With a third U.S. aircraft carrier, more warships and thousands of new troops heading toward the Middle East, President Donald Trump will soon have more options to keep up U.S. military strikes or put boots on the ground, maintaining pressure on Iran even after he extended a ceasefire. The USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier, along with three missile-armed destroyers and roughly 5,000 highly-trained soldiers, is en route to the region, according to the Financial Times, citing unnamed United States officials. They will join at least 24 warships and more than 50,000 troops already in the region, where the U.S. has amassed its largest build-up of forces since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Thousands of these troops are specially trained for seizing chunks of land in hostile territory.

If they do make this move look for Kurds and MEK to participate- The US has groomed these terror groups for a very, very, very long time.

The additional deployment comes as Trump said he would grant a Pakistani request to continue holding off on attacks on Iran until progress could be made in peace talks or a new proposal takes shape. Iran says it won’t negotiate under U.S. threats, and a senior Iranian adviser called the extension a “ploy to buy time for a surprise strike” on X. Trump, meanwhile, has firmly kept up a U.S. blockade of Iranian ports, and fresh military force remains an option on the table. The U.S. is “ready” to restart its heavy bombing campaign, its forces “raring to go,” he said on Tuesday. Another aircraft carrier moving into the area would help Trump follow through on this claim or even escalate the war into a ground invasion scenario.

How Much New Firepower Is Going to the Middle East?

Each aircraft carrier, including the USS George H.W. Bush, is manned by thousands of personnel, ferrying dozens of fighter jets and caches of precision weapons to wherever they are needed. They don’t travel alone. An aircraft carrier is accompanied by two or three destroyers, which can launch long-range missiles like Tomahawks deep into Iranian territory and shoot down enemy weapons trying to hit the aircraft carrier. Three destroyers can usually fire just under 300 missiles in total, both to protect the carrier and to attack targets such as depots or command centers in Iran. While the carrier itself doesn’t fire missiles, up to around 90 jets can perch on its deck. Each jet is loaded with a combination of precision weapons, including missiles that they can fire from the air into Iran. When the Bush arrives in the Middle East, it will bring all this with it, collectively known as a carrier strike group. This will both beef up the U.S.’s ability to hit Iran hard, as Trump has repeatedly threatened, and give another of its aircraft carriers, the USS Gerald R. Ford, a chance to rest.

As I’d posted five days ago- this build up was reported in the Turkish media-

LINK– Lebanese

U.S. President Donald Trump said that, given what he described as deep divisions within the Iranian government, ( I DON’T THINK SO LIAR TRUMP) which he said was not unusual, and following a request from Pakistan’s army chief Field Marshal Asim Munir and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, the planned U.S. action against Iran had been postponed to allow its leaders and representatives to present a unified proposal.

He added that he had instructed the military to continue the blockade and remain fully prepared on all fronts, and that the ceasefire would be extended until such a proposal is presented and discussions are concluded in any form.

Indefinitely?

Iran didn’t attend this most recent round of negotiations- So, Trump “extended the ceasefire deal”

Iran to skip Wednesday negotiations with U.S. in Pakistan, Tasnim reports

Iran has decided not to participate in scheduled negotiations with the United States set for Wednesday in Pakistan, the Iranian Tasnim news agency reported on Tuesday.

Citing informed sources, the agency said the Iranian negotiating delegation had conveyed to the United States, via a Pakistani intermediary, that it would not travel to Islamabad for the planned talks.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Wall Street Journal reported that U.S. President Donald Trump was considering cancelling Vice President J.D. Vance’s planned visit to Pakistan for talks related to Iran

J.D Vance didn’t go, because there were no negotiations. To my knowledge Witkoff and Kushner remained in the US.

Patrick Cockburn

The ceasefire in the war between the US and Israel on the one side and Iran on the other, which runs out on Wednesday, looks more fragile by the day. But though the US and Iran cannot agree on concrete steps towards peace, neither do they show much appetite for renewed war.

The US Navy has fired on and seized an Iranian cargo ship while enforcing a blockade on Iran’s Gulf ports – something that Iran has described as an act of piracy. The Iranians say they will retaliate for the US breaching the ceasefire, and trust between the sides is at zero.

