Trump says US goals have been attained. No deal is needed. 
Leaving in 2-3 Weeks
The Wall Street Journal reports Trump Says U.S. Will Be Leaving Iran in 2-3 Weeks
President Trump said the U.S. would be leaving Iran in two to three weeks with or without a deal, adding that “it will take 15-20 years for them to rebuild what we’ve done to them.”
The United Arab Emirates is preparing to help the U.S. and other allies open the Strait of Hormuz by force, Arab officials said.
The aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush and its accompanying warships are deploying to the Middle East, joining two other U.S. carrier strike groups in the region.
When asked by a reporter about gas prices topping an average of $4 a gallon, Trump said consumers should expect prices to fall once he ends the war.
China and Pakistan issued a five-point peace initiative to “restore peace and stability” in the regio
In the Middle East, Iran continued to fire projectiles at Gulf countries and Israel, while Israel struck regime sites in Tehran.
President Trump plans to deliver a speech on Wednesday evening at 9 p.m. ET to give “an important update on Iran,” according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.
Trump told reporters on Tuesday he believes the war will wrap up in two to three weeks as the U.S. continues to hit targets. Now in its fifth week, the conflict was initially forecasted to last four to six weeks, according to the Trump administration.
An Everybody Loses Effort
AAA gasoline prices hit a new high for the move to $4.064. Diesel is $5.490, about 33cents from a new record high.
After having made a serious mess of things, the new plan is to declare the war won and leave.
That’s a better decision than sending in ground troops, but nothing has been gained from this. The US already claims to have destroyed Iran’s nuclear plans.
It may take Iran years to rebuild, but the same holds true for all the oil, natural gas, and helium capacity that Iran destroyed.
What a waste of lives, time, and money. And Iran still controls the strait and is collecting tolls.
As for the end of the war, Iran, Israel, and now the United Arab Emirates all have a say.
60-Day War Powers Requirement: The War Powers Resolution mandates that a president must terminate the use of armed forces within 60 days (with a 30-day extension) unless Congress authorizes a longer period.
“The United Arab Emirates is preparing to help the U.S. and other allies open the Strait of Hormuz by force, Arab officials said”
So the UAE has navy that they have been hiding? What other allies? What Arab officials? Do they have a navy? NATO countries have opted out of Trump’s harebrained war.
Trump may TACO out of the Middle East, and I would applaud that, but I see no way of opening the Strait of Hormuz without a bloodbath for US troops.
Just gonna roll in a take the straight of Hormuz? Where are the minimum 500,000 ground troops needed? I doubt that we physically can…
And then on to Cuba
Hey! Don’t forget about Greenland!
And Canada!
I’ve said this before. Just because Chump says we have won that doesn’t mean the war ends. Israel won’t stop this madness. And if they do it will only be to rearm for the next round
Israel rearming will require funding from Congress. After the $200 billion to replace the equipment and arms Trump has wasted. I’m not too sure the US taxpayers are going to be in the mood to give billions more to Israel so they can attack Iran next year.
The American two‑party system is really showing its limits. Introducing a viable third party could add some much‑needed balance and force the major parties to cooperate instead of treating politics like a schoolyard rivalry.
I would disagree with thinking that the grass is greener on the three or more party side. Look at the parliamentary governments of Europe. They are quite dysfunctional and the leadership can change several times in a very short period of time because alliances between parties are simply transactional, as opposed to built on shared values and broad agreement on major policy matters.
I have the impression that you think that frequent alternation and checking of power is bad.
We want the elected leaders of our country to see themselves as temporary stewards of an office. While in the office, we want these leaders to build on the past decisions of their predecessors, who were duly elected by the people. If new policies or strategic decisions are to be made, these actions should be based on long-term benefits for the country and its people. If leadership is continually changing based upon the “mood” of the country at any given time, it would make it impossible to think long-term and move the ball forward in a constructive way.
But the dems and reps make sure to restrict competition with ballot access laws. Any 3rd party like the Libertarian Party spends 80% of its budget just to stay on the ballot.
Miscellaneous ramblings:
When I read into all of the effects of this war and the global impact, the 10,000 foot view is 83% of the oil from the Gulf flows to Asia and those are the nations the US is attacking or disrupting indirectly.
