Tag: middle-east

ENOUGH ALREADY

As always, the contents of this blog are a compendium of multiple media reports supplemented by my personal opinion, where indicated.

Like many of you I have become extremely frustrated by the lack of progress regarding the negotiations between Iran and the US. As you know, we quickly and easily defeated Iran militarily, destroyed its Navy, killed several layers of its leadership, knocked out its communications systems and have been choking its economy through the blockade of the Hormuz Strait. Some of you may recall that in a previous blog I opined that the military victory was the easy part. Now comes the hard part – winning the peace.

Negotiations have dragged on for weeks. At the present time, they are at a virtual standstill. We have made our demands clear, which include, among other things, no nuclear weapons, no enriched uranium, cease fomenting terrorism, and allowing free and unfettered passage through the Hormuz Strait. These are non-negotiable. They are the main reasons for the war in the first place. If we don’t get them, we will have wasted our time, money, and political capital for nothing.

Iran has not made any meaningful, substantive counteroffer. It is not even clear that its negotiators have the authority to agree to a legitimate deal and enforce Iran’s side of it. Iran continues to insist it will not negotiate the above issues. Instead, it wants to discuss the possible reopening of the Hormuz Strait, which, under international law, it had no legal authority to close in the first place. Its latest proposal called for the complete withdrawal of US forces from the area as a prerequisite for further negotiations. Naturally, Trump dismissed this sham proposal out of hand, characterizing it as “unacceptable.”

In my opinion Iran has no intention of acceding to our demands. Its strategy is what it has always been, delay, delay, delay and delay some more. And, from their point of view, why not? This “rope-a-dope” strategy has been successful every time with previous Administrations. Iran is betting that at some point public opinion, the rising price of oil, and the impending midterm elections will pressure the US negotiators to accept an inferior deal. Currently, according to the AAA the price of oil at the pump is hovering in the $4.50 range, and history tells us it will increase even further over the Memorial Day weekend. Before the war the price averaged $3.00. This is unacceptable.

Oddly enough whereas our allies are mostly supporting the Administration’s war efforts it has been getting strong (and inane, I might add) criticism from the Dem Party politicians, their allies in the media, and the anti-Israel/antisemites. Many Dem politicians have been characterizing the war as “illegal” due to the absence of Congressional approval and “reckless.” For example, Senator Tammy Duckworth and Rep. John Garamendi have characterized the war as a “quagmire.”

One problem for the Administration has been the contradictory messaging. For example, Trump has always described the war as a “short excursion” that would end in a “matter of weeks.” It has been almost three months, and the end does not appear to be in sight. Indeed, recently White House deputy press secretary, Anna Kelly told Fox News that Trump “is not in a rush” to end the war.

The latest Pew Research poll disclosed that Americans now disapprove of the war by 61% to 37%. This is exactly what the Iranians are banking on. In my opinion this level of disapproval will increase if the negotiations continue to drag on and the price of oil remains high, in which case it would likely impact the midterm elections.

Conclusion

Normally, I agree with Trump’s policies and actions. With respect to the Iran War, I agree it was necessary for all the reasons that have been cited in my previous blogs and elsewhere. I applaud his desires to try to reach a negotiated settlement to avoid unnecessary bloodshed. However, in my view the negotiations have gone on long enough.

It is clear to me that Iran will never agree to cease its nuclear ambitions, surrender its enriched uranium, allow free and unfettered access through the Hormuz Strait, nor cease fomenting terrorism throughout the ME and the world. Trump gave negotiations a chance. It’s becoming apparent that they will not culminate in a satisfactory deal.

I say, don’t fall for the “rope-a-dope.” Why are we negotiating anyway? We won; they lost. This should be an unconditional surrender where we tell them what we want and they comply, or else.

This may be our one and only chance to settle things with Iran in a manner that ensures a non-nuclear future. I say, stop “pussyfooting around.” Now, is the time to “drop the hammer.” I say employ any and all means to confiscate the enriched uranium, verify that Iran’s nuclear program has ended, and open the Hormuz Strait.

Enough already! We are on the one-yard line. Punch it in!

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PROJECT FREEDOM

As always, the contents of this blog are a compendium of multiple media reports supplemented by my personal opinion where indicated.

Negotiations have gone on long enough. They are at a standoff. The time has come to act. It’s clear that the Iranians are not negotiating in good faith. They are doing what they have always done – stall, stall, and stall some more. This “rope-a-dope” has worked for years, and they are hoping it will work again. They are banking on political pressure from within the US, and they are getting it. Trump is being criticized for his handling of the war, the price of oil, and the rate of inflation. He is losing popularity, and the midterms are coming soon.

The Iranians have not and are not going to agree to our core demands. We don’t even know that the Iranians with whom we are negotiating have the power and authority to negotiate. We are receiving conflicting information. Who’s in charge? Is it the politicians? Is it the military? Is it the Ayatollah? Is the Ayatollah alive, dead or incapacitated? Is a small cadre of close advisors making decisions in his name? (This is eerily similar to the Biden presidency.)

As I have opined in previous blogs in my view, President Trump’s prosecution of the war has been flawless to date. In a matter of weeks our military has destroyed Iran’s nuclear capability, its military, its infrastructure, its communication systems and its economy. Militarily, the war a complete mismatch akin to an NFL team playing against a high school team.

Now, comes the harder part. We won the war; now we have to win the peace, which will be largely fought in the court of public opinion both in the US and abroad. Now, the overriding goal is to bring down the price of oil and hence the inflation rate. The blockade of the Hormuz Strait was a wise attempt to force Iran to surrender without additional loss of lives – ours and theirs. Trump was being considerate of the Iranian people who have suffered greatly and are continuing to do so. That is to his credit. Unfortunately, the blockade has not opened up the Strait. It has not revitalized the flow of oil. Americans are suffering and getting mad.

