Iran/US conflict

[Onkel Neal]

https://www.foxnews.com/world/irania...-official-says

ive Iranian Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps gunboats tried to seize a British oil tanker in the Persian Gulf Wednesday but backed off after a British warship approached, a senior U.S. defense official told Fox News.

The British warship was said to have been less than 5 miles behind the tanker but soon intercepted the Iranian boats and threatened to open fire. A manned U.S. reconnaissance aircraft was above as well, the official said, adding that Iranian forces left without opening fire.

Yeah, the Royal Navy doesn't mess around.

[Skybird]

Yeah, the Royal Navy doesn't mess around.

Sure, but how many RN vessels exist on the planet any more, how many of them are at sea at once - and how many tankers pass through critical waters per day?

The Iranians probably will now work to improve their timing.

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Sure, but how many RN vessels exist on the planet any more, how many of them are at sea at once - and how many tankers pass through critical waters per day?

The Iranians probably will now work to improve their timing.

The Royal Navy has a frigate, four minehunters and a Royal Fleet Auxiliary support ship already stationed in a permanent Naval Support Facility in the region, at Mina Salman in Bahrain.

I should imagine at least one more frigate will be despatched to assist HMS Montrose.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-48946051

[Skybird]

You certainly understood the underlying problem I pointed at. Too low numbers in general.

Maybe have missile teams on tankers in that region from now on. A missile shot on a tanker may cauzse a whole and oil spilling out and fire. And it would get the Iranias a war shipped to them without further costs. But a missile with a suitable HE or fragmentation warhead hitting a speed boat makes short process with it.

[ikalugin]

I am not sure if that would be enough to run all the right tankers without bundling them into convoys. If the story is true ofc.

[Jimbuna]

Give the west a few days to organise themselves but if a tanker is attacked and set ablaze I think it would be western airpower and not navl that would bring about a heavy price to be paid.

[ikalugin]

And as we know airpower by itself is not enough.


Not that we would protest - it would drive oil prices and arms sales up.

[Aktungbby]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

The Royal Navy has a frigate, four minehunters and a Royal Fleet Auxiliary support ship already stationed in a permanent Naval Support Facility in the region, at Mina Salman in Bahrain.

I should imagine at least one more frigate will be despatched to assist HMS Montrose.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-48946051

WHAT WITH THE COMMANDEERED IRANIAN TANKER AT GIBRALTAR AND THE SIMILAR DETAINMENT OF THE NORTH KOREAN VESSEL 'WISE HONEST' NOW IN AMERICAN SAMOA AND MASSIVE SANCTIONS NOW IN PLACE AGAINST MALFEASORS IRAN AND FATBOY....WWIII IS WELL UNDERWAY AS WE MAKE THE 'HAVE NOTS' HAVE EVEN LESS. NUTHING WOULD PLEASE ME MORE THAN TO RESURRECT A RUST BUCKET TANKER AND ARM IT WITH AN ARRAY PHALANX GUNS HIDDEN LIKE THE OLD WWI Q SHIPS https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Q-ship (Attacks on merchant ships by pirates originating on the Somalia coast have brought suggestions from some security experts that Q-ships be used again to tempt pirates into attacking a well-defended ship.) AND LET THE IRANIANS APPROACH AT THEIR PERIL. RULE 1: NO STOPPIN' FOR SURVIVORS ALSO WE SHOULD POST FALSE NEWS THAT NEW KORAN TRANSLATION REVEALS THAT U DON'T GET 72 VIRGINS IN PARADISE IF U DIE ON JIHAD ....BY DROWNING-THAT SHOULD REDUCE JIHADIST ENTHUSIASM CONSIDERABLY! (PSYCHOLGICAL WARFARE??!!) PLAN B CALLS FOR A COMPLETE BLOCKADE OF HORMUZ BY SINKING ALA SCAPA FLOW STYLE BLOCK-SHIPS AND TURNING THE PERSIAN GULF INTO A PERMANENT LAKE; THEY' PAY TREMENDOUS FEE TO SHIP THRU OUR PIPELINES...WEIRDLY RENDERING UNTO IRAN WHAT IT IS CURRENTLY ATTEMPTING IN THE STRAIT. <PIPELINE ACROSS SAUDI ARABIA

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by ikalugin

And as we know airpower by itself is not enough.

There is more than sufficient airpower in the region to cause massive damage to the Iranian military infrastructure. Nobody is suggesting 'boots on Iranian territory.

Originally Posted by Commander Wallace

The U.S hardly has to justify it's actions to a regime like Iran. The U.S is merely using it's economic powers as it sees fit and the U.S is within it's rights to deny access to it's financial institutions. Actually, I'm sorry that Iran didn't attack the British tanker. Iran would have payed a terrible price.

That is my belief also

[ikalugin]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

There is more than sufficient airpower in the region to cause massive damage to the Iranian military infrastructure. Nobody is suggesting 'boots on Iranian territory.

Which is not enough to win the war or enact regime change. I am also uncertain that said airpower would be capable of removing Iranian capability to force significant attrition to the tankers passing the straits if not outright closing them, from Yemen experience for example.

[Onkel Neal]

Originally Posted by Skybird

Sure, but how many RN vessels exist on the planet any more, how many of them are at sea at once - and how many tankers pass through critical waters per day?

The Iranians probably will now work to improve their timing.

There only needs to be one as long as it's in the right place

Plus, the Royal Navy's auxiliary wing is the United States Navy.

[Skybird]

Nevertheless, taken for itself it hit the right guy. If you track events around Iran'S exporting of murderings and terror, you know his name is that of a murderer, terror master, bomb planter and villain. No tear is to be shed. Also, Iran is responisble for plenty of bloodshed and bombing attacks in Iraq. This man was hit by his own medicine while staying in his playground Iraq, planning new death and organising new terror. Sounds fair and just to me.

If Iran thinks it must escalate further from here, so be it. Their range of tools is wide and far-reaching, asymmetrical as well, yes. Should this be the reason why the West endlessly paralysis itself in fear and intimdiation and hysterical concern? If they prefer to hit back again, than we/the Us muts hit again as well - and even stronger. If you get hit, hit back adequately - plus X. The next retaliatory measure by the US may take place inside Iran.

It was clear for everybody that an attack like that on the US embassy could not remain unanswered without literally castrating yourself under the eyes of the world. The US had to deliver a fist.



Democrats once again makes me wondering whether I should cry or laugh about them.


Its election campaigning in the US. If i were Iran, I would be extremely careful now.


Gold prices over here went up by over 40 coins within just a few hours.

[ikalugin]

@skybird Ironically he may have been the moderate.

[Skybird]

Originally Posted by ikalugin

@skybird Ironically he may have been the moderate.

Sulaimani? A moderate? His name was on my mind since years. "Moderate" is not on my list of adjectives describing him. He was unfortunately very clever and unscrupoulous, which made him outstandingly dangerous, since he was very efficient. Its was a high-IQ target that was taken out here.


Al-Sadr calls his former militia back to arms. As a Westerner you better have no business to do in Iraq anymore. Or Iran. This all can lead to a nasty chapter in the all nasty Iraqi tale. Still I think the uS action was one of the possible and adequate actions. When somethign is a mess anyway, you cannot move without causing messy reactions.

[ikalugin]

Moderate as in moderate in comparison.


So you may end trading a moderate and cautious general for a more hot headed one.