UPDATE: Trump claims the strikes "obliterated" the nuclear facilities. Analysts are skepltical that Fordow, buried 250 feet beneath the surface, wa obliterated but bomb damage assessment has not been received. Meanwhile BBC is reporting: The US contacted Iran through diplomatic channels on Saturday to say the air strikes were all it intended to do and that "regime change efforts" were "not planned", according to US officials speaking to the BBC's US partner, CBS News.
I’ve felt this way for years. I have a visceral physical reaction to prolonged exposure. I start to sweat and feel nauseated when I watch him for more than a few seconds.
Thanks, Jeff — appreciate the kind words and the link to your recent piece.
I agree that there’s been a tendency, especially in official threat assessments, to overinflate Iran’s cyber capabilities—often lumping them in with more advanced actors like China and Russia. Your SpyTalk article did a great job of interrogating that narrative and spotlighting the mismatch between Iran’s reputation and its actual record of impact.
That said, I still think it’s worth keeping Iran’s cyber program in the conversation—not necessarily because they pose a “crippling infrastructure” threat, but because of the asymmetric and psychological nature of their operations. Even low-grade cyber actions—defacements, fake hacks, disruptive influence ops—can have strategic effects in a moment like this, especially if they trigger miscalculation or public panic.
In other words, the perception of cyber power, even when it outpaces the reality, still has operational value for Iran. I’m watching closely to see if they try to use it in that way now.
Thanks again for weighing in—and for keeping the discussion sharp.
The largest ever strike at American infrastructure out of the Near East was certainly an attention drawer, with consequences enduring still to this day, quarter of a century on. Whilst the US may prefer to go hi-tech, the Near East is consummate in its low-tech skills.
What is the truth about Iranian nuclear weapons capabilities? I have seen no definitive evidence that they were building them, and certainly none that suggests imminent threat. All I know is that their enrichment program may go beyond that required for nuclear energy production.
You’ve pretty much described the situation James, Iran had zero ability for launching nuclear weapons…If all of our intelligence and inspection agencies and networks weren’t decimated by DOGE firings we might have known much better than to trust Bibi with the same claims he’s regurgitated for years about Iran!!
In our lifetimes we’ve seen America start wars over cocked-up naval “incidents” that didn’t exactly, um, happen and over weapons of mass destruction that we gave up pretending about with remarkable alacrity. Now we see one caused by a disappointing birthday party and a lousy parade. Farce all the way down.
I know there will be a cyber attack, we dont know when. Without notifying Congress or allies, he authorized a direct military strike on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities hours after. He lied. Under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, the President must notify Congress within 48 hours of initiating military action, and he didn’t.
I betcha FOTUS Trump will say tonight that's Obama and Biden's fault because he was cornered in this situation, thus he decided to drop the bombs. I'm on Hawai'i time, btw so I haven't seen him speak.
He needs to be impeached and removed for violating the constitution and abusing presidential powers when the D party will be the majority in 2027.
Yup, but this time we better be prepared. I retired early from Silicon Valley and my friends that are programmers and systems architects said it's a possibility.
Iran needs to demand the removal of TACOMAN and his BREADCRUMB GOONIES from the United States presidential department (which includes JDVance and Mike Johnson for also not doing their Jobs) as part of their peace agreement!
Since late January of this year, bombs have been falling from the resolution desk in the office of the presidency. We have not been governed as much as we have been physically and psychologically molested by a cabal of nationalists functioning as a long arm of multilateral oligarchs of a rising technocracy whose anointed spokesman, and head of an imperial presidency plunders the country, as well as the planet’s resources for personal gain and aggrandization. Few, if any, have or will remain free of a tsunami of consequences, with those whose control of vast technological resources and financial hoards have permitted them to build protected compounds, literally fortresses, that can and will spare them the chaos of failing states and governments across the globe. On the summer’s solstice, poetically the longest day of the solar year, the cabal sided with cartel nation-state of Israel and its committed mob boss, to raise the ante and target a long rogue Islamic state whose pariah status has long held it as one of the planets most offensive criminal theocracies with physical bombs that exploded on the nuclear facilities of Iran, but whose effect was to blast the hope and concerns across the planet’s seats of power, demonstrating the cabals willingness to finally tip its hand and determination on world domination. This was the cabal’s Poland and Los Angeles the Kristallnacht. When and where will the cabals Night of the Long Knives play out?
You won't have mid-term elections. Trump or new President Vance, elevated after Trumps mysterious death on the golf course, will declare Martial Law and indefinetly suspend democracy!
I’m so sick of this imposter playing as a President. It’s a new world order according to Trump. He is a downright embarrassment to the United States. I may bomb Iran or I may not. He looks and acts like an immature toddler while the Ayatollah actually looked like a rational adult in the room; not that I like the Iranian regime—I don’t. But, this action of unilaterally deciding to bomb Iran just brought together the Iranians against the US.
