US 'targeting' 52 Iranian sites if Tehran attacks

[Dennis Donovan]

Source: BBC

President Trump has warned the US is "targeting" 52 Iranian sites and will strike "very fast and very hard" if Tehran hits Americans or US assets.

His comments followed the US assassination of Qasem Soleimani, a top Iranian general, in a drone strike.

Iran has vowed to avenge his killing.

Mr Trump wrote on Twitter that Iran "is talking very boldly about targeting certain USA assets" in response to the general's death.

He said the US has identified 52 Iranian sites, some "at a very high level & important to Iran & the Iranian culture, and those targets, and Iran itself, WILL BE HIT VERY FAST AND VERY HARD" if Tehran strikes the US.

"The USA wants no more threats!" Trump added.

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-50996602

---

You just know he'll tweet a map of Iran with 52 pushpins next...

[Iliyah]

1. STFU . . .

[jpak]

2. Send in the B-52s - fuck yeah!

[Roy Rolling]

48. Fu*k Yeah!

[C_U_L8R]

3. One could make millions playing poker against this screwball.

[Yavin4]

43. But he doesn't pay his losses

Other people do.

[sandensea]

4. Translation:

Cheeto will try to attack them, whether they attack first or not.

He didn't fill his regime with Bush/Cheney flunkies for nothing.

[Stallion]

5. ....and I wouldn't be Making any Reservations at a Trump Branded Hotel Any Time Soon

[spinbaby]

18. He has a lot of vacancies, I hear

And all Iran needs to do, really, is threaten Trump properties. They don’t even have to do anything else—just threaten Trump properties and watch them become ghost towns.

[bluestarone]

6. Every day, every hour every min. every second i

HATE this fucker more!!! Will NO-ONE stop him PLEASE!

[dewsgirl]

27. +10000! He is Satan.😡

[marble falls]

7. How many different ways will this go wrong ...

he's broken so many laws that war crimes will be a refreshing change for this piece of garbage.

[rickyhall]

8. They've wanted war with Iran for 40 years.

[Bleacher Creature]

9. Isn't targeting cultural sites a war crime? NT

[Dennis Donovan]

13. Yep

Link to tweet

[dewsgirl]

29. I also believe the assasination it's self is a war crime, we weren't at

war with them, he didn't even inform the Senate Republicans, let alone Congress.

[Leghorn21]

39. Yeah, well, Eddie Gallagher's not his new best friend for nothing, eh?!

[bucolic_frolic]

10. Sharpie warfare looks good on paper

Does Trump know it's real?

He thinks this threat a deterrent, but it's already escalating. It's like pre-mobilization.

[packman]

11. Listen - The war drums are sounding and Trumpites are beating them

[Strelnikov_]

12. July 1914 all over again

The US over-reacted to the embassy 'siege', the assassination was not proportional.

If we strike back at the level Trump describes, and barring the precursor strike by Iran being proportional to this, Iran will have no option but to initiate Operation Muah'dib.

With that, we are at the equivalent of WW III.

[Strelnikov_]

15. Part 1 - Operation Muah'dib

He who can destroy a thing, controls a thing - Muah'dib

- The Persian Gulf represents nearly 50% of the worlds petroleum export market.

- The vast majority of this resource passes through 8 to 10 major facilities (one facility in KSA, Abqaiq, processes 60% of its petroleum production).

- If Iran is attacked in such a way as to threaten the continuity of the regime, they could use their substantial missile inventory in taking out these facilities (I do not believe they will target Israel, as it would have no strategic purpose, and is out of range, whereas targeting the gulf energy infrastructure would strike a mortal blow against the attacking western economies, in particular the US, as I discuss below).

- Of the largest petroleum importers (Japan, China, Germany, South Korea, France) most have substantial dollar reserves and are significant exporters of finished goods. Basically, we will be outbid on much of what remains of the worlds petroleum export market post attack, as these countries use their export capacity in finished goods to purchase petroleum from Russia, Nigeria, Norway, and Venezuela.

- Approx. 42% of US petroleum is used for personal transport, 22% for commercial transport (trucks that carry food to the stores, etc.). I will leave it to the reader as to the impact a nearly overnight loss of 25% of the US petroleum supply, as it is redirected to OECD partners, will have to the economy (not to mention the impact due to the collapse of the petrodollar system).

- Russia, India and China will take a pass. Russia stands to make a fortune. And if all the gulf petroleum goes off line, they become the worlds sole energy superpower. China and India will dig in (as they consume much less petroleum), weather the storm, and emerge in a position to snap up all those production contracts that will no longer go to US multinationals for rebuilding the gulf.