Now, Trump must take more decisive action. He has a plethora of choices ranging from continuing diplomacy to “letting the dogs loose,” i. e. resuming massive bombing and/or taking Kharg Island. We don’t have to “bomb Iran back to the Stone Age.” Just take control of its oil.

Wisely, he has chosen a “middle of the road” response. Just today he has initiated one of the mildest possible actions dubbed “Project Freedom” whereby US Navy ships will commence escorting commercial oil tankers through the strait. Many of these tankers are owned and operated by neutral countries who have had no part in the war. Nevertheless, they have been stuck outside the strait since the war began. At this point their crews are running low on fuel, food and other necessities. Trump said these countries have been requesting the US for assistance. The situation grew more critical over the weekend as Iranian boats attacked one of these ships. Additional attacks are feared. If this action does not work, he can always proceed with one of the more aggressive actions.

Several observers, such as Retired General Jack Keane, have been advocating for military action to resolve the Iran problem once and for all. There is merit to that position. This will probably be our one and only shot. We have a president who has the guts to do what’s right, not what is politically expedient. Unfortunately, Trump will not be president forever. His successors might be less assertive. Moreover, let’s not forget, we have three carrier groups in the area and thousands of jets and troops. We can do whatever we want.

Conclusion

Domestic support for the war is dwindling. Trump knows the midterm elections are only six months away. Politically speaking, this war must be resolved before then.

When all is said and done, the top issue for voters is the economy. Elections are always about the economy. Thanks to the rhetoric of the Dems and their allies in the media a goodly portion of voters are not even cognizant of the seriousness of the existential threat of a nuclear-capable Iran. They are unaware of the objective of the war and are questioning its necessity.

People are suffering, and they are mad. They don’t care about Iran. All they focus on is the high price of oil, now as high as $115 per barrel and $4.46 at the pump for a gallon of regular. Before the war it was significantly lower. Prices, in general, are high. They are reminded every time they gas-up their car, go food shopping, or pay the rent or mortgage. Naturally, they blame Trump for all of it.

As of early May 2026, President Trump’s approval ratings, heavily impacted by the economy, inflation and the war, have hit new second-term lows. For example, the most recent ABC News/Washington Post/Ipsos Poll disclosed his approval to be just 37% and his disapproval at 62%. Unless these ratings rebound Republicans will likely lose control of one or both house of Congress. In that event Trumps’ program will be thwarted and he will likely be impeached again.

It’s time to focus on the needs of the American people, not those of the Iranian people. It’s time for Trump to refocus on his famous mantra – “America First.”

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TRUMP’S STRANGLE STRATEGY

As always, the contents of this blog are a compendium of multiple media reports supplemented by my personal opinion where indicated.

I like President Trump’s current strategy to blockade Iranian shipping attempting to navigate the Strait of Hormuz. At this stage of the war, it is the best strategy. I prefer it over the alternatives such as additional massive bombing of Iran’s oil wells or agreeing to a peace settlement that falls short of the primary objectives of the war, which for those who may have forgotten is to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weaponry.

The obvious objective of the blockade is to strangle Iran’s economy by depriving it of its sole source of revenue – oil. Normally, some 80% of Iran’s oil and 20% of the world’s oil and liquid natural gas passes through the Strait. It is the best and most expeditious route for these products to transit between the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea. As I write this, the blockade has generally been very effective even though a few ships have managed to sneak through.

Iran has no alternative sources of revenue. It has no other natural resources, no manufacturing to speak of, and certainly no tourism. All it has is huge deposits of oil, which heretofore have sustained its economy and funded its desire to foment terrorism throughout the ME and the rest of the world through various proxies.

According to Secretary of War Pete Hegseth all ships (some 34 in total) traveling to or from Iranian ports have been “turned around without incident.”  Moreover, the blockade has been expanding. As I write this, the US now has three carrier groups in the region. Hegseth added “just this week, we seized two Iranian ‘dark fleet’ ships in the Indo-Pacific region that had left Iranian ports before the blockade went into effect.” Furthermore, in posts on his Truth Social platform Trump claimed: “Iran is collapsing financially! [It] want[s] the Strait of Hormuz opened immediately. [It is] starving for cash! [It is] [l]osing about $500 million a day.” Recently, it was reported that Iran has about 127 million barrels of crude oil reserves that are stored in parked tankers. That sounds like a lot, but in truth it will not last long. But that doesn’t mean that the blockade wouldn’t hurt Iran,” he said.

For various reasons a goodly portion of congresspersons and other critics has opposed the war from its inception. As I explained in previous blogs they fall into four categories: (1) those with a political agenda whether or not it is beneficial to America, (2) “never Trumpers,” who blindly and automatically oppose any action or policy Trump undertakes, (3) antisemites and anti-Israel critics, and (4) those who are misinformed by the “fake news” media and/or ignorant of or choose to ignore the lessons of history. These categories of vociferous naysayers include many Dem politicians such as Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, Gavin Newsome, Kamala Harris and AOC, who should know better. Perhaps, some or all of them should brush up on their knowledge of history.

On May 1 the Trump Administration may face a Congressional challenge with respect to the continued deployment of the military in Iran. Some Congresspersons have opined that the duration of the US’s military campaign against Iran is limited by the War Powers Act of 1973, which mandates that a President commence military withdrawal after 60 days unless Congress either declares war, authorizes the specific action, or extends the deadline. Congress has not taken either action and is unlikely to do so.

The Administration has “pushed back” claiming there is “no firm deadline for ending the conflict as it has not formally characterized the campaign as a “war.” Consequently, congressional approval is not required. The 60th day is May 1. We’ll have to see how this matter is resolved. It may require a ruling by SCOTUS.

Conclusion

The blockade has been opposed by the usual suspects as detailed above. Due to their ten-year record of lies, exaggerations and obfuscations that have invariably been ultimately debunked their opinion no longer has any credence if it ever did.

In my opinion, however, it has proven to be a very successful strategy. It has strangled Iran’s economy by depriving it of some $500 million of oil revenue per day. As a result, in addition to not having any nuclear weapons or an effective military Iran’s economy and finances are being severely degraded. It has nothing. NOTHING.

