Reliable Iran War Sources Still Hold Up After Two Weeks
My list of accounts to follow for quality information about the Iran war and Strait of Hormuz holds up two weeks later… 👇👇
Germany Reroutes Warship Around Africa to Dodge Houthi Drones
“Germany has NATO Europe's largest minehunting fleet and explicitly routed its newest, largest warship around Africa last October rather than transit the Red Sea ... against Houthi drones” Pathetic. (But still massively stronger than the Canadian Navy)
Singapore's 8‑day Fall Still Beats Today's 16‑Day Stalemate
The swiftest military defeat of a well defended chokepoint in the history of the world was the Fall of Singapore, 1942 It took Japan 8 days and 5,000 causalities. That’s the world record It’s been 16 days with 200 🇺🇸 causalities… and this...
Trump Highlights NATO's Weak Naval Response in Red Sea
During the entirety of the Red Sea operation closure ALL of NATO couldn’t muster more than 3 warships at a time you donut hole An entire German task force sailed around AFRICA to avoid the Houthis They are demonstrably WEAK & Trump...
Australian Navy Unprepared, Declines Biden’s Red Sea Request
They turned down Biden’s request to do this in the Red Sea too. This has nothing to do with Trump… it has everything to do with the fact the Australian Navy is woefully unprepared to defend itself against China and can’t...
Navy's Ship‑decommissioning Prowess: Claim Quickly Retracted
As I’ve posted dozen of times before: the US Navy has become extremely good at decommissioning ships Ohhhhhhh, wait, hold the phone Belay my last 🎉🎉
Escorts Aren't a Sideshow; Expertise Matters in Maritime Strategy
“Escorts are a sideshow” 🤡🤡 Now I’ve been critical of our ability to surge enough destroyers to conduct effective convoys…. But “sideshow”?? And what qualifies an energy advisor to understand maritime choke points? 60 Minutes should have called Sal @mercoglianos
Turn Anger Into Determination, Not a Wasteful Weapon
Lots of angry people on both sides today. This is not the way to win. Why? Isn’t our anger justified? Yes and no. But that doesn’t matter I’m working on an article to explain anger, it will include instructions on building a...
Absurd “Shoes vs Boots” Line Exposes Trump’s Rhetoric
“We need shoes on the ground in Iran, not boots on the ground.” Says Trump 1.0 Secretary of Defense It would take me a week to construct a take that dumb. How does he do it? https://t.co/ctsBNu0SbD
Navy’s Capability Outpaces Capacity, Leaving Few Ready Ships
Hegseth says the Navy is performing better than expected. He says the Navy had a comprehensive plan for the Strait of Hormuz. He says we have the best warships in the world. He says we have enough munitions. All of that can be true. And...
US Navy Excels at some Missions, Falters at Others
The hardest thing for me to explain this week: the US Navy can be phenomenal at some missions and shockingly unprepared for others. Some operations take time even in the best conditions. This article explains the dichotomy well..
Globalist Mole Inside Administration Sabotaged Strait of Hormuz
Not gonna sugar coat this and do not care if it costs me my new Pentagon press credentials and access to this administration. The left smeared my name in a major WAPO hit piece and the right can do the...
Pentagon's Neglect Angers US Merchant Marine
The easiest ways to infuriate the US Merchant Marine: Not give them advance warning on military action. Not provide naval protection for 🇺🇸 ships (5 are stuck in the Gulf) Refuse to thank them after multiple ships are attacked. Waive the Jones Act. The...
Navy Unprepared Despite Promises, Takes Over a Month
I was assured by numerous naval sources that the Navy would be ready. I didn’t think the Navy would be ready. But I did think it would take less than a full month.
Perception, Not Power, Determines War’s Endgame
Let me tell you the secret difference between a Navy and merchant ship captain that goes beyond the obvious. It’s 1AM & I feel sick to my stomach over this war and can’t sleep. I’m at a shipowner conference & I had...