- In conclusion, Iran is not toothless. We can physically destroy the country of Iran. There is a good chance they can destroy our economy and begin the process of petrocollapse, ultimately leading to the destruction of a greatly weakened US in a few decades.

So, who wins?

[Strelnikov_]

16. Part 2 - The Spice Processing Facilities

The following represent ~50% of the worlds petroleum export market. Probably at no time in history has so much critical infrastructure been thus concentrated. Consider the capabilities of modern weapons, and that these facilities would be staffed by an angry populace (most of the Gulf petroleum production is located in the ‘Shia Crescent’). Two possible attack vectors, same result.

Abqaiq alone processes 60% of KSA's petroleum.


Dona (Kuwait)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=kuwait&ie=UTF8&ll=29.364822,47.804432&spn=0.106818,0.15295&t=k&z=13&om=1

Mina Al Ahmadi (Kuwait)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=kuwait&ie=UTF8&ll=29.049192,48.148699&spn=0.053574,0.076475&t=k&z=14&om=1

Khiran (Kuwait)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=kuwait&ie=UTF8&t=k&om=1&ll=28.692169,48.373661&spn=0.053758,0.076475&z=14

Ras Ali Khafji (KSA)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=kuwait&ie=UTF8&t=k&om=1&ll=28.404613,48.531933&spn=0.053905,0.076475&z=14

Al Jubayl (Ras Tanura Complex) (KSA)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=kuwait&ie=UTF8&t=k&om=1&ll=27.079303,49.645329&spn=0.10913,0.15295&z=13

Najmah_1 (Ras Tanura Complex) (KSA)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=kuwait&ie=UTF8&t=k&om=1&ll=26.800171,50.022812&spn=0.109401,0.15295&z=13

Najmah_2 (Ras Tanura Complex) (KSA)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=kuwait&ie=UTF8&t=k&om=1&ll=26.659579,50.128212&spn=0.109536,0.15295&z=13

Abqaiq (KSA)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=abqaiq&sll=25.626669,49.004517&sspn=3.535873,4.894409&ie=UTF8&ll=25.935045,49.68039&spn=0.027556,0.038238&t=k&z=15&om=1

Ras Laffan (Qatar)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=Al+Mubarraz&sll=24.691943,54.497681&sspn=3.563055,4.894409&ie=UTF8&ll=25.915207,51.588879&spn=0.055121,0.076475&t=k&z=14&om=1

Ruwais (UAE)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=Al+Mubarraz&sll=24.691943,54.497681&sspn=3.563055,4.894409&ie=UTF8&om=1&ll=24.123882,52.726822&spn=0.112018,0.15295&t=k&z=13&iwloc=addr

Mina Jabal Ali (UAE)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=Al+Mubarraz&sll=24.691943,54.497681&sspn=3.563055,4.894409&ie=UTF8&ll=25.008617,55.059099&spn=0.055537,0.076475&t=k&z=14&om=1

Khawr Fakken (UAE)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=Al+Mubarraz&sll=24.691943,54.497681&sspn=3.563055,4.894409&ie=UTF8&ll=25.310123,56.370077&spn=0.0277,0.038238&t=k&z=15&om=1

Al Qurayyah (UAE)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=Al+Mubarraz&sll=24.691943,54.497681&sspn=3.563055,4.894409&ie=UTF8&ll=25.198922,56.357932&spn=0.027726,0.038238&t=k&z=15&om=1

Al Liwa (UAE)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=Al+Mubarraz&sll=24.691943,54.497681&sspn=3.563055,4.894409&ie=UTF8&ll=24.483634,56.623106&spn=0.055851,0.076475&t=k&z=14&om=1

Mina al Fahl (Oman)
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&geocode=&time=&date=&ttype=&q=abqaiq&sll=25.626669,49.004517&sspn=3.535873,4.894409&ie=UTF8&ll=23.602728,58.416388&spn=0.014039,0.019119&t=k&z=16&om=1

[roamer65]

22. If Ras Tanura goes up in flames, we will be at $150/bbl within hours or days.

If the Straits of Hormuz are closed, $250.

[Strelnikov_]

25. And when Trump tears up the OECD petroleum trading agreements

to keep prices below a catastrophic level in the US . . . it will be the end of the post cold war order . . . and we will be alone.

It's almost like Putin is calling the shots . . .

[roamer65]

42. Pootie IS calling the shots.

[burrowowl]

51. Thank you for a cogent expos

[Gothmog]

14. Trump is tweeting intent to commit war crimes

Link to tweet

[Tiggeroshii]

21. He's a walking war crime

[livetohike]

17. He cannot keep his mouth shut! Aiding the enemy.

Treason.

[DeminPennswoods]

19. When will we learn that Trump just says

s*** and it's rarely credible?

