Apparently, only one side needs to agree to have talks. 
Huge Gap in Positions
The Wall Street Journal reports Trump Says Iran Talks Are On, Sparking Push to Bridge Gaping Divides
Vice President JD Vance is expected to lead a new round of peace talks with Iran in Pakistan this week in a fresh effort to end the war, but there still appear to be significant gaps between both sides as the U.S. pushes Iran to lock up its nuclear program and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Vance is expected to arrive in Pakistan on Monday evening for talks with Iran on Tuesday, although Iran was still threatening on Sunday that it wouldn’t attend talks, saying Washington’s demands remain excessive. Pakistan helped broker a two-week cease-fire between the U.S. and Iran that expires on Tuesday night.
Vance is to be joined by Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s Middle East peace envoy, and Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law, a White House official said.
Trump warned on social media Sunday that Iran would face airstrikes that would destroy power plants and bridges if it didn’t accept a deal, and accused Tehran of breaching an initial cease-fire by firing on shipping trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump has repeatedly threatened to destroy Iranian infrastructure, at one point earlier this month threatening to destroy the country’s “whole civilization.”
Iran’s state news agency on Sunday slammed the U.S. side for “excessive demands and unreasonable, unrealistic requests, repeated changes in positions, continued contradictory statements.” It cited officials saying that “no clear prospect for productive talks is envisaged.” Iran has made similar threats ahead of participating in the previous round of negotiations.
The immediate aim is to agree on some kind of memorandum of understanding, Iranian and U.S. officials have said, which would set the framework for a final more detailed set of agreements that would be negotiated in coming weeks or months.
The U.S. is pushing in the immediate term for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for commercial shipping, freeze enrichment of uranium for at least 20 years and agree to remove its stockpiles of enriched uranium. The U.S. also aims to get Iran to curb its missile production and cease funding terror proxy networks in the long-term, though those issues aren’t a part of the immediate negotiations.
Iran has countered with demands of its own, including continued control of the Strait of Hormuz, full sanctions lifting and a shorter enrichment suspension. Those gaps leave it unclear whether a new round of negotiations, if they take place, will be enough to seal the framework of a deal.
The central issue that has hung over Iranian talks with the U.S. since Trump returned to office last year remains unresolved, officials say: Iran’s future enrichment of uranium. The U.S. had pushed for a permanent end to Iran’s enrichment program but last week was open to accepting a 20-year Iranian suspension of the program. For Trump, going any lower would make a deal appear similar to the 2015 nuclear deal that he has long lambasted. That accord prevented Iran from producing enriched uranium above 3.67% for 15 years.
Trump Made a Huge Mess of Things
Obama secured a very difficult deal with Iran. And it was good for 15 years. Now of all stupid things we are debating whether a deal should be for 15 years or 20.
Trump tore Obama’s deal up saying he could do better. Then Trump launched a war when a similar deal was again on the table.
Why should Iran trust Trump? Heck, why should anyone trust the world’s biggest liar?
Iran upped the stakes. Now Iran wants control of the strait. Trump even offered to control the strait with Iran. That’s how ridiculous this has gotten.
One of the problems is the US and Iran killed all of the Iranian leaders willing to make concessions. It’s no longer clear if the the Iran negotiators have the authority to negotiate much of anything.
But here we go again with Trump threatening Iran’s infrastructure. If he does, Iran is highly likely to blow up desalination plants in the region.
Threats are counterproductive now. But Trump is a one-trick pony.
Iran Was Honoring Obama’s Deal
There is a lot of discussion on X and other places about Iran trying to build a nuclear weapon.
Yep, blame Trump.
Trump’s on top general and Secretary of Defense testified in Congress that Iran was honoring the terms of Obama’s deal.
Iran only started extreme enrichment after Trump tore up Obama’s deal. So stop the nonsense blaming of Obama. Blame Trump 100 percent for this mess.
Trump’s First Term Flashback
- Trump’s US State Department: Iran honoring the terms.
- Trump’s Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff: Iran honoring the terms.
