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There is a much bigger picture going on here and all actions point to neutering and cornering China in the long run. Russia is depleting its military on its own, Venezuela got the message, Cuba can’t turn their lights on and the Iranian regime will collapse. It’s fascinating watching nearly the entire Middle East come down on Iran. It wasn’t long ago where Iran held the cards via their proxies. The Middle East isn’t what it once was. Those of us that have been vacationing on the Air Force’s dime for a couple decades have seen the transformation. The most modern cities in the world are now in the Middle East. This war with Iran has been extremely uncomfortable to watch unfold. Servicemen and women have given their lives. The markets are getting crushed - although today looks promising. But, I’m ok with it understanding the bigger picture. This administration is tackling long lingering complex problems. It’s needed to be done for a very long time.

Pilot confirmed dead, looking at the front of the plane hard to believe others didn't perish. The ATC audio is very telling...Even when cleared to cross I still visually check.

Huh? 140Million barrels of Iranian oil are stranded at sea. the sanctions are to bring that oil to market. It is useless to engage the trolls, there is no discussion because they are single minded in their hate. Most of us have repeatedly said we don't like many things trump but he has done good things...no one is perfect, most certainly not our politicians. I saw what was in my opinion both good and bad with Biden/Obama/Bush/Clinton and was intellectually honest to admit those things. As most on this forum are in or were in the profession of arms it is stunning to find zero value in degrading and hopefully removing the single biggest purveyor of death and instability in the Middle East. The number of American lives lost or changed forever thanks to Iran should never be forgotten. If there is some short-term pain at the pump/economy to perhaps stabilize the Middle East and remove the biggest exporters of terror in the world, then I most certainly approve. Time will tell but at this point trying something different appears to be better than doing the same old thing like flying $1.6 billion in cash to Iran.

Huh? 140Million barrels of Iranian oil are stranded at sea. the sanctions are to bring that oil to market.

Looks like 2 fatalities and a few injured. Not good

Oil pissing contest aside, Iran has brought death, destruction, and/or destabilization to most of the world for many decades. They are, and have been, wildly dangerous for a long time. It’s a failure that nothing with teeth behind it had been done about it decades ago. So while execution is never perfect, and there are valid critiques, it’s asinine to act like the status quo (or similar version) was doing just fine. War is ugly and unwanted, but it will continue to be necessary and unavoidable for the rest of human existence on this planet.

Some of us believe that expensive gas and unstable markets are worth it to move the pieces on the board for the inevitable war with China. Apparently some of the Trump admin, including Trump himself, agrees. I'll judge the effort once it's done, or at least a few months in, but if it works, then yeah, easily worth it. Seriously though, noble deaths? Who's the child now? We all signed up to die for causes that were too big for us to understand as 18 years olds. Now you should know better.

Can confirm UA is pricing accordingly. Anyone here cheerleading Trump/Pete in their anti-maga war efforts? I mean, you voted for this, right? Iran was soooooo close, right? Airmen dying is noble, right? Isreal is worth US blood, right?

UAL expects oil to hit $175 per barrel. FortuneUnited Airlines plans for oil hitting $175 a barrel and s...CEO Scott Kirby pointed out jet fuel prices have more than doubled in the last three weeks, representing an additional $11 billion in annual costs if prices stay at that level.

So Iran is giving away their oil out of the kindness of their hearts.

nice AI copy and paste. the actual license is here: https://ofac.treasury.gov/media/935376/download?inline of note, it allows the US to import Iranian oil (😂) and China is not restricted from purchasing per the license

The U.S. restricts Iranian oil sales primarily through heavy financial and shipping sanctions, targeting foreign banks, shipping companies, and refiners that buy from Iran to cripple its economy. These measures, often utilizing secondary sanctions, essentially cut Iran off from the global financial system and tanker services, though occasional temporary waivers (like the 2026 30-day waivers for stranded oil) are used for global price stabilization. Secondary Sanctions: The U.S. threatens to penalize third-party countries and companies—notably in China—that purchase Iranian oil or petroleum products. Banking Restrictions: Sanctions prevent Iran from accessing international financial systems, making it difficult to process payments for oil sales, often forcing the use of illicit networks. Shipping & Tanker Bans: The U.S. targets the national tanker company of Iran (NITC) and forces shipping insurance providers (like the International Group of P&I Clubs) to deny coverage for vessels carrying Iranian oil. Maximum Pressure Campaign: Sanctions target Iran's petrochemical and energy sectors directly, focusing on closing off all avenues for revenue.

