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I made an ai image this morning


I created this political cartoon using AI image generation — specifically Google's Nano Banana 2. The concept, composition, and every detail came from me: the Dr. Strangelove bomb-riding reference, the satellite map of Iran with labeled borders, the B-2 stealth bomber, and "IRAN WAR" on the bomb. I described it all in my prompt.

A few things I want to be clear about:
This is satire, not a fake. Nobody is meant to look at this and think it's a real photograph. This is political commentary in the exact same tradition as editorial cartooning that goes back to Thomas Nast and beyond. The only difference is the tool — AI instead of pen and ink.

The creative vision is mine. I didn't ask the AI to copy any artist's style. I described a specific scene with specific details based on my own editorial judgment. The AI rendered it; I directed it. Same as an editor working with an illustrator.

This image accurately summarizes where we are right now.

The US and Israel launched surprise airstrikes on Iran on February 28th, killing Supreme Leader Khamenei and numerous officials. We are now 17 days into this war. Iran has retaliated with missiles and drones against US bases and allied countries across the Gulf, and has effectively blocked the Strait of Hormuz — choking off a critical global oil supply route. Gulf oil exports have dropped by 60%. Brent crude has hit $104 a barrel. More than 2,000 people across the Middle East have been killed. Thirteen US service members have died in combat, more than 200 have been injured.

Meanwhile, North Korea fired 10 ballistic missiles just three days ago, and China is saber rattling around Taiwan. Trump is begging for international help in reopening the Strait, but our allies want no part of this. Germany said flatly: "This is not our war, we have not started it." Australia, Japan, and Luxembourg have all refused to send ships. The EU decided against expanding naval operations around the Strait. Italy signaled reluctance. France is staying in a "defensive posture." China called for an immediate cessation of hostilities without responding to Trump's request. When you launch a war and your closest allies won't stand with you, that tells you everything about the legitimacy of what you're doing.

On the very first day of this war — a Saturday morning when the building was packed with children — a US Tomahawk cruise missile struck the Shajareh Tayyebeh girls' elementary school in Minab, southern Iran, killing at least 170 people. Most of them were little girls. Their teachers died with them. Parents who had just dropped off their children died with them. The building collapsed on top of them. Rows and rows of tiny graves followed.

Amnesty International confirmed yesterday that the US was responsible, stating that a precision-guided Tomahawk missile — a weapon used exclusively by US forces in this conflict — directly struck the school. Their investigation concluded that the US either failed to verify that its target was actually a military objective, which Amnesty called "gross negligence" and "a shameful intelligence failure," or knew the school was there and attacked anyway — which Amnesty said "must be investigated as a war crime."

The New York Times, BBC Verify, Bellingcat, NPR, NBC News, and the Pentagon's own preliminary investigation all reached the same conclusion: the US did this. Central Command used outdated intelligence that still labeled the school as a military target. It hadn't been one for years. It was a school full of girls.

Trump initially tried to blame Iran for bombing its own school. His own Defense Secretary wouldn't back that claim. Republican Senator John Kennedy said plainly: "The kids are still dead."

And here's what made it possible: this administration gutted the Pentagon's Civilian Protection Center of Excellence by 90% and slashed civilian harm mitigation staff at Central Command by two-thirds. Defense Secretary Hegseth declared "no stupid rules of engagement" and "no politically correct wars." A retired Air Force targeting expert called it a direct, predictable result of deprioritizing the protection of civilians.

Amnesty International is demanding that those who planned and carried out the strike be held accountable.

Iran's demands for ending the war

On March 12th, Iranian President Pezeshkian publicly laid out conditions for ending the hostilities: recognition of Iran's legitimate rights, payment of reparations, and firm international guarantees against future aggression.

Iran is also demanding that Gulf countries end their support for the US in the region, and that the US withdraw its forces from the Middle East as a condition for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran's foreign minister stated that Iran is not seeking a ceasefire but that the war must end "in a way that our enemies never again think about repeating such attacks."

Iranian officials explicitly stated that they have not reached out to Trump's envoy to reopen diplomatic channels. On the other side, Trump has demanded Iran's unconditional surrender. These positions are very far apart.

What happens when unconditional surrender doesn't come?

My deepest fear is what comes next. Iran isn't surrendering — it's fighting back, hitting US bases across the region, choking off the Strait of Hormuz,  resulting in oil prices rapidly increasing towards $200 a barrel, and planting naval mines.

