Iran Super Thread- Merged

[QV]

If the air war continues for a few weeks, the US has to wonder if China attempts to dip a toe or two towards Taiwan. The war stocks will begin to run down, air crews will begin to tire, centralizing so many assets out of their 'normal' patrol zones will begin to be noticed.

Same with the drug runners from the Caribbean and the WC, have to wonder if they'll be able to run in some more drugs during this time period when maybe not so many eyes are looking for them.

How many carrier strike groups does the US have at its disposal that aren't committed to Iran?

 

[Czech_pivo]

How many carrier strike groups does the US have at its disposal that aren't committed to Iran?

From what I can read -

1) Kennedy has just started sea trials prior to hand over in 2027
2) Vinson is in port and has just stared maintenance
3) Stennis is undergoing multi-year refit
4) Nimitz is scheduled to start de-commissioning in the spring
5) Truman is schedule to start its own multi-year refit now
6) Eisenhower is just about ready to be re-deployed after a refit any day now
7) Roosevelt is in the Eastern Pac
8) Washington is in Japan
9) Reagan is ongoing maintenance in Washington State
10) Bush in the Atlantic ?
11) Ford is in the ME
12) Lincoln in the ME

So, to answer your question, 2 are in the Pac, close to Taiwan and 2 are the ME and 1 is in the Atlantic. - So, right now, the US looks to have 3 that are deployed outside of the ME. Is 2 in the Pac enough to keep China in line if they started to kick something off with Taiwan?

 

[QV]

From what I can read -

1) Kennedy has just started sea trials prior to hand over in 2027
2) Vinson is in port and has just stared maintenance
3) Stennis is undergoing multi-year refit
4) Nimitz is scheduled to start de-commissioning in the spring
5) Truman is schedule to start its own multi-year refit now
6) Eisenhower is just about ready to be re-deployed after a refit any day now
7) Roosevelt is in the Eastern Pac
8) Washington is in Japan
9) Reagan is ongoing maintenance in Washington State
10) Bush in the Atlantic ?
11) Ford is in the ME
12) Lincoln in the ME

So, to answer your question, 2 are in the Pac, close to Taiwan and 2 are the ME and 1 is in the Atlantic. - So, right now, the US looks to have 3 that are deployed outside of the ME. Is 2 in the Pac enough to keep China in line if they started to kick something off with Taiwan?

That's a lot of firepower. Plus the rest of the surface and subsurface fleet.

 

[Czech_pivo]

They have always gone to war with at least a coalition of the willing. There were 40 countries in the Iraq invasion. It was a force multiplier and gave the Americans moral cover for their actions.

It seems that Donald is quite happy to get help from anyone who is offering it.

The US has asked Ukraine for help defending Gulf allies against Iranian drones, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.

He said Ukraine's partners had been reaching out and there had been "requests from the American side".
Zelensky said he had given instructions "to provide the necessary means and ensure the presence of Ukrainian specialists who can guarantee the necessary security".

Asked about the Ukrainian offer, US President Donald Trump said: "I'll take any assistance from any country."

The irony of the US asking for help has not been lost on Ukrainians who have suffered from US President Donald Trump's erratic policy towards their defence against Russia's full-scale invasion.

The US has ceased direct military support under his administration but continues to provide vital intelligence that helps Ukraine both defend against drones and missiles, and strike targets deep within Russia.

US asked Ukraine for help fighting Iranian drones, Zelensky says

Ukraine's president says Kyiv will only help if doing so does not deplete its own air defences.

www.bbc.com

 

[Czech_pivo]

That's a lot of firepower. Plus the rest of the surface and subsurface fleet.

It would be if some of the highlighted carriers were actually available or even close to be on location.

 

[RangerRay]

It seems that Donald is quite happy to get help from anyone who is offering it.

The US has asked Ukraine for help defending Gulf allies against Iranian drones, according to President Volodymyr Zelensky.

He said Ukraine's partners had been reaching out and there had been "requests from the American side".
Zelensky said he had given instructions "to provide the necessary means and ensure the presence of Ukrainian specialists who can guarantee the necessary security".