At this point, we don’t have to fight. We don’t have to risk American lives. We can just sit back and watch Iran strangle to death unless it accepts our terms.

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THE HARD WAY OR THE EASY WAY

As always, the contents of this blog are a compendium of multiple media reports supplemented by my personal opinion, where indicated.

As I write this blog the US is attempting to arrange round two of peace negotiations with Iran. Predictably, round one did not yield any meaningful results. As always, the Iranian negotiators were not negotiating in good faith. Obviously, they did not have the power and the authority to do so seriously. Since then, it has become apparent that the country is in turmoil. There is a power struggle between the politicians who seem willing to be realistic and reasonable and the military, which is not. There is no clearcut leader, so a meaningful, lasting deal cannot be consummated.

Despite all the fake news characterizing President Trump as a reckless, heartless, warmonger the empirical evidence clearly illustrates that he wants a peaceful resolution to this war. Iran has been thoroughly and completely defeated militarily. At the moment, it is “circling the drain” financially and economically. Its navy has been destroyed; its nuclear weaponry and nuclear “dust,” Trump’s term to describe Iran’s highly enriched uranium stockpile and residual nuclear material currently buried under tons of debris that could be retrieved and “enriched” to make nuclear bombs have been neutralized; its leadership has been virtually wiped out; its communications systems are “shot;” its economy is destroyed; and the US’s blockade of the Hormuz Strait is preventing any ships from entering or leaving its ports. In short, Iran is completely helpless. It is at our mercy. Trump could, as he has said, bomb it back to the stone age. For them, continuing the war would be futile and suicidal.

I believe further negotiations would be a “fool’s errand.” It would provide Iran with another opportunity to lie, delay and obfuscate and turn public opinion in its favor. It’s what they have always done and what they will continue to do. They are not in any position to negotiate terms. Their choices are to (1) surrender and accept our terms unconditionally (the easy way) or (2) continue to resist and be annihilated (the hard way). At this point most countries would accept reality and opt for the easy way in order to retain some semblance of viability.

However, Iran’s leadership is dominated by fanatical religious zealots who have espoused the destruction of Israel, the US, and any other “non-believers.” We have to understand that they have no desire to negotiate a lasting peace treaty. They would rather fight to the end and die as martyrs. They have been attacking Israel, the US and others and fomenting terrorism through their proxies for 47 years. They have tried to assassinate Trump at least twice. They have no empathy for anyone, even their own citizenry who have been suffering greatly. After all, they have already slaughtered tens of thousands of them merely for the “crime” of protesting. They will fight to the last man. I applaud Trump for continually attempting to forge a lasting peaceful solution, but the time to “lower the boom” once and for all is approaching rapidly. The current situation is untenable. It is hurting Americans economically and, by extension, the GOP’s prospects for the midterm elections. In my view, Iran is akin to a cancer that must be extirpated.

Conclusion

The latest Reuters/Ipsos Poll disclosed that Trump’s approval rating has declined to 36%, which is a new low. A majority of respondents were critical of both the state of the economy and his conduct of the war. There is substantial pressure on him to negotiate a settlement even though we have not yet achieved complete and total victory and even if it would allow Iran to rise again in the future.

His critics primarily include the following groups:

  1. The “never-Trumpers” who will always oppose any action or policy of his. In this case many of them have openly stated that they would rather the US lose this war than see Trump get credit for winning it,
  2. those who hate Israel and Jews,
  3. the politicians (mostly Dems) who crave power over doing what would benefit the country,
  4. the well-meaning persons who have been gaslighted by the fake news media, and
  5. the inattentive and/or ignorant persons who neither know nor care about the lessons of history and have no appreciation of the gravity of the current situation.

Luckily, Trump is impervious to criticism and polls. He has consistently pursued the course of action that he believes is right, not one that is politically expedient. It’s what he is doing now. It’s fine to give a negotiated lasting peace a chance, but not for too much longer. I hope that Trump retains the fortitude to persevere and finish the job. To use a sports analogy, we’re at the one-yard line. Punch it in!

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A PEACE AGREEMENT WITH IRAN IS IMMINENT, OR IS IT?

As always, the contents of this blog constitute a compendium of multiple media reports supplemented by my personal opinion, where indicated.

As I have written in previous blogs militarily, it was a complete mismatch, comparable to an NFL team taking on a high school team. In a matter of weeks, we have defeated Iran militarily completely and decisively. We have bombed them relentlessly (including destroying its nuclear capability, its nuclear enrichment sites, its factories, its communication systems, and its economy, among other targets), killed the Ayatollah and the top two or three tiers of Iran’s leadership, destroyed its Navy, taken out virtually all of its missiles, rockets and other weaponry, opened up the Hormuz Strait, blockaded the Strait to choke off any ships trying to enter or leave Iranian ports, and cut off its primary means of revenue – oil. Like I said, a total and decisive military victory. Kudos to President Trump, Secretary of War Hegseth, and the entire military hierarchy from the Joint Chiefs down to the enlisted men and women.

It was well-known that Iran was close to attaining nuclear capability. Its negotiators even bragged about it at one of the sessions. Everyone knew that the rest of the world could not allow that to happen. Something had to be done and soon.

Iran’s military was no match for the US. All that was required was a US president with the b**ls to do what needed to be done. Unlike predecessors Obama and Biden, President Trump was that man. He understood that history tells us appeasement never works in the long run. The other side views it as weakness and always seeks to take advantage. Aggressors will always keep pressing until they meet resistance. He was wise to Iran’s negotiating tactics and would not be deceived.

However, I believe all that was the easy part. Now comes the hard part, to forge an agreement that will last, that Iran will honor, and that future US presidents will have the fortitude to enforce if it doesn’t. In summary, we won the war; now we have to win the peace. More about this later.