Conventional bombing hasn't broken them. Our allies won't help. The war is costing billions with no end in sight. When a president who has already thrown out the rules of engagement, gutted civilian protection, demanded total capitulation, and refuses to negotiate finds himself in a war he can't win conventionally — other than boots on the ground which is clearly coming soon, the escalation ladder only has one more rung — a nuclear bomb.

The Strangelove reference in this image isn't just clever satire. It's a warning. That film was about what happens when the machinery of war outruns the judgment of the people controlling it. We're watching that movie play out in real time.

The UK has refused to participate in this illegal war too for the record. That should tell you everything you need to know as we are normally at your side in every major conflict.

We are sending HMS Dragon to the region and have sent aircraft to Oman and Cyprus but this is to try to intercept missiles heading towards our base in Cyprus and also to our NATO and other allies in the region who have done nothing wrong. We flat out refused to aid in clearing the straight of Hormuz. This mess belongs to Bibi and you Donald. Sort it out yourself.

The nerve of the man to demand that NATO step in otherwise bad things will happen to us. Aside from the fact that NATO is a DEFENSIVE pact to be enacted when one nation is attacked (see US War on Terror) which has not happened here, he has spent the last year threatening, insulting and mocking us repeatedly, even going so far as to insult our war dead and personal insults to our PM. If you behave like this to your allies then you can go play on your own.

I said I was going to avoid political posts, not going too well is it ha ha!

The lengths a rich man will go to in order to avoid child trafficking charges. These are acts of desperation. And I know people who defend his actions and think he's a pious man who is looking out for the best interests of the common man/woman. They know nothing about him, unfortunately, and they choose ignorance. "Both sides" is all I hear from them. They'll be in the history books.

I lost a dear friend from our community over this. It breaks my heart, as I have a great deal of love for her. I thought she'd come around, thought she'd seek the truth. But she isn't interested. How to proceed? There's no way forward.

I noticed the Epstein issue was starting to heat up and then, nothing to see here, we're at war.  This was my initial thought when this first started.

It is more than a distraction from the Epstein Files.

He placed a blockade against Cuba to prevent any oil from flowing to them and also threatened tariffs against any country selling oil to Cuba. Cuba has an antiquated power grid, and without oil, the lights have gone out. Literally.

He is still implementing his Donroe Doctrine and plans to take over the entire Western Hemisphere. So that puts Cuba right within his sights.

Trump muses over 'taking Cuba' as island's power grid collapses after weeks of US oil blockade
https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/16/americas/cuba-power-grid-collapse-intl-latam
CNN - Patrick Oppmann, Michael Rios
Today, March 17, 2026

US President Donald Trump mused over whether he would have the "honor of taking Cuba" on Monday, the same day the communist-run island's electricity grid suffered its first nationwide collapse since the US effectively shut off the flow of oil to the country.

"You know, all my life I've been hearing about United States and Cuba, when will the United States having the honor of taking Cuba? That's a big honor," Trump said in remarks from the Oval Office. "Taking Cuba in some form, yeah, taking Cuba — I mean, whether I free it, take it, I think I can do anything I want with it."

Pressed on if a US military operation in Cuba would mirror January's capture of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela or would look more like the United States' continued military conflict with Iran, Trump told reporters: "I can't tell you that."

He also believes something that Putin said: that elections can be suspended during a time of war. That may be true in Russia, but not in the U.S., but since when has the Constitution mattered at all to this Administration?

Quote from: Lori Dee on March 17, 2026, 05:32:15 PMIt is more than a distraction from the Epstein Files.

He placed a blockade against Cuba to prevent any oil from flowing to them and also threatened tariffs against any country selling oil to Cuba. Cuba has an antiquated power grid, and without oil, the lights have gone out. Literally.

He is still implementing his Donroe Doctrine and plans to take over the entire Western Hemisphere. So that puts Cuba right within his sights.

Trump muses over 'taking Cuba' as island's power grid collapses after weeks of US oil blockade
https://www.cnn.com/2026/03/16/americas/cuba-power-grid-collapse-intl-latam
CNN - Patrick Oppmann, Michael Rios
Today, March 17, 2026

US President Donald Trump mused over whether he would have the "honor of taking Cuba" on Monday, the same day the communist-run island's electricity grid suffered its first nationwide collapse since the US effectively shut off the flow of oil to the country.

