# "Wars in the Middle East" **URL:** \ **Category:** Scuttlebutt\ **Created:** [May 31, 2026, 8:11pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/wars-in-the-middle-east/75897 "2026-05-31T20:11:50Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2026, 8:11pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/wars-in-the-middle-east/75897/1 "2026-05-31T20:11:50Z")
Since the “Hormuz in the news” thread has been “Solved” and is in a(very) “Slow mode”, I may as well start a new thread that can cover everything from history of pervious war to the present debacle. A fairly recent war that many here should remember and some probably even have experiences from is the Iran - Iraq War in the 1980s: > **[2.1M views · 69K reactions | Mehdi explains why President Donald Trump should...](https://www.facebook.com/reel/1418323366989949?rdid=LnTp1r7Nn4p1aVkr&share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2Fv%2F1GEyhyev8n%2F)** > > Mehdi explains why President Donald Trump should have known his war on Iran was bound to go on longer than anticipated – and why the Iranians weren’t just going to roll over so quickly. > > Subscribe to... Then as now the conflict affect seafarers of many nationalities, incl. some Americans: > **[Strait of Hormuz - Tanker War - Strauss Center](https://www.strausscenter.org/strait-of-hormuz-tanker-war/)** > > Strait of Hormuz Assessing the threat to oil flows through the Strait Tanker War The anti-shipping campaigns during the Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988) are known as the Tanker War\[i\]. In 1981, Iraq began attacks on ships to weaken Iran's ability to fight,... PS: It also has implication on the present conflict. If you have the time and interest, here is a BBC video FYE: [![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/3X/7/b/7b74fc7aa230be2170ee3b232025b1db65d78720.jpeg "The 1980s Tanker War: Exocets, Mines & Mayhem") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-AaD39SvV4A) Norwegian ships and seafarers was involved in tanker war are now watching the development in the present war. They have a Facebook Group to shear their memories and thoughts on the present development: > **[Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/groups/271310883094/)** ---
**Author:** ![Handspake](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/handspake/32/71168_2.png) [@Handspake](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Handspake)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2026, 7:44am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/wars-in-the-middle-east/75897/2 "2026-06-01T07:44:50Z")
![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/3X/e/5/e5fa523bb47b0b9ca7512b9b56243c13a595f102.png) ---
**Author:** ![Handspake](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/handspake/32/71168_2.png) [@Handspake](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Handspake)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2026, 12:15pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/wars-in-the-middle-east/75897/3 "2026-06-02T12:15:23Z")
Do you see what I see Herr Bugge. Looks to me that famous coach John C.Maxwell formula: ONE IS TOO INSIGNIFICANT NUMBER TO GENERATE SUCCESS. does some magic here . Can see some great chance for auto AI bot/watchdog , censoring the content and slamming some very funny or horrifying warning banner that gets users attention . All in auto mode, while moderators can relax or seep beer while watching new Marshalls series, MLB All-Star Game or hunt real forum terrorists . ---
**Author:** ![Handspake](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/handspake/32/71168_2.png) [@Handspake](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Handspake)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2026, 11:49am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/wars-in-the-middle-east/75897/4 "2026-06-03T11:49:53Z")
Ok Herr Bugge. Not much traction here and I am sure it is not because of the banner “Please wait…”. Unconvenient truths are not welcome. They are supressed. by the omnipresent and abundant censorship . I know the guy in your reel and there are some that hate him . Western educated , brilliant but " they " do not like his version of history which by the way is true . You sure know it . But the story all together is a bit truncated, hence have decided to throw in another guru and well recogised expert. You will not find it in FOX , BBC or other sewage factories. He digs deeper into the topic giving his economic perspective . Actually what he says in the clip, dovetails with the book titled " **A Century of War: Anglo-American Oil Politics and the New World Order**" , that tells one a story who was responsible not only for ww I and ww Ii but for all the other wars after. I am not sure if I have seen this title mentioned here in some hotly debated threads on the issue. Trust you Herr Bugge will find this lecture below interesting . [![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/3X/5/4/5444f18a5c47f39a6317c7941f12fc1fa9d7f7e2.jpeg "Wolff Responds: The Strait of Hormuz A Metaphor..." Dated May 27, 20, 2026") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPvWhSxAwk0) ---
**Author:** ![Binbag\_the\_Saylore](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ccd318/32.png) [@Binbag\_the\_Saylore](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Binbag_the_Saylore)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2026, 12:18pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/wars-in-the-middle-east/75897/5 "2026-06-03T12:18:03Z")
Handspake is an anagram of " HEAD SPANK" ---
