WAR Iran/ US/mideast war thread - 2/28/26 Open Hostilities (Thread for Off Topic discussion started, see post #13,751, page 344)
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danielboon
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Steve lookner @lookner Iran state TV: electricity has been cut off at Iranshahr Airport following US attack
danielboon
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Open Source Intel @Osint613 Tasnim News Agency: Following tonight’s U.S. strikes on Kish Island, a power substation was damaged, causing a localized power outage.
danielboon
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.
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somewherepress
Has No Life - Lives on TB
WW3 Monitor
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2h
BIG DEVELOPMENT MEHR NEWS: ATTACKS BY THE U.S. ON BRIDGES IN IRAN HAS NOW BEGUN
3:19 PM · Jul 16, 2026
@WW3_Monitor
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2h
BIG DEVELOPMENT MEHR NEWS: ATTACKS BY THE U.S. ON BRIDGES IN IRAN HAS NOW BEGUN
3:19 PM · Jul 16, 2026
somewherepress
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Eric Daugherty
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JUST IN: The US military has reportedly caused POWER OUTAGES in Iran today with new strikes and even struck BRIDGES in Bandar Abbas, per multiple reports They're feeling the panic set in. Trump is HEATING UP as he moves toward the full power plant and bridge day "NEXT WEEK — comes POWER PLANTS. Comes BRIDGES. We're gonna knock out ALL THEIR POWER PLANTS and bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate."
0:33
4:56 PM · Jul 16, 2026
et2
TB Fanatic
better the railways too
somewherepress
Has No Life - Lives on TB
https://twitter.com/MOSSADil/status/2077861412605776348
Mossad Commentary
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U.S. STRIKES IRANIAN INFRASTRUCTURE The United States is now targeting Iranian infrastructure, following through on President Donald Trump’s warning that Tehran would face escalating consequences for its continued aggression. Reports indicate that multiple bridges, railway lined and airports have been struck....and it's still early in the night.
0:15
4:02 PM · Jul 16, 2026
Mossad Commentary
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U.S. STRIKES IRANIAN INFRASTRUCTURE The United States is now targeting Iranian infrastructure, following through on President Donald Trump’s warning that Tehran would face escalating consequences for its continued aggression. Reports indicate that multiple bridges, railway lined and airports have been struck....and it's still early in the night.
0:15
4:02 PM · Jul 16, 2026
somewherepress
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Siaxares
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Bandar Abbas is being isolated from Iran right now. All major land routes — roads, bridges, rail — are under heavy targeting. The critical Bandar Khamir bridge was blown a while ago. Signs point to a coordinated operation cutting off this strategic port that handles 85-90% of Iran’s containers and 55% of its imports/exports. No reliable roads or rail means the regime can’t effectively move around in this extreme heat and rough terrain to support Bandar Abbas or the nearby islands, as Islamic Republic does not have real air support. Islands nearby and the area are being bombed. We might be seeing a small ground op, naval maneuver into the Strait of Hormuz, or both. This has the precision of serious American strikes — not the scattered pre-ceasefire stuff. Could this be the beginning we’ve all been waiting for? Too early to celebrate, but the pieces are moving. What are you seeing on the ground or hearing? Drop intel and thoughts below. #KingRezaPahlaviForIran
4:51 PM · Jul 16, 2026
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Bandar Abbas is being isolated from Iran right now. All major land routes — roads, bridges, rail — are under heavy targeting. The critical Bandar Khamir bridge was blown a while ago. Signs point to a coordinated operation cutting off this strategic port that handles 85-90% of Iran’s containers and 55% of its imports/exports. No reliable roads or rail means the regime can’t effectively move around in this extreme heat and rough terrain to support Bandar Abbas or the nearby islands, as Islamic Republic does not have real air support. Islands nearby and the area are being bombed. We might be seeing a small ground op, naval maneuver into the Strait of Hormuz, or both. This has the precision of serious American strikes — not the scattered pre-ceasefire stuff. Could this be the beginning we’ve all been waiting for? Too early to celebrate, but the pieces are moving. What are you seeing on the ground or hearing? Drop intel and thoughts below. #KingRezaPahlaviForIran
4:51 PM · Jul 16, 2026
somewherepress
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Mohamad Ahwaze
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Translated from Arabic
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All flights at Iranian airports have been canceled by order of the Iranian Civil Aviation Organization.
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4:51 PM · Jul 16, 2026
FreedomoftheHills
Contributing Member
day late
money? whats that?
Tousi has announced three things of interest tonight. The first is imho by far the most interesting.
For the first twenty minutes or so, Tousi was going on and on about how it is time for the Iranian people to come out, stand up and demand regime change. Given that since the beginning of the war the US the Israelis and even Reza Pahlavi have asked them to stay out of the line of fire, I think this request at this time to be VERY interesting.
