Op-ed:

Iran...Vietnam Revisited...Maybe, Maybe Not

By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor 

This opinion piece is my opinion alone, and does not necessarily represent the views of blogspot.or google.com 

...Simply, once Iran's nuclear facilities were left being but deep craters in the sand; once the head of the snake that is the terrorist regime was removed from its body; the fact is that not only did freedom for the Iranian people get knocked down a peg or two on Trump's “to do list,” but we and they saw their plight actually being replaced by what turned this war into Iran vs. the U.S. for control of the oil shipping corridor know as the Strait of Hormuz.

And here might I add that this, for the most part, unwanted war has a consequence few ever wanted to see in that not only has Iran not yet lost this war, but that we have not won said war either.

A very sad commentary on the war itself in that “We the People” were originally told by our president that the war would last but four to five weeks...a “short term excursion” he said...and yet this what still is a justifiable war is now actually expanding to one degree or another throughout countries in the Middle East. A time frame promised yet a time frame far from being adhered to no matter that Israel...that Netanyahu...wanted to finish this war...as in get the job done...last summer, but Trump emphatically told Israel “no,” that he wanted to give diplomacy a chance first, no matter his originally saying that Iran must “unconditionally surrender.”...Read entire article here.

Op-ed: 

Iran...Vietnam Revisited...Maybe, Maybe Not

By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor

This opinion piece is my opinion alone, and does not necessarily represent the views of blogspot.or google.com 

Last summer when our “Operation Epic Fury” joined together with Israel's “Operation Roaring Lion” to successfully take out Iran's nuclear facilities we basked in the glory of an operation well done. And so too did the people of Iran...both the freedom fighters and protesters...who saw this as a long awaited sign that their decades long nightmare courtesy of an islamic regime run amok would soon be coming to an end, and that soon freedom coupled with free and fair elections would be returning to Iran in a relatively short period of time.

And so they patiently waited and watched as Israel “took out” most of the top tier of Iran's terrorist driven regime one-by-one until little was left of their tormentors, just the son of the now finally buried Ayatollah Khomeini...the son who still has yet to be physically seen...a man likely more dead than alive whose persona might well just be the face of the IRGC in disguise.

But sadly, what the Iranian people saw as last summer's victories being a true harbinger of freedom and peace has yet to be seen even after they had literally begged President Trump for help with Trump telling them that, “help is on the way.” But to this day, as I write this, said help, except for the bombs that go “boom,” has yet to arrive, now leading a growing number of folks to ask the question, “How did last summer's victories turn into the mess we now seem to be mired down in?”

Simply, once Iran's nuclear facilities were left being but deep craters in the sand; once the head of the snake that is the terrorist regime was removed from its body; the fact is that not only did freedom for the Iranian people get knocked down a peg or two on Trump's “to do list,” but we and they saw their plight actually being replaced by what turned this war into Iran vs. the U.S. for control of the oil shipping corridor know as the Strait of Hormuz.

And here might I add that this, for the most part, unwanted war has a consequence few ever wanted to see in that not only has Iran not yet lost this war, but that we have not won said war either.

A very sad commentary on the war itself in that “We the People” were originally told by our president that the war would last but four to five weeks...a “short term excursion” he said...and yet this what still is a justifiable war is now actually expanding to one degree or another throughout countries in the Middle East. A time frame promised yet a time frame far from being adhered to no matter that Israel...that Netanyahu...wanted to finish this war...as in get the job done...last summer, but Trump emphatically told Israel “no,” that he wanted to give diplomacy a chance first, no matter his originally saying that Iran must “unconditionally surrender.”

And here was Trump's first big mistake for in his saying “no” to Israel he either forgot, simply ignored, or was misinformed to the fact that wars must be either won or lost...there is no middle ground...and that diplomatic attempts at making deals with the enemy only prolongs a war even longer than it had to be. And such is indeed the case with Iran for not only did President Trump play the diplomacy game with avowed terrorists...a cardinal rule he so foolishly broke...but he actually gave these terrorists “extension after extension” even as they did laughingly cross his numerous “red lines” given...“red lines” they knew Trump never really had the courage to follow up on what with with “extensions” being seen by the enemy as a form of “capitulation”... “capitulation” unseen since the days of the highly unpopular Vietnam War.

