OPERATION EPIC DISTRACTION

How wonderful is this? Go to bed thinking you’ve got most of a Saturday morning post ready to go. Wake up that morning and Welcome to Trump’s War... Remember, there are 247 days to the mid terms and the only way we stop his shitforbrains stupidity is with a Democratic majority in House and Senate.

I think we now we have proof that the missing Epstein Files documents regarding Trump’s rape and assault of a 13-year old child are real and do exist. That’s why the real name is “Operation Epic Distraction.”

The most recent report (which came out as I was about to upload this post) is that Iran’s Supreme Leader, Ayotollah Ali Khameini, was confirmed dead on Saturday after the U.S. and Israel coordinated attacks against the country. If true - there has been no official announcement - his death marks a major blow for the country and sets off an immediate succession crisis. Israeli intelligence officials confirmed to Axios and Reuters that Khameini died in the strikes on Saturday. So, maybe. Senior Iranian figures were targeted; Reuters reports the deaths of Iran’s defense minister - Amir Nasirzadeh - and the IRGC commander - Mohammed Pakpour - and uncertainty around the status/location of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei and President Pezeshkian.

Trump’s argument that the Iranians were not sufficiently forthcoming in the recent negotiations is a lie (surprise surprise). On Thursday, the Omanis mediating the talks said that progress had been made, and that there would be another round of talks at the U.N.’s International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna at a technical level. Iran’s foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said “It was one of our best negotiating sessions. Our fundamental convictions are crystal clear: Iran will under no circumstances ever develop a nuclear weapon; neither will we Iranians ever forgo our right to harness the dividends of peaceful nuclear technology for our people.” The Iranians may have been prepared to suspend nuclear activity and the enrichment of uranium for three to five years, and also to dilute the 400 kilograms of highly enriched uranium it still possessed; we’ll never know, now. This didn’t have to happen, making it a war of choice.

In an post last night to Lies Anti-Social, Trump announced “Operation Epic Fury.” He cited as justification the taking of US hostages in 1979 amd the Marine barracks bombing in Beirut in 1983. The announced goal is regime change: “For these reasons, the United States military is undertaking a massive and ongoing operation to prevent this very wicked, radical dictatorship from threatening America and our core national security interests. We are going to destroy their missiles and raize their missile industry to the ground. It will be totally, again, obliterated. We are going to annihilate their navy. We are going to ensure that the region’s terrorist proxies can no longer destabilise the region or the world and attack our forces and no longer use their IEDs, or roadside bombs, as they are sometimes called, to so gravely wound and kill thousands and thousands of people, including many Americans... Finally, to the great, proud people of Iran, I say tonight that the hour of your freedom is at hand. Stay sheltered. Don’t leave your home. It’s very dangerous outside. Bombs will be dropping everywhere. When we are finished, take over your government. It will be yours to take. This will be probably your only chance for generations.” Look over here at my big war, don’t look at Epstein.

Last month there were reports that Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, General Dan Caine had warned Trump: “... that the United States has amassed forces in the Middle East to carry out a small or medium strike, but that there would be a potentially high risk of American casualties and that such an operation would have a negative effect on U.S. weapon stockpiles. General Caine has also underscored that the operations under consideration in Iran would be much more difficult than the successful capture last month of President Nicolás Maduro of Venezuela.”

The Iranian Student News Agency is reporting a stark early Iranian account of the strike: in a headline now visible on its site, the outlet says that “thousands of IRGC forces were martyred or wounded” in the initial hours of what it describes as enemy attacks on Iranian military centers and positions, and that the losses created operational gaps that will be difficult to replace quickly. That is significant because ISNA is a major domestic Iranian news agency, not just social-media chatter. [Comment: ISNA is a semi-official and fairly reliable source. Nevertheless the claim of “thousands” IGRC forces killed already has not been officially confirmed and is a startling number. The first apparent strike happened near the offices of Ayatollah Khamenei, while Reuters says Iranian media reported that Khamenei was moved to a secure location. Even if the target was not Khamenei himself, that is a powerful detail because it tells readers this was aimed at the upper reaches of the Iranian system, not just some remote facility in the desert.

