News & views related to the war on Iran …
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April 22, 2026
Iran Open Thread 2026-083
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In addition to the economic blockade causing delays in the delivery of energy for manufacturing and the petroleum-based western food production, there are critical export bans to consider.
Significantly, export bans from Russia and China are focused on significantly weakening economies that are allied to the Zionist West. For example, there is a phosphate fertilizer crisis on the horizon due to export bans on sulfur, which is necessary for the extraction of phosphate from apatite mineral deposits.
The Russian government has extended the ban on exporting industrial sulfur until June 30, 2026https://interfax.com/newsroom/top-stories/116882/China plans to ban sulfuric acid exports starting in May 2026https://thedeepdive.ca/china-slams-brakes-on-sulfuric-acid-exports-starting-in-may/
Morocco, which serves as an Israeli satrap, is a primary phosphate fertilizer choke-point. “Morocco holds the world’s largest phosphate reserves at 50 billion metric tons, accounting for over 67 percent of total global phosphate reserves.” Currently, Morocco ranks only second to China in phosphate fertilizer production from apatite minerals.
https://investingnews.com/daily/resource-investing/agriculture-investing/phosphate-investing/top-phosphate-countries-by-production/
If Morocco’s phosphate fertilizer production is halted, it would remove up to 18% of the world’s supply. Most of the remaining phosphate fertilizer production comes from China and Russia, which together account for 75% of world phosphate production and can be used to leverage trade and alliance deals.
p.s. This leaves out minor producers, which primarily need the fertilizer for domestic use.
Posted by: Krollchem | Apr 22 2026 23:43 utc | 101
Posted by: Krollchem | Apr 22 2026 23:43 utc | 114
From what I have read the US still imports 25% of its enriched uranium for power generation from Russia, even though it was supposed to be banned some years ago. That gives Russia a pretty powerful playing card if things deteriorated further as well.
Posted by: GeorgeWendell | Apr 22 2026 23:46 utc | 102
Posted by: GeorgeWendell | Apr 22 2026 23:30 utc | 112
Sadly George you have more faith in the USA than I do.
Think about that idiot who revealed all to the journalist. I am guessing he was really a low level shmuck but he was clearly so foolish and arrogant that even at a low level he had no place in a serious military. Perhaps he was just the cleaner but if he was professionally employed, then heaven help the world.
Interesting tidbit demonstrating how much of a neocon counter-revolution to Trump 1.0 the Biden admin was, Amos Hochstein, a top Biden admin advisor/special envoy in energy and an Israeli Jew who pretends to be an American even renouncing his Israeli citizenship (His whole family still lives there) and IDF veteran has openly said on TV the Biden admin was planning for this war with Iran, wargaming it and planning for a war in 2025/26. Trump 2.0 is similarly infested with neocons over and above the ones previously present in Kushner most prominently. I did wonder what was holding the Biden admin back, the positioning of all those carriers wasn’t for Syria, it certainly wasn’t for Lebanon which the US absolutely won’t touch. It could only have been for a war on Iran. Yet perhaps the opening they’d like never presented itself. Meanwhile Trump needs no opening pretext, he’ll just do things.
I suppose he did wrap it all around a fake “negotiation”, a neocon classic. (Really a Blinken classic, he was the supreme pro at it) Pretend you’re negotiating, throw some unreasonable terms that nobody could ever agree to, throw your hands up and pretend war wasn’t Plan A all along and the counterparty was the unreasonable one, knowing full well the Western MSM will never present the context. In reality in all these situations they’re doing you a favour by negotiating themselves out of a war that has nothing to do with US interests.
Given how well it’s been going one doesn’t suspect he made this up to claim credit.
https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXW1s4tCMDZ/
During an interview with CBS’ Face the Nation, Amos Hochstein, advisor to former US President Biden, said that he was supportive of last June’s strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities, adding that the Biden administration had also prepared for them in the possibility of a second term.Hochstein specified: “We did war games. We did some practice runs on what it would look like to look into it, because that may have had to happen under our watch as well.”He said that the current war however has not struck nuclear facilities and that that raises the question of whether the US can make a deal with Iran, given “both sides’ maximalist position”.
Posted by: Altai | Apr 22 2026 23:48 utc | 104
“In 2025, technology experts such as Rajiv Pant and John Graham-Cumming began to use low-background steel as a metaphor to describe the practice of archiving web content that existed before 2022 in an effort to preserve information that was produced by humans without “contamination” from large language models such as ChatGPT” Wiki
Will return to topic…
Posted by: Ornot | Apr 22 2026 23:58 utc | 105
Posted by: karlof1 | Apr 22 2026 18:30 utc | 16
Many thanks, karlof1! For those who think one of those links is enough, I would counsel no, you need both. I get excited by my one track railway trek to Santa Fe. How would it be to follow all the lines on Pepe’s maps? The mind expands with delight! Maybe heaven will be a bit like that, (with Pepe as the conductor of course).
Posted by: juliania | Apr 23 2026 0:03 utc | 106
I hope Iran gives these perfidious criminals a wide berth:
🇵🇰🤝🇺🇸🇮🇱 The reason why the Pakistani initiative to broker peace between Iran and the U.S. failed is because Pakistan didn’t actually try to mediate between Tehran and Washington, they just pressed Iran to accommodate American and Israeli demands which is simply unacceptable to the Iranians.Mistrust of Pakistan in Iran has only worsened when Israel launched the mass bombing campaign on Lebanon on April 8th immediately after Pakistan announced it brokered a ceasefire and Islamabad stayed silent on Israel’s ceasefire violation with Pakistani Commander-in-Chief, Asim Munir and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, urging American officials in private, not in public, to restrain Israel.Moving forward, it is unlikely that a peace deal will be brokered by Pakistan and that Qatar and/or Oman may become mediators in the future as they are more impartial.@CIG_telegram
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Apr 23 2026 0:07 utc | 107
Posted by: Altai | Apr 22 2026 23:48 utc | 117
I did wonder what was holding the Biden admin back
After Team Biden frantically withdrew from Afghanistan, they started the hot phase of the Ukraine war against Russia. That was a choice they made: the debate where to strike first was somewhat openly discussed between the camps (team Russia vs team China — the war against Iran is part of the China agenda). I don’t think USA ever had the capacities to fight two big wars like in Ukraine and against Iran at the same time. You can see right now how the USA lets EUrope deal with the Russian front (while still being in charge — never get confused about “USA leaving NATO”), so that they have more capacities for other battlefields.
I suppose he did wrap it all around a fake “negotiation”, a neocon classic.
Like color revolutions, it works less well each time: people get used to it. I think that the Russians never expected a “deal” from their talks with the USA. Lavrov: “The USA is agreement incapable.” That said, the Iranians are more up-front in explaining the US diplomatic desaster to the world, perhaps out of necessity.
Hochstein’s casual statement about Team Biden’s preparing an Iran attack for Biden II cannot be stressed enough! The POTUS matters so little.
