WAR Iran/ US/mideast war thread - 2/28/26 Open Hostilities (Thread for Off Topic discussion started, see post #13,751, page 344)

Open Source Intel @Osint613
This is reportedly an oil facility in Yanbu, Saudi Arabia, following a Houthi attack.

Im trying to understand the Mecca agreement? Why isn’t Turkey or Pakistan coming to Saudi Arabia’s rescue? The Houthis keep hitting Saudi Arabia proper.

What type of agreement is this?1789651498480.jpeg
 

Crude Eases As China Reportedly Presses Iran To Rein In Houthis<!-- --> | ZeroHedge

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Crude Eases As China Reportedly Presses Iran To Rein In Houthis​

by Tyler Durden
Thursday, Sep 17, 2026 - 08:40 AM
Oil prices are falling on Thursday on some headlines signaling potential de-escalation moves out of the Saudi-Yemen conflict, both via Reuters:

  • China reportedly presses Iran to help rein in the Houthis after Saudi appeal, according to Retuers citing sources
  • Oil prices fell on Wednesday after reports that Saudi Arabia was offering additional crude cargoes through Oman eased some concerns about Middle East supply disruptions, while a smaller-than-expected draw in U.S. crude inventories added further downward pressure.


US crude futures have extended their drop to fall back below $100/bbl. This also comes amid continued reports of better-than-expected recovery in Gulf infrastructure, as Saudi Arabia is claiming it is able to restore half the capacity of its East-West pipeline within merely days. The optimism could prove just wishful thinking, however - and the coming week will tell.

Starting last week, when the Houthis made their lightning-fast advance along the Red Sea coast, fragmenting the positions of the Saudi-backed coalition government, Riyadh turned to Beijing for help, the Thursday Reuters report indicates.

"Chinese officials did not issue any explicit threats or indicate that Beijing would seek to pressure Tehran economically if it failed to use its influence over the Houthis, the three Iranian sources said," the report adds.

The Chinese foreign ministry has responded to knowledge of the diplomatic maneuvering getting out that "China does not wish to see regional tensions further spill over into Yemen and the Red Sea. Escalating regional instability is not in the interests of any party".

"The sovereignty and security of all countries should be respected, and facilities vital to people's livelihoods must not be targeted. China calls for an end to actions that further complicate the situation and urges resolving issues through dialogue and negotiation," it said.

A senior Western diplomat in the region was separately quoted as saying "Beijing is one of the few capitals that can still press Iran to rein in the Houthis."

Given that the Iran-aligned Shia group has often shown a willingness to cooperate and coordinate action to Tehran's benefit, Ansar Allah leadership may listen if it gets a signal to de-escalate from Iran.

https://twitter.com/x/status/2100183690751914330
View: https://x.com/TheSaviour/status/2100183690751914330?ref_


According to to some Thursday and latest developments via Al Jazeera:

  • Yemeni government forces are trying to prevent Houthi advances on several fronts, including the strategic Kahbub mountains near Bab al-Mandeb and Taiz, with Saudi Arabia providing support with air strikes in areas around the city.
  • President Donald Trump has told reporters that the US is “hopefully toward the end” of its war on Iran and notes that he has spoken with Iranians “directly”.
  • UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urges de-escalation and diplomacy in the Middle East as fighting intensifies in Yemen and between the Houthi group and Saudi Arabia.
  • Iran’s national security chief Mohsen Rezaei says the US must take practical steps to earn Tehran’s confidence, stressing that the country harbours zero trust in Washington.
  • A UN fact-finding mission has found “reasonable grounds” to believe the US was behind two attacks, including the strike against a school in Minab in February, which it says constituted war ⁠crimes.
On the Yemen front, Al Jazeera writes, "The fighting is continuing and government forces are claiming that the Ansarullah Houthis have suffered a lot of casualties in the clashes that are occurring on a number of fronts, mainly in western Taiz and also in Kahbub, which is a mountainous area with strategic importance as it overlooks Bab al-Mandeb."

Throughout the conflict, both the Iranians and the Houthis have at various times said they are willing to grant China and other "friendly" countries like Russia "special considerations" when it comes to water transit and paying "fees" - the latter case related to the Strait of Hormuz.
 
This isn’t a comment. It is information from personal knowledge. While in service I fired the T.O.W. anti-tank missile. Having the missile is important but without the launch system it is totally useless. The above video doesn’t show captured systems. Doesn’t mean they don’t have them, just that they aren’t shown.

ADDITIONAL: The LAW and Dragon anti-tank missiles are smaller than the TOW and come in their own launch tubes. The TOW also comes that way but can be removed and fired by itself from aircraft. ALL launch tubes are intended to be one time use and disposable.
 
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Quick Tousi update. Less than one hour ago. Partially confirmed by Mrs. late.

The regime continues to send artillery, armor, and infantry to the western border with Iraq and Turkey. Military posts, police stations, and important governmental sites are being evacuated for two reasons.

1. Feared ground invasion.
2. Feared internal uprising.

The reason for #2 is reports of armed groups being spotted in all three of Iran’s largest cities, as well as a number of smaller cities and towns. These groups DO NOT support the regime. They want them either gone or dead.

