Moon of Alabama Brecht quote
March 6, 2026
War On Iran – Trump Ups Demands

Things ain’t going great for the U.S. in its war on Iran.

A good time then to up the demand to the site that seems to be winning (by not losing).


bigger
(No direct link as Trump’s Truth Social no longer works with Mozilla)
From no enrichment, to no missiles, to regime-change, to now UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER – in caps.

Who or what might stop Trump from further digging the deep hole he is already in?


Some relevant links:

Qatar energy minister warns war will force Gulf to halt energy exports within weeks, FT saysReuters
Qatar warns war will force Gulf to stop energy exports ‘within days’ (paywalled, no archive) – Financial Times
The Iran War Is Jeopardizing the Entire Global Economy (archived) – Foreign Policy
   The fallout from conflict in the Gulf will be much bigger than just oil.

The Invisible Siege: How Insurance Markets, Not Missiles, Closed the Strait of Hormuz – Shanaka Anslem Perera
   And Why the Disruption Will Last Four to Sixteen Months Longer Than Any Model on Wall Street Currently Prices
We are experiencing the largest loss of oil supply in history (3X bigger than the 1973 Arab oil embargo). The level of complacency to me is staggering. Prior playbooks do not apply! – Eric Nuttall
He’s right. But he’s describing the math. The math is the easy part. … – Waymo’ problems

Putin says Russia may halt energy supplies to Europe, redirect them to AsiaAnadolu
Gulf states could review overseas investments to ease financial strains caused by Iran war (archived) – Financial Times

Israel and America want the Kurds to join the fight in Iran (archived) – Economist
Whenever there is talk about Kurds, people tend to accept Kurds as a single entity, … – Dunya Basol

Of Course Trump Bombed Iran (archived) – NYT op-ed
86% of Trump 2024 voters approve of Trump’s war on Iran, … – Michael Tracey
The dry and the wet burn togetherLRB

Comments

Why does IsntReal still  have functional airstrips?

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Mar 6 2026 16:56 utc | 101

Posted by: Nottheonly1 | Mar 6 2026 16:46 utc | 90
That will not be a POTUS, more like an unicorn I think. 

Posted by: Mario | Mar 6 2026 16:56 utc | 102

Something else that has gone suspiciously quiet, the coverage of the situation “on the ground” within the Gulf states. There were intermittent reports of serious turmoil in Bahrain, for one instance, but that seems to be fully locked-down now.
 
Wonder how their food supplies are coping? Nothing going out through Hormuz, but nothing going in either.

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 6 2026 16:56 utc | 103

Posted by: Deniz | Mar 6 2026 16:35 utc | 74
On whose side do you think Turkey will enter?
Israel/US seems unlikely to me – the people and the army might not stand for that.
Though frenemies with Iran, entering on their side is also fraught with difficulty – they are quite exposed in Syria.
It’s a rough choice between internal instability and external damage.
Their best bet would be to keep out of it and only intervene against fringe players like the Kurds and keeping the Azeris in check.

Posted by: ChatNPC | Mar 6 2026 16:57 utc | 104

86% of Trump 2024 voters approve of Trump’s war on Iran, …
– Michael Tracey

I don’t know who this bull$h!#er is but his “poll” doesn’t link anywhere and it’s almost 50 points off of any other poll. 

Posted by: S Brennan | Mar 6 2026 16:58 utc | 105

Iran did a good job clearing the region. They can choke the energy sector with a few drones just to keep pressure on it. Hopefully Iran move to the next  phase, hunting Israel, airfields, aircraft and navy ships. I don’t know for sure but aircraft needs maintenance and there must be large piles of bombs sitting, now that early radars are gone can they surprise Israel and hit them on the ground? US ships are those always on the move? I assume they have to stop sometimes, with live tracking from satellites it must be possible to launch a missile at the right time. 
 
Taking out their attack power seems necessary. We all know the playbook, they bombed all they could and won nothing so now they will destroy all civilian infrastructure and finally bomb civilians to force them to surrender.  
No information about US casualties? I have mix feeling, not wishing them dead but at the same time I hope the losses are high. Enough to end Trump.

Posted by: Isidoor | Mar 6 2026 16:58 utc | 106

🇮🇷🇺🇸⚡— US Energy Secretary Chris Wright: The US fleet will escort ships in the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible, and we expect to see a decrease in prices within weeks, not months.

 
https://x.com/ALERTX360/status/2029944919801069849
 
The financial pain is being felt, while…
 

 

A ship in the Strait of Hormuz was hit by a drone and caught fire.

 
25-second video . 
https://x.com/TehranTimes79/status/2029928590716867053

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 6 2026 16:58 utc | 107

George Galloway: 
 
“Tel Aviv now looks like Gaza”
 
“There are more than 1000 dead Americans”
 
https://www.tiktok.com/@realenlighten1/video/7613931274830351636?_r=1&_t=ZS-94T3W7gmj2H
 

Posted by: Norwegian | Mar 6 2026 17:01 utc | 108

Whatever’s in those Epstein files must be horrifying.

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Mar 6 2026 17:02 utc | 109

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Mar 6 2026 16:56 utc | 104
 
######
 
How else will Iran get opportunities to shoot down planes? 😁😁😁
 
Iran is taking care of Iran first. The Lebanese government has to learn the lesson.
 
Lebanon could use a revolutionary Hezbollah government, like Yemen has with Ansar Allah.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 6 2026 17:02 utc | 110

Posted by: Newbie | Mar 6 2026 16:42 utc | 82
Interesting. High operational tempo + fatigue leads to errors.
Also the US is now based in distant Israel. Each mission is going to need a lot of fuel.

Posted by: ChatNPC | Mar 6 2026 17:05 utc | 111

Mahmood OD: ‘Heavier Attack!’
 
https://www.youtube.com/Mahmood_OD
 
Iran’s 22nd wave: Israel has no answer| Oil crisis: Arab states pressure on Warshington|”

Posted by: John Gilberts | Mar 6 2026 17:06 utc | 112

Reason 101 of why Iran should cut off the internet but foolishly does not:
 
Iranians passing targeting intel and damage reports to the enemy
https://nitter.poast.org/iranianwario/status/2029739288548512020#m

Posted by: Jules | Mar 6 2026 17:07 utc | 113

Mahmood OD@117 corrected:
https://www.youtube.com/@Mahmood_OD/streams

Posted by: John Gilberts | Mar 6 2026 17:09 utc | 114

Scenes from Budgam, Kashmir today show thousands of protesters rallying in support of Iran and to mourn Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.

 
video and pictures . 
https://x.com/TheCradleMedia/status/2029956670122545532

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 6 2026 17:09 utc | 115

The US fleet will escort ships in the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 6 2026 16:58 utc | 111
 
Like Kellogg’s nonsense yesterday about taking Kharg Island, there is part of me that really hopes they try to run naval escorts.
 
