Iran
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From: Land of Oz
This was the obvious reaction. I think the panel would agree this was out of 'Military 101'.
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From: The Roman Empire
An F-35 was "scrambled" to shoot it down....?
Given the carrier's location, and potential hostilities, would there not be a standing CAP available (or whatever modern TLA is used to denote what I used to know as CAP)?
Given the carrier's location, and potential hostilities, would there not be a standing CAP available (or whatever modern TLA is used to denote what I used to know as CAP)?
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From: Co. Down
Much talk about hybrid warfare. The Telegraph reported that 'independence for Scotland' messages have long appeared on social media. They were found to be posted by bots and disappeared during Iran's blackout of its internet. Some of this stuff ... well, you couldn't make it up.
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Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
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From: Peripatetic
Axios:
Plans for Iran nuclear talks are collapsing, U.S. officials say
The U.S. told Iran on Wednesday that it will not agree to Tehran's demands to change the location and format of talks planned for Friday, two U.S. officials told Axios.
Why it matters: The standoff could block the diplomatic path and convince President Trump to opt for military action.
Driving the news:The U.S. and Iran had agreed to meet on Friday in Istanbul, with other Middle Eastern countries participating as observers.
The U.S. told Iran on Wednesday that it will not agree to Tehran's demands to change the location and format of talks planned for Friday, two U.S. officials told Axios.
Why it matters: The standoff could block the diplomatic path and convince President Trump to opt for military action.
Driving the news:The U.S. and Iran had agreed to meet on Friday in Istanbul, with other Middle Eastern countries participating as observers.
- But the Iranians said on Tuesday that they wanted to move the talks to Oman and hold them in a bilateral format, in order to ensure that they focused only on nuclear issues and not other matters like missiles that are priorities for the U.S. and countries in the region.
- U.S. officials considered the request to change the location, but decided on Wednesday to reject it.
Last edited by T28B; 4th February 2026 at 19:49. Reason: fixed a formatting glitch
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From: Texas
Given how rare bilateral talks between US and Iran are, or have been for the last 45+ years, I'd say that the proposal for bilateral talks with a limited scope, in Oman, isn't an unfair position. Then, deal with the missile issues in a subsequent dialogue that has more stake holders in it.
But I guess that's not going to happen.
But I guess that's not going to happen.
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From: Near the coast
It’s back on
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Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
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From: Peripatetic
.....ISW:
NEW: Iran and the United States are expected to hold talks in Oman on February 6, despite the brief cancellation of the meeting on February 4.
The Trump administration seeks to discuss Iran’s nuclear program, ballistic missiles, and support for its proxy network. Iran continues to show inflexibility toward addressing US demands, which reduces the likelihood that Iran and the United States will be able to reach a diplomatic solution.
A UK-based Middle East-focused outlet reported on February 3 that some Iranian regime policymakers believe that the only credible deterrent against US military action is the threat of a prolonged, costly war. Previous Iranian strikes that targeted US assets in the region failed to deter US military action, such as Iran’s strikes targeting Ain al-Assad Airbase in Iraq in 2020 and al Udeid Airbase in Qatar in June 2025.
This report corroborates CTP-ISW’s previous assessment that Iran is attempting to deter US military action against Iran by forecasting that it will escalate into a prolonged regional war.
The Trump administration seeks to discuss Iran’s nuclear program, ballistic missiles, and support for its proxy network. Iran continues to show inflexibility toward addressing US demands, which reduces the likelihood that Iran and the United States will be able to reach a diplomatic solution.
A UK-based Middle East-focused outlet reported on February 3 that some Iranian regime policymakers believe that the only credible deterrent against US military action is the threat of a prolonged, costly war. Previous Iranian strikes that targeted US assets in the region failed to deter US military action, such as Iran’s strikes targeting Ain al-Assad Airbase in Iraq in 2020 and al Udeid Airbase in Qatar in June 2025.
This report corroborates CTP-ISW’s previous assessment that Iran is attempting to deter US military action against Iran by forecasting that it will escalate into a prolonged regional war.
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Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
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From: Peripatetic
Upping the ante before talks start.....
Broken link, probably because of inaccurate reporting?
SPlot
BREAKING: Iran has seized two oil tankers in the Persian Gulf and detained roughly 15 foreign crew members.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have seized two oil tankers with their foreign crews in Gulf waters for “smuggling fuel,” the Tasnim news agency reported Thursday.
The seizures took place amid heightened tension after Washington dispatched a naval group to the region after Tehran’s deadly response to anti-government protests.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) have seized two oil tankers with their foreign crews in Gulf waters for “smuggling fuel,” the Tasnim news agency reported Thursday.