Posted by: Konami | Apr 23 2026 0:11 utc | 108
Posted by: Ornot | Apr 22 2026 23:58 utc | 118
preserve information that was produced by humans without “contamination” from large language models such as ChatGPT” Wiki
That’s a good idea but shouldn’t be necessary in the long run: access to certified human writing is preserved in (pre-2020 say) books which are largely digitalised. Current LLMs are extremely data-inefficient because a human child needs a comparitively tiny amount of knowledge to make a language model — roughly: listening to a million words, reading dozens of books. Data efficiency does increase, remember how Chinese LLMs shocked the world when they were smaller *and* better.
Posted by: Konami | Apr 23 2026 0:20 utc | 109
https://youtu.be/SQaF1zYBy_I?si=zJl3PjPrTFgy3so5
US Secretary of Navy John Phelan resigns in middle of war with Iran.
Posted by: Sir Reginald | Apr 23 2026 0:20 utc | 110
India-Russia Military Logistics Pact
https://www.rt.com/india/638901-india-russia-military-logistics-pact-relos/
“A quiet game-changer from the Arctic to the Indian Ocean…”
It would seem the rather obvious and dramatic Zionist alignment presents no problem.
Posted by: John Gilberts | Apr 23 2026 0:24 utc | 111
Maybe trump gave the go order order
“BREAKING: Explosions heard around Tehran, possible AD activity.
Iraqi channels reporting possible ballistic missile launches from Kuwait, sounds of fighter jets over northern Iraq.
Nothing confirmed by Iranian media so far.
Developing…”
https://t.me/DDGeopolitics/182620#
Follow up so far (last halg an hour)
” Several US aerial refueling aircraft active over Saudi airspace along the Iraq/Kuwait border.”
“o reports from Iranian media on the explosions near Tehran. Some sources point to exercises, others claim a drone was spotted and air defenses activated.
Still unclear what actually happened, but no attack is taking place.”
Posted by: Newbie | Apr 23 2026 0:24 utc | 112
Posted by: watcher | Apr 22 2026 23:47 utc | 116
I don’t have much faith generally in US leadership, even if Trump and Hegseth et. al. were dispensed with, there is a long way to go before any real change will take place given the number of behind the scenes players generally known as deep state. Monoparty would continue. But I will say the US has got a bloody nose out of Iran, the first one that has really hit home, and Caine warned Trump that victory was uncertain before the fight started. I also think he has seriously countered Trump’s wild emotional fits with rejecting his demands on using nukes.
To me the wild card is still Israel since the Israeli Zionists and fundamentalist Judaists are equally nuts and fascistically uncompromising making them candidates for being egotistically dead right = MAD. Iran is more vulnerable given they cannot reply without killing Palestinians as well. But it would also be the end of Israel if they did use nukes, too many countries in the region would want to unite in its destruction in that case. If the US is weakened now and pulls back, then Israel is also more vulnerable.
It’s certainly a high risk dance we are involved in at the moment but we have got close to the edge before as well.
Posted by: GeorgeWendell | Apr 23 2026 0:26 utc | 113
There have been various alerts in past, correct but that were not start of any hostility, at the moment ….
Journalist Suhaib Al-Masalma
“The sound of the military aircraft above Tehran
Hearing the sound of air defenses over areas east of Tehran
Urgent | Intense flight of fighter jets over the eastern airspace of Iraq”
Posted by: Ornot | Apr 23 2026 0:29 utc | 114
Be alarmed
Be very alarmed
The Secretary of the US Navy has gone. Replacement a guy with a very Chinese name!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Taiwanese perhaps. Guess i had better look him up
OK Chinese Vietnamese (there were quite a lot of those mostly in the elite). Part of the exodus following the end of the Vietnam war.
Clearly smart but also a republican candidate and also Christian probably fundamental
Posted by: Peter AU1 | Apr 22 2026 21:37 utc | 88
AI slop detection –
Often the ‘thumbnails’ give it away.
Any channel not on my bookmarks list I open in ‘private mode’ – easily culls the shit.
Then you can use the ‘don’t recomend channel’ option.
Using ‘private mode’ also stops the youtube algo spewing out endless nonsense on things you are not interested in.
A couple of weeks ago I made the mistake of searching for videos on concrete anchor bolts – all I wanted was 10 seconds of a video – and got spammed for the next few days.
Posted by: Persona Non Grata | Apr 23 2026 0:34 utc | 116
UN Expert Says India Violating International Law Over Israel Ties
https://www.muslimnetwork.tv/un-expert-says-india-violating-international-law-over-israel-ties/
“UN rapporteur warns India risks liability for supplying Israel despite ICJ rulings, citing arms trade, Gaza genocide, and moral concerns.
India, she said, ‘is violating its obligations under international law and might even be facing responsibility,’ warning that states supplying Israel in ways that harm Palestinians could face legal scrutiny in future proceedings.
Albanese’s latest report, presented at the 61st session of the United Nations Human Rights Council, agrees that third countries enable what she describes as Israel’s ‘torture regime’ through military and logistical support…”
And not just India.
Posted by: John Gilberts | Apr 23 2026 0:41 utc | 118
Before the war, the US received warnings of Iran possessing 11 nuclear weapons”
Good to know there was a precise number. Who made it up?
Posted by: Call it what u will | Apr 22 2026 21:57 utc | 94
Eleven is a Kabbalah number.
When you see it IFYKYK.
Also 33. 33 is like a neon sign for Those That Know.
Wherever the issue of daat {{definition below}} arises, it is not unusual to find the number eleven as well.
In fact, the total time it was to have taken the jewish people to travel from Egypt to Eretz Israel was eleven days.
However, the Torah tells us that the nation had not been ready for so direct a route to the daat of Eretz Yisrael
Also, the number of days by which the lunar year (central to Jewish life) is less than the solar year is also eleven, and Kabbalistically, this is also an idea very much related to daat. There are many others.
There are some very famous elevens through history, and they are all associated with this concept of Daat.
For example, Yosef was the eleventh son born to Yaakov, the one through whom the hand of HaShem became clear and from whom Mashiach ben Yosef will descend to help us across the threshold into Mashiach’s time.
However, perhaps the most famous eleven is the gematria of the letters “Vav-Heh” from HaShem’s Tetragrammaton Name, purposely left out at the end of parashat beshalach when HaShem swears there will be war against Amalek until the end of history.
The Name of HaShem that represents this reality is Elohim.
Once Amalek is finally snuffed out in Mashiach’s time, they will return and HaShem’s name will once again be one.
However, until such time it is as if they remain hidden, like the hand of HaShem itself in the affairs of man, allowing Gevurot and Amalek to do their thing.
http://betemunah.org/eleven.html
Posted by: Melaleuca | Apr 23 2026 0:42 utc | 119
https://x.com/ww3mediaa/status/2046897356751180160
3. Dünya Savaşı @ww3mediaa Translated from Turkish
🔴Spanish Foreign Minister:
▪️Italy and Germany are blocking the suspension of the Partnership Agreement between the European Union and Israel.
‘▪️When it comes to Ukraine, Germany acts like a moral guardian, but when it comes to Palestine, it plays the three wise monkeys. Germany is a hypocritical and pathetic state.
