A stuck pig squeals.

https://www.newsmax.com/politi...dkt_nbr=010102epob10

US Gains Upper Hand in Battle for Hormuz

The U.S. military has steadily eroded Iran's grip on the Strait of Hormuz, reopening key shipping lanes and gaining the upper hand in the battle over the critical energy choke point, Axios reported Friday.

U.S. officials told Axios that Iran's ability to disrupt shipping has been sharply reduced after weeks of American airstrikes, mine-clearing operations, and military escorts through the strait.

"That sucker is open. The Iranian response is very mild. They don't want us to go back at them," President Donald Trump told Axios on Thursday.

"That's the whole ball game. The rest doesn't matter," he added.

Iran moved to close the strait during the first days of the war in late February, threatening tankers and deploying naval mines in the main international shipping lane, according to U.S. and Israeli officials.

The move largely halted commercial shipping and helped drive up global energy prices. Iranian attacks and continued restrictions kept traffic well below prewar levels even after an April ceasefire and the signing of a U.S.-Iran memorandum of understanding in June.

After that agreement collapsed, the U.S. military moved to reopen the strait without Iran's cooperation.

Working with the United Arab Emirates, U.S. forces began guiding ships through a southern channel while providing air cover and intercepting Iranian drones and cruise missiles. A two-week bombing campaign also damaged the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' ability to attack shipping.

Meanwhile, Navy divers, SEALs, drones, and private contractors carried out a sweeping operation to clear mines from the main shipping lane, while the U.S. restored its blockade of Iranian ports.

More than 200 suspected mines have been removed from the main lane, although U.S. officials said only 11 proved to be actual mines and just a few had been properly deployed.

Iran continues firing at vessels, but a U.S. official told Axios only 2% of ships transiting the strait over the past month were hit.

Traffic through the U.S.-protected southern channel has risen to 20 to 30 tankers a night, carrying an average of 9 million to 10 million barrels — roughly half the prewar volume.

"We achieved a major milestone in the Strait of Hormuz," CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper said Thursday. "Internationally recognized sea routes in the strait are free of Iranian sea mines."

The UAE, Bahrain, and Kuwait have joined the U.S.-backed shipping operation, with Saudi Arabia expected to participate. Washington also hopes Qatar will begin moving liquefied natural gas tankers along the protected route.

U.S. officials hope to expand traffic to at least 50 ships a night by mid-September and restore oil exports to 60% to 70% of prewar levels.

The gains could also strengthen Trump's hand against Tehran. Two regional sources told Axios that Iran has recently shown renewed interest in negotiations.

Trump, however, said Thursday he is in no rush to resume talks.

"I don't want to meet, they do. In fact, they are begging to make a deal," Trump wrote on Truth Social.

White House special envoy Steve Witkoff remains in contact with Qatar and other mediators as U.S. officials assess whether the blockade, increased economic pressure, and Iran's diminished position in Hormuz will induce Tehran to soften its negotiating positions, Axios reported.

quote:

Originally posted by parabellum:
The psychopaths are finally feeling the heat. Usually, it's all this Baghdad Bob "Everything is fine" bullshit, but now, they are appealing to the entire world.



Iran’s Foreign Ministry released a statement claiming the Trump administration is launching “a new wave of economic terrorism” against Iran under Operation Economic Outcast.

“Economic sanctions by the United States against Iran, regardless of their name or title, are completely illegal and illegitimate actions that violate the United Nations Charter...

The assollahs suddenly care about a UN Charter?

Apparently according to the NavyTimes NSA Bahrain took a lot more damage than was reported.

The devastation of NSA Bahrain...

quote:

Originally posted by fischtown7:
Apparently according to the NavyTimes NSA Bahrain took a lot more damage than was reported.

The devastation of NSA Bahrain...

Assuming the reporting is accurate, and balanced in the after affect of the attack, oops. Makes you wonder how it was attacked, how it was defended, and how much of it was avoidable if at all. At what level of the that organization will most heads roll for this type of situation ? I know in the private sector middle and upper levels of leadership are widely protected.

