2 hours ago, stevenl said:

I just read some have turned back, but 20 went through.

Yes I seen that report now as well, but say the 20 that went through were commercials ships that didn't visit Iranian ports

18 hours ago, emptypockets said:

I read Iran supplies 80% of Chinese oil. Things could get messy very quickly.

Forget the renewable bs regarding China, they need oil.

Remember WW2 and the attack on Pearl Harbor was primarily caused by sanctions starving Japan of resources.

Nukes before Christmas anyone?

I think you may have misread that statistic. China takes 80-90% of the oil that Iran exports, but that only accounts for around 13% of China's oil imports.

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/chinas-heavy-reliance-iranian-oil-imports-2026-03-21/

China buys more than 80% of Iran's shipped oil, data for 2025 from analytics firm Kpler showed.

[...]

China purchased on average 1.38 million barrels per day of Iranian oil last year, according to Kpler. That ⁠represented about 13.4% of the total 10.27 million bpd of oil it imported by sea.

I believe Trackers on these vessels are like Transponders on an aircraft there is talk these can be interfered with to make it look as though there on the move when in fact there still at Anchor.

19 hours ago, CallumWK said:

Four?

That is more than before the blockade 🤣😂

https://finance.yahoo.com/sectors/energy/articles/us-sanctioned-tanker-tests-trump-024445421.html

(Bloomberg) -- A US-sanctioned tanker linked to China is sailing out of the Strait of Hormuz and into the Gulf of Oman, testing President Donald Trump’s naval blockade.

Rich Starry, a medium-range tanker earlier known as Full Star, was blacklisted by Washington in 2023 for helping Tehran evade energy sanctions. It is not clear on this occasion whether it visited Iranian ports before its transit, or is carrying cargo.

“At best, Trump’s announcement is a paper tiger. At worst, it marks an escalation,” said Carlos Casanova, senior Asia economist at Union Bancaire Privee in Hong Kong.

TACO by allowing the Chines thru

20 hours ago, Mavideol said:

not one but from BBC Verify 4 of them... such a blockade from the master of the flip flops

even Pakistan ship are allowed to go thru, I guess one gets special treatment if they kiss Trump's rear

How many ships are crossing the Strait of Hormuz?

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/ships-still-cautious-using-strait-162301435.html

I saw an interview with Trump yesterday, from 1987.

In it he said that if I was President, I would invade Iran and just take their oil. So it seems like he has had this idea for a long time.

and the latest news will make you laugh, Trump is ready to make as so he claims, don't worry, he didn't provide any time frame, he just said "I have a good feeling about a very good deal very soon, Iran his desperate for a deal and they are giving us the uranium" but he forgot to add that he's ready to pay them for all the troubles, he even called it the "Strait of Iran" LOL

https://s.yimg.com/ny/api/res/1.2/AGgL2n6Q8iMVmjO00upcXA--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTI0MDA7aD0xOTAyO2NmPXdlYnA-/https://media.zenfs.com/en/thedailybeast.com/abf266ce1499786d91fbb6b5eaf1f5a8

President Donald Trump is considering a deal with Iran that would return $20 billion in frozen assets back to the U.S. adversary, a new report alleges.

Trump Planning Jaw-Dropping Payment to Country He Bombed

https://au.yahoo.com/news/trump-planning-jaw-dropping-payment-162212072.html

and to show how good MAGA is doing, they asked for more money, much more money to support their unnecessary and stupid war, but when asked how much is it costing to the USA tax payers they decline to answer, the lame excuse is

Vought said the White House is working on a request for additional defense funding but declined to offer an estimate of how much the war has cost taxpayers so far, telling lawmakers that the costs “fluctuate” day to day.

Vought also declined to confirm reports that the administration is planning to submit a request for $80 billion to $100 billion to fund military operations against Iran.

White House budget director Vought declines to tell senators cost of Iran war

https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/white-house-budget-director-vought-192234237.html

the clown keeps making gaffe after gaffe, he's not mentally fit to run the country, they should force him to do a cognitive test

“A year ago, our country was an embarrassment,” Trump declared at an event in Las Vegas. “All over the world, they laughed at us.”

