4 hours ago, Callmeishmael said:

That is why the US Navy is staying out of the Straits of Hormuz and is not offering escort services to tanker convoys!

And yet Trump wants other countries to enter it. Let's see who's stupid enough to put up their hands.

If Trump really wants the strait open the first step would be for the US and Israel to stop bombing Iran not threaten to increase the attacks.

If that happens maybe Iran would stop and they could start talking.

Any deal with Iran is going to be a lot harder now than it would have been before.

Only after there is a deal and cessation of hostilities can the minesweepers operate effectively and safely.

1 hour ago, spidermike007 said:

Trump asserted that the US had “already destroyed 100% of Iran’s Military capability,” while conceding in the same breath that Tehran could still “send a drone or two, drop a mine, or deliver a close range missile” along the waterway.

He pledged that in the meantime, the US would be “bombing the hell out of the shoreline, and continually shooting Iranian Boats and Ships out of the water,” promising to get the strait “OPEN, SAFE, and FREE.”

A question for the intellectually deficient dingbat. If Iran's armed forces are 100% decapitated, why is there an ongoing conflict and why is the Strait still closed? Huh?

In response, Alireza Tangsiri, the navy chief of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said, “The Strait of Hormuz has not yet been militarily closed and is merely under control.”

In a post on X, he hit back against Trump’s comments, saying, “Americans falsely claimed the destruction of Iran’s navy. Then they falsely claimed the escorting of oil tankers. Now they’re even asking others for backup forces.”

Andreas Krieg, a Middle East security expert at King’s College London’s School of Security Studies, told Al Jazeera that Trump’s call for a coalition appeared to mask the absence of a broader plan to address the strait’s closure.

“It doesn’t seem like they had a plan for the Strait of Hormuz to be closed, and it seems like a desperate move in an information campaign to calm markets and that something magical will happen to open the straits short of actually engaging with the Iranian regime,” he said.

Krieg said there was no quick military solution to reopening the strait, as all Iran needed to do was strike occasionally to keep insurers away.

Sending naval vessels without a diplomatic agreement, he said, would only expose “very, very expensive military vessels to very cheap but potentially very effective projectiles”.

https://share.google/vNeEhcI1M8S9SSxM0

He'll be on TS soon, saying that the US needs the help now because up to date intelligence has revealed that Iran actually started of with 150% military capacity........THE ROTTEN CHEATS!

6 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

In your excitement to push your fabricated claim, you offered another imagined false claim of false flag operations from Israel. Israel did not lauch the ballistic missiles from Iran. the missiles were tracked.

Oman did not attack Iran. It did not permit bombing sorties from its base.

Qatar did not attack Iran . It did not permit bombing sorties from its base.

Turkiye and Azerbaijan had no involvement, yet were attacked.

The UAE did not attack Iran and expressly and publicly forbade any US activity on its soil.

Iraq did not allow air sorties from the US airbase in Iraq and was attacked by Iran.

Were you trying to make some kind of point? War is a very unpredictable thing and it's obvious that Iran is attempting to sew economic chaos in the region, and they are accomplishing exactly that.

This of course comes as a total surprise to the Trump folks, as their thinking tends to be very linear and very shallow.

The Gulf states have forbidden the US from using their bases to attack Iran, so what use are the bases for the Gulf states?

Perhaps the Americans will have to leave, as they had to in Thailand in 1975/6.

7 minutes ago, bannork said:

The Gulf states have forbidden the US from using their bases to attack Iran, so what use are the bases for the Gulf states?

Perhaps the Americans will have to leave, as they had to in Thailand in 1975/6.

Any nation that rejects America completely and totally right now, is a wise nation indeed.

The US is facing an existential crisis with a leader who is beyond the fringes of moral bankruptcy, the most corrupt leader in America's history by such a long shot, and seems to be completely immune to the dangers that he is creating with his spectacular levels of ignorance, hubris, hatred division and warfare.

Donald Trump is not a leader, he is a malignant tumor feeding on the body of America.

Reminds me of an old Kinks song...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xADEyl0_DWQ

5 hours ago, Callmeishmael said:

Any warship that sails into the Straits of Hormuz must be able to intercept ALL of the drones and missiles that the Iranians shoot at it. So, the US has to have 100% accuracy in interception, but the Iranians only have to hit a US ship once to send it back to the US for repairs.

That is why the US Navy is staying out of the Straits of Hormuz and is not offering escort services to tanker convoys!

I'm sure that USN analysts predicted this, but Trump and Hegseth were too busy bloviating

Now, now, no need to bring Melania into this!

7 hours ago, KhunLA said:

@Palatus

Since most of Iran's sea shipped oil leaves via Khang Island, then that a good bargaining chip for Iran to let non IR ships through the straits.