^^^ Pretty much correlates to other reports I have read and considering it's in the Navy Times I have no doubts to its accuracy. As it stated in the article one of the main reasons supplies to our ships were having problems was because of the destruction. The 13 killed were in Kuwait which also took pretty severe damage. Lots of supplies were being brought in from further away bases such as Diego Garcia.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/...TdHGXHSLLdhRO3lJ8%3D

US Forces Strike 2 Iranian Rocket Launchers on Island in Strait of Hormuz

U.S. forces targeted Larak Island as Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces prepared to send new sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz, CENTCOM said.

U.S. Forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island in the Strait of Hormuz on Aug. 30.

“Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz,” U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) spokesperson and Navy Captain Tim Hawkins told the Epoch Times in an email on Sunday afternoon.

The strikes were an attempt to protect operations in the crucial waterway after CENTCOM completed the clearing of sea mines from the strait’s international shipping routes last week.

“U.S. forces are monitoring the area closely and remain prepared to protect the free flow of commerce through this essential waterway,” Hawkins added.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) said several Iranian military personnel and civilians were killed and wounded in the attack, according to Iranian state media.

The IRGC “vowed to respond to the act of aggression,” state media reported.

The attack happened one day after a U.K. Maritime Trade Operations report suggested on Aug. 29 that a tanker was struck by an unknown projectile near Khasab, Oman, as it was transiting inbound in the Strait of Hormuz.

The Strait of Hormuz is a crucial waterway that was previously used to transport one-fifth of the world’s traded oil before the war with Iran broke out on Feb. 28 and heavily slowed traffic.
This is a developing story and will be updated.

Army Secretary Driscoll resigned today.

Iran has admitted that for the month of July alone, inflation for their country was 66%. Other sources put that figure closer to 69%. Either way, for Iran to admit this indicates that things in the country are extremely bad.

Bessent says sanctions alone don’t work — but blockade plus military strikes do

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the Trump administration’s economic pressure campaign against Iran is succeeding because it is backed by military strikes and a blockade.

“When everyone says, well, sanctions don’t work: I can tell you sanctions plus the blockade work," Bessent said at a fireside chat at the G20 finance ministers summit in Asheville, North Carolina on Tuesday.

"And now the sanctions are something that we have never engaged at this level of intensity. The Treasury now has five new authorities, and it is across digital assets. It is across aviation, it is across maritime. And we are flexing every day."

Bessent said the economic results would not have been possible without the initial military campaign, which he claimed destroyed Iran’s navy, air force, missile and drone inventories, along with 85% to 90% of the factories capable of rebuilding them.

He said the sanctions are also contributing to a collapse in Iran’s currency, which has fallen from roughly 800,000 rials to the dollar to more than 2 million.

Bessent said the administration’s goal is to economically “asphyxiate” the Iranian regime and force Tehran back to the negotiating table.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/...kMp1Ha%2B6%2BgrTQ%3D

US Strikes Iran After Attempted Attacks on US Troops, Shipping

Trump warned Monday that the U.S. military would hit Iran ‘hard’ in response to Iranian missile attacks on U.S. bases in Jordan.

The U.S. military launched new strikes against Iran on Sept. 1 following attempted attacks by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said U.S. forces started striking IRGC targets in Iran at 12 p.m. ET on Tuesday.

“The strikes follow recent attempted attacks by the IRGC against commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz and against American service members deployed to the region,” CENTCOM wrote in a statement on X.

The U.S. military strikes came one day after President Donald Trump warned that the United States would resume attacks against Iran after the regime launched missiles at U.S. bases in Jordan.

“We’re going to hit them hard,” Trump told Fox News on Monday. “There will be a response.”

This is a developing story that will be updated.

Left-wing Washington Post strikes again!

WP, Aug 30th

“The US military leadership is warning Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth against expanding the war in Iran, reports The Washington Post .

Even the current level of military operations against Iran is so demanding that the ability of the US military to protect the homeland could be weakened, commanders say.