As I have said multiple times anyone who has been paying attention to the news and is analyzing it objectively, rationally and coherently was cognizant that (1) Iran was close to developing nuclear capability, (2) was lying about it, (3) would likely use it once it had it, (4) could never be allowed to possess it, and (5) it was incumbent on the US to prevent it by force, if necessary.

And yet, the Dems and their allies in the media fought Trump at every turn. This was incredulous under the circumstances, but not surprising. As I have blogged many times, they have consistently opposed and denigrated every Trump policy and action. They have persisted even though it consistently placed them on the wrong side of various “80-20” issues. But this was different. We’re used to TDS. Normally, we laugh it off, but this situation presented an existential threat not only to the US, but potentially to the entire world as a whole. This situation had the potential to impact not only us, but also future generations. Obviously, they didn’t care. Obviously, they wanted Trump to fail even if it damaged our national security.

For example:

  1. At first, they insisted the war was illegal. The Constitution states that only Congress can declare war. True, but there have been a plethora of precedents in which the president has commenced hostilities going all the way back to Thomas Jefferson and the wars against the Barbary Pirates beginning in 1801.
  2. At the beginning Trump was labeled a “warmonger,” a “fascist,” and a “violator of human rights.” Later, when he agreed to a cease fire he was labeled “soft.”
  3. As I said, many of his critics were openly rooting for Iran just so Trump would fail and give them a political issue in advance of the 2026 midterm elections. For instance, NY Times columnist Thomas Friedman, a hardline progressive and avowed Trump-hater actually admitted that “although he doesn’t like [the] Iranian regime,” he is rooting for it because he “doesn’t want to see Trump or Bibi Netanyahu getting credit for what would be a historic win for global peace.”
  4. Reportage of the war was radically different depending upon which media outlet was reporting the news.

Conclusion

As I write this it appears that Iran is agreeing to all of the US’s peace terms. That’s great, but as I said above, given its history of lies and obfuscations a word of caution is needed. Negotiations are still ongoing. We cannot assume anything. We don’t even know for sure that we are negotiating with the persons who actually have the authority to make a deal. Iran could be stalling while it rebuilds and re-arms.

Moreover, even after a deal has been signed there will no assurances that Iran will abide by it. It will require continuous monitoring, probably indefinitely. Iran fears and respects Trump, but it is playing the “long game.” It knows Trump will be gone shortly. Its hope is that eventually we will elect another president who will be weak, lax or inattentive and will re-engage in appeasement. I hope not, but I fear it will happen.

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THE IRANIAN “ROPE-A-DOPE”

As always, the contents of this blog are a compendium of multiple media reports supplemented by my personal opinion, where indicated.

Well, that didn’t take long. The US/Israel-Iran cease fire agreement was over before it began. Many of us knew from the beginning that it never had a chance. Iran is claiming Israel broke it by continuing to attack Lebanon. The US and Israel claim the war in Lebanon was never part of the cease fire agreement. Iran is claiming that the US is not complying with its 10-Point Terms (which were ludicrous on their face). The US is claiming that Iran has not complied with any of its demands most immediately by failing to open the Hormuz Strait to all ships free of charge.

The peace negotiations between representatives of the US and Iran have commenced. In my view they will be a waste of time. Regardless, they will not result in a permanent peace. Based on its negotiating history Iran has no intention of complying with any of our terms. Its negotiators have been saying one thing privately to our negotiators and the opposite publicly. Its military is not fully standing down. We are not even 100% certain who is in charge of the country. Is it the politicians? Is it the military? Is it the religious fanatics? Are we even negotiating with the right persons?

As always, its objective will be to stall, obfuscate, and lie to draw out the negotiations indefinitely. This strategy, aka “The Iranian Rope-A-Dope,” has worked time and again with prior Administrations, and the Iranians hope it will again. More on this later.

Iran cannot beat us militarily. It has already lost decisively. However, having lost the war, its plan is to win in the arena of public opinion as it has done before. It is counting on the US and the world tiring of the war and become willing to make a deal that will enable it to live to fight another day. In that event, it plans to rebuild its war machine, re-enrich its uranium, and continue to terrorize the world, and abuse its own people.

Consider;

  1. There are many factions both in the US and around the world that have criticized the necessity and legality of the war and President Trump’s strategic decisions from the beginning. Lately they have grown more vociferous. Incredibly, some of them have been openly rooting for Iran to win.
  2. These naysayers include most of the Dems in Congress and their supporters in the media in the US as well as many of our “allies.” These “allies” are the same cowards who would not provide troops nor even allow us to refuel our airplanes in their countries.
  3. The rapidly approaching midterm elections will put additional pressure on Trump to make a deal lest the GOP risk losing its majorities in Congress.

Many observers, including me, were not happy with the cease fire. In our view we were so close to achieving all of our goals and finishing Iran off for good that we should have pressed on and finished the job. For example, Fox military analyst General Jack Keane denoted that we were “perhaps ten days to two weeks away from wiping out Iran’s remaining ballistic missile launchers, underground storage sites, military production facilities, and nondefense industries.” Basically, we let Iran off the hook. It still retains sufficient power and influence in the ME to cause problems. At this point it is likely that we will have to fight another war with it and continue to deal with the terrorist activities of it and its proxies.

As I write this, Iran has retained control of the Strait of Hormuz. In contravention of the laws of the sea, it is not allowing free unfettered passage to any and all ships. It has been selecting which ships will be allowed to pass through, and it is threatening to assess tariffs. This has been and will continue to wreak havoc with gas prices and therefore the economies of all countries. President Trump has to resolve this asap or else despite all of his accomplishments the GOP will likely be slaughtered at the polls in November.

In my opinion, at this point the key to a satisfactory result is Kharg Island. It is merely a tiny island of little consequence, EXCEPT FOR ITS LOCATION, which is smack dab in the middle of the aforementioned Strait of Hormuz. Remember some 20% of the world’s oil passes through it, and it accounts for 90% of Iran’s oil exports. I am reminded of that old expression that the value of real estate is based on “location, location, location.” KI is supremely important, and in my view if Iran continues to hinder traffic thru the Strait the US should take control of it and the Strait either by blockade or invasion.