Second, it was reported before up-thread, that the IRGC was evacuating regular army bases. Tonight’s report states a number of them have been recently hit. Before this targets were either gov. or IRGC. The regular army was pretty much left alone. I think there might be a message in there somewhere.
Finally, and very quietly, Iran has released an American they’ve been holding for two years on espionage charges. Pres. Trump is reported to have commented that it is a gesture of goodwill on the part of Iran. I must say the timing of the release is interesting.
For the first twenty minutes or so, Tousi was going on and on about how it is time for the Iranian people to come out, stand up and demand regime change. Given that since the beginning of the war the US the Israelis and even Reza Pahlavi have asked them to stay out of the line of fire, I think this request at this time to be VERY interesting.
Second, it was reported before up-thread, that the IRGC was evacuating regular army bases. Tonight’s report states a number of them have been recently hit. Before this targets were either gov. or IRGC. The regular army was pretty much left alone. I think there might be a message in there somewhere.
Finally, and very quietly, Iran has released an American they’ve been holding for two years on espionage charges. Pres. Trump is reported to have commented that it is a gesture of goodwill on the part of Iran. I must say the timing of the release is interesting.
somewherepress
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Raylan Givens
@JewishWarrior13
The Trump administration has informed Israel that it intends to send dozens of additional refueling planes to Israel in the coming days, in preparation for a possible expansion of the war against Iran, three senior US and Israeli officials said.
11:21 AM · Jul 17, 2026
energy_wave
TB Fanatic
U.S. strikes hit 6 bridges overnight near Bandar Abbas on Iran's coast, only several located so far. Strikes appear aimed at cutting this coastal stretch off from supply lines to the rest of Iran, possibly as a prelude to a US invasion of nearby Qeshm Island (or to create that impression).Siaxares
@siaxares
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Bandar Abbas is being isolated from Iran right now. All major land routes — roads, bridges, rail — are under heavy targeting. The critical Bandar Khamir bridge was blown a while ago. Signs point to a coordinated operation cutting off this strategic port that handles 85-90% of Iran’s containers and 55% of its imports/exports. No reliable roads or rail means the regime can’t effectively move around in this extreme heat and rough terrain to support Bandar Abbas or the nearby islands, as Islamic Republic does not have real air support. Islands nearby and the area are being bombed. We might be seeing a small ground op, naval maneuver into the Strait of Hormuz, or both. This has the precision of serious American strikes — not the scattered pre-ceasefire stuff. Could this be the beginning we’ve all been waiting for? Too early to celebrate, but the pieces are moving. What are you seeing on the ground or hearing? Drop intel and thoughts below. #KingRezaPahlaviForIran
4:51 PM · Jul 16, 2026
View: https://twitter.com/theglobal4u/status/2078139950542045207
day late
money? whats that?
FWIW, Mrs. late agrees with most of what follows. This gives everyone a better idea of how Iranians see the regime.
Leaked Iran report finds record public anger as regime focuses on holding power
Story by Efrat Lachter
A confidential report prepared for Iran’s presidency is raising a consequential question for Washington and its allies: Do extraordinary levels of public anger and support for systemic change justify reassessing whether the Islamic Republic may be more vulnerable to regime change than previously believed?
The classified document, titled "What Iran Wants," reportedly found that only 9% of respondents supported maintaining the status quo, with 53% calling for fundamental or structural reforms and more than 19% favoring changing the political system outright.
Taken together, nearly three-quarters of those surveyed reportedly supported either deep structural reform or replacement of the existing system — findings that could strengthen arguments that Iran’s political crisis has moved beyond dissatisfaction with individual leaders or policies.
IranWire reported on July 13 that it had obtained the document, which was compiled by Ali Rabiei, President Masoud Pezeshkian’s social adviser and a former government spokesman. It was based on polling conducted by the Ara Opinion Research Center in May 2026 and circulated among institutions within Iran’s governing structure in June, according to the outlet.
Miad Maleki, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that the report should prompt a fresh assessment of the potential for political upheaval inside Iran.
"If anything, this research understates the depth of Iranians’ rage," Maleki said. "And that is what makes it remarkable: even a survey prepared for the regime’s own president, by its own pollsters, records anger levels above 63%, well beyond the highest rate Gallup has ever recorded anywhere in the world, alongside 81% struggling to put food on the table and a majority expressing hopelessness."
Maleki cautioned that polling conducted under an authoritarian government cannot be treated as precise because respondents may fear the consequences of expressing opposition.
"In a police state where expressing the wrong opinion can cost you your job, your freedom, or your life, respondents self-censor, which means these findings are best read as a floor, not a ceiling," he said.
The complete survey methodology was not included in the material obtained by IranWire. The report reportedly did not disclose how respondents were selected, who was questioned or whether the sample reflected Iran’s geographic and demographic makeup.
Its findings therefore cannot be independently verified or treated as definitive measurements of Iranian opinion. The report also cannot establish that dissatisfaction will translate into an organized movement capable of removing the government.
Still, its findings portray multiple pressures converging at once.
