I may have Just found a way to save the US about $100 billion in military expense.

Photo above – Can you believe a half dozen Iranian PT boats are blocking this place? WTH!!!

Today’s headline: “Iran shuts Strait of Hormuz to international shipping. Vows to sink US Navy”. Wait, my bad - that’s been Iran’s press release every month for the past decade. (see link below).

I’m going to side with the “America First” crowd this time. Let the other “great powers” in the region handle this problem. If you look at a map of the “Strait of Hormuz” you will immediately notice that it doesn’t come anywhere near the USA. It’s 11,239 miles as the crow flies from Hormuz to Washington DC. The US Aircraft Carrier “Abraham Lincoln” is already on station in the gulf. A second carrier – the “Ford” - is racing there at top speed. And it's not just these carriers. Each aircraft carrier “strike group” has at least 11 other ships: attack submarines, destroyers, guided missile cruisers, and a couple of supply ships for good measure. Zowie – 22 ships. And 11,000 miles from home. No wonder its so expensive to defend ourselves. (sarcasm alert)

I get it, though. Russia has nukes, and a zany dictator. Iran has a zany dictator, but no nukes. So here we are. Protecting some else’s oil tankers instead of people in Europe. I don’t specifically blame Trump for this. It was Biden’s decision to ignore Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in the first place. And to give Iran a path to become a nuclear armed adversary.

Let’s look at the map again. There are PLENTY of other nations ringing the gulf with more skin in the game than us. Saudi Arabia. Kuwait. United Arab Emirates. Oman. Qatar. Bahrain. Everyone who has planes and missiles made in the USA, please stand up. Wow . . . lots of you.

I’m not sure it takes 22 American ships to make Iran behave. "Rational” arab nations should step up to the plate. The Iranian navy is nothing but a handful of plastic PT-type speedboats, and a couple of midget submarines. It does have a few of hundred-foot-long soviet era frigates, but their big onboard gun is just 76MM - smaller than what an Abrams tank packs.- To put this in perspective, each American aircraft carrier is 1,100 feet long and displaces 100,000 tons. The Iranian frigates? Less than 300 tons. This could be described as “asymmetrical warfare”, no?

How about we ring up Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed B. Salmon at his palace. “Hey – you’ve got 200 front line jet fighters in your air force. 700 other planes. Are they going to stay in the hanger forever? We saved your hash 20 years ago when Iraq invaded, but maybe it’s time for you to stand up for yourself. If you need help, Egypt might say yes. Both you guys hate the Ayatollah and the radical shi’ites who are trying to topple your governments. The CIA and Pentagon can share some satellite pics if you need help finding some 40-year-old frigate.”

I’m just sayin’ . . .

Iran shuts off vital shipping lane for first time in 40 years - and threatens to sink American ships

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/iran-shuts-off-vital-shipping-lane-for-first-time-in-40-years-and-threatens-to-sink-american-ships/ar-AA1WxTMu?ocid=msedgntp&pc=HCTS&cvid=6995a55573984010bf869ea6f4e23be4&ei=140

1490wayb · 56-60, M

as nations grow less friendly or reluctant to allow us the use of their facilities\fuel, landing strips, and airspace, we have learned the carrier is far more reliable and safer place to carry out missions. along with the carrier is a number of other powerful ships and submarines with a vast array of weaponry. as well as excellent communications between all those involved

SusanInFlorida · 31-35, F

@1490wayb can we agree that the carrier is not yet obsolete, even though it is huge, expensive, and hard to defend?

my original point was that "the strait of hormuz" should not be a US mission. it should be that of gulf nations who hope to profit from the unimpeded trade of crude oil

hippyjoe1955 · 70-79, M

Let's be perfectly honest. The only reason the Straight could be blocked is because of US/Israeli aggression. Yes I know that the the US is owned by Israel and does its master's bidding but no nation is justified in attacking Iran at the moment. Iran has done nothing worthy of attack or boycott or sanction. Now if only the same could be said of the US and its puppet master Israel.