Iran


Joined: Dec 2020
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From: Over the rainbow
It smells like an eerie rerun of Putins SMO. Planned as a few days bombing run Venezuela style may very well turn into an extensive meat grinding ground war with 4 digit body bags a day lasting years with Afghanistan style end result. The positive side for Iran, they figured to set up a toll booth creating 600 million a month, 2 million a ship, without even digging a channel.
https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-n...0v3b6sw7r3m8ah
https://edition.cnn.com/world/live-n...0v3b6sw7r3m8ah


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From: Over the rainbow
The most important lesson is that a $100 million piece of kit can be defeated by a 30k drone.

Joined: Jul 2007
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From: Europe
The news item I heard with the most info suggested it was a cruise missile/drone and that the likely target was Eilat. If so that was not ballistic.
In this wiki link they give a list of what the Houthis had a whole back, in the last round. But even then it is ambiguous about what actually got launched.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Sea_crisis
Joined: Jan 2008
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From: Australia
I'm sure Iran would be happy for the Houthis to ramp up attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.
It would stretch the USN into a two area deployment, put further pressure on the World economy and increase international calls for the conflict to stop.
On the down side I suppose it might galvanize European navies into deploying ships into the Red Sea for "defensive purposes" to protect shipping. Who knows, Hermer might even declare such an act to be "legal"?
None of this is exactly rocket science.
It would stretch the USN into a two area deployment, put further pressure on the World economy and increase international calls for the conflict to stop.
On the down side I suppose it might galvanize European navies into deploying ships into the Red Sea for "defensive purposes" to protect shipping. Who knows, Hermer might even declare such an act to be "legal"?
None of this is exactly rocket science.
Joined: Jan 2008
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From: Australia
Houthis have apparently lobbed "missiles" from Yemen to.... Israel. Starting to get interesting. That will answer the question on the Bab-al-Mandab being messed with.
There goes the neighbourhood.
Yemen's issues now become existential threats to KSA for certain, horn of Africa as well, and even, once again, to Oman, just like the good ol' days. Closure of the Red Sea impacts Europe, North Africa, Asia, North Asia... pretty much everyone other than Brazil and points south...
The great orator in the WH might need to have a new voice that is coherent to achieve any measure of alliance to go and pull the goat out of the stew and put it back together again. Taking out the Red Sea as an MSR is going to cause mayhem to many, more than just the gulf does.
It is probably a long shot to suggest that the WH read some of their own history when the voice goes off on Europe never supporting the USA's wars, seems that there was once this thing called 9/11, and NATO and other non NATO countries responded to support the US when Article 5 was invoked, for the only occasion since the inception of NATO. More Danish forces per capita were sent to Iraq and Afghanistan than the US did, which is not apparent in the rhetoric that vents from the WH. At the beginning of WW-2.0, the USA did not support the UK, until eventually FDR assisted through Lend-Lease, which happened to more or less bankrupt the UK later. The US entered the war when attacked by Japan, (against Japan) and then Hitler apparently channelling future presidents, declared war against the USA. Going back further, in WW-1.0, the US was late to the party, but was instrumental to the outcome, the same is true of WW-2. Mr T's bestie friend, Vlad, wants a return to the good ol' days of being Tzar, (seems to be a lot of that going around lately) and that overlooks that WW-2 got its kick off whistle due to the actions of the USSR planning to invade in coordination with Hitler, the state of Poland, while carving up more of Europe to Stalins benefit. Today, Vlad has been happily giving targeting info to Iran and presumably the Houthi's, while being graciously having sanctions removed from their oil supplies.
Reminds me of the opening lines to "Soap"... "Confused? You should be...".
India, China, Japan, and even South Korea will have great interest in what now happens, this is a direct threat to their own stability.
Regime change is on the way, the question is, in what countries.
There goes the neighbourhood.
Yemen's issues now become existential threats to KSA for certain, horn of Africa as well, and even, once again, to Oman, just like the good ol' days. Closure of the Red Sea impacts Europe, North Africa, Asia, North Asia... pretty much everyone other than Brazil and points south...
The great orator in the WH might need to have a new voice that is coherent to achieve any measure of alliance to go and pull the goat out of the stew and put it back together again. Taking out the Red Sea as an MSR is going to cause mayhem to many, more than just the gulf does.
It is probably a long shot to suggest that the WH read some of their own history when the voice goes off on Europe never supporting the USA's wars, seems that there was once this thing called 9/11, and NATO and other non NATO countries responded to support the US when Article 5 was invoked, for the only occasion since the inception of NATO. More Danish forces per capita were sent to Iraq and Afghanistan than the US did, which is not apparent in the rhetoric that vents from the WH. At the beginning of WW-2.0, the USA did not support the UK, until eventually FDR assisted through Lend-Lease, which happened to more or less bankrupt the UK later. The US entered the war when attacked by Japan, (against Japan) and then Hitler apparently channelling future presidents, declared war against the USA. Going back further, in WW-1.0, the US was late to the party, but was instrumental to the outcome, the same is true of WW-2. Mr T's bestie friend, Vlad, wants a return to the good ol' days of being Tzar, (seems to be a lot of that going around lately) and that overlooks that WW-2 got its kick off whistle due to the actions of the USSR planning to invade in coordination with Hitler, the state of Poland, while carving up more of Europe to Stalins benefit. Today, Vlad has been happily giving targeting info to Iran and presumably the Houthi's, while being graciously having sanctions removed from their oil supplies.
Reminds me of the opening lines to "Soap"... "Confused? You should be...".
India, China, Japan, and even South Korea will have great interest in what now happens, this is a direct threat to their own stability.
Regime change is on the way, the question is, in what countries.