Approximately 64% of respondents reported persistent anger, up roughly 12% points from a previous government survey conducted in December 2025. Half reported hopelessness, approximately 48% reported sadness or depression and about 45% reported persistent fear or anxiety, according to IranWire.
Economic distress also appears central to the public anger.
More than 81% experienced severe or partial difficulty obtaining enough food, while 75% struggled to cover medical costs, IranWire reported. Fifty-four percent said their income did not cover current household expenses, and only 8% reported earning enough to save.
Respondents blamed domestic governance more frequently than international pressure. 46.9% cited government inefficiency as the cause of Iran’s economic problems, 26.3% blamed corruption and 20.7% cited foreign sanctions.
That finding could be especially significant to the regime-change debate because it suggests many Iranians do not primarily blame outside powers for their deteriorating living conditions.
The document also points to a crisis of institutional confidence. Roughly 60% reportedly distrusted major government institutions, while 61.2% negatively assessed officials’ ability to solve Iran’s problems. Distrust of the government, parliament, judiciary and state television remained above 50%, IranWire reported.
The report’s recommendations, however, reportedly centered on managing dissatisfaction rather than addressing demands for systemic change.
Rabiei urged state institutions to better explain the impact of sanctions, moderate the rhetoric used by officials and religious platforms, present a more inclusive image through state television and avoid policies that place the government in direct confrontation with society.
IranWire’s follow-up analysis argued that the recommendations treated Iran’s crisis primarily as a communications and public-perception problem. The report offered few concrete proposals involving institutional accountability, political liberalization or fundamental economic reform, according to the outlet.
Maleki said the findings were consistent with the expanding scale of unrest, citing demonstrations that spread from more than 80 cities in 2017 to more than 200 cities across all 31 provinces this year, alongside what he described as a quadrupling of strikes.
"Iranians have moved from being skeptical of what another revolution might bring to concluding there is no alternative to one, because reform has proven impossible," Maleki said.
Yet the report does not resolve one of the largest obstacles to regime change: The Islamic Republic has spent decades building institutions designed to monitor, deter and violently suppress organized opposition.
"This regime was born of revolution, by revolutionaries," Maleki said. "Preventing and crushing the next one is the one thing they genuinely know how to do."
He nevertheless argued that further unrest was inevitable.
"So the discontent will translate into renewed protest," Maleki said. "The question is not if, but when, and whether anyone is prepared to stand with the Iranian people when it does."
Original article source: Leaked Iran report finds record public anger as regime focuses on holding power.
Leaked Iran report finds record public anger as regime focuses on holding power
Story by Efrat Lachter
A confidential report prepared for Iran’s presidency is raising a consequential question for Washington and its allies: Do extraordinary levels of public anger and support for systemic change justify reassessing whether the Islamic Republic may be more vulnerable to regime change than previously believed?
The classified document, titled "What Iran Wants," reportedly found that only 9% of respondents supported maintaining the status quo, with 53% calling for fundamental or structural reforms and more than 19% favoring changing the political system outright.
Taken together, nearly three-quarters of those surveyed reportedly supported either deep structural reform or replacement of the existing system — findings that could strengthen arguments that Iran’s political crisis has moved beyond dissatisfaction with individual leaders or policies.
IranWire reported on July 13 that it had obtained the document, which was compiled by Ali Rabiei, President Masoud Pezeshkian’s social adviser and a former government spokesman. It was based on polling conducted by the Ara Opinion Research Center in May 2026 and circulated among institutions within Iran’s governing structure in June, according to the outlet.
Miad Maleki, a senior fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, told Fox News Digital that the report should prompt a fresh assessment of the potential for political upheaval inside Iran.
"If anything, this research understates the depth of Iranians’ rage," Maleki said. "And that is what makes it remarkable: even a survey prepared for the regime’s own president, by its own pollsters, records anger levels above 63%, well beyond the highest rate Gallup has ever recorded anywhere in the world, alongside 81% struggling to put food on the table and a majority expressing hopelessness."
Maleki cautioned that polling conducted under an authoritarian government cannot be treated as precise because respondents may fear the consequences of expressing opposition.
"In a police state where expressing the wrong opinion can cost you your job, your freedom, or your life, respondents self-censor, which means these findings are best read as a floor, not a ceiling," he said.
The complete survey methodology was not included in the material obtained by IranWire. The report reportedly did not disclose how respondents were selected, who was questioned or whether the sample reflected Iran’s geographic and demographic makeup.
Its findings therefore cannot be independently verified or treated as definitive measurements of Iranian opinion. The report also cannot establish that dissatisfaction will translate into an organized movement capable of removing the government.
Still, its findings portray multiple pressures converging at once.
Approximately 64% of respondents reported persistent anger, up roughly 12% points from a previous government survey conducted in December 2025. Half reported hopelessness, approximately 48% reported sadness or depression and about 45% reported persistent fear or anxiety, according to IranWire.
