Tag: Oil Politics

Iran and Oman Are In The Money

The contentious Strait of Hormuz and who controls what has a new twist….

Iranian officials have announced that Tehran and Muscat will split the revenue generated by tolls for vessels crossing the Strait of Hormuz. The two countries also agreed to limited military transits through the critical waterway.

“Agreements have been reached regarding each country’s share of the strait’s waters as well as Iran and Oman’s share of its revenues,” the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said on Wednesday. “We have reached results that are acceptable to both sides.”

However, the deal will not result in the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. The IRGC said that the US must comply with Iran’s conditions first. Tehran is calling on Washington to return to the Memorandum of Understanding before reopening the crucial waterway.

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Kazem Gharibabadi explained that the deal created shipping lanes for traffic in and out of the Persian Gulf. Ships using the Strait to enter the Gulf will travel entirely through Iranian territory. Outbound traffic will use a lane that crosses both Iranian and Omani territory.

The current lanes are temporary, and the two sides will use the next 60 days to discuss permanent shipping routes. Gharibabadi added that military vessels will be barred from transiting the Strait.

Before the US and Israeli war against Iran, the Strait of Hormuz was treated as an international waterway. During the conflict, Tehran seized control of the Strait and asserted that international law allows the waterway to be split between Oman and Iran.

Tehran then began negotiations with Muscat on establishing new protocols for vessels transiting the Strait, including charging “service fees.” The White House has demanded that Iran return the Strait to its pre-war status, with President Donald Trump even threatening to bomb Oman if it goes along with Iran’s plan to change tolls.

Surely Donny will not take this lying down for he will be cut out of the money and we all know when it comes to money he will react in a violent way.

What will the US controller have to say about this we know they have a hard on for Iran….he will not want this at all…..he will stir the pot to keep Donny doing as he is told.

Just look at what he had to say to Donny while diplomatic efforts were being tried….

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said a diplomatic deal was not possible with the “savages” who rule Iran as he hailed US President Donald Trump’s new campaign of economic pressure.

Recounting a recent meeting with Trump, Netanyahu said they had discussed the possibility of diplomacy with the Islamic republic and added: “I doubt, however, that an agreement can be reached with that group there, with those savages.

Until they kick BiBi to the curb this war will last foe years….we know there are few with cajones in the admin so we cannot expect much progress in ending this thing.

Is there another way of looking at this situation?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Conflict End Run?

Donny has been playing grab ass with Iran for months now….it is an on again off again then back on conflict….lots of chest thumping like a sex crazed primate and lots of international chaos….not to mention my grocery bill going through the roof.

In the center of this war, excluding the magical hold the Israel has on Donny, is the Strait of Hormuz….where a lot of oil must travel to get to market.

In the silence of the night two players in this conflict pull an end run on Donny….

Oil prices fell and stocks climbed into record territory on Tuesday after US Treasury chief Scott Bessent said a deal to reopen the Strait of Hormuz was expected “today or tomorrow,” reports the Wall Street Journal. Not much is confirmed about the deal, though the New York Times reports that Iran and Oman are close to hammering out an agreement that would route incoming ships through an Iran-controlled channel and outgoing vessels near Oman. The nations would share a “service fee”—not a toll, but that may be a matter of semantics— from traveling ships to cover security and environmental costs.

The Times notes that getting oil and cargo moving again would ease market pressure and deliver a badly needed political win for Trump, with a catch: The deal still being worked out appears to give Tehran more leverage over the international waterway than it had before the war began. As analyst Ali Vaez of the International Crisis Group puts it, Trump now faces a choice between “an unwinnable war and an unpalatable peace.”

Those “service fees” or tolls for ships transiting the Strait. Muscat and Tehran will split the funds. Additionally, Tehran will have full control over inbound traffic while Iran and Oman will have joint control over outbound shipping.

What Donny will not get his cut?

This should not fly well at the next cabinet meeting.

But believe it or not Donny has something to say….

U.S. President Donald Trump said a deal on the Strait of Hormuz could come as early as Wednesday or Thursday, while Iran and Oman inched toward an agreement to reopen the critical waterway and potentially help bring an end to the war.

