ORAC Metrea tanker went into Prestwick

I turned up at the viewing area on Tuesday saw only two of the remaining MO F-15E at Lakenheath depart (took video not photos). But later in early evening, pair of Hill F-35A presumably en route to the sand pit turned up so my photos below (along with a threatening social media post by the protesters outside Gate 1 and 2).

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....4a9fa9ec04.jpg
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....6bd35ae543.jpg
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....5a84084a98.jpg

lol

cheers

USAF C-130 allegedly damaged by a protester at Shannon Airport. More detail/images in the thread to the X post

Fresh news item.
There will probably be more reported about this soon.

https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/ira...s-lebanon-2026

Quote:
"It marks the first transit of American warships through the vital waterway since the war began six weeks ago."

So only after a ceasefire and the Vicepresident negotiation direct with Iran the first two US navy ships have the balls to sail through the SoH.
That speaks for themself.

Is it balls or the tactical sense to utilize the ship’s weapons systems beyond direct view of the enemy, thus reducing the potential of damage from Iran’s weapons? What do you in your military mind think the tactical advantage would have been to steam through the SoH when the weapons were flying compared to where they were?

Oh dear!

Sal expands on the WSJ report

I know I'm getting old, but wasn't this exactly what an unnamed rather prominent individual expected from his esteemed allies, told them this was the easy and low risk part of the whole endeavour and was extremely agitated that they didn't do so?

That would be best addressed by the politician you allude to.

This reminds me of books written by pilots in other far away “ Military Operations “ where They (. Blue ). had weapons using radar and other wowie zowie stuff, developed at great expense, capable of destroying the Evil ( Red ) Targets while still well out of range of Red’s weapons. However the politicians flying the Mahogany Bombers thousands of miles and many time zones away insisted they visually identify the targets.
This procedure put them considerably in harms way and was not a big moral builder.

Art of the no deal

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/liveb...e-in-islamabad

So the Americans are off back home again. Presumably hostilities will restart?

Video

Quote:

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https://x.com/atrupar/status/2043140972318535840?s=20

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Quote:

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JD Vance: ……"The bad news is that we have not reached an agreement. And I think that's bad news for Iran much more than it's bad news for the US.

So, we go back to the US having not come to an agreement ... they have chosen not to accept our terms"…..

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https://www.axios.com/2026/04/12/ira...-vance-no-deal

U.S.-Iran talks end with no deal
​​​​​​​

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....468dbb67f.jpeg
​​​​​​​

Geeze that didn’t last long ….how long was Vance actually at the table?
Well at least they didn’t spend 10 weeks arguing about the shape of the table as they did at the Paris Peace Accords between the US, South Vietnam and North Vietnam in 1968 and 69.

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....31fbdaed45.png

https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....6a7e249f1c.png

21 hours according to the VP - although that could be the time he was in-country.
Depart quickly, which was always my feeling when I was in beautiful downtown Islamabad.

Trump's first post after the peace talks broke down….

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/pprune....d2846103bd.png

https://justthenews.com/government/s...naval-blockade

The Trump card the president holds if Iran won’t bend: a naval blockade

There were claims yesterday by Trump and Centcom that the US Navy has commenced mine clearance in the Straits of Hormuz.

Is this a truth or is it a lie?

I don't know if this should be in JB - lots of 'political' here in MA... (respect to MODS to handle all this!).

If the US Navy is currently conducting anti-mine operations (if indeed there are mines), in the below charted International left/right navigational lines - and I do not know the depths around that area.

What are the chances of having ships going 'closer' to the Oman shoreline - out of range of any Iranian (north shore), based missile bases?
From my understand the 'International Lanes' anyway are in Oman waters.

Wouldn't the 'latest greatest' US Navy ships have the 'latest greatest' laser drone/missile hitting stuff, and be able to control (at risk - but hey, that's war is, right?), themselves...?

Well, 2 x US Arleigh Burke class destroyers, USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. (DDG-121) and USS Michael Murphy (DDG-112)
entered the Strait (singular) very recently. Apparently in a minesweeping role.

One of them had its AIS txponder on and was seen inside the SoH on the Marine Traffic site. Have a look at
the latest video from Sal Mercogliano. If you want more proof ask the Omanis, Iranians or USN
for a video.