Category: War

The Iranian Two Step

This is good stuff….as a student of international relations this is perfect example of how not to act.

WE have a ceasefire between the US and Iran (at at least I think we do) and on Friday Iran opened the Straight of Hormuz to shipping traffic….

Iran has reopened the Strait of Hormuz, and world markets were celebrating. Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced on X that the waterway is once again open to commercial traffic, reports the Wall Street Journal. He said it will remain open at least through the duration of the 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. Oil prices plunged about 10% on the news, with benchmark Brent down to roughly $90 a barrel, per CNBC. The Dow surged more than 500 points, or 1.1%, and the S&P 500 also rose about 1%.

President Trump hailed the move on Truth Social. “Iran has just announced that the Strait of Iran is fully open and ready for full passage,” he wrote in all-caps. “Thank you!” However, he added that the separate US blockade on ships entering and exiting Iranian ports would remain in effect “until such time as our transaction with Iran is 100% complete.” He said reaching a final deal should “go very quickly” from here on out.

Then our clueless leader had to go on stage and chest thump about taking Iranian uranium in his clumsy way…….then on Saturday a 180….

Iran swiftly reversed course on reopening the Strait of Hormuz, reimposing restrictions on the critical waterway on Saturday after the US said it wouldn’t end its blockade of Iran-linked shipping. Iran’s joint military command said that “control of the Strait of Hormuz has returned to its previous state … under strict management and control of the armed forces,” per the AP. It warned that it would continue to block transit through the strait as long as the US blockade of Iranian ports remained in effect. The announcement came the morning after US President Trump said that even after Iran announced the strait’s reopening on Friday, the American blockade “will remain in full force” until Tehran reaches a deal with the US, including on its nuclear program.

The conflict over the choke point threatened to deepen the energy crisis roiling the global economy after oil prices began to fall again on Friday on hopes that the US and Iran were drawing closer to an agreement. Roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil passes through the strait, and further limits would squeeze already constrained supply, driving prices higher once again. Control over the strait has proven to be one Iran’s main points of leverage and prompted the US to deploy forces and initiate a blockade on Iranian ports as part of an effort to force Iran to accept a Pakistan-brokered ceasefire to end almost seven weeks of war that has raged between Israel, the US, and Iran.

Iran said it fully reopened the Strait of Hormuz to commercial vessels after a 10-day truce was announced between Israel and the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militant group in Lebanon. An end to Israel’s war with Hezbollah was a key demand of Iranian negotiators, who previously accused Israel of breaking last week’s ceasefire with strikes on Lebanon. Israel had said that deal didn’t cover Lebanon. But after Trump said the blockade would continue, top Iranian officials said his announcement violated last week’s ceasefire agreement between Iran and the US and warned the strait wouldn’t stay open if the US blockade remained in effect. Data firm Kpler said that movement through the strait remained confined to corridors requiring Iran’s approval. US forces have sent 21 ships back to Iran since the blockade began on Monday, US Central Command said on X.

Only an extremely stupid person does not know when to keep their idiot mouth shut.

The logical question now is what comes next?

Oil prices plunged and the stock market boomed on Friday after Iran and the US said the Strait of Hormuz was largely open to commercial traffic. An Iranian official suggested the move isn’t permanent as peace negotiations continue, though President Trump said on Truth Social that Iran promised to never close the strait again, and declared that the Hormuz “situation is over.” Related coverage:

  • Questions: Plenty of questions were unanswered about how freely ships will be able to move and even whether they may have to pay a toll to Iran, notes the Washington Post. Further complicating things was that the US was leaving its own blockade of Iranian ports in place. It may take awhile for the details to clarify, but “assuming this holds, then I think it’s great news,” Jerry Kalogiratos of the shipping company Capital Clean Energy Carriers tells the New York Times.
  • Uranium: One of the sticking points in talks has centered on Tehran’s stash of enriched uranium. On Friday, President Trump said in a Truth Social post that Iran had agreed to hand over its stockpile, though Tehran hasn’t confirmed. “We’re going to get ‌it together,” Trump told Reuters. “We’re going to go in with Iran, at a nice leisurely pace, and go down and start excavating with big machinery. … We’ll bring it back to the United States.”
  • Oil/gas prices: The cost of a barrel of Brent crude plunged 10% to under $90 a barrel, and that could translate into a quick reduction in gas prices, says GasBuddy analyst Patrick De Haan, per NBC News. “This could accelerate sending fuel prices lower starting this weekend with the national average likely falling below $4/gal to perhaps $3.65-$3.85,” he wrote. The average price was $4.09 Friday morning.
  • The talks: The Times reports that US and Iranian negotiators were finalizing a three-page memo that contained the broad strokes of a peace deal. It could be signed at a second round of talks in the coming days.

