Iran V2.0

[BonnieLass]

The situation for the many thousands of crew aboard the stuck ships within the Persian Gulf has become critical as the temperatures rise into the 50's, supplies of food, drinking water and medical needs have dwindled. Shipping companies and agents are also struggling to repatriate crews who have been stuck in the region for months.

The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) and the UN along with the Gulf States are trying to push for a 30 day humanitarian corridor that will allow ships and their crews to pass out of the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz without fear of ship seizure or kinetic attack from either side of the conflict.

The move toward a 30-day corridor is not merely a diplomatic suggestion but a structured response emerging from the IMO seafarer evacuation framework.
Under the leadership of Secretary-General Arsenio Dominguez, the IMO Council has been working to coordinate with regional powers to prevent the escalation of a maritime humanitarian crisis. The legal foundation for this action rests on the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC) and the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS), which mandate the protection and well-being of crew members regardless of regional conflict.
The current crisis stems from a convergence of military activity and the breakdown of traditional protocols for safe passage through maritime corridors. When commercial shipping lanes are used as leverage in regional conflicts, the standard insurance and regulatory protections for seafarers often fail. The proposed 30-day corridor is designed to act as a release valve, allowing shipowners to fulfil their repatriation obligations without the immediate threat of seizure or kinetic attack. It also aims to restore access to critical supplies, as reports indicate that many stranded seafarers in the Persian Gulf are struggling with dwindling medical supplies and limited contact with their families.

The main elements for this humanitarian corridor :

– A mandatory 30-day ceasefire specifically for non-combatant merchant vessels within designated transit lanes.
– Coordinated surveillance by international naval forces to provide “blue safe” monitoring of all transiting hulls.
– Facilitated crew changes at designated regional hubs to replace exhausted seafarers with fresh relief personnel.
– Clear technical corridors that bypass active minefields or high-risk military zones currently obstructing the Strait.
– Temporary suspension of regional transit fees for vessels utilizing the humanitarian exit route.Operational Fallout: Rerouting, Insurance, and Logistics

The maritime world is watching the UN and IMO with bated breath. While the technical details of the evacuation framework are being finalized, the reality for those on the water is one of anxious waiting. A 30-day corridor represents more than just a logistical solution; it is a necessary reaffirmation of seafarers’ neutrality in global conflict. If the international community fails to secure this safe passage, the humanitarian cost will eventually outweigh the strategic value of the blockade itself.

More on this here : Strait of Hormuz Humanitarian Corridor: Global Crew Rescue (Maritime Hub - May 26, 2026)
And : Nautilus backs UN push for Strait of Hormuz humanitarian corridor as 20,000 seafarers stranded (Nautilus - May 21, 2026)

This humanitarian corridor would be safer and potentially more successful than Project Freedom, it would allow not just current crew to go home but to enable replenishment of ships and the boarding of new crew. The ships could then continue their voyages to their destinations after being held as virtual prisoners for so many months. As the summer temperatures start to rise and supplies decrease by virtue of almost impossible logistics, the situation aboard the ships has become desperate. Hopefully both sides of the conflict will allow this 30 day humanitarian corridor to go ahead...lives could well depend on it.

[bugged on the right]

If they let the crews go, BL they'll lose their human shields.

[Bob Viking]

Definition of ceasefire?

Israel seizes castle in Lebanon as it expands ground offensive https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdep04kzz5wo

I think DJT will struggle to get Iran to agree to terms as long as Israel keeps this up.

BV

[Hangarless]

Originally Posted by Bob Viking

Israel seizes castle in Lebanon as it expands ground offensive https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdep04kzz5wo

I think DJT will struggle to get Iran to agree to terms as long as Israel keeps this up.

BV

I suspect that If Trump wanted Israel to stop destroying Iran's proxy,Hezbollah, that he would get them do so.

[T28B]

Let's be careful about thread drift.
With that caution made, as I understand the current Iranian position the two things that BV mentioned are related to getting this conflict to end.

[MissChief]

Originally Posted by Bob Viking

Israel seizes castle in Lebanon as it expands ground offensive https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cdep04kzz5wo

I think DJT will struggle to get Iran to agree to terms as long as Israel keeps this up.

BV

When has Iran ever honoured an agreement? Why would they start now, given the beating the country has received?