- International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA): Iran honoring the terms.
- Arms Control Association: Iran honoring the terms.
- All US European allies: Iran honoring the terms.
- Every other signee of the accord: Iran honoring the terms.
- Trump’s top general Gen. Joseph Dunford: Iran honoring the terms.
- Trump’s Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis: Iran was complying with the terms of the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal
For discussion of the above points, please see What If Iran Just Honored Obama’s Nuclear Deal? Would We Be at War?
They deny, but who ya gonna belive?
https://www.aol.com/articles/pentagon-denies-report-26-iranian-173855273.html
“Pentagon denies report of 26 Iranian ships dodging US blockade”
Now this came out 6hrs ago, and Trump’s announcement came out at least 2 hours after if not three on truth social. A post I might add he said would continue the blockade.
If Trump was smart, and if he was truly MAGA, he would have used this as an opportunity to walk away saying, “Iranian govt is broken it can’t tell what it’s left hand does from the right. This is proof we’ve won this war, and as such since there is no reason for negotiations with a fractured govt we will be leaving the middle east theater. Thank you for your attention to this matter, and thank god who once again proved that America is the strongest country on earth!”
Trump, the US, isn’t gonna come out of this painless it seems.
The destruction of an Islamic ‘government’ always leaves a diplomatic vacuum in it’s wake. It’s more of a mopping up operation now. Errant weaponry will be hammered as it appears.
Massive civilian bombing is not a desirable tactic. Trump knows this.
As Iran quickly devolves back to a more natural Islamic state of endless tribal warfare, it doesn’t leave much national leadership to parley with.
Taco Tuesday!
So predictable, its sad
Trump is extending the ceasefire
Citation?
Or is this just a guess?
Because at some point not following through with threats has consequences.
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/21/trump-iran-war-ceasefire.html
“Trump extends ceasefire in Iran, citing ‘seriously fractured’ Iranian government”
Seems you were correct, and I should have known given it’s Tuesday.
It’s unfortunate that Trump can’t do anything productive but threaten and lie. All he is showing is he has no cards to play. The ball, and field is owned by Iran. Yet Trump thinks he will get something out of this. This shows you just of far the empire has fallen.
You can always trust the mullahs. When have they ever broken a deal?
Well, tell us.
Found On Internet:
“I believe it is time for President Trump to do something that no other sitting President has done. He needs to personally observe the not-a-war-but-WTF-is-it-then? zone. He should do this, as befits his military prowess as Commander in Chief, by flying over Tehran personally, in a B-52 going low and slow.* Since they have no “Anti Airplane Equipment” this should be perfectly safe for him and will demonstrate to those obstinate Persians, once and for all, Who Is Boss, and definitely cow them into submission!
He will, of course, need to let them know he is coming.
Thank you for your attention to this matter.
*with a volunteer and minimal crew.”
So tonight we will actually see if Trump is going to try and bluff his way through this cease fire, yet again. Can he continue with broken threats like their candy? He is starting to look rather foolish, with his big boy pants too tight I think…
Seriously, what is with this back and fourth and nothing changes. We have Trump hoping it does, to make him look good, and I hope most importantly, America will be out of danger, and the end to the war. Iran of course is just looking for time, to maybe find an ally to assist them, or for Trump to change his mind I suppose. Iran is not stupid, and putting in place, long term hide and go seek, life sustaining motions with this free time. Food and ammo storage, to name a couple of things being done.
So what’s it going to be Trump? Roll up in a rocking ball if it’s status quo at 12:01? Come out to speak after your done wiping your tears, and tell them, I really mean it Next Time! Maybe you will come up with a New Plan? By 04/21/2027 OR ELSE, I will create a deadline for you to answer ME!!! I’m sick of this sh&#!
Heehee, Trump Says He’s ‘Highly Unlikely’ to Extend Iran Ceasefire If No Deal Reached by Deadline
The ceasefire with Iran will expire on the evening of April 22, Trump said.
