“beautiful armada”

Why Iran's response to a US attack could be different this time

BBC 30 January 2026

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cn9z497g4vvo


The USS Abraham Lincoln -  Accompanying the vessel on Monday were three guided-missile destroyers — part of the “beautiful armada” the US president has ordered towards Iran. 

It is the largest build-up of US military assets in the region since B-2 bombers dropped 30,000lb bombs on three of the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities in June last year.

“This looks like the US is planning to use military force”, both offensively and defensively, said Seth Jones, a former Pentagon and US special operations official. “What is less clear [are] the objectives.”

FT 29 January 2026

https://www.ft.com/content/c1218f3a-0e56-43d3-bd8e-c5ab911394db



Is America about to attack Iran?
Donald Trump says he is willing to negotiate. He might be bluffing

What, precisely, is in Mr Trump’s cross-hairs is less clear. Diplomats set out several scenarios. 

One is symbolic strikes, perhaps against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, which has led the recent repression. That would allow Mr Trump to say he had enforced his red line without shaking the regime’s grip on power.

An alternative would be much broader strikes intended to topple the regime by killing its leaders. Arab and European governments are sceptical that this would work. 
The Economist 28 January 2026


What could happen if the US strikes Iran? Here are seven scenarios


Trumps hot: "Massiv armada" på väg mot Iran

 https://englundmacro.blogspot.com/2026/01/trumps-hot-massiv-armada-pa-vag-mot-iran.html


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