LIVE THREAD: US and Israel vs. Iran, Part Two

[bigheadfred]

https://twitter.com/MOSSADil/status/2032345085937881453

[bigheadfred]

Israel Radar
@IsraelRadar_com
·
2h
IDF says Iranian motivation to fire missiles at Israel is down due to ongoing strikes; missile units apparently feel less eager to go out and get bombed (N12 News)

Dozens of fighter jets attacked over 200 targets in Iran in the past day. Huge blasts now reported in Tehran (Ynet)

[bigheadfred]

https://twitter.com/Osinttechnical/status/2032298063486734383

[bigheadfred]

https://twitter.com/BGatesIsaPyscho/status/2032382845671404010

[bigheadfred]

OSINTtechnical
@Osinttechnical
·
2m
CENTCOM confirms the death of 4 American aircrew in the crash of a USAF KC-135 over Western Iraq.

2 additional crew members remain unaccounted for (likely awaiting positive verification).

[BobfromWB]

Some more on Ukraine' cheap Sting counter-drones, which have been around for a year or better:

I Have Seen the Future of Anti-Drone Warfare, and It's Dirt-Cheap (Really!)

Excerpt:
"I vaguely remembered reading something about the Sting a year or more ago, but I just learned today that they're both dirt-cheap and extremely effective - mostly at shooting down Russia's Geran-2 one-way attack drones, which are licensed copies of Iran's Shahed that have caused us considerable trouble in Operation Epic Fury.

"Ukraine needs tons of these things, because Geran is essentially a terror weapon aimed in large numbers - currently 100 to 200 per attack - at Ukraine's cities and infrastructure. Larger attack waves include anything from 300 up to just over 800 Geran-2s in one night.

"So the concept behind Sting is simply enough: Make something cheap and fast to build, easy to use, yet still capable of knocking a Geran-2 out of the sky far enough out from its target for some degree of safety.

"Sting takes off vertically like a helicopter before tipping over and using its stubby wings to fly like a plane, with an intercept range of 15 miles or so. Vertical takeoff allows operators to deploy and launch in less than 15 minutes.

"There's a camera on board, which the operator then uses to fly into incoming Geran-2s. With a top speed of about 190 MPH, they're fast enough to enjoy a reported 80-90% successful intercept rate - and better than 90% in more recent operations. There's a faster - and presumably more difficult to intercept - jet-powered Geran-3, but they're much more expensive to build, require more fuel, and have shorter range. Russia uses far fewer of those.

"The best part of Sting? The basic model costs about $2,500 to manufacture, compared to an estimated $70k-$80k for each Russian-built Geran-2." [ Or the reported $20,000 for the US LUCAS model ].

https://pjmedia.com/vodkapundit/2026/03/12/i-have-seen-the-future-of-anti-drone-warfare-and-its-dirt-cheap-really-n4950573

[BobfromWB]

I don't believe one effing word Iran says about their capabilities.

That's what the Russians say and the US Navy says about this super-cavitating torpedo - believe whom you will. Remember its been around since the 1960s.

[BobfromWB]

And I don't believe the shit Bob is posting about it. 

TBR Bob is a Dem plant!

Thanks! So nice to feel at home here, which is becoming more like TOS, whenever anything that goes against the consensus is posted, attack! Keep it up and donations will fall, and this site will begin to fail.

Apparently, facts do not matter, only how a poster feels about the subject, matters.

[BobfromWB]

I'm having trouble believing Iran has a torpedo capable of traveling 1/2 the speed of sound.

Some one posted an erroneous speed or Iran claimed something falsely. In any case, its a Soviet era torpedo upgraded. Russia only exports less capable ones than it has.

This is the known speeds according to Wiki:
Speed:
    Launch speed: 50 knots (93 km/h; 58 mph)
    Maximum speed: 200 knots (370 km/h; 230 mph) or greater

230mph is not half of 760mph

Like all things, that speed is likely under ideal conditions and in the real world, may be considerably slower.