The Washington Post has obtained the Secretary of Defense Orders Book, a bimonthly report that provides a snapshot of the capabilities and readiness of all branches of the nation's armed forces.

Behind the warnings directed at Hegseth are the commanders of the US Army, Navy, and Air Force, as well as commanders of units operating abroad.

Some commanders are openly opposing the deployment of troops to the Middle East. However, they are not going to refuse to follow the orders given to them.

The order also states that some of the troops stationed in the Middle East are intended to be kept in the region until the end of September, but some would remain in the region even next year.

The Pentagon is outraged by the leak of a classified document, reports the New Republic magazine.”

I doubt the veracity of the report… no matter, in my opinion, release of that information is treason! Discussions concerning defense of our country at the General Command level are held in the highest secrecy; leaking - and interpreting- the conversation with a toxic, liberal spin will put our military at risk!

An acquaintance of mine suggested PABA, political action by assassination. Too extreme for me, but arrest of the bastards and prosecution under appropriate penalties for treason are justified.

^^ That pretty big! Link for that??

quote:

Originally posted by nhracecraft:
^^ That pretty big! Link for that??

I subscribe to the Lib rags… I don’t have a hot link, only the WP Aug 30 date.

I go directly so I know what the enemy is thinking and publishing.

quote:

“The US military leadership is warning Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth against expanding the war in Iran, reports The Washington Post .

Even the current level of military operations against Iran is so demanding that the ability of the US military to protect the homeland could be weakened, commanders say.

The Washington Post has obtained the Secretary of Defense Orders Book, a bimonthly report that provides a snapshot of the capabilities and readiness of all branches of the nation's armed forces.

Internal Pentagon Spat Emerges Over Leaked Middle East Deployment Plans

A number of US military top generals have taken the rare step of formally registering warnings to Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth over potential plans for a new phase of strikes against a non-compliant Iran.

The warnings reportedly emerged through the Secretary of Defense Orders Book, which enumerates the availability of US military resources and force posture around the world - with direct input from American regional commanders.

The book is typically published twice a month, but this time it was reportedly filled with pushback by those overseeing operations in Latin America, Europe and Asia - who have seen training missions canceled, and ships and aircraft diverted to the Middle East for counter-Iran operations.

The Washington Post reported over the weekend that a chief complaint by the top officers was that the Iran conflict "has degraded their ability to fulfill homeland-defense obligations."

Amid fresh troop movements based on new orders reportedly issued in mid-August, commanders made clear they do not agree with the new force trajectory, but are ready to carry out the Commander-in-Chief's orders regardless.

https://www.zerohedge.com/mili...ast-deployment-plans

quote:

The Washington Post has obtained the Secretary of Defense Orders Book, a bimonthly report that provides a snapshot of the capabilities and readiness of all branches of the nation's armed forces.

This is the basis of my complaint ^^^^

The mere fact that they have a copy is firing squad worthy!

quote:

Originally posted by nhracecraft:
^^ That pretty big! Link for that??

I don't have a subscription to the Post, but here's the link.

quote:

Even the current level of military operations against Iran is so demanding that the ability of the US military to protect the homeland could be weakened, commanders say.

Assuming this statement is accurate, would these fools prefer planning homeland defense when NYC and/or DC are smoking piles of radioactive rubble? Seems like that might make the challenge a bit more difficult!

We completely defanged Irans ability to promulgate global terrorism and democrats make Trump out to be the bad guy. If we hadn’t stopped what the democrats put into motion with a nuclear capable Iran, either Tel Aviv or a major American port city would have been hit with at minimum a dirty bomb. Trump would have been blamed. The goal for the globalists couldn’t be more obvious.

According to a late Tuesday Trump Truth Social Post:

I’m not trying to force Iran to the bargaining table, as ABC Fake News reported. I couldn’t care less if they sign a worthless, to them, agreement. I like our position now much better, with almost total control of the Hormuz Strait, and their economy totally collapsing. They are just playing out the inevitable. When are the Iranian people going to rise up and fight?
-President DJT