Trump was asked by reporters traveling with him in California about a report on the Axios news site that an announcement on the Strait of Hormuz could be made on Wednesday.

“It could happen. Tomorrow or the next day,” he said, speaking on Tuesday evening California time, which was already Wednesday morning in the Middle East. “A lot of progress has been made.”

(apnews.com)

Positive right?

But if Donny holds true to form he will screw this up as well.

Is the lack of long range missiles fueling his acceptance?

Will Israel have something to say?

Stay tuned I am sure there will be more to this story.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

WTF? Confusion And More Confusion

Donny made a big deal out of the US escorting ships trapped  by the closure of the Strait of Hormuz….that was just a couple of days ago…..and now that operation will be paused…..

President Trump said in a Tuesday night post on Truth Social that the US military operation to “guide” commercial ships out of the Strait of Hormuz, which he has dubbed “Project Freedom,” has been paused.

“Based on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran, we have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed,” the president wrote.

In response to Trump’s announcement, an Iranian official told Drop Site News reporter Jeremy Scahill that the post was “riddled with falsehoods” and that Trump’s operation to “liberate” the Strait of Hormuz “failed completley.” The official also reaffirmed Tehran’s position that direct talks won’t happen until the US blockade is lifted.

“We will not participate in direct negotiations until the United States formally announces the end of the blockade,” the official told Scahill.

Pakistan has passed messages between the US and Iran, and late last week, Tehran had presented a new proposal to the US that, according to Iranian media, was focused on bringing a permanent end to the conflict and other hostilities in the region, including the Israeli war in Lebanon. Iran said on Sunday that it was reviewing a US response to the proposal, but then Trump announced “Project Freedom.”

Scahill said that the US did send a message to Iran through Pakistan, “indicating the US does not intend to carry out direct military action in the Persian Gulf and is seeking direct talks with Iran.” He also noted that the US and Israel had attacked Iran twice before while the US was claiming it was negotiating.

Trump’s announcement came after Iran made clear it would respond to US attempts to “guide” commercial ships out of the Strait of Hormuz and the two sides exchanged fire on Monday.

(antiwar.com)

Typical Donny policy…..keep farting around until something breaks.

This is pathetic policies….but then most of Donny’s policies are either pathetic or disgusting or both.

I Read, I Write, You KNow

“lego ergo scribo”

WTF? A UAE Bailout?

This Donny move needs to be spotlighted.

I recently read that Donny is considering a taxpayer bailout of an oil rich country, the UAE….

President Trump said he is considering a financial bailout for the United Arab Emirates (UAE), an autocratic state experiencing an economic downturn due to the war in Iran. If the Trump administration does use public resources to rescue the UAE, it will be assisting a country that has partnered extensively with the Trump Organization and the Trump family.

On Sunday, the Wall Street Journal reported that UAE Central Bank Governor Khaled Mohamed Balama “raised the idea of a currency-swap line” during meetings in Washington, D.C., last week with Treasury Department and Federal Reserve officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. Officials from the UAE said that they “had so far avoided the worst economic effects of the conflict but might still need a financial lifeline.” According to the Journal, a formal request has not yet been made.

UAE officials argued that the war between the U.S. and Iran could damage the country’s economy and harm its global financial standing. The war has already damaged the country’s oil and gas infrastructure, and Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz has cut off oil shipments that are a key source of dollar revenue.

https://popular.info/p/trump-floats-taxpayer-bailout-for

I say bollocks to that!

Donny will do anything for his oil buddies….including throwing taxpayer money at them to preserve his standing with the wealthy.

Let them learn what it is like.

Then after ranting about this situation I read that the UAE is considering leaving OPEC….