Now that Donny has fucked up this attempt at a ceasefire…..where will he go now?

For one he will start seizing ships….

The US military is preparing to board and seize Iran-linked commercial vessels on the high seas in the coming days, officials say, widening a maritime campaign that has so far centered on the Persian Gulf region. The move follows Iran’s assertion that it is again tightly controlling the Strait of Hormuz, coupled with reported attacks on commercial ships there. The Trump administration is using increased naval activity and economic leverage to pressure the Iranian government over its nuclear program and its control of oil exports, the Wall Street Journal reports.

And now he has made one of his ill-conceived sweeping statements…..

President Donald Trump has issued his latest threat to Iran and said that if officials fail to make a deal with the United States “the whole country is going to get blown up.”

The president also made threats Sunday morning to target civil infrastructure after it was reported that Iranian forces were refusing to allow ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz this weekend.

“We’re offering a very fair and reasonable DEAL, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran. NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!” Trump wrote. The posts appeared to be an effort to bring the regime to the table for 11th-hour talks before the U.S.-Iran ceasefire expires next week.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-iran-negotiations-infrastructure-bridges-b2960588.html

Iran ddoes not need nukes….it has the Straight of Hormuz.

Will someone give this twat a Big Mac and Diet Cola and tell him to go sit in the corner?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Add A Drum Roll

The talks failed with Iran and then Donny says they will restart in a couple of days and now we know that he is sending more ground troops to the region on stand-by.

The US is sending thousands of additional troops to the Middle East and is considering restarting the bombing campaign against Iran or launching ground operations in the country, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing unnamed US officials.

The report said that the forces include 6,000 troops aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush and its accompanying warships. Notably, the Bush traveled around southern Africa on its way to the region instead of going through the Mediterranean and the Suez Canal, the typical route of US warships, signaling the US is concerned the Houthis in Yemen could close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

About 4,200 other US troops, including thousands of Marines, are heading to the region from the Pacific aboard the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group. The Post said they are expected to reach the Middle East by the end of April. Once both forces arrive, the US will have more than 60,000 troops in the region.

The buildup and the US blockade of Iranian ports are framed as an effort to get Iran to agree to US demands for a diplomatic deal. But according to President Trump, the US is continuing to demand that Iran make a commitment to never again enrich uranium for civilian purposes, a condition that’s seen as a non-starter and will likely lead to a renewal of the bombing campaign if the US sticks to it.

The current ceasefire between the US and Iran will expire on April 22 if it’s not extended. Other reports have said that President Trump has considered launching “limited” strikes in Iran to get Tehran to capitulate, but any renewed bombing campaign would mean a return to full-blown war.

Concerning possible ground operations, the Post report said that Trump administration officials have “discussed everything from launching a complex Special Operations mission to extract Iranian nuclear material, to landing Marines on coastal areas and islands to protect the strait, to seizing Kharg Island, an Iranian export facility in the Persian Gulf.”

(antiwar.com)

Is this a bluff?

Will Americans die because of Israel?

Now flash forward to the other side of the world…..a small island nation of Cuba.

Donny and that little idiot Marco have been threatening Cuba for a couple of months and now word comes that there may be more to their jaw slapping than BS….

The Pentagon has increased its preparations for a possible attack on Cuba, according to media reports, as President Trump has made clear that war against the island nation may be his next military intervention.

Zeteo first reported the ramped-up plans for war with Cuba, saying that in recent days, “officials at the Pentagon and elsewhere in the US government were quietly given a new directive that came straight from the Trump White House. The message: ramp up your preparations for possible military operations against Cuba.”

USA Today affirmed the Zeteo scoop, reporting that military planning for war with Cuba has increased in case President Trump orders an attack on the country.

Trump may be eyeing an operation similar to the attack on Venezuela that resulted in the abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, as Zeteo reported that the administration is discussing plans to “attack and kidnap Cuban leaders.”

Since the attack on Venezuela, which killed at least 83 people, including four civilians, the US has been dealing with Delcy Rodriguez, Maduro’s vice president, who was sworn in as acting president. The US has eased sanctions on Venezuela in an effort to control its oil industry and oil experts, and has cut off Cuba from Venezuelan oil, part of a ramped-up blockade that’s caused a devastating humanitarian crisis in the country.

