Here’s another batch of TACO-related rumors to ponder.
Trump Says Iran Talks to Begin Monday
Bloomberg reports Trump Says Iran Talks to Begin Monday After Scrapping Attack
President Donald Trump said new Iran talks would begin Monday afternoon after he called off a planned attack on Iran partially in response to pleas from US allies in the Middle East, including Saudi Arabia.
“It would have been the biggest attack since World War II,” Trump said Sunday to reporters on Air Force One. “We’re just going to see whether or not we can make a deal.”
He added, “I’m not looking to kill people.”
Trump suggested a deal on reopening the Strait of Hormuz may be close, and said he would also continue to pursue a path to end Iran’s nuclear program.
The US president said that Saudi Arabian Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman told him over the weekend that he preferred continued talks to the planned strikes.
“They said we would much prefer a deal as opposed to an attack because you don’t know where these attacks lead,” Trump said. “I mean, will they be flooded with people pouring into their country and disaster. A lot of better things can happen.”
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said earlier Sunday on Telegram that negotiations between Iran and Oman are in the final stages. The two countries that flank the strait are discussing a new route through it, but the talks don’t cover whether the strait will be closed or open, Araghchi spokesman Esmail Baghaei said in an interview on Iranian state-run TV. Baghaei blamed the US for the waterway being closed to shipping traffic.
Three-Way Deal Rumored
Israeli media also reported on August 2 that Araghchi agreed to a US- and Qatari-formulated proposal in which vessels would enter the Persian Gulf through Iranian waters and exit through Omani waters.
That is a logical deal, assuming Trump , Iran, and Oman all agree.
The Update
MORE: IRGC-affiliated Fars News denied on August 2 that Iran agreed to a plan to reopen the strait. An informed Iranian military source told Fars News that the strait will remain closed as long as the United States continues to conduct “hostile actions.” The source added that vessels can only transit through Iran’s traffic separation scheme and with permission from the IRGC Navy. This report highlights how some IRGC factions, likely including Vahidi’s faction, seek to retain full control over all traffic in the strait and likely oppose an arrangement in which Iran would only control inbound traffic in the strait. The IRGC controls the forces that have repeatedly attacked shipping in the strait in recent months, and it could therefore try to undermine an arrangement in the Strait of Hormuz that it deems contrary to the regime’s interests.
Iranian negotiators’ reported openness to the US- and Qatari-formulated proposal is consistent with Iranian “pragmatist” actors’ support for negotiating a diplomatic settlement to advance Iranian objectives. “Pragmatist” officials such as Araghchi, Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, and President Masoud Pezeshkian have consistently advocated for using diplomacy to secure Iranian interests, such as securing Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz and obtaining economic relief. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian has repeatedly voiced concerns about the economic costs of war, and he convinced Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei to accept the memorandum of understanding (MoU) in June by highlighting the MoU’s economic benefits.
The Original Post
NEW: Iranian negotiators such as Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Araghchi may be willing to make limited compromises with the United States over the extent of Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) faction led by IRGC Commander Major General Ahmad Vahidi, which appears to be currently dominating regime decision-making, will likely reject any arrangement that meaningfully reduces Iranian control over the waterway, however.
Other Key Takeaways:
US President Donald Trump stated on August 1 that he canceled planned strikes on Iran after Iran — presumably referring to Iranian negotiators — and regional states informed him that they had agreed on the parameters of a deal that reportedly includes the “immediate, complete, and total opening” of the strait and “an end to Iran’s nuclear threat.”
Israeli media also reported on August 2 that Araghchi agreed to a US- and Qatari-formulated proposal in which vessels would enter the Persian Gulf through Iranian waters and exit through Omani waters.
An arrangement in which Iran controls inbound traffic in the Strait of Hormuz would still enable Iran to control which vessels can enter the Persian Gulf and thus continue to undermine the United States’ interests as well as global commerce. Iranian officials have repeatedly emphasized that they seek to prevent “hostile” vessels, including US Navy vessels, from entering the Persian Gulf.