Rest assured any such torpedo that has that sort of ability, has long been known to the US Navy. They will have a counter for it, and may well have something similar, just not bandied about in public.

[BobfromWB]

https://twitter.com/SprinterPress/status/2032219276766052399

Looks like the cable deployed, but one end broke from its fitting or the fitting broke. There was an episode by Mike Rowe on How Things Work which detailed how those cables work and what goes into maintaining them - the cable maintainers have only a few minutes during landing operations to replace worn or failing components.

[BobfromWB]

U.S. fired at Iranian vessel that approached aircraft carrier, officials say

U.S. fired at Iranian vessel that approached aircraft carrier, officials say

While it's not known which naval vessel fired on the Iranian ship, the officials said it missed multiple times.

more
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/us-fired-at-iranian-vessel-that-approached-aircraft-carrier-officials-say/

Someone is going to get an earful or worse.

[BobfromWB]

This doesn't sound good

https://twitter.com/sentdefender/status/2032254194195771542

Be aware. Fox reported this AM that there is a huge Iranian disinformation op underway using AI generated footage and images. It is so good that Grok AI became confused.

[BobfromWB]

https://twitter.com/MOSSADil/status/2032234263861739946

One of the fake Iranian AI videos shows the Lincoln on fire and then sunk due to the many missile hits. The video claims that they had to hit it again when it resurfaced ...

 

[BobfromWB]

I think the last few days is making it painfully evident that we need a citizen "neighborhood watch" type system, employed and recruit volunteers to causally cruise where Islamic terror is most likely.   FBI and DHS does not have to give specifics for obvious reasons.  Just allow us to search out and report any suspicious activities or trends.

I'd volunteer.

We need DHS fully funded NOW

[Lando Lincoln]

Some one posted an erroneous speed or Iran claimed something falsely. In any case, its a Soviet era torpedo upgraded. Russia only exports less capable ones than it has.

This is the known speeds according to Wiki:
Speed:
    Launch speed: 50 knots (93 km/h; 58 mph)
    Maximum speed: 200 knots (370 km/h; 230 mph) or greater

230mph is not half of 760mph

Like all things, that speed is likely under ideal conditions and in the real world, may be considerably slower.

Rest assured any such torpedo that has that sort of ability, has long been known to the US Navy. They will have a counter for it, and may well have something similar, just not bandied about in public.

Thank you

[mystery-ak]

 

4 deaths confirmed in US military refueling aircraft crash in Iraq

Four of the six service members onboard a refueling aircraft died when the plane crashed in western Iraq on Thursday afternoon, the U.S. Central Command (Centcom) confirmed on Friday.

Rescue efforts were continuing for the remaining two service members as of 5:30 a.m. EST.

“The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,” Centcom posted on the social platform X early Friday morning.

The command noted that the identities of the fallen would not be shared until 24 hours after notifying next of kin.

Centcom said on Thursday afternoon that two aircraft were involved in this incident and that the second plane “landed safely.”

The downed KC-135 refueler was in the Middle East to support the ongoing joint U.S.-Israel military operations against Iran.

The crash now brings the death toll for U.S. service members during Operation Epic Fury to 11, after seven members of the military were killed during Iran’s retaliatory strikes on U.S. bases in the region.

Centcom said that U.S. military operations have hit around 6,000 Iranian targets since the conflict began at the end of February and have hit or sunk over 90 Iranian vessels, including more than 30 mine-laying boats.

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5782479-refueler-plane-crash-iraq/

[mystery-ak]

US military will launch 'highest volume' of strikes on Iran today, Hegseth says

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Friday that "today will be yet again the highest volume of strikes that America has put over the skies of Iran and Tehran."

"The number of sorties, the number of bomber pulses, the highest yet, ramping up and only up," he said.

"Iran has no air defenses. Iran has no air force. Iran has no navy," Hegseth said earlier. "Their missiles, their missile launchers and drones being destroyed or shot out of the sky. Their missile volume is down 90%. Their one way attack drones yesterday, down 95%."