[Tiggeroshii]

20. All they have to do is cut off the straight of hormuz, and suddenly we are in an oil shortage.

The US could invade after that but, the international condemnation could be overwhelming.

[roamer65]

23. China and Japan will be hurting bad if the Straits close.

With the increased price, demand will drop in the US and we will be self sufficient. We are close to it right now.

[Xolodno]

31. It will have to be an amphibious assault.

Afghanistan has already stated no way in hell can we use their territory. And if shit hits the fan, Iraq is likely to tell us to get the hell out. Meanwhile, military aid pours in from the north for Iran.

Yeah, we will win....after a terrible cost. Then we get stuck in a Vietnam like quagmire, the Persians who like the US are already in the US. Then were watching choppers evacuate an embassy.

[IcyPeas]

24. which of the braniacs chose the 52 sites?

no one in this administration could possibly have done this in 2 days.

[Maeve]

26. He pulled that number out of

his assets. More BS from the Con

[underpants]

40. The Pentagon continually updates scenarios and possible targets

The number 52 sounds like the number at the bottom of the first page. Trump doesn't have the attention span to read beyond page 1.

[IcyPeas]

47. Found out 52 is the number

Of hostages from the old Iranian hostage taking back in the day. No way trump knows any of that. He knows zero history.

[underpants]

52. Stephen Miller

Miller probably have him that number. He's one of the few originals and he has a lot of influence on Dotard.

[GP6971]

28. It could be a symbolic number

...52 American hostages during the takeover of the US Embassy in 1979.

[jmowreader]

49. It's definitely symbolic

IIRC I saw a Trump tweet that he wanted to hit 52 sites in revenge for the Iranian Hostage Crisis of the 1970s.

As in "having been embargoed pretty much continually since 1979 wasn't punishment enough."

[dewsgirl]

30. If he isn't talking out of his ass (he likely is),

sounds like this info, should be classified.

[machI]

32. What is this? Some kind of abstract numerology from the Cult of Trump

He is leading with "There were 52 hostages and there are 52 cards in a deck of playing cards." Our heavy bomber is a B-52 which goes along with 52 weeks in a year. Combine this with the fact 52 years ago was 1968 when the Tet Offensive occurred, and that was a bad time. But the key here is 52 in ASCII is the printable number '4', and we are entering into the fourth year of Trump's presidency.

See, the USA wins and Iran loses. Trump just laid it all out in a tweet.

[no_hypocrisy]

33. He's addressing disciples of a religion that doesn't fear death. If they die by the hand

of Donald Trump, they're martyrs and will be rewarded, while those surviving will give back to Trump (and unfortunately, our military and civilians). Besides, do we and the Pentagon feel convinced that Iran doesn't have a working nuclear weapon or two, ready to go?

[ancianita]

34. They'll just use a third party and play dumb.

[murielm99]

35. Without Congressional approval?

[John Fante]

36. $20 says Dickhead was staring at a deck of cards when he came

up with that number.

[McKim]

37. More Reasons for Impeachment

These threats are more reasons to add to the long list of why this dangerous man should be impeached and removed for the presidency.

[DesertRat]

38. No way Pentagon planners drew up a target list of culturally significant sites for him

Unlike trump, they know that striking those targets would be a war crime. He's a dangerous liar and Twitter needs to shut down his account.

[Haggis for Breakfast]

41. If you think back to the first week of December 2019

Half a dozen senior, long-time, top level pentagon advisers abruptly quit their posts. I believe they were informed of some of this and could not accept the plans, knowing that we were getting into international war crimes territory.

Sadly, the capitalist parasites who run twitter do not care if he tweets out classified information or writes things that absolutely should NEVER be made public. It's all about money to them. National security means nothing to them.

[NJCher]

54. Twitter needs to shut down his account.

shut down a big part of his bully pulpit.

[Florida Bull]

44. Good thing he does not own any pets!

Good thing he does not own any pets! This is the kind of talk of an abuser. The evil personality is sickening.

[totodeinhere]

45. I don't think that the Iranian's are stupid enough to try to carry out a conventional

military attack on our country or if that would even be possible.

However, what if we get a wave of terrorist attacks against American interests and against our allies? There might not even be proof that the Iranians are behind the attacks although we might strongly suspect that they are. Would he go in like a cowboy and try to bomb them back into the Stone Age? That's a good question. It's a very scary situation with this lunatic with his finger on the trigger.

[Southern Blueneck]

46. This is Trump's Reelection Strategy

I think he's overestimating the number of Americans who'll "rally around the flag" for THIS bullshit war.

[bucolic_frolic]

50. Blitzkrieg

[FM123]

53. With everything he says and everything he does

Trump just keeps putting us Americans in more and more danger. Every. Single. Day.