r/WayOfTheBern • u/penelopepnortney • Aug 06 '26
Thread #37 for Comments and Updates on the Ongoing War by Israel/US Against Iran
## Update
Thread #38 started: https://old.reddit.com/r/WayOfTheBern/comments/1vmxhym/thread_38_for_comments_and_updates_on_the_ongoing/?
Continued from Thread #36: https://old.reddit.com/r/WayOfTheBern/comments/1v9lul9/thread_36_for_comments_and_updates_on_the_ongoing/
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u/3andfro Aug 13 '26
Four US-based rights groups sued the Trump administration on Tuesday for its sanctions on the International Criminal Court (ICC). In a statement, the American Friends Service Committee, the Center for Constitutional Rights, Human Rights Watch, and the Open Society Institute called the sanctions "blatantly illegal". https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/us-rights-groups-sue-trump-administration-icc-sanctions
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u/3andfro Aug 12 '26
Transition Protocol, BESSENT'S DUMBEST CLAIM YET, Trump Says “Total Control” Iran Says NO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9_Ugq_L6n4
Strait of Hormuz irrelevant in two years? Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said so on Aug. 8, claiming pipelines will replace most Gulf oil flow — but existing bypass capacity covers less than a quarter of what actually crosses Hormuz. The same week, President Trump claimed “total control” of the Strait, and Iran's newly confirmed Supreme National Security Council chief, Mohsen Rezaei, said it stays shut until the US ends the war and returns frozen assets. Pepe Escobar, Larry Johnson, and Zulfiqar Ali break down all three claims against the actual numbers, plus the new Mecca Joint Defence Agreement and a US Strategic Petroleum Reserve that just hit its lowest level since 1983.
Beyond the headlines: what a stalled Hormuz reopening means for global diesel and jet fuel supply, why the US emergency oil reserve matters for every driver and airline, and what Pakistan's active back-channel diplomacy with Tehran could mean for the weeks ahead.
Radhika Desai with Ali Alizadeh: How Iran Exposed America's Paper Tiger Military https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=usEZT2jhFiU time indexed
Six months into the war, is Iran's military triumph being quietly undone by its own negotiators? Ali Alizadeh, prominent commentator on West Asian affairs and host of the popular YouTube channel Jadal, joins me to unpack how Iran's 12-day and 40-day wars exposed the limits of US power, from the 8-hour command recovery after Israel's decapitation strike to Iran's refusal to fold under blockade. But Alizadeh argues the real battle isn't being fought on the battlefield anymore. He traces how Washington used a $300 billion MOU to buy internal leverage that bombs couldn't, empowering Iran's pro-Western liberal faction just as the resistance gained the upper hand, and explains why Mojtaba Khamenei's new hardline appointments now signal a decisive break from that strategy. We discuss the January uprising, the fragile power-sharing between Iran's factions, and why Alizadeh believes Iran's future depends on finally divorcing itself from the West and deepening its alignment with China.
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u/arnott Aug 13 '26
why Alizadeh believes Iran's future depends on finally divorcing itself from the West and deepening its alignment with China.
This is the Duran's point too. They include Russia too.
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u/3andfro Aug 12 '26 edited Aug 12 '26
Nima with Larry Johnson: "Outlast Trump" – Iran’s Move vs. Trump’s "Bankrupt Iran" Strategy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFRqORPP0ZU
Diesen with Chas Freeman: How U.S. Decline Reshapes the Middle East https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83XXuBB9MJY
Judge Nap with COL. Lawrence Wilkerson : Is the US a Republic or an Empire? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GegcA2vMPeE
Nima highlights: The US Is Trapped: Iran’s New Offensive Strategy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iNsdx3dSVvY
Mercouris, Putin Orders Retaliatory Seizures By Russian Navy Of EU Ships; Orekhov Crisis Kiev Brigade Trapped https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Evn1988aYKU - time indexed
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u/3andfro Aug 12 '26 edited Aug 13 '26
Davis/Deep Dive with Robert Barnes: Nobody's Pushing Back on Trump in the Admin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kcmRV2ciP1s
Iranian Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Mohsen Rezaei: "Iran, Pakistan, Türkiye, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, and Indonesia, as major countries in the Islamic world, bear the responsibility of moving forward on the path toward achieving Islamic unity." https://www.youtube.com/post/UgkxkK2ei-ENaTy_drSsEKL8Uid7RLsWhrFk
Saudi Arabia opposed Egypt joining the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement signed with Turkey and Pakistan last week, despite Ankara's push for Cairo to be included in the pact... One of the sources, a former senior adviser to the Saudi monarchy, said Riyadh did not want Egypt to join the agreement "at least for now". All three sources, however, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the issue, said the Saudi position was driven by a growing frustration with President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi's government and a belief in Riyadh that Egypt no longer offered the strategic or military value it once did.... https://www.youtube.com/post/UgkxirpYUX3u-qyG_PG7_HwkywkHJo3SDbGX
Dimitri Lascaris with Vijay Prasad, Has Delcy Rodriguez Betrayed The Bolivarian Revolution? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxXXQLVs3y0
In 2009, former Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez severed ties between Venezuela and Israel, but this week, the government of Interim President Delcy Rodriguez announced that Venezuela had restored diplomatic relations with the genocidal Israeli entity. This decision follows a series of major concessions by the Venezuelan government to the Trump regime. What does all of this mean for the future of Venezuela? Has Delcy Rodriguez abandoned the Bolivarian resolution led by Hugo Chavez?
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 12 '26
The Davis-Barnes video starts with a bang, a clip of Trump saying "Iran is going fine. Going just absolutely fine. We totally control the Strait of Hormuz. We have control over it. Nobody else. Only us. Our navy is unbelievable. And things are going great for our country."
Had to pause it to share that great news with everyone.
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u/Caelian toujours de l'audace 🦇 Aug 12 '26
a clip of Trump saying "Iran is going fine... We totally control the Strait of Hormuz..."
This sounds like something Trump's sycophants told him... verbatim.
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u/3andfro Aug 13 '26
How much better informed he'd be if he spent time at WotB's pinned Iran posts. 😁
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u/3andfro Aug 12 '26 edited Aug 12 '26
If there's a chance he believes any piece of that BS, it's time for the 25th Amendment. More likely: he's still trying to pacify what remains of his base and buoy the stock market. (I heard that opening segment and had to close the screen; couldn't stand to watch and listen.)
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 12 '26
He does believe it, according to Barnes and it's even worse than that. I'll post some more excerpts when I finish watching it.
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u/3andfro Aug 12 '26
Sounds as if I should've fast-forwarded past the dear leader clip to catch the rest of the discussion.
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 13 '26
Just finished it and will be posting more excerpts as soon as 1) I finish my ice cream, and 2) and organize it into bullet points or some kind of summary. Some good stuff.
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u/Caelian toujours de l'audace 🦇 Aug 13 '26
as soon as 1) I finish my ice cream, and 2) and organize it into bullet points
Chocolate
Peach
Peppermint
Spumoni
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 13 '26
Don't tell u/3andfro!
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u/3andfro Aug 13 '26 edited Aug 13 '26
No problema. Finished dinner, ready to walk across the street for a single scoop of Irish mocha chocolate chip. Or whatever else is in the case tonight that catches my fancy. :D
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u/3andfro Aug 13 '26
Oooh, ice cream.... You reminded me that I'm 1/4 block from a convenience store that has an ice-cream-by-the-scroop freezer just inside the door. Kinda wish you hadn't. 🍨
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u/gorpie97 Aug 13 '26
Ooh - and you reminded me that my local store has Ben & Jerry's; I don't have to wait 'til next week when I go to the "big city". :D
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 13 '26
Resistance is futile. Tell yourself that, it worked for me.
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u/3andfro Aug 13 '26 edited Aug 13 '26
I can live with that, but dinner first here on Left Coast time.
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u/gorpie97 Aug 13 '26
I don't know why, but I assumed you were on the other coast. (Not that it matters.)
→ More replies (0)
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u/3andfro Aug 12 '26 edited Aug 12 '26
CONDITIONS ABOARD THE USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN:
Nima with Lt. Col. Anthony Aguilar: The Unraveling of the USS Abraham Lincoln https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r71yQDT80ao
Danny Haiphong with Larry Johnson, USS Lincoln in FATAL Mutiny, Iran FORCES US Navy to TURN on Itself https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=heFmZs95Bfs - this is grim
Col. Macgregor: U.S. Military in CRISIS as Sailors JUMP OVERBOARD from USS Lincoln https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6awphMT3lEs
Military families are speaking out and warning about a growing crisis onboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, as its 5,000 sailors and marines are now in their ninth month at sea—with 250 consecutive days without making land—as the deployment has been extended to take part in the U.S. war on Iran. Douglas Macgregor noted that reports of sailors attempting to jump overboard the USS Lincoln come as no surprise, given the circumstances, and they should be taken seriously by the Trump Admin. But the opposite is happening, as the U.S. pushes its military into a crisis for a war of choice they know they can’t win against Iran.
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u/3andfro Aug 12 '26 edited Aug 12 '26
Judge Nap with Phil Giraldi : The Pentagon’s Trillions Can’t Buy Defense https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2-FHPcEgOrk
viewer comment: The only thing the Trump administration succeeds at is corruption. [other admins of both parties have had that issue, but none have been foolish enough to listen to Mossad intel of their own intel services]
Davis/Deep Dive, live from Russia Stanislav Krapivnik https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eF9cBMNxDaM
AIPAC, Schumer CRUSHED In Key Minnesota Race https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dd86e6eHMSs - 6:58
Donald Trump is facing a lawsuit from The Intercept and the Freedom of the Press Foundation over a Truth Social service that gives paying subscribers early access to his posts for up to $100,000 a month. The groups argue the service creates an unfair advantage by allowing paying users to receive Trump’s market-sensitive posts seconds before the public. Trump Media & Technology Group has called the lawsuit an attempt by “left-wing activists” to censor the president. https://www.youtube.com/post/Ugkxh05WG6hy-GwsDSjXf8lKEWo6kmhmVlCa
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u/gorpie97 Aug 13 '26
an attempt by “left-wing activists” to censor the president.
LOL
No one's trying to censor Trump, you idiots.