"And as the world is seeing, they are exercising sheer desperation in the Straits of Hormuz. It's something we're dealing with. We have been dealing with it and don't need to worry about it. We're on plan to defeat, destroy, disable all of their meaningful military capabilities at a pace the world has never seen before," Hegseth also said.

U.S. forces had destroyed 16 Iranian mine-laying vessels near the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, according to U.S. Central Command. About a fifth of the world's oil flows through this key route.

Fox News Digital's Morgan Phillips contributed to this report.
Posted by Greg Norman-Diamond

[mystery-ak]

Bessent: US Navy Will Provide Tanker Escorts in Persian Gulf ASAP
Ed Morrissey 6:50 PM | March 12, 2026


Perhaps the US always did plan to provide armed escorts for shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Sky News a little earlier today. The US Navy certainly has had its hands full for the first twelve days of the war on Iran, and most of the assets deployed have focused on force protection rather than commerce protection, particularly from the threat of Iran's ballistic missiles and drones.

With the pace of those attacks falling off – and the price of oil rising sharply, even with massive releases from strategic reserves – Bessent wants to reassure markets that, well ... help is on its way:

    The U.S. Navy will begin escorting ships through the Strait of Hormuz as soon as “militarily possible,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Sky News on Thursday.

    “That was always in our planning, that there’s the chance that the U.S. Navy or perhaps an international coalition will be escorting oil tankers through,” Bessent said in that interview.

    “My belief, that as soon as it is militarily possible, the U.S. Navy and perhaps with an international coalition, will be escorting vessels through,” he said.

    Bessent’s comments came as the Strait of Hormuz has been effectively closed to shipping because of the war against Iran by the U.S. and Israel that began Feb. 28. The strait is the world’s most sensitive chokepoint for oil tankers, and its closure has caused crude oil prices to spike.

This assertion came just hours after Trump tried to put a good face on temporary price increases in the oil markets. He argued on Truth Social that it benefits American oil exporters:

more
https://hotair.com/ed-morrissey/2026/03/12/bessent-us-navy-will-provide-tanker-escorts-in-persian-gulf-asap-n3812793

[Right_in_Virginia]

Some one posted an erroneous speed or Iran claimed something falsely. In any case, its a Soviet era torpedo upgraded. Russia only exports less capable ones than it has.

This is the known speeds according to Wiki:
Speed:
    Launch speed: 50 knots (93 km/h; 58 mph)
    Maximum speed: 200 knots (370 km/h; 230 mph) or greater

230mph is not half of 760mph

Like all things, that speed is likely under ideal conditions and in the real world, may be considerably slower.

Rest assured any such torpedo that has that sort of ability, has long been known to the US Navy. They will have a counter for it, and may well have something similar, just not bandied about in public.

Thank you.

[libertybele]

Thanks! So nice to feel at home here, which is becoming more like TOS, whenever anything that goes against the consensus is posted, attack! Keep it up and donations will fall, and this site will begin to fail.

Apparently, facts do not matter, only how a poster feels about the subject, matters.

Facts do matter as do opinions. Opinions vary greatly and there is a lot of 'leeway' in here.  Opinions obviously are not 'Facts'  and are normally posted backed up by some proof and links. Of course facts can be disputed, as what is found on the internet doesn't mean it is factual.  Just sayin'.

As for donations ....   

[Right_in_Virginia]

4 deaths confirmed in US military refueling aircraft crash in Iraq

Four of the six service members onboard a refueling aircraft died when the plane crashed in western Iraq on Thursday afternoon, the U.S. Central Command (Centcom) confirmed on Friday.

Rescue efforts were continuing for the remaining two service members as of 5:30 a.m. EST.

“The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,” Centcom posted on the social platform X early Friday morning.

The command noted that the identities of the fallen would not be shared until 24 hours after notifying next of kin.

Centcom said on Thursday afternoon that two aircraft were involved in this incident and that the second plane “landed safely.”

The downed KC-135 refueler was in the Middle East to support the ongoing joint U.S.-Israel military operations against Iran.

