News & views related to the war on Iran …
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June 21, 2026
Iran Open Thread 2026-132
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— 🇺🇸/🇮🇷 President Trump directly threatens Iran’s delegation:
‘If you close the Strait of Hormuz, you won’t have a country.
You won’t even make it back to your fucking country.’
@Middle_East_Spectator
Actually, I hope the US wipes out the current batch of Iranian ‘negotiators’.
If these idiots didn’t learn the first and second time maybe third time’s a charm ….
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Jun 21 2026 15:15 utc | 1
Something I hadn’t understood – warfare is banned during Muharram. 😮
(Though I expect terms and conditions apply).
Muharram
Very accommodating of the US to indulge negotiations at just this time…
Ends July 16…
Posted by: ChatNPC | Jun 21 2026 15:31 utc | 3
Ehsan Safarnejad discussing the internal Iranian dissent over the MOU:
MOUharram in Iran-Critical Dissent, Spiritual Solidarity w/Ehsan Safarnejad
Posted by: ChatNPC | Jun 21 2026 15:37 utc | 4
«
🇮🇷❌🇺🇸 IRANIAN DELEGATION REFUSED JOINT PHOTO
Iran’s delegation refused to participate in a joint photo ceremony with the American delegation at the Geneva negotiations, according to a source close to the Iranian negotiating team.
The U.S. delegation and session organizers had planned a handshake and photo opportunity between the Iranian and American delegations at the opening of the multilateral session. The head of Iran’s delegation and the negotiating team rejected the proposal and declined to attend. »
🔴 @DDGeopolitics
Posted by: Leuk | Jun 21 2026 15:39 utc | 5
Shoshana Strock, daughter of Minister Orit Strock,
February 28:
“I grew up in the Jewish settlement of Hebron. Starting from age 2.5, my parents took to my to pedophile rituals, in which I’ve been programmed, trained using drugs, hypnosis, sexual abuse…
When I was 13 my father started pimping me out in Tel Aviv, made money off my back. The abuse continued until a much older age… What happened now is that even though I’ve already published it and told my story (national news in April 2025), my father keeps hurting me.
He came to my apartment (two weeks ago) and abused me again. He brought another person with him, who he is training to be my next handler after my father dies… Since the last assault I left my apartment and I have no home.”
https://xcancel.com/ireallyhateyou/status/2029802147848544290
Posted by: Exile | Jun 21 2026 15:43 utc | 6
Ukraine and World Affairs (includes Iran and ME): Weekly Update, 19th June 2026: May be Useful to Some: (2) Ukraine and World Affairs (including Iran/ME): Weekly Update
Posted by: The Busker | Jun 21 2026 15:50 utc | 7
https://x.com/ejmalrai/status/2068673046580199649
Elijah J. Magnier 🇪🇺 @ejmalrai
From the perspective of many observers in the Gulf, Washington’s recent policy has produced a striking contradiction. After securing commitments worth more than three trillion dollars from Gulf partners, opened the road of the Mossad into the Emirates, secured Bahrein and the UAE in the Abraham Accords, the United States has effectively accepted Iran as an indispensable regional power and principal interlocutor in shaping the future security architecture of the Middle East.
In return, the United States repeatedly claimed that it and its regional partners stood together against Iranian influence to justify Iran’s bombing of the Gulf countries, yet Washington entered a confrontation with Iran without fully consulting Gulf capitals and without providing them with credible guarantees against retaliation. It then moved rapidly towards an accommodation with Tehran, negotiating a framework agreement that many Gulf leaders believe insufficiently addresses their security concerns.
The message is stark: Washington is now prepared to tolerate an Iranian nuclear programme, accept Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities as part of the regional balance of power, and implicitly acknowledge Tehran’s network of regional allies as a permanent feature of the Middle Eastern landscape.
Whether one agrees with this assessment or not, the perception across parts of the Gulf is that the United States has shifted from a strategy of containing Iran to one of managing coexistence with it, leaving its traditional Arab partners to adapt to a regional order they neither designed nor fully endorsed.
Posted by: michaelj72 | Jun 21 2026 15:50 utc | 8
Very accommodating of the US to indulge negotiations at just this time… Ends July 16…
Posted by: ChatNPC | Jun 21 2026 15:31 utc | 3
—————————————————————————
Sharp, very sharp. Thank you, ChatNPC!
Posted by: Acco Hengst | Jun 21 2026 15:53 utc | 9
Whether one agrees with this assessment or not, the perception across parts of the Gulf is that the United States has shifted from a strategy of containing Iran to one of managing coexistence with it, leaving its traditional Arab partners to adapt to a regional order they neither designed nor fully endorsed.
Posted by: michaelj72 | Jun 21 2026 15:50 utc | 8
—————————————————————————
Trust, but verify?
I am not sure either the US or Israel is trustworthy. Time has told in the past. Maybe the future will be different, one never knows and one also can keep hoping.
Posted by: Acco Hengst | Jun 21 2026 16:00 utc | 10
you are part of a rare species.
Posted by: Leuk | Jun 21 2026 15:21 utc | 2
I take the record of murdered Iranian negotiators seriously.
You can head on back to lala land now.
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Jun 21 2026 16:05 utc | 11
https://t.me/me_observer_TG/1014162
Middle East Observer
⚡️ Enemy Alert – Criminal Netanyahu:
– Last year, we launched two major military operations, “Operation Calf” and “Lion’s Roar,” to avert the immediate threat of annihilation from the evil regime in Iran.
– I pledge that the State of Israel will not be a fleeting event in the history of our people; we are steadfast in our vital interests.
– We have achieved great accomplishments and will not abandon them.
– We will remain in the security zone in southern Lebanon as long as necessary to protect the residents of the north.
– As Prime Minister of Israel, I affirm that this is our position and nothing will change it.
————————–
https://x.com/HormuzLetter/status/2068418842809016616
The Hormuz Letter @HormuzLetter
BREAKING: Iran says the Strait of Hormuz will now remain fully closed even if the US fulfills all remaining MOU commitments, including the $300 billion reconstruction fund, frozen funds release, naval blockade removal and oil sanctions waivers, unless Israel fully and permanently withdraws from southern Lebanon and permanently stops all attacks in any form, per Tasnim.
Iran’s FM Araghchi and Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf have stated that the first clause requires Israel’s full withdrawal from Lebanese territory, with Iran emphasizing that opening Hormuz in exchange for merely lifting the naval blockade would be a “strategic mistake.”
This comes as Netanyahu has said Israel will remain in the Lebanese security zone “for as long as necessary,” and won’t withdraw, with Iran warning any further negligence will have “severe damaging consequences.”
Posted by: michaelj72 | Jun 21 2026 16:18 utc | 12
I now begin to think that anglosaxon grassroots have never known about the protection racket I have been communicating about. I now add that I am guessing that there must exist a written document whith an agreement between the anglosaxon imperialists and the most important Jewish partners in that agreement.
