Today, Iran attacked the UAE. Trump’s response is to plead for help from South Korea. 
Trump Springs to Action
Truth Social Link: Truth Social: Iran has taken some shots at unrelated Nations with respect to the Ship Movement, PROJECT FREEDOM, including a South Korean Cargo Ship. Perhaps it’s time for South Korea to come and join the mission! We’ve shot down seven small Boats or, as they like to call them, “fast” Boats. It’s all they have left. Other than the South Korean Ship, there has been, at this moment, no damage going through the Strait. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine, will have a News Conference tomorrow morning. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP
May 04, 2026, 11:16 AM
Trump’s Massive Two-Pronged Response
- Beg South Korea to come and join the mission!
- Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Dan Caine, will have a News Conference tomorrow morning.
Wow. That was forceful.
Trump and his powerful Navy just needs a little help from friends.
Absolute Control
I am sure glad the US has absolute control of the strait. Otherwise, where would we be?
A Need to Understand the Truth
Is Anyone Winning?
Yes, but it ain’t you.
Operation Freedom Worked So Well
A “Little Detour”
Things are “going very well”, said Trump twice.
I need to make a note.
OK. Noted. “Things are going very well.”
Damn, It’s Now a Mini-War
I am making a note that the “Little detour” has been upgraded to a “mini-war”.
The main war has been won about 10 times now.
I hope you are paying attention.
$100 Oil Is Doing Well
More Notes Needed
- Iran kidnapped ships and is holding them hostage
- We are in total control of the strait
I hope you are taking notes too, because this seems contradictory. But it’s only contradictory if you are incapable of 5D thinking.
Unfortunately, the world is woefully short of 5D thinking. Please make a note of that, too.
Confused About Help?
Who needs help when the war is already over?
March 14: 2026: Good News, Trump Declares the End of the War for the Sixth Time
Truth Social: The United States of America has beaten and completely decimated Iran, both Militarily, Economically, and in every other way, but the Countries of the World that receive Oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help — A LOT! The U.S. will also coordinate with those Countries so that everything goes quickly, smoothly, and well. This should have always been a team effort, and now it will be — It will bring the World together toward Harmony, Security, and Everlasting Peace! President DONALD J. TRUMP
Seems like Trump was offering help.
A Plea for Help
March 14: 2026: Trump Begs the World for Military Assistance After Saying Help Not Needed
Hello world, send help!
Truth Social: Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe. We have already destroyed 100% of Iran’s Military capability, but it’s easy for them to send a drone or two, drop a mine, or deliver a close range missile somewhere along, or in, this Waterway, no matter how badly defeated they are. Hopefully China, France, Japan, South Korea, the UK, and others, that are affected by this artificial constraint, will send Ships to the area so that the Hormuz Strait will no longer be a threat by a Nation that has been totally decapitated. In the meantime, the United States will be bombing the hell out of the shoreline, and continually shooting Iranian Boats and Ships out of the water. One way or the other, we will soon get the Hormuz Strait OPEN, SAFE, and FREE! President DONALD J. TRUMP
Hmm. I need to check my notebook on the definition of “soon”. I will report back when I find it.
I am sure I made a note somewhere.
March 17, 2026: Trump Now Says “WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!”
After begging for help, and saying many nations offered help, guess what.
WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE! WE NEVER DID!
Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP
It’s been a real hoot paying attention.
Since the war is over, my report earlier today must be fake news: Oil and Bond Yields Surge as Fighting Breaks Out in the Mideast
Trump praised Iran yesterday for letting ships pass through the strait. Here’s your result.
I failed to note this is just a continuation of a continuation of a “little detour.”
Now noted. Oh wait, it’s now a “mini-war”. If you are not making notes like I am, you will never get things right.
Regarding Help!
Yesterday, I reported Thailand Turns to Russia and China for Iran War Help Because US Offers None
I see the problem here. Thailand is an “Ungrateful Ingrate”.
Fred Flintstone: [to Barney] You are an ungrateful ingrate.
[starts walking away]
Fred Flintstone: And there’s only one way to handle an ungrateful ingrate!
Obviously, we need to bomb these ungrateful ingrates back to the stone age.
That’s OK, even if we don’t, because I am sure South Korea will be opening the strait soon.
