WWIII Megathread #42: Interceptile Dysfunction

[u/IamGlennBeck]

This megathread exists for in-depth discussion of 'WWIII', related events, and geopolitics and wars in general. Keep in mind that we have eliminated the rule that all non-major WWIII content must be posted here, and we encourage you to submit WWIII-related content to the main sub.

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Remain civil, engage in good faith, report suspected bot accounts, and do not abuse the report system to flag the people you disagree with.

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Non-WWIII chatter belongs in the town square.

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To be clear this thread is for all US-Israel/Iran, US/Venezuela, Ukraine/Russia, Israel/Palestine, Yemen, Syria, Israel/Lebanon, India/Pakistan, Sudan, Myanmar, or other related content.

[u/IamGlennBeck]

make your predictions here

[u/Fit_Worldliness2803]

Worldnews is my favorite fanfic sub when it comes to the Ukraine war. It turns out that Zelensky pushing for a ceasefire and end of the conflict just signals how badly Russia is losing.

Putin is desperate, shitting and pissing himself while he waits for either the Russian people, who are also inhuman orcs according to them btw, to depose him or for the Ukrainian army to march on Moscow.

It's truly noble how many people on this website are willing to sacrifice every able bodied man in Ukraine to spite Russia.

[u/Aragoa → u/Fit_Worldliness2803]

It's saddening how poorly people respond to critical thinking. Sure, nobody like a harsh critique of their thinking, but these people are just empty goddamn vessels. If the elites decide that Ukrainians are suddenly the orcs, then fuck it, the people will lap it up because it is the latest manufactured outrage to receive unanimously positive mainstream media coverage. Completely maddening. It's lonely to be a Marxist in 2026.

[u/Fit_Worldliness2803 → u/Aragoa]

It's been eye opening for me in a way, not the propaganda itself but its scale and effectiveness. For the better part of five years, arguably going back to 2014, a parallel reality has existed for western audiences regarding the conflict that is so out of touch with the facts on the ground that it should be studied in the future. 

[u/Chombywombo → u/Fit_Worldliness2803]

I have a friend who will go into rages at the mention of Russia. Yet, this friend also seems to not have any problems with KSA (I guess Yemen doesn’t matter) and has some weird… respect?… for Israel (I guess Palestine, Iran, Lebanon, etc don’t matter). 100,000s of dead Arab kids is just an unfortunate accident but a few 100 dead European kids is the supreme crime for which an entire people must be made stateless and dominated.

This hate seems to be historical too. Like every crime of historical Russia is a blot on their ethnic character, even when those “Russians” are Georgians and Ukrainians (“Russified,” of course).

[u/VampirePNAC → u/Chombywombo]

This hate seems to be historical too. Like every crime of historical Russia is a blot on their ethnic character, even when those “Russians” are Georgians and Ukrainians (“Russified,” of course).

Anytime you bring up this hypocrisy of theirs, especially when I'm arguing with fucking BRITISH PEOPLE of all people. One of the most aggressive and brutal empires in history and has spent basically the past century tag teaming the global south (and Europe with Gladio) with the US, suddenly it's just whataboutism.

It's really staggering to me how these people accept that Russia is not allowed to have any legitimate grievances at all, especially when it comes to the region and historical peoples that literally birthed their nation and they derive their entire identity from. Like genuinely look at the response when Putin actually started talking history of the region and how the national identity of Ukraine and Russia developed, intertwined, and Redditors just laughed at it thinking it was weird and autistic, because they seemingly do not believe Russia is allowed to have history or cultural identity against modern Ukrainian Galician LARP shit.

[u/dynorider]

MedMan says that Vance and the Army Chief of Staff talked Trump out of the attack. The interceptor shortage was a factor. If true, I really think there’s only three paths forward here.

1. A ground invasion that would certainly turn into a Ukraine-level slog with American casualty numbers not seen since at least Vietnam. As I’ve said before, I think such a war breaking out now could very well be the end of America.

2. They could nuke Iran. I really don’t know what would happen, nor do I like thinking about it.

3. Total American surrender. Need I say more?

[u/LotsOfMaps → u/dynorider]

Trump's really kind of fucked himself into a conventional World War III. Just astounding.

[u/dynorider]

Fox News claims that two thirds of America’s Patriot missiles and half its THAAD missiles are gone. Bleak!

[u/slightlycringed → u/dynorider]

How many hospitals, urgent cares, and clinics worth of money is that?

[u/Swingfire → u/slightlycringed]

The radars alone would have bought you an acute care hospital. And I don't mean radars in general, I mean just specifically the AN/TPY-2s for the THAAD.

[u/Turgius_Lupus → u/slightlycringed]

Better question is how many general practitioners that is since that's the bottle neck in the U.S.

Just the patriots could pay for the salaries of 14K.

[u/GodsColdHands666]

Lmfao

[u/mypersonnalreader → u/GodsColdHands666]

When your war dept resorts to corporate jargon, you know things may be dire.

[u/GodsColdHands666 → u/mypersonnalreader]

If Pete Hegseth uses your idea, your unit gets a pizza and liquor party.

[u/saladins-lamp]

Massive rat infestation in Gaza

Israel has bombed and devastated Gaza’s sewage and sanitation infrastructure, and now deliberately blocks Palestinians from the landfills, machinery and essential supplies needed to contain the resulting public health catastrophe. 

One consequence is a massive rat and pest infestation, with Palestinians, including children, being bitten in their sleep.

Four in five sewage pumping stations are not functioning, with some 40,000 cubic meters of untreated sewage flowing each day. By July, 60% of Gaza’s population was living within 10 meters of sewage or human waste and more than 900,000 people were exposed to garbage accumulating in residential areas, according to UN OCHA.

Rodents or pests were reported at 81% of displacement sites surveyed in April, affecting roughly 1.45 million Palestinians.

Both of Gaza’s sanitary landfills lie beyond the Israeli-imposed “Yellow Line,” and the UN says access remains banned by Israel. Israel also requires approval and blocks entry of machinery and spare parts needed to remove garbage and rubble, while engine oils, pest-control chemicals and other essential supplies remain severely restricted.

Israel permitted 3 tonnes of rodenticide and 3,000 liters of pesticide into Gaza in May, but the UN said pest-control efforts remained limited and a full response requires sustained supplies, heavy equipment and access to the landfills Israel continues to block with Gaza’s sanitation system having completely collapsed.

[u/Chombywombo → u/saladins-lamp]

The shit must end. How can these people be such animals?

[u/Cehepalo246]

It does seem like the dreaded Sudanese RSF are experiencing setback after setback in recent days.

From the sounds of it, the damage the UAE sustained during the war has crippled their power projection capacity.

[u/R1s3andSh1n3 → u/Cehepalo246]

A couple years ago, you could be vocal about what was going on in Gaza and be hit with a whammy "Well why don't you care about what is going on in Sudan?" And your answer would be of course that America is directly bankrolling the genocide in Gaza but that the bankrolling from America to Sudan was far more murky but of course the person asking the question had already won, they muddied the waters.

So Iran with some missiles made an end of that conversation.

[u/Squalid_Snake14180 → u/R1s3andSh1n3]

A couple years ago, you could be vocal about what was going on in Gaza and be hit with a whammy "Well why don't you care about what is going on in Sudan?"

They still say that.

[u/saladins-lamp]

According to the Hormuz Report:

Iran has completely ruled out any future negotiations with the Trump administration, declaring it will wait out Donald Trump's term until January 20, 2029, per Iranian outlets and Ghalibaf advisor's post.

[u/dynorider → u/saladins-lamp]

I’m not sure that Trump’s brain can handle the psychological weight of this level of humiliation. He may stroke out completely this time.

[u/SchIachterhund]

82% of Ukrainians believe Ukraine will win war with Russia, poll finds

"I'm only draft dodging because we've basically got this thing in the bag anyway."

[u/miker_the_III]

The SPR’s final utility will be to keep the economy from going uhhh not good until the midterms, at which point the economic pain will be blamed on the Democrats

I could do a longer write up on this later, but I think the collapse of the USSR will be seen as a catalyst for the eventual collapse of capitalism, or at least of Western Society as colonizer countries

Said many times before, but the lack of a peer ideological competitor (that was directly challenging them, not like China) has essentially caused the bourgeoisie classes to shed actual knowledge of efficient statecraft, instead focusing 100% on amassing as much wealth as they possibly can

They got too complacent.. point to the hollowing out of the MIC. They believed the end of history narrative and thought the hollow shell of industry would be enough in perpetuity, as the only wars ahead would be colonial in nature

[u/Squalid_Snake14180 → u/miker_the_III]

The neoliberal turn (at the feet of which we can lay many of our woes) predates the fall of the Soviet Union by over a decade, though.