But a second phase of the war is unlikely to be any more conclusive than the first. Donald Trump could destroy more of Iran’s infrastructure, much as the US did in Iraq in 1991, which took 20 years to repair. Yet the threat of this is not going to lead to an Iranian capitulation – or even significant concessions on uranium enrichment or Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz. Trump still has overwhelming military force on his side, but his original goals – notably a regime change in Iran – are now further away than when the US and Israel first attacked on 28 February.

Both sides have opportunities for escalation and counter-escalation, but not for launching knock-out blows. Iran has found, somewhat to its own surprise, that it has the capacity to inflict serious damage on the world by keeping the Strait closed, and it can cripple the economies of the Arab states on the south side of the Gulf. Paradoxically, Iran has become a global power, but one that cannot control its own skies or defend its 92 million people from relentless air strikes.

The mood among Iranian leaders is evidently more confident than it was – they have weathered five-and-a-half weeks of war and the loss of many of them. But they are still the inferior power and without serious allies. They cannot defend themselves against a US-Israeli scorched-earth policy as visited upon Gaza and south Beirut.

This does not mean, however, that Iran is without counter-escalatory options. Simply keeping the Strait of Hormuz shut is one. Getting the Houthis in Yemen to close the Bab-el-Mandeb strait between the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden is another. This would sever Saudi oil exports from the Red Sea, but the Houthis will not be enthusiastic to enrage Saudi Arabia. Another option might be to cut the Saudi east-west pipeline circumventing the Iranian blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

Ending a war in which both sides still believe they have a chance of changing the military and political balance in their favour would never be easy. But in this case Trump still insists he has won, and his messages on Truth Social about a beaten Iranian leadership begging for a deal are fantasy served up to his own hardcore supporters. But how far does he himself believe this – and how desperate is he for a deal before higher oil and gas prices do the Republicans further damage in the midterm elections?

On Truth Social he cites obscure polls showing that his handling of the war is popular, but every other survey shows that it is not. The brief Iranian opening – with caveats – of the Strait of Hormuz followed by its closure because of the continuing US blockade makes Washington look like the obstinate one.

Whatever happens at talks in Islamabad, in Pakistan, it is difficult to see how lasting agreement can spring from Trump-style diplomacy conducted by amateur diplomats such as his son-in-law Jared Kushner and his real estate crony Steve Witkoff, both of whom Trump says are heading to negotiations. Iran says it has not decided if it will send its envoys, thought it said on Monday afternoon that it was “positively reviewing” its participation.

Successful talks look unlikely and there is a chance the US President will opt for an escalation – as he has done during previous talks with Iran. But his chances of winning a decisive victory do not look good.

In my very many years of covering current events- this is one of the worst “shit shows” yet. Sorry for the language, but, that’s exactly how it is. Brought upon us all by Trump and Bibi and NO ONE ELSE.

Over to any of you who may want to express an opinion, some frustration, whatever…

With the cease-fire process that began on April 9, the future of the war in Iran remains uncertain. Although efforts are being made to keep the process moving despite various setbacks, the fact that the conditions put forward by the parties do not align is stalling the process.

It appears that the demands, which can be summarized in about 10 points, have become deadlocked on three critical issues: the elimination of Iran’s nuclear capabilities and the transfer of enriched uranium to the United States, control of the Strait of Hormuz, and the cessation of Israeli attacks in Lebanon. Additionally, issues such as cutting off Iran’s support for proxy forces, disarming Hezbollah and reducing the range of Iran’s tactical ballistic missiles remain unresolved between the parties.

Looking at the broader picture, the process is proceeding less as a negotiation and more as a clash between U.S. demands and Iran’s resistance.

Then, why is a cease-fire table assembled?

There may be three main reasons for the U.S. shift toward a cease-fire: domestic political pressures and economic costs, international isolation and most importantly, the depletion of missile stockpiles in the Gulf region to 30%. The fact that the U.S. has failed to achieve its military and political objectives in the war also supports this situation. Iran’s missile capabilities have not been eliminated, its nuclear facilities have not been destroyed and the regime has not been overthrown. Furthermore, the influence of a provocative actor like Israel on the U.S. continues to this day.

One of the most striking and even unusual aspects of this process is that the cease-fire is limited to 15 days. While cease-fires in international relations are typically not time-bound, the fact that a specific date has been set here is noteworthy. This raises a critical question: Does the U.S. truly want to end the war, or is it using the cease-fire negotiations to buy time for greater military preparations?

Developments on the ground offer important clues for understanding the answer to this question.

