Iran launched unsuccessful attack on UK's Diego Garcia • Hacker News Board

Re: Iran launched unsuccessful attack on UK's Diego Garcia

#131

Post by arbuge » Sat, Mar 21, 2026, 6:11 PM UTC

einszwei wrote: post #109

cardanome wrote: post #22

Accusing Iran of "lashing out" and being "reckless" by attacking US bases while the US and Israel literally murder school children, bomb hospitals and assassinate state leaders is rich. It didn't have to be this way but they decided this to turn into a fight of survival for Iran and destroy any option for a peaceful resolution. Now they are going to pay the price.

Your comment made me realise that while Iran has attacked a dozen countries, they have yet to attack a school or a hospital. Not condoning anyone but shows the priority of both sides.

They did however murder thousands of protesters in their own streets in January, and who knows how much more dissidents over the years.

This one was just this week: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/iran-execution-teen-wrestler-ja...

So there's that.

Re: Iran launched unsuccessful attack on UK's Diego Garcia

#132

Post by kortilla » Sat, Mar 21, 2026, 6:12 PM UTC

throw310822 wrote: post #120

breppp wrote: post #63

Earlier quoted context omitted.

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Intent is literally the difference in terrorism though. The US hitting 500 targets in Iran and one of them being a school is the exact opposite of a strategy of terrorism. With terrorism you explicitly target civilians to drive fear.

Trying to hit the Burj Khalifa without targeting any military or high political office is terrorism.

When Iran launched at military bases or tried to shoot at planes, it was not called terrorism.

Re: Iran launched unsuccessful attack on UK's Diego Garcia

#133

Post by watwut » Sat, Mar 21, 2026, 6:13 PM UTC

breppp wrote: post #107

bdangubic wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

that would be stupid and their regime is not stupid

Hardly, after attacking all their friends in the region, which would leave them even more isolated after the war, I would not attribute careful strategic planning either

They were not mutual friends. They were mutually hostile.

And the friends are hosting american soldiers and bases.

Re: Iran launched unsuccessful attack on UK's Diego Garcia

#134

Post by kortilla » Sat, Mar 21, 2026, 6:13 PM UTC

jopsen wrote: post #122

bdangubic wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

that would be stupid and their regime is not stupid

Do you think launching a dumb ICBM at New York would make the US put boots on the ground. I kind of doubt it's enough. This wouldn't be another 9/11, it would be merely be retaliation.

It already looks like the US is sending marines over. Any excuse to make it more politically palatable would be latched onto.

Re: Iran launched unsuccessful attack on UK's Diego Garcia

#135

Post by chimineycricket » Sat, Mar 21, 2026, 6:15 PM UTC

tptacek wrote: post #62

maratc wrote: post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

They had a religious ruling on the range, and they also had a religious ruling on "not creating an atomic bomb." The question of whether the world can assume its security on some religious rulings of some Ayatollas is still standing, as these rulings can apparently be changed or bypassed.

This "religious ruling" stuff is less interesting than it sounds. To begin with, while the Islamic Republic of Iran is a totalitarian state, the Twelver Shia hierarchy isn't unified. The supposed ban on nuclear weapons was Khamenei's, and binding only on his followers. But there are several other marja (marjas? marji?), with significant followings even in the security state & IRGC (al-Sistani being a good example). M…

Maraaji' is the pluralized version in Arabic, but nothing wrong with saying marjas. Marji would be most wrong though.

Re: Iran launched unsuccessful attack on UK's Diego Garcia

#136

Post by srean » Sat, Mar 21, 2026, 6:15 PM UTC

swat535 wrote: post #112

anvuong wrote: post #23

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The IRGC is fighting for survival, most Iranian want them gone, and Iran will be better as a whole if the IRGC is all dead. Don't try to conflate the government with the country, they don't always align.

This is simply not true. I'm Iranian and I wish it were but IRGC has more support than you think. There is at least 30-40% of the population who support it and within those, more than half will gladly die for the regime. My home country has more than 90M people and 40% of that equates for millions of supporters. From the outside, you are only hearing the diaspora talking points, which don't realistically represent Ir…

If anything, the attack on Iran has increased their support.