The US has been engaged in some negotiations with Cuba, but it’s unclear what sort of deal would satisfy the US, as the main driver of the policy, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, would likely not accept an arrangement that keeps the current government in power.

On Monday, President Trump told USA Today that the US “may stop by Cuba after we’re finished with this,” referencing the US-Israeli conflict against Iran. The president has previously said that he wants to have the “honor” of “taking Cuba” and that he feels that he “can do anything I want with it.”

In the face of the pressure and threats from the US, Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has said he will not step down and has vowed that Cuba is ready to fight.

“An invasion of Cuba would have costs. … It would affect the security of Cuba, the United States and of the region,” Diaz-Canel told NBC News in a recent interview. “If that happens, there will be fighting, and there will be a struggle, and we will defend ourselves, and if we need to die, we’ll die, because as our national anthem says, ‘Dying for the homeland is to live.’”

(aqntiwar.com)

This wrinkled old bastard and his idiotic cohorts are determined to set this world on fire.

Are you people happy now?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Why Worry About Iran?

Since our dear beloved leader has decided to venture into this ill-conceived war with Iran prices have shot up even more4 than before it all began.

But according to some d/bag from Kansas that is not what we should be worried about…..

A Republican senator on Tuesday tried to sell wary Americans on President Donald Trump’s war with Iran by telling them that national security is more important than any financial pain they’re feeling in the form of higher energy costs.

During an appearance on Newsmax’s “Wake Up America” program, Sen. Roger Marshall (R-Kan.) tried to assuage Americans’ concerns about the spike in gas prices caused by the war by informing viewers that the US is “the leading producer of oil in the world, we’re exporting more than we’re importing.”

The US exporting more of its own oil to foreign countries whose regular supplies have been disrupted by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz does nothing to lower US gas prices and, if anything, will push them higher.

As a Monday Wall Street Journal article explained, “prices at the pump are poised to keep rising if the US exports more oil and gas and drains its inventories,” especially since “the jump in exports doesn’t yet correspond to an increase in US oil production.”

Later in the segment, Marshall acknowledged that Americans were feeling pain at the gas pump, but he said it was worth it to stop the supposed threat from Iran, which did not attack the US and, according to US intelligence estimates, was not close to producing nuclear weapons.

“I’m sorry that gas prices are going up,” he said. “But help is on the way, and your national security, yes, is even more important than your pocketbook.”

https://www.commondreams.org/news/roger-marshall-gas-prices

What a disingenuous twat!

US is doing all this bullshit to placate Israel for some sick reason.

But not to worry it will get worse as long as that pasty asshole runs this country…..we can only keep working to see that this tool gets his comeuppance……and soon.

When this Iran debacle is done Donny will find another way to manipulate the markets to keep his ‘buddies’ in pocket change.

Sickening isn’t it?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

 

What’s Next?

The proposed ceasefire talks with Iran did not take (few of us thought it would) and now what fresh Hell awaits the region?

After Vice President JD Vance left Pakistan with no nuclear agreement and few clear next steps, politically problematic options remain for the Trump administration. It could reopen extended negotiations over Iran’s nuclear future, the New York Times reports, or resume the attacks that have triggered the largest energy disruption in modern history. President Trump, who announced a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz on Sunday, has argued that Iran should now simply give in after enduring more than 13,000 strikes. But Tehran says the casualties and damage have only strengthened its resolve. The shaky two-week ceasefire expires April 21.

Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf suggested the next step is up to the US, per the Washington Post. “America has understood our logic and principles, and now it’s time for it to decide whether it can earn our trust or not,” Ghalibaf posted on X. Any renewed conflict could worsen oil shortages, drive gasoline prices higher, deepen supply problems for products including fertilizers and semiconductors, and push inflation above its current 3.3%. Both governments claim victory from the first round of fighting—the US for its firepower, Iran for withstanding it—and neither side is signaling readiness to compromise.

One expert cautioned about the ceasefire, per Deutsche Welle. “The risk is gradual erosion,” said Fatemeh Aman of the Atlantic Council. “Local incidents, miscalculations, or actions by allied groups could test the limits of restraint. Without a follow-up diplomatic process, the ceasefire remains exposed. It may hold in the short term, but it lacks long-term stability.”

Donny’s newest threat for the conflict….a blockade…..

