The War With Iran: A NeoCon Dream ? A Debt Owed? Feeding Defense Contractors? Regime Change?

The weekend attacks were clearly not executed to help anyone in Iran.

I think we can all agree Trump is not at all worried about the Iranian people and the goal of the full combat operation against Iran was not likely regime change to “free the Iranian people.”

We also can agree with this administration, what one sees is often not what is really going on.

So What Is Really Going On? Why did the US strike Iran?

Last week, I had Congressman Ro Khanna, who is ranking member on the House Armed Services Committee and leader on the Oversight Committee on our WCPT radio show to discuss the military action.

Congressman Khanna posited that perhaps it was the fulfillment of “30-year-old Neo-Con dream that Lindsay Graham and… other war hawks have had” or perhaps just general war adventurism by Trump. Or both.

We also covered what happens next in the Democrats’ efforts to stop this war.

Other theories about this war…

• Was it because there was an imminent threat from Iran to the US or the World? Experts say “no”: The New York Times reported:“There is no imminent threat,” Daryl G. Kimball, the executive director of the Arms Control Association, wrote in a recent journal article. “Iran is not close to ‘weaponizing’ its nuclear material so as to justify another U.S. attack.”
• Some are asking if there is some sort of debt owed to Israel or Netanyahu? Or, a more conspiratorial question about the reason is related to Trump being blackmailed by Israel? Or is it a diversion or distraction to the Epstein Files?Unclear. There is no documented evidence here but a great deal of coincidences and activity that suggests it.
• Will this war benefit several defense contractors financially? Yes. U.S. strikes on Iran will likely boost defense stocks.This will keep the cash flowing to defense manufacturers even after the conflict ends. Saturday's strikes on Iran by the U.S. and Israel will likely shine an even bigger spotlight on defense stocks. As an example, according To Barrons: Defense stocks surged, with the iShares US Aerospace & Defense ETF up 35% and Lockheed Martin up 40% since the June Iran strike. Similarly, Iran retaliated by firing missiles at U.S. bases and Israel, while oil futures gained 3.2% since Friday, up almost 17% year to date.
  • Was it a negotiating tool? Maybe. PBS News Hour and The Atlantic claim Trump will talk with the new leadership (the right wing IRG council group), as they have expressed interest in talking to Trump after the weekend attacks. However, there is no evidence that Iran had stopped negotiations or wouldn’t offer concessions, when The White House suddenly stopped negotiations and attacked:“A senior White House official said Sunday that Iran’s ‘new potential leadership’ has suggested it is open to talks with the United States after American and Israeli forces launched a major attack against Tehran, killing the country’s supreme leader and other high-ranking officials. The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss internal administration deliberations, said President Donald Trump says he is “eventually” willing to talk but that for now the military operation ‘continues unabated.’ The official did not say who the potential new Iranian leaders are or how they made their alleged willingness to talk known.”
• Three American service people have been killed and at least nine have sustained serious injuries. Trump’s response to the human loss, according to The New York Times: “Sadly, there will likely be more before it ends,” he said. “That’s the way it is. Likely be more.” Hence, it is clear he is continuing his attacks.