Sam

هم‌میهنان عزیزم، حفاظت از میراث فرهنگی و طبیعی ایران وظیفه‌ای ملی و همیشگی برای همه ماست. این وظیفه در شرایط کنونی بیش از هر زمان دیگری اهمیت یافته است؛ چرا که این نگرانی وجود دارد که فرصت‌طلبان از وضعیت انقلابی کشور یا از برخی آشفتگی‌های احتمالی تا زمان تثبیت دولت ملی در فردای براندازی سوءاستفاده کنند و در پی غارت، تخریب یا تصرف میراث ملی ایران برآیند. متأسفانه نمونه چنین رخدادهایی را در سال ۱۳۵۸ تجربه کرده‌ایم؛ زمانی که بخشی قابل توجه از چشم‌اندازهای طبیعی و آثار تاریخی ایران دچار آسیب و نابودی شد. از شما تقاضا دارم برای پاسداری از میراث فرهنگی و محیط‌زیست کشور، به «یگان میراث ایران» در گارد جاویدان بپیوندید. دستور کار این یگان بسیار ساده است: هر یک از شما، در هر کجای ایران که هستید، با دوستان و آشنایان خود تشکلی محلی، حتی کوچک،‌ برای حفاظت از یک اثر ملی که گمان می‌کنید ممکن است در معرض تهدید قرار گیرد، تشکیل دهید. هم‌میهنان خارج از کشور نیز می‌توانند با مشارکت در تأمین هزینه‌های احتمالی، یا از طریق اطلاع‌رسانی و آگاه‌سازی، به این یگان بپیوندند و در این تلاش ملی سهیم باشند. من نیز، به‌عنوان یک ایرانی، به «یگان میراث ایران» خواهم پیوست. این یگان تنها محدود به شرایط انقلابی نیست، بلکه می‌تواند در چارچوب یک ساختار فراگیر، به نهادی دائمی برای مراقبت و پاسداری از میراث ملی ایران تبدیل شود. به یاد داشته باشیم که هر آنچه می‌کنیم برای ایران است. ایران همه آن چیزی است که داریم؛ و پاسداری از میراث فرهنگی و زیستی آن، عهدی است که با جان‌فدایان انقلاب شیروخورشید بسته‌ایم. پاینده ایران، رضا پهلوی

A few remarks regarding the Israeli perspective that may explain the continuation of the policy of decapitating senior Iranian officials. One can agree with it or oppose it, but it is worth at least understanding it, because it will also influence the continuation of the campaign. From Israel’s perspective, there is currently no one among the decision-makers in Iran—neither in the political leadership nor in the military establishment—who can be relied upon to bring about a meaningful change in Iranian strategy after the war. In the view of Israeli decision-makers, the distinction between pragmatic conservatives such as Larijani and hardliners such as Ahmad Vahidi may be relevant to academic Iran watchers, but it has little practical significance. Even the supposedly more pragmatic figures were not prepared before the war—and certainly not after it—to implement a “paradigmatic change,” as some of the more moderate voices outside Iran’s decision-making circles had proposed. In addition, since Israel would oppose any future attempt at any arrangement with the Islamic Republic, the question of whether one Iranian official or another might be more or less willing to agree to such a possible arrangement is irrelevant from Israel’s perspective. Given this assessment, the military campaign proceeds from the assumption that the Iranian leadership will likely continue the same policies pursued by the Islamic Republic under Khamenei—perhaps even in a more extreme form—unless Israel’s preferred (and less likely at this stage) scenario materializes: regime change or regime collapse. Therefore, Israel’s assessment focuses on three components: 1. The intentions of the Iranian leadership: Here, as noted, Israel sees no meaningful difference between the different Iranian officials regarding the issues that concern Israel most—nuclear capabilities, missiles, and regional policy. 2. The skills and abilities of the Iranian officials: From this perspective, Larijani may be considered no less dangerous than someone like Saeed Jalili, because he is perceived as having greater influence, experience, and abilities. 3. The military capabilities that will be available to the Iranian leadership after the war: In this context, one can understand the effort to degrade not only Iran’s strategic military capabilities but also its ability to rebuild them after the war. In sum, since Israel cannot ensure that Iran’s leadership after the war will meet the minimum necessary requirements to its national security, any kind of undermining and weakening of the regime—alongside the degradation of its military capabilities—is considered a valid objective.