The seizures took place amid heightened tension after Washington dispatched a naval group to the region after Tehran’s deadly response to anti-government protests.
SPlot
Last edited by Senior Pilot; 6th February 2026 at 01:41. Reason: broken link
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From: Texas
Hmm, whose tankers were those?
Operation Preying Mantis was about 40 years ago. Will we get a repeat?
Six Iranian gunboats unsuccessfully attempted to halt a U.S.-flagged oil tanker in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, The Wall Street Journal reported. The security firm Vanguard Tech told its clients on Tuesday that the Iranian vessels were armed with .50-caliber guns, and they ordered the oil tanker to turn off its engines and prepare to be boarded. Instead, the tanker sped up and was ultimately escorted to safety by a U.S. Navy vessel, according to the Journal.
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment...
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment...
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Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
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From: Peripatetic
Related?
Royal Air Force
Airbus KC.2/3 Voyager 2x
#43C6F7 ZZ334 - ASCOT 9221
#43C6F3 ZZ330 - ASCOT 9223
Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II 6x
RAFAIR 9641-9644 flt 4x
RAFAIR 9645-9646 flt 2x
Six RAF F-35B’s have departed RAF Marham this morning to meet with two Voyager tankers. RAFAIR 9641 flight will go with ASCOT 9221, and RAFAIR 9645 flight with ASCOT 9223.
ASCOT 9221 has met with RAFAIR 9641 flight and looks to be heading for France, possibly to RAF Akrotiri.
ASCOT 9223 has confirmed they’re waiting for RAFAIR 9645 flight of two.
Airbus KC.2/3 Voyager 2x
#43C6F7 ZZ334 - ASCOT 9221
#43C6F3 ZZ330 - ASCOT 9223
Lockheed Martin F-35B Lightning II 6x
RAFAIR 9641-9644 flt 4x
RAFAIR 9645-9646 flt 2x
Six RAF F-35B’s have departed RAF Marham this morning to meet with two Voyager tankers. RAFAIR 9641 flight will go with ASCOT 9221, and RAFAIR 9645 flight with ASCOT 9223.
ASCOT 9221 has met with RAFAIR 9641 flight and looks to be heading for France, possibly to RAF Akrotiri.
ASCOT 9223 has confirmed they’re waiting for RAFAIR 9645 flight of two.
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Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
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From: Peripatetic
................
China Intensifies Support for Iran and Could Change the Game
After sending a Type 055 destroyer and a Type 052 to the Sea of Oman region to escort the Ocean No. 1 intelligence ship, the Chinese are stepping up intelligence support to Iran.
The Ocean No. 1 is likely monitoring all movements of U.S. Navy ships and submarines and passing the information to Iran. But in an increasingly bold move, the Chinese are photographing U.S. bases and making the photos public, and this time they photographed a newly installed THAAD battery and posted the images with location data online.
Many people, including me, see this as a sign that the Chinese will not hesitate to provide full support to Iran, which appears to have turned to the Chinese after realizing that Russia’s ties with Israel were limiting the desired support.
With two modern destroyers and the Ocean No. 1 in the region providing data to Iran, there is no chance of a surprise attack, making a zero-casualty strike even more difficult for US-Israel.
Today alone, multiple Iranian facilities were hit by explosions, bringing the total to more than ten successful sabotage operations against the Iranian government in just the last ten days, including military targets.
Yes, I’m raising the hypothesis that the Chinese are giving Iran something similar to what they gave Pakistan in the last conflict with India, even though they deny it. The Chinese support obviously goes beyond radars, which they know were easy targets last June. Those flights from China to Iran in the last two months, sometimes multiple times a day, didn’t have the capacity to carry anti-aircraft batteries, but they certainly had the capacity to carry a lot of integration equipment, including for ground BeiDou stations.
It seems to me that after Iran migrated almost its entire arsenal to BeiDou and acquired more Chinese radas, they are either already operating or planning to operate something similar to Pakistan’s Link 17.
If this happens, it would mean the Chinese are directly involved in target acquisition for the Iranians, completely preventing the kind of blackout that occurred last June.
That would be a game-changer almost impossible to overcome at this moment. Iran’s C4ISR capabilities have received major investment in the last seven months, and China’s release of photos of U.S. bases clearly shows they intend to supply Iran with as much intelligence as possible.
After sending a Type 055 destroyer and a Type 052 to the Sea of Oman region to escort the Ocean No. 1 intelligence ship, the Chinese are stepping up intelligence support to Iran.
