I'm at a clown rave, man. I'm at a clown rave. There's an absolutely beautiful woman on the decks, blasting wonderfully cunty Y2K beats while people in the most ridiculous get-ups bounce around bodaciously. Meanwhile, Iran is getting bombed—bigly—by America.
I'm smoking a bummed Marlboro Red. I'm sitting on a phone call. There's literally a clown getting a whipped cream pie thrown at him, and I'm on the phone with one of our people, and he's telling me: "Bro, I've been watching the news for the last six, seven hours—America bombed Iran. This is an unprecedented event."
I'm like, "Yo, I haven't checked the news all day."
That's HOUDINI Magazine. That's the realest shit.
He's giving me the brief. He's letting me know what the fuck's going on, and I'm telling him: "Bro, right now, we don't do breaking news. We're not a breaking news feed. We're a magazine. We'll publish it in the morning. You know, hit the presses in the morning. We'll pierce the fog of war in the morning—because otherwise, what do we know that the audience doesn't? They come to us for analysis. They come to us to see what our positioning is."
So, with that in mind—special thanks to Maxwell Houdini. This is your sit-rep, your Sunday morning sit-rep, on America bombing Iran.
On June 21, 2025, Iranian media reported that US B-2 stealth bombers, allegedly from Scott AFB in Illinois, dropped GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bunker-busting munitions on three nuclear sites: Fordow, Natanz, and Esfahan. The New York Times confirmed Navy submarines launched 30 Tomahawk cruise missiles at Natanz and Esfahan, with 12 GBU-57s targeting Fordow and 2 on Natanz. The American bombers have not struck the Russian nuclear site in Bushehr Iran, it seems on purpose to avoid wider escalation. The situation is now in the hands of Iran on how a response looks like in terms of bringing the world into a further state of uncontrolled warfare.
This publication condemns the US and Israeli strikes as acts of imperialist aggression, escalating a cycle of violence rooted in the US empire's geopolitical dominance and Israel's expansionist policies. The strikes distract from the ongoing genocide in Gaza and war crimes in Palestine, where over half a million Palestinians have been killed since October 2023. The imperialist war machine prioritizes spectacle and control over human lives, diverting resources from food security, housing, and peace. We reject the mainstream media's hawkish narrative, which portrays Iran as a unilateral aggressor while ignoring its diplomatic efforts and the US's betrayal of the 2015 nuclear deal. The crimes of empire—Gaza's slaughter, Iran's bombardment, and global economic destabilization—outweigh the theater of war.
Fordow: A fortified uranium enrichment facility buried 300 feet under a mountain, targeted with 12 GBU-57s, each weighing 30,000 pounds. A US official claimed Fordow was "taken off the table," suggesting severe structural damage. Iranian authorities report no radioactive contamination.
Natanz: Iran's primary enrichment hub, hit with two GBU-57s and 15 Tomahawk missiles targeting surface infrastructure. NASA FIRMS fire mapping has confirmed fires in locations in Isfahan. No radiation increase reported.
Esfahan: Struck with 15 Tomahawk missiles, this site contains 3 Chinese reactors (yes, Chinese) and possibly personnel, no reports on damage so far and no increase in radiation reported. Fires detected via NASA FIRMS indicate surface damage.
Bushehr: Deliberately spared, likely to avoid provoking Russia, which operates the site. This restraint signals a calculated effort to limit escalation with major powers.
Immediate Retaliation: Ballistic missiles towards Israel reported within the last hour, indicating Iran's intent to respond forcefully. Alright ballistic missiles towards Israel means that this is pretty much gonna stay contained... I hope. I'm guessing some strikes on us bases by paramilitary groups. I'm guessing mining the strait of Hormuz at the most extreme.
Strait of Hormuz: Tankers flee the strait of Hormuz as we speak, amid fears of closure or mining. The strait is used for a massive amount of shipping and energy concerns, handling 20% of global oil supply. Closure could spike oil prices by 30%, per Bloomberg estimates, crippling economies. Expect gas prices to rise regardless
Proxy Attacks: American bases in the region are being briefed about retaliatory attacks including Iraq, Syria, and Kuwait. Potential targets include Al-Asad and Erbil (Iraq), Tanf (Syria), and Camp Buehring (Kuwait).
Hamas Condemnation: Hamas condemns attacks, framing them as US-Israeli aggression against Muslim nations. This may galvanize Iran-backed militias across the region. Hamas and Hezobollah retaliation expected.