One guy retorts, and make of it what you will,
There is no German state ruled by Germans… all the politicians here are Zionist whores
https://x.com/Umit1907eses/status/2046921684867854654
Posted by: joey_n | Apr 23 2026 0:46 utc | 120
Looks like the daat definition got eaten.
Daat defined (Wikipedia)
In the branch of jewish mysticism known as kabbala Daʻat or Da’ath (lit. ’knowledge’) is the location (the mystical state) where all ten sefirot in the Tree of Life are united as one.
Posted by: Melaleuca | Apr 23 2026 0:46 utc | 121
Oil just spiked very quickly, what is Flying over Iran?
I hear rumours…… But have no facts other than the oil hit up
Posted by: Thunderdownunder | Apr 23 2026 0:52 utc | 122
It requires an almost Trumpian level of arrogance to argue with the Pope about theology.
https://bruceohara.substack.com/p/not-just-war
Posted by: Bruce O’Hara | Apr 23 2026 0:52 utc | 123
Sir Reginald | Apr 23 2026 0:20 utc | 123—
Yet another incompetent resigns. TASS provided a bit of his bio. I opined earlier in the thread that the USN lacked anyone of competence to properly run a global blockade.
US Secretary of Navy John Phelan resigns in middle of war with Iran.
Posted by: Sir Reginald | Apr 23 2026 0:20 utc | 123
————————————————————————–
Hegseth wants better bootlickers and with USN creds. Hegseth still cannot get the nuclear codes passed to the Orange Jesus, worth noting.
Posted by: Acco Hengst | Apr 23 2026 0:58 utc | 125
UK Pint Prices Could Reach 9 Pounds as Iran Conflict Drives Up Energy Costs
https://www.gbnews.com/money/uk-pint-prices-iran-energy-costs
“British pub-goers could soon be paying as much as 9 pounds for a pint as escalating tensions in the Middle East continue to drive up energy and supply chain costs…”
REVOLUTION! (&/or make your own!)
Posted by: John Gilberts | Apr 23 2026 0:58 utc | 126
RE: “Moving forward, it is unlikely that a peace deal will be brokered by Pakistan and that Qatar and/or Oman may become mediators in the future as they are more impartial.@CIG_telegram
Not likely, Qatar got bombed by Israel for their impartial attempt, and Oman got smacked as that effort ended in Irans second bombing.
People need to give it up.
There are none at this stage that are “impartial”.
All have agenda’s & have decided which line in the sand their on.
I see 50 more years of crap in the ME, until they just kick all foreign powers out.
US/UK/Russia/China… all need to go…
Posted by: Trubind1 | Apr 23 2026 1:04 utc | 127
Hung Cao is the new Sec of Navy, a political loser who was in the USN from 1989 -2021. He might actually have some competence, although his bio suggests he never was a blue water sailor or ship commander. I doubt he can command a global blockade.
Unconfirmed reports of explosions over Tehran…
Posted by: John Gilberts | Apr 23 2026 1:11 utc | 129
John Gilberts | Apr 23 2026 0:58 utc | 139—
My word!! I pay $10 for a 6-pack (12oz bottles) of excellent stout. $4/pint at the local pub.
Posted by: watcher | Apr 23 2026 0:34 utc | 130
Could happen but my thoughts are that firing all those generals before, plus the resistance from others that have resigned, signals a growing contrary view and awareness of the insanity towards the Trump administration. I think many think he is crazy now, and I don’t think they are that impressed with Trump’s loony boy Robin named Hegseth.
This is from Larry’s site:
“During a meeting with his national security team, Trump was compelled by all in attendance — with the exception of Pete Hegseth — to call off new airstrikes on Iran because everyone in the room with him on Saturday said “no” to renewing US attacks on Iranian civilian infrastructure. While I still do not have any independent confirmation that there was a tussle between Trump and Caine over the potential use of nuclear weapons in Iran, General Caine reportedly is increasingly pushing back on Trump’s desire to expand the war in hopes of securing a cheap, easy victory. Fortunately General Caine understands the current limits of US power and the risks of launching a ground attack in Iran.”
https://sonar21.com/trump-does-taco-tuesday-but-still-sabotages-exit-ramp-jcpoa-2/
I read earlier this week that Caine actually hung his head down and walked out of the meeting but it was an X reference that I did not book mark.
I think he would be well respected now in the US armed forces given they have copped a lot of flak for this crazy war and there have been near mutinies within the navy which has also suffered a loss of face.
I guess I don’t hold much concern for the threat of the US navy myself since I think it is inferior technology now apart from subs given the newer missiles that exist. I don’t think it would be that much different if they went on a picnic to China to attack the country either.
Posted by: GeorgeWendell | Apr 23 2026 1:11 utc | 131
Posted by: Trubind1 | Apr 23 2026 1:04 utc | 140
Oman has not been hit except possibly by Israel. Oman stands to gain by the tolls on Hormuz. probably the main reason Iran has not yet mined the Oman side of the strait.
Oman is much less dependent on oil revenue.
re 144: ‘Unconfirmed Explosions Over Tehran’
https://x.com/sentdefender/status/2047110106651717955
“Reports of a resumption of joint US-Israeli strikes against Iran are currently assessed as non-credible as pro-Iranian channels claim that explosions and working air-defense systems are the result of air defense exercises.”
Posted by: John Gilberts | Apr 23 2026 1:26 utc | 134
I opined … the USN lacked anyone of competence to properly run a global blockade.
Posted by: karlof1 | Apr 23 2026 0:56 utc | 137
And that’s a good thing.
Posted by: karlof1 | Apr 23 2026 1:07 utc | 142
New Guy~ “I doubt he can command a global blockade.”
And that’s a good thing
I’m all in favour of incompetents being appointed to U$ military positions ATM
Posted by: Melaleuca | Apr 23 2026 1:31 utc | 135
$9 pounds for a pint of beer? Wow that is a rip off, it’s only made from a bit of sugar, malt, and hops – and it’s warm beer as well !!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: GeorgeWendell | Apr 23 2026 1:33 utc | 136
“Before the war, the US received warnings of Iran possessing 11 nuclear weapons”Good to know there was a precise number. Who made it up?
Posted by: Call it what u will | Apr 22 2026 21:57 utc | 94
Here’s a detailed explanation of the technology and Iran’s capabilities –
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/4/22/what-is-uranium-enrichment-and-how-quickly-could-iran-build-a-nuclear-bomb
“According to the IAEA, Iran is believed to have about 440kg (970lbs) of uranium enriched to 60 percent – enough to theoretically build 10 or 11 low-technology atomic bombs if refined to 90 percent.”
Posted by: norecovery | Apr 23 2026 2:03 utc | 137
Well if Trump wants an easy victory just throw 2 small nukes at Iran. No diplomatic fallout as everyone would be afraid of US then. All would be forgotten 50 years later. Even Japan forgot who nuked them. Most japanese believe either the evil Soviets or the more evil CCP did it.
Do it Trump!!
