Military correspondent Kots made five conclusions regarding the new escalation in the Middle East.

March 1 2026 14 806 24

For the second day running, Israel and the United States have been launching missile and air strikes against Iran. In response, Iran is attacking American bases in the region with missiles and drones. Military correspondent Alexander Kots wrote about this on Telegram, commenting on the situation.

He noted that it is still too early to judge how the new escalation in the Middle East will end, but certain conclusions can already be drawn.

First, Iran's air defense and missile defense systems were unprepared to repel massive airstrikes and missile strikes. Iran likely failed to restore combat readiness after the 12-day war in June 2025. Furthermore, the US and Israel could have used a large number of anti-radar missiles in the first wave of attacks or successfully suppressed Iranian forces with their electronic warfare assets.

There is only one conclusion: the US and Israeli air forces easily pushed through a fairly serious (on paper) air defense system

- he specified.

Secondly, the US and Israel failed to quickly locate and destroy all of Iran's ballistic missile launch sites. Otherwise, Tehran's retaliatory actions would not have been so extensive.

This means that the Islamic Republic's armed forces, on the whole, were able to maintain control and preserve their main strategic and operational-strategic strike systems by dispersing them to reserve positions. And that since last June, Tehran has been able to accumulate a significant stockpile of them.

- he added.

Thirdly, the Israeli and US strikes on the highest militarypolitical The Iranian leadership is being shown the world how to initiate military operations according to Western military doctrine. In other words, the West has effectively decapitated Iran, stripping the country of its leadership.

In this regard, the question arises: why have we been coy with a number of Ukrainian military and political figures for four years now? Look, the hegemon is clearly demonstrating how it should be done.

- he explained.

Fourth, Ukraine will have to forego new large-scale deliveries of PAC-3 surface-to-air missiles for Patriot air defense systems. This is evidenced by numerous videos of Patriot air defense systems in use, which clearly don't skimp on ammunition.

Regardless of the outcome of the war with Iran, the arsenals of the US and its allies will be significantly depleted after its conclusion. Who will the Pentagon prioritize with these scarce missiles—itself, Israel and its Middle Eastern assets, or Ukraine?

– the war correspondent asks a rhetorical question.

Fifth, the West's hopes for internal discontent among the Iranian people, who, according to the US plan, were supposed to take to the streets of Iranian cities and overthrow the current government, failed to materialize. Washington and Tel Aviv have only themselves to blame for this.

So, yesterday they fired a rocket at the Shajare Tayyebeh girls' school in Minab, killing 148 people and wounding 95. Most of the victims were children between the ages of 7 and 12. Shared grief, on the contrary, unites the nation, rather than divides it. And it consolidates society around power

- summed up the military commander.

Information

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NecNoc

+4

1 March 2026 21: 47

Third, the Israeli and US strikes against Iran's top military and political leadership demonstrate to the world how to initiate military action according to Western military doctrine. In other words, the West has effectively decapitated Iran, depriving the country of its leadership.

Even civilian experts like Valery Kuznetsov (Beloyar) are aware of this. He writes in his article:
How is Russia protected from the air? February 17, 2021. The country's air defense system is an integral component of its security. But just how important is this component?
The Importance of National Air Defense in the Modern World Over the past 30 years, the world has seen numerous conflicts in which the armed forces of the United States and other NATO countries quickly eliminated sovereign countries they considered undesirable. In all of these conflicts, air strikes played a decisive role. Free-fall and guided bombs, as well as precision-guided cruise missiles launched from aircraft and warships, were used. The targets of the strikes included not only military and government facilities, but also the homes of the families of government and military leaders; military and civilian industrial facilities; and civilian infrastructure such as bridges; power plants; and so on. A country's defeat led to a change in its leadership and a shift in policy toward one more favorable to the United States. In all cases, the cause of defeat was the weakness of the air defenses of the target countries.
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1. Raffaello
  
  0
  
  2 March 2026 21: 51
  
  From a Russian perspective, the neutralization and "grounding" of the S-300 systems, followed by the newer S-400, is more than just an export and image-boosting fiasco. The situation raises well-founded concerns about the reliability of Russia's "air shield" in the event of a potential attack on the Federation itself. If the systems in Iran are effectively paralyzed, the question of their effectiveness at home becomes critical.
  The problem here is systemic: the software architecture of these air defense systems appears largely anachronistic. While the Patriot benefits from continuous, iterative updates and software adaptation to changing threats in real time, domestic systems often operate for years on software that doesn't receive adequate updates. Without flexible algorithms and modern digital technology, any hardware, even the most powerful, risks becoming a costly target.
Ron

