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This evening Admiral Brad Cooper, the CENTCOM commander, announced:



This morning, CENTCOM posted this:



Today, after the above graphic was posted, two additional Iranian oil tankers attempted to leave the Iranian port of Chabahar. They were intercepted by a US Navy Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer that ordered them to turn around. Both Iranian ships complied and no shots were fired. This makes a total of eight ships that attempted to enter or leave Iranian ports in the last 48 hours, all of which complied with warnings from US warships.

What do you want to bet that they try to export through Pakistan?

(Apr 15, 2026 05:15 AM)Syne Wrote: [ -> ]What do you want to bet that they try to export through Pakistan?

The would need more pipeline infrastructure than I think they have.

(Apr 15, 2026 06:05 AM)Yazata Wrote: [ -> ]

(Apr 15, 2026 05:15 AM)Syne Wrote: [ -> ]What do you want to bet that they try to export through Pakistan?

The would need more pipeline infrastructure than I think they have.

Probably. Or they get desperate enough to truck it over.

President Trump's been working the phones again, talking to the President of Lebanon and the Prime Minister of Israel. And Trump's gotten them both to accept a 10-day ceasefire. And (very surprising to me) Hezbollah has reportedly agreed to sign on. (Maybe Hezbollah is more cooperative now that their endless supply of rockets and other weapons in Iran is shut down.) Latest reports are that both sides are cooperating. Beirut and sourthern Lebanon are quiet and no rockets are being fired into northern Israel.

12 hours ago:



12 hours ago:



4 hours ago:



One hour ago:

Wow! .. to get it to post .. Wow! again.

Europe to accelerate effort to secure Hormuz despite Trump’s order to ‘STAY AWAY’

PARIS — European leaders pledged to rapidly ramp up a multinational effort to secure the Strait of Hormuz after Iran said it would reopen the vital waterway to maritime traffic, even if Donald Trump doesn't want their help.

French President Emmanuel Macron, German Chancellor Friedrich Merz and the prime ministers of Italy and the United Kingdom, Giorgia Meloni and Keir Starmer, jointly announced Friday that they would be spearheading what Starmer called a "defensive" mission to ensure freedom of navigation in the strait, through which a fifth of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas travels.

“We agreed to accelerate the military planning, I can confirm that France and the U.K. will lead a multinational mission to protect freedom of passage as soon as conditions allow," said Starmer, adding that details would be shared at a military planning conference in London next week.
...
France and the United Kingdom have promised to help secure the waterway only once a ceasefire is reached between Washington and Tehran. Friday's meeting was an opportunity for European leaders to showcase that they can contribute effectively to either keeping the peace or ensuring the stability of global trade flows.
...
But the exact details of a potential international mission remain sketchy.

After the meeting in Paris on Friday, which included leaders from more than two dozen countries via videoconference, Meloni offered to deploy Italian frigates to the region. Germany on Thursday said it would contribute minesweepers.
- https://www.politico.eu/article/europe-t...stay-away/

Apparently Trump just had to use some reverse psychology on these children. And of course, they demand a ceasefire before these pansies get involved.

(Apr 17, 2026 10:27 PM)Syne Wrote: [ -> ]Apparently Trump just had to use some reverse psychology [...]

It literally is that, in general. Whatever Trump is for, automatically the various sectors of the establishment are against that. Truly frightening to ponder how easily Trump could mold the world if he fully indulged in that tactic, but he would be restrained by MAGA's reaction to his baffling advocacy of such agendas and policies.

Quote:France and the United Kingdom have promised to help secure the waterway only once a ceasefire is reached between Washington and Tehran.

It's the difference between jumping into Trump's reckless conflict with no sign of a ceasefire and entering into the strait to secure it after a ceasefire is reached. One is joining a chaotic war with no end in sight and the other is maintaining a safe passage for ships in peace time to restore the sagging world economy. Trump has nothing to do with it.

No, it's the difference between morally aimless pansies and asserting moral clarity.