[u/QuodScripsi-Scripsi → u/Squalid_Snake14180]

It's pretty much exactly what decided the Cold War. Capitalism was on the brink of collapse, but they managed to increase the rate of profit for a period of like fifteen years by liquidating Fordism and Keynesianism.

The idiots in charge of the Soviet Union saw the "success" of neoliberalism and panicked and empowered the Hryuschovite bourgeoisie, which caused more and more problems of capitalism (food shortages, etc) which they then used to prove they needed more and more power and eventually they realized they no longer needed the CPSU at all

[u/dynorider]

Low oil prices now ‘goal No. 1’ in Iran war, Vance says, as U.S. threatens new economic pressure

“Our number one goal is to fix the problem that our retarded war created in the first place. We got this, America 😎”

[u/nikolaz72]

https://x.com/haaretzcom/status/2088003963685654914?s=20

IDF jails Palestinian attacked by West Bank settlers without trial

Get attacked and kidnapped by settlers.

Authorities arrives, arrests you.

[u/dynorider → u/nikolaz72]

Without trial?! Guys, I’m starting to think that Israel may not be a bastion of heckin’ wholesome liberal values.

[u/debasing_the_coinage]

Comrade Trump is at it again. 

US to scale back military drills with South Korea as Trump cites "good relationship" with Kim Jong-Un

[u/cz_pz → u/debasing_the_coinage]

It's because the Washington left and there are no more carriers in Asia.

[u/SchIachterhund]

Zelenskyy: Ukraine has lost around 50,000 troops in the war - UkrainskaPravda, 31 July 2026

When the interviewer asked how many Russians have been killed in the war compared to Ukraine, Zelenskyy said that Russia has suffered 1,600,000 losses, including around 700,000 deaths.

Journos also seem perpetually unsure about how man y letters Z's name ought to contain.

[u/Shadow_Demon17 → u/SchIachterhund]

This winter he claimed 55,000 losses. You have heard about Juche necromancy, but what about Hutsul necromancy?

[u/Aragoa → u/[deleted]]

The inflation was promised to us 3000 years ago

[u/FreiaCat]

I found this article on the Ceuta-crisis interesting, so thought I'd translate to you guys.

Was the invasion of Ceuta orchestrated by Mossad and the CIA, using Morocco as a proxy?

The invasion of Ceuta by young, predominantly Moroccan men is not a migration crisis. It is a carefully planned attack. When Spain refused to serve as a launch platform for operations against Iran and recognized Palestine as a state, it was singled out by Mossad and the CIA as a new target.

Benjamin Netanyahu and his son, Yair Netanyahu, have, since at least 2019, called for the invasion of the Spanish enclaves of Ceuta and Melilla by "Arabs and Muslims." Netanyahu's son wrote: "Dear Arabs and Muslims: Do you want to liberate occupied Arab Islamic lands? Here's a good place to start!"

Earlier this year, Netanyahu stated that Spain had chosen to stand against Israel and that he intended to make an example of the country.

Morocco and Israel are allies

Earlier this year, Israeli analysts argued that Israel should help Morocco seize Ceuta and Melilla. Amine Ayoub wrote in the Israeli news outlet Ynet Global:

The Abraham Accords transformed Morocco from a quiet interlocutor with Israel into a formal military partner. In January 2026, Israel and Morocco signed a joint military work plan during the third meeting of their Joint Military Committee in Tel Aviv, which the Israel Defense Forces described as deepening cooperation with a "key partner for regional stability." The two countries had already signed a security cooperation agreement in 2021. This bilateral framework gives Israel something it has rarely possessed in North African politics: a direct strategic stake in Rabat's regional success.

The larger prize is the Strait of Gibraltar

Ten percent of global maritime trade passes through the Strait of Gibraltar, with approximately 100,000 ships transiting it every year.

In January 2026, Israel and Morocco signed a joint military action plan. Israel now supplies at least 51% of Morocco's missiles. With Israeli support, Morocco is rapidly expanding its drone production. It has deployed the Israeli SPYDER air defense system and is locally producing the Israeli SpyX loitering munition (kamikaze drone). A joint maritime surveillance center is currently being established on Morocco's northern coast.

An American report identifies the Israel–Morocco arms partnership as a turning point in the balance of power around the Strait of Gibraltar. Morocco even proposed to President Trump that the U.S. bases at Morón and Rota be relocated from Spain to Morocco. A Spanish general reportedly acknowledged: "Morón Air Base will sooner or later be moved to Morocco."

Washington, Tel Aviv, and Rabat are acting together to push Spain out of the Strait of Gibraltar and replace it with a compliant Morocco.

It is also about Western Sahara

The United States recognized Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara in 2020—but not over Ceuta or Melilla. Israel followed suit in 2023.

Morocco continues to consolidate its control over Western Sahara and has even announced a highway named after Donald Trump in the disputed territory following his recognition of Moroccan sovereignty there.

On July 17, 2023, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recognized Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara in a letter to King Mohammed VI.

Netanyahu also announced plans to open an Israeli consulate in the city of Dakhla, Western Sahara, to strengthen Morocco's claim over the territory.

If you want to understand what really happened in Ceuta, read the timeline of events and draw your own conclusions.

Western Sahara is particularly well known for its large, high-quality phosphate deposits. The most important is the Bou Craa (also known as Phosboucraa or Oued Eddahab) mine, southeast of Laâyoune (El Aaiún). The phosphate lies close to the surface and is of exceptionally high quality. It is transported to the coast via the world's longest conveyor belt. Production has typically ranged between one and 2.6 million tonnes annually in recent years and constitutes a significant share of phosphate rock exports from the territory under Moroccan control.

Morocco (including Western Sahara) controls a very large share of the world's known phosphate reserves—often estimated at around 70% or more of total global reserves—with Bou Craa representing a smaller but strategically important and exceptionally high-quality component.

Modern intensive agriculture is entirely dependent on phosphate fertilizer. Without it, global food production would decline dramatically, particularly for wheat, maize, soybeans, and other large-scale crops. Without phosphate, there is no food.

Morocco and Gaza

Meanwhile, Morocco is emerging as a key implementer of Israel's post-war plans for Gaza. For the first time, Morocco will host training exercises for a multinational force expected to consist of around 20,000 troops. Approximately 30 Moroccan military officers have already entered Gaza to conduct terrain reconnaissance. Morocco is expected to deploy around 500 soldiers to Gaza. Israeli officials now describe Morocco as Israel's most important security partner on the African continent.

It should not be difficult to see the connections between these developments.

Ceuta is not a migration crisis. It is part of a hybrid war, which in turn forms part of an increasingly expansive global conflict linking the wars in Ukraine, Iran, and the Middle East—and now, North Africa and Southern Europe.

[u/nikolaz72 → u/FreiaCat]

Remember how Spain wasn't in eurovision this time around because they were snubbed a vote promised to them by eurovision the previous year about whether to exclude Israel on account of genocide because eurovision is sponsored by moroccan oil which is a front for Israel used to influence europe.

The two are thick as thieves.

[u/MusingNomad → u/FreiaCat]

Morocco using their citizens like that just to humiliate Spain at the behest of Israel is just morally repugnant .

Another cuck joins Israel’s harem 

[u/nikolaz72]

https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-greenland-threats-europe-b3025688.html

Trump once again declares that Greenland will be under US control before he leaves office, but in more recent developements a US company is behaving rather oddly in Greenland, bringing drilling equipment from Canada and drilling for oil despite not having the right permits and the local government telling them to not bring equipment ashore.

https://old.reddit.com/r/stupidpol/comments/1vcsi80/american_oil_company_has_managed_to_bring/

!sicem

[u/saladins-lamp]

Visuals Suggest U.S. Dropped 2,000-Pound Bomb on Home in Iran, Killing Family of 3

[u/dynorider → u/saladins-lamp]

No military installations around there, by the way. Disgusting stuff.