Provided for comment and not necessarily for truth:
“U.S. Air Force Tanker Declares Emergency Over Strait of HormuzLast updated 19 minutes ago
The tanker, flying from Al Dhafra Air Base in the UAE, began a controlled descent around 6:20 UTC toward Al Udeid in Qatar before losing its signal short of Doha. Two helicopters launched from Al Udeid, suggesting a possible search for a water crash, as the incident coincided with intense electronic jamming linked to regional tensions. A second U.S. tanker declared an emergency hours later east of Riyadh, with no official confirmation yet on causes, landings, or casualties from U.S. Central Command or allies.”
https://x.com/i/trending/2051620392519750111
How did we all wind up in this dude’s casino? It grew to eat our world. We are punters whether we consented or not.
Anyone paying attention and using logic is incapable of sustaining belief in this barrage of mishmash. There must be a heavy abuse accommodation syndrome to do so. So, I guess, cognitively, the believers’ approach must be to allow gaps, push pause, and just frequently shut off the brain. Otherwise the logic chip would fry.
Yes, this could come up roses, but the obvious inherent reliance on luck, not any coherent approach, is too much for me to put confidence in it. Riverboat gambler luck, wonderful. Except a riverboat gambler with these tactics would soon be ejected, bankrupt, or both. In this case he took over the “house,” so he gets to keep fiddling with our destiny.
The behavior of Trump cultists is, well, cultish.
Google “cognitive dissonance” and it describes their behavior to a tee.
Well said but I’m trying to envision any reality where this “comes up roses”
Republicans in the Senate are asking for $1 billion for Trump’s ballroom…. Even if it is indeed a military bunker, actually scratch that, since it’s explicitly for a military bunker, I’m even more inclined to oppose it.
Enough. The military under trump has been gutted of intelligent leadership and is not the right organization to be planning anything right now. The fiasco in Iran shows that they have learned nothing from the Russian fiasco in Ukraine. They are run by an alcoholic religious nut who glorifies violence.
If we indeed need a billion dollar bunker under the white house, it will have to wait until we restore competent leadership to our military. And frankly, Obama and his military leadership were able to direct capture of OBL from the existing white house…. Good enough for me.
Yes, perhaps the decisionmakers should have MORE skin in the game, more personal exposure to this trauma and risk, not less. We should perhaps wait on the fuhrerbunker project.
Yes I agree… Someone yesterday suggested strapping Trump to the front of a minesweeper and letting him work on clearing the strait of hormuz with a cane and sunglasses… Great idea…
https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2050658832234533140
“China’s Ministry of Commerce has for the first time activated its 2021 Blocking Rules, ordering all Chinese firms and individuals not to comply with U.S. sanctions targeting five independent Chinese oil refineries accused of purchasing Iranian crude.
Beijing called the U.S. measures, imposed under two executive orders, an “unjustified” and “improper” use of extraterritorial law.
The move puts multinational companies operating in both markets in direct legal conflict: compliance with U.S. sanctions now risks violating Chinese law, and vice versa. Global banks and firms with dollar exposure face secondary sanctions risk if they continue dealing with the affected refineries.
Analysts describe the order as a significant step toward competing legal frameworks for global trade, accelerating the path to potential economic “decoupling” between the two powers.”
imagine if every member of your family suddenly demanded maximum bilateral pay for any services provided. Feed the dog, dad? $10 fee. I think particularly of what is about to happen to insurance costs.
I see Hobbes as the ultimate limit: the war of all against all.
Great post Mish!
What did Iran hit in the UAE today? Their key export facility that allows them to bypass Hormuz. This will reduce global oil supply further; until they fix the damage. Of course, Iran can then just strike it again.
For oil being such a lifeline, Countries don’t seem to protect the delivery of such, very seriously at all. I hear about pipelines getting destroyed, and delivery systems being an issue all the time. Is it simply impossible to build pipelines that can’t be broken up by others and unknowingly when and how? At least if you had it monitored to know whom did it, you could challenge them on it, ask for retribution because of it, and demand both if they give you a hard time. Not Germany of course, as they could only say “Thanks for letting us know” and “Please don’t do it again and again, because we can’t stop you” Do this to America, and it would be a totally different outcome…
You can’t build pumps, pipelines, terminals or tankers that can’t easily be destroyed by military equipment. It’s a physics issue. There is no “protection”. What do you do in a situation where no amount of military power is useful?
Pipelines are big, vulnerable, expensive infrastructure.
Which is why the conspiracy theory that the War On Afghanistan was “really about a pipeline” was so much nonsense. Not to mention, the Taliban would have been delighted to be able to collect rent and transit fees.
UAEs “investment” in Trumps crypto schemes and Kushners affinity partners has turned out to be a very expensive proposition.