We in the US get our fertilizer and helium from Canadian and US plants. The resulting food crisis will be felt in the densely populated regions of Asia. The shortages of helium will disproportionately affect Asian chip manufacturers and the Asian healthcare and defense industries.
In the US, we were afraid of China controlling rare earths. But now the shoe is on the other foot and indeed the UA has the upper hand in controlling global helium production (at present 90+%).
Helium is a “Noble Gas” and its properties are irreplaceable.
With the exception of some unique alloys we get our Aluminum from Canada. Despite our ludicrous allusion to annexing their nation, Canada remains our most important trading partner. Aluminum for us is not a problem.
The Department of War has not stopped bombing Iran and IMO they will not stop until the US/Israeli war machine is in control of Iranian oil production. It could be years, but the massive social and economic disruption will be felt elsewhere.
This war is a theocratic eradication exercise. There is no quarter being given and anything Trump says on April Fools Day is simply reading the Faux News script.
GLTA
Yup. As Gaza goes, as Lebanon goes, so will Iran. Nothing changes.
Dream on, all of the products are freely traded meaning prices will skyrocket here. As far as rare earths F35’s are being delivered without advanced radars due to lack of gallium making them expensive trainers
He says that same thing, every 2-3 weeks.
Reminds me of Gen. Westmoreland.
BTW, he gets to lie with impunity today since it’s April 1st.
Well we’re far from the fat man singing but IF a secular democratic persian government running iran comes out of all of this then we may just have peace in the middle east. Thank you American tax payers.
However if Trump just pulls up stakes, then we’ll be back here in another 10 years. Wash, Rinse, Repeat.
Oh well, we’ll find out more in 2 to 3 weeks.
If my aunt had balls, she’d be my uncle.
Is there any secular democratic government in the middle east? Please don’t say Israel – which would be ridiculous. Iran has an elected president and parliament. Besides, who the F are we to dictate the government of every country on earth?
Or she just says she’s your uncle and bam! Two uncles. Congrats.
Iraq?
Ask yourself this; if the IRGC is replaced with a western friendly government, who will take up the mantle of promoting violence and hatred in the middle east?
Houthis? Hamas? Hezbollah? Maybe Isis?
There is the Muslim Brotherhood, but they are a global problem.
Yup. I have that same question. Go stick your 51st state up your Trump hole.
but ultimately its irrelevant. You can’t un-bomb the place now.
Iran is a multi-party democratic country. The Judiciary is controlled by the religious freaks, and they give themselves the right to reject any candidate for office who is sufficiently a religious freak. The IRGC’s role is simply to ensure the religious freaks maintain that right. The IRGC is dwarfed in size by the Iranian army which reports to the President, not the judiciary. The US has absolutely no ability to modify the structure of the Iranian government nor open the Strait of Hormuz. And it will take Iran about 2 years to rebuild what the US destroyed (except for the lives of the women and children murdered). But the Iranians now know what we will do, and adjust accordingly.
You make it sound so clean and partitioned, but the army reports to the president and the president reports to the mullahs, and the mullahs are dead.
So now it looks like nobody is in charge. The US has already modified the structure of the government.
https://apnews.com/article/iran-leadership-khamenei-revolutionary-guards-regime-change-745783d7a2fe63205f7a6eded58bc315
I suspect the opening of the straights is just a matter of time until the last holdouts realize their next paycheck isn’t coming.
How can Iraq be secular if its Constitution establishes Islam as the official state religion and a foundational source of legislation? Not surprising then that 80% of the Christians have left in the last 20 years.
Canada is officially a christian country, but that has been meaningless for decades with Christianity now being openly repressed by some politicians.
The Iraq constitution does have guarantees for democracy and human rights and freedoms. Officially religious minorities are protected. The persecution you speak of is mostly from Isis and radicals still present in the country.
That being said, it looks like Iraq is anything but a safe space for non-Muslims. Although secularism does seem to be on the rise for the younger generation. Time will tell.
And here is where Iran is vastly different, Islam is on the down-slope there. The population is much more primed for change than elsewhere in the middle east.
https://www.mnnonline.org/news/i-think-were-seeing-the-collapse-of-islam/
So apparently having a ‘secular’ government doesn’t preserve the peace for all groups of people in that country. Got it.