Trump, his advisors and backers seem to be operating on the basis of “Nothing could possibly go wrong”.

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 6 2026 17:11 utc | 116

Posted by: Jules | Mar 6 2026 17:07 utc | 118
 
#######
 
It is helping to expose traitors and one can assume that in a country as large as Iran, internet is necessary outside of Tehran for communication.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 6 2026 17:12 utc | 117

Wonder how their food supplies are coping? Nothing going out through Hormuz, but nothing going in either.
Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 6 2026 16:56 utc | 106

I expect there will be a lot of fuel hungry air-freighters coming in.
I wonder how the tax exiles will take to a diet of rice and beans?
The guest workers will see little difference, they live on that already.

Posted by: ChatNPC | Mar 6 2026 17:13 utc | 118

Simplicious posts interesting video of interview of Arachi by US presstitute. Under heading of Iran Blinds US…

Posted by: jared | Mar 6 2026 17:14 utc | 119

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 6 2026 17:11 utc | 121
 
######
 
They are scared and desperate. More bad decisions are inevitable.
 
I think the markets are very close to cracking up.
 
Ironically, each failed initiative amplifies the unwinding. The more they try, the worse it gets.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 6 2026 17:15 utc | 120

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 6 2026 16:31 utc | 65

Russia has already stated that the use of nukes would compel them to nuke. I think that was directed at Israel.

 
It wouldn’t matter much after that massive attack has already taken place – the lesson being that the US and Israel have no qualms of using such a force to save the world. The language and ideas people in power are right now using is brutal and doesn’t care about human life at all. This girl school thing was not a mistake, it was a message.
 
I think it would be impossible for Russia to use nuclear weapons on Holy Land.

Posted by: js | Mar 6 2026 17:15 utc | 121

Supine western politicians are too scared to challenge Trump. Frogs being slowly boiled. The ‘Peace Candidate’ who has bombed more countries than any recent president.

Posted by: Dave G | Mar 6 2026 17:17 utc | 122

Newb and Cave:
 
I kept posting them before, but “b” had banned me and they were not displaying.  Bummer…Langley doesn’t pay if the posts don’t get through. 😉
 
But to answer:
 
2025 as a whole was a stronger year than 2024. But very far from the “acceleration” that we were seeing and promised in late 2024.  FWIW, we have not yet had a month that was as strong as NOV2024, where the daily average was 23.5 kmsq.
31DEC2023: 108.561 kmsq (thousands, held by Russia)
31DEC2024: 111.829
Daily average in 2024: 9.1 kmsq/day
31DEC2025: 116.165
Daily average in 2025: 11.9 kmsq
 
——–
 
March2026 has been slow with single digit days of R advance, primarily.  Not unexpected, given the seasonality we have usually (but not always) seen during the war.
 
 

Posted by: Anonymous | Mar 6 2026 17:17 utc | 123

Just as a hypothetical, what if the real target of the US government is not Iran but is to wreck the world economy? The US is more self-sufficient (well, relying perhaps on Canada and Venezuela) in energy than much of the rest of the world. The US has already practically declared war on all other countries and clearly values no alliances, not even that with the ever-loyal Japanese. Trump has proposed bringing industry back to the US, that is, autarky. This seems to be an expectable response to the collapse of the empire, and to hell with everyone else. And of course certain interests stand to gain: for example, the US monopolizing LNG exports by blocking Qatar, and the fracking business being able to come back with a higher price of oil. Also, while Israel was making nice to the oil states, trying to get them to side with it or at least be more neutral, they are wealthy Arabs after all, and what better thing to happen for Israel that that they should all be ruined?
 
Of course, in the long run, and probably even in the short run, attacking the whole world is not a sustainable position, and surely the impoverishment of the world will lead to impoverishment in the US as well. As usual, the devil is in the details, and there are so many variables that it is really hard to guess how it will all turn out.
 
On the optimistic side, despite the behavior of the US and Israel, it really seems that other countries would all prefer a cooperativist world to a confrontational one. Because the US and Israel scarcely represent 4% of the earth’s people, and actually most of that population also would prefer a cooperativist world, it just may be that cooperativism will win out in the end.

Posted by: Cabe | Mar 6 2026 17:20 utc | 124

I expect there will be a lot of fuel hungry air-freighters coming in.

Posted by: ChatNPC | Mar 6 2026 17:13 utc | 123
 
True, though they will need to keep their airspace reliably open, a bit of a nuisance if half a dozen freighters came in but couldn’t get back out again due to renewed alerts and closures.

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 6 2026 17:20 utc | 125

Posted by: Newbie | Mar 6 2026 16:42 utc | 82Interesting. High operational tempo + fatigue leads to errors.Also the US is now based in distant Israel. Each mission is going to need a lot of fuel.
Posted by: ChatNPC | Mar 6 2026 17:05 utc | 116
 
and as i mentioned in a previous thread, with 10 hours daily on each plane, the us might rotate them easily, but israel might start reaching engine life end on some (many?) of their older birds (and engines are also something you order, pay and pray)
 
 

Posted by: Newbie | Mar 6 2026 17:21 utc | 126

Danny Haiphong: Sharmine Narwani : ‘Israel Is F**ked’
 
https://www.youtube.com/@DannyHaiphongYT
 
“Iran’s missile barrage smashes Tel Aviv, US-Israeli defences FAIL”

Posted by: John Gilberts | Mar 6 2026 17:21 utc | 127

Posted by: js | Mar 6 2026 17:15 utc | 126
 
#####
 
The only message that matters was killing Khamenei.
 
That’s why Iran isn’t playing anymore.
 
Dignity or death. That’s how million of Iranians and millions of Shia outside of Iran think.
 