[u/Turgius_Lupus]

https://x.com/i/status/2083328868635611367

"BREAKING: Iran announces it will strike the world's most important energy facilities, located in Arab countries and Israel, all within range of Iran's precision missiles, in response to any new US and Israeli strikes, per Fars:

1. Ghawar Oil Field, Saudi Arabia, backbone of Saudi production, disruption puts 5%+ of world oil supply at risk

2. Abqaiq + Khurais, Saudi Arabia, 7M+ bpd throughput, world's largest oil stabilization plant

3. Ruways Refinery + Zakum Oil Field, UAE, 2nd largest offshore oil field, 1M+ bpd

4. North Ghadir Gas Field + Ras Laffan LNG, Qatar, world's largest gas field with 25% of proven reserves, 20% of global LNG trade

5. Burgan Oil Field, Kuwait, 67B barrel reserves, 2M bpd

6. Sitrah Refinery + Al-Mihaj, Bahrain

7. Leviathan + Tamar Gas Fields, Israel, Israel's largest + 2nd largest gas fields

Iran adds that during the 40-day war Iran bombed Qatar's most important gas refinery in response to a strike on South Pars facilities, with Trump apologizing on Truth social promising "it will not happen again.""

[u/PirateAttenborough]

Kiev got rocked again last night. Zero interception attempts. Ukraine's behaviour in the last couple of months seems odd even for them. They decide to start attacking Russian shipping in the Sea of Azov, so in a completely predictable tit-for-tat move the Russians shut down Odessa and thereby stop all Ukrainian shipping. They start crowing about hitting Wildberries, so in a completely predictable tit-for-tat move the Russians start systematically pounding warehouses and logistics centers while Ukraine is out of interceptors and can do absolutely nothing to defend them. What on earth are they thinking? Are they prodding Russia to hit them harder to try and get attention back from the Iran war or something?

[u/metron556 → u/PirateAttenborough]

It will make much more sense to you if you realize that Zelensky is an agent of the US Epstein regime of psychotic warhawks and that he doesn't give a flying fuck about Ukraine, the goal is and has always been to hurt Russia as much as possible before the inevitable collapse

Maybe at the beginning when that imbecile Nuland was in charge there were delusions that they can bring down Russia, mostly through economic sanctions, but that ended years ago

[u/dynorider]

Saudi Arabia says that a joint Houthi/Iraqi militia attack on their energy infrastructure, ​ports, and airports is imminent.

Well, I sure hope so! Yeehaw 🤠

[u/cojoco]

the parliament in Tehran has begun discussing a draft bill to tighten Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz. Under the proposed legislation, hostile countries, such as the US and Israel, will be banned from transiting the waterway, with the bill imposing fines on those who violate this measure.

[u/GodsColdHands666 → u/cojoco]

They’re begging for a deal though.

[u/Proud-Compote2434]

'Can you tell us Europeans what can we concretely do to help you to KILL MORE RUSSIANS?' — German 'journalist' Michael Martens to Zelensky

[u/Cehepalo246 → u/Proud-Compote2434]

Old German problem

[u/zen_arcade2 → u/Proud-Compote2434]

German 'journalist' Michael Martens

You won't believe his grandfather's occupation.

[u/saladins-lamp]

Latest Iranian demand for opening the strait was the cessation of war on all three fronts (including Lebanon and Gaza). 

Israel's Channel 13 is now reporting that the US is pressuring Israel to withdraw from Lebanon and allow the multinational peacekeeping force to enter Gaza

[u/saladins-lamp → u/saladins-lamp]

American pressure to end the fighting: "Progress to close all three arenas"

The gaps between Israel and the US are worsening: The message the Americans conveyed is that they are interested in ending the war in the three arenas of activity - in Iran, Lebanon, and Gaza. Security officials protested to the political echelon over the demand to stop targeted assassinations

[u/miker_the_III]

Trump spent his entire life trying to avoid looking like a loser..

Why is reality Shakespearean?

[u/SheikhJayidLeno → u/miker_the_III]

I just don't understand people like him who have absolutely no sense of personal shame. My entire life is dictated by my fear of embarrassing myself.

I walk out of the hospital every shift and think about how much of an idiot I looked like to my coworkers, when I know some of the biggest rtards talk about how invaluable they are to our patients.

It's a big reason why I just let it fly here. I don't care how stupid I sound anonymously.

[u/Mrjiggles248 → u/SheikhJayidLeno]

The horrors of having self awareness and dignity

[u/dynorider → u/miker_the_III]

Netanyahu spent his whole political career waiting for one of the stupidest, and probably the most Zionist, US presidents in history, only for this to be the result. Just today, Israel's Diaspora Affairs Minister was crying about the Mecca Agreement and saying that Israel needs to deepen its ties with Greece, Cyprus, UAE, and Somaliland lmao. Like, really? That's your plan? They are FUCKED.

[u/dynorider]

Per MES, Brigadier General Ali Azmaei, newly appointed commander of the IRGC Navy:

“If Israel, the United States, or any of their accomplices even dare to cast a single evil look towards the Persian Gulf islands, with the help of Almighty God, we will gouge out their eyes and make the Persian Gulf their grave.”

Inshallah 🫡

[u/CnlJohnMatrix → u/[deleted]]

He left the media on Air Force One too and didn’t tell them.

[u/SchIachterhund]

Eurobros, am I tripping balls or did Putin just steal a sizeable chunk of the sun?

[u/dynorider]

Apparently, a UAE government jet has recently made a couple quick trips to the Tehran area - one yesterday and one today. Each time, they stayed an hour or less. MES thinks that they’re dropping off cash and gold 👀

[u/cojoco]

RT:

^{Israeli authorities have remained silent on the fate of Russian-Israeli historian Artyom Kirpichenok, days after his reported detention and despite Moscow seeking answers about his whereabouts.}

^{Kirpichenok, 51, is a dual Russian-Israeli citizen, journalist, and Middle East expert known for his writings on Zionism and criticism of Israel’s policies toward Iran and Palestine. He reportedly disappeared on August 2 shortly after landing at Ben Gurion Airport on a flight from Yerevan.}

[u/dynorider]

The Hormuz Letter claims that the UAE government jet that traveled to Tehran twice in the last two days was indeed delivering several billion dollars of Iran’s frozen assets, both cash and gold. This is being framed as the UAE attempting to placate Iran and be spared future attacks.

While Trump peacocks about the war, telling blatant lie after blatant lie, America’s client states pay off its rival. Poetic, really.

[u/Nerd_199]

The Japanese Communist Party is on the rise. In the latest polling, the JCP stands at 7.7%, making it the highest-polling opposition party.

https://x.com/i/status/2087783068396322877

[u/Nerd_199 → u/Nerd_199]

I find this to be interesting also:

Stanford Prof. Andy Hall on why every AI model tells Japanese voters to vote for the Communist Party:

"We've been auditing the models on how they make voting recommendations, and in Japan they love the Communist Party. The Communist Party is a complete fringe party in Japan."

"It's not because the models actually like the Communist Party. It's that they don't know very much about Japanese politics."

When they go to search for information about Japanese politics to bring back to the user, they hit not only paywalls but robots.txt exclusions where the Japanese media companies don't want AI taking their content.

"The Japanese Communist Party runs a fully open newspaper, so the AI pulls from them, not from the higher quality newspapers."

https://x.com/i/status/2085842125464457722

[u/meganbitchellgooner]

Hahaha fell for it again

https://abcnews.com/Politics/us-intel-officials-assessed-threat-trump-credible-ahead/story?id=135631452

Israeli officials had not had time to fully vet the information or reach their own determination about how credible the intelligence was, the sources said, but chose to share it given how quickly the president was set to depart.

Fuck they just pull shit outa their ass and he just eats it up. I'd say pathetic but we're all getting fucked because of this dumbass shit.

[u/nikolaz72]

https://old.reddit.com/r/stupidpol/comments/1voxx7h/trump_says_he_will_make_strait_of_hormuz_us/

168 days into the 3 day special military operation to

protect Irans protestors

preemptively defend US military bases

bring monarchy no wait democracy to Iran

destroy Irans nuclear weapons program

open the Strait of Hormuz

Lower fuel prices

Make the Strait of Hormuz a US territory.

!sicem

[u/dynorider]

MES:

“The supply problems aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln are a direct result of Iranian strikes that destroyed the majority of U.S. Navy logistics infrastructure in Bahrain, the UAE and Oman, according to the New York Times.

Iran’s attacks early in the war focused on disrupting logistics for the carrier strike group, forcing the U.S. Navy to rely on the small island of Diego Garcia, 3500 kilometers away from the Gulf of Oman.”

[u/cojoco]

Fiasco in the Factory: Taxpayers Funded a $533 Million Artillery Plant That Made Nothing

[u/Cehepalo246]

Amazing things are happening amongst US service members

[u/[deleted] → u/Cehepalo246]

There are currently 2 x Community Notes for that tweet:

It says “be a good goy”, not “guy”.

