"Brent crude is at $106 this morning. Saturday morning is the most consequential deadline of the war so far."

#Trump #Iran #war #oil #gas
/2

"There is another problem Trump and Witkoff and Kushner have. The negotiations they started before the war were with a representative of the Iranian leader who was killed, along with much of his government and military leadership, on the first day of the war."

~ Lucian K. Truscott

#Trump #JaredKushner #SteveWitkoff #Iran #war #oil #gas
/3

luciantruscott.substack.com/p/…

The 2,000-year-old Persian rug problem

They have been there a long time.

^{Lucian K. Truscott IV (Lucian Truscott Newsletter)}

"I think it's beginning to dawn on the president, maybe just beginning to dawn, and it just dawned on his people long ago, which is that he's not in charge anymore, and he will retain the capacity to continue to cause lots of explosions anywhere he wants. And we continue to do that, and the Israelis are doing that."

~ Rep. Jim Hynes

#Trump #JaredKushner #SteveWitkoff #Iran #war #oil #gas
/4

contrariannews.org/p/what-can-…

What Can We Believe About the Iran War?

Rep. Himes attempts to decode Trump's mixed messaging

^{The Contrarian}

"But we are not in charge anymore because the single biggest factor which is affecting most people on the globe, and certainly Americans as they fill their cars up, is the fact that the strait has been closed for several weeks right now."

#Trump #JaredKushner #SteveWitkoff #Iran #war #oil #gas
/5

"For every decision President Donald Trump makes, some nearby patsy invariably gets blamed when that decision goes south. Trump throws people under the bus so often that there’s not a single bloodless bus undercarriage left in Washington, DC.

Knowing that, I think Pete Hegseth, the former Fox News host cosplaying as a U.S. Defense secretary, might want to don his nicest bus-exhaust-pipe-viewing suit & prepare to get tossed."

Rex Huppke

#Trump #Hegseth #Iran #war
/5

usatoday.com/story/opinion/col…

Trump's war is unpopular, so he's found the perfect scapegoat | Opinion

For every decision Donald Trump makes, some patsy gets blamed when that decision goes south. For the Iran war, Pete Hegseth seems like a good choice.

^{, USA TODAY (USA TODAY)}

"Donald Trump claims Iran is begging him to make a deal. There is no evidence to support his claim."

~ Aaron Parnas

#Trump #Iran #war
/6

aaronparnas.substack.com/p/maj…

Major Update: United States Votes Against Resolution Condemning Slavery, Hegseth Mocked by Staff, Trump Suffers Loss in Utah, Iran War Expands

Good morning or afternoon, everyone (honestly, I’ve completely lost track of time since the birth of my baby girl).

^{Aaron Parnas (The Parnas Perspective)}

"Early in the war I thought it was highly unlikely Trump would dispatch ground troops. Over time my view has changed. The available evidence suggests:

Trump does not have a strategic objective.

Without an objective, he does not know how to conclude the war.

You see this in virtually every report coming from the administration."

~ Jonathan V. Last

#Trump #Iran #war #military #troops
/7

thebulwark.com/p/boots-on-the-…

Boots on the Ground Because Idk Why Not 🤷‍♂️

Trump might invade Iran because he can’t think of anything else to do.

^{Jonathan V. Last (The Bulwark)}

"All of which is why it’s clear that ground troops really are on the table. If you’re in a war, you don’t have an objective, and you need the enemy to agree to a cessation of hostilities, then everything is on the table. The operation has escaped confinement."

#Trump #Iran #war #military #troops
/8

"[Invasion of Iran] is not imminent and not even inevitable.

Military sources tell me that for weeks, the Pentagon has exaggerated the readiness and potency of the Marines, setting in motion a media frenzy that is part stupidity, part disinformation to spook Tehran, and part manipulation to please Donald Trump."

~ Ken Klippenstein

#Trump #Iran #war #military #troops
/9

kenklippenstein.com/p/is-a-gro…

Is a Ground War With Iran Imminent, or Inevitable?