How is that possible?

Yeah, I suspect that Trump is as much of gambler in military action as Putin is and the incredible success of Midnight Hammer, Maduro raid, etc… convinced him it was time for a trifecta. That is a quick decisive powerful military operation with outsized results and low costs in blood and treasure, not implying his advisers or an ally country lied or misled him but we gambled that the regime was more fragile and more disliked than is apparently the truth. Not saying a majority of Iranians want theocracy but enough do to keep that regime afloat, enough are willing to serve in the IRGC, the Basij, police and the conventional military forces to support the clerical regime and all of its odious activities. I’m not looking for the US to get into major ground war, occupation and inevitable COIN mission but unless we get very lucky and somehow take out thousands of the leaders and enforcers of the revolutionary Islamic regime and simultaneously cause/support an uprising that is acceptable (secular military dictatorship is fine initially), even a severely wounded Iranian regime that survives is not going to be an optimal outcome, maybe acceptable in the short term long term I suspect not. It seems the idea of ground war is in the zeitgeist The War ZoneWhat Boots On The Ground In Iran Could Entail, According...Joseph Votel offers insights on securing Iran's uranium, seizing Kharg Island, dwindling stocks of missile interceptors, and how long Epic Fury will last.I think in the big picture, this is another test like Ukraine is for the West. We just quit the mission in Afghanistan but the mission was not possible, to change their society into something we wanted, we should have accepted that earlier and come to some kind of settlement that would have not led to our ignominious departure. Ukraine is still in the fight but approaching an inevitable and I would say acceptable in the short term pause in the conflict. If we recognize that and prepare we (the West) can win the next inevitable aggression of Russia. Iran is the chance to defeat jihadism for a second time (first was Islamic State) and much more meaningfully the project of Islamic aggression. Israel must defeat Hamas and eventually Hezbollah, it is a cultural, religious and political phenomenon that can not be allowed to succeed. There are other Islamic governments and movements that we have come to terms with and can have relations with, carefully and somewhat warily I would advise but the ones I listed along with the other usual suspects can not be given quarter when it comes time to act. History is never over, the test never ends.

When the regime offed between 20 and 40k of their people after the nuke plant strikes….this was always going to be the only option. The regime knows if they hand over power they all meet the gallows. I’m not fully versed on Iranian gun laws but I’m willing to bet most ppl don’t have any firearms. so you’re options are military coup, armed Kurds, of US forces of some kind. regime will play the long game….piss off all their neighbors w drone strikes to get US/Israel to back down.

To destroy the power plants or not? https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/trump-iran-trade-threats-over-energy-targets-war-escalates-2026-03-22/ I’m not sure this will work, the regime has prepared for this for years. I fear that boots on the ground are looking necessary to destroy the Iranian Islamic regime.

We need a pause on legal migration, this is not working as intended https://redstate.com/beckynoble/2026/03/20/give-us-your-tired-your-poor-yourfreebies-nearly-half-of-us-immigrant-households-on-welfare-n2200446

Amazing how many geopolitical, economics, and military strategy experts all of a sudden appear (not just on this forum) during a crisis to start criticizing the whole operation, yet those same experts need to have the details explained to them in small and unclassified terms, otherwise what the US is doing is obviously stupid.

nutbag? classy. source on the bolded?

This is the financial intricacy I was hoping was being lost in the details. I'll try to be more judicious in my use of the word "anyone" when asking a serious question next time. With that ambiguity it was a coin flip between a short rage bait response from the left or a community college dissertation from Ratner...

Huh? When did I say they would stop attacking? I believe we fully expect them to continue to attack, which is why we have destroyed their big Navy and are currently waging a campaign against their swift boats...You might have heard A-10, Apaches and other assets are now in that fight. We have also shifted the air campaign to attacking launch sites and storage for anti-ship capabilities. The price of oil is just as much perception as it is supply. Selling 140 Million barrels will have a small part on both factors. The real issue as BOTH sides know is getting ships flowing through the straight. Killing the swift boats and launchers is part two, a coalition (which it appears is now forming), to sweep the mines is the final stage.

So, Iranian oil can be sold, but Iran can’t receive revenue from any of the sales of their oil? Is that what you’re saying? Then why would Iran not continue to attack oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz until they were literally Winchester just out of spite?