US and Israel don't give two fucks for the people of Iran. If they did they wouldn't have been under such crippling sanctions.

Irani people want to control their own destiny, not as a vassal of US-Israel backed power.

Iran's best bet I think is to negotiate with the IRGC to earn reforms. I suspect that if IRGC doesn't feel so threatened they might even get them.

There's a lot of commentary here along the lines that Iran is now a threat to Europe. Yes the capability might exist but it is not in Iran's interest and have never shown such interest or ambition. India certainly has missiles that can reach parts of Europe, capability does not signal intent.

US and UK have screwed the relation up by organising coup, scuttling democratic processes, downing domestic passenger jet without apology, setting Saddam Hussein and his chemical weapons at them and the economically ravaging them with sanctions.

As for nukes, with Israel and undeclared nuclear power right next door, it's a very reasonable ask for any country that wants to control its own destiny. In fact had it had one, the current conflict would not have happened.

Re: Iran launched unsuccessful attack on UK's Diego Garcia

#137

Post by bdangubic » Sat, Mar 21, 2026, 6:15 PM UTC

jopsen wrote: post #122

bdangubic wrote: post #85

Earlier quoted context omitted.

that would be stupid and their regime is not stupid

Do you think launching a dumb ICBM at New York would make the US put boots on the ground. I kind of doubt it's enough. This wouldn't be another 9/11, it would be merely be retaliation.

the war is wildly unpopular in the US (rightfully so) - attacking US would rally the country (rightfully so) and regime would fall within a week (with significant casulties on our side)

Re: Iran launched unsuccessful attack on UK's Diego Garcia

#138

Post by breppp » Sat, Mar 21, 2026, 6:15 PM UTC

mda wrote: post #115

breppp wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> On the other hand if Iran was to fire a missile at continental Europe I would hope that the consequence for them would be to be flattened Iran have been attacking uninvolved NATO member Turkey for a while now and nothing happens. The USA is already fully engaged into this war while Europe can hardly deal together with Russia, it is doubtful they'd do anything even if it rained down on their territory

Attacking as in a couple of rockets heading US bases which were intercepted. Of course nothing would happen, why would Turkey (or other European countries) join this pointless war?

This is an attack on Turkish territory regardless if there's a US base, and Iranian missiles usually miss the bases anyway.

Turkey is led by a strongman leader and these are very sensitive to acts of public humiliation. So that's unwise when thinking about any negligible strategic advantage they may gain from these attacks

Re: Iran launched unsuccessful attack on UK's Diego Garcia

#139

Post by jandrewrogers » Sat, Mar 21, 2026, 6:16 PM UTC

carbocation wrote: post #2

The article kind of downplays the most interesting elements. Not an expert, but to my limited understanding: * I think this is the longest-range use of a ballistic missile in anger, possibly ever? * This seems to reveal previously-unknown range of Iranian ballistic missiles and, if true, could touch basically all of Europe?

US intelligence had assessed that this was possible a long time ago. It was one of the motivations behind the installation of long-range missile defense capabilities in Poland and Czechia in the late 2000s. Obama killed that program to appease Russia.

Of course, there is a significant gap between Iran possessing the capability, having the temperament to use it, and actually doing so.

Re: Iran launched unsuccessful attack on UK's Diego Garcia

#140

Post by [deleted] » Sat, Mar 21, 2026, 6:16 PM UTC

maratc wrote: post #17

mikeyouse wrote: post #5

Unfortunately this is more interesting than a failed Diego Garcia attack — the late Ayatollah had a self-imposed range limit on the strikes or tests they would carry out. By using IRBMs in this fashion, it’s clear the new regime no longer feels bound by that restriction.. Which is notable since it’s about the same distance from Southern Iran to Diego Garcia (3,800km) as it is from Northern Iran to London.

They had a religious ruling on the range, and they also had a religious ruling on "not creating an atomic bomb." The question of whether the world can assume its security on some religious rulings of some Ayatollas is still standing, as these rulings can apparently be changed or bypassed.

[deleted]