**Author:** ![Handspake](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/handspake/32/71168_2.png) [@Handspake](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Handspake)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2026, 12:52pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/wars-in-the-middle-east/75897/6 "2026-06-03T12:52:33Z")
A hit dog will holler- American proverb ---
**Author:** ![Handspake](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/handspake/32/71168_2.png) [@Handspake](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Handspake)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2026, 12:55pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/wars-in-the-middle-east/75897/7 "2026-06-03T12:55:30Z")
![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/3X/3/7/373bb75c747785d9ccb8ded0e581e3e6cd504603.png) Are you trolling or spamming kiddo ? Besos ---
**Author:** ![Handspake](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/handspake/32/71168_2.png) [@Handspake](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Handspake)\ **Post date:** [June 3, 2026, 1:04pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/wars-in-the-middle-east/75897/8 "2026-06-03T13:04:33Z")
SYSTEM message for you kiddo as it seems you are writing a lot faster then thinking. Think about below as it may turn beneficial to gather your " thoughts" better. ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/3X/e/5/e5fa523bb47b0b9ca7512b9b56243c13a595f102.png) ---
**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2026, 7:19pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/wars-in-the-middle-east/75897/9 "2026-06-05T19:19:09Z")
Back to the wars in the Middle East: > **[3M views · 119K reactions | This war in Iran is the worst foreign policy...](https://www.facebook.com/reel/2922364631438545?rdid=cIl5rzpA3r81znSy&share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2Fv%2F1DtWaHJyPX%2F)** > > This war in Iran is the worst foreign policy blunder since Iraq. > **[U.S. Senator for Georgia Jon Ossoff – U.S. Senator for Georgia Jon Ossoff](https://www.ossoff.senate.gov/)** ---
**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2026, 6:24pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/wars-in-the-middle-east/75897/10 "2026-06-11T18:24:37Z")
Sometimes TACO can be the smart thing to do: > **[Trump says he has 'cancelled' strikes against Iran after threatening 'very...](https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cly7nr3jzv5t)** > > Trump says discussions with Iran have been "brought to the highest level of Iranian leadership and approved". ---
**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2026, 7:13pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/wars-in-the-middle-east/75897/11 "2026-06-17T19:13:44Z")
The Economist’s Insider article today: (Subscribers only) ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/3X/4/e/4e141ea43ab51d49d89d851d9f1718c692bbdc83.jpeg) PHOTO: REUTERS > [@](#): > > **The war that changed everything—and nothing** > If the leaks are true, America’s “peace deal” with Iran, to be signed in Switzerland on Friday, is a humiliating climbdown for President Donald Trump. Forget Iran’s “unconditional surrender”, which he once demanded. The deal promises the opening of the Strait of Hormuz (which, of course, was open before this war began) in exchange for offering Iran all kinds of financial goodies. Talks about how to limit the country’s nuclear programme have, once again, been kicked into the future. Thus begins a perpetual holding pattern that will feel all too familiar to Iran-watchers. > > At first glance, then, it looks like America’s deal with Iran has taken us back to where we were before the war started. But the conversations I’ve had over the past few days have reaffirmed my sense that the conflict has, in fact, profoundly changed the Middle East. In tomorrow’s Insider show we’ll be exploring how. I’ll be asking my panelists to share what they know about the peace deal, but rather than get caught up in the minutiae of a vague and flimsy agreement, I want to focus on more weighty—and more interesting—questions about the region and its future. > > To tackle this topic I’ve (re-)assembled our band of trusted Iran experts, the colleagues who have been trying to help me make sense of this war. Edward Carr, my co-host and deputy editor, is back from three weeks spent penning an essay on America’s transformation into a revolutionary power in international affairs. (I hope he’ll divulge some of his insights in this week’s show.) He will join me in the studio alongside Nicolas Pelham, our resident Iran specialist. Anshel Pfeffer, our Israel correspondent, will join us online from Jerusalem and Gregg Carlstrom, Middle East correspondent, will dial in from Dubai. > > I want to get beyond the big-picture questions of who won and who lost this war (not least because the answer seems pretty obvious). Instead, I’d like my colleagues to lay out exactly where they think things will head next. I’ll start with Nick and what he thinks this deal means for Iran and its regime. I want to get his sense of where the power lies, what quarrels might be going on internally and how it is likely to change in the near future. What place does it now occupy in the Muslim world? > > I’ll then ask Gregg to unpack how the conflict has impacted the Gulf states. How