The crash now brings the death toll for U.S. service members during Operation Epic Fury to 11, after seven members of the military were killed during Iran’s retaliatory strikes on U.S. bases in the region.

Centcom said that U.S. military operations have hit around 6,000 Iranian targets since the conflict began at the end of February and have hit or sunk over 90 Iranian vessels, including more than 30 mine-laying boats.

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5782479-refueler-plane-crash-iraq/

RIP.      

[Timber Rattler]

Opinions obviously are not 'Facts'  and are normally posted backed up by some proof and links. 

Which Bob does in every post.

 

[libertybele]

4 deaths confirmed in US military refueling aircraft crash in Iraq

Four of the six service members onboard a refueling aircraft died when the plane crashed in western Iraq on Thursday afternoon, the U.S. Central Command (Centcom) confirmed on Friday.

Rescue efforts were continuing for the remaining two service members as of 5:30 a.m. EST.

“The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire,” Centcom posted on the social platform X early Friday morning.

The command noted that the identities of the fallen would not be shared until 24 hours after notifying next of kin.

Centcom said on Thursday afternoon that two aircraft were involved in this incident and that the second plane “landed safely.”

The downed KC-135 refueler was in the Middle East to support the ongoing joint U.S.-Israel military operations against Iran.

The crash now brings the death toll for U.S. service members during Operation Epic Fury to 11, after seven members of the military were killed during Iran’s retaliatory strikes on U.S. bases in the region.

Centcom said that U.S. military operations have hit around 6,000 Iranian targets since the conflict began at the end of February and have hit or sunk over 90 Iranian vessels, including more than 30 mine-laying boats.

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/5782479-refueler-plane-crash-iraq/

Sad indeed.     Unfortunately the casualties continue to rise .... 

[libertybele]

Which Bob does in every post.

 

Not at all implying that he doesn't.

That is all as I don't want to derail this thread.  It's too important.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

We need DHS fully funded NOW

No Talking Filibuster, No Ending the Filibuster, No Judges, No SAVE Act, No Codifying the Agenda
By M Dowling -March 12, 2026

John Thune won’t allow the Talking Filibuster, which likely wouldn’t work anyway. The filibuster isn’t going to end, even though Democrats will eliminate it to put their agenda through quickly once back in office.

Democrats got rid of Senators Manchin and Sinema so they can get rid of the filibuster. Thune and his RINO Republicans won’t eliminate it. You can’t even call these people RINOs. They’re Democrats, establishment, or tied to the deep state.

They won’t care if President Trump won’t sign bills until they pass the SAVE America Act. In fact, it makes their job of stopping the agenda easier.

If they won’t pass an 80-20 bill, what does that say about these people?

John Thune, Lisa Murkowski, John Curtis, Kevin Cramer, and Thom Tillis will refuse to support the SAVE America Act. John Cornyn changed his mind and supported the Talking Filibuster as he tries to get Donald Trump’s endorsement. Then, he said he doesn’t. I don’t know where he stands at this moment.

Thune said he is afraid he doesn’t have enough GOP support.

According to Politico, Thune, confident of his support from fellow Republican senators, brushed off the criticism in an interview Tuesday. “It just kind of comes with the territory,” he said. “You just roll with it, you know. It’s the times in which we live.”

He’s oblivious.

Thune spoke just hours after announcing plans to call up the bill next week in a bid to bring an unusually acrimonious stretch for his conference to an end. It will not include a talking filibuster gambit that would skirt the usual 60-vote threshold by instead forcing Democrats to hold the floor if they want to block the bill.https://www.independentsentinel.com/no-talking-filibuster-no-ending-the-filibuster-no-judges-no-save-act-no-codifying-the-agenda/

[Idiot]

Thanks! So nice to feel at home here, which is becoming more like TOS, whenever anything that goes against the consensus is posted, attack! Keep it up and donations will fall, and this site will begin to fail.

Apparently, facts do not matter, only how a poster feels about the subject, matters.

Try the ignore feature…it works quite well.

