Day 38, Iranian air defenses alive and well?

 DANGEROUS ESCALATION IMMINENT

GLOBAL DEPRESSION MAY BE RESULT

While we have been told that the U.S. enjoys air supremacy over Iran, this weekend indicated that there are likely functional air defenses in Iran.  Most analysts have been indicating that the massive damage inflicted on Iran has been by the use of tomahawk missiles fired by ships and air to ground cruise missiles and guided bombs deployed outside of Iranian air space. Navy ships are near 1000 miles from Iranian airspace and even helicopters used in the rescue this weekend needed to be refueled in the air. 

In now appears that Iran has refrained in using their air defenses against those cruise missiles during previous attacks.  The reason being that once those air defenses are turned on they can immediately be targeted by other cruise missiles. It is indicated that Iran has chosen to absorb all that damage without response, saving their air defenses for the anticipated ground operations. 

Friday, a F15 and a A10 plane were shot down over Iran, they were very likely part of a process of preparing for ground operations, were they were forced to fly at low altitude surveying the topography. Eventually both pilots were rescued, but it brought about the loss of a C130 refueling plane and 2 helicopteres and the damage to 2 other helicopters. This was in a region devoid of actual Iranian military, but had civilian militia groups. This incident may very well now requires a rethinking of the plan for ground operations, which will require close air support from A10's and helicopters.

Last night we heard a vulgar statement from the president that will not have any serious impact on Iran, but indicates desperation concerning the next phase of this war.

The president has issued ultimatums of 48 hours, 5 days, 10 days and now the deadline is tomorrow to open the strait of Hormuz. The strait is open, if the passage is approved by Iran. This weekend, ships from France and Japan have passed and others even though the traffic has only been around 20 ships per day. 

The president has openly threatened to bomb civilian infrastructure of bridges, energy etc., considered a war crime. Iran has threatened to respond by doing likewise in the gulf region. An attack on the energy producing infrastructure of the gulf will result in a likely global depression within weeks. 

Iran, both the leadership and the population, understand that their sovereignty and survival as a nation is at risk, they are very unlikely to surrender to the U.S. and Israel. To defeat them may take a global economic depression, starvation in some parts of the world and years rather than months.

Israel is learning in Lebanon what Russia and Ukraine have learned very well, that due to FPV drones and shoulder fired weapons, close air support and tanks are becoming less effective. It has been reported that Israel has lost near 100 tanks in Lebanon. Ukraine does not have any air force to talk about and Russia with a large air force still does not fly over Ukrainian airspace.

Aircraft carriers which need to stay 1000 miles from their objective are not as effective as they used to be. The military world is changing by the day, and learning about it it is very costly.

One has to wonder if the military leadership is not telling this administration what it would like to hear, resulting in numerous firings and resignations. Maybe the president should have listened to these voices rather than Netanyahu and Mossad before he pulled the trigger on this disaster.