President Trump’s vow to use the US Navy to shut off Iran’s access to the Strait of Hormuz is pushing the six-week war into a more dangerous phase with major economic stakes, the Wall Street Journal reports. After US-Iran peace talks in Pakistan collapsed over Tehran’s nuclear program, Trump said the Navy will on Monday begin blockading the narrow waterway, inspecting ships that have paid Iran for passage, and clearing sea mines; he warned that any Iranian forces firing on US or commercial vessels would be “BLOWN TO HELL.” US Central Command says the blockade, which will begin at 10am Eastern time Monday, will be “enforced impartially against vessels of all nations,” but that ships will be allowed to transit the strait if they are traveling between non-Iranian ports—a step back from Trump’s initial threat of a full blockade, the AP reports.

The Pentagon says the operation is feasible, but current and former officials who spoke to the Journal caution that keeping control of the strait—bordered by Iran and vital to global oil flows—will be far more complicated than launching the blockade. Iran’s regular navy has taken heavy losses, but the Revolutionary Guard still fields a large fleet of fast boats, drones, and mines that can harass or threaten US ships. Retired Rear Adm. Mark Montgomery calls the effort “militarily manageable” but said Washington will likely need partners.

The economic fallout is already spreading. With Iran having previously choked traffic through Hormuz, factories in parts of Asia are cutting output, some gas stations there are rationing fuel, and some airports in Europe and Asia are running low on jet fuel. Analysts estimate about 13 million barrels a day of Gulf oil—or roughly 12% of global supply—has been knocked offline; a successful effort to halt Iran’s remaining exports could remove another 2 million barrels daily.

Trump and his advisers argue the blockade is needed to end what they call Iranian “extortion” and to prevent Tehran from ever obtaining a nuclear weapon. The White House says “numerous countries” will join the effort, though key European and Gulf governments have signaled their participation may depend on a broader ceasefire and an international mandate. Iran, buoyed by recent oil revenue, still holds leverage: it could target Saudi and UAE pipelines that bypass Hormuz or use allied groups to threaten other chokepoints, such as the Bab al-Mandeb off Yemen—raising the possibility of a drawn-out test of endurance between Tehran and a global economy already under strain. Experts who spoke to Reuters echoed those who spoke to the Journal, noting a blockade of the strait is an act of war that could bring retaliation from Iran, and is unlikely to help with US gas prices.

There you have just what is waiting for us on the horizon…..will Donny jump or will calmer heads prevail?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The Shaky Ceasefire

Note:  I get juiced this morning early so I will be down for the count….chemo has that effect…..hopefully I will be at full strength come Saturday…..Have a good day.

It has been announced and it has been on unstable ground since that day…..but just for the FYI here are the points of each side….

US 15 Point Proposals Now

1) US will remove all sanctions on Iran

2) It will cease all threats to reimpose sanctions

3) Iran’s nuclear program will be frozen under a defined framework

4) US will assist Iran in developing a civilian nuclear project

5) There will be limit on enriched uranium to remain under supervision

6) US agrees to address the Iranian missile program at a later date

7) Iran’s nuclear program will be restricted to civilian purposes only

8) Iran will halt the development of existing nuclear facilities & capabilities

9) Iran will discontinue further expansion of enrichment capabilities

10) No production of weapons-grade nuclear material to occur on Iranian soil

11) Iran will hand over all enriched materials to the IAEA on an agreed timeline

12) Iran’s Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow nuclear facilities will be taken out of use

13) International monitoring and verification mechanisms

14) Implementations will be gradual and tied to compliance

15) Both sides to discuss additional regional and security issues

Then there is the counter from Iran….

Iran’s Current 10 Point Proposal

1) Guarantee that Iran will not be attacked again

2) Permanent end to the war, not just a ceasefire

3) End to Israeli strikes in Lebanon

4) Lifting of all sanctions on Iran

5) End to all regional fighting against Iranian allies

6) In return, Iran would open the Strait of Hormuz

7) Iran will determine the rules of safe passage through Hormuz

8) A Hormuz fee of $2 million per ship

9) Iran would split these fees with Oman

10) Iran to use Hormuz fees for reconstruction instead of reparations

Let’s pretend that this ceasefire holds…..who won?

So who’s winning, or has won, the Iran war thus far? Who’s losing?

Iran has agreed to a temporary ceasefire and to negotiate. But it will still run the Hormuz strait. It will collect fees. Higher global oil prices means it will make even more money from oil sales. That can buy a lot of Chinese radars and Russian anti-aircraft systems. The US will not control the Hormuz in any way. Iran will set the rules and control the strait, in cooperation with one or two friendlier Gulf states (Oman, maybe Qatar?)

Iran will replenish and accelerate production and development of its missiles and drone programs.

