[Werthead]

Some commentators suggesting Trump is just being conciliatory after being told it will take most of this week to get the initial 2500 marines into position to land on the Iranian coast. Two additional batches of reinforcements will come after them, but are still a couple of weeks away.

One claim that the US military is favouring an operation to land at Chabahar, east of the Strait of Hormuz and not far west (60 miles or so) of the Pakistani border. Chabahar Bay is a very large (~12 miles wide) bay with multiple docks and good landing points, with the ports of Chabahar and Konarak on either side of the bay, and smaller settlements around the edge. This could form a foothold and allow US land forces to advance west to clear the Gulf coast. However, it's still on low-lying ground with the mountains behind it, and would be a sitting duck for drones, artillery and missiles. Landing just 2500 troops there would be suicide.

[Cause]

QuickTidal, on 23 March 2026 - 06:30 PM, said:

Abyss, on 23 March 2026 - 06:16 PM, said:

QuickTidal, on 23 March 2026 - 02:28 PM, said:

People seem to think his announcement was market manipulation of the stock market again...which...I mean he's done this time and time again to enrich himself and his buddies and Republican cronies.

Oh and Hegseth apparently said that Iran is "spending all its money on missiles and weapons and none on the people of Iran"...the cognitive dissonance is so loud my fucking ears are ringing.

"The Strait of Hormuz is completely safe as long as Iran isn't shooting at anyone."

"If you stop counting the votes, I win the state"

"If you stop reporting COVID cases then the number will stop rising"

The guy is a like a broken record of "Don't do that thing that makes me look bad and I won't look bad."

I think that line was Pete Hegseth. Wouldn’t be surprised if they both said though. Who knew a competent secretary of defense may be important. I found out he is only 45.

I actually have no idea how any person really can oversee 6 military branches, 3 million people, a trillion dollar budget… but I’m sure a 45 year old major and tv host has no idea either. I assume the senate let him pass confirmation because it doesn’t really matter in peace time America but the job should always be scrutinized as if a war is possible. It’s America, it should be expected.

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

The Iranian government has posted a series of videos illustrating their military objectives:



(the above video is titled "Lord of the Straits")

[the broken]

There are always some kind of talks happening. Whether they mean anything is hard to tell. Strategy seems to be 'keep killing leaders until you find someone willing to deal'

Quote

The Iranian diaspora is learning this in real time...our Iranian friends in Canada are SUSPICIOUSLY quiet now that we are weeks removed from the Ayatollah being, killed and them calling that the "great day of their lives"...now that the bombing and "who cares who gets killed" attitudes of Trump and Netanyahu for the citizens on the ground ....I said to my wife at the time...they have no idea what "Regime Change by the USA" looks like, and they need to look at Iraq or Libya for the evidence."....and I'm awaiting the day they message her and understand this fact.

What are you expecting from them?

This post has been edited by the broken: 24 March 2026 - 06:42 PM

[Werthead]

Iran claiming a shoot-down of an F/A-18 over the Iranian coast.

An Israeli industrial facility in the Negev has taken a direct hit from Iranian drones. Some claims that Israel has started rationing its interceptors.

Qeshm Island may be on the US hitlist. With Kharg too difficult to take, Qeshm near the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz is arguably a more "gettable" target. However, it's much larger and more heavily populated and would take substantial forces to capture.

Some American logistics experts pointing out that the US has nothing like the logistics in theatre to support an attack on either island or the invasion of the Iranian mainland.

More than 300 US troops have now been wounded since operations began.

[Abyss]

Werthead, on 25 March 2026 - 08:28 PM, said:

Iran claiming a shoot-down of an F/A-18 over the Iranian coast.

An Israeli industrial facility in the Negev has taken a direct hit from Iranian drones. Some claims that Israel has started rationing its interceptors.

Qeshm Island may be on the US hitlist. With Kharg too difficult to take, Qeshm near the mouth of the Strait of Hormuz is arguably a more "gettable" target. However, it's much larger and more heavily populated and would take substantial forces to capture.

Some American logistics experts pointing out that the US has nothing like the logistics in theatre to support an attack on either island or the invasion of the Iranian mainland.

More than 300 US troops have now been wounded since operations began.

