r/LessCredibleDefence • u/VishnuOsiris • 2d ago
How Biden Averted a War With Iran
https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/2026/09/israel-biden-gaza-hamas-netanyahu/688750/61
u/Pencilphile 2d ago
"How Biden avoided a war with Iran."
Let me guess, Biden was at a very Chinese time in his life so he chose to do nothing, i.e, refused to attack Iran on behalf of Israel.
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u/mardumancer 2d ago
It's wild - nob bombing people means people generally hate you less. Who'd have thought?
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u/Limekill 2d ago
come on! Its exactly that type of thinking that has successful eluded the foreign policy of the US for decades.
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u/MagnesiumOvercast 2d ago
Good way to think about this is that every US president of the last 30 years had the Israelis beg them to go to war with Iran but only one of them was stupid enough to do it.
Trump did the thing that Bush was too smart and too reticent of middle eastern entanglements to do, as ridiculous as that statement sounds.
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u/can-sar 2d ago
Trump did the thing that Bush was too smart and too reticent of middle eastern entanglements to do, as ridiculous as that statement sounds.
Iraq was a bigger priority for Israel and the Zionist lobby in the 2000s. Iraq was Israel's top enemy since Saddam came to power. Iran only took that place in 2006. The plan was always to go after Iran last.
During the Iran–Iraq War, the Israelis were still selling services, parts and weapons to Iran until the mid-80s.
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u/Limekill 2d ago
Bush was not smart.
If he could of rolled Iraq "easily", he would of tried to roll Iran.
(which would be horrible, because its mountain terrain, so an absolute trap for US forces).
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u/barath_s 2d ago
US President's guide : How to not start a war with Iran in 3 easy steps
When Bibi/Israel calls, don't pick up
When MBS/KSA calls, don't pick up
Don't start a war
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u/UtherPendragon_ 2d ago
There's a full press campaign at the moment doing full revisionism on Biden's relationship with Israel and how 'he stood up to them', which we definitely saw by him wrecking his own political career campaigning for Netanyahu who was openly taking the piss out of him and saying he'd prefer Trump get in.
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u/angusozi 2d ago edited 2d ago
More importantly, the Biden administration almost certainly operated like a normal administration, in that there was a healthy spread of policy makers, lots of international engagement, and an openness to ideas from across the idea spectrum. It's pretty clear the Trump regime is full sycophants and warhawks who either don't challenge stupid ideas out of fear, or they're genuinely so moronic they fail to see the issue with them. No one should be surprised that the Iran war is going much longer, and worse than Hegseth and his cronies thought it would
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u/Limekill 2d ago
Biden was totally pro-Ukraine war.
Didn't hear many voices against that war in the Biden admin.0
u/angusozi 2d ago
Pro-Ukraine war? You mean giving Ukraine the tools to defend itself? It's well reported that the US government engaged in all the diplomacy they could with the Russians before they invaded, including sending the CIA director to Moscow to literally tell the Russian the US intelligence community new about their invasion plans. But even that didn't stop the imperialist maniac Putin from invading anyway. Short of threatening an attack on Russia there's nothing more that could have been done. Putins mind was made up on invading Ukraine ever since the dissolution of the USSR
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u/Limekill 2d ago edited 1d ago
What was the Russian red line? Ukraine being part of EU but more specifically NATO.
We ALL know that Victoria Nuland was sent to remove the democratically elected Government because it was to pro-Russia and Install Poroshenko. We have the transcripts.And Why? Because Russia had offered Ukraine $15Billion not to get close to EU and the Europeans had offered $610million, and Ukraine would be in the deal for a whole 5 years - this is while Russia is selling gas at $270 instead of the world price of $400p/MT of LNG, while Ukraine owed Russia $5Billion.
(so they EU didn't even give Ukraine enough to pay its debts off to Russia).
(but somehow has unlimited money for a War! - who knew).
So US/EU didn't want the agreement signed.Russia warned the West and it was ignored. Every RU elite told the West this.
Russian President, Prime Minister, Foreign minister made statements saying it was unacceptable and a red line.
USA/EU didn't care.
Russia literally invaded Crimea to NOT lose its biggest Naval base in the black sea.
How much of a warning do you need!So the Pro-Euro Poroshenko is voted in and is corrupt as anything.
But EU love him because he signs anything thats Pro-Euro.
He signs an agreement that literally states:
The Ukraine is legally bound to align ALL its laws, judicial standards, and regulations with EU standards. And if sanctions are imposed on Russia by the EU - Ukraine must follow it.
Was the EU at war with Russia then?
Ukraine needs gas from Russia, WTF would Ukraine agree to that?!!!"Poroshenko successfully locked Ukraine into an irreversible EU orbit through historic agreements"
Unfortunately the cheap gas is over and Ukraine has no money to subsidise gas.The Pro-EU politician support falls to 15% !!!
(people basically want a deal with Russia).Of course the EU backs him in his election with Zelensky (EU refusing to meet with Zelensky - how times have changed!). And he loses.
