Middle East Defence & Security

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KipPotapych

Well-Known Member
Per the CNN report:

LaNeve got Trump’s attention in the hours after his inauguration, when LaNeve called into the Commander in Chief’s Ball with his troops from South Korea.

“Sir, on behalf of the brave men and women who serve under my command and the thousands of dedicated service members that are part of the joint team in Korea, congratulations on your victory as the 47th President of the United States,” LaNeve said on a video call. “Welcome back, Mr. President.”

Trump praised LaNeve, saying, “Is this man central casting or what?”

“They’re not going to play games with you. That’s good,” Trump added, according to an official transcript of the event. “I like to see that. Nobody is playing games with that man.”


Burns in the interview cited above talked about the issue. Also, the guy has a TikTok account (which is totally normal all on its own!) and the profile sounds about right as far as the cult is concerned:

IMG_4789.jpeg

Certainly fits the current “situation room”. Rubio on the subject:

Under no circumstance can a country run by radical Shia clerics with apocalyptic vision of the future ever posses nuclear weapons[…]

I certainly don’t disagree with the sentiment. I wonder, however, if he can explain the difference between the fellas he is talking about and Hegseth, the TiTok gent noted above, the entire crew I talked about previously a few times and cited articles and videos of (another candidate was comparing Trump to Jesus today, second coming, suffering, false persecution, etc - complete insanity in other words). He should also talk about the apocalyptic framing of this conflict by this group of individuals (himself including?), divine plan, and biblical end of times. If someone thinks I am kidding or exaggerating, well… I would suggest simply googling the Iran war as viewd by evangelicals. I know plenty of these individuals as there are more than enough of them in this part of the country. The “excitement” went above and beyond when the Gaza war broke out and had never stopped since. If only these effing people could meet with their effing counterparts and work it all out in their own (isolated) divine battle and move on to the virgins or some other better place they believe in and let the rest of us, “normies”, live our lives on this Earth and this world… Wouldn’t that be swell? A guy can sure dream though…
 
K

koxinga

Well-Known Member
KipPotapych said:
Probably not many places that haen’t been bombed before. But the part where the American president says they are going to bomb a nation into the stone age, and where they belong, to boot, I would think, is unprecedented. Rise up and help is on the way and make Iran great again a few weeks ago…I am sure people are thrilled.
Click to expand...
Trump merely stated it in a crude manner, but historically, it IS a prescribed method of warfare for the US

During the Vietnam War, Ops Linebacker I/II and the later Arc Light bombings included attacks on rail, bridge, power stations, shipyards etc was what brought North Vietnam back to the negotiation table in Paris.


Similarly, during the 91 Gulf War, US's attacks covered the full spectrum of infrastructure.

The USAF literally has an research paper on DoW website called Strategic Attack of National Electrical Systems dated 2017. https://media.defense.gov/2017/Dec/29/2001861964/-1/-1/0/T_GRIFFITH_STRATEGIC_ATTACK.PDF

Let's not get outraged, because this is precisely why Trump speaks the way he does. It is deliberately provocative, even if it is presenting existing facts.
 
rsemmes

rsemmes

Active Member
koxinga said:
Trump merely stated it in a crude manner, but historically, it IS a prescribed method of warfare for the US

During the Vietnam War, Ops Linebacker I/II and the later Arc Light bombings included attacks on rail, bridge, power stations, shipyards etc was what brought North Vietnam back to the negotiation table in Paris.


Similarly, during the 91 Gulf War, US's attacks covered the full spectrum of infrastructure.

The USAF literally has an research paper on DoW website called Strategic Attack of National Electrical Systems dated 2017. https://media.defense.gov/2017/Dec/29/2001861964/-1/-1/0/T_GRIFFITH_STRATEGIC_ATTACK.PDF

Let's not get outraged, because this is precisely why Trump speaks the way he does. It is deliberately provocative, even if it is presenting existing facts.
Click to expand...
Yes, war crimes is US modus operandi, like every country in every war, but no one is going to point that out; we are not, anyway.
Now, details...
Previous Arc Light missions and that did not bring NV to the table; as usual, it is more complex that one factor. Nixon wanted out, NV allies wanted rapprochement with the US and the NV learnt the lesson (1972) about air power and was more interested in getting ready for the next (and final) invasion. Yes, the country and its population suffered a lot and had to divert resources to that area.