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u/3andfro Aug 12 '26 edited Aug 12 '26
LIBYA--
Drone Attacks Escalate on Libya’s Oil and Power Infrastructure https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqK-aUgZ2x4 - 1:21
In Libya’s Az Zawiya, a drone attack set a petrol storage tank at the country’s largest oil refinery ablaze, with emergency crews working through the night to contain the fire. The National Oil Corporation says it is the fifth such strike in recent days and insists energy facilities must be kept out of conflict. Hours later, another drone hit a sub-power station, knocking out more than half of its 1,300 megawatts and worsening power cuts and demand for fuel
Libya was plunged into fresh turmoil this week after a car bomb killed eastern military intelligence chief Fawzi al-Mansouri in Benghazi, drone attacks struck the country’s largest operational oil refinery and the central bank governor resigned from his post. Mansouri, the military intelligence chief for forces controlling eastern Libya, was leaving a mosque on Monday night when an explosive device attached to his vehicle detonated.... https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/libya-reels-assassination-oil-strikes-and-central-bank-turmoil
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u/3andfro Aug 12 '26 edited Aug 12 '26
Nima with Elijah Magnier: Erdoğan: The ‘Mecca Alliance’ Has Only ONE Target (And It’s Not Who You Think) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3D5wLeAauqY
Judge Nap with Gilbert Doctorow : What is Russia’s Strategy Toward the US? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGTPHHLP1ZA
Nima with Laith Marouf: Exports Wiped Out: The 24-Hour Crash That Broke Saudi Arabia’s Economy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHcMGkjvn-M
Judge Nap clip with Amb. Chas Freeman, Trump’s Strategic Stalemate: Why He Can’t Move Forward or Back https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nWxqHjdy_q4 - 5:34
Turkey suspects Israel fabricated Trump Air Force One assassination plot to derail US-Iran deal https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/turkey-suspects-israel-fabricated-trump-air-force-one-assassination-plot-derail-us-iran-deal
Off topic: One of the largest Native American tribes in the US has issued a ban on hyperscale data centres on its tribal lands. The Oklahoma-based Cherokee Nation made the announcement last week following a months-long consultation that found 64% of survey respondents oppose the construction of data centres.... https://www.youtube.com/post/UgkxHnHDDPbaOOvJqBvexs68QBVGqv09mxPo
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u/gorpie97 Aug 13 '26
One of the largest Native American tribes in the US has issued a ban on hyperscale data centres on its tribal lands.
One has to wonder if companies are going to respect the sovereignty of tribal decisions about tribal lands, if they're not even willing to grant the same to Greenland.
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u/3andfro Aug 12 '26 edited Aug 12 '26
Iran Warns of Long War as IRGC Shifts to Offensive Doctrine | Trump Faces Tougher Choices https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnwZ1kCQT2A - 4:56
The conflict between Iran, Israel and the United States continues to reshape the security landscape across West Asia, with Tehran showing little indication that it is prepared to back down. A senior adviser to the commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has reportedly signalled a shift from a primarily defensive posture toward a more offensive military doctrine. Iranian officials have also highlighted the country’s missile and drone production capabilities, arguing that domestic manufacturing has strengthened Iran’s ability to sustain a prolonged confrontation.
Patrick Henningsen short, THE UNCHANGING POWER DYNAMICS SHAPING U.S POLITICS ACROSS ADMINISTRATIONS https://www.youtube.com/shorts/Y--7buRDgG0 - 2:27 - names named, with offhand insults lobbed
Judge Nap clip with John Mearsheimer, Why the U.S. Keeps Losing Wars: A Failure of Strategy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5Km9QkqoVY - 3:13
Ray McGovern, former CIA officer: Intelligence given to Trump has come from Mossad, not US intelligence https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=khi7KLjB-HI - 3:56
Drop Site News, War of Economic Sieges: Who Can Last the Longest https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cpSHjyR683w
Diesen with Larry Johnson: Will Trump Declare Victory Against Iran & Walk Away Without a Nuclear Deal? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwRRJkWRVyo
The Duran, Yen Is Sinking Again. Oil Reserves Near Empty w/ Ray Zucaro https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-3-PNXpQVR0
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u/gorpie97 Aug 13 '26
Intelligence given to Trump has come from Mossad, not US intelligence
That's amazing. (And not in a good way. :/ )
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 12 '26
The shift to an offensive posture seems pretty evident from the changes Mojtaba Khamenei made recently. Like appointing Mohsen Rezaei, the highly regarded former IRGC commander, as his representative to the Supreme National Security Council.
In fact, Rezaei and Mojtaba Khamenei have a long-standing relationship as Mojtaba was the bridge between Mojtaba's late father, the previous ayatollah, and the IRGC under Rezaei - according to Pepe Escobar in the Transition Protocol video from yesterday, August 11th.
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u/RandomCollection Resident Canadian Aug 12 '26
Morale is facing a crisis on the USS Lincoln aircraft carrier.
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u/3andfro Aug 12 '26 edited Aug 12 '26
Nima with Lt. Col. Anthony Aguilar: The Unraveling of the USS Abraham Lincoln
Col. Macgregor: U.S. Military in CRISIS as Sailors JUMP OVERBOARD from USS Lincoln
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u/RandomCollection Resident Canadian Aug 12 '26
Trump needs these Navy sailors to enlist again after. I doubt that the re-enlistment percent will be high.
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u/Caelian toujours de l'audace 🦇 Aug 12 '26
I wondered if anybody has compared Trump to Captain William Bligh "of the Bounty".
Yep: April 2020 "Take that man aft".
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u/3andfro Aug 12 '26
Jamarl Thomas with Carl Zha, China Caught Israel Spying — Here's Why They'll Never Admit It https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=inwsms_k4ro
Transition Protocol, KHAMENEI PIVOTS--SECRET 6 HOUR MEETING With PEZESHKIAN, PAKISTAN’S MECCA PACT SHAKES EURASIA https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8xXG_hX7bE
TEHRAN SHAKES THE CHESSBOARD: In this emergency briefing of Transition Protocol, geopolitical analysts Pepe Escobar and Zulfiqar Ali break down exclusive intelligence regarding a secret 6-hour face-to-face summit between Iranian President Pezeshkian and Leader Mojtaba Khamenei. Discover how Tehran is restructuring its national security apparatus under IRGC veteran Mohsen Rezaei, resetting negotiation terms with Washington, and asserting operational oversight over the Strait of Hormuz alongside Oman....
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 12 '26 edited Aug 14 '26
Transition Protocol, some key points:
Pepe says Pakistan needs to be cautious because Turkey is always hedging, 90% of its ruling class are Atlanticists, pro-NATO vs. pro-Eurasia, something he learned from all the time he's spent in Istanbul and Ankara.
With the Mecca agreement Pakistan is extending its nuclear umbrella to Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Zulfiqar Ali says he has been told they may extend it to certain other countries as well, including Iran. He predicts Pakistan will be the glue that mends the animosity between Riyadh and Tehran.
Pakistan is expecting a 21-member delegation from Tehran probably led by Ghalibaf, probably carrying a mandate from Mojtaba and Mohsen Rezaei that will put the final points together that allows an agreement to take place that would be a strategic defeat for the United States.
(edit: typo)
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u/Blackhalo Purity pony: Российский бот Aug 12 '26
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u/3andfro Aug 12 '26
Trump should ‘take the less bad deal’ and accept Iranian sovereignty over Hormuz https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y_vOaUjcqf4 - 7:57
Pakistan's Interior Minister has held talks with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi as part of mediation efforts to end the US-Iran conflict, amid signs that Tehran and Washington may be moving closer to an agreement. Qatar has said that talks between Iran and Oman on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz are at an advanced stage. In an interview with Al Jazeera, former senior US diplomat Alan Eyre said Iran and Oman have agreed on a temporary traffic separation scheme for 60 days, with ships passing under Iranian control, but that the US has a "veto" and the plan will not be implemented without Washington's agreement. Eyre said the main issue is "sequencing", with Iran wanting to "front-load the benefits" before implementing the deal, while the US has the same concerns about trust. He advised the administration to "take the less bad deal" and accept Iranian sovereignty over the strait to get traffic moving, warning that "the pain hasn't started yet" and serious economic pain could be felt in about a month.
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 12 '26
the US has a "veto" and the plan will not be implemented without Washington's agreement.
This is a deal between Oman and Iran, the US has no veto and should get over itself.
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u/3andfro Aug 12 '26
Seriously! He or this summary may have been conflating any deal related to the MOU and the US and Iran, not what Iran and Oman are negotiating about long-term management of the Strait.
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 11 '26
https://geopolitiq.substack.com/p/khamenei-appoints-new-military-commanders:
Yesterday Araghchi held a phone call with Pakistani Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar, who briefed the former about the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement signed between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan last week...According to Al Mayadeen, IRNA, Tasnim and Mehr, Ishaq Dar “highlighted the pact’s core objectives, emphasizing its intent to strengthen strategic cooperation and contribute to broader regional peace and security”, while Araghchi provided an update on the ongoing Iran-Oman talks regarding the control of the Strait of Hormuz.
(Incidentally, it is worth reporting that, according to MES, KSA, Turkey and Pakistan provided Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi with a piece of “intelligence bait” (false intelligence) and, after discovering that he babbled it to the Americans, decided not to include Egypt in the Mecca Joint Defense Agreement).
In other news:
shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz dropped to just 6 vessels yesterday, down from an average of ~11 ships per day over 10-day period
Qatar’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Majed al-Ansari claimed that Oman-Iran talks on the management of the Strait of Hormuz are “at a pivotal point”, with “mediators working to reopen Hormuz as soon as possible”
Araghchi and Pezeshkian received a Pakistani delegation headed by Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi today
“Turkish and Iranian delegations met in Turkey’s eastern province of Agri on Tuesday to discuss border security and cooperation between the two countries in this area”
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u/3andfro Aug 11 '26
Drop Site News, AIPAC on the Ballot in Key Swing States [primaries today] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv_8slPHDqs - 11:55
Nima with Larry Johnson: US 10x Surge in THAAD & PAC-3 Ammo, Yemeni Rockets Hit Saudi Command https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYmfPnRae3U
Pakistan’s Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi visits Tehran, reinforcing Islamabad’s role in mediated messaging between Iran and the US. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nnPPV5v6zl0 - 1:52
Iran Supreme Leader's Loyalists Solidify IRGC Position Amid War & Talks | Race To Power https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YqDtpcDmtSA - 10:04
Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has consolidated the power of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) by appointing veteran hardliners to key security roles, including former IRGC chief Mohsen Rezaei as secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, amid ongoing regional conflict and delicate maritime talks.
Rachel Blevins with Dr. Foad Izadi, THE REALISTS ARE HERE: Iran's New Military Commanders Ready for WAR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m-4sfCKSMkY
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u/3andfro Aug 11 '26 edited Aug 11 '26
Davis/Deep Dive with Col Doug Macgregor - Iran War: THE ART OF DEFEAT / We Have No Influence Over Iran https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOZ_f6j352k
Davis/Deep Dive, War & Americans What the Polls Reveal /Pollster Rich Baris & Lt Col Daniel Davis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6s9OiykOkI
Judge Nap with Lt.COL Karen Kwiatkowski : How We Know Trump Lost His War https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UmX24CgHcW0
Greenland Issues Warning to U.S. Oil Firm: The $1 Trillion Arctic Energy Standoff Explained https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DMsD6kYTIs0 - 3:05
Greenland's government has issued a formal warning to Texas-based oil firm Greenland Energy after the company landed drilling equipment in Jameson Land without local authorization. In this TimesXP geopolitical analysis, we break down the $1 trillion Arctic oil dispute, Greenland's environmental regulations, and the macro implications for global energy markets.
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u/gorpie97 Aug 11 '26
the company landed drilling equipment in Jameson Land without local authorization.
I can't believe they have the cojones to do this. Actually, I can; it's not a good look for them.
