Vanilla XJO Thread, page-640

This is far from finished with Iran imho. Just a break I think you will find. Hezzobollah and Hamas almost gone. Houthis still active and can make a headache if they choose. So can the Iranian Navy which Israel has not even touched yet. The USA and Israel want regime change. The Iranian Govt is dividing into two blocks atm. Back channels have been set up with the regular army/military and police not to act when the time comes. The IRGC and its supporters have much fight left in them for now. 10% of 90 million with vested interests is not small. Most average Iranians are just struggling now keeping their mouths shut as the IRGC and Basij increase repression. If they walk away now the regime will linger a very very long time. Iranians are worried about that just as much as more death and infrastructure destruction. The death though and humiliation Iranians will feel will last a long time sadly - on the Israel side too. Just like the Germans never forgot losing WW1. Anyone who has been to Iran the last ten years knows how modern/pro West the young are. Never wearing hejab, tattoos galore, nose rings etc. North Tehran in particular is these days far more Persian like than Islamic. Dogs galore. Other ways could have achieved regime change (slowly but with no long-term consequences like the current pathway is taking us on) but we are where we are.