The lessons and pain of Karbala are a fresh wound for every Shia, centuries later.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 6 2026 17:22 utc | 128

I would also take a little bit of a wait and see attitude with the talk about the US being “stuck”.  I still remember late MAR2023 (was in reserves and had friends activated for the second Gulf War).  There was a bunch of kerflutter in the media, led by the NYT, that we were stalled on the road to Bagdhad. Then a few days later, we rolled through.
 
Not saying this will happen, here.  You never know.  But just try to keep an open mind to multiple outcomes.  Nobody knows for sure.  Not the analysts, journalists, warfighters, or even Internet hoi polloi, puffing themselves up as the next coming of Clausewitz.

Posted by: Anonymoust | Mar 6 2026 17:22 utc | 129

@ Posted by: S Brennan | Mar 6 2026 16:58 utc | 109
I heard it credibly cited at 60% support among those who voted for him. I would guess that is about the size of the blindly support among republican voters. So he has lost about 40% of people who voted for him.
The problem is that the dems dont offer much alternative.
At this point, my thinking is forget about parties and just vote issues and against support for Israel.

Posted by: jared | Mar 6 2026 17:23 utc | 130

Supine western politicians are too scared to challenge Trump. 
 
Posted by: Dave G | Mar 6 2026 17:17 utc | 127
 
Are they really? The US can switch off their mighty air forces for one thing. Which was part of the calculus in Greenland. And as happened with Sanchez, Trump will tell them they will lose their business with US. 

Posted by: Princess Bodica | Mar 6 2026 17:23 utc | 131

“And I’ll huff, and I’ll puff, and blow down your house!” said the Big Bad Wolf. So he blew and he blew! Oh how he blew! He blew so much he ran out of breath, tired from blowing. But the brickhouse did not blow down…
 
/shows the children’s book’s pretty pictures to my slow fellow Americans
 
😉 You gotta start somewhere.

Posted by: titmouse | Mar 6 2026 17:24 utc | 132

@Tom_Q_Collins | Mar 6 2026 17:02 utc | 113

Whatever’s in those Epstein files must be horrifying.

I was planning to make that comment…

Posted by: Norwegian | Mar 6 2026 17:24 utc | 133

Posted by: Jules | Mar 6 2026 17:07 utc | 118
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 6 2026 17:12 utc | 122
 
There’s a constant stream of videos and reports uploaded on the other channel. The uploaders cannot be located this way. It’s evident Iran cannot do enforcement on such large numbers of traitors.
 
I don’t care if civilians in Iran want to use the internet. If the country is at a state of war, and you have leaks like this, it should be imperative that you cut off the net for all but essential government services even if temporarily. 
 
Reason 101 of why North Korea were way ahead of the curve.
 
 

Posted by: Jules | Mar 6 2026 17:25 utc | 134

I don’t know who this bull$h!#er is but his “poll” doesn’t link anywhere and it’s almost 50 points off of any other poll. 
Posted by: S Brennan | Mar 6 2026 16:58 utc | 109

The 84% number seems to come from a Fox News poll, here:
March 3 Poll, Crosstabs

Posted by: a stone | Mar 6 2026 17:26 utc | 135

Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Mar 6 2026 17:02 utc | 113
Bullsear, Catnip.

Posted by: jared | Mar 6 2026 17:26 utc | 136

Is Israeli social media still on lockdown ? 

Posted by: Exile | Mar 6 2026 17:27 utc | 137

a month or so ago I asked, can Iran drive the US out of the region?  It seemed a plum ripe for the picking (in the odd way my brain processes logic, and logical consequences 
Posted by: Scottindallas | Mar 6 2026 15:44 utc | 16
 
This young Ghanian Prophet saying samething.
 
https://youtu.be/JcEt2rOaCx0?si=1p9pKs7NkiTciyGb

Posted by: Michael J | Mar 6 2026 17:27 utc | 138

Posted by: Cabe | Mar 6 2026 17:20 utc | 129
Being energy indipendent is not enough.
USA is probably self sufficient but not now. They import a lot of goods from outside and their balance of trade is horrific. 
USA can be self sufficient but it would take years and a significant cut on Americans way of life. 

Posted by: Mario | Mar 6 2026 17:27 utc | 139

@ 109
It’s somewhat believable to me. Anti-war Republicans are very marginal and Republicans believe whatever they’re told by their news media, especially Fox News. The talking points memos get sent out from Republican strategists directly to the loyal media outlets who then disseminate these into the minds of the Republican base. The Republicans are loyal to their party to a fault. They don’t think for themselves, they let the reactionary media networks do that for them, and dutifully repeat to one another what they heard (and they will mock and insult you, if not ostracize you, if you’re not in the flock; this peer pressure is one way they maintain ideological coherence even despite the incoherence of their ideology).
 
In Congress, there’s, what, two anti-war Republicans? One for each chamber: Thomas Massie and Rand Paul. The rest do whatever Trump says, because his cult of personality is what keeps them in power. Beyond a fealty to the interests of the US capitalist class, which the Democrats share, the defining feature of the GOP now is the Trump cult and the idea of “my country, right or wrong”, which excuses the president’s illegal actions from blowing up people in the Caribbean, kidnapping and assassinating foreign heads of state, blowing up schools, abetting zionist genocide, and so on and so forth.
 
Keep in mind, too, that voter turnout in 2024 was lower than it was in 2020. Trump voters turned out because the cult head was on the ballot. People who voted for Trump because they thought he was going to be anti-war need to reckon with reality, read some socialist pamphlets, attend socialist meetings, that is, become revolutionaries, because it is socialism or barbarism.

Posted by: fnord | Mar 6 2026 17:28 utc | 140

🚨 SOMETHING BIG JUST HAPPENED:
 
BlackRock just blocked investors from pulling their own money out.
 
The world’s largest asset manager is telling people: no, you can’t have your cash back.
 
This has never happened before.
 
BlackRock’s $26 billion private credit fund got hit with $1.2 billion in withdrawal requests this quarter.
 
Investors wanted 9.3% of their money back.
 
BlackRock said no. Capped it at 5%. Paid out $620 million and locked the rest.
 
That means almost HALF the people who wanted out couldn’t get out.
 
And it’s not just BlackRock.
 
Blackstone’s similar fund saw a RECORD 7.9% in redemption requests.
 