Along with Atlantic City, Dubai is perhaps Trump’s spiritual home.
meanwhile: White House Considers Vetting AI Models Before They Are Released LMAOTo me this was one of the best comments: But what if I have a Trump Gold membership such as trumpcard.gov ?
https://yro.slashdot.org/story/26/05/04/1954244/white-house-considers-vetting-ai-models-before-they-are-released
All jokes aside, the AI models are becoming dangerous enough that something will eventually be done to prevent some 12 year old kid from building a nuclear bomb using old x-ray machine parts found on ebay.
From what I’ve read, AI was teaching people how to build bio-weapons from stuff you can order online and things you have in the kitchen.
But the most dangerous thing AI will do is teach people to think and governments around the world can’t have that!
Bio-weapon maybe. Nuclear bomb no since obtaining the material is the hard part (just ask Iran), not building the bomb itself.
I remember as a young teen in the late 70s finally figuring out the formula for gunpowder (in those days the formula was not widely available like it is with any google search today) and being so excited to create our own for some bomb building. Good fun was had by all of us.
If it’s hard, why must the US continually bomb their facilities?
How did Saddam get enough to make nuclear bombs in Iraq 25 years ago?
How did dirt poor North Korea end up with enough to make bombs?
he didn’t.
The IAEA concluded in 1998: “There were no indications to suggest that Iraq was successful in its attempt to produce nuclear weapons,” or “that there remains in Iraq any physical capability for the production of amounts of weapons-usable nuclear material of any practical significance.”
In 2003 US troops found hidden low-grade uranium (IIRC that stock was already known to the IAEA).
That was all.
If Saddam had had enough material to build a bomb, he most certainly would have done so, and i’m almost sure he would have told the world about it.
Nuclear bomb doesn’t always mean a kaboom boom. I was referring to a radioactive bomb that can do as much damage as a kaboom bomb by spreading poison. You also can have an EMP bomb made for about $5k that will knock out the electric grid if placed in the right spot.
That’s the point, with AI the opportunities are endless for mayhem.
evidence seems to indicate the opposite.
… governments around the world would like that!
Disagree. AI is 3 years old at this point (at least mainstream adaption) and it’s already leading to layoffs because it’s that good.
You can lead a horse to water but you can’t make it drink. You can lead a human to AI but you can’t make it think. Choices are everything, those that have chosen to use AI are becoming exponentially smarter and faster, those that don’t are still dumb as door nails.
You can’t put the gini back in the bottle.
The classical liberal dream, as expressed in Adam Smith and the Enlightenment, was based on certain rosy assumptions about humans and technology and nature itself. I see this as having certain Christian content, embedded, consciously or not.
Darwin started out wanting to be a clergyman. His direct observations of the ruthlessness and violence in nature forced him to think otherwise. Evolution is a Santa Claus at one moment and an absolute b*tch the next.
AI is the next wave of this.
At this time there is no evidence that AI will teach people to think. We have evidence for productivity gains (mostly because of the reduction of repetitive task), but that is not the same as teaching people to think.
On the other hand there is evidence that AI usage reduced the willingness to learn.
I wouldn’t be surprised if about 10 percent of the people will think more, while 90 percent get more lazy.
And that has nothing to do with the maturity of the technology.
I believe that people who have real expertise in a given field, and learn how to use AI to augment that expertise, will do extremely well in the future. Those who don’t bother to ever gain expertise will never be able to use AI to add value. They will be the losers. As you point out, the vast majority are likely to be the losers, which will concentrate much more wealth in the hands of the winners. Education and expertise are already responsible for a huge bifurcation of income and wealth in this country. AI will just expand that in a significant way.
It would all be so funny if it wasn’t so sad.
Bessent says that we have “absolute control” of the strait of Hormuz.
Then today, he publicly asks China if they could help influence Iran to open the strait.
These guys are a trader’s dream.
There is 5D something going on and it’s 5D irony. The gall of Trump to start his administration tariffing Asia and Europe because they were “ripping us off” then to have his tariff balls chopped off by SCOTUS. Begs Europe for help they say no then he puts tariffs back on Europe for autos and now goes begging to Korea for help after his ICE deported hundreds of Koreans teaching Americans how to operate a plant.
The world’s dumbest administration yet there’s an even dumber group, his supporters. It’s like an unbelievable sitcom TV show except real people are suffering from this clown.
Do worry, Trump will find a way to make things even worse.™
Poll: Is Trump dumber than a box of rocks
1) Yes
2) YES
3) 1 or 2 above
Apologies to rocks everywhere for insulting them by comparing them to Trump. Clearly, the average rock is much smarter.