Iran tends not to retaliate unless directly attacked. However, following 40 days of fighting, it is working to heal its wounds, address its shortcomings and rebuild its capabilities. At the same time, it is striving to enhance its military strength with support from Russia and China.

On the U.S. side, there is significantly more active military movement.

Ground forces have been deployed to the region. A brigade from the 82nd Airborne Division, marines brought in from South Korea and the 142nd Artillery Brigade are deployed in the region. In terms of naval power, one aircraft carrier is in the Eastern Mediterranean, another is south of Oman and a third is reportedly en route to the region.

In addition, the U.S. is conducting intensive ammunition transfers using C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft. Tomahawk missiles, Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) and Patriot air defense systems are being deployed to the region. There is also information indicating that a significant portion of ammunition from U.S. forces in Europe has been redirected to the Gulf.

Furthermore, the U.S. is working to establish a new air defense system in the Middle East. Mobile tactical radars and the Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) early warning aircraft have been deployed to replace the fixed radars destroyed by Iran. Israel is also being heavily supported in this context.

The issue of mines in the Gulf is also noteworthy. The mines laid by Iran off Basra are intended for coastal defense and do not obstruct maritime traffic. Therefore, the U.S.’s mine-clearing efforts may point to a different objective: paving the way for a potential amphibious operation. This scenario strengthens the likelihood that the U.S. has planned a ground attack on Iran from the Strait of Hormuz and the Basra coast. The artillery units deployed to the region are also a significant indicator supporting this possibility.

In light of all this data, it can be assessed that the U.S. is using the current process not as a cease-fire but as a new strategic buildup process. Unlike the initial buildup, which was leader-focused and had limited objectives, this time it appears a broader plan has been devised – one that is longer-term, more intensive and incorporates different operational methods. April 22 stands before us as the critical threshold that will determine the direction of this process.

Iran rejects US President Trump’s Uranium transfer claim

Iran rejects Donald Trump’s claims that there was an agreement on moving enriched uranium to the US. Also challenging other Trump statements

etc., read at the link

Interesting read @ Responsible Statecraft

As soon as the negotiations between the U.S. and Iran ended without an agreement, President Donald Trump fired a volley of angry tweets venting his frustration. As a concrete step to force Iranian concessions, he announced a blockade of Iranian ports along the Persian Gulf.

Cut off Tehran’s oil exports, the logic goes, and the regime will have no choice but to bend to Trump’s will.

This thought process is being echoed and amplified by influential Washington voices who should know better. Take Dennis Ross, a former Middle East peace negotiator, who argued that “the blockade always made more sense than seizing Kharg Island. It stops Iran’s exports, its revenues, is a counterpoint to their closing the Straits.” He also thinks that the measure will “put pressure on China to pressure Iran.”

Meanwhile, Richard Haass, the former president of the Council on Foreign Relations, praised the announcement and suggested the U.S. should “also propose a new governance authority for the Strait in which Iran participates but doesn’t control.”

This is wishcasting disguised as strategy. A blockade is not a clever alternative to military strikes. It is, in fact, an act of war — and one that carries serious risks.

The very idea of an American blockade ignores the legal reality: under international law, Article 3(c) of the U.N. General Assembly’s Definition of Aggression (1974) considers a naval blockade of a sovereign state’s coasts an act of armed aggression. That entitles Iran to use all necessary means to defend itself.

You cannot propose a “governance authority” while your warships are blockading a nation’s lifeline. Haass’s suggestion of a structure where Iran “participates but doesn’t control” is therefore a non-starter. Tehran will never surrender control of its sovereign waters to an arrangement designed by the same power that just declared a blockade.

That is a recipe for continued escalation. And for the Trump administration, a resumption of a shooting war with Iran would be far less popular and far more costly than Ross or Haass seem to acknowledge.

But there is an even more dangerous scenario that no supporter of the blockade addresses. Major buyers of Iranian oil — most notably China — could decide to escort tankers with their own naval vessels. Beijing has a strong economic incentive to call Washington’s bluff. Ross claims a blockade “puts great pressure on China to pressure Iran,” but what if China pressures the U.S. instead? What would the U.S. Navy do then? Fire on Chinese warships? Let the convoys pass, effectively ending the blockade? Risk a direct confrontation with a nuclear-armed power over oil lanes in Hormuz?