Some Iranian regime officials may be seeking to appease ultra-hardliners by emphasizing that the regime is exploiting pauses in US military operations and periods of diplomacy to reconstitute military capabilities and import new equipment. Iranian Artesh Spokesperson Brigadier General Mohammad Akraminia explicitly stated on August 2 that Iran “fully exploited” the MoU and ceasefire to import new equipment, repair and reconstruct damaged systems, and produce new systems.
Negotiations Start Monday
Unless Trump is willing to make major concessions, negotiations are headed nowhere.
More Route Rumors
Then Again
Comment of the Day
Withdrawing from the Iran Deal without a coherent plan is a major reason we’ve ended up here. And trying to unravel everything Barack Obama and Joe Biden accomplished isn’t foreign policy. It’s governance by grievance, not national interest. The Trump administration is flailing, incompetent, and visibly out of its depth, and the whole world knows it.
Well stated.
US Strategic Oil Reserves
Ignore the confusion over another alleged deal following another big Trump TACO.
Instead, please note Strategic Oil Reserves Down to a Record Low Two-Week Supply
The SPR is the lowest since 1982, but days should be the big concern.
Trump is desperate for a deal. The whole world can see it.
This is all pure Media spin.
Nobody knows anything about discussions in closed rooms.
Araghchi, Ghalibaf, Pezeshkian, Mojtabi — all vets from the IRGC, brothers in combat in the bloody chemical war fought against Iran by US proxy Iraq. The whole notion that they are “against” the “ultra-hardliners” is pure fantasy.
Each person will have their own idea about how to best proceed.
But they all want revenge and for the US to just get the hell out already.
There is only one thing the US can do going forward.
Implement the 14 points Trump signed in the MOU.
Don’t worry, boys. Jared and Steve will fix it.
Are there any Americans Trump could use?
Naw – they were all laid off by Musk.
We have a nation and a planet with profound abuse accommodation syndrome. No other relationship would allow a person to do 180’s like this heedless groundless devious manipulative maniac does.
I see the stock market dancing along with it — cynically, because traders can position to fleece the ever-hopeful suckers?
Robert Barnes (former Trump supporter and Trump attorney) says Trump has behavioral dementia. He was never an upstanding person, but he’s had a profound personality worsening in his second term.
Napoleonic delusions absolutely.
The US is stalling for time, presumably strongarming Pakistan and Turkmenistan to join the war. From that perspective, it doesn’t matter whether talks happen or not.
There is no deal Iran can make that will satisfy Israel.
“One shipping lane to rule them all”
They control Trump’s precious
Had he actually hired “only the best” he would be getting advice from competent military personnel. But he preferred to hire guys called Kegbreath and Ka$h
The problem is that Trump is much more fundamentally trapped, not merely by the scale and ramifications of the strategic error of the war on Iran, the inability to force Iran to give up control of the Strait of Hormuz, and the revelation of US military fragility, but also his personality and the way key posts are now filled by incompetents and toadies.
I couldn’t design a more beautiful perfect storm.
Hegsdeath fired anyone who expressed any reluctance start this crazy war.
The biggest problem is his own narcissistic personality disorder. He can’t be seen as a loser. He’s begging Iran to allow him to save face, and they’re giving him the finger.
many narcissists go the way of suicide in old age, when they are exposed and alone……
It is Death of a Salesman stuff
the Gulf countries have expressed their frustration with the US over what they call a lack of clear strategy, as the war enters its sixth month. They are exasperated as the fighting drags on, putting their people and land in the line of fire.
https://www.firstpost.com/explainers/trump-iran-war-strikes-paused-talks-u-turn-gulf-nations-14035532.html
He knows he is lying.
We know he is lying.
He knows that we know he is lying
We know that he knows that we know he is lying.
However, he keeps lying
Because he knows we think that maybe, just this once, he is not lying.
Today, oil prices dropped again despite a total lack of market justification.
How long can this go on?
That is the Question.
Just in (about the Lie):
Iran denies Trump’s claims that talks due to take place.