So basically he is giving up even earlier than usual. Right out of the gate, a built in “Escape Clause” it’s getting pathetic now…
For real you can’t make this stuff up!
“Washington cuts flow of US dollars to Iraqi central bank until ‘acceptable’ government formed”
https://thecradle.co/articles/washington-cuts-flow-of-us-dollars-to-iraqi-central-bank-until-acceptable-government-formed
What is a government acceptable to villains? Beating them in the number of crimes committed? Paying commissions to a dark overlord? Lots of qualifiers come to mind.
A puppet regime.
IMO there is no peace process or negotiations of substance going on. Iran can not trust Trump/Israel as they have demonstrated repeatedly that no deal would be kept.
Iran has assets that Trump and Israel want. All announcements on the news channels are mere pablum.
All of us should be preparing to witness continued attacks on Iran and an expanding regional conflict. Significant costs and inflation globally. The Israeli plan to take significant amounts of Irans oil and pipe it through to the Mediterranean sea for Israel to sell is proceeding. Troops and supplies are continuing to arrive in the region and new targeting information is being acquired.
Iran is in the toaster and will be on fire soon.
Israel has never been peaceful and is not likely to become peaceful in the future.
Food shortages in Asia will be extreme if this continues as 3 billion people are dependent on Middle Eastern fertilizers.
Sad but interesting times.
My comment is not anti-semitic, but I agree. Israel is a problem. Without US $ to support the regime, the country would whither.
– Apparently, only one side needs to agree to have talks. > However, when they do, it’s often about how they are not having talks.
– The WSJ reports: > Yeah, he said what we expected, and we told them what we thought about that.
– Vice President JD Vance is Expected to lead a new round of peace talks with Iran in Pakistan this week in a fresh effort to end the war, but there still appear to be significant gaps between both sides as the U.S. pushes Iran to lock up its nuclear program and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. > So Vance will parrot Trump with Peace once again, using the Einstein theory once again.
– Iran was still threatening on Sunday that it wouldn’t attend talks. > if you spot a cage, then run and close your ears. – saying Washington’s demands remain excessive. > It’s what Parrots do.
– A two-week cease-fire between the U.S. and Iran that expires on Tuesday night. > So the choices are as follows imo (War would be my last choice), based on where this situation is at.
1. Do what you say, if you do not immediately get 100% cooperation. Or lose even more credibility abroad, and now creeping in at home too.
2. Just stfu and let Vance have the wheel for a day, explaining up front, but truly this time, and then let it play out as casted.
3. Simply turn around and go home, with Trump screaming “We Won”
>> What else is left to say, but what they don’t want to hear, and that you can only parrot?
Looks like Iran may send a delegation to Pakistan to negotiate some more. Not sure who they are sending and if they have any authority to make decisions.
But markets don’t care. They will rise on hopium. Oil down on the rumours.
I wonder how many more times we will be doing this dance?
Time for another taco “chicken out.”
You can’t make this stuff up!
“A US official said Washington is uncertain who is in charge in Iran as efforts continue to secure a deal and extend the ceasefire, Axios reported on Monday.
“We aren’t sure who’s in charge and neither do they. That’s going to have work itself out,” it quoted the official as saying.
“We thought they were negotiating with the right people, they had reached the cocktail of what they had agreed to, what could be announced. But what happened is the Iranian team went back and the IRGC and those kinds of people said ‘oh, no, no. You don’t speak for us,’” a second senior administration official said.
“Now they have a real divide over there between these factions and we’re not sure who’s going to win it. We hope the team we negotiated with will.”
https://www.iranintl.com/en/202604206944
get ready… 3… 2…
CORRECT.
CNBC is saying Donald Trump will be on their network tomorrow at 8:30am ET. Undoubtedly there to juice the markets before they open.
This post is making the rounds. Good stuff:
Joe Kent
@joekent16jan19
POTUS is laying out two courses of action—a negotiated settlement, or a major escalation.
There is a third option, and he should take it: recognize there is no way to force a positive outcome and simply leave.