The stakes could not be higher as Trump prepares to embark on a visit to China for a summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. Trump has already postponed the meeting once because of the war with Iran. Postponing it for the second time, or going to Beijing with, using Trump’s own language, weak cards, would be an embarrassing blow to American standing.

So is Trump’s blockade threat a serious policy or bluster? That remains unclear. But one thing is certain: the mere threat of a U.S. blockade is enough to drive oil prices higher and inject dangerous volatility into global markets. On Monday, when the blockade is expected to enter into force, the oil price bounced back to over $100 per barrel. The view that a blockade is a clean, low-risk pressure tool is a dangerous illusion.

Read the above article entirely at the Responsible Statecraft link

Interesting listen

Since I have zero trust in Pakistan to be anything but a US pawn- This comes as no surprise

Pakistan’s Pivotal Mediation Role

Washington calculated that a Muslim‑majority neighbour with a neutral stance would be better placed to sell a truce to Tehran. The White House turned to Pakistan’s army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, who became the linchpin of the back‑channel effort. Munir and his team shuttled messages between Iranian political and military figures and top US officials, including Trump, Vice‑President JD Vance and special envoy Steve Witkoff. The deal that finally emerged was a two‑week pause in exchange for Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

A Victory Lap Built on Sand

The ceasefire was announced less than two hours before Trump’s latest deadline for Tehran to accept a deal or face “the destruction of an entire civilisation”. Yet the administration’s public narrative – that Iran had “begged” for a ceasefire and that the outcome was an unconditional military victory – stands in sharp contrast to the behind‑the‑scenes scramble. As the FT notes, the White House was driven less by triumph than by anxiety over oil prices and a resilient regime that had refused to break. The temporary truce may halt the bombing, but it has not resolved the underlying confrontation.

Daily Kos

The crap sandwich of a ceasefire deal President Donald Trump made with Iran may have saved Iranians from being wiped off the face of the planet by our genocidal maniacal leader. But it won’t save the rest of us from higher prices at the pump—at least not anytime soon.

“It’s not a case of you just flick a switch and everything’s back up again,” Martin Houston, a former oil and gas executive, told The New York Times.

Trump is desperate for oil prices to come down, as he and his party will be crushed in the midterms if prices remain high and inflation once again ticks up. It’s why he caved and made this horrible ceasefire deal that leaves Iran better off than it was before he decided to drop bombs.

The ceasefire agreement was quite advantageous to Iran, but Usrael never intended to honour it anyway

The ceasefire deal including Lebanon, but, Israel kept right on attacking Lebanon..Of course the US and Israel say the deal didn’t include Lebanon, but, from my reading it did.

Here’s the 10 points Iran released as basis for ceasefire

1. An U.S. guarantee of nonaggression with Iran.

Iranian officials want to ensure a formalized end to hostilities that is more permanent. This is one of the main demands, according to interviews with regional security figures and a former Iranian diplomat, that Iran will focus on.

2. Iran maintains control of the Strait of Hormuz. This is likely to become a major sticking point. Iran’s ability to strangle traffic through the strait, through which a fifth of the world’s oil passes, has wreaked havoc on the global economy. It is very unlikely that Washington or Iran’s Gulf Arab neighbors would accept this.

3. Ending the regional war on all fronts, including against Iran’s ally, Hezbollah, in Lebanon. This could become an eventual point of alignment.

4. Withdrawal of U.S. combat forces from all bases and positions in the region. U.S. forces maintain bases across Gulf Arab states, Israel and Iraq. It is difficult to conceive of a scenario in which the U.S. would accept this. 5. Reparations to Iran for war damages.

6. Acceptance of Iran’s right to nuclear enrichment. This is diametrically opposed to Trump’s most recent statements, in which he has again called for zero enrichment of uranium. Some regional diplomats have aimed to soften U.S. demands, suggesting Tehran could instead agree not to actively conduct enrichment, or to limit enrichment to a symbolic amount at the lowest threshold for civilian purposes. It remains unclear whether Washington would accept that.
7. Lifting all primary sanctions on Iran. Washington has imposed on Iran different forms of primary sanctions, or direct restrictions on financial transactions, since the founding of the Islamic Republic after the 1979 revolution. In previous negotiations, mediators aimed for U.S. officials to lift some sanctions in exchange for concessions on Iran’s nuclear program. Trump’s own statement Wednesday touched on the idea of offering “Tariff and Sanctions relief.”
8. Lifting all secondary sanctions on Iran. In addition to its directly blocking trade with Iran, the United States also imposes sanctions that penalize other countries or non-American companies that do business with Iran. Like the point on primary sanctions, this part of the proposal would likely be negotiable depending on what Iran offers.
9. Termination of all resolutions against Iran by the Board of Governors of the International Atomic Energy Agency.
10. Termination of all United Nations Security Council resolutions against Iran. There have been several U.N. resolutions against Iran, particularly on the issue of nuclear proliferation. In October, the United Nations reimposed sanctions on Iran, saying Iran was in breach of a 2015 deal to limit Iran’s nuclear enrichment. Washington could try to influence its allies to do this, but again, it would likely require a comprehensive agreement with Iran

