Roundup
(1) From yesterday’s primaries: Crenhaw is out, Jasmine Crockett (whom the GOP wanted because she would probably be easiest to beat) is out and declaring her opponent cheated, and Cornyn and Paxton will have a runoff.
(2) The US has torpedoed an Iranian warship:
An American submarine sank an Iranian warship named the Soleimani in the Indian Ocean overnight — the first such US attack on a member of an enemy fleet since World War II, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Wednesday.
The “quiet death” strike on Iran’s prized vessel, the IRIS Shahid Soleimani, unfolded late Tuesday off the southern coast of Sri Lanka, Hegseth said, telling reporters during a Pentagon briefing that the ship “thought it was safe in international waters.”
“Instead, it was sunk by a torpedo. The first sinking of an enemy ship by a torpedo since World War II,” Hegseth added. “Like in that war, back when we were still the War Department, we are fighting to win.”
I watched a great many WWII movies on TV as a child, and torpedoes were heavily featured – and frightening.
(3) In that friendly fire incident in Kuwait in which three US planes were shot down – with all six crew members safe – the fire came from Kuwaiti forces.
(4) Those three policemen who shot the killer in Austin will not be referred to a grand jury. That’s certainly the right call.
(5) Steve Witcoff talks about the negotiations with Iran. The gist of it is that Iran never was willing to make concessions and was openly and unashamedly determined to enrich uranium to weapons-grade:
Vance Honeycutt, a single-A minor leaguer, has been to the plate 3 times before today and he has hit 3 homeruns, which, ok, it’s spring training — i.e., probably just scrubs pitching by the time he enters in the late innings.
Still, 3 ups, 3 homers.
But wait, he just comes in again and whaddaya know! 111mph 471ft HR! Crazytown.
In spite of the movies, Googles AI claims there has only been one documented case of a submerged submarine sinking another submerged submarine.
In the old WW2 movies they show submerged subs shooting and destroying other submerged subs quiet a bit.
Yeah, it’s interesting that hunter-killer subs (ones that’ve been specifically designed for finding and destroying enemy submarines) haven’t actually been used for their intended purpose in actual battle very much.
First torpedo sinking by an American ship since WW2, but not the first overall. HMS Conqueror sank ARA General Belgrano (former USS Phoenix, a Brooklyn-class light cruiser) in 1982 during the Falklands War. That’s also the first ship sunk by a nuclear-powered submarine. Back then, the UK still had a decent navy.
When Witcoff came back from the negotiation and told Trump that the Iranians boasted that they had enough 60% enriched uranium to make 11 bombs right away was the moment when Trump decided to pull the trigger. I certainly would have done that as would any sane leader of the US.
Paul in Boston:
Others here in “neo space” think that isn’t an existential threat.
@Paul in Boston:he Iranians boasted that they had enough 60% enriched uranium to make 11 bombs right away was the moment when Trump decided to pull the trigger.
The lesson is, don’t brag about your nukes until you have them. First get the nukes, then threaten everybody with the lake of fire. Doing this the other way around has been a disaster, especially for countries whose names begin with “Ira”.
All six aircrew are safe. These were two seat F-15E Strike Eagles.
Chases Eagles:
Thanks, will fix.
On 9 December 1971 during the third Indo-Pak war the Pakistan Navy submarine Hangor torpedoed and sank the Indian Navy antisubmarine frigate INS Khukri. This happened 11 years prior to the sinking of General Belgrano and was, in fact, the first sinking of a warship by submarine-launched torpedo since WW2.
Does anyone know what happened to the French blog NoPasaran? It was driven off the internet but returned last year for awhile. But now it’s gone again.
IrishOtter49, saw this yesterday…
https://no-pasaran.blogspot.com/2026/03/but-why-did-iranian-air-defenses-fail.html
Hilarious that this writer (and apparently some of her readers) continue to believe Witcoff and the rest of this pack of liars when they make pronouncements about this conflict, Epstein/Trump relationship, killings by IVE in Minneapolis and elsewhere, etc etc. oh, and per Kegseth, er, Hegseth, reporters can’t talk about U.S. military casualties because it “makes Trump look bad”. What a sad time to be alive.
Oh my. Another drive by.
JagPinSav: So which is it, funny or sad? (Including Epstein in your list is a tell, btw.)
sdferr (3:33 pm) said:
“But wait, he just comes in again and whaddaya know! 111mph 471ft HR! Crazytown.”
So, four home runs in four plate appearances. YIKES!!
Fellow Orioles fan here, of many decades’ standing. Following is a somewhat sober reaction of one Facebook commenter on an Orioles post featuring the kid’s unusual exploits: “Impressive. Primarily against late inning pitching in spring training games, but still impressive.”
I think the commenter makes a good point. But we Orioles fans are enjoying the power display nonetheless, and we’re looking forward to the kid being ready for the Big Show (a-k-a Major Leagues) in due time.
From what I recall reading about the Strike Eagle friendly fire (as those who have experienced it say, no ordnance directed at you is friendly) incidents, they were readily acknowledged by the Kuwaitis. I’ll give them the benefit of the doubt. They probably haven’t dealt with deconflicting airspace since Obama had us bug out of Iraq.
I think I picked up from a recent Drachinifel YouTube on some class of UK submarines that there was only a single confirmed sub vs sub kill in whole of WWII.
Does that include USS Tang who torpedoed herself?
I’m shocked! Shocked to learn that the Mullahs were determined to get their hands on nukes. But surely they only wanted them as deterrence against the monstrous aggression of the Great Satan…
C.W. Lemoine (call-sign “Mover”), a former fighter pilot, offers “Accident or Crime? A Kuwaiti F/A-18 Shoots Down Three Strike Eagles?” (7:53): https://youtu.be/RUbckcEa7sA
He does not think this was a beyond visual range engagement but that the Kuwaiti knew what he was doing, thus, no accident. That’s his opinion stated as such, folks, and he’s open to learning it may have been otherwise.
“…The gist of it is that Iran never was willing to make concessions…”
Well that’s certainly a surprise!
(Though, actually, that “never” part is NOT QUITE true, is it…since they DID AGREE to keep on talking…and talking…and talking…and talking…and TALKING…and even informed us—with all deliberate seriousness (heh)—that the talks were going in a positive direction, all things being relative, I suppose…since for them, it seems that “continuing to talk” is a MAJOR concession…alas, cultural gaps can often turn out to be so, so problematic…tragic, even…)
#5.
Well, you asked…
(or may have thought about it… Or not.)
Never mind. Here’s a rather profound commentary that touches a lot of the bases and connects a lot of the dots—especially for those of us who DON’T even know how (or what) to ask…:
“Under Beijing’s Wing: Iran’s Arsenal”—
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/under-beijings-wing-irans-arsenal
Interesting times…?
+ Bonus: Shia determination…
“Understanding the ‘Shia Code’;
“Iran’s actions are rooted in Shiite theology, where martyrdom, Hudna truces and Karbala shape strategy toward Israel and the US…”—
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/423368
In the meantime, the Mullahs are doing their darnedest to buoy up the morale of the Democratic Party…
“CENTCOM fact-checks Iran’s claims…—
https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/423420