The answer is an unqualified 'No.'

^{Ken Klippenstein}

"We’ve known since Donald Trump’s first term that he does not read, and that his briefers struggled to find ways to deliver vital information to him, giving up on written briefings and instead concentrating on trying to keep his interest with short presentations that included 'killer graphics' like maps and charts. The CIA often just gave up and briefed Mike Pence instead."

~ Marty Kelley

#Trump #Iran #war #stupidity
/10

wonkette.com/p/trumps-iran-bri…

Trump's Iran Briefings Are Mostly Videos Of Sh*t Blowing Up, So That Explains A Lot!

Strait of Hormuz remains closed, so there's that.

^{Doktor Zoom (Wonkette)}

"And now that he’s gotten us into a war for no reason that anyone can explain, his briefings include a daily sizzle reel where he’s shown videos of the bestest, coolest, awesomest US strikes against Iranian targets, NBC News reported Wednesday citing 'three current U.S. officials and a former U.S. official' who know about the briefings."

#Trump #Iran #war #stupidity
/11

"Almost every statement he's made since the beginning of the war has had a contradiction in it. And here again we've gotten a contradiction. He says the Iranians are begging for a deal, and then says, 'You'd better get serious before it's too late,' again making another threat."

~ Julian Borger

#Trump #Iran #war #stupidity #lies #disinformation
/12

theguardian.com/news/video/202…

Iran says Trump ‘negotiating with himself’: what next for war? - The Latest

Donald Trump insists Iran is still interested in cutting a peace deal despite Tehran rejecting the US plan. Lucy Hough speaks to the Guardian’s senior international correspondent, Julian Borger

^{Zoe Hitch (The Guardian)}

"What we've seen so far is a pattern. He wants somehow to reassure the market and keep the oil price down under $100, keep the stock market up. But at the same time, he has to threaten Iran so that they will go along with an end of a war on his terms, which up to now, they've shown no sign of doing."

#Trump #Iran #war #stupidity #lies #disinformation
/13

Rebecca Hendin's cartoon commentary on Trump's peace plan.

#Trump #Iran #war #oil #gas #stupidity #lies #disinformation
/14

theguardian.com/commentisfree/…

"There is, as one expert put it today, a conspicuous gap between what’s the president is saying about the war and what's actually happening, and the gap is getting wider by the day. …

Investors who have kept their faith in the president lost it today."

~ John Stoehr

#Trump #Iran #war #oil #gas #stupidity #lies #disinformation #markets #StockMarket
/15

editorialboard.com/amid-war-tr…

Amid war, Trump’s ‘illusion of coherence’ is finally breaking

Markets are losing faith.

^{John Stoehr (Editorial Board)}

"Whatever the case, investors who have kept their faith in the president lost it today. 'Stocks had their worst day since the war with Iran started, as doubt took over again from hope on Wall Street about a possible end to the conflict,' according to the Associated Press."

#Trump #Iran #war #oil #gas #stupidity #lies #disinformation #markets #StockMarket
/16

"As we near the fourth week of Trump’s war with no end in sight, I want to make sure you are aware of what he said today, and its implications.

After Tehran dismissed his 15-point ceasefire plan, Trump claimed today that Iran is ;begging to make a deal,' and that he wasn’t the one pushing for negotiations."

~ Robert Reich

#Trump #Iran #war #oil #gas #stupidity #lies #disinformation
/17

robertreich.substack.com/p/the…

The Catastrophe of Trump’s War

And Its Mounting Costs

^{Robert Reich}

"Does he think we’re so stupid as not to see that he’s making this up as he goes, that he has no plan, no exit strategy, no way out?

Trump — and Pete Hegseth and anyone else who may be advising him — have already blown this.

They thought the Iranian regime would fall as easily as the capture of Venezuela’s Nicolás Maduro. They assumed they could use air power alone. Wrong on both counts."