Read more at: https://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/article315342728.html#storylink=cpy

https://publish.twitter.com/?url=https://twitter.com/jacksonhinklle/status/2041169719953129977#

Way too much wreckage..

CNN Aircraft Wreckage

Some suggest the US was attempting to grab Iranian uranium- others suggest this was an attempt to insert an “insurgency” group/ team for a mission into Iran (for lack of a better term)
The rescue story just doesn’t add up- Though I’m anticipating an over the top heroic narrative with some type of reinforcement movie follow up

*****Saving Jessica Lynch

US Ceasefire Offer? Don’t believe that either

I’m of the mind these cease fire news article are planted before the stock market opens.A sort of an attempt to stay ahead or tamp down a potential crash.

TRT World

Tehran’s foreign ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei said during a press briefing in Tehran on Monday that any pause in fighting would risk allowing Iran’s adversaries to regroup.

“A deadline must not cause us to have even the slightest hesitation in defending our country,” he said.

“A ceasefire means creating a short pause to allow the other side to rebuild its forces and commit crimes again. No rational person would accept such a course of action,” he added.

The spokesperson also said Tehran had a set of requirements based on its national interests that had already been conveyed through intermediary channels, adding that earlier US demands, such as the 15-point plan, were rejected as “excessive”.

“Iran does not hesitate to express what it considers its legitimate demands clearly, and doing so should not be interpreted as a sign of compromise, but rather as a reflection of its confidence in defending its positions,” Baqaei said in a press conference.

“We have formulated our own responses” and will announce details in due time, he added in response to an Iranian journalist’s question regarding ongoing efforts to bring about a ceasefire between Iran and the US.

White House

A White House official, meanwhile, said that a proposed 45-day ceasefire between the US and Iran is “one of many ideas” currently under discussion, according to an Axios reporter.

One of many ideas…

Barak Ravid said on X that the official told him: “The president (Donald Trump) has not signed off on it. Operation Epic Fury continues.”

He added that Trump will provide further details during a news conference in Washington at 1700 GMT on Thursday.

Ravid’s remarks came hours after reports suggested that a 45-day ceasefire proposal had been put forward.

Though the president didn’t sign off on the offer?– There was no ceasefire offer

Israel Strikes Iranian Petrochemical complex

Ah, the fog of war…

*Inflation risk for this year

“Before the war, before we got the oil shock, I’ve been on the optimistic side of the rate — I believed rates could come down even multiple times in 2026,” Goolsbee said.

The energy shock “complicates that picture for me — that if we’re truly not going to see any improvement in inflation, to me that starts pushing these decisions off to 2027 at the earliest,” he said.

*Two US Military planes were shot down in separate incidents

Two US military planes were shot down in separate incidents on Friday, and while one crew member was rescued in Iran, the whereabouts of at least one other was unknown.

The incidents marked a dramatic escalation since the war began nearly five weeks ago.

It was the first time US aircraft had been downed in the conflict and came just two days after President Donald Trump said in a national address that the US has “beaten and completely decimated Iran” and was “going to finish the job, and we’re going to finish it very fast”.

*Iran rejects US proposal for a 48-hour ceasefire

Tehran: No truce in sight as long as US military operations continue

*Simple flying.com- A-10 Thunderbolt down- F-15 Strike eagle down

Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents:

The United States Air Force (USAF) lost an A-10 Thunderbolt II attack aircraft near the Strait of Hormuz, in an incident that occurred almost simultaneously with the shootdown of an F-15E Strike Eagle over Iran. The crash occurred amid a high-risk combat search and rescue operation conducted by the US Air Force for the downed F-15E crew.

