Israel-Gaza War (and Iranian Distractions)

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Iranian missile attack is underway, sirens in Tel Aviv and Israeli interceptor missiles are launching. Some Iranian missiles appear to have gotten through. Smoke is rising from central Tel Aviv. Emergency crews are responding.

US sources say that about 100 Iranian ballistic missiles were launched and nine appear to have gotten through.

There are two US Navy guided missile destroyers off the Israeli coast. They are tracking and trying to intercept missiles. The US army also has THAAD and possibly Patriot batteries in Israel, so the US is deeply involved in Israel's missile defense. But so far, no US forces have taken part in offensive operations against Iran.

There is concern that Iran might strike US bases and forces in the region. I suspect that is unlikely because it would simply draw American attacks down on themselves which would probably decimate their military and collapse their regime.

I do kind of hope that Iran does attack US forces in the region though, because I would love to see the US, Israel and the Iranian people take down the ayatollahs.

Israeli alert that about 50 more Iranian missiles are incoming. None of this second barrage got through into Tel Aviv.

Iran is claiming that at least one Israeli jet has been shot down and one pilot has been captured. Israel denies this.

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IDF homefront command says that Iranian missile attacks have ceased for now and that Israelis can leave the bomb shelters.

There's interesting video from Syria showing several Israeli C-130 transport planes flying at low level across the Syrian desert, headed from east to west in the direction of northern Israel. Plenty of speculation about what their mission was. Combat search and rescue? Inserting/extracting special forces in Iran?

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Iranian guided missile hitting Tel Aviv

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Ballistic missile interceptions at dawn over Israel seen from a ship in the eastern Mediterranean.

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One Iranian missile that got through hit near the Israeli defense ministry complex in Tel Aviv. But apparently it struck in the street and only blew out windows in one of the buildings. I believe that the Israeli military's reinforced concrete command bunker where Netanyahu is believed to be is beneath the defense ministry. There's no indication that it was damaged in any way.

Another missile that got through hit in a residential neighborhood with lots of apartments. Civilian casualties are said to be in double digits with at least one pronounced dead, though most residents were in bomb shelters and most injuries are minor.

More Iranian missiles incoming. Israelis being told to head to the shelters again.

Israeli air attacks Saturday morning Iran-time appear to be concentrating on Iranian military facilities. The military hangers at Tehran's Mehrabad international airport are currently burning. The Hamadan and Tabriz air bases have been hit as well. The base of the Iranian 216th armored brigade at Zanjan has been hit and is on fire.

An unknown number of mobile missile launchers have been hit but Iran is still defiantly launching missiles.

Attacks on the nuclear program haven't let up. The nuclear technology complex at Isfahan is under attack.

It's increasingly obvious that the Israelis have pretty much complete control of the air over Iran. That gives Israel a huge military advantage.

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Iran continues to fire rockets at Israel. Not as many as Israel expected them to fire, but enough that some are nevertheless getting through. After targeting Israel's defense ministry on Friday, they seem to be shooting wildly at civilian residential areas rather than military bases. There are Israeli dead and wounded, but not the many thousands that were feared earlier.

Another wave of Iranian missiles incoming. Video evidence of at least one strike in city of Haifa.

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Israel continues its long range air attacks which continue to be very precise. They appear to have control of the air over most of Iran and Iranian air defenses appear ineffective.

Photographs show highways out of Tehran are clogged with cars as residents try to leave the city. Recent video from Tehran panned around and seven smoke plumes were visible.

Israel hitting a missile launch site near Shiraz Iran

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Israel confirms that Brigadier General Mohammad Kazemi, Head of Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), as well as his deputy, General Hassan Mohaqqeq, have been killed.

Exoatmospheric missile interceptions in space

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Last night, Israel was struck by the most damaging Iranian missile attack yet. This despite the size of the missile attacks gradually decreasing. I suspect the reason why fewer missiles are being intercepted is that Israel might be running out of interceptor missiles.

The Israel Electric Company says that part of the Tel Aviv power grid is down and that people should stay away from downed power lines while the company tries to restore power.

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And today a large number of US Air Force aerial refueling tankers left various US bases headed in the direction of Europe. Latest count is 23 KC-135's and 4 KC-46's, with more continuing to take off. This is definitely an unusual movement suggesting something is up.

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Israeli TV station Kann News is reporting that Israel has asked for help intercepting missiles. Reportedly, the UK agreed to help, France is reluctant, while the US is already helping.

Two US Air Force C-17 transports landed at the Anniston Army Depot in Alabama tonight, which hosts the Anniston Defense Munitions Center. Then they took off again, headed in the direction of Europe. Speculation is that they are delivering additional Patriot or THAAD missiles to Israel.

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Israeli TV station Kann News is reporting that Israel has asked for help intercepting missiles. Reportedly, the UK agreed to help, France is reluctant, while the US is already helping.

Two US Air Force C-17 transports landed at the Anniston Army Depot in Alabama tonight, which hosts the Anniston Defense Munitions Center. Then they took off again, headed in the direction of Europe. Speculation is that they are delivering additional Patriot or THAAD missiles to Israel.

So much for the Iron Dome. Iran has the right idea of producing thousands of ballistic missiles that would eventually overwhelm the interceptor supply, even with aid from elsewhere. Really worse than a nuclear weapon, which ultimately is just a big stick to deter attacks. The anti-Zionist organizations that Iran funds don't really want to inherit a radioactive landscape. Lots of conventional craters maybe, but not hot spots.

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Dramatic scene in Tehran today. Israeli air strikes hit the studios of the Iranian state TV network, while they were live on air. The TV presenter was a weird ranting woman dressed in a shroud. I don't speak Farsi, but I believe that she was promising viewers the largest Iranian missile strike on Israel yet seen in the war. Then the Israelis hit, the studio lights went out but the broadcast stayed on. The woman scurried off to safety and male voices could be heard shouting.

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The Iranian TV presenter

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The US Defense Department has announced that the movement of approximately 30 aerial refueling tankers to various bases in Europe yesterday is intended to give President Trump more options regarding the Israel/Iran war.

Meanwhile, the USS Nimitz carrier battle group is passing Singapore as it moves from the Pacific towards the Middle East.

President Trump told the G7 meeting in Calgary AB that Iran is back-channeling like crazy to the US using Qatar, Oman and Saudi Arabia as intermediaries. Iran wants them to ask U.S. President Trump to press Israel to agree to an immediate ceasefire, according to Reuters. In exchange, Iran says it will show additional “flexibility” in nuclear talks with the United States. (Yeah, right.)

CBS quotes Trump: "Yeah," Iran is backchanneling to US, Trump tells us in Canada. "They'd like to talk but they should have done that before," he said. "Iran is not winning this war."

Iran's remaining hope is the fact that Israel lacks the capability to destroy the Fordow uranium enrichment plant, buried under 200 feet of solid rock. Only the US is believed to have the ability to do it short of using a nuclear weapon. Even the US Massive Ordinance Penetrator (MOP) bomb would have trouble with 200 feet of rock, but apparently the USAF has perfected a technique of using more than one, hitting a deeply buried site with one MOP, then hitting the exact same spot with a second MOP. This has supposedly been successful in tests against deeply buried bunkers.

USS Nimitz passing Singapore and the southern tip of Malaya.

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