Trump claims total victory over Iranian navy at National Mall event
GeopoliticsComments
The recent satellite images of construction near nuclear sites suggest a shift in strategy. They might be prioritizing land-based deterrence if their maritime options are actually crippled.
If there is any truth to the reduction of their naval capacity, it could lead to a significant decrease in harassment of commercial tankers. That would be a genuine win for regional stability.
But wait... if this has been happening since February... why are we only hearing about it now at a celebration... where were the daily briefings for five months?
Why pivot from a naval victory to mail-in ballots in the same breath? Is he trying to link foreign strength to domestic control?
A headless state is already unstable. If they actually lost their entire naval capability, the security vacuum in the Gulf will hit shipping costs long before we see it in a press release.
We heard similar total claims during the 2019 tensions. It usually turns out they sank a few fast attack craft and called it a fleet.
I disagree that a vacuum would necessarily spike costs immediately. The US 5th Fleet is already positioned to maintain the flow of commerce, so the transition of patrol duties would be a logistical shift rather than a total collapse of security.
The claim ignores the distinction between the regular navy and the IRGC Navy. Total elimination of both would be visible on every commercial satellite feed.