I don’t know about that, today at 12.30 eastern time Iran has another gift for the administration …..
Nope, Iran will develop or buy the necessary nukes to protect themselves.
That I do agree with you if any form of the current government is left intact.
So lets hope Trump gets the job done.
Epstein to parachute in.
See, Trump is a turbocharged, more efficient buffoon than the fuckups of years past.
Bush, Obama, Trump and Biden made war on Afghanistan and after 20 years, they were able to finally replace the Taliban with the Taliban. (The Taliban were ready to give up Bin Laden upon a showing of evidence and a guarantee of a trial in a neutral country, but Dubya would have none of that.)
Trump has condensed twenty years of fuckups into a few weeks, replacing the IGRC with the IGRC and bombing schools, hospitals and orphanages in the process. (Iran was ready to make a deal concerning nuclear materials, but Trump and his Israeli Master would have none of that.)
Seems Trumps exc order on mail in voting is the next distraction from the distraction ( iran war) that was the distraction from the Epstein files. Cuba gets a reprieve at least till the ships get back from the me.
Maybe part of the reason Israel pulled him into this is iran has/ had a enough drones and missiles build up to defeat any Israeli advances. So they want to destroy the proxies on their sides take as much land as they can. Knock iran back similar to nuclear ambitions.
Long term im wondering if hes gonna just pardon himself and all the Epstein perps.
Imo the whole if iran has a nuclear bomb the would use it argument hold know water. More like if iran has a bomb we lose the ability to control the area.
I get the impression that the real problem with Persia is that she was building advanced missiles. When you have the missiles, you can load atomic warheads or dirty bombs or what you like onto them, and send them to Israel or wherever.
Trump and the Israelis are taking action to prevent that situation developing. It’s a real shame that there was no-one of Trump’s calibre around to stop the Chinese when they decided to build an atomic bomb. The world would have been a better place.
then we can get back to the Epsein files
=files
trump will fire blonde
blonde would take desk w/ files
desk will be lost in-between
alx
David Haggith has an informative evaluation of the Iran situation that I found interesting at the link:
DEEPER LIES: Trump Displacement Syndrome Hits MAGA in Bitter Outrage over Betrayals
I saw the first farmer go off on Trump yesterday at morning coffee. Last summer there were at least five MAGA hats at the tables. Yesterday there were NONE!
Let us know when the pitchforks show up.
Notice the articles says projectiles, not bombs. Anything to make things sound better.
I think it’s a bunch of bs script written by psychiatrists playing us for fools just buying time and easing market fears.
I don’t believe any of it.
g. carlin had talk on this, pus11sification of language , 30 years ago
yeah i’ve seen him live a couple times
shell shock
battle fatigue
operational exhaustion
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Trump makes the Chinese fire drill great again.
The economic melt-down clock is ticking
Ending sooner may save the US from the worst, in a month we’ll all be bound to the same burning and sinking ship
How Do We Know When We’re Headed Into A Financial Crisis?
Trump is dismantling the federal office that collects warning data.
In the equities markets , this dead desalination plant, dead chemical plant, dead aluminum plant bounce will not hold.
April Fools Day speech by Trump?
What could possibly be true in this one?
My guess is he says we are leaving in a few weeks and it is a lie. The next two weeks are used as as information gathering portal and the arrival of the next carrier group is evidence that we are not leaving.
Damage to oil/gas infrastructure is continuing and the Uma tanker that was bound for Kharg Island has now started circling after entering the Persian Gulf through Hormuz yesterday. This indicates. but does not prove that exports from Kharg are not resuming.
Regardless of what Trump says, the outcome will be quite different from what he says and/or intends. Insurance companies are not writing coverage and production remains shut in. Everything is getting worse economically on a global basis.
We live in interesting times…
Tugboats and special marine services vessels are active around Kharg today. Some could be used for lifting sunken hulls from docking areas based on their descriptions.
Watching the Persian Gulf marine activities to keep a finger on the pulse of when economic activity may resume.
This could be a great opportunity to see him in unedited action. I see a lot of snippets that suggest he’s too diminished to lead. This could become his own version of that famous debate where Biden was checked out at the podium.
