Originally Posted By michigan66:

As of Sept. 17, CENTCOM forces have redirected 104 commercial vessels to ensure strict compliance. pic.twitter.com/elcedkkUqd

Open Source Intel  (@Osint613) September 17, 2026

President Trump told Axios he faces a "big decision" on whether to resume major strikes on Iran to bring the war to an end.

On the Iranian regime: "Do I want to go in and annihilate them or do I not?"

He also said anything could happen with him.

Open Source Intel  (@Osint613) September 17, 2026

Multiple airstrikes hit Al-Mansouri, in southern Lebanon. pic.twitter.com/y8JK9SN5CX

Open Source Intel  (@Osint613) September 17, 2026

Sentinel-2 satellite imagery from today shows the Houthis have begun digging trenches in the mountains surrounding the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

Contributed by @MoloWarMonitor pic.twitter.com/Cvyn9y5Lzg

Open Source Intel  (@Osint613) September 17, 2026

The Yemeni military says airstrikes hit Houthi positions and supply routes in Taiz and Mokha today. pic.twitter.com/ScePJKQDjd

Open Source Intel  (@Osint613) September 17, 2026

Originally Posted By Chaingun:
All the ME oil producing countries need more interceptor missiles or interceptor options

Originally Posted By dwhitehorne:I guess I'm being naive but why are all these countries just trying to intercept Iranian missiles and not launching a counter attack?  Iran is not launching anything a Israel because they know Israel will retaliate.  Why don't other Arab countries drop a bomb on Kharg Island and tell Iran to knock it off or there will be more?

Iran is rapidly advancing the reconstruction of a nuclear facility that was previously bombed by Israel, according to satellite images cited in a report by the Institute for Science and International Security.

The institute, known as ISIS, says that Iran has been "rapidly moving forward with the reconstruction of the Taleghan 2 facility," located at the Parchin military complex, some 30 kilometers (20 miles) southeast of Tehran.

Taleghan 2 was struck by Israel in October 2024, during a retaliation for an Iranian missile attack on Israel earlier that month, and bombed again by the Israeli Air Force in March amid the recent war, after the military said Iran had been restoring the site following the first strikes.

The IDF has said that in recent years, Iran used the site for "the development of advanced explosives and for conducting sensitive experiments as part of the AMAD Project," Iran's alleged secret nuclear weapons development program.

Western intelligence has suggested Tehran carried out tests relevant to nuclear bomb detonations there more than two decades ago.

In its latest report, the institute says Vantor Technologies satellite imagery from September 13 shows that "Iran has erected a tarp above the destroyed hardened buried facility, hiding the reconstruction activity that is occurring underneath from satellite view or aerial reconnaissance."

"Significant activity can be seen throughout the construction site. Construction vehicles, including dump trucks, bulldozers, concrete pump trucks and concrete mixers, and cranes, are actively working to rebuild the facility," the report says.

The institute notes that in June 2026, initial repair work took place at Taleghan 2, with Iran "repairing and placing concrete caps over the penetration holes caused by the multiple bunker buster weapons dropped on the facility" by the Israeli Air Force.

The images show that Iran has also built a new "concrete apron reinforcement on the right side of the facility," which the report says will "provide additional blast protection from an aerial attack."

Originally Posted By Dominion21:
Sounds like the IRGC’s core Sar-Allah HQ in Tehran just got hit.

Originally Posted By Dominion21:
Sounds like the IRGC’s core Sar-Allah HQ in Tehran just got hit.

Originally Posted By Dominion21:
Sounds like the IRGC’s core Sar-Allah HQ in Tehran just got hit.

Originally Posted By dwhitehorne:


I guess I'm being naive but why are all these countries just trying to intercept Iranian missiles and not launching a counter attack?  Iran is not launching anything a Israel because they know Israel will retaliate.  Why don't other Arab countries drop a bomb on Kharg Island and tell Iran to knock it off or there will be more?

Originally Posted By Chokey:

BREAKING: The U.S. has approved a potential $24.3 billion sale of 48 F-35 stealth fighter jets to Saudi Arabia. The State Department says the proposed deal would have “no adverse impact on U.S. defense readiness.” pic.twitter.com/NQygYLNLFn

Breaking911  (@Breaking911) September 17, 2026

BREAKING: Happening today in central Tehran, the capital of Iran, the Islamic regime has deployed thousands of IRGC terrorists and Basij paramilitary forces to parade through the city in a show of force intended to intimidate the public and warn protesters that the regime is prepared to mass murder them again if they take to the streets.

