US plans to seize Iran-linked ships in several days as per WSJ

US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine speaks as a map of the Strait of Hormuz is displayed during a press briefing at the Pentagon in Washington, DC, on April 16, 2026.

The mullahs in Tehran are squeezing the Strait of Hormuz like it is their personal playground, even taking shots at several ships earlier on Saturday. Because nothing says "responsible regional power" like turning one of the world's most vital oil chokepoints into a floating shooting gallery.

According to a Saturday report from The Wall Street Journal, the US is gearing up to board and seize Iran-linked oil tankers and commercial ships in the coming days. And these operations will not be limited to the neighborhood. They will happen in international waters, potentially far outside the Middle East.

The US “will actively pursue any Iranian-flagged vessel or any vessel attempting to provide material support to Iran,” US Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said. “This includes dark fleet vessels carrying Iranian oil.”

“As most of you know, dark fleet vessels are those illicit or illegal ships evading international regulations, sanctions, or insurance requirements,” Caine continued.

Caine was further quoted as saying that the new campaign, which would be operated in part by the US Indo-Pacific Command, would be part of a broader President Trump-led campaign against Iran, known as “Economic Fury.”

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly told the WSJ that Trump was “optimistic” that the new measures would lead to a peace deal.

This all comes as Iran continues to tighten its grip on the Strait of Hormuz, with the WSJ reporting that the US has already turned back 23 ships trying to leave Iranian ports since the blockade began. Expanding naval action beyond the Middle East gives the US even more leverage by letting it snag a greater number of vessels loaded with oil or weapons headed for Iran.

“It’s a maximalist approach,” said associate professor of law at Emory University Law School Mark Nevitt. “If you want to put the screws down on Iran, you want to use every single legal authority you have to do that.”

Iran, never one to miss a chance for some chest-thumping, claimed earlier on Saturday that it had regained military control over the Strait. They plan to keep it locked down until the US guarantees full freedom of movement for ships traveling to and from Iran.

“As long as the United States does not ensure full freedom of navigation for vessels traveling to and from Iran, the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will remain tightly controlled,” the Iranian military stated.

In addition, Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei declared on Saturday in an apparent message on his Telegram channel that the Iranian navy is prepared to inflict “new bitter defeats” on its enemies.

Because when your economy is circling the drain and the world's most powerful navy is about to start playing global Whac-A-Mole with your oil tankers, the only logical response is more tough talk from the Telegram account. What could possibly go wrong?

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Mark Kelly says Trump 'making up' Iran war objectives but then there's this little factoid

Sen. Mark Kelly (D-AZ), currently under a command investigation for allegedly inciting military insubordination, went to X on Sunday night to hurl a rhetorical grenade at the Trump administration's handling of the war against Iran. By the way, the senator is reportedly eyeing a 2028 presidential bid.

Kelly seized on a colorful remark from President Donald Trump and a "no quarter" comment from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, a phrase with a historical meaning of no mercy for enemy forces, to argue that the administration lacks any clear direction.

"The 'no quarter' comment by the SecDef and this 'just for fun' remark by the President tells me there was never a clear strategy for this war," Kelly posted on X. He continued by accusing the administration of "making up objectives as they stumble along" while endangering troops and spiking gas prices, [but while simultaneously kicking IRGC butt, big time]. 

Over the weekend, Trump threatened additional strikes on Iran's Kharg Island, declaring that U.S. attacks had "totally demolished" much of the island and adding, "We may hit it a few more times just for fun." This is Trump's way of being funny, but the left went with it to make it sound like more than what it was.

Hegseth delivered the "no quarter" line during a Friday press briefing with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine.

"With every passing hour, we know and we know they know that the military capabilities of their evil regime are crumbling," Hegseth said. "They can barely communicate, let alone coordinate. They're confused and we know it. Our response? We will keep pressing. We will keep pushing, keep advancing, no quarter, no mercy for our enemies."

The trouble for Kelly is that the administration's actual objectives have been stated plainly as "clear, decisive, and achievable," to use Hegseth's own words from that same briefing. Hegseth described the mission as to "defeat the missiles, missile launchers, and defense industrial base … defeat the Navy, and deny Iran the ability to have a nuclear weapon." In other words, Kelly is totally wrong: the Trump administration, specifically the Department of War, had a plan for victory. Kelly, you might recall, is reportedly planning to make a run for the 2028 presidential campaign.

General Caine backed the fact that a plan exists, explaining that CENTCOM aims to dismantle Iran's capacity to threaten U.S. forces and global energy supplies.

"Destroy the Iranian Navy to ensure freedom of navigation," Caine stated, with a specific focus on Iran's mine-laying capabilities. He added that the goal is to ensure Iran "cannot rebuild the capabilities that can harm America's interests." 

But in case you missed it, Kelly wants to run for President in 2028.

Hegseth went further, clarifying that targeting ballistic missiles serves as the strategic lever to compel Iran to "give up their nuclear capabilities." In other words, the objectives have been "laid out from day one," just like Kelly's plans for 2028 are reportedly laid out.

