Cuttting Off the Head of the Snake

Israel has launched a stunning attack against Iran that has targeted not just their nuclear facilities but also all their top military people, their top nuclear scientists, and the missile bases from which Iran would be expected to launch a counterattack.

Ed Morrissey had a summary of Israel's attack in last night's Hot Air in the updates to which he notes that the head of Iran's IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps), the military chief of staff, and the head of the Quds Force have all been confirmed killed, as have many of their top nuclear scientists. Redstate reports that,

Iran's top nuclear scientists are also dead, representing a major blow to the nation's ability to restart enrichment at some point.

Ali Shamkhani, the head of Iran's nuclear program and a chief adviser to the Mullahs, was reportedly targeted in the opening wave. It has not been confirmed whether that strike was successful or not, but if he was killed, it would be a huge development.

We also know that this was just the beginning. Shortly before this was published, a second wave of fighters began heading for Iran, and the Israelis have already announced they are in this for the long haul.

Much of what we are going to see moving forward will be targeting Iran's ability to retaliate. Most of its air defenses have already been destroyed, and its ballistic missile sites will be a top target. In fact, some have already been hit.

Morrissey has a follow-up post this morning in which he notes that President Trump is still pleading with the Iranians to make a deal. He warned them that this would happen, but they wouldn't listen:

I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to “just do it,” but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn’t get it done.

I told them it would be much worse than anything they know, anticipated, or were told, that the United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, BY FAR, and that Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come - And they know how to use it. Certain Iranian hardliner’s spoke bravely, but they didn’t know what was about to happen.

They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse! There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end. Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire. No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. God Bless You All!

He followed it up with this:

Two months ago I gave Iran a 60 day ultimatum to “make a deal.” They should have done it! Today is day 61. I told them what to do, but they just couldn’t get there. Now they have, perhaps, a second chance!

As Morrissey says, it's not clear that there's anyone left whose in a position to make a deal or anything left to make a deal with.