There are some ossified bits of Iran analysis that seem totally impervious to reassessment, and they're coming out again after Larijani's reported assassination From 'the system is bigger than one man, it was designed to handle losses' (surely it didn't anticipate the scale of losses we've seen since June) To 'this will empower more hardline figures' (they were already calling the shots, and analysis of what the hardliners *want* to do often fails to consider what they *can* do with Iran's greatly diminished capacity) I don't know what will happen to the Islamic republic after the war, none of us do, but there's too much analysis that applies a rigid pre-2023 view of the regime and fails to account for the truly unprecedented events that have happened since

Video posted tonight by the Iraqi Shia armed group Saraya Awliya al-Dam (Companies of the Guardians of Blood) showing an FPV drone conducting reconnaissance over the US embassy in Baghdad. Approximate path of the drone and boundary of the embassy shown in second image.

אומרים שאני מה? צפו >>

Valiant Heroes of the Immortal Guard, I salute you for your courage and your sacrifice. In the past three months, thousands of you, in small but effective cells throughout Iran, have created brilliant displays of valor. What you have done will be told for centuries. The Iranian nation will never forget your sacrifice and the price you paid for the liberation of the homeland, above all on the 8th and 9th of January. I told you that help was on the way. Now that help has arrived. I call upon you, the bravest and most devoted sons and daughters of Iran, as the nation’s vanguard force, to further wear down and weaken the Islamic Republic’s repressive apparatus, now under heavy blows from the sky, in every way possible, in order to pave the way for its ultimate collapse. Bear in mind that this is not a call for street demonstrations, it is a call to you, the Immortal Guard, to deliver intelligent and effective blows against the exhausted and worn-down oppressors, so that the path for the millions of the Iranian nation to flood the streets is further cleared. At the same time, make preserving your own lives a priority, for your presence in the final battle, to protect the onrushing torrent of millions of Iranians claiming their freedom, is vital and indispensable. You are of the lineage of Rostam and Kaveh, and your enemies are of the ilk of Zahhak. In this battle of good against evil, of light against darkness, you stand on the right side of history, and the hopes and prayers of a great nation see you on your way. I eagerly await the day when I will stand beside you in the first liberated city of Iran, and together we will seal the final victory. Long live Iran, Reza Pahlavi

Valiant Heroes of the Immortal Guard, I salute you for your courage and your sacrifice. In the past three months, thousands of you, in small but effective cells throughout Iran, have created brilliant displays of valor. What you have done will be told for centuries. The Iranian nation will never forget your sacrifice and the price you paid for the liberation of the homeland, above all on the 8th and 9th of January. I told you that help was on the way. Now that help has arrived. I call upon you, the bravest and most devoted sons and daughters of Iran, as the nation’s vanguard force, to further wear down and weaken the Islamic Republic’s repressive apparatus, now under heavy blows from the sky, in every way possible, in order to pave the way for its ultimate collapse. Bear in mind that this is not a call for street demonstrations, it is a call to you, the Immortal Guard, to deliver intelligent and effective blows against the exhausted and worn-down oppressors, so that the path for the millions of the Iranian nation to flood the streets is further cleared. At the same time, make preserving your own lives a priority, for your presence in the final battle, to protect the onrushing torrent of millions of Iranians claiming their freedom, is vital and indispensable. You are of the lineage of Rostam and Kaveh, and your enemies are of the ilk of Zahhak. In this battle of good against evil, of light against darkness, you stand on the right side of history, and the hopes and prayers of a great nation see you on your way. I eagerly await the day when I will stand beside you in the first liberated city of Iran, and together we will seal the final victory. Long live Iran, Reza Pahlavi

Iran’s attempt to close the Strait of Hormuz is done at its own peril. President Trump’s decision to take the war to Kharg Island - the crown jewel of Iran’s oil and gas economy - was necessary, bold and in my view, highly effective. This will help shorten the war. Seldom in warfare does an enemy provide you a single target like Kharg Island that could dramatically alter the outcome of the conflict. If Iran loses control or the ability to operate its oil infrastructure from Kharg Island, its economy is annihilated. He who controls Kharg Island, controls the destiny of this war. Semper Fi.

Watching Iranians rush to thank foreign leaders for something that hasn’t even happened yet — while pitching their preferred ruler for Iran to the president of the United States — is one of the most depressing things I’ve ever witnessed. What happened to fighting for your homeland? Why are you accepting, as a starting premise, that a foreign president gets to decide who leads Iran — and then campaigning for your preferred candidate in front of him? Iran is a country with thousands of years of history, not a vassal state waiting for Washington to appoint its ruler. We’re supposed to be legendary negotiators. Instead, some of you are on your knees begging — selling yourselves, and our country, before a single thing has even been offered. Pathetic.

WASHINGTON (AP) — Pentagon tells Congress the first week of the Iran war cost the US $11.3 billion, an AP source says.