Quotes for Erik Prince, founder of Blackrock. That should help inject for reality into the quagmire.

9 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

There’s a lot of good opinion & insight on this forum - it’s not a sharp comment to dismiss the whole forum with ridicule - it’s arrogant in fact… Some of us have a very intertwined & deep level of experience in the Middle East.

The arrogance is the certainty that certain people with ulterior motives are credible sources of information. It is delusional to accept that people with no leadership experience, with no experience in command and control of military operations, with no diplomatic experience in the region are so well placed to offer expert analysis. By all means criticize an activity, but do so with an individual opinion, not cut and paste of disinformation.

19 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

Kharg is a red herring IMO - there is no strategic gain in taking the island or destroying infrastructure there - it will be needed in the recovery.

Qeshm on the other hand - it’s from there that Iran can & has been holding international shipping hostage with threats for decades.

Iran wants to monetize the Straits of Hormuz - this is a primary issue.

IMO - no Kharg is not a significant strategic gain - it’s a good threat but Iran intelligence will recognize the net loss for the US in destroying the infrastructure on the island.

Taking Qeshm is the strategic move & will require air raids, precision strikes, then boots on the ground - as Qeshm has significant military infrastructure - Take Qeshm & the gulf opens up - trade can flow freely without the Iranian threats.

Remove the IRGC & Islamic Republic regime and Irans people might be able to return to a free world & trade on level terms - sounds idealistic - But the end game it still to starve out a regime that has a barbaric stranglehold on is population.

It’s not simple - but I don’t think destruction of the infrastructure on the island of Kharg has any end game benefit. It’s already out of action with the choke point blockage at the straights.

And exactly how does the US military factor in the logistics of supplying and holding Qeshm Island would you think? A large, barren chunk of rock, when Iran holds the mainland, unlimited supply routes, and drone and missile supplies which will be directed in a never-ending barrage onto the invaders once they attempt a beachhead? The US troops will need to be resupplied. How? Both the air and sea will be killing zones.

All I can say is that in the spirit of imperial arrogance and hubris - go for it...find out.

• Area: Approximately 1,491 km² (576 sq mi). Some sources round it to about 1,500 km² (580 sq mi). This makes it roughly 2–2.5 times the size of Bahrain.

• Length: About 135 km (84 mi) from east to west.

• Width: Up to 40 km (25 mi) at its widest point (near the center); it narrows to as little as ~9.4 km (5.8 mi) at the narrowest point. The width often varies between 11–35 km depending on the section.

8 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

The arrogance is the certainty that certain people with ulterior motives are credible sources of information. It is delusional to accept that people with no leadership experience, with no experience in command and control of military operations, with no diplomatic experience in the region are so well placed to offer expert analysis. By all means criticize an activity, but do so with an individual opinion, not cut and paste of disinformation.

Fair point - but even the borrowed intimation presented my some - is solid information, so long as its sourced in a fair manner & without cherry picking & presenting huge bias.

5 minutes ago, connda said:

And exactly how does the US military factor in the logistics of supplying and holding Qeshm Island would you think? A large, barren chunk of rock, when Iran holds the mainland, unlimited supply routes, and drone and missile supplies which will be directed in a never-ending barrage onto the invaders once they attempt a beachhead? The US troops will need to be resupplied. How? Both the air and sea will be killing zones.

All I can say is that in the spirit of imperial arrogance and hubris - go for it...find out.

• Area: Approximately 1,491 km² (576 sq mi). Some sources round it to about 1,500 km² (580 sq mi). This makes it roughly 2–2.5 times the size of Bahrain.

• Length: About 135 km (84 mi) from east to west.

• Width: Up to 40 km (25 mi) at its widest point (near the center); it narrows to as little as ~9.4 km (5.8 mi) at the narrowest point. The width often varies between 11–35 km depending on the section.

Good questions… One I’m sure the military experts have already covered years ago. None of this is new to them.

Supplies through the GCC’s is the obvious answer.

