https://www.youtube.com/@ChiefMAKOi

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, April 07, 2026 - 07:52 am: Edit

Iran has rejected Trump’s conditions for a ceasefire.

Trump says that between 8pm and midnight today eastern time the US will destroy every bridge and every power plant in Iran. Given Trump’s style of speaking, he apparently means major bridges and major power plants on Tuesday.

Iran continues to demand an immediate ceasefire, sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz, reparations paid by the US, war crimes trials for US pilots, and changing the US national anthem to God Bless The Ayatollah.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, April 07, 2026 - 08:08 am: Edit

In China, the Hormuz crisis has forced one third of textile and plastics companies to close, many permanently, send hundreds of thousands of workers to unemployment. Thousands of store fronts that paid 10,000 yuan a month last year sit empty with offered rents of 700 yuan.

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Tuesday, April 07, 2026 - 11:09 am: Edit

Pres. Trump warned today that "a whole civilization will die tonight" if Iran doesn't cave. I don't know about you, but that sounds disturbingly like a nuclear threat.

By Douglas Lampert (Dlampert) on Tuesday, April 07, 2026 - 11:18 am: Edit

Or he's going after the water supply system. Or he's exagerating and shooting his mouth off (it's Trump, of course he's exagerating and shooting his mouth off, the question is, what action is the exageration about).

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, April 07, 2026 - 11:19 am: Edit

No, it does not sound nuclear, and Jessica is wrong to scare the the horses.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, April 07, 2026 - 11:32 am: Edit

Iran has called for civilians to form human chains around power plants, which technically is a war crime.

B2 bombers destroyed IRGC command bunkers near Tehran.

Major US air strikes on Kharg Island destroyed military targets, paving the way for the US Marines to seize it tonight. That would effectively end Iranian oil exports.

Israel has started targeting Iranian train tracks, bridges, and rail yards.

The IRGC is unlikely to surrender but the loss of electric power might inspire public uprisings against the government.

By Ted Fay (Catwhoeatsphoto) on Tuesday, April 07, 2026 - 12:10 pm: Edit

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Quote:

Pres. Trump warned today that "a whole civilization will die tonight" if Iran doesn't cave. I don't know about you, but that sounds disturbingly like a nuclear threat.

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By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, April 07, 2026 - 12:18 pm: Edit

How much of Jessica’s money do we want, Ted? How about we each bet her ten thousand dollars that Trump will not use a nuclear weapon on Iran in the next 24 hours? Bet’s off if Iran accepts his terms or uses their own nuke.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Tuesday, April 07, 2026 - 12:25 pm: Edit

This is not the first time an. Iranian civilization has died.

There was an earlier case:

The Assassins (or Hashshashin) were a radical Nizari Ismaili Shia Muslim sect, active in Persia and Syria from 1090 to 1275, led by Hassan-i Sabbah. Operating from mountain fortresses like Alamut Castle, they used targeted assassinations against political and military enemies to establish an independent state. They were largely destroyed by the Mongol invasion in the mid-13th century.
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Medium
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Key Aspects of the Assassins Cult
When: 1090 to the late 13th century (roughly 1275).
Where: Primarily in Persia (modern-day Iran) and Syria.
Who: They were a splinter branch of the Ismaili Shia sect, specifically the Nizari Ismailis.
Leader: Hassan-i Sabbah (1034–1124) founded the group after seizing Alamut Castle in 1090. He was known as the "Old Man of the Mountain".
Methods: They used "fidai" (self-sacrificers) who used daggers to kill high-profile targets—including caliphs, viziers, and Crusader leaders—to eliminate threats and create terror.
Name Origin: The term "Assassin" likely stems from a defamatory slur, hashīshīn (hashish user), used against them by enemies.
History Collection
History Collection
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Key Historical Context
Why they existed: They were a minority sect in a hostile region surrounded by Seljuk Turks (Sunni Muslims), using specialized killing over large-scale battles to survive.
Targeting rivals: They targeted both Muslim (Seljuk) and Christian (Crusader) leaders during the Crusades.
End of the Order: The Mongols conquered the Assassin strongholds of Masyaf and Alamut in the 13th century. ur, hashīshīn (hashish user), used against them by enemies.

Key Historical Context
Why they existed: They were a minority sect in a hostile region surrounded by Seljuk Turks (Sunni Muslims), using specialized killing over large-scale battles to survive.
Targeting rivals: They targeted both Muslim (Seljuk) and Christian (Crusader) leaders during the Crusades.
End of the Order: The Mongols conquered the Assassin strongholds of Masyaf and Alamut in the 13th century.”

Depending on what sources you consult, The Iranian Islamic Republic (IIR) was founded in 1979 after the fall of the Shah.

There is a scholarly theory that the IIR is supported by three pillars, Ideology, Patronage and Intimidation.

I do not know who President Trump is consulting with, but the actions undertaken by Israel and the United States have effectively destroyed the first two pillars.

In 2023 it was reported in the New York Times, that more than 50,000 of Irans 75,000 mosques were closed. Not by conspiracy or military attack, but by Iranian believers who stopped attending and supporting their places of worship. Apparently since 2023, the trend has continued. Effectively, the IIR has lost legitimacy in the hearts and minds of the Iranians.

The second pillar, Patronage (in the form of jobs and monetary incentives) has traditionally been funded by the sale of oil. With the start of sanctions, this was seriously weakened and upon the start of the current crisis, ended with the stopping of all oil revenues. There have been many stories of desertions from the army, security and Iranian guards units dissatisfied with not getting paid.

The only pillar left is intimidation, often government gunmen (a.k.a. Thugs) killing civilian protesters.