Stupidity is amplified when the stupids are in close proximity. Therefore, a box of rocks is dumber than the average rock, even if there are only two rocks in the box.
25/47
Vance could support a 25th Amendment challenge after January 21 – imagining he could then still win two presidential elections (2028 and 2032). I think his chances of winning in 2028 are close to nil, but you know he’s thought of that January 21st date. (If he took over prior to Jan 20, he would be limited to one additional term.) Of course, Trump WILL be impeached next year and might be tossed out by the Senate.
Vance can’t pull the 25th by himself, it take the entire cabinet. And L’il Marco isn’t going to hand the Presidency to Vance. He wants it too much for himself. Then throw in the other nitwits in the cabinet who think “Trump’s a moron and he got to be President, why can’t I? He’s not too much smarter than me!”. Trump knew what he was doing when he appointed this gaggle of idiots.
I’m sure South Korea will be delighted to get involved, especially since Iran is allies with North Korea. What could possibly go wrong?
Never underestimate the ability of a nation to defend itself when its leadership depends on not losing a war on its own soil. They don’t need to win. They just need to outlast the U.S. The Iranians don’t have to worry about an election, the price of oil or a global depression. They just need to outlast the U.S. and they can do that with the help of Russia and China. And on that note, why the hell is Trump not aiding Ukraine in the war against Russia when Russia is openly helping Iran survive a war with the U.S. I guess that must be 7D chess but it seems incredibly stupid to me.
Correct!
What more can the US give the Ukraine? US defense contractors aren’t about manufacturing large numbers of munitions. They work on a cost plus basis, so they make Patriot 3 missiles by hand at a cost of $5 million each. We only had 8 THAAD interceptor missile systems and 2-3 of them were destroyed by Iran (going by memory). The US defense industry can’t just ramp up production of its boutique weapons at the drop of a hat. They’re private companies and would have to build new factories that take years of planning, permitting, hiring and building – and they won’t do that given the risk (the probability) that whatever given war we’re in will be over by the time the factory is ready. They’re profit driven, not purpose-driven. It’s not a bug, it’s a feature.
America can borrow and print money to give to the Ukraine, but unless they’re going to drop pallets of 100’s from helicopters they don’t have onto individual Russians, money isn’t weaponry.
Putin has Epstein’s videos of course.
Perhaps you did not read the news article announcing that The Trump administration has authorized more than $8.6 billion in emergency arms sales to partners in the Middle East. Not that any of these partners are actively participating militarily in the effort to overthrow the Iranian regime – assuming of course that is the objective of this “military excursion”. So they can find $ and arms for the Middle East but not to help Ukraine.
Under Trump, the US has in fact increased its CIA footprint and other assistance to the regime in Kiev.
I’m sure South Korea would be delighted to assist, since we’ve already depleted munition stockpiles held there (for Ukraine and again for Israel) and stripped them of some Patriot and THAAD batteries.
Ukraine didn’t very anything, we took their missiles too.
We must be running very low on the munitions we have been using against Iran. We seem unwilling to use more of them.
Used 1/3 of the Tomahawk missiles in inventory.
Can’t use any more. Got to save them for a real war.
… all while Kimmy‘s chucking missiles into the sea again.
Why S Korea?
US Navy ranked #1
S Korea Navy ranked #5 (China #2, Russia #3, Indonesia #4)
battling Iran (Navy # 19)
not knowing it’s not about power, it’s about position
maybe the US would rather have the S Koreans lose a ship than the US
less embarrassing that way
Isn’t it about time for taco to return to “reality tv” where he belongs.
He belongs in hell for bombing that Iranian girl’s school.
… and raping the other ones…
Where would we be without Bone Spurs Orange Jewlius Trumpenstein, member of the Epstein Class and President of the Epstein Empire?
I think Bone Spurs Orange Julius Caesar Trumpenstein sounds better. 😉
His drag name is Tangerine Trumpstien. All the little girls are wild about her!
to Trump: “So basically your plan is to flail about helplessly.”
It feels like Trump is channeling his inner Bhagdad Bob
“.. and profit! You forgot the profit. Never forget about the profit!”
+1 if you read that and heard Trump’s voice.
It is hard to see how the US can continue to keep the straight open over a long period of time through the use of force without putting boots on the ground. Should the US continue to have a military presence at the straight indefinitely? Next thing you know Trump will be asking for a toll for security costs. But remember Iran thought of the toll first.
You either need to come to an agreement with Iran that likely allows nuclear energy but not a bomb or put boots on the ground and force a regime change.
At this stage boots on the ground is going to require congressional approval which he likely won’t get.
