About that whole Strait of Hormuz thing. I just had a chance to listen to President Trump's full address from Mar-A-Lago this morning, and one of the things he promised in it was the utter destruction of the Iranian navy and their assets. The Iranians and their proxies have plagued international shipping for decades.
The real leverage isn't Hormuz - it's insurance markets.
— toni (@tonitrades_) February 28, 2026
Lloyd's already pricing Iran conflict scenarios into tanker premiums.
Watch reinsurance rates this week.
That's where the squeeze happens before any ship moves.
While I was checking on traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, little brother Crusader sent me the cheeriest Xweet, which was directly related to both.
God bless @CVN_72 and their battle group, our brothers, sisters our shipmates. May God protect them and all of our troops and sailors. #GoNavy @USNavy
— JMD 🇺🇸 🇵🇱 🇵🇹 🇱🇹 🇺🇸 (@tbbosdcguy) February 28, 2026
Alongside the USS Ford, they call the two formidable carriers 'The Sword' and 'The Shield.'
TWO CARRIERS. TWO MISSIONS. ⚓️ @DamonRoberts breaks down the USS Gerald Ford parked off Israel — calling it “Trump’s architecture.”
— Real America's Voice (RAV) (@RealAmVoice) February 28, 2026
Lincoln = the sword.
Ford = the shield.@LFS6B says it’s brilliant strategy: offense + defense, no extra vote needed. pic.twitter.com/u02yIDychA
As the strikes began, many eyes focused on the Strait, which Iran has always used to choke off oil supply to the world, any time it's either been threatened or wanted leverage.
US–Israel strikes on Iran put the Strait of Hormuz at the center of global risk. Just 21 miles wide, it carries ~21 mb/d of oil, 20–25% of global seaborne trade, and a third of LNG. Many nations depend on it, and any further escalation could send fuel prices soaring worldwide. pic.twitter.com/hvUiDnWRbQ
— infoindata (@infoindata) February 28, 2026
This time is no different, immediately threatening to do the same, but with significantly degraded resources to accomplish that compared to previous decades.
With the Lincoln carrier group in active attack mode, those mine-laying operations the Iranians used to use are probably a non-starter, as most waterborne attempts will be.
Sal Mercogliano has been watching shipping traffic in the Strait since the region first lit up this morning, and it was fascinating to see the ships gradually peel away from the danger zone.
Starting to see the Strait open up as tankers hold up on each side. pic.twitter.com/r1f2f5GcTw
— Sal Mercogliano (WGOW Shipping) 🚢⚓🐪🚒🏴☠️ (@mercoglianos) February 28, 2026
The US Navy has declared a 'maritime warning zone' across the entire region, and warnings were issued from shippers that the Houthis could take advantage of the chaos to get Red Sea froggy again.
The United States Navy declared a sweeping maritime warning zone across the Persian Gulf region on Saturday after large-scale U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran triggered immediate retaliation from Tehran, throwing global energy markets into turmoil and forcing major oil companies to suspend shipments through the world’s most critical chokepoint.
The warning zone, covering the Middle East Gulf, Gulf of Oman, North Arabian Sea, and Strait of Hormuz, came with an unusual admission from U.S. Navy Central Command: it could not guarantee the safety of neutral or merchant shipping within the area. Merchant vessels were advised to maintain a distance of at least 30 nautical miles from any naval vessel operating in what the Pentagon has designated “Operation Epic Fury.“
“The US/Israeli attack on Iran dramatically increases the security risk to ships operating in the Persian Gulf and adjacent waters,” warned Jakob Larsen, chief safety and security officer at shipping association BIMCO, in an interview with Lloyds List.
...Explosions were heard near Iran’s Kharg Island, according to Reuters reports cited by Lloyd’s List. The facility is Iran’s single most important energy asset—90 percent of the country’s crude oil exports flow through the terminal, located 15 miles offshore in deeper Gulf waters. In recent days, the terminal had stepped up exports and drained its crude inventories, suggesting Iran may have anticipated the strikes.
...Tanker owners association Intertanko issued an urgent advisory warning that Houthi militants—Iran-backed forces that have previously targeted Red Sea shipping—may recommence attacks on commercial vessels. There are also concerns that Iranian forces could seize ships with American or Israeli commercial interests.
Never ones to let a looming disaster ruin their bon vivant enthusiasm, the Iranians are already claiming a score on the high seas - the sinking of a US Navy supply ship.
Iran touched a boat. pic.twitter.com/AjQiKaNfYb
— Angry Cops (@AngryCops) February 28, 2026
There's just a small problem with that as there is with all of their propaganda...
This is impressive as the ship depicted there is in New Jersey.
— Sal Mercogliano (WGOW Shipping) 🚢⚓🐪🚒🏴☠️ (@mercoglianos) February 28, 2026
As for that Iranian Navy, if they have anything big left in the next day or two, it will be a miracle.
BREAKING: The US Navy carried out a strike against the main Iranian naval installation on Kish Island in the Persian Gulf. pic.twitter.com/NpsPV8qCgC
— Zaid Ahmd 🇬🇧 (@realzaidzayn) February 28, 2026
The real threats left will be the fast boats of the Iranian mosquito navy and the seemingly endless supply of drones.
🚨🇮🇷🇺🇸 US NAVY'S PERSIAN GULF NIGHTMARE: IRAN'S MOSQUITO FLEET SWARMS WITH DEADLY UPGRADES
— NewRulesGeopolitics (@NewRulesGeo) February 23, 2026
As US carriers head in during Trump's 10-day warning, Iran's "mosquito fleet" unleashes swarms of boats, new long-range missiles, and training with Russia-China, making the Gulf's shallow… pic.twitter.com/rgwrZoIco6
🔸 More than 1,500 small attack boats, each under 10 tons, race at 50-110 knots in recent Hormuz drills with over 40 vessels.
🔸 About 250-300 armed with Nasr, Kowsar, Ghader, and Zafar missiles, plus Abu Mahdi ones that fly over 1,000km.
🔸 The Gulf's 35-50m shallow depths, plus over 20 Ghadir mini-subs, let them do quick hit-and-run attacks that dodge huge warships.
🔸 Some catamaran boats have 16 launch tubes for anti-air missiles over 100km, while Zulfiqar-class ones guard the group.
🔸 Hidden in coastal caves and docks for tough survival, so they can rebuild fast after base attacks with help from Russia and China.
May the good Lord keep the valiant sailors and Marines of the Lincoln group safe and lethal.
Now, for some pretty hilarious news.
In what has to be the greatest hack since the beeper attack, the ingenious Israelis have had their cyber guys at work again and busted into the regime's version of The Hallow app for Islamic Religious Fundamentalists.
Why is this important?
It's state-sponsored, and everyone gets it.
So now, instead of saying 'Allahu ackbar,' the prayer app is telling Iranians across the country, 'Hang in there - WE ARE COMING..'
BREAKING: Reports from Iran say Israel hacked the prayer notification app.
— Yossi BenYakar (@YossiBenYakar) February 28, 2026
Users received messages like:
“The help is on the way”, and direct calls for regime soldiers to lay down their weapons and join their brothers. pic.twitter.com/9GRN9sIzx5
What a thing of beauty.
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