Posted by: Surferket | Apr 23 2026 2:03 utc | 138
GCC has never had to put up with bombings, terrorism or sanctions.
What they have inflicted on the Palestinian, Yemeni, Lebanese, Syrian and Iranian has now come round to bite them.
The Cradle has an article that focuses on Iran’s and Hez’bAllah ability to completely shut the Colony down. The Leviathan gas fields runs all the desalination plants.
The mention of sea mines are a disinformation op, Iran has effective control over the Strait, no other action required. I suspect this is where the false flag operation will be. Sea mines are indiscriminate and will complicated Iran’s effective control. Any incident can affect approved shipping, undermining and laying the blame on Iran.
Posted by: Suresh | Apr 23 2026 2:07 utc | 139
Press Points: 4/22/2026/
https://www.presstv.ir
- “Violations, threats, blockade, main obstacles to genuine talks: President
- Military aggression failed, US bullying won’t open Strait of Hormuz: Qalibaf
- Aggressors fully responsible for any instability affecting Strait of Hormuz: Iran FM
- IRGC seizes Israeli ship, second vessel in Strait of Hormuz
- Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil deliberately killed in Israeli airstrike
- Hegseth fires Navy Secretary Phelan in another sudden shake-up…”
Posted by: John Gilberts | Apr 23 2026 2:11 utc | 140
Mahmood OD: ‘Iran: The Ceasefire is Meaningless’
https://www.youtube.com/@Mahmood_OD/videos
“Iran’s chief negotiator hints war resumption after slamming US move.”
Posted by: John Gilberts | Apr 23 2026 2:17 utc | 141
IRGC released footage of the interception of two vessels, MSC-FRANCESCA and EPAMINODES, after maritime violations in the Strait of Hormuz.
PressTV
Source:
https://t.me/c/1854582446/56171
Has Trump begun whining about Iranian “piracy” yet?
Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayastha | Apr 23 2026 2:21 utc | 142
Sentinel-2 satellite image today shows what looks like a flotilla of IRGCN fast attack crafts sailing north of strait of Hormuz near Kargan coast.
At least 33 boats can be seen in what looks like a show of force enforcing the strait closure by Iran.
Geo-location: 26.899,56.824
Source: https://x.com/mhmiranusa/status/2046957671421551095
I’ve also seen it claimed that these are drone boats used by the IRGC to mine Hormuz but I doubt it.
New satellite data has revealed that Iran’s Revolutionary Guards’ unmanned vessels are conducting a large-scale mine-laying operation in the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) reported that it has accelerated cleanup efforts by deploying underwater drones but that the risk in the region has reached its highest level.
Source: https://x.com/thebitig/status/2046999080769851727
Iran won’t mine Hormuz until and unless Trump restarts the war. It doesn’t have to. Right now, without mines, it has total control over Hormuz.
Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayastha | Apr 23 2026 2:26 utc | 143
indica: RIF: Warwick Powell
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oVl9UR3bTdw
“The political economy of energy.”
Posted by: John Gilberts | Apr 23 2026 2:30 utc | 144
Posted by: steven t johnson | Apr 22 2026 19:29 utc | 39
“I still think IRI’s best way to fight is to mine the strait. Trump has escalated even against their trump card, control of the strait. Fold or go all in. Further, mining the strait is I think by far the best hope for successfully blocking any incursions into Qeshm island or the norther littoral of the strait. In the long run it’s the power that mines the straits that can best clear the strait and restore the sea lanes.”
Iran already controls who and what passes through the Strait of Hormuz.
“…best hope for successfully blocking any incursions…” – are the submarine drones sitting on the seabed, swarms of low cost aerial drones, long/short range missiles batteries and conventional artillery etc. Iran have these weapons, and thus total control of their defenses.
Mine ‘fields’ only have a downside for Iran – easy for the US to ‘cut’ a path through the mine ‘field’ using low cost kamikaze drones (surface and underwater). I am sure (speculating) that US satellite technology is more than capable of mapping the mine ‘fields’.
You use the word ‘incursion’ which (maybe?) implies small zodiac dinghy type attacks – mines totally useless as they would be in ‘stealth’ mode and thus easily be able to detect any mines.
I will concede that mines could be useful – when the Americans are running away in blind panic after another failed ‘incursion’.
Considering the US willingness to murder civilians, I can guarantee that US navy seals will be tasked with cutting any anchoring chains, sending the mines drifting off into the ocean, in the hope of sinking/damaging any merchant navy vessel, or better still a cruise ship full of Americans. Potential PR nightmare for Iran.
Posted by: Persona Non Grata | Apr 23 2026 2:30 utc | 145
Hung Cao new head of US navy is originally from Saigon, Vietnam.
Interesting given yesterday’s blog.
His name is Chinese in origin. Depending on the tone Cao can mean ‘grass’.
Posted by: GeorgeWendell | Apr 23 2026 2:33 utc | 146
BettBeat Media: Dr Aaron Good: ‘US Empire is Nazified’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxTpOEkhFXE
“The deep criminality of US empire.”
Posted by: John Gilberts | Apr 23 2026 2:37 utc | 147
About the bypass of the Mighty Blockade, “the best blockade that ever blocked a blocked waterway”.
From X/Simplicius / @biancoresearch :
How can dozens of ships defeat the US Blockade, as the FT repost below says is happening?
The map shows how a tanker can travel from Kharg Island to Mumbai while remaining within the territorial waters of Pakistan and India. The US Blockade Rules and UNCLOS (UN Law of the Sea) give ships the right of innocent passage through a coastal state’s territorial sea, and it is the coastal state that will regulate that passage.
Once in Pakistani or Indian waters, they can transfer their cargo or continue without entering international waters.
Posted by: Asian Frog | Apr 23 2026 2:46 utc | 148
@Posted by: Konami | Apr 23 2026 0:11 utc | 121
Exactly, Trump is just a front man for the oligarchy. As is any US president. Without the oligarchy, or at least a majority of it, in support Trump would never have been allowed to go after Iran. The US Empire is at a critical point, either it finds some way to undermine the rapidly developing Asian continental safe space (China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Belarus, Central Asia, continental ASEAN plus Indonesia) or it ends up on the outside looking in. Even South Korea and Taiwan now look a bit wobbly for the US Empire. The subjugation of Iran would take out the south west foundation of that safe space, and open up the soft underbelly of the the Caucasus and Central Asia. If Iran continues to stand as an independent country, with growing logistics integrating it with the Asian continental safe space, that safe space will just get stronger and stronger while becoming more and more integrated across land-based logistics routes.