Economic distress also appears central to the public anger.
More than 81% experienced severe or partial difficulty obtaining enough food, while 75% struggled to cover medical costs, IranWire reported. Fifty-four percent said their income did not cover current household expenses, and only 8% reported earning enough to save.
Respondents blamed domestic governance more frequently than international pressure. 46.9% cited government inefficiency as the cause of Iran’s economic problems, 26.3% blamed corruption and 20.7% cited foreign sanctions.
That finding could be especially significant to the regime-change debate because it suggests many Iranians do not primarily blame outside powers for their deteriorating living conditions.
The document also points to a crisis of institutional confidence. Roughly 60% reportedly distrusted major government institutions, while 61.2% negatively assessed officials’ ability to solve Iran’s problems. Distrust of the government, parliament, judiciary and state television remained above 50%, IranWire reported.
The report’s recommendations, however, reportedly centered on managing dissatisfaction rather than addressing demands for systemic change.
Rabiei urged state institutions to better explain the impact of sanctions, moderate the rhetoric used by officials and religious platforms, present a more inclusive image through state television and avoid policies that place the government in direct confrontation with society.
IranWire’s follow-up analysis argued that the recommendations treated Iran’s crisis primarily as a communications and public-perception problem. The report offered few concrete proposals involving institutional accountability, political liberalization or fundamental economic reform, according to the outlet.
Maleki said the findings were consistent with the expanding scale of unrest, citing demonstrations that spread from more than 80 cities in 2017 to more than 200 cities across all 31 provinces this year, alongside what he described as a quadrupling of strikes.
"Iranians have moved from being skeptical of what another revolution might bring to concluding there is no alternative to one, because reform has proven impossible," Maleki said.
Yet the report does not resolve one of the largest obstacles to regime change: The Islamic Republic has spent decades building institutions designed to monitor, deter and violently suppress organized opposition.
"This regime was born of revolution, by revolutionaries," Maleki said. "Preventing and crushing the next one is the one thing they genuinely know how to do."
He nevertheless argued that further unrest was inevitable.
"So the discontent will translate into renewed protest," Maleki said. "The question is not if, but when, and whether anyone is prepared to stand with the Iranian people when it does."
Original article source: Leaked Iran report finds record public anger as regime focuses on holding power.
Last edited:
library lady
Veteran Member
What's up, man?
They're about to bring their trash bins to the area.
What an air force mobilization this is.
Looks like they're planning to pull off something really big.
They're about to bring their trash bins to the area.
What an air force mobilization this is.
Looks like they're planning to pull off something really big.
danielboon
TB Fanatic
Open Source Intel @Osint613 Residents reported hearing explosions in Iran’s Bushehr province and Sirik on Friday, with additional reports of blasts in Bandar Abbas and on Qeshm Island, according to Faytuks Network.
danielboon
TB Fanatic
Open Source Intel @Osint613 BREAKING: U.S. says they launched strikes on Iran for the seventh consecutive night.
danielboon
TB Fanatic
EndGameWW3 @EndGameWW3 Update: Saudi Foreign Ministry: The Kingdom calls on the Houthis to cease any escalatory practices that drag Yemen and its people into further suffering.
danielboon
TB Fanatic
ILREDALERT @ILREDALERT Multiple explosions and low-flying aircraft sounds were reported overnight in Bandar Abbas, with residents describing repeated blasts and fighter jet activity over the city.
FreedomoftheHills
Contributing Member
somewherepress
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Raylan Givens
@JewishWarrior13
JUST IN: US issues travel warning for Israel and the region: "Fear of escalation, reconsider any travel"
5:28 PM · Jul 17, 2026
danielboon
TB Fanatic
ILREDALERT @ILREDALERT Iran launched a ballistic missile at a U.S. base in Saudi Arabia, according to a U.S. official cited by Axios.
The reported strike marks the first direct Iranian attack on Saudi territory in nearly four months.
The reported strike marks the first direct Iranian attack on Saudi territory in nearly four months.
danielboon
TB Fanatic
ILREDALERT @ILREDALERT A U.S. strike hit an area near Choghadak in Bushehr province, according to Iran’s governor’s office.
auxman
Deus vult...
TravelGov:
Middle East: Due to high tensions in the Middle East, the security environment remains complex with the potential for unforeseen escalation. We remind Americans in the region of the continued need for caution and encourage them to monitor the news for breaking developments. Americans traveling in or through the region should also check with their air carriers to make sure their flights are still scheduled. Americans should reconsider travel to/through the Middle East.
Read the latest country-specific alerts at: https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/global-events/middle-east.html
View: https://twitter.com/i/status/2078281358091112578
Middle East: Due to high tensions in the Middle East, the security environment remains complex with the potential for unforeseen escalation. We remind Americans in the region of the continued need for caution and encourage them to monitor the news for breaking developments. Americans traveling in or through the region should also check with their air carriers to make sure their flights are still scheduled. Americans should reconsider travel to/through the Middle East.
