173: War reignites, airstrikes across the country?

Mid-March.

As military aid from the two superpowers successively arrived and was positioned in Iran, the shadow of war began to envelop the Middle East!

International oil prices had even soared to $60 a barrel!

Compared to the two world superpowers' open support and continuous military aid to Iran, Dragon Country at this moment seemed to have disappeared from the international stage!

Apart from Marshal Xu Yong'an, the Minister of National Defense, publicly inspecting the Dongfeng-6 intercontinental missile train on March 1st, Dragon Country's military had not made any public statements in the international community!

This led to widespread international speculation that Dragon Country, facing the strong backing of the two world superpowers for Iran, had already conceded!

It was even believed to have tacitly given up on Iraq and all its investments within that country!

Dragon Country had regretted and should not have extended its hand into the Middle East!

Many media outlets in the international community were inviting international military observers to analyze Iraq's military disadvantages and its fatal shortcomings under the encirclement of the two world superpowers!

Anderson Klaus, a special commentator for "Jane's Defence Weekly," conducted an in-depth and professional technical analysis of the situation between Iran and Iraq:

[I. Dual Disadvantage in Army Size and Quality]

"Firstly, there is a huge disparity in the scale of mechanized units between the two sides. The Iraqi Army only has 5 light combined arms brigades, 1 heavy combined arms brigade, and 1 army aviation brigade, with a total strength of less than 30,000 modern soldiers."

"In contrast, after receiving 5 armored divisions from the Soviet Union (approximately 800 T-72 tanks, 1200 BMP infantry fighting vehicles), Iran's armored assault capability has reached more than 5 times that of Iraq."

"He believes that although Iraq's only heavy combined arms brigade is equipped with Dragon Country's 79A heavy tanks, which are technologically advanced, the numerical disadvantage still makes it difficult to withstand the saturated impact of the Mammoth Bear-style 'steel torrent' tactics."

"Secondly, Iran has obtained Mammoth Bear 'Tornado' 300mm rocket launchers and a cluster of Sagger anti-tank missiles, which can implement a 'sea of fire' over Iraq's defenses."

"More fatally, Iran's officer corps has completed combined arms brigade infiltration tactics training at Mammoth Bear military bases and the Pskov Academy, while Dragon Country, facing pressure from the two superpowers, cannot directly provide any military guidance."

[II. Air Power: Dual Crushing by Generation Gap and System]

"Firstly, the main force of the Iraqi Air Force consists of 30 MiG-25s (interceptor type), 78 MiG-23s (second-and-a-half generation), and 110 MiG-21s (second-generation aircraft), possessing only limited air control capabilities."

"The Iranian Air Force has 79 F-14 'Tomcats,' capable of beyond-visual-range hunting of Iraqi aircraft."

"In addition, Iran's 209 F-4 'Phantoms' and 165 F-5 'Tigers' form a high-low mix, with advantages in both quantity and quality."

"Furthermore, Mammoth Bear's air support to Iran has also become a new fatal variable."

"Iran's newly added 50 MiG-25s (interceptors) and 50 Su-25s (ground attack aircraft) were all trained one-on-one by Gagarin Academy instructors."

"These aircraft can form a 'high-low altitude coordination' with the F-14s, with the MiG-25 using its speed (Mach 3.2) to tear open defenses, while the Su-25 carries out precise bombing of Iraqi oil fields."

"The Iraqi Air Force's air defense system is highly susceptible to paralysis when facing the massive Iranian Air Force attack."

[III. Strategic Environment: Isolated and Helpless under Superpower Encirclement]

"Firstly, Iraq relies on Dragon Country for weapon maintenance, but the Persian Gulf has been blockaded by the USA's Fifth Fleet, making wartime spare parts supply lines vulnerable."

"Iran, on the other hand, simultaneously receives Mammoth Bear railway transport and USA fighter jet parts supply, giving it a far superior sustained combat capability than Iraq."

"Additionally, Iraq's Rumaila oil field's daily output has exceeded 2 million barrels, but the oil field facilities are concentrated along the Shatt al-Arab, making them extremely vulnerable to Iranian 'Scud' missiles or Su-25 cluster strikes."

"Once the oil fields are destroyed, Iraq will lose its war funds, and Dragon Country's investments will also be lost."

Anderson Klaus, a special commentator for "Jane's Defence Weekly," believes that Iran's counterattack against Iraq is actually a war of attrition meticulously designed by the two world superpowers for Dragon Country!

The Soviet Union would deplete the Iraqi Army through armored torrents and air suppression!

The USA would control air superiority by utilizing its F-14s and intelligence advantage!

If Dragon Country continues to send reinforcements, it risks being dragged into the quagmire of a "Middle East Vietnam War"!

And if Dragon Country chooses to abandon Iraq, all its investments and Middle Eastern interests will vanish into thin air!

Even the Saudi royal family, the UAE, Kuwait, and other Middle Eastern countries would have to reconsider their relationship with Dragon Country, and whether they still need to purchase Dragon Country's weapons and equipment!

Because purchasing military hardware from superpowers is not just about buying weapons and equipment; it is also the "protection fee" paid by Middle Eastern countries!

Once their country is in trouble or invaded, the superpowers will definitely provide assistance based on their powerful global military influence and strategic projection capabilities!

Therefore, as soon as this professional analysis of military strength and the situation from "Jane's Defence Weekly" appeared in the international community, global public opinion almost unanimously predicted the downfall of Iraq and Dragon Country!

Almost all countries worldwide believed that Dragon Country had abandoned Iraq, leaving it to fend for itself!

And would no longer dare to set foot in the Middle East!

Meanwhile, the ordinary citizens of Iraq, influenced by international public opinion and leaflets dropped by Iran from the air, also fell into panic.

Ordinary Iraqi citizens began frantically hoarding supplies, fearing Iranian airstrikes and the scenario of an Iraqi defeat!

In the streets of Baghdad, panic spread like a plague.

Supermarket shelves were emptied, housewives clutched dinars, scrambling for the last cans of flour, and food and drinking water prices in the black market soared tenfold.

Luxury cars in the affluent areas formed long queues, engines roaring as they rushed towards the Jordanian border, their trunks filled with gold bars and US dollar cash.

In front of gas stations, ordinary citizens watched the bulletproof cars whizzing by, and many exchanged their entire family savings for compressed biscuits!

In the distance, military transport trucks, fully loaded with strategic materials, drove towards air raid shelters, and the piercing scream of fighter jets could be faintly heard through the sandstorm... At the same time.

The White House and the Kremlin received reports almost simultaneously.

Under the highly coordinated operations of the two superpowers, the international propaganda war achieved significant results. Mainstream media such as the BBC and The Wall Street Journal continuously exaggerated Iran's military advantage, leading to a widespread global belief that it would win the conflict!

Panic spread within Iraq, with a buying spree in Baghdad, some military officers questioning government decisions, and morale plummeting!

Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and other Middle Eastern countries even temporarily suspended logistical support to Iraq, shifting to a wait-and-see approach!

Under public pressure, Iraq's social order was on the verge of collapse!

After the scales of victory almost entirely tipped towards Iran, the White House and the Kremlin almost simultaneously conveyed instructions to Iran, ordering it to reignite the war!

Bombing oil fields and car factories jointly developed by Dragon Country and Iraq!

Launching nationwide airstrikes against Iraq!