News & views related to the war on Iran …
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August 2, 2026
Iran Open Thread 2026-165
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Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Aug 3 2026 5:12 utc | 90
United States General Accounting Office B-250335 October 1 1992
GAO/NSIAD-93-22R Postol’s Video Analysis.
https://www.gao.gov/assets/nsiad-93-22r.pdf
The New Yorker Sep 19, 1994 – Missile Wars – Seymour Hersh.
On April 16, 1991, three months after the Bush Administration’s triumphant intervention in the Gulf War, Les Aspin, who was then the chairman of the House Armed Services Committee, convened a hearing on the lessons to be learned from the Patriot missile’s performance and how that performance related to the future of the Reagan Strategic Defense Initiative.
…The second witness was Postol, who had been asked by Aspin to study the Patriot’s performance in combat and report what he found.
Read more on smry.ai: https://smry.ai/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1994/09/26/missile-wars#:~:text=The%20second%20witness%20was,report%20what%20he%20found.
Read more on smry.ai: https://smry.ai/https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/1994/09/26/missile-wars#:~:text=On%20April%2016%2C%201991%2C,Reagan%20Strategic%20Defense%20Initiative.
Hope this helps.
Posted by: Persona Non Grata | Aug 3 2026 6:18 utc | 101
More background information that might be interesting to some:
MIT Technology Review – Postol vs the Pentagon April 1, 2002.
https://www.technologyreview.com/2002/04/01/41113/postol-vs-the-pentagon/#:~:text=During%20what%20he%20calls%20a,already%20knew%20from%20unclassified%20sources.
Posted by: Persona Non Grata | Aug 3 2026 6:29 utc | 102
Arithmetic and Patriot Failure 1st Gulf War
On February 25, 1991, during the Gulf War, an American Patriot Missile battery in Dharan, Saudi Arabia, failed to intercept an incoming Iraqi Scud missile. The Scud struck an American Army barracks and killed 28 soldiers.
American Missile Defenses’ Repeated Combat Failures; Implications for East Asia and the Middle East – Part Two
Theodore Postol, Amercian professor of Science, Technology and International Security at the Masseuses Institute of Technology (MIT), a leading expert in missile defence technology, himself studied the performance of the Patriot in the Gulf War.
Priority selling weapons, endangering lives
Re: Persona Non Grata | Aug 3 2026 6:29 utc | 102
Excellent 👍
Israel’s wars as lab for innovation battle tested weapons systems
Elbit Systems, Israel’s largest listed company by market value, provides a useful benchmark. Its backlog, which stood at $13.7 billion at the end of 2021, rose to $28.1 billion by the close of 2025. The increase reflects continued momentum in international orders, as noted by the company’s CFO, Kobi Kagan. Around 72% of the backlog originates from outside Israel, with more than half scheduled for delivery over 2026 and 2027.
Murder Inc. is a profitable business on the global marketplace.
Keeping genocide alive and running …
My suggestion they won’t like……….surrender now before things get worse.
RE: Posted by: psychohistorian | Aug 3 2026 6:09 utc | 99
they’ll surrender alright, but it won’t be called that by them/USA.
and they should perhaps do it soon, before one of their big ships like a destroyer or carrier gets hit, and in really really big trouble.
Posted by: michaelj72 | Aug 3 2026 7:04 utc | 106
Am I correct to assume nobody here considers 32 year old testimony about an AD asset might be just a tad out of date on current tech performance statistics? Postel is good, but is this good?
Posted by: Asian Tiger | Aug 3 2026 7:05 utc | 107
They demand that Palestine be at least the size of two window-boxes and a small plant pot. Somewhere. Surely that is more than enough to prove the Saudis and Emirate Oligarchs are not hypocritical Zionist arse-lickers?
Posted by: Cynic | Aug 2 2026 14:53 utc | 26
Ill-informed cynicism is just proof of ignorance. You have to have explained to you what I’ve been saying on MoA for years. MBS is not a free actor (very different from Gulf states such as UAE). He is under pressure from a large pro-Palestinian population, who are quite capable of being restive under Najdi domination.
Posted by: Laguerre | Aug 3 2026 7:21 utc | 108
LOL! alert From Iranintl
CENTCOM seeks creative and unconventional ways to pressure Iran – CNN
US Central Command has solicited ideas from military analysts for “new creative and unconventional ways to pressure and punish Iran,” CNN reported on Monday, citing two sources familiar with the request.A senior officer in CENTCOM’s intelligence branch sent the request by email to a broad group of analysts on Wednesday, according to the report.The report called the move an unusual crowdsourcing approach that reflected the limited and potentially unpalatable options available to President Donald Trump.CENTCOM spokesperson Captain Timothy Hawkins said that the command has a history of working innovatively, adding that, “Admiral Cooper, in particular, reaches out to members of our great team, regardless of rank, to achieve the highest levels of operational performance possible.”