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u/3andfro Aug 11 '26 edited Aug 11 '26
Davis/Deep Dive with Marjorie Taylor Greene: The Money Trail in Washington DC https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3o1cml4TzpU - chat replay comments are fascinating
Ex-Pentagon senior security policy analyst Maloof on significance of General Rezaei's appointment https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWXOvFsWwqw - 3:41
Why the Mecca Agreement is a necessary show of force | The David Hearst Podcast https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=plvzSEZXfEU - 11:34 - I find his analyses useful. Hearst says:
The turning point came with the new defence pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan. He argues that Donald Trump’s failed war on Iran exposed the limits of the US security umbrella and forced Gulf states to confront a reality they had long avoided, that America could no longer reliably protect them or restrain Israel.
Israel has repeatedly undermined agreements backed by Washington, from Lebanon to Gaza and Iran. He argues that Netanyahu does not want these wars to end, and that neither Biden nor Trump has been willing or able to enforce their own terms on Israel.
The new alliance could eventually strengthen regional negotiators, reduce Israel’s freedom of action and help break what he describes as a century of external domination. He concludes that the real issue is sovereignty, and whether the region’s biggest powers are finally prepared to defend their own land and people together.
Edit to add: Transition Protocol with Alex Krainer, The Mecca Pact Is a Dollar Event, Saudi Arabia Is Buying Protection From Pakistan and Turkey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS0ljUjxTQs - More info in video description at the link
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u/gorpie97 Aug 11 '26
and that neither Biden nor Trump has been willing or able to enforce their own terms on Israel.
Seems like we could if we stopped shipping them equipment and $.
I don't think it's about the US; I think it's about who runs the US for its benefit (and I'm not talking Israel; I think they're willing puppets of whomever, too).
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 11 '26
I agree about Hearst's analyses and appreciate your bullet points. For the uninitiated, Hearst is the editor of Middle Eastern Eye.
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u/3andfro Aug 11 '26
Modestly formatted from Hearst's own summary at the link.
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 11 '26
Even a copy/paste of video summaries is appreciated, it gives readers enough info to decide whether they want to hear more. It's hard to tell from just a video title, how often has it turned out that what's prominent in the title is only discussed in the final few minutes of the video?
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 11 '26
Just FYI for those who may not know, Mohsen Rezaei is the former IRGC chief and is now Khamenei's representative to the Supreme National Security Council so he'll be speaking for Khamenei.
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u/3andfro Aug 11 '26
Yes. A couple of links about this appointment posted yesterday: https://old.reddit.com/r/WayOfTheBern/comments/1vhejjc/thread_37_for_comments_and_updates_on_the_ongoing/p2y23nz/
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 11 '26
I've started a TXT document as a handy reference to identify who's who because it can be hard to keep up, particularly with non-Western names. I did the same when the Russia-Ukraine war started so when I heard their names in videos I knew what their role in government was.
The indecipherable AI translations don't help. The Strait of Hormuz is a case in point, with weird translations from "straight of hormones" to "rate of formos" and many other oddities in between. Kind of amusing to see, actually.
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u/3andfro Aug 11 '26 edited Aug 11 '26
Judge Nap with Matt Hoh : Window Closing on US Military Power h https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udpGED3f7gs
Davis/Deep Dive with Col Doug Macgregor: Ukraine Russia War, Trump is Toothless https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yaQaPu4JeJ8
Dimitri Lascaris, Trump Descends Into Paranoia As Global Oil Markets Worsen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UFA_unKLv0k
According to new reporting by the Washington Post and The New York Times, Trump is going to absurd lengths to protect himself from an alleged Iranian plot to assassinate him. Meanwhile, the Resistance continues to pile pressure on oil producers and shipping companies in West Asia. With each passing day, the danger of an economic crash is increasing.
Danny Haiphong with Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, WW3? Russia & North Korea's Missiles HAMMER Kiev, Iran HITS US Ships https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=56Lo_RjxcbI
Col. Lawrence Wilkerson discusses a stunning turn of events as North Korea enters the Ukraine war again overnight with its ballistic missiles raining on Kiev and massive numbers of troops deployed. Plus, a secret Israeli cable has leaked out devastating new information about a daily humiliation for the US Navy that no one is talking about. This stream does.
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 11 '26
alleged Iranian plot to assassinate him
Gosh, I wonder who planted the idea in his head that Iranian assassins were lurking in the bushes. Maybe it was the entity that uses assassination as part of its M.O.? Shouldn't he be more worried about the significance of the golden pager he was gifted with?
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u/Elmodogg Aug 12 '26
That was Netanyahu just messing with a Trump. Bibi must have laughed his ass off hearing about Trump cowering in that catering truck.
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u/gorpie97 Aug 11 '26
I just thought of that (forgot about the pager). Iran doesn't seem to be the type to assassinate, at least not currently.
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u/3andfro Aug 11 '26 edited Aug 11 '26
Nima with Col. Larry Wilkerson: Yemen Just Struck a Major Blow Against the Saudis - Trump in Denial https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gyKyYBnzoUU
Judge Nap with Aaron Maté : Their Blood, Our Bullets https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ISAbaxo32Iw
Nima with Seyed M. Marandi: US Preparing for Imminent Attacks – Gulf States Hammered by Hormuz & Bab al-Mandab https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vaz5tFQPMqs
The Duran, Iran's NEW Terms. US Siege Strategy Will Cripple Allies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gI4mPEiCdCY
Nima with John Helmer: The Polling Paradox: Why the Wars Will Continue https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3kc3NAsiRc
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u/3andfro Aug 11 '26 edited Aug 11 '26
Davis/Deep Dive, Iran & Ukraine Russia Wars: NO QUICK FIXES https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1ojplPQj2A
Nima highlights with Larry Johnson: Why Israel Can’t Strike Iran Alone? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KowdR5EuI1A
Neutrality Studies, The REAL Reason Peace in Ukraine is Impossible | Pavel Shchelin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-GDWjcaBoRg time indexed
The war in Ukraine is not about Ukraine. It's about meaning. Yes, it's a proxy war, and yes, power is at the core of the military confrontation. Even thinking of it as a war of civilizations is not wrong, but it misses what the civilizations actually disagree on. Only the symbolic foundations of the war reveal what Moscow on the one hand and the Globalists on the other are actually fighting about.
Double Down News, THE ISRAEL INTERVIEW MEDIA WANT TO BAN: Sangita Myska Doesn’t Hold Back https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=am0vtQu7Srg time indexed
Former LBC broadcaster Sangita Myska exposes the legal gag orders, perpetual NDAs, social media monitoring, and institutional cowardice silencing journalists across British mainstream media.
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u/arnott Aug 11 '26
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u/3andfro Aug 11 '26
Bessent PANICS as 89% of Banks DUMP Dollar for Gold - Dedollarisation Hits RECORD - 12:37 - clear explanations
Something is shifting beneath the global financial system, and some of America’s closest allies are starting to move in ways that would have been unthinkable a few years ago. This video follows the money, the infrastructure, and the quiet decisions that may tell us far more than any official statement ever could.
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u/3andfro Aug 11 '26
Ignore the ad at the end: Japan Just Forced the U.S. Into an Impossible Choice - 10 mins time indexed
Japan’s currency crisis may be exposing a much bigger problem for the U.S. The largest foreign holder of U.S. Treasuries—faces mounting pressure at the same time America is approaching $40 trillion in debt. So what happens if Japan needs cash and starts selling Treasuries?
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u/arnott Aug 11 '26
When the entire EU/French establishment tells you that the Russians want to manipulate the next French election you know for sure 100% that they’re planning to do that themselves.
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 11 '26
And now a word from the clueless:
@Asres1896
Lol why dont you whine about russia banning its last opposition party from upcoming elections
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u/Caelian toujours de l'audace 🦇 Aug 11 '26 edited Aug 11 '26
I went to Wiki-Pooh to catch up on la comédie humaine. According to Wiki-Pooh, Marine Le Pen will be eligible to run in the next French election (April 18 and May 2, 2027) in spite of being convicted of embezzlement in 2025:
In 2025, Le Pen and 20 National Front members were convicted of embezzlement for misappropriating over €4 million European Parliament funds to fund National Front staff. Le Pen was sentenced to four years in prison and a five-year ban from running for political office, effectively disqualifying her from the upcoming 2027 French presidential election. Following the appeal trial in 2026, her guilt was upheld, but the sentences were suspended or reduced, allowing her to run in 2027.
Le Pen's National Front party (Front National, FN) is now called the National Rally party (Rassemblement National, RN).
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u/3andfro Aug 11 '26 edited Aug 11 '26
I haven't seen this story elsewhere, but in case it's accurate, here it is: China Navy Enters Strait of Hormuz to Break U.S. Blockade!
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 11 '26
This guy may be knowledgeable (I can't tell) but he's a lousy presenter. I've watched 15 minutes and this is where it gets:
So, and that is why China has been running escort rotations of its own tankers, which by the way has not been disclosed before... So, and that's where the deployment of the destroyer and the frigate task force, those are Chinese. Let me share some pictures here... Those are the Chinese warships. And I'm not saying all of them are there. I'm highlighting to you the aspects of China knows what it is doing regarding that.
And then this:
So because those task force, those naval assets are near the Strait of Hormuz. That's where they are. So at the same time, you have to consider also what is going on and what's going on. Why China's thinking this way.
I'm not up for over an hour of this so I'll leave it there.
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u/gorpie97 Aug 11 '26
I'm not up for over an hour of this so I'll leave it there.
LOL
You're a hero for what you were able to do!
you have to consider also what is going on and what's going on.
He sounds like Kamala.
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 11 '26
There were some real head-scratchers, for sure! And that was just in the part I watched.
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u/Ok-Recover-7566 Aug 11 '26
China has been running escort rotations of its own tankers
Big, if true. It sure would explain a lot though.
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u/3andfro Aug 11 '26 edited Aug 11 '26
Don't blame you. I post many more links than I have time to read or watch, leaving it up to others to decide what to check out. I haven't been impressed by that guy, whose channel I came across in the early days of this war, but the claim in the headline caught my attention, hence the post with caveat.
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 11 '26
Not surprising, that was a significant claim and somewhere buried in the full video there may be important eye-opening revelations for those with the patience to stick to it. The competition for people's eyeballs is getting fiercer so if a channel wants to rise to the top it needs to give people a reason to invest their time.
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u/3andfro Aug 11 '26 edited Aug 11 '26
Nima highlights with Larry Johnson: What They Won’t Tell You: US-Iran, Oil & The Silent Pact https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRapJ6n8M1E - viewer comment:
The western media is total useless. There has been nothing about Indonesia. Their situation is dire. Who gives a crap? They happen to be sitting right on the Strait of Malacca. arguably the most important Strait in the world. Being the world's 4th most populous country and the most Muslim in the world. The country consists of over 17000 registered islands. If they want to impose a fee on ships passing through, there is no military solution. YET, as far as the west media is concerned, there is nothing to see there.