Maybe we get another lesson about Sharpies or he just goes into his sad little victim mode.
However this goes, he is exposing himself more than is safe for an old fool.
Still not watching it.
I am sure Mish will inform us, on the state of Taco.
It is clear Iran has won the war.
I can’t see Trump supporting Israel militarily after this.
He has got to be blaming them at least privately getting him into this.
He is now a pariah on the world stage.
He will support Israel.
Epstein was an Israeli asset and Israel has a lot on him. Not as much as Russia but enough that America is compromised
The US is still supplying the Ukraine with weapons, Intel and personnel to target Russia. In December, Trump kept Putin on the phone while 94 drones were headed to Putin’s Valdai home.
No, the US is not supplying Ukraine. The only supplies are those bought by Europeans of which the US has threatened to reneg on delivery.
Yes this the whole stupid war was a distraction because epstein files were top news and gaining recognition
Miriam Adelson will make sure Trump keeps supporting Bibi.
Why the US Navy won’t blast the Iranians and ‘open’ Strait of Hormuz
https://responsiblestatecraft.org/iran-strait-of-hormuz/
Hormuz is middle point (a bit skewed) between Persian gulf and oman gulf
overall it is about 1000 km and much wider outside hormuz!
Iran controls whole other side . 1000+ km.
Single hulled is all that really matters.
For someone who choreographs everything to make himself look much better than he is, I find it interesting the top fool in the administration choses to speak on April fool’s day.
Its the anniversary of his beautiful tariffs.
I wouldn’t be surprised if this April Fools isn’t coincidence. He does consider people stupid.
It’s Trump’s day.
You should add to your list of “results” from this effort that we leave the new leaders of Iran more motivated than ever to build nuclear weapons. And we’ve provided an example to every other country in the world with whom we might have a beef in the future that then better go nuclear as soon as possible (whether buy or build,) to deter the Trumpian mind and his religious nutter henchmen.
as long as Is1rael is so small (size wise ) IT WILL TAKE JUST DECENT ROCKET industry to control Israel
no escape here.
nuclear is REALLY NUCLEAR OPTION!
If the United States has achieved its objectives then why wait around another two or three weeks? There will be another attack. This speech is just meant to keep the markets up until more assets are in place and the attack comes. It is also meant to try to get the Iranians to lower their guard.
What were the objectives anyway? I agree the speech is to keep the markets up and price of oil down until his co-conspirators have their shorts and May and June oil contracts in place
The objective ever always only was to turn Iran into a failed state at the behest of Israel.
I guess that I was wrong. The speech certainly didn’t keep markets up.
The speech also didn’t make much sense except that he was angry at the Iranians for fighting back after being attacked and angry at the Europeans for not cleaning up the mess that he made.
Declaring victory and leaving? Think of three points bellow because lost wars come with consequences. The moment Trump stops and US military goes home none of the three points is 100% valid. Maybe only 50 % valid. Who would want to trade in US dollar and convert the dollar into Treasuries? Is it better to hold Treasuries or build huge oil and gas storages, grain silos and solar power plants and buy Chinese EVs?
The financial architecture of the post WW2 world rested on three assumptions:
– US is a benevolent hegemon with an embedded interest in maintaining global trading order
– US controls the world’s sea lanes
– US treasuries could always be transformed into commodities at a moment’s notice
These assumptions are melting away faster than morals at a bachelor party.
Louis-Vincent Gave, Gavekal Asset Management
I follow Louis Gave very closely. Definitely a realist. A Frenchman educated in the United States, joined the French Army, lives in Hong Kong, has an office in Beijing, and married to a Canadian. He has a global prospective.
Trump exposed the US paper tiger that is unprepared for the modern world and doesn’t know how interconnected it is
Private purchases of Treasuries is the name of the game now, not just sovereigns. Treasuries are now the base layer of entire global stock market, insurance, hedge funds, stable coins, etc. Notice how none of the chicken little’s came out to roost when china stopped buying treasuries? Of course now that puts us at risk of other things though, like when hedge funds have to unwind the basis trade. I guess my point is the treasury market survived just fine through the tariff panics last year, it seems like it will survive this too save, WW3 happening.
