US troops forced to act on the ground?

Senior government figures were publicly stating they were aware of Trump’s unpredictability from his first day in office. Farage did not steal any marches on that one - in fact I’d wager that my neighbour’s dog knew too.
news.sky.com/story/trumps-unpredictability-takes-uk-government-into-the-unknown-13249413

news.sky.com/story/trumps-unpredictability-takes-uk-government-into-the-unknown-13249413
My neighbours dog was publicly acknowledging Trump’s unpredictability from his first day in office, as were senior government officials. Having our eyes open is not trait unique to Farage.

Sorry, thought I’d wiped the first version, I didn’t intend to emphasise my point.

fancythat

Farage said it right at the beginning.
When everyone else was still well into trying to predict what Trump would do.

The whole world has known for a long time Trump is unpredictable and has unfortunately experienced the adverse impact. Farage was saying nothing that anybody else already knew. Farage is in no way a Trump sage who knows something others don't already know.

As can be seen in posts, that doesn't stop people trying to predict or speculate what Trump might do- but they are always fully aware it is merely speculation- just read some of the posts and links.....

fancythat

Farage said it right at the beginning.
When everyone else was still well into trying to predict what Trump would do.

There are hundreds of examples of commentators calling Trump unpredictable long before this debacle.

Just on bbc news waiting to see live Pentagon briefing. The BBC reports over 2,000 cargo vessels stuck in strait….

I am talking about Farage saying Trump was unpredictable, specifically about the Iran war, right at the beginning.

Cant say I saw or heard anyone else say so, back then.

LemonJam

Just on bbc news waiting to see live Pentagon briefing. The BBC reports over 2,000 cargo vessels stuck in strait….

There is a live link[cant remember what it is called] of shipping.

You can see on it which ships move through and which dont.

And which direction they move in. etc

fancythat

I am talking about Farage saying Trump was unpredictable, specifically about the Iran war, right at the beginning.

Cant say I saw or heard anyone else say so, back then.

I don’t understand why you think that is significant, given everybody and his dog were saying Trump is unpredictable well before that anyway! I don’t imagine they suddenly thought we could trust Trump to do the right thing at the point he entered an illegal war?

But how weird - declaring that Trump is unpredictable and also urging the U.K. to enter the war. Of course once he saw the way the wind was blowing Farage backed away from his support.

fancythat

I am talking about Farage saying Trump was unpredictable, specifically about the Iran war, right at the beginning.

Cant say I saw or heard anyone else say so, back then.

You didn't see anyone fancythat apart from Farage say Trump was unpredictable.

Is that significant in anyway?

Back to Project Freedom- according to Hegseth there are 1,550 commercial vessels in the strait at the moment with 22,500 mariners.

Project Freedom he said, is a 'defensive and intentional' operation that is "Temporary" ( mentioned 3 times) The US is stepping up to guide the vessels through (on a temporary basis) in a 'humanitarian' way and it is Iran that is the 'aggressor'. The SS is encouraging others 'step up' and 'assist', e.g. UK, Australia, EU etc but not waiting for them.

Emphasised Iran is NOT controlling the strait. And the world can BREATHE EASIER' because of the US. Trump is in charge and NOT influenced by Netanyahu he told one press reporter.

The press questions were very controlled, mostly from media outlets I'm not familiar with- e.g Real America Voice got main look in, then Epic Times. I think thats because the Pentagon asked media outlets to sign up to some kind of restrictive reporting agreement, many didn't so not invited in...)

One of 2 last press questions was how many ships are planned to be escorted through each day, over how many days. Hegseth turned and walked out without that being answered clearly.

What a lot of garbage from Hegseth. Iran is controlling the Strait and had done since the beginning of the war. The world can't breathe easier because the Trump regime has dragged all of us into his war.
Of course Trump was influenced by Netanyahu.
Another load of lies from Hegseth after lying about insider trading.

I remember someone saying that its so unfair that politicians start wars and our young people are sent to battle to do the fighting. I tend to agree. If politicians had to send their young family to war first perhaps we wouldn't have wars

Trump is risking his polling in the mid terms more and more as time goes on: prices rise in the USA: he's getting in a situation where he'll either have to use ground troops or lose face.

As for empty appeals for Stepping Up to countries he has totally P'd off and continues to do so, like just shoving more tariffs on the EU, and even Farage not backing him in the UK, and the Conservatives out to get Farage though the 5 million gift issue, well......

CNN, two days ago: they have to tiptoe around but...

"Two months into the Iran war, almost everybody is a loser"

its actually well worth a read, becuase it truly notes the suffering of the ordinary people of Iran and Lebanon as well as noting how the American people are affected

"The American people

The war has been punishing for Americans and their wallets. They are already paying more for gasoline and air tickets as well as some services as more businesses start adding a fuel surcharge to their prices. Annual inflation rose to 3.3% in March, up from 2.4% in February. Consumer sentiment is plunging.

“There’s not a delicate way to say it: the situation for the United States right now is not good,” Sisson, of the Brookings Institute, said. “The US economy is heavily dependent on oil to fuel transportation of people and goods and is under-invested in renewable energies.”

edition.cnn.com/2026/05/02/world/iran-war-two-month-loser-intl

well....