China opens Arctic ‘Ice Silk Road’ as Strait of Hormuz crisis deepens https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/1411796-china-opens-arctic-ice-silk-road-as-strait-of-hormuz-crisis-deepens
A Russian-‘Israeli’ historian known for his criticism of ‘Israel’ has disappeared after landing at Ben Gurion Airport last week. https://en.royanews.tv/news/72552/Historian-critic-of-%E2%80%98Israel%E2%80%99-disappears-after-landing-at-Ben-Gurion-Airport
Iraq economy: Government runs out of money due to US war on Iran https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dqc_aAv6tEM - 1:49
Millions of Iraqi state employees and pensioners haven't been paid this month. The disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz have stalled oil exports that fund nearly the entire budget. And the government has no quick alternative.
Libya's NOC warns of force majeure, Zawiya refinery shutdown if drone attacks continue. https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/other/libya-s-noc-warns-of-force-majeure-zawiya-refinery-shutdown-if-drone-attacks-continue/ar-AA29NyF6
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u/3andfro Aug 11 '26
Nima highlights with Larry Johnson: What They Won’t Tell You: US-Iran, Oil & The Silent Pact https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRapJ6n8M1E - viewer comment:
The western media is total useless. There has been nothing about Indonesia. Their situation is dire. Who gives a crap? They happen to be sitting right on the Strait of Malacca. arguably the most important Strait in the world. Being the world's 4th most populous country and the most Muslim in the world. The country consists of over 17000 registered islands. If they want to impose a fee on ships passing through, there is no military solution. YET, as far as the west media is concerned, there is nothing to see there.
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u/3andfro Aug 11 '26
Iran's new military appointments signal offensive strategy: Analysis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IJKPpIbFjzU - 6:45
Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has appointed six senior military commanders to new positions, including Ali Abdollahi as Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, Ahmad Vahidi as commander-in-chief of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and Hossein Taeb as head of the Basij paramilitary force. Former IRGC chief Mohsen Rezaei was also appointed as Khamenei's new representative to the Supreme National Security Council. In an interview with Al Jazeera, Professor Mostafa Khoshcheshm of the University of Applied Science in Tehran said the appointments "are pointing in one direction, that Iran is going on the offensive", and that Tehran believes Donald Trump is "thinking of a full-fledged war maybe in coming weeks or months". Khoshcheshm said the appointments indicate a "major restructuring" and that Iran is preparing for "pre-emptive strikes and much more powerful strikes on the United States". He said the strategy has shifted from resistance to "continued and all-out enhancement of capabilities for maximum deterrence and for smart preparedness for exercising powerful offensive operations".
Iran appoints hardline security chief; Trump panics; renews decapitation threat! | Janta Ka Reporter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPxb7q4lmD0
Every time the Trump-Netanyahu duo decided to eliminate moderate Iranian leaders, the Islamic Republic simply replaced them with unyielding hardliners. Talk about a completely backfired war strategy. Trump’s shortsightedness has handed total control straight to Tehran's hawks.
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u/3andfro Aug 11 '26 edited Aug 11 '26
Transition Protocol, Where Was Mojtaba Khamenei? Iran's UNSEEN Leader Made 1st Move- Who Signed Iran's Decree? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRaVq0rWWeM
Iran replaced the secretary of its Supreme National Security Council last night — by decree of a Supreme Leader the world has not laid eyes on since the strike that killed his father in February. Every newsroom carried the decree. None of them could tell you who signed it.
Transition Protocol has been told by a source close to him that Mojtaba Khamenei has largely recovered, that the change at the top of Iran's security apparatus was his own decision, and that Iran's answer to Washington https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrmigQkmK1Qis being carried to Islamabad this week. We report that as what it is: single-source and unconfirmed. We are telling you who told us and what they are in a position to know, and you can weigh it.
Chris Hedges with Alastair Crooke:
Why Iran's Military Posture Has remained Strong https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fZA08rgo6vc - 11:40
The New Phase of the Iran War EXPLAINED https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ky8wiCJq-3M&t=58s - 11:56
Will The Fragility of the Gulf States Usher in Catastrophe in the Middle East? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YrmigQkmK1Q - 22:24
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u/3andfro Aug 10 '26 edited Aug 11 '26
Transition Protocol with Danny Haiphong: Iran to US- Meet 6 DEMANDS or Hormuz Stays SHUT-What Happens If the US Says NO https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzHG7p_09rU
Iran has published its conditions for reopening the waterway, and they are not a negotiating position — they are an invoice. On 8 August, the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council set out what Washington must do before the strait reopens: lift the naval blockade, withdraw US forces, end the war and the attacks on Iran’s regional allies, stop threatening Iran, lift sanctions, release frozen assets and compensate Iran for war damage. Until then, Tehran says, the strait stays shut.
In the same 48 hours, CNN reported that the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff has privately told senior administration officials that the United States needs an off-ramp from the Iran war — that escalation risks backfiring and that airpower alone will not deliver the President’s objectives. Danny Haiphong joins Transition Protocol to explain why Washington has run out of moves that its own military leadership will endorse, what the Iran–Oman technical talks actually change about sixty years of free transit, why the Mecca Joint Defence Pact signed on Friday by Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan reshapes the region, and what it means for oil, for the sixty-day clock running on the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding, and for the price you paid at the pump this week.
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u/3andfro Aug 10 '26
Nima with Larry Johnson: Trump Flips the Script: U.S. Now Demands BILLIONS in Reparations from Iran https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ly2Kb5CernQ
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei criticized the United States’ sanctions policy toward Iran in a post on X, accusing Washington of becoming “addicted” to economic pressure instead of pursuing diplomacy.... https://www.youtube.com/post/UgkxpoQDulrhaTq0o0m5oGt2xpbM0gSvFjSb
Ukraine must voluntarily compensate Iran for the damage caused by the attack on the ship in the Caspian Sea. Otherwise, we will ensure this ourselves, said Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei. https://www.youtube.com/post/UgkxYUZ8_KmUkDPMUlSQFWS9yZJHfblcSHyn
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u/gorpie97 Aug 10 '26
U.S. Now Demands BILLIONS in Reparations from Iran
What the hell is he (Trump) doing now?
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u/arnott Aug 10 '26
He thinks he is playing chess with Iran.
Guess, he wants to play the long game with Iran.
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u/gorpie97 Aug 11 '26
What a flippin' idiot.
How does he think his chess games with Iran have gone so far? Because they've kicked his ass. Repeatedly.
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u/arnott Aug 10 '26
Nima with Larry Johnson: Trump Flips the Script: U.S. Now Demands BILLIONS in Reparations from Iran
LOL.
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u/3andfro Aug 10 '26 edited Aug 10 '26
The Duran, Russia Hits Odessa As Black Sea Standoff Risks Wider War https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n1P7g5oKYLQ
Mercouris, Russia Blasts Odessa Energy System Cuts Road Rail Links Sea Assault Coming; Russia Holds 30% Orekhov https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IPGZWo2YplA&t=10s - time indexed
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u/3andfro Aug 10 '26 edited Aug 11 '26
Judge Nap with Prof. Jeffrey Sachs : Trump and His War Destroying US Economy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6EYADWPyAmU
Viewer comment: New twist. Reports that "Greenland Oil" a Texas based oil company has been caught on a remote part of Eastern Greenland in an environmentally secured area with oil drilling equipment, no permission or licenses or permits. This is a company heavily associated with Trump, and the owner worked and donated to his campaign. Everyone get a grip. This is seriously dangerous.
Nima R. Alkhorshid: Iran's New Power Player: Who Is Mohsen Rezaei and What Does He Want? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mw33yooaI90 - Viewer comment:
Trump thought he was kicking a Chihuahua and it turned out to be a Pit Bull.
Why did Iran appoint former IRGC chief Mohsen Rezaei to top security post? Abas Aslani explains https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqWbtcTAuUA - 5:19
Professor Marandi: Dr. Rezaei's appointment signals prominent SNSC role amid US escalation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7qkHjwJu220 - 3:17
Marandi highlighted the stark double standards used against Tehran. While open political debate in Washington is hailed as "checks and balances," similar dialogue among Iranian leaders is falsely portrayed as an internal crisis. Marandi contrasts Iran's active political environment with Western-backed regional autocracies, dispels baseless rumors surrounding President Pezeshkian, and explains why the appointment of Dr. Mohsen Rezaei as head of the Supreme National Security Council reflects the strategic demands of guiding Iran during a state of war with the US.
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 10 '26
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2026/08/08/greenland-trump-oil-drilling/2831786218141
Greenland has issued a "strong warning" to an American oil company linked to President Donald Trump, as it prepares to drill on the territory despite lacking proper permits.
Oh my, a strongly worded letter! I'd have arrested them but those in positions of power in the West only have enough spine to beat up on weaker people.
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u/3andfro Aug 10 '26
Another story, from France 24 English: Greenland issues warning against US oil drilling on its territory - 8:41
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u/arnott Aug 10 '26
With Trump’s new unilateral demands, we remain on a collision course in the Escalation Trap
No US economic pressure will settle matters
Hormuz likely to remain closed, Houthi war on Saudi oil will continue
Global energy is heading to the iceberg… not enough lifeboats
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 10 '26
Alex Krainer: "Muslim NATO" marks the end of US hegemony
Given that all three signatories are, at least formally, allied with the United States, many analysts interpreted Friday’s announcement as a creation of a new alliance that would ultimately serve the interests of the United States in the Middle East, and by extension, represent a new bulwark for the defense of Israel. However, I believe that those interpretations will prove mistaken.
One thing all three of these nations have in common is that each has been threatened by Israel in the past.
In view of all this, it would be hard to imagine why Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, or Turkey would come together to defend Israel. More likely, they would come together to protect themselves from Israel and its Western allies, including the US, UK, NATO, and also, in Pakistan’s case from India.
This view is corroborated by the conspicuous absence of any official statement regarding the Mecca agreement from the Trump administration, suggesting that they were neither consulted nor involved in forging the new defence pact.
