War Iran-United States Military Crisis of 2020 - US Baghdad embassy under siege, rocket fire in US Baghdad green zone, Ukrainian Airlines flight 752 crash, and more!

January 10th:
Exclusive: Informants in Iraq, Syria helped U.S. kill Iran's Soleimani - sources (archive)(post)
Iraqi Shia cleric whose militia killed American troops says crisis is over following Iran strike and Trump speech (archive)(post)
Iraqi PM tells US to decide mechanism for troop withdrawal (archive)(post)
Mike Pence says Congress might 'compromise sources and methods' if fully briefed on the Soleimani strike (archive)(post)
Unidentified planes hit Iraqi militiamen in Syria, killing 8 (archive)(post)
Iraq: The Master Of Mayhem Meets A Missile (archive)(post)
Eliminating Qasem Soleimani was Donald Trump’s Middle East farewell letter (archive)(post)
Iran uses BULLDOZERS to clear debris from plane crash site while accusing US of ‘big lie’ that they shot it down (archive)(post)
Swiss Back Channel Helped Defuse U.S.-Iran Crisis (post)

January 11th:
UKRAINIAN AIRCRAFT WAS BROUGHT DOWN IN IRAN DUE TO 'HUMAN ERROR' (archive)(post)
Iran minister says 'human error' caused by 'US adventurism' led to deadly crash of Ukrainian jetliner (archive)(post)
Ukrainian aircraft was brought down in Iran due to 'human error' (archive)(post)
Trump, at Ohio rally, says Democrats would have leaked Soleimani attack plans (archive)(post)
The Atlantic's David Frum blames Trump for downing of plane in Iran, deaths of 176 (archive)(post)
Associated Press changes ‘shockingly bad’ headline about Soleimani, Ukrainian plane crash after backlash (archive)(post)
GOP Rep. Doug Collins apologizes for saying Democrats are 'in love with terrorists' (archive)(post)
Iran demands West 'show findings' as new video reveals aircraft was struck before fiery crash (archive)(post)
Warren town hall interrupted by angry protester accusing her of ‘siding with terrorists’ (archive)(post)
Trump administration announces new sanctions on Iran (archive)(post)
Prepare For the Worst From Iran Cyber Attacks, As DHS Issues Warning: Experts (archive)(post)
Trump tells Fox News' Laura Ingraham 'four embassies' were targeted in imminent threat from Iran (archive)(post)
Trump tweets support for Iranian protesters as they demand Khamenei quit (archive)(post)
Trump warns Iran against ‘another massacre’ as protests flare over downed jet (archive)(post)

January 12th:
Trump tweet in Farsi 'the most liked Persian tweet' in history of Twitter (archive)(post)
Iraq warned to keep US troops or risk financial blow-WSJ (archive)(post)
Iran arrests UK ambassador in what Britain calls ‘flagrant violation of international law’ (archive)(post)

January 13th:
Trump authorized Soleimani's killing 7 months ago, with conditions (archive)(post)

edit: This is a WIP. All links are posted in the order they appear in the thread, not in chronological order of their publication.


---Original OP before the merge---
Iraqi supporters of Iran-backed militia attack US Embassy
https://apnews.com/75228a8a607a44863b57021ac33264dc (http://archive.vn/ljm9Y)

By QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA12 minutes ago

BAGHDAD (AP) — Dozens of angry Iraqi Shiite militia supporters broke into the U.S. Embassy compound in Baghdad on Tuesday after smashing a main door and setting fire to a reception area, prompting tear gas and sounds of gunfire.

An Associated Press reporter at the scene saw flames rising from inside the compound and at least three U.S. soldiers on the roof of the main building inside embassy. It was not clear what caused the fire at the reception area near the parking lot of the compound. A man on a loudspeaker urged the mob not to enter the compound, saying: “The message was delivered.”

The embassy attack followed deadly U.S. airstrikes on Sunday that killed 25 fighters of the Iran-backed militia in Iraq, the Kataeb Hezbollah. The U.S. military said it was in retaliation for last week’s killing of an American contractor in a rocket attack on an Iraqi military base that it had blamed on the militia.