I realise that there must already exist other deals but the deal I am thinking about is according to my guess an economically binding deal. It would not be sensational to me if something like Greater Israel would be in that deal.
But conquering territory may sometimes not evolve as planned. So before that part of the deal has resulted there must be alternative economic binding promises. This agreement would be tied to the continued lojalty of the other participants in the deal. Lojalty to the anglosaxon empire and its vassals.
That is quite a guess and it could be wrong. But it would explain why the whole west acts like they do. It is for the financiers to be biased in the favour of the US and Europe. Not fulfilling the contract would be associated with unwanted consequences for the west.
This doesnt settle what all western bankers are tied to since not all may be at all interested in Israel. But it is an effort to make sense of what we observe to see that it isnt about the wims of Netanyahu but about cold hard contractual facts with economic consequences and binding too!
Posted by: petergrfstrm | Jun 21 2026 16:27 utc | 13
You can head on back to lala land now
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Jun 21 2026 16:05 utc | 11
… said the guy from Cloud cuckoo land.
Posted by: Leuk | Jun 21 2026 16:30 utc | 14
“unless Israel fully and permanently withdraws from southern Lebanon and permanently stops all attacks in any form, per Tasnim.
Posted by: michaelj72 | Jun 21 2026 16:18 utc | 12
This should have been Iran’s primary demand from the beginning as it would put both, the US and Israel, in a very precarious position. Not to mention, most of the world would support such a simple premise, Israel leaves Lebanon, Iran opens the strait.
Posted by: Vacuous Cipher | Jun 21 2026 16:41 utc | 16
Posted by: Acco Hengst | Jun 21 2026 15:53 utc | 9
I was kind of hoping Sakineh Baghoom might chip in with an informative explanation of whether this is really significant or not.
Posted by: ChatNPC | Jun 21 2026 16:43 utc | 17
Iranian Parliament Speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf in response to Trump’s latest threats:
“Don’t they realize that if their threats had been effective, they would not have reached their current state of desperation? We do not take American threats seriously. They would be wise to watch their words. Our armed forces are prepared to respond in a different manner. They can say whatever they want; we are the ones who act.”
Posted by: Leuk | Jun 21 2026 16:54 utc | 18
Looks like another attempt by Trump to manufacture a Monday morning whiplash in the oil markets.
Posted by: Homer | Jun 21 2026 16:59 utc | 19
Does not bode well for progress in the Peace Pause Negotiations currently taking place in Switzerland.
Trump has to navigate the US crazies not just Netanyahu. Netanyahu himself has his own crazies to deal with.
This is from 2024.
Written by an Israeli.
Rewert Hoffer, Tel Aviv 12.08.2024,https://www.nzz.ch/english/israels-right-wing-extremists-fuel-tensions-in-the-midst-of-war-ld.1843053
The West Bank plays a special role in the ideology of the religious Zionist movement, but they are also stoking the fire in Lebanon. Ben-Gvir and Smotrich have long been calling for a preemptive strike against Hezbollah. Only recently, Finance Minister Smotrich said that Israel should once again occupy southern Lebanon, as it did after the 1982 war.«The religious Zionists want a big war, a kind of Armageddon, which for them means a historically unique opportunity: to expel the Palestinians from the West Bank and the Gaza Strip and occupy the entire country,» says Eran Etzion, a former high-ranking official in the Israeli Foreign Ministry and a former member of the National Security Council.«As crazy as it sounds, from the perspective of the religious Zionists, these are wonderful times in Israel,» says Etzion. There should be no illusions about the ideology of politicians like Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, he says. «They are as extreme as their Arab counterparts in the Islamic Jihad or the Islamic State.»This not only has an impact on the war in Gaza and the conflict with the Palestinians, but also on a possible reconciliation with the Arab Gulf states, which began with the so-called Abraham Accords. «Even states that would theoretically want to enter into normal relations with Israel cannot do so because this government is constantly spitting in their faces with its actions and words,» Scheindlin says.
Posted by: Otto Penn | Jun 21 2026 17:02 utc | 20
BREAKING! A source close to the negotiating team tells Tasnim that Iran’s delegation has left the negotiation venue in protest of Trump’s threats.
🔴 @DDGeopolitics
Iranian delegation walks out of Switzerland talks in protest over Trump’s threats, a source close to the negotiating team tells Tasnim.
🚩 ResistanceTrench
Ghorbanzadeh, member of the negotiation team: The issue of Lebanon is emphasized more than anything else in the talks; if the war in Lebanon does not end, the negotiations will not continue.
🚩 ResistanceTrench
Posted by: Leuk | Jun 21 2026 17:11 utc | 21
… said the guy from Cloud cuckoo land.
Posted by: Leuk | Jun 21 2026 16:30 utc | 14
Come on, you can do better than that.
You’re not in kindergarten anymore. I think …
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Jun 21 2026 17:28 utc | 22
Until we see the direct participation of the US state department in these ‘negotiations’ they cannot be considered serious or in good faith. Iran should send a couple of Tehran real-estate brokers instead of their official government officials in order to maintain a more balanced and coequal ranking between the opposing delegations.
Posted by: Homer | Jun 21 2026 17:32 utc | 23
Actually, I hope the US wipes out the current batch of Iranian ‘negotiators’.
If these idiots didn’t learn the first and second time maybe third time’s a charm ….
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Jun 21 2026 15:15 utc | 1
I hear they’ve broken off contact with the American “negotiators”. Now they should return home, assuming they can do so safely, and never return.
Posted by: malenkov | Jun 21 2026 17:34 utc | 24
Until we see the direct participation of the US state department in these ‘negotiations’ they cannot be considered serious or in good faith.
Posted by: Homer | Jun 21 2026 17:32 utc | 23
This would be the right thing to do if one were following form and tradition, but the US foreign ministry has been so thoroughly degraded that it would hardly be worth the trouble to include it.
Posted by: malenkov | Jun 21 2026 17:37 utc | 25
@23
True if the Iranians had anything to talk about.
Iran came yesterday to get Lebanon evacuated of IDF terror. Until then there is no need for expert negotiators.
Posted by: paddy | Jun 21 2026 17:39 utc | 26
Quds also reports an hour ago
Breaking | Tasnim citing source close to Iranian negotiation team: The Iranian delegation left the negotiations location in Burgenstock in protest of Trump’s latest threats
Posted by: psychohistorian | Jun 21 2026 17:47 utc | 27
So the Little Satan got a seat at the table in Swissa with his agents: Witkoff & Kushner. Nothing new without us.
Posted by: Jake | Jun 21 2026 18:11 utc | 28
NEW: 92% of Israelis believe Iran won the war.
A new poll of 3,644 respondents by Hebrew University
of Jerusalem and the Agam Institute finds 92.1% of Israelis believe Iran emerged victorious or gained more from the conflict.
➡️ 82.9% believe Israel’s long-term security has been weakened as a result.
➡️ Among Netanyahu’s own right-wing voter base, 93.1% say Iran came out on top.
➡️ 63.2% oppose the US-Iran agreement, with only 12.1% in support.