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u/3andfro Aug 10 '26
Danny Haiphong with Patrick Henningsen, Iran War OVER? Trump STUNNED as Yemen's Missiles SMASH Saudi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eqSgf-7AFho
US Says "It's the Middle of the Game" in Iran //Lt Col Daniel Davis & Brian McGlinchey https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j81JJ6_u54M
Iran's New Demands /Matt Bracken & Lt Col Daniel Davis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9FDelB9nvJE
Highlights from Davis-Bracken interview: Iran's 21 Century Weapons Beat US 20th Century Bombs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzNGuWmQlxI
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u/3andfro Aug 10 '26 edited Aug 10 '26
Nima highlights with Seyed M. Marandi: Chokepoint Crisis: Iran’s Ultimatum to the US https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=45SalUdH_l0
Israeli forces are targeting journalists in the West Bank with growing frequency, contributing to a record number of 108 violations committed against reporters in Palestine as a whole this July. Documented violations range from detention, physical assault and obstruction of coverage to raids on journalists’ homes and seizure of equipment.... https://www.youtube.com/post/Ugkx_6gH-EepQHmEPvpfaDKOtBRti7KjHopM
Diesen with Stanislav Krapivnik: Russia's Ukraine Strategy & Preparations for War with Europe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GrvgnQ4bXKA
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u/3andfro Aug 10 '26
Judge Nap with Alastair Crooke : US Middle East Dominance is Ended https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bliS6A0mBkA
Nima with Paul Craig Roberts: "Left in the Dark": Israel's Humiliation as Trump Pulls His "Last Card" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=258BBOKcFa8
Nima with Col. Jacques Baud: "Wherever You Mass, You Get Bombed" – Yemenis Target Saudi Forces https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q9CQUZVI0rI
Neutrality Studies, End of NATO Hegemony: New Alliance "Nothing Burger" Exposes Western Weakness https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLx8rRygTn4 - commentary on the new alliance and differing interpretations of it from different sources, along with Pascal's thoughts
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u/3andfro Aug 10 '26
Patrick Henningsen, Empire Games: What Do the Ruling Elite Really Want? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qGii8MewdQQ
We continue our walk along the Thames in Central London, with 21WIRE's Patrick Henningsen exploring the Southbank, the City of London, we explore the foundations of former British imperial power, and which aspects still endure today under the US-dominated hegemonic system of global governance and control. What is the primary objective of the ruling elite? Is it money, control, or the power to steer our planetary civilization? We answer that question during this walk. The war in Iran is merely a symptom of a procession of world orders we are watching in realtime
China's coal liquefaction remade global supply chains for energy and food. (Almost) nobody noticed https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rvYBvlnFI2o - 10:03 - Relevant to any analysis of China's energy stability in relation to O&G and the Strait of Hormuz
Analysts are confounded that the severely negative impacts to China's energy and food stocks have not materialized, after months of Middle East war. But China was far better prepared to handle disruptions in key supply chains than most understood. Energy shipments from the Persian Gulf to China continue, along with imports from Russia and Brazil.
China has also developed vast capacity in coal-to-liquids technologies, that allow for conversion of their massive coal reserves into fuel, plastics, and fertilizers. That industry now yields millions of tons of liquefied coal products every year, and even allows for high volumes of urea exports to friendly countries.
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u/arnott Aug 10 '26
Hormuz Leverage Could Become Long Term Trap: The Duran
Looks like Iran is failing to learn from what happened to Syria.
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u/3andfro Aug 10 '26 edited Aug 10 '26
A number of comments disagree with The Duran on this one and explain why. I tend to agree with them this time.
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u/arnott Aug 10 '26
Iran is not Syria. There are many differences, but Iran is wasting time talking to Oman.
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u/Caelian toujours de l'audace 🦇 Aug 10 '26
Iran is wasting time talking to Oman.
I disagree. I see it as a matter of respect. If Iran were to take Oman for granted, they might feel slighted and choose to partner with someone else.
JMO/YMMV
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u/Ok-Recover-7566 Aug 10 '26
But by dealing with Oman, Iran kills the talking point that Iran is acting unilaterally. That makes the Neo-cons sad.
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u/Caelian toujours de l'audace 🦇 Aug 10 '26
That makes the Neo-cons sad.
Neocons have feelings? Who knew? 😺
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u/3andfro Aug 10 '26
Even for a bilateral arrangement over the Strait?
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u/arnott Aug 10 '26
But both Oman and Iran have been talking about it for months now. They should be talking to China and Russia and make economic deals to improve their economy. Iran is stuck on getting approval from the west.
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u/3andfro Aug 10 '26
Those things aren't mutually exclusive. Iran clearly is working behind the scenes with China, one of the reasons it has essential commodities for its people despite the US blockade. Whatever it might be doing with Russia is less apparent (to me) from the analysts I listen to.
The strait encompasses territorial waters of both Iran and Oman, and both will control passage through it. Not unprecedented. They haven't been working out details of mutual management that all long, and like all genuine diplomacy, the devil is in the details and the process takes time and teams of trained people--exactly what we haven't seen from the US in dealings with Iran or Russia.
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u/arnott Aug 10 '26
Iran clearly is working behind the scenes with China,
According to the Duran, Iran has treated China badly in previous business deals as Iran seemed to favor western connections. Hopefully things have changed now.
One of their points is Iran is waiting for the sanctions to be lifted to revive the economy, instead of dealing with countries willing to work with them.
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u/3andfro Aug 10 '26
If that's true, I'd agree they might do better not to put all future economic security eggs in that basket. Even if they believe they can force the US to lift sanctions by inflicting economic pain themselves via the strait, it's always good to have Plan A, B, C, and more--not just as fallbacks but simultaneously: "many irons in the fire."
I respect The Duran's insights about Ukr-Russia but am less convinced by their info and likely contacts on this topic. To be seen, eh? Insofar as we the peons can know.
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u/arnott Aug 10 '26
I don't think they have much contacts in the middle east. They talk about seeing emails from Iranian officials to the Russian officials demanding for stuff. Shown to one of them during a recent Russian visit.
They also acknowledge Iran has historical reasons to be hesitant to trust countries like Russia and China, but recent history has shown them to be reliable.
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u/Caelian toujours de l'audace 🦇 Aug 10 '26
[Iran] should be talking to China and Russia...
I'm sure they are, but it has to be done quietly "in these parlous times".
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u/arnott Aug 10 '26
Hopefully they are making progress.
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 11 '26
Sounds like they are if various reports are true: that China not only provided Iran with its superior BeiDou system but that there are Pakistani technicians on the ground in Iran helping them set it up; and that China is providing Iran with weapons via Gwadar, Pakistan.
So arguably China is providing assistance but using mechanisms that fly under the radar, with Pakistan their main conduit. That would seem to fit in with the Pakistani role in US-Iran talks and reports that the Pakistani negotiators are in regular contact with the Chinese foreign ministry.
It also bodes well for the signatories to the new Mecca agreement being more willing to work with Iran on regional security and stability. Not real sure how Yemen fits into all this since they get a lot of support from Iran (in what form I don't know0 but they aren't a proxy, they have their own agenda that sometimes but doesn't always align with what Iran is trying to do.
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u/3andfro Aug 10 '26
Marandi: The US-Israeli war on Iran was fought using a 20th century doctrine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pU-z6D3M5d8 - 3:25
Nima highlights with Amb. Chas Freeman: The New Triad: Turkey, Pakistan & Saudi Arabia Unite https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DUYF28MC25k
Syria says it reached deal with Moscow on future of Russian bases https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=drWrJDJ_-cQ - 2:16
Syria and Russia have reached an agreement to reorganise Moscow’s military presence at two key facilities on Syria’s Mediterranean coast. Under the deal, Syria will take control of civilian facilities at the Hmeimim air base and the commercial pier at the port of Tartus. The military facilities will be transformed into joint Russian-Syrian training and qualification centres.
The agreement marks a significant change to Russia’s longstanding military presence in Syria, while allowing Moscow to retain a role at the sites. Hmeimim has been a major hub for Russian military operations in Syria since 2015, while Tartus has provided Moscow with a naval facility on the Mediterranean for decades. Syria’s government says the agreement will restore national sovereignty over key strategic assets and open a new phase in relations with Russia. The deal follows 18 months of negotiations and comes after the fall of Bashar al-Assad, a longtime Russian ally, in December 2024.
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 10 '26
Iran sets conditions for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz:
This afternoon Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), finally released a statement including the conditions for the reopening the Strait of Hormuz (sources: Al Mayadeen, IRNA, Tasnim, Middle East Spectator (MES) and RNN Mirror)
Until America corrects its behavior, the Strait of Hormuz will not be opened.
Correcting behavior means:
Never threaten Iran with any language nor insult the sanctities of this nation.
End the war and aggression against Iran and its allies in Lebanon, Palestine, Yemen, and Iraq permanently.
Lift the naval blockade and withdraw US naval and air forces from the area surrounding Iran.
Pay the damages for the two aggressive wars imposed against Iran.
Lift the cruel and illegal sanctions against the Iranian nation.
Release the frozen and stolen assets of the Iranian people unconditionally.
These are the demands of the Iranian people who have been relentlessly present in the squares and streets for 160 days.
The Supreme National Security Council will never back down; whether in war or in negotiations.
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u/gorpie97 Aug 10 '26
Based on the impossibility (unwillingness) of the US to meet those demands, I'd say that the Strait is closed to USrael permanently.
Or else Iran is trying to escalate things.
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u/Ok-Recover-7566 Aug 10 '26
LOL!
US ships lining up to pay their tariff in Iranian Real is not what Trump wanted to get out of this.6
u/penelopepnortney Aug 10 '26
I think you're right about the first. I don't think Iran is necessarily trying to escalate things, but the new conditions are a reasonable consequence of the US agreeing to and then violating the MoU. Especially the way they did it, their shenanigans in the strait were so in-your-face it was like taunting Iran, "we can do whatever the hell we want."
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u/gorpie97 Aug 10 '26
Especially the way they did it,
My tolerance for paying close attention to this expired months ago, so I don't know what we may have done. It was just "oh - we attacked again" or "gee - we tried to sneak through again".
Tons of respect to Iran for dealing with our immature idiots in charge in a calm and rational manner. :)
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 10 '26
My tolerance for paying close attention
I hear ya. I don't bother with the commentariat much because there's nothing more to say about Trump's blather and the underhanded BS the US keeps pulling. I do try to keep up with new news, like this Iranian announcement, and I recently watched two YT videos about the Sykes-Picot agreement and the Balfour Declaration, two acts of imperial hubris that have been the root of almost unending conflict ever since.
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u/3andfro Aug 09 '26 edited Aug 09 '26
From YT channel What's Going on With Shipping? Why the Strait of Hormuz is Not "Irrelevant": A Response to Secretary Bessent time indexed
Netanyahu’s Gaza stance driven by domestic political calculations : Marwan Bishara https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBAuNyL1MkY - 7:59
‘What Happened in Gaza Is COMING to the West Bank,’ Experts Warn https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E969pOjI6y8
Attacks, mass arrests, mosque burnings and land grabs… Across the occupied West Bank, Palestinians are facing an unprecedented rise in settler violence, yet mainstream media isn’t reporting on it....
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u/3andfro Aug 09 '26 edited Aug 09 '26
Nima with Larry Johnson: Israel Drafts Solo Iran Strike Plan If Washington Won’t Move https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1GSCU7w0RJ8
Diesen with Karin Kneissl, former foreign minister of Austria: Energy Wars & the Collapse of Europe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=382c2SMxm34
Sara Netanyahu, wife of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, is facing renewed accusations of verbally abusing, humiliating and mistreating household staff at the prime minister’s residence, according to Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth.... https://www.youtube.com/post/UgkxeKfaQIeRTfLkqnlJ1QTHHiF_TD35Cqlz
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u/3andfro Aug 09 '26 edited Aug 09 '26
Nima with Stanislav Krapivnik: Russia Just Crippled Ukraine’s Supply Lines in Odessa and Nikolaev https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOkelWEjy7Y
Judge Nap clip, Iran's General Just Dropped a Bombshell on the Strait of Hormuz https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TO0wvHlgD0w - 3:30
21st Century Wire, Iran & Russia Just Broke The U.S. War Machine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrWIwc2og2k
Abdul El-Sayed reacts to Trump's attacks after primary win: Full interview https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wacRksAPl4s
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 09 '26
From latest SitRep by Simplicius:
The Russian strike campaign against Odessa and surrounding infrastructure has been sending the Ukrainian commentariat into a panic. Major Ukrainian supply chain distributors have been admitting that Russian attacks have wiped out their warehouses as stores begin to empty—a clear repercussion of Zelensky’s campaign against Russia’s Wildberries
A Ukrainian analytical center reports that Russia’s attacks on the ports have caused Ukraine’s iron output to decline by up to 35%, and that 2026 is the most difficult year since the start of the war
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u/Caelian toujours de l'audace 🦇 Aug 09 '26
a clear repercussion of Zelensky’s campaign against Russia’s Wildberries
"[Black] bears will not attack unless provoked. Of course, it's up to the bear to decide if he's been provoked or not."