Dozens of protesters marched inside the compound after smashing the gate used by cars to enter the embassy. The protesters, many in militia uniform, stopped in a corridor after about 5 meters (16 feet), and were only about 200 meters away from the main building. Half a dozen U.S. soldiers were seen on the roof of the main building, their guns were pointed at the protesters.

Smoke from the tear gas rose in the area, and at least three of the protesters appeared to have difficulties breathing. It wasn’t immediately known whether the embassy staff had remained inside the main building.

The protesters hanged a poster on the wall: “America is an aggressor.”

Shouting “Down, Down USA,” the crowd tried to push inside the embassy grounds, hurling water and stones over its walls. They raised yellow militia flags and taunted the embassy’s security staff who remained behind the glass windows in the gates’ reception area. They sprayed graffiti on the wall and windows in red in support of the Kataeb Hezbollah militia: “Closed in the name of the resistance.”

Hundreds of angry protesters, some in militia uniforms, set up tents outside the embassy. As tempers rose, the mob set fire to three trailers used by security guards along the embassy wall.

No one was immediately reported hurt in the rampage and security staff had withdrawn to inside the embassy earlier, soon after protesters gathered outside.

The U.S. attack — the largest targeting an Iraqi state-sanctioned militia in recent years — and the subsequent calls by the militia for retaliation, represent a new escalation in the proxy war between the U.S. and Iran playing out in the Middle East.

Tuesday’s attempted embassy storming took place after mourners and supporters held funerals for the militia fighters killed in a Baghdad neighborhood, after which they marched on to the heavily fortified Green Zone and kept walking till they reached the sprawling U.S. Embassy there.

AP journalists then saw the crowd as they tried to scale the walls of the embassy, in what appeared to be an attempt to storm it, shouting “Down, down USA!” and “Death to America” and “Death to Israel.”

U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said Sunday’s strikes send the message that the U.S. will not tolerate actions by Iran that jeopardize American lives.

The Iranian-backed Iraqi militia had vowed Monday to retaliate for the U.S. military strikes. The attack and vows for revenge raised concerns of new attacks that could threaten American interests in the region.

The U.S. attack also outraged both the militias and the Iraqi government, which said it will reconsider its relationship with the U.S.-led coalition — the first time it has said it will do so since an agreement was struck to keep some U.S. troops in the country. It called the attack a “flagrant violation” of its sovereignty.

In a partly televised meeting Monday, Iraqi Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi told Cabinet members that he had tried to stop the U.S. operation “but there was insistence” from American officials.

The U.S. military said “precision defensive strikes” were conducted against five sites of Kataeb Hezbollah, or Hezbollah Brigades in Iraq and Syria. The group, which is a separate force from the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, operates under the umbrella of the state-sanctioned militias known collectively as the Popular Mobilization Forces. Many of them are supported by Iran.

.

 

[frankie muniz found dead]

Sucks to be Iran tonight.

They launched an attack on US/Iraqi bases, to absolutely zero effect (maybe some Iraqis injured? I hope not.)
5.0 strength earthquake in-country
Major airliner crash/possible blue-on-blue shootdown.

+50 of your guys getting squished during the funeral procession of your top nigger that got nuked

 

[WonderWino]

Iran is turning out to be quite exceptional.

Well this certainly isn't looking good for iran

I mean, I know iran has a shit military but when did they start hiring imperial stormtroopers and starfleet redshirts to operate their missile and AA batteries?

 

[Sophia_orr]

Shooting rockets that hit absolutely nothing, two earthquakes, and shooting off your own plane that nobody survivved from. Did we somehow hopped into another unviverse with Iran being a exceptional laughing stock? What the fuck is happening? I am amused but also confused by the sheer coincidence of the events so far.

You know I said someone is getting nat 1s on D20s as a joke, but I'm starting to think somehow that could make sense. then again I guess anything makes sense when nothing makes sense.

 

[Thornforg]

Did talk about the missile attack at work. One of my coworkers (who's apparently Ex-Military) mentioned there's always some missile attacks going on in Iran. Are they correct?

They're not wrong. I don't know if there has been a full week since the early 70s without one or two rockets or missiles being tossed around Iran and the Iran/Iraq border. Generally it's under the guise of a random terrorist cell. This is the first time since Iran ran away running as fast as they could the moment Reagan was inaugurated that they've done anything so bold and taken credit for it. As far as I can remember, anyways.

