# United States and Israel are bombing Iran {for current/ongoing events, past/future have specific threads} **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Tags:** trump, iran-strikes-2026\ **Created:** [February 28, 2026, 7:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071 "2026-02-28T07:56:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 67
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2026, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1333 "2026-04-13T18:13:19Z")
> [@Dorjan](#): > > Blockading Iranian Ports would be from the Navy’s perspective, a legal action they can take Yeah this was my thought too. IMO this is the navy choosing to do a less illegal and insane thing than they had been ordered to do, correctly sumising the CiC would not tell the difference. ---
**Author:** ![steronz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/steronz/32/11765_2.png) [@steronz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steronz)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2026, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1334 "2026-04-13T20:01:25Z")
But like, is the USN even blocking the ports? Or did they find out that they were supposed to be blocking the ports at the same time the rest of the world did, when it was Twuthed, and now _they’re_ also scrambling to figure out WTF it means. So yes, to your point – he said he was going to “blockade the straight” - and we’re all here discussing the legality of blocking the straight versus Iranian ports and what the impact might be and yadda yadda, all based on a single tweet of unknown consequence. I dunno, in Trump’s first term (and the shitshow leading up to it) there was a lot of debate about whether or not the media should be giving airtime to Trump’s ramblings, with the attitude I heard on NPR being “He’s the president, we can’t _not_ cover the crazy shit he says”, but dammit, I wish we’d wait for some concrete output from his crazy tweets before we all jump to figure out what it means. ---
**Author:** ![John\_DiFool](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_difool/32/19543_2.png) [@John\_DiFool](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_DiFool)\ **Post date:** [April 13, 2026, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1335 "2026-04-13T20:14:02Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > it’s pure gift. Best typo of the month. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1336 "2026-04-14T01:57:50Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > he said he was going to “blockade the straight” - and we’re all here discussing the legality of blocking the straight versus Iranian ports and what the impact might be and yadda yadda, all based on a single tweet of unknown consequence I think there’s a crucial difference here between Trump rants about domestic political policies and ones about overseas military actions. There is a whole bunch of layers of stuff that needs to happen before a Trump rant becomes a piece of government policy (even if many of those layers are less of hindrance to a amoral autocrat than we thought ☹ ). Trump clearly has neither the inclination or temperament to ensure that stuff happens, if it’s anything more involved than signing an executive order. That’s not the case with overseas military actions. He’s commander in chief, at the top of the chain of command, his insane demented utterances are commands to be obeyed. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1337 "2026-04-14T06:44:22Z")
[And now passenger aircraft are targets.](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/iranian-passenger-plane-destroyed-us-154212642.html) > [@](#): > > The US has not officially taken responsibility for the strike. > > An aircraft belonging to Mahan Air was damaged during US [strikes on Mashhad Airport](https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/idf-strikes-three-tehran-airports-172731634.html) in Iran on March 30, Iranian officials told Asian News International (ANI). > > The airplane was stationed at Mashhad International Airport and was reportedly scheduled to fly to New Delhi as part of a humanitarian aid operation. The aircraft was expected to arrive in New Delhi in the days after the strike to facilitate the transportation of medical equipment and assistance. > > The US has not officially taken responsibility for the strike. > > Mahan Air is a private airline in Iran that operates flights across Asia. It has frequently been at the center of international scrutiny, with the US Department of the Treasury officially designating it as a Specially Designated National (SDN) in 2011 for its material support of the [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’](https://www.jpost.com/tags/islamic-revolutionary-guard-corps) (IRGC) Quds Force. There is more at the link, including some statistics. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 2:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1338 "2026-04-14T14:43:49Z")
Shockingly, it seems it what the USN is doing on Trumps order is in fact just a purely symbolic blockade on some ports, not a blockade of the straight…. > Ships under US sanctions pass through strait of Hormuz despite blockade on ports [Middle East crisis live: Ships under US sanctions pass through strait of Hormuz despite blockade on ports | US-Israel war on Iran | The Guardian](https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/apr/14/middle-east-crisis-live-hezbollah-urges-lebanon-to-pull-out-of-talks-with-israel-blockade-of-strait-of-hormuz-begins?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-69de35628f08dc6e5aa27dfd#block-69de35628f08dc6e5aa27dfd) Genuinely terrible reporting on this yesterday, no one highlighted that what the USN was doing was nothing like the thing Trump claimed to be doing. ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 4:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1339 "2026-04-14T16:13:31Z")
> [@griffin1977](#): > > not a blockade of the straight **STRAIT**!!! ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1340 "2026-04-14T16:20:36Z")
In fact is pretty crooked, not a straight strait at all. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1341 "2026-04-14T17:00:22Z")
Maybe if somebody tells Trump it’s not actually straight he’ll leave it alone so nobody will think he’s gay. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1342 "2026-04-14T17:03:03Z")