It’s obvious that he has been going it alone because he sidelined Tulsi Gabbard whose intelligence he chose not to believe and I think he was mad at Pete Hegseth for the piss poor parade. Marco Rubio hallowed out the national intelligence agency so there were no advisors there.
Meanwhile the Heritage Foundation and Project 2025 are proceeding full steam ahead and dismantling the government.
Yes. We really need to find a way to counter the Heritage Foundation. At this point, so much damage has been done. It’s been a long time in the making. I hope we can build back something better from the ashes. I wish we had more patriots and voices like Bernie Sanders.
The Iranian population is over 90 million, amongst this there is some opposition to the ruling theocracy and there are about 10 million Kurds who, as an oppressed minority across the Middle East might one day secure their imdependent Kurdistan, however there are millions of patriotic Iranians, notwithstanding any resentment of and ideological and ideational to the ruling theocracy, are not going to rise up against it. Bombing their country makes the Theocracy stronger and massively undermines any already fragmented opposition.
Perhaps I’m reading too much into a footnote but the fact that the price of oil increased by only 10% would indicate that the money people, who pretty much decide the outcome of most things on our planet, don’t see much in the way of escalation in the near future. Their outlook may not always be indicative of the final outcome but can usually be a good indicator.
I think you need to check the flight times of sending B-2 bombers to Iran via the Pacific and Atlantic routes. From Whiteman to Iran via the Pacific Honolulu and Guam is 30 hours and was widely reported yesterday. They were diversion decoys. From Whiteman to Iran via the Atlantic route is 15 hours. This is the route that was used for the Bombing.
The world is a safer place now that leading the terrorist country does not have a nuclear bomb. We now have to deal with the 1.8 million “got-aways” that crossed our border that were unvetted in any way by border patrol under whoever was running the country while Biden was our so called President.
UPDATE: Trump claims the strikes "obliterated" the nuclear facilities. Analysts are skepltical that Fordow, buried 250 feet beneath the surface, wa obliterated but bomb damage assessment has not been received. Meanwhile BBC is reporting: The US contacted Iran through diplomatic channels on Saturday to say the air strikes were all it intended to do and that "regime change efforts" were "not planned", according to US officials speaking to the BBC's US partner, CBS News.
Apparently Iran had relocated its nuclear material stockpiles before the bombs struck.
I won't listen to DJT at 10 p.m. He lies constantly and I can't stand the sound of his voice. I'll read the transcript later.
I feel the same way… it’s a visceral reaction of disgust and nausea..
The way he purses his lips..
Just overall revolting 🤢
I’ve felt this way for years. I have a visceral physical reaction to prolonged exposure. I start to sweat and feel nauseated when I watch him for more than a few seconds.
excuse me he exaggerates
You're too kind!
This is now our war and anyone who says that they know how it will play out is full of it.
Appreciate you making this easier to understand.
Very good round up on the unfolding story, Mike. However, Iran’s cyber war capabilities are not what they are reputed to be, as we wrote last week.https://open.substack.com/pub/spytalk/p/irans-cyber-army-missing-in-action?r=2hta&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=email
Thanks, Jeff — appreciate the kind words and the link to your recent piece.
I agree that there’s been a tendency, especially in official threat assessments, to overinflate Iran’s cyber capabilities—often lumping them in with more advanced actors like China and Russia. Your SpyTalk article did a great job of interrogating that narrative and spotlighting the mismatch between Iran’s reputation and its actual record of impact.
That said, I still think it’s worth keeping Iran’s cyber program in the conversation—not necessarily because they pose a “crippling infrastructure” threat, but because of the asymmetric and psychological nature of their operations. Even low-grade cyber actions—defacements, fake hacks, disruptive influence ops—can have strategic effects in a moment like this, especially if they trigger miscalculation or public panic.
In other words, the perception of cyber power, even when it outpaces the reality, still has operational value for Iran. I’m watching closely to see if they try to use it in that way now.
Thanks again for weighing in—and for keeping the discussion sharp.
The largest ever strike at American infrastructure out of the Near East was certainly an attention drawer, with consequences enduring still to this day, quarter of a century on. Whilst the US may prefer to go hi-tech, the Near East is consummate in its low-tech skills.
What is the truth about Iranian nuclear weapons capabilities? I have seen no definitive evidence that they were building them, and certainly none that suggests imminent threat. All I know is that their enrichment program may go beyond that required for nuclear energy production.
You’ve pretty much described the situation James, Iran had zero ability for launching nuclear weapons…If all of our intelligence and inspection agencies and networks weren’t decimated by DOGE firings we might have known much better than to trust Bibi with the same claims he’s regurgitated for years about Iran!!
In our lifetimes we’ve seen America start wars over cocked-up naval “incidents” that didn’t exactly, um, happen and over weapons of mass destruction that we gave up pretending about with remarkable alacrity. Now we see one caused by a disappointing birthday party and a lousy parade. Farce all the way down.
False Flag narratives are responsible for much upheaval Bill!!
That’s the only kind of narrative these clowns have.
