The Ayatollahs Have Clearly Made A Huge Mistake

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World oil prices have hit US$73 per barrel (WTI). The news says Iran's Kharg Island Oil Terminal has been hit and put out of action. That is a really serious decapitation strike because Kharg Island is Iran's major oil export terminal.
More significantly for the past 48 hours the Israeli Air Force (IAF) has complete air dominance of the skies over Teheran and Iran.  At least 70 Israeli warplanes are constantly flying the skies over Teheran and Iran 
Air dominance goes beyond air superiority and air supremacy in that it not only ensures that friendly aircraft can fly anywhere in enemy territory, but that they can also be effective at performing their mission.
I am still perplexed how the IAF is refueling their jets despite the 1,500 km distance one way from Israel to Teheran.
The IAF has completely neutralised all Iranian air defences like their radars, the Russian made S300 SAM system, the Iranian made Bavars SAM system (through electronic jamming and taking them out). None of Iran's air assets including their 50 year old F14 Tomcats, the 65 year old F4 Phantoms have taken to the skies. Some of them have been destroyed inside their hangars on the ground.

The 'flying brick' F4 Phantom (above) and swing-wing F14 Tomcat (below). Both are American made.
 
The Israelis have established complete air dominance over Iran. 
It has become known now that a substantial number of strikes against Iran were launched by drones from INSIDE Iran, particularly from around the Teheran area. This means that the Mossad has established, armed and trained sabotage cells inside Iran from some time ago. These sabotage cells have been very effective in identifying and taking out Iranian ballistic missiles.
A few Iranian ballistic missiles have hit Tel Aviv, Haifa and one Sunni Arab majority city in northern Israel. So far 10 civilians have been killed. Some residential houses have been destroyed. 
Despite three days the Iranians have not attacked Saudi Arabia, the Arab Gulf countries or the American bases in the area. They promised to attack all these places.  Israel is attacking alone and they have caused severe damage across Iran. The Ayatollahs cannot risk getting the US Navy also bombing the crap out of them. The Yanks can out-bomb the Israelis at anytime.
The Israelis say that this campaign may go one for at least 15 days. Some places like the Natanz nuclear facility have been bombed more than once. After damage assessments they may be bombed again. The Israelis want to make sure that the Iranian nuclear program is fully destroyed. 
They also want to effect a regime change. To this effect the Iranian people will suffer some difficulties because the Israelis have or certainly will attack infrastructure like power plants, water treatment plants etc. Such destruction will certainly weaken the Ayatollahs substantially. 
The top echelon of the Iranian military has been decapitated - including the Chief of the Iranian Airforce. More than 20 top Iranian generals have been killed so far. The numbers are not definite - there may be more. Also about a dozen Iranian nuclear scientists have also been killed. But a nuclear  research facility in Natanz with over 3000 nuclear scientists has also been hit. 
Other reports say an apartment complex housing academics and nuclear researchers was completely destroyed in the early hours of Friday - when the attack began.  So we really do not know the exact numbers of nuclear scientists killed.
In just three days of bombardment the Israelis have struck over 600 targets. Say there are 12 days to go. That is another 2,400 targets. 
The Hezbollah is gone.
The Hamas is fighting over hijacking food trucks.
The Houthis have been severely hit.
Bashar Assad and Syria are gone forever. 
Iran is now burning. 
The Ayatollahs have clearly made a huge mistake. 
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.By Syed Akbar Ali 

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