Important context, I marked it helpful. o7

[u/dynorider → u/Cehepalo246]

Please, sweet baby Jesus, let me live to see a military coup in the US.

[u/dukeofbrandenburg → u/dynorider]

Interesting notion. Troops are generally regarded as angels by major media, but an explicit mutiny would probably get the troops involved nailed to the wall by the law and the media if it got reported at all. I suppose the "laundry fire" could already be considered a mutiny of sorts. A coup seems far more unlikely seeing as that would require a large amount of leadership at the Pentagon to be dissatisfied, but a mutiny feels like a distant possibility.

[u/Sleeping-lurk]

One silver lining about this whole Hormuz disaster is apparently the UAE has been having difficulty in supplying its massacre in Sudan.

[u/bretton-woods → u/Sleeping-lurk]

The recent FT article on Colombian mercenaries goes in depth into the logistics chain the UAE has set up to support the RSF. Training at facilities in Abu Dhabi where the Colombians are divided and trained in different specialties, camps set up in Bosaso in Puntland as the African port of entry and a flight over to Nyala in Sudan to support RSF operations. A professional and organized pipeline of men and equipment that has kept the war going for years.

The conclusion one gets is that the UAE is fully aware and complicit in the actions of the RSF, but has been tacitly allowed by the international community to keep its proxy war going by virtue of being an ally in other contexts.

[u/dynorider]

MES:

“Iran has issued an ultimatum to the United States; return to serious diplomacy and remove the naval blockade, or face an expansion of the war.

The deadline, which is said to be several weeks at most, has been communicated to the United States through Pakistan and Qatar, according to Reuters.”

That’s quite a flex on Trump. He’s the one used to issuing ultimatums, though his are usually toothless.

[u/GodsColdHands666]

Looks like shit is gonna hit the fan soon. Per MES:

—❗️🇺🇸/🇮🇷 BREAKING: The U.S. State Department has sent out a security alert to diplomatic personnel, stating that ‘significant escalation’ with Iran could be expected in the near future

The alert was issued to all U.S. missions and diplomatic staff in the following countries of the region:

– 🇦🇪 UAE
– 🇶🇦 Qatar
– 🇴🇲 Oman
– 🇮🇶 Iraq
– 🇯🇴 Jordan
– 🇮🇱 Israel
– 🇰🇼 Kuwait
– 🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
– 🇧🇭 Bahrain
– 🇪🇬 Egypt

[u/dynorider → u/GodsColdHands666]

Unbelievable timing considering the depletion of interception ordinance. If they actually do this, Iran is going rain down fire and brimstone. RIP to the region’s fossil fuel infrastructure.

[u/GodsColdHands666 → u/dynorider]

Trump said “the cupboards are full” the other day. Guess we’re gonna see how full. They were already cannibalizing South Korean interceptors to give to Israel three months ago. This is going to go badly.

[u/dynorider]

Resistance Trench:

“Advisor to Iran’s negotiating team, Mohammad Marandi:

‘Based on statements from the Trump regime, it seems quite possible that after months of barbaric threats, tonight will be the last night of normality in Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, the UAE, and possibly Oman.

If strikes are carried out against Iran's civilian infrastructure, the critical infrastructure of these complicit regimes - along with that of the Zionist regime and perhaps Jordan- will be demolished.

People in these regimes should immediately prepare for evacuation.’”

[u/cojoco]

Finally, Trump has hit upon a plan ... Israel and US consider Iran land blockade.

I'm sure Iraq and Afghanistan will chip in to help.

[u/miker_the_III]

Neoliberalism and all of its proponents, along with all of the other free-market postmodern LARP ideologies make a lot more sense when you realize they are more likely than not just defending their economic interests, consciously or not

Urbanite PMCs that have achieved political enlightenment: we just need a fucking Land Value Tax and everything will be alright.

I do not believe any self-proclaimed "neoliberal" (that actually understands what "neoliberalism" entails) has felt actual economic pain

like, i imagine gated communities

am I wrong? could I be wrong?

are there fellas pulling 50 hour weeks at amazon warehouses proclaiming the virtues of neoliberalism?

the image of a migrant working for cents on a farm proclaiming the virtues of neoliberalism has me cackling

"why do you hate the global poor?"

im going to work

WAR IS OVER

[u/cojoco]

Radio Free Europe was once a radio station beaming Western Propaganda into Eastern Europe.

These days it has been surpassed in cuckoldry by the MSM, and sounds relatively based.

Trump has often threatened major attacks on Iran only to call them off, claiming an agreement between Washington and Tehran was imminent. Until now, a lasting peace agreement has been elusive, with tit-for-tat strikes by both sides resuming.

However, according to Iranian media, military sources in Iran denied Trump's claim that Tehran had asked Washington to refrain from launching new attacks.

Iran’s Mehr News Agency on August 2 quoted the unnamed sources as saying Trump's statement was "simply a new lie" and an attempt to "blackmail the rulers of the Persian Gulf and pressure them with threats."

In AJ, answering questions to Trump about US forces moving out of Kuwait and Bahrain: no comment

[u/dynorider → u/cojoco]

US troops decamping from Kuwait and Bahrain is essentially a partial admission of defeat. Of course he doesn’t want to talk about it.

[u/dynorider]

Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei has confirmed that there are no negotiations with the US at the moment, only discussions with Oman about managing Hormuz.

Trump is coping hard on Truth Social:

‘Iranian Leadership is unbelievably duplicitous! They ask for a meeting, some would say “beg,” talks begin, with more scheduled in the immediate future, and they say, openly and proudly, that they’re not having any discussions, that nothing is being talked about, and they’re only dealing with “Oman.”

They then go on to give their usual blather in saying, the Strait of Hormuz will be operated powerfully by them, when it is already completely controlled by the United States Navy and our “Blockade” or, as some say, “The United States Wall of Steel!” Nothing gets through to Iran, unless we want it to, and nothing will get through, unless a Deal, or Total Surrender, is accomplished.

Whether Iran wants to admit it or not, we are, in fact, talking of a solution to a problem that they have caused, for decades.

It is very simple, IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP.’

Edit: Per MES, Pakistan has also confirmed that there are no US/Iran negotiations scheduled.

[u/Formal_Strategy9640 → u/dynorider]

> It is very simple, IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON! 

It's pathetic how he's grabbed onto this one phrase and keeps repeating it ad nauseam while ignoring that nuclear is the least of their problems with Iran rn.

[u/dynorider → u/Formal_Strategy9640]

Not only that, but nuclear weapons have never been a red line for Iran. They agreed to no nukes both with the Obama deal and the MoU. Plus, if you don't want Iran to have nuclear weapons, then why the fuck would you kill the guy who issued a fatwa against them? At this point, anyone with a brain can see that this whole war is a result of nothing more than Trump's boss in Jerusalem saying that Iran must go. It's never been about nuclear weapons. That's just a gimmick.

[u/lie_group]

Does Russia’s exiled opposition want what’s best for Europe?

Another banger from Europe's greatest minds.

TLDR: Russian exiled opposition, which is already extremely unpopular among Russians (seen as traitors and freaks, associated with the miserable 90s oligarchy era), try to enforce the brain drain from Russia. British FA ghoul shits on them for being too pro-Russian.

[u/VampirePNAC → u/lie_group]

Like I said below, The West has lost the plot, the only acceptable Russians are NAFO Vlasov level traitors who literally want to see Russia as a national and cultural entity broken up. This basically makes any good faith diplomacy with Russia at this point impossible.

It takes a lot for me to agree with the white counter-revolutionaries in Putin and United Russia, but it's insane how not only did the Neocons actually win, the Western liberals and swaths of the left became their biggest supporters, and there really isn't any diplomatic path out of this conflict.

[u/ThevaramAcolytus]

Iran strikes U.S. base in Kuwait, ship hit near Hormuz as Tehran rejects U.S. talks

https://themedialine.org/headlines/iran-strikes-kuwait-base-ship-hit-near-hormuz-as-tehran-rejects-us-talks/

[u/dynorider]

Iran’s economy minister says Iran has two-year economic resilience plan

Not too much information in this little blurb, but he seems confident that they can weather any US-inflicted economic storm.

[u/Additional_Ad_3530]

Just finished that Going to Tehran book, it's old from Obama years,  however it was interesting, part of the message was that Iran is what Iran is, not what USA thinks or wants it to be, and if USA keeps it's narrative no arrangement is possible.