Posted by: Leuk | Jun 21 2026 18:17 utc | 29
michaelj72 | Jun 21 2026 16:18 utc | 12—
I’d call expanding settlements in the West Bank “an attack in any form” as well as the bombing of Gaza. Yet such specifics aren’t present in Iranian speech, which IMO is a huge problem. The MOU states fighting must cease on “all fronts.” IMO, keeping Hormuz “closed” is a stance Mojtaba wanted to keep maximum pressure on during talks. Also, the supposed rift within the Iranian government IMO is false. If Trump hopes to see any progress, he needs to keep his mouth shut and his pen silent as his bombast just killed the talks.
Iran’s next move:
If/When Israel violates again; Iran immediately closes hormuz and conducts massive strikes on Israel. Then, asks US if they want to continue negotiating and reopen the straight. US will likely say yes because… economy.
This in effect detaches any strikes in retaliation for Israeli violations from the MOU. If US gets involved by intercepting missiles and drones, then hormuz is closed again and the entire MOU collapses and US edges closer to the oil cliff with each passing day. Getting more desperate and the indexes nosedive.
Posted by: Unsafe Data | Jun 21 2026 18:36 utc | 31
Stephen Gowans analyzes the ambiguities of the 14-point MOU
https://gowans.blog/2026/06/18/the-meaning-of-the-us-iran-mou/
Bhadrakumar reflects on the opening for China, working with Iran, to assume greater influence in the region.
https://www.indianpunchline.com/china-wades-into-the-geopolitics-of-iran/
Posted by: jayc | Jun 21 2026 18:37 utc | 32
Iranian Delegation Leaves Talks With US After Trump’s Threats https://sputnikglobe.com/20260621/iranian-delegation-leaves-talks-with-us-after-trumps-threats-1124339878.html
Posted by: smartfox | Jun 21 2026 18:32 utc | 312
Posted by: smartfox | Jun 21 2026 18:40 utc | 33
The Iranian delegation hasn’t left the venue in Switzerland, and the talks between them and the U.S. are continuing, according to Axios, citing a diplomat.
Senior Israeli officials told Channel 12 that no American request for a withdrawal from southern Lebanon has been received so far, stressing that Israel’s position remains unchanged.
➡️ At the same time, Israeli officials are considering “small withdrawals” from parts of southern Lebanon, including areas within the buffer zone. One option under discussion is a withdrawal from Beaufort Castle.
BREAKING: President Trump has instructed Prime Minister Netanyahu to order a partial Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon, according to the Israeli Army Radio.
Posted by: Leuk | Jun 21 2026 18:40 utc | 34
Exile 6
Wikipedia
‘Orit Cohen (later Strook) was born to a family of lawyers from Hungary”
Hungary, which refuses to accept Muslim asylum seekers, and has a large number of Chabad insane, genocidal rabbis, supports the Israeli genocide of Palestinians against South Africa at the UN.
The Greek Orthodox Church is heavily aligned with the US , and worships the prophet Jesus, alaihi salam, in the same, pre-feudal way as the Roman Catholic Church.
Posted by: Giyane | Jun 21 2026 18:45 utc | 35
as his bombast just killed the talks.
Posted by: karlof1 | Jun 21 2026 18:21 utc | 30
Trump is threatening to bomb again, so everything beforehand was just for show. He has found another excuse now.
But this also shows that he has backed down in the internal power struggles so far. In effect, he isn’t the one calling the shots.
Posted by: smartfox | Jun 21 2026 18:50 utc | 36
Larry Johnson’s report on US oil reserves remaining is worth reading. My calculations based on the numbers he provides is the Outlaw US Empire has roughly 13 weeks remaining in its SPR before withdrawals must cease to avoid structural failure. That makes Labor Day the approximate target date when crisis emerges. And I’m certain the Iranians know that. And the situation elsewhere in Neoliberal Land is worse. At the recent ASEAN Summit Putin attended you can bet oil shipments to those nations was one of the key topics of discussion. The situation proves the BigLie that the Empire is self-sufficient in energy supplies for if it was there’d be no impending crisis. Larry writes:
But wait, it gets worse. The US Military has blown through its jet fuel reserves. The problem is compounded becuase Diesel reserves are at 25 year low. Diesel and Jet Fuel are critical Distillates. So the Trump administration must make a choice: support the military jets with jet fuel, or support the trucking Fleet with enough diesel fuel, to provide food and products to US consumers. Trump can’t wage war and keep the economy going at the current rate because diesel and jet fuel compete with each other when comes to production. So the question is, do you want to wage war or do you wanna save the economy and keep the trucks moving on the road? This is the main reason Trump signed the MoU with Iran.
It’s not just the trucks, but the trains too. Nationally, average fuel prices have dropped about 60 cents per gallon for regular and diesel from a month ago. But in the real oil market globally, prices at the loading points still remain very high as the futures market remains a speculator’s fantasy.
IMO, keeping Hormuz closed is the correct policy until the MOU’s first point is completely satisfied “on all fronts,” and that means severely restricting the Zionists to the point where their entire genocidal project is halted–and not just for one day or a week. Yes, that will cause much pain to Trump but then he committed the crime. He cannot appease any of the Zionists or insane War Hawks who want him to continue the crime. If he fails to put America First, then America has the right to come after his scalp and those of the War Hawks and Zionists.
https://t.me/FotrosResistancee/22360#
Fotros Resistancee
🇺🇸| Iran’s Parliament Speaker, Ghalibaf, in reaction to Trump’s threats:
Do they not think to themselves that if their threats had achieved anything, they would not have reached today’s desperation? We do not take American threats seriously.
They had better be careful with their statements. Our armed forces are ready to respond to them in a different way. No matter how much they talk, we are the ones who act.
———————
https://x.com/ejmalrai/status/2068675742833995805
Elijah J. Magnier 🇪🇺 @ejmalrai
Iran is negotiating from a position of power. The fear of being attacked has passed. The priority now is to consolidate, recover and rebuild strength whenever the opportunity arises.
But Donald Trump remains fundamentally untrustworthy. Therefore, Iran will not act on promises, gestures or illusions. It will deal with reality step by step, taking what comes first, securing what can be secured, and preparing for whatever comes next.
——————————–
https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2068764367014043825
Drop Site @DropSiteNews
⭕️ NEW: Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian says Tehran will not give up its right to enrich uranium, and announced the upcoming return of $6 billion in frozen Iranian assets from Qatar.
🔹 “What the United States demands is that Iran not build an atomic bomb. This is nothing new, and we can also state in writing that we have no intention of building a bomb,” Pezeshkian added.
🔹 “However, we will not relinquish our right to enrichment, and the other side will have no choice but to accept this right.”
🔹 Pezeshkian also said the agreement is “in Iran’s favor” and announced that “with the negotiation process beginning today, our $6 billion blocked in Qatar will return,” referring to Iranian oil revenues frozen by the U.S.