They had to raise their withdrawal cap and inject $400 million of their own money just to cover the demand.
 
Blue Owl straight up stopped honoring redemptions. Replaced them with IOUs.00000 BLK dropped 5%. KKR, Carlyle, Apollo, Ares, Blue Owl, and TPG all fell 5-6% with it.
 
The entire private credit sector sold off in a single day.
 
These funds lend money in illiquid loans.
 
Loans that can’t be sold quickly.
 
So when too many investors want out at the same time, the fund doesn’t have the cash to pay everyone.
 
BlackRock also just wrote a separate $25 million loan down to ZERO.
 
It was valued at full price three months ago. Gone overnight.
 
JPMorgan’s Bill Eigen said it best: “Bad news often happens all at once. The opacity and the leverage in the sector is concerning.”
 
This is a $1.8 TRILLION industry.
 
– Rising oil.
– War in the Middle East.
– AI disrupting the software companies that borrowed heavily from these funds.
– Rate cuts off the table.
 
When the biggest funds in the world start telling investors you can’t have your money back…
 
That’s a MAJOR warning.

 
https://x.com/NoLimitGains/status/2029953260052717603
 
BlackRock practically lives in the Oval Office.
 
The desperation must be getting nuts.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 6 2026 17:31 utc | 141

“Trump even can’t choose the mayor of NY but want to decide about leader of Iran”

https://t.me/sepahcybery/134911
 

Posted by: Framarz | Mar 6 2026 17:34 utc | 142

17th of Ramadan – anniversary of a day when 313 Muslim fighters routed an army 3x their size
 
Yemen marks it by flooding Sanaa with millions:
 
‘With Iran and Lebanon, We Honor the Day of Al-Furqan’
 
The parallel isn’t subtle, and neither are the crowds

 
photo .  
https://x.com/upholdreality/status/2029946843136725122

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 6 2026 17:35 utc | 143

Does anyone have other sources corroborating this story? 
 
This social media post is saying Rodriguez is loading Iranian made drones and missiles that Iran once provided to Venezuela onto CIA-owned aircraft. Possibly for false flag purposes.
https://nitter.poast.org/enformasyon56/status/2029730907213504984#m

Posted by: Jules | Mar 6 2026 17:37 utc | 144

@ 144
No one talks about how the tariff regime produced no substantive growth in manufacturing employment, or how it actually corresponded with blue-collar job shedding. Manufacturing will continue to go offshore unless tariffs are placed upwards of 100% and it becomes unprofitable to purchase from overseas manufacturers instead of producing goods here. That’s not going to happen because it would cause a collapse of the current configuration of industrial capital, wherein capital accumulation progresses through the exploitation of foreign workforces with lower costs of labor reproduction. Your average Chinese industrial worker has a cost of reproduction that is probably somewhere between 1/10 and 1/2 of what a US industrial worker costs. Chinese workers don’t demand a garage with two cars, a 2,000 sq. ft. dwelling, a diet mainly consisting of beef products. They ride mass transit, live in dormitories onsite at the factory, and eat a diet of rice and pork.
 
Trump’s 15% global tariff isn’t going to move the needle, either. It’s just a tax on the profits of importers. That profit squeeze on especially big corporate importers will depress wage growth, especially since there is no organized labor movement in the US that can squeeze the profits of the capitalist class further. It’s a shit show from top to bottom. Collapse and reconfiguration would be preferable if and only if we had a government that would step in, as it did in the New Deal era, to make work for the unemployed while private industry gets its shit together.

Posted by: fnord | Mar 6 2026 17:38 utc | 145

A good watch, informative and short about what an all-out Iranian missile attack might look like, illustrating why using drones to draw fire and exhaust interceptors is essential.
 

🇮🇷⚔️🇺🇸🇮🇱 Explaining asymmetric warfare

 
video 2-minutes 33-seconds . 
https://x.com/dana916/status/2029965846383124976

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 6 2026 17:41 utc | 146

Is Israeli social media still on lockdown ?

Posted by: Exile | Mar 6 2026 17:27 utc | 142
 
It certainly is, along with Western MSM reporting from within Israel. Here in Britain most outlets are reduced to reporting official Israeli government statements as being the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 6 2026 17:41 utc | 147

Posted by: Deniz | Mar 6 2026 16:35 utc | 74On whose side do you think Turkey will enter?Israel/US seems unlikely to me – the people and the army might not stand for that….
Posted by: ChatNPC | Mar 6 2026 16:57 utc | 108
Israel’s side.  The Erdogan regime/AKP is a dictatorship, officers or journalists opposing his schemes will be thrown in jail and denounced as traitors.  The current pushback that you see about his Iranian brothers is theatrics for internal politics.  Think of it as Trump saying, “No new wars!”.  If the most powerful country in the world is controlled by the Epstein class, do you think that Turkey Israel’s most powerful neighbor somehow managed to maintain its sovernity?   I understand that the AKP just authroized 3 Israeli satelites to be set up over to Turkey to spy on Turkish citizens.  

Posted by: Deniz | Mar 6 2026 17:42 utc | 148

Greetings Barflies!
I wanted to share with you the new Amerikkkan national anthem. BAAL BLESS AMERICA. Everything about it screams late stage ZioPedoAmerican empire collapse, down to the AI slop. 
It reminds us of the time Hawkeye revealed to the nation that the CHICKEN was actually a BABY, during the post-Vietnam national catharsis (using the distance of Korea). Now no one flinches when 170 schoolgirls are slaughtered.
You’ll laugh, you’ll cry.
BAAL BLESS AMERICA: https://youtu.be/wskxler2uxQ?si=Fh4jIPay44fiW6D2
HD

Posted by: HD | Mar 6 2026 17:42 utc | 149

On whose side do you think Turkey will enter?Israel/US seems unlikely to me – the people and the army might not stand for that….
 
Posted by: ChatNPC | Mar 6 2026 16:57 utc | 108
 
Israel’s side.  The Erdogan regime/AKP is a dictatorship, officers or journalists opposing his schemes will be thrown in jail and denounced as traitors.  The current pushback that you see about his Iranian brothers is theatrics for internal politics.  Think of it as Trump saying, “No new wars!”.  If the most powerful country in the world is controlled by the Epstein class, do you think that Turkey Israel’s most powerful neighbor somehow managed to maintain its sovernity?   I understand that the AKP just authroized 3 Israeli satelites to be set up over to Turkey to spy on Turkish citizens.  
 