The Ocean No. 1 is likely monitoring all movements of U.S. Navy ships and submarines and passing the information to Iran. But in an increasingly bold move, the Chinese are photographing U.S. bases and making the photos public, and this time they photographed a newly installed THAAD battery and posted the images with location data online.
Many people, including me, see this as a sign that the Chinese will not hesitate to provide full support to Iran, which appears to have turned to the Chinese after realizing that Russia’s ties with Israel were limiting the desired support.
With two modern destroyers and the Ocean No. 1 in the region providing data to Iran, there is no chance of a surprise attack, making a zero-casualty strike even more difficult for US-Israel.
Today alone, multiple Iranian facilities were hit by explosions, bringing the total to more than ten successful sabotage operations against the Iranian government in just the last ten days, including military targets.
Yes, I’m raising the hypothesis that the Chinese are giving Iran something similar to what they gave Pakistan in the last conflict with India, even though they deny it. The Chinese support obviously goes beyond radars, which they know were easy targets last June. Those flights from China to Iran in the last two months, sometimes multiple times a day, didn’t have the capacity to carry anti-aircraft batteries, but they certainly had the capacity to carry a lot of integration equipment, including for ground BeiDou stations.
It seems to me that after Iran migrated almost its entire arsenal to BeiDou and acquired more Chinese radas, they are either already operating or planning to operate something similar to Pakistan’s Link 17.
If this happens, it would mean the Chinese are directly involved in target acquisition for the Iranians, completely preventing the kind of blackout that occurred last June.
That would be a game-changer almost impossible to overcome at this moment. Iran’s C4ISR capabilities have received major investment in the last seven months, and China’s release of photos of U.S. bases clearly shows they intend to supply Iran with as much intelligence as possible.
Last edited by Senior Pilot; 10th February 2026 at 19:56. Reason: Quote
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From: Peripatetic
Carrier U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford and its escort ships currently in the Caribbean have been ordered to redeploy to the Gulf.
ETA unknown but should be about 10-14 days if they go via the Suez Canal.
ETA unknown but should be about 10-14 days if they go via the Suez Canal.
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From: Ferrara
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cwygxz81330o
Emma Pengelly, BBC Verify and Ghoncheh Habibiazad, BBC Persian
This activity comes at a time of heightened tensions as talks between Iranian and US officials continue, with President Donald Trump threatening fresh military action against Iran if it does not agree a new deal on its nuclear programme.
The photos, first analysed by the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), a US-based think tank, show tunnel entrances being strengthened at Mount Kolang Gaz La - also known as Pickaxe Mountain.
Experts say this facility may be designed to protect Iran's uranium enrichment activities or key equipment, but its exact purpose - and whether it is operational - remains unclear.
Emma Pengelly, BBC Verify and Ghoncheh Habibiazad, BBC Persian
- Published
12 February 2026
This activity comes at a time of heightened tensions as talks between Iranian and US officials continue, with President Donald Trump threatening fresh military action against Iran if it does not agree a new deal on its nuclear programme.
The photos, first analysed by the Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS), a US-based think tank, show tunnel entrances being strengthened at Mount Kolang Gaz La - also known as Pickaxe Mountain.
Experts say this facility may be designed to protect Iran's uranium enrichment activities or key equipment, but its exact purpose - and whether it is operational - remains unclear.
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From: London
Of course Trump won't be able to bull!!!!! his way out of this, like he did with Venezuela, Greenland etc, what with the Israelis breathing down his neck. They'll make it abundantly clear if they're not happy with any deal.
Also, I wonder how long the US will give the Iranians? They are masters in dragging out negotiations.
Also, I wonder how long the US will give the Iranians? They are masters in dragging out negotiations.
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Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
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From: Peripatetic
ROFL.....
Video:
In an unexpected turn of events, US Air Force discovers Flightradar...
US Air Force officer says random Twitter users tracking military flights are publishing info that would be considered “Secret or maybe even Top Secret” if done internally, and it’s making OPSEC extremely hard.
Maj. Claire Randolph (US AFCENT, Chief of Weapons & Tactics):
"You’ve got Twitter feeds of randos just studying where our airplanes go and publishing it. If US analysts did some of that, we would consider it Secret or maybe even Top Secret".
Maj. Claire Randolph (US AFCENT, Chief of Weapons & Tactics):
"You’ve got Twitter feeds of randos just studying where our airplanes go and publishing it. If US analysts did some of that, we would consider it Secret or maybe even Top Secret".