“What is certain is that we will never give up our right to uranium enrichment”
Posted by: michaelj72 | Jun 21 2026 18:58 utc | 38
From the perspective of many observers in the Gulf, Washington’s recent policy has produced a striking contradiction. After securing commitments worth more than three trillion dollars from Gulf partners, opened the road of the Mossad into the Emirates, secured Bahrein and the UAE in the Abraham Accords, the United States has effectively accepted Iran as an indispensable regional power and principal interlocutor in shaping the future security architecture of the Middle East.
In return, the United States repeatedly claimed that it and its regional partners stood together against Iranian influence to justify Iran’s bombing of the Gulf countries, yet Washington entered a confrontation with Iran without fully consulting Gulf capitals and without providing them with credible guarantees against retaliation. It then moved rapidly towards an accommodation with Tehran, negotiating a framework agreement that many Gulf leaders believe insufficiently addresses their security concerns.
The message is stark: Washington is now prepared to tolerate an Iranian nuclear programme, accept Iran’s ballistic missile capabilities as part of the regional balance of power, and implicitly acknowledge Tehran’s network of regional allies as a permanent feature of the Middle Eastern landscape.
Whether one agrees with this assessment or not, the perception across parts of the Gulf is that the United States has shifted from a strategy of containing Iran to one of managing coexistence with it, leaving its traditional Arab partners to adapt to a regional order they neither designed nor fully endorsed.
Posted by: michaelj72 | Jun 21 2026 15:50 utc | 8
—
Geostrategically, Iran is like Turkey on steroids. Hugged by the Stans, with Russia, China, and India in an outer arc it is a magnificent king maker. If Iran wanted it could create instability in Saudi by drawing in the Shia population that surrounds the gulf.
Posted by: frito | Jun 21 2026 19:10 utc | 39
Mahmood OD: ‘Talks Explode’
https://www.youtube.com/@Mahmood_OD/videos
“Iran leaves the negotiations after Trump threat.”
Posted by: John Gilberts | Jun 21 2026 19:13 utc | 40
R2R: Another ‘Ceasefire’ in Lebanon?’
https://www.youtube.com/@reason2resist/streams
“On June 20, following days of Israeli aggression against Lebanon, Iran’s central military command announced that the Strait of Hormuz had been closed again.
Since then, various media outlets repeat that there has been a pause in Israel’s attacks on Lebanon, but is that true?
Rami Yahia is in Beirut and discusses with Dmitri Lascaris the reactions on the ground.”
Posted by: John Gilberts | Jun 21 2026 19:17 utc | 41
see the three satellite photos at the first link. Quit any and all the cope, the Iranians control the Strait of Hormuz
https://x.com/MenchOsint/status/2068728618226753544
MenchOsint @MenchOsint
Three Chinese-linked Oil Tankers laden with Iranian oil are heading towards the Strait of Hormuz, “ELVA, VIRGO & VIGOR”.
They will likely cross tonight as the recently announced closure doesn’t affect Chinese or Iranian ships.
——————————-
https://t.me/Middle_East_Spectator/33845#
Middle East Spectator — MES
—❗️🇮🇱/🇱🇧/ 🇮🇷 BREAKING: ‘The Iranian pressure has succeeded; Trump instructed Netanyahu to order a ‘partial’ Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon’ – Israel Army Radio
——————————–
https://x.com/MenchOsint/status/2068707879301877843
MenchOsint @MenchOsint
Trump says “We’ll hit Iran very hard again, just like we did last week”.
In retaliation to last week attacks, Iran destroyed a costly Long Range Radar in Bahrain, another one in Kuwait and other US facilities in Bahrain/Kuwait.
I doubt threatening Iran is a good strategy…
Posted by: michaelj72 | Jun 21 2026 19:23 utc | 42
DW: Nima R Alkhorshid: ‘Round 2 – Ceasefire Pressure’
https://www.youtube.com/@dialogueworks01/streams
“US & Iran meet in Switzerland – Israel’s hand forced in ceasefire blow.”
Posted by: John Gilberts | Jun 21 2026 19:30 utc | 43
Trump instructed Netanyahu to order a ‘partial’ Israeli withdrawal from southern Lebanon’
Posted by: michaelj72 | Jun 21 2026 19:23 utc | 42
It’s laughable: “partial withdrawal” is nothing but vague waffle and completely open to interpretation. It changes nothing.
Posted by: smartfox | Jun 21 2026 19:30 utc | 44
Iran does not really want a deal that is anyway near trumps deal. iran wants the ability to acheive nukes, when it so desires. iran wants to keep it’s proxies and missiles to destroy what they call little satan and drive big satan out of mideast. trump can bomb iran, but this will do little to change iran’s posture. iran senses weakness in the usa and they are correct. i dont see what the usa can do, since usa will not send in ground troops, a bombing will not acheive trumps goals.
Posted by: ahmed preshar | Jun 21 2026 19:36 utc | 45
Posted by: michaelj72 | Jun 21 2026 19:23 utc | 42
I doubt threatening Iran is a good strategy…
Does Trump have another one?
It’s because Iran agreed to negotiations in Switzerland that Trump can threaten their delegation.
This proves, if proof were needed, that leaving neighboring Pakistan was a mistake.
Logically, the Iranian delegation should leave Switzerland within the hour.
Perhaps it’s for the best; next time, they’ll choose their negotiation venues more carefully.
If negotiations even take place, of course.
If they were able to sign remotely, nothing prevents them from reaching an agreement remotely.
Posted by: Sebgo | Jun 21 2026 19:50 utc | 46
karlof1 | Jun 21 2026 18:21 utc | 30
TBH, it’s the Sunni countries, more populous and more of them who should be the ones taking care of the Sunnis in Gaza and West Bank. Maybe some of the Sunni countries(or ones with Sunni leaders at least) that some even participated in, or at least allowed attacks from their soil against Iran should be the ones you are complaining about.
Iran, Shias assist more than the Sunni of the other counties and they are quite often not on friendly terms with the Sunnis, there are Sunnis gathering up at the Syrian border to Lebanon to maybe attack. What you are really saying is why are they not doing more to save some Sunnis(and doing more than the Sunnis to help) when Sunnis are attacking them, and getting ready to attack Lebanon. Attack Lebanon, instead of Israel…
Posted by: Rhymerez | Jun 21 2026 19:50 utc | 47
Trump just threatened to bomb Iran again.
IMO this stems from the fact that zios still own his balls. So regardless what Trump would like to do (get out of the war) he can’t do that. The result is detrimental for the US and its global and economic interests.
Posted by: unimperator | Jun 21 2026 19:53 utc | 48
TBH, it’s the Sunni countries, more populous and more of them who should be the ones taking care of the Sunnis in Gaza and West Bank.
Posted by: Rhymerez | Jun 21 2026 19:50 utc | 47
Greed for money and servility towards the supposedly stronger party.
Posted by: smartfox | Jun 21 2026 19:55 utc | 49
Posted by: Rhymerez | Jun 21 2026 19:50 utc | 47
To be honest, I don’t understand our friend Karl’s insistence.
