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US, Israel launch attack on Iran as Trump announces 'major combat operations'

Dobbinsky said:
This is puzzling to me. Empty tankers are waiting in the Strait to fill up on oil from the USA until it is cleared of mines by our military. If we have so much oil that we can sell it to others, why have our gas prices spiked?
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Oil is a global commodity.

What drives crude oil prices: Spot Prices - U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA)

www.eia.gov www.eia.gov

Oil prices can rise despite high supply because prices are driven by future expectations, geopolitical fears, and production cuts, rather than just current inventory. Markets often fear future disruptions or calculate that demand is outstripping available refining capacity, driving up prices.

In essence, oil is a global market where market sentiment and expectations of future shortages frequently outweigh the reality of current supply.

Here is why prices rise during high supply:
  • Geopolitical Fear Factors: Even if physical oil is available, threats of war, conflict in oil-producing regions (e.g., Middle East, Russia), or threats to key shipping routes (e.g., Strait of Hormuz) create panic, causing traders to bid up prices.
  • Refining Bottlenecks: Plenty of crude oil (raw material) does not mean plenty of gasoline or diesel. If refineries are running at capacity, closed for maintenance, or damaged, fuel prices rise because they cannot turn the crude into usable products fast enough.
  • Market Speculation: Financial traders buy futures contracts based on what they think prices will be. Speculators can drive up prices if they expect a future supply shortage or increasing demand, even if current supply is abundant.
  • Transportation and Logistics: Physical bottlenecks, such as pipeline issues or tanker shortages, can prevent supply from reaching the market, creating local or regional shortages.
 

Two destroyers cross Strait of Hormuz ahead of mine clearance mission​

Two Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, the USS Frank E. Peterson. and the USS Michael Murphy crossed the strait earlier today and are now sailing in the Persian Gulf, also known as the Arabian Gulf to start preparations for sweeping the waterway for explosives.

Axios reported that the move was not coordinated with Tehran, en as negotiations began earlier today. It’s the first major move by U.S. forces in the area since a two-week ceasefire in the war was announced on Tuesday, April 7.

taskandpurpose.com

Two destroyers cross Strait of Hormuz ahead of mine clearance mission

The USS Frank E. Petersen and USS Michael Murphy sailed into the Persian Gulf to start preparations for sweeping the waterway for explosives.
taskandpurpose.com taskandpurpose.com

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ISW Update

understandingwar.org

Iran Update Special Report, April 11, 2026

Iran and the United States have fundamentally different interpretations of the ongoing negotiations, which will generate friction.
understandingwar.org understandingwar.org

Related

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Battle Damaged KC-135 Seen Covered In Shrapnel Patches

A KC-135 damaged in an Iranian strike has made its way to RAF Mildenhall in the UK thanks to field repairs.
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theaviationist.com

Battle Scarred Stratotanker Transits Through UK Towards the U.S. for Repairs

The visibly patched-up KC-135R Stratotanker that arrived at RAF Mildenhall on Apr. 12, 2026 was among the aircraft deployed to Prince Sultan Air Base when
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The imagery offers a closer look at the damage to the giant phased-array AN/FPS-132 radar struck during Iran’s attack on Qatar last month. Newly published
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Talyn said:

Two destroyers cross Strait of Hormuz ahead of mine clearance mission​

Two Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers, the USS Frank E. Peterson. and the USS Michael Murphy crossed the strait earlier today and are now sailing in the Persian Gulf, also known as the Arabian Gulf to start preparations for sweeping the waterway for explosives.

Axios reported that the move was not coordinated with Tehran, en as negotiations began earlier today. It’s the first major move by U.S. forces in the area since a two-week ceasefire in the war was announced on Tuesday, April 7.

taskandpurpose.com

Two destroyers cross Strait of Hormuz ahead of mine clearance mission

The USS Frank E. Petersen and USS Michael Murphy sailed into the Persian Gulf to start preparations for sweeping the waterway for explosives.
taskandpurpose.com taskandpurpose.com

View attachment 108246
Click to expand...
Not coordinated with Tehran. HAHAHAHAHAHA!
 
HayesGreener said:
I see the Saudis are re-opening a pipeline to bypass the strait
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The Saudis have had a pipeline to bypass the strait for decades. It runs from Jubayl on their east coast on the Persian Gulf (area where Marines had assembly areas during the Gulf War) to Yanbu on the west coast on the Red Sea. The terminus at Yanbu has seen escalating attacks off and on since the aughts. I read today the pipeline has come under attack, but I didn't see where or how. Iran has been trying to isolate the Arabian Peninsula for decades and they may make higher risk, higher payoff attacks out of desperation.
 
www.rferl.org

No Breakthrough: US, Iran Talks Fail Following Hours-Long Session

Marathon talks aimed at halting the war in Iran ended without a breakthrough, as US Vice President JD Vance flew back to the United States amid major questions what comes next for the 43-day-old conflict.
www.rferl.org www.rferl.org

A US naval blockade on ships entering Iranian ports and coastal areas has come into effect, following failed peace talks between US and Iranian negotiators over the weekend.

