R2R: ‘Trump Declares Economic Armageddon’
 
https://www.youtube.com/@reason2resist/streams
 
“On August 19, Trump threatened Iran with ‘THE MOST CRUSHING ECONOMIC OPERATION EVER UNDERTAKEN AGAINST ANY COUNTRY’. Dimitry Lascaris & Rami Yahia discuss what this means and how Trump’s threat worsens the global economy.”
 
And Rami Yahia reports from/on Transnistria.

Posted by: John Gilberts | Aug 20 2026 17:10 utc | 3

trump and his gang of hoodlums and neo-fascists are the most deluded Political Elites I’ve ever seen,  and that’s everyone since J.F. Kennedy……   the US economy will collapse long before the Iranian government and society
 
 
 
https://t.me/Middle_East_Spectator/36011#
Middle East Spectator — MES 
 
—❗️🇺🇸/🇮🇷 U.S. Secretary of Treasury, Scott Bessent: ‘Our new sanctions will lead to the collapse of the Iranian regime’
 
 
https://t.me/Middle_East_Spectator/36012#
— 🇨🇳/🇺🇸/🇮🇷 NEW: The Chinese Foreign Ministry says it does not recognize U.S. sanctions against Iran and that China will not comply with the ‘economic warfare’ campaign initiated by President Trump this week
 

Posted by: michaelj72 | Aug 20 2026 18:12 utc | 5

MN: Pravin Sawhney: ‘Nuking Iran Now An Option’
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5m3scJMEz9Q
 
“Trump labels Hormuz US territory after discussing nukes in security meeting.”

Posted by: John Gilberts | Aug 20 2026 18:21 utc | 7

Israeli regime Defense Minister Katz: Erdogan is leading Turkey into dangerous adventures in Syria. Israel will not allow any party to threaten its security.It would be better for Erdogan to continue giving empty and fanciful speeches against Israel in the Turkish parliament, rather than testing Israel’s resolve to defend itself.https://t.me/RezistanceTrench1/69958

Posted by: UWDude | Aug 20 2026 19:11 utc | 9

see the 18-second video at the third/fourth/fifth link
 
 
 
https://t.me/enemywatch/61090#
Enemy Watch — Official 
 
🇾🇪 | Yemeni Armed Forces: 
With the grace of Allah, the Yemeni Armed Forces have carried out two military operations using drones. The first targeted a sensitive Saudi enemy position at Najran Airport, and the second targeted Aramco Najran. Both operations successfully achieved their objectives, thanks to God. 
 
These operations came in response to the Saudi enemy’s violation of Saada province’s airspace with its own drones. The Armed Forces will continue to protect Yemen’s sovereignty from any breach and will uphold this equation, God willing.
 
————————-
 
https://x.com/CraigMurrayOrg/status/2090405641936363813
Craig Murray  @CraigMurrayOrg    
 
The problem the Labour Friends of Israel government faces with juries is that at this point in the Genocide, 
in any random gathering of 12 sane citizens, 
at least 3 will think that destroying Israeli weapons factories is necessary.
 
———————————
 
https://x.com/tiberiusfiles/status/2090486628699844759
Tiberius  @tiberiusfiles  
 
Training like this and then dropping bombs on refugee camps and sniper firing kids like the pathetic, detestable cowards they are.
 
https://x.com/tiberiusfiles/status/2090381376575226245
Zionists slithering like snakes to practice for their time in Hell.
 
 
https://x.com/LionsOfZion_ORG/status/2090173072707903635
daniel hanuka📟 🇮🇱  @LionsOfZion_ORG 
Youth training in Tel Aviv ahead of military service. Notice the lioness leading from the front.
 

Posted by: michaelj72 | Aug 20 2026 19:45 utc | 11

There were a few posters poking fun at Sean Foo on another thread regarding his constant “droning on” about the US Treasury market.
I think you two owe Mr. Foo an apology now. 
Get ready for rates to blow out to 7% on the 10 year unless the Fed steps in and monetizes. And I don’t mean the US Treasury when I say the Fed…

Posted by: corgisam | Aug 20 2026 20:02 utc | 13

https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2026/08/20/koqw-a20.html
US debt at $40 trillion as financial crisis deepens
Now, this is an interesting Iran debacle related development.  The bond buying scheme got a tepid market response yesterday.  Today the market gave it a big “fuck you, not good enough”.
Apparently digging deeper in debt (40T!) amidst an unwinnable Zio retard war on Iranian civilians with no end in site, isn’t quite cutting it.  
As Bessent said, “watch this space”.  They may not be able to weasel their way out of eating this shit sandwich this time.  
Israel delenda est. 
Thanks and praises to Iran.  

Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Aug 20 2026 20:34 utc | 15

Posted by: John Gilberts | Aug 20 2026 18:21 utc | 7
.
.
…thank you for the link..
.
.
I agree with his guest, Pravin Sawhney.. Trump does not care about his voters or the outcome of midterms.. he operates in that global transnational space with Modi, Netanyohu and Erdogan. 
.
.
<=I commented yesterday the likely reason Trump claimed the Straights of Hormuz US Territory is because he intends to nuke Iran. I think given an opportunity Trump will unleash on Iran as many nuclear weapons as he has in his arsenal.. ..
.
.
I believe, the propensity of the gulf States to opt for peace and  to enter agreements with Iran is going to be used to convert Trumps nuclear threat into live action. Certainly that propensity explains the new sanction package? 
.
.
At the moment Trumps nuclear threat is being used to separate the Gulf States from Iran. The organizing attempts of Iran, the Chinese and the Pakistanis are working all too well. 
.
.
I also think the reason Trump reached out to Kim for a conference is he wanted to be sure Kim would not nuke the USA if Trump nukes Iran. I am told Kim has responded he has no intention of visiting with Trump

Posted by: snake | Aug 20 2026 20:58 utc | 17

hurra!
 
the crisis deepens, the theater works! so nobody makes the absurd rich class of the west accountable for its program:
 
de de de depopulation…

Posted by: ClubOfRom | Aug 20 2026 21:23 utc | 19

Ad hoc roundup without sources, what have been reading:

US agrees with “Israel” for it to stay in Gaza, decide over foreign troop entry, continue attacks in Gaza.

Rest of parties, including international, criticise “Israel” for not acting to obligations.

High levels of hunger continues in Gaza, killing of civilian.

In West bank displacements and atrocity continues, seversl countries protest “Israeli” tender for construction of housing there.

In Lebanon attacks by “Israel” continue, seigeing of Al-Taher, demolitions of towns, shelling, phosphorous.

Iran says its oil exports are halted, China says will not respect economic blockade (US interdiction of trade by any country with Iran).

Yemen continues sporadic attacks on Saudi and to retaliate against being blockaded.

Iraq resistance defiant of demand by government to disarm.

Due diligence, double-check the above info online.

Posted by: Ornot | Aug 20 2026 22:09 utc | 21

IDF is withdrawing from Lebanon in defeat. As usual media keeps radio silence to maintain the falsehood of IDF’s “invincibility”.
 
Iran should not confront Israel at this stage. Instead let Israel and Turkeye clash over Syria.  

Posted by: Jason | Aug 20 2026 22:49 utc | 23

There were a few posters poking fun at Sean Foo on another thread regarding his constant “droning on” about the US Treasury market.I think you two owe Mr. Foo an apology now. 
 
Posted by: corgisam | Aug 20 2026 20:02 utc | 13

 
There’s a not so subtle difference between pointing out how a series of developments could well lead to crisis, and making hair-on-fire claims that each of the developments is a CRISIS to which the usual suspects are reacting in PANIC.
 
The former is responsible finance journalism; the latter is so much whoring for clicks.

Posted by: malenkov | Aug 20 2026 23:31 utc | 25

@13
 
The US Federal Reserve is roughly a “central bank”.  It can influence interest rates by actions of its federal open market operation (FOMO).
 
It had been raising interest rates in the term spectrum by selling US debt off its balance sheet.  To aid the US treasury raise interest rates resulting from low interest rates from the US treasury flooding freshly printed dollars because of the covid shut down, the FOMO sold off debt and reduced the Federal reserve balance sheet this is fighting inflation.  Also called Quantitative Tighening (QT).
 
The FOMO did QT until Dec 2025.  Since it has been buying US debt (although each week varies!)   This effectively lowers reported interest rates by raising prices of US debt issues.
 