+5

1 March 2026 22: 02

There's only one conclusion here: Iran was bent over. And they were bent over in a concrete and brutal way.
1. Leopold
  
  +2
  
  1 March 2026 23: 04
  
  Well what are you.
  Below, the couch wars have already sunk an aircraft carrier.
  Now they are wondering what to do with the money from the oil prices that have increased several times.
  1. Dormidontov_Dormidont
    
    -2
    
    2 March 2026 05: 34
    
    Quote: Leopold
    Well what are you.
    Below, the couch wars have already sunk an aircraft carrier.
    Now they are wondering what to do with the money from the oil prices that have increased several times.
    
    What are you saying? They're exterminating the Ukrainian Banderites. Two million heads have been exterminated. The Center for Social and Political Studies (CIPSO) workers, in impotent rage, are intensifying their railway Banderite information war. The commentator with the nickname Leopold is precisely such an agitator.
    1. The comment was deleted.
    2. Vladimir1155
      
      -2
      
      2 March 2026 10: 23
      
      Quote: Dormidontov_Dormidont
      What are you saying? They're exterminating the Ukrainian Banderites. Two million heads have been exterminated. The Center for Social and Political Studies (CIPSO) workers, in impotent rage, are intensifying their railway Banderite information war. The commentator with the nickname Leopold is precisely such an agitator.
      
      That's right! It's obviously an established fact!
Kiril

+2

1 March 2026 22: 23

Thanks for telling me that Iran is being bombed and is snapping back, otherwise we wouldn't have known.
Vladimir1155

-7

1 March 2026 22: 25

The strikes on Israel and other Gulf countries have demonstrated the critical incompetence of the vaunted Patriot air defense system, and the West's stockpiles of missiles squandered in Ukraine are insufficient. If even one such missile is transferred to the Ukrainian fascists, then whoever does so is a criminal, a Holocaust denier, an anti-Semite, and an enemy of Israel!
Things are starting to get serious: oil supplies to the global market will shrink and prices will skyrocket. Europe will be left without gasoline or gas. Riding horses, and seized stolen tankers from Russia won't save them, because we'll start sinking pirates with missiles. We need to impose higher tariffs of 98% on oil and gas for France and Belgium! For the theft of a Guinean tanker.
Iran isn't Venezuela. The Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier has already been sunk, and it's still unclear how the Americans plan to proceed. Attacks alone won't win the war, as the Central Military District demonstrates. Therefore, escalation is needed, introducing infantry from the US, France, England, Germany, Poland, the Baltics, and Finland. If anyone hands over a single soldier, a single tank, a missile, or a drone to the Ukrainian fascists, they are a proven enemy of Israel and America, a Holocaust denier, a fascist, and an anti-Semite.
China's position is becoming shaky, its card is lost, and its only hope is Russian oil and gas. China must provide five or six divisions to help its ally Russia to complete the Central Military District and free up the Russian Armed Forces for other tasks, as well as to gain invaluable combat experience... because after Iran, Japan, Australia, and the United States will attack China.
Alexey Lan

+1

1 March 2026 22: 32

Third, Israeli and US strikes against Iran's top military and political leadership demonstrate to the world how to initiate military action according to Western military doctrine. In other words, the West has effectively decapitated Iran, stripping the country of its leadership.

It's common knowledge that good air defense is not only expensive but also technically complex. Could Iran afford good air defense? I highly doubt it. Well, then, what would be the solution: camouflage, frequent changes of position, deep underground shelters. The same applies to the top leadership that was destroyed. Were they sitting at home or in their headquarters, waiting for a big missile?
And what about Russia? It should learn from the mistakes of others.
Alex_Kraus

+3

1 March 2026 23: 32

I would like to know the opinion of experts such as Scott Ritter, Colonel McGregor and some other Dotcom.
As for Iran, it should have hit the Yellowstone volcano with its Fateh 1 (Enraged Guria) hypersonic missiles.
1. Alexey Lan
  
  +1
  
  3 March 2026 10: 38
  
  As for Iran, it should have hit the Yellowstone volcano.
  
