"Enormous Costs"?

Does he even understand what those costs could be? 

He still lives in the la-la land of the Desert Storm, where the US operated essentially unopposed in its assembly areas, but even in Vietnam, the US Army never experienced a fire impact (maybe Khe Sanh) which would compare to daily "deliveries" Iran can provide against any troops. These will not be some artillery and mortar impacts, that will be stand-off weapons, some of them with warheads measuring in hundreds of kilograms. This is a different game, and then there are recon and targeting ... but I said it before--the US doesn't have relevant experience with this. 

 

So, what COULD be the "costs" if the US decides to do "ground operation"? Depending on the scope (the US doesn't have required resources for large scale op, McCaffrey should know this) it will range anywhere between 10,000 + KIAs within limited scope op to hundreds of thousands KIAs if the US bogs down (which it will) in case of the "full scale" invasion of Iran in the first couple-three years. Vietnam War will look damn good compared to this. 

Asymmetry Tropes.

That is a euphemism for not having a clue. China's "oil maneuvering". 

Oh, No!

It is not going to be "another Vietnam", it is going to be much-much worse. 

But Donnie wouldn't know anything about it--he is a 7-times draft dodger. 

A Reminder ...

 ... from Russia's VKS. 

MiG-31 aircraft with hypersonic aeroballistic missiles "Dagger" carried out a planned flight in the airspace over the neutral waters of the Sea of Japan. 

Keep in mind that hypersonic Kinzhal has a range of 2,500 kilometers. What it means on the map. 

These are forbidden waters and no navy can go in there without being sunk. Also a reminder that it is not just MiG-31K who carry Kinzhals, Su-34s can do it too now. And I am not even talking about Russian Navy's Zircon carriers. 

US Embassy In Baghdad ...

 ... is having a difficult time. 

I am sure DJT will say it is "AI" but realities for the US in the region are becoming grimmer and grimmer with each passing day. Meanwhile Israel is getting it from Hezbollah. 

This is Nagaria and as you can see yourself Israeli AD is nowhere to be found. But then again, looking at Iranian strikes at Israel ... 

... one has to ask questions about "asymmetric warfare" BS being spread in all kinds of shell-shocked US media by all kinds of the US generals. This is NOT asymmetric, albeit all wars have asymmetric element in them, this is blow for blow by Iran within the paradigm of missile exchange which is very "symmetric" and Iran wins it by TKO. Is it Suez Moment for the US? Oh, it is much worse than that. US long ago went through Suez Moment, SMO anyone? Namely from 2023 on, but it was hidden by spinsters and sphincters in MSM and US "military expert" community. This one with Iran is sheer public humiliation for everyone to see, with the exception of brainwashed (Un)Christian Zionists who will not even understand what they are looking at. 

Losing Marbles ...

 ... at an accelerated rate. 

His statements about "AI" are a serious indicator of a complete loss of touch with the reality (not that he had it before) and of obvious mental deterioration. This is the man who makes his decisions based on fantasies. Kremlin meanwhile is quivering from fear, watching the US losing the war with Iran and with DJT's handlers from Israel having their asses handed to them by Iran on a platter. The only tool at his disposal is nuclear arsenal, I hope this will not come to this:

But then again, when your military mythology is blown out of the water, this is the last resort.

Modi Is Under Fire ...

 ... one of the MPs in India's Parliament accuses Modi of kneeling before Israel while Khamenei became a martyr. 

The timing (and essence) of Modi's visit to Israel couldn't have been worse. And that is to put it mildly. 

Now to some "dawning" of the reality on those who thought they knew. Yeah, "paper" everything is a derivative enabler for speculation and manipulation. 

The oil futures paper market is likely underestimating the massive supply disruption that a closed Strait of Hormuz is creating in physical crude and fuel supply globally. Crude futures prices briefly spiked early this week to $119 per barrel, before retreating to the $90s and trading at $100 a barrel early on Friday in Asian trade. However, the premium of physical Dubai crude has surged to $38 per barrel over its paper equivalent, according to data compiled by Reuters columnist Clyde Russell. The wide gap between paper and physical prices suggests that supply is being immediately choked off. But traders on the paper market appear to believe that the record-high emergency stocks release and the U.S. Administration’s scrambling to calm the markets with comments that the war will end soon would ease the upward pressure on oil prices.

I want to reiterate--average "trader" on any paper market is nothing but a product (at best) of some MBA program from Ivy League degree mill and knows nothing about real world and how it operates. It is a crowd ready to buy any political BS as long as it serves short term speculation and profit. I will reiterate--the US doesn't have strategic intelligence and strategic forecasting as a craft in principle. What passes for both is an academic and ideological fraud.