"Let's not get outraged". Really, just selectively outraged?
 
S

SolarisKenzo

Well-Known Member
Well, this is interesting.

www.trasportoeuropa.it

First European container ship transits Hormuz - TrasportoEuropa

The container ship Cma Cgm Kribi has passed through the Strait of Hormuz along a corridor approved by Iran, marking the first known transit linked to European traffic since the start of the third Gulf war. Traffic remains minimal and tightly controlled, as shipowners and governments assess...
www.trasportoeuropa.it www.trasportoeuropa.it

The passage took place between 2 and 3 April along a coastal corridor authorised by Tehran, in a context where the strait is effectively almost closed. According to Bloomberg, the vessel left waters off Dubai on Thursday afternoon, keeping its AIS signal active and indicating French ownership, before being recorded off Muscat the following morning.
 
K

KipPotapych

Well-Known Member
Looks like an F-15 shot down today in southern Iran. One pilot was reportedly saved, search for the other continues. In search, a Black Hawk was shot, but reportedly landed in Iraq, the crew is safe. Reportedly unrelated to the search, but an A-10 was shot down about the time/area when the F-15 went down as well; the crew rescued from sea.

Edit:



Reports also suggested that two helis took small fire.
 
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K

KipPotapych

Well-Known Member
koxinga said:
Trump merely stated it in a crude manner, but historically, it IS a prescribed method of warfare for the US

During the Vietnam War, Ops Linebacker I/II and the later Arc Light bombings included attacks on rail, bridge, power stations, shipyards etc was what brought North Vietnam back to the negotiation table in Paris.


Similarly, during the 91 Gulf War, US's attacks covered the full spectrum of infrastructure.

The USAF literally has an research paper on DoW website called Strategic Attack of National Electrical Systems dated 2017. https://media.defense.gov/2017/Dec/29/2001861964/-1/-1/0/T_GRIFFITH_STRATEGIC_ATTACK.PDF

Let's not get outraged, because this is precisely why Trump speaks the way he does. It is deliberately provocative, even if it is presenting existing facts.
Click to expand...
Outraged? Hardly. No point of being outraged when next to nothing one can do to change the course one way or the other.

The new normal I referred to specifically relates to bombing Iran to the “stone age where it belongs”. Words matter. This was not just a threat, in spite of Trump’s nature of expression. While Trump himself likely couldn’t care less about Iran or its people, the people he is surrounded with actually do believe this to be true (see my previous post). And this is a big problem. Another example from today:

IMG_4807.jpeg

This is insane. While this is from the Department of Homeland Security, I showed in my previous posts that these are all people of the same “branch”. While people like Merz and Co may believe that their dirty work is being done, these folks believe they are doing god’s work, according to god’s plan. They are effing insane. If you put one of these people next to a higher-level dude from the Iranian regime, the only differences would be the way they look and dress and the dude from Iran is likely to have a doctorate degree of some sort. They would be hardly distinguishable otherwise and what they preach is more similar than different. This is the problem and the new normal, at least for the time being. Seems to be accepted by the “allies” too. A bit of outrage here on my part, to be fair. But anyway…

As for the methods of warfare, yes, absolutely. In general, people discuss warcrime this, warcrime that, while in reality all this stuff goes out of the window when the war starts and escalates further, coming into a spiral. This is just business as usual. Here is a very long read on Yugoslavia, but even if you only read the summary a few pages long in the beginning, it basically outlines what is happening rather well (but now is worse -> see below):


The author noted the freedom of action and preserving options, for example. Things are normalized today, arguably, more than they were then (as much as bombing a nation into the stone age without anyone expressing any concern whatsoever!). He also talks about low-yield precision strikes on military targets in or near civilian structures. Yet, today we are fine with 2,000 lb bombs being dropped on apartment buildings and levelling the entire neighbourhood shortly after and so on. Sure, these bombs are quite precise, we even sometimes call it targeted killing.