And so in this still ongoing war with Iran, to put it in quite simplistic terms, we are right now in a stalemate of sorts with Iran for while we still see Trump...even after he ordered the bombings of Iran to continue in both scope and intensity after the recent Iranian caused deaths of three American service members stationed in Jordan and one in Iraq...not having ceased in his desire for a deal to be made to end this war...which again draws parallels to the last ditch attempts made to end the above stated Vietnam War back in the 1970's.

How so...because just like in Vietnam, Iran continues to militarily be able to fight back no matter what we throw at them or for how long.

Right from day one Trump misread the enemy...as in the islamic regime...just like we did with Vietnam back in the 1960's and '70's. How so...because in both wars we truly expected a very quick and easy “asymmetric” military victory. We thought we could “outgun” them, if you will, but instead the enemy's armies prevailed, and we ending up having to leave...to withdraw from Vietnam...in what was truly defeat in 1975. And now in Iran, and much to our surprise, we seem to have underestimated the sum total of their military equipment, hence Iran's ability to not just fight back, but to escalate the scope of the war itself.

And while the Iran war is not an actual protracted war of attrition per se...a war where victory is achieved solely by outlasting one's enemy as did happen in Vietnam with we being the enemy...we now as did Johnson and Nixon back then...never expected to be fighting against an enemy so dedicated to their cause...in Iran's case to an islamic ideology and mindset...that they were then just as Iran is now willing to give up everything if need be. And this includes down to the last man, woman, and child forfeiting their lives if need be...better that than to surrender or agree to make a deal just to be able to “save face” in the eyes of a now war weary world.

So here the question becomes two-fold, first can we prevent this war with Iran from turning into Vietnam revisited; and second can we see the war's end before this November's midterm elections or at least before the all-important 2028 presidential election?

To answer both parts of that question requires a five step answer, because we cannot allow Iran to claim any sort of victory by still being able to militarily cause havoc to Israel or its U.S. aligned Arab neighbors.

First: In my opinion, President Trump needs to publicly state that regime change is an absolute must along with the total dismantling of the IRGC, for without either action being taken we might find ourselves revisiting Iran sometime in the very near future.

Second: I believe the only way to prevent this war from becoming another Vietnam both logistically and time wise is by us securing a total, complete, and unquestionable military victory over Iran. We must no longer respond to Iran's still continuing military actions by just intensifying of our bombing raids, because while we are busy focusing on bombing, Iran is busy planning their next tactical move. And this matters because while Iran just might be buying time in an effort to take our focus off what are now their remaining military vulnerabilities, it could just as well be a “back channel” timed maneuver to secure more weapons through negotiations with countries that don't like us very much. And here I do not mean Russia or China, but Pakistan and North Korea.

Third: A conclusive end-game time frame must be put into place for us to be leaving Iran as the victor, because the last thing we want is another long drawn out war...read Vietnam and Afghanistan here...or to be deemed “military occupiers.”

Fourth: I strongly believe that we cannot and must not allow Iran to win the always ongoing PR war simply by their “winning by not actually surrendering.” A formal surrender is a must for to allow Iran to bypass that formality shows great weakness on our part...“capitulating” to the enemy even if it's just so that the enemy can garner some semblance of “saving face.” The optics of that on the world stage would for us be absolutely humiliating, as well as being a slap in the face to our military.

Fifth: I seriously doubt we will see the war with Iran being over before the midterm elections being less than four months away. Logistics and the war now extending into Iran's neighboring Gulf States has seen to that as it helps to bolster Iran's image of standing strong against the U.S. And as far as 2028 is concerned as long as JD Vance continues on in his defaming of Israel, as long as President Trump keeps spouting the words “ negotiation” or “deal,” we just might see not only two elections lost but Vietnam revisited. Case closed.