#Trump #Iran #war #oil #gas #stupidity #lies #disinformation
/18

"Meanwhile, the costs of this war are accelerating rapidly. The price of oil has resumed its upward trajectory and the stock market, its downward drift.

The American public is paying in many ways — not just for more expensive gas but soon for more costly food due to pricier fertilizer.

The average rate on a 30-year mortgage has now hit 6.38 percent, the fourth increase since the war began."

#Trump #Iran #war #oil #gas #stupidity #lies #disinformation
/19

"The Pentagon is requesting an additional $200 billion to fund the war. This comes to more than $1,400 per American household.

More costs will emerge. ...

Focus on this stark reality: One man has put us in this Middle East quagmire. One man is wrecking our economy. One man’s immigration agents have terrorized our neighbors and neighborhoods. One man has ridden roughshod over our system of government."

#Trump #Iran #war #oil #gas #stupidity #lies #disinformation
/20

"President Donald Trump and his administration are 'really freaked out' as it becomes increasingly clear that the US could lose hundreds of billions in Gulf Arab investments as a result of his unprovoked war against Iran."

~ Matthew Rozsa

#Trump #Iran #war #oil #gas #stupidity #lies #disinformation #economy #GulfStates
/21

alternet.org/cost-of-war-with-…

Trump admin 'really freaked out' by hundreds of billions in Iran war costs

President Donald Trump and his administration are “really freaked out” as it becomes increasingly clear that the US could lose hundreds of billions in Gulf Arab investments as a result of his unprovoked war against Iran.

^{Matthew Rozsa (Alternet.org)}

"Although Trump facilitated hundreds of billions in Gulf Arab state investments in U.S.-based tech startups, investment firms and big businesses — many of which already heavily relied on those countries anyway — all of that is in danger if Iran continues to keep the Strait of Hormuz effectively closed."

#Trump #Iran #war #oil #gas #StraitofHormuz #stupidity #lies #disinformation #economy #GulfStates
/22

"Donald Trump woke up and unleashed a barrage of posts claiming that Iran is 'begging' him for a deal. That claim is not just exaggerated, it’s completely disconnected from what’s actually happening. Iran’s foreign minister has already made clear that there are no negotiations underway and no intention to engage with the United States."

~ Ben Meiselas

#Trump #Iran #war #oil #gas #StraitofHormuz #stupidity #lies #disinformation #economy
/23

"We are already seeing the economic impact begin to take shape. The OECD now projects that U.S. inflation could rise to 4.2 percent, with G20 nations averaging around 4 percent, driven by the escalating war and energy disruptions. Mortgage rates have climbed for the fourth consecutive week, reaching 6.38 percent, putting additional pressure on homebuyers and the broader housing market."

#Trump #Iran #war #oil #gas #StraitofHormuz #stupidity #lies #disinformation #economy
/24

"Trump held another marathon cabinet meeting today where he rambled incoherently, lied often, went off on tangents, said batshit crazy things, received effusive praise from his sycophants, and fell asleep again."

~ Ron Filipkowski

#Trump #Iran #war #oil #gas #StraitofHormuz #stupidity #lies #disinformation #economy
/25

meidasplus.com/p/today-in-poli…

Today in Politics, Bulletin 335. 3/26/26

… Trump held another marathon cabinet meeting today where he rambled incoherently, lied often, went off on tangents, said batshit crazy things, received effusive praise from his sycophants, and fell asleep again.

^{Ron Filipkowski (Meidas+)}

"Devastating numbers for Trump in a new Fox poll:

Approve of the US military action in Iran - 42%. Disapprove - 58%.

77% of Republicans support the war, 12% of Democrats, and 28% of Independents. .

64% of voters disapprove of how Trump is handling Iran.

62% disapprove of his overall foreign policy."

#Trump #Iran #war #oil #gas #StraitofHormuz #stupidity #lies #disinformation #economy #FoxNews #ApprovalRating
/26