My suggestion they won’t like……….surrender now before things get worse.
Posted by: psychohistorian | Aug 3 2026 6:09 utc | 99
🙂 Oh, that’s easy! All you need to do is show the high crimes and misdemeanors the bad cooks of America can do to saffron rice.
😉 Bonus points if you show the crunchy rice at the bottom, the tah dig, being discarded outright as “inedible burnt bits”.
🙁 Food crimes however strike at one’s soul. It is a power best refrained lest the spirits of all that is good and tasty bring forth relentless & righteous vengeance.
Posted by: tirmouse | Aug 3 2026 7:26 utc | 109
Oh no! I pecked the wrong key! I am no longer a tit, but a boob!
Posted by: titmouse | Aug 3 2026 7:30 utc | 110
Thanks for the correction on Prof Postol @ Persona Non Grata.
I think it was his hypersonic debunking that was faulty. But not being a mathematician myself, I cannot comment.
JackG, there will be no announced lifting of any blockade, just a fade out.
MoU #9 – Withdrawal from broader WA/ME region, almost completed.
Posted by: Suresh | Aug 3 2026 7:49 utc | 111
https://x.com/IranObserver0/status/2083915730420998581
Iran Observer @IranObserver0
⚡️BREAKING: Pentagon has Withdrawn American Forces from their Bases in Bahrain and Kuwait due to intensified Iranian Strikes – FT
American Troops are Transferred to Israel and Europe
—————————–
https://x.com/anyaparampil/status/2083289964419457299
Anya Parampil @anyaparampil
Today, the Moroccan government is much more of a colonial power than weak, broken down Spain.
The only literal colony that exists in Africa today is the Western Sahara. Under Moroccan occupation.
Morocco is the Israel of North Africa.
https://x.com/dannydanon/status/2082968903957770527
Danny Danon 🇮🇱 דני דנון @dannydanon
Spain, which never misses an opportunity to lecture Israel, has declared a state of emergency in Ceuta following the crisis over its immigration policy.
Maybe before it continues lecturing us, it’s time it explained to the world why it still maintains colonial enclaves in Africa.
Posted by: michaelj72 | Aug 3 2026 7:52 utc | 112
Trump’s latest Iran ‘deal’ | John Mearsheimer (US Conservative-Iran has won the war) & Paul Kelly (MSM Murdoch journo) with Tom Switzer (Australia MSM conservative journo)
47 minutes – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NK2bXNF14mM
Make of it what you will. Sunday night US time
Posted by: Asian Tiger | Aug 3 2026 8:10 utc | 113
Posted by: Asian Tiger | Aug 3 2026 7:05 utc | 107
“Am I correct to assume nobody here considers 32 year old testimony about an AD asset might be just a tad out of date…”
I have no qualifications or expertise to comment with any authority.
So, to the best of my understanding… during one of his interviews that I watched he did address the issue of the newer generation of Patriot and their similar lack of success in intercepting incoming missiles.
From my understanding the ‘base’ underlying technology has not changed – the electronics etc. have been updated, but the flawed ‘method’ of interception has not substantially changed. The Patriot relies on a fairly predictable flight path of it’s incoming target, it has the ability to manoeuvre, course correct and recalculate an intercept vector, but just can’t do it fast enough.
During the interview he did show videos of Patriots being fired and missing from this recent conflict. He indicated also that he could not determine which generation of Patriot was being fired, the newer or the older versions. But he did do some analysis on these videos which to me, a somewhat ignorant layman, to be quite convincing when compared to the original Iraqi war videos.
I am not here to convince anyone of the veracity of his claims, but I think the various satellite images and resulting ‘bomb damage’ prove him to be somewhat correct.
Only time will tell.
Posted by: Persona Non Grata | Aug 3 2026 8:12 utc | 114
michaelj72 | Aug 3 2026 7:52 utc | 112
FYI the greatest number of direct Jewish immigrants to Israel of any nation came from Morocco in the 60s ( it think it was 160K) – their descendants now more than 1 million.
Posted by: Asian Tiger | Aug 3 2026 8:13 utc | 115
Persona Non Grata | Aug 3 2026 8:12 utc | 114
Thanks for extra perspective; patriots sure do not appear to have a very good success record in Ukraine, but I do not know of the scientific statistical analysis of it. I know an US officer inside the program who should know, but would not dare ask them, or risk compromising them, or our relationship.
