U.S. Navy Stands Ready As Artemis II Heroes Return From The Moon

U.S. Navy Stands Ready as Artemis II Heroes Return from the Moon

The USS John P. Murtha is cutting through the Pacific right now, fully prepared to pull off one of the most critical recoveries in modern spaceflight.

This San Diego-based amphibious transport dock ship sits in position under U.S. 3rd Fleet to snatch the Orion spacecraft and its four astronauts straight from the ocean after today's splashdown.

Navy helicopters and divers will move fast to extract the crew, then float the capsule into the ship's well deck for safe handling.

Artemis II blasted off April 1 on a bold lunar flyby — the first crewed trip around the Moon since Apollo 17 more than 50 years ago. The mission tested deep-space systems the hard way, pushing American ingenuity farther than any human has gone in decades.

Big Talk. Big Bragart. Small Navy!

Big Talk, Small Navy: IRGC Commander Threatens to Close Strait of Hormuz, Then Gets Taken Out

Iran's IRGC Navy chief Alireza Tangsiri once stood on a rickety patrol boat, visor flapping in the wind, and boldly threatened the world.

"We have the preparations. If the order is given, we will close the Strait of Hormuz," he declared in the video, gesturing wildly at his modest fleet. "We are ready. We have the capability. The enemy knows this very well. If they want to test us, they can try — we will show them."

That clip, typical of Iran's chest-thumping propaganda, featured what critics mock as the regime's "Temu navy" — cheap-looking fast boats and platforms that looked more like a garage sale than a serious fighting force.

Fast forward to this week: Tangsiri is dead, killed in an Israeli airstrike on March 15, 2026, along with other senior IRGC naval officers.

His vessel reportedly sits at the bottom of the Persian Gulf, sunk during Israel's Operation Roaring Lion as part of the broader U.S.-Israeli campaign against the regime.

The irony is thick. For years, Iranian hardliners have boasted they could choke off the Strait of Hormuz — the narrow waterway carrying about 20 percent of global oil trade — and bring the world to its knees. Yet when real pressure came from precision strikes and superior Western firepower, the big talk evaporated. Tangsiri's "navy" couldn't even protect its own commander.

This episode exposes the hollow nature of the mullahs' regime.

Decades of funding terror proxies, building fake navies, and issuing empty threats have produced little more than sunk boats and dead commanders. Strong leadership and decisive action from Israel and the U.S. are showing what actually works against jihadist bluster: never go full jihad. 

The Iranian people deserve better than this clown show masquerading as military power. The faster the regime collapses, the safer the region — and global energy markets — will be.

NATO And Allies Join Finally

It Finally Happened… The World's Navies Are Coming For Iran

THE ALLIES SAID NO. THEN THEIR ENERGY BILLS CAME DUE. NOW SEVEN NAVIES ARE HEADING TO THE STRAIT.

Countries that swore they'd never get involved in the Iran war are now preparing to send warships to the Persian Gulf. France is sending ten—the largest French naval deployment since 1991. The UK is coordinating strikes from RAF Fairford. Germany, the Netherlands, Canada, Italy, and Japan have all signed a joint statement pledging to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The real question isn't why they changed their minds. It's why they thought they could say no in the first place.

This report breaks down:

• The Math They Missed: Ten years ago, the Persian Gulf supplied a quarter of America's oil. Today, the US barely imports any—about 2% of what it uses. The shale boom did that. America produces 13.6 million barrels a day, more than Saudi Arabia or Russia. When Iran closed the strait and 20% of the world's oil stopped moving, the country least affected was the one doing all the fighting. America's allies watched oil blow past $100 a barrel and realised they had no backup plan. It was never America's problem.

It was always theirs.

• The Wall of Refusals: Germany said it had no intention of joining military operations. France said it would never take part. Italy and Spain echoed the same line. Japan said it was monitoring. South Korea said it was reviewing. The EU held an emergency meeting to expand its Red Sea mission into the Gulf—and voted no. Every door Trump knocked on closed in his face.

• The Break: Trump didn't beg. He didn't negotiate. He kept bombing. And within 48 hours, the economic pressure broke them. Japan gets 70–90% of its crude through Hormuz. South Korea the same. Europe depends almost entirely on imports. Oil hit $100, then kept climbing. Petrol prices jumped overnight. Heating bills spiked. Japanese factories started running out of fuel. Every country that called this America's problem watched its own economy buckle. Meanwhile, American shale producers were making more money from higher prices, and Europe was buying American LNG at record rates to replace the Gulf supply it lost.

