For the second time in one year, the once-indomitable US Navy has been forced to run away from land-based missiles in the Middle East, thereby demonstrating an end to 80 years of carrier diplomacy. This, along with the closure of the Strait of Hormuz enforced by Iran, spells the end of four centuries of Anglo-US ownership of the high seas.
Now the high-noon Hormuz standoff has escalated. The biggest story has been Iran’s vindication over its claims that US naval forces had retreated under the growing threat of strikes. Recall last time we spoke about the ~300km range of Iran’s anti-ship assets, but that Iranian Brigadier General Fadavi stated no US ship was operating within 700km of Iran’s shores.
It seems he was telling the truth, because latest Chinese satellite intel indicates that the USS Lincoln has now retreated to roughly 1,000km from Iranian shores. The Lincoln carrier group is said to be quivering in the lee of Port Salalah in Oman, in the north Arabian Sea:
The supporting evidence comes by way of flight tracking which appears to indicate that air refuelers operating out of KSA are bridging the gap for this extremely long combat radius. Additionally, a carrier based Osprey craft was spotted right where the Lincoln is said to be idling: This aircraft is assigned to the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln … so this must be its current location.
Operating at such a range likely puts tremendous strain on US airframes, pilots themselves, and other assets, multiplying associated costs.
More interesting is the fact that Iranian officials had claimed the reason for the USS Lincoln’s withdrawal was that it was successfully hit by drones.
It is increasingly evident that whether it actually loses a carrier or not, the Iranian Expedition will be seen as the equivalent of the disastrous Sicilian Expedition that marked the end of the Athenian empire. The war isn’t over yet, and it’s still possible that the Epstein Alliance might pull a victorious black cat out of the bag through one or more of its nefarious tactics, but an ignominious naval defeat and the eventual collapse of the Clown World-ruled US empire without significant military loss of life would be one of the best possible outcomes for the American people who have been subjugated by it for more than a century.
A defeat will also signify the end of the extension of US force into Asia, which is very good news for the people of Taiwan Island, who can be peacefully reunified with China once the threat of US intervention becomes obviously impossible. It should also indicate the eventual end of the occupation of Japan, although that will likely follow Chinese reuinification as it will likely require material Chinese support for Japanese independence.