The region is not ours to fix. President Reagan chose this path in Lebanon in ‘84, withdrawing U.S. forces after the Beirut barracks bombing once it became clear the mission’s stabilization goals could not be met, effectively ending direct American military involvement and avoiding a deeper quagmire and long-term entrenchment in the region.
A negotiated settlement is unlikely to work or be taken seriously by the Iranians unless we make concessions on the enrichment issue. As we saw yesterday in the SOH, the IRGC is empowered to act without the consent of the civilian leadership, so it’s likely they won’t honor any deal reached.
A major escalation will lead to a very destructive outcome for Iran, the region, and eventually the U.S. If POTUS chooses brute force and targets civilian infrastructure, we will create another generation of radicalized Iranians who will rally around the regime and escalate the war by any means possible.
If POTUS opts to strike the civilian infrastructure, declare victory, and then leave, we will only further erode our standing in the world, the petrodollar, and eventually our status as the world’s reserve currency holder. We need to get out now.
Don’t double down on failure. Avoid the sunken cost trap, leave now, and put America’s interests first.
Last edited
12:10 PM · Apr 19, 2026
·1.5M
Views
The U.S. dollar just fell to a 30-year low against the Israeli shekel
MAGA is really Israel First!
Again if you want a very good book on Iran here you go:
https://x.com/DoubleEph/status/2045784485233397804
Trump talking to himself is like Bessent buying back a record 15 billion of US debt to stabilize the US debt market. Very very abnormal when the treasury competes with the fed in printing money. This is a big deal on the way to a 24 April 2026 ACWI peak valuation.
We should be looking at this with optics wider than what is being discussed at a public level, for this war with Iran is much larger than nuclear fizzle material, funding terror networks, the petro-dollar, and bigger than Israel. All these things have existed well past two decades (fall of the petro-dollar, for example, was during the time Saddam started to sell Iraqi oil in euro during Desert Storm).
This is about cutting, or curtailing, severely the energy supplies of our rivals. It’s also about destrying their investments into infrastructure that allows them to have influence in the region.
America, the West, is rarely seen by it’s subjects as an empire, but the hegemony of the empire is not only being questioned it is also being dismantled before our eyes.
The western leaders would rather have us at each other throats, distract, and even kills us before they admit this truth or try to solve this. Remember, and do not forget, the words of Bernanke as they are using them now and even more so will be using the soon in the future as well; “The housing bubble is contained.”
Stop looking at talks as a negotiation and start looking at them as terms of surrender. Neither side adheres to a ceasefire because they simply want to pulverize each other. The pace of fighting changes to position troops and supplies, while re-assessing other’s movements and responses.
Iran’s Constitution, according to Bill Siegels’ OpEd on Fox this weekend, “outlines a global totalitarian vision”. Enriched levels of uranium well above medical and civil use are absolutely dangerous in a regime’s hands with that Constitutional mind. It’s unfortunate the Iranian people are prisoners in their own country.
Netanyahu wants this war. Neither the US or Iran want to pulverize each other.
Remember, the only reason the US attacked Iran is because Israel was going to attack Iran.
A guy named Siegel on Fox News. Sure, OK.
BTW, the Gospel of Matthew has this: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit”.
Haven’t you heard? Every government strictly follows its constitution. Our government even more so. LOL.
Another internet expert on Iran.
There are so many of them now you can simply use one’s words to block out the other’s.
Why do you choose to believe what Bill Siegels’ says over what the vast majority of all people highly educated on Iran agree on? What special weight has Bill Siegel’s opinions and beliefs earned with SIX000MileYear? Pray tell.
Iranians are free to leave their country.
Is there anything in their Constitution that frightens you? if so, please elaborate.
….And you believe that propaganda thumbing clown?
And JD is considered to be an infidel… how powerful will he be?
If the US were serious about negotiations, they wouldn’t keep sending these 3 clowns over there to lie and dissemble. Hard to even know what our goals are anymore other than the Iranians are supposed to submit to the whims of the mad king.
