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

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

#511

Post by xorcist »

whacko_quacko wrote: post #406
deaux wrote: post #272

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Considering how Israel had to raze entire cities to beat 'Hamas' They didn't, they just had to stop funding them, as Hamas has been funded by Israel.

That's like saying the EU fundeh Hamas because they gave aid money to Gaza. If you squint at it the right way then maybe, but fundamentally it's disingenuous to call something like that funding. But "the Jews .. uhm, I mean Israel .. had it coming and they did it to themselves" is always a favorite, isn't it?

If that was true, it would be like that. But it isn't, so it's not. EU is wide, and does not always speak with one voice, but it has a clear history of doing their best to avoid funding the proto-democratic forces in the region. Any support of religious extremists is considered a failure and acted upon.

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

#513

Post by mbgerring »

Digit-Al wrote: post #372
dismalaf wrote: post #300

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The fact a leader can be assassinated at any moment by the US probably changes the succession plan slightly... I imagine any potential successor is thinking hard about whether it's a job they actually want.

The problem is that you are not dealing with rational people here, you are dealing with extreme religous fanatics. They are either not afraid of dying and becoming martyrs, or they are afraid but dare not show it.

You talking about the Iranians or the Americans here?

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

#514

Post by throwaway2037 »

muzani wrote: post #244
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?

I prefer assassinations of leaders in wars over deaths of soldiers and especially civilians. Considering how Israel had to raze entire cities to beat 'Hamas' or the US dropping nukes in WW2 instead of bombing the Japanese Emperor. This is decent as far as wars go.

    > I prefer assassinations of leaders in wars over deaths of soldiers and especially civilians.
To me, this argument doesn't hold water. Think about some counterexamples: (1) Netanyahu and Gaza. Surely, 100K+ civilians died as a result of that war. (2) Kennedy, Johnson, Nixon and Vietnam. A staggering number of civilians died in that war. (3) GW Bush in Afghanistan and Iraq/2.

My guess: All of those leaders are responsible for more innocent civilian deaths in each conflict than Khamenei's entire reign.

To me, I am very conflicted about the assassination of Khamenei. Yeah, he did a bunch of bad stuff and was very destabilising in the region, but I need to draw the line at assassination. It was unnecessary. It is a slippery slope.

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

#515

Post by kjfarm »

jhoechtl wrote: post #468
thomassmith65 wrote: post #12

The Iranian diaspora around the world is celebrating. Here's the scene in Berlin: https://youtu.be/NSbx_0mtk80?si=MJ_Bfvx8gVd1P1mm They've waited a very long time for this moment!

The dispora means little though, the people in the country count as they live 365 days there without the convenient ability to comment from a distance and they are ones who would have to die for a turnover.

I think this is a good point, there is evidence (even with strict censorship controls in place) that people inside the country are celebrating https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/28/world/middleeast/iran-kha...

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

#516

Post by y-curious »

shell0x wrote: post #502
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?

The EU should do more to move away from being dependent on america . America is a hostile nation and should be treated like Russia and China.

EU needs the US so much and every time I see this comment, I remember why. Too many idealists running the EU

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

#518

Post by throwaway2037 »

sschueller wrote: post #333
TiredOfLife wrote: post #317

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Russia tried many times in Ukraine. No blowback.

What are you talking about? Russia has effectively been blocked from the west while when the United States invaded Iraq nothing happened. Europe trades with the US like nothing ever happened while Russia will never return to what it was before without at minimum Putin being gone. Europe even still trades with Israel when what they have done is Gaza has been declared a genocide by everyone. At the same time Russia can…

You raise a lot of good points here. Another unconfortable truth: Russia is withstanding the sanctions way better than anyone expected. I don't think that they can sustain it forever, but I do think they can make it (at least) another 2-3 years.

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

#519

Post by softwaredoug »

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.

In this case I bet they rotate Khamenis until they find someone who will capitulate like in Venezuela.

Thats the hope at least. Seems like a completely different situation though. It could just as easily end up an unstable mess like Libya

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

#520

Post by _3u10 »

jordanb wrote: post #498
sega_sai wrote: post #471

I have no sympathy for Khamenei, but, if that is allowed we should not be surprised if Denmark prime minister is next?

Weirdly Europe and even Canada seem to be completely onboard with all this..

Agreed. Canada fired the attorney general rather than prosecute those who financed momar ghaddfi. If Trump takes carney to stand trial I support it.

It’s also self admittedly a genocidal state which has failed to bring anyone to justice for the genocide it committed.

The Canadian people need US help in bringing those responsible for genocide and terrorist financing to stand trial for their crimes.

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