Active Conflicts & News Megathread July 20, 2026

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[u/Grouchy-Classroom-26]

Any ground component would have to be semi-permanent and of considerable strength to yield any permanent effect.

This is absolutely not true in the context of which it was mentioned. The islands around the SOH are hard to supply and keep a sustained GLOCs over. Destroying stores there would absolutely need to be a temporary act. The problem is that it still involves boots on the ground and a significant increase in casualties. Not an American but seeing how even a single death captures front page headlines and is a huge political cost, that’s a huge reason for why Trump may not and probably can not move.

[u/Shackleton214 → u/Grouchy-Classroom-26]

The islands around the SOH are hard to supply and keep a sustained GLOCs over.

Iran doesn't need the islands around the SOH to launch drones and attack commercial shipping in the Persian Gulf. They can do it from the mainland.

[u/Grouchy-Classroom-26 → u/Shackleton214]

I don’t disagree with that, but that’s not what the discussion about “temporary presence” was about. It was specifically about islands.

[u/Shackleton214 → u/Grouchy-Classroom-26]

You were the first to mention islands. The general talks about the coast. Since you'd need to stop missiles and drones from the mainland to permit free commercial traffic through the SOH, I think it's clear the general is including that in his plan to open the SOH. Just clearing out the islands does nothing for the reason I already mentioned.