The Iran war—like the Ukraine war—means military power has changed radically. Surface ships are sitting ducks. Even 5th generation aircraft if they get too close. War is now about hypersonic missiles, autonomous weapons, massed drones in the air, on and under the water, low orbit satellites and surveillance—and of course economic destabilization.

The most important question remains: what will Israel do should US and Iran agree to a deal (or don’t)? Trump and the Iranians can agree to all they want. Israel will not necessarily abide by it (even if it says it will). When the dust settles, Israel will again try to find a way to lure America into its wars of expansion in the middle east.

(counterpunch.org)

Will this actually hold a peace in the region?

I think not for Israel does not want a peace for the region.

What say you?

Just FYI….Iran is claiming victory…..

US forces secured a “historic and overwhelming victory” over Iran, defense chief Pete Hegseth declared Wednesday, adding that “Iran proved utterly incapable of defending itself.” Iran, of course, begs to differ, with its national security council boasting that it delivered “an undeniable, historic, and crushing defeat” to its foes, per the Wall Street Journal. A Washington Post piece finds that behind the bluster, neither side is a “clear winner,” but the newspaper is among a number of outlets exploring why Tehran is maintaining victory. The short version: The regime survived, albeit after losing key figures; Iran tightened its grip on the Strait of Hormuz; and it still possesses a stockpile of highly enriched uranium, per Politico.

“What Iran did, systematically and deliberately, was hurt the US economy” by shutting down the strait and sending oil prices soaring, Alex Vatanka of the Middle East Institute tells the Journal. “They made sure the war was felt in the US,” he says, adding, “I don’t think Trump’s going to try that again.” And even after the ceasefire, Iran continues to maintain control over which ships are allowed to navigate the strait. “The implication: Iran is intent on using its newfound control over the flow of oil from the Persian Gulf as leverage over Trump as the Islamic Republic seeks to rebuild its power after the biggest threat to its survival in decades,” writes David S. Cloud of the Journal.

The Post, meanwhile, notes that crowds filled the streets of Tehran after the ceasefire announcement, triumphantly waving their nation’s flag, far from the “unconditional surrender” President Trump had previously demanded. Not that Iran emerged unscathed: In additon to the relentless bombing attacks from the US and Israel, it is now more isolated than ever in the region because of its attacks on neighboring nations. Still, as one Asian diplomat tells Politico of Hegseth’s threat to resume strikes if necessary, “Declaring victory by saying he will attack Iran some more seems like losing.”

What say you?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Wipe Them Out!

The Donny inspired mash-up with Iran has him making all kinds of proclamations, especially worrying is his proclamation that he would wipe out the Iranian civilization if they did not submit to his outrageous demands.

As a political historian I want to let my readers know that for all his ranting and chest thumping he is not alone with such visions.

Donald Trump is arguably the most out-of-control politician in American history. Yet he isn’t the first to threaten the lives of an entire civilization. He is, however, the first to announce a time and date. April 7, 2026, at 8 pm Eastern time.

American political leaders, especially in the 18th and 19th centuries, also made troubling remarks.

Andrew Jackson described Native resistance as something that would lead to their “utter annihilation.”

Theodore Roosevelt is documented as saying that the extermination of Native Americans was “as ultimately beneficial as it was inevitable.”

California’s first governors and legislators openly called for the extermination of Native tribes. Governor Peter Burnett said, “A war of extermination will continue to be waged… until the Indian race becomes extinct.”

During Reconstruction and Jim Crow, state legislators openly discussed the need to “eliminate” Black political power and sometimes Black populations in certain counties. This included threats of “wiping out” Black communities during racial pogroms.

Senator Benjamin Tillman openly bragged about killing Black people to suppress their political rights, saying, “We have done our level best to prevent Blacks from voting… We shot them.” He also threatened further mass violence if Black political power grew.

Thomas Jefferson articulated a framework in which Native peoples faced only two options as he saw them: assimilation into Euro‑American society or extermination through war. Historians widely cite this as one of the clearest examples of early U.S. federal policy framing Native survival as conditional. He said the goal was to prepare them for becoming citizens of the United States, or face destruction if they resisted U.S. expansion.

Abraham Lincoln’s initial plan for enslaved people was gradual emancipation and deportation, with the only other option a war of extermination.

“It does seem to me that systems of gradual emancipation might be adopted; but for their tardiness in this, I should be without hope of their ever being adopted. But if they were adopted, it would give time for the gradual emancipation and deportation of the negroes, so that they would not be a burden on us, nor we on them. But if we deal with the negro as with the white man, and make him politically and socially our equal, we shall have a war of extermination.” — Abraham Lincoln

During the James K. Polk administration, several U.S. generals and members of Congress advocated the annexation or destruction of Mexican society during the Mexican-American War. South Carolina Senator John C. Calhoun opposed annexing Mexico.

