The Houthis fired missiles at a US aircraft carrier. They have announced that no US ships will be permitted to sail through the Red Sea. Trump is a President who is doing all that he can to keep this nation out of conflict. However, the US cannot ignore a state sponsored terrorist group telling the US that they cannot sail in a given area. The first time this was done has caused the Marines to sing about it for over 200 years after President Madison ordered them to go kick some Barbary ass. The Navy has a long tradition of enforcing freedom of navigation. That is the entire reason why we have a Navy.
In response, Trump could probably order US aircraft to do some serious damage to the Houthi encampments. That will be time consuming and expensive, but he will probably do it. More effective in my opinion would be to go ahead and back up his warning to Iran. They are supplying the weapons, they pay the price.
Initiate Praying Mantis II. For those who don’t remember, Praying Mantis was a naval action in 1988 that saw the Iranian navy get its ass kicked over an 8 hour period by the US Navy. I don’t think that they learned their lesson the first time.
The Iranian navy has 6 submarines, 7 frigates, 3 corvettes, and a whole bunch of smaller craft. I think that sinking most of their Navy would perhaps be appropriate. It shouldn’t take more than a couple of days. If they try to defend those ships with aircraft, shooting most of them down would also be appropriate. If the UN and International court don’t like it, that’s just too damned bad.
19 Comments
old geezer · March 17, 2025 at 11:00 am
i remember years ago hearing about iranian sleeper cells in the us. transformers, energy grids, that sort of thing.
haven’t heard much about that in awhile.
Aesop · March 17, 2025 at 1:51 pm
Follow it up by carpet-bombing Tehran with the B-1 and B-2 fleet, and iron bombs.
They’ve had that one coming since 1979.
It worked in Hanoi in 1972, FWIW.
Michael · March 17, 2025 at 1:57 pm
Divemedic, did you miss how the famed Israeli “Iron Dome” got tested to exhaustion by the Iranians.
Iran CHOOSE to STOP as they had made their point.
Navys today are TARGETS for Hypersonics which Iran has plenty. The Hothi’s already made the point of doing a successful strike on one of our carriers earlier during the defend Israel from Hothi missiles events. Oh, we denied it, but I know from friends working at Norfolk that that carrier did indeed withdraw from the range of the Hothi’s and was repaired and respite.
Then I suppose we have to go into a country far stronger than Afghanistan and try for a stalemate there like what happened in Iraq when it was all said and done?
Maybe we should discuss something more sensible. At the cost per sortie and the tiny Hothi national budget, perhaps a reasonable discussion, allow Israel to fight their OWN wars and a settlement for peace might work better.
https://costaide.com/aircraft-carrier-cost/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economy_of_Yemen
But hey what’s the value of a few thousand American Navy Personnel?
OR as someone earlier mentioned the cost of sleep cells of a few 100 motivated folks destroying our power grid, water purification plants and such?
Were not America of the 70’s anymore.
Divemedic · March 17, 2025 at 3:22 pm
The ship that was supposedly shot at was the USS Eisenhower, the ship that I was assigned to when I was in the Navy. Some of the guys I served with are still in the Norfolk area and now work at the shipyard. The IKE did not get hit with anything.
I guess we should just surrender and pay the Barbary pirates their ransom. The Iranian and Yemeni missile teams are more than we can handle.
Michael · March 17, 2025 at 5:03 pm
Ok, Divemedic, what are the “Barbery Pirates” DEMANDING….
Apples to Pineapple friend. It’s Surrender IF you’re giving up something of value under duress from someone else.
https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/surrender
Please show me a link to Hothi “Demands” that shows that American Interests ASIDE from “Protecting our Greatest Ally evar” is involved.
“Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations…entangling alliances with none”
― Thomas Jefferson
Yes, when commerce is threatened there is reason to do something.
Diplomacy is suggested.
Divemedic · March 17, 2025 at 6:21 pm
Why were the Barbary pirates attacking US shipping? (Hint: It’s the same reason that the Houthis do it today, and you can’t blame Israel because it didn’t exist yet)
Michael · March 18, 2025 at 6:08 am
Divemedic, regardless of Israel existing or not. I looked up current oil tankers going through the Strait of Hormuz.