Iran responded to the latest strikes by launching a wave of missiles and drones targeting Israel. It followed with strikes targeting U.S. military installations in Israel, Bahrain, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Iran’s Foreign Ministry issued a defiant statement, saying the country “will not hesitate” in its response. In a statement posted on X, the ministry said: “The time has come to defend the homeland and confront the enemy’s military assault.”

In the midst of all this, at 0400 local time, Demented Donnie went on Lies Anti-Social to continue whining about the only thing he considers important: how the 202 election was “stolen” from him: He reposed a report from JustTheNews about Fani Willis receiving grants from the Biden Administration in 2021. Then he posted another from the same source, suggesting that a war with Iran is justified because the regime apparently “sought to undermine President Donald Trump’s reelection bid in 2020.”

MAGA is reacting against Trump’s War: Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson told ABC’s Jonathan Karl that the attack on Iran was “absolutely disgusting and evil.” Marjorie Taylor Greene took to X to accuse Trump of abandoning his “America First” principles: “Now, America is going to be force fed and gas lighted all the “noble” reasons the American “Peace” President and Pro-Peace administration had to go to war once again this year, after being in power for only a year.” Andrew Tate posted “NOBODY WANTS THIS WAR!” Nick Fuentes posted on X: “@realDonaldTrump NO WAR WITH IRAN. ISRAEL IS DRAGGING US TO WAR. AMERICA FIRST.” “Acts of war unauthorized by Congress,” noted Republican Thomas Massie.

Trump squeezed in an appearance at an extravagant gala being held at his Mar-a-Lago club while telling the country he launched a full-out war with Iran. The black-tie gala was hosted Friday evening by the Palm Beach-based nonprofit Place of Hope, which describes itself as a “faith-based” organization “providing care for children and families in South Florida.” One video from an attendee shows Trump dancing to one of his favorite songs, Lee Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.,” as he tells guests, “I gotta go to work. Have a great time, everybody,” Trump shouted to the crowd.

“Operation Epic Fury” isn’t selling well: “It’s called Operation Epic Fury because it tested well with a panel of 6 year olds and Steven Seagal,” wrote author Russ Jones in a social media post on Bluesky this morning. “More like Operation Epstein’s Fury,” wrote prominent political commentator and social media influencer Jackson Hinkle in a post to his more than 3.6 million followers on X. “I love how these operation names are like the ones I used to give my little plastic soldiers when I was 5-6 yrs old,” wrote X user “Wonky Donkey.”

Here is what has happened since “Operation Epic Distraction: was announced:

The strike package was broad and pre-planned, with Israel and the U.S. signaling that follow-on operations may continue “as long as necessary,” and that the goals go beyond a single punitive raid.

Iran has responded across the Gulf. Missile and drone strikes aimed at Israel and at U.S./partner basing in multiple countries. These have created immediate sovereignty tensions for Gulf states caught between Trump’s bullshit and Tehran’s retaliation logic. Iran’s retaliatory salvos are being reported as missiles and drones have been met with varying degrees of intercepts and damage claims depending on the outlet and the government speaking. The operational significance is straightforward: once Iran is firing into the Gulf “basing ecosystem,” the war stops being an Israel-Iran event with U.S. involvement and becomes a U.S.-Iran regional basing crisis—where every host country becomes both a platform and a potential target. That dynamic is already visible in public reporting about evacuations and heightened security measures near U.S. facilities in the region. The most significant strike appears to be that against the US Navy Fifth Fleet headquarters in Bahrain which was hit, with what effect is unclear.

And now the Big Move:

Iran has announced closure of the Straits of Hormuz to all shipping. Reuters is reporting major shipping disruptions and pauses by oil-and-gas players moving through the Strait, alongside maritime security warnings. Separately, Reuters also reports an EU naval mission official saying the IRGC broadcast that passage through Hormuz was “not allowed”. This is not the same thing as a universally verified “closure,” but it’s enough to move markets, insurance, and routing in real time. Once insurers re-price risk and operators pause transits, “closure” becomes as much an insurance and logistics fact as a naval one. Even short-lived disruptions can ripple hard. Those of us of a certain age remember the Oil Embargo crisis of 1973, and the long lines. You should plan to see the return of this and for gas prices to - at a minimum - double soon. This will not only strike the U.S., But Europe and any country that gets any amount of their gas from the Gulf States. 20% of the world’s oil and gas supply moves through Hormuz.