The United Arab Emirates said Tuesday that it will leave the oil cartel OPEC and its wider OPEC+ group effective Friday, a move rumored for some time as the Emirates chafed under production restrictions and increasingly had frostier relations with neighboring Saudi Arabia. The UAE has been a longtime member of OPEC, first through its emirate of Abu Dhabi in 1967 and later when the UAE became its own country in 1971, reports the AP. But the UAE has been increasingly trying to leverage its own foreign policy in the Middle East, which has contradicted some positions of Riyadh over time—particularly as Saudi Arabia began to directly challenge the Emirates in trying to draw foreign investment as the kingdom opened up under assertive Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

“This decision reflects the UAE’s long-term strategic and economic vision and evolving energy profile, including accelerated investment in domestic energy production, and reinforces its commitment to a responsible, reliable, and forward-looking role in global energy markets,” the UAE said via its state-run WAM news agency. “Following its exit, the UAE will continue to act responsibly, bringing additional production to market in a gradual and measured manner, aligned with demand and market conditions.”

Saudi Arabia long has been considered a heavyweight of OPEC, an oil cartel based in Vienna that has seen some of its market power wane as the United States increased its production of crude oil in recent years. Saudi Arabia and the UAE increasingly have competed over economic issues and regional politics, particularly in the Red Sea area. The two countries had joined together in a coalition to fight against Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthi rebels in 2015. However, that coalition broke down into recriminations in late December, when Saudi Arabia bombed what it described as a weapons shipment bound for Yemeni separatists backed by the UAE. Saudi broadcasters long based in Dubai, the economic hub of the UAE, have pulled back to the kingdom in recent months as tensions rose.

Come Friday the UAE will be an independent oil producer…..what will that mean?

OPEC just lost a cornerstone member at the worst possible time. The United Arab Emirates’ decision to walk away from the producers’ group strips OPEC of about 13% of its capacity and one of its few members able to quickly pump more oil—right as war in Iran has shut the Strait of Hormuz and scrambled Middle East alliances, reports the Wall Street Journal. “It’s the hardest blow ever,” Homayoun Falakshahi, a senior oil analyst at commodities data company Kpler tells the newspaper. “It raises the question about whether OPEC can survive.” The sentiment is widespread:

  • It’s “the beginning of the end” for the alliance, Saul Kavonic of MST Financial tells the BBC. The UAE is OPEC’s fourth-largest producer behind Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Iran, accounting for about 3.6 million barrels a day, or 3% of the global supply, per the New York Times.
  • The effect on prices will be minimal in the short term because of the war, but the longer-term effect is harder to gauge. Greater volatility is one likelihood, per the Times. “But beyond the oil market implications, a deeper fault line is at play,” per Semafor. “The UAE’s move is the latest sign that it is no longer willing to go along with historic alliances it views as unnecessary purely for the sake of harmony.”
  • The nation has been signaling a break with OPEC for a while as its ties with Saudi Arabia in particular have frayed, per Reuters. The UAE no longer wants to be constrained by OPEC quotas, and it “would have both the incentive and the ability to increase production, raising broader questions about the sustainability of Saudi Arabia’s role as the market’s central stabilizer,” analyst Jorge Leon of Rystad tells the outlet.
  • One other common refrain is that the move is seen as a win for President Trump, who has previously complained that OPEC was “ripping off the rest of the world” with inflated prices, per Reuters. The BBC sees the move as opening the door to closer ties between the US and the UAE.
  • The break leaves 11 core members at OPEC, notes the Washington Post: Algeria, Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela.

Bet prices go up.

Why is no one talking about a taxpayer bailout for a foreign country?

This is going to bite the US in the ass in several ways.

Need I say more?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Nobody Wants To Play In Donny’s Game

In case no one has noticed gas prices are shooting up thanks to our Little Donny and his stupid war.

He has demanded that allies come help protect the oil tankers from being attacked and so far not many of the allies have jumped at the chance to engage in this senseless war.

The reluctance by allies has Donny with knotted panties…..

After being largely rebuffed in his request for allies’ help against Iran, President Trump issued an all-caps retort on Truth Social Tuesday: “WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!” Trump amplified remarks he made on Monday, asserting that the US is just fine working only with Israel, and that he’s not surprised by the reluctance. “I always considered NATO, where we spend Hundreds of Billions of Dollars per year protecting these same Countries, to be a one way street—We will protect them, but they will do nothing for us, in particular, in a time of need,” Trump wrote. But he then added that the US-Israeli campaign has decimated Iran’s leadership and military, making any assistance unnecessary.