But there’s just one problem with his claim: One year ago was April 2025, and the president of the United States at that time was Trump.... LOL

Trump also said those people around the world “don’t laugh anymore.”... I do think they are laughing louder now

WHOOPS! Trump Just Accidentally Insulted Himself, And Critics Can't Stop Laughing

https://au.yahoo.com/news/whoops-trump-just-accidentally-insulted-085535035.html

On 4/13/2026 at 3:59 AM, Roadsternut said:

The Art of War according to Don Tzu. Break an Enemy Blockade by Blockading their Blockade.

The action, by stopping ships that have passed through the Straits (on the presumption they have paid some sort of toll) is intended to put pressure on China, who hasn't even started touching their reserves, but instead, it will likely bring some asian economies, such as the Phillippines and perhaps Thailand, to the point of collapse.

Thailand is largely dependant on Middle Eastern medium/heavy grade oil. It can't refine the lighter US oil that no one actually wants. It can buy more oil from Canada I suppose. PTT is also locked into long term contracts; it can't simply switch, and they are using Dubai Crude Benchmark pricing not West Texas Intermediate. In any case, US oil terminals are pretty much at maximum capacity providing orders to Japan, Korea and Europe.

America will be hurt economically by this war. Europe will be hurt. I've not see what are the impacts on the Israeli economy. They buy their oil via Russia from Kazakhstan, and get free bombs from the US, so I suspect they are sitting pretty.

Sun Tzu or 'Master Tzu' ??

7 minutes ago, orchidfan said:

Sun Tzu or 'Master Tzu' ??

You have no sense of humo(u)r.

2 minutes ago, Roadsternut said:

You have no sense of humo(u)r.

Missed the humour..sorry.

But the "Art of War" is a great read.

Don't think that the Trumpster has ready it....or any other book - except the "Art of the Deal", which I understand, he didn't even write, but took the credit, as is his way!

On 4/13/2026 at 3:59 AM, Roadsternut said:

The Art of War according to Don Tzu. Break an Enemy Blockade by Blockading their Blockade.

The action, by stopping ships that have passed through the Straits (on the presumption they have paid some sort of toll) is intended to put pressure on China, who hasn't even started touching their reserves, but instead, it will likely bring some asian economies, such as the Phillippines and perhaps Thailand, to the point of collapse.

Thailand is largely dependant on Middle Eastern medium/heavy grade oil. It can't refine the lighter US oil that no one actually wants. It can buy more oil from Canada I suppose. PTT is also locked into long term contracts; it can't simply switch, and they are using Dubai Crude Benchmark pricing not West Texas Intermediate. In any case, US oil terminals are pretty much at maximum capacity providing orders to Japan, Korea and Europe.

America will be hurt economically by this war. Europe will be hurt. I've not see what are the impacts on the Israeli economy. They buy their oil via Russia from Kazakhstan, and get free bombs from the US, so I suspect they are sitting pretty.

Old and a bit slow but i get it now...

From AI:

Turn the Tables: In modern interpretations of Sun Tzu (often coined as "Don Tzu" in contemporary political media), a popular interpretation is to "break an enemy blockade by blockading their blockade". This involves proactive, unconventional measures to force the opponent into a defensive stance, effectively taking the initiative. 

6 minutes ago, orchidfan said:

Old and a bit slow but i get it now...

From AI:

Turn the Tables: In modern interpretations of Sun Tzu (often coined as "Don Tzu" in contemporary political media), a popular interpretation is to "break an enemy blockade by blockading their blockade". This involves proactive, unconventional measures to force the opponent into a defensive stance, effectively taking the initiative. 

Lemme guess, GOPAI? AI, especially ChatGPT, will tell you whatever you want to hear. Taking the piss, not passing on a <deleted> complement.

Another AI states:

“Break an enemy blockade by blockading their blockade” isn’t clever—it’s ultimate loser wordplay dressed up as strategy. Only an idiot would suggest it: if you actually had the reach to pull that off, you wouldn’t be stuck behind a blockade in the first place. All it really promises is an expensive escalation loop and a lot of noise—less Sun Tzu, more playground “no, you.”

The answer depends entirely on how the question is framed. Thats the issue with LMMs.

On 4/18/2026 at 2:44 PM, Roadsternut said:

Lemme guess, GOPAI? AI, especially ChatGPT, will tell you whatever you want to hear. Taking the piss, not passing on a <deleted> complement.

Another AI states:

The answer depends entirely on how the question is framed. Thats the issue with LMMs.

Please note at Sun Tzu does not advocate this strategy, only the current comparison drawn in jest between Master Sun, and 'would be' Master Don J.

BTW. Google AI.