I just heard that in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, teenage boys go down to the river in the evening and tease the bears. Sounds like they will have promising careers at the US Department of War.
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 09 '26
They should be recruited now while they're still stupid, to avoid the possibility that they might gain wisdom with age.
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u/3andfro Aug 09 '26 edited Aug 09 '26
Thank you! Meant to post that piece: Simplicius Ukraine's Air Defense Crisis Turns Global as Russian Ferocity Puts Country on Brink
Edited to add: Also Alexander Mercouris today: Russia Makes Biggest Odessa Attack; Rejects Turkey Truce Call; Captures Key Donbas Defences; Orekhov time indexed
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u/3andfro Aug 09 '26 edited Aug 09 '26
Danny Haiphong, Israel ATTACKS Iran? War Now IMMINENT as Trump FOLDS | Seyed M. Marandi https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6jvUwxRFcO0
Nima with Larry Johnson & Col. Larry Wilkerson: Why Washington Is Pulling Back? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bRuYoe5EhTs
Professor Marandi: No real divisons between Iran, Oman https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLb28wDkiZA - 3:29
Drop Site News, Israel‘s Secret Sales Pitch to Provide Surveillance Drones to the UAE https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I4xzY6nkYOs
OPINION: The post-American Middle East is beginning to take shape: The pact between Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye is yet another step towards a new regional security architecture.... https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2026/8/8/the-post-american-middle-east-is-beginning-to-take-shape
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u/Caelian toujours de l'audace 🦇 Aug 09 '26
Israel ATTACKS Iran?
Why would Israel do this when they have such a compliant patsy to do it for them?
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u/3andfro Aug 09 '26 edited Aug 09 '26
Nima R. Alkhorshid: The Inevitable Just Happened in the Middle East https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMRVqrps9e4
Glenn Diesen with Seyed M. Marandi: Iran-Oman Hormuz Deal Almost Reached & the Saudi-Turkey-Pakistan Defence Pact https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZzrl4q82ac
Diesen clips with Trita Parsi: Saudi Arabia, Turkey & Pakistan Build a New Security Bloc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X0zq3qgxBfI
Iran sets six conditions for US diplomatic engagement, including end to threats and sanctions https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmivHpWlTKo - 1:45
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u/gorpie97 Aug 09 '26
including end to threats
But Trump can't help himself. He's 80 years old and been doing this all his life.
I don't know what the solution can be, because it seems impossible.
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u/3andfro Aug 09 '26 edited Aug 09 '26
This administration, as said by others, is "agreement incapable." This president is a bully, and bullies gonna bully.
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u/gorpie97 Aug 09 '26
So they know he won't be able to comply. I wonder why they bothered, then; maybe to be seen to be agreeable. (Not trying to be snarky. I'm sure they would be agreeable if they could trust us.)
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u/3andfro Aug 09 '26 edited Aug 09 '26
Gaza--
“We expect the mediators and the American guarantor to pressure Netanyahu and his government to adhere to the roadmap and not obstruct the process for internal political and electoral reasons,” Hamas political bureau member Bassem Naim told AFP, reaffirming Palestinian resistance group’s commitment to the plan.... https://www.youtube.com/post/Ugkx_tmBwZSCZBFLDyUH27-mNMHC_hIdtZtr
Netanyahu rejects Trump’s plan for Gaza https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hYTsOBw65Ck - 2:09
Israel rejects US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace 15-point plan for Gaza, and will not withdraw until Hamas fully disarms, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says.
Edit to add: Impact of Israel's peace plan rejection: Palestinians in the Gaza strip continue to suffer - 1:28
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u/gorpie97 Aug 09 '26
Israel rejects US President Donald Trump's Board of Peace 15-point plan for Gaza, and will not withdraw until Hamas fully disarms, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says.
Somehow, they're going to come up with another excuse if Hamas does fully disarm. (I actually don't know the current status of Hamas, and haven't for awhile.)
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u/3andfro Aug 09 '26 edited Aug 09 '26
Neutrality Studies, The "Vietnam Moment" Is Near: Empire Exhausts Itself | Prof. David Gibbs https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=peX0EKuJv5M time indexed
After 4.5 years of Proxy-War something is breaking: When the cracks in the pro-war narrative get so large that even Neocons have to admit the empire is running out of munition, an inflection point has been reached. And we have seen this before. What David Gibbs calls the "Vietnam Moment" is not far away anymore.
Professor David Gibbs of the University of Arizona discusses his trip to the Baltics, arguing that anti-Russian feeling is widespread and that Russian-speaking minorities face exclusion. He and Pascal Lottaz compare Western messaging on Ukraine with Vietnam, debate the political costs of a setback, and discuss how culture-war language can be used to support military intervention.
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u/Caelian toujours de l'audace 🦇 Aug 09 '26
The "Vietnam Moment" Is Near
I highly recommend John le Carré's spy novel The Honourable Schoolboy. The title character is a veteran British agent who has spent a great deal of time in Southeast Asia. He happens to be at a US airbase in Thailand when Saigon falls. The commander of the base, Major Masters, is angry and mostly drunk. With his Southern accent, he asks the Schoolboy to shake hands:
"I want you to extend to me the hand of welcome, sir. The United States of America has just applied to join the club of second-class powers, of which I understand your own fine nation to be chairman, president, and oldest member. Shake it!"
"Proud to have you aboard," said Jerry and obligingly shook the Major's hand.
Ironically, I was reading this part of the novel when the USA repeated the Saigon evacuation in Afghanistan.
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u/3andfro Aug 09 '26 edited Aug 09 '26
Ian Proud with Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, Trump Is Trapped by His Own Character https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jd_nKXNij1c - bulleted description of topics covered at the link
Davis/Deep Dive highlights with Col Douglas Macgregor: 3 Options Left in Iran /Trump's Culture of Manipulation https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bQE9oYGO2E0
Nima with Pavin Sawhney: JUST IN: Yemeni Forces Claim Responsibility for Overnight Aramco Refinery Attack https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l_8bVVEsT3k
Nima highlights with Pepe Escobar: Pakistan’s Secret Warning: Stop the New War https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lr2fyY5QkCw
The Duran, Rare Earths and Drones: China Is Squeezing the West https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=08dFq04SxWY
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u/Caelian toujours de l'audace 🦇 Aug 09 '26
Trump Is Trapped by His Own Character
Trump has character? Who knew?
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u/3andfro Aug 09 '26
Chris Hedges with Alastair Crooke, Why the Iran War Won’t End Soon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NJYW7uKKm4c
Katie Halper, Ro Khanna REFUSES to Answer Israel War Crimes Question https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wGxdS0CZqE time indexed
Katie presses Rep. Ro Khanna on why Israel should retain access to the Iron Dome after what he calls a genocide and whether Palestinians under occupation have the same right to armed self-defense.
"Peter Thiel’s boy": El-Sayed rips Vance for sucking up to power https://www.youtube.com/shorts/o_sZGA1eTUU - 1:55
Pentagon presses defense firms to increase weapons production as Iran war depletes stocks
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u/3andfro Aug 08 '26
Iran checkmates Trump: Hard new conditions set; US General seeks desperate exit | Janta Ka Reporter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=91jH7rxQfps
Saturday delivered a crushing wave of strategic setbacks for US President Donald Trump as Iran laid down an unyielding set of tough conditions to end the ongoing misery for the American armed forces. In a stunning behind-the-scenes scramble, the Chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Dan Caine, has reportedly begun making desperate attempts to secure an off-ramp to end the escalating Iran conflict before it spins entirely out of control. Adding to the administration's woes, Trump’s Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent, effectively admitted defeat on the Strait of Hormuz, signaling a massive retreat by publicly conceding that the vital waterway has become highly problematic for US strategic interests.
UNICEF reports that at least 300 children have been killed in Gaza in the 300 days since the Israel-Hamas ceasefire began in October, averaging one child death daily. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ggdh9zUK7Hw - 1:41
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u/gorpie97 Aug 09 '26
UNICEF reports that at least 300 children have been killed in Gaza in the 300 days since the Israel-Hamas ceasefire began
Can people stop calling it a ceasefire? Or are there political reasons for them to continue?
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u/3andfro Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
Malaysian authorities seized a container suspected of carrying strategic goods for export to Israel at the Port of Tanjung Pelepas in Johor on August 7, according to local media. Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim praised the Malaysian Border Control and Protection Agency for the action, saying that Malaysia would not become a transit route for trade that could support Israel.... https://www.youtube.com/post/UgkxrkI2Nm9EYRGy3smDBmYdWQ5rR0wlYwA_
The Commander of United States Central Command (CENTCOM) Admiral Brad Cooper has arrived in Israel and is scheduled to meet with the military Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, alongside senior military officials, according to a report by the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation. https://en.royanews.tv/news/72469/Iran-displays-wreckage-of-downed-US-and-'Israeli'-aircraft
Singaporean scholar Kishore Mahbubani contends that the turmoil in various nations is largely the consequence of unnecessary Western interventions, for which he says the West has never been held accountable. He says that the 88% of the world's population living outside the West can see through what he describes as the West's moral posturing, likening it to an "emperor with no clothes. https://news.cgtn.com/news/2026-08-08/Mahbubani-The-West-is-like-an-emperor-with-no-clothes--1Pr9SlXWWZi/p.html
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u/3andfro Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
Radhika Desai with Ivana Hughes: Capitalism Is Driving Us Toward Climate Collapse & Nuclear War | GEH W/ Radhika Desai https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HEzUcb0DnhQ - time indexed
Are nuclear war and climate catastrophe two separate crises, or one civilizational threat with two faces? I'm joined by Ivana Nikolić Hughes to discuss why both dangers have faded into public apathy even as they grow more acute. Ivana walks through the isotope evidence that traces rising CO2 directly to fossil fuels, and the physics of nuclear winter, where soot from even a regional nuclear war could block sunlight and collapse global food production for years. We connect both threats to the same underlying driver: capitalism's demand for endless growth, invoking the idea of the "Capitalocene" as a more honest name than the Anthropocene. We close by contrasting the West's refusal to rein in its capitalist class with China's state-led investment in renewable energy, as a sign these crises are still solvable.