Like many here, he intends to place the pressure and responsibility for resolving the Palestinian question on Iran’s shoulders, at the very moment when that country is under immense pressure on several other fronts.
Yet it’s obvious that this issue is far too complex in terms of borders, representation, and forces on the ground to be resolved by a clear ultimatum like withdrawing from Lebanon’s borders.
Even the corrupt Lebanese authorities accuse Iran of speaking on their behalf without their approval; how would it be elsewhere?
I confess that I no longer recognize our Karl, usually so sharp and measured in his positions.
But it’s true this west Asia situation is moving the hearts often more than anything.
Posted by: Sebgo | Jun 21 2026 20:01 utc | 50
More than ever, Iran has an obligation to permanently close the Strait of Hormuz.
Posted by: pepe | Jun 21 2026 20:06 utc | 51
To be honest, I don’t understand our friend Karl’s insistence.
Posted by: Sebgo | Jun 21 2026 20:01 utc | 50
I don’t understand your criticism or what you are basing your accusation on.
Posted by: smartfox | Jun 21 2026 20:07 utc | 52
More than ever, Iran has an obligation to permanently close the Strait of Hormuz.
Posted by: pepe | Jun 21 2026 20:06 utc | 51
No, not permanently; after all, it is meant to be a source of leverage for the actual goal: getting Israel out of Lebanon.
Posted by: smartfox | Jun 21 2026 20:10 utc | 53
To expand, Palestinians are majority Sunni Muslims.
Sunni countries, contemn Hamas…https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-1st-entire-arab-league-condemns-oct-7-urges-hamas-to-disarm-at-2-state-solution-confab/Iran condemns Israel… https://www.iranintl.com/en/202508087004
The IRCG is who taught Hamas to build tunnels, and gave them weapons and training, not those that share the sect with them, Sunnis, who condemn them defending themselves.
Put the blame of ignoring on it to those it belongs, the other Sunnis, not who Sunnis attack. Iran has done way more than anyone would expect someone to do for “enemies”, and you want to put them stopping from being attacked on saving some of those who belong to a sect attacking them?
Sunnis around 1.7 billion
Shia around 300 million, but you want them to also save Sunnis, when they have already done more for them in Gaza than the rest of the world?
Posted by: Rhymerez | Jun 21 2026 20:13 utc | 54
Sunni countries, contemn Hamas https://www.timesofisrael.com/in-1st-entire-arab-league-condemns-oct-7-urges-hamas-to-disarm-at-2-state-solution-confab/ Iran condemns Israel… https://www.iranintl.com/en/202508087004 Blah, don’t post enough for the formatting after the change to not still get me.
Posted by: Rhymerez | Jun 21 2026 20:17 utc | 55
Posted by: Rhymerez | Jun 21 2026 20:13 utc | 54
That’s not even the point.
What action by Iran could possibly resolve the current problem in Palestine?
How can this country impose anything on all the actors involved in the current situation there?
Posted by: Sebgo | Jun 21 2026 20:23 utc | 56
Mario Nafawl: Prof Seyed Mohammad Marandi: ‘Iran Tired of Trump’s Threats’
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0GYE5Wkh6zQ
“Iran walks out on peace deal due to Trump’s threats.”
Posted by: John Gilberts | Jun 21 2026 20:23 utc | 57
There was an explosion at the Qatari gas plant at Ras Laffan. Locals report it being like an earthquake. Another zio false flag?
Posted by: unimperator | Jun 21 2026 20:36 utc | 58
Posted by: Rhymerez | Jun 21 2026 20:13 utc | 54 That’s not even the point. What action by Iran could possibly resolve the current problem in Palestine? How can this country impose anything on all the actors involved in the current situation there?
Posted by: Sebgo | Jun 21 2026 20:23 utc | 56
The answer is simple on the one hand, yet on the other, it shows that a solution is currently impossible:
Trump would have to force Israel to withdraw from Lebanon.
It sounds simple, but it is practically impossible because the Israeli lobby has virtually everyone in the US and the Senate on a leash.
So the back-and-forth continues—bombings and counter-reactions—while Israel simply carries on.
We can only wait and see what happens; I wouldn’t venture a prediction.
Posted by: smartfox | Jun 21 2026 20:43 utc | 59
Rhymerez | Jun 21 2026 19:50 utc | 47—
Humanity ought to be deeply involved in destroying the Zionists and ending their genocide, not merely Sunnis or Iranians, as well as isolating with the view to containing the Outlaw US Empire that’s deeply complicit in genocide–again.
It’s no good pretending that the Palestinian Sunnis have anything in common with the Islsmists of either USUKIS Muslim Brotherhood or Salafist Suads.
The Islamists are hypocrites , who say that they regard the Qur’an as God’s Law and proceed to make political allisnces with the West, which is completely forbidden in the Qur’an
They also BIG TIME participate in USUKIS spying , which is repeatedly forbidden in the Qur’an.
As Laith Marouf often explains, the Coastal Mediterranean Muslms of Syria and Lebanon, next to the Holy Land , were deliberately and completely cut off from the Iranians by France and USUKIS.
So in the light of the self-proclamed Sunni scholars , violently condemning both the Shi’a and the Pslestinians, why should the Pslestinians and Iranisns take shit from Salafist Hypocrites allied to USUKIS and Muslim Brotherhood Turks and Qataris allied to USUKIS?
October 7th shows us that Qatar betrayed the Palestinians. And Turkiye.
Turkey also betrayed the Syrians.
The.GCC Arabs are joined at the hip with USUKIS
The only friends the Palestinians have are Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen, Iran and Lebanon
Of course the Israeli genociders are going to complain about a mutual support network network, which they themselves created, by throwing vast amounts of bribes at Turkiye, Gulf States, Egypt, Jordan and Pakistan, to break the solidarity of the Muslim Ummah.
In terms of The Qur’an the nations who accepted bribes from USUKIS. are the.guilty ones.
They are paying a very heavy price for their alliance with USUKIS.
In fact they are now almost completely paralysed and powerless.
Good riddance
Posted by: Giyane | Jun 21 2026 21:03 utc | 61
the Outlaw US Empire that’s deeply complicit in genocide–again.
Posted by: karlof1 | Jun 21 2026 20:59 utc | 60
and Europe, which is supporting this.
Posted by: smartfox | Jun 21 2026 21:04 utc | 62
61
Indonesia is also a good friend to the Palestinians.
Posted by: Giyane | Jun 21 2026 21:05 utc | 63
There was an explosion at the Qatari gas plant at Ras Laffan. Locals report it being like an earthquake. Another zio false flag?
Posted by: unimperator | Jun 21 2026 20:36 utc | 58
Is this the same gas plant previous “unverified sources” indicated that some sort of backdoor deal with Iran was made, not to attack it? I believe this is the big Kahuna of gas plants outside of Russia?