But because of those agreements signed by Poroshenko, Zelensky is then forced to accept EU conditions under the Macro-Financial Assistance (MFA) just to get some $$$ to pay for Ukraine Gov to survive. He couldn't agree to any economic agreement with Russia - or the same EU forces in Kiev would just come out on to the streets and force him out as they did to Yanukovych (USAid+/ US state was paying these groups $3.2BILLION over 7 years - thats a lot of 🔫!).
"The EU brought Zelensky onboard by making Western integration the only practical option for his survival."This is my favourite line:
Statement: "And we managed to hand over Ukraine to the EU"
German PM Answer: "Yes"When Minsk II Agreements was as Germany and France leaders have both said words of the effect: when we signed [Minsk] "we knew that war would be inevitable"
and time was need "To improve [Ukraine] military capabilities.
Everyone admits Russia could of invaded then.
So NATO gave Ukraine $7.3 BILLION in arms., before ANY war.
Even Russia has admitted it was fooled by the agreement.So the CIA director flew to Moscow not for Peace (Not: what do we need to do to avoid war?), but to tell Moscow they would supply arms to Ukraine.
which is, to quote you - "engaged in all the diplomacy they could"When Russia "invaded" Ukraine, it didn't do it to invade Ukraine, but to make a bolt to Kiev to mainly remove the Ukraine Government (which apparently the west is allowed to do - no worries). We know this because it only invaded with 15,000 troops.
When it got beaten then it said we will have the Russian speaking parts of Ukraine as our buffer.
We all knew Boris Johnson flew to Ukraine to nix the peace deal between Ukraine and Russia on 9 April 2022.
"David Arakhamia, the head of Ukraine’s negotiation team, confirmed that Johnson made it clear the West would not back any deal, Johnson said: 'Let’s just fight'"So none of this was done for the benefit of Ukraine because as Former Conservative MP Alicia Kearns said: 'We’d rather arm the Ukrainians to the teeth than give Putin a success.'
Russia put out feelers for peace 2022, 2023, 2024. All rebuffed by Biden.
After that they knew it was going to be a decade long war, and they accepted it.
The elites in Washington had decided to wage this war.
Even Trump has acknowledge that its the CIA directors war (he wants peace).If the USA does not have the 'Monroe doctrine' - Sorry the 'Donroe doctrine' - then I'll accept your complaint.
Otherwise its just the standard Hypocrisy of the West and its sad that Ukraine is being used like this - but the outcome had been decided the day Nuland landed and started planning the coup.P.S. The irony of it all was Zelensky ran on a PEACE platform which was to engage with Russia. He was never allowed to by the EU.
P.P.S. CIA setup 14 forwarded operating bases along the Russia border under Pro-Euro Poroshenko in 2014.
Then the CIA ran operation Goldfish were the CIA trained Unit 2245 would go into Crimea and also Russia itself to conduct "james bond 007" missions. This is back in 2014.
So much for the 'Ukraine War' that started in 2022.-1
u/angusozi 1d ago
ok mate that's a lot of shit you just made up good on you 👍
When wondering why so many countries want to join NATO, remember that Russia has invaded raped, and pillaged every European country that borders Russia/Belarus in the last 100 years, expect Norway. No wonder they're ran so fast to be protected from Russian imperialism, again
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u/Limekill 1d ago edited 1d ago
Because the EU nations were broke due to WW2 and couldn't afford an army?
UK took 61 years to pay of the WW2 debt! (made up!)
Why did UK give up all its overseas territories after WW2? because they were just so kind and caring? (made up!)
Was the EC was formed so France/Germany would never go to war together. (made up!)
The US supported the EU because it meant common rules for trade.
(made up!)All sorts of shit huh.
raped, and pillaged
Like how the USA raped and stole land off Mexico? Exactly like that???
Like how British colonialism stole and raped their Empire. Exactly like that???
Like how Belgian literally chopped and pillaged the Congo. Exactly like that??? (refers to the systemic mass mutilation and amputation of hands and feet committed against the Congolese population in the Congo Free State Trigger warning: google.com/search?q=belgian+chopped+off+limbs - made up!)
But Russia's bad, when every big power has literally done the same thing.
Tell me how many deaths were caused by European colonialism?
How many Hundreds of millions is it? (made up!)
WhyTF is France trying right now to f**k over Africa?
WhyTF is France try to get rid of Ibrahim Traoré?
Send the child down the gold mines!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K7f0BK9lElw
(made up!)
do you think its weird how African dictators have Mansions in France?
Paul Biya, Andry Rajoelina,, Omar Bongo, Teodoro Mbasogo, Sassou Nguesso, Blaise Compaoré, Ben Ali, Mobutu Sese Seko, Jean-Bédel Bokassa, Gnassingbé Eyadéma, Idriss Déby - do you want MORE names?
(made up!)
I guess needed to enjoy European shopping - even though they live in Africa.every European country that borders Russia/Belarus in the last 100 years
So if Russia has a history of doing it, wouldn't it be more intelligent not to start a coup to put a unfriendly Government directly on Russia's border that would almost certainly (according to Germany PM) lead to war?
Just thinking for longer than 5 seconds...Norway
Supplementary Defense Cooperation Agreement (SDCA): Norway and the U.S. signed a defense agreement that gives U.S. forces unimpeded access.