Conclusion

The current peace negotiations in Pakistan are a waste of time. I understand that Trump wants to give peace a chance. I understand that he would prefer a peaceful resolution to the horrors of more war. However, as I said above, I have seen this movie before. I didn’t like it the other times I saw it, and I like it less this time. I know how it ends. You know it; Trump knows it; everyone who does not have their head up their a*s knows it.

Regardless of whatever terms may be agreed upon in Pakistan, history tells us the Iranian leaders will never abide by them. Iran will never fully disarm voluntarily. It will continue to foment terrorism in the ME, the US and the rest of the world. It will continue its 47-year campaign to destroy any and all “nonbelievers.” It will continue to blackmail the rest of the world by disrupting the world’s oil supply, or just by threatening to do so. It will try to rebuild their enriched uranium stockpile. They will never deviate from their goal of nuclear capability. If left alone, eventually, whether next year or in ten years, they will succeed. Eventually, we will have to fight them again, perhaps, in a larger, more devastating war. As I said in an earlier blog history generally repeats itself. For example, we didn’t finish off Germany in WWI, which sowed the seeds for the rise of Hitler. Throughout the 1930’s the European powers continually appeased Hitler, which led to a larger and more devastating WWII.

My advice to Trump is ignore your critics. You will never be able to satisfy them anyway. You know it. I know it. We all know it. Do the right thing, not the politically expedient thing. Don’t fall for the Iranian “rope-a-dope” as your predecessors have. Let’s not forget that as winners we get to dictate the terms.

Metaphorically, we are stalled on the one-yard line. Punch it in. FINISH THE WAR!

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NO KINGS

As always, the contents of this blog are a compendium of various media reports supplemented by my personal opinion where indicated.

I was nonplussed by the most recent “No Kings” demonstrations. This was the third iteration, and the organizers are predicting (threatening) additional rallies prospectively. According to the Guardian, on March 28 over eight million people attended some 3,300 “No Kings” rallies in the U.S. and around the world, making it likely the largest single-day protest in U.S. history. I am continually amazed, appalled and even frightened by the dearth of some Americans’ knowledge of even the basics of current events, history and just general awareness of world events, and how easily they are continually manipulated by the radical left and the mainstream media, whose primary goals are to denigrate America and its system of government and divide the country. The organizers are radically left, highly organized, and well-funded. Many, if not most, of them are located offshore in communist/socialist countries.

With respect to the “No Kings” movement even the name is an absurd moniker that has no basis in reality. Trump is not a king, has not been acting as a king, and has no desire to be a king. He is not aiming to be president for life. After the 2028 presidential election he will leave the presidency just like all previous presidents have.

Most of the demonstrators don’t have the foggiest idea of the issues against which they are railing and don’t particularly care. All they know is that it is a protest against President Trump. What for, they don’t know or care. Some Dem politicians have even stated they are rooting against America just to hurt Trump. In my opinion, many of those who are protesting the war against Iran couldn’t even find it on the map much less have an understanding of the underlying and immediate issues.

Based on what I have bene able to glean from various news reports the major reasons for the protests are as follows:

  1. The Iran War
  2. High gas prices
  3. Inflation
  4. ICE overreach

I maintain that they are ignorant of the context of these issues. I have discussed each of these in recent blogs, but I will endeavor to provide a brief review at this time.

  1. The War – The overriding purpose of this war is to ensure that Iran does not develop nuclear capability. No sane person wants that. We know Iran was merely weeks from achieving that goal. How? During the ongoing peace negotiations, they bragged as much to our representatives. We are highly confident that once they developed nuclear weapons, they would have no hesitation to use them. Their most likely targets would be Israel and the US, but they would have constituted a truly existential threat to the entire world. So, we are engaged in a limited war in the present to avoid a larger war in the future. If you think I am exaggerating the danger, review the history of the 1930s and the ill-conceived, ill-advised, and unsuccessful appeasement of Hitler. The people that are complaining that the war is “unnecessary,” “it’s not our fight,” and “we weren’t attacked” are woefully ignorant of the historical facts. In reality nothing could be further from the truth. The fact is we have been at war with Iran since 1979 when the radical lunatic mullahs took control of the country. Iran has established an unknown number of terrorist cells in the US.  Through its various proxies it has coordinated a plethora of attacks against both Israel and the US. It has planned and attempted the assassinations of various US officials including President Trump. So, this limited war is definitely necessary to prevent a significantly larger war later. Remember that old expression, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Rather than being vilified for his actions Trump should be applauded for having the courage to do what he is doing.
  2. High gas prices– It is true that the price of oil has skyrocketed since the advent of the aforementioned war, and that is a financial burden on virtually all Americans. However, this is a necessary short-term situation that will be resolved as soon as the war is over, which should be in a matter of weeks.  As I write this, according to Trading Economics and Bloomberg.com West Texas Crude oil is selling at approximately $104 per barrel, which is way too high, but, for perspective, in March 2022 during the Biden Administration the price was even higher, $130 per barrel. Furthermore, today’s price is due directly to Iran’s closing the Hormuz Strait whereas the price in 2022 was self-inflicted due to the Biden Administration’s ill-advised prolific spending.
  3. Inflation – The current inflation of 3% is too high, but to be fair, Trump did not cause the problem. He inherited it. He was in the process of addressing that issue before the war threw everything out of kilter. The price of energy affects the entire economy. After the war when the price of oil is under control the rate of inflation should decline to more acceptable levels.
  4. ICE Overreach – Briefly, the “left” has been complaining that ICE has been too aggressive in hunting down and deporting illegals. While there have been a few isolated incidents of violence these have occurred in sanctuary locales where the local law enforcement has exacerbated the situation by hindering, rather than helping the process. The larger point is that the illegals broke federal law just by entering the country. In addition, many of them were the dregs of society in their home countries and have continued to commit violent crimes in the US against US citizens. The perception is that the Dems favor the rights of illegals over those of American citizens.