Kelly's newfound worry about the "good order and discipline" of military operations comes across as rather hollow, especially given his own legal entanglements. The retired Navy captain faces an official Department of War investigation over his role in a video that Hegseth dubbed the "Seditious Six," in which Kelly and five other Democrats urged service members to "refuse illegal orders."

Hegseth previously called the video "despicable, reckless, and false," pointing out that Kelly, even as a retiree, remains subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ). 

But can he handle the truth?

While Kelly insists the administration is endangering warriors through a lack of strategy, the Department of Defense has countered that it is Kelly's own rhetoric, encouraging troops to question their chain of command, that "sows doubt and confusion" and actually puts the force at risk. 

As the U.S.-Israeli coalition moves into its third week of operations, Kelly seems far less focused on the military's clearly articulated goals of neutralizing a nuclear-hungry regime and far more invested in the 2028 presidential run, in case I forgot to mention it.

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US neutralizes Russian-made air defenses

The U.S. military pulled off a stunning lightning strike against Venezuela on January 3, capturing dictator Nicolás Maduro while leaving our forces largely unscathed. The operation crippled Venezuela's defense systems, and it looks like cyber ops may have played a key role in the mix.

More than 150 aircraft, including bombers and fighter jets, took part in what President Trump called a successful "large-scale strike" against the regime. Caracas went dark early that morning with widespread power outages, hinting at something more than just kinetic action.

Trump suggested U.S. involvement in the blackout, without getting into the weeds. "The lights of Caracas were largely turned off due to a certain expertise that we have," he said.

Mark Cancian, a senior adviser at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, told Fox News Digital that while details on contributions from U.S. Cyber Command and Space Command remain unclear, penetration of Venezuelan infrastructure seems likely. "We don't really know what cyber did, some of the lights did go out, and Caine did talk about it," Cancian said. "It's possible that (they) got into some of their command and control systems."

Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, described the layered approach as U.S. helicopters and law enforcement assets neared Venezuelan shores. The U.S. "began layering different effects provided by SPACECOM, CYBERCOM, and other members of the inter-agency to create a pathway," Caine explained.

The air package featured F-22s, F-35s, F/A-18s, E-2s, B-1 bombers, support aircraft, and boatload of drones. "As the force began to approach Caracas, the joint air component began dismantling and disabling the air defense systems in Venezuela, employing weapons to ensure the safe passage of the helicopters into the target area," Gen. Caine told reporters. Cancian noted that weapons like the AGM-88 HARM high-speed anti-radiation missiles, along with other air-to-ground munitions, probably neutralized radar sites and other defenses.

A SPACECOM spokesperson declined to detail specific support for Operation Absolute Resolve, citing opsec, but emphasized the foundational role of space-based capabilities. "To protect the Joint Force from space-enabled attack and ensure their freedom of movement, U.S. Space Command possesses the means and willingness to employ combat-credible capabilities that deter and counter our opponents and project power in all warfighting domains," the spokesperson said. CYBERCOM did not respond to a request for comment.

On-the-ground CIA assets provided critical intel ahead of the raid, Cancian said, after Trump authorized covert operations in Venezuela back in October 2025. "They gave detailed descriptions of Maduro’s headquarters, and I'm sure located all of the air defense batteries around Caracas," he added. "So we had an excellent sense about where everything was, combining that with overhead surveillance and also electromagnetic intelligence."

Venezuela may boast impressive Russian systems on paper, including S-300s, Buk-M2Es, and Pechora-2Ms, but poor training and U.S. disruption made the difference. 

Of the 150+ aircraft involved, only one took a hit, with none shot down. Seven U.S. service members were injured but are "well on their way to recovery," an administration official reported."Seems those Russian air defenses didn't quite work so well, did they?" Secretary of War Pete Hegseth quipped to reporters in Newport News, Virginia.

Trump announced that special forces seized Maduro and his wife Cilia Flores in Caracas. The duo were flown to New York and appeared in Manhattan federal court on January 5 facing drug charges, where both laughingly pleaded not guilty. The operation followed months of pressure on Venezuela, including strikes in Latin American waters against drug traffickers as part of Trump's crackdown on narcotics flowing into the U.S. The administration has long refused to recognize Maduro as legitimate, insisting he runs a drug cartel. Trump even suggested in December that stepping down would be the "smart" move for him.

Officials frame the seizure as a "law enforcement" action, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio arguing no congressional approval was needed since it wasn't an "invasion."

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Still, critics on the left are crying foul over the lack of congressional sign-off. "This has been a profound constitutional failure," Sen. Jack Reed (D-R.I.), top Democrat on the Senate Armed Services Committee, said in a January 3 statement. "Congress — not the President — has the sole power to authorize war. Pursuing regime change without the consent of the American people is a reckless overreach and an abuse of power."

"The question now is not whether Maduro deserved removal, it is what precedent the United States has just set and what comes next."