SNIP 30,000 vessels
Over 30,000 vessels pass through the Strait of Hormuz each year, with a daily oil transport volume surpassing 20 million barrels in 2022, accounting for about 80% of the Gulf region’s oil exports and 20% of global oil production1. In January-September 2023, an average of 20.5 million barrels per day of crude oil, condensate, and oil products passed through Hormuz3. The top destinations for crude oil moving through the Strait of Hormuz to Asia were China, India, Japan, and South Korea, accounting for 69% of all Hormuz crude oil and condensate flows in 20234
If the Hothi’s were attacking everything or even a decent amount of this traffic Loyd’s of London the BIG BOYS in Shipping Insurance would be CANCELING insurance for that area.
The Hothi’s are attacking shipping going to Israel and warships that are attacking them in defense of that noble country.
THATS why oil prices haven’t jumped (adjusted for inflation) to the levels of previous gulf troubles.
No American shipping (Actually better said WHAT AMERICAN FLAGGED Shipping) is under threat unless going to Israel.
I welcome links showing I’m incorrect, sir. Aside from a few accidents or mislabeled shipping they’ve been pretty careful.
To use fair measure how about discussing US Navy mistakes now and then. The friendly fire shooting down an US Navy F18 when it was doing attack runs on the Hothi’s spring to mind.
Miles · March 19, 2025 at 8:04 am
Links?
https://www.google.com/maps then search for Straights of Hormuz.
The straights of Hormuz are not the navigable area in question, the Red Sea is, and shipping is avoiding using the Suez Canal and Red Sea because the Yemenis have/are attacking that shipping
Divemedic · March 19, 2025 at 8:38 am
He is arguing a position and doesn’t even know that the Straits of Hormuz are the entrance to the Persian Gulf, while the Gulf of Aiden is the entrance to the Red Sea.
At its closest, Yemen is over 500 miles from the Straits of Hormuz, which themselves are more than 1100 miles from the Red Sea.
There is a post coming that describes the similarities between today’s situation and the Barbary pirates.
Michael · March 19, 2025 at 8:32 pm
From google maps comments about the Strait of Hormuz
This strait between the Persian Gulf & the Gulf of Oman is a major gas & oil shipping route.
And https://en.macromicro.me/charts/94482/imf-strait-of-hormuz-number-of-ships-and-transit-volume
Shows INDEED it’s QUITE BUSY as of This week.
So what’s your point friend?
Divemedic · March 19, 2025 at 9:08 pm
Yemen has exactly Jack and Shit to do with the Straits of Hormuz, active or not.
Michael · March 19, 2025 at 8:46 pm
SNIP Israeli shipping
The Yemen-based Houthi rebel group has been threatening Israeli shipping in the Red Sea since mid-November 2023, with no signs of slowing down12.
https://apnews.com/article/yemen-houthi-rebels-israel-hamas-war-gaza-aid-ship-attacks-0da6c2453fe2c4e5f81923c84c7d3f3a
And so on. So if I made an error with strait of Hormuz sorry.
Looking it up on the maps show that Iran has control of the Strait of Hormuz and their allies the Hothi’s control the Red Sea-Suez canal access.
A pretty effective combination don’t you think?
Yet as of today gasoline is 2.79 a gallon.
Seems they have restrained from randomly attacking shipping. Otherwise I suspect like the past war zone issues the price of oil and thus gasoline was quite more exciting.
Divemedic · March 19, 2025 at 9:09 pm
It isn’t random attacks. Do you know what jizya is?
Michael · March 20, 2025 at 5:57 am
Jizya (Arabic: جِزْيَة, romanized: jizya), or jizyah, is a type of taxation historically levied on non-Muslim subjects of a state governed by Islamic law.
Please point out links that the Hothi are demanding Jizya from who?
Divemedic · March 20, 2025 at 6:50 am
At least you agree that there is ransom (jizya) being pain in the Red Sea on my post of this morning.
Steady Steve · March 17, 2025 at 6:02 pm
We should have never given up our nerve gas weapons. We should exterminate every living thing in the Houthi areas. Fucking Muslims are troublemakers wherever they are.
Joe Blow · March 18, 2025 at 6:07 am
“NO new foreign wars!”
…. ummmm, come again?
Gerry · March 18, 2025 at 10:45 am
A naval blockade of Yemen might be just as effective.
BH · March 19, 2025 at 2:37 pm
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=d5v6hlRyeHE&pp=ygUidGhlIGZhdCBlbGVjdHJpY2lhbiBwcmF5aW5nIG1hbnRpcw%3D%3D
Just to lighten the mood a bit, here’s an excellent video on the original Operation Praying Mantis.
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