Occasional Reader 1/13/2026 8:18:52 AM

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“Why did you have real bullets?!”

Again; Leftism is a mental disorder.

(Also, again, a small piece of good personal news in the frontier.)

JCM 1/13/2026 8:32:47 AM

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Live updates: Death toll from nationwide protests in Iran spikes to at least 2,000, activists say

The death toll from nationwide protests in Iran spiked Tuesday to at least 2,000 people killed, activists said, as Iranians made phone calls abroad for the first time in days after authorities severed communications during a crackdown.

I am cautiously optimistic this may be end of the Mad Mullahs. We, the US need to tread carefully, in how we support the Persian people. A strong statement from Trump supporting the "revolution" and ouster of the Mad Mullahs would be a start. Evidence suggests that we have good penetration into Iran for intel.

JCM 1/13/2026 9:09:42 AM

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Reuters thinks the Mad Mullahs prevail.

Why Iran’s clerical establishment still holds as protests rage

DUBAI, Jan 13 (Reuters) - Despite Iran's nationwide protests and years of external pressure, there are as yet no signs of fracture in the Islamic Republic's security elite that could bring an end to one of the world's most resilient governments.

Adding to the stress on Iran's clerical rulers, U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened military action over Tehran's severe crackdown on the protests, which follow an Israeli and U.S. bombing campaign last year against Iran's nuclear program and key officials.

It's the IRG, as long as they remain loyal to the Mad Mullahs. The Mullahs can cling to power.

If a recognized opposition, I don't think Reza Phalavi is the right person, could seek assistance that would give the US a chance. We own the Iranian airspace. We could be supplying the opposition, but that comes with all kinds of risks, cf Afghanistan. Direct strikes against the IRG or the Mullahs are even riskier. 

I would love to just smoke the mullahs and the IRG... but that just would be prudent as satisfying an option it might be.

We do have the option of claiming Iran has repeatedly threatened us and declared war. Then we just decided, okay, bastards game on. You've FA around long enough... we come to the FO part.

Occasional Reader 1/13/2026 9:18:18 AM

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Reply to JCM in 3:

 there is also the idea of limited military strikes, hitting things like the Russian supplied Internet jamming equipment, that will directly and visibly benefit the opposition protesters. So that might be less likely to be interpreted as, uncle Sam just smashing things up. 

JCM 1/13/2026 10:03:26 AM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 4:

My fever dream would be Khamenei giving some kind of speech and one of those Hellfires with knives doing him live in 4K.

I've seen reports of Russia airlifting gold out, hopefully to be followed by the mullahs. Most likely.

Next up on the satisfaction list would be the crowds stringing them up.

Occasional Reader 1/13/2026 12:26:56 PM

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Reply to JCM in 5:

How do you say “Ceaucescu” in Farsi?

JCM 1/13/2026 12:37:29 PM

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Reply to Occasional Reader in 6:

Iran homes have nice courtyards, with brick walls.

JCM 1/13/2026 2:36:56 PM

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Most reports have 2000 dead in Iran.
CBS has a much larger number.

Over 12,000 feared dead after Iran protests, as video shows bodies lined up at morgue

Information trickling out of Iran on Tuesday suggests that a crackdown by authorities to end more than two weeks of widespread anti-government protests has likely been far more deadly than activists outside the country have reported. With phone lines opening back up for calls from inside the Islamic Republic, two sources, including one inside Iran, told CBS News on Tuesday that at least 12,000, and possibly as many as 20,000 people have been killed. 

Britain's Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said in Parliament on Tuesday that the U.K. government believed there "may have been 2,000 people killed, there have been more. My fear is that the number may prove to be significantly higher."

The truth has been incredibly difficult to piece together due to Iran's hardline rulers cutting off internet access and phone service in the country for the last five days. While a complete internet shutdown in Iran remained in place for a fifth day, some Iranians were able to make phone calls out of the country on Tuesday, though it was still not possible to call into Iran from outside. 

The higher the number of dead, the less likely the Mullahs survive this revolution.

JCM 1/13/2026 4:17:57 PM

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Scott Adams, ‘Dilbert’ comic creator, dies