 

[Ghostse]

I just wish he didn't rip up the Iran peace treaty. But what's done is done. Might as well get some entertainment out of it.

Lol my nigga. Did you actually read the thing? Iran gets everything they want if they pinky promise to not get any further with bomb research for 10 years. No inspections, no reviews, just "Ok, you guys will get your economy back, no punishment for being fuck heads blowing up shit, just you promising you won't do any more weapons research for a whole 10 years".

Obama should have been tried for treason for that horrendous piece of "muh legacy".Even if you want to pretend they were going to stick to that (or that they didn't already have a weapon) they could spend the next two years building all the needed bomb parts, not actually assembled them until 2030, and be fully compliant.

 

[XYZpdq]

that Curse of trump gets stronger and strongers, first its low ratings, store closings/bancrupcties, sports injuries and now shooting down your own ally's civilian plane.

AND earthquakes!

 

[YooA]

I'm seeing a lot of the reports saying this was technical issues. Boeing has been having a lot of trouble with their planes, but Bloomberg is reporting that this is not the same model that's been plagued with technical problems

Boeing is still developing a fix for the flaws discovered in a flight-control system new to the 737 Max model. The 737-800 that is reported to have crashed near Tehran on Wednesday didn’t have that system.

Images of the crash site from MSN :

​

International rules allow for the manufacturer to participate in the investigation. Regardless of what caused the crash, this could not have happened at a more awkward time.

 

[NoSpiceLife]

Okay, I'm finding out more about the downed plane. This Boeing 737-800 was practically brand new at just four years old. Technical issues? The non-MAX 800 series are not known for such issues, let alone one that new.

It was definitely breaking up in the sky, no way that a four year old plane just randomly starts breaking up just after takeoff, without having extra help.

The technical issues that have been found definitely wouldn't cause this result. Yes the dive part, not the breaking up part.

 

[Humble Shitpost Merchant]

Shooting rockets that hit absolutely nothing, two earthquakes, and shooting off your own plane that nobody survivved from. Did we somehow hopped into another unviverse with Iran being a exceptional laughing stock? What the fuck is happening? I am amused but also confused by the sheer coincidence of the events so far.

There's a simple answer for all of it.

God is pissed off at them.

 

[Agent of Z.O.G.]

Flashbacks to early 2000s

Wait till you see who won the Soviet-Afghanistan war.

 

[WonderWino]

There's a simple answer for all of it.

God is pissed off at them.

Allah is angry today my friends, like an old man trying to return soup in a deli

- George Costanza

 

[Spicey McHaggis]

I genuinely hope there is an afterlife, just so Soleimani has to look on a impotently facepalm from beyond the grave.

As to the plane being shot down, if it was, wouldn't surprise me if it was some jumpy, overtired teenager who panicked, they're the bane of militaries across the globe, not just shit ones like Iran. That said, could just be a mechanical fuckup, none of the former Soviet countries exactly have a stellar safety or maintenance record when it comes to air travel.

 

[Shoggoth]

Fuck them.

Dishonor on their house. Dishonor on them. Dishonor on their fucking cow.

I'm tired of allowing these jumped up Bronze Age monkeys to save face. It gives them the same goddamn attitude that Saddam had after GW1.

"The loser, and STILL CHAMPION!" bullshit.

Arabs and all their misbegotten ilk only understand one thing. They don't respect potential strength. They don't respect what you *could* do, they only respect one fucking thing.

What you DO and what they know you WILL do.

For 40 fucking years we've let those insane goat rapers who slavishly follow the commandments of a goddamn child raping cross dressing weirdo get away with shit to "save face" and where's it led us?

A mountain of fucking dead. On our side. On the side of people in the middle. In many cases, of innocents.

All to let some barbaric towel wearing motherfuckers who screw underage children and throw people off of rooftops when they aren't burning them alive to save face.

Fine. Let's save face them.

We should hold them down, cut it off with a rusty piece of metal, and put it in a box to save it to show any dipshit third world monkeys what happens now. That we're fucking DONE letting these little pissants kill our people to make themselves feel better about being little more than Bronze Age exceptional individuals.