Copyright @ 2026 Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All Rights Reserved.

************************************************************************************************** For more political commentary please visit my RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS partner Craig Andresen's blog The National Patriot to read his latest article, The Iran War – Options vs. Alternatives Part 1.

**************************************************************************************************************************

RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...LIVE! 

Tomorrow, Tuesday, July 21st from 7 to 8:30pm EST, RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori discuss 'Iran...Vietnam Revisited...Maybe, Maybe Not'; 'The Iran War – Options vs. Alternatives Part 1'; and important news of the day. Tune in to RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS on https://rspradio1.com Click 'LISTEN LIVE.'

Op-ed: 

Signed, Sealed, and Delivered

By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / Right Side Patriots / Right Side Patriots Radio

The Op-ed posted here is this authors opinion alone,and does not necessarily represent the views of blogspot.com or Google.

 

...And yet Joe Biden, who is quite so unhappy that Israel even retaliated at all, continues down Obama's path of still catering to Iran courtesy of ongoing faux diplomacy that, in reality, has allowed Iran to soon become a nuclear nation...that is if they aren't one already...albeit one with maybe just one or two nuclear weapons in their arsenal at best. But even one or two nukes can cause great harm to Israel and set off a Middle East War that neither Israel nor the civilized world want.

And anyway, why should Israel have had to hold back on retaliation, after all Iran needs to be put in its place. Israel must always show strength if she is truly to survive as a nation especially when the sum of the world is not on Israel's side thanks to Biden's not fully and openly covering Israel's back. And when this is coupled with the ongoing, gaining in strength anti-Israel/pro Palestinian protests and rallies that are still currently taking place here at home, along with growing anti-Semitism and hateful anti-American rhetoric also now engulfing our nation, you just know that to some degree Israel is forced, at times, to stand alone....Read entire article and see videos here.

Op-ed: 

Signed, Sealed, and Delivered

By: Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / Right Side Patriots / Right Side Patriots Radio

The Op-ed posted here is this authors opinion alone,and does not necessarily represent the views of blogspot.com or Google.

By now we all know about Iran's April 13th direct and unprecedented attack on the Jewish State of Israel, and how after said attack ended Joe Biden, in a phone conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, strongly “urged” Israel to “stand down”...as in not retaliate...to Iran's having sent 300 drones and missiles into Israel. Done so...or so Iran claims...in response to an Israeli air strike on Iran’s consulate in Damascus, Syria that killed a top Iranian Quds commander, Israel has yet to lay claim to that attack. And we also know that Israel's 'Iron Dome' coupled with U.S., U.K., France, and Saudi Arabia's help...Jordan did not help as first reported* ...saw 99% of said “incoming” thankfully being “neutralized,” as in destroyed, before reaching Israeli soil, relegating Iran's attack as being but a total failure

But to add insult to injury, in said conversation Biden made it clear to Netanyahu that the U.S. would not take part in any Israeli offensive against Iran, but that we would continue to militarily aid Israel if Iran attacked Israel again. 

Speaking out of both sides of his mouth Joe Biden, who before the attack took place told Netanyahu that, “the United State's support for Israel was ironclad,” not only flipped sides after Iran’s chief of staff issued a stern warning to the U.S. not to get involved in any form of Israeli retaliation, but he actually doesn't know nor understand the true meaning of the word “ironclad' ...as in a bond “so firm or secure as to be unbreakable.” A man of his word Joe Biden is most surely not.

And in his hoping that by continuing to “urge” Israel not to retaliate...as in to “stand down”... which surely makes the mullahs happy...it also helps in keeping the Israel v. Iran retaliatory discourse ongoing which hopefully for Biden would, in turn, divert attention away from his ever so in trouble reelection campaign.

