let alone megatankers laden with ~2 million bbl of oil
Last edited by Winehole23; 08-28-2026 at 04:47 PM.
in addition to losing to Iran at record speed, it sounds like Trump and Hegseth left the cupboard bare for deterrence purposes
we are ruled by stupid assholes
https://www.wsj.com/politics/nationa...ussia-c7d4512dThe U.S. has rushed so many munitions to the Middle East to fight Iran that military planners are concerned the loss of firepower is diminishing America’s ability to defend against potential threats from China and Russia, said U.S. officials.
The cuts have been so deep that the U.S. inventories in Europe of PAC-3 Patriot air defense interceptors and Atacms surface-to-surface missiles are deemed to be “beyond critical,” some of the officials said.
Last edited by Winehole23; 08-30-2026 at 11:19 AM.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/natio...ar-operations/“Several U.S. military leaders have advised Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that prolonging large-scale operations against Iran is unsustainable and risks weakening their ability to confront threats elsewhere, including the U.S. homeland, according to people familiar with a recent assessment prepared for the Pentagon chief,” the Washington Post reports.
”The warnings — detailed for Hegseth by the heads of the Army, Navy and Air Force and the four-star commanders overseeing U.S. operations throughout Europe, Asia and Latin America — appear in the Aug. 14 edition of the Secretary of Defense Orders Book.”
https://archive.ph/Qp8ai
Last edited by Winehole23; 08-30-2026 at 09:00 AM.
At this point, however, funding a war with no clear endgame is the main challenge. A former military officer now working for a navy contracting company, who has been briefed on the shortfalls, said: “They’re ed. They shot all their weapons; they trashed all their ships; they ran out of their money.”
ttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/27/trump-iran-war-navy-budgetttps://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/aug/27/trump-iran-war-navy-budgetWhen the Trump administration asked Congress for $67bn in emergency funds for the defense department, it didn’t break down how much would be for the navy. The House passed a $1.15tn defense bill in July and a separate budget authorization that would provide $73bn for the war in Iran, but it’s unlikely either will become law.
Ullman noted that during the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, funding was more forthcoming from Congress because those conflicts were authorized by a resolution. “There is no authorization to use force in this case. Is Congress obliged to pay for a conflict it did not authorize?” he said.
Last edited by Winehole23; 08-30-2026 at 07:53 AM.
The top military officials at European Command and Southern Command each cautioned Hegseth that lending their ships and surveillance aircraft to Central Command has degraded their ability to fulfill homeland-defense obligations, said those familiar with the assessment.
Adm. Samuel Paparo, the chief of Pacific Command, disagreed with the level of support he was ordered to continually provide, including an aircraft carrier strike group and naval destroyers, those familiar with the assessment said.
A spokesperson for European Command declined to comment. Spokespeople for Southern Command and Pacific Command did not respond to requests for comment.
Adm. Daryl Caudle, the chief of Naval Operations, provided Hegseth with the dimmest picture, saying in the SDOB that the Navy cannot sustain its current level of support for the Iran conflict because there is no anticipated end date, those familiar with the assessment said.
The Navy has shouldered an extraordinary burden. It has been asked to supply dozens of vessels for the Iran campaign — first to take part in the U.S. assault and defend against Iranian counterattacks and, for several months since, to enforce Trump’s blockade of Iranian ports as he attempts to force-open the Strait of Hormuz. Deployments for some vessels and crews have been extended by months.
Caudle conveyed to Hegseth that barely one-fourth of the Navy’s destroyer fleet is ready to deploy, a sharp decline from prewar levels, said those familiar with the assessment.
More broadly, the do ent says that the impact on ship maintenance, if demands imposed by the Iran operation continue unchanged, jeopardizes the fleet’s availability should other conflicts arise, people familiar with the assessment said.
https://archive.ph/Qp8ai#selection-953.0-995.316The recent “non-concurs” from some uniformed leaders mark the latest warning from military leaders about the war.
As The Post and others reported previously, Caine advised the White House before hostilities began that the U.S. lacked sufficient munitions — and support from allies — to conduct an extended large-scale campaign.
More recently, Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, the head of European Command, privately warned the Pentagon that he lacked adequate naval forces to shield Israel and the U.S. homeland from missile attacks, as The Post reported this month.