Iran, Not Trump or Hegseth, Behind Ship Explosions
Who everyone I talked to at the shipowners conference today thinks is blowing up merchant ships: Trump & Hegseth Who is actually blowing up ships: Iran
Ship Crew Titles Vary by Flag, Role, and Service
Some are asking me why the people who work aboard ship are called different things. No hard rules but the rule of thumb is… Seafarers: crew that work on ships with flags different than their nationality (e.g. an Indian crew aboard a...
Shipping Industry’s Small World Sparks Surprising Ship Recognition
The crazy thing about the shipping industry is how small it can be. At a shipowners conference right now and a guy is telling a crazy story about what happened to his ship in Oman. I say, “Was it this...
Few Mines Can Spike Insurance Premiums
Is it capable of “masse mining”? Does it even need to be if just a few mines can make insurance premiums skyrocket?
U.S. Shipping Irrelevance Drives Major Conference Collapse
In truth this is *supposed* to be the largest shipowner conference in North America. Once it was. Just five or six years ago maritime companies used to buy out every billboard along I-95. Every hotel within 20 miles sold out...
Iran Finally Mines Hormuz, Pentagon Distracted by Lobster
For 47 years world leaders have talked about striking Iran. None did for one reason above all: because Iran always threatened to mine the Strait of Hormuz TodayIran actually did it and the old pentagon press corps is more worried about...
Record T
I’m at the biggest shipowner conference in North America right now. I live in a very liberal town in Massachusetts and yet I have never seen worse cases of TDS in my life. The London shipping cabal is PISSED
Even Small Boats Can Deploy or Drift Mines
The problem is any dhow or boat can lay mines. It’s also sometimes possible to drift mines into position. https://t.co/vXgsVFMofN
Energy Secretary’s Deleted Post Fuels Unverified Navy Escort Rumors
Lots of rumors that the US Navy has already started ship escorts. Hard to prove a negative but the source appears to be the Energy Secretary who already deleted the post. https://t.co/9ieYFTNG8E
Shipping Solves Issues While Riding a Smoldering Powder Keg
“We, in the shipping industry, are in the business of solving problems. But we are fixing problems while sitting on a smoldering powder keg,” Bud Darr, President of the Cruise Line Association https://t.co/i4e1kemoUq
Shipping Risks Draw Full House at CMA Conference
Full house at the CMA Shipowner conference for @loriannlarocco panel on shipping risks. Go visit @gCaptain for her latest articles 1/2 https://t.co/7frbqs68r7
Unverified Mine Rumors Force Shipowners to Demand Escorts
Shipowners at CMA tell me there’s evidence of MINES in the Strait of Hormuz. They admitted the rumor is unconfirmed. Problem is, from their perspective, it doesn’t matter. Perception is reality and the risk is too high. They won’t sail without...
Clarifying: US Navy Warship or Aviation Escort in Hormuz?
Did the US Navy send a warship through the Strait of Hormuz? Or was this an aviation escort?
Maritime Industry Battling Unprecedented Black Swan Disruptions
“Over the past few years, we have experienced disruptions few people imagined… it sometimes feels like the entire maritime industry is under attack by a flock of black swans,” Steve Carmel, US maritime Administrator and Commandant of the US Merchant...
No Jones Act Discussions Allowed on This Platform
Just a quick reminder that I don’t discuss the Jones Act online. Thank you for your attention to this matter.
Weekly Royal Navy Headlines: Complete Summary Inside
A full summary with everything you need to know about @RoyalNavy headlines this week: https://t.co/2oTXIbhDBG
Pentagon Source Cites Social Media Posts as Evidence
Can’t confirm this, but a Pentagon source just called with an update. “Naval operations are going extremely well,” an unnamed admiral said. “What evidence do you have?” “Konrad has spent the last 2 days posting about the Royal Navy.” Ouch. 100% true… but still hurts....
Starmer Won’t Deploy Warships to Protect Citizens Abroad
Serious question. Has anyone told this retired Royal Navy captain that @Keir_Starmer can’t (or won’t) deploy a single warship to defend his citizens overseas? https://t.co/ZcOiyRqtsn
Reluctant Support for Extended Iran Deployment, Questioning CENTCOM Funding
For the record, I’m not thrilled about this whole Iran thing. I was in the camp of bulldozing @CENTCOM to fund moving @Southcom back to the Panama Canal. But if we must be there a few weeks longer… maybe… just...