US treasuries: $27 trillion
Eurozone soverign: $12 trillion
Japan JGBs: $9 Trillion
China gov bonds: $6 Trillion
Not many governments seem to be properly leaning into crypto, but with US stablecoins expanding rapidly, we seem to be ahead of the curve. Joe 6 pack in Africa will sidestep transnational bankers and exchange dollars and save in treasuries. I’m thinking that might be one of the last big plays we can make though.
Now also consider we’re destroying the energy sources of the countries in BRICS who are trying to make their alternative currency centered around commodities. That might not work out well for them now and only gets worse the worse the conflict gets.
This Iran situation will go down as a colossal failure. Now, Trump is gaslighting the world about leaving NATO, something that he explicitly does not have unilateral authorization to do.
Who can can name anything we gained from this war, other than dutiful subservience to Israel and war profits for the MIC?
For once he made the whole world hate Americans ,and also waisted lots of money that we have to pay interest made the biggest mess in history and he is so smart that he killed the only person that could have accepted the U.S surrender treaty….
I meant gained for the USA, the side on which Trump claims to be fighting.
Maybe if it gave us Americans a bit of insight as to why we are so hated, and it’s not because we are so noble and kind.
Yes, now a lot of Americans know all about the straight of trump. Lol
Putin i heard.
RUSSIANs would balance budget in 2026
We gained a new inflation pipeline! A big, beautiful pipeline!
Let’s add what was lost: The US empire in the Middle East for those that think this was a good thing; US prestige or what was left of it before the the second round of The Iran War; approximately $32B thus far spent in armaments used to kill, maim innocent Iranians in a war of aggression that the US and the Zionist government of Israel started without any provocation; the illusion that the US are the good guys; that the US is a constitutional republic.
Speech?
Not a tweet on “Truth Social”?
He speaks in mumble whispers and types in all caps, a savagely decrepit mind
By “re-bliterating” Iran, it now has a new set of leaders whose predecessors and families have been murdered, no nuclear agreement — in fact increased incentive to develop a dozen of them within weeks, destruction of GCC defenses, depletion of US powered warheads, accession of control of the Strait to Iran, and further alienation of US allies. Sounds like unconditional surrender to me.But by whom?
Just mentioning the substack “escapekey” is censored??
At least that went through.
Everyone, go read.
This one? https://substack.com/@escapekey/p-191996962
I can see why that site is so desperate for readers.
Unless, considering past performance(s), He says something different on Wednesday. Or Thursday. Or Saturday. or a week from Tuesday. He’s a very dynamic leader.
Addressing the nation on April 1 about a costly, stupid, and failed war? I think he is making fun of us.
Dunno. I don’t believe He’s a particularly humorous man. I haven’t heard him crack a good joke since He obliterated Iran’s enrichment programs.
what a knee-slapper that was
He thinks berating and insulting people is the golden toilet of humor.
Since Trump has put his face on at least twelve official government issued items (see https://store.usgs.gov/2026-resident-annual-pass) I would like to see him on a postage stamp with “April Fool’s Day” on the bottom.
You are right, we are fools.
That would be the effigy of the Usonian tax payer on the April’s Fools stamp.
We elected him in a costly stupid failed election.
Whose making fun of who?
That s all cute and nice, but Trump does not get to decide when the war ends, Iran does.
As long as the US has military bases and personnel in the middle east, Iran can continue to strike at them, no matter what Trump says. And Iran will continue to hurt Trump until it can extract some very painful concessions from him
.
If Trump walks away, this will be America’s Suez Canal moment.
Correct.
Trump lost the moment he started this war.
Unfortunately, the global economy lost as well.
Russia can give Iran anything it needs re: nuclear tech, so consider that done & done after this Epic Fuckup
As for the US presence @ ME military bases, already hearing buzz about closing up shop and moving everything to Israel — one large new base. Thought being the ME “allies’ didn’t assist, so f’em per the retard-in-chief.
If not Russia, certainly North Korea, which at the end of the day most certainly got its nuclear know how and materials from Russia. Russia is at the center of the “Axis of Evil.”
