Its the same gambit: Use a proxy (UKR, ISR) to wreck an energy producer (RUS, IRN) and choke economic rivals (EU, CN).

Some common-sense things Trump said today that were nevertheless shocking: Everybody else has ballistic missiles, why can’t Iran? The frozen money belonged to Iran, and the U.S. needed to release it otherwise nobody would trust the dollar system. Why should we steal their money? Neighboring countries use nuclear power for electricity, why can’t Iran? Israel shouldn’t knock down entire buildings in Beirut every time a drone or two crashes harmlessly in the desert. Trump would’ve become Herbert Hoover in a few weeks once oil ran out and the market crashed. He had no choice but to end the war.

Hello from Germany, where the auto crisis just deepened. BMW has issued a major profit warning, implying a profit drop of >60%. Its EBIT margin is now expected at just 1–3%; a shocking level for a premium automaker that once stood for double-digit profitability. This comes only a day after VW executives reportedly described their own company as facing an existential threat, according to Manager Magazin. BMW is now worth less <€40bn.

The record-low popularity rating politicians admire Zelensky, who is also highly unpopular: He doesn't bother with elections and just stays in power endlessly.

Iran was on its last legs and ready to collapse until the U.S. came along and gave it a life-line in the form of the Iran Deal: $150 billion

A/the real reason the world didn't have an oil crisis: "Diplomatic officials confirm the US secretly authorized Doha to transfer funds to Iran in exchange for freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz and immunity from attacks. The dual policy was intended to curb global energy prices, and served as the basis for the MOU being forged with the leadership of the IRGC." Via @NewSamawal

Tucker says Bari Weiss’s ideology is “pride parades, monopoly capitalism, and bombing Iran.” Best summary I ever heard.

Freedom is dead in the UK where the government has locked up a record 8000 people for voicing opinions (Hurty! How could they!?) and will strictly limit access to the internet to those submitting to Digital ID, facial recognition and financial controls.

Satire is dead.

Hilarious: The Washington Post reports that Iran has actually been making MORE money from oil exports during the US-Israeli war than it did before. This is because the price of oil skyrocketed. So even though Iran exported less crude, it earned higher revenue. Source: washingtonpost.com/business/…

I was going to put Iran's flag emoji above this tweet to reflect Trump's sentiments, but @nikitabier removed Iran's flag emoji from X -- and replaced it with the Shah-era flag -- once Israel officially said it wanted regime change. Still can't use the official Iranian flag.🇮🇱

🤔 I lean to the conclusion the US has no intention whatsoever to abide by the terms Iran is dictating. They just don't know what else to do at the moment. So they're buying themselves a few days to ponder the problem. Meanwhile, US bases in the region remain indefensible.

The pull back in the gold price is likely a correction and not the beginning of a sustained bear market: myrmikan.com/pub/Myrmikan_Re…

UK is a police state

Lmao. And there’s the plan. Right there. Laid bare in your face. Create the problem (stranger danger), sell the solution (more authoritative surveillance state), repeat forever. Everyone owes conspiracy theorists an apology who have been screaming about this for years.

Important development

Trump just established a new trade order for the Persian Gulf. All oil and LNG that leaves the Gulf can now be tariffed by Iran on the condition of settlement or not in CNY. Short London.

Iran gets $24bn in gold upfront ($3bn shipped last week). Iran sets the terms of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. Iran keeps the nuclear programme and missiles. The US and allies fund reconstruction of Iran with $300bn. Only defeating America leads to peace. Thanks, DJ.

I hate to break it to you - but the United States is an absolute, incoherent shitshow. The idea that we have ‘representative government’ is ridiculous. If that were true we would not have wasted billions killing Iranians for no reason at all. Some people wanted this - but the voters who elected this government did not. Let’s go further. When Trump goes to China - he brings our ‘great billionaires’ with him. I can’t think of any more obvious symbol that we live in an oligarchy that does everything it can to manipulate outcomes - and that voting is a bit of a joke. It’s like he’s bringing with him ‘the ruling elite.’ Because that is what he did. We have at least 40 million illegal aliens living here. Our business ‘leaders’ engineered this by bribing politicians to keep the border open - because they wanted to pay low wages and make mucho $$ for themselves. When people objected because their incomes were falling - the business leaders accused them of racism and funded Barack Obama to become POTUS. The USA is $40 trillion in debt - and no one has a plan to solve that problem. Absolutely no one. This will blow up one day - and it will destroy normal people who save in dollars - because the unspoken plan is to destroy the currency and save the rich and destroy the rest. But people who own our homes - like Blackstone or Blackrock - won’t care because their assets will follow inflation. Everyone else will be reduced to paupers renting from them - their bank accounts gone. The United States today is hopelessly dysfunctional. It lacks a coherent population that can even agree on anything. It is bankrupt - but the rest of the world is propping it up because they are also scared of what happens when the dollar collapses. It doesn’t have any smart leaders - and we have to watch insiders doing oil trades to make $$ on the Iran war - and the administration itself sells shit coins. Our foreign policy is a total joke - not strategic in any way at all. It is driven by special interests, and then not even followed through. And people are actuality making money on it - pump and dump coming straight from the White House. This is a hell of a way to celebrate 250 Years! At least we can have a cage match on the White House lawn that degrades our entire history and underscores just how bad and ridiculous things are! Thank you for your attention to this matter! Enjoy the circus! If you’re lucky you will be dead when the music stops!

RT @nntaleb: LOGICAL COURSE OF EVENTS Gulf states, including the UAE, are finding that Iranian protection is more effective & less #fragile…

From Haaretz: "Israel's prime minister seems intent on taking out his desperation on Trump, Tehran and the wider Middle East"