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The situation with Iran is spiraling downward fast and talk of war has now been spoken by Iranian Leader, Rhouhani, who is quoted as telling the United States "War is what you get when you listen to the mustache" meaning National Security Adviser John Bolton.

The US State Department has ordered the immediate evacuation of Diplomats and non-essential persons from our Embassy in Baghdad and our Consulate in Irbil, and the militaries from the US, UK, Netherlands, Germany and other nations have suspended training activities in Iraq because short range ballistic missiles have been moved by Iran into firing positions which can hit those troops.

Iran's foreign Minister also said today "Iran will defeat the American-Zionist front."   

At the Pentagon just minutes ago, the military revealed forensic analysis of the explosives placed on the hulls of oil tankers in the United Arab Emirates over this past weekend.  The Pentagon said the explosives - which detonated and left gaping holes in the ship hulls - "were placed on the ships by combat divers from the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)."

Earlier this year, the United States declared the IRGC to be a "terrorist organization."  This was the first time an element of a sovereign nation was declared to be such a thing. 

That declaration carries gigantic implications because under existing US law, enacted after the attacks of 9-11, a President is NOT required to seek Congressional Approval for military action against terrorist organizations.  Put simply, we can go to war against Iran without a Congressional declaration of war.

The US Military increased its threat protection for all US forces in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East, telling troops:

"All US service members in Iraq must exercise extreme caution in the coming days. 

Bad actors are our targeting bases for suicide bomb attacks and looking to blame other countries for it."

United States Senator Robert Menendez (D-NJ) said today that he and other Senators (both Democrats and Republicans) from the Foreign Relations Committee want an immediate briefing from the Trump Administration regarding Iran.   The demand was made after the US State Department, citing "imminent and credible threats" ordered: ALL NON EMERGENCY STAFF FROM EMBASSIES, CONSULATES AND DIPLOMATIC MISSIONS AND LOCATIONS MUST LEAVE THE COUNTRY (IRAQ) IMMEDIATELY."

The Trump Administration AGREED and accelerated a Senate briefing scheduled for next week, to be given to Senators tomorrow - Thursday.

UK FOREIGN OFFICE HAS ANNOUNCED IT HAS GONE IN TO OFFICIAL CRISIS MODE OVER IRAN ESCALATION

"We are going into crisis mode," a Whitehall source said, describing it, for now, as "pretty light touch."

Crisis mode is a formal status at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office in response to events. There is a crisis center within the department, with screens, computers and secure telephone lines to enable staff to keep in contact contacts with missions and diplomats in the region affected.

Early this morning eastern US time, the Netherlands suspended its missions in Iraq for security reasons.  Next came Germany, which ordered its troops to suspend all training activities in Iraq due to "imminent threat of attack" in Iraq.

Seasoned observers point out that "Embassies being closed and suspension of training activities , etc, usually mean that the US is about to bomb something.

And isn't it unusual that several countries are pulling people out ?"

US intelligence has proof that at least 10 mid-range missiles have been imported by Iranian Al-Quds forces into Iraq. These missile have the capacity to hit Tel Aviv.

 UPDATE 5:06 PM EDT --

IRGC Commander says "we are on the verge of a full-scale confrontation with the enemy.The Islamic Republic is at the most decisive moment of its history."  Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp commander, Maj. General Hossein Salami, says: "Because the enemy has stepped into the field of confrontation with us with all possible capacity, this is the most decisive moment of the Islamic revolution."

Analysis

So it looks like that Iraq will be where the first attacks come from.

Iran will measure the counter attack and analyze the response.

The US might just preemptively hit the targets they know of with missiles.

Based on the size of the US response or the level of the preemptive strikes is how Iran and proxies will go forward.

I am guessing the reason for everyone getting out of Iraq ASAP is due to the above. Timing is critical as one of the other looks like it is about to happen.

Would be interesting to see if the US would invoke Article 5 of the NATO charter if Iran and/or its proxies go first.

That's why I think Iran will try and wait to see if they can goad the US to hit first.

In any case, the legacy mass-media in the US and in Europe does not seem to be telling the general public about any of this.   If things go hot . . .  and it is looking like they will within a day or two . . . the general public will be blind-sided by the outbreak of what could turn into a major war.

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