Posted by: Asian Tiger | Aug 3 2026 8:18 utc | 116
Jews run foreign policy, jews control the money supply, they run the media, they run Hollywood, they are anti-christian, they hatw non-Jews and see them as a means to an end, and the Zionist Jews control the US to pressure a pedophile to attack Iran even though this pedophile said that War against Iran is immature 10 years ago.
So… Will Trump go against his masters, or will be be JFK’d?
Likely he is there for more money, and screwing the market on top of Iranian lives for his Zio Satanist masters.
Posted by: A | Aug 3 2026 8:36 utc | 117
How did you do that, I’m intrigued, changing the posted by name.
Posted by: Onehunglo | Aug 3 2026 9:03 utc | 118
Scott Ritter thinking deep:
https://youtube.com/shorts/jgZCNoQzAJQ?si=izhmegLWfqfwuNIH
Israel is 100% happy for Iran to destroy all US allies in West Asia, because this will assist the creation of Greater Israel, by putting the clock back 100 years.
In fact Political Islam, incorporating Muslim Brotherhood and Isis , under USUKIS, cares nothing about the West’s energy and financial crisis.
They will run the Muslim countries of West Asia on the same Zionist franchise as Jewlani in Syria and Daesh in Libya, after the Gulfies’ and Kurdistan’s oil has been taken over by the CuntCult.
Posted by: Giyane | Aug 3 2026 9:15 utc | 120
RE:
“My suggestion they won’t like……….surrender now before things get worse.”
Posted by: psychohistorian | Aug 3 2026 6:09 utc | 99
”New and creative” things eh?
Guess the toolbox of:
assassinations, regime change, sanctions, NGO infiltration, media campaigns, UNSC demands, ISIS/ISIL/Takfiris attacks, paid provocations, internal spy networks, isolation, bribery, blackmail, perfidy, deceptions, bombing allies, regional political interference, threats, IAEA bribery’s , more sanctions, bombing campaigns day and night…
Not much left in toolbox that’s new and creative as Centcom evaluates:
1) Mass use of Chemical Weapons
2) Bioweapons
Indeed, should surrender, but they never will.
Posted by: Trubind1 | Aug 3 2026 10:51 utc | 121
Laguerre 108
This is an excellent , if Salafi biassed , pocket history of Iran
https://youtu.be/Prl7L8-tQ6A?si=S-54thcdnAIZZ0aP
It is Salafism which most objects to Shi’a Islam , and USUKIS are using this stubborn inflexibility to divide and Rule West Asia.
It seems that God has saved Iran from being 100% owned by USUKIS, by converting the country from Sunni to Shi’a Islam 100 years ago. And for this reason Iran has retained its self-respect and honour, under Shi’a Islam, while MB and Salafis sold out to USUKIS long ago.
The Safifis are too proud to admit their criminality in Islam by allying themselves with the enemies of Islam.
It is Salafism that must change its snivelling, grovelling relationship with USUKIS , not Iran , imho. But they are much too arrogant to do so.
Posted by: Giyane | Aug 3 2026 10:54 utc | 122
122
Laguerre,
BTW, not expecting you to agree, even remotely, because you part of USUKIS.
But wise Salafists must be slowly realising that they’re in somebody else’s bedroom, being married to Nutter, Smutter , Trump and Croco Bugger Queer.
Posted by: Giyane | Aug 3 2026 11:00 utc | 123
TASS
https://tass.com/world/2168291
“
“Iran not conducting any talks US, continuing dialogue only with Oman — diplomat”
“According to Iranian Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei, negotiations are underway to reach an agreement on a route that will ensure safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz”
TEHRAN, August 3. /TASS/. US President Donald Trump’s statements on negotiations between Tehran and Washington are false; Iran is negotiating only with Oman on the issue of ensuring safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, Foreign Ministry Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei stated.”
“At this time, we are not engaged in any talks with the US. Negotiations are underway with Oman to reach an agreement on a route that will ensure safe navigation through the Strait of Hormuz,” the Iranian diplomat told reporters.”
“Earlier, Trump announced that the US and Iran would begin negotiations on a peace deal on August 3. In addition, the US leader wrote on his Truth Social page that he had agreed to call off a planned massive strike against Iran in order to reach a deal with Tehran.”
Posted by: Trubind1 | Aug 3 2026 11:09 utc | 124
Trubind1 121
By great coincidence , or is it serendipity, Dr Fauci is undergoing the Dr Faustus meeting with the devil , right now.
Disbelievers, look at God’s Power and believe. ,
Posted by: Giyane | Aug 3 2026 11:09 utc | 125
RE:
“Likely he is there for more money, and screwing the market on top of Iranian lives for his Zio Satanist masters.”