Read the latest country-specific alerts at: https://travel.state.gov/en/international-travel/travel-advisories/global-events/middle-east.html
View: https://twitter.com/i/status/2078281358091112578
auxman
Deus vult...
Benny Johnson:
BREAKING: Iran Launches Ballistic Missile at U.S. Base in Saudi Arabia
The U.S. military conflict with Iran is ramping up.
Iran has reportedly launched a ballistic missile targeting a U.S. military base in Saudi Arabia.
It is the first reported Iranian attack on U.S. military infrastructure in Saudi Arabia in four months.
A U.S. official confirmed to Axios' Barak Ravid that Iranian forces carried out the attack earlier Friday.
Saudi authorities issued emergency alerts for the areas surrounding Al-Kharj and Yanbu before later lifting the warnings.
The strike comes after nearly a week of sustained U.S. military strikes targeting Iranian military and IRGC infrastructure after the peace agreement fell apart.
The Iranian attack on Saudi Arabia is part of an effort to widen the military conflict and ratchet up pressure on the Trump administration.
RT 2:47
View: https://twitter.com/i/status/2078287582522184164
BREAKING: Iran Launches Ballistic Missile at U.S. Base in Saudi Arabia
The U.S. military conflict with Iran is ramping up.
Iran has reportedly launched a ballistic missile targeting a U.S. military base in Saudi Arabia.
It is the first reported Iranian attack on U.S. military infrastructure in Saudi Arabia in four months.
A U.S. official confirmed to Axios' Barak Ravid that Iranian forces carried out the attack earlier Friday.
Saudi authorities issued emergency alerts for the areas surrounding Al-Kharj and Yanbu before later lifting the warnings.
The strike comes after nearly a week of sustained U.S. military strikes targeting Iranian military and IRGC infrastructure after the peace agreement fell apart.
The Iranian attack on Saudi Arabia is part of an effort to widen the military conflict and ratchet up pressure on the Trump administration.
RT 2:47
View: https://twitter.com/i/status/2078287582522184164
auxman
Deus vult...
The Iran Watcher:
The recent U.S. strike pattern is beginning to resemble the opening phase of some of history’s largest military campaigns.
Throughout modern warfare, major offensives have often been preceded by systematic attacks on transportation networks, bridges, railways, logistics hubs, air defenses, communications, command centers, and energy infrastructure.
These are known as shaping operations: campaigns designed to isolate the battlefield, slow reinforcements, disrupt supply lines, and degrade an adversary’s ability to coordinate and sustain combat before the decisive phase of a conflict.
Historical examples include:
Invasion of Sicily (1943): Allied air forces systematically targeted ports, railways, bridges, airfields, and communications infrastructure to isolate the battlefield before amphibious landings.
Normandy / D-Day (1944): In the months before the invasion, Allied aircraft bombed bridges, railways, marshalling yards, and transportation hubs across France to prevent German reinforcements from reaching the beaches.
Operation Bagration (1944): Soviet partisans sabotaged thousands of rail lines and bridges across Belarus before the Red Army offensive, crippling Germany’s ability to move troops and supplies.
Operation Cobra (1944): Massive Allied bombing devastated German defensive positions and supply routes immediately before the breakout from Normandy, allowing ground forces to rapidly exploit the breach.
Operation Desert Storm (1991): Coalition forces spent weeks dismantling Iraq’s air defenses, command centers, bridges, transportation routes, and logistics network before launching the ground offensive that liberated Kuwait.
Iraq War (2003): The opening “Shock and Awe” campaign targeted command-and-control facilities, air defenses, transportation infrastructure, and strategic military assets before coalition ground forces advanced toward Baghdad.
Russian invasion of Ukraine (2022): Russia opened the war by striking air defenses, airfields, fuel depots, bridges, logistics hubs, and command centers before advancing ground troops from multiple directions.
Recent strikes inside the Islamic Republic have increasingly focused on transportation routes, bridges, military infrastructure, and other strategic facilities rather than isolated tactical targets.
That shift has fueled growing speculation that military objectives may be expanding beyond a limited punitive campaign.
This does not prove that a ground operation is coming. Infrastructure is frequently targeted to restrict military movement, reduce operational flexibility, and increase strategic pressure without any intention of invading.
Political decisions can still alter the course of events, as they have before.
However, if strikes continue expanding to transportation networks, logistics hubs, power generation, and command-and-control systems, the campaign would increasingly resemble the battlefield-shaping operations that have preceded many of history’s largest ground offensives.
View: https://twitter.com/i/status/2078260734417371626
The recent U.S. strike pattern is beginning to resemble the opening phase of some of history’s largest military campaigns.
Throughout modern warfare, major offensives have often been preceded by systematic attacks on transportation networks, bridges, railways, logistics hubs, air defenses, communications, command centers, and energy infrastructure.