It’s actually Axis of Resistance ,
Resistence to what? Democracy? Universal human rights? Capitalism? A justice system built upon the premise of innocent until proven guilty beyond reasonable doubt?
If that is what it takes to protect Iran from American and Israeli aggression and savagery.
One large new target.
Sorta like Pearl Harbor?
5D Dumb!
This whole comment thread just earned a 1 star Mishelin award. Well done guys.
If Trump exits the war in Iran and oil prices continue to be at these levels or higher, his war effort against Iran will be seen as a failure and it will affect his approval ratings in the polls, along with the approval ratings of all the Republicans who praised his war efforts. This would include Lindsey Graham, who is up for re-election this year. And it will include every Republican House member that did nothing to halt the war. Republicans in the election 7 months from now will be in serious trouble because while Trump may claim victory, the average America will be worse off. Trump will be seen as a leader who started a war and didn’t get the job done. I personally do not think he can exit the war without a more positive result. Iran is still firing rockets all over the Gulf and the Strait is still closed. This is not a victory. With oil prices up 40% or more, it’s bound to start another round of inflation
Already there boss.
Whatever Trump does, this is a loss for 90% of the world due industrial damages and the consequential supply chain problems.US Military equipment sales may take a hit except perhaps to Israel and Ukraine.
And we have to sit through his boasts about how bigly we won vs Iran, while 30% of Americans believe it like they believe the Bible
The AIPAC Democrats are also in trouble, FYI.
I feel fortunate that my representative is on the right side of this. Everyone needs to be paying attention to their local primaries.
To be fair, Graham could finally come out of the closet and on top of that, confess to being a pedophile and South Carolina would still re-elect him, as long as he was still Team R.
At some point being a pedophile will be a requirement to join the Republican Party.
/sarc
Most likely the next president will democrat as will the majority of congress. The USA will than rebuild Iran with money from US taxpayers.
Win-Win. The Defense companies get lots of money to restock the military arsenal and US construction companies get money for rebuilding Iran and the Gov debt jumps over $40 trillion. (no worries, we will never pay it back.) U.S. stock markets hit all time high with all this fresh money going to U.S. companies.
Then maybe Iran will then be an ally like Iraq is. 🙂
They’ll all be praising him for ending the war by this afternoon.
Fox and Newsmax take a little while to get “what am I supposed to think about this” disseminated.
What if Iranians do not allow Trump to TACO and they will keep attacking US assets in the region? Teheran doesn’t want to preserve current status quo. It wants the US out of Middle East.
And obviously Israel is a big problem too. I am quite sure that regime in Teheran doesn’t want to get attacked by Israel a year later.
Teheran wants a comprehensive deal. Trump can’t agree to it and Israel will always refuse it and will not honor it. China doesn’t have experience to broker it and enforce it. And Kremlin is more than happy with current situation as it weakens the US, it splits NATO and makes Beijing more dependent on Russia. Europe? No one asks them anymore.
Before the USreal attack, Iran controlled 4% of global oil (i.e. Iranian exports solely), now with the Trump Fiasco, they control 20% — i.e., all the oil that travels through the Hormuz. Not to mention all the other products traveling the Hormuz. Winning?
China brokered in the Korean War .
China was participant of both the War and Armistice Agreement
“Europe? No one asks them anymore.”
Nobody asks the prison bitch their opinion, either.
complete humiliation for the united states… however something good may come all this. if the USA does indeed pull out no strings attack that will leave Iran as the dominate power in the region. Isreal, Saudia Arabia the rest will all need to bend to Irans will. this has been the case historically. Also maybe it will finally convince americans that empire is a waste of time and that we can finally slash pentagon budget back to a fraction of what it is now for a “peace dividend” . I really pray for this outcome, Trump will through his buffoonery may have after all these decades given us “peace in the middle east” only wild card at that point is if Isreal unleases their nukes which is a real possibility.
That was the plan all along….5D chess (loz)
The MIC would never allow such sensible things to happen.
It’s all about the stock, bond and oil markets. That’s how fragile this financial and political house of cards is at this point.
