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The Middle East conflict

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martin butler

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edwin_m said:
That might just prompt Trump to walk away from NATO.
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Its odds on, that if he could, he would have already walked away, Daddy Vlad has been whispering in his ear for years, they never supported you Donnald,

Congress would most likely veto him pulling out as it needs a super majority, and the costs would be too great, loss of arms orders, loss of bases, The ones who still maintain brain function, IE, didn't drink the cool aid, know how much being part of NATO brings in.
 
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RailUK Forums

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Mogster

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Killingworth said:
How much of that was months ago and how much recent? What exactly was destroyed? Is the damage materially impeding US efforts? Has it been verified?
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I know who the person is, however I didn’t speak to them first hand. I can’t confirm if the damage is new or previous. It does sound extensive.


Original article is paywalled but can be read, at least for me at this link.


The U.S. Navy base in Bahrain was repeatedly targeted between late February and June. Strikes that got through caused extensive damage, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of satellite imagery, social-media footage and interviews with current and former servicemembers—damage that the Pentagon hasn’t publicly acknowledged. Hit hard were the command headquarters and at least a dozen other buildings, along with two satellite communications terminals.
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Especially important as this is the only US naval base in the region.
 
Annetts key

Annetts key

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edwin_m said:
That might just prompt Trump to walk away from NATO.
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The point I was making is that the U.S. is highly dependent on having overseas bases in European NATO countries and not having these would be extremely detrimental to overseas military operations. The fact that the U.S. used U.K. based and bases in Germany shows that they were extremely useful to the U.S.

And Trump talks rubbish, as martin butler says, withdrawing from NATO would be difficult for him to do..And bad for him in terms of support within the U.S.
 
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ainsworth74

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I can buy that the physical damage to US bases is more significant than has been admitted to so far. I'm less convinced that there's a massive cover up of significant US casualties (wounded and killed). There would be too many families and friends wondering why Jimmy or Susan hasn't come back from the war, or why their emails/letters/texts are going unanswered, etc etc.
 
najaB

najaB

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ainsworth74 said:
I'm less convinced that there's a massive cover up of significant US casualties (wounded and killed). There would be too many families and friends wondering why Jimmy or Susan hasn't come back from the war, or why their emails/letters/texts are going unanswered, etc etc.
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I don't think the suggestion is that thousands have been killed, but let's say that there were 100 dead rather than the 13 who have been acknowledged. In a military of over a million, it wouldn't be that difficult to hide them, especially given that communication would likely already be somewhat limited.
 
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Mogster

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I don’t see how the US could cover up mass casualties. The WSJ article suggests the Bahrain installation was evacuated early on.

Damage to strategically important and expensive infrastructure is highly embarrassing for the US though. I think there has been a degree of radio silence about that. Early on in the conflict there was almost daily commentary on the results of Iranian attacks, with reviews of open source satellite imagery.

The US (and Gulf states) quickly put pressure on the satellite imagery providers to get them to stop releasing images including US military installations. Since then the US has been able to control the narrative pretty much.
 
brad465

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Mogster said:
I don’t see how the US could cover up mass casualties. The WSJ article suggests the Bahrain installation was evacuated early on.

Damage to strategically important and expensive infrastructure is highly embarrassing for the US though. I think there has been a degree of radio silence about that. Early on in the conflict there was almost daily commentary on the results of Iranian attacks, with reviews of open source satellite imagery. The US (and Gulf states) quickly put pressure on the satellite imagery providers to get them to stop releasing images including US military installations. Since then the US has been able to control the narrative pretty much.
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And I'm guessing the government will be trying to get this story suppressed as much as possible too (although at time of writing the WSJ is headlining it):

www.bbc.co.uk

Two US troops killed and one missing after Iranian attack in Jordan

Iran and the US have traded strikes as hostilities re-escalated this week, with Tehran targeting US military facilities across the Gulf region.
www.bbc.co.uk www.bbc.co.uk

Two US service members were killed and one remains missing after Iranian ballistic missile and drone attacks in Jordan on Friday, military officials said.

The US Central Command (Centcom) said four US service members were medically evacuated to hospitals in Jordan but have since been discharged. Others who suffered minor injuries have returned to duty.

Jordan's military earlier said it had intercepted 10 Iranian missiles fired into its airspace overnight, without reporting any damage.

The US military said it had carried out the seventh consecutive night of strikes on Iran since President Donald Trump declared their temporary ceasefire agreement "over".

The US death toll in the conflict has risen to 16 after an American Navy pilot who went missing earlier this month was declared dead, marking the second increase in the toll this week.

At least 50 people have been killed and more than 500 injured in US strikes over the past three weeks, according to Iranian state media, citing the country's health ministry.

Washington and Tehran struck a preliminary deal to end the war in June, but the agreement unravelled within a month of its signing.

Hostilities have re-escalated over the past week, with the US reimposing a blockade on Iranian ports and Tehran declaring the Strait of Hormuz closed.
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Mogster

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Interesting that the US is now acknowledging 400+ injured personnel. I suppose it’s reasonable to assume these injuries aren’t minor cuts and grazes.
 
brad465

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Oil is now back to $100 a barrel, thanks to the Houthi's now getting involved:



Oil prices hit $100 a barrel on Thursday for the first time since May, after attacks by Iranian-backed Houthi militants in the Red Sea threatened to squeeze global supplies further and reignite a global inflation shock. Brent crude, the international benchmark, rose more than 6 per cent to $100, extending a blistering rebound this month amid fears that the US and Iran are headed for a return to full-blown conflict.
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Dave61

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brad465 said:
Oil is now back to $100 a barrel, thanks to the Houthi's now getting involved:


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If this mess does not get sorted out before the end of the Summer, it is going to be a bleak winter in Europe not only because of prices but also supply. Mainland Europe is normally rebuilding its stocks for next winter right now but on a recent BBC report I read (sorry can't find it now) they are still heavily depleated.

Whilst we mainy get gas from Norway/US (and a little bit from the North Sea) the rest of the world is also going to need gas and right now the middle east is not supplying much.
 
najaB

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So, it seems that DJT has found a solution to get Iran to the bargaining table: tariffs.
US President Donald Trump has called on lawmakers to modify a newly passed Russia sanctions bill to accord him sweeping authority to impose tariffs on Iran, a move that threatens to delay the passage of the legislation as it moves to the House of Representatives.

Speaking to journalists in the Oval Office on Wednesday, the American leader pressed for the addition of trade measures aimed at Tehran. "I'd like them to add Iran as tariffs, not just as sanctions, I think that's important, that's what Lindsey wanted," Trump stated.
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Source: https://www.aninews.in/news/world/u...added-to-russia-sanctions-bill20260730025954/

Who's going to tell him that tariffs don't have any effect when trade is completely embargoed?
 
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