“We could never incorporate such a people,” said Calhoun. “It would be the destruction of our government.”

In 2010, another South Carolina Senator, Lindsey Graham, threatened Iran:

“We will obliterate their ability to function as a modern society,” said  Graham

Harry Truman even sounds a little bit like Trump when he made threats against Japan.

“They may expect a rain of ruin from the air, the like of which has never been seen on this earth.” — President Harry Truman

General Curtis LeMay oversaw the firebombing of Japanese cities and spoke in stark terms about the scale of destruction:

“We scorched and boiled and baked to death more people in Tokyo that night than went up in vapor at Hiroshima,” said General LeMay

He also said the goal was to “destroy Japan’s ability to wage war by burning down every city.”

In the 1942–1945 congressional debates, there were calls to “wipe Japan off the map.”

General LeMay also threatened that the United States could “bomb China back into the Stone Age. That sounds similar to a recent threat of Trump’s against Iran.

“We are blasting Iran into oblivion or, as they say, back to the Stone Ages,”  said Trump

For the record, the United States has been to war multiple times against Britain, France, and Germany, without once threatening to wipe their countries and peoples off the map. I’m trying not to draw any conclusions about who America deems worthy of elimination and who is not. I think the simplest answer is probably correct.

But who am I to say?

(levelman.com)

 

As you can see there have been many times that we have threatened to wipe out one civilization or another.

 

Just In The Nick Of Time

For about 5 weeks our little mash-up with Iran has been raging…..Donny has been ranting and his minions have been dutiful.

And as if a movie plot at the very stroke of midnight a ceasefire deal has been announced.

Iran says it has accepted a proposal for a two-week ceasefire, but the war will only be considered over if and when a final agreement is reached that aligns with every element of its 10-point plan. President Trump said Tuesday that he had suspended attacks on Iran for two weeks after receiving a “workable” proposal for Iran. According to Iranian state media, the plan calls for coordinated, controlled passage through the Strait of Hormuz under Iranian military oversight, a halt to military operations against Iran and its allied groups, and the withdrawal of US combat forces from all bases in the region, Reuters reports.

  • “It is emphasized that this does not signify the termination of the war,” Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said in a statement, per the AP. “Our hands remain upon the trigger, and should the slightest error be committed by the enemy, it shall be met with full force.”
  • Tehran is also demanding the lifting of all US sanctions—both primary and secondary—the release of frozen Iranian funds, and payment of “full compensation” to Iran. In a statement on X, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said, “For a period of two weeks, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible via coordination with Iran’s Armed Forces and with due consideration of technical limitations.” Araghchi, who said he was making the announcement on behalf of the Supreme National Security Council, said Iran would halt military attacks as long as the country was not attacked, NBC News reports.

The deal has done what it was suppose to do….drop oil pricess….

Oil prices plunged and US stock futures jumped on Tuesday after President Trump held off on his threat of devastating attacks on Iran. Futures for US crude oil sank 18% to around $92.60, while Brent crude oil futures fell about 6% to $103.40, the AP reports. Both prices remain well above where they were at the start of the war. Futures for the S&P 500 rose 2.4% and Dow futures jumped 2.1%, more than 900 points, reports CNBC. Stock markets in Japan and South Korea also soared, while bitcoin rose more than 5%, the Wall Street Journal reports.

  • Late Tuesday, Trump said he was holding off on his threatened attacks on Iranian bridges, power plants and other civilian targets, subject to Tehran agreeing to a two-week ceasefire and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. Iran’s Supreme National Security Council said it had accepted a two-week ceasefire and its foreign minister said passage through the strait would be allowed for the next two weeks under Iranian military management.
  • Oil prices have spiked because the war has snarled the production and transportation of crude in the Persian Gulf. Much of that oil exits the gulf through the Strait of Hormuz to reach customers around the world, but Iran has blocked it to enemies. A regional official, speaking on condition of anonymity, tells the AP that the two-week ceasefire plan includes allowing both Iran and Oman to charge fees on ships transiting through the strait. The official said Iran would use the money it raised for reconstruction. It wasn’t immediately clear what Oman would use its money for. The strait is in the territorial waters of both Oman and Iran. The world had previously considered the passage a toll-free international waterway.
  • About a fifth of the world’s oil transits the strait in peacetime. Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s foreign minister, wrote in a statement that: “For a period of two weeks, safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz will be possible via coordination with Iran’s Armed Forces and with due consideration of technical limitations.” Before the war, there were no “technical limitations,” the AP notes.