In the Pacific, key U.S. allies have raised alarm that the Pentagon’s depletion of missiles and air defense interceptors leave them vulnerable to China. The Navy’s only dedicated aircraft carrier in the Pacific, a linchpin of the military’s plan to deter Beijing, was sent to the Middle East to relieve another carrier that has been deployed for more than 300 days.
by putting all the eggs into the lethality basket -- wasting US arms and materiel against Iran while ignoring maintenance, replenishment, rotation, training -- Trump and Hegseth are making the US weaker and endangering security globally
"complete US control" apparently looks like this
U.S. official: "Earlier today U.S. forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into Strait of Hormuz"-Axios
did whoever posted this watch "300" all the way through?
lol so much wrong with that AI slop.
Independent DMX7 approves.
troops treated like CFUs -- cannon fodder units
caring about US troops, protecting them and preserving their readiness, isn't woke bull . it's just common sense.
https://www.militarytimes.com/opinio...urity-warning/What is striking is not simply the physical damage, but the continuing uncertainty six months later surrounding the operational status and future of one of America’s most important naval headquarters — and importantly, the status of the personnel and their families.
same story, second verse
https://taskandpurpose.com/news/82nd...extended-iran/Elements of the 82nd Airborne Division currently deployed to the Middle East will remain in the region into next year due to “operational requirements,” the Army announced.
The extended deployment was announced by division commander Maj. Gen. Brandon R. Tegtmeier in a letter to military families, thanking them for their support of the deployed troops. Task & Purpose reviewed the letter, dated Aug. 30 and shared to social media including the Army’s unofficial subreddit. The Army confirmed the authenticity of the letter. The division’s headquarters as well as members of artillery units, the sustainment brigade and air defense troops will be in the region for a full year, while paratroopers and the division’s combat aviation brigade have had their tours extended for up to a year.
wasn't this whole thing supposed to last just a few weeks?
"just a little excursion"
US officials say Iran has launched ballistic missiles at a US airbase in Jordan in retaliation for US attacks on Iran near the Strait of Hormuz just hours ago.
This was the first known US strike in Iran since late-July and the IRGC has vowed to retaliate.
sourcing is sketchy, Iranian and unnamed Israeli sources
Initial reports indicate that short-range cruise missiles were launched against US Navy vessels off the coast of Oman in the Arabian Sea.
"Nearly all incoming missiles have been intercepted at this point." - A U.S. source said.-Fox News
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/08/30/us-i...it-hormuz.htmlTrump threatens to blow up Iran’s Kharg Island oil hub as hostilities escalate once again
U.S. President Donald Trump extended his military threats against Iran to Kharg Island, the country’s main oil export terminal, saying it’s “going to be blown to smithereens!”
The comments came after the U.S. and Iran traded attacks over the weekend, as hostilities flared anew between the two countries.
American forces struck two Iranian rocket launchers on Larak Island on Sunday after the military said Revolutionary Guard forces were preparing rockets carrying sea mines for launch into the Strait of Hormuz, U.S. Central Command confirmed to MS NOW.
“Earlier today U.S. forces struck two Iranian launchers on Larak Island. Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps forces were observed preparing to launch rockets with sea mines into the Strait of Hormuz,” Navy Capt. Tim Hawkins, a U.S. Central Command spokesperson, said in a statement.
...
Economic D-Day is going smoothly.
how many backers has the US's "with us or against us" approach collected so far?
https://archive.is/RJMv4#selection-1615.0-1615.63World Mostly Shrugs Off Bessent’s ‘D-Day’ Iran Sanctions Threat
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent began the week vowing an “economic onslaught” against Iran and its trading partners in a fresh bid to end the war. By the week’s end, countries with ties to Tehran had so far shrugged off the threat and analysts were left underwhelmed by the US actions.
China, which buys 90% of Iran’s oil, issued a defiant warning to Washington rather than back down. Iranian bank branches remained open in Dubai. At one Bank Melli branch in Abu Dhabi, staff were busy typing away and one employee explained that they were still open for business.
Commercial flights also continued between Iran and Turkey as well as Iran and the United Arab Emirates, which had promised last week to sever all trade and financial transactions with Tehran. Routes flying to Thailand and Azerbaijan, as well as multiple destinations in both Russia and China, remained unaffected.
As the week came to a close, the US announced plans to sanction the UAE-based branches of Egypt’s Banque Misr. That fell well below expectations after Bessent’s warning that the world would see “a major announcement of a financial ins ution being sanctioned by the end of this week.”
“You can’t unleash meaningful economic warfare on Iran while ignoring the one country that absorbs 90% of its oil exports,” said Leland Miller, the CEO of China Beige Book data platform and a commissioner on the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, which advises the US Congress.
2026 is on track to be the most expensive year for diesel in U.S. history. the YTD average sits at $4.85/gal per GasBuddy data, with the current average at $5.58. by late September, 2026 will likely surpass 2022's full-year average
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