Looks like those three clowns are going over there to speak to an empty room.
But they’re racking up those frequent flier miles!
“Welcome to fabulous Islamabad!”
I’m sure they would enjoy the Islamabad circus!
yep
..At taxpayer’s expense.
Reminds me of when Clint Eastwood talked to an empty chair.
Mish – check up on hydrogen bromide and ICL. If Iran wants to go scorched earth, that is the target.
They don’t want to go scorched earth. Trump decides if they do that with his actions.
The Pakistanis appear to be searching for some Iranian diplomats for the Americans to talk to.
The window for diplomacy has closed – the US blew its chance last week.
Pakistanis are looking in the wrong place for diplomats they are with trump in his office at night…
They need to be talking to Netanyahu. Only he can end this war.
Of course there is zero chance he would end the war, at least as long as America is fighting and paying for it
Pakistan is trying to conjur up peace out of nothing because they are in dire straits
Trump is trying to jawbone the markets and be able get something that proved he’s a winner
And Iran still has the biggest weapon, time
And the ME countries wsnt more money from the US for their pains
Good times
Negotiations with the US are generally a prelude to a sneak attack. In this case it won’t be too sneaky because Trump’s been saying he’ll blow the whole country up. The WaPo published an editorial last time there were negotiations in Islamabad saying Iran’s negotiators should be killed. I don’t see why Iran would bother meeting with any Americans – other than to ensure that most of the world continues to see them as the good guys. Whenever there’s a discrepancy between what Iran says and what Trump says, obviously Trump is lying.
Maybe the US got used to negotiating with both Russia and the Ukraine separately and announcing deals with only one party to the conflict. Now they are used to negotiating with themselves and announcing deals. Maybe that’s what happens when a country repeatedly elects senile presidents, just like the Epstein Class likes them.
What the hell is Jared Kushner doing in there? Probably collecting bribe money. Why pick Vance, it can’t be for his winning record. Who got the Obama deal done? Maybe those people should be on the team?
As it stands, I expect no deal and another TACO. Trump will bomb a couple of power plants tied to nuclear facilities and a couple of bridges around military establishments vent his fury and fall on his ass and tell everyone it is no longer his problem and that he of course has won the greatest military victory ever.
European leaders will go in and make a deal similar to Obama’s deal but with more dollars paid. US influence in the Middle East will decline accordingly. I expect a major terrorist attack on the US prior to Trump leaving office.
Unfortunately this is the best case scenario. Lots of other possibilities that all end with world worse off.
The worst major terrorist attack on the US is the 🍊 coming to office
The goal is not to do a deal. The goal is to ensure that Israel is kept happy.
There is no “deal” that will satisfy Israel.
Certainly Israel’s goal.
Trump wants a “deal” that’s really surrender.
Yes. And since Iran won’t surrender / commit suicide, the US will commit heavy bombing. Which targets Iran chooses to destroy in response is the question. I suspect they’re reluctant to attack desalination plants in most GCC countries, since the populations are Muslim (albeit Sunni) and not responsible for what their rulers are doing. I’d bet they would target energy infrastructure: oil and gas fields, the Saudi oil port on the Red Sea, etc.
Well, that’s the way it is, isn’t it? One side is going to have to give up its ambitions. In the end, the Israelis will probably have to give up what I am told is their ambition, a Greater Israel comprising the entire Middle East. At the same time, if we are going to insist that the Jews have to have a place of their own in that part of the world, it seems to me that we have to insist on no more terrorism against them.
Just as the Russians don’t want American missiles pointing at them from the Ukraine, the Israelis don’t want Moslem missiles pointing at them from Persia. I don’t see that any of it is hard to understand.
And of course, if we want to have a fair view of the whole situation, we must remember that the Israelis continue to drive Palestinian farmers off their land. The State of Israel is a standing insult that the West is offering to the Moslem world. But Trump didn’t bring that about.
“What the hell is Jared Kushner doing in there?”
To act as a minder, spy and to represent Netanyahu’s interests.