I feel you man, and tbh, I wasn't referring to all the primitive shit they've been pulling in the past 40 years, only the recent incident. The US had casus beli several times over, starting with storming the embassy, and more with IEDs in Iraq. Yet the current situation is what it is and you make the most out of it.

In the meanwhile, dust off your FIFH t-shirts

Fearless Iranians From Hell - Blow Up The Embassy

Track 3 from the 1986 self titled extended play. LYRICS: I'm gonna kill myself! I wanna lie, dead on the floor. It's none of your fucking business! What I li...

www.youtube.com

 

[Sissy Galvez]

There is actually a solid situation here for Russia to throw in with Ukraine, Russia can't support Iran on this in anyway. After 2 years of Iran causing international incidents without reprisal and getting their dicks smacked with Soleimani Iran is in a very poor position. Their "ultimatum" of if you retaliate against us after we do whatever we are going to do, we will attack uae and Israel, is the most ridiculous school yard shit I've ever seen from a country. It will gain them no support and honestly it will turn the entirety of the middle east against them.
Russia would be stupid to even attempt to aid them in anyway, Iran is the losing side, they've already lost by acting the way they have. Russia will only draw scrutiny to themselves, face more sanctions, and become even less relevant. If Russia throws in with Ukraine though... it makes them look good internationally. Shows they care about their (proxy) citizens in that country that Russia keeps telling us wants to be apart of Russia, you know, Ukraine....

Iran is already being dick slapped in Yemen by Saudi Arabia. I don’t think the Ukraine will do anything other than condemn Iran and Russia probably won’t allow anyone else to do shit.Look what happened with Russia when they blew up an airliner....nothing.

I will say this, though, I will never ever fly again over that region of the world. I did it awhile back on a trip to India and it scared the crap out of me. Won’t do it again.

 

[Jewelsmakerguy]

Would be my guess too.

Reporting from Dubai (take it for what it's worth).
View attachment 1087934

If true, Iran is well and truly fucked two ways from Tuesday. Accidental or not.

 

[pipcome]

... i mean what can you say.. really. Somehow trump just does what no other president has the balls to do doesnt matter if its moving the embassy to Jerusalem, trade war with china or this recent stunt but he always somehow comes out better than his adversaries.
There are religious groups that think trump was chosen to move prophecy/"history" forward and i can only imagine how much they have been spergin out over the last years.

 

[Sinner's Sandwich]

Oh good, now we can just apply missiles to the problem until it goes away.

Or just more stampedes

 

[theshep]

If true, Iran is well and truly fucked two ways from Tuesday. Accidental or not.

Stole this from a pilots website, they have some interesting commentary.

 

[los pepes]

I genuinely hope there is an afterlife, just so Soleimani has to look on a impotently facepalm from beyond the grave.

As to the plane being shot down, if it was, wouldn't surprise me if it was some jumpy, overtired teenager who panicked, they're the bane of militaries across the globe, not just shit ones like Iran. That said, could just be a mechanical fuckup, none of the former Soviet countries exactly have a stellar safety or maintenance record when it comes to air travel.

Can you imagine spending decades thinking you are the most important man in the middle east, untouchable, destined to lead your people to throw off the shackles of the great satan, then you get yeeted in your car while the devil is eating an ice cream cone. It's okay though, you wake up and there is allah to welcome you, "what's happening down there big guy? I bet my compatriots struck deep into the belly of the infidel to avenge me didn't they?" .... an awkward pause ensues, allah nervously looks away "yeah about that... erm... well they stampeded a bunch of themselves to death at your funeral and.... accidentally shot down a Ukrainian airliner".

"......."
"is it too late to convert religions allah?"

 

[LetThemEatCake]

That said, could just be a mechanical fuckup, none of the former Soviet countries exactly have a stellar safety or maintenance record when it comes to air travel.

Yeah, they really are not the greatest, much better than the 90s, but still, like I said I really wouldn't fly on most of them if I had any choice. I looked up UIA's safety record btw, found a log (not complete) of incidents.

A few with engine shutdowns and other odd engine issues in recent time, although not on that precise aircraft. Seemingly today was this aircraft's (Reg UR-PSR) first recorded incident.