Posted by: Roger Boyd | Apr 23 2026 2:47 utc | 149
“Recently a noted longtime critic of Israeli and American foreign policy gained a lot of attention online when Prof. Norman Finkelstein criticized Tucker Carlson’s vision of American foreign policy. Tucker has been saying that America’s political elites and Trump are obviously under the control of Netanyahu or Israel.Finkelstein, like many others from the academic foreign policy commentariat like Noam Chomsky, has been critical for a long time of that view of American foreign policy. He and they insist: Israel is NOT the one in the drivers seat. That view of America in control of its foreign policy is simultaneously bewildering and often angering to those espousing the contrary view. To them it is just plain obvious that America has no reason to fight wars in the Middle East of its own.According to that dominate worldview online — America is Israel’s puppet because otherwise American foreign policy makes no sense. That view is so all-pervasive online that Trump felt compelled to publicly deny it. What does America get out of it? For a long time the academic left has agreed with economist Michael Hudson when he says the goal is to control the global fossil fuel industry.”From: Iran–I Ran So Far Away
Posted by: kana | Apr 22 2026 17:34 utc | 7
Neutering Iran has long been a US goal, it is also an Israeli one, albeit for different reasons. The US funds the rabid dog in the Middle East, as the old expression goes, he who writes the cheques in the boss. AIPAC could be Israel wanting more say over US policy or simply that Zionists being neocons they are the very people the US power brokers wants in power. Either way the end result is the same.
Posted by: Organic | Apr 23 2026 2:52 utc | 150
Asian Frog@165
They’d be advised to transfer off Pakistan’s coast. Modi will do as his friaand Dolund and his brother nazinyahu order him to.
Modi’s navy already seized 3 Iranian tankers in the Arabian Sea in mid February, claiming that they were in violation of Trump’s sanctions. To this day those tankers haven’t been released.
Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayastha | Apr 23 2026 2:53 utc | 151
Asian Frog
Yes Ships can travel via Pakistan directly to Mumbai or further south (there could be shallow waters etc so it might not be safe) Since much of the oil would be heading to India anyway it would be safe until Mumbai at least.
Possibly India might NOT protect Chinese flagged vessels, but i think this unlikely.
The real problem comes with travel to China when ships would be forced to enter the Indian ocean. I would expect China to send an escort service to protect them through to the Straits of Malacca. As Pepe said that is the next flashpoint.
Posted by: GeorgeWendell | Apr 23 2026 1:11 utc | 146
There was a video of Dan Caine walking along with his head down after the meeting. Here it is from Geopolitics Prime:
https://t.me/geopolitics_prime/68455
Posted by: Belle | Apr 23 2026 3:10 utc | 153
Arch Bungle 120
“The reason why the Pakistani initiative to broker peace between Iran and the U.S. failed is because Pakistan didn’t actually try to mediate between Tehran and Washington, they just pressed Iran to accommodate American and Israeli demands which is simply unacceptable to the Iranians.Mistrust of Pakistan in Iran has only worsened when Israel launched the mass bombing campaign on Lebanon on April 8th immediately after Pakistan announced it brokered a ceasefire and Islamabad stayed silent on Israel’s ceasefire violation with Pakistani Commander-in-Chief, Asim Munir and foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, urging American officials in private, not in public, to restrain Israel.”
Under US funding, the Pakistani Military, like the Egyptian military have taken direct power over their countries’ landlords and industries.
Kashmiris tell me that the Military run an estate larger than the size of England, in British Raj style privilege with US funding.
I couldn’t possibly tell you whether the corruption by US- Israeli interests are worse in these Muslim countries or here in Starmer’s completely corrupt, Corporate Britain.
You cannot get more corrupt than Corporate Britain, so who are we to criticise corruption elsewhere?
Posted by: Giyane | Apr 23 2026 3:24 utc | 154
Posted by: Belle | Apr 23 2026 3:10 utc | 171
That’s what I had heard, he walked out face down not wanting to continue the conversation. I remember somewhere else it was because of a discussion about Trump/using or wanting to get the Codes.
Thanks Belle
Posted by: GeorgeWendell | Apr 23 2026 3:27 utc | 155
171
The chances of getting a Workers Party candidate winning in the May local elections is Zero.
The candidates where I live are full, Corporate fascistos, men and women.
My MP is rabid , Muslim, and pro- Israel, bonkers Labour.
Posted by: Giyane | Apr 23 2026 3:29 utc | 156
Posted by: Giyane | Apr 23 2026 3:24 utc | 172
The weird thing about Pakistan is that it is also a member of the SCO which makes it difficult to know which way it will swing.*
The member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) are China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan, Iran, and Belarus. This organization focuses on political, economic, and security cooperation among its members.
*Especially since Imran Khan was so badly pushed out of the way, likely by US meddling as well.
Posted by: GeorgeWendell | Apr 23 2026 3:40 utc | 157
belle 170
My thanks as well. I thought Trump would attack Hormuz , but from that account, he doesn’t have the military power to do so.
Netanyahu should reflect on his own stupidity, by using up the entire US military inventory on Gaza and Lebanon, leaving nothing left to attack Iran.
Israel Delenda est. The clock is ticking on that particular time bomb.
Posted by: Giyane | Apr 23 2026 3:40 utc | 158
“Israel Delenda est. The clock is ticking on that particular time bomb.”
Posted by: Giyane | Apr 23 2026 3:40 utc | 176
The fact that they are also planning an escape route to Argentina (with the US help) is a bit revealing as well. Javier Milei appears to be a closet Jew/Judaist and Trump loves him. You can see this plan has been in the making for a long time. I’ve also read the Bush family have been buying up real estate down there too. And why Patagonia?
I would not be surprised if that extends to Chile as well.
Posted by: GeorgeWendell | Apr 23 2026 3:48 utc | 159
None of the euro joints whining about the expensive energy markets ever look to the millions of tonnes of hydrocarbons they are currently sitting on. AFAIK all the entire eu satraps plus england are still chocka with coal. Coal mines ceased production in the last quarter of the 20th century because oil & natural gas were said to be cleaner, more efficient & less expensive. Now that oil & gas are apparently difficult for europe to obtain, why isn’t Germany, Italy, Spain France plus england at least checking out all the modern tech that has been developed in the intervening years which has much more efficient methods of fractionating the hydrocarbons contained in coal as well as synthesising other substances such as urea from the ammonia and CO2 found within coal extracts post gasification?
That’s not even considering whatever oil & gas hydrocarbons the euros apparently own from their so-called ‘exclusive economic zones’ in the seas surrounding them. I haven’t stayed across their status in yonks but if any have just been turned off (most likely at amerika’s behest?) because someone in a board meeting somewhere determined that “now isn’t the appropriate time to be recovering that asset”, then the nations’ respective governments need to get off their arses ‘n actually get that energy to their populations.
Whatever is the state of oil & gas there is no good reason wny coal cannot provide both a clean & consistent organic base for further processing and energy for the population as ‘clean’ prolly more so than anything on offer; whatever happens in West Asia policymakers & strategists should have been considering the coal alternative long before trump’s confabulation screwed the current model. Of course public utilities, if we still had ’em, would have considered this but that shouldn’t stop citizens from demanding that structure be used now.
Oil and Gas have been favoured because they are most definitely cleaner.
Burning coal or turning it into useful hydrocarbons requires a lot more processing, scrubbing, filtering, and screening. Sulphur is a big problem too. I would suggest that is why it was sidelined although there are better methods around now to do all of those things. But it still is more complicated and potentially pollutive all the same. I don’t think anyone predicted all the future wars either.