It seems that all that are needed for this republican administration to have talks with Iran is a
MIRROR!!!!
Pretty bird….rawwwk!
Trump made comments in an interview with Fox News reporter Trey Yingst. “I just spoke with President Trump for about 20 minutes, and he told me: ‘If Iran does not sign this deal, the whole country is getting blown up.’
This is the don Corleone tactic. Hold a gun to the head, lay the surrender document on the table, and announce “in 5 seconds either your signature or your brains are going to be on this contract”.
Iran wants to negotiate, but not with a psychopath.
That’s some nice infrastructure you have there, shame if something happened to it.
By now, the Iranians have no reason to trust the US administration in any shape or form. And dispatching a sleekit like JD Vance as negotiator is only going to make the Iranians more recalcitrant. This must be the most stupid war ever started by a democracy.
It may well be the least popular war ever started by an American President
https://original.antiwar.com/rep-john-j-duncan-jr/2026/04/19/the-most-unpopular-war-in-american-history/
What many Israelis think of Christianity:
https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israeli-soldier-filmed-smashing-jesus-statue-lebanon
Biggest supporter of Israel are Christian evangelicals…they can’t get enough of this ritualistic abuse.
Also the largest MAGoT contingent…weird coincidence.
People of the common clay…
That’s 9/10 of my redneck family- they love the orange treasonous Fat F—because he spews hatred of liberals- that is all they don’t actually give a flying F about their christian values- hypocrites ALL
That photo (in the link) of an IDF soldier smashing a sledgehammer directly into Jesus’s face will not easily leave the heads of those MAGA evangelicals
In my experience, if Trump were to start and end every speech with “All Praise To Lord Satan!” MAGA evangelicals would start wearing
Dracula capes and take up devil worship.
It’s a cult. Nothing more.
If Iran wants to make it clear that they have no respect for Trump, they should be certain that no-one shows up from Iran for the supposed “peace talks” and the message goes out that they will no longer even listen to the “war process” lies.
Trumps intention appears to be to kill as many as people possible in Iran and in the nations that rely on Middle Eastern fertilizer for their food supplies.
The hell with anyone not in th eTrumpian inner circle of hell.
“No call, no show”
Although obviously no one should trust Trump, part of the problem is no doubt Iran itself because the US killed several levels of leadership so the US admin may be talking to someone but that someone in’t in charge of the IRGC, and maybe the IRGC isn’t in charge of all of its commanders.
this is what happens when you sow chaos in a country and then try to make binding deals.
Nobody in the US wants a binding deal, because there is no deal that will satisfy Israel.
The goal is to provide a pretext to turn Iran into a failed state.
no, Trump wants a deal, it’s turned negative for him and Trump only cares about himself not Israel or the US or anything else.
While Trump cares only about himself, he does not want Israel to decide that he must be punished.
I am sure that Mossad has a complete copy of the unredacted Epstein Files and that they do not contain a dull word or Kodak Moment.
The difference between Vietnam and Iran is Trump knew how to get out of Vietnam.
+100. Brilliant!
Well said
Best ^^^
The Consequences of IncompetenceThe US lost the first round of the war with Iran decisively. If Trump decides to go a second round, the results will be disastrous for American and its allies.
https://scottritter.substack.com/p/the-consequences-of-incompetence
Interesting read but I surely would not want to be an Iranian trying to defend my country from the US’s military capacity. And to attack neighboring nations infrastructure? simply suicide for the Iranian people. Comes with the turf!
Not mere neighboring countries, but countries from where attacks have been launched. That is, parties in the conflict.
Their choice was between that, and disarming and waiting for Israel to do to them what they’re doing to Lebanon.
Good article, thanks
Thanks – good article.
on the sunday talk shows this came up as a topic. evidently the US is talking with someone but it’s not the right person in power to make any real decisions. It’s like phoning up the receptionist at the White House and making a “deal” which is technically true but completely pointless as the receptionist has no power to authorize anything.