There is two weeks for a deal to end this stupidity once and for all.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

 

Another Rambling Speech?

The nation will be sitting on the edge of their chairs as Donny tells us what he has planned for the Iran War tonight.

President Trump says the end of the Iran war is near, and the White House says plans to explain what comes next in a prime-time address Wednesday night. In a post on X, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Trump “will give an Address to the Nation to provide an important update on Iran” at 9pm Eastern. Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Tuesday, Trump said the US would wind down its military campaign in Iran within “two or three weeks” and again brushed off the closure of the Strait of Hormuz as a problem mainly for other nations.

  • “We will be leaving soon,” Trump said, though the New York Times reports that he mentioned different timelines. He said it would be “maybe two weeks, maybe a couple of days longer to do the job. But we want to knock out every single thing they have.”
  • Trump, who has repeatedly cited four or five objectives for the war, said he “had one goal: They will have no nuclear weapon and that goal has been attained,” the AP reports. Later Tuesday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the US was ahead of schedule with multiple objectives, including wiping out Iran’s missile and drone factories, CNN reports. “We’re well on our way. We are on or ahead of schedule on each of those four objectives and we can see the finish line. It’s not today, it’s not tomorrow but it’s coming,” Rubio told Sean Hannity in a Fox News appearance.
  • Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian told European Council President Antonio Costa on Tuesday that Iran had the “necessary will” to end the conflict with the US and Israel if “guarantees” were in place, Euronews reports. “We possess the necessary will to end this conflict, provided that essential conditions are met, especially the guarantees required to prevent repetition of the aggression,” Pezeshkian said, according to a statement from his office.
  • On the ground, the fighting showed little sign of wrapping up on Tuesday, the Times reports. A large airstrike hit the Iranian city of Isfahan, triggering a massive blast, and a Kuwaiti oil tanker went up in flames after a drone attack at a Dubai port, which Kuwaiti officials blamed on Iran. In Washington, Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the US has begun flying B-52 bombers over Iran for the first time in the conflict, describing it as evidence that Iranian air defenses have been badly weakened.

Will this be a typical Donny self love fest or will he give the nation the straight skinny?

My guess is the former not the later…..he has not giving the nation the straight skinny for over a year.

Will there be hints at US Troops on the ground?

So many questions with few answers forthcoming.

I will be watching and writing.  (so you do not have to)

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Donny Is At It Again

Al through this mash-up with Iran Donny has made statement after statement and none have proven to be true…..so far….and as if right on cue another of his BS statements.

President Trump on Monday suggested that peace talks were making progress, but he also threatened to expand bombardment of Iran should those talks collapse. In a Truth Social post, Trump said the US was negotiating with a “new, and more reasonable, regime,” but he warned that a deal must happen quickly and demanded that the Strait of Hormuz be opened immediately, reports NBC News. If not, the US will end its military campaign by “blowing up and completely obliterating” Iran’s electricity plants, oil wells, and the vital energy hub of Kharg Island, he wrote. The US also might hit Iran’s desalination plants, he added.

The nature of the new negotiations was not immediately clear: Pakistan is hosting a forum of regional neighbors, though neither Iran nor the US was participating. A spokesman for the current Iranian regime, meanwhile, made clear that Tehran has had “no direct negotiations with the US,” reports the BBC. Esmail Baghaei also accused the US of “constantly” shifting its public positions. “I do not know how many in the United States take the claim of American diplomacy seriously,” he said. Still, Trump’s comments on progress have boosted optimism on Wall Street, notes CNBC, with Dow futures up more than 300 points. On Sunday, Trump also said Tehran agreed to let an additional 20 ships traverse the strait as a “sign of respect” to the US, per the New York Times.

And the markets love his statement….of course they.

But if these talks are going so well why is there a massive troop build up?

The US troop presence in the Middle East has quietly swelled to a level not seen in decades, now hovering above 50,000. The latest additions: 2,500 Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and 2,500 sailors, plus about 2,000 paratroopers from the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division, all moving into position as President Trump weighs his next moves in his month-old war in Iran, per the New York Times. Typically, about 40,000 US personnel are spread across bases and ships in countries including Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Qatar, and the UAE. The buildup comes as Washington considers more aggressive steps to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a chokepoint for about a fifth of global oil shipments that has been largely shut by Iranian retaliation.