[bigheadfred]

U.S. Central Command
@CENTCOM
·
8m
All Crew Members of U.S. KC-135 Loss in Iraq Confirmed Deceased

TAMPA, Fla. – All six crew members aboard a U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft that went down in western Iraq are now confirmed deceased. The aircraft was lost while flying over friendly airspace March 12 during Operation Epic Fury.

The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. However, the loss of the aircraft was not due to hostile fire or friendly fire.

The identities of the service members are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin have been notified.

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/Saul_Sadka/status/2031841143718133975

[BobfromWB]

https://twitter.com/Saul_Sadka/status/2031841143718133975

New target ...

[GtHawk]

https://twitter.com/Saul_Sadka/status/2031841143718133975

Challenge accepted.

[catfish1957]

Wonder how the 3M+ citizens of Mashad feel about their newly relocated VIP's?

[bigheadfred]

OSINTdefender
@sentdefender
·
3m
The Pentagon is moving a Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Middle East, as Iran steps up its attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, according to two officials who spoke to the Wall Street Journal. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth approved a request from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) for an Expeditionary Unit, typically consisting of up to 2,500 Marines, to be deployed near Iran, with the Marines believed to be coming from Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC) in Twentynine Palms, California.

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/shanaka86/status/2032328308323652095

[rustynail]

OSINTdefender
@sentdefender
·
3m
The Pentagon is moving a Marine Expeditionary Unit to the Middle East, as Iran steps up its attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, according to two officials who spoke to the Wall Street Journal. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth approved a request from U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) for an Expeditionary Unit, typically consisting of up to 2,500 Marines, to be deployed near Iran, with the Marines believed to be coming from Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC) in Twentynine Palms, California.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HZV6lWRZUVI

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/2032476022592151598

[catfish1957]

https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/2032476022592151598

Uh, oh...   

[mystery-ak]

https://twitter.com/visionergeo/status/2032479850070503837

https://twitter.com/sentdefender/status/2032499642663907624

[Idiot]

https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/2032476022592151598

Not good!

[Timber Rattler]

Flashback to March 2008...

Air Force pulls parachutes from KC-135s

https://www.940arw.afrc.af.mil/News/Article-View/Article/169673/air-force-pulls-parachutes-from-kc-135s/

By design, parachutes slow things down. Crew members forced to evacuate in-flight aircraft with parachutes, for example, have much gentler impacts with the ground than those without chutes.

But the only thing being slowed by parachutes aboard KC-135 Stratotankers, Air Force leaders recently decided, was the mission. So they got rid of them.

Removing parachutes from military aircraft may sound peculiar, but KC-135s are not like other aircraft. They seldom have mishaps, and the likelihood a KC-135 crew member would ever need to use a parachute is extremely low.

However, a lot of time, manpower and money goes into buying, maintaining and training to use parachutes. With the Air Force hungry for cost-saving efficiency under its Air Force for Smart Operations in the 21st Century Program, commonly known as AFSO 21, the parachutes were deemed obsolete.

EXCERPT

The tanker crew could not get out because of this very short-sighted decision...

[mystery-ak]

Flashback to March 2008...

Air Force pulls parachutes from KC-135s

https://www.940arw.afrc.af.mil/News/Article-View/Article/169673/air-force-pulls-parachutes-from-kc-135s/

EXCERPT

The tanker crew could not get out because of this very short-sighted decision...

I was reading about that last night after Mike told me...I just wonder if they would have had time to jump..

[BobfromWB]

https://twitter.com/shanaka86/status/2032328308323652095

And which Spec Ops group will take this place out and recover the 460kg of 60% enriched uranium before they mange to get to 90%?

Is this mountain fortress where they keep the North Korean ICBM example?

[Timber Rattler]

And which Spec Ops group will take this place out and recover the 460kg of 60% enriched uranium before they mange to get to 90%?

Is this mountain fortress where they keep the North Korean ICBM example?

Would thermobaric bombs do the trick, like with the Afghanistan caves at Tora Bora?