All this dual-use nonsense is just that. Like dual-use electrical grid in Ukraine in February. Or anywhere else any time of year, really. Troops in hotels, artillery next to schools, ammunition storage in a mall in the middle of a city, hitting civilian ships, dual-use bridges and dams, dual-use universities, cluster munitions launched at populated centres, etc. Realities of war, nothing more, like it has always been. Each will do what they can or see fit to defend themselves of achieve their goals. The rest is basically up to the media to take it where they will. From today:

Augmenting people's anxiety are the recent escalations from Iran's leadership. On Friday, Iran shot down an American fighter jet in the southwest part of the country. While one of the two airmen in the jet was rescued, American rescue teams and Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps were both hunting the mountain terrains looking for the other on Friday.

New York Times: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/03/...nt-of-our-eyes-tehran-is-gripped-by-fear.html

People’s anxiety is augmented by the Iranian escalation of shooting down airplanes that are there to drop bombs on Iranian territory. Cool story.

CNN and the response that is hard to disagree with:

IMG_4810.jpeg

Overly advertised delusion about Pahlavi, just because there is space to attach another image:

IMG_4598.jpeg

But yeah, outrage… See my post about the Iranian population being everything else that has been through this in the past two and a half decades and more in the same region. A bit of outrage there on my part, no doubt. Some bridge taken down? Not so much.

P. S. Pretty sure I cited that very paper in the RU-UA war thread a long time ago now. Or maybe it was another one - I know of at least two on the subject.
 
M

MARKMILES77

Well-Known Member
Reports Iranian Oil facilities are under attack by Israel and/or American airstrikes.
If true, may indicate a serious escalation. Likely will spur Iran to try to destroy Saudi/Kuwaiti etc Oil hubs and possibly desalination plants.

economictimes.indiatimes.com

West Asia war: Iran’s Mahshahr petrochemical zone hit by US-Israeli strikes; casualties feared

Attacks struck a key petrochemical hub in Iran's Khuzestan province. Five people were wounded in the explosions. Iranian media reported U.S.-Israeli strikes hit the Special Petrochemical Zone in Mahshahr. The Bandar Imam Petrochemical Complex also faced air attacks. Critical energy...
economictimes.indiatimes.com economictimes.indiatimes.com

 
Feanor

Feanor

Super Moderator
Staff member
Is there clarity on US aircraft losses recently? There seem to be some contradictory claims, with an F-15E definitely lost, one or two Blackhawks either downed or damaged, one Chinook taken out by a drone strike, one or two A-10s hit, possibly one downed and one F-16 lost. But it seems like sources cant agree. Centcom apparently denying the F-15 loss at one point didn't help either.
 
K

KipPotapych

Well-Known Member
^ The list below was confirmed:

IMG_4832.jpeg

And add this one to that list:

IMG_4833.jpeg

The confusion about the two A-10s came mostly from the media reporting the same incident in different colours. Iran had also posted downing another A-10, which was then idetified as likely another MQ-9.

CENTCOM’s “fact-checker” appears to be following Ukrainian and Russian lead, basically lying:

IMG_4794.jpeg

Or

IMG_4828.jpeg

^ Was investigated in depth by Dr Lewis et al and confirmed to be the Patriot interceptor. They also advised the companies in business of satellite imagery not to provide any for the “Iran war” and indefinitely so.
 
K

KipPotapych

Well-Known Member
Trump goes full retard believer:

IMG_4821.jpeg

Unless he is refering to himself, of course.

Edit: forgot to add:

IMG_4823.jpeg

Gotta be the same people who advised him to strike for a quick victory and probably those who will be advising him to invade with troops later.
 