And it already poses a dilemma: risk attack from Iranian assets near the Strait of Hormuz or hold back and hope to catch vessels breaking out into the open seas.

The move is the latest attempt by US President Donald Trump to force Iran into making concessions, including a commitment not to seek a nuclear weapon or the means to build one.

www.rferl.org

What To Know About The US Naval Blockade Of Iran

A US blockade on ships entering Iranian ports and coastal areas has taken effect, following failed peace talks between the US and Iran. And it already poses a dilemma: risk attack from Iranian assets near the Strait of Hormuz or hold back and hope to catch vessels breaking out into the open seas.
www.rferl.org www.rferl.org

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The USS Frank E. Petersen Jr. missile destroyer sails in the Arabian Sea on March 18. This class of ship could be an important part of blockade enforcement.

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www.rferl.org

Veterans Of 1980s 'Tanker War' See Parallels In Current Hormuz Crisis

The US military said it would begin a blockade of ships traveling to and from Iranian ports following the failure of peace talks with Iran on the weekend. Former sailors who navigated tankers through the Strait of Hormuz during the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s say today’s crisis echoes that conflict.
www.rferl.org www.rferl.org
 
Dobbinsky said:
This is puzzling to me. Empty tankers are waiting in the Strait to fill up on oil from the USA until it is cleared of mines by our military. If we have so much oil that we can sell it to others, why have our gas prices spiked?
Click to expand...
Up like a rocket, down like a feather. It takes time for it to be reflected in the market.
Those empty tankers being rerouted do require additional fuel and associated costs to make it to the next supplier.
Perhaps someone can chime in… Is it called “ship tons or freight tons”? I forget the exact mathematical variables.
 
More...

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) said it would start the blockade at 10:00 a.m. ET, effectively taking control of all maritime traffic linked to Iran.

“The blockade will be enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman,” CENTCOM said. “CENTCOM forces will not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports.”

www.twz.com

Naval Blockade Of Iran Now In Full Effect

Maritime restrictions have been put in place by the U.S. along the entire Iranian coastline, not just the Strait of Hormuz. Maritime restrictions have been announced along the entire Iranian coastline, including on ports and energy infrastructure.
www.twz.com www.twz.com

Reuters reports that the U.S. military sent the following message to seafarers providing more details of the blockade:

“Any vessel entering or departing the blockaded area without authorization is subject to interception, diversion, and capture,” the note reportedly said. “The blockade will not impede neutral transit passage through the Strait of Hormuz to or from non-Iranian destinations.”

In the meantime, The Wall Street Journal reports that “more than 15 U.S. warships” are currently involved in the operation.

Meanwhile, the U.K. Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) center has issued the following guidelines to ships:
  • The restrictions encompass the entirety of the Iranian coastline, including ports and energy
    infrastructure.
  • Transit passage through the Strait of Hormuz to or from non-Iranian destinations is not
    reported to be impeded by these measures; however, vessels may encounter military
    presence, directed communications, or right-of-visit procedures during passage.
  • Neutral vessels currently within Iranian ports have been granted a limited grace period to
    depart.
 
As part of Trumps full plan of the war against Persia, the USA is making a killing at this moment with the 121 oil tankers and is reflected in the "USA Treasury Reserve" which is greatly increasing.

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Blockade Info

The migration of U.S. Navy minesweeping assets west from the Pacific indicates preparations are underway for a major de-mining operation.

www.twz.com

Flurry Of Navy Minesweepers Appear To Be Heading Toward The Middle East

A surge in minesweeper movements comes as the U.S. says an operation to clear Iranian mines from the Strait of Hormuz is taking shape.
www.twz.com www.twz.com

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As an aside, the Navy’s Lewis. B. Puller class Expeditionary Sea Base (ESB) ship USS John L. Canley, which is homeported in the U.S. Pacific territory of Saipan, was also spotted heading west past Singapore on March 23. That ship was subsequently tracked sailing in the Indian Ocean, raising questions about whether it might be headed to the Middle East, as well.

A crisis scenario in and around the Persian Gulf, especially one involving Iran mining the Strait of Hormuz or otherwise threatening that critical waterway, was central to the Navy’s decision to acquire the ESBs in the first place. From the start, a key mission for the sea base ships has been serving, in part, as launch platforms for MH-53E Sea Dragon mine-hunting helicopters.

MH-53E Sea Dragon | NAVAIR

The MH-53E has two primary missions; Airborne Mine Countermeasures (AMCM) and Navy heavy lift/Vertical Onboard Delivery (VOD).
www.navair.navy.mil www.navair.navy.mil

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At the same time, the Navy MH-53E fleet has dwindled in recent years to a single squadron, and the type is set to be completely retired by the end of 2027.

The Canley was seen with an apparent load of V-22 Osprey tiltrotors and MH-60 Seahawk helicopters on its deck as it passed by Singapore last month.

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