Conclusion

Due to the foregoing, Trump’s current approval rating this month is the lowest it has been since his reelection. The fallout from the current problems is threatening to undue all of his prior accomplishments. With the midterm elections looming both he and the country need a quick and decisive end to the war. If the Dems were to take control of even one of the two houses of Congress nothing of substance will be accomplished going forward. His programs will be thwarted, and he may even be impeached again.

We are literally fighting this war for the sake of our children and grandchildren. Do we want to leave them a planet that is perpetually under the risk of nuclear war or one that is safe? That was a rhetorical question. I know the answer. Do you?

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DEAL OR NO DEAL

As always, the contents of this blog are a compendium of multiple media reports supplemented by my personal opinion where indicated.

Below please find my observations, thoughts and opinions with respect to the war with Iran:

  1. Here’s a statement on which all sane, rational, objective persons can agree. IRAN CAN NEVER BE ALLOWED TO POSSESS NUCLEAR CAPABILITY! Anyone who cannot endorse that statement needs to have their head examined. Furthermore, they should be automatically disqualified from holding any responsible government political office or leadership position (on the grounds of deficient mental acuity). Apparently, that includes many if not most of the Dem politicians.
  2. Trump did not want a war. He reiterated that point over and over again. He wanted to make a deal, but a deal the US could live with such as (1) an Iran devoid of nuclear capability, (2) unfettered and independent inspections, and (3) penalties for non-compliance, among other things. The Iranian leadership has been gaslighting us on this for decades. They say they want to make a deal, but they don’t really want to do so. Like I said in my previous blog it’s the Iranian version of “rope-a-dope.”
  3. A nuclear capable Iran would pose an existential threat not only to Israel, not only to the ME, but to the entire world. Its leaders are religious fanatics. They hate and want to kill anyone who is not a “true believer.” They are fanatical enough to use it, even if it would mean mutual destruction. They simply don’t care.
  4. The concept that America is protected by two vast oceans is outdated. In a war we would be in range of our enemies’ ballistic missiles. Moreover, there is the threat from within posed by terrorist cells.
  5. As I write this, the war is eleven days old. Militarily, it has been a success beyond all expectations. In that short period the US and Israel have destroyed Iran’s Air Force, sunken in excess of 60 naval vessels (which constituted most of its navy), and taken out most of its missiles and missile launchers. 
  6. Enjoying complete air superiority, Israeli and US bombers have had free rein to attack any targets they choose. As I write this, they have destroyed more than 5,500 targets inside Iran, and Trump has said there will be more to come.
  7. They have killed the Supreme Leader, virtually all of the top echelon of leaders and advisors and most of the second tier.
  8. Trump has made it clear that the Ayatollah’s replacement must have his support, or else he won’t “last long.” We don’t want to end up with a government of more of the same. They have chosen Mojtaba Khamenel, son of the late Supreme Leader, who likely will likely be more of the same.
  9. Anyone who doubts the urgency and legitimacy of this war should listen to Steve Witkoff, the US’s co-chief negotiator. He told Fox News that at the latest meeting the Iranian negotiators’ first comment was to brag about how they had surreptitiously developed 460kg of 60% enriched uranium. It’s been estimated that Iran could have enriched it up to 90%, which is weapons grade, in a mere ten days or fewer. At that point Iran would have possessed nuclear weapons.
  10. Iran tried to gaslight Witkoff by insisting its nuclear goals were peaceful, but Witkoff denoted that if that were true there would have been no need to enrich beyond 20%.
  11. The Iranians told Witkoff they viewed it as their “inalienable right” to develop such weapons. Witkoff responded that it was our “inalienable right” to stop them. At that point it was clear that there would be no deal.
  12. The Strait of Hormuz, which is just South of Iran, is a vital choke point for oil that is shipped to and from the ME. Some 20% of the world’s oil is shipped through it. In order to disrupt the oil markets Iran has attempted to blockade it and attack ships traversing it. A few days ago, it sunk three oil tankers, and it sought to mine the strait even though Trump had warned them not to do it.
  13. As a result of Iran’s actions, the price of oil has been fluctuating wildly. A few days ago, it hit a high of $119.50 per barrel before retreating to $90 on Monday. We sunk their warships, which is good, but we’re not completely out of the woods yet. It has been reported that Iran still has a multitude of small boats, minesweepers and sea explosives.
  14. The International Energy Agency, which for decades has monitored global crude oil supplies and helped to prevent price shocks, announced that its 32 member countries would release 400 million barrels of oil from their respective strategic reserves. That would represent the largest release ever and the first such coordinated action since 2022. However, the IEA has not yet released details about when countries will start releasing oil, nor how much they will be able to put into the market at a time. The goal is to moderate rising oil prices prospectively.
  15. Hezbollah, in an ill-advised strategic move, has been attacking Israel with barrages of rockets. Israel has responded with waves of airstrikes in Lebanon and an extensive ground campaign. To date, more than 630 people have been killed in Lebanon, and some 1,500 others have been injured.
  16. The primary critics of the war have been the Dem politicians and their allies in the media. They can’t help themselves. As I have said in prior blogs this war is not one of choice. It is of necessity. This is not a replay of the Bush Administration’s false claims of “weapons of mass destruction.” Naturally the Dems have been critical. First, they claimed that it was illegal since Congress was not consulted beforehand, and only Congress has the constitutional authority to declare war. Nevertheless, precedent for a president starting a war is clearly on Trump’s side. Presidents have been doing so all the way back to Thomas Jefferson and the Barbary Pirates Wars (beginning in 1803). The idea of consulting with Congress on war strategy is absurd on its face. There would be no confidentiality. One does not disclose to the enemy when and where one will be attacking. That claim was thwarted.
  17. Now, many of them are still claiming there is no clearcut strategy. They just don’t “get it.” For example, Senator Richard Blumenthal (D CT) told reporters, “I emerged from [last Tuesday’s] briefing [to the Senate Armed Services Committee] as dissatisfied and angry, frankly, as I have from any past briefing in my 15 years.” I say, why, about what? Our goals are crystal clear. Chuck Schumer (dead man walking politically) still professes that Trump’s justification for the war is “confusing” and exhibits “blatant disregard” for [the safety of] American soldiers. I didn’t realize he was that ignorant of history. Maybe, he should research the preamble to WWII and read my last two blogs.
  18. Although Iran cannot defeat us militarily, it does present a real clear and present danger via possible terrorist attacks. It likely has a plethora of terror cells in the US that it could activate if it hasn’t already. We are especially vulnerable since the Dems have caused a government shutdown which is undermining the effectiveness of the DHS and the secret service, which have responsibility for ferreting out and preventing terrorist attacks. I urge Congress to agree on a deal to end the shutdown asap. (Schumer, are you listening, or are you confused about that too?

