Two tankers attacked in mid east.

[dogmush]

Two tankers were attacked somehow  (either mines or torpedoes)  in the mid east today. They were outside the Straights of Hormuz, so not in the Persian Gulf, but adjacent.

If Iran is betting that Trump won't fire up a Middle East war and they can blow stuff up, they're making a risky bet, IMO.

In any case between this and the fires on tankers in port a couple weeks ago, someone's getting frisky in the mid east.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/oil-tankers-attacked-in-gulf-of-oman-us-navy-says/2019/06/13/d59b784c-8db0-11e9-b162-8f6f41ec3c04_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.c860cd5d004b

[MillCreek]

Very interesting if the ships were hit by torpedoes, which implies an active attack, as opposed to a more passive attack by a random mine.

[dogmush]

Very interesting if the ships were hit by torpedoes, which implies an active attack, as opposed to a more passive attack by a random mine.

The mines suspected are limpet mines, not tethered ones.

So either way those specific ships were very likely the targets.

[Hawkmoon]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/oil-tankers-attacked-in-gulf-of-oman-us-navy-says/2019/06/13/d59b784c-8db0-11e9-b162-8f6f41ec3c04_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.c860cd5d004b

Paywall ...

[WLJ]

Just filled up at Costco. Everyone else's price jumped 50 or more cents.

[HankB]

Just filled up at Costco. Everyone else's price jumped 50 or more cents.

Really?

They say the "pipeline" from the well to the gas pump is around 8 weeks.

AND . . . we import little or no oil from the middle east.

If your local stations already jacked up the price substantially, it sounds like price gouging to me.

[WLJ]

Really?

They say the "pipeline" from the well to the gas pump is around 8 weeks.

AND . . . we import little or no oil from the middle east.

If your local stations already jacked up the price substantially, it sounds like price gouging to me.

They always jack up the price whenever someone gets a little frisky in the M.E.

[grampster]

"If your local stations already jacked up the price substantially, it sounds like price gouging to me."

Why the gas stations could never be accused of price gouging.  This America.  We do everything fair and honest.

[Angel Eyes]

Just filled up at Costco. Everyone else's price jumped 50 or more cents.

Funny how the fuel in the station's storage tanks suddenly got more expensive ...

[dogmush]

Paywall ...

I just googled "tankers attacked" that was the third or fourth story.

Wasn't paywalled for me. Might be your browser setup.

[Ben]

I just googled "tankers attacked" that was the third or fourth story.

Wasn't paywalled for me. Might be your browser setup.

It's not paywalled. If you're running an adblocker, you just have to either temporarily or permanently allow an exception for their site. On something like Adblock Plus, it's a simple two seconds of turning it off and then on again for a particular webpage.

[Hawkmoon]

Funny how the fuel in the station's storage tanks suddenly got more expensive ...

And the price at the pumps doesn't go down when the price of crude drops ...

[MillCreek]

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/13/world/middleeast/oil-tanker-attack-gulf-oman.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

Oops, the US has aerial surveillance video showing an Iranian watercraft removing a limpet mine that did not go off from the side of one of the tankers.

[HankB]

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/13/world/middleeast/oil-tanker-attack-gulf-oman.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

Oops, the US has aerial surveillance video showing an Iranian watercraft removing a limpet mine that did not go off from the side of one of the tankers.

If and when evidence of Iranian involvement is deemed conclusive, there are plenty of options to respond that don't require "boots on the ground."

(Hmmm . . . can we hit the Iranian parliament with precision guided munitions while it's in full session, preferably when their high mullahs are there?)

[brimic]

If and when evidence of Iranian involvement is deemed conclusive, there are plenty of options to respond that don't require "boots on the ground."

(Hmmm . . . can we hit the Iranian parliament with precision guided munitions while it's in full session, preferably when their high mullahs are there?)

Give them the full Gaddafi treatment. 

[Jocassee]

I just googled "tankers attacked" that was the third or fourth story.

Wasn't paywalled for me. Might be your browser setup.

Some Paywalls are porous. Why....I couldn't guess.

[MechAg94]

Give them the full Gaddafi treatment. 

You mean kill their sons?      Thinking back to the Reagan days (..or was that Bush I?).

[Ron]

Assuming the Iranians placed the bombs, why is the USA responding militarily?

Not our port, not our ship(s) not our oil.

I’m not a fan of any nation in the Middle East and barely care about any of our so called allies in the region.

Personally, I have no way to really ascertain who did what to whom so I’m opposed to any military action against Iran over these incidents.

[BobR]

I have played this game before, we called it Operation Ernest Will . I would hate to see version 2 come to be. It would be a different type of conflict this time around I am afraid.

bob

[AZRedhawk44]

Anyone know anything about tanker security and surveillance?

I'd expect big tankers like this to have multiple surveillance cameras to document collisions, attacks, or other incidents.  I'd like to see that footage, rather than the grainy stuff the DOD has released thus far.

[dogmush]

Anyone know anything about tanker security and surveillance?

I'd expect big tankers like this to have multiple surveillance cameras to document collisions, attacks, or other incidents.  I'd like to see that footage, rather than the grainy stuff the DOD has released thus far.

Nope.

There's a bridge recorder similar to an airplane's blackbox, and sometimes a rudimentary CCTV to supervise cargo ops, but nothing like a high def system watching the hull exists on any commercial tanker that I've seen.

[MillCreek]

^^^I had a vision of a GoPro hanging off the front glass in the pilothouse.

[230RN]

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/13/world/middleeast/oil-tanker-attack-gulf-oman.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

Oops, the US has aerial surveillance video showing an Iranian watercraft removing a limpet mine that did not go off from the side of one of the tankers.

I've got a naive, un-military dumb question.

Why would they attempt to fool around with an unexploded device (UXB ?) with a boatload of people standing around in the bow real close and watching?

Seems to me if the UXB had gone off, scratch one patrol boat and a dozen or so people.

De-dumbify me, please.

Terry.

[Scout26]

They were removing it after the the tanker had been evacuated.   To get rid of what would be called "evidence". 

[charby]

What does Iran really gain if they are attacking merchant ships?