These are known as shaping operations: campaigns designed to isolate the battlefield, slow reinforcements, disrupt supply lines, and degrade an adversary’s ability to coordinate and sustain combat before the decisive phase of a conflict.
Historical examples include:
Invasion of Sicily (1943): Allied air forces systematically targeted ports, railways, bridges, airfields, and communications infrastructure to isolate the battlefield before amphibious landings. Normandy / D-Day (1944): In the months before the invasion, Allied aircraft bombed bridges, railways, marshalling yards, and transportation hubs across France to prevent German reinforcements from reaching the beaches. Operation Bagration (1944): Soviet partisans sabotaged thousands of rail lines and bridges across Belarus before the Red Army offensive, crippling Germany’s ability to move troops and supplies. Operation Cobra (1944): Massive Allied bombing devastated German defensive positions and supply routes immediately before the breakout from Normandy, allowing ground forces to rapidly exploit the breach. Operation Desert Storm (1991): Coalition forces spent weeks dismantling Iraq’s air defenses, command centers, bridges, transportation routes, and logistics network before launching the ground offensive that liberated Kuwait. Iraq War (2003): The opening “Shock and Awe” campaign targeted command-and-control facilities, air defenses, transportation infrastructure, and strategic military assets before coalition ground forces advanced toward Baghdad. Russian invasion of Ukraine (2022): Russia opened the war by striking air defenses, airfields, fuel depots, bridges, logistics hubs, and command centers before advancing ground troops from multiple directions.Recent strikes inside the Islamic Republic have increasingly focused on transportation routes, bridges, military infrastructure, and other strategic facilities rather than isolated tactical targets.
That shift has fueled growing speculation that military objectives may be expanding beyond a limited punitive campaign.
This does not prove that a ground operation is coming. Infrastructure is frequently targeted to restrict military movement, reduce operational flexibility, and increase strategic pressure without any intention of invading.
Political decisions can still alter the course of events, as they have before.
However, if strikes continue expanding to transportation networks, logistics hubs, power generation, and command-and-control systems, the campaign would increasingly resemble the battlefield-shaping operations that have preceded many of history’s largest ground offensives.
View: https://twitter.com/i/status/2078260734417371626
auxman
Deus vult...
The Intel Frog:
Ah ****...
The area targeted by an Iranian IRBM attack at Muwaffaq Al Salti AB, Jordan appears to be the troop billeting area.
@Osinttechnical has confirmed via NASA FIRMS that these heat signatures appeared at approximately 0200L.
The shelters in the troop billeting areas are essentially reinforced concrete culverts shielded by Texas barriers. They aren't designed to survive a direct strike of anything. Their purpose is to mitigate blast and fragmentation effects, reducing casualties and preventing damage from spreading across a larger area.
Really hoping there are no US casualties but this has the potential to be very not good.
View: https://twitter.com/i/status/2078311504214999544
Ah ****...
The area targeted by an Iranian IRBM attack at Muwaffaq Al Salti AB, Jordan appears to be the troop billeting area.
@Osinttechnical has confirmed via NASA FIRMS that these heat signatures appeared at approximately 0200L.
The shelters in the troop billeting areas are essentially reinforced concrete culverts shielded by Texas barriers. They aren't designed to survive a direct strike of anything. Their purpose is to mitigate blast and fragmentation effects, reducing casualties and preventing damage from spreading across a larger area.
Really hoping there are no US casualties but this has the potential to be very not good.
View: https://twitter.com/i/status/2078311504214999544
auxman
Deus vult...
Iran International English:
US missile strikes hit electricity infrastructure and desalination pumps at a pier in the village of Bonji in Jask, Hormozgan province, IRGC-affiliated Tasnim reported on Friday.
Hormozgan Deputy Governor for Political, Security and Social Affairs Ismail Dehestani said the damage disrupted drinking water supplies to several villages in western Jask and that authorities were assessing the extent of the damage while working to restore services.
View: https://twitter.com/i/status/2078310181134282895
US missile strikes hit electricity infrastructure and desalination pumps at a pier in the village of Bonji in Jask, Hormozgan province, IRGC-affiliated Tasnim reported on Friday.
Hormozgan Deputy Governor for Political, Security and Social Affairs Ismail Dehestani said the damage disrupted drinking water supplies to several villages in western Jask and that authorities were assessing the extent of the damage while working to restore services.
View: https://twitter.com/i/status/2078310181134282895
auxman
Deus vult...
Egypt's Intel Observer:
NASA FIRMS/VIIRS shows fires at two locations inside Muwaffaq al-Salti Air Base in Jordan following recent Iranian ballistic missile strikes.
The first hotspot, at 31.83402, 36.79553, is within a U.S. troop barracks and accommodation area.
The second, at 31.83264, 36.79442, is inside a warehouse complex.
NASA FIRMS/VIIRS shows fires at two locations inside Muwaffaq al-Salti Air Base in Jordan following recent Iranian ballistic missile strikes.
The first hotspot, at 31.83402, 36.79553, is within a U.S. troop barracks and accommodation area.