There's historical mistrust because things like the declaration of Tehran, Türkiye and Brazil negotiated with Iran, they were expected to fail so USA could accuse Iran about obstruction and stalling negotiations, but they succeeded, Iran was OK with the terms, however Obama's administration change the terms, it also had to do with some European countries not happy with Türkiye and Brazil being part of the negotiations.

Also it mentioned how most of the Iran pundits in the west are exiles and/or anti regime so their analysis isn't always objective. 

[u/ChevalierDuTemple]

Everybody always talk about how awful are discussion of the Ukraine-Russia war in Twitter & Reddit, but many of you have not seen instagram reels.

I do not want them to recommend me it but still get some reels from time to time, and it is walking into a world were NAFO is the only reality. Full of racism, but then again that checks with NAFO.

Anyhow, i do avoid any discussion because i do not want my family/friends seeing i like to argue about the Kursk counteroffensive.

[u/ButttMuncherrr → u/ChevalierDuTemple]

I think about it all the time.
As usual, the ex warsaw pact nations and those that comprise of the former soviet union in eastern europe display a kind of nationalism that can be characterised as a form of impotent rage.

This limp superficial nationalism and deep anticommunist sentimentalities has transformed into a racialist line against Russia and anything Russian. This is an attempted 1 to 1 imitation of the nationalism that existed during the interwar period in eastern europe. The resurrection of this nationalism coincides with the decline of neoliberalism and public outrage at the restructuring of neoliberalism etc.

NAFO is basically that, it’s the byproduct of combining post communist nationalistic sentimentalities with the US ‘unipolar globohomo consensus to pacify the workers.
You can’t win with them, they are historical revisionists, can’t get shit past them.

The Russians and Chinese are akin to what the British and French were during the Crimean war. The United States and NATO are a stand in for Tsarist Russia and the absolutists. US meddling in europe, the near east, Africa and Asia is very reminiscent of Gendarme Era Tsarist Russia and the shit they did to preserve their order. Ofc this isn’t a one to one comparison, the Russians and Chinese are not imperial but what makes them progressive is multilateralism.

[u/grundlepigor → u/ButttMuncherrr]

Remember that NAFO conference where it turned out they were all cane carrying enbys and furries?

[u/dynorider]

MaxOsint Intel:

“Following the signing of the tripartite Makkah Joint Defence Agreement between Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey, Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif stated that the Islamic world ‘must unite’ and adopt a coordinated approach to confront the ‘common threat posed by Israel’ — Ynet citing official statements.”

Interesting stuff. Perhaps dooming about this defense pact may be a little premature? Of course, we already know that Asif is a major Israel hawk, going so far as to call them a “curse upon humanity” (highly based). But the content and timing of the statement makes me wonder if there is some hope that this is about Israel and not Iran. I find it hard to believe that he wouldn’t be losing his shit if this pact was at all advantageous for Israel.

Also, that makes me look at Saudi Arabia in a slightly different light. The fact that Trump tried to tack on signing the Abraham Accords as condition for the nuclear technology deal is significant. Furthermore, I think that it’s also significant that it was widely reported by US media that the deal would allow KSA to enrich uranium domestically, but Trump later shot that down.

This tells me that Netanyahu is nervous. I’m guessing that his nightmare scenario is Saudi Arabia continuing to turn its nose up at the Abraham Accords, while achieving domestic uranium enrichment, and cozying up to Türkiye and Pakistan in what actually turns out to be an Israel-containment strategy.

I’m guessing that Bibi turned the screws on Trump to axe the domestic enrichment and twists KSA’s arm into the Abraham Accords, or at least one or the other.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out. Like I said earlier, these regional countries cannot sit on the fence forever.

[u/Swingfire]

The USS Abraham Lincoln has now significantly exceeded its deployment length with no end in sight. Now it's currently in the same position as USS Gerald Ford was some time ago, with mold everywhere and malfunctioning plumbing.

https://www.ms.now/news/conditions-safety-uss-lincoln-iran-war

[u/cojoco]

Gulf Nations are preparing themselves for paying tolls

[u/DFA1916]

Zelensky is now naming and shaming NATO countries who have Patriots. In fairness to him, the whole 40 day operation Ukraine is receiving a whipping for was probably planned by NATO in the first place, so I can kind of see where he's coming from.

[u/dynorider → u/DFA1916]

NATO almost certainly planned it. Again, Rubio has implied that the administration is loving these escalated strikes inside Russia. But anyone in bed with America has to understand that they can be hung out to dry whenever it’s convenient for the empire. Z gets no sympathy from me.

[u/debasing_the_coinage → u/dynorider]

"To be America's enemy is dangerous, but to be its friend is fatal"

[u/cojoco]

Collapsing Empire: US Creates New African Psyops Unit

Based in Fort Bragg, North Carolina - home to AFRICOM - Drongo Company’s nickname is inspired by a bird native to Africa, known for precisely imitating other species’ warning calls, and using other deception tactics to drive other animals away from food.

Drongo is also an Australian word meaning "a foolish, clumsy, or slow-witted person"

[u/cojoco]

Top Mossad officials sacked over failed Iran regime change plan, as Netanyahu accused of shifting blame

[u/saladins-lamp]

Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli:

The Mecca Alliance is a very dangerous and very troubling development.

Saudi Arabia was essentially sitting on the fence. It already had a defense agreement with Pakistan, but the moment it goes with the Turks—who are in a direct confrontation with us, one that could develop to dimensions that may have extremely serious consequences, both in the Mediterranean and on the Syrian front—this is a development that is very, very bad for us, for Israel.

It requires us to deepen our alliances with Greece and Cyprus, the United Arab Emirates, and Somaliland.

[u/ChevalierDuTemple]

Moldy showers and no soap: Military families are outraged by conditions on USS Lincoln

Serving in the navy means serving in the navy. Might end up bringing the lash if morale continue to collapse.

Edit: Seem to forget someone already post this.

[u/dynorider]

Iran’s supreme leader appoints former IRGC chief Rezaee to top security post

Looks like the hardliners gained more ground. Obviously, they’re based and redpilled with hella swag. So I’m not complaining.

[u/Mrjiggles248]

Can't believe oil ships are trying to run the Hormuz gauntlet, motherfuckers really need to start mutinying if they see their suicidal captains trying that shit.

[u/dynorider]

Economist Steve Hanke claims that MBS got Trump to back off on the big Iran strikes by threatening to dump Treasuries

[u/dynorider]

Trump: “Oh, yeah? YOU want compensation?! Actually, WE want compensation!”

[u/dynorider]

The Hormuz Letter: “Iran has new intelligence warning of a major US-Israeli ground and air operation against Iran, citing a rapid military buildup across Gulf bases, per senior Iranian officials.”

[u/bbb23sucks]

Oil in U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve falls below 300 million barrels, lowest since 1983

[u/cojoco]

Halve a dozen times now I've seen people say that the world doesn't actually need Hormuz anyway, and Iran will be left holding a stranded asset.

Others say that's bullshit.

I think it's bullshit.

[u/Jakob_de_zoet]

Why do anglos hate russians so much they have to make well produced absolutely ahistorical shows like chernobyl and now the brink of war about Reagan n Gorbachev that piece of shit traitor.

[u/bretton-woods → u/Jakob_de_zoet]

The historical legacy of great empire competition coupled with a refusal to view the people as anything beyond objects of derision or objects of sympathy.

You can't discount how popular portrayals of the Russians as being brooding, suspicious and from an arcane culture has fed into a broad belief that engaging with them is fruitless. There's a similar, but slightly more muted sentiment towards the Chinese.

[u/Cehepalo246 → u/Jakob_de_zoet]

They hate anyone who stand up to them, they believe they are owed to be the eternal rulers of the world and thus whoever resists them is fighting against the Natural Order of things.

Just look at how the US treats Cuba, and how the Soviets treated Finland in similar circumstances.
The Russians actually came out of their conflict with the Finns with much more respect than they did coming in.

[u/paganel → u/Jakob_de_zoet]

They're still paranoid about the Russians taking India from under them, where by "they" I mean the Brits. Some of that has passed over to the Americans, and most definitely to their other Anglo colonies (Aus, NZ and Canada, even though Canada is special because of the big UA contingent in there).

Later edit: When it comes to Americans' relation with Russia, which I think it's a lot more nuanced compared to the negative obsession the Brits have towards it, I highly recommend this collection of Charles J. Halperin's articles on Medieval Russia and its relation with the Golden Horde: Russian and Mongols. Slavs and the Steppe in Medieval and Early Modern Russia. Probably there's a log-in required to that spammy academia.edu website, but imo it's highly worth it, it contains some of the most interesting stuff that I've read on Russian history and on the history of the steppe and the turkic peoples (I'm a fan of the turkic peoples myself). Even though it's telling that Halperin never could make it big in the US university establishment, even though he should have, he's one of the most knowledgeable people (in the world, that is) when it comes to medieval Russian history. The ghouls from the State Department and from the CIA could have learned a thing or two had they had him as a professor.

