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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsPic Of The Moment: So You're Saying We Had To Attack Iran Because They Would Have Attacked Us If We Attacked Them

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US strikes on Iran triggered by Israel's plan to launch attack, Rubio says
dalton99a
(93,462 posts)Bengus81
(10,056 posts)Great way to easily start any fucking War you want and blame it on another Country eh Trump?
Botany
(77,008 posts)The stupid is strong with this one.

joshdawg
(2,946 posts)This whole "administration" has set a whole new meaning to stupidity.
yellow dahlia
(5,490 posts)Wait! What?
Johonny
(25,952 posts)So we bombed Iran and killed all the leadership.
I mean, it's a pretty big rash, so the actions felt justified at the time. And who knows it might work out. Anyways, on to Cuba.
underpants
(195,927 posts)Its not just an out of context Rubio clip. This is the second time its been articulated this way.
Mike Johnson: This was a defensive measure
If Israel fired upon Iran and took action against Iran to take out the missiles, then [Iran] would have immediately retaliated against U.S. personnel and assets."
Link to tweet
?s=46&t=3VBm1LJ8j8qLp6JTs_8J2A
D_Master81
(2,468 posts)Speaker Johnson basically admitting the US is the cuck, Beta in this war and is only going along with Israel. Way to lead sir.
underpants
(195,927 posts)surfered
(12,833 posts)We think we know what youre thinking.
PatSeg
(52,960 posts)So many futuristic dystopian movies are turning out to be prophetic.
yellow dahlia
(5,490 posts)I often say I am at the convergence of every dystopian evil villain futuristic movie and work of literature. Aaargh!
Make Orwell fiction again! Please!
no_hypocrisy
(54,721 posts)Sergeant Stan Jablonskis "Let's do it to them before they do it to us".
niyad
(131,486 posts)caffeine. I read that thing three times, and it still does not make sense.
orangecrush
(29,835 posts)niyad
(131,486 posts)But then I remembered that today is National Pancake Day at IHOP, with free shortstack. Cannot miss that!
orangecrush
(29,835 posts)niyad
(131,486 posts)orangecrush
(29,835 posts)niyad
(131,486 posts)PatSeg
(52,960 posts)I suppose it is intentionally confusing because their base will just assume it must be very strategic.
yellow dahlia
(5,490 posts)I often say to Mr. Dahlia - at least I haven't started day drinking.
(I need a wine glass in the classic smilies.)
niyad
(131,486 posts)I do not recall one for wine.
D_Master81
(2,468 posts)The they will attack us if we dont attack them line that worked so well in the early 2000s. Death, taxes and Republicans starting middle eastern wars are a sure thing in life
PatSeg
(52,960 posts)he had legitimate, legal grounds for the attacks. At least Bush went through the motions of going to congress to get authorization to use military force. It was all BS of course, but he went to the trouble of putting on a show.
Like a willful child, Trump just does whatever he wants whenever it suits him.
BumRushDaShow
(168,295 posts)Preemptively preempting.
orangecrush
(29,835 posts)
?v=1697645214eppur_se_muova
(41,608 posts)Attilatheblond
(8,643 posts)Evil like that does not go away, it just looks for bigger rocks to throw.
yellow dahlia
(5,490 posts)Now...that really cheered up my day.
twodogsbarking
(18,317 posts)sinkingfeeling
(57,660 posts)Clouds Passing
(7,760 posts)Ol Janx Spirit
(937 posts)Since World War II, America has spent trillions of dollars to build such an imposing military that any country would be out of their mind to attack it outright knowing the consequences. But Iran was poised to do just that if attacked by another country?
Is that kind of like getting challenged to a bar fight by a much smaller opponent but saying, "hang on, I'm going out into the parking lot where five police cars are just waiting for some kind of trouble so I can punch one of those guys instead and just cut out the middle-man"?
No wonder the stock market is reacting today when it really didn't yesterday. It's clear now that not only was there no real plan all along, but they aren't even smart enough to come up with a good reason for it on the fly. That certainly doesn't give anyone confidence in their ability to see this debacle to a good outcome.
patphil
(8,934 posts)The Saudi's paid Trump billions, and Trump needed a distraction from the Epstein debacle.
flashman13
(2,277 posts)chouchou
(3,054 posts)It's been a long time since I've had even a little "fender bender" on my car. I also know that there's a few people
that WILL have a fender bender today.
Ha Ha! I'll fool those bastards today and run right into their precious vehicle... I WIN !!
Wounded Bear
(64,130 posts)(Apologies to Mel Brooks)
Bengus81
(10,056 posts)Operation: FORGET ABOUT EPSTEIN
Joinfortmill
(20,874 posts)question everything
(51,980 posts)Senior US officials voiced anger over briefings from the prime ministers circle suggesting Netanyahu pushed Trump to launch the strike on Iran, saying the president 'needed no persuasion' and acted because it was right for the world and the Middle East
https://www.ynetnews.com/article/bk8ccdqywg
sleroy49
(76 posts)I can't wait for the next justification they try out.
lastlib
(28,000 posts)It's like English is a foreign language to them. They just string words together any old way, and think that by using two syllable words, that they're outsmarting the rest of us. But they're only outsmarting 30% of the population. To the other 70%, they are blithering idiots.
"Pro-actively in a defensive way"--they're speaking tautologese.........
mwb970
(12,129 posts)Historic NY
(39,922 posts)According to U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the logic behind this "crazy" phrasing is that the U.S. chose to be the aggressor specifically to prevent a predicted attack on its own troops.
.
Here is the breakdown of why the administration used this specific term:
The "Proactive" Part: The U.S. launched strikes on Iranian leadership and missile sites before any American assets had been hit.
The "Defensive" Part: Rubio argued that intelligence showed Iran had already "pre-positioned" missiles to strike U.S. bases the moment Israel began its own planned attack. By striking first, the U.S. claimed it was "defending" its personnel from an "imminent" threat.
Avoiding "Absorbing a Blow": The core of the argument is that waiting to be attacked would have resulted in "more casualties and more deaths". Rubio stated the U.S. would not "sit there and absorb a blow" when it knew a strike was coming.
Critics, including some members of Congress and international legal experts, have called this a "war of choice" disguised as defense, noting that the "imminent threat" was based on a prediction of how Iran might react to a third party (Israel).
Do you want to know more about how Congress is reacting to this "proactively defensive" justification?
Secretary of State Marco Rubio Remarks to Press
Mar 2, 2026 SECRETARY RUBIO: There absolutely was an imminent threat, and the imminent threat was that we knew that if Iran was attacked and...
U.S. Department of State (.gov)
U.S. embassy in Riyadh hit by drones - CNBC
Mar 2, 2026 "We knew that if Iran was attacked, and we believed they would be attacked, that they would immediately come after us," Rubio told...
CNBC
Rubio: 'There absolutely was an imminent threat' from Iran - AOL
Mar 2, 2026 Ashleigh Fields. Mon, March 2, 2026 at 2:59 PM PST. 0. Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday said Iran posed an imminent threa...
AOL.com
Then it gets worse Even AI isn't buying the logic,.
The "Line of Immunity": Rubio also introduced a broader justification: he claimed the U.S. had to strike now because in 18 months, Iran would have reached a "line of immunity" where their missile and drone technology would be too advanced to stop. This logic suggests the U.S. should strike anyone who might become too powerful to be easily defeated in the future.
Makes us the bully - AI agrees. Redefining Aggression.
EarlG
(23,562 posts)I'd rather hear your personal thoughts on the story.
Marcuse
(8,917 posts)