"You know, all my life I've been hearing about United States and Cuba, when will the United States having the honor of taking Cuba? That's a big honor," Trump said in remarks from the Oval Office. "Taking Cuba in some form, yeah, taking Cuba — I mean, whether I free it, take it, I think I can do anything I want with it."

Pressed on if a US military operation in Cuba would mirror January's capture of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela or would look more like the United States' continued military conflict with Iran, Trump told reporters: "I can't tell you that."

He also believes something that Putin said: that elections can be suspended during a time of war. That may be true in Russia, but not in the U.S., but since when has the Constitution mattered at all to this Administration?

That man is insane. Someone needs to remove him from power.

I see the Orange gibbon has not finished with the insults. This morning our news is reporting that he said he doesn't need NATO involvement in his illegal war and never did (then why ask, then threaten us to join yesterday Donald) after we all said "No, not our war, You break it, you own it".

But the worst is that he repeated his comment that we have never come to help America before. That is an insult to the 636 uk personnel and more from many other nations killed fighting alongside America in Afghanistan and Iraq. How dare he. NATO has never asked the americans to go to war, only the US have and we answered the call.

As demonstrated by the graphic (my mind impulsively superimposed Slim Pickens on top of the nuke), AI is a powerful tool and the Iran War may make all the fundamentalist and Evangelical dreams of Armageddon come true.

However, if the world doesn't end, whether with a whimper or a bang, I am greatly concerned AI will overwhelm all language-based guardrails including religious texts, laws, governments, textbooks (laptops?), ad infinitum. AI is and will continue to be used to manipulate human behavior and policy.

When it comes to Iran I find the death of those girls is unacceptable but it's just something else for the government to cover up. The real crime is the Iranian people will only suffer. Neither the U.S. or the Israeli administrations care about the people that are crying for freedom. Yes some Kurdish fighters are receiving some support but how long before the U.S. government betrays them yet again. Unless I am going to be extremely shocked once the bombs stop the Iranian Republican Guard and their leaders will still be in charge.

In my opinion the Iranian people are just going to be more victims of Epstein's crimes. I don't like the U.S. and Israeli governments illegally attacking Iran but I hate that they won't help the people

Quote from: Athena on March 18, 2026, 09:12:55 AMWhen it comes to Iran I find the death of those girls is unacceptable but it's just something else for the government to cover up. The real crime is the Iranian people will only suffer. Neither the U.S. or the Israeli administrations care about the people that are crying for freedom. Yes some Kurdish fighters are receiving some support but how long before the U.S. government betrays them yet again. Unless I am going to be extremely shocked once the bombs stop the Iranian Republican Guard and their leaders will still be in charge.

In my opinion the Iranian people are just going to be more victims of Epstein's crimes. I don't like the U.S. and Israeli governments illegally attacking Iran but I hate that they won't help the people

Well said.

Whilst there is a minority in Iran who support the regime the majority do not but they are getting killed when Israel and the US are bombing in cities. It is always the innocents who suffer in war.

Don't forget Lebannon either, Israel is flattening whole housing blocks like they did in Gaza because an armed group (who the Lebanese government cannot get under control) fired a few rockets at them. It is totally disproportionate.

The killing in this powder keg region has been going on my entire life and I'm 50! It all stems from the Balfour declaration which was our doing too. A botched piece of british colonial past. I can't help thinking if we had stayed and overseen the partition things might not have ended up as bad as they have. Passing it off to the toothless UN was a bad move imo.

Sorry for the somewhat late reply to this but... I am kind of a bit conflicted by part of it. No pun intended.

There is a part of me, the Navy lass in me, that feels we (the UK) should help. Just because Trump may be calling the shots but he won't be the one pulling the trigger. None of these people are. They just order others to do things for them. It's the servicemen and women who will be expected to do the actual dirty work. And my thoughts lie as much with them as much as the overarching political machinations.

Yes, Trump may be as popular, and beneficial to the world as a particularly nasty case of Chlamydia. Yes he may have tried to make the whole world his enemy. But I can't help feeling like we should help out the US military folks who are forced to deal with this unstable, hateful regime... as well as Iran.

There's a big part of me that feels that's what allies are. They are people who help each other. Not necessarily just when it suits them, or to say no to spite someone. Two wrongs don't make a right. I don't know, I really don't know how to feel about it. I can understand, and sympathise with countries who say "You made your bed, now lie in it." But I also know how I feel as someone who was in the military. I feel for the people on the front line who will be tasked with dealing with this, no matter what other people do or don't do. I don't want them to deal with it alone, because the US and UK military has always had a very close bond, no matter what Orang-utans in suits want to make people think.