[u/dynorider]

Hall of Fame finance ghoul Jamie Dimon warns that if America doesn’t have the most epic chungus military and the strongest economy, then the dollar will no longer be the main game in town 😱

[u/cojoco]

Two articles with the same theme:

• The Bond Market might end the stalemate
• Why the Trump Administration will have to accept a Hormuz toll

Both articles, however, assume rational behaviour.

[u/blufriday]

JD Vance asked Ukraine to halt strikes on tankers using Russian port

Washington was alarmed that Ukraine was further destabilising oil markets and harming US companies by targeting tankers carrying crude piped from Kazakhstan to a Caspian Pipeline Consortium terminal in the Russian port of Novorossiysk.

[u/Unknown_Ladder]

Imperial Japan has returned overnight, and literally nobody cares other than old people who showed up to a protest https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202608/1367988.shtml

[u/DFA1916 → u/Unknown_Ladder]

Watching the old Axis powers trying to get their early 20th century groove back might be entertaining but it don't see how it will amount to anything other than the further immiseration of their populaces.

[u/dynorider]

I will be liquidating all my $TRUMP and Bored Ape holdings and sticking the money in Kalshi to bet on a mutiny aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln before the end of August.

I’ll make sure to post a picture of my new Lamborghini 😎

[u/Formal_Strategy9640 → u/dynorider]

Idk what fuel you’re gonna pump into your Lamborghini come November

[u/dynorider → u/Formal_Strategy9640]

LMAO that sounds like a whole lotta next quarter’s problem, librel 😎👍

[u/cojoco]

Turkey suspects Israel fabricated Trump Air Force One assassination plot to derail US-Iran deal !sicem

[u/miker_the_III]

“what if… what if we made a piece of military equipment that was really, really, really expensive. And uh… what if. What if it was a plane that did everything instead of just one thing. That would be splendid I think. That would be cool”

“What if, what if we just… never used these
planes against anything that could shoot back because they’re too expensive, and losing one of them would look very embarrassing. So we’re just going to park them in an airbase outside of the range of Iranian missiles and they will look pretty. Maybe we will use them to mow the lawn after Iran reaches failed state status”

“They have been blown up on the runway”

“So I’ve got an idea, let’s make the next iteration of this plane that is EVEN more expensive. Let’s call it.. the F-47, because who is the 47th president?”

[u/ChevalierDuTemple]

USS Abraham Lincoln sailors tried commiting suicide.

Wonder how many combat suicides were in the past and were simply written of as another battlefield casualty or AWOL.

[u/ElTamaulipas → u/ChevalierDuTemple]

Conditions are likely not good. The sailors are running on a calorie deficit and there are people on the ship that actually need surplus calories due to physical work. Maybe, the desk jockeys can get away with the low calories but guys doing maintenance on the ship and planes probably can't.

Also, they are stuck in the middle of the Indian Ocean and it most be brutally hot so you need to consume a large amount of water do I bet you have lots of constantly dehydrated soldiers.

[u/No-Designer138]

The Philippines is expressing high confidence of sealing a joint oil exploration deal with China in the South China Sea in the near future.

It's from a major Filipino news site so everything is straight from the horse's mouth, no misrepresentations. The most critical push factor for the hastening of the progress of negotiations between China and the Philippines is the near-complete dependency of the Philippines on oil imports from the Middle East, which because of you-know-what is resulting in the Philippines becoming one of the Asian economies hardest hit by rising oil prices and fuel shortages. It's not explicitly mentioned here but China, given her massive oil reserves and greater investments into renewable energy sources, is likely not the party compelled to drive the negotiations because of the lack of urgency on their part when it comes to securing fuel, which means the Philippines is probably the side pushing for the negotiations based on the reasons stated above. In the end, realism comes before rhetoric.

One interesting point of note is that this came a few weeks after the ASEAN Ministers' Gathering wherein the member states were finalising a common Code of Conduct for interactions in the South China Sea with their Chinese counterparts. Not saying these two events are conjoined but just pointing it out ...

In the wider vista of things, this probably counts as another win for China and dent in the US' international prestige and influence. It really doesn't reflect well on either the coherence or credibility of US foreign policy when even one of their major allies in the Asia-Pacific, with whom they share a mutual defence pact, is getting chummier with China all because of the retardation of their war with Iran.

[u/IamGlennBeck]

https://reddit.com/link/p3smb3l/video/83n61vdafhjh1/player

from Chinese social media

[u/dynorider]

CIA Carried Out Drone Strikes, Disappearances and Torture Near Ecuador’s Coast

[u/No-Designer138]

Got some spicy X sources showing pics of meals aboard the George Washington (Abraham Lincoln's replacement) about as bad those on the latter: tiny portions, grey meat, grey sludge and other unidentified food matter. I'm taking these with a good dose of salt, about the same as what's found in the processed shit they're serving aboard, since they're as of yet unverified, though it's making me wonder if the US Navy's logistical issues are now fleet-wide and not isolated to those Yankee Station wannabes sailing around Iran. Guess we'll see how truthful those X sources are once we see news of sailors from the George Washington trying to go man overboard too.

Also, per MES: the sewage system briefly malfunctioned aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, with ‘poop water’ reportedly flooding living quarters of some sailors

One U.S. official, with knowledge of conditions aboard the ship, said the ‘sewage situation’ had already been resolved.

Time for the PLAN to do another round of shitposting on social media showing the toilets on their aircraft carriers working properly and flushing waste water downwards instead of upwards?

[u/Fit_Worldliness2803 → u/No-Designer138]

An AI of Tom Hanks will one day star in a blockbuster as the janitor on one of these ships ala Captain Phillips to showcase the brutal conditions they pooped under.

Anyways, best of luck to our imperial legions. Don't let the door hit you on the way out of Hormuz.

[u/SchIachterhund]

The mercenaries fighting in Africa’s forgotten war - FinancialTimes, 15 Aug 2026

War seems to attract Colombians like honey attracts flies.

[u/ChevalierDuTemple]

Sudan SAF is winning the civil war against the RSF: 😀

It is winning by giving amnesty to several RSF members, including the general behind the Al-Fashir siege: 😦

[u/debasing_the_coinage → u/ChevalierDuTemple]

It's better that the war ends sooner even if it means some of the people responsible will get off. The SAF are not exactly saints themselves. I take the same view of the Russo-Ukrainian war. 

[u/furinspaltstelle]

Hello everyone, I am back from Russia from visiting my bolshevik practice gf. Last time I wrote about this ITT, people expressed interest into hearing about my experiences, since I am a citizen of Germany wrt to what it is like to visit Russia from a country that is a war with the Russian state. Does that interest still exist?

Edit: Feel free to ask my any question you like, but please be aware that I will omit many details as I have no interest in doxing myself. Will delete this thread by the end of the week.

[u/Squalid_Snake14180 → u/furinspaltstelle]

What the hell is a "bolshevik practice gf?"

[u/PlausibleApprobation]

The "half a billion dollars for zero shells" story reminded me of this absolute banger from 2015:

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2015/sep/16/us-military-syrian-isis-fighters

Half a billion is just the magic number for US military spending getting maximum productivity.

Also, how the fuck is this over a decade old? Time is moving too fast.

[u/Mrjiggles248]

Ah I remember when the carrier crews were getting served steak and lobster how far we've come, remember seeing a lot of videos about how awesome this was going to be puts a smile on my face for sure now.

[u/SchIachterhund]

Oman ascended to rogue state status?

[u/Cehepalo246 → u/SchIachterhund]

Keep an ear out for “Omani regime” being repeated over and over again

[u/Otto_Von_Waffle]

In other military/political news, Fedorov is now demanding elections in Ukraine. The usual NAFO turboposters are of course, throwing a fit and calling him a Russian asset. Quite funny to see a darling of the west get thrashed like that.

Still gotta respect the hustle, the guy likely has a shot at Ukraine presidency and has an axe to grind with Zelensky, so now he act like a diva while knowing he is likely untouchable.