 

But even Joe Biden had to know that for Israel retaliation is a must for she, more than most nations, especially after Hamas' October 7th savage and barbaric attack, must always show strength never weakness when dealing with an enemy they know is only deterred by the use of undeniable deadly force. Israel knows well that no deals made with Iran will last nor will any such deals deter them in their quest to wipe Israel off the map. A simple fact simply stated, especially now that Iran's President Ebrahim Raisi said of Saturday’s attack that it was a “limited one,” and that if Iran was provoked it would carry out a “bigger attack,” and that “nothing would remain from the Zionist regime.”

Big talk from a little man who foolishly laid down a "red line" that he dared Israel to cross. But cross said line Israel rightfully did, and now both Raisi and the mullahs have to be running scared for they know that Iran is no match when pitted up against the great might of Israeli forces, equipment, and what I do so like to call Israel's arsenal of “365+ little friends.”

And so it seems that Raisi and the mullahs did make light of  Netanyahu's response that, “Israel will do whatever it needs to defend itself.” And so this past Thursday night at around 10pm EST, Israel did launch an unmanned missile attack on Iran's “8th Tactical Airbase,” a military base within Isfahan International Airport...Isfahan a city that's also home to the “Isfahan Nuclear Technology Center” and the “Natanz” nuclear facility where most of Iran's uranium enrichment takes place. Good choice on Netanyahu's part for Israel's retaliatory attack...an attack designed not to cause damage...“collateral” or otherwise...but an attack to show Iran's leaders that Israel indeed has the capability of hitting specific and important targets inside Iran, and do so at the time of Israel's own choosing.

 

Simply, Israel sent a stern warning to Iran that if they dared to cross Israel's “red lines” ever again, that Iran will assuredly be the recipient of a “retaliatory strike” that's guaranteed to be way more than just a proverbial so-called “bitch slap.”

And yet Joe Biden, who is quite so unhappy that Israel even retaliated at all, continues down Obama's path of still catering to Iran courtesy of ongoing faux diplomacy that, in reality, has allowed Iran to soon become a nuclear nation...that is if they aren't one already...albeit one with maybe just one or two nuclear weapons in their arsenal at best. But even one or two nukes can cause great harm to Israel and set off a Middle East War that neither Israel nor the civilized world want.

And anyway, why should Israel have had to hold back on retaliation, after all Iran needs to be put in its place. Israel must always show strength if she is truly to survive as a nation especially when the sum of the world is not on Israel's side thanks to Biden's not fully and openly covering Israel's back. And when this is coupled with the ongoing, gaining in strength anti-Israel/pro Palestinian protests and rallies that are still currently taking place here at home, along with growing anti-Semitism and hateful anti-American rhetoric also now engulfing our nation, you just know that to some degree Israel is forced, at times, to stand alone.

People seem to forget that Israel is America's staunchest ally...a bastion of democracy surrounded by the islamic world...and yet the Jewish State, for way too many, is now being seen as the pariah and not the victim in a war not of their doing.

Israel needed to retaliate both in a timely manner and in a manner of their own choosing. “Our decisions we will make ourselves,” were Neyanyahu's exact words, And the decision was made that this particular retaliation was to be but a “carefully calibrated” response, so as to not ignite a regional conflict. And while it did catch Iran off guard a bit for they expected said retaliation to come immediately after their attack on Israel rather than almost a week later, what Iran probably thought was that the sooner the attack came, the sooner they would be able to not only up their war machine, rhetoric, and threats, but that they could focus attention on rearming what's left of Hamas.

So, how exactly should Israel have retaliated beyond what took place on Thursday night while still trying to keep civilian “collateral damage” to a minimum? I hope Israel's “message” sent will be heard by those in power and that no further retaliation, on either side, is needed. But I still believe two key objectives are what needs to be done to end this what once was a “shadow war,” but is now a war in the open. First, it is my belief that Israel does need to destroy Iran's oil fields and its accompanying infrastructure for in doing so Iran's money pit dries up, and so too does the monies they send to arm and fund terrorist groups. 