1 hour ago, Tug said:

It doesn’t make sense to have our guys so far up inside the gulf in point blank range of the enemy……it does make sense to base power down in Dubai to react to any aggression at the choke point……..but it is Donald playing war leader so anything is possible…..sure glad I don’t have to obey the old dotard….just hope he doesn’t get any more GIs killed.Its a hot unessary mess of the first order.this debacle will have consequences lasting decades.

I am neither approving, nor disapproving. What I do know is that the location has been mapped out in detail. It is SOP in the US military for an invasion target to have had intensive surveillance activity, including covert visits. My hope is that a seizure of the location does not occur until Iranian and Yemeni retaliatory missile and drone capability is eliminated, which I think that we can both agree, is unlikely. Also, what we have not seen or heard, is the position of the Gulf Arabs. They are the ones who will suffer the brunt of the Iranian retaliation. If they are opposed, it would be unwise to proceed.

39 minutes ago, connda said:

A large, barren chunk of rock, when Iran holds the mainland, unlimited supply routes, and drone and missile supplies which will be directed in a never-ending barrage onto the invaders once they attempt a beachhead? The US troops will need to be resupplied. How? Both the air and sea will be killing zones.

On this point:

The strategic strength of Qeshm island first needs to be removed - potential ground ops would come after Iran’s supply & support networks are heavily disabled.

Then ground forces might secure the area.

Any mainland support & supplies to Iranian forces on & near the Island can equally be matched from GCC base support. Pretty much any Gulf Nation is within striking range.

Missiles that took out the desalination plant on Qeshm were fired from Bahrain.

Closer bases could offer the support required.

Thus is all guesswork of course - but I suspect a move on Qeshm will be soon & the talk of taking Taking Kharg is just talk - I can’t see the strategic advantage in that other than using it as a threat prior to negotiations.

If Iran’s oil supply hub were to be taken out - it could open the door for Iran to attack the oil & desalination networks regionally & they are very soft targets & the results would be devastating.

The reason it hasn’t done so already is because Iran doesn’t want to fight with its neighbors (yet) - it wants them onside so it can maintain regional dominance.

2 hours ago, Tug said:

……..but it is Donald playing war leader so anything is possible…..

That’s part of the ‘poker game’ of war - the IRGC & Iranian Republic leadership have to believe Trump will do anything…

Threatening to take out kharg is a move that potentially forces negotiation - the Iranian intelligence will see through the smoke & mirrors - however, with Trump there is plausibility in the suspicion that he’d carry out his threats - This is the only advantage I see in this move - it potentially brings Iran to the negotiation table. But that might be underestimating the regime / they know and negotiation involves the end of their power - this this the end game for them - they don’t fear loss or death - they have nothing to lose…

“We love death as much as you love life” - while the quote comes from Sunni jihadists - the Shi’a clerical leadership of Iran place a strong emphasis on martyrdom as honorable sacrifice - Ultimately - they have nothing to lose & that’s their bargaining chip.

14 hours ago, Patong2021 said:

The amount of military expertise and deep cultural insight provided by the resident self appointed experts of Thaiger's Asean Now forum is astounding. These experts with their reliance on AI generated tidbits just overflow with knowledge and experience. 🫡. Who would have expected that they would have selected Asean Now as their meeting place. 🤡

And not just AI generated tidbits. But actual links to so-called authoritative sources like military analysts and scholars at West Point. Why bother with them some members can provide compelling, if fictional, narratives?

19 minutes ago, richard_smith237 said:

That’s part of the ‘poker game’ of war - the IRGC & Iranian Republic leadership have to believe Trump will do anything…

Threatening to take out kharg is a move that potentially forces negotiation - the Iranian intelligence will see through the smoke & mirrors - however, with Trump there is plausibility in the suspicion that he’d carry out his threats - This is the only advantage I see in this move - it potentially brings Iran to the negotiation table. But that might be underestimating the regime / they know and negotiation involves the end of their power - this this the end game for them - they don’t fear loss or death - they have nothing to lose…

“We love death as much as you love life” - while the quote comes from Sunni jihadists - the Shi’a clerical leadership of Iran place a strong emphasis on martyrdom as honorable sacrifice - Ultimately - they have nothing to lose & that’s their bargaining chip.