TrumpCo needs to be talking with either the Ayatollah or the guy in charge of the military and they won’t come out of hiding for fear of being blown up by Israel so I doubt any deal gets made soon.
Won’t surprise me if we have boots on the ground on Wednesday and oil goes to $140.
Is everyone positioned for profits? Profitgasm hard and fast baby then rinse and repeat.
They’re probably talking to a prank caller from the Iranian equivalent of the Bob and Tom show.
The Iranian Borat!
Get it straight: WARS, Military Campaigns, and even Lesser battles are ALL fought to feed the BIG TROUGH: THE M.I.C.
When you put this into the context of Raytheon, et. al the others, and realize that it is one HUGE LOBBY, then this explains nary a complaint from the other side of the UNI-PARTY. It is ALL for show.
It is ALL about MONEY.
….as IF Nuclear Power is the real reason. COME ON. It is the unsolvable CARROT/STICK. ALL FOR SHOW AND TELL to keep the spigot pouring money all over Congress, and anyone associated with that Liar in Chief.
With all the ‘crazy Trump’ talk, it’s easy to forget that Congress could have stopped this war, but they didn’t.
MONEY.
how?
The same way they stopped ICE, by cutting off funding.
Things are already bad enough on those ships, you think soldiers are going to fight and die for Israel while eating less than this..
https://www.thetimes.com/us/american-politics/article/iran-war-us-navy-food-pictures-b79nhm7d3
Note: If you can’t feed your soldiers you don’t have the “strongest military in the world.” This was known 2000 years ago during Roman empire times.
Both sides of Congress under control by you-know-whom so there you have the answer. The US spending tens of billions head first into full bankruptcy and willingly sacrificing hundreds if not thousands of lives of their military to fight other peoples wars, currently lead by a religious fanatic. Pathetic.
Two hours till the markets open. Waiting for some Monday morning tweets from Trump to calm markets. Same pattern over and over again.
Papa, one of the Trump team trades FUTURES on the swings. Billions will be had. No one will talk about it.
Because Trump has placed his loyal followers in all positions of responsibility. There is no one to stop him gaming the system.
The rest of us can do nothing but watch it happen, and try to take advantage of it where we can. I will certainly be making trades today (when I have time) in order to take advantage.
Trump is impatient. He is desperate for a “deal” and wants it on his terms. He believes deals should be “I win, you lose”. And he only has one strategy; escalate to put pressure on the other side.
Iran is patient. They understand Trump’s weaknesses. They will play this out until they get what they want out of negotiations. Whether they show up to talk this week or not is not important, because they are playing the long game. They have leverage by controlling the strait of hormuz. If Trump escalates, they will escalate.
Meanwhile, every day that passes, the world loses 10+ million barrels of oil and many other products (LNG, fertilizer, helium, aluminum, sulphuric acid, etc). It will take many months, and in some cases many years to repair the damage. The global economy is heading for recession or worse.
They also understand that Trump represents a strain of ignorance in the US that has become dangerous for them, so just appeasing him will not solve the problem. Causing economic pain for his constituents is also important. Similar playbook as China
China is also patient. For natural gas, I would be surprised is there is not work being done already to see how to connect the Central Asia–China Gas pipeline into the Turkmenistan-Iran connection. And expanding the 10,000 mile direct raliroad link between China and Iran that opened last year. (I wonder if the administration realizes that a naval blockade no longer prevents China shipments of arms to Iran–MANPADS are easy to send in a container by rail.) China has already been doing things like completing a pipeline through Myanmar to reduce dependence on oil transport through the Strait of Malacca (which the US navy could easily blockade in the event of a war over Taiwan). In the next few years China will certainly reduce its dependence on the Strait of Hormuz too.
Yes. China plays the long game. In addition to your excellent points:
They have had a small “coal to natural gas” operation for over a decade now. They developed plans to expand it significantly if needed. One year ago (after Trump’s election) they decided to proceed with the expansion. Which they are now working on. In conjunction with this, China has also expanded their coal production to be able to supply enough raw material for this expansion.