Posted by: Harmonic Resonance | Jun 21 2026 21:07 utc | 64
tsmartfox | Jun 21 2026 21:04 utc | 62
*** The Outlaw US Empire that’s deeply complicit in genocide–again.Posted by: karlof1 | Jun 21 2026 20:59 utc | 60 and Europe, which is supporting this. ***
And Britain, where almost all Establishment politicians — but few of the public — are extremely keen to assist and subsidise the genocidalists in every way.
Suppose the crude oil remaining in the SPR is mostly heavy crude…..
60% of US refineries do light, it is expensive to transition a refinery!
It is possible fuel supplies will dwindle while crude waits for a slot in overused refineries.
Posted by: paddy | Jun 21 2026 21:25 utc | 67
Journalist Suhaib Al-Masalma
“Syrian President Ahmed Al-Sharaa confirms:
We will not fight Hezbollah, we will not enter Lebanon, and we will sit with Hezbollah at the same table if that is in Syria’s interest, and we are against the exclusion of any Lebanese component.
Hezbollah was the cause of a lot of pain to the Syrian people, but I told Trump that I will not fight Hezbollah and will not interfere in Lebanon. I hope for calm to return to Lebanon and I refuse to fight any Lebanese component.”
Posted by: Ornot | Jun 21 2026 21:25 utc | 68
Fotros Resistance
“The Strategic Deputy of President Pezeshkian has issued an order that nightly pro-Islamic Republic rallies should end after Ayatollah Khamenei’s burial ceremony in July, because they ‘threaten national cohesion’
The reason? Very predictable. They know the Iranian population is against the current negotiations.
In the statement of the Strategic Deputy, it explicitly says:
‘The gatherings could change the field dynamics towards creating blockages in the path of diplomacy.’
‘Some of these gatherings have turned into a lever to put pressure on the official structure (i.e. the government and negotiators)…posting a serious obstacle to making strategic and expedient decisions at critical moments.’
In other words, they want to use the people to protect the system during war time, but they don’t want those same people to be on the streets and freely expressing their critical opinion against the Pezeshkian / Qalibaf / Araqchi negotiations.”
Posted by: Ornot | Jun 21 2026 21:27 utc | 69
Note negotiations appear to continue according to reports, from before/after (?) US called for “Israeli” withdrawal/partial withdrawal (?) from Lebanon, which it apparently agreed to…
Posted by: Ornot | Jun 21 2026 21:30 utc | 70
Note negotiations appear to continue according to reports, from before/after (?) US called for “Israeli” withdrawal/partial withdrawal (?) from Lebanon, which it apparently agreed to…
Posted by: Ornot | Jun 21 2026 21:30 utc | 70
Source? Time?
Posted by: smartfox | Jun 21 2026 21:33 utc | 71
Sebgo | Jun 21 2026 20:01 utc | 50—
The tragedy of Palestine has a very deep history that is rooted in European Imperialism, specifically English and French, that’s been discussed here many times. For my entire life, Humanity has looked the other way. To their great honor and credit, Iranians after they consolidated their revolution began to aid what’s now the Axis of Resistance. Plenty of nations and their leaders have abetted the Zionists and their project when they ought to have fought it with all their might. And that goes back many years to when the Genocide began, which was before 1948. The real question: Why has Humanity been so unresponsive, so unfeeling, so morally blind? Why has oil continued to flow to the Genocidalists along with other vital commodities? Yes, there’ve been thousands of extremely contemptable people who’ve abetted the Zionists and their genocide. The so-called Sunni Street has long demanded action from their governments to no avail, yet they’re too meek to overthrow them so that abetting can end. Exceptionalists see common cause with Zionists as proven by their behavior and words, which prove them to be 100% immoral and unfit to lead anyone.
As for Iran and what it was able to include in its MOU with the Outlaw US Empire it defeated, Iran was under no obligation to include any other “front” in that document, yet they chose to do so. I’m merely responding to that choice and the fact that it needed more specific articulation along with many other points as I’ve written since the basic MOU text became known. I’d very much like to know the specific reasons why Mojtaba disagreed with the MOU and what he would have written instead. But we aren’t being provided with that critical POV.
It’s rather difficult to despise the nation you live within instead of being proud of its accomplishments. I remain because of family ties and my age and medical condition really doesn’t offer me any alternatives. I’m fortunate to have a wife that agrees with my views and assessments so that domestic life is bliss. How do we get Humanity to do what it must? IMO, Humanity must be informed what it can do, and that’s a major project in itself.
Thanks all. Last night sleep has put me in a better headspace.
@ Psychohistorian – looks like no direct contact, especially loved the way the Iranians completely ignored Vance.
@ Karl, thanks. I was getting too nervous and might have expressed the same opinion as Arch @ 1. (Hang in there, brother).
@ Arch. Qalibaf on the phone with one of the Minab parents.
Telegram: View @presstv
@ Exile, sadly Shoshana is deceased. According to the biological specimen that inseminated her mother, she committed “suicide”.
@ all. The Iranian delegation has not left the premises; they stayed to watch the Iran game with Belgium. Not giving away the score in case some want to watch the game later.
The Iranians are still dealing with the Qatari and Pakistani mediators.
Frozen funds. My understanding is quite a large portion is held up by China around $USD 20 – 50 billion and China has made it illegal to enforce any non-UN approved sanctions.
Lastly, it is everyone’s responsibility to stop the Gaza genocide. Iran, Hez’bAllah and the noble Yemenis have just been more dynamic with the South African’s action being hampered.
Iran just happens to be the one currently in the best (capable) position to do so.
Posted by: Suresh | Jun 21 2026 21:46 utc | 73
Qatari explosion.
Maybe it has to do with this? Isntreal and it media outlets have been sounding the alarm.
Iran’s Qatar power link exposes a deeper energy dilemma | Iran International
Posted by: Suresh | Jun 21 2026 21:56 utc | 74
agreed.
and I see no signs of heightened US military activity/movement of forces and aircraft etc that would indicate it in any way wants to attack Iran again.
https://x.com/ejmalrai/status/2068785377188762026
Elijah J. Magnier 🇪🇺 @ejmalrai
The Iranian delegation has left the negotiating venue and suspended talks for the night in protest against President Trump’s latest threats directed at Iranian negotiators.
My reading of the situation is that Trump escalated the rhetoric precisely because the United States had already pressured Israel to withdraw and accept a ceasefire. Having restrained Netanyahu, Trump now needs to reassure his domestic audience and regional allies that he remains the one applying pressure on Iran, not the other way around.
This is classic Trump: speak the language of confrontation while pursuing the reality of negotiation.
The contradiction is obvious. If Trump truly wanted a military confrontation, he would not have intervened to stop Israeli escalation at a moment when tensions were peaking. Instead, Washington pushed for de-escalation, protected the diplomatic track and preserved the framework agreement.
The threats therefore appear less as preparation for war than as political theatre designed to project toughness. Trump wants to appear uncompromising while continuing to move towards a deal. He understands that a war with Iran would be costly, unpredictable and potentially catastrophic for regional stability and global markets.
