Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is killed in Israeli strike, ending 36-year rule • Hacker News Board

Re: Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is killed in Israeli strike, ending 36-year rule

#181

Post by aucisson_masque » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 11:15 PM UTC

csmpltn wrote: post #130

1a527dd5 wrote: post #86

I wonder how old the rest of the commentators are. I watched the Shock and Awe campaign. I watched Saddam fall. I remember thinking this is great. Years later, I understand it was a complete folly. Removing Saddam in itself was good but what it did the wider region was not good.

You seriously don’t think Iraq is in a better place today than it has ever been? You miss Saddam?

You seem to forget that Irak instability was a big part of the reason why we got to deal with ISIS in the first place.

I say that ISIS was worst than Saddam.

Re: Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is killed in Israeli strike, ending 36-year rule

#182

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 11:16 PM UTC

eunos wrote: post #75

SethMurphy wrote: post #57

If the United States truly supported regime change there should be a clear next leader favored to succeed the Ayatollah, otherwise this feels more like a favor to oil companies, raising prices temporarily, and a sound bite for political gain, without a care of what happens to the country later. Simply toppling a government seems quite risky without further planning. Just expecting "good" people to fill the leadership…

I'm not discounting that Trump is thinking he could back another Pahlavi and restore the Peacock Throne.

[deleted]

Re: Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is killed in Israeli strike, ending 36-year rule

#183

Post by reliabilityguy » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 11:16 PM UTC

4ndrewl wrote: post #35

Almondsetat wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

At some point you have to decide: if my country is held back by a brutal dictatorial regime where civilians can't hope to topple it, is there anything else to do other than get external help?

Maybe speak to some Libyans. Or Iraqis. Or Syrians?

Libya is not a real country in a historical sense. It’s a bunch of tribes, Kadaffi was from one of the tribes that subjugated others. In Iraq it was a Sunni minority that rules over Shiite majority, and other minorities like the Kurds. In Syria one minority (alawiites) rules over others by force.

Also, these countries were not formed by themselves, but rather through deals with France and/or Britain.

Iran, while also diverse, has a thousands of years long history. Persians still see themselves as continuation of Persian peoples from the empire times, etc.

So, it is not very correct to compare it one to one.

Re: Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is killed in Israeli strike, ending 36-year rule

#184

Post by davidguetta » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 11:16 PM UTC

g8oz wrote: post #72

America and Israel are lawless countries. Can you imagine other countries assassinating a foreign head of state and not getting immediate blowback?

International law is below its ability to bé enforced

Re: Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is killed in Israeli strike, ending 36-year rule

#185

Post by avoutos » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 11:16 PM UTC

It's remarkable to me how many seem to forget there is "morality" apart from "legality". Even if this does violate some treaty somewhere, we need not wring hands over the death of an objective dictator.

Re: Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is killed in Israeli strike, ending 36-year rule

#186

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 11:16 PM UTC

g8oz wrote: post #72

America and Israel are lawless countries. Can you imagine other countries assassinating a foreign head of state and not getting immediate blowback?

[deleted]

Re: Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is killed in Israeli strike, ending 36-year rule

#187

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 11:17 PM UTC

1a527dd5 wrote: post #86

I wonder how old the rest of the commentators are. I watched the Shock and Awe campaign. I watched Saddam fall. I remember thinking this is great. Years later, I understand it was a complete folly. Removing Saddam in itself was good but what it did the wider region was not good.

[deleted]

Re: Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is killed in Israeli strike, ending 36-year rule

#188

Post by aucisson_masque » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 11:17 PM UTC

culi wrote: post #150

heavyset_go wrote: post #99

Thank god we're kicking 5 million people off of their health insurance in 2027, otherwise we would not be able to afford all of these bombs.

There was a clip of one of Iran's missiles dodging 3 Patriot interceptors to hit the US base in Bahrain. I realized I just watched $12m wasted for nothing in less than 5 seconds.

That's your money that's being Squandered yet you have no say in the decision to wage this war, nor your representative.

Re: Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is killed in Israeli strike, ending 36-year rule

#189

Post by 4ndrewl » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 11:18 PM UTC

Almondsetat wrote: post #158

4ndrewl wrote: post #35

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Maybe speak to some Libyans. Or Iraqis. Or Syrians?

Is this a way to avoid thinking about the conundrum?

"The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results"

Re: Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is killed in Israeli strike, ending 36-year rule

#190

Post by readthenotes1 » Sat, Feb 28, 2026, 11:19 PM UTC

reliabilityguy wrote: post #170

empath75 wrote: post #127

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The most likely situation is continuity. They just pick a new supreme leader. The second most likely situation is a civil war.

There is also a possibility of a Venezuela-style cooperation.

Adding Iranian oil back to the market will lower prices everywhere, including Russia. I'm not so sure the extra-heavy Venezuelan oil will be affected as much.

Anyone know?