One year ago they also decided to rapidly expand their SPR from 1000 million barrels to 2000. Currently 1500 and growing rapidly. They have still been expanding it after the war started. (Meanwhile Trump is reducing the US SPR from 420 to 250)
There is no deal that Iran can make that the United States and Israel will not break.
True. And Iran knows it.
He’ll negotiate with empty chairs, same way he performs to empty at his rallies.
And Fox will broadcast wide margins of accomplishments and celebrations along with CBE and CNBC. Let the minions be swayed.
I’m getting old of his tactics. He makes up claims of deals and agreements and ceasefires that nobody else has a clue about. Then everybody does the victory lap about how great the orange god is.
When the opposition disagrees its either fake news, a hoax, or a nasty double cross – all claimed by the bullshitter in chief. Nothing he says is real. It’s all for effect.
Iran is being more open and honest. Trump is hanging America out to dry.
Isn’t it the same in the Usonian corporate C-suit environment? That’s the 🍊’s milieu.
Maybe Iran could trust the US as they know that Trump is going soon. But how can they trust any future Israeli government.
The unconditional US funding of Israel is as big a barrier to peace as Iran’s nuclear program.
Stopping, this and bringing Israel back under some kind of control is the only long term way to solve this.
…and in the process bring a lot more stability and rightful respect to Jewish culture around the world.
How could anyone trust the United States right now. Just because Trump will eventually die doesn’t mean that his autocratic regime will disappear into lovely democracy.
There is no going back. We are displaying a nation of racism and greed. Our every intention, displayed, has been to conquer and extract. We are a predatory colonial nation.
Many countries are moving away from the United states and these are 10+ year plans with massive changes in trade development that will not go away.
Agree
> One of the problems is the US and Iran killed all of the Iranian leaders willing to make concessions
Why should anyone in their right mind negotiate with assassins and murderers? Or am I missing something.
Which will never happen, hence why this mess will never end, just evolve.
And again, once the US falls, Israel will pivot to China and Russia (more so Russia) — hence the Ukraine situ, and why they are trying to get the place cleared out of local males and begin their migration back to Ukraine en masse. Why do you think Zionists Larry Fink, Jared Kushner and others are looking to invest trillions in Ukraine?
Fun Fact:
🇮🇱 Most spoken foreign languages in Israel
2. Russian
Brought by immigrants from the former Soviet Union (especially 1990s wave)Around 1 million speakers (native or fluent)Widely visible in media, signage, and business
– Maybe Iran could trust the US as they know that Trump is going soon. > To be replaced by JD Vance. Not sure there is too much difference in JD, but more importantly it’s the overriding message being sent by the Party. I don’t particularly like the message coming from the Democrat party either.
>> I do know for sure however, that I don’t ever wish to see open borders again. I see the chaos in Europe especially, but around the globe, and it’s pretty ugly, as it was here for a bit. Not to mention Taxpayers get shafted!
– But how can they trust any future Israeli government.> How can we trust any Middle East Country? You have to try, I suppose.
– The unconditional US funding of Israel is as big a barrier to peace as Iran’s nuclear program. > Probably the only thing that has stopped a nuclear war, or something that would have looked like it perhaps…
Todays blood flavored KoolAid serving from Stu…
WMD = todays Nuclear Propaganda.
Oh look, the sphincter is leaking again.
Nice pic in the lead, if you look closely you can see the strings from JD’s back to Jared’s hands.
Perhaps Trump 2.0 learned from the Clintons, Obama, Biden, Schiff, Pelosi, and others in office, that Lies have No Consequences
Let’s see, none of them made fake claims about WMD. But there’s plenty who did.
That blow job was catastrophic for our nation!
Nobody saw that coming…
So, Trump is a liar and war criminal and it’s all the democrats’ fault?!?
If they hadn’t sucker punched Bernie to runHillary, we wouldn’t be in this mess.
Team D would prefer to lose to Trump than win with Sanders.
President Trump is a fundrai$ing opportunity.
A president Sanders would be seen as a Team D calamity.