There's seems to be an unexamined consensus that, at bottom, the Iranian regime hungers for martyrdom. They may talk a good game about it, but I doubt that a regime so deeply corrupt and incompetent in so many ways, is actively seeking martyrdom. That they are so vulnerable is a testimony to how corrupt they are. You can't get the kind of widespread and deep penetration that Israeli and American intelligence enjoy if the people running Iran weren't so motivated by the prospect of personal enrichment.

Of course, now that Donald Trump and the Israelis have threatened the Iranian regime with total destruction, what do they have to lose by threatening to take the world economy down with them? It's as close as they can come in strategic effect to possession of nuclear weapons with the possible exception of chemical weapons. But since the current US regime and the Israelis are prone to make stuff up on the slenderest of provocations, it seems to me unlikely that they do possess them.

Both Rubio, and now Hegseth have talked about creating a US empire “from Greenland to the Gulf of America to the Panama Canal and its surrounding countries. Called the Greater North America.”

The US will need more than two years to build that, so perhaps elections will be cancelled after all.

I wouldn’t be surprised that if Trump managed to take control of the Strait of Hormuz he would start blackmailing the GCC. “Give me money or oil!

3 hours ago, richard_smith237 said:

Kharg is a red herring IMO - there is no strategic gain in taking the island or destroying infrastructure there - it will be needed in the recovery.

Qeshm on the other hand - it’s from there that Iran can & has been holding international shipping hostage with threats for decades.

Iran wants to monetize the Straits of Hormuz - this is a primary issue.

IMO - no Kharg is not a significant strategic gain - it’s a good threat but Iran intelligence will recognize the net loss for the US in destroying the infrastructure on the island.

Taking Qeshm is the strategic move & will require air raids, precision strikes, then boots on the ground - as Qeshm has significant military infrastructure - Take Qeshm & the gulf opens up - trade can flow freely without the Iranian threats.

Remove the IRGC & Islamic Republic regime and Irans people might be able to return to a free world & trade on level terms - sounds idealistic - But the end game it still to starve out a regime that has a barbaric stranglehold on is population.

It’s not simple - but I don’t think destruction of the infrastructure on the island of Kharg has any end game benefit. It’s already out of action with the choke point blockage at the straights.

Cool story bro , can Disney has first dibs on the rights. And they all lived happily ever after.The End,

except they didn't.

Has the IDF actually offered to help this international coalition reopen the Straits? Of course not. They played a major hand in maneuvering the Trump administration into this conflict, yet now that the Strait of Hormuz is a 'multidimensional disaster,' the Israeli Navy is nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile, they’re getting hammered in Lebanon by a Hezbollah force they claim to 'destroy' every week, only for it to magically reappear and strike back. It seems the IDF is happy to let the U.S. handle the global fallout while they remain bogged down in a ground war they can't seem to finish.

5 hours ago, connda said:

And exactly how does the US military factor in the logistics of supplying and holding Qeshm Island would you think? A large, barren chunk of rock,

It is NOT a "barren rock" as it has a population of over 180,000 and is a major Iranian tourist site!

On 3/30/2026 at 2:59 PM, Patong2021 said:

The US military has already visited the island. All critical targets are identified. No island for Iran means no oil and gas revenue for Iran.

The Iranian have only seen a small amount of US capability.

You haven't won a war in 80 years.

GO Die for your master Trump !! no sympathy for you American fools!!!

On 3/30/2026 at 12:43 PM, JAG said:

I recently looked at a map of the Persian Gulf. I had always assumed that Kharg Island was at the entrance to the Gulf, pretty much part of the Straits of Hormuz. You can imagine my surprise when I discovered it was much further up the Gulf!