Iranian spokesperson says there are no plans to receive or send a delegation following US president’s assertion that talks would take place on Monday
Hopefully long enough for three or four more rounds of USO long calls. Money printer.
“How long can this go on?”
Pick your poison.
I’m not sure he knows he’s lying. He confabulates. That’s even scarier.
there will be no solution to this conflict near term deal here deal there all lasting
a few days or so. maybe its iran that wants and needs this war for what ever
reasons, but now they seem to have america by the balls just depends on how
tight they are going to squeeze trump is not in a very good place presently
Looks like Oman and Iran are figuring out exactly how they will split up their tolls.
US military turns to crowdsourcing troops for Iran war tactics
The request from a senior officer at the US military command carrying out President Donald Trump’s war with Iran came in an email: We need ideas.
“We are looking for new creative and unconventional ways to pressure and punish Iran,” an officer in US Central Command’s intelligence branch wrote in a message sent Wednesday to a broad group of military analysts, according to a source familiar with the message.
Too bad Trump doesn’t have any military, diplomatic, or financial professionals who have any ideas on how to win this war. Maybe he should have thought about strategy and objectives before starting the war?
Strategy and objectives are for “suckers and losers” according to Trump
In other words: “Anybody know how we can militarily defeat Iran without using the military?”.
Iran’s control of Hormuz is a given–a fact of geography
Permanent peace, reparations, Gaza, Lebanon are the asks that make Trump into a loser
He (or Israel) will never abide by any agreement on these issues
There won’t be a pointless MOU this time
Not sure how he’ll ever convince Iran he is serious and committed to the process of an agreement
Until the US is broken by an energy crisis AND the GOP and MAGA rise in vivid revolution..
Nukes are only an issue for Israel–Trump really doesn’t give a shit about them. He’d abandon the no-nuke stance if only Israel would shut up about them–the US could always could toast Iran many times over, but Israel is too close and too small.
Any of the other issues require the US giving Iran something tangible and puts L-O-S-E-R very clearly on Trumps entry in the history books
But other than your high school yearbook, njbr won’t be in any books at all!
ooooh, wicked burn, jojo
LOL!
Speaking of high school, that burn would get at least a C+ if you were a high schooler.
Saudi Crown Prince MBS spoke with Trump earlier today and urged the President to de-escalate and refrain from launching strikes on Iran – Axios
Stupid MBS. He believe what TACO said.
He is very brave on EVERY FRIDAY.
TACO on EVERY SUNDAY.
So this pattern should be monetizable, right? If the dollars I win don’t collapse.
As expected, Iran keeps gaining leverage as Trump flails about looking for an exit.
Now the US is willing to agree to Iran controlling which ships enter the Gulf as if this is a partial victory.
LOL!
Please note that whoever controls which ships go in, effectively controls what can come out. So much for supplying our bases in the Gulf by ship. Iran is displacing the US as the regional power. A gift from Trump.
The problem is not only Strait of Hormuz but also –
I wonder how are they ( US + Israel + Iran ) going to negotiate within a few days?
I’m confident there will be continuation.
Actually a gift to the American people. If Iran can drive us out of the ME it will benefit the American people.
BINGO. WINNER COMMENT. all empires fail. the spanish were happy when the americans bombed their forts and harbors in 1898. there is even a hotel in barcelona with the name 1898, to celebrate the end of their empire. it was collapsing for almost a century before this happened. our forts being bombed in gulf states is a great blessing for the country. underneath the world wide empire is a country back in the states.
This is an excellent article that gets into the the internal politics of the Iranian Regime, something rarely covered by the media here is the West.
I don’t think it can change much on the Iran front, considering that is largely driven by the incompetence of Vance, Kushner and Witkoff; it’s a quagmire.
And US division is even more severe. Hopefully both countries overthrow their abusive regimes.
We should elect an AI!
How long before the IRGC tries to scuttle any discussions/agreement by taking pot shots at Hormuz Strait ships?
Trumps choices are simple:
There has never been a plan for what to do after starting this war, killing and disrupting markets may have been the plan for insider trading profits.
Continue the Epstein coverup in the states and keep Israel happy and the video etc they have under wraps.