And second, Iran must never be allowed to become a nuclear power...not just for Israel's sake but for the world's sake as well. And this means that Iran's current nuclear facilities must...I repeat must...be “neutralized”...rendered nonoperational. How that's done, whether it be via a dedicated cyber attack and/or by a Mossad orchestrated covert “shut-down” operation taking place from within a given facility itself, doesn't matter as long as what needs to get done is done. And here know that an actual bombing of said facilities is really not needed to disable them, and in turn would keep “collateral damage” to a minimum as no “leaks” of nuclear materials would occur as might happen if the facilities were to be bombed. 

 

And if Iran in their arrogance did decide to counter retaliate to Israel's Thursday's what was a retaliation, Israel would not only win the back and forth physical battle itself, but thanks to Iran's foolishness, tactics, and policies of repression, we  just might see the spark of desperation helping to ignite the anti-islamic factions within Iran to start working together for their common goal of removing the mullahs from power.

In fact, soon after Hamas savagely attacked Israeli on October 7th... now known as “Black Saturday”...brave Iranians started to outwardly express support for both Israel and Benjamin Netanyahu, while condemning the barbaric Hamas attack on Israeli civilians. Remember, most Iranians (except for the islamic lunatic fringe) have been unhappy with the mullah's dictated islamic theocracy coupled with its many repressive mandates, repression to such a degree that it has directly led to a growing in number, yet vastly unreported, movement whose goal remains to remove the mullahs from power.

Led primarily by supporters of exiled Reza Pahlavi, the late Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi's son...these supporters have now started to publicly criticize, among other things, Iran's foreign policy and particularly Tehran’s anti-Israel and antisemitic policies...policies the dissenters rightfully deem harmful to Iran's national interests. In fact, unlike the countries of the Arab world, Iran has no history of widespread antagonism or hate towards Israel or the Jewish people, that only came after the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Before then Tel Aviv and Tehran...Israel and Iran...had close relations, and not only did Iran have a thriving Jewish community, but the nation as a whole was prosperous and westernized as well.

And with those memories having resurfaced to become part of the dissenters very being, it then becomes easier to understand that when coupled with Israel's retaliatory response against those who are the Iranian people's oppressors, the people's longing for what was could now well lead to the mullah's actual downfall, especially if a few “targeted kills” were to take place.

Remember, war indeed is a dirty game no matter whose side one is on, and it always comes replete with “collateral damage.” And in times of war even the “good guys” sometimes have to play dirty for the betterment of the many. And in the case of the Iranian people I don't think many a tear would be shed if a mullah or two suddenly disappeared. I surely know that no tears would be shed in Israel for without the mullah's iron grip hold on Iran, Iran and its people would be free and Israel would not have to live in fear any more. Case closed. __________________________________________________________

* A must read article by 'Jordanian Opposition Coalition' Secretary General Mudar Zahran as to why Jordan did not aid in shooting down Iranian drones.

Copyright © 2024 / Diane Sori / The Patriot Factor / All rights reserved.

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For more political commentary please visit my RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS partner Craig Andresen's blog The National Patriot to read his latest article, When Biden Talks, Nobody Listens.

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RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...LIVE!                                             

Tomorrow, Tuesday, April 23rd from 7-8:30pm EST, RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS Craig Andresen and Diane Sori discuss 'Signed, Sealed, and Delivered'; 'When Biden Talks, Nobody Listens'; and important news of the day. Hope you can tune in to RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS on https://rspradio1.com Click 'LISTEN LIVE' starting at 6:50 pm EST with show beginning at 7pm EST. 

 

RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS...Podcast

 

If you missed last nights RIGHT SIDE PATRIOTS broadcast where Craig Andresen and Diane Sori discussed the 'The Importance Of 'Down Ticket' Voting'; 'The 9-0 Meltdown'; Special Council Robert Hur's testimony before the House Judiciary Committee; and BiBi rejects Biden's 'red lines' regarding Rafah ...you can listen to it (and past shows) at your convenience at: https://rspradio1.com ... go directly to Podcasts.