My head thinks one thing, my heart another. So I don't really know how to feel.

You are more concilliatory than me Lauren. I never served so maybe i don't have a dog in the race but I don't want our servicemen and women put in the line of fire in an illegal war which was started by a lunatic. How can we take a moral high ground if we participate in this. The whole world order that kept us in relative safety since WW2 is falling apart. Someone has to take a stand and say "no, this is not right." Lord knows we have been on the wrong side of history too many times in the past.

Quote from: Stottie Girl on March 19, 2026, 06:39:16 PMYou are more concilliatory than me Lauren. I never served so maybe i don't have a dog in the race but I don't want our servicemen and women put in the line of fire in an illegal war which was started by a lunatic. How can we take a moral high ground if we participate in this. The whole world order that kept us in relative safety since WW2 is falling apart. Someone has to take a stand and say "no, this is not right." Lord knows we have been on the wrong side of history too many times in the past.

I agree with you, Sarah. This is the conflict I have. When I look at it from a civilian standpoint. Purely from a political point of view... I absolutely agree that the world should tell Trump to reap what he's sowed. Behave like a nutjob... you're on your own.

It isn't right. It isn't anything even close to right. But like it or not, Trump tells the hardworking men and women of the US military what to do and they have to do it. Because that's what they signed up for. He plays games in his oval office and the people on the ground have to carry out his deranged nonsense. Whether they want to or not.

As someone who has shared a lot of times with the folks in the US military. Exercises, correspondence, just all round bonding... I don't like the thought of them having to do it alone, and potentially losing lives because we didn't do more. That's all. The guy at the top may be an imbecile, but the people who went through everything to do what they do... they don't deserve to be thrown under the bus because of it. We would hope the US folks would help us, no matter what. As they have in the past. Ugh... this is complicated. It just makes me feel uneasy to throw away decades of an alliance because the idiot at the top should be in prison.

Doesn't make the dedication of the people carrying out his deranged crap any less deserving of help. Like I say, if you are an ally, you are an ally. That's just how I feel anyway. But then I am a Scorpio, and I would die for my friends.

As I said, I have never served so have never experienced the brotherhood (or sisterhood) between serving miltaries. I do understand your point though and it is an honourable thing. I hold no animosity to the airmen, sailors and soldiers of the US. Far from it. They have my respect. But at the same time I believe in international law and the UN and the world order and I do not want to see this thrown away on the whim of the orange one.

I'm a bit of a pacifist really and very anti war unless for damn good reason.

Quote from: Stottie Girl on March 19, 2026, 06:58:22 PMI'm a bit of a pacifist really and very anti war unless for damn good reason.

Rather a good way to live your life. :)

Apparently the orange draft dodger has declared us all COWARDS now for not wanting to join his illegal war. Charming Donald, but this is what happens when you alienate, insult and threaten your allies. We'll help you if you get attacked as is our NATO oath but we are not following you into stupid illegal wars. At least I hope we don't go soft and backdown. There are worrying signs this might happen!

Hopefully he has left himself some room to declare that he has won (again!) and is the greatest president at war the world has ever seen and deserves the Nobel Peace Price (again). He can then pull the US forces back and out of harms way and stop the bombing. Too many innocents are getting caught up in this.

Rant over.

Quote from: Stottie Girl on March 20, 2026, 12:34:24 PMApparently the orange draft dodger has declared us all COWARDS now for not wanting to join his illegal war. Charming Donald, but this is what happens when you alienate, insult and threaten your allies. We'll help you if you get attacked as is our NATO oath but we are not following you into stupid illegal wars. At least I hope we don't go soft and backdown. There are worrying signs this might happen!

Hopefully he has left himself some room to declare that he has won (again!) and is the greatest president at war the world has ever seen and deserves the Nobel Peace Price (again). He can then pull the US forces back and out of harms way and stop the bombing. Too many innocents are getting caught up in this.

Rant over.

The guy doesn't know how to adult. He is the quintessential school bully who never grew up. It's the only way he operates. If you can't threaten, intimidate, or manipulate someone, then try to shame and insult them instead. He has no concept of diplomacy, tact, or how to be a grown up. I think in his head he never got past ten years old. Which is sad because he has been given the largest cookie jar in the world and told he can eat until he's sick.