Conclusion

Iran miscalculated our power and our resolve. They were not the first, and they won’t be the last to do so. They are paying dearly for their miscalculation. Iran’s only hope is to turn American public opinion against the war like with the Vietnam War.

We must exhibit resolve in the face of economic adversity. This war is too important, and I don’t believe it will last a long time. I view it as short-term pain, long-term gain. I repeat, IRAN CANNOT BE ALLOWED TO HAVE NUCLEAR CAPABILITY.

No deals, except unconditional surrender.

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THE WAR WITH IRAN

As always, this blog is based on a compendium of multiple media reports supplemented by my personal opinion, where indicated.

The decision to go to war with Iran was not a “reckless,” “spur of the moment” decision as some Dems and other critics would have you believe. President Trump repeatedly advocated for a peaceful settlement, but due to Iran’s intransigent negotiating strategy it became obvious that it would never agree to curtail its quest to become a nuclear power. He warned them what would happen, and then he followed through. As I have always said, Trump says what he means and means what he says.

I believe that in retrospect we can all see that Trump began to lay the groundwork for a potential war with Iran in his first administration beginning with the Abraham Accords. Furthermore, he has nurtured a positive relationship with Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States most of which are also fearful of a nuclear-armed Iran. So, this was a well-planned, well-thought-out operation. Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.

Remember, every war has its underlying causes and an immediate cause. In this case the underlying causes were thousands of years of religious antipathy and 47 years of terrorist activities committed by Iran and its proxies. In 1979 a group of religious fanatics overthrew the government run by Mohammad Reza Pahlavi (aka “The Shah of Iran”). Since then, Iran has become the primary source of terrorist activities in the Middle East, the US and Europe. It has been well-funded by oil money and its allies such as Russia and China.

In recent years Iran has engaged in various negotiations with the US and others aimed at achieving a lasting peace in the ME. Lately, however, it has become increasingly apparent that Iran does not really want peace and never did. It has engaged in several negotiations and agreed to various peace deals such as the toothless Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), or Iran nuclear deal, but it never abided by them. What it does want and has always wanted is nuclear capability, and recently the evidence shows unequivocably that it was very close to achieving that, maybe within weeks. According to Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, currently the US’s chief negotiators with Iran, the Iranian negotiators admitted as much at the most recent meeting, even bragging about how it had achieved that status surreptitiously,

What many have long suspected became obvious. All of the negotiations with prior presidents were just camouflage, an Iranian “rope-a-dope,” if you will. The US has tried to bribe Iran with various concessions and billions of dollars, all of which failed. Finally, in Donald Trump we have a president who was not deceived, who realized that the world was being “gas lighted” big-time, who would not be deterred from what must be done, who had the cojones to do what was right as opposed to what was politically expedient, and who realized that the world was rapidly approaching Armageddon. The timing was propitious. Iran had been weakened by previous attacks, and its citizens were rising up against the government. The feeling was if not now, when?

Simply put, Trump realized what these prior administrations did not or were afraid to act on. Iran, a country that was governed by religious fanatics who were virulently antisemitic, anti-Israel, anti-America, and anti-Christian and had repeatedly openly declared that its goal was to destroy Israel and the US, could never be allowed to possess nuclear capability. Surely, they would not hesitate to use it. Even the mere threat of them using it would destabilize the entire ME if not the world. That realization was the immediate cause. Anyone who doubts the righteousness of Trump’s decision need only recall the preamble to WWII. During the 1930’s European leaders repeated appeased Hitler in the hope of avoiding war. We all know how that worked out.

I am perplexed why any clear and objective thinker would criticize this war. Yet, the Dems have not disappointed. They are predictably consistent, the gift that keeps on giving. The defenders of criminals, illegal aliens, election fraud, and boys participating in girls’ sports cannot help themselves. Their DNA requires them to criticize anything Trump advocates or does. In the words of the late former president Ronald Reagan, “there they go again.”

Many members of Congress are mad that Congress wasn’t asked for prior approval or even consulted beforehand. For example, Hakeem Jeffries said that “the Trump administration must explain itself to the American people and Congress immediately, provide an ironclad justification for this act of war, clearly define the national security objective and articulate a plan to avoid another costly, prolonged military quagmire in the Middle East.” For good measure he opined we would lose the war. Majority leader Chuck Schumer, said this war is “not necessary.” He called for “more information.” In her typically “wishy-washy” manner, NY Governor Kathy Hochul was all over the place, afraid to offend anyone. She “blasted” the Iranian regime as a “global threat,” but then in the next breath she commented that “it is deeply disturbing that we entered a war without an exit strategy.” My response to them is Trump’s actions were no different than those of other recent presidents. Also, once a decision was made speed and confidentiality were paramount to success. You don’t tell the enemy where and when you are coming. Finally, words of wisdom from Senator John Kennedy (R LA), he of the acerbic wit; “We’re not trying to start a war…We’re trying to end it.” And, with respect to the late Ayatollah, “may he rest in ‘pieces.’ ”

Trump is angry with some of our European allies including the UK, Spain and France, among others for refusing to allow the US to utilize their bases to refuel during the attacks particularly since their countries have already been victimized by Iranian-sponsored terrorism, and they are already within the range of Iran’s missiles. He denigrated UK’s PM, Keir Starmer, as “no Winston Churchill.”