Right side leaners keep pointing at Iraq as the precedent for US superiority and conveniently overlooking that Iraq is mostly flat desert and its military was already in shambles when the US rolled in. Everything about Iran is the opposite of this.

Also US keeps insisting peace talks are mere minutes from success and Israel keeps bombing things... for a supposed joint effort, the right hand really doesn't know or care what the left hand is doing. Or it's a 'surrender and we'll call them off' thing and i can't decide whether that's more or less troubling.

[Cause]

I think the US us still comfortably militarily superior to everyone, it should be after spending more than the other top 10 combined militaries combined. This highlights that a plan and leadership are kinda important. Before the Iraq invasion in 2003, the US built up there forces for months and planned the invasion, had clear objectives. US forces were building up quite literally on the Iraq border for months. The ground invasion was also a critical component. It was a total war. Iran by comparison is 4 weeks in and maybe the 82nd airborne is going... They had no clue what they wanted to achieve. They thought it would just be an air superiority bombing campaign but Iran saw it as an existential threat. The US still doesn't. They disrupted global oil supply on what they still treat as a lark. Thus is a Trump and Hegseth failure not the US militaries. It also is a massive failure, in a string of failures, of the US congress and the American people in general. 4 weeks in and the US president has still not addressed the American people properly about this war/action. The president looked into a camera recently and flat out said he doesn't use the word war because that would be a legal problem.

Also I believe the whole time Trump has been talking about a peace deal the US has also continued to bomb Iran. Apparently Trump watches a 2 minute sizzle reel every morning of the biggest explosions in Iran. We are currently in a negotiation missmatch where the US thinks they need to apply enough pressure to get Iran to cave and Iran sees every additional attack as reason why they need even higher concessions before they will stop fighting.

[QuickTidal]

Cause, on 26 March 2026 - 04:06 PM, said:

I think the US us still comfortably militarily superior to everyone,

They have not won a war since the Revolutionary war. I don't think that's military superiority, that's military stupidity.

Not sorry. Vietnam, Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan...all super expensive boondoggles that achieved nothing for the countries they happened in, and resulted in no real gains for the citizens of the USA, or even the West.

We need to stop parroting the notion that the US military is superior to everyone else. They are not, they are just happy to throw billons in tax money and human bodies into the meat grinder of "war" for no real gains...and they've convinced the American population that there are gains, and that they do win....when it's all lies.

A real military superiority would have wins to show for it.

[Cause]

QuickTidal, on 26 March 2026 - 05:25 PM, said:

Cause, on 26 March 2026 - 04:06 PM, said:

I think the US us still comfortably militarily superior to everyone,

They have not won a war since the Revolutionary war. I don't think that's military superiority, that's military stupidity.

Not sorry. Vietnam, Iraq, Libya, Afghanistan...all super expensive boondoggles that achieved nothing for the countries they happened in, and resulted in no real gains for the citizens of the USA, or even the West.

We need to stop parroting the notion that the US military is superior to everyone else. They are not, they are just happy to throw billons in tax money and human bodies into the meat grinder of "war" for no real gains...and they've convinced the American population that there are gains, and that they do win....when it's all lies.

A real military superiority would have wins to show for it.

WW1 and WW2 come to mind. Gulf War, Kosovo, Panama. The Iraq war of 2003 was a clear win. The Iraq occupation wasn't. The US military objectively can achieve any military outcome it wants if it goes big enough. US military adventurism suffers from being stupid. Which is by no means a factor that should be ignored but its the politics that fails not the war machine.

The benefits to america are also certainly there as well. Its the dominant and only superpower for now. Until Trump wrecked it, they commanded NATO. They have military bases in europe, the middle east and the world to safeguard there interests but it also gives them tremendous political capital and allows them to dicate policy.

The US can be massivley stupid and the most powerful military at the same time. The two may even be linked

This post has been edited by Cause: 26 March 2026 - 05:56 PM

[Tiste Simeon]

Cause none of those things really benefit the average American citizen.

It does hugely benefit the oil execs and arms sales giants. And the politicians with money in those industries. Which is really the point of it all.

[Abyss]

Cause, on 26 March 2026 - 04:06 PM, said:

I think the US us still comfortably militarily superior to everyone,...