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Feanor

Feanor

Super Moderator
Staff member
KipPotapych said:
^ The list below was confirmed:

View attachment 54626

And add this one to that list:

View attachment 54627

The confusion about the two A-10s came mostly from the media reporting the same incident in different colours. Iran had also posted downing another A-10, which was then idetified as likely another MQ-9.

CENTCOM’s “fact-checker” appears to be following Ukrainian and Russian lead, basically lying:

View attachment 54628

Or

View attachment 54629

^ Was investigated in depth by Dr Lewis et al and confirmed to be the Patriot interceptor. They also advised the companies in business of satellite imagery not to provide any for the “Iran war” and indefinitely so.
Click to expand...
Also minus 1 C-130 and possibly a second aircraft of some sort?

t.me

AMK Mapping

The New York Times reports that following the rescue of the F-15E weapons officer, the two transport aircraft (presumably C-130s) used to transport the personnel out of Iran "got stuck" after they landed in Iran. It was reportedly decided to bring 3 new aircraft to carry out the extractions...
t.me t.me
t.me

AMK Mapping

Claimed to be an image of a burning C-130 military transport aircraft after it was blown up by US forces in Iran.
t.me t.me
t.me

AMK Mapping

Here's an image reportedly of the C-130 before it got blown up.
t.me t.me
t.me

AMK Mapping

The different lighting in these two images suggests that they are real. Sunrise in Iran is at 5:49am, which was just over 2 hours ago. The second image shows the C-130 burning with the sun fully up, which is in largely line with the timing of Al Jazeera's reports on the rescue operation.
t.me t.me
 
M

MARKMILES77

Well-Known Member
Feanor said:
Also minus 1 C-130 and possibly a second aircraft of some sort?
Click to expand...
Second aircraft lost was also most likely a C-130.
Enlarging the image of the aircraft clearly shows two aircraft at right angles to each other.
TWZ reporting they are probably MC-130Js.
Screenshot 2026-04-05 at 16.00.09.png
So 5 aircraft lost or damaged in this rescue, that we definitely know about.
More likely 6. Seems there were 2 A10s hit. One of which crashed and the other managed to make it to land in Kuwait.
It is also possible other aircraft took fire and that has not been reported.
 
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M

MARKMILES77

Well-Known Member
Bloomberg reporting virtually the entire US stock of JASSM-ERs has been expended in Iran or is being sent for use in Iran.

Key points:
US had around 2,300 JASSM-ERs at the start of the campaign.
912 were fired in the first 16 Days alone.
The Pentagon ordered, at the end of March, most of the remaining missiles be pulled out of stockpiles in the US and elsewhere and sent for use in the Iran conflict.
It is estimated there will only be around 350 JASSM-ERs remaining for any other contingency that arises.

Considering that the same burn rate is happening to Tomahawk cruise missiles and probably all other long range munitions, it raises a questions for Australia.

Australia is one of the only countries other than the US, that has or is about to receive, Tomahawks and JASSM-ERs.

Will the US delay providing them to Australia, possibly, for a very long time?
If Australia has received them, will the US request their return to the US for use in Iran?

 
M

MARKMILES77

Well-Known Member
The War Zone stating there appears to be the wreckage of two Little Birds, either MH-6s or AH-6s at the crash site.
www.twz.com

Night Stalker AH-6 Little Bird Helicopters Destroyed At Forward Landing Site In Iran

At least one burned-out AH/MH-6 Little Bird can be seen in photos of the austere airfield that served as a hub for the rescue of the F-15E WSO.
www.twz.com www.twz.com

Screenshot 2026-04-05 at 20.20.09.png
So likely tally of aircraft lossed/damaged in this rescue are.
Two MC-130Js destroyed.
Two AH-6s/Mh-6s destroyed.
One A-10 shot down.
Two HH-60H CSAR Helicopters damaged but managed to fly out of Iran.
Plus or Minus second A-10 which may have been damaged but able to get to Kuwait to land.
 
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