So, what was the outcome of the "Great Israeli-American-Iranian War" of 2025? Here is my take...
First off, Israel went into it because they were very confident that America would back them up. Without the USA behind them they would have been a LOT more cautious. So, having the US behind them, emboldened them and made the start of the war possible.
The USA got involved mainly because Trump felt he was missing out on the "glory," and, as usual, Israel was pulling all its strings in the US to pull the Americans into its war.
Secondly, there were a lot of tactical successes for Israel, blowing shit up and killing some VIPs, but no real meaningful or strategic gains. In fact quite the reverse.
It doesn't look like the Iranian masses have risen up to the sound of Israeli bombs and missiles, and it doesn't look like they will. If anything, the chances of the Ayatollahs being overthrown seem to have receded.
As for the Americans, there was an impressive display by America's long-range bombers, but hardly anything worth the trillions they cost. I think some dirt was moved around. In short, it proved to be a "Slop War" that got a lot of attention but changed practically nothing in line with the objectives of the US and Israel.
Of course, it achieved Trump's number one objective of being the centre of attention for another day, but beyond this, it achieved nothing for its protagonists.
But even though it was a pointless "Slop War" it was not inconsequential. The war had a least three important outcomes.
(1) Iran, which was not developing an A-bomb (according to US intelligence), must now be set irrevocably on that path. Considering that the US Stealth Bomber force seems to have only inflicted superficial damage on Iran's uranium enrichment facility at Fordow at the cost of freeing Iran from IAEA constraints, Iran could be said to be in an even stronger position to get an A-bomb.
Getting an A-bomb would be a big propaganda boost for the Iranian regime, which could deflect any criticisms of this "escalation" and "proliferation" onto the fact, hitherto ignored by the international community, that Israel also has an illicit A-bomb based on stolen technology and materials.
Iran getting an A-bomb would also make America look weak, so Iran's allies are going to be happy with that outcome. This "war" has made a longer-term possibility into a shorter-term certainty.
(2) The "International System," based on the UN, IAEA, WHO, UNRWA, NATO, and other agreements between nations and "global standards," is in complete disarray.
Probably everybody will suffer from this to varying extents in the years ahead, but as the US was the mainstay of this "World Order," and got much of its global power from it, the US will take one of the biggest hits, including to the dollar.
To put it more succinctly, what we witnessed in the skies above Israel, Iran, and Qatar was a bonfire of US soft power. Yes, even "Slop Wars" have consequences - in this case propelling Iran to have its own nukes while destroying a shit ton of US soft power.
(3) Prior to what we must now call the "First Slop War," Iran could be described more as a Russian ally than a Chinese one. The main supplier of Iran's post-Shah military gear was Russia, with special emphasis on its air defences. In the conflict, the Russian-supplied S-300PMU-2 air defence system was badly exposed by Israel. The effect of this is that Russia was humiliated in the skies above Iran, and thus discredited as a main partner. After this war, as Iran retools and rearms, it will become apparent that China is seen as the main ally and will supply equipment at least as good as that which helped Pakistan to get the edge on India in their recent spat.
As Chinese military hardware is almost as good as Western military hardware but a lot cheaper, this will drastically change the balance of power in the Middle East.
The self-serving, shallow, and opportunistic actions of the two sociopaths, Netanyahu and Trump, have greatly facilitated these changes, none of which are good for Israel or America, so congratulations Bozos!
The USA got involved mainly because Trump felt he was missing out on the "glory," and, as usual, Israel was pulling all its strings in the US to pull the Americans into its war.
Secondly, there were a lot of tactical successes for Israel, blowing shit up and killing some VIPs, but no real meaningful or strategic gains. In fact quite the reverse.
It doesn't look like the Iranian masses have risen up to the sound of Israeli bombs and missiles, and it doesn't look like they will. If anything, the chances of the Ayatollahs being overthrown seem to have receded.
As for the Americans, there was an impressive display by America's long-range bombers, but hardly anything worth the trillions they cost. I think some dirt was moved around. In short, it proved to be a "Slop War" that got a lot of attention but changed practically nothing in line with the objectives of the US and Israel.
Of course, it achieved Trump's number one objective of being the centre of attention for another day, but beyond this, it achieved nothing for its protagonists.
But even though it was a pointless "Slop War" it was not inconsequential. The war had a least three important outcomes.
(1) Iran, which was not developing an A-bomb (according to US intelligence), must now be set irrevocably on that path. Considering that the US Stealth Bomber force seems to have only inflicted superficial damage on Iran's uranium enrichment facility at Fordow at the cost of freeing Iran from IAEA constraints, Iran could be said to be in an even stronger position to get an A-bomb.
Getting an A-bomb would be a big propaganda boost for the Iranian regime, which could deflect any criticisms of this "escalation" and "proliferation" onto the fact, hitherto ignored by the international community, that Israel also has an illicit A-bomb based on stolen technology and materials.
Iran getting an A-bomb would also make America look weak, so Iran's allies are going to be happy with that outcome. This "war" has made a longer-term possibility into a shorter-term certainty.
(2) The "International System," based on the UN, IAEA, WHO, UNRWA, NATO, and other agreements between nations and "global standards," is in complete disarray.
Probably everybody will suffer from this to varying extents in the years ahead, but as the US was the mainstay of this "World Order," and got much of its global power from it, the US will take one of the biggest hits, including to the dollar.
To put it more succinctly, what we witnessed in the skies above Israel, Iran, and Qatar was a bonfire of US soft power. Yes, even "Slop Wars" have consequences - in this case propelling Iran to have its own nukes while destroying a shit ton of US soft power.
(3) Prior to what we must now call the "First Slop War," Iran could be described more as a Russian ally than a Chinese one. The main supplier of Iran's post-Shah military gear was Russia, with special emphasis on its air defences. In the conflict, the Russian-supplied S-300PMU-2 air defence system was badly exposed by Israel. The effect of this is that Russia was humiliated in the skies above Iran, and thus discredited as a main partner. After this war, as Iran retools and rearms, it will become apparent that China is seen as the main ally and will supply equipment at least as good as that which helped Pakistan to get the edge on India in their recent spat.
As Chinese military hardware is almost as good as Western military hardware but a lot cheaper, this will drastically change the balance of power in the Middle East.
The self-serving, shallow, and opportunistic actions of the two sociopaths, Netanyahu and Trump, have greatly facilitated these changes, none of which are good for Israel or America, so congratulations Bozos!
___________________________________
Colin Liddell is the Chief Editor of Neokrat and the author of Interviews & Obituaries, a collection of encounters with the dead and the famous. Support his work by buying his book here (USA), here (UK), and here (Australia), or by taking out a paid subscription on his Substack.
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