Iran's power structure has collapsed

[Arazi]

Iran’s regional strategic construct has collapsed. Between what has happened to Hezbollah, Hamas, and now Assad, the multiple proxy structure is but a bloody memory.

Despite the uncertainty over Syria’s future, Iran’s carefully cultivated influence operation is seriously fractured. I can’t wait to read the post-mortems.

Reading reports that Israel is moving into Syrian towns adjacent to the Golan Heights right now… things are moving extremely fast

[applegrove]

1. That is so true.

[Takket]

2. good. i know it is nowhere near as unstable as Assad's government, but

Iran's government deserves every bit of death they have coming to them, someday.

[LeftInTX]

6. I agree! Anything is better than that Ayatollah Supreme Leader shit....

[hatrack]

3. Pissing away decades of treasure in Syria and Lebanon, a broken-backed economy at home . . .

And they'll move boldly into the future by . . . tightening restrictions on womens' hair and clothing, apparently.

Yeah, that'll work.

[newdeal2]

4. Sounds a lot like the trajectory of the US post 2001

Granted they were already further behind in terms of economic might and freedom.

[denbot]

10. LOL

Same-O Samo-O, eh buddy..

[paulkienitz]

5. They've been trying to be amateur Putins for a long time... until this year it worked.

[JoseBalow]

7. Winning!

[BradBo]

8. And Trump is solidly on the wrong side of history.

[denbot]

9. As a Persian Gulf Iranian Hostage Crisis veteran..

Circle of death MFer’s

[AloeVera]

12. Wait...

You are reading reports that ISRAEL is "moving into" Syria? By moving in you mean an invasion?

Wow, nobody saw THAT coming, no sirree.
Nobody heard Netanyahu recently say he was remaking the Middle East either, no sirree.

Sarcasm, of course.

So who is behind those priorly-Al Queda affiliated "reformed" terrorists, er rebels?

I expect to see Syria carved up between Israel and Turkey. God help the Syrian people, who've already suffered enough.

[Arazi]

13. Yes. On Bluesky there's reports and photos of Israeli soldiers

In a “captured” town in Syria.

I have no official confirmation of that but Israel’s has made no secret of the fact they want a larger buffer zone with Syria…

https://bsky.app/profile/ww3info.bsky.social/post/3lcsiq7oep22p

[AloeVera]

14. Yes, I just read about the buffer zone this morning. Thanks.

[Arazi]

15. Last night there were just reports of Israeli troops on the move

This morning there’s apparent evidence those reports were accurate.

You may be right Syria gets carved up between Israel and Turkey. It’s at least as plausible as it becoming an Islamist state - or maybe some rump remnant of Syria remains intact in some way…

🤔

[Igel]

17. Israel doesn't want most of Lebanon.

It's worried about its own security and establishing control over a large group of antagonistic Arabs in areas where Israel would have scant to no historical claim or political justification would be a Very Foolish Plan.

Turkey is neo-imperialist and can easily exert the same kind of satrapy-control over the Islamist group that Iran did over Syria, does over Iraq and its militias, Lebanon and Hezbollah and even, to some extent, over Hamas and the "oppressed" Houthis. As for the group in Syria seizing power, it is Islamist, no matter how you slice it--some play nice and are nice, some play nice for a while until they can afford to play rough, some are just harsh from the get-go.

Not that in "neo-imperialist" the "neo" is either completely meaningless or means something like "covert" or "less obviously tyrannical". But a lot of empires just have specific ends in mind and don't need assimilation, absorption, colonization, or other optional trappings of what we think of as canonical empires.

[Arazi]

18. Agreed, Israel isn't interested in Lebanon. This is about Syria

And the Syrian buffer zone…

I don’t think anyone can predict what Erdogan will do. He was funding some of the militant groups who just ousted Assad so he’ll definitely be involved in how things play out going forward.

[Arazi]

16. Now reports of Israel bombing Syrian arms depots

Airports and military bases…

They ain’t waiting around today. Guessing they see a prime opportunity to destroy Syria’s military capabilities in this vacuum … smdh. Crazy times. Big question is if Turkey lets this go on

[AloeVera]

22. One thing is for sure, this is not an organic uprising of the Syrian people, unlike in 2011.

That uprising was hijacked by Western interests in "regime change" and toppling Assad, aided by the Arab monarchies. Other than destabilizing Syria through a long civil war and impoverishing its people, exiling, killing and displacing them - it didn't work out too well.

There is so much to unpack with Syria's recent history, such a tangled web of competing interests and unholy alliances and funding of Islamist terror groups in the service of long-sought "regime change".

Saw the video of Netanyahu on the Golan Heights today. He certainly looked gleeful and happy - of course he's making hay with the opportunity. Even before this, Smotrich was talking about expanding Israel to Damascus - but he talks a lot. What is curious, though, is that just a few weeks ago, the UN force reported breaches of the ceasefire agreement in the Golan buffer zone due to Israeli construction of roads, ditches and fortifications on the Syrian side. So I'm not convinced that Israel had no hand in what has transpired.

There is one glaring fact that can't be denied, say what you will about Assad and I agree he was brutal dictator. However, he was a nationalist, he was Syrian. He managed to protect Syria from further Israeli encroachment on its territory. For 50 years he protected the Syrian Golan. Now, within hours of his toppling, Israel is in Syrian territory and bombing its capital, degrading its military assets.

So who exactly are these rebels and "opposition forces" and who are they actually serving - I'm not convinced they are serving the interests of the Syrian people.

[Ursus Rex]

19. Things are lining up perfectly for TSF to take credit

… and then promptly throw it all away to save Putin.

[Arazi]

20. Not sure about that tbh

Trump has a strong alliance with Netanyahu. He’s going to let him seize whatever he wants imo.

And Turkey won’t take shit from Trump to allow Russia back into what they think is “their” sphere of power. Now that Russia is dislodged, I can’t see Erdogan letting Putin back.

Really hard to predict tho. Lots to ponder 🤔

[lindysalsagal]

21. I'm not feeling good that the middle east is in turmoil right when idtiot takes power

I expect idiot to do something blatantly helpful for vlad. We'll see if the entire GQP nods in approval.