(As a grunt this suggests to me the pre-positioning of forces before the beginning of combat. But that’s just my thought.)

Lastly at this time, the regime has stopped begging people to stand and fight for them through text messaging. They are now hanging banners over the street. Tousi showed one of them. I don’t read or speak Farsi. I asked Mrs. late. She agrees with Mr. Tousi. The banner shows a shoulder fired anti-tank rocket launcher. It offers to teach ANYONE that wants to learn, how to use one. I paused the video and asked if what Tousi is saying is correct. She read the banner and said,

“It says they will teach people how to use that thing, for free.”

For those who don’t know, the mentioned weapon is kinda like the old WW II bazooka. It’s just been upgraded with a modern laser sight. Almost impossible to miss with one of them. No takers, so far.
 
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Open Source Intel @Osint613
NOW: Al Maydeen is reporting several explosions in Masif Selahaddin, 36km northeast of Erbil, Iraq.

USAF aerial activity is also being recorded above northeastern Iraq.

Contributed by: @BeamTracker_1789685853263.jpeg
 
More from Tousi. The people being evacuated are not hiding in caves. They are trying to hide in plain sight. They are ditching uniforms in favor of street clothes and driving personal cars instead of gov./military ones. When housing is needed for large numbers of them, they stake out in schools and hospitals.

One telling item. Not surprisingly the IRGC are lying mines around their positions. Not an uncommon practice. 24/7 Guard dogs. The surprising part is this isn’t happening in the west near Iraq and Turkey. These minefields are being laid round defensive positions in the southeast, near the Pakistan border. They aren’t meant to stop an invasion and armored vehicles. They are to protect government forces while they sleep. The regime is more worried about the threats from their own people right now than either the US or Israel. At least in that part of the country. Fighting continues in the area, and is slowly spreading across he country. A number of reports of everything from Basij checkpoints to targeted members of the IRGC being taken out. Not everywhere at the moment. Here and there, now and then, but the number of attacks is increasing.

About the economy. It was also announced, with pictures, large numbers of Afghans working in Iran have decided going home and living under the Taliban is better the trying to make it in Iran. They are self deporting.
 
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Why? Open Source Intel @Osint613
Saudi Embassy in the U.S. on the approved F-35 sale:

"The proposed F-35 sale reflects the strength and enduring nature of the Saudi-U.S. strategic partnership and the continued advancement of our defense cooperation.

For decades, Saudi-U.S. security cooperation has contributed to regional stability, strengthened our collective defense capabilities, and advanced our shared security interests."
 

Trump drops bombshell plan for US to stay in Iran and ‘keep the oil’​


Donald Trump has floated the possibility of America staying in Iran and “keep the oil” after the war eventually comes to an end.

Trump compared the idea to Washington’s controversial push to take control of a ‌fifth of Venezuela's vast oil reserves.

The president still predicted the Iran conflict would end this year, potentially after America’s November midterm elections.

Trump also claimed Tehran has been “calling constantly” for peace talks, although Iranian officials have previously rejected that characterisation.

He warned he would only accept the “right deal” with Iran while promising gasoline prices would “drop like a rock” once fighting ends.

Rt 8:28

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erx-f_tsnyE


All Trump needs to do is wait until Iran collapses, the Republican Guard falls apart and the people begin to take over their country. Then he can send in the Marines to take the over the oil fields with little to no effort. Much safer for our troops and costs far less then an invasion we thought would take place months ago at the peak of the war.
 
BREAKING:

A low-flying projectile was reportedly seen over Saudi Arabia amid ongoing Houthi attacks, with alerts issued across Khamis Mushait, Jeddah, Taif and AlUla.
Video below
 
I must say Tousi took a long time to say just a little. But what he said tells a lot if you read between the lines. Fighting in the SE of Iran continues to escalate. While neither side is giving out numbers at this time, local hospitals are said to be very busy. The patients are said to all be IRGC and Basij. Resistance is taking care of their own.

The reason for the sudden increase in injured and dying people is that now two cities are basicly under siege. Basij checkpoints are coming under fire almost constantly. An IRGC convoy or perhaps patrol was eliminated. Then it gets worse.

The major resistance group is sort of a tribal thing, like the Kurds in the west. I don’t remember how to spell the name and won’t try to guess, but the area now made up of SE Iran and western Pakistan and Afghanistan used to be another nation, like Kurdistan. Iran has brought in a lot of mercenaries from Pakistan and Afghanistan that are related to the resistance fighters. So now you have members of the same tribe fighting with each other. Oh yes, the mercenaries are being rewarded for coming by automatically getting an Iranian wife. They have videos of the mass public marriages.

MSM is quoting Iran supporting sources claiming that according to the IRGC 30 million have volunteered to fight and they had a parade today. Video of the parade shows maybe 5,000 people. On a good day. If you squint.
 
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70 Patriots, 12 THAAD - and Iranian Missiles Still Got Through​

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phZoogdyZ7E

Run time - 11:15
Sep 17, 2026

Iranian missiles versus US interceptors

In a recent attack the US fired as many as 70 Patriots and more than a dozen THAAD interceptors trying to bring down 20 Iranian ballistic missiles. Some did the trick, others didn’t and it appears that a handful of strikes got through and damaged eight F-15s and one A-10.

This is one of, if not the major challenge facing the United States in the war with Iran right now. Our interceptor inventory versus their missile stockpiles. Which runs out first? And unfortunately we just got a report that Iran has resumed production of their ballistic missiles.

Sources
https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east...
https://media.defense.gov/2026/Sep/09...
https://www.airandspaceforces.com/ira...
https://x.com/SoarAtlas/status/209822...
https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east...
https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation...
 
Brett Erickson

@BrettErickson28

ESCALATION: Just tonight, Ansarallah (Houthis) have responded to the Saudi targeting of the Yemeni capital of Sanaa with their own targeting: Riyadh.

MBS will now be likely forced to respond. He can’t stand by as the Saudi capital gets hit by Ansarallah. His grip on power is already fragile, to not respond now would be devastating.

But now Saudi is trapped in escalation just like the United States. Increasingly severe steps up the escalation ladder, or historically embarrassing defeat.

If Saudi responds, Ansarallah will hit back even harder…

Saudi oil infrastructure is going to get crushed.
9:20 PM · Sep 18, 2026

https://twitter.com/x/status/2101134349139931191
View: https://www.twitter.com/BrettErickson28/status/2101134349139931191
 

Syria Rejects Desperate Saudi Plea To Deploy Militants To Yemen<!-- --> | ZeroHedge

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Syria Rejects Desperate Saudi Plea To Deploy Militants To Yemen​

by Tyler Durden
Saturday, Sep 19, 2026 - 08:45 AM
Provocative rumors have been flying all week that Saudi Arabia has recruited Syrian militants to fight the Houthis in Yemen, at a moment the Iran-aligned rebel groups is said to be rapidly gobbling up more territory, especially along the Red Sea coast.

The claim has been especially strong in Lebanese media, after prominent Al-Akhbar reported this week that hundreds of Syrian fighters were recently transferred to southern Saudi Arabia, including fighters who took part in the Jolani/HTS-led fight to topple Bashar al-Assad in December 2024. However, it's unclear if the alleged fighters have Syrian state backing (whether on a covert level or not), or if they could be there on their own initiative as mercenaries.

Seen in Libya over past years: Syrian troops from the National Army of the Free Syrian Army, via Al Monitor
The Saudis had provided strong covert support, along with other Gulf states, to the over decade-long effort overthrow of Assad, and so Riyadh could now being calling in favors from Damascus.

The phenomenon of Syrian mercenaries and foreign fighters transferred in large numbers to other broader conflict theatres is not without precedent, as many are still said to be in Libya.

However, their deployment in Yemen might not yet be a reality, and it could just be that Saudi officials have pitched it as just an idea or possibility, amid the ongoing appeal also for more help from Western allies including the US and Britain.

On Friday Turkish media is reporting that Damascus has rejected the alleged Saudi plea to send Syrian militants for fighting in Yemen. According to Turkiye Today:

"Syrian sources who spoke to Türkiye Today said Saudi Arabia had in recent months sought fighters to meet its military needs in Yemen, but that the Syrian government had "politely" rejected a request to organize and deploy a Syrian force against the Houthis.

"This issue has been exhausted and is over. The Saudi request was made several months ago. Syria politely turned it down, saying it was focused on its own military organization process and did not intend to enter a conflict as a third party," one of the sources said."

However, the same sources indicated the Sharaa/Jolani government would not prevent Syrians as individuals from traveling for the purpose of assisting the Saudi coalition.

Separate reports this week have speculated that Turkey could get involved in the fight for Yemen on Saudi Arabia's behalf based on the recently inked Mecca Defense Pact. But that too is simply at the level of unfounded rumor at this point.

The same Turkish media report underscores, "Claims that Türkiye had played a role in transporting or organizing Syrians for deployment to Yemen were also rejected by Turkish sources."

https://twitter.com/x/status/2099233372149031325
View: https://x.com/SyriaReport/status/2099233372149031325?ref_


The unnamed sources said: "We have no involvement in this matter. Syria and Saudi Arabia are sovereign countries." As for Turkish media, the reports of Damascus slamming the door on Riyadh ring true given post-Assad Syria is facing serious problems on many fronts, especially internal unrest and large demonstrations this week over fuel price hikes. It doesn't have the military power or resources to get much involved in Yemen at this stage.

But on the other side of this, it also remains true that the Turkish government has long sought to use Syrian militants as fodder for its grander designs in places like North Africa.
 
Okay. Technically a comment. However, it is a little something that Mrs. late passed along a little while ago. It was reported that the regime had a parade for all the volunteers they got to sign up to fight the “Zionists”. Mrs. late spoke with friends in Tehran today. It seems a lot of people in Tehran were showing just how much they fear attack from America and Israel, by more of them attending a marathon on the other side of town than went to the parade.
 
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