Sure, but that doesn't prevent American soldiers from dying. And if that escalates to higher numbers, it would be interesting to see how the republican base's mindless support of the demagogue fares.

[QuickTidal]

Cause, on 26 March 2026 - 05:49 PM, said:

WW1 and WW2 come to mind.

A coalition with many other countries is not the same. And the second one they ignored it till they were attacked, not the flex.

Cause, on 26 March 2026 - 05:49 PM, said:

Gulf War,

Please ask the Gulf states citizens what they think of this "win"

Cause, on 26 March 2026 - 05:49 PM, said:

Kosovo, Panama.

NATO...

Cause, on 26 March 2026 - 05:49 PM, said:

The Iraq war of 2003 was a clear win.

The "goals of this war" for the USA were fake "weapons of mass destruction", the heck are you talking about?

Cause, on 26 March 2026 - 05:49 PM, said:

The Iraq occupation wasn't.

So you agree Iraq was not a win. Good.

Cause, on 26 March 2026 - 05:49 PM, said:

The US military objectively can achieve any military outcome it wants if it goes big enough.

Name an instance in which they did. Not in a coalition, and not one where the goals were never met, and certainly not one where the "freedom" they claimed to bring the invaded country was never achieved.

Just one.

Cause, on 26 March 2026 - 05:49 PM, said:

US military adventurism suffers from being stupid. Which is by no means a factor that should be ignored but it's the politics that fails not the war machine.

What are you talking about? The politics is why the military apparatus exists. The "war machine" if that's the phrase you want to use, doesn't exist without the other. Never has, never will. It's not some independent body doing its own thing that could be smartly military-ing around the globe if it weren't for those pesky politicians....the heck?

Cause, on 26 March 2026 - 05:49 PM, said:

The benefits to america are also certainly there as well. It's the dominant and only superpower for now.

It's not. But this is becuase the other countries that could challenge it are simply not interested. Why would China (for example) show off its might when it doesn't have to and has instead spent the last 25+ years economically, and environmentally spanking the USA instead? Just because the US shows off their polished dicks doesn't mean they are the best. Sorry, not sorry.

Cause, on 26 March 2026 - 05:49 PM, said:

they commanded NATO.

The only country to have to call NATO for help directly under Article 5...after their own foreign war hubris brought the Saudi's down on them...only for them to lash out at everyone BUT the Saudis...sure, what great NATO leaders...

Cause, on 26 March 2026 - 05:49 PM, said:

hey have military bases in europe, the middle east and the world to safeguard there interests but it also gives them tremendous political capital and allows them to dicate policy.

Wow, they REALLY worked on you didn't they? And you're an expat from another country. Wild. EDIT: Clarifying, this is not an attack on you Cause...but what you said was exactly the type of RaRa military propaganda the US has been spewing for decades...so I'm surprised you'd repeat it, but I guess the media is entrenched in the states for anyone living there.

Cause, on 26 March 2026 - 05:49 PM, said:

The US can be massivley stupid and the most powerful military at the same time. The two may even be linked

They should try achieving goals that help their citizens with it then, because so far bupkis...you're welcome to believe otherwise, but it's all jingoistic nonsense they sell you on the 24 hour news. The US has enough money from taxes to make their citizens happy, healthy, and have decent lives..., but they would much rather engage in pointless wars in every other nation (usually ones that get them resources) to the tune of billions of dollars for what? Please enlighten me what foreign wars get the US other than stolen resources and dead soldiers.

This post has been edited by QuickTidal: 26 March 2026 - 06:31 PM

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

Cause, on 26 March 2026 - 04:06 PM, said:

I think the US us still comfortably militarily superior to everyone, it should be after spending more than the other top 10 combined militaries combined.

It certainly has the most expensive military in the world by far, but a lot of that is spending on stupid shit.

How ready is the United States for the new era of drone warfare that Ukraine has largely pioneered in its defense against Russia? It has so far proven woefully unprepared, wasting absurdly expensive Patriot missiles to shoot down cheap drones that could have been stopped with Ukrainian interceptors---which they've ended up having to buy from Ukraine. US drones are also absurdly expensive to make, so much so that even with all that spending they can't produce enough to counteract the cheap drones Iran can put forth.

Cause, on 26 March 2026 - 05:49 PM, said:

The US military objectively can achieve any military outcome it wants if it goes big enough.