I know there will be a cyber attack, we dont know when. Without notifying Congress or allies, he authorized a direct military strike on three of Iran’s nuclear facilities hours after. He lied. Under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, the President must notify Congress within 48 hours of initiating military action, and he didn’t.
I betcha FOTUS Trump will say tonight that's Obama and Biden's fault because he was cornered in this situation, thus he decided to drop the bombs. I'm on Hawai'i time, btw so I haven't seen him speak.
He needs to be impeached and removed for violating the constitution and abusing presidential powers when the D party will be the majority in 2027.
Don't count on future elections unless and until we get to the bottom of alleged high-tech election manipulation discussed here:
https://open.substack.com/pub/michaeldsellers/p/part-4-she-won-or-did-she-a-deeper?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=18auiy
Yup, but this time we better be prepared. I retired early from Silicon Valley and my friends that are programmers and systems architects said it's a possibility.
Iran needs to demand the removal of TACOMAN and his BREADCRUMB GOONIES from the United States presidential department (which includes JDVance and Mike Johnson for also not doing their Jobs) as part of their peace agreement!
IMPEACH THE WHOLE DAMN BUNCH OF THEM!!!🤬🤬🤬🤬
Since late January of this year, bombs have been falling from the resolution desk in the office of the presidency. We have not been governed as much as we have been physically and psychologically molested by a cabal of nationalists functioning as a long arm of multilateral oligarchs of a rising technocracy whose anointed spokesman, and head of an imperial presidency plunders the country, as well as the planet’s resources for personal gain and aggrandization. Few, if any, have or will remain free of a tsunami of consequences, with those whose control of vast technological resources and financial hoards have permitted them to build protected compounds, literally fortresses, that can and will spare them the chaos of failing states and governments across the globe. On the summer’s solstice, poetically the longest day of the solar year, the cabal sided with cartel nation-state of Israel and its committed mob boss, to raise the ante and target a long rogue Islamic state whose pariah status has long held it as one of the planets most offensive criminal theocracies with physical bombs that exploded on the nuclear facilities of Iran, but whose effect was to blast the hope and concerns across the planet’s seats of power, demonstrating the cabals willingness to finally tip its hand and determination on world domination. This was the cabal’s Poland and Los Angeles the Kristallnacht. When and where will the cabals Night of the Long Knives play out?
A frightening and dangerous action that is almost certain to escalate into a far larger and unnecessary war.
You won't have mid-term elections. Trump or new President Vance, elevated after Trumps mysterious death on the golf course, will declare Martial Law and indefinetly suspend democracy!
This bombing campaign certainly opened a wider door for martial law!!
I’m so sick of this imposter playing as a President. It’s a new world order according to Trump. He is a downright embarrassment to the United States. I may bomb Iran or I may not. He looks and acts like an immature toddler while the Ayatollah actually looked like a rational adult in the room; not that I like the Iranian regime—I don’t. But, this action of unilaterally deciding to bomb Iran just brought together the Iranians against the US.
It’s obvious that he has been going it alone because he sidelined Tulsi Gabbard whose intelligence he chose not to believe and I think he was mad at Pete Hegseth for the piss poor parade. Marco Rubio hallowed out the national intelligence agency so there were no advisors there.
Meanwhile the Heritage Foundation and Project 2025 are proceeding full steam ahead and dismantling the government.
It's all going to plan for the Heritage Foundation and Project 2025.
Yes. We really need to find a way to counter the Heritage Foundation. At this point, so much damage has been done. It’s been a long time in the making. I hope we can build back something better from the ashes. I wish we had more patriots and voices like Bernie Sanders.
Well we hold our breath and wait! Potentially very scary times ahead! 😳
good on you Trumpie. Now for an uprising in Iran to get rid of this nut
The Iranian population is over 90 million, amongst this there is some opposition to the ruling theocracy and there are about 10 million Kurds who, as an oppressed minority across the Middle East might one day secure their imdependent Kurdistan, however there are millions of patriotic Iranians, notwithstanding any resentment of and ideological and ideational to the ruling theocracy, are not going to rise up against it. Bombing their country makes the Theocracy stronger and massively undermines any already fragmented opposition.
Perhaps I’m reading too much into a footnote but the fact that the price of oil increased by only 10% would indicate that the money people, who pretty much decide the outcome of most things on our planet, don’t see much in the way of escalation in the near future. Their outlook may not always be indicative of the final outcome but can usually be a good indicator.
I think you need to check the flight times of sending B-2 bombers to Iran via the Pacific and Atlantic routes. From Whiteman to Iran via the Pacific Honolulu and Guam is 30 hours and was widely reported yesterday. They were diversion decoys. From Whiteman to Iran via the Atlantic route is 15 hours. This is the route that was used for the Bombing.
The world is a safer place now that leading the terrorist country does not have a nuclear bomb. We now have to deal with the 1.8 million “got-aways” that crossed our border that were unvetted in any way by border patrol under whoever was running the country while Biden was our so called President.
Isn’t there a requirement to declare war against someone *before* dropping dozens of bombs on them?