An Italian Eurofighter F-2000 was damaged in attacks on Saudi Arabia's Ta'if Air Base, also known as King Fahd Air Base, on Thursday night, September 17, 2026.

Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto confirmed the jet was parked in a decentralized area of the base when it was hit. No Italian personnel were injured and no other Italian equipment or infrastructure was damaged.

DUBAI, Sept 17 (Reuters) - China has privately asked Tehran to help rein in Yemen's Houthis after an appeal to Beijing by Saudi Arabia following the Iran-backed group's military blitz in the past week, according to three Iranian sources familiar with ​the matter.

Riyadh turned to China for help after the Houthis made rapid advances along the Red Sea coast and around the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, moves that have left Saudi oil exports and ‌shipping more exposed, the sources said.

China has publicly called for restraint, dialogue and the restoration of safe navigation, but its private message went further than the public statements, they said.

Beijing wants Iran to use its influence with the Houthis to help prevent the conflict spreading further across energy routes on which China, the world's second-largest economy, depends.

The sources, who were briefed on the discussions and spoke on condition of anonymity, did not provide details of how the message was delivered or whether it was conveyed during a visit to China ​on Wednesday by Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi.

The sources said Tehran's response was that stability and peace in the region depend on ending the US-Israeli war on Iran.

Chinese officials did not issue any explicit threats ​or indicate that Beijing would seek to pressure Tehran economically if it failed to use its influence over the Houthis, the three Iranian sources said.

In response to a ⁠Reuters request for comment on this story, the Chinese foreign ministry said: "China does not wish to see regional tensions further spill over into Yemen and the Red Sea.

Escalating regional instability is not in the interests of ​any party".

"The sovereignty and security of all countries should be respected, and facilities vital to people's livelihoods must not be targeted.

China calls for an end to actions that further complicate the situation and urges resolving issues through dialogue ​and negotiation," it said.

Iran's foreign ministry and the Saudi government's media office did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment for this article.

DANGERS OF A WIDER REGIONAL WAR

China has been Iran's largest trading partner for more than a decade and remains the main buyer of its oil.

Chinese purchases accounted for more than 80% of Iran's seaborne oil exports in 2025, averaging about 1.4 million barrels per day, according to commodities data and analytics firm Kpler.

"Beijing is one of the few capitals that can still ​press Iran to rein in the Houthis," said a senior Western diplomat in the region.

The Houthis, who emerged in the 1990s in opposition to Saudi Arabia's Sunni religious influence in Yemen, are armed, trained and funded by Iran, ​according to Iranian sources and Western countries, and form part of Tehran's anti-Western, anti-Israel "Axis of Resistance".

Any threat by the Houthis to shipping in the Red Sea and through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait risks sharply worsening the global energy crisis since Iran started ‌blocking the Strait ⁠of Hormuz and increasing the danger of a wider regional conflict.

With Hormuz already effectively shut, sustained Houthi attacks on vessels or ports in the Red Sea would disrupt the Middle East's two main oil-export routes simultaneously, opening a new front in both the energy crisis and Iran's broader confrontation with the United States.

Iran and its allies now exert pressure over both ends of the region's key maritime network, one of the sources said, adding that "China depends on both".

Alex Vatanka, director of the Iran Program at the Middle East Institute in Washington, said Beijing may oppose US pressure on Tehran, but its interests in the Middle East extend well beyond Iran.

Roughly half of China's oil ​imports come from the region, while trade between China and ​the Gulf Cooperation Council states totals around $300 billion ⁠a year.

"Iran can disrupt Hormuz. But at some point that leverage begins hurting the very power Tehran increasingly depends on," Vatanka said.

CHINA'S DILEMMA

It is unclear whether Tehran will act on the concerns raised by Beijing, according to the three Iranian sources.

The relationship nevertheless carries significant economic and strategic weight for Iran as it continues to face hostilities ​with the US, they said.

China is among the few countries with the financial capacity to provide the investment Tehran needs to sustain its oil industry and ​ease pressure on its economy, battered by ⁠war and sanctions.
Beijing has also demonstrated its diplomatic influence.

In 2023, China brokered the agreement that restored ties between Iran and Saudi Arabia after years of hostility.

That influence has limits, however. Critics inside Iran have complained about the relatively modest level of Chinese non-oil trade and investment since the two countries signed a 25-year cooperation pact in 2021, particularly compared with China's growing investment commitments in Gulf Arab states.