Israel has already promised to provide air cover for any civilian protesters. Not sure how that will work, but as noted before, Israel is actively attacking any check points they detect (both fixed and those mobile ones Jessica Orsini posted about a couple of weeks ago in this topic.)

I do not know what President Trump is referring to, but if it involves killing more of the Iranian security personnel who attack Iranian citizens, at some point the intimidating squads will cease to be effective.

In short, the stage is set for the Iranian Islamic Republic civilization’s end.

And it doesn’t look like any nuclear weapons will need to be used.

By Ted Fay (Catwhoeatsphoto) on Tuesday, April 07, 2026 - 12:55 pm: Edit

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Quote:

How much of Jessica’s money do we want, Ted? How about we each bet her ten thousand dollars that Trump will not use a nuclear weapon on Iran in the next 24 hours? Bet’s off if Iran accepts his terms or uses their own nuke.

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By MarkSHoyle (Bolo) on Tuesday, April 07, 2026 - 01:27 pm: Edit

Video made the rounds yesterday in my FB Feed...
Lines of cars blocking a highway....

Caption:
Iranian civilians blocking IRGC vehicles from going to the site of the downed Airman.....

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Tuesday, April 07, 2026 - 01:47 pm: Edit

Do I think it is probable that Pres. Trump will deploy nuclear weapons against Iran? No. But at this juncture, it is a non-negligible possibility. His statements over the past few days are eerily reminiscent of the Potsdam Declaration in '45...which, as a reminder, Pres. Truman did not expect Japan to accept; it was, at least in large part, an effort at laying down a legal basis for deploying the atomic bomb.

By Chuck Strong (Raider) on Tuesday, April 07, 2026 - 01:53 pm: Edit

One should not take Trump's words literally, but one should take HIM seriously.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, April 07, 2026 - 03:15 pm: Edit

Jessica, you're still being disingenuous, but I had to ask Ted how to spell it.

By William Jockusch (Verybadcat) on Tuesday, April 07, 2026 - 03:28 pm: Edit

I don't see much chance of Trump ordering nukes. And if he did, I imagine "don't obey an illegal order" would apply.

That said I do remember that someone on the other side of this was previously saying that Putin would use HIS nukes if he didn't get his way.

I don't know if there is a common factor.

I would be genuinely interested if anyone can shed light there.

Being wrong is OK. For example, I personally thought Trump 2.0 would be like Trump 1.0. I also thought he would not be as tolerant of Putin as he seems to be.

By Jeff Anderson (Jga) on Tuesday, April 07, 2026 - 04:11 pm: Edit

Again, my (all too frequent) disclaimer that I'm just a dumb, grade 4-F Civilian No-Class who perhaps shouldn't post here, BUT...

The human chain shields have me VERY concerned.

However, I've heard lots of rumors about the power and accuracy of the Small Diameter Bomb, rumors that concentrated a great deal on its low level of collateral damage.

While I'd imagine they've been used here and there, since initially deployed, so Air Force High Command should have enough of a record on them as to be reasonably certain of just how justifiable the rumors are.

Now, will they be willing to put these capabilities to the test with this?

By A David Merritt (Adm) on Tuesday, April 07, 2026 - 04:19 pm: Edit

On President Trump's "a whole civilization will die tonight" comment, like William, I saw it as the same sort of threat Putin has been making about using nukes, most likely hyperbole, or an empty threat.

Unless it's not.

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Tuesday, April 07, 2026 - 04:39 pm: Edit

"And if he did, I imagine "don't obey an illegal order" would apply."

The President has sole discretion regarding use of our nuclear arsenal; in that regard, "illegal order" goes out the window.

By Jeff Wile (Jswile) on Tuesday, April 07, 2026 - 06:06 pm: Edit

When it is 7:00 PM (19:00) EDT in Washington DC, it is 2:30 AM the next day in Tehran, Iran. Tehran is typically 7 hours and 30 minutes ahead of Washington DC's Eastern Daylight Time.

If the United States and Israel were to coordinate a joint military strike, that would seem like a good time for it.

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, April 07, 2026 - 06:55 pm: Edit

Iran has cut off diplomatic contacts with the US, virtually guaranteeing that the US will begin Operation Stone Age in about an hour.

May God save those who fight for what they believe in, and those caught in the collateral blast zone. Shutting off the lights will shut down hospitals that don’t have backup power. People who had no part of this conflict are going to die. If Iran has any card left, they will play it. They could load their supposed uranium supply into missiles to create contaminated zones. There is your nuclear threat, Jessica,

By Steve Cole (Stevecole) on Tuesday, April 07, 2026 - 06:57 pm: Edit

The deadline is 8pm Eastern, right? May God be merciful.

By A David Merritt (Adm) on Tuesday, April 07, 2026 - 07:08 pm: Edit

The Wall Street Journal reports that President Trump has agreed to a two week cease fire, as long as the Straight of Hormuz is opened.

By Ryan Opel (Ryan) on Tuesday, April 07, 2026 - 07:13 pm: Edit

The use of human shields is a war crime by the side that uses them. The striking of targets "protected" by a human shield is not.

By Jessica Orsini (Jessica_Orsini) on Tuesday, April 07, 2026 - 07:15 pm: Edit

Other sources are reporting much the same: that there's a two-week ceasefire, but that said ceasefire is subject to a complete reopening of the Strait; at this hour, there is no word on whether or not Iran has agreed to such.

Meanwhile, Pres. Trump has stated that the 10-point peace proposal put forth by Iran is “a workable basis on which to negotiate.” Those ten points do not involve Iranian surrender of nuclear materials; they do include an end to sanctions on Iran by the U.S.