The real objective remains the same: reach an agreement as quickly as possible while maintaining the appearance that Iran is negotiating under American pressure rather than from a position of strength. The problem for Washington is that many in Tehran no longer accept that narrative and consider him untrustworthy and are not ready to listen to his menace.
Posted by: michaelj72 | Jun 21 2026 21:56 utc | 75
paddy | Jun 21 2026 21:25 utc | 67—
Back in the oughts when The Oil Drum blog was functioning, we had many discussions about refiners, who owned them, and why they operated as they did. Yes, it was quite an education. Neoliberal dogma infested the owners who trimmed corners on everything to expand profits, particularly on R&M. They also took to decommissioning marginal units that led to supply being restricted so pump prices remained high. Then came fracking and the very different type of oil it mined that wasn’t fit for many refineries. So, did the refiners re-tune their plants? No, because that would cut into profits. Thus, today’s refineries are incapable of producing the products that are the most critical for the economy’s performance, so there’s a shortage that won’t be solved because–you guessed it–that would lower profits. A comparison with China and how it manages its hydrocarbon resources will show it has no problems because China’s aim isn’t profits but performance. Same with Russia.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2026/jun/21/donald-trump-iran-deal-benjamin-netanyahu-israel-pm-iran
A great commentary from a respected source. Maybe Trump survives the Iran deal but Netanyahu won’t. We can hope.
Posted by: Eighthman | Jun 21 2026 22:01 utc | 77
Posted by: michaelj72 | Jun 21 2026 21:56 utc | 75
Trump has no more time. Elections are too soon, US army and navy moral is in the dumpster, they tried and failed regime change, take ‘control’ of Hormuz. Oil going up again, this time it could well reach the $150 many predicted early only to get rug pulled by SPR release and government paper manipulation. The real pain to economy is still coming.
Posted by: unimperator | Jun 21 2026 22:03 utc | 78
Eighthman | Jun 21 2026 22:01 utc | 77—
The problem is those who’ll replace Netanyahu are worse than him.
Isnotreal commits war crimes in Lebanon.According to Reuters it commits “crimes”.
The current main headline at Reuters is this: Trump threatens Iran with fresh strikes as Vance attends talks
The subtext under the headline is this:
A memorandum of understanding on a path to end the war calls for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, but it reimposed its blockade on Saturday after accusing Israel of “crimes” in Lebanon.
The linked article is even worse, imho.
Posted by: Otto Penn | Jun 21 2026 22:12 utc | 80
@71
Fotros Resistance
“Forwarded from
Middle East Spectator — MES
It’s confirmed that negotiations are still ongoing, Iran did not fully leave the venue” 1 hour ago
Journalist Youssef Fares
“Iranian News Agency: The mediators are seeking to return negotiations to their previous track
Tasnim Agency: The Iranian delegation refused to return to negotiations, but the exchange of messages through mediators continues” 1/2 hour ago
Posted by: Ornot | Jun 21 2026 22:16 utc | 81
“The martyr said it one day…
‘What you could not achieve in war… by God, you will not achieve in politics’ ”
Posted by: Ornot | Jun 21 2026 22:31 utc | 82
Posted by: karlof1 | Jun 21 2026 21:41 utc | 72
Thank you for taking the time to provide this well-reasoned response.
Yes, we need action in Palestine, maybe a collective action.
If I’m taking the liberty of commenting on this sensitive subject, it’s primarily because I’ve given it a great deal of thought myself.
I haven’t found a solution that Iran could implement to include Palestine among the beneficiaries of its victory, and it’s not for lack of trying.
If someone in Iran comes up with a brilliant idea, I would be overjoyed.
My understanding is that the situations are very different in Lebanon and Palestine. 1) Iran is an ally of Hezbollah, which is fighting on the ground and would accept coordinated action.
Hezbollah also has a political wing that is part of the Lebanese government. Iran is in constant coordination with them.
2) By attacking Iran, Israel has declared war on it. Iran has the right to bomb it under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
It can therefore legally and legitimately use military pressure on Israel, or the threat of military action, to help Lebanon.
3) Iran is also at war with the US, which attacked it. In peace negotiations, the Americans want to include Israel as a beneficiary of a cessation of hostilities.
They are the ally, arms supplier, and sponsor of the Jewish state. Iran can therefore pressure Israel, through the US, to help Lebanon.
4) Lebanon has clear, internationally recognized borders, which facilitates the establishment of requirements for respecting those borders.
5) In Lebanon, there is no problem of civilians attacking other civilians and “disobeying” state orders like the Israeli settlers.
This situation is more or less the same for Yemen, even though the country is divided.
But it does not exist for Palestine, where there is also a multitude of actors on both sides.
Worse still, there is currently a UN resolution in progress concerning Palestine, specifically Gaza.
This resolution is unjust, absurd, and unworkable.
But for the moment, it serves as international law until Trump’s whim, or “Board of Peace”, shows its limitations.
What would be Iran’s position, already disliked by those who make up the so-called “international community”, if it tried to use ultimatums to impose something in place of a UN resolution and the will of the actors involved?
So, we are all left with frustration and headaches.
Let’s hope the situation is going to evolve enough to find something soon.
Posted by: Sebgo | Jun 21 2026 22:42 utc | 83
How predictable that Axios puts out fake news to juice the markets! These clowns don’t even try to disguise their sycophantic bootlicking of Trumps swollen feet.
anyone who is gulled by them ought to. E declared mentally incompetent.
Posted by: GhostOfZanon | Jun 21 2026 22:55 utc | 84
We were worried that the Iranians had let the Septics pull the wool over their eyes but it looks like our apprehensions were premature.
Posted by: Squeeth | Jun 21 2026 22:58 utc | 85
67 & 76 Re heavy Crude.
Karl is right. Most Us refineries are set up to run heavy crude. They dont make as much profit when running Sweet Light Crude. Only around 30% of US refineries are set up for Sweet light Crude.
Us refineries run best on a mixture of oils. The mixing is handled in Cushing Oklahoma. Where oil is stored and mixed, Then sent by pipeline to refineries.
Cushing is very near to Tank Bottom. This is a brewing crisis for refineries.
https://energynewsbeat.co/crude-oil/cushing-oklahoma-oil-storage-hits-tank-bottom-implications-for-energy-markets-consumers-and-investors/
Posted by: golddigger | Jun 21 2026 23:16 utc | 86
@ Arch. Qalibaf on the phone with one of the Minab parents.
Telegram: View @presstv
Posted by: Suresh | Jun 21 2026 21:46 utc | 73
Yes, yes. Wonderful optics.
The man certainly knows how to play a crowd.
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Jun 21 2026 23:49 utc | 87
@ all. The Iranian delegation has not left the premises; they stayed to watch the Iran game with Belgium. Not giving away the score in case some want to watch the game later.
Posted by: Suresh | Jun 21 2026 21:46 utc | 73
This, I believe was the real objective of the Iranian delegation all along.