Joined: Dec 2012
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From: Co. Down
@ artee
Listen colonial chappie, I'll have you know that Lord Hermer is British Attorney General and a Very Important Panjandrum in the UK government. He keeps us all right on international law and was mainly behind the UK's kind donation of the Chagos Islands plus a small donation of £35 billion to Mauritius to help smooth out past injustices imposed by England a few centuries back.
It is reported that he is already planning strict measures on every possible woke legal procedure to delay any action whatever. These Iranians had better prepare for him to launch a very strong solicitor's letter warning the Iranians to cease and desist from blocking the Strait of Hormuz under penalty of severe writs being fired in their direction.
Listen colonial chappie, I'll have you know that Lord Hermer is British Attorney General and a Very Important Panjandrum in the UK government. He keeps us all right on international law and was mainly behind the UK's kind donation of the Chagos Islands plus a small donation of £35 billion to Mauritius to help smooth out past injustices imposed by England a few centuries back.
It is reported that he is already planning strict measures on every possible woke legal procedure to delay any action whatever. These Iranians had better prepare for him to launch a very strong solicitor's letter warning the Iranians to cease and desist from blocking the Strait of Hormuz under penalty of severe writs being fired in their direction.


Joined: Apr 2004
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From: Richard Burtonville, South Wales.
"Extensive damage".....I think that's something of an understatement.
CG


Joined: Mar 1999
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From: Brisbane, Qld, Australia
The first recorded launch of the Burkan-2H by the Houthis was on 22 July 2017

Joined: Oct 2005
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From: UK/Philippines/Italy
This is known as the Suezmax.
Many tankers, container vessels and bulkers simply cannot fit through Suez. This needs to be taken into account when considering increased traffic around the Cape route.
Last edited by larssnowpharter; 29th March 2026 at 14:43.

Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 360
Likes: 152
From: Europe
Those were used against KSA. Do they have range to reach even Eilat ? Approx 2000km.
Do the Houthis have anything ballistic with that range, and have they actually ever used them ?
Update : interceptor 'rationing' ongoing
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-891460
Last edited by petit plateau; 29th March 2026 at 14:29.


Joined: Sep 2004
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From: Canada
The two apps I use to track shipping are Vessel Finder and Marine Traffic. I use Ship Finder for North America, the St. Lawrence Seaway and the Great lakes.

Marine Traffic

Vessel Finder
The latest weekly summary from Whats going on with Shipping.

Marine Traffic

Vessel Finder
The latest weekly summary from Whats going on with Shipping.

Joined: Oct 2005
Aviation Qualifications: Military
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From: UK/Philippines/Italy
Albatross: you are right to analyse shipping in an attempt to understand what the effects of the war in the Arabian/Persian Gulf are.
A useful tool to understanding is provided by the biggest maritime intelligence organisation here;
https://www.lloydslist.com/search#?m...rs%20and%20Gas
A useful tool to understanding is provided by the biggest maritime intelligence organisation here;
https://www.lloydslist.com/search#?m...rs%20and%20Gas
Joined: Apr 2003
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Posts: 10,564
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From: Northumberland
Thanks.
Those were used against KSA. Do they have range to reach even Eilat ? Approx 2000km.
Do the Houthis have anything ballistic with that range, and have they actually ever used them ?
Update : interceptor 'rationing' ongoing
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-891460
Those were used against KSA. Do they have range to reach even Eilat ? Approx 2000km.
Do the Houthis have anything ballistic with that range, and have they actually ever used them ?
Update : interceptor 'rationing' ongoing
https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/article-891460
Yemen’s Houthi rebels fired a ballistic missile towards Israel on Saturday, marking their entry into the intensifying Middle East war. The move comes amid rising regional tensions, US-Israeli airstrikes on Iran, and disruptions to Red Sea shipping that threaten global trade and energy markets.


Joined: Feb 2006
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From: Falling off the end of the thread
It does not surprise me to see so many US aircraft damaged at bases in the Middle East, with Trumps imposed “ceasefire for talks” which is more likely due too expended readily available munition stockpiles, and the withdrawal of a carrier, the air strike capabilities to keep hitting launch facilities are no doubt diminished, so “Iran is making hay while the sun is shining” so to speak.
As I keep saying this is just going to get worse for the USA with no apparent escape plan and I fear for the death toll before it ends.
.
As I keep saying this is just going to get worse for the USA with no apparent escape plan and I fear for the death toll before it ends.
.
Last edited by NutLoose; 29th March 2026 at 20:05.

Joined: Dec 2004
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From: Cluedo
And failed to learn lessons from Ukraine.
And planning assumptions seem to have been a bit off.




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From: Glorious Devon