Even with the draft it couldn't pull off Vietnam. Could it nuke any place to oblivion? Sure, if the Commander in Chief is reckless enough and the order gets carried out. Can I imagine Trump being that reckless, as he drifts (further?) into dementia? Yes. And can I imagine him having made sure that whoever carries out those orders has a cult-like loyalty to Trump, perhaps extending to actual sincere religious belief? All too naturally.

Could the US successfully occupy all of Iran if there were a draft? Maybe. But there almost certainly won't be a draft. Even if Trump gains unquestioned absolute power, he's not likely to risk the ensuing mass uprising anytime soon. People who otherwise wouldn't rise up out of apathy or concern for their personal safety would be much more likely to revolt if the alternative were being sent to war.

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 26 March 2026 - 10:00 PM

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

One might imagine that the US military is like Rand al'Thor... and when it comes to blowing shit up, sure, to an extent it is. But overall it's more like Smaug. (That is, assuming it doesn't initiate catastrophic nuclear bombardments...)

[the broken]

I'm not sure I get that Smaug analogy, are you talking about burning stuff down, or going to sleep for decades until poked?

Obviously the Ukrainians are better at drone wars, because they've been in the middle of a gigantic drone war.

Iran and Venezuela had Russian and Chinese air defence systems, most of which are gone now. We won't get to see the PLA in action unless they try to take Taiwan, which would be tough to do in the middle of an oil shortage.

[Macros]

I think the US has the largest military complex and hard on that their guys are the bestest. But fly8ng solo they do not do well. Even go big or go home does not always work for them (Vietnam) when they poked the big bear they got shat on (Korea). If they hadn't got the bomb and got into it with the USSR straight after WW2 like people feared it would likely not have gone the way they think. It would be like Russias underestimating of Ukraine right now.

America are like a an outdated super car, a Ferrari F50 lets says. Sure its still a shot hot piece of kit and scary fast, but along comes an unknown like a RIMAC that fucking melts it. They haven't kept up with technology and their equipment is far to expensive.

I vaguely recall the bits had an issue in Afghanistan, their SA80 rifles are shit in the desert, accurate yes, well made yes, but always jamming and not fit for purpose, millions and millions of pounds later and they still were outperformed (in contact use metrics) by the dirt cheap and humble AK47.

The military complex has convinced America it is top dog cause they have all the big shiny EXPENSIVE stuff

[Azath Vitr (D'ivers]

the broken, on 27 March 2026 - 02:06 AM, said:

I'm not sure I get that Smaug analogy, are you talking about burning stuff down, or going to sleep for decades until poked?

Sitting on its gigantic hoard of wasted gold and trinkets. Enormous waste.

And yes also burning stuff down.

Though once it starts actually deploying the most useful parts of its hoard, like its magical four million dollar missiles, it only has so many... and can't acquire more quickly enough.


[Edit: and of course also motivated by insatiable greed...]

This post has been edited by Azath Vitr (D'ivers: 27 March 2026 - 11:14 AM

[QuickTidal]

Macros, on 27 March 2026 - 07:20 AM, said:

The military complex has convinced America it is top dog cause they have all the big shiny EXPENSIVE stuff

Yep, polishing a big shiny dick that's not as much use as they think it is.

[Abyss]

QuickTidal, on 27 March 2026 - 11:38 AM, said:

Macros, on 27 March 2026 - 07:20 AM, said:

The military complex has convinced America it is top dog cause they have all the big shiny EXPENSIVE stuff

Yep, polishing a big shiny dick that's not as much use as they think it is.

And just to compound the emperor's lack of clothes, so so very much of the money spent on all those very shiny expensive toys (or even a small percentage of it) could have gone to feeding and educating and generally improving the lives of their citizens.... the people who are out jobs and scraping for grocery and gas money and wondering why their kids can't find 'South America' on a globe. The great american experiment is at the cusp of failure and planning to re-elect the people who shoved it there.

[the broken]

All those wars were coalitions too, including Iraq, Afghanistan, Korea and Vietnam. Even Iran is with allies. North Korea and North Vietnam had heavy assistance from Soviets and China

This post has been edited by the broken: 27 March 2026 - 04:03 PM