iran Iran War 2026 (AoR vs. West–“Sunni NATO”–Israel) [Official Thread]

[Hameedeh]

On 4/21/2026 at 4:08 AM, Meedy said:

The so called Quran Reciter called on destruction of Iran. 

  اغنية مشاري العفاسي تبت يدين ايران

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nr1xdROHvuc

 

Salam. I never watched that video because I don't know Arabic other than prayers and duas.

However, in the description underneath the video it will offer a button to click to give you a summary of the video. Of course the summary is in Arabic.

Underneath that is a question field, so I asked for summary in English and was provided one, although there is a caution that AI can make mistakes.

[Hameedeh]

Salam. Somewhat of a timeline: 

1. US and Israel assassinate the Leader RA and members of his family, school children in Minab, government workers and civilians by bombing homes, schools, hospitals, military bases, bridges, all structures are fair game

2. Originally Iran estimated that US and Israeli military strikes caused $270 billion dollars damage, while "independent" monitors estimated $218 billion. 

3. Iran wants to charge a fee of $1 per barrel of oil onboard ships going through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran says these are not illegal "tolls" but rather mandatory "navigational service fees" to cover security, maritime escorting, and environmental protection. 

4. The US, the United Nations  and "regional Gulf nations" say that mandatory transit fees in an international waterway violates international maritime law. They are against Iran charging money because it is illegal.

5. President Trump says he will charge a 20% fee on all cargo value to have US military guide ships through the strait. If there is money to be had, Americans want to grab it. 

[Essentials123]

1 hour ago, Hameedeh said:

President Trump says he will charge a 20% fee on all cargo value to have US military guide ships through the strait. If there is money to be had, Americans want to grab it. 

Yeah, that about sums it up. You can use the intellect and reason to understand what is good, but there is nothing intellectual, reasonable. consistent, or structured about what is bad.

[Hameedeh]

On 7/13/2026 at 10:10 PM, Hameedeh said:

President Trump says he will charge a 20% fee on all cargo value to have US military guide ships through the strait. If there is money to be had, Americans want to grab it. 

The very next day he cancelled the 20% fee. He was probably told that kind of deal made him look bad. 

[Haji 2003]

 

 

[Ashvazdanghe]

Sky news investigation into Minab school attack fimds all evidence Points to US being responsible.

 

[notme]

1 hour ago, Ashvazdanghe said:

Sky news investigation into Minab school attack fimds all evidence Points to US being responsible.

Nobody with any sense ever doubted the US was responsible.

If we, as American people, ever develop enough resolve to stand up against the tyrannical oligarchs we've allowed to take charge, may we spend the next seven generations attempting to make amends for the terror we've allowed through our inaction.  

[Haji 2003]

Domestic pressure within Arab countries

This is the reply Gemini gave me about this topic. Of course LLM slop can't be relied on, but it does give its sources. One that seemed interesting is Arab Barometer:

Quote

Notably, these shifts are not confined to countries with large Shia populations. Even in majority Sunni contexts, support for Iran’s foreign policy has increased. That finding reinforces a central point: the current shift is being driven less by sectarian identity than by judgments about policies toward the war in Gaza. With regard to Iran, public opinion across MENA increasingly reflects a balance between an underlying tension – Iran as a potential threat versus Gaza as an overriding injustice.  In effect, Israel’s policies toward Gaza have driven MENA publics closer to Iran with the basic logic of my enemy’s enemy is my friend.

https://www.arabbarometer.org/2026/04/how-gaza-is-reshaping-arab-public-opinion-on-iran-and-khamenei/

 

Gemini Analysis

Yes, there is significant internal pressure, though it stems more from deep caution and anger over the wider regional conflict than from widespread pro-Iranian sentiment. [1, 2]

While the ruling elites in Gulf capitals generally view Iran’s regional network as a threat to their security, they are walking a fine line. The need for a "political shield" is driven by two distinct forms of internal pressure: [3, 4]

1. Public Anger Over the Broader Conflict and U.S. Involvement

The ongoing military crisis has deeply inflamed public opinion across the Arab world. [2, 5]

 

• Anti-Western Sentiment: Decades of regional history mean that broad segments of the Gulf Arab public are highly uncomfortable with major Western military interventions. Seeing local bases openly used by the U.S. to launch devastating offensive strikes in the Middle East triggers deep public resentment and risks domestic unrest. [6, 7]
• The "Justice for Gaza" Shift: Independent data from organizations like the Arab Barometer highlights a striking shift in public perspective. Historically, Arab public opinion toward Iran was very low. However, because Iran and its regional proxies have framed themselves as the main defenders of the Palestinian cause, public favorability toward Iran has grown sharply across the region. Helping the U.S. strike Iran would make Gulf governments look like they are siding against a country actively resisting Israel. [5, 8]

2. Elite and Economic Panic ("Too Much to Lose")

The second, equally powerful internal pressure comes from the Gulf countries' own economic planners and business elites. [9]

 

• Vulnerable Modern Infrastructure: Over the last decade, countries like Saudi Arabia and the UAE have poured trillions of dollars into massive economic diversification plans (like Saudi Arabia’s Vision 2030) and global tourism/finance hubs like Dubai. [10, 11, 12]
• The Lesson of Past Attacks: Gulf leaders remember when suspected Iranian drones hit Saudi oil facilities in 2019, briefly halting half of the kingdom's oil production while the U.S. chose not to launch a direct military response. [9, 13, 14, 15, 16]

Gulf elites quickly realized that if they let the U.S. use their soil to attack Iran, their multi-billion-dollar airports, desalination plants, and oil terminals would be the first things Iran targets in retaliation. For the business and ruling classes, avoiding an economic-destroying war is an absolute priority. [7, 9, 17, 18]

---

The ban on offensive operations is less about protecting a hidden love for Iran, and more about protecting their own domestic stability, safeguarding their economies, and avoiding being dragged into a destructive conflict they do not control. [9, 19]

If you want to explore this dynamic further, would you like to know more about how public opinion shifts are tracked in the region, or look at how the Saudi-UAE relationship has evolved under the pressure of this war? [20]

[Ashvazdanghe]

1 hour ago, Haji 2003 said:

• Anti-Western Sentiment: Decades of regional history mean that broad segments of the Persian Gulf , Arab public are highly uncomfortable with major Western military interventions. Seeing local bases openly used by the U.S. to launch devastating offensive strikes in the Middle East triggers deep public resentment and risks domestic unrest. [6, 7]
• The "Justice for Gaza" Shift: Independent data from organizations like the Arab Barometer highlights a striking shift in public perspective. Historically, Arab public opinion toward Iran was very low. However, because Iran and its regional proxies have framed themselves as the main defenders of the Palestinian cause, public favorability toward Iran has grown sharply across the region. Helping the U.S. strike Iran would make Persian Gulf governments look like they are siding against a country actively resisting Israel. [5, 8]

Salam a little correction

[Zaid.AN]

On 3/30/2026 at 8:56 PM, AbdusSibtayn said:

 

Getting a bit too bold after his cakewalk in Syria thanks to Assad's incompetence and abdication.
He and his cannibal army are welcome to try disarming Hezbollah, in South Lebanon.

Assalamu Alaikum. No one in Syria dares to attack Hezbollah, knowing that Iranian missiles would rain down on them.