There’s a 99% chance these negotiations are only in Trump’s mind – or what’s left of it.
If oil comes down and the stock market orgasims then look forward to a ’23rd’ deal.
He can be desperate for a deal and the Iranian Minister can be aggreeable to/desperate for a deal but if the IRGC is spoiling to continue because they do not answer to the same entity negotiating the deal, well, how in Hades does this ever truly get resolved. Forgetting this blog’s disdain for Trump and his Administration, even if his missteps/miscalculations led to this point if the side he is negotiating/pleading/begging with isn’t the group that controls the missles, drones or resistance rogue(?)/”official”(?) forces, well, this won’t be the last of it because it can’t be the last of it. Those entities want something different than the ministerial representation.
Look for the go-nowhere talks to continue in the same fashion that the irreconciliable differences between D’s and R’s in the US continue to drag the polarized US along.
1) Trump makes the concessions that will satisfy the IRGC.
2) Trump manages to obliterate the IRGC and therefore remove them from their position of power in Iran.
I’ll let each person pick which option they find more likely to come to pass.
Well Trump was warned by all his military and intelligence experts that he was stepping into a pile of sh!t if he did this and he went ahead and did it anyway.
The best way to get out of this and any future Trump mess is not to do it to begin with. It’s easy to have disdain for absolutely stupid people.
Trump desperately wants a deal.
On the Iranian side, Araghchi also wants a deal. The problem is that he does not call the shots, the IRGC does.
We can thank Trump for that.
Not to mention that Trump could never, ever accept even the minimum deal Araghchi is willing to offer, and Araghchi could never trust Trump to not start bombing Iran about an hour after signing the deal. I don’t think the IRGC is even worrying about it much at this point.
Rumor has it MBS played the China card. He supposedly told Trump if their infrastructure gets destroyed it will also destroy any deals the Saudis have with the Trump family and the U.S. and they will turn to China.
MBS has no card.
Billions of his money, luxury estates are in Trump’s hand.
He may also have the videos from the epstein days just like bebe
Let me guess.
Iran says there is no deal, no one told them.
Trump gets his feelies hurt
Threatens to Bomb them like they’ve never been bombed. Nobodies ever seen that many bombs
But he doesn’t because there’s a deal and they are desperately to negotiate.
How many times? Someone said 22 times we have done this. This isn’t 4D chess, this is America being Great. Great big mess
Trump is playing his new favorite game called “Squat and Diddle.”
Everyone knows fhat there is no deal and that there can be no deal.
Trump is simply stalling for time.
Someone said that this is the 22nd Iran “deal” announced by Trump so far. Anybody keeping count? LOL
Bullshit isn’t counted, it’s sold by weight.
It’s embarrassing. Were the evil empire
This is just standard Trump, manipulating the markets before they open on Monday. This cycle has been going on for months. Step 1, threaten a history-making bombing of Iran. Step 2, decide to postpone the attack because Iran has come crawling back, begging for a deal. Markets eat it up and the Dow goes up! Step 3, the ‘deal’ falls apart, as we all knew it would.
It’s like fast and furious 12 or whatever.
Tired of the reruns. Oh cars! Seen it. Same with Trump
I would add, the attack was never intended to happen in the first place. Telegraphing an attack ahead of the attack like they did could cost lives. It was done to allow Trump to announce he had decided to hold off. Pure theatre. Also in play is Israeli’s lack of enthusiasm for being a target. They have seen first hand what the missiles can do.
Step 2 works as planned. WSJ headline: “Dow Futures Jump, Oil Slides on Return to Diplomacy”. Dow expected to rise 500+ points at the open.
Trump will keep doing this as long as it keeps working.
You can count on taco capitulating but doing whatever is in HIS and/or HIS family’s best economic and financial interests. The trump family has become the modern day version of the Gambino’s.
Did the Gambino’s murder 150 school girls? Were they pedophiles? I’d say trump was worse than the Gambinos, much worse.
Trump is worse than a pedophile, he is a child rapist
The Gambinos were far more intelligent.