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Trump's choice for Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman might shake things up

On a dreary Friday evening, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth unsheathed his blade and began the long-overdue surgery on the bloated corpus of general and flag officers who command—and, on the odd Tuesday when the mood strikes them, even deign to lead—our beleaguered Armed Forces. The initial incisions were swift and merciless: Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Air Force General CQ Brown Jr., Chief of Naval Operations Admiral Lisa Franchetti, and Air Force Vice Chief of Staff Lieutenant General James Slife found themselves unceremoniously excised. In a twist that raised eyebrows, the Judge Advocates General of the Army, Navy, and Air Force—Army Lieutenant General Joseph B. Berger III, Navy Rear Admiral Lia M. Reynolds, and Air Force Lieutenant General Charles L. Plummer—were also dispatched to the professional guillotine.

No sentient observer believes this is the final act of the drama. Yet a full decapitation strike, while tempting to those with a taste for decisive action, would cast an unsightly shadow—particularly over a Congress already trembling with what one might charitably call a severe case of intestinal distress. Their panic stems not from principle but from the grim realization that program cuts are being wielded with a scalpel guided by reason, rather than the usual blunt instrument of political expediency, measured in jobs per congressional district.

The unfolding spectacle offers a few jolts to the system. Few were shocked to see CQ Brown and Franchetti toppled from their perches. They were, after all, the poster children of the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion cult that Obama and Biden sought to graft onto the military’s sinews—an experiment as misguided as it was corrosive. Brown, in particular, could in certain lights be mistaken for a figure of chilling prejudice. One need only glance at his infamous memo, brazenly endorsing caps on the percentage of White pilots in the Air Force, to see the man’s priorities laid bare. Here it is, in all its ignominy, a document that speaks louder than any apologia ever could.

Dale Stark had something to say about CQ Brown in this tweet:

You mean the same CQ Brown who set an explicit goal of reducing the number of white male pilots in the Air Force? pic.twitter.com/xY2SbRHuAT— Dale Stark (@DaleStarkA10) February 20, 2025

One cannot help but marvel at the curious case of ole CQ Brown, unceremoniously ousted despite enjoying the backing of influential congressional figures and what appeared to be a chummy encounter with Trump in mid-December. There they were, the two of them, perched side by side, taking in the Army-Navy football game for a spell. Brown, ever the diligent networker, had been holding regular brain consults with Hegseth at the Pentagon. And yet, it all came to naught.

Then we have LTG Slife, a product of the USAF Special Operations fraternity. One might expect a hero's welcome for such a pedigree, but no - he was roundly despised, at least in the kangaroo court of social media, by Air Force personnel and veterans alike. Perhaps it had something to do with his penchant for bleating on as "the Air Force's most prominent voice" about so-called "institutional racism" amidst the George Floyd celebratory rioting. The scrupulous scribes at The Federalist lay it all bare in their dispatch 'Biden Nominee Claimed 'Institutional Racism' Affects The Military'.

 
As for the military JAGs, they seem to have found themselves in the crosshairs, suspected of masterminding a clandestine operation to squirrel away DEI programs and policies beneath the radar. A most intriguing development indeed, for those with an eye for the machinations of power.

Army JAG Joseph Berger “consolidated” DEI into the “Office of Professional and Organizational Development.”

Rebranding DEI is still DEI and violates Trump’s EOs. pic.twitter.com/taLhVT6q3L— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) February 14, 2025

Equally interesting, and in the spirit of The Apprentice was Trump's message announcing Brown's firing.

I want to thank General Charles “CQ” Brown for his over 40 years of service to our country, including as our current Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He is a fine gentleman and an outstanding leader, and I wish a great future for him and his family.

Today, I am honored…— Donald J. Trump Posts From His Truth Social (@TrumpDailyPosts) February 22, 2025

Here it is in total:

Today, I am honored to announce that I am nominating Air Force Lieutenant General Dan “Razin” Caine to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. General Caine is an accomplished pilot, national security expert, successful entrepreneur, and a “warfighter” with significant interagency and special operations experience.

During my first term, Razin was instrumental in the complete annihilation of the ISIS caliphate. It was done in record setting time, a matter of weeks. Many so-called military “geniuses” said it would take years to defeat ISIS. General Caine, on the other hand, said it could be done quickly, and he delivered.

Despite being highly qualified and respected to serve on the Joint Chiefs of Staff during the previous administration, General Caine was passed over for promotion by Sleepy Joe Biden. But not anymore! Alongside Secretary Pete Hegseth, General Caine and our military will restore peace through strength, put America First, and rebuild our military. Finally, I have also directed Secretary Hegseth to solicit nominations for five additional high level positions, which will be announced soon. Thank you for your attention to this matter!

While Trump and Hegseth seem willing to work within the bureaucracy, the choice of a retired general to be the next Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and with his meandering career path.

Caine is a VMI graduate and rated F-15 pilot and affiliated with the National Guard in 2009. He remained and Air Guardsman until he retired last year, though with several periods of active duty. He was Associate Director for Military Affairs with the CIA but had never worked on the Air Staff in the Pentagon, nor with the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

On a positive note, retired Lt. Col. Alexander "Krispy Kreme" Vindman disapproves of his appointment, and anything that guy disapproves of is a good thing to approve of.

Let's see how this all turns out.

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