China remains a factor Tehran cannot afford to ignore, but two of the ⁠Iranian sources said ​Beijing's interests were only one consideration among many.

Iran's decisions are shaped by competing strategic, economic and political priorities, they said.

"Tehran and ​Beijing need each other. China is a factor Tehran cannot ignore, and Beijing wants Hormuz reopened and Red Sea shipping secured," the Western diplomat said.

Analysts say the key test will be whether China is prepared to attach consequences to its demands.

Ultimately, they say, the clearest sign ​of Beijing's resolve would be evidence that it is willing to use its leverage over Tehran.

Additional reporting by Liz Lee in Beijing and Timour Azhari in Riyadh, Writing by Parisa Hafezi, Editing by Angus McDowall and Timothy Heritage.

Originally Posted By Veccio:
I give it 10 seconds before they let China do whatever they want with them IF they get F35s.

Originally Posted By CZRider:


Didn't some treasonous university professor or defense contractor or something already give away a bunch of stuff on the F-35 anyway?

Also hopefully the Saudis are getting some kind of neutered export version that ends up being a stealthier F-16 with one or two cool new tricks it can do.

Originally Posted By dukeofearl:
To say "the war will be over after the midterms" is pretty open ended.

Originally Posted By realwar:
Gas better come down soon, it's getting ugly out there..


https://www.ar15.com/media/mediaFiles/32274/Screenshot_2026-09-15_at_18-50-41_Marjor-3827961.JPG

Originally Posted By Chokey:
more footage of the DUDE 44 rescue

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnT0inOrP38

Originally Posted By birdbarian:


Pretty clever. We know it won't end before the midterms, and it will definitely end at some point.

Originally Posted By MFP_4073:


has Iran collapsed yet?  still waiting.  

Originally Posted By mooreshawnm:

And who was messing around in their country prior to that?

Originally Posted By ChicagoFoodie:

The UK, and do you know why?

I’ll help you out, UK setup the oil refineries (BP) there and then refused to pay Iran. Iran got pissed about it and threatened to expel the UK. UK then asked America for help, and eventually the newly founded CIA sent Kermit Roosevelt (Teddys Grandson) to Iran to start Coup and overthrow the leadership.

No shit.

Originally Posted By Lonestar6actual:



Huh....seems like we are the baddies here.

Originally Posted By ChicagoFoodie:


It really would be worth everyone’s time to research a little on Iran and the Middle East, he’ll take a ME History class at their local College.

Plenty of podcasts out there too that could help better understand why everyone hates us.

But, most people are just hung up about what they see on TV and the various sound bites from their Politicians.

Originally Posted By mooreshawnm:

No Soviet involvement at all?

Originally Posted By kpacman:


We've actually invaded C. American countries to protect the companies growing bananas (of all things).


https://latinxhistory.com/history/the-banana-wars-us-intervention-in-central-america/

Originally Posted By ChicagoFoodie:


Google it, I'm not doing you're homework for you

Originally Posted By ChicagoFoodie:


It really would be worth everyone’s time to research a little on Iran and the Middle East, he’ll take a ME History class at their local College.

Plenty of podcasts out there too that could help better understand why everyone hates us.

But, most people are just hung up about what they see on TV and the various sound bites from their Politicians.

Originally Posted By Network_Daddy:


What did Smedly Butler say?  Oh yeah, war is a racket.

"I helped make Mexico, especially Tampico, safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefits of Wall Street. The record of racketeering is long. I helped purify Nicaragua for the international banking house of Brown Brothers in 1909 1912 (where have I heard that name before?). I brought light to the Dominican Republic for American sugar interests in 1916. In China I helped see to it that Standard Oil went its way unmolested. Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents."

Originally Posted By Cypher214:
Oh for fuck's sake.  Islam has been at war with the world for 1,300 years.

The whole "they're mad at us because of X thing we did" horseshit is pure propaganda and anybody that believes they'd coexist peacefully with everyone else if we just left them alone needs an actual history lesson.

Major wave of Yemeni attacks reported across Saudi Arabia

Yemeni missile and drone attacks are being reported against Saudi military bases and other facilities across multiple regions of the Kingdom.

Attacks have been reported in Jeddah, Taif, Yanbu, Al-Ula, Khamis Mushait and Jazan, with additional missile salvos reportedly continuing.

Air-raid sirens have sounded repeatedly in Taif, Khamis Mushait, Jazan and Yanbu as the attacks continue.

This appears to be a large, geographically dispersed wave of strikes, spanning both western and southern Saudi Arabia.