[chopper2004]

Alaskan tanker hit shrapnel

yesterfday I saw 168th Wing KC-135R departing the Hall with some battle damage on its rear port side fuselage so here are my photos below.




cheers

[ORAC]

https://x.com/NatSec_News/status/206...611549724?s=20

Iran has unblocked fifty of sixty nine tunnel entrances that were blocked by U.S. and Israeli strikes at underground missile sites, according to CNN analysis of satellite imagery of the facilities.

“The Iranians have exceeded all timelines the 'IC' had for reconstitution,” one U.S. official told CNN.

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[gsky]

What a waste of time, money, lives and the damage done to the world econony. Moronic!

[Bfah]

What's Going on With Shipping latest video has PROOF of a mine...!
Mine @ 3:00

Also says that any AIS info should be taken with a pinch of salt..

Strait of Hormuz Week 13 Update: Mines, Blockades, and "Dark" Ships

[SINGAPURCANAC]

Originally Posted by gsky

What a waste of time, money, lives and the damage done to the world econony. Moronic!

completely wrong..
USA economy depends on military spending -rockets, bombs, assets etc. So, every bomb dropped in Iran means- a few hundred working positions back home. Israel is no different, much of Europe too.
It is always open vacancy for next "enemy"- that has leadership willing to accept bombs over their teritories.
Such leaders/ countries should meet a few preconditions before bombing:
1. Teritory that bas no big impact over sourounding countries
2. Citizens willing to die for Great Leader
3. Some military able to give resistance ( if anyhow possible w/o USA victims)
...

Some of such leaders got a few % remitance from western military sector, but many works pro bono.

So far, Iran has proved to be excellent player in such game. Big country- that could accept a lot bombs
Leadership works pro bono
A very few casualties caused by enemy fire ( most of them locals in Gulf countries)
Iran action keeps price of oil high ( 10% of 100 is more than 10% of 50)
And so on.


But, to be honest, there are also positive sides of these sad stories- electrification in Europe and energy independence got new momentum- that is good..

[BonnieLass]

Todays updates from the Strait of Hormuz, Bab-el-Mandab Strait and the ports and anchorages across the Persian Gulf and Gulf of Oman...........plus the US and Iran trading blows......again, Kuwait on the defensive......again and an insight from Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince

There have been some exchanging of blows during the weekend and overnight tween the US and Iran, the US have claimed to attacked and destroyed drone launch and control centers on Goruk and Qeshm Islands. This has been largely confirmed by Iranian sources.

The US said on Sunday it conducted 'self-defence strikes' on Iranian radar and drone control sites in Iran's Goruk and Qeshm Island at the weekend in what it said was a response to 'aggressive' actions from Tehran.

The US Central Command said in a post on X that Iran had shot down a US MQ-1 drone that was operating over international waters.

More on this : US says it struck Iranian drone command sites at the weekend (Khaleej Times - June 1, 2026)

Iran has been striking out at Kuwait over the weekend and those attacks are ongoing. Kuwaiti officials have been instructing citizens since the middle of last week to take whatever steps are necessary to remain safe as drone attacks are being defended against. So far casualties in Kuwait have been light as all incoming drones have been shot down

Kuwaiti air defences intercepted hostile missile and drone attacks early on Monday, the military reported.

"The General Staff of the Army wishes to advise that any sounds of explosions heard are the result of air defense systems intercepting these hostile attacks," the Kuwait Army said in a post on its official X account.

More on this : Kuwait army says air defences intercept missile, drone attacks (Khaleej Times - June 1, 2026)

Saudi Arabia has, just like its neighbours, suffered significant attacks as a result of what the entire region is calling the "40 Day War" tween the US and Iran, a war that still continues despite a ceasefire being in place. The region has tolerated the Iranian behaviour since 1979, the Gulf States have become resiliant, mindful and have done what has needed to be done to maintain their defensive status, often through being Allied with each other and with several countries worldwide. At the heart of this is Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman....

The war that came to be known as the “40-Day War” between the United States and Iran, which began on February 28, 2026, and continues to this day, has posed a profound test for the Gulf Arab states, of which geography has compelled to bear the consequences of Iran’s policies since the 1979 revolution. This challenge has been particularly severe for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, which firmly rejects foreign interference, the so-called “export of the Islamic Revolution,” hegemonic ambitions, the destabilization of nations, and the terrorism, sabotage, and loss of innocent lives that stem from such actions.