[Free Vulcan]

The more I read about all the stuff they have I just keep thinking 'pallets of cash, pallets of cash'.

[Luis Gonzalez]

Iran live updates: 2,200 Marines headed to Middle East

This does not mean the Marines will be used for an invasion or ground force.

https://abcnews.com/International/live-updates/iran-live-updates/?id=130893022&entryId=131041960

[DCPatriot]

Wondering why Dubai lacks any type of "Iron Dome" protecting their city/tourist district.

It's not like they can't afford it.   

[libertybele]

Iran live updates: 2,200 Marines headed to Middle East

This does not mean the Marines will be used for an invasion or ground force.

https://abcnews.com/International/live-updates/iran-live-updates/?id=130893022&entryId=131041960

We'll see...how they are utilized.  My guess is to protect the Strait of Hormus.

[libertybele]

Wondering why Dubai lacks any type of "Iron Dome" protecting their city/tourist district.

It's not like they can't afford it.   

Speaking of "Iron Domes" didn't Trump say one was going to be built for the U.S.A.??  I think now would be a really good time to get started.

[mystery-ak]

Nolte: CNN-IRGC Spreads Hoax Trump Surprised by Iran Threatening Strait of Hormuz

CNN’s latest hoax is the ridiculous claim that the Trump administration did not expect Iran to threaten the Strait of Hormuz.

https://www.breitbart.com/the-media/2026/03/13/nolte-cnn-irgc-spreads-hoax-trump-surprised-iran-threatening-strait-hormuz/

[BobfromWB]

Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, March 12, 2026

Excerpt:

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky confirmed that three groups of Ukrainian specialists departed to strengthen the air defenses of the United States and its allies in the Middle East.

Zelensky stated on March 11 that three groups of Ukrainian experts, military personnel, and engineers departed for the Middle East and that the military personnel are already “communicating and working.” Zelensky stated that Ukrainian National Security and Defense Secretary Rustem Umerov arrived in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on March 11 to discuss areas of collaboration and will visit other countries in the region, including Saudi Arabia.

Zelensky stated on March 9 that Ukraine recently sent [ Sting ] interceptor drones and a team of drone experts to protect US military bases in Jordan and that another team of Ukrainian experts would go to the Middle East to help unspecified states evaluate their protective measures against Iranian drones.

The arrival of the Ukrainian experts and specialists underscores the concrete ways in which Ukraine's experience in defense against Iranian drones can strengthen the air defenses of the United States and its allies in the Middle East.

ISW continues to assess that Ukraine can offer the United States and US allies in the Middle East unique insights into how to combat Iranian strikes, as the Ukrainian military has institutionalized and operationalized the fighting experience that Ukraine has learned throughout the past four years of war.

https://understandingwar.org/research/russia-ukraine/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-march-12-2026/

[mystery-ak]

Iran deploys explosive ‘suicide skiffs’ disguised as fishing boats in Strait of Hormuz
Cameron Chell warns of autonomous drone boat swarms using encryption and frequency-hopping in critical shipping lane
By Emma Bussey Fox News
Published March 13, 2026 2:53pm EDT

Iran is deploying explosive-laden drone boats disguised as wooden fishing vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, a defense expert has warned — a move that signals a new phase of hybrid maritime warfare in one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes.

Cameron Chell, CEO of drone technology firm Draganfly, spoke after the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) confirmed that a Marshall Islands–flagged oil tanker was struck March 1 by an Iranian unmanned surface vehicle north of Muscat, Oman.

"UKMTO has received confirmation that the vessel was attacked by an uncrewed surface vehicle (USV), and that the crew has been evacuated to shore," UKMTO said in a threat assessment.

Reports also indicated that two additional oil tankers were hit March 11 by remote-controlled explosive boats in the Gulf, as Iran intensified attacks on foreign vessels following the start of the U.S. Operation Epic Fury against the regime on Feb. 28.

more
https://www.foxnews.com/world/iran-deploys-explosive-suicide-skiffs-disguised-fishing-boats-strait-hormuz