much has it changed their security situation? Will these countries bounce back quickly or has Iran’s success dealt a lasting blow to their aspirations to be havens of security and prosperity in the region? I’ve had people tell me lately that the damage to energy infrastructure and American bases in the region was much more extensive than has been publicly reported. Does he think this is true? > > Finally, Anshel will give us the view from Israel. Attacking Iran in partnership with America was something of a life goal for Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, and on Monday he boasted to the press that the offensive “saved Israel from the threat of nuclear annihilation”. It’s hard to believe that he’s really so chipper about a war that has surely been an abysmal failure for him and for Israel. What does Anshel make of the consequences of Mr Netanyahu’s hubris and disastrous miscalculation? What impact will it have on his election chances, the future of the American-Israel relationship and, indeed, for Israel’s broader national-security strategy? **Zanny Minton Beddoes** , _Editor-in-chief_ ---
**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2026, 8:35pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/wars-in-the-middle-east/75897/12 "2026-06-17T20:35:20Z")
Will the present Middle east wars be the nail in the coffin for the mighty “Petrodollar”?: > **[292K views · 5.7K reactions | The Real Reason US Troops Are in the Middle East...](https://www.facebook.com/reel/1023473413352003?rdid=PDfyp80G0gqGtWv2&share_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Fshare%2Fv%2F1DfMpczgrZ%2F)** > > The Real Reason US Troops Are in the Middle East ---
**Author:** ![Sand\_Pebble](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c2a13f/32.png) [@Sand\_Pebble](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Sand_Pebble)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2026, 9:13pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/wars-in-the-middle-east/75897/13 "2026-06-17T21:13:05Z")
3 points I want to express & 1 is even maritime related. 1st, I hope our most recent bloodbath blunder in the Middleast is over. I realize the US Government will have to find another, or similar group of brown people in the Middleeast to vaporize in a couple/few years but I’m hopeful this current cycle has ran it’s course. 2nd, which is maritime related. I’ve worked with a few new guys for the last couple of months. A conservative group of guys that can be expected considering our demographics. With them, the topic of the Iran-US War never came up. But today in the airport bar when it was rolling across the TV news screen every single one of them expressed negative opinions about the war. These guys are the bread & butter of conservatism & the Republican Party. I was pleasantly surprised none of them walked locked step on party lines & thought and spoke for themselves. None of them said anything good about this war. This is something that I can respect about many conservatives. They’re not all 100% Trump or 100% GOP. They’re allowed to disagree & still be conservative. Oil is $80 a barrel, the Hormuz is opened, a new Ayatollah is in power. Same as before? WTF? 3rd. In my opinion, this Iran-US war was illegal, unnecessary, wasteful & orchestrated to benefit the Military Industrial Complex. But maybe it had 2 benefits to it? The blow the sheet out of Iran ice has been broken. Any following administrations, Democrat or Republican, can easier blow up the known terrorists regimes of Iran if we feel they are actually a threat. Second, the Iranian fanatics, the Ayatollah himself & world now knows the Ayatollah isn’t a near God after all. He’s just one button push from being burnt into vapor too. That realization keeps me & my fellow peasants humb **l** e. Maybe it will do the same for the new Supreme Leader? Instead of the “Death to America” chants they’ll tone it down to “Indigestion to America!” or “Great Discomfort to America!” instead? Welcome to the club new crippled, disfigured, Ayatollah, don’t f\*ck with Uncle Sam. ---
**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2026, 9:28pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/wars-in-the-middle-east/75897/14 "2026-06-17T21:28:28Z")
# **Ayatollah** ## **noun** \*\*A religious leader among Shiite Muslims \*\* —used as a title of respect especially for one who is not an imam Source: [https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ayatollah](https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ayatollah) Not to be confused with being the “Supreme Leader” of Iranian Government. (Although, so far the Supreme Leaders have been titled Ayatollah) ---
**Author:** ![freighterman1](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/freighterman1/32/11176_2.png) [@freighterman1](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/freighterman1)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2026, 10:42pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/wars-in-the-middle-east/75897/15 "2026-06-17T22:42:05Z")
Iran is run by Shiites. Everything I read about them—and I’ve been reading history books about them since I was a boy in the 1970s— is that they are a sect that makes a virtue of the persecution of themselves and of martyrdom. In their world view, the evil outside world is always persecuting them, whether it be Sunnis, Mongols, Turks, or any other hegemonic group in the last 1300 years. The US is just another power persecuting them. At