War is just a racket. A racket is best described, I believe, as something that is not what it seems to the majority of people. Only a small inside group knows what it is about. It is conducted for the benefit of the very few at the expense of the masses.
- Smedley Butler
The US war machine's expenditure on this operation highlights its warped priorities:
GBU-57 MOP: Each bomb costs $3.5 million. The 14 used total $49 million, enough to provide food security for 1.4 million people for a month at $35 per person (World Food Programme estimate).
Tomahawk Missiles: Each costs $2 million. The 30 launched total $60 million, equivalent to annual rent for 3,000 small families at $20,000 per year (US median rent).
B-2 Bomber Mission: A single sortie costs $2.1 million in fuel and maintenance. Three sorties total $6.3 million, enough to fund clean water for 315,000 people for a year at $20 per person (UNICEF estimate). In Gaza, where 90% of residents face acute food insecurity, these funds could save lives. Instead, they fuel destruction, this is US imperialism.
Healthcare Denial: The $115.3 million total for bombs and missiles could fund 230,000 medical check ups at $500 per patient, this could be lifechanging healthcare in a country as downtrodden as America, let alone across the global south. In Palestine, where 100% of hospitals are non-functional due to Israeli attacks, this could provide live saving care.
Instead, they fuel destruction, this is US imperialism.
Some background: the Iran nuclear deal, which we pulled out of, was still being honored by Iran until further sanctions were levied against them. This is the cost of trying to play ball with the US empire. The alignment of Israeli expansion to use them as a cudgel against less aligned states in the region will always give cover to our actions. The US withdrawal in 2018 and subsequent "maximum pressure" sanctions pushed Iran to enrich uranium to 60% at Fordow, nearing weapons-grade levels. Israel's eight-day campaign against Iranian air defenses, starting June 13, 2025, lacked the firepower to destroy Fordow, prompting US intervention.
The Media is /inventing reality/ and portraying a horrifyingly hawkish outlook talking about how no Iranian outreach toward diplomacy has happened even tho at every turn they have tried to play ball. This mirrors the Iraq War media cycle, where fabricated threats justified invasion. Fucking insanity to see the media machine in motion to push this war on Iran, I didn't watch the Iraq media cycle when it happened but I've studied it and it is strikingly similar. This shit is gonna be brutal for the economy and shockwaves will be felt for months.
US Forces: B-2 bombers are out of Iranian airspace. Bases in Iraq, Syria, and Kuwait are on high alert. Currently I know of no changes to Army operations in the area, nothing emergent has reached us.
Israeli Air Force: The Israeli air force seems to be scrambling fighters and attackers just in the wake of the attack. 2300 EST. New fires reported in Israel thirty min ago, likely from Iranian missiles.
Iranian Forces: Mobilizing air defenses and missile units. No reports of ground troop movements.
Russian Perspective: Russia has condemned the strike, calling it "irresponsible" and a "gross violation of international law". Russian telegram calling this a contained strike to save face of empire, dismissing it as an "act of theatre" to minimize fear of their technical specialists in the area.
Chinese Presence: Esfahan's Chinese reactors and personnel remain undamaged, per current reports. Beijing has not issued a statement.
The strikes are not the WWIII that everyone is saying—it definitely is the violent engine of change moving again—the risk being played in the sandbox again. The US and Israel frame this as a "one-and-done" strike, but mainstream media is steadily reporting the idea that this is a one and done strike by the US, Israel will of course be pressing the attack. Iran's response will shape the conflict's scope:
Containment Likely: Avoiding Bushehr and Chinese assets suggests restraint to prevent great-power conflict. Russian minimization supports this.
Escalation Risks: My guess will be massive retaliation against Israel and a closure of the strait of Hormuz. Mining the Strait or sustained militia attacks on US bases could spiral into a broader war.
Economic Impact: Oil price surges and supply chain disruptions will hit working-class families hardest, echoing the 1973 oil crisis. For my Midwestern readers... the bombers are alleged to come from Scott AFB in Illinois. Maybe a place to think about protesting if things progress but of course be careful, it's a fucking military base.
Media Complicity: The hawkish narrative from imperialist media outlets such as the NYT (which has been manufacturing consenting since day one for a war with Iran) ignores Iran's diplomatic efforts, such as its 2023 IAEA cooperation. This propaganda, akin to Iraq's WMD lies, manufactures consent for war.
The strikes distract from Israel's genocide in Gaza, where 2.1 million people face starvation and bombardment. The US empire's use of Israel as a regional cudgel perpetuates violence, from Palestine to Iran. The cost—human, economic, and moral—falls on the global working class, not the war profiteers.