This week the FR balance sheet is $127 billion larger than one year ago.   Now at $6.47 trillion, the covid peak from QE was  $8.96 trillion. 
 
That evil (sarc, fighting inflation, he was who US needed) Jerome Powell tightened the balance sheet so these Trumpitas can loosen a lot!
 
A lot of QE will keep interest rates artificially low just as depleting the petroleum reserves keeps gasoline cheap!

Posted by: paddy | Aug 20 2026 23:53 utc | 27

An interesting development comes from the election in California to replace Eric Swallwell for the remainder of what would have been his term.
 
AIPAC supposedly poured millions into the campaign of moderate Democrat, Melissa Hernandez.  However, State Senator Aisha Wahab has won.  She is an Afghan Muslim refugee who has accused Israel of genocide and attacked Israeli funded AIPAC.  You can read more about her here:
 
https://x.com/Andreafreedom76/status/2090578699015852148
 
I know California is not the whole country but it is refreshing to see AIPAC and its millions of dollars of donations defeated.
 
I wonder if the war with Iran and more reporting of Israeli atrocities has had an influence on US voters to some extent.  To what extent won’t be evident until November.

Posted by: Belle | Aug 21 2026 1:20 utc | 29

lex talionis 26
 
Since I’m not on X, I can’t hear what he’s saying.  The Rabbi’s body and facial  language however is telling us that he has suffered horrible sexual trauma for which the outsde world is totally to blame, ( much finger pointing at us). 
But he is not allowed to blame his actual abusers. 
 
I’m seeing ,  in his performance , a society that has been goaded to perversion , by the priestly class being the actual perverts.
There is nowhere for the rage to go except against the goyim, because the Priests are immune from criticism in a religious hierarchy.
 
You may have noticed that as a Muslim I do not shy away from criticising the actions of the leaders, by the rules set out by the Holy Qur’an. 
 
Judaism  and Christianity have become abusive and authoritarian societies by changing the scriptures that say Do not Kill, Do Not Commit Adultery, into rules that don’t apply to the priesthood.
 
Sayed Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made the fatwa that indiscriminate Nuclear annihilation was prohibited to the Priesthood just as it is the individual.
 
Compare that to Trump and Netanyahu whose entire philosophy is state genocide .
 
The Qur’an tells us that those do not believe in God cannot be changed.
We are four years into a NeoNazi genocide against Russia and nearly  three years into a NeoNazi genocide against Muslims and the Western World has so far not been able to fjnd any mechanism to condemn these blatant genocides.
 
The West no longer has any religious mechanism  to control its own barbarism.
 
 

Posted by: Giyane | Aug 21 2026 2:01 utc | 31

Jewish-American Activist Barred By Israel
 
https://www.aljazeera.com/#flips-6403775551112
 
“Calls settler violence ‘state terror’…’fascism in action’.
 
There are still too few doing too much of the work to stop this genocide. Stop watching – start resisting. Death to USrael – Free Palestine from the River to the Sea!

Posted by: John Gilberts | Aug 21 2026 3:10 utc | 33

Mahmood OD: ‘Hitting the US Puppets’
 
https://www.youtube.com/@Mahmood_OD/videos
 
“Iran hints: missiles expanding West – NATO responds with official statement.”

Posted by: John Gilberts | Aug 21 2026 4:21 utc | 35

“Washington Eases Gasoline Rules as Iran Pressure Campaign Jolts Fuel Costs”.
 
https://oilprice.com/Latest-Energy-News/World-News/Washington-Eases-Gasoline-Rules-as-Iran-Pressure-Campaign-Jolts-Fuel-Costs.html
 
 
 

Posted by: GeorgeWendell | Aug 21 2026 4:36 utc | 37

Australian FM Explains Why She Collaborates With Apartheid Israel, Contrary to International Law
 
https://x.com/timand2037/status/2090528488575107568
 
“Penny Wong on why she won’t expel Israel’s Ambassador…”
 
Settler-states stick together.

