Free Republic

Last week, Trump said that Russian President Vladimir Putin might be helping Iran "a bit". But Iran's successful hitting of US military bases and energy infrastructure in the Gulf suggests that Russian help is much more than what Trump described as "a bit". Russia is reported to have provided Iran with the precise locations of US warships and aircraft operating in the Middle East. Russia's Kanopus-V satellite gives Iran round-the-clock images of American assets and other targets in the region. An important target reportedly provided by Moscow to Tehran was the precise location of a US military base in Kuwait,...

6 precision strikes in 24 hours target Bandar Abbas, sinking 11 Iranian warships and setting the 'Makran' base ship ablaze. U.S. forces cripple Iran’s economic lifeline and intercept critical missile fuel components from China. (snip) The timing of this massive assault appears linked to critical intelligence regarding supply routes. Reports reveal that two Iranian cargo ships, the Shabdis and the Barzin, were en route from a Chinese port to Bandar Abbas carrying sodium perchlorate, a key component for solid rocket fuel.For Tehran, the need for these components has shifted from "urgent" to "existential" following heavy damage sustained by its missile...