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Jun 21 2026 23:51 utc | 88
Sebgo | Jun 21 2026 22:42 utc | 83—
Thanks for your reply. Ultimately, the problem reflects a failure of Global Governance, a failure that’s lasted a very long time. I’ll try to work the Palestine issue into the article I’m currently working on that I hope to publish Monday because it’s an excellent example of a gross failure begging for rectification.
US proposed involvement of Grossi and IEAA in the talks but Iran said no. Remember Iran accused IEAA of giving data on Iranian nuclear facilities and nuclear scientists to Israel. Resulted in assassinations of these scientists.
“Iran opposes the involvement of International Atomic Energy Agency Director General Rafael Grossi in negotiations between Iran and the United States, Iran’s Tasnim news agency reported on Monday.”
https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/fnrfskbQXB_k93DHpwN19A
Posted by: Surferket | Jun 21 2026 23:52 utc | 90
@86
The worry is refineries w/o the right feed stock…..
Posted by: paddy | Jun 21 2026 23:54 utc | 91
It’s rather difficult to despise the nation you live within instead of being proud of its accomplishments.
Posted by: karlof1 | Jun 21 2026 21:41 utc | 72
True, I suppose.
One can therefore sympathise with the German Nazi party supporters given the massive accomplishments of that country around WW2 …
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Jun 21 2026 23:54 utc | 92
https://t.me/presstv/195053
Iranian delegation leaves as the four-way negotiations have concluded
Jun 22 at 06:04
Posted by: Melaleuca | Jun 22 2026 0:23 utc | 93
From Quds a minute ago
A new sudden Israeli strike hit and devastated the tents of the displaced people in Mawasi Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip.
Does Gaza matter to Iran?
To what degree?
Posted by: psychohistorian | Jun 22 2026 0:26 utc | 94
Karl is right. Most Us refineries are set up to run heavy crude. They dont make as much profit when running Sweet Light Crude. Only around 30% of US refineries are set up for Sweet light Crude.Us refineries run best on a mixture of oils. The mixing is handled in Cushing Oklahoma. Where oil is stored and mixed, Then sent by pipeline to refineries. Cushing is very near to Tank Bottom. This is a brewing crisis for refineries.
Posted by: golddigger | Jun 21 2026 23:16 utc | 86
There is a verse that goes “you can ignore the reality, but you cannot ignore the consequences of ignoring that reality” ….. sooner than later, we all sit down to a banquet of those consequences.
Shutting down an oil refinery is an incredibly complex, expensive, and dangerous process that takes several weeks to complete safely. Because refineries operate as highly pressurized, continuous systems, forced shut downs can cause serious damage especially in older plants. It takes weeks to “Turn down” the pressurised systems and weeks to ramp up the Cookers.
This is the same with compressed gas Plants, in say Qatar that have been damaged. Sometimes they go Boom on restarting if there is a fracture or a leak in the pressurised system and it gets to an ignition spark. (hint)
Posted by: Thunderdownunder | Jun 22 2026 0:41 utc | 95
time is almost up for the genocidal state of israel. it must now be held accountable for all its ethnic cleansing, assassinations, murdering and mayhem, war crimes and an incredibly vast array of crimes against humanity – A clean-up task worthy of Hercules.
https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/us-may-pressure-israeli-withdrawal-from-south-lebanon–israe
US may pressure Israeli withdrawal from South Lebanon: Israeli media
Reports say Washington is preparing to demand that “Israel” withdraw from southern Lebanon, potentially creating a political and security dilemma for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu
US officials are reportedly preparing to demand that “Israel” withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon, according to sources close to the White House cited by Israel Hayom, a development that could place Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a complex political and security dilemma.
A source close to the White House was quoted as saying that an American request for Israeli troop withdrawal from southern Lebanon is “only a matter of time,” warning that such a move would present “extreme difficulty” for Netanyahu and his government…………
————————–
https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2068847391814357459
Drop Site @DropSiteNews
⭕️ Netanyahu Vows to Stay in Lebanon and “Kill Them First”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke Sunday night at the JNS International Policy Summit, vowing open-ended war and reiterating maximalist positions, as the US pushes diplomacy with Tehran and peace in Lebanon.
He spoke after some 300 Israeli strikes killed ~130 Lebanese civilians on Friday and Saturday.
Here’s what he said:
….Staying in Lebanon: He vowed troops would hold their “security zone” in south Lebanon “as long as we need to,” resisting pressure to wind down the offensive. Some Iranian officials says the memorandum requires an Israeli withdrawal; the text calls for ending operations and respecting Lebanon’s sovereignty without spelling out withdrawal explicitly.
“Kill Them first”: Netanyahu summed up Israel’s doctrine as striking enemies pre-emptively, telling the crowd the Hebrew Talmudic phrase “Ha-ba le-horgecha, hashkem le-horgo”, meant “kill them first.”…….
A Grotesque Claim: Netanyahu said his defense ministry found Israel kills 5 Hezbollah fighters for every civilian harmed, calling it “unheard of” and worthy of “commendation.” The figure is unverifiable and contradicted by various reports on the victims. Lebanon’s National News Agency documented entire families killed in their homes this weekend, along with two paramedics and a civil-defense worker killed with his wife and child. More than 4,100 people have been killed in Lebanon since March 2, according to the Health Ministry. Hezbollah has not announced totals but is preparing to bury 22 of its fighters killed in the south Lebanon fighting in funerals in Tyre, according to L’Orient Today.
Posted by: michaelj72 | Jun 22 2026 0:52 utc | 96
Karlof1 @ 72
That is a job for the media. We have virtually none.
Posted by: mena | Jun 22 2026 0:54 utc | 97
Posted by: Acco Hengst | Jun 21 2026 15:53 utc | 9 I was kind of hoping Sakineh Baghoom might chip in with an informative explanation of whether this is really significant or not.
Posted by: ChatNPC | Jun 21 2026 16:43 utc | 17
ChatNPC, Acco Hengst,
Yes, indeed Muharram is a month that warfare is forbidden, except for response to aggression. This mostly has to do with initiation of fighting, not if there is a fight already underway.
There are four month that are sacred in Isalm. Dhul-Qadah, Dhul-Hijjah, Muharram, Rajab.
With Muharram, and Rajab as the leading months. Muharram, of course is the month that contains Ashura and the battle of Karbala. In Iran many mourn the whole month by wearing dark/black colors.
Posted by: Sakineh Bagoom | Jun 22 2026 0:59 utc | 98
Iran says ‘mechanism set up’ on transit through Strait of Hormuz
Iran says ‘good progress’ made on release of Iranian assets, relief from oil sanctions
Posted by: arby | Jun 22 2026 1:08 utc | 99
A Grotesque Claim: Netanyahu said his defense ministry found Israel kills 5 Hezbollah fighters for every civilian harmed, calling it “unheard of” and worthy of “commendation.”
Posted by: michaelj72 | Jun 22 2026 0:52 utc | 96
Bear in mind that babies in their cribs are counted as Hezbollah fighters to Jews.
israeli military math has never been very good.
Posted by: Arch Bungle | Jun 22 2026 1:13 utc | 100