At the center of this crisis, Saudi Crown Prince and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Salman remained steadfast in his commitment to wisdom, adopting a strategy of calculated patience to safeguard the security of citizens and expatriates alike. A careful assessment of the current regional turmoil demonstrates that, despite immense risks, Prince Mohammed bin Salman skillfully and calmly steered the ship, sparing the country and its people from indiscriminate ballistic missile strikes and drone attacks.

The above quote is taken from an opinion article, it is a very good read and gives a real insight into the struggles that Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf States have to deal with when it comes to their troublesome neighbour, Iran

More here : Mohammed bin Salman and the diplomacy of balance to extinguish the flames of conflict (Saudi Gazette - May 21, 2026)

Onto the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab-el-Mandab Strait

There is some very strange behaviour going on in the Strait of Hormuz this morning.......yesterday I highlighted the US flagged fishing boat Jersey Devil.....it is still there. Nearby we now have another ship, also US flagged, the ColinM Sys (name is not recognised by Equasis or any other shipping database). The "ColinM Sys" is - according to its AIS tag "giving orders" so could it be USN in disguise? There are several ships that are stopped in the middle of the strait, including a Chinese bulker, KLS MingYang, that is very close to the two US flagged vessels....

On the Strait of Hormuz image below.....KSL MingYang is highlighted, the two US vessels are purple spot to the left is "ColinM Sys" and green spot below is "Jersey Devil". At time of writing no incidents reported





The Bab-el-Mandab Strait is flowing well this morning. No incidents reported.




There is very little change from Umm Qasr to Doha, apart from some steady movement on containerships (big green arrows) in international waters off the coast of Iran




There is heavy traffic both on the move and at anchor on the anchorages from Mina Saqr, Das Island and Jebel Ali. Das Island image below showing one of the many Iranian herders in the area







On the Gulf of Oman side of the Strait of Hormuz, ports and anchorages from Dibba through Liwa are busy....the image includes one of the Iranian LCT herders




Further south Muscat is once again very busy...and with one of the many Iranian herders in the vicinity





CMA CGM San Antonio is still unaccounted for along with the remaining crew who were injured during the ill fated Project Freedom. Hopefully they will be home very soon and that the joint IMO and UN humanitarian corridor (I posted above in the thread) will soon happen, the corridor would be organised and monitored by neutral forces and organisations unlike Project Freedom that was organised by one of the combatants in the conflict.

That is all for now....more updates in the morning.

[ORAC]

Today:

Video

https://x.com/Osinttechnical/status/...635490686?s=20

Over the last 20 minutes:

0600 local: Iran carries out a ballistic missile attack on Kuwait (likely targeting US forces in response to the next event)

0615: CENTCOM confirms it carried out strikes on Iranian radar and command and control sites for drones earlier this weekend.

https://x.com/KuwaitArmyGHQ/status/2...721206351?s=20

​​​​​​​https://x.com/EGYOSINT/status/2061312317363503191?s=20

CENTCOM says today's strikes were in response to Iran downing an MQ-1 drone.

What's puzzling is that the U.S. retired the MQ-1 seven years ago, so either it was operated by the CIA rather than the military, or old airframes are being pulled from storage to replace MQ-9 losses.

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[ORAC]

Reference the above Iranian missile attack:

https://x.com/FaytuksNetwork/status/...759256990?s=20

IRGC-affiliated Tasnim News says that the telecommunications tower on Sirik Island was targeted, and in response the IRGC targeted the "airbase from which the attack originated."


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[ORAC]

Bonnielass....

https://x.com/MenchOsint/status/2061...349030374?s=20

Looks like one of the tankers quietly escorted by the US Navy was targeted and caught fire 2-3 days ago (unreported by UKMTO)

https://x.com/tom_bike/status/2061217188858491233?s=20

Unreported? 👇 252 m ship spotted in Strait of Hormuz entrance ON FIRE being approached by 4 large speedboats from Iran 🇮🇷 direction while another left the scene heading SE at 26.0972, 56.8303

2 DAYS AGO

Whole thing worth watching. Meat is 08:30m to 12:00m in.