Here is our response to Trump:

A bipartisan coalition of lawmakers is currently working to halt the Trump administration’s military operation in Iran by advancing a War Powers Resolution. Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), one of Capitol Hill’s staunchest allies of Israel, will support a war powers resolution limiting President Trump’s use of force in Iran. Schneider, a senior member of the Foreign Affairs Committee, has in recent days declined to say how he’d vote on the war powers resolution, which Democrats plan to force to the floor next week. But in the wake of Trump’s decision to launch strikes against Iran on Saturday morning, Schneider quickly announced that he will vote in favor of the resolution, which would require Trump to win Congressional approval to continue the operations in Iran. “Given this Administration’s failure to engage Congress in classified briefings, public hearings, and formal debate, I will vote to support the War Powers Resolution coming to the floor of the House next week,” Schneider said in a statement. Given that Massie is a supporter, MAGA Mike can only afford one more GOP defection in his effort to block passage of the resolution in the House. His only other move is to not bring the House back into session. We know he’s fully capable of doing this.

Democrats say Trump has failed to learn from multiple failed U.S. interventions in the Middle East and accusing the president of sidestepping Congress in launching the attacks. Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.), the ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, questioned the need for the attack in his statement, and warned the U.S. could be repeating “mistakes of the past” in a nod to the Iraq War launched by former President George W. Bush. He wrote: “The American people have seen this playbook before – claims of urgency, misrepresented intelligence, and military action that pulls the United States into regime change and prolonged, costly nation-building. We owe it to our service members, and to every American family, to ensure that we are not repeating the mistakes of the past. The president owes the country clear answers: What is the objective? What is the strategy to prevent escalation? And how does this make Americans safer?” Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee also said the president had failed to learn “the lessons of history.” “Everything I have heard from the Administration before and after these strikes on Iran confirms this is a war of choice with no strategic endgame. Military action in this region almost never ends well for the United States, and conflict with Iran can easily spiral and escalate in ways we cannot anticipate. It does not appear that Donald Trump has learned the lessons of history.” Rep. Jason Crow said: “I went to war three times for this country and learned that when elites in Washington bang the war drums, working class folks pay the price. The tough talk of a five-time draft dodger falls flat for Americans tired of military adventurism. Americans want us out of the regime change business. Trump is plunging us into another war in the Middle East. He’s learned nothing from decades of failed conflicts. It’s a war of choice with no clear end game, no authorization from Congress, and little support from Americans.”

Trump - who avoided service in the Vietnam War, draft-dodging because of alleged “bone spurs” that turn out to have never existed - now admits that victory over Iran can only be achieved with American service member casualties “The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties; that often happens in war. We’re doing this for the future, and it is a noble mission.” Barron first, you fucking coward.

In a letter released following the strikes, the leaders of Germany, France and the United Kingdom urged the two countries to de-escalate, and resume talks over its embattled nuclear program. “We call for a resumption of negotiations and urge the Iranian leadership to seek a negotiated solution. Ultimately, the Iranian people must be allowed to determine their future.” The United Nations Security Council is set to hold an emergency meeting about the strikes at 4 p.m. EST today, following a call from French President Emmanuel Macron. Macron condemned the attacks earlier, echoing the outcry from other nations about risks of a wider war in the aftermath of the military operation.

Russia is publicly condemning the strikes as an “unprovoked act of armed aggression,” explicitly framing the operation as a regime-change project and warning of wider disaster scenarios. That matters not because Moscow can stop the war at the UN, but because Russia and China can shape diplomatic off-ramps - or deny them - while the U.S. is now operating in a world where “legality” arguments will be weaponized against it for months.

“Neither let us be slandered from our duty by false accusations against us, nor frightened from it by menaces of destruction to the Government, nor of dungeons to ourselves. Let us have faith that right makes might; and in that faith, let us, to the end, dare to do our duty, as we understand it.” - Abraham Lincoln

Photo: KarenRN

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