The second, at 31.83264, 36.79442, is inside a warehouse complex.
RT 0:35/0:29/0:58
View: https://twitter.com/i/status/2078299652063936866
NASA FIRMS/VIIRS shows fires at two locations inside Muwaffaq al-Salti Air Base in Jordan following recent Iranian ballistic missile strikes.
The first hotspot, at 31.83402, 36.79553, is within a U.S. troop barracks and accommodation area.
The second, at 31.83264, 36.79442, is inside a warehouse complex.
NASA FIRMS/VIIRS shows fires at two locations inside Muwaffaq al-Salti Air Base in Jordan following recent Iranian ballistic missile strikes.
The first hotspot, at 31.83402, 36.79553, is within a U.S. troop barracks and accommodation area.
The second, at 31.83264, 36.79442, is inside a warehouse complex.
RT 0:35/0:29/0:58
View: https://twitter.com/i/status/2078299652063936866
auxman
Deus vult...
AZIntel:
"As the U.S. war with Iran intensifies, the Pentagon is rushing more warplanes to the region, deploying additional Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon and F-35 Lightning II fighters to the Middle East, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine. Among the warplanes being sent are F-16s from the 480th Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, and F-35s from the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, U.K. Aerial refueling tankers are also headed toward the region."
www.airandspaceforces.com
View: https://twitter.com/i/status/2078312286070927474
"As the U.S. war with Iran intensifies, the Pentagon is rushing more warplanes to the region, deploying additional Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon and F-35 Lightning II fighters to the Middle East, people familiar with the matter told Air & Space Forces Magazine. Among the warplanes being sent are F-16s from the 480th Fighter Squadron at Spangdahlem Air Base, Germany, and F-35s from the 48th Fighter Wing at RAF Lakenheath, U.K. Aerial refueling tankers are also headed toward the region."
US Deploying F-16s and F-35s to Middle East for Iran War
As the U.S. war with Iran reintensifies, the Pentagon is rushing warplanes to the Middle East, including Air Force F-16 and F-35 fighters.
www.airandspaceforces.com
View: https://twitter.com/i/status/2078312286070927474
somewherepress
Has No Life - Lives on TB
Visioner
@visionergeo
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BIG | The Middle East has just crossed a perilous point of no return—Iran has launched a direct, high-stakes military assault on American forces, threatening to ignite a full-scale regional conflagration. In a dramatic and dangerous escalation, Iranian forces have fired a barrage of ballistic missiles directly targeting a U.S. airbase located inside Jordan. The precision strike represents a massive gamble by Tehran, bypassing proxy forces to launch a state-on-state kinetic attack against a critical American military installation in a sovereign Arab nation. This overt assault shatters previous red lines, instantly putting U.S. air defenses on high alert and forcing an immediate, emergency reassessment of American posture in the region. This brazen attack is a profound strategic miscalculation that virtually guarantees a devastating American kinetic response.
By striking a U.S. base directly from Iranian territory or through its most advanced missile arsenals, Tehran has signaled that it is ready to risk total war, effectively ending the era of shadow warfare. This moves the region out of a proxy conflict and into a direct, catastrophic confrontation, where the next 24 hours will likely dictate the future geopolitical map of the Middle East. See the latest updates with us:
@visionergeo
0:25
5:36 AM · Jul 18, 2026
auxman
Deus vult...
Henry Bowman
Veteran Member
US-Iran Fighting Escalates With Infrastructure Targeted
(AP)
Saturday, 18 July 2026 09:09 AM EDT
Iran on Saturday struck infrastructure in the Gulf and threatened a "full-scale offensive" in retaliation for the seventh consecutive night of U.S. strikes on the Islamic republic.
A month after they agreed a preliminary deal aimed at ending their war, fighting has intensified, with Tehran accusing Washington of hitting an airport, railway station, and bridges.
Iran retaliated Saturday with strikes on an oil facility in Kuwait as well as a power and water plant, authorities in the Gulf state said, while in Bahrain the army said air defenses repelled a wave of Iranian attacks.
"Iran will no longer limit itself to retaliatory, like-for-like responses ... and no political border will be safe," said Maj. Gen. Mohsen Rezaei, a senior military adviser to Iran's supreme leader, according to state media.
He said Tehran would resume "full-scale offensive operations" if U.S. strikes continue for another two or three days.
Kuwait accused Iran of targeting civilian sites and vital infrastructure after the strike on the power plant forced several power generation units to be deactivated.
It was the second attack on a Kuwaiti power and water plant in as many days, with the first on Friday causing a fire and damage.
Kuwait's state oil firm reported injuries and damage in an attack on an oil facility, and the country's fire service said firefighters were injured battling blazes sparked by Iranian attacks.
In Bahrain, another U.S. ally in the Gulf, the Iranian army said it targeted an air base used by the United States, according to the state broadcaster.