He already showed how venerable it is and can knock it out at any time.

Check ... your move

... "OK, how bout, if we let ship pass through, and you don't take out our pumping station at Khang Island"

43 minutes ago, spidermike007 said:

Were you trying to make some kind of point? War is a very unpredictable thing and it's obvious that Iran is attempting to sew economic chaos in the region, and they are accomplishing exactly that.

This of course comes as a total surprise to the Trump folks, as their thinking tends to be very linear and very shallow.

I was responding to false claims that;

1. The US military had flown sorties from several of the nations that were attacked by Iran.

2. That Israel had engaged in false flag attacks on Oman and others.

The faux outrage is ridiculous because it is not motivated by any genuine concern for the non-combatants. If Israel or the US had dumped ordinance on any of these countries, the very same people would be crying for blood and offering claims of conspiracy. I get it that the conflict is causing damage to many people and nations. However, it serves no purpose to make false claims other than to use the conflict as an opportunity to promote underlying extremist political views.

5 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Check ... your move

... "OK, how bout, if we let ship pass through, if you don't take out our pumping station at Khang Island"

You see, common sense, of a country with nothing to lose, and its' fight-to-the-death' IRGC, will just shut the strait, threaten fire and destruction of any ship that defies their order, and let the US keep bombing them. As we know from recent history, bombs and missiles (air campaign) is never enough. The US Gulf allies have already shut down/curtailed American forces from their shores, the US public wouldn't (IMO) ever condone a US ground invasion of Iran (unless they are ignorant and don't understand this is not Iraq or Grenada). The IRCG knows this, America's erst-while allies all know this. And the only people that don't see the sh!tshow ahead of them are Netanyahu and Trump.

Just now, Patong2021 said:

for

4 hours ago, Alan Zweibel said:

The Iranian oil still is going to China.

OK,China sources a little less than 50% of its oil and gas from the middle east and takes a large portion of the region's oil & gas exports. Something seems off. If the conflict impacts about 20% of the world's oil & gas supply, BEFORE China's portion is accounted for, then once the continuing Chinese share is accounted for, the impact on the world's supply should be around 10%-15%. Seems to me that the world's oil and gas supply is being gamed and that the countries in crisis have poorly managed energy supplies and reserves.

59 minutes ago, Usnh said:

Pretty much ANYTHING that comes out of the racist, white supremacist, piece of garbage,s mouth is a lie these days.

One would be a fool to trust him an inch !

What's your point? If Oman says it did not host any US military and did not allow any US sorties from its territory, then it is up to those claiming that Oman did or does, to support their claim. Trump does not represent Oman, nor has he spoken on its behalf.

2 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Check ... your move

... "OK, how bout, if we let ship pass through, and you don't take out our pumping station at Khang Island"

But right now, Iranian oil is being shipped from the island. In fact it's pretty much the only oil that's getting through. So why should Iran conclude a deal? I suspect that the US won't destroy Kharg's facilities because that would only drive the price of crude higher.

2 hours ago, Usnh said:

Pretty much ANYTHING that comes out of the racist, white supremacist, piece of garbage,s mouth is a lie these days.

One would be a fool to trust him an inch !

Quite bizarre. Trump has been proved correct on every issue I can think of, from the lefts "russian disinformation" laptop to the praised Nazi hoax. Each and every time gullible & low IQ leftists swallowed their beloved fake news media narratives, and each time after the pearl clutching and fainting couch moments passed it turned out Trump was factually correct.

Probably worth listening to the guy, unless of course you enjoy being misinformed?

5 hours ago, bannork said:

Without consulting the Europeans, Trump lifted the sanctions on buying Russian oil, which everybody knows means more money for Russia to build missiles, drones, etc to attack Ukraine.

It's the world's worst kept secret that Trump is Putin's asset and ally.

3 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

OK,China sources a little less than 50% of its oil and gas from the middle east and takes a large portion of the region's oil & gas exports. Something seems off. If the conflict impacts about 20% of the world's oil & gas supply, BEFORE China's portion is accounted for, then once the continuing Chinese share is accounted for, the impact on the world's supply should be around 10%-15%. Seems to me that the world's oil and gas supply is being gamed and that the countries in crisis have poorly managed energy supplies and reserves.

I believe 80% of the oil leaving Hormuz is headed for Asia. As to the different countries I'm not sure and can't be bothered to research. But the 80% figure is pretty solid.

4 hours ago, Usnh said:

Pretty much ANYTHING that comes ever came out of the racist, white supremacist, piece of garbage,s mouth is a lie.