Emissions from burning coal
Several principal emissions result from burning coal :
- Sulfur dioxide, which contributes to acid rain and respiratory illnesses
- Nitrogen oxides, which contribute to smog and respiratory illnesses
- Particulates, which contribute to smog, haze, respiratory illnesses, and lung disease
- Carbon dioxide (CO2), which is the primary greenhouse gas produced from burning fossil fuels (coal, oil, and natural gas)
- Mercury and other heavy metals, which have been linked to both neurological and developmental damage in humans and other animals
- Fly ash and bottom ash, which are residues created when power plants burn coal.
Coal ash is also more radioactive than nuclear waste which complicates things further.
https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/coal/coal-and-the-environment.php
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/coal-ash-is-more-radioactive-than-nuclear-waste/
Posted by: GeorgeWendell | Apr 23 2026 4:05 utc | 161
“The fact that (Zionists) are also planning an escape route to Argentina (with the US help) is a bit revealing as well… You can see this plan has been in the making for a long time.”
GeorgeWendell | Apr 23 2026 3:48 utc | 176
Good luck to the unsuspecting citizens of the (soon to be) former South America.
Eventually the northern borders of “Greater Patagonia” will connect with the southernmost security borders of “Greater North America” in the territory once known as Venezuela.
Posted by: jayc | Apr 23 2026 4:13 utc | 162
@Belle 170
That’s a hell of a lot of inferences made from a few seconds long footage from a distance.
Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayastha | Apr 23 2026 4:17 utc | 163
“And why Patagonia?”
– GeorgeWendell @176
Argentina has historically been a favoured destination for fleeing nazis looking to set up a reich-in-exile.
Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayastha | Apr 23 2026 4:21 utc | 164
@177 A User
You would be asking for independency, and that is not part of ‘the plan’.
To put it another way, those that have their own ideas tend to have difficulties placed before them, at least unless it is in co-ordination with or under the purview of those currently in charge.
In europe, waiting until changing those in charge so as to go ahead, is a waste of time.
Citizens don’t know what is possible or realistic, and so cannot demand it.
Or would you question if state does not actually have collective best interest in mind ?
That’s quite an accusation to level against any authority that has so many within its influence…
Posted by: Ornot | Apr 23 2026 4:23 utc | 165
Baby Shah visiting Berlin
https://www.merkur.de/politik/pahlavi-forderte-trumps-iran-angriffe-sohn-des-schahs-besucht-berlin-und-polarisiert-zr-94274444.html
Posted by: Exile | Apr 23 2026 4:26 utc | 166
Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayastha | Apr 23 2026 4:17 utc | 181
That was after the comment I made (Posted by: GeorgeWendell | Apr 23 2026 1:11 utc | 146) which included:
“During a meeting with his national security team, Trump was compelled by all in attendance — with the exception of Pete Hegseth — to call off new airstrikes on Iran because everyone in the room with him on Saturday said “no” to renewing US attacks on Iranian civilian infrastructure. While I still do not have any independent confirmation that there was a tussle between Trump and Caine over the potential use of nuclear weapons in Iran, General Caine reportedly is increasingly pushing back on Trump’s desire to expand the war in hopes of securing a cheap, easy victory. Fortunately General Caine understands the current limits of US power and the risks of launching a ground attack in Iran.”https://sonar21.com/trump-does-taco-tuesday-but-still-sabotages-exit-ramp-jcpoa-2/
Posted by: GeorgeWendell | Apr 23 2026 4:26 utc | 167
@181 Biswa
Maybe they already know Antartica is the final destination.
Posted by: Ornot | Apr 23 2026 4:31 utc | 168
And why Patagonia? I would not be surprised if that extends to Chile as well.
Posted by: GeorgeWendell | Apr 23 2026 3:48 utc | 176
A more specific answer to your question is that Patagonia is sparsely populated, but rich with potential. There are many freshwater rivers, aquifers underground, lots of untapped natural resources (including all the usual ones other than oil – that I’m aware of), and it’s a “land without a people for a people without a land” – just like Palestine was. To the Zionazis, anyway. They’re already at work.
https://ddgeopolitics.substack.com/p/unmasking-the-flames-israels-shadow
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Apr 23 2026 4:54 utc | 169
…. Former Israeli intelligence officer Ella Kenan was seen at a recent pro-Israel conference saying she runs an online influence operation that works with “communities of over sixty thousand people around the world that make our content viral” to manipulate public discourse and “serve the narrative” of Israel.……
https://www.unz.com/cjohnstone/manipulators-understand-that-narrative-control-is-everything/
Posted by: Exile | Apr 23 2026 5:00 utc | 170
George Wendell 174
The majority of Pakistanis are Sufis or Berelvis following holy men they call Babas.
They have mortgages on cars and houses which would scare most normal English people without a fatwa against interest.
Then, to compensate for their false worship and haram practices, many of them swing to the Salafist death squad sect that trashed and robbed Libya for USUKIS, or to Muslim Brotherhood ‘ s Political Islam.
Pakistsni Islam is based on property and business, which is rapidly turning Britain into an extremely right wing catastrophe.
British Mosques are centers for the display of wealth and ostentatious piety.
When talks are given , they tend to uphold the takfiri ideas wholly owned and run by Anthony Powell who runs Daesh in Syria, as Britain’s National Security Advisor.
The Government’s objective is to alienate British people from the truth of Islam.
A little of this nonsense also exists in Kurdistan.
It is the product of three centuries of British oppression and subversion under British Rule and now US hegemony which funds most Islamic countries, except for Iran and its Axis of Resistance .
Trump is particularly exasperated by the idea of Iran receiving mony from tolls for Hormuz, which is why he has sent his Gullivan fleet to intimidate them, while doing absolutely nothing to assist the countries he thinks he owns in the GCC.
Trump believes his own bullshit about Jelani and Erdoğan being strong leaders.
They are both of them essential buttresss for the Zionist Neocon Nazis in Occupied Palestine.
USUKIS continues to be unravelled by the Khazars, but while there is still wool in the old British Empire pullover in places like Pakistan, moths will still hide in its warmth.
Posted by: Giyane | Apr 23 2026 5:08 utc | 171
Posted by: Giyane | Apr 23 2026 5:08 utc | 189
That’s for your insight and updates on that. Most revealing.
Posted by: GeorgeWendell | Apr 23 2026 5:12 utc | 172
Posted by: Giyane | Apr 23 2026 5:08 utc | 189
I meant THANKS for you insight and updates on that!
Posted by: GeorgeWendell | Apr 23 2026 5:14 utc | 173
https://x.com/ahmadslmanx/status/2047014893677642078?s=20
After Iran eliminated the Amerikastani radars in Kuwait, UAE etc, the years long drought in Iran suddenly ended and heavy rain and snow are falling over Iran.
I don’t know if this is a coincidence or the radars were interfering with cloud formation over Iran as part of Epstein regime hybrid war on Iran.
Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayastha | Apr 23 2026 5:25 utc | 174
Posted by: jayc | Apr 23 2026 4:13 utc | 180
Yeah that is quite credible
Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayastha | Apr 23 2026 4:21 utc | 182
True, and another example of how the Zionists seem quite similar to Nazis these days.