this point there is no shaking them of that notion. Second, martyrdom is their response to persecution. They believe they are and always will be the underdog in a cosmos where the hereafter is better than the material world. So, the true believers are ready to get their reward in the next life. But the reward is dependent on fighting their persecutors in this life. That is their bizarre mindset They’ve fought and lost dozens of wars in the last 1300 years. In their minds this war was a win, purchased cheaply at the price of the lives of a few 1,000 people, most of whom wanted to die as martyrs to begin with. The war just confirmed everything the imams have been telling them. The Mongols and Turks conquered Iran and completely subjugated it, and yet the Shiites outlasted them. 1980 to 1988 Iran fought Iraq and lost half a million men. Compared to those standards what was this latest kerfuffle? We attacked them for a few months and we never got a toehold on their soil. Then we sued for peace. In their eyes, based on history, we are the least dangerous foe they’ve encountered in centuries. ---
**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2026, 10:44am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/wars-in-the-middle-east/75897/16 "2026-06-18T10:44:20Z")
> **[US and Iran sign deal to end war, reopen Strait of Hormuz and launch 60-day...](https://www.thenationalnews.com/news/mena/2026/06/18/us-and-iran-sign-digital-deal-to-end-war-reopen-hormuz-and-launch-60-day-talks/)** > > Pact includes sanctions relief, nuclear limits and $300bn reconstruction fund, amid Trump threat to renew bombing ---
**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2026, 7:21pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/wars-in-the-middle-east/75897/17 "2026-06-18T19:21:24Z")
# Donald Trump gambles that Iran wants money more than power **The peace deal is all carrot and no stick** > [@](#): > > HAVING FAILED to defeat Iran with bombs, can President Donald Trump salvage something with bribes? After weeks of haggling over how to end the war, he and his Iranian counterpart have signed a short peace memo. It amounts to the promise of lots and lots of money for Iran, so long as it can satisfy Mr Trump that it has abandoned any plans for a nuclear weapon. That is a huge and unlikely gamble and it leaves the countries of the Middle East with some hard thinking. > > The memo ditches many of Mr Trump’s war aims. There will be no regime change; no succour for Iran’s oppressed people; no limits on Iran’s ballistic missiles or its support of proxies. Instead the deal focuses on two things. One is reopening the Strait of Hormuz, where the foolishness of Mr Trump’s war and the humiliation of his climbdown are laid bare. Before the fighting, vessels had free passage; after the 60 days in this deal, they may well have to pay a fee. > > Mr Trump should never have begun this war. Once again, he is basing his way out of it on the idea that people will do anything for money. However, the first rule of diplomacy is not to imagine that your opponent thinks as you do. Source: [https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/06/18/donald-trump-gambles-that-iran-wants-money-more-than-power?giftId=YzQxY2MyMWMtODZkNi00ZDk3LThlOWItN2EzY2I1ODA2MDll&utm\_campaign=gifted\_article](https://www.economist.com/leaders/2026/06/18/donald-trump-gambles-that-iran-wants-money-more-than-power?giftId=YzQxY2MyMWMtODZkNi00ZDk3LThlOWItN2EzY2I1ODA2MDll&utm_campaign=gifted_article) ---
**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2026, 9:13pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/wars-in-the-middle-east/75897/18 "2026-06-18T21:13:03Z")
No comments required from my side: > **[US lifts naval blockade as Iran's supreme leader says Trump made deal 'out of...](https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c8r2eejdd35o)** > > Iran's supreme leader says he disagrees with the deal and Donald Trump signed it "out of desperation". > **[What the Trump-Iran agreement says about Lebanon, Hormuz and uranium](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/18/what-the-trump-iran-14-point-plan-says-about-lebanon-hormuz-and-uranium)** > > The memorandum of understanding covers 14 points but leaves many crucial questions unanswered. ---
**Author:** ![ombugge](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/ombugge/32/11217_2.png) [@ombugge](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/ombugge)\ **Post date:** [June 18, 2026, 10:00pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/wars-in-the-middle-east/75897/19 "2026-06-18T22:00:34Z")
[![](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/uploads/gcaptain_maritime_forum/original/3X/1/d/1dfe3ce5fea09898ed0f2ddeade7c3bed322ee21.jpeg "The Iran War Was Not About Regime Change | Matt Terrill") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=isGUXV3K5BQ) ---
**Author:** ![Mm923448](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/bcef8e/32.png) [@Mm923448](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Mm923448)\ **Post date:** [June 19, 2026, 9:00am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/wars-in-the-middle-east/75897/20 "2026-06-19T09:00:04Z")
Trump was so desperate that he skipped the scheduled signing ceremony and made an impromptu signing of the current framework of our lopsided surrender… in Versailles. That’s so unbelievably on the nose. [Next page](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/wars-in-the-middle-east/75897.md?page=2)