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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsNYT: Pentagon presented plan to deploy 120,000 troops in case of Iran escalation
https://www.axios.com/iran-military-troops-john-bolton-1d4a714c-ea52-483f-b392-2ac2af01f423.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=organic&fbclid=IwAR0OSX_hqp5qJyg06Y9DB3t-pUf547XcSwqQTgsGyKfKd-JkWs2Eyhcx9JMZachary Basu48 mins ago
NYT: Pentagon presented plan to deploy 120,000 troops in case of Iran escalation
At the direction of national security adviser John Bolton, acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan last week presented top White House national security officials with a plan to send up to 120,000 troops to the Middle East in the event that Iran "attack American forces or accelerate work on nuclear weapons," the New York Times reports.
Details: The plan was reportedly presented during a meeting about the Trump administration's broader Iran policy, attended among others by Bolton, CIA director Gina Haspel, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Joseph Dunford and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats. It's unclear if President Trump has been briefed on the details of the plan, which did not call for a land invasion of Iran, but requested a similar number of troops involved the U.S.' 2003 invasion of Iraq, per the Times.
The big picture: Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo have been warning of an unspecified "escalating threat" from Iran in recent weeks, after receiving intelligence from Israel about a possible Iranian plot to attack U.S. interests in the region. Trump told reporters today that hed been hearing little stories about Iran, adding: If they do anything, they will suffer greatly.
Saudi Arabia on Monday announced that two Saudi tankers were damaged by an "act of sabotage" over the weekend in the Gulf, without identifying any suspects. Irans foreign ministry distanced itself, calling the incident worrisome and regretful."
Later on Monday, AP and other media outlets cited an anonymous U.S. official as saying an "initial assessment is that Iranian or Iranian-backed proxies" were responsible.
Saudi Arabia on Monday announced that two Saudi tankers were damaged by an "act of sabotage" over the weekend in the Gulf, without identifying any suspects. Irans foreign ministry distanced itself, calling the incident worrisome and regretful."
Later on Monday, AP and other media outlets cited an anonymous U.S. official as saying an "initial assessment is that Iranian or Iranian-backed proxies" were responsible.
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NYT: Pentagon presented plan to deploy 120,000 troops in case of Iran escalation (Original Post)
babylonsister
May 2019
OP
In 1941, when the British and Soviets invaded Iran, the country had about 12 million people;
RHMerriman
May 2019
#9
no_hypocrisy
(46,215 posts)1. And has Trump chosen the new "Shah" yet?
pangaia
(24,324 posts)2. It is a done deal, mark my words.
Gulf of Tonkin.
WMDs !
spanone
(135,891 posts)3. toxic cocktail....don trump / john bolton
NightWatcher
(39,343 posts)4. It would be nothing like Iraq. Iran would be a bloody mess for our side.
scarletwoman
(31,893 posts)5. Gawd. Just bullshit piled on bullshit.
Bolton wants to get his war on. With plenty of help from the Saudis and the Israelis.
Hoyt
(54,770 posts)6. trump wants to be a military LOSER too. Would be a mistake on many levels.
BootinUp
(47,198 posts)10. its a war we would not win. Nt
Haggis for Breakfast
(6,831 posts)7. What if trump declared a war and nobody showed up ?
BootinUp
(47,198 posts)8. Oh fuck. Nt
RHMerriman
(1,376 posts)9. In 1941, when the British and Soviets invaded Iran, the country had about 12 million people;
In 1941, when the British and Soviets invaded Iran, the country had about 12 million people, armed forces of about 130,000, and very little industry. The British and Soviet forces committed to the invasion and subsequent occupation numbered roughly 150,000, with both air supremacy and command of the sea (both the Persian Gulf/Arabia Sea in he south and the Caspian to the north.)
Today, Iran has 82 million people and standing armed forces of more than 500,000, with the equivalent in reservists of various levels of readiness, and a respectable military industrial base.
Do the math.
Invading Iran today would be military insanity.
nitpicker
(7,153 posts)11. More from Military Times
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2019/05/14/military-plans-to-counter-iran-include-possible-120000-troop-deployment-cyber-attack-nitro-zeus/
(snip)
The updated military plans do not call for an Iraq War-style land invasion but instead focus on air strikes and a potential cyber-attack, which in previous plans had been called Nitro Zeus and would have attempted to disable major Iranian cities, military facilities and the power grid. That plan dates to at least 2010 or earlier, experts have said.
The cyber attack plan was previously considered as a way to hit Iran in the first hours of a conflict, reducing the need for much of the conventional attacks such as bombings and missile strikes, according to the Times.
But, experts have noted that Irans cyber capabilities have increased, pointing to attacks on financial markets in 2012, military targets and a Las Vegas casino. Experts testified to Congress this year that Iranian hackers are advanced enough now to hit U.S. targets.
(snip)
(snip)
The updated military plans do not call for an Iraq War-style land invasion but instead focus on air strikes and a potential cyber-attack, which in previous plans had been called Nitro Zeus and would have attempted to disable major Iranian cities, military facilities and the power grid. That plan dates to at least 2010 or earlier, experts have said.
The cyber attack plan was previously considered as a way to hit Iran in the first hours of a conflict, reducing the need for much of the conventional attacks such as bombings and missile strikes, according to the Times.
But, experts have noted that Irans cyber capabilities have increased, pointing to attacks on financial markets in 2012, military targets and a Las Vegas casino. Experts testified to Congress this year that Iranian hackers are advanced enough now to hit U.S. targets.
(snip)