Ben Tonra

‘We can take them at their word’

The most stunning, mendacious stupidity ever articulated by a USG negotiator?!

Seriously.

Is there even a competition here?!

Revelation 6:8 😄

What have we got to lose? 😂

Simply a callow youth

The first lesson of war is ‘know your enemy’ – and Britain’s enemy now is Donald Trump | Simon Tisdall As the Iran disaster escalates, the US president should be seen as an enemy whose actions threaten the lawful, democratic way of life everywhere, says Guardian foreign affairs commentator Simon Tisdal...

www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Living in a Time of Lunatics and Monsters Let's be honest about the roots, costs and consequences of the Iran War

We are living in a time of absolute, utter madness...and too many people are unwilling to acknowledge it. My latest.
open.substack.com/pub/davidrot...

Tweet from Donald Tusk on Mar 7, 2026 "The war in the Middle East continues and chaos is spreading. Oil prices are going up. Washington may lift sanctions on Russian oil. Who is the real winner here?"

"The war in the Middle East continues and chaos is spreading. Oil prices are going up. Washington may lift sanctions on Russian oil. Who is the real winner here?"

- Donald Tusk, PM of Poland

More Patriot missiles used in Middle East in 3 days than in Ukraine since 2022, Zelensky says President Volodymyr Zelensky reiterated that Ukraine is ready to provide drone interceptors in exchange for missiles, though he did not specify which countries could be involved.

This is a fucking travesty.

“In just three days of fighting in the Middle East, more than 800 Patriot missiles were used — more than Ukraine has received throughout the entire Russian full-scale invasion.”

(A year’s worth of production or more, btw)

kyivindependent.com/over-800-pat...

You couldn't make this up

Putin is supporting Iran with intelligence in the war

Yet Trump is considering unsanctioning more Russian oil according to Bessent

A clueless US Administration, in way over its head

Russia and China are helping Iran carry out precise strikes on U.S. and Israeli air defense systems and radars. Without them, Iran - having no satellites of its own - would never have been able to conduct such accurate strikes.

I defer to your legal nous… but in the absence of a formal state of war?

Between this, the bombing of the girls’ school and the murders at sea in the Caribbean we have the full flowering of Hegseth/Trump ‘war fighting’ mentality

A challenge too to scholarship on the instillation of norms in US military training/education

How easily all abandoned in the space of months

The Most Chilling Detail in the U.S. Attack on an Iranian Naval Ship The Iranian warship was taking part in an international exercise with many other countries—including the United States.

This is a chilling crime. A shame on our country. The Iranian ship was unarmed. The US knew this. The sailors were murdered by our navy, and the survivors were left to die at sea.
newrepublic.com/post/207429/...

New #ARINS Podcast!🎙️

Rory Montgomery speaks with Prof. Brendan O’Leary (UPenn) and Prof. John McGarry (QUB) about their newly published article, My Symbols or Our Symbols?, co-authored with Dr. James Pow.

Spotify: bit.ly/4rWj2rZ
SoundCloud: bit.ly/4lhz4u2
Article: muse.jhu.edu/article/9700...

Lights fire and walks away… true to type

Dr Laura K. Taylor receives ERC Consolidator Award to explore how identity can influence peacebuilding

Now hiring at @ucddublin.bsky.social in #psychology

✅ Postdoc: search job ref 019423 here: my.corehr.com/pls/ucdrecru...

✅ 4-year fully funded PhD, details: www.ucd.ie/graduatestud...

Part of @helpingkidslab.bsky.social

Funded by @erc.europa.eu ERC Consolidator Award
www.ucd.ie/research/new...

Retired Irish general: Ireland's neutrality, the threat of war and the illusion of security Trump’s strike on Iran signals the end of the rules-based illusion — and Ireland is unprepared for what follows, writes General Ger Aherne.

Ireland, neutrality and a changing world: Trump’s strike on Iran signals the end of the rules-based illusion — and Ireland is unprepared for what follows, writes General Ger Aherne.

jrnl.ie/6966378

Influencers in Dubai: The entitlement, denial and moral vacuum in the so-called 'safest city', as war rages overhead.

Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC writes for The Journal:

www.thejournal.ie/readme/influ...

All a game to the ersatz ‘war’ secretary.

If 🇺🇸 could pick us off one by one you know he would. Just want 🇪🇺 to show more backbone… and teeth.

She’s not wrong - on so many fronts.

The majority of UK academic institutions now no longer post on X - LSE Impact For the first time, more UK universities and associated organisations are inactive on X than active.

💥New post | The majority of UK academic institutions now no longer post on X

✍️ @andytattersall.bsky.social

#AcademicSky #X #AcademicSocialMedia

France and Ireland confirm they will charter planes to bring citizens back from the Middle East. #Iran

IRGC Destroys Second US THAAD System in Gulf, Wipes Out UAE Radar and $1.1 Billion Qatar Early Warning Shield — Iran Declares Missile Dominance - Defence Security Asia IRGC precision strikes reportedly destroy a second US THAAD system, its UAE radar, and Qatar’s $1.1 billion early warning system, exposing fractures in America’s Gulf missile defence architecture and ...

so Iran has apparently knocked out and destroyed / disabled to some extent two U.S. THAAD batteries

This is a massive deal. Aside from the expense, this is not a weapon system we just have a ton of lying around. You don't replace these easily.

defencesecurityasia.com/en/irgc-dest...

So, in launching a huge bombing campaign on Iran they apparently didn't plan for:

- Who takes over;
- Interceptor shortages from sustained drone retaliation;
- How to defend US bases in the region;
- Threats to ships in the Strait of Hormuz; and
- How to evacuate Americans with airspace closed.

Important to remember that the people most enthusiastic about bombing Iran are almost always the people most hateful towards refugees.

An incompetent buffoon. bsky.app/profile/atru...

The fury at being told no, again.

Former Middle East adviser at the US Department of Defense, Jasmine El-Gamal, has it exactly right.

Trump: "I guess the worst case is we do this and then somebody takes over who is as bad as the previous person. That could happen."