According to Al Jazeera, 279 ships have transited the Strait since the war began and 22 have been attacked in various parts of the Gulf. > **[How many ships have passed the Strait of Hormuz and how many were attacked?](https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/14/how-many-ships-have-passed-the-strait-of-hormuz-and-how-many-were-attacked)** > > Ship-tracking data shows 279 ships have passed through the strait and 22 have been attacked since the war on Iran began. ---
**Author:** ![griffin1977](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/977dab/32.png) [@griffin1977](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/griffin1977)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1343 "2026-04-14T17:58:31Z")
> [@steronz](#): > > But like, is the USN even blocking the ports? It seems so… > **The US blockade of Iranian ports involves more than 10,000 US military personnel** , more than a dozen warships and dozens of aircraft, US Central Command said on Tuesday. > > No ships have made it past the the blockade, while six merchant ships have complied with direction from US forces, it added. > **[Middle East crisis live: Trump says Iran talks could resume ‘over next two...](https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2026/apr/14/middle-east-crisis-live-hezbollah-urges-lebanon-to-pull-out-of-talks-with-israel-blockade-of-strait-of-hormuz-begins?CMP=share_btn_url&page=with%3Ablock-69de59e18f0838846e62530a#block-69de59e18f0838846e62530a)** > > US president Donald Trump has said that talks with Iran could resume in Pakistan over next two days, according to an interview with the New York Post. “You should stay there, really, because something could be happening over the next two days, and... Though I’ve seen nothing impling there are any oil terminals in any of these ports. So I’m assuming it is entirely symbolic and have no affect on anyone except a couple of small pistachio merchants (and the thousands of US sailors who are now much closer to the assembled Iranian artillery, missiles and drones if the shooting starts again) Again though why hasn’t any of the reporters covering this done their job and actually discussed all this. FFS ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [April 14, 2026, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1344 "2026-04-14T20:28:38Z")
Saying the quiet part out loud. He was so close to admitting "we’re gonna do it too” but caught himself. The world knows what you meant, asshole. > ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2026, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1345 "2026-04-15T01:17:16Z")
Two can play at “economic terrorism”? Yeah, this war was well thought out by strategic minds. ---
**Author:** ![smithsb](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/smithsb/32/12107_2.png) [@smithsb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/smithsb)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2026, 4:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1346 "2026-04-15T04:59:10Z")
Follow up question, “Are you referring to President Trump’s random illegal tariffs and abrogation of outstanding treaties with trading partners?” ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2026, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1347 "2026-04-15T06:42:57Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > I don’t think that’s the definition of regime change. The regime change is currently reflected in changes in body temperature. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2026, 10:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1348 "2026-04-15T10:42:07Z")
That’s still not the definition of regime change. The Iranian government continued to function exactly as designed, even selecting a replacement for their supreme leader. Think about what happened with the United States during World War II. President Roosevelt passed away, yet the government continued to function and the United States even put in a replacement for him. In neither case was that a regime change. It was only a change in the players. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2026, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1349 "2026-04-15T15:01:08Z")
You don’t have to have regime change to effect a change in policy, for instance, the ascension of Peter 3 to Russia, whose prussophilic tendencies caused him to pull out of the war against it. Unfortunately for the Austrian corporal, they hoped that this would be repeated when Roosevelt died but were mistaken. That exception was called a miracle for a reason, though. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2026, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1350 "2026-04-16T02:35:03Z")
> [@Monty](#): > > That’s still not the definition of regime change. The Iranian government continued to function exactly as designed, even selecting a replacement for their supreme leader. The country was relatively unified behind Roosevelt as WWII progressed. Iran is losing it’s civilian population to it’s own government. They want a change. They want to choose their leaders which is not happening with the Supreme Leader. Going forward I expect the Kurds will be integral in the flow of arms to civilians leading up to regime change. The banking infrastructure has to be close to collapse and Russia is in no shape to prop them up. Saudi Arabia already has their pipeline back online to the Red Sea and Hormuz will likely open up soon. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2026, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1351 "2026-04-16T02:52:27Z")
“Likely” has yet to be seen. ---
**Author:** ![penultima\_thule](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/penultima_thule/32/3833_2.png) [@penultima\_thule](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/penultima_thule)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2026, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071/1352 "2026-04-16T03:36:34Z")
> [@Magiver](#): > > Supreme Leader … Kurds … banking infrastructure … Saudi Arabia … Hormuz … Oh sweet child of MAGA. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071.md?page=66) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/united-states-and-israel-are-bombing-iran-for-current-ongoing-events-past-future-have-specific-threads/1028071.md?page=68)