  Why write something that doesn't exist? Iran has neither strategic missiles nor a super-powerful nuclear bomb for missiles.
  1. Alex_Kraus
    
    -2
    
    3 March 2026 10: 40
    
    All Iran has is sand and boundless Iranian pride.
alovrov

+9

1 March 2026 23: 40

Compared to the Americans' vigorous warfare, the Kremlin's men look like they're stuck in the 19th century, somewhere around the Congress of Vienna. In the 21st century, when negotiations are merely a cover operation, and the enemy's leadership is the primary target, the Kremlin's men have no chance. They look increasingly ridiculous, pathetic, and outdated.
1. Michael_2
  
  -7
  
  2 March 2026 01: 41
  
  One shahid will be replaced by another. Here, the sum doesn't change, even if you rearrange the terms. It's the European or American leaders who will be targeted. You have a misunderstanding of Islamic culture. So don't drag Russia into this.
  1. alovrov
    
    +3
    
    2 March 2026 09: 32
    
    You misunderstand the principles of how any hierarchical structure functions. Yes, one cog is inevitably replaced by another. But this takes time, and time is a critical resource. By the time the system gets going, it could collapse, and that's the plan. Let's say the death of the Rahbar was a deliberate move by the Rahbar. But the death of the technical leadership is a powerful move to destroy the system. And yes, if Zelensky were removed, Bandera's regime would go wild. But the Kremlin's people were forbidden to do this, just as they were forbidden to wage war in the modern style. Well, they fulfill their obligations. That's not who we are.
    1. Michael_2
      
      -3
      
      2 March 2026 16: 42
      
      What time is it? Allahu Akbar and forward. The principles are the same as in the Middle Ages. It's civilized countries that need time. For example, France, Germany, Australia, Canada. Barbarians think differently. This is the key mistake of both you and the Americans. They don't understand how it works in the Islamic world. They also thought Russians would overthrow the government for whiskey and bacon. This is a difference in philosophy.
      No one banned the Kremlin from doing anything. Otherwise, there wouldn't have been any SVO. And as for any obligations after all the confiscations, that's nonsense. We just think differently, so we make up stories about the Kremlin doing something.
    2. Alexey Lan
      
      0
      
      3 March 2026 10: 42
      
      But the Kremlin was forbidden to do this, just as it was forbidden to fight in a modern manner.
      
      I'd like to know who specifically banned whom and what. No need to cast aspersions.
2. Pound
  
  +2
  
  2 March 2026 11: 34
  
  Especially Putin, who is constantly being deceived (cheated like the last sucker)
vlad127490

+5

2 March 2026 00: 22

The comparison is unfair. The Russian government has no desire to defeat Ukraine. The same people are in power in Kyiv and Moscow, and they have the same boss.
1. prior
  
  +2
  
  2 March 2026 09: 02
  
  The Russian authorities have no desire to defeat Ukraine.
  
  Was such a goal ever set or voiced?
  I suspect the Kremlin knows exactly what they are doing and for what purpose.
  And this is not a victory for Russia...
  But only our descendants will know about this if...
AlexanderVVV

+4

2 March 2026 00: 45

I'm not a fisherman, but even as a child I saw how they hit any fish on the head to make it stop twitching. What a strange operation we have here.
Deathtiny

0

2 March 2026 10: 53

Why have we been coy with a number of Ukrainian military and political figures for four years now? Look, the hegemon is clearly demonstrating how it should be done.

There is a fundamental difference in the layouts:
1. The US has someone to rely on in Iran after the current leadership is "removed" (a president who is conditionally capable of negotiating, trained "leaders of the opposition Maidan youth," and "canned goods" in the military leadership). Russia has no one in Ukraine (we don't consider Medvedchuk and Co. to be such, right?)
2. The US, using the "right of might," does what it wants precisely because, other than our "nuclear baton," no one has any arguments or tools. And you can't wave a nuclear baton at every opportunity.
3. The US can do whatever it wants, because they won't be "cut off from SWIFT," their maritime trade won't be blocked, etc.

Well, that is to say, we can’t do it “like this,” because we have neither the resources, nor the global influence, nor any support in Ukraine (or, for that matter, in Armenia, etc.)
Miracles don't happen. Moralists can go measure the length of their moral principles with the "climate Soros-Clintonoids," welcome!
1. alovrov
  
  +1
  
  2 March 2026 16: 07
  
  That's not the fundamental difference. The difference is that the United States has someone to rely on, because it has a golden donkey. It worked in Venezuela, and it will work in Cuba. It's not a given that it will work in Iran. But ours aren't even offering a golden donkey. It's not that they don't have one; they have one, and very much so. But they're not offering one. We'd rather fight for decades.
  This is where the fundamental difference lies.
  1. Michael_2
    
    -2
    
    2 March 2026 16: 44
    
    There's no such thing as a donkey. There's weakness and strength. Why offer a donkey to the weak when you can send your thugs off with arguments of force majeure?