BreakThrough issues official response to Congressional subpoena. We have informed the House Ways and Means Committee that its subpoena is unconstitutional.... https://breakthroughnews.org/2026/08/07/breakthrough-issues-official-response-to-congressional-subpoena/
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u/3andfro Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
Dimitri Lascaris, The New 'Sunni NATO' Is Aimed At Iran https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbuUnemN504
On August 7, 2026, in Mecca, the Western-backed autocrats of Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Turkiye announced the formation of the Mecca Join Defence Agreement. Under their new agreement, the three states will treat an attack upon one member as an attack upon all three members. Some describe this pact as the new 'Sunni NATO'. The three regimes claim that this pact is not aimed at any particular country, but as Dimitri Lascaris explains in this report, the pact is almost certainly aimed at Iran and not Israel. Dimitri also discusses breaking news about Iran's new demands for reopening the Strait of Hormuz.
What are the challenges facing the Mecca agreement? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQn7fiyAJGA
It's an alliance analysts say highlights Saudi Arabia's desire to diversify its defence partnerships. With the Mecca agreement, it gets support from Turkiye and Pakistan. The pact was announced at a time of increased regional tension. Yemen's Saudi-backed government has launched a military operation against the Ansarullah Houthis following a series of attacks, while Iran and the US have yet to reach a final deal to end the war. The trilateral pact raises questions about the effectiveness of the decades-long American military presence in the Gulf. Does this alliance offer a viable alternative to the security umbrella promised by Washington?
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u/3andfro Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
Nima with Larry Johnson: Top U.S. General Just Privately Broke With Trump Over Iran https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VnoXkijrptA
Could the Houthis change the course of the Iran war? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KVb-2lSRMs8
The Duran, Hormuz Leverage Could Become Long Term Trap https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnkNyxsdkyI
Zeteo, Mehdi DEBUNKS NYT Columnist’s Viral Argument Denying Israel’s Genocide of Gaza https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EtQUhZd49G4 - 15:17
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u/3andfro Aug 08 '26
BREAKING: Iran’s Revolutionary Guard said that reopening the Strait of Hormuz is conditional on the US accepting Tehran’s conditions and is not related to negotiations with Oman. https://www.youtube.com/post/UgkxzuzsfVZcPsgB27Tv2usSwQ3ay4I1CrWq
Nima with Prof. Ted Postol: The Interceptor Math Doesn't Lie: US Air Defenses Are Now in 'Total Collapse' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvKX4Sw_2ao
Danny Haiphong with Mark Sleboda, Iran Has Trump RUNNING Scared as Mossad IMPLODES, UAE Ships BURN https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDq25UeDo9A
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u/3andfro Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
Deep Dive Intel Briefing 8/8/2026 Lt Col Daniel Davis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O2SCmMgskac
US Playing Russian Roulette w/Iran Lt Col Daniel Davis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QMq9JLSXq5Y
Elijah Magnier: The U.S. Lost the Middle East - Saudi Arabia, Pakistan & Turkey Unite https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K824KP5AYeQ
Diesen clips with Karen Kwiatkowski: America Can't Afford Its Empire Anymore https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPRDWcFcKZg
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u/gorpie97 Aug 08 '26
America Can't Afford Its Empire Anymore
So, we're going to close all our overseas bases then, right?
/s
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u/3andfro Aug 08 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
Ukr-Ru:
Glenn Diesen with George Beebe: The Peace Plan with Russia the West Ignores https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=11G2As-nhO0
Davis/Deep Dive, TIME HAS COME: Ukraine Should Accept Russia Terms or LIKELY SUFFER TOTAL DEFEAT https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LD7W3n4pXdE
Davis/Deep Dive highlights with Alastair Crooke, Ukraine Strikes into Russia will HARDEN Moscow's Resolve, not Weaken it https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LSXA-kR7dA
Ian Proud, Ukraine’s Beach Drone Attacks BACKFIRE: Russian Mood HARDENS | Stanislav Krapivnik https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T82uPz2llKk
Stanislav Krapivnik just returned from Anapa and the Azov coast with a clear message: ordinary Russians are angrier than ever, recruitment is surging, and Moscow now has full societal green light for harder strikes.
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 09 '26 edited Aug 09 '26
Hadn't heard of George Beebe before but he held positions in the US government for almost 25 years, including as Director of Russia Analysis at the CIA. He's now director of grand strategy at the Quincy Institute (which publishes Responsible Statecraft).
Marco Rubio said two stupid things recently. First, that Ukraine's deep strikes would make Russia more willing to reduce their demands; in fact, it will just make them dig in deeper. Second, that new ideas are needed on how to reinvigorate US-Russia talks; for starters, the US could shut up and listen for a change.
Russia has repeatedly tried and failed to get Europe and the US to discuss a common security framework. They proposed it be based on the indivisible security principle included in the 1975 Helsinki Accords and reaffirmed with the 1990 Paris Charter. This would be a good starting point for talks, there's no need to start from scratch.
The principles underlying Helsinki - territorial integrity, the self-determination of peoples and indivisible security - are inherently in tension with one another so if you apply any one of them absolutely you'll undermine the others. Reconciling these tensions is what diplomacy is for.
NATO cannot be the Pan-European security organization because Russia is not a member. They can give their opinion of NATO decisions at the NATO-Russia Council but they have no say in those decisions which are made solely by NATO.
William Perry (Sec/Defense) considered resigning in the 1990s because he was opposed to NATO expansion. He said others in the Clinton administration were also opposed it but said it didn't matter because Russia was too weak at that point to do anything about it. Both Perry and George Kenan, architect of the US's successful containment policy during the Cold War, rightly predicted that eventually Russia would rebuild its strength. The unipolar world that was created with the fall of the Berlin Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union is over.
Zbigniew Brzezinski warned explicitly in The Grand Chessboard about the strategic problem the US would face if an alliance was formed between Russia, China and Iran but it's inarguable that the steps taken by the US over the past several decades have led to the very entente he warned about.
edit: typos and grammar (sheesh)
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 09 '26
The last 10 minutes was a discussion about Iran and while Beebe seemed to be on the right track when it comes to improving relations with Russia, he's completely out to lunch with his proposal for doing the same with Iran:
I think one of the the best things that the United States could do for the Iranian people and one of the worst things for the Iranian theocracy would be to initiate a restoration of normal diplomatic relations. Until fairly recently when the United States and Israel actually attacked Iran, a lot of Iranians at the popular level had relatively positive views of American society so they would welcome this sort of opening.
I think that horse has not only left the barn but set it on fire on its way out. You can't bomb their schools and hospitals and other civilian infrastructure, assassinate their religious and military leaders, bomb them in the middle of negotiations (twice!) and threaten to bomb them back to the stone age and then expect them to welcome you with open arms when you act "friendly."
Apparently he hasn't heard the reports from independent journalists who've been on the ground in Iran: the Iranian people want revenge and my guess is that it will be decades, if ever, before they'll tolerate their government entering into any serious diplomatic relationship with the US.
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u/RandomCollection Resident Canadian Aug 08 '26
Good discussion with the limitations of US air power.
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u/3andfro Aug 08 '26
Nima with Ted Postol today on the same topic: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvKX4Sw_2ao
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u/RandomCollection Resident Canadian Aug 08 '26
Apparently the food is not good on US warships.
https://larrycjohnson.substack.com/p/us-navy-and-marine-officers-on-board
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u/gorpie97 Aug 08 '26
The Navy and Marine Corps officers on board these ships are feasting instead of ensuring that the enlisted personnel they are supposed to lead are being properly fed.
That's disgraceful.
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u/3andfro Aug 08 '26
Larry Johnson, CENTCOM Stands Down as Hormuz Deal Nears, Islamic NATO Signed & Iran Never Mentioned https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lYI4tTWhnfw
Larry Johnson says the American war machine has already stepped back: CENTCOM’s intelligence crisis cell has been deactivated, and the missiles needed to restart the fight cannot be rebuilt in under four years. He says the Crisis Action Team at CENTCOM headquarters in Tampa — the round-the-clock cell that runs active military operations — has been stood down. He explains why the United States has not retaliated for repeated attacks on shipping, despite the President’s pledge to strike Iranian infrastructure for every vessel hit; why 78% of advanced US munitions depend on five rare-earth minerals China is not exporting; and why he believes today’s Mecca Joint Deterrence Agreement is a message to Israel rather than to Tehran.
Dr. Zulfiqar Ali sets out a different assessment. His sources expect an announcement early next week that hostilities are ending, beginning with the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of the US naval blockade, followed by talks in Geneva with Vice President JD Vance and Pakistan providing security. He also reports that Iranian Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf is expected in Islamabad around 14 August. Larry Johnson disagrees — he argues Washington does not yet accept that it is cornered and is still working to break the settlement. That disagreement is the substance of the programme.
After Iran, MBS blindsides Trump; Saudi, Turkey, Pakistan sign NATO-style pact | Janta Ka Reporter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDGmhpz5o3c
It’s no coincidence. On the exact day Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan sign the historic Makkah Pact, the Iranian Foreign Minister heavily stresses Muslim unity against the US. The geopolitical architecture of the Middle East is shifting right before our eyes.
Nima highlights with Patrick Henningsen: The Oman Trap: America’s Failing Grip on the Strait https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L1PvOqDKwHU
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u/3andfro Aug 07 '26 edited Aug 08 '26
Pepe EXPOSES MECCA PACT SIGNED — HORMUZ IS THE REAL STORY What They're Not Telling You https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRZVkPrtWDY
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan signed the Mecca Joint Defence Agreement today, August 7, 2026 — a NATO-style mutual-defense pact — on the same day Iran and Oman entered the final approval stage of a deal that could hand Tehran control of the Strait of Hormuz, the chokepoint for roughly one-fifth of the world’s oil. Pepe Escobar joins Transition Protocol to break down what is confirmed, what is still developing, and what remains completely unverified in the biggest West Asia realignment since the war began.
This episode goes line by line through the Mecca pact’s Article-5-style collective defense clause, the emerging Iran-Oman Hormuz shipping arrangement, the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve’s fall to a 1983-era low, and the open questions about Yemen, Egypt’s absence from the pact, and Pakistan’s expanding role as regional mediator — including a source-based (unconfirmed) report on Iran’s parliament speaker Ghalibaf’s expected visit to Islamabad.
Glenn Diesen with Trita Parsi: New Deals Will Change the Middle East Forever https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gJUDS903d_U
The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) has condemned the ‘Israeli’ occupation’s renewal of a ban on family visits for Palestinian detainees.... https://en.royanews.tv/news/72457
The Charity Commission has launched an investigation into “serious allegations” of UK charities funding illegal Israeli settlements in Palestine. https://www.youtube.com/post/UgkxorWYjIQlbfEtYt22Ue2ttCv7b3Pxn6Qu
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 08 '26
It has not revealed the names of the charities under investigation, but will consider naming them when it publishes its findings. Last month, the Guardian reported that 32 charities in England and Wales had given at least £28m in donations to illegal Israeli settlements. Labour MP Melanie Ward contacted the charity regulator urging it to investigate and remove offenders from the charity register.