Royal Navy's Mediterranean Failure Mocked by Royal Irony
Everyone’s shocked the Royal Navy can’t get a warship to the Mediterranean, let alone the Persian Gulf. But remember, King Charles also commands Canada’s Royal Navy. Surely he can dispatch her broken subs and battle kayaks for backup. https://t.co/Yo6gQLLxR6
High‑Stakes Billionaire Competition Resurfaces Amid Hormuz Crisis
For those who want an overview without watching my full hour+ long video on the Strait of Hormuz Crisis https://t.co/QDALtGFKiC
Britain's Strategic Retreat Hands China Global Footholds
We had a good thing, Britain. A really good thing. You taught us this game. Mahan studied you. We just wrote bigger checks. The deal was simple. We spend the trillions. Fight the hard wars. We even let you sit out Vietnam. And...
U.S. Sub Sinks Iranian Warship to Protect Shipping
This is the question every admiral in the Pentagon was asking early this week that the media hasn’t covered. There is outrage in anti-Trump circles after a U.S. submarine sank an Iranian warship because it looked like an unfair fight. While weak...
UK Claims No US Aid, yet Relies on US Navy
Starmer repeatedly says Britain isn’t helping the US Navy Meanwhile his defense minister argues the UK doesn’t need to defend it’s territory because US Navy destroyers are doing it for them Why are 🇺🇸 ships protecting UK territory instead of focusing on...
War‑Driven Insurance Chaos Grounds Persian Gulf Shipping
Why are ships suddenly stuck in the Persian Gulf? Ship insurance is already a maze. Add war and it becomes a labyrinth. In 15 minutes I’m going to attempt the impossible: explain ship insurance 101, what’s happening, why ships won’t sail, and...
Europe's Shipowners Undercut Trump, World Misjudged TDS
The world underestimated TDS and the willingness of European shipowners to deny people fuel and fertilizer to score a brief “win” over Trump.
Naval Supremacy Decides Wars in Days, Not Years
THIS But the bigger lesson here: naval wars are decided quickly. Sometimes in hours. Japan knew this. That’s why they attacked Pearl Harbor. They just missed the carriers and fuel tanks. That war was decided at Midway. Doesn’t mean the war will be short....
Should the U.S. Navy Rescue IRGC Sailors?
Ship captain here. I’ve spent more time being tracked, followed, hunted, and observed by submarines than 99.999% of people on this app… and I’ve read dozens of books on how those encounters end. So should the U.S. Navy have rescued those IRGC...
US Neglects Red Sea Defenses While Sending Aid Abroad
"failure to beef up relevant defensive measures in a facility located so close to Iran is a curious lapse in planning." Lapse in planning? The major of the veterans on X were screaming and yelling about Biden sending so many of...
Media Team's Unexpectedly Strong Takes Surprise Everyone
The crazy thing is… these are the GOOD takes his media team ran with. https://t.co/U8elANjDAP
Anticipated Asset Pullout From Iran Before Confirmation
And, leading up to his confirmation, everyone and their mother told me @USWPColby would pull every asset we have away from Iran.
Tanker Stocks Matter, Broader Economy Stays Unaffected
Yes. If you own tanker stocks it is. Not so much for the rest of the economy.
Europe Prioritized Red Sea, yet Deployed only Three Warships
It's great that allies are helping. And both France and UK have aircraft carriers that could help. But let's not forget that Europe was a LOT more concerned with keeping the Red Sea open than Biden was... yet, collectively, not...
Spain Faces Penalties for Blocking US Military Supply Ships
Spain is already under investigation and is facing severe penalties with @FMC_gov for denying US Merchant Marine ships carrying military supplies access to their ports: https://t.co/34RLfvlbYt
US Controls GPS, Prompting Rivals to Launch Independent Satellites
Umm… we own the GPS satellites. We can also just turn them off for non-military use. We did it in 2003 at the start of the Iraq war (although officially it was a “malfunction”) That’s the reason the EU, China and Russia built...