So the idea is to parachute and air land lightly equipped forces on an island heavily defended, and within artillery, drone and rocket range of the mainland. Any seaborne relief force will be stuck outside the Gulf, unable to pass through the Staits! The whole operation relying on an airbridge to an under fire dirt airstrip every detail of which will be registered by the Iranians. Hegseth, assuming you can read, go away and read up on the battles of Khe San and Dien Bien Phu.

Any troops you put in will end up with no resupply, no heavy weapons, and no casualty evacuation. It is entirely mad!

I don't know who is advising you, but any reasonably tactically aware "full screw" (corporal) writing a short essay for EPC(A) to qualify for advancement to sergeant could tell you that of all the silly ideas it is probably the silliest since Hitler ordered Schorners Army to move to the relef of Berlin! And like that order an absolute death sentence for the men, women and units involved!

Yes, I was thinking the same recently. Given the location of Kharg Island way inside the gulf, trying to take it by airborne troops with no naval back up is suicidal and very, very stupid.

28 minutes ago, ronnie50 said:

Yes, I was thinking the same recently. Given the location of Kharg Island way inside the gulf, trying to take it by airborne troops with no naval back up is suicidal and very, very stupid.

To quote a Yank !!! "Stupid is as stupid does" No sympathy on the yanks let them go die for there leader madman Trump!!

1 hour ago, FritsSikkink said:

You haven't won a war in 80 years.

When did they last win one on their own?

53 minutes ago, scottiejohn said:

When did they last win one on their own?

1898 Spanish-American War

6 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

You haven't won a war in 80 years.

Another nonsensical petty comment. Who is "you"?

6 hours ago, FritsSikkink said:

You haven't won a war in 80 years.

They rolled over Iraq in the first Gulf War.

9 hours ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

Has the IDF actually offered to help this international coalition reopen the Straits? Of course not. They played a major hand in maneuvering the Trump administration into this conflict, yet now that the Strait of Hormuz is a 'multidimensional disaster,' the Israeli Navy is nowhere to be seen. Meanwhile, they’re getting hammered in Lebanon by a Hezbollah force they claim to 'destroy' every week, only for it to magically reappear and strike back. It seems the IDF is happy to let the U.S. handle the global fallout while they remain bogged down in a ground war they can't seem to finish.

More nonsense. You are just looking for an opportunity to engage in your usual anti Israel politicking. Are you really this ignorant?

The Strait of Hormuz is being managed and handled by the Gulf Arabs. The Gulf arabs neither want, nor need the Israeli navy. It must upset you tremendously that the Arab world did not turn on Israel, and looked the otherway when there were over flights by the IAF. Israel is doing what the Arabs have wanted to do for decades but were blocked from doing so.

To the few of you wisely collecting the breadcrumbs dropped by your rapacious billionaires: you might buy enough runway to live out your days in comfort in some foreign tax haven but even Thailand is barely that now. But back in the "homeland," the mask has slipped.

The infrastructure isn't just aging; it’s collapsing. The population is, for the most part, either morbidly obese or ravaged by fentanyl and an inchoate, screaming anger as they tumble from the perch of exceptionalism. Trump isn't a saviour; he’s the final, desperate gasp of a dying man clutching at straws while the water rises.

You were a hell of a show while you lasted, and I'll give you this: you made great movies. But the theater is on fire now, and the audience has already left. time to bow the knee to Chaina and apologise.

8 minutes ago, Patong2021 said:

More nonsense. You are just looking for an opportunity to engage in your usual anti Israel politicking. Are you really this ignorant?

The Strait of Hormuz is being managed and handled by the Gulf Arabs. The Gulf arabs neither want, nor need the Israeli navy. It must upset you tremendously that the Arab world did not turn on Israel, and looked the otherway when there were over flights by the IAF. Israel is doing what the Arabs have wanted to do for decades but were blocked from doing so.

Let’s be clear: Trump currently has the 'begging bowl' out, and because he’s never been particularly strong on the facts, he’s styling this disaster his own way. But the reality is far uglier.

This entire regional war was egged on by Israel specifically by Netanyahu’s decades-long, singular obsession with Iran. Looked at through the lens of where we stand today, it is a complete and utter clusterf***.