Posted by: Deniz | Mar 6 2026 17:42 utc | 153

Posted by: Deniz | Mar 6 2026 17:43 utc | 150

Since the early 2000s the U.S. has been pushing the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II on allies the way an arms salesman pushes a “package deal.” Diplomatic pressure, promises of tech transfers, and the lure of subcontract work were combined with the familiar NATO line about “interoperability.” The result: by 2026 more than 1,000 aircraft delivered or ordered, with plans pointing toward over 3,100 by 2035. But the fine print matters. Washington keeps control over the aircraft’s critical software, updates, and logistics pipeline, meaning operators remain dependent on U.S. approval and infrastructure. When Turkey bought Russian air-defense systems in 2019, it was promptly kicked out of the program—an object lesson for everyone else. Under the administration of Donald Trump, the pressure was even more explicit, with arms sales tied to higher NATO spending and trade leverage. The customer list reads like a roll call of U.S. allies: Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Switzerland, Turkey (now expelled), and the United Kingdom. A few have begun to balk—Spain reportedly canceled plans in 2025—but most are locked in. The arrangement is lucrative for Washington, but the real payoff is structural: fleets that depend on U.S.-controlled software, upgrades, and logistics can’t function without American approval. In other words, the U.S. doesn’t just sell the jets—it holds the master switch. ✈️🔌

Posted by: Princess Bodica | Mar 6 2026 17:44 utc | 151

Reason 101 of why Iran should cut off the internet but foolishly does not:Iranians passing targeting intel and damage reports to the enemyhttps://nitter.poast.org/iranianwario/status/2029739288548512020#m
Posted by: Jules | Mar 6 2026 17:07 utc | 118
Posted by: Jules | Mar 6 2026 17:25 utc | 139

Based on information available, they have cut Internet. The connectivity is at the level of connected MAN (Metropolitan Area Networks) which they call “National Internet” in Iran.

Posted by: Framarz | Mar 6 2026 17:45 utc | 152

Michael Tracey 86% of Trump 2024 voters approve of Trump’s war on Iran, along with 87% of “very conservative” voters, 67% of White Evangelical voters, and 60% of Rural White voters
 
Is this fraudulent Michael Tracey the same fraudulent Michael Tracey who pretends that Epstein is a harmless nothingburger?

Posted by: BM | Mar 6 2026 17:46 utc | 153

🇮🇷⚔️🇺🇸 Companies and individuals who buy U.S. government debt will be considered “legitimate targets” by Iran
 
An Iranian official told CNN that Iran considers companies that buy U.S. government debt and invest in Treasury bonds as partners in the war against itself because it sees them as financiers of this war.
 
“Tehran considers these companies and their managers in the region as legitimate targets. These individuals are warned to declare their capital withdrawal as soon as possible.”
 
U.S. government debt securities are held by thousands of investors worldwide, including banks, pension funds, corporations, mutual funds, and foreign governments.
 
Several major American companies and banks are based in the Middle East.

 
https://x.com/dana916/status/2029966859462660395
 
I can’t stop giggling. 😂😂😂

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 6 2026 17:46 utc | 154

86% of Trump 2024 voters approve of Trump’s war on Iran, …
– Michael Tracey
 
I don’t know who this bull$h!#er is but his “poll” doesn’t link anywhere and it’s almost 50 points off of any other poll. 
 
Posted by: S Brennan | Mar 6 2026 16:58 utc | 109
 
Tracey is just Mr. Contrarían imo.  The master of the “hot takes”.  Like Trump he understands the money to be made by simply pissing people off.  Totally insignificant commentator.  You lose nothing by simply ignoring his existence.  

Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Mar 6 2026 17:46 utc | 155

An Arab friend tells me that “Khoram Shar” roughly translates to “Month Hole”.
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Mar 6 2026 16:02 utc | 28
 
No, your Arab friend was wrong. Shahr is month in Arabic, but town or city in Farsi, used like ville in English or French. Khurram is also Farsi. It means a fresh, nice, happy, specifically: a pleasant, delightful place, according to the dictionary. So Happy Town, or Nice Town.

Posted by: Laguerre | Mar 6 2026 17:48 utc | 156

The Duran: Open-Ended Iran War
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRu3XNUzPwU
 
Q&A.

Posted by: John Gilberts | Mar 6 2026 17:49 utc | 157

Reason 101 of why Iran should cut off the internet but foolishly does not:Iranians passing targeting intel and damage reports to the enemyhttps://nitter.poast.org/iranianwario/status/2029739288548512020#mPosted by: Jules | Mar 6 2026 17:07 utc | 118Posted by: Jules | Mar 6 2026 17:25 utc | 139
 
What you are reporting could also be a reuse of Mossad cell communications during 12 day wars in 2025. They are desperate to produce some kind of achievement in this war.

Posted by: Framarz | Mar 6 2026 17:49 utc | 158

BlackRock practically lives in the Oval Office.
 
The desperation must be getting nuts.
 
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 6 2026 17:31 utc | 146
 
Now that is interesting news.  Thanks, Love.  
 
Don’t ever wonder why the market doesn’t react to reality.  There’s your answer right there.  And ain’t just Ziorock either.  

Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Mar 6 2026 17:49 utc | 159

I’ll just leave this sorry tale of delays, cancellations and curtailments here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lockheed_Martin_F-35_Lightning_II_procurement

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 6 2026 17:50 utc | 160

It would make for sense if Russia had made a deal with Iran that it would protect it against nuclear attack if Iran agreeed not to develop.
It seems USreal is very careful about flights over Iran – as if there is something waiting for them. Crouching Dragon

Posted by: jared | Mar 6 2026 17:52 utc | 161

If J. D. Vance promised one thing during the 2024 presidential campaign, it was that America would not enter into a war with Iran of the kind that is currently raging. “America doesn’t have to constantly police every region of the world,” Vance told the comedian Tim Dillon on his podcast. He continued: “Our interest, I think very much, is in not going to war with Iran. It would be a huge distraction of resources. It would be massively expensive to our country.” In another podcast interview, with Shawn Ryan, in September 2024, Vance even said that a war between Israel and Iran was in fact “the most likely and most dangerous scenario” for provoking World War III …
 
The Atlantic

Posted by: Princess Bodica | Mar 6 2026 17:52 utc | 162

RE:
“Why does IsntReal still  have functional airstrips?”
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Mar 6 2026 16:56 utc | 104
 
From reports, Ben Gurion was hit 2xs, was recovering from first strike & Iran hit again, so Ben Gurion out of commission.  No passenger or cargo planes in or out at the moment.
 