Posted by: A | Aug 3 2026 8:36 utc | 117
Matters not, they are both wholly owned and operated by their slave masters:
Central Banks
IMF/BIS/World Bank
Stock Market Investors
Both are serving the global god of Mammon.
Both will be destroyed by their greed.
Posted by: Trubind1 | Aug 3 2026 11:14 utc | 127
RE:
For Truth Social , read Damned Lies.
Posted by: Giyane | Aug 3 2026 11:12 utc | 125
LOL, AKA: “Un-Truth Anti-Social thread”
But hey, for a 100k a month, you too can participate in early postings for trading tips…
Posted by: Trubind1 | Aug 3 2026 11:17 utc | 128
RE: Posted by: Giyane | Aug 3 2026 11:09 utc | 124
Agreed, Fauci tip of iceberg. No idea what the Sorcerer’s are currently brewing in their iron cauldrons.
But am certain, they don’t have the final say…
Posted by: Trubind1 | Aug 3 2026 11:23 utc | 129
Posted by: Persona Non Grata | Aug 3 2026 6:29 utc | 102
Absolutely thank you. Not PNG as far as I’m concerned wink nod. Hat tip with my soggy tricorn.
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Aug 3 2026 11:37 utc | 130
A captain of the US ballistic missile submarine West-Virginia was sacked. Did he refuse to launch nuclear weapons on Iran?
https://x.com/calvinfroedge/status/2084226490711912856
Posted by: unimperator | Aug 3 2026 12:33 utc | 132
Sammur is an Arabic name, so this could just be Knobbreath’s DT hallucinations.
Posted by: Giyane | Aug 3 2026 12:55 utc | 133
ChatNPC@50:
“Thanks. Pravin Sawhney gives a very good analysis.”
You’re welcome. We agree.
Posted by: John Gilberts | Aug 3 2026 12:56 utc | 134
RE: “A captain of the US ballistic missile submarine West-Virginia was sacked. Did he refuse to launch nuclear weapons on Iran?”
https://x.com/calvinfroedge/status/2084226490711912856Posted by: unimperator | Aug 3 2026 12:33 utc | 132
Commenter:
“When you refuse to throw an ICBM at a daycare center.”
Posted by: Trubind1 | Aug 3 2026 13:02 utc | 135
JF: Alastair Crooke
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OodpVGO8Yf0
“Trump in a box of his own making.”
‘Israel is keeping Israel as a big card still to play.’
DW: Col Jacques Baud
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V8pnCinQfFs
“Iran defies Trump, targets ship in Strait of Hormuz hours after statement.”
Posted by: John Gilberts | Aug 3 2026 13:08 utc | 136
Psycho h 86-87
Use MoA telegram for pics, maps charts etc
?
Posted by: Jo | Aug 3 2026 13:31 utc | 137
>Iran said on Monday there were no talks under way with the United States and no plans for any meetings, contradicting U.S. President Donald Trump who had cited talks he said would take place Monday afternoon as justification for calling off attacks.
Yet Iran is not shooting, and since not shooting, must be talking. Why do they keep repeating this lie? Oh right, because it’s a nation of liars and rug salesmen.
Posted by: catdog | Aug 3 2026 14:00 utc | 138
Laguerre,BTW, not expecting you to agree, even remotely, because you part of USUKIS.
Posted by: Giyane | Aug 3 2026 11:00 utc | 123
Haha. A joke, I guess.
Posted by: Laguerre | Aug 3 2026 14:09 utc | 139
re: “Am I correct to assume nobody here considers 32 year old testimony about an AD asset might be just a tad out of date on current tech performance statistics? Postel is good, but is this good?
Posted by: Asian Tiger | Aug 3 2026 7:05 utc | 107“
All you have to do is look at the remains of the US military bases around the Persian Gulf. How well did the vaunted US THAAD and Patriot missile systems protect them? The US has been driven from the Gulf because its air defense systems were an utter failure.
That is good enough “current” evidence to convince me that Postal was correct all along.
Posted by: Perimetr | Aug 3 2026 14:12 utc | 140
*Postol* not Postal (thanks again to autocorrect for fixing my posts :/
Posted by: Perimetr | Aug 3 2026 14:15 utc | 141
All you have to do is look at the remains of the US military bases around the Persian Gulf.
ditto for Rust Dome
Posted by: Exile | Aug 3 2026 14:29 utc | 142
Iran Said Reports of Renewed Talks With the US Are False
https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2084282794230890767
- “Iran said reports of renewed talks with the United States are false, and accused Israel of continuing a genocide in Gaza while extending its attacks across the region with US backing.
- Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said Iran is not expecting any foreign delegations from Qatar or Pakistan, and has no plans to send delegations abroad in the coming days, dismissing reports that negotiations with Washington have resumed.
- He said Israel’s assaults on Gaza have continued despite a ceasefire declared around 10 months ago, describing the killings as an ongoing genocide. Baghaei said over 1200 Palestinians have been killed since the ceasefire, including 30 over the past two days, while Israeli attacks and border violations also continue in S Lebanon.
- Baghaei blamed the continued violence on the United States’ comprehensive support for Israel, accusing the silent international community and the United Nations of failing to stop the ongoing genocide.”
Silence is complicity. Resist don’t collaborate. Death to USrael. Victory to Iran and the Resistance. Free Palestine from the River to the Sea.
Posted by: John Gilberts | Aug 3 2026 14:50 utc | 143
Has Iran fired any missiles or drones at Israeli since the MOU was ‘signed’? I know they have fired on a number of the Gulf States. I believe the Houthi’s did once or twice. If Iran as not, any ideas why not?
Posted by: ed4 | Aug 2 2026 12:01 utc | 4
I get the feeling that iran is working a plan.
To date they respond to US attacks with well thought out attacks. They don’t for example fire at US targets that would cause mass casualties such as off base hotels housing US soldiers mover there to keep them safe … they know where they are … they just avoid them. They could sink a US warship. They have the weapons and the targetting resolution to hit one but they don’t.
I suspect their strategy is to not give the USA / Israel a mass casualty event that rallies support. You can think up some bullshit excuse for ending the war without achieving objectives and be forgiven but if you start seeing US / Israeli casualties by the hundreds and thousands they’re honor bound to fight to the finish.
Iran doesn’t want further war … they want the USA out of the gulf and Israel casterated and docile.
Posted by: HB_Norica | Aug 3 2026 14:51 utc | 144
The US has been driven from the Gulf because its air defense systems were an utter failure.
Posted by: Perimetr | Aug 3 2026 14:12 utc | 140
If the US has been “driven from the Gulf”, why was Iran still launching drones at a US military base located just 70 miles from the Iranian border as recently as three days ago?
Posted by: catdog | Aug 3 2026 14:51 utc | 145
Posted by: HB_Norica | Aug 3 2026 14:51 utc | 144
What you are describing is a “plan” where Iran loses on purpose.
If Iran wants to end the war, all they have to do is stop attacking civilian shipping.
Posted by: catdog | Aug 3 2026 14:55 utc | 146
Trump’s Negotiation BULL 🐂
Dream team Witkoff-Kushner NOT negotiating with the EVIL triad … both are not welcome in Moscow or in the building housing Iranian envoys. Great 🔥 risk of becoming part of a decapitating strike 😆 by friendly forces.
Recent so-called negotiations with Iran was in Qatar w/o Iran. Circling the wagons in a defensive posture, bringing shaking Arab States back into the fold of Washington DC under the “umbrella” of minister of war Pete Hegseth. What a clown 🤡
If Iran wants to end the war, all they have to do is stop attacking civilian shipping.
Posted by: catdog | Aug 3 2026 14:55 utc | 146
You mean like it was before they were attacked by the US?
Posted by: arby | Aug 3 2026 15:02 utc | 148
“If Iran wants to end the war, all they have to do is stop attacking civilian shipping.”
~ catdog | Aug 3 2026 14:55 utc | 146
And collect the toll.
Posted by: Strange Bedfellow | Aug 3 2026 15:03 utc | 149
Maybe they can get the Lego guys to dispense complimentary Tollhouse cookies to all the payers so they can all feel good about it.
Maybe all the explosions we’re seeing and all the satellite images depicting destruction are all AI and nothing at all is happening in the Middle East (AKA, West Asia), like a life-sized Plato’s Cave. 😉
Posted by: Strange Bedfellow | Aug 3 2026 15:08 utc | 150
The US has been driven from the Gulf because its air defense systems were an utter failure.
Posted by: Perimetr | Aug 3 2026 14:12 utc | 140
Without any detailed account it is difficult to judge what factors played into the Iranean success. Maybe the american AD systems were depleted. They are not designed for large amounts of incoming objects. Maybe Iran had good knowledge of where the systems were located, as the Ukros do in Russia. Maybe they were able to take out the ADs, which is always possible, once you know the location of the system. Ukros and Russians do it all the time.
When Yemen first hit the Saudi refinery, many years ago, that was done by slow drones. Back then the story was that the Patriot only covered a limited area and that the drones simply came from ‘behind’ where no Patriot was pointing. The Patriot thus never even engaged. That clearly is a limitation for an AD system that needs to be amended and maybe more modern versions have done so.