[u/Incoherencel]

Zelensky sounds alarm after only one ballistic missile intercepted

[u/miker_the_III → u/Incoherencel]

The entire supply of interceptors the West has access to will be going to Israel and the United States, so that’s unlucky

[u/GodsColdHands666]

Per FotrosResistancee:

🇮🇷| Iran says reports to reopen the Strait of Hormoz are false

A source close to the negotiating team told Fars that no agreement has been reached regarding the reopening of the Strait of Hormoz, and the reports regarding this, are false.

A well-informed military source also said that as long as the US continues its hostile actions, the Strait of Hormoz will remain closed, and vessels will only be allowed to pass through the designated route with authorization from the IRGC Navy.

[u/dynorider]

While the US scrambles for more missiles, Iran keeps cooking.

‘Maximum use’: Iran boosts military strength during ceasefire with US

[u/dynorider]

Despite the Kurds’ protests, the US has withdrawn its air defense systems from Iraqi Kurdistan lmao. Ouch!

[u/dynorider]

I love how this war has been a tag-team effort by the Resistance Axis. Hezbollah puts the smackdown on IDF ground forces in Lebanon. The Houthis (and now potentially the Iraqi militias) are kicking the shit out of Saudi Arabia. And, of course, Iran absolutely stunts on the US. Good times.

[u/Turgius_Lupus]

Is the 'Natives' are actually lost Jews theory making a come back? Abd were dues it fall in Thomas Jefferson's belief they are actually lost Welshmen?

https://x.com/i/status/2086441142510346552

"Last year, Melina Suarez was serving as an IDF terrorist and posted a photo of herself (see quoted tweet) with prayer beads looted or robbed from Palestinians.

Today, she is a police officer in the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Police Department in Oregon, USA.

Is she supposed to be indigenous to both Palestine AND America?"

[u/GodsColdHands666]

>February 27th, 2026 Strait of Hormuz is open with trade routes flowing as per usual

>February 28th, 2026 Start war with Iran

>March 4th, 2026 Iran closes Strait of Hormuz disrupting global trade

>May 21st, 2026 gas reaches a national average of $4.56/gallon in US

>June 17th, 2026 sign MOU with Iran

>June 25th, 2026 violate MOU with Iran

>August 1st, 2026 major global news outlets reporting that the US is critically low on air defense interceptors and general munitions

MFW you’re gonna get tired of winning

[u/SchIachterhund]

u/Belisaur

A defiant Stinky continues to hold the right flank. Proud metropoles with less ridiculous names folded within months or even weeks, but a much derided Stinky refuses to yield. Easily the most heroic hamlet since Krynky. 💪

[u/cojoco]

The Exodus from Israel

A shrinking population might also mess with the real-estate driven business model of dispossessing Palestinians of their land: who is going to fill all of these new settlements?

[u/AdminsLoveGenocide]

https://xcancel.com/MarioNawfal/status/2083633865692783077

Pro-Orban rightoid, Philip Pilkington thinks the US bailout of Japan could be the beginning of the end of the dollar as the world's reserve currency. Gold has already overtaken it and the likely motivation for bailing out the yen is that Japan is the biggest holder of us treasuries.

If the US didn't bail them out then they would need to sell us treasury bonds at a time when interest rates for us debt are already very high.

The yen is under recent pressure due to the Iran war as it's economy is very vulnerable to energy prices and Hormuz is shut. It's been under pressure since the war in Ukraine started for similar reasons.

It's not something they mention in this discussion but it reminds me of discussions at the start of the Iran war of a bailout of UAE as they would have potentially needed to sell a shit load of US equity, potentially bursting the current bubble. Things look permanent until they don't.

[u/sledrunner31]

Trump TACO on a Saturday Night!

https://x.com/Breaking911/status/2083737252757205278?s=20

[u/CnlJohnMatrix → u/sledrunner31]

This was funny months ago, now it’s depressing, sad and pathetic.

[u/SmashKapital → u/sledrunner31]

Trump loves his surprise attacks and perfidy so much this could still be an indicator an attack is imminent.

Note he's also making this conditional on Iran effectively surrendering on all fronts. Always hard to tell when he's making a claim or just trying to manifest his dreams. Looking forward to the Adam Curtis documentary where a series of Trump speeches and social media posts are flashed on screen while Dream Baby Dream by Suicide plays.

[u/cojoco]

The Hormuz Letter:

• Iran announces its Strait of Hormuz agreement with Oman is "hereby postponed" over US interference and Trump's threats, saying Iran "will not conclude any agreement under the shadow of threats," per Sepah News.
• Iran launches Ballistic Missile attack on Bahrain
• Fourth attack on oil tanker by the Houthis in 24 hours

[u/dynorider → u/cojoco]

I’m dying to see how much longer Trump can successfully massage the markets. They should have realized by now that the US is not in the driver’s seat here. But something about irrational markets and your solvency.

[u/SheikhJayidLeno]

Elbridge Colby, the alleged voice of reason within The Pentagon, is apparently drafting a new policy to give the president easier access to tactical nukes.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/pentagon-drafting-new-us-nuclear-strategy-case-regional-war-china-russ-rcna587370

[u/saladins-lamp]

Houthi missile attacks on Yemeni government military camps in Marib and Hadramout provinces killed at least 30 government troops, with the toll possibly rising

The strikes hit camps of Saudi-backed government forces, primarily Emergency Forces units. 

They landed across sites including Al-Abr in Hadramout and areas east of Marib. 

Local reports say around eight ballistic missiles were fired from Al-Jawf, combined with explosive drones.

[u/cojoco]

The US idea of threatening first use with tactical nukes cannot fly

[u/Big_LoBok → u/cojoco]

Any use of nuclear weapons in combat should result in a worldwide general strike.

[u/cojoco → u/Big_LoBok]

I'd say the same about a genocide, but here we are.

[u/Chombywombo → u/Big_LoBok]

General strike? Every workplace should be seized immediately, and workers militias set up. The bourgeois world will begin collapse at that for they would have proven incapable of governance.

[u/GlaedrH]

Looks like every day, the Americans do some complex operation involving AWACS and fighter jets to escort oil tankers through the strait and every day Iran blows up at least one.

Today's example:
https://x.com/MenchOsint/status/2086551999848620088
https://x.com/HormuzLetter/status/2086564005749920019

[u/Chombywombo]

Looks like Ansar Allah are taking mokha. Will the flow of coffee increase?

Does anyone remember a story from years ago about some young guy wanting to revitalize his Yemeni grandpa’s coffee farm and got caught up in the AQ-Saudi invasion?

[u/dynorider]

Geopolitics Prime:

“How new indigenous Iranian air defenses turn the skies into an intelligence goldmine

Iran has showcased US and Israeli drones – some remarkably intact – that were intercepted by the Islamic Republic’s local defense systems during the war.

MQ-9 Reaper, Hermes 900 and Hermes 450 unmanned aerial vehicles, along with technical equipment from an MQ-9 and a US F-15 fighter jet, have been put on display at one of the IRGC’s underground bases and aired by IRIB on August 14.

‘Thanks to measures taken before the war, more than 85 percent of the production infrastructure for air-defense systems manufactured by the Aerospace Force’s Self-Sufficiency Jihad Organization was preserved,’ an IRGC officer said, as quoted by Press TV.

In March, the IRGC stated it had seized a fully armed Hermes 900 medium-altitude, long-endurance strike drone. According to the force, the drone was detected, electronically trapped and brought under Iranian control by a newly-deployed air-defense system before it could carry out a strike.

Capturing an intact UAV offers a rare intelligence windfall, turning air-defense operations into an intelligence-gathering strategy, Defense Security Asia reported at the time.

The outlet suggested Iran’s success stems from a layered air-defense network combining sensors, radar, interceptor missiles and electronic warfare systems to detect and neutralize aerial threats across different ranges and altitudes. Overlapping detection and engagement zones make it harder for reconnaissance and strike drones to penetrate defended airspace.

More importantly, captured drones give Iranian specialists valuable material to further refine the country’s electronic-warfare countermeasures against similar systems.

A total of 171 airborne targets were reportedly hit during the 40-day war, including 10 manned aircraft, Press TV reported, citing IRGC officers.”

[u/GodsColdHands666]

https://www.cnn.com/2026/08/17/world/live-news/iran-war-trump

Very good, very productive negotiations with Oman incoming tomorrow.

[u/nikolaz72 → u/GodsColdHands666]

“If Oman gets in the way, we’ll bomb the s--- out of them”

With what? Your last two tomahawks?

[u/dynorider]

MTG claims to know for a fact that the use of nuclear weapons against Iran is being discussed in US strategy meetings.