Posted by: John Gilberts | Aug 21 2026 4:48 utc | 39

On the surface, This looks like a terrible disaster for Oman:
 
AI
An environmental disaster is unfolding off Oman as the sanctioned oil tanker Caroline Bezengi—carrying an estimated 800,000 barrels of Russian crude—ran aground near Al Qibliyah Island in the Al Hallaniyat Islands Nature Reserve on June 30, 2026. The resulting visible oil slick spans over 2,000 square kilometers, with crude hitting roughly 12 kilometers of the Omani coastline near Ras Madraka.
 
Incident Overview The Vessel: The Caroline Bezengi is part of Russia’s “shadow fleet” of older tankers lacking standard Western insurance. It suffered damage from an unexplained explosion in early June off Yemen before drifting and grounding in Oman.Impact Zone: The spill threatens critical marine reserves that host humpback whales, sea turtles, coral reefs, and rare bird species.
 
Response Challenges: Ongoing containment and salvage operations led by Omani authorities and international maritime firms are heavily hampered by shallow rocky waters and severe 40-knot winds and 4-meter waves from the seasonal monsoon.

Posted by: Lavieja | Aug 21 2026 5:14 utc | 41

Lavieja@41:
 
“An environmental disaster is unfolding off Oman…”
 
Thanks for this. This American instigated Middle East war, like those before it, is also ecocidal. 

Posted by: John Gilberts | Aug 21 2026 5:20 utc | 43

Posted by: Alberto | Aug 21 2026 6:27 utc | 44
 
Killing two birds with one stone?

Posted by: Alberto | Aug 21 2026 6:52 utc | 45

Killing two birds with one stone?
Posted by: Alberto | Aug 21 2026 6:52 utc | 45

 
Russia could send some Nato serving LNG/fuel/oil tankers to the Davy Jones locker in the Atlantic. That could be done with plausible deniability.
 
Afterwards watch London city / Lloyds of London lose loads of money, British and EU economy going titties up even more.

Posted by: unimperator | Aug 21 2026 7:42 utc | 47

snake@17:
The death spasms of empire are erratic and unpredictable. Perhaps even for the empire. We shall see. Cheers.

Posted by: John Gilberts | Aug 21 2026 8:32 utc | 49

The Birkenstock comes down – a distinct uptick in social media suppression – expect more of this…
 
The Anti-Empire Project Moves To Substack: ‘My Last Sitrep on YouTube’
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08iQbDsEmfM
 
“YouTube takes down old videos discussing the writings and speeches of Israeli-assassinated Resistance leaders (3 and counting), also eliminates (and reinstates) The East is a Podcast. Why I’m leaving and where to find future videos.” [Substack]
 

Posted by: John Gilberts | Aug 21 2026 8:58 utc | 51

Ukraine and World Affairs (includes Iran/ME): Weekly Update, 21st August, 2026: May be Useful to Some: Ukraine and World Affairs (including Iran/ME): Weekly Update

Posted by: The Busker | Aug 21 2026 9:48 utc | 53

indi.ca: The Double Pyramid Scheme
 

Remember that colonization has always been a business proposition and always in the shape of a pyramid scheme. New colonies and colonizers must constantly be procured because what’s an empire if it’s not imperializing? As Ryan Perkins puts in his current magestrial work along the same lines,

For five centuries, the system survived its internal contradictions—the falling rate of profit, the crisis of overaccumulation—by reaching for a spatial fix: new continents, new labor pools, new markets. But the map was finite and by the dawn of the 20th century, the imperial powers had divided it between themsleves. Trapped in a closed system, they turned on each other in two world wars of inter-imperialist rivalry. The violence that had built the system turned inward, consuming the old empires in a cataclysm that cleared the ledgers and balanced the books with corpses and opened the door for a new hegemon.

Let us discuss his first point, the most important one, the falling rate of profit. This is discussed by Marx and further back but economists keep having to rediscover it. It’s basically the second law of thermodynamics, things fall apart. Entropy, or the arrow of time under words. In thermodynamics, heat goes from warm areas to cool (in an isolated system) until it reaches thermodynamic equilibrium. In colonialism, this almost literally happened with energy going from warm south to the cold north (the source of Whiteness, they got less sun) until, now, we reach some sort of global equilibrium. This defeats the point of colonialism and the colonizers cannot live as equals, so they shake things up again with world wars to keep things unlevel.