Which ever the case, from all I have heard over the last five years about Patriots, their greatest weakness simply is the very low number of available interceptors, which also cost unreasonable amounts of money. The US/NATO with it’s profit orientation favors expensive stuff, unsuitable for the current mode of warfare.
That should not lead to an underestimation of their overall ability to win wars. Syria took some time, so did Venezuela and Cuba still pending. This is not over just because the US has not won this round. It’s a huge war machine and it can activate proxies and their corrupt regimes while looking for new ways to harm anyone who resists. The mask of cooperative display is off, the empire has shown it’s war face. There is no turning back now. It will have to succeed or the slave states might switch sides. Servi non semper fidi sunt.
Posted by: Hamburger | Aug 3 2026 15:10 utc | 151
I’m unconcerned about the “Iran vs USReal” shoot out, as eventually, Israel will inevitably do something stupid, as in fire on Iran on their own.
They won’t be able to help themselves, bloodlust is their mode.
Posted by: Trubind1 | Aug 3 2026 15:12 utc | 152
You mean like it was before they were surprise attacked by Netanyahu
the US?
Posted by: arby
fixed it for you
Posted by: Exile | Aug 3 2026 15:12 utc | 153
If Iran wants to end the war, all they have to do is stop attacking civilian shipping.
Posted by: catdog | Aug 3 2026 14:55 utc | 146
—
What does civilian shipping have to do with the Yinon plan?
Posted by: too scents | Aug 3 2026 15:17 utc | 154
RE: Posted by: Hamburger | Aug 3 2026 15:10 utc | 151
IMO, regardless of “A/D Systems”.. the basics are gone or in low supply, that’s why they’re pulling out & moving around:
- Maintenance/Repair Buildings
- Troop Housing
- Radar systems for early warning
- Food, toilet paper, water
- Airfields damaged/destroyed
Bottom line, no cargo ships getting into Bahrain/Kuwait, unloading of mass supplies and equipment, is over without cargo ship containers.
Everything has to be trucked, trained, or flown in.
Its not all about what’s not getting out of the straights, it’s what not getting in.
Posted by: Trubind1 | Aug 3 2026 15:25 utc | 155
RE: “fixed it for you”
Posted by: Exile | Aug 3 2026 15:12 utc | 153
Perfect 🍺
Posted by: Trubind1 | Aug 3 2026 15:28 utc | 156
re: “If the US has been “driven from the Gulf”, why was Iran still launching drones at a US military base located just 70 miles from the Iranian border as recently as three days ago?
Posted by: catdog | Aug 3 2026 14:51 utc | 145“
From a news report in July:
The Wall Street Journal reports U.S. Central Command, or CENTCOM, is considering abandoning military bases in Gulf nations including Bahrain, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, to be replaced with new bases in Israel. This comes after Iranian attacks earlier this year caused damage to at least 20 U.S. bases across the Gulf. This is former CENTCOM commander, retired General Frank McKenzie, speaking in a recent webinar.
Frank McKenzie: “No one in their right mind would ever put the CENTCOM forward headquarters, you know, a hundred miles away from Iran. Yet that’s where it is.”
McKenzie’s statements came four months after it was reported that :
13 U.S. Bases in Middle East Nearly Uninhabitable After Iran Missile Strikes — CENTCOM Forced to Disperse Troops as War Reshapes American Force Posture
Posted by: Perimetr | Aug 3 2026 15:45 utc | 157
From Iranintl
Trump says US blockade to remain until Iran deal or ‘total surrender’
US President Donald Trump said Monday the United States would maintain its naval blockade of Iran until “a deal or total surrender is accomplished.”
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the US Navy completely controlled the Strait of Hormuz and that nothing would reach Iran unless Washington allowed it.
He also said talks with Tehran had begun, with more scheduled in the immediate future, despite Iran’s public denial that discussions with the United States were taking place.
Posted by: psychohistorian | Aug 3 2026 15:48 utc | 158
Journalist Suhaib Al-Masalma
– “Trump:
The Iranian leadership is incredibly deceitful! They ask for a meeting, some might even say ‘beg’, and talks begin, with dates set for more in the near future, and then they say, very proudly, that they are not having any discussions, nothing is being discussed, and that they are only dealing with ‘Oman.’ Then they launch into their usual blather saying that the Strait of Hormuz will be aggressively managed by them, when it is already completely under the control of the US Navy and ‘our blockade’ or as some call it. “The United States’ steel wall!” President Donald J. Trump”
– “Pakistan and Turkey deny that there was any date for today’s talks with America and Iran, as “liar” Trump said.”
