things they need.”

Now, after days of Israeli airstrikes, US intelligence officials believe that so far, Israel may have set back Iran’s nuclear program by only a matter of months”

“Israel lacks the capability to damage Fordow without specific US weapons and aerial support, defense experts say.

“Israel can hover over those nuclear facilities, render them inoperable, but if you really want to dismantle them it’s either a US military strike or a deal,” said Brett McGurk, a former top diplomat to the Middle East under the Trump and Biden administrations and a CNN analyst.”

https://www.yahoo.com/news/israel-says-iran-racing-toward-081248978.html

Understanding Russian Imperialism | Donnacha Ó Beacháin

On the eve of the Russian attack, Ukraine was no closer to joining NATO than it had been in decades.

Ukraine and Israel were the only countries with a Jewish President and Prime Minister at the same time, and Ukraine doesn’t have far right party members in their legislature (unlike Western European countries!).

Russians from Moscow are much less likely to die in Russia’s invasion than Russians from the periphery. Russia is still like an imperial power throwing away the lives of its colonies while preserving their imperial core.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEmQmUTaEqw