https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/9544266/iran-british-oil-tanker-revolutionary-guard-royal-navy/ Ok Theresa, your move. Don't be counting on the US to rescue your lame ass again.
UK is America's little girlfriend. The Gibraltar seizure was done by order of Americans and in collusion. It's obvious to everyone that both Saudi Arabia and Israel want a war with Iran and will do anything to provoke it. Obviously Israel wouldn't get their own hands dirty, they want others to do it. Any agreement with the Americans is meaningless as well as is now evident. Impossible to side with the US when it's behaving exactly like a bully.
British party election for prime minister is in just three days. And Jeremy Hunt is Boris's opponent, and he is also the British Foreign Secretary. Nothing like going into an election when you are Foreign Minister but two of your ships are in Iranian hands and you are looking flaccid. Not sure what the Iranian game is here. Surely they dont think that Boris is going to be easier to deal with. Or are they trying to toss Hunt a bone. He is running around saying that he is summoning Iranian diplomats- ooooh scary shiite there- and that he is going to solve this diplomtically, so if they want to toss him a bone before the election they can release the ships. I mean what choice do they have. The Brits don't really have a military force any more other than leeching off nato. It was an eye-opener for me back in the Libya war when the Brits wanted to stop the rebels from seizing British Petroleum assets so BP got the Brits and the French to do the deed, but then they dragged Obama in because Obama worked for the Europeans. Anyway, as part of that lead-in and build-up, the Brits made a case to Obama, THAT THE BRITS DID NOT HAVE SUFFICIENT AIR POWER TO TAKE OUT LIBYA BY THEMSELVES, even with the French thrown in. WHAT THE FLAMING FUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Useless as tits on a nun. The brits have, I think, just one ship in the Strait of Hormuz, the HMS Montrose, and some minor side shit such as a few minesweepers etc. Now they are thinking of scrounging up another one and sending it, probably its in a mothball fleet somewhere, will hopefully arrive before Christmas.
Funny how you guys see Europeans leeching off US but expected Europeans to fully join the wars in Afghanistan (article 5, all had to join) and Iraq (most NATO countries joined) -- neither country was attacking the US. One way street.
Yeh, well, if Margaret Thatcher were still in power as during the Falkland's scenario, lots of things would be different for Britain these days. Including, but not limited, to the whole dildo-ic manner in which Brexit has been handled.
The other countries should send their navies including, China. Why should US taxpayers foot the bill to protect the tankers of other countries? The US navy is already keeping the Straight of Hormuz open to all tankers. Funny, how these European politicians sided with the Iranians when the US said it was Iran attacking the tankers. The US navy should protect is warships and carriers and let the free world protect their own tankers with their own navies!
This is happening because Trump is weak. Iran shoots down a $130 million dollar US drone. Trump is worried about being "proportional", (a strategy that seldom works), and the US was said to have taken down an Iranian drone with electronics. No details on the drone - value - how it was taken down with electronics - where - nothing. Iran says no drone taken down. US offers no evidence that it did. Guess it was all TS. Trump talks a tough game but he is weak.
I don't disagree with that but would add to it, that Trump has been tough on them economically to the point that they are batshit crazy and have increasing domestic problems. Believe me, they are not thinking that Trump has not been tough like Obama was. And they are not blackmailing their way into 150 billion dollar payouts like under Obama. Even some of the hardliners are beginning to crack and are starting to rumble about needing to talk with Trump. Trump should show total resolve and not let incidents go unpunished but neither should he allow those loons to draw us into a war. They are beginning to crack economically and he needs to be tougher in not letting them score points with tankers and hostages and all of that to try to score points on the domestic front. They are being humiliated on the home front economically and they may need airstrikes or strategic missile strikes to keep letting the people there know that they are headed nowhere militarily as well BUT I am absolutely against being drawn into a war. They are on the downcurve. Let downcurve some more all by themselves. And punish the shit out of any and all of our "allies" who are doing business with them. You can do business with the US or with Iran but not both, as the policy goes. Europeans.....I am lookin at you. So I agree that Trump needs to be prepared to be tougher but not because he has not been tough, but because he has been tough economically so he should expect the worst as they try to survive. They really have no choice now but to lash out and try to create some mess and try to get some UN brokered-John Kerry deal that will get the sanctions lifted and keep their nuke plans humming. They know if war breaks out the europeans will all feel sorry for them and demonize us and pussy-out some kind of deal for them. Screw em. Let their economy tank and we can talk more later. But dont let em draw ya into anything large-scale. But, if they kill any americans or take any american hostages........well...then, as you stated, there is no requirement of proportionality. As Conflict With U.S. Grows, Some Iran Hard-liners Suggest Talking to Trump https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/19/world/middleeast/iran-hard-liners-trump-talks.html
Agree. This is another issue that divides Trump and his base from the establishment republicans, all of whom are thirsting for war.