– “An Iranian source says that Iran has rejected an American proposal to open the Strait of Hormuz on American conditions”
– “A senior Israeli political source, “Shaklo Netanyahu,” says:
Israel will not retreat from the current line in the Gaza Strip and will continue to fight any threat to its citizens and soldiers.”
Posted by: Ornot | Aug 3 2026 16:14 utc | 160
Giyane- “It seems that God has saved Iran from being 100% owned by USUKIS, by converting the country from Sunni to Shi’a Islam 100 years ago.”
Iran was converted from mostly Sunni to mostly Shia about 500 years ago during the Safavid dynasty. The Safavi were native Azaris who were Shia and who wanted to convert mainland Iran mostly as a tool to differentiate it from the Ottoman Empire, who were Sunni and whose sultan was the Khalif to boot. So it was about nationalism mainly, as it often is …
Posted by: Caliman | Aug 3 2026 16:16 utc | 161
Re: Ornot | Aug 3 2026 16:10 utc | 159
Find the differences …
N E T A N Y A H U
“Trump says Iran’s choices limited to ‘a deal or total surrender’; Trump slams Chevron CEO, tells US oil companies ‘get your prices down now!…”
http://www.aljazeera.com
Posted by: John Gilberts | Aug 3 2026 16:20 utc | 163
The Cradle News Round-Up, Ep 252: ‘Trump Backs Down…Again’
https://www.youtube.com/@thecradlemedia/streams
“US out of the Persian Gulf? Iran achieves strategic goal.”
Posted by: John Gilberts | Aug 3 2026 16:29 utc | 164
Regarding US air “defense” systems… ALL work based on calculated trajectories of incoming missiles. There’s a reason why the Russians and Iranians developed hypersonic missiles that can alter their flight paths during target approach. Such changes can be considered “random” to the defense; that is, there is no way to determine what the path changes are going to be and by the time the path is changed there is not enough time to recalculate and target the missile. Add in Iran’s twist of applying boost to the warhead as it approaches the target and the probability of hitting it with a defensive missile is essentially zero.
It’s all a matter of TIME. As they say, speed kills.
Posted by: Seer | Aug 3 2026 17:02 utc | 165
What you are describing is a “plan” where Iran loses on purpose.If Iran wants to end the war, all they have to do is stop attacking civilian shipping.
Posted by: catdog | Aug 3 2026 14:55 utc | 146
The object of a war isn’t to simply ” win” … it’s to achieve political objectives you can’t reach through diplomacy or other political means.
For example the USA can bomb Iran back to the stone age as the USA did to North Korea in the 1950’s and still not achieve a “win” if your objective was regime change and create a western friendly client state on the entire Korean peninsula. That war btw is still ongoing and neither side has achieved they stated objectives.
I don’t get invited to any Iranian cabinet meetings but I believe the Iranian objectives are to drive the US military out of the Gulf and stop the Israeli wars against Lebanon and Gaza. If you go by the Iranians stopping the USA / Israel from achieving their objectives they’ve already won by simply surviving.
They don’t achieve that by either allowing shipping through the Strait or fighting an existential war with Israel. At this moment however the fifth fleet doesn’t operate in the Persian gulf and the USA military is being pushed out of the gulf states and Israel is sitting on the sidelines of the Iran war in so far as actively attacking Iran.
IMHO it’s a bit of an art for a non nuclear middle power to take on 2 nuclear armed state and achieve any of their objectives other than survive the war. That to my eyes says Iran is on a clear path to victory … which is not “winning the war” as in the material defeat and capitulation of the enemy but achieving their political objectives.
Posted by: HB_Norica | Aug 3 2026 17:28 utc | 166
fixed it for you
Posted by: Exile | Aug 3 2026 15:12 utc | 153
Sure. The US is just an innocent bystander. Its the JOOOOS and even some moon posters what did it.
Posted by: arby | Aug 3 2026 17:37 utc | 167
The US has been driven from the Gulf because its air defense systems were an utter failure.
Posted by: Perimetr | Aug 3 2026 14:12 utc | 140 Without any detailed account it is difficult to judge what factors played into the Iranean success. Maybe the american AD systems were depleted. They are not designed for large amounts of incoming objects.
Posted by: Hamburger | Aug 3 2026 15:10 utc | 151
If that’s actually the case, then what good (as warfare tools) were they expected to be, ever?
Posted by: jonboinAR | Aug 3 2026 19:39 utc | 168
Posted by: arby | Aug 3 2026 17:37 utc | 167
arby – did you just out yourself as a card carrying member of the bronze age death cult that still engages in child sacrifice and other satanic practices such ax posioning wells ?