• The Coalition: France moved first—ten warships including FREMM-class frigates with Aster anti-air and Exocet anti-ship missiles. The UK is coordinating, with B-1Bs already striking from RAF Fairford and Royal Navy minesweepers heading in. Germany signed the joint statement (minesweepers or logistics).

The Netherlands, Canada, Italy, Japan—all signed. Iran built its asymmetric naval strategy to fight one navy at a time. It was never designed to face American, French, British, Dutch, and Japanese warships simultaneously.

• The Neighbors: Since the war began, Iranian missiles and drones have hit all six Gulf Cooperation Council countries. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Oman—every one struck. Qatar's LNG production (20% of global supply) shut down after a strike. The UAE took nearly 2,000 missiles and drones. Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister: "I do not understand how they claim to defend Islamic causes while attacking Islamic countries." The Gulf states aren't sending warships. They're pressing Trump to finish the job—because half measures create the next war.

• The Finish Line: Trump on Kharg Island: "We can take over the island anytime we want. It is completely unprotected." General Caine confirmed 5,000 penetrator bombs have hit underground missile sites. 120 naval vessels gone. 44 minelayers destroyed. US forces are pushing deeper, hunting attack garrisons one by one.

Treasury Secretary Bessent announced the US could release 140 million barrels of seized Iranian oil onto global markets—the largest single supply shock in history.

A Marine Expeditionary Unit (2,500 Marines) is on its way. A-10 Warthogs are inbound. Iran's armour is 40 years older than what the A-10 was built to kill. And there's nothing left to shoot them down.

Three things to watch: a multinational convoy transiting the strait under armed escort; Trump announcing permanent American military control of the waterway; and whether Iran's government—whose soldiers are burning photos of their Supreme Leader—can survive what's coming.

The world's navies are coming. Not because Trump asked nicely. Because he kept bombing until staying out cost more than showing up.

Operation Epic Fury: Iranian Navy Crushed!

CENTCOM Commander: U.S. Forces Have Crushed Iran's Navy in Operation Epic Fury

TAMPA, Fla. — On March 16, 2026, U.S. Navy Adm. Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command, delivered a firm update on Operation Epic Fury, now in its 16th day of decisive action against the Iranian regime.

Admiral Cooper stated:

"Good afternoon. I'm Admiral Brad Cooper, the Commander of United States Central Command.

I'm here to provide you an update on Operation Epic Fury, now in its [roughly 16–17 days, depending on exact start reference] of execution.

Since the President directed us to commence this operation, U.S. and partner forces have executed precise, overwhelming, and relentless strikes to dismantle the Iranian regime's ability to threaten the region and our interests.

We have successfully destroyed over 100 Iranian naval vessels—surface combatants, fast attack craft, submarines, and support ships—across the Persian Gulf, the Strait of Hormuz, the Gulf of Oman, and into the Arabian Sea.

The Iranian Navy is no longer a viable fighting force in these waters. We aren't done.

Our B-1B Lancers, operating from forward locations and supported by aerial refueling, have delivered massive payloads against deep, hardened targets including command bunkers, missile production facilities, and IRGC leadership sites. These long-range bombers, combined with carrier-based strike aircraft from the USS Abraham Lincoln and other assets, have maintained constant pressure.

Carrier air wings are flying back-to-back waves—day and night—executing dynamic targeting against regime military infrastructure.

We've degraded Iran's air defenses by more than 70 percent in key areas, enabling freedom of maneuver for our forces.

Our A-10 Thunderbolt IIs provide close air support and stand ready to protect our troops and partners if needed. B-52s continue long-duration missions, demonstrating our global reach and sustained power projection.

Logistics remain strong—airlift, sealift, and in-theater sustainment keep our warfighters supplied and ready.

To the men and women executing this mission: I could not be prouder.

You are delivering decisive combat power with unmatched skill and professionalism. The American people stand with you.

To our adversaries: The United States will continue these operations until the Iranian regime's capacity to threaten its neighbors and global commerce is eliminated. There is no off-ramp for aggression; there is only defeat for those who choose it.

We remain committed to protecting our forces, our partners, and freedom of navigation. Operations continue.

Thank you, and God bless our troops."

The briefing underscores America's resolve under President Trump's direction to eliminate threats from Iran's military apparatus through sustained, high-impact strikes.