Did the United States just poke a stick into the wasps’ nest? Is Trump telling the truth (for a change) when he tells us from the White House that our strikes against Iran’s nuclear facilities had “totally obliterated” Iran’s nuclear program, or are we going to have to buckle up for an extremely bumpy future ride?
There are conflicting opinions on whether or not the damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities from our bunker buster bombs has been substantial. Some reports (i.e., DJT) say we have totally obliterated the Iranian nuclear program. Some of the assessment of damage post-bombing has been described as being more cosmetic. And, too, there is the very relevant question of whether or not the Iranians moved the uranium before the bombs fell.
Although Iran’s foreign minister said the US had crossed a “very big red line,” other Iranian leaders downplayed the strikes’ impact. Manan Raeisi, a lawmaker representing the city of Qom, near Fordow, said the damage from the attack was “quite superficial. (Consider the source). A CNN analysis of imagery collected before the US strikes suggests that Iran had taken steps to reinforce the entrances to the tunnels believed to lead into the underground facility. This was, no doubt, done in anticipation of a coming strike. That imagery showed dirt piled up in front of at least two of the six entrances. The Fordo, Natanz, and Isfahan nuclear sites sustained varying degrees of damage. Satellite imagery and reports indicate significant damage to the above-ground structures and potential damage to underground facilities at Natanz.
While Iran can likely rebuild its nuclear program, it will be a difficult and time-consuming process, potentially vulnerable to further sabotage or attacks. While some U.S. officials (i.e. the Prevaricator-in-Chief, Donald J. Trump) initially claimed the program was completely obliterated, independent experts and satellite imagery suggest a more nuanced picture. There are indications that there was only partial damage to critical infrastructure of nuclear facilities like Fordow.
So, just like a little kid poking a stick in the wasps’ nest, keep your eyes peeled for some very angry wasps coming for the United States. And do you think they’ll be as mad as hell about that stick? By the way, our fearless leader let loose with a “WTF” fully articulated on national television. He seemed very frustrated by the hostility between Israel and Iran. Go figure. Maybe Trump should take up reading (which sources say he does not do) and read up on this ancient rivalry that goes back to the very beginning of the formation of the country of Israel on May 14, 1948, when DJT was 2 years old.