​​​​​​​https://x.com/PrepperCanadian/status...805028772?s=20

​​​​​​​According to Chevron CEO there is a lot happening that isnt being reported by UKTMO

[BonnieLass]

Thanks ORAC

Going by the satellite image on the social media posts and having a look at the charts......the Iranians seem to have moved the "entrance" to the Strait of Hormuz further south in the Gulf of Oman again....there is even a toll collector mooching about too




Currently the only ship that bears a resemblance to the one mentioned as being attacked would be the Indian flagged Ripley Pinnacle, a bulker, that has been at anchor for the last 48+ hours and has lapsed the AIS a few times. She came from Yanbu, Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea and was going to Dibba....which is way south of her current plot. There has not been any word from India about one of their ships being attacked, so not sure about her current state.





There is another scenario for the burning ship and no reports being made, however. That ship could be a wreck that has been moved in order to block the Khasab Peninsular escape route (that was used by the 6 cruise ships and several other vessels). On the satellite image there are 5 fast vessels....4 travelling to the burning ship and one coming away from it. There are more than enough wrecked ships (over 40 at last count) for the Iranians to use as blockage points....think back to the Suez crisis of 1967 where ships were sunk strategically to block the canal. The potential is there for Iran to do the same tactic, afterall the Strait of Hormuz at its narrowest point is 21 miles, the water is relatively shallow on the outer areas, so sinking ships already severely damaged would not be an unfeasible game to play. One such ship...and given the position of the ship in the satellite image and her size...would be CMA CGM San Antonio.

[BonnieLass]

A ship that was reportedly set ablaze by drone attack and subsequently sank that I mentioned last week (due to its odd behaviour of being "lost" twice), the Indian flagged Haji Ali has come into the headlines once again.

She was carrying approximately 4000 sheep and goats that were headed to Sharjah, UAE from Berbera, Somalia. Her crew of 14 survived and were rescued by the Omani Coast Guard. The animals perished.

According to Windward, the vessel was operating with its automatic identification system switched off at the time of the incident.

Somalia, which has one of the largest livestock populations in Africa, is a leading exporter of live animals to the Middle East. In recent years, the country has taken advantage of Australia's ban on live exports and the war in Sudan to increase its control of the lucrative Middle East market, exporting between four million and six million head of livestock annually and raking in more than $1 billion last year. Livestock exports to the Middle East reach peak levels in May, when the Muslim world gears up to mark Eid-ul-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice).

More on this : After Iranian Attack, Activists Renew Push for Live Export Ban (Marine Executive - May 31, 2026)

[Lonewolf_50]

Originally Posted by ORAC

What's puzzling is that the U.S. retired the MQ-1 seven years ago, so either it was operated by the CIA rather than the military, or old airframes are being pulled from storage to replace MQ-9 losses.
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I got to work with Predator a bit, it's a good recon platform. I don't see why you wouldn't use it if you still have some in stock. You don't necessarily have to arm it with Hellfires, but you can.
If there are small Iran patrol boats (or those hydrofoil looking things) running about the Persian Gulf, a Predator loitering can let loose with a Hellfire and probably get a mission kill.
You don't need a 500 pound bomb for every target...

[ORAC]

CENTCOM:

https://x.com/CENTCOM/status/2061419519705223257?s=20

Last night at 11 p.m. ET, U.S. forces successfully intercepted two Iranian ballistic missiles targeting American forces based in Kuwait. These missiles were immediately defeated and no American personnel were harmed.

​​​​​​​U.S. Central Command remains vigilant and will continue to protect our forces from Iranian aggression while supporting the ongoing ceasefire.

[ORAC]

Second damaged/lost E-3G the USAF isn't admitting too?

Still flying out BDR KC-135s for depot repair, so it still might put in an appearance via Mildenhall.....

Low quality video

​​​​​​​https://x.com/EGYOSINT/status/2061392921157316725?s=20

This U.S. Air Force E-3 Sentry AWACS has remained parked on the same taxiway at Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia, since March 27.

That was the same day the U.S. lost an E-3 Sentry and a KC-135R tanker, with several other aircraft damaged in Iranian strikes.