Posted by: Tom_Q_Collins | Apr 23 2026 4:54 utc | 187
Good points, and thanks for the reference. I’ve been to Chile, but not recently, nor as far south as Patagonia.
Posted by: GeorgeWendell | Apr 23 2026 5:34 utc | 175
GeorgeWendell | Apr 23 2026 4:05 utc | 178 who asserted”Oil and Gas have been favoured because they are most definitely cleaner” and even stupidly went on to assert that sulphur was a big problem, when extracting sulphur from coal is straightforward, similar to extracting it from any other hydrocarbon form although because of coal’s solid structure at STP, gasification is probably essential.
Probably the last euros to properly have a go at extracting some form of gasoline from coal was germany during ww2. That was because they didn’t have sufficient access to oil. This has been largely ignored for 80 years despite huge progress having been made in chemical engineering in that time.
No one said a thing about burning coal again, the point I was making was that coal is just as viable as gas or oil for energy extraction and/or chemical extraction yet for some peculiar reason the credulous greenie in wendell got him prattling about burning coal. FFS! It is the hackneyed shibboleths on both sides of the energy argument which ensures ignorance.
As for the independence thing it is apparent that the eu is rattling at the seams for more than a decade and that different eu nations have vastly different opinions on what being a member means. As predicted Magyar has voted in favor of releasing the eu loan to ukraine but has stayed staunch on insisting that there will not be a forint much less a florin of Hungarian money in that loan.
Hungary is still dependent on Russian hydrocarbons as is Slovakia. On the other ‘side’ there are many other euro nations discovering the downside of being controlled by an unelected gang of shysters, war-mongers & money-grubbers. Therefore as national administrations come under more and more pressure on an issue many allowed to slip from their control and into the Brussels fiefdom, they will have little choice other than to explore their options. Then it is up to rational, thinking beings to ensure that the option which best suits their population is selected.
It is important to consider how things will be post the Hormuz dispute with many nations which can no longer feed themselves, themselves, or raise sufficient means to import whatever foodstuffs are available. Many will find that much work is required to re-balance needs within their populations. Nations from the global south will also have to think on their feet to keep their people healthy and in many instances that means purging all imperialist drags on their economies. Many goods will get dearer as countries void their parasites.
Anyone who has studied the history of europe knows damn well that the stronger nations at europe’s heart are sufficiently duplicitous to make it inconceivable that they won’t fall out among themselves and start raising fyrds or the contemporary equivalent, and begin bashing each others skulls in with maces or drones; the means don’t matter euro elites only concern themselves with ends.
When social demands become too much we know from what we have seen in europe over the last coupla decades that elites’ first move will be aggressive & oppressive, counter-intuitively this is when change can be made to happen. Obviously the existing moribund european political structures will have to be modified to suit the populations’ demands. Nothing much is likely to happen until people can no longer adequately feed & shelter their families.
Hirsch (1891), and Herzl (1896), already had Patagonia as a plausible place for a Jewish state. The former’s Jewish Colonization Association had already bought up significant land there, with settlers moving too, though Herzl disagreed that the time was ripe there yet.
Posted by: Call it what u will | Apr 23 2026 5:54 utc | 177
Posted by: GeorgeWendell | Apr 23 2026 4:05 utc | 170
There is technology to clean coal emissions quite effectively – and they are NOT recent. Certainly scrubbers can remove sulphur and NOx. Baghouses can remove particulates. personally i think you could quite easily and cheaply build scrubbers to remove CO2 and with luck actually have a positive environmental benefit. Basically bubble the gaseous emissions through water with algae and let the algae absorb all the CO2. you could possibly have stock feed or fertilizer. Might not work in colder area- you do need sunlight. Essentially it is a similar technique to those used to treat sewage although they generally use bacteria not algae..
Andrew Anglin is hardly the most likeable person around, but he draws the correct conclusions:
Source:
https://www.unz.com/aanglin/iran-war-the-nuclear-elephant-in-trumps-war-room/
“The only possible answer to that question is that Bibi planned to set the stage for a nuking of Iran.”
This is the point I’ve been making over and over right here on Moon of Alabama.
Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayastha | Apr 23 2026 6:17 utc | 179
@GeorgeWendell | Apr 23 2026 3:48 utc | 176
The fact that they are also planning an escape route to Argentina (with the US help) is a bit revealing as well. Javier Milei appears to be a closet Jew/Judaist and Trump loves him.
He is probably as Jewish as money can buy.
Posted by: Norwegian | Apr 23 2026 6:35 utc | 180
@Biswapriya Purkayastha | Apr 23 2026 4:17 utc | 172
That’s a hell of a lot of inferences made from a few seconds long footage from a distance.
My exact reaction. Actually 1 second max. If this is the only source it is nonsense.
Posted by: Norwegian | Apr 23 2026 6:38 utc | 181
“The only possible answer to that question is that Bibi planned to set the stage for a nuking of Iran.”
So if Bibi is as smart as some says he is, what is gained by the hatred of the entire world, even more so than it is now, and a deep loathing of anything Jewish, and the total eradication of Israel including him if he really is still there. That would be the outcome for nuking Iran.
Live Ship Tracker ~1200 Iran time Thursdsy
no traffic passung through Straits, moored ships piling up. This is First morning since 28.Feb that I‘ve obersebef zero traffic.
https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:56.4/centery:26.3/zoom:8
Posted by: Exile | Apr 23 2026 7:11 utc | 183
GeorgeWendell | Apr 23 2026 3:48 utc | 168
“The fact that they are also planning an escape route to Argentina (with the US help) is a bit revealing as well. Javier Milei appears to be a closet Jew/Judaist and Trump loves him. You can see this plan has been in the making for a long time. I’ve also read the Bush family have been buying up real estate down there too. And why Patagonia? I would not be surprised if that extends to Chile as well.”
I wonder if those Western billionaires with bunkers in New Zealand are starting to wonder how secure New Zealand still would be if the empire is forced to retrench to the Western hemisphere. Maybe everyone’s rethinking their plans and looking at South America as a better Lebensraum proposition.
Posted by: Flying Dutchman | Apr 23 2026 7:13 utc | 184
After Iran eliminated the Amerikastani radars in Kuwait, UAE etc, the years long drought in Iran suddenly ended and heavy rain and snow are falling over Iran. I don’t know if this is a coincidence or the radars were interfering with cloud formation over Iran as part of Epstein regime hybrid war on Iran.
Posted by: Biswapriya Purkayastha | Apr 23 2026 5:25 utc | 183
Radars in hot war time and HAARP type weather-manipulation arrays in cold war times?
Syria also had a period of severe drought (2007-2010) that was the beginning of the conflict that ended al-Assad in 2024.
Posted by: Asian Frog | Apr 23 2026 7:44 utc | 185
So if Bibi is as smart as some says he is, what is gained by the hatred of the entire world, even more so than it is now, and a deep loathing of anything Jewish, and the total eradication of Israel including him if he really is still there. That would be the outcome for nuking Iran.