Had to correct that. You also forgot to mention the insurrection, pardoning of drug barons, groveling at Putin's feet, fraud and sex convictions and the galactic scale corruption. Besides other things like 'universities' etc. too numerous to mention here.

I'm still, even after all this time stunned how such a piece of garbage could win an election. Even Hitler never got more than 32%.

Shame on you America!

1 hour ago, BusyB said:

It's the world's worst kept secret that Trump is Putin's asset and ally.

For sure. After all it was Trump that sold all our uranium to Putin wasn't it? Clearly an asset and ally.

3 hours ago, Alan Zweibel said:

But right now, Iranian oil is being shipped from the island. In fact it's pretty much the only oil that's getting through. So why should Iran conclude a deal? I suspect that the US won't destroy Kharg's facilities because that would only drive the price of crude higher.

Most of Iran's oil goes to CN, so no oil from Iran, wouldn't drive prices up.

14 minutes ago, Jim Blue said:

Don't you just love this guy !!!!!!!

Yes,

14 minutes ago, KhunLA said:

Most of Iran's oil goes to CN, so no oil from Iran, wouldn't drive prices up.

With no oil from Iran, China would seek oil elsewhere in the world, thus driving up the global price.

Apart from oil, substantial amounts of gas are exported via Hormuz Strait, and a third of the world's fertilizer source, urea.

5 hours ago, Alan Zweibel said:

But right now, Iranian oil is being shipped from the island. In fact it's pretty much the only oil that's getting through. So why should Iran conclude a deal? I suspect that the US won't destroy Kharg's facilities because that would only drive the price of crude higher.

What about the oil coming through the Saudi Red Sea port of Yanbu. Supposedly 7 million barrels a day.

On 3/15/2026 at 4:02 AM, Roadsternut said:

The request would be for minesweepers. The US have 4 Avenger class minesweepers left; the Patriot, Pioneer, Warrior and Chief. All currently based in Japan, and intended for scrapping in 2027. The Devastator, Sentry, Gladiator and Dextrous were previously in the Gulf, but were decomissioned September last year, and all have arrived at Philadelphia for scrapping.

So you're saying the most powerful navy in the world has no operational minesweepers? I find that hard to believe..

I would prefer to see my country (UK) sit on the sidelines.

Sorry Trump. You broke it, you own it.

Or, from Seinfeld, ”no soup(help) for you”.

Absolutely predictable Trump. He screws up, flips the narrative and blames others. Then walks away with the loot.

We have seen this in every undertaking from casinos to paying subcontractors to monetising the office of the President.

Lifelong conman.

9 hours ago, KhunLA said:

Most of Iran's oil goes to CN, so no oil from Iran, wouldn't drive prices up.

Because China wouldn't try to purchase oil from elsewhere? From an economic standpoint your comment makes no sense.

23 minutes ago, Alan Zweibel said:

Because China wouldn't try to purchase oil from elsewhere? From an economic standpoint your comment makes no sense.

9 hours ago, bannork said:

Yes,

With no oil from Iran, China would seek oil elsewhere in the world, thus driving up the global price.

Apart from oil, substantial amounts of gas are exported via Hormuz Strait, and a third of the world's fertilizer source, urea.

Considering CN only uses 16% of oil produced, and IR doesn't even make the top 5 exporters to, I don't think anyone would miss IR's oil exports, except IR.

Y'all keep spinning

7 hours ago, Hawaiian said:

What about the oil coming through the Saudi Red Sea port of Yanbu. Supposedly 7 million barrels a day.

Below is a link to a thorough and thoughtful exposition of these pipelines. Basically the article says that they were already in use before the war so there's only so much that can be pumped through them. And they can't be fully utilized because the terminus at the Yanbu port can only load, at most, 4.5 million bpd. At most. And about 2 million bpd of that capacity is already being utilized by a Saudi refinery on the Red Sea. In addition, those pipelines can only transport crude oil. A large percentage of the tankers passing through the straits carry refined distillates such as diesel or jet fuel.

Hormuz Bypass Infrastructure Was Sized for a Short Disruption. This Is Not That.

For four decades, Gulf oil producers made a calculated infrastructure bet: any closure of the Strait of Hormuz would be temporary and that partial bypass capacity—enough to bleed off pressure for days or weeks—was sufficient insurance.

The narrow waterway normally carries roughly 20 million barrels per day of petroleum liquids, approximately one-fifth of global consumption, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. There currently exist two overland pipelines built to bypass the strait, which can, at best, move 4 to 5 million barrels per day to export terminals.

https://www.enr.com/articles/62677-hormuz-bypass-infrastructure-was-sized-for-a-short-disruption-this-is-not-that

Don't worry. Trump's got his best people looking for the mines.