Netzarim Air Base (jewel of Nazi-Zio) has a seven layer intricate AD system, very fortified, Iran still beating AD System down. Has been targeted.
 
Thats all the reports I have.

Posted by: Trubind1 | Mar 6 2026 17:53 utc | 163

Another week and he’ll mutter  maybe we need a tactical nuke or two.Very sad but it has to happen. 
It’s a  not beyond belief that he’ll put it out there. 

Posted by: jpc | Mar 6 2026 17:54 utc | 164

“The war that’s going on isn’t our war … We must do what is in our interests” – Peskov
 
en.topwar.ru/278898-peskov-kak-by-cinichno-jeto-ne-zvuchalo-no-jeto-ne-nasha-vojna.html
 

Posted by: rk | Mar 6 2026 17:58 utc | 165

Can anyone confirm this? US soldiers in captivity?
https://www.tiktok.com/@flashinformativo00/photo/7613994726101978388 
 

Posted by: Norwegian | Mar 6 2026 17:59 utc | 166

Posted by: Trubind1 | Mar 6 2026 17:53 utc | 168
 
######
 
If you watch the video I posted earlier, there are many layers of AD preventing some attacks.
 
That is why Iran is picking apart the radars and AD installations between Iran and Israel.
 
The Navy ships are also an issue but they are slow to reload. Then they have to get past Jordan’s air picket too.
 
Getting a fraction of a salvo through is very difficult. It’s a numbers game. Once the interceptors are tapped out, then it’s going to be “Boom Boom Tel-Aviv”.

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 6 2026 18:01 utc | 167

Posted by: Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 6 2026 17:11 utc | 121
Took the words right out of my mouth, Jeremy. Wash your hands now. 😉
Yeah, it would be shooting goldfish in a very small barrel with a shotgun. I do so hope they will try it. One thing we haven’t heard anything of is Iran’s submarine fleet. I imagine they have some, possibly in sea-caves structures somewhere. It really is time that a carrier was struck hard.

Posted by: Jams O’Donnell | Mar 6 2026 18:03 utc | 168

Trump and Bibi’s tactics of mass death are horrifying. They seek nothing less than societal collapse. My heart goes out to the Iranian people as their loved ones, their children have their bodies shredded and burned by these genocidal monsters. The pain, the suffering must be unimaginable. 
 
But if history is any guide, it will make little difference to the outcome. As a history guy I cannot help but reflect on The Blitz when Nazi Germany changed their air attacks from the air fields to bombing Britain’s population centers. That caused a lot of death too. But it didn’t break the spirit of the British people and it gave them the time they needed to bring their air fields back into action. 
 
Donald Trump is off the deep end. His words and behavior show a man lost in megalomania and his psychotic dreams of world domination. The mask is off for the entire world to see and nothing will ever be the same. He can bomb all the hospitals and childrens schools he wants, but as long as Russia and China support Iran with what it needs to survive, it will accomplish little. I also believe his behavior is a wake up call to both Russia and China who have endlessly sought reconciliation and diplomacy. They would have to be fools to believe that is still possible. They have to know now that there is no diplomatic solution when confronted with genocidal monsters. You cannot negotiate with a rabid dog, you can only put it down.  

Posted by: Maverick | Mar 6 2026 18:04 utc | 169

Amazing that this site has more information and analysis (some, a fair bit dodgy) than much of the world’s press.
 
Just folks around the world sharing what they can find.
 
Helps identify the shit in the show.
 
Hats off to b.
 

Posted by: Ledovik1 | Mar 6 2026 18:04 utc | 170

Also.
 
Damn Sam!
 
1000+ comments per thread? Geezle!

Posted by: Ledovik1 | Mar 6 2026 18:05 utc | 171

@ 174 Maverick

Donald Trump is off the deep end. His words and behavior show a man lost in megalomania and his psychotic dreams of world domination. The mask is off for the entire world to see and nothing will ever be the same.

Here’s hoping the rest of the world sees this. Unfortunately, Europe does not.

Posted by: fnord | Mar 6 2026 18:06 utc | 172

🇮🇷🇺🇸🇸🇦 Iranian ballistic missile strikes Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia.

https://t.me/myLordBebo/108550
 
THAT was a close call

Posted by: Norwegian | Mar 6 2026 18:06 utc | 173

Trump ‘sex abuse’ files released in middle of war
 
Girl aged between 13 and 15 claims US president hit her after she refused to perform oral sex, FBI interviews show
 
The Telegraph

Posted by: Princess Bodica | Mar 6 2026 18:06 utc | 174

10-year-old Iranian child in Minab recounts the strike that killed her 11-year-old brother and their teacher mother.
 
My father used to always come and pick me up from school during the last bells. He was outside too.
 
When he heard that sound, he said he wanted to go and save my mother. He went up and then another blast happened, and he was martyred too.
 
We were in school when a sound like a strong wind was heard. All the teachers screamed and ran away.
 
I was scared too and followed my teacher into a classroom, and after that, I became unconscious.
 
A big piece of rock had fallen on my back. When I regained consciousness, a man came to lift it, but he couldn’t. Several people came and couldn’t do it either.
 
They lifted a corner of it a bit, and I came out myself.
 
I miss them so much. I’m glad they are martyred and I want to follow in their footsteps. May God punish America and Israel.

 
video without subtitles . 
https://x.com/clashreport/status/2029948890275823685

Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 6 2026 18:07 utc | 175

Oil has jumped to more than $90 a barrel after Qatar warned energy exports from the Gulf could stop “within days”.

Posted by: Princess Bodica | Mar 6 2026 18:08 utc | 176

Can anyone confirm this? US soldiers in captivity?https://www.tiktok.com/@flashinformativo00/photo/7613994726101978388  
Posted by: Norwegian | Mar 6 2026 17:59 utc | 171

Your link doesn’t work for me. In none of Iranian sources which I am following, there has been any news about captive US soldiers until now. 
 