The Pentagon is gearing up for weeks of ground operations in the country should Trump approve, per the Washington Post. Options reportedly include seizing territory such as Kharg Island, Iran’s key oil export hub. While analysts note that 50,000 troops would be far too few for a large-scale ground campaign in a country the size and population of Iran, special operations raids are possible, officials tell the Post. This would mark a new phase of the war, one “significantly more dangerous to US troops than the first four weeks,” per the outlet. More than 13 US service members have already been killed, with more than 300 wounded, including at least 15 injured in a Friday attack on a Saudi air base, reports PBS. A recent AP-NORC poll finds 62% of respondents strongly opposed to the use of ground troops in Iran, with only 12% in favor.

The mix of BS and troops leads me to believe that he is just waiting to strike.

Then Donny makes a statement that smacks of a war crime to me….

President Trump on Monday added Iran’s desalination plants to the list of infrastructure he may “blow up” if a deal isn’t reached to end the war, threatening attacks on the country’s water supply, a clear war crime under international law.

“The United States of America is in serious discussions with A NEW, AND MORE REASONABLE, REGIME to end our Military Operations in Iran,” President Trump wrote on Truth Social, though Iran continues to deny negotiations are taking place.

“Great progress has been made but, if for any reason a deal is not shortly reached, which it probably will be, and if the Hormuz Strait is not immediately ‘Open for Business,’ we will conclude our lovely ‘stay’ in Iran by blowing up and completely obliterating all of their Electric Generating Plants, Oil Wells and Kharg Island (and possibly all desalinization plants!), which we have purposefully not yet ‘touched,’” Trump added.

(antiwar.com)

The Straight….

President Trump is signaling to aides he’s ready to declare victory over Iran without fully reopening one of the world’s most critical oil routes, according to sources who spoke to the Wall Street Journal. Administration officials tell reporters Trump has privately said he’s prepared to wind down the US campaign within four to six weeks after degrading Iran’s navy and missile arsenal, even if the Strait of Hormuz remains only partially usable. That would effectively leave Iran with significant leverage over a passageway that carries about a fifth of global oil and gas, already driving up energy prices and squeezing industries worldwide. The White House says restoring normal traffic isn’t a core military goal for now, with Trump hoping diplomacy—or later, a coalition led by US allies—will eventually secure the waterway, sources say.

Sounds like he is looking for a way out.

This will be a devastating conflict when Donny makes up his mind….and you and I will be paying for his stupidity for years to come even if the conflict was to end soon.

Makes me ill.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The Real Reason For Iran

We are entering into our 5 week of our lame conflict with Iran and to this day no one has given an accurate reason for our attacks….it was not nukes or some vague terrorism accusation, yada yada…..

Since the very beginning of this conflict our Little Donny has had multiple statements and each one has made the markets go up and down like some crazed yo-yo….and there you go just the reason that myself and many others have said was the reason for this war….market manipulation.

Just after noon on Friday, March 20th, US president Donald Trump declared victory to a group of reporters in his broadly unpopular war with Iran. Just two minutes later, however, he announced he was sending US marines anyway. The next minute, the president said there would be no boots on the ground after all. A few beats later, he admitted he didn’t want a ceasefire, then declared victory again, then requested a ceasefire.

The volley continued like this for nearly half an hour, the president’s stream of consciousness pouring from within, in a prime example of Trump’s contradictory messaging on Iran. In addition to exhausting reporters and scrambling the news cycle, episodes like this have fueled speculation that people close to the president are feeding off the chaos.

As a recent analysis by economist and Nobel laureate Paul Krugman argues, there’s evidence that insiders are profiting off the war in Iran. On Monday, for example, Trump reversed his weekend commitment to deliver painful retribution on the Iranian people if the country failed to open the Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. At 7:05am on Monday morning, however, Trump chickened out, issuing a five-day pause on hostilities via a post on Truth Social.

The price of crude oil, which had flailed upward for weeks as shipments from the Persian Gulf slowed to a trickle, plummeted immediately, from around $112 a barrel before the announcement to a low of $97 by 11:00am.

However, about 15 minutes before Trump’s post, CNBC reported, there was a massive increase in the amount of S&P 500 e-Mini futures trading on the market, right before their price skyrocketed from around $6,500 to around $6,700. Someone also got incredibly lucky playing the oil market, with West Texas Intermediate May futures seeing a massive spike in trading activity at the exact same time — a sign that someone had shed theirs before the price experienced a major drop.

https://futurism.com/future-society/donald-trump-iran-manipulation

This manipulation is making speculators millions….and after all war is big business and Donny’s butt buddies are making out like bandits (which they are).

There is you answer, the real answer, to why this…..PROFITS!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”