Replies to post #575282 on Tornado Alley (PROG)

[blackhawks]

Iranians must have been on the phone with the NVA.

The phrase “grab them by the belt” (often “grab/hold them by the belt buckle”) refers to a North Vietnamese and Viet Cong close-combat tactic designed to neutralize American superiority in artillery and air power. [johndclare](https://www.johndclare.net/VietnamWar5.htm)

### What the tactic meant

- Communist units were instructed to fight at extremely close range to U.S. troops, literally as close as if you could grab the enemy’s belt. [reddit]
(https://www.reddit.com/r/AskHistorians/comments/bdvaec/what_does_it_mean_by_grab_them_by_the_belt_buckle/)

- At this distance, U.S. commanders were reluctant or unable to call in artillery, air strikes, or heavy supporting fire for fear of hitting their own men. [en.wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NLF_and_PAVN_battle_tactics)

- This “hugging” tactic is known in Vietnamese as “Nam that lung dich mà dánh” (“seize the enemy’s belt to fight him”). [historynet](https://historynet.com/vietnam-hugging-tactics/)

### Strategic purpose against Americans

- The North Vietnamese and Viet Cong knew they could not match U.S. forces in open, conventional battles dominated by firepower, so they relied on guerrilla tactics and close-quarters engagements. [johndclare](https://www.johndclare.net/VietnamWar5.htm)

- By forcing combat into short-range jungle firefights, they turned battles into infantry contests where U.S. technological advantages—air support, artillery, sensors—were far less decisive. [en.wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NLF_and_PAVN_battle_tactics)

- This approach fit their broader protracted war strategy: wear down U.S. forces, exploit their caution about friendly fire, and accept higher casualties in exchange for long-term political and psychological gains. [factsanddetails](https://factsanddetails.com/southeast-asia/Vietnam/sub5_9b/entry-3356.html)

[fuagf]

Come closer. Come closer.

"It seems all but inevitable that Trump is going to pull the trigger and launch an invasion of Iran, too stupid and too prideful to admit that his decapitation gambit didn’t work and the situation has spiralled out of control.

The Iranians do not seem intimidated. IRGC commander Ali Akbar Ahmadian issued a statement on Twitter that just reads:

"For years we have been waiting for the Americans to reach the designated points, and for more than two decades, we have trained for this moment with an asymmetric warfare strategy. Now, we have only one message for the American soldiers: Come closer.""