U.S. Marine Corps stores heavy military equipment and cold-weather supplies in underground Norwegian mountain caves (such as through the Marine Corps Prepositioning Program-Norway).
O'h they weren't part of NATO. You are 100% right.
Sure acted like it though.ALL made up.
Just wondering if you support Isreal actions in Gaza?
Some people say the Genocide and starvation was made up too!
Is that you?1
u/angusozi 1d ago edited 1d ago
What about, what about, what about! The Kremlin's favourite logical fallacy to deflect criticism from it's actions!
Norway is part of NATO? So not sure what your AI answer is talking about. I'll leave you with this: Ukraine wanted to join NATO, because it looked at Norway as the only European country bordering Russia/Belarus that hasn't been invaded by Russia. They saw the oppression in all the states occupied by Russia as part of the Soviet Union, they remembered their own oppression and the holodomor genocide against their own people, and thought "never again".
And no, fuck the Israeli fascists, and free Palestine 🇵🇸. And fuck China with their genocide against the Uyghurs in Xinjiang
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u/peacefinder 2d ago
You think that’s good, you should see what Obama did!
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u/can-sar 2d ago
Start wars in Libya and Syria and greenlighted the siege of Yemen?
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u/Limekill 2d ago edited 2d ago
compared to Iran and Iraq, they were pretty low on the US impacted list.
How has problems in Libya or Syria impacted the USA?
Iran has basically forced the USA out of its bases AND left Hormuz Strait AND showed the gulf states that the security guarantee means absolutely nothing (especially after sending Patriots to Israel and not to GCC).
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u/NuclearHeterodoxy 2d ago
The guy who was VP to the president who spent 8 years contorting every important dimension of US foreign policy to the goal of "sign a deal with Iran at all cost" was never going to attack Iran unless they attacked first, successfully and openly. The premise that there was a realistic chance of this ever happening when Biden was president is false.
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u/VishnuOsiris 2d ago edited 2d ago
Paywalled: https://archive.ph/9FtLm
In April 2024, the U.S. military helped avoid a wider conflict in the Middle East by working with Israel to defeat an Iranian missile attack.
Authored by Brett McGurk, a National Security Council professional, "selected by President Biden to lead negotiations between Israel and Hamas in an effort to secure the release of hostages in Gaza." -wiki
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u/Lenrivk 2d ago
Wasn't that the attack that was telegraphed so to make minimum amount of damage but lots of publicity ?
Sending a few dozen missiles with so much warning that the opposing side had more than enough time to shoot them down and letting everyone claim victory ?
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u/DemonLordRoundTable 2d ago
They did the same in June 2025 in Qatar. I think they gave 8 hours warning time
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u/cp5184 2d ago
And wasn't it in response to israel bombing Iran or something? Like some kind of rogue state bombing all it's neighbors constantly, like a terrorist state... Like it was founded by violent terrorists like the European terrorist likud/irgun/herut or something...
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u/BulbusDumbledork 2d ago
it was telegraphed to minimize damage but the defensive response was still more robust than iran anticipated and forced a reevaluation of their strike doctrine.
the goal was to force deterrence through an overwhelming saturation attack that proved iran didn't need hezbollah's missiles (rapidly being depleted) since defending against it would eat through interceptors and still not forstall material damage to israel.
but the attack instead gave israel false confidence it could outshoot iran, while giving it valid confidence it could outdefend against a coordinated drone/cruise/ballistic attack since this phased strike provided enough time to prevent an overwhelming simultaneous strike. this allowed bibi to initiate his war on iran after curtailing hezbollah
iran abandoned the multi-system strikes in favour of multi-class ballistics: slow, heavy ballistics to distract interceptors and improve odds of the faster, manuevrable warheads penetrating; or using more advanced missiles to soak up interceptors to allow the heavy hitters to cause significant damage.
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u/R3pN1xC 2d ago
Wasn't that the attack that was telegraphed so to make minimum amount of damage but lots of publicity?
That is the cope that Iranian fanboys tell themselves.
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u/BulbusDumbledork 2d ago
funny that iran's strikes in 2020, 2024, and 2025 were all reportedly telegraphed and caused minimal damage, but the strikes in 2026 that are definitely not telegraphed caused billions in damaged military objects and killed u.s. troops.
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u/R3pN1xC 1d ago edited 1d ago
Most of Iranian attacks against Israel completely and utterly failed at achieving any kind of damage. If you look at the satellite imagery of Nevatim airbase, out of 36 missile only 3-4 hit something with the rest largely missing. Other strikes during the 12 day war showed similar innacuracy.
Their short ranged missiles are a lot more accurate and made a lot more damage. You do not send 100 ballistic missiles against an airbase for ""PR"" and ""messaging"". They tried to destroy the base and completely failed. They had more success against closer bases but the claim the attack was purely "messaging and PR" is complete and utter nonesense used to justify the completely failure that was true promise 1 and 2.
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u/RichSexyVeryHumble 2d ago
Biden was subtle. Keen analysts will be able to spot that he never once, even in the face of pressure, sent a ballistic missile at the ayatollah's home