Drones targeted "aircraft shelters and parking areas, fuel storage tanks of the U.S. military at Sheikh Isa Air Base, as well as several connecting bridges," the army said.
Jordan was also hit, with the Iranian state broadcaster reporting fuel tanks at its Al-Azraq base were targeted.
Jordan's army said it had shot down 10 missiles but with no casualties or damage.
Hope for a political settlement to the war has fallen by the wayside, though mediators have attempted to bring both sides back to the negotiating table.
U.S. President Donald Trump this week threatened to hit Iranian infrastructure, although there has been no confirmation from Washington since then that U.S. forces have begun to do so.
Iranian state news agency IRNA reported Saturday that U.S. attacks killed three people and wounded eight in the southern province of Hormozgan.
Local authorities said 116 telecommunications towers had been knocked out of service, with landline, mobile, and internet connections down in some northern areas of the province.
In Khuzestan province, the deputy provincial governor said the U.S. had attacked 95 locations in 12 cities over the past 10 days, according to Iran's Tasnim news agency.
Eight people had been killed in the attacks, he said.
Iranian authorities also said the supply of drinking water to several villages in the south had been cut off, accusing the U.S. of striking power facilities and desalination plant pumps in the village of Bonji, according to Tasnim.
Iran's energy ministry urged citizens to reduce electricity use and switch off air conditioners in peak hours after the power grid came under strain.
The health ministry said Friday that 50 people had been killed since the renewed fighting broke out a week ago and more than 500 injured.
David Khalfa, a Middle East specialist at the Paris-based Jean-Jaures Foundation, said a "widening range of strategic infrastructure" was being drawn into the conflict.
"The paradox is that, while the conflict continues to escalate, neither side has a strategic interest in allowing this dynamic to continue. Yet both perceive any compromise as a form of capitulation," Khalfa told AFP.
The latest bout of violence was sparked by Iranian attacks on ships in the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a vital transport lane for Gulf energy exports that Iran seeks to control.
Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Saturday said two oil tankers in the waterway, which they claimed were being directed by U.S. intelligence agencies, had exploded after hitting mines, but the U.S. military quickly denied the claim.
The Revolutionary Guards also said on state television they had "stopped" four ships trying to transit.
Iran closed the strait after the war broke out in late February with U.S.-Israeli strikes, and control over the route has become key leverage in negotiations with the US.
But the U.S. has also reimposed its own blockade of Iran's ports as part of the recent escalation, seeking to cut off the country's oil revenues.
© AFP 2026
Plain Jane
Just Plain Jane
Tanker boarded by armed group off Yemen, says British military
A chemical tanker has been boarded by an armed group off the coast of Yemen. The British military reported the incident on Friday as the vessel was transiting the Gulf of Aden.
apnews.com
Tanker boarded by armed group off Yemen, says British military
This is a locator map for Yemen with its capital, Sanaa. (AP Photo)
Updated 7:18 AM EDT, July 17, 2026
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CAIRO (AP) — A chemical tanker was boarded by an armed group off the coast of Yemen on Friday while it was transiting in the Gulf of Aden, the British military said.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Center (UKMTO,) said military authorities had reported that the vessel was boarded by “unauthorized personnel” south of al-Mukalla province in Yemen.
Ambrey, a British maritime security firm, said Somali pirate are believed to have boarded the tanker, which does not have an armed security team on board.
The firm said a Korean naval vessel was on its way to assist the tanker which issued a distress call while heading westbound.
The data tracker, Maritime Traffic, showed that the Tanzania-flagged oil and chemical tanker Asana was en route to Bosaso, Somalia.
Yemen’s coast guard in Aden didn’t immediately respond to request for comments.
It is the latest maritime attack off one of the world’s poorest countries, which has been ravaged by a yearslong civil war.
Somali pirates have been active further away in the Gulf of Aden recently. Suspected pirates attacked a vessel 76 nautical miles (140 kilometers) south of the port town of Balhaf in southeastern Yemen on July 1. Four armed men on a small craft caused minor damage to the ship’s bridge, according to the UKMTO.
On Thursday, the European Union signed a deal with Djibouti to strengthen Red Sea naval force against the Iran-backed rebel Houthis, who have repeatedly threatened to launch attacks on vessels in the Red Sea.
The EU operates two maritime security fleets in the Red Sea, a vital waterway linking the Mediterranean Sea via the Suez Canal with the Indian and Pacific oceans.
Yemen has suffered from a civil war that began in 2014 eventually pitted Iran-backed Houthi rebels against a Saudi-led coalition supporting the country’s government. While the Iran war that began on Feb. 28 reignited all sorts of regional rivalries, the peace between the Houthis and Saudis had mostly prevailed, until this week.
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Associated Press writer Sam McNeil in Brussels contributed to this report.
danielboon
TB Fanatic
AZ_INTEL @AZintel BREAKING: 2 U.S. service members killed, 1 missing from Iranian attacks on Jordan, CENTCOM says. 4 others injured.