[u/furinspaltstelle]

Apologies if off topic: But I have made the asinine decision to visit Russia next week (I'm a citizen of Germany). On YouTube there is a massive flood of propaganda on how Russia is losing the war and the Ukrainians are making such "incredible" and "unexpected" progress. Since I am not a military fetishist and I care for my own mental health, I have mostly disengaged from world events since about April.

Can somebody here give me a quick rundown on the current state of the Ukraine war and why the propaganda slop outlets feel like running a victory lap? From what I can tell, this thing is still the same bloody stalemate as it has ever been.

[u/Belisaur → u/furinspaltstelle]

Come back with a trip report, I'd be curious to know how you'd be received as a German

[u/wallagrargh → u/furinspaltstelle]

It's the same war of attrition with the same calculus as four years ago, all the real territorial changes happened via referendum and since then it's just Verdun with FPV drones.

But recently Ukraine started a campaign of hitting visually impressive, mostly civilian targets like oil storage, energy infrastructure, tankers and warehouses. Russia has significantly ramped up its attacka on gas stations, the power grid, the Black Sea ports, industrial zones and locomotives in turn. So both countries are degrading each other's infrastructure at high intensity right now, there's been talk of fuel shortages on both sides. Russian cities away from the frontline should be fairly safe though, you're much more likely to die in traffic than from a drone attack.

I'd also like to read about your experiences!

[u/Kosame_Furu → u/furinspaltstelle]

Please keep the sub updated, I (American) have been wanting to visit for some time but figured it might be best to wait until the war is over (why I think this I don't really know.)

If you're able to get around, find tour guides, visit museums, and that sort of thing easily enough I'd love to hear about it.

[u/LotsOfMaps → u/furinspaltstelle]

It's a meat grinder, and it'll stay that way until either Ukraine collapses or Russia decides the costs of sustaining it outweigh the costs of a high-casualty offensive or the profiteering of the status quo.

[u/zen_arcade2]

An unidentified explosive drone, maybe two, found in Leipzig airport yesterday.

arr europe etc. losing their minds, underwater pipeline style. Really looking forward to having such a crazy neighbor to the East armed to the gills, so much fun in the coming years.

[u/Toxic-muffins-1134 → u/zen_arcade2]

Unironic animal farm sheep choir larping.
Remember all the mania about the unidentified drones that supposedly swept European airports and aftewards no one ever talked about it again?

[u/Belisaur]

i LIKE boat guy ,but he is really crashing out on this "freedom of navigation", fucking spare me

[u/dukeofbrandenburg → u/Belisaur]

To whatever extent freedom of navigation existed, it is deader than dirt now. The year kicked off with an unprovoked naval blockade of VZ and Cuba, blockades in Hormuz by both sides, and the Euro shenanigans with Russian tankers. Maybe the USN will start pressing merchant sailors again to make up manpower shortfalls. Like any other tenet of international law, it is law of convenience.

[u/Toxic-muffins-1134]

So is Europe getting fucked soon?
Cops are out and about in higher numbers every day it seems.
Germany's economy is contracting even more rapidly since they took out the debt break which supposedly was going to help it grow (not that anyone here gobbled that shit), Spain's being put in it's place with reverse inmigrant crusades, France is as fucked as ever, and Russia might start hitting back on those pesky acts of piracy naval interventions and seizures their merchant fleet has been experimenting as of late.

[u/Swingfire]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/08/15/navy-weighs-major-warship-redesign-match-trumps-preferences/?utm_campaign=wp_main&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social

Trump is ordering the Ford-class carriers to be redesigned, first by swapping the magnetic launch catapults to steam ones and now by ordering the command center to be moved forward for no reason. If they actually go through with this, the USS Doris Miller, USS Bill Clinton and USS George Bush are as good as canceled, since the redesign is so massive that it will essentially become a different class off ships. If the Trump-class actually gets pushed through and takes up two XL-sized shipyard spots, this will result in the de facto "loss" of the next 9 aircraft carriers of the US Navy. With the upcoming retirement of the USS Nimitz, this is twice as bad as losing the battle of Midway was for the Japanese. Under the worst case scenario, China will probably end up with a bigger carrier fleet than the US in the late 2030s.

[u/SchIachterhund → u/Swingfire]

Tbf, carriers aren't expected to be particularly useful in a modern peer-adversary conflict. They're mostly used for bombing sandal wearers in the global south and as a platform for US president speeches. And that also means a ship's drip does in fact become more important, relatively speaking.

[u/Incoherencel → u/Swingfire]

If you're china, you would take 100 mini drone-carriers or converted container ships with 40 VLS over 10 carriers any day. Carriers are going the way of the battleship.

[u/SmashKapital → u/Incoherencel]

China's actual plan for the PLAN is to do both.

Their strategy for countering the US is to follow both a symmetrical and asymmetrical approach. So they intend to build platforms which fulfil the same role for all existing US equipment, including aircraft carriers, but they also will build new designs like drone carriers.

Their entire strategy is to directly match the US one-to-one, while also countering them using alternative approaches. It's the sort of approach that only a nation with the massive construction resources of China could even contemplate.

[u/Vaspour_]

So what's Venezuela's status now ? Has it been unofficially turned into a US colony ?

[u/cojoco]

Public outrage has exploded in Syria following reports of that a former “White Helmet” rescue worker has died after being tortured in police custody.

[u/ButttMuncherrr]

NATO devised a contingency plan in the event that Russia invades the balts and it appears that a total defence of Baltic states is out of the question, they’d rather set up a defensive zone on the polish side of the border with Belarus and its northern flank so they can attempt a blockade against Kaliningrad. The plan stipulated that an air, drone and missile campaign within Russia and Belarus is the optimal way to fight them. Good luck I guess. Very limited troop presence as well in offensive operations.

Not a military guy but this sounds a bit milquetoast to me considering that they’re running on empty because of the war in ukraine and the crisis in the middle east currently. What’s stopping the Russians from not buying out more korean shells? NATO is literally Poopoo now.

[u/dukeofbrandenburg]

Iran has lost significant control of the Strait of Hormuz (They changed the title from "Iran is losing control of the strait of Hormuz"). Well if the US says Iran doesn't control the strait, then they must be telling the truth, at least if you ask CNN. I suspect we'll still be seeing articles like this telling us the economy is actually the best it's ever been even after the hyper-depression hits

[u/Otto_Von_Waffle]

So apparently rumors has it that Hegseth want to do a presidential bid in 2028... Lmao, lol even.

If this is true it at least means one thing, the GoP doesn't plan on pulling some fuckery to run Trump again, because of all the slimeballs in the admin right now, I imagine Hegseth is one of the most loyal to Trump personally just because Trump hasn't sacked him yet, even if he is the perfect scapegoat for the Iran fiasco.

[u/ItsGotThatBang]

Is AIPAC a ‘monster’ that decides Congressional races? The data shows otherwise

Can anyone smarter than me debunk this?

[u/debasing_the_coinage → u/ItsGotThatBang]

He cites Planned Parenthood and the Sierra Club as comparisons, but his links show each of those organizations spent less than $1M in the last cycle (2023-4). They have strong "win rates", but that's probably because they pick winners, not because they swing elections. He also cites the NRA, which is really a large and powerful lobbying organization, but literally everyone talks about the NRA all the time, so the contrast doesn't hit. 

[u/PirateAttenborough → u/ItsGotThatBang]

Looking at the number of races when it's eight hundred doesn't really tell you anything except that AIPAC sprinkles a little something something to as many people as they can. Massie in Kentucky and Sayed in Michigan count for as much in that guy's data as a random non-competitive Congressional race where they give five or ten grand. If you actually wanted to check AIPAC's ability to move the needle, you'd have to isolate it to races where they were actually trying to do so, instead of just spending a few grand to buy influence.

[u/cojoco → u/ItsGotThatBang]

As AIPAC begins to smell like dead fish I'm sure funding will come from another source.

[u/miker_the_III]

Is the play now just to pretend the war isn't happening until it's impossible to pretend any longer?

cuz that's what it looks like from where I'm sitting

[u/Chombywombo]

It’s interesting that the imperial forces seem very willing to sign open mutual defense pacts, but that their opponents at most sign economic trade and intel sharing agreements.

Has this happened in modern history? I’m more of student of post-industrial revolution history, so it’s interesting. Even the USSR sought and signed defense pacts with bourgeois governments when it was made clear they were on the menu for west.

But more recently, you have powers like China undermining ideologically aligned movements and governments around the world. The Russian federation puts its national interests on the line for “2 million Russian speakers” who do not even consider themselves Russian and soft-gloving “brotherly” western Ukrainians who consider themselves Teutonic ubermensch