Crazy Flux
  • Business
  • World
  • Stocks
  • Investing
  • Business
  • World
  • Stocks
  • Investing

Crazy Flux

World

A weakened Tehran lashes out performatively against US airbases to save face

by admin June 24, 2025
June 24, 2025
A weakened Tehran lashes out performatively against US airbases to save face

An empty base as a target, with many hours warning, and a limited number of missiles fired at some of the best air defense systems in the world. Iran’s retaliation for the US’s weekend strikes on three of its nuclear facilities can only have been designed to deescalate.

The US-run Al Udeid airbase in Qatar had been evacuated days earlier, with satellite images showing the departure of planes and personnel widely publicised in the media. It is the most important US military airbase in the region, the home of Central Command. It even launched the drone that killed Iran’s top military personality, General Qasem Soleimani, in 2020, Iranian state media said in the hours after “Operation Glad Tidings of Victory.” The Monday strike against Al-Udeid had close to zero chance of American casualties – and provided the perfect moment of quasi-absurd face-saving for Iran.

The first hint of a possible strike came when the US Embassy in Doha, Qatar, issued an emergency “shelter in place” order for US citizens. As if to remove any doubt, Qatar closed its airspace about an hour prior to the launch of what appears to have been close to a dozen missiles by Iran. Adding to the favourable conditions of the launch for Iran’s dwindling arsenal, Qatar is close enough to permit the use of shorter-range missiles, stocks of which have not been as depleted as the medium-range missiles used to hit Israel over the past week.

To pour water on anything resembling a flame, Iran’s National Security Council said moments after the attack the number of missiles fired had been “as many as the number of bombs used in the attack on Iranian nuclear facilities.” Packaging the barrage as the definition of a proportionate response, the Iranian statement went on to insist the attack posed “no dangerous aspect to our friendly and brotherly country of Qatar and its noble people.”

Tehran’s method of retaliation-without-fangs has been successfully tried and tested. After Soleimani was killed, Iran’s retaliatory missile attack against the US’s Al Asad airbase in Iraq was reportedly telegraphed to Baghdad beforehand, possibly helping reduce the level of US injury suffered to mostly concussions. Iran’s response to Israel’s assassination of Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh in July 2024 in the heart of Tehran heavily telegraphed in advance.

“We knew they’d retaliate. They had a similar response after Soleimani,” a senior White House official said Monday night.

A playbook appears to be forming. But it is one that compounds Iran’s military weakness each time it is employed. In 2020, the Islamic Republic lost its pre-eminent military personality – an Iranian hardline hero. In 2024, it showed that valuable allies were not safe in central Tehran. This year, the regime has lost control of its own airspace to the point of previously unthinkable strikes on their prized nuclear facilities by both Israel and the US.

This is stark testament to the differing powers on display. Iran has to feign its strength in a managed presentation of restrained and muted anger. The US and Israel get to break taboos daily, shattering Iran’s long-held position as a regional power in under ten days, and perhaps ending its ambitions to be a nuclear power.

There is now only one real red line left for the United States or Israel to cross, and that is to directly target Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. But that may seem ill-advised, given the likelihood this octogenarian theocrat would be replaced by a younger hardliner who is keener to flex Iran’s muscles of deterrence. Better to accept toothless retaliations amid Tehran’s slow decline.

Each expression of Iran’s anger has confirmed its slow erosion of power. An angry fledging nuclear power would have accelerated its race to an atomic bomb. That may still happen. But it looks more likely that Iran is desperately hoping its performative lashing out can sate what remains of its hardliners, decimated by Israeli strikes. It may even hope to shuffle back to diplomacy, with talks to contain a nuclear program and ballistic missile stockpile likely severely depleted to shadows of what they were merely ten days ago.

This post appeared first on cnn.com

previous post
Lagging Mid-cap ETF Hits Moment of Truth
next post
Make Alberta Great Again:In this Canadian province, separatists see Trump as an ally

Related Posts

Three Chinese nationals arrested in Japan after thousands...

May 11, 2025

Sunken Bayesian superyacht lifted partially out of water...

June 21, 2025

China rejects Trump’s claim that Xi has called...

April 28, 2025

Top UN court dismisses Sudan’s genocide case against...

May 6, 2025

Mexico will hold historic judicial elections on Sunday....

May 29, 2025

Trump’s embrace of Syria and its jihadist-turned-president could...

May 15, 2025

K-pop superstars BTS announce end of hiatus with...

July 2, 2025

Former Olympic cyclist Rohan Dennis receives suspended sentence...

May 14, 2025

Ukraine hit by another night of deadly Russian...

April 25, 2025

China’s warships are turning up in unexpected places...

March 6, 2025

    Join our mailing list to get access to special deals, promotions, and insider information. Your exclusive benefits await! Enjoy personalized recommendations, first dibs on sales, and members-only content that makes you feel like a true VIP. Sign up now and start saving!


    By opting in you agree to receive emails from us and our affiliates. Your information is secure and your privacy is protected.

    Recent

    • The Real Drivers of This Market: AI, Semis & Robotics

      August 7, 2025
    • S&P 500 Breaking Out Again: What This Means for Your Portfolio

      August 7, 2025
    • First Quantum Secures US$1 Billion in Gold Stream Deal with Royal Gold

      August 7, 2025
    • Uranium Energy’s Sweetwater Project Fast-Tracked Under Trump Initiative

      August 7, 2025
    • Productivity Commission Says Trump’s Tariffs Will “Redirect” Others to Australia

      August 7, 2025
    • Crypto Market Update: Bitcoin ETFs Shed US$1.46 Billion Amid Stagflation Jitters

      August 7, 2025
    • About us
    • Contacts
    • Privacy Policy
    • Terms and Conditions
    • Email Whitelisting

    Disclaimer: crazyflux.com, its managers, its employees, and assigns (collectively “The Company”) do not make any guarantee or warranty about what is advertised above. Information provided by this website is for research purposes only and should not be considered as personalized financial advice. The Company is not affiliated with, nor does it receive compensation from, any specific security. The Company is not registered or licensed by any governing body in any jurisdiction to give investing advice or provide investment recommendation. Any investments recommended here should be taken into consideration only after consulting with your investment advisor and after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company.


    Copyright © 2025 crazyflux.com | All Rights Reserved