Before the shooting starts, the lifting does.

That Iran Thing

“While public attention rotated through spectacle — medals, commercials, halftime choreography — a different kind of movement continued largely offscreen: the slow, deliberate stacking of lift, fuel, and steel across the eastern Mediterranean and Gulf. Not the sound of war beginning, but of options being made real.”

With all the sporting stuff flying around we thought it was worth considering this. Iran and the US have had talks. There is some of the usual diplomatic blather to suggest some progress has been made. We will see. There is plenty of stuff happening in the background.

Since mid-July a steady build-up in US military forces comparable to those deployed during DESERT STORM has been in progress. Yesterday’s news featured this:

“A total of 112 U.S. Air Force C-17’s have now either arrived or are en route the Middle East with a further 17-18 in-progress flights,”

That number includes RAF logistics flights from RAF Marham to RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus, and movement on U.S. Air Force CORONET’s.

Coronet missions are cool. In peacetime they are C-46 tankers assigned to support new aircraft sales and delivery, flying along to provide airborne gas. There is no word on what other aircraft are being escorted on the missions. Short range aircraft of interest for that include the fabulous bunker-busting A-10 WARTHOG.

Since mid-July, a steady buildup of U.S. military forces — approaching the scale of major historical deployments — has been quietly underway.
Yesterday’s reporting noted:

“A total of 112 U.S. Air Force C-17s have now either arrived or are en route to the Middle East, with a further 17–18 flights in progress.”

That count includes RAF logistics flights from RAF Marham to RAF Akrotiri, as well as movement associated with U.S. Air Force CORONET fighter deployment missions.

CORONET missions are worth noting. In peacetime they support long-range deliveries of shorter range aircraft using dedicated tanker support; in moments like this, they signal readiness without announcement. There is no public word on which aircraft are being escorted, though short-range, theater-focused platforms — including the formidable A-10 Warthog — remain of particular interest.

(A-10 Warthog, Photo USAF).
C-17s, meanwhile, are the quiet workhorses of modern power projection: capable of lifting over 170,000 pounds, operating from austere runways as short as 3,500 feet, and moving men and materiel intercontinentally with speed and flexibility.

Oman has hosted indirect talks, reportedly with some initial optimism. But Iran has made clear it is unwilling to negotiate its ballistic missile program — a central sticking point for Washington. A second round of talks is expected shortly, although there could be other options being considered in Washington.

Iran’s foreign minister has already framed U.S. diplomacy as insincere, calling it a shield for continued military buildup. Meanwhile, a substantial naval presence- the gunboat end of diplomacy- is now in place.

The sound is not of war beginning.

It is the sound of options being positioned.

Copyright 2026 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com