I hope you're right, Sarah. I really do. I hope there is a way out of this that doesn't lead to more loss of life. My only worry is that... well, you can say you won something, but people on the other side don't always see it as a loss. Desperation and feeling like you're backed into a corner can be an awful thing. It's all just a gigantic mess. As if the world doesn't have enough problems already without causing more just for the sake of deflection, or an ego trip.

Well they'll both claim they won when this ends. There's no way he is going to achieve regime change without a massive land invasion and surely he would be prevented from doing that?

If you ask me (Not that anyone is!) this will only harden Irans resolve to get the bomb in order to prevent things like this in the future. I cannot see what any of this is achieving. He has just replaced Khamenei with a more hardline Khamenei who now want's revenge.

Quote from: Stottie Girl on March 20, 2026, 05:01:13 PMWell they'll both claim they won when this ends. There's no way he is going to achieve regime change without a massive land invasion and surely he would be prevented from doing that?

If you ask me (Not that anyone is!) this will only harden Irans resolve to get the bomb in order to prevent things like this in the future. I cannot see what any of this is achieving. He has just replaced Khamenei with a more hardline Khamenei who now want's revenge.

Yeah, he already got regime change by killing Khomeini. And got his son... who is pissed that Trump killed his dad. When you suffer personal loss... it's personal. You have nothing to lose. That's when things get properly dangerous. I think, personally, that Trump just wanted to play with his toys and accidentally made a giant mess he doesn't know how to get out of. Like I said, he is like a pre-school child who doesn't think beyond what makes him feel good. Much like the people who voted for him.

The worst thing is that he drags the whole of the US along with him. The sooner he is gone, the better.

Quote from: Sephirah on March 20, 2026, 05:33:29 PMYeah, he already got regime change by killing Khomeini. And got his son... who is pissed that Trump killed his dad. When you suffer personal loss... it's personal. You have nothing to lose. That's when things get properly dangerous. I think, personally, that Trump just wanted to play with his toys and accidentally made a giant mess he doesn't know how to get out of. Like I said, he is like a pre-school child who doesn't think beyond what makes him feel good. Much like the people who voted for him.

The worst thing is that he drags the whole of the US along with him. The sooner he is gone, the better.

Yeah, I do think he has backed himself into a corner. I think he thought that Iran would back down at the negotiating table but they are a fanatical religious regime, they were never going to back down fully.

3 more years of this guy! Scary stuff. Hopefully our rational friends in the US will hand him a clear message in the midterms and tie one of his hands behind his back.

It seems to me like most of our US friends are rational, frustrated, clear thinking people. The whole electoral system is just... borked. And needs to be fixed. How you can let a Hitler-wannabe into power... twice... says a lot about how people should be able to allow people to get into power. Especially a toddler like Trump.

You folks in the US.. you aren't this douchecanoe... but please, PLEASE, don't do this for a third time. The rest of the world is thoroughly sick of it. Even Hitler only got one bite at the cherry.

You are only great because you have ties with other people, who made you great and who you in turn made great. Alliances don't come from intimidation, but from shared interests. Just sayin'.

I dislike wars.  There seems to be one or more around about all the time.  Sad.


Chrissy

Quote from: ChrissyRyan on March 20, 2026, 06:54:16 PMI dislike wars.  There seems to be one or more around about all the time.  Sad.


Chrissy

People sat behind a desk like to make a war when it deflects attention from who they are, Chrissy. It's been going on since the Roman Empire. Emperors would hold lavish games at the Coliseum, to get the masses distracted by bloodshed, when their whole world was falling apart. It's nothing new. If you can get people to hate someone else, then they don't hate you. It's the oldest trick in the book. A book that Trump is well versed in.

As an American, I want this mess to be over. I don't think the Iranians can be militarily defeated. The Baathists and Iranians fought each other for 8 years during the Iran-Iraq war, and it ended in a stalemate.

I have friends and associates at work who voted certain ways and are now very quiet about their prior views and have admitted mistakes made and...dismay over their choices.

I am prayerfully hoping for some massive changes in the upcoming mid-terms.  We do have another 3 years, but a flip of the congress could hamstring the process to get past this. 

Damage will still happen due to Executive Orders but cutting the purse strings can place limits on this as well.  Kinda dreary outlook right now.  💔