If we do not need help why ask in the first place?

Senseless war?

Yes even a person nominated by Donny thinks it is stupid and destructive….

President Trump’s director of the National Counterterrorism Center, Joe Kent, announced his immediate resignation Tuesday, citing the decision to begin a war against Iran when “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation.”

Kent, nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate last year, posted his resignation letter on X Tuesday morning, saying he “cannot support sending the next generation off to fight and die in a war that serves no benefit to the American people nor justifies the cost of American lives.”

“I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” Kent wrote. “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.”

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/top-trump-counterterrorism-official-resigns-over-iran/

There you have it….Israel is to blame for this stupidity.

This war is getting out of control and Donny thi8nks it is some big fun….

The president made the comments a day after the US military struck the Persian Gulf island, where most of Iran’s oil exports move through. So far, the US has spared the oil infrastructure on the island as it fears Iranian retaliatory attacks against oil infrastructure across the Gulf.

“We totally demolished Kharg Island, but we may hit it a few more times just for fun,” Trump said. “We’ve totally decimated it. Except, as you know, I didn’t do anything having to do with the energy lines, because having to rebuild that would take years.”

(antiwar.com)

Fun?  Is this some sort of entertainment for this d/bag?

WE were promised a short but decisive war with Iran….it is not looking so much like the scenario that Donny wants to project.

The notion of a short and decisive war has always been a temptation for politicians. This notion holds a promise of quick victories, low costs, and clear triumphs. However, the course of history over the last few decades has indicated that wars do not always follow this pattern. The current conflict between the United States and Iran seems to be a clear manifestation of this reality, as the early indications of a quick victory are not supported by the fundamental realities of the conflict.

The fundamental reason why a quick victory might not be possible in this conflict is not related to military capabilities. The military capabilities of the United States are overwhelming, as they are far ahead of Iran in terms of technology, logistics, and global reach. In the early phases of this conflict, the U.S. forces, along with the Israeli military, struck thousands of targets in Iran, targeting its missile capabilities, naval forces, and military installations. According to experts, the initial objective of this campaign was to destroy the Iranian naval capabilities, missile systems, and nuclear facilities, as well as weakening Iranian influence in the region.

However, military success does not automatically translate into a corresponding level of political achievement. As many a strategic analyst has noted, “destroying capabilities does not necessarily translate into regime collapse, political transformation, or stability.” While military instruments are effective at destroying capabilities, they are not as effective at creating alternatives.

https://original.antiwar.com/jenny_williams/2026/03/15/the-war-without-an-exit-why-quick-victories-in-iran-are-illusions/

There will be losers in this war…..

There may be no winner in the war on Iran. But, although it is Iran that is under attack, they will not be the only losers. This war, fought without legal reason or political or security justification, will have myriad losers. Here are five.

The first loser of the war on Iran is the Iranians. Iran has an “inalienable right to a civilian program that uses nuclear energy for peaceful purposes” as a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. They signed the JCPOA nuclear agreement that closed all roads to a military nuclear program. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) repeatedly verified that they were in full compliance. They were currently negotiating further voluntary limitations on their civilian nuclear program, which would have assured the world of the impossibility of diverting their civilian nuclear program to a military one. Nothing was illegal or unusual about Iran’s nuclear or missile programs.

But bombs fell on Iranians. The people of Iran live in daily terror. Their cities are being bombed, and their infrastructure and water desalination plants have been devastated. Nearly 20,000 civilian buildings have been damaged, including dozens of hospitals and schools. Their leader has been assassinated. Over 1,300 civilians, hundreds of them children, have been killed.

The second country that will pay a price for the war on Iran is Ukraine. Just as Russia is thought to be massing for a large late spring offensive, its war economy is being pumped full by the rising cost of oil; which was caused by the effective closing of the Strait of Hormuz and the resultant easing of sanctions on Russian oil, while Ukraine’s supply of weapons is being threatened. Russia will have the money to continue launching missiles and drones, and Ukraine will lack the missiles to defend against them.

https://original.antiwar.com/ted_snider/2026/03/15/five-losers-in-the-war-on-iran/

Another problem is that Donny keeps extending tours of duty for the troops at some point this will come back a bite him in the ass….or he will make another fatal political decision.