Originally Posted By xd341:
Is this a secret?

You realize the state department recognizes "national champion" US companies and openly works on their behalf....because it benefits this nation.....right?   Tech, oil, aerospace, you name it. The US government has almost always been in the tank for US companies and the US economy. Which seems kind of appropriate doesn't it?     Yes sometimes that includes using the military.  Those are what's known as "national interests".   They don't publish an official list, but think of the major companies in important sectors and those will be the companies that the US government tries to promote and protect.  Boeing, Space X, the frontier labs, the tungsten company they just invested in.  There are likely dozens of companies on State's radar.

Just like governments go after other nations national champions.  The EU goes after google annually it seems.   All part of the game.

It's an actual department....Commercial diplomacy enterprise

and here is where Congress directed them to do it. congress

Not sure why that that link to house dot gov doesn't want to work on Arf.

https://uscode.house.gov/view.xhtml?path=/prelim%40title22/chapter106&edition=prelim

Originally Posted By michigan66:

\uD83C\uDDF8\uD83C\uDDE6\uD83C\uDDFE\uD83C\uDDEA Major escalation

The Houthis are now targeting the Saudi capital, Riyadh, for the first time since the conflict reignited in late July.

Saudi Civil Defense also issued alerts for Al Kharj, home to Prince Sultan Air Base. https://t.co/uegVAnGaN7 pic.twitter.com/nNguNctyHu

— Egypt's Intel Observer (@EGYOSINT) September 19, 2026

Missile intercepted over Riyadh https://t.co/ysAa8t0NwN pic.twitter.com/mhtOuC0CW9

— ? \uD835\uDCC2\uD835\uDCB6\uD835\uDCC7\uD835\uDCBE\uD835\uDC5C\uD83C\uDDF1\uD83C\uDDE7\uD83C\uDDEC\uD83C\uDDE7\uD83C\uDDE6\uD83C\uDDEA (@MarioLeb79) September 19, 2026

NEW: Houthi-controlled Yemeni capital Sanaa was hit by Saudi SKYWASP kamikaze drones yesterday, modeled after Iran's Shahed-136.

SKYWASP is Saudi Arabia's first domestically produced long-range kamikaze drone, a Shahed-136-style delta-wing UAV built by SR2Vector (Saudi-US joint venture) at ~$35K per unit with ~1,500 km range.

Iranian Revolutionary Guards experts visited Mokha’s port and airport and the Bab el-Mandeb area, Yemeni sources told Sky News Arabia.

The sources said the Houthis had begun installing radars on hills overlooking the southern Red Sea and that Iranian equipment had reached Houthi-controlled areas along Yemen’s western coast.

The shipments were unloaded secretly after arriving from the Somali coast, the sources said. The report did not specify the equipment.

Originally Posted By kpacman:


Would you dismiss the brutality of the East India Company in the exploitation of India under the umbrella of "National Interests"?

Was England justified beating China into submission because they refused to buy opium from England in return for supplying them tea?

It's one thing to protect legitimate businesses, it's another to submit a country while you exploit them solely for your needs and profits.

Originally Posted By xd341:
  Government can do amazing things quickly when it gets out of its own way.

War in #Yemen #SITREP | September 19, 2026 | One week after the collapse of the West Coast front, the rapid territorial losses previously seen in Taiz, Lahij, and Hudaydah appear to have slowed.

Fighting has shifted into a grinding battle for hilltops and strategic positions, with neither side reporting major advances.

The Houthis claim Saudi
@modgovksa aircraft have carried out more than 700 airstrikes, while reported Houthi losses exceed 400 killed in action.  

For now, the front lines appear to be stabilizing, with both sides exchanging strikes and launching limited attacks rather than making significant territorial gains.

Yemeni government forces @Yem_army_media report intensified operations across southern Ma'rib.

The Third Military Region Command (MRC) has used artillery and drones against Houthi positions, troop concentrations, and vehicles.

In the Al-Fulayhah sector, government forces say they repelled a Houthi infiltration attempt, killing 12 fighters and wounding others.

Government aircraft also reportedly struck Houthi concentrations and vehicles at Umm Rish camp and Aqabat Mal'a.

Meanwhile, the Southern Giants Brigades @SouthArmed @alamalika report strikes on Houthi vehicles, barracks, and trenches along the Al-Bayda front, as well as troop concentrations and military positions in Kahbub, near Bab al-Mandab.

The fighting has become a war of attrition, with both sides trading strikes and contesting individual positions.

There are NO confirmed major breakthroughs at this stage.