Posted by: ChatNPC | Aug 21 2026 12:54 utc | 55

TNA: Brian Berletic
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5Ba4Sxvq38
 
“China lands rocket, Russia launches N Korean missiles, and *US-Israeli theater.”
 
*Perception management – both Syria and Israel are effectively US proxies. 

Posted by: John Gilberts | Aug 21 2026 13:49 utc | 57

how many players will have the brawn or aplomb to stand up to the global bully?
Posted by: robin | Aug 21 2026 14:18 utc | 58

 
the subject vassals will eagerly submit – Japan, South Korea, Oz, England, and the EU
 
the semi-vassals will squrim and find work arounds – India, Africa, Brazil, Turkey, and Pakistan
 
the independent states will laugh and increase trade amongst themselves – China, Russia, Indochina, etc., etc. 
net net – 87% of the world won‘t play ball, 

Posted by: Exile | Aug 21 2026 14:36 utc | 59

S. Korea has announced its intention to formally deepen its trade relations with China at the next ASEAN meeting in November.  

yuge ! 

Posted by: Exile | Aug 21 2026 14:58 utc | 61

@60
 
Japan was toast when DPRK entered the ballistic missile space.
 
Nuclear DPRK duplicates China threat to U.S. tiny dominance in west Pac

Posted by: paddy | Aug 21 2026 15:25 utc | 63

robin@58:
 
“Uncle Sam’s true colours are as ugly as they come, but how many players will have the brawn or the aplomb to stand up to the the global bully?”
 
A critical question indeed. I can think of two that could and should. We shall see.
 
Posted by: John Gilberts | Aug 21 2026 15:22 utc | 62
In the US there are 300m or so wage slaves that suffer under Zio Imperialism.  They are largely unorganized politically, scorned and systematically blamed for every crime of their Zio billionaire overlords.  That is the most powerful potential “player” in the world.  It’s also the greatest and most ignored power in the world.  This could be said for every country on the face of the earth.  Literally billions and billions of people which if united in struggle against Zio Imperialism and the Capitalist ruling class internationally could usher in a new humanistic.  
Meanwhile, everyone sits waiting for Capitalist China, Russia and Iran to come save them.  I support the non Imperialist block, but it’s just ridiculous to think they will ever free western workers from Zio Imperialist slavery.  We do it for ourselves or continue to suffer in the Zio panopticon.  

Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Aug 21 2026 15:34 utc | 65

Dead cat bounce in the market this morning.  Nothing objectively has changed to improve the economic situation.  Probably Zio hedge funds pushing everything up briefly so they can get out.  

Posted by: Ahenobarbus | Aug 21 2026 15:41 utc | 67

The TIPS auction this week required a yield of 2.9%.  
de-dollarization brings peace

Posted by: Exile | Aug 21 2026 15:49 utc | 69

@67
 
US dead cat market has been bouncing up for more than 2 years!
 
Finance media and US government pulling all stop to inflate equity bubble.
 
The trillions printed to blow the indexes up with Covid have only slightly washed through the economy, stagflation is the best outcome, if the Treasury and Federal Reserve can pull it off.
 
Years of loss of dollar valuation ahead.

Posted by: paddy | Aug 21 2026 16:08 utc | 71

3rd party sanctions are a way to outsource the heavy lifting to weaker players and spare the US some of the cost and risk incurred by its own belligerence.
 
Posted by: robin | Aug 21 2026 17:25 utc | 72

Its limp dicked posturing by the americlowns, reduced to attempting to pose their way into postponing the market consequences of america’s amateurish, blood soaked diddling of the past few decades.
 
What they will do is accelerate dedollarization the more they attempt to punish significant countries such as India, Brazil, South Africa, China, Indonesia for daring to have an independent trade policy. These nations and especially their populace already resent American hubris and constant meddling. America doesnt rule the world, despite her immense pretenses and crybully attitude. 
 
America increasingly seen as bleeding in the water and the sharks are circling. A lot of bad will the US have spent decades building up and chickens are coming home to roost, bringing US dollars with them. Inflation isnt just an export anymore.
 
Bessent is looking like a man desperately bailing out a boat in a storm with a bucket with a hole in it. That smug grin is increasingly absent.

Posted by: Doctor Eleven | Aug 21 2026 17:40 utc | 73

why is Google’s response to “oil price today” locked into a certain price with no available updated information? Holiday I dont know about?