Trump thinks negotiating is demanding and threatening which only works on people who are scared of him. Anyone with balls simply laughs in his face and waits for the inevitable TACO.
The closer we get to the mid-terms the greater the need for Trump to score a victory in this mess and the more desperate he will become.
Iran knows the game for Trump is over in early November. They just need to wait him out.
Boots on the ground won’t work. We don’t have the logistic ability to put enough boots on the ground and support them.
Found on internet. Typos and whatnot as in original:
Wars are won by whoever possesses the deadlier weapons.
The indigenous peoples of the Americas, Asia, and Africa had brave, skilled, and highly motivated warriors—but the Maxim machine guns slaughtered them en masse and defeated these armies.
The Japanese of World War II were cruel but also extremely motivated fighters—yet in the end, they were slaughtered by the U.S. military machine by the millions. Bravery and morale are important, but technological progress is and always has been more important.
We can only pray to God that Silicon Valley does not begin to dominate thinking at the Pentagon; otherwise, both Russia and Iran will lose world war III.
If Silicon Valley succeeds in producing autonomous drones the size of dragonflies that carry 5–10 grams of explosives, remain active for half an hour, and can be dropped in large numbers by aircraft over critical areas, this will have an effect similar to the invention of the machine gun in the 19th century for fighting the armies of the indigenous peoples of Africa or Asia.
Of course, these drones won’t be able to distinguish between civilians and soldiers and will explode on the head of anyone unlucky enough to be in the target area defined by the U.S.—but hey!—has collateral damage ever been a problem for the U.S.?
When Russian or Iranian soldiers reach locations littered with thousands of corpses with blown-off heads and brains hanging out, that will certainly have an impact on their combat effectiveness…
We’ve been in World War III for a long time. The West is bankrupt; no Western politician is willing to tell their constituents THIS—it means that we Westerners will have to work hard for low pay and few vacations until at least 2050 or 2026 before we can ever compete economically again—and so war is the only option for us bankrupts. It’s that simple.
A politician who promises me a “bright future” is one who wants to continue waging World War III. I do not believe in a bright future. We missed the train a long time ago. I can’t say any more than that.
We Westerners are the Third Reich today. We want world domination at any cost. Since we are sociopathic by nature, we will put everything on the line to achieve our goal. Tehran, Moscow, and Beijing should finally realize this.
For every Columbus, Hernán Cortés, or Francisco Pizarro who made it, there are thousands who died on the path to infinite wealth. For us, the “50 Cent” motto applies: “Get rich or die tryin’.”
We are not interested in our human or natural environment; we are not even interested in our own environment. Over the past 35 years, the West has destroyed itself out of sheer greed.
The smart people in Tehran, Moscow, and Beijing need to keep THAT in mind at all times. We are sociopaths. We are the Epstein class. We accept no partners; we accept only submission—or annihilation.
https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/trump-moves-closer-to-final-blowout/comment/252442466
That’s not what killed the Indians or how WW2 was won though, and that drone idea is retarded. Jesus is this the kind of stuff people will unquestioningly accept as fact now? I learned this in middle school.
Way to miss the point.
I know right? It’s not like Iran has been able to effectively use drones against our B-2 bimbers!
Your bimbers cannot crush an ideology, that seems to be the default US response to any regime they don’t like.
I’m going to break the Mishelin rating system an award 5 star on this post for musical tribute, cartoon, astute commentary and the grand irony of a broken old President.
Finally a 5 star rating! Been wondering what it would take to get a 4 or 5 star rating and now we know what the bar is.
I gotta reward Mish for giving us readers what we want….the economic and political analysis is good so that generally gets a 1 star but when you add a little humor and a musical tribute, it really takes things to the next level.
Especially when it’s from a legendary band and a classic cartoon. I’m assuming that was worth 1 star it itself.
I was a big Flintstone fan. I remember every episode. I wanted to post that video but it seems someone bought all the rights and none of the links work.
Joe Rockhead…I think Fred referred to him as “Joe Blockhead”
Inflationary!
The more I see the results of project freedom today (and the real fact that Israel and the UAE want to start bombing Iran) the more I believe project freedom it was about having other nations doing the warring to negate a vote on the war powers act (especially given the fact Trump asked South Korea to join the fight).
Is he that desperate?
There’s serious problems coming down the pipeline if this is the best they can do.
Now has the absolute bottom been already achieved or is there even a lower level a president of the worl’d greatest country can reach? With Canada about to “join” the EU…
Wait until the Ghislaine pardon.
Pedo Moses will declare, let my people go!