Conclusion

An Iran with nuclear capability would have presented an existential threat not only to Israel and the US, but to the entire world. Be honest. Would you have rested easy in that case? I think not.

As I said, already some of its ballistic missiles have the capability to reach parts of Europe. That makes our European allies’ actions even more puzzling. In a short time, Iran would likely have developed enhanced weaponry with the capability to reach parts of the US as well. Heretofore, the nations that have had nuclear capability have exercised responsibility and restraint. They may bluster and threaten from time to time, but they know that using a nuclear weapon would likely provoke an all-out war that would devastate everything and everyone. I and many others believe that the Mullahs of Iran, being crazy, deranged lunatics, could not be counted on to follow suit.

This should be an all-out war. No halfway measures. Finish the job once and for all. Don’t fight not to lose. Fight to win. When Iran loses, and it will lose, I advocate unconditional surrender.

Trump’s critics, which are legion, have characterized this war as a “war of choice.” In fact, in my view it is just the opposite. It is a war of survival. Therefore, Trump should be applauded, not criticized, for his actions. To his critics I say take a deep breath, hold your nose, swallow your pride, suspend your TDS and be grateful he is our president.

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IRAN’S COMEUPPANCE

The following is a compendium of various news reports regarding the Israel-Iran War, which, as most of us know is currently raging in the Middle East, supplemented by my own opinion sprinkled in where noted.

In my view, almost anyone who was paying attention to world events knew it was only a matter of time. It was obvious that Iran, despite its continuous denials, was developing nuclear weapons and the capacity to deliver them. Also, everyone knew that it would not hesitate to use them once it was able to do so. Iran has been very blunt with respect to its goal to destroy Israel and then wreak havoc on other countries it perceived to be enemies, including the US.

I maintain it was equally obvious that Israel would never allow Iran to possess such weaponry. Jews have already suffered through one Holocaust; they do not need another.

Israel has been at war since its founding as a nation. It knows this war is literally a fight to the death. If the US leadership were to continue in its appeasement policy, it was prepared to act alone. Once Donald Trump became president and the US expressed unwavering and unconditional support of Israel’s “no nuclear weapon for Iran” policy the die was cast. I’m surprised it waited so long to “drop the hammer,” but I suppose Trump and Netanyahu wanted to give peace a chance.

As I have written many times Trump is not wishy-washy like Joe Biden and other former US presidents. He says what he means and means what he says. He gave Iran 60 days to agree to a deal, and on the 61st day he gave Israel the go-ahead. In turn, Israel has unleashed holy hell on Iran. In just a few days Israel has destroyed much of Iran’s nuclear capacity, killed much of its leadership and nuclear scientists, virtually destroyed its air force, and has the country at its mercy.

As I said, Trump has repeatedly said he wants peace, but he is prepared for war. The US already had substantial assets in the ME region, and recently, as a show of force, it tasked another aircraft carrier group to the area due to what the US military termed “an emergent operational requirement.” As the expression goes, “hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.”

Messrs. Trump and Netanyahu have been working closely together to thwart Iran. In a sense they have been providing a blueprint of how to deal with a genocidal terrorist autocratic regime. Now, it appears that there is a real chance to transform the geopolitics of the ME. In due course, perhaps other Arab nations will join the “Abraham Accords” that Trump has been advocating. You may have noticed the deafening silence from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and the other ME nations. They didn’t want Iran to have nuclear capacity either. No one does. No one trusts them not to use it.

Predictably, the biggest opposition has been coming from within the US from the TDS-afflicted far-left wing of the Dem Party and their allies in the media. For example, Hakeem Jeffries wants it both ways. While acknowledging that “Iran should never be allowed to become nuclear capable” he has backtracked by advocating for a “reduction in hostilities.” Doofus Tim Walz is bemoaning the fact that the US, by its unwavering support of Israel, has ceased to be a “neutral arbitrator.” Not to be outdone, Ilhan Omar has chimed in with what the NY Post termed her usual “antisemitic dog whistles.” As expected, the country’s leading Jewish politician, (Up)Chuck Schumer, has failed to express support for Israel. One of the few voices of reason among Dem leaders has been PA Senator John Fetterman who told the Jewish Insider he was “shocked by his ‘party pals’ ‘ views.” I say, he shouldn’t have been.

Iran is the very definition of a rogue nation with an unhinged leadership. It is an integral part of a rogue’s gallery of nations that includes Russia, China and North Korea. It has been the world’s biggest sponsor of terrorism. Through its proxies, such as Hamas, Hezbollah, the Hootie’s and other terrorist organizations it has fomented mayhem and death throughout the ME, Europe and the US. It has attempted to assassinate President Trump at least twice, and it is reputed to have several terrorist cells active in the US. In my view, it deserves what it gets.

CONCLUSION

Clearly, Iran’s leadership, through arrogance or blind hatred, miscalculated the situation. They were used to dealing with appeasers like former presidents Biden and Obama whom they were able to “string along” with deceit and deception and who offered only tepid support for Israel. They didn’t realize that Trump is totally different from them. Their insane hatred of Israel blinded their reason, and now they will pay for it.

Now, Israel is in total control of the situation. If it chooses it could assassinate the Ayatollah, and destroy Iran’s oil fields, which would render the country leaderless and bankrupt. Trump has urged some restraint “for now.” Perhaps, he is patiently waiting for the Iranian people to rise up and displace the country’s current leadership, which is reputed to be widely unpopular. The Ayatollah could always follow in the footsteps of Syria’s former president Bashar al-Assad who fled to Russia. However, Trump’s patience won’t last forever. The situation has been evolving rapidly. Stay tuned.

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