Posted by: Not Ewe | Aug 21 2026 20:30 utc | 75

Jamarl Thomas: Kevork Almassian: ‘Did Putin Really Betray Syria?’
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QiVu-6ehUiU
 
“Deep dive into what actually happened.”
 
‘When the interests of Russia no longer matched the interests of Syria they abandoned Syria – at a very sensitive time. You can call it betrayal or the Russians following their interests. Syrians made the mistake of trusting an ally like they would trust each other or a friend…’

Posted by: John Gilberts | Aug 22 2026 19:59 utc | 77

John Gilberts | Aug 22 2026 19:59 utc | 77
(quoting)
*** ‘When the interests of Russia no longer matched the interests of Syria they abandoned Syria – at a very sensitive time. You can call it betrayal or the Russians following their interests. Syrians made the mistake of trusting an ally like they would trust each other or a friend…’ ***
 
Hardly serving the “interests of Russia” ….. more like serving the interests of the Chabad Oligarchy in Russia/Israel and Atlanticist neoliberal traitors pulling the Kremlin strings.
In other words, working against the interests of Russia.
 

Posted by: Cynic | Aug 22 2026 20:40 utc | 79

Posted by: John Gilberts | Aug 22 2026 19:59 utc | 77
 
Mr Gilberts –  Kevork Almassian may be slightly out there.  All of us who saw the Syrian debacle were also feeling, why don’t the Russians charge in and hold the Jihadis back?
 
But at the time the depth of the Syrian collapse was not so apparent.  We  saw videos of Wagner moving up north and passing lines of Syrian soldiers who had thrown away their guns and were going the other way.   That was bad enough but what we didn’t know at the time was that the Syrians were scarcely able to feed and pay their soldiers and that some Syrian officers had been bought. 
 
Nor did most realise to what extent the country had been brought to its knees by sanctions.  Nor that as the Jihadis came down from Idlib a further contingent of Jihadis, trained and prepared in advance by the US and UK,  were coming up from Al Tanf. 
 
All this was in late 2024.  The Russians, at the time busy elsewhere as Almassian would have known, would have had to send in a very substantial expeditionary force indeed to save the situation, even were that possible at that late stage.   
 
There was more to it than that.  In the preceding years Assad had refused offered Russian and Iranian aid in the hope that he could placate the West and get the sanctions lifted.  And I don’t think there was a lot of fight left in him.  That’s not a criticism.  Just that he’d seen a heap of killing and atrocity already and saw more for his country were he to continue resisting.  Those who think the Russians and Iranians should have saved the day and were at fault for not doing so are not realistic.
 
There’s a tendency anyway to regard the Russians as having a duty to save various countries from the predatory attentions of the West.   And then to fault them when they don’t.  I mentioned this in a previous thread –   “We often see the reproach that when this or that country goes under, the Russians didn’t move to save it.   Nor did they often.  Rather, nor could they.
 
” The country (the country under threat, that is) has to be ready and able to save itself and if it’s not there’s not much any third party can do.  “I can’t be more Serbian than the Serbians,” was Putin’s answer in response to that reproach in the Serbian case.  So too with the Syrians.  The Russians could not use their own forces in Syria to repel the Al Qaeda takeover, not when the Syrians were themselves in no condition to mount an effective resistance.” ( 176)
 
Kevork Almassian’s genuine and has a deal of information to give us.  But when I heard him make the assertion that the Russians had failed the Syrians in their hour of need – I heard him do that a few days ago – I felt then, and still do, that his dismay at what happened to Syria had led him to scapegoat the Russians in a way he probably wouldn’t have done had he thought about it more.

Posted by: English Outsider | Aug 22 2026 22:47 utc | 81

For what it is worth, an opinion is an opinion but this one goes further and has me more worried than ever, especially after the Canadian “deal”   copped a 50 % tariff because they did not agree with the late mail of what Trump wanted.
 
Trump is a Lose and loaded cannon and should be de fused before he starts something so horrendous we will all suffer while he shrugs and says, “Not my fault” 
 
Trump is starting to show evidence of a disjointed and divided morality. 
 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lHoLAwy-Eo

Posted by: Thunderdownunder | Aug 23 2026 10:19 utc | 83