And of course not a single person predicted that this would happen🙄

AGAA4

What a lot of garbage from Hegseth. Iran is controlling the Strait and had done since the beginning of the war. The world can't breathe easier because the Trump regime has dragged all of us into his war.
Of course Trump was influenced by Netanyahu.
Another load of lies from Hegseth after lying about insider trading.

I utterly agree!

BlueBelle

And trump isn’t bluster 🤣🤣🤣

No, Trump is just a bog-standard coward and draft dodger.

But he does have the brass neck to accept the title of "Commander in Chief"...........as long as it's someone else "taking a bullet for the President".

The other great thing has Trump done for “his people” is tourism, or rather lack of it.

I know several people personally, including my family, who have changed holiday plans since Trump retook his perch. I am sure that many have done this.

I truly hope he gets what’s coming to him in the midterms. He won’t take it well, he’ll kick off, he’ll say it’s cheating and god only knows what he will do next!

I fail to see any relevance whatsoever of Farage stating Trump is “unpredictable” fancythat we all knew that from his first stint at POTUS, it’s why most of us were horrified he got back in this time. Farage has gone off his mate since he the last time he flew out to Florida and was not invited to Mar-a-Lago.

Casdon

fancythat

I am talking about Farage saying Trump was unpredictable, specifically about the Iran war, right at the beginning.

Cant say I saw or heard anyone else say so, back then.

I don’t understand why you think that is significant, given everybody and his dog were saying Trump is unpredictable well before that anyway! I don’t imagine they suddenly thought we could trust Trump to do the right thing at the point he entered an illegal war?

It wasnt about "the right thing".
Putting words in mouths, that one.

Since lots of posters here are trying to talk against the Farage thing, I seem to have hit a nerve

Around the beginning of March, or thereabouts, at beginning of war, the world and his wife were trying to second guess what Trump was going to do about the Iran war.
Farage was asked, and said no one could predict Trump.

Dare I go one step further? Think I will.
To me[and let's see what voters think this Thursday], he is currently still nearer what "the man" on the street is saying about a whole load of things, than any other current "Leader" is. In my opinion.

And I had better add a couple of other things.
As no doubt I will be asked or further quizzed[why I am quizzed such a lot on this forum has always baffled me].

Yes, I might poss vote for Farage[but we dont have local elections this time around].
But give me a week, or when say the result of that donation thing is resolved, I may vote for someone else[I am a floating voter, remember. It is what us floating voters do. As in float.].

fancythat I may be alone in this, but I really have not the slightest idea why you keep insisting Farage is some kind of mind reader or fortune teller, by making a remark about Trump that many people have made before him and if, indeed, he was the first to make this remark specifically in context with the Iran war, then so what? What relevance does this have to anything at all? I genuinely don’t understand?

fancythat 14.53.

There are a couple of other current threads on Gransnet about Farage - his £5million undeclared personal payment, Reform's threats to voters etc. There are also posts about the coming May elections if you want to talk about Farage on something that is relevant. He is a somewhat marmite figure and threads about him usually gain interest.

In my view that Farage said Trump was unpredictable, on one occasion, when he was asked about the Iran war is of no consequence or significance whatsoever to the world or this post. His view is not in contention and is shared by the majority of people across the world after all. You may be able to name someone that thinks Trump is "predictable" but I can't.

I cant see that Farage has no real relevance to the subject matter of this post But, I accept that Farage said Trump was unpredictable when asked about Iran and in some way that is significant to you. So be it.

I'd be far more interested if you have any views about Project Freedom and what's going on in the strait- rather than talk about Farage?

Whilst Trump is not predictable, he can always be relied upon to create chaos, division and problems. We also know he likes to be seen as "in charge" as Hegseth has just emphasised in the Pentagon briefing. We also know Trump would dearly like to be seen as a peacemaker (🥱 🤷‍♀️ ) and would like to win a Nobel peace prize. That may explain, why he so quickly has pivoted from his agresssive comments and that Iran has not suffered enough at the weekend- to now wanting to see Project Freedom as a 'Humanitarian' mission?

Spin and delusion- now that is one behavioural response that is typical of Trump. So we know overall that the exact timing of Trump's behaviours and reactions cannot be exactly predicted, but he does have a pattern of behaviours he repeats and his personality traits are well known. That's is what is fascinating yet also worrying. The second guessing and speculation how Trump's PF plan will unfurl is being second guessed and speculated upon by many, even in this thread. Eg. what will be the outcome of Trump's Project Freedom plan. Can it be sustained? How long might it take to get 1,500 plus vessels out of the strait? Or is it just a prelude to the end of the tentative ceasefire and war re starting?

AGAA4

What a lot of garbage from Hegseth. Iran is controlling the Strait and had done since the beginning of the war. The world can't breathe easier because the Trump regime has dragged all of us into his war.
Of course Trump was influenced by Netanyahu.
Another load of lies from Hegseth after lying about insider trading.

It was all spin and delusion in my view. If Iran wasn't controlling the strait what is the basis and need for Project Freedom? That Hegseth walked out and didn't give an answer to the question how many days/how long would it take the US to escort 1,500 plus vessels out of the blocked strait he didn't have an answer and walked out.

He could hardly give an exact answer tho could he? With so many ships waiting to get through and not knowing how Iran will act as an escalation it would naturally take time, but if nothing is done then the ships would be there forever!