Posted by: f | Mar 6 2026 18:08 utc | 177

for example, most polls say differently re support for Iran war), . . .
Posted by: A.G. | Mar 6 2026 16:04 utc | 31
==============
This provides some actual  data on multiple polls and useful analysis:
 

https://www.gelliottmorris.com/p/polls-us-iran-attack-2026-03-06?triedRedirect=true

 
 
 

Posted by: Jane | Mar 6 2026 18:09 utc | 178

Jane’s link
 
The Trump administration is now justifying their bombing — including of an all-girls elementary school — as both a pre-emptive strike against a nuclear Iran and a necessary response to an imminent threat against Israel. But at 38%, the public isn’t buying it.

Posted by: Princess Bodica | Mar 6 2026 18:11 utc | 179

@ f | Mar 6 2026 18:08 utc | 182
Thanks, sorry for the bad link. There was a picture of soldiers being marched but I can’t find the original link. I will assume it wasn’t real if no Iranian sources talk about it.

Posted by: Norwegian | Mar 6 2026 18:12 utc | 180

BlackRock practically lives in the Oval Office. The desperation must be getting nuts.
Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 6 2026 17:31 utc | 146

If true, then wow.
Has the penny just dropped in the Gulf states that there money isn’t safe in the West? (Russia should have given them a clue)?
I wonder what the DoW war length estimates are now?

Posted by: ChatNPC | Mar 6 2026 18:14 utc | 181

Forced de-dollarisation:
 

Companies and individuals who buy U.S. government debt will be considered “legitimate targets” by Iran
 
An Iranian official told CNN that Iran considers companies that buy U.S. government debt and invest in Treasury bonds as partners in the war against itself because it sees them as financiers of this war.
 
“Tehran considers these companies and their managers in the region as legitimate targets. These individuals are warned to declare their capital withdrawal as soon as possible.”
 
U.S. government debt securities are held by thousands of investors worldwide, including banks, pension funds, corporations, mutual funds, and foreign governments.
 
Several major American companies and banks are based in the Middle East.
 

Posted by: Zet | Mar 6 2026 18:15 utc | 182

RE: Posted by: LoveDonbass | Mar 6 2026 18:01 utc | 172
 
Thx LD,  will watch.  Electronic Intifada put out a video called “Time is In Iran’s Side” that affirms your post.

Posted by: Trubind1 | Mar 6 2026 18:18 utc | 183

Anyone feeling a little bit miserable can console themselves with the thought that the U.S. is now on the receiving end of the tanker wars, and the West is now on the receiving end of sanctions; Iran has sanctioned the West’s energy.
 
We may all be going to die, but we can at least die laughing.

Posted by: CitizenSmith | Mar 6 2026 18:18 utc | 184

“And I’ll huff, and I’ll puff, and blow down your house!” said the Big Bad Wolf.
 
Posted by: titmouse | Mar 6 2026 17:24 utc | 137
 
Iran’s answer: “Blow me!” 😀
 
 

Posted by: Newbie | Mar 6 2026 18:20 utc | 185

Ok can you guys stop trading  -Vitalik 2.0

Posted by: E | Mar 6 2026 18:23 utc | 186

Posted by: Norwegian | Mar 6 2026 18:12 utc | 185
There was an incidnt where US special forces on a plateau in Northern Iran were surrounded and 200 were killed and some were caputured and a few escaped, reported on MOA

Posted by: Monty | Mar 6 2026 18:24 utc | 187

Anyone feeling a little bit miserable can console themselves with the thought that the U.S. is now on the receiving end of the tanker wars, and the West is now on the receiving end of sanctions; Iran has sanctioned the West’s energy. We may all be going to die, but we can at least die laughing.
Posted by: CitizenSmith | Mar 6 2026 18:18 utc | 189
 
“And I’ll huff, and I’ll puff, and blow down your house!” said the Big Bad Wolf.

Posted by: titmouse | Mar 6 2026 17:24 utc | 137 Iran’s answer: “Blow me!”   Posted by: Newbie | Mar 6 2026 18:20 utc | 190

 
Suddenly I regret my words last night, at least sometimes I’m truly entertained!

Posted by: Merv Ritchie | Mar 6 2026 18:28 utc | 188

Who or what might stop Trump from further digging the deep hole he is already in? — b.

Nothing.  It’s not about Trump or America.  This is the Greater Israel Project.  The war has barely begun.  US forces (looks like the 82nd airborn) will be sent to the Mid East.  A scout company was already discovered in Southern Iraq setting up the invasion route from Saudi Arabia.  That’s why you saw the Israeli false flag attacks on the Saudis, so they could bring in American troops.  They are also looking at using Azeri forces and Kurds, however the terrain is mountainous.  Pakistan is a non-starter.  The probable invasion route is Kuwait/Southern Iraq.
However Brent took out $95.  They don’t have enough time.  There’s a good chance Israel goes to nukes and the US is ordered to start genociding openly, bombing power plants and water treatment plants.
If you believe that this is some “American Empire” move, and cry for poor Israel being used by the evil American colonialists, then none of what is happening make sense to you.  This was always about Greater Israel.  That’s why Israel started a war with Hezbollah, because they will use American troops to grab the land for them.  “Israel First means America Last.”  Even the Iranian Foreign Minister is telling you that.

Posted by: JackG | Mar 6 2026 18:29 utc | 189

“Reports from multiple Western sources confirmed on March 5 that the United States Army has expended over 800 anti-ballistic missiles from MIM-104 Patriot long range air defence systems during just five days of hostilities with Iran, after the U.S and Israel both launched a large scale attack against the country on February 28. This exceeds the total estimated number of Patriot interceptors launched throughout the entire Russian-Ukrainian War, in which the Patriot has been operated for close to three years, and is estimated to have furthered worsened the already very severe shortage of interceptors available. Patriot interceptors cost approximately $3 million each, with costs varying depending on the types of interceptors in use. The PAC-3 MSE interceptor, for example, costs the U.S. Army approximately $3.9 million, although it has been sold abroad for $6.25 million.
 