But not to worry for Donny is not afraid of an extended war…..

Donald Trump is openly entertaining the possibility of putting boots on the ground in Iran.

Speaking with reporters at the White House Tuesday beside Irish Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Trump sluggishly claimed that he wouldn’t be afraid to put the lives of American soldiers at risk in order to continue his nonsensical war.

“The Iranian regime has told Sky News that if you put boots on the ground in Iran, it would be another Vietnam. Are you afraid of that?” asked a journalist.

“No, I’m not afraid of—I’m really not afraid of anything,” Trump said.

https://newrepublic.com/post/207863/donald-trump-not-afraid-iran-vietnam-war

I love these idiots!  They are not afraid of Americans dying for stupid reasons because they do NOT care about your lives.

No more American deaths to appease that nation of goons, Israel, let the bastards fend for themselves….or die trying.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Defeat Russia At All Costs

Hit them hard with everything you have…..but not like that.

Ever since Russia invaded Ukraine the US and the NATO nations have imposed heavy sanctions (something I serious doubt) on the invader….financial sanctions mostly economic sanctions all in an attempt to weaken the Russian economy and its war machine….and this included sanctions on their oil industry where they derive a lot of their working capital.

If the West can cripple the oil industry then they, Russia, would most likely try to find a way to end this conflict, right?

So hit them hard and often…..but not like that.

If so then the latest move by the US is a bit confusing….

US officials are losing patience as Kiev fails to heed American demands to stop attacking Russian energy infrastructure. The White House fears the attacks will lead to an increase in oil prices and trigger reprisals by Moscow.

According to the Financial Times, “The White House had grown increasingly frustrated by brazen Ukrainian drone attacks that have struck oil refineries, terminals, depots, and storage facilities across western Russia, hurting its oil production capacity,” adding that US officials are concerned with “driving up global oil prices and provoking retaliation.”

The demands to halt attacks on Russian oil facilities may appear confounding to Kiev after NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg green-lit Ukrainian attacks inside Russia last month. Additionally, President Joe Biden has vowed to cripple the Russian economy, and the West has used sanctions and price caps in an effort to curb Moscow’s energy exports.

The White House may see increasing gas prices at home as a primary concern with the 2024 election on the horizon. Bob McNally, a former White House energy adviser, said, “Nothing terrifies a sitting American president more than a surge in pump prices during an election year,” as cited by FT.

As Ukrainian losses on the battlefield have continued in recent weeks, Kiev has conducted more attacks on Russian soil. This has led the Kremlin to evacuate thousands of children from a border region. Ukrainian forces also successfully attacked seven energy targets in Russia last week.

Washington’s fear that attacks on Moscow’s energy infrastructure will prompt retaliatory strikes on Ukrainian energy seems to have materialized. On Friday, the BBC reported, “A million people are without power across Ukraine after Russian missiles targeted energy infrastructure,” with Kiev’s Energy Minister German Galushchenko saying Moscow aimed to cause “a large-scale failure of the country’s energy system.”

(antiwar.com)

Is it win at all costs or is it just a geopolitical game of Risk?

Biden is really good, like most politicians, of speaking out of both sides of his mouth.

And the game goes on….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Iran?

They were the subject of much lip service a few months ago and now we have  little that the MSM will use on air…..until Dear Leader takes to Twitter using all Caps……

After we pulled out of the nuke deal the Iran situation has taken backseat to North Korea and Helsinki……but FYI  Iran is still there and still going to become a problem eventually……

Our Dear Leader full expects Iran to come crawling to hum for a new deal…..

 In comments on Thursday, President Trump revealed that he believes that having withdrawn from the P5+1 nuclear deal and started imposing new sanctions means Iranians are “feeling a lot of pain right now.” He predicted they would have to call him and ask for a deal.