Making a barbed point about Israel’s absence in the Strait of Hormuz isn't just 'politicking'; it is entirely warranted. You cannot maneuver the U.S. into a 'multidimensional' naval conflict and then vanish when the bill comes due. While the IDF remains bogged down in a Lebanese ground war they can’t seem to finish fighting a Hezbollah force that 'reappears' from the tunnels every time they claim it’s destroyed the U.S. Navy is left holding the line in the Gulf alone.

To make cheap points now, when those points have a firm basis in fact, is simply a fair approach to a game where the stakes are our own economic survival. The 'Spartans' started the fire, but they’ve left the everybody esle to man the pumps.

But onm that point you are right

The "Arab Veto"

This is the part the Trump administration won't say out loud: The Gulf Arabs won't allow it.

• While Saudi Arabia and the UAE "looked the other way" during the air strikes on Iran, having Israeli warships permanently stationed in the Persian Gulf is a different story.

• To the Arab street, that would look like an "occupation" of Islamic waters. Trump needs the Gulf states to keep their oil flowing (what little is getting out), and forcing an Israeli naval presence there would cause the entire regional coalition to collapse.

11 minutes ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

To the few of you wisely collecting the breadcrumbs dropped by your rapacious billionaires: you might buy enough runway to live out your days in comfort in some foreign tax haven but even Thailand is barely that now. But back in the "homeland," the mask has slipped.

The infrastructure isn't just aging; it’s collapsing. The population is, for the most part, either morbidly obese or ravaged by fentanyl and an inchoate, screaming anger as they tumble from the perch of exceptionalism. Trump isn't a saviour; he’s the final, desperate gasp of a dying man clutching at straws while the water rises.

You were a hell of a show while you lasted, and I'll give you this: you made great movies. But the theater is on fire now, and the audience has already left. time to bow the knee to Chaina and apologise.

The USA will be fine and will watch the dying empire access the pond known as the UK. Also, the continent of Europe will collapse under the weight of its social welfare state.  Enjoy the decline.

2 minutes ago, TedG said:

The USA will be fine and will watch the dying empire access the pond known as the UK. Also, the continent of Europe will collapse under the weight of its social welfare state.  Enjoy the decline.

With the muslamic hard work ethic and street level discpline imposed by the flashing blade of a Mohammden in the Caliphate of Londistan where I currently live under Sultan Khan I shall bow my head say Salam Malikhum and go merrily on my way.

Just now, beautifulthailand99 said:

With the muslamic hard work ethic and street level discpline imposed by the flashing blade of a Mohammden in the Caliphate of Londistan where I currently live under Sultan Khan I shall bow my head say Salam Malikhum and go merrily on my way.

Bless your heart.

21 minutes ago, beautifulthailand99 said:

The infrastructure isn't just aging; it’s collapsing. The population is, for the most part, either morbidly obese or ravaged by fentanyl and an inchoate, screaming anger as they tumble from the perch of exceptionalism

Oh BTW, don't throw stones in a glass house.

As of 2023-2024, approximately 64.5% of adults in England are classified as overweight or obese, with around 26.5% living with obesity. This trend shows a gradual increase in obesity rates over recent years, highlighting a significant public health concern in the UK

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/obesity-profile-may-2025-update/obesity-profile-short-statistical-commentary-may-2025

12 minutes ago, TedG said:

Oh BTW, don't throw stones in a glass house.

As of 2023-2024, approximately 64.5% of adults in England are classified as overweight or obese, with around 26.5% living with obesity. This trend shows a gradual increase in obesity rates over recent years, highlighting a significant public health concern in the UK

https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/obesity-profile-may-2025-update/obesity-profile-short-statistical-commentary-may-2025

Amercia tops that though with 74% of adults including your dear BigMac Commander-in-Chief .The irony isn't lost on me that if Trump was to join here as a poster he would probably be expelled and most of his posts would be zapped for using unapproved sources - "fake news" so twisting and exagerrtaing a few posts is all fair in love and war.