The Patriot system previously saw by far the most intensive combat use in its history in the Ukrainain theatre from May 2023, although its effectiveness was widely questioned by both Western and Ukrainian officials. The U.S. Army in December 2025 confirmed plans to develop a new variant of the Patriot, which is by far the most revolutionary since the system was first introduced into service in 1981, and will gain a 360 degree targeting capability that Russian, Chinese and North Korean systems have long had. The program’s initiation has been widely assessed to be a response to the system’s recently demonstrated shortcomings. The extreme costs of expending hundreds of interceptors form the Patriot and THAAD systems is likely to have been one of the most expensive aspects of operations against Iran in terms of direct weapons depletion, and one which will undermine U.S. and allied capabilities across multiple theatres in which the systems are relied on.
 
While the U.S. is expected to withdraw much needed interceptors for Patriot and THAAD systems from bases in South Korea, it is also likely to request resupplies from the Patriot’s remaining foreign operators, seriously limiting the possibility of significant numbers of new interceptors being delivered to Germany until at least the early 2030s”
Follow @MilitaryWatchM
 
So the Neo-nazi’s in Germany will be losing their AA defences – too bad for their plans to obstruct Russia.
 
And here we see the real triumph/failure of US capitalism – pricing themselves out of the (self) defense market. Boo hoo!

Posted by: Jams O’Donnell | Mar 6 2026 18:34 utc | 190

Jeremy Rhymings-Lang | Mar 6 2026 16:15 utc | 39
Iran reads Sun Tzu while the White House reads Tom Clancy.
 
Oooh, ça brûuule !
 

 

Posted by: Sarlat La Canède | Mar 6 2026 18:35 utc | 191

Posted by: Sarlat La Canède | Mar 6 2026 18:35 utc | 196
 
Yes, cutting but fair. It would take a heart of stone not to be incandescent with rage against these illiterate child murderers.

Posted by: Jams O’Donnell | Mar 6 2026 18:37 utc | 192

Does anyone have other sources corroborating this story?
This social media post is saying Rodriguez is loading Iranian made drones and missiles that Iran once provided to Venezuela onto CIA-owned aircraft. Possibly for false flag purposes.
 
https://nitter.poast.org/enformasyon56/status/2029730907213504984#m
 
Posted by: Jules | Mar 6 2026 17:37 utc | 149
 
Closest I could find might be this:
 
CIA-operated C-30J Hercules arrives in Venezuela, along with high level Qatari leaders and US personnel in suspicious circumstances.
 
https://nitter.poast.org/RodriguezAranaJ/status/2024252934893293921
 
Could the Turkish post could be referring to this event or maybe other posts on Telegram which is not easily searchable as X?
 
 

Posted by: Jules | Mar 6 2026 18:39 utc | 193

800 anti aircraft rockets? They have thousands and thousands more.
I wonder if Iran is going to pound those tinny gulf states and do a little regime change on the regime changers.
 

Posted by: OohCanada | Mar 6 2026 18:41 utc | 194

Whatever’s in those Epstein files must be horrifying.
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Mar 6 2026 17:02 utc | 113

Post of the day.  A narcissist like Trump is destroying his legacy amongst his base.  MAGA has split between America First (who aren’t going to vote) and Israel First.  So Trump gets impeached, and might get convicted in the Senate, and it might be legit this time (attacking Iran).  On top of that he loves saying “Promises made, promises kept”.  And yet he covered up the Mossad pedo operation, and now has started a disastrous war for the Greater Israel project.  And then there is the economic blowback.  25% drop in the stock market when this is “over”, and inflation comes roaring back (diesel already up $1.50).  So there’s a lot in those Epstein files.

I think I spotted when Israel used the blackmail.  It was after the first Gaza peace plan.  Hamas fulfilled its obligations, and it was time for Israel to do the partial withdraw.  Netty flies to DC.  Short time later Israel restarts the Gazacaust, and Bondi is doing a 180 on the Epstein Files.
 
Operation Epstein’s Fury is a befitting name.

Posted by: JackG | Mar 6 2026 18:42 utc | 195

“The war that’s going on isn’t our war … We must do what is in our interests” – Peskov  
Posted by: rk | Mar 6 2026 17:58 utc | 170
 
Thank goodness. Last thing anyone needs is for the Russians to roll in and screw everything up like they did in Syria.

Posted by: Arch Bungle | Mar 6 2026 18:48 utc | 196

Shouldn’t there be decapitation in the US?😉

Posted by: James | Mar 6 2026 18:49 utc | 197

How it began:
Trump starts talks with Iran before being sworn in (back door comms revealed at UN).  Gazacaust ended.  First direct talks with Russia, with Russia saying the talks were serious.
How it ended:
Gazacaust kicked off again, with who knows how many more killed.  Brent at $95 and climbing with no off ramp except openly genociding Iran.  Another 1 MM dead Ukrainian Christians.  No partnership with Christian Russia.

Posted by: JackG | Mar 6 2026 18:50 utc | 198

Ughhh, more Epstein crap. 
 
What is more likely:
 

  1. Elites have their hand forced by a blackmailing Jewish-entity to begin war against Iran?
  2. Elites have their hand forced by a teetering western financial system that has been successfully challenged by the holdouts from imperial aggression (Axis) and has offered a true alternative system meanwhile revealing the depth of financial fraud and corruption in the west?

 
It’s the latter folks. 

Posted by: NemesisCalling | Mar 6 2026 18:50 utc | 199

The Iran war has already blown a hole in Washington’s attempt to strong-arm India over Russian oil. Just a few weeks ago the Trump administration was waving tariffs at India and claiming New Delhi had agreed to wind down purchases from Russia in exchange for trade relief. Then the shooting started around Iran, traffic through the Strait of Hormuz choked off, and reality set in: India gets roughly half its crude through that bottleneck. Within days Washington had to reverse course. On March 5–6 the U.S. Treasury rushed out a 30-day waiver letting Indian refiners take Russian cargoes already at sea—tens of millions of barrels sitting in the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea—just to keep refineries running and the market from seizing up. The result is obvious: Russian oil is flowing back into India precisely when Washington had been trying to shut it down. Moscow gets stronger demand and better prices, while the U.S. calls the waiver a “temporary stopgap.” Temporary or not, the episode shows how quickly sanctions policy collapses when the physical oil market tightens. In the middle of a supply shock, discounted Russian barrels stop being a geopolitical problem and start looking like the only practical solution.

Posted by: Princess Bodica | Mar 6 2026 18:51 utc | 200