Trump withdrew from the deal in May, and claims now Iranians are “treating the US with a lot more respect.” Iran has mostly focused public efforts on continuing to keep its commerce flowing worldwide, since the US wasn’t honoring much of the deal in the first place. Iranian officials say the priority is to sell as much oil as possible.

Despite Trump making much of the moves being about forcing Iran to renegotiate the deal, he has been very vague on what he actually wants out of Iran that is different from the existing P5+1 deal.

https://theantimedia.com/trump-iran-call-new-deal/

Now that Trump has met with his better half could Iran be in the cross hairs now?

They were right to be worried. Within hours of arriving in Europe, Donald Trump was busy insulting America’s closest friends and threatening to dismember Nato. He publicly humiliated Theresa May and did his importunate best to force regime change in Westminster, before halfheartedly apologising. Now he takes his ugly brand of rogue-male politics to Helsinki for a meeting with his best buddy, prominent campaign supporter and fellow narcissist, Russia’s Vladimir Putin. This is an ominous, possibly watershed moment for Europe, full of fear and loathing.

All of which invites the question: how far will Trump be allowed to go before leaders of the western democracies finally draw the line? How long until they recognise him as an antagonist, not an ally, contemptuous of their countries’ values and interests – and act accordingly? Germany’s Angela Merkel tried firmness. May tried flattery. The EU has tried fulmination and retaliatory trade tariffs. Others, wishfully, dismiss Trumpism as an aberration, not a strategic shift. But nothing stops him as he rampages on, malignly flattening all in his path.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jul/15/trump-and-putin-unholy-alliance-could-lead-to-war-with-iran

In response to some of the sanctions that is being applied Iran has hit back…

Iran has threatened to close the Strait of Hormuz if its oil sales are blocked because of the pressure from the US.

“The most transparent, complete and prompt response was given by Mr [Hassan] Rouhani, the Iranian president, in his last trip to Europe. The response was clear: if Iran cannot export oil through the Persian Gulf, no-one will do this,” Iranian Supreme Leader’s senior adviser for international affairs Ali Akbar Velayati said, speaking at the Valdai discussion club in Russia. “Either everyone will export, or no-one.”

Velayati’s remarks are a clear response to the repeated US attempts to cut off Iran’s oil exports after Washington had pulled out of the landmark nuclear agreement between Teheran and other powers.

The Strait of Hormuz is a vital artery for oil coming from the Middle East. Most of oil export from Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait and Iraq passes through the strait

https://southfront.org/iran-threatens-to-close-strait-of-hormuz-if-its-oil-sales-are-blocked/

More info……

https://www.thecipherbrief.com/column/cipher-brief-expert-view/irans-dire-straits

There are some dire predictions about what effect the sanctions will have on the Iranian economy……

Turbulent developments in the past few months on the foreign exchange and gold markets in Iran and the government’s failure to manage runaway prices has compelled some economists to start using the term “bubble economy.”

The interrelationship among various markets within the country’s economy was explained in a June 14 Al-Monitor piece. In this article, however, we will focus on the root causes and complexities of behaviors by economic players. Regardless of whether these acts are driven by economic, psychological or political factors, they are damaging to the economy as a whole and compound the government’s challenges in managing the economy. At the same time, it is clear that a continuation of the current conditions will increase the likelihood of an economic crisis with unprecedented social and political consequences. The current wave of strikes and demonstrations by traders and other economic actors is an example of how the problem will be amplified if the authorities do not develop proper responses.

America may be trying hard to put the squeeze on Iran but its economy has a bit of a lifeline thanx to some of the EU members…..

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said that international parties remaining in the Iran nuclear deal have kickstarted practical measures ensuring banking relations and the resumption of Iranian oil sales, two weeks ahead of the first phase of US sanctions.

The three European countries (Germany, Britain and France) may restore banking activities of the Central Bank of Iran in European banks to find a channel to preserve financial ties before the return of US sanctions, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday.

In a meeting with foreign diplomats and economic activists, Zarif said that the three European countries, China and Russia pledged to compensate Iran’s losses resulting from the US’ unilateral exit from the agreement.

https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/1335366/iran-announces-eu-banking-oil-sale-arrangements

After that bit of info…..does Dear Leader still think that Iran will come crawling?