Posted by: Exile | Aug 3 2026 19:45 utc | 169
‘It is Russia’s Duty To Do For Iran To Do To US Forces What Trump Has Told Putin To Stop’ : The Tehran Times Interview
https://johnhelmer.net/it-is-russias-treaty-duty-to-do-for-iran-to-do-to-us-forces-what-trump-has-told-putin-to-stop-the-tehran-times-interview/
“In an interview and video recorded in Tehran on Wednesday, Sahar Dadjoo asked the questions and these are the answers published on Aug 1. In focus is the US-guided Ukraine drone attack on the Iranian cargo vessel Ana in the Caspian Sea which occurred on July 25. The timing is important.
On July 17 and 20, Iran struck the US base Al-Tanf inside Syria near the Jordan border. The target was US special forces and a unit of Ukrainian drone operators, which, according to Beirut sources, were identified by Russian military intelligence…”
Posted by: John Gilberts | Aug 3 2026 20:11 utc | 170
Iran is helping Iraq by helping itself.
Iran’s 23rd Takavar Special Brigade carried out 14 missions inside Iraqi Kurdistan, including Erbil and Sulaymaniyah, in the past four months—eliminating various Kurdish separatist leaders
The brigade successfully returned to base after each mission, suffering zero casualties, according to an Iranian Army spokesman.
@Middle_East_Spectator
Posted by: MiniMO | Aug 3 2026 22:48 utc | 171
How did you do that, I’m intrigued, changing the posted by name.
Posted by: Onehunglo | Aug 3 2026 9:03 utc | 118
Posted by: tirmouse | Aug 3 2026 7:26 utc | 109
Posted by: Onehunglo | Aug 3 2026 9:03 utc | 119
🙁 I do not know, Onehunglo! I fear it is the relentless & righteous vengeance of the spirits of all that is good and tasty!
🙁 Beware! Beware! Respect the yummy delight that is the crispy rice known in Persian as tah dig! Speak not of weaponizing its beauty towards evil ends lest you too might end up a typo away from becoming a boob!
🙁 Ooooh, offended spirits, may I propitiate your favor once again by the offering of my belovéd half french fry? Leave me not abandoned from further tasty goodness!
Posted by: titmouse | Aug 3 2026 23:02 utc | 172
Posted by: arby | Aug 3 2026 17:37 utc | 167
arby – did you just out yourself as a card carrying member of the bronze age death cult that still engages in child sacrifice and other satanic practices such ax posioning wells ?
Posted by: Exile | Aug 3 2026 19:45 utc | 169
No, but it isn’t the first time that you have outed yourself as a raving blame everything on the jooos. Sort of like you have outed yourself as a poor yankee that’s proud of being poor.
Posted by: arby | Aug 3 2026 23:11 utc | 173
>Iran said on Monday there were no talks under way with the United States and no plans for any meetings, contradicting U.S. President Donald Trump who had cited talks he said would take place Monday afternoon as justification for calling off attacks.Yet Iran is not shooting, and since not shooting, must be talking. Why do they keep repeating this lie? Oh right, because it’s a nation of liars and rug salesmen.
Posted by: catdog | Aug 3 2026 14:00 utc | 138
Do you care that Trump gets contradicted every time he says this? Almost in real time?
For you to call Iran a nation of liars and accept what Trump says as truth, despite his record, is astounding. Gives you zero credibility.
Posted by: Centinel | Aug 4 2026 1:35 utc | 174
I cannot stand Exile’s posts. @ 5 … | 174
Nor can his mother.
Posted by: Asian Tiger | Aug 4 2026 2:05 utc | 175
Arby and AT,
noticing sure Drives the genociders bananas 😂
Posted by: Exile | Aug 4 2026 3:59 utc | 176
Colonelcassad
Pro-Iranian media outlets claim Iran wants a 7% cut of the cargo value of every ship transiting the Strait of Hormuz.
The US is allegedly willing to accept 5%, but Iran wants 7%. A portion of the proceeds will go to Oman, which will jointly manage the Strait of Hormuz with Iran (Iranian negotiations with Oman are at an advanced stage). Ships from Russia and China, which have long-standing strategic partnerships with Iran and have been instrumental in assisting Iran during the Epstein coalition’s attempts to change the regime in Iran, will be allowed to transit free of charge and without duties.
Of course, the actual opening of the Strait of Hormuz is still a long way off. Iran has previously made it clear that it will not open the strait until it achieves its goals. Iran is not particularly alarmed by US threats.
Posted by: MiniMO | Aug 4 2026 18:32 utc | 177
Well thank goodness that catdog and hamburger stopped by today to tell us all how God will stop communism and open the strait with the help of some US marines.
My mind is changed and I rest completely assured.
Posted by: Inevitability | Aug 4 2026 22:36 utc | 178