Feels like they are operating based on the 60-day War Powers Act countdown. Although congress basically already authorized it by voting against stopping it.
Non-stealth jet combat losses have also been minimal. It's due to comprehensive military superiority in many fields, not specific wunderwaffes.
Stealth planes are not able to fly freely through enemy airspace without having the way paved for them first. We have seen how the US and Israel use saboteurs and standoff weapons before sending in manned jets.
I don't think it's an off-ramp. With air defense assets running out, they need to redirect more of their fighter-bombers to play whack-a-mole with Iran's missile launchers.
Palantir founder Peter Thiel met with Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi to discuss "the current situation and future prospects in the field of innovative technologies in Japan and the U.S."
Helping prepare the national kamikaze plan, no doubt.
PSA: If you see something that looks vaguely like this being called an exo-atmospheric interception, know that there is a good chance it's just the missile doing missile shit. If anyone can help me find a longer version of the above video, you will have my eternal gratitude.
And yes, it can look like a space launch because a long-range missile is essentially just a suborbital spacecraft.
They are trying to protect Saudi Arabia's oil exports. It's unclear on whose behalf. China buys a lot of it, but they would be truly naïve if they think the US would allow that to continue if Iran collapses.
I believe it. Without flipping Iran, the US has no hope of stopping China's rise. I really don't think anything is off-limits here for the US foreign policy blob.
HIMARS, ATACMS, Typhon, kamikaze drones, anti-ship missiles. Again, the goal will not be to protect the US vassals, or even "win", but simply to inflict a heavy blow on China's navy and coastal industry. Then China could also be forced into some cursed island-hopping campaign to finish the war.
You are assuming that US vassals won't happily self-destruct when we have seen it happen many times already (Ukraine, Germany, now the Gulf states). All that matters is that the US comes out on top of China. All other countries are pawns.
Once again reiterating my take that this is all about stopping oil flow to China. The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, bombing of Gulf oil infrastructure, potential regime change in Iran, controlling of Venezuelan oil exports, and Ukrainian strikes on Russian oil infrastructure all work toward that same goal.
If they succeed in draining China's oil reserves, they will want to strike while the iron is hot and probably kick off the proxy war in East Asia.
That's why they are hiring the personal effects processing people, I guess. Iran has been preparing for this very event since the Venezuela invasion.