"Any activity which supports the maintenance and the expansion of Israeli settlements – such as that funded by these 32 ‘charities’ – is extremist and not of benefit to the UK public. Further, it risks being materially and financially used in pursuance of breaches of international law.”
Last month, Novara Media reported that an Israeli property fair was still advertising property in the West Bank to prospective buyers in London. The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians has submitted formal complaints to both the Charity Commission and the Metropolitan police over the event’s links to illegal settlements.
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u/3andfro Aug 08 '26
That property fair was an eye opener for many people. Novara was right on it.
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 08 '26
"Hey, come buy this great property we stole!!" Who the hell has the cojones to do something like that - oh, never mind, we know. The real question is why government authorities allow what are illegal transactions under international law - but then we know Western leaders quit paying attention to international law a long time ago.
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u/3andfro Aug 07 '26 edited Aug 07 '26
Nima with Lt. Col. Anthony Aguilar: Iran Warns of Energy Site Strikes – US Air Defense ‘Half Gone’ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xnz3mskL-6g
Judge Nap, INTEL Roundtable - Weekly Wrap - 7-AUG w/ Larry Johnson, Pepe Escobar, & Scott Ritter https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U1hDhzuKaTc
IRAN's LONG-RUN STRATEGY /Nima Alkhorshid & Lt Col Daniel Davis https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUZf-W0y1SI
Davis/Deep Dive, fmr CIA Analyst Larry Johnson: US Grudgingly Returns to Diplomacy https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o1cIkMOg118
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei sharply mocked US President Donald Trump’s remarks about taking Iranian oil as "spoils of war," drawing a comparison to the profiteering character Milo Minderbinder in Joseph Heller’s Catch-22.... https://www.youtube.com/post/UgkxdjjUn77LxYjtz169NzK1LH-TaJgzFAtJ - short read, worth it
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u/3andfro Aug 07 '26 edited Aug 07 '26
Four people died in a plane crash that also caused a weeks-long wildfire in the US after the aircraft lost its GPS signal because of a military jamming exercise.... https://www.youtube.com/post/UgkxMoZ_syEoMTSsTiSLj5ZSI4njVKV1XQY1
The US Air Force has started moving some of its aerial refueling aircraft away from Ben-Gurion Airport near Tel Aviv, Hebrew media reported on Thursday.... https://en.royanews.tv/news/72438/US-air-force-begins-relocating-aircraft-from-Ben-Gurion-airport%3A-Hebrew-media
Six Members of Congress Died in One Term. This Is Not Normal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3SYNPciMNDk
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u/NetWeaselSC Continuing the Struggle Aug 07 '26
Six Members of Congress Died in One Term. This Is Not Normal.
I was expecting the Jon Stewart clip: https://youtu.be/RMx77Xvz6qY?t=588
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u/Blackhalo Purity pony: Российский бот Aug 07 '26 edited Aug 07 '26
It's even more amusing now that Granger is gone too. So seven, plus McConnell before the end of the year, I wager. That's like 2%. More than incumbents losing in a Primary.
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u/NetWeaselSC Continuing the Struggle Aug 07 '26
An extra statistic for you to look up: How many died in 2020 (The year of the worst COVID)?
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u/Blackhalo Purity pony: Российский бот Aug 07 '26 edited Aug 07 '26
One member of Congress died in office in 2020.
Did the Jan 6 ers get him? Nope, pancreatic cancer.
I guess that was 2021 though
Two members of the U.S. Congress died in office in 2021: Ron Wright (R-TX), who died on February 7, 2021, from COVID-19 at age 67, and Alcee Hastings (D-FL), who died on April 6, 2021, from pancreatic cancer at age 84. Both continued serving until their deaths.
Man, those Jan 6rs were pathetic, compared to the outrage leveled at them.
Imagine though, if they had been successful and every congressperson was hanging from the rafters?
We'd have replaced them in a giant special election by now, and not lost much sleep over it.
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u/NetWeaselSC Continuing the Struggle Aug 07 '26
As I recall, during the major part of COVID, we here were tracking Congress, as an aged cohort of people with the "best" medical care available in the US, to see the percentage of COVID deaths among that cohort.
There were not very many.
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u/Blackhalo Purity pony: Российский бот Aug 07 '26
I remember seeing 'Ol Joe getting his PR stunt jab thinking, "that's gotta be saline. MAYBE some vitamin D."
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u/Caelian toujours de l'audace 🦇 Aug 07 '26
Six Members of Congress Died in One Term. This Is Not Normal.
I think our current Congress is more geriatric than ever.
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 07 '26 edited Aug 07 '26
According to Hebrew Channel 12, the relocation follows sustained pressure from Transportation Minister Miri Regev.
She urged ‘Israeli’ security officials to clear space at the airport to protect civilian flight schedules during one of the year’s busiest travel periods.
Earlier reports indicated that roughly 30 to 33 American refueling planes were parked at the civilian hub at various points, contributing to delays and raising the risk of widespread cancellations.
The US military has preferred Ben-Gurion because it is viewed as less exposed to Iranian missile threats than some other regional bases.
It's only "less exposed" in the sense that Iran has typically avoided what are primarily civilian targets but reports suggest that in the future they'll be taking a page from the US and Israel playbook. That's probably the real reason for this move.
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 07 '26
In a statement, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, said: "GPS interference created by military jamming operations has been a concern for years, particularly as the dissemination of related notams [notices to air missions] has been inconsistent."
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u/3andfro Aug 07 '26 edited Aug 07 '26
Will the states or families affected seek compensation from the US military? Doubtful, even if a legal avenue exists for that.
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 07 '26
They should, if for no other reason than to establish a precedent for holding the military accountable for something they've apparently been doing for a long time. People might think twice about flying were this more widely known and since no one listens to the people, maybe the money interests behind the airlines, etc, could make some noise if their bottom line suffers.
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u/3andfro Aug 07 '26 edited Aug 07 '26
Nima with Larry Johnson & Col. Larry Wilkerson: The Old Middle East Is DEAD https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mmf_J9tybhk
How War w/Iran BACKFIRED Dramatically /Lt Col Daniel Davis & Rosemary Kelanic https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=je73DzhJD9A
Drop Site News, AOC, Gaza, and the Future of the Democratic Party https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0tyHO6YkFk - 10:52
Galloway: A presidential ticket with Tucker Carlson at the head would be unstoppable https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0TAnvrQVz3M - 1:44
Tucker Carlson, A New America Is Coming… https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHenNaV7NT0 - 10:36
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u/gorpie97 Aug 07 '26
LOL @ Galloway.
Not just two cheeks of the same arse, but an arse that has sagged down...
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 07 '26
I seriously doubt Carlson would be interested in running but his endorsement of someone else, like Massie, would be huge. Massie is used to the political smear campaigns and infusions of Israel lobby cash to his opponents. The biggest fear would be that the bought-and-sold PTB would use the kind of fatal tactics they're known for.
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u/gorpie97 Aug 07 '26
I wouldn't really want Tucker to run, because then I might have to vote for him. Because - even though I disagree with him a lot - at least he actually seems interested in America first!
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 07 '26
On the recommendation of u/3andfro, these takeaways from the discussion between Pravin Sawhney, editor of FORCE magazine, and Zulfiqar Ali, host on August 6th are being re-posted here as a standalone comment:
Pakistan is playing a significant role, not only mediating between the US and Iran but coordinating a regional security agreement. It's believed the key Pakistani negotiators are traveling to Riyadh to convince MbS that a collective security agreement needs to include Iran.
Further evidence Pakistan is trying to bring Iran into the fold: the speaker of the Iranian parliament (Ghalibaf) has been invited to visit Pakistan during their upcoming independence day celebrations, possibly as diplomatic cover for serious discussions about the future Pakistan-Iran relationship; and there are credible reports that highly trained Pakistani technicians are in Iran helping them get the advanced BeiDou weapons systems provided by China integrated.
In addition to providing Iran with its BeiDou-3 system, China has funneled other advanced weaponry to Iran via Gwadar in Pakistan. Pakistan's foreign minister consults regularly with China's foreign minister.
the tensions in Iranian leadership stem from differences between the two components of the Supreme National Security Council, the military (IRGC) and the diplomatic (foreign minister Araghchi and president Pezeshkian). In backing Pezeshkian, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei recognizes that a regional security agreement is only possible without a continuation of the war that has caused so much damage to the GCC countries.
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 07 '26
A few other bits of info I didn't include in the original comment:
the Saudis signed a security agreement with Pakistan in 2025. Kuwait signed a security agreement with Pakistan in 2023 and have recently ratified it and It's a matter of time before more of the GCC countries do the same other than the UAE, which is another story
the Pakistanis have decided to shift from WhatsApp to WeChat (a Chinese platform), which indicates to me that Pakistan has realized it is part of the new world order
Pezeshkian has said that the Islamabad MOU will be the center of gravity of Iran's future foreign relations
Iranians are putting conditions for opening the Strait of Hormuz, e.g., the naval blockade has to be lifted and the sanctions on their oil and gas and petrochemicals have to be lifted.
Sawhney thinks the world became multipolar in 2013. That's when Xi Jinping announced the Belt and Road Initiative. He came to power in November 2012 and his first foreign visit was to Russia in March 2013, and the two leaders crafted the vision for the new world order.
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u/3andfro Aug 07 '26
Ties in with the links about a new security pact in the region in the comment directly below.
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u/3andfro Aug 07 '26 edited Aug 07 '26
NEW REGIONAL DEFENSE PACT:
Nima with Amb. Chas Freeman: BREAKING: Saudi, Pakistan, Turkiye Just Signed a Joint Defense Pact https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1mco7F7ZzA4
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Turkiye defence pact challenges US https://www.youtube.com/shorts/01Q2RxWYwOw - 1:26
Diesen with Pepe Escobar: A Secret Diplomatic Deal Taking Shape in Iran https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_UQExm1a6os
Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan Join Forces... But Against Whom? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhVHIdavce0
Erdogan will meet with Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, his office says.... https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/7/turkiyes-erdogan-to-visit-saudi-arabia-what-to-expect
Why Are Saudi Arabia, Turkey And Pakistan Forming A New Defense Pact? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVAOyBX_Opc - 11:21
Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Pakistan have announced a new defense pact aimed at strengthening military cooperation and regional security. The agreement comes amid rising tensions across the Middle East, including the wars in Gaza and Lebanon, concerns over maritime security in the Red Sea and Strait of Hormuz, and shifting regional alliances. Supporters say the partnership will deepen defense cooperation through joint planning, military coordination and strategic collaboration. Analysts also argue the pact could reshape the region's security architecture, with implications for Israel, Iran, Gulf states and the United States.
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u/gorpie97 Aug 07 '26 edited Aug 07 '26
Saudi, Pakistan, Turkiye Just Signed a Joint Defense Pac
So what impact is this going to have on Ansar Allah?
EDIT: Especially if Iran is added to the agreement.
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u/penelopepnortney Aug 06 '26
Links to previous threads are in the "War with Iran" compilation, which can be found in the sidebar.