Asked about the Ukrainian offer, US President Donald Trump said: "I'll take any assistance from any country."

The irony of the US asking for help has not been lost on Ukrainians who have suffered from US President Donald Trump's erratic policy towards their defence against Russia's full-scale invasion.

The US has ceased direct military support under his administration but continues to provide vital intelligence that helps Ukraine both defend against drones and missiles, and strike targets deep within Russia.

US asked Ukraine for help fighting Iranian drones, Zelensky says

Ukraine's president says Kyiv will only help if doing so does not deplete its own air defences.

www.bbc.com

That’s awesome. Asking for help from Volodymyr “No Cards” Zelenskyy…

 

[Brad Sallows]

So, to answer your question, 2 are in the Pac, close to Taiwan and 2 are the ME and 1 is in the Atlantic. - So, right now, the US looks to have 3 that are deployed outside of the ME. Is 2 in the Pac enough to keep China in line if they started to kick something off with Taiwan?

Taiwan itself is a pretty firm base for air operations.

 

[Czech_pivo]

Another angle here that no one has talked about is the fact that both Venezuela and Iran were selling their oil assets to their respective customers in currencies other than in USD. With Chinese Yuan being the primary currency.

For about 50yrs now virtually all oil trading was done in USD, so if Saudi Arabia wanted to sell oil to Pakistan they had to use USD in order to make the transaction happen. The Saudi's would then have at the end of the day lots and lots of USD, so they would end up using it to buy US denominated assets, like the US T-bills. This gave the US easy, steady, reliable access to massive amounts of investors to allow it to continue to fund its debts. Over the last 20-25yrs the amount of trade around the world (oil being a part of this) using USD for settlements has been steadily decreasing to the point that its under 40% of the world's trade. With the US owing over 38 Trillion USD in debt, its getting more difficult for them to continue to fund this debt.

So, what does the US do, it effectively takes over Venezuela by removing its leader and controlling its ability to sell its oil - which will now occur only in USD to USD transactions - and - it cuts the head off the Iranian leadership, kneecaps its oil exports to China, and going forward will look to have in place a new Iranian leadership that will cease nuclear weapons production - but mostly importantly, will hopefully go back to USD to USD oil transactions by being allowed to rejoin the SWIFT platform......This is deal a large blow to China as it will have lost the Venezuela and Iran Yuan oil transactions and will 'force' them to buy more USD on the market in order to be able to buy oil going forward in USD to USD transactions....

 

[Czech_pivo]

That’s awesome. Asking for help from Volodymyr “No Cards” Zelenskyy…

In the article Zelenskyy has said that he'll provide help based on more Patriots being sent - a 'give and take' simple business transaction.

 

[Good2Golf]

Meanwhile America is kicking the shit out of one of the planets most vile outfits, and it’s about time somebody capable did it.

Keeping the Middle East and Caucuses safe…

I'd like to see what "participation" would look like with the current state of the CAF. Whipping out the CF-18s?

Recently, Hornets 3 - Eagles 0

 

[Remius]

In the article Zelenskyy has said that he'll provide help based on more Patriots being sent - a 'give and take' simple business transaction.

I hope they extract as much as they can from this.

Amazing

 

[KevinB]

Recently, Hornets 3 - Eagles 0

Well to be fair to the Eagles, they didn’t expect their “own” linebacker to blitz them…

 

[ytz]

Diplomats, here as well as in the US, have no problem complaining when their noses are out of joint because the politicians upend their (diplomats') cozy little ordered world. Since so much of their dissatisfaction makes the news, I suppose the administration knows full well who is useful and who is obstructionist.

Political appointees are routinely shown the door after changes of administration just because they were appointed by the prior administration (even on the same "side" - Bush after Reagan), and not-with-the-program employees are just as routinely sidelined if they can't be released.

I'm still not sure you understand how policy is made.

And now I'm not sure you understand why an independent, non-partisan public service is important. Or why avoiding groupthink is important.