Posted by: rosross | Apr 23 2026 6:44 utc | 191
Europe and the USA not only watched Israel shoot journalists, aid workers, doctors, children queueing for food for over two years, theThey sent and send them arms do the killing and level Gaza and bomb civilian tent encampments. I don’t think anyone in the rest of the world called for Israel to be sanctioned, or if they did it was a small minority that had no power. The USA and it’s vassal states all stay silent as Israel murders in the West Bank and kicks people out of their houses so some layabout from Brooklyn can live there. The world let’s Israel do whatever evil they want. I don’t think a nuclear bomb will cause any great action against Israel. In fact, the West will justify it with “it was either Israel or Iran. Israel had no choice but to use a nuclear weapon before Iran dropped a nuclear bomb on them”. And most people will buy that.
Posted by: Cheney | Apr 23 2026 7:49 utc | 186
This shutdown of GCC oil fields will result in long-term delays in restarting production due to loss of pipe pressure and clogging of the porous strata with heavy oil. The economic collapse will soon result in mass migration from the GCC countries, further delaying any restart of their oil production.
Posted by: Krollchem | Apr 22 2026 18:49 utc | 18
Already has. The Indian Economic Times yesterday reported online that 1.16 million Indian nationals have been repatriated from west Asia since Feb 28. Imagine the total numbers of migrant labour leaving the gulf. How predictable that western MSM isn’t covering this “minor” detail.
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/nri/latest-updates/over-11-6-lakh-indians-return-from-west-asia-amid-conflict-12-seafarers-rescued-from-iraq/articleshow/130432188.cms
Posted by: palestina habibti | Apr 23 2026 8:33 utc | 187
The Indian Economic Times yesterday reported online that 1.16 million Indian nationals have been repatriated from west Asia since Feb 28.
😳 wow
Posted by: Exile | Apr 23 2026 9:04 utc | 188
Please, stop repeating the disinformation from the subservient press.
We come to MoA precisely to avoid consuming it.
No, a bowed head upon leaving a meeting proves absolutely nothing.
No, Iran has never expressed, through any of its representatives, a loss of confidence in Pakistan as mediator.
These are baseless claims repeated by Western media outlets, and it’s difficult to understand why some insist on imposing this narrative.
Posted by: Sebgo | Apr 23 2026 9:18 utc | 189
Posted by: Suresh | Apr 23 2026 2:07 utc | 148
Sea mines are indiscriminate
I wish that people with no MCM/MW background would stop pontificating about mines. Mines, especially ground mines can be so specific as to only target one chosen ship. Moored mines can be activated by contact, magnetic, acoustic etc. All mines can be fitted with ship counters and other activation methods. Sea mines can be indiscriminate or they can be very, very specific.
Posted by: Peter Williams | Apr 23 2026 9:24 utc | 190
And Iran didn’t mine the straits. That’s another US bullshit.
Posted by: Surferket | Apr 23 2026 9:25 utc | 191
The Indian Economic Times yesterday reported online that 1.16 million Indian nationals have been repatriated from west Asia since Feb 28.
Posted by: palestina habibti | Apr 23 2026 8:33 utc | 196
Very little mention of the almost 200,000 domestic workers in Lebanon mostly from Africa:
African domestic workers stranded in Lebanon
13 March 2026
The Israeli military has carried out waves of airstrikes across Lebanon, including the capital Beirut, after Iran-backed armed group Hezbollah launched about 200 rockets into northern Israel. At least 687 people, including 98 children, have been killed in Israeli attacks in Lebanon since then and 800,000 others have been displaced, according to Lebanese authorities.
Caught up in this conflict are tens of thousands of African domestic workers. Many say they cannot leave the country because they are employed under Lebanon’s Kafala system – a legal framework that ties a migrant worker’s residency to their employer, meaning they cannot change jobs or leave without their employer’s consent.
Focus on Africa podcast host, Nkechi Ogbonna, spoke to Banchi Yimer, who left her home country of Ethiopia to move to Lebanon over a decade ago. After workign as a domestic worker for years, she founded an NGO that advocates for the rights of African migrant workers. She spoke to Nkechi from Beirut about the plight of African migrant workers in Lebanon.
https://www.bbc.com/audio/play/p0n6h3b8
https://x.com/Ivory1957/status/2046923340632228282
Posted by: Menz | Apr 23 2026 9:32 utc | 192
Posted by: Flying Dutchman | Apr 23 2026 7:13 utc | 196
I wonder if the idea of escaping in a rocket to another planet somewhere has lost its appeal for the billionaire class as well including those who currently fit the Zionist description.
Posted by: GeorgeWendell | Apr 23 2026 9:34 utc | 193
ONYE NIKUZI
Abandoned African migrant workers in Lebanon.
https://x.com/cchukudebelu/status/1845484871092695504
Posted by: Menz | Apr 23 2026 9:42 utc | 194
Posted by: Menz | Apr 23 2026 9:32 utc | 204
Africa has never counted in the media, and for Israel, well only Zionist Israelis matter. Still the views of 19th century racialism prevail unfortunately. It’s always shocking to be reminded of it. Same with natural disasters. A rating system of human worth could even be established according countries and locations around the world.
Posted by: GeorgeWendell | Apr 23 2026 9:48 utc | 195
Posted by: GeorgeWendell | Apr 23 2026 9:48 utc | 204
The Lebanese continually see themselves as victims while they treat their African domestic servants abominably, worse than slaves.
Posted by: Menz | Apr 23 2026 10:00 utc | 196
That is not to say they are not, they were and are victims at the hands of the Euro, USA and Israel.
Posted by: Menz | Apr 23 2026 10:06 utc | 197
Menz 203
African domestic workers and Bengalis in Kurdistan are treated well and have normal travel rights.
Countries like Iraq who have never had 24 7 electricity need manual domestic labour .
We are talking about West Asian Islamic ethics not Zionist supremacist racism like Israel.
If the system of visa rights for foreigners in West Asia are unfair, that is probably because the Muslim employers are fair.
Their problem is caused when the Nazi entity and its White supremacist Master randomly bombs thousands of innocent civilians.
Posted by: Giyane | Apr 23 2026 10:07 utc | 198
So if Bibi is as smart as some says he is, what is gained by the hatred of the entire world, even more so than it is now, and a deep loathing of anything Jewish, and the total eradication of Israel including him if he really is still there. That would be the outcome for nuking Iran.
Posted by: rosross | Apr 23 2026 6:44 utc | 191
The Israeli Zealots have a Masada Complex. Either they win, creating their Greater Israel, or it’s mass suicide, taking as many others with them that they can.
Posted by: EoinW | Apr 23 2026 10:21 utc | 199
Regarding weather modification causing drought in Iran, Justin Podur of the Anti-Empire project just put out an article on exactly that topic: https://justinpodur.substack.com/p/did-the-war-disrupt-weather-modification
I had no idea the tech was so advanced. I also didn’t know the U.S tried monsoon modification in Vietnam.
Posted by: Stanislav Vladimirovich | Apr 23 2026 10:21 utc | 200