And do not forget Iraq…that is Iraq with a “Q”…..why?

The aftermath of the Iraqi elections on 12 May confirmed the country’s troubled political cycle. Although the polls reflected the Iraqis’ desire for political change, the dire realities of Iraqi politics provided the usual set of obstacles to the fulfillment of this choice. On 3 July, a manual recounting of the votes began, while acts of sabotage toward the ballot boxes and the electoral machinery.

https://theantimedia.com/iran-will-continue-most-powerful-iraq/

But what of Iran in Syria?

There is so far no sign that Russia has begun to use its influence to restrain Iran from occupying certain areas of Syria close to Israel. Quite the contrary, Iranian and Russian forces are currently fighting side-by-side in southern Syria on al-Assad’s behalf. Nevertheless, Russia has called for foreign troops to leave Syria, and there have been recorded (though not in the Russian press) cases of friction between Russian and Iranian forces (Mid.ru, July 14). Russia’s demand that Iranian troops leave Syria after the war ends, together with rumors of a deal between Israel and the Sunni forces represented by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, has clearly rattled Iran, whose media has published numerous stories either decrying Russian infidelity or denying that there is a problem (PressTV, July 13, 14). At the same time, Russia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has walked back the call for non-Syrian forces to leave Syria, although that is the ultimate objective (Mid.ru, July 4).

A lot of info but well worth reading if one would like to know what could be the future of this situation.

Clinton Flips Off Keystone (Finally)

Finally……word has come from the “Ivory Tower”…….

The raging battle for the last year or so in climate change and the environment has been the debate on the Keystone XL pipeline…..us Left leaning people have been against this stupidity from the start….even Bernie has been an outspoken opponent of this lunatic plan…..

The one silent Nellie has been Hillary Clinton….maybe it was because she was part of Obama’s team or maybe something else….anyway she has come out swinging after a long silence….

Take a step back from the general election, but take two steps forward toward the Democratic primary. That seems to be the strategy behind Hillary Clinton’s announcement yesterday that she opposed the Keystone XL pipeline, writes Philip Bump for the Washington Post, asserting that Clinton may have purposely timed her anti-pipeline statements to lure liberal Democrats who’ve been more amenable to competitor Bernie Sanders, per CNN/ORC polling—even if those Dems may not be the ones to push her over the top in November 2016. “The politics explain themselves,” Bump writes. “Clinton is now willing to make her November case slightly more difficult if she can make her spring fight easier.”

According to a Gallup poll cited by the Post, while only 67% of moderate and conservative Democrats believe global warming is caused by human activity, a more substantial number—81%—of liberal Democrats think that’s the case. And because of environmental concerns swirling around the pipeline, it may make political sense for Clinton to bring that up now to pull liberal Democrats in—even though polls from late last year and earlier this year show that support among Americans overall for the Keystone project is strong, Bump notes. And Sanders knows what’s the what, he adds, welcoming her to the opposition party yesterday in a tweet. “Clinton is late to the party on Keystone, but she’s clearly interested in being where the party is,” Bump writes. Click for his full column

Personally it sounds like a personal political prop…..she knew she had to make some sort of statement in opposition if she is to win the nomination…..and viola!  We have her thoughts on Keystone.

I wish I could believe her……do you?

Business – Opec output cut talk heats up

We Americans are smiling all the way to the pumps…..gas is down continues to drop, slightly, but dropping nonetheless…..

If you know anything about the spot markets….the question should be asked….how long will this lower price continue?

Most likely we will not hear from most people until the prices start to rise a again and then….some moron will blame Obama for the increase…..

Try-to keep up!

Business – Opec output cut talk heats up.

House Bills Give Free Reign to the Oil and Gas Industry – Undermine Public Participation | Center for Effective Government

We know all the hype…..drill baby drill…..or millions of jobs will be created by Keystone……fracking is a safe alternative…..on and on.  But ask yourself what, if anything did the Congress do this last session in conjunction with environmental issues?

House Bills Give Free Reign to the Oil and Gas Industry – Undermine Public Participation | Center for Effective Government.