Is this another bluff? Thousands of ground troops are readying in the Middle East for something or maybe nothing. Why give a timeline to beginning with? If Trump wants it to be over why not stop now? What do you gain by waiting 2-3 weeks?
there’s nothing ground troops can do. literally nothing. the only thing that’s even remotely possible is special forces raids which is extremely risky and does nothing to get control of straight. trump would be wise to admit he lost and pull out of the region for good.
No argument from me, but a 3rd carrier has now been deployed to the Middle East. That doesn’t seem like something one would do if they wished to de-escalate the situation. Then again this is Trump we’re talking about.
You mean deployed to 1000 miles from the ME. It’ll be as effective as the other carriers and likely as damaged.
It won’t come any closer than the other two did.
Why would carriers come close? The point of them is to deploy planes which you can do from 1000 miles away since modern planes will be there in 90 minutes.
The planes can’t make it back to the carrier without being refueled. The refueling planes are at risk – in the air and on the ground (as was recently seen). The need for refueling reduces the number of sorties that can be done in a given amount of time.
Pictures of planes taking off from carriers in the region have four drop fuel tanks. That makes them slower and carry less ordinance. They still cannot make it back without stopping somewhere else, delaying their return to the carrier and thus decreasing the effectiveness of the carrier as a mobile airfield.
“Another bluff?”
Who would think otherwise?
For fun, let’s consider a couple of things from left field that might be in the Wednesday speech:
1) Trump announces he has closed the Strait of Hormuz. Or maybe only Khark Island.
2) Trump thanks the Iranians who provided targeting data for their “leaders” demise. This news will appear to shock the media and Mish commenters. It won’t surprise any Iranians.
“As long as I can still get their olives I’m happy.” – Joe Biden
That sums it up. Marvellous.
He is called “TACO”
This one is Big.
“BIG TACO”
When bully is resisted strongly, always chicken out.
Its the Bell Grande of TACOs
I was out cruising the online MAGA world last night…
…the most frequent comment? (I’ll paraphrase)
“Hey guyz, did you see the Dow Jones today?… it’s up bigly, wr’re all gonna be rich….whooo hooo, market up HUGE….America is back baby….Trump did it, We won!!!”
The level of retardation is as bad as those with the TDS…this country is f_cked.
Reputation is down to the hell.
what language are you speaking? or are you a bot? your reply makes no sense….beep….beep….boop
“I was out cruising the online MAGA world last night…”
Thank you for your service, for doing this so that we don’t have to.
Ground invasion called off? This is hardly “full steam ahead.”
USS Boxer stops in Hawaii en route to transporting Camp Pendleton Marines to Middle East
https://www.theoaklandpress.com/2026/03/31/san-diegos-uss-boxer-stops-in-hawaii-en-route-to-transporting-camp-pendleton-marines-to-middle-east/
@ Mish
Can you replace this comment platform? It censors links pointing to independent political analysis.
The ramifications of this epic failure of judgement…
A stunning read (thanks to Joe Penny):
https://shanakaanslemperera.substack.com/p/the-last-molecule-standing
This is very good. The basic thesis is how many industries are very vulnerable to a single point of failure (in this case Hormuz etc.).
In a similar way it has been seen how the world is vulnerable to a single point of failure – American support for a respectful world order.
I am sure Hormuz will get sorted out soon – the bigger question is whether America can help get us back to a respectful world order. However it seems clear that America’s own democractic fragility is a risk to this. Let’s hope that the next President wants to work with partners to put the pieces back together again.
Watching nonsense coming out of CPAC doesn’t give me hope.
Brilliant, many thanks. Must take time to read it in full.
Best summary I have read so far. Thanks.
Thank you for this link!
@ Casual Observer
Am sorry to have misread your post in the other thread.
(I mean that, because I know how it feels. … As a lighter example, Mish even banned me once for a satirical post!)
Any surge in troops or options volumes?
Believe IT when You See IT . . . Too Many Moving Parts . . . TRUMP is all over the Place . . . When You can’t convince Them . . . Confuse Them . . . Can’t See U.S. leaving ISRAEL on Its Own Now . . . The Worst is still too come ???
Also he never said the US wouldn’t return. In fact he very much left it open that the US would return to drop bombs whenever Trump felt like it.
The poor families of those school kids. All for nothing.
I’ve got a good plan for reopening Hormuz – America leave the Middle East.