According to The New York Times, US officials said the A-10 crash occurred around the same time an F-15E Strike Eagle was shot down over Iran. According to initial reports, the A-10 went down over waters near the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most strategically important waterways. US officials confirmed that the pilot ejected and was recovered safely. However, the cause of the crash remains unclear, and it is not yet known whether the aircraft was shot down, suffered mechanical failure, or crashed after sustaining damage.

Trump expressed frustration over fighter jet downing

NBC News said that Trump complained about the coverage during an interview on Friday.

“In a brief phone interview, President Donald Trump refused to discuss the specifics of ongoing search and rescue efforts in Iran after an American jet was downed,” Garrett Haake wrote. “But he expressed frustration about some of the coverage of what is plainly an intense and sensitive rescue operation.”

Trump would rather lie

Iran hits Gulf refineries as the war wraps its 5th week

Blasts and sirens rang out across the Middle East from Iranian drones and missiles since overnight. Kuwait’s largest oil refinery was hit, setting some of its units on fire

The Brent crude oil price went up by almost 8% on Friday to around $109 per barrel. The war has also pushed up the cost of gas and fertilizer.

Russia pounds Ukraine with hundreds of drones, dozens of missiles

Hundreds of Shahed combat drones and dozens of missiles against our cities and towns,” Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy wrote in a social media post after a telephone conversation with Pope Leo XIV. Zelenskyy said this was Russia’s response to his offer of a ceasefire over Easter, though churches in Ukraine, as in Russia, mark Easter next week, in line with the Orthodox calendar, on April 12. At least one person was killed and another injured in the area surrounding Kyiv. The attacks, carried out in broad daylight, also caused power cuts in the Ukrainian capital that is home to 3 million, plus in other areas, local electricity suppliers said. Earlier, the Ukrainian Air Force said the Russian military deployed more than 500 drones and 37 missiles overnight and during the day. Most of the missiles were intercepted in time, though there were strikes at 20 locations.

I think it was more than 500 drones..

Lastly;

Michael Hudson: World Will Not Be the Same After the Iran War

*Iran has rejected a US proposal to pause the Gulf war, but what are their demands?

Iran has rejected the Donald Trump administration’s 15-point plan aimed at pausing the war in the country, which has spread across the Middle East, calling it “unreasonable” and maintaining that it would end the war on its terms.

The plan includes 15 demands, though Washington has not revealed specific details. The proposal, according to two officials familiar with the matter, addresses Iran’s missile programme and maritime routes concerning the Strait of Hormuz, which has been effectively closed by Tehran as retaliation for US and Israeli strikes.

No details, unnamed officials

Tehran confirmed on Wednesday that it had received the proposal, after reports said earlier that Pakistan had delivered it. The South Asian country has also put itself forward as a possible host for peace talks.

Pakistani officials familiar (unnamed) with the matter said the proposal broadly touches on sanctions relief, civilian nuclear cooperation, a rollback on Iran’s nuclear programme, frequent monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), missile limits, and shipping access through the Strait of Hormuz.

Israel has been more specific.. which begs the question..

Israel’s Channel 12, however, released the following components, which include a 30-day ceasefire, a permanent commitment from Iran to never develop nuclear weapons, and the dismantling of the Natanz, Isfahan, and Fordow nuclear facilities, which were hit during the 12-Day war in June 2025 by the US.

The Israeli broadcaster also listed the handover of Iran’s stockpile of already enriched uranium to the IAEA, and a commitment allowing the agency to monitor all elements of the country’s remaining nuclear infrastructure. Iran must also no longer enrich uranium within the country.

It also demands an end to strikes on regional facilities, in reference to attacks in the Gulf, an end of support to regional proxies, and the provision of US support for electricity generation at the Bushehr civil nuclear plant.

(Russia built and is heavily involved with the running of Busherhr plant) Of course the US and Israel keep targeting it.

Russia built the existing nuclear plant at Bushehr and Rosatom is constructing additional units there, although it has suspended building work since the United States and Israel launched a war with Iran last month.

This signals trouble for Trump..

*Democrat flips Republican-held Florida state House district that includes Trump’s Mar-a-Lago

Democrat Emily Gregory won a special election Tuesday for the Florida state House district that includes President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort, flipping the seat from Republican control

Below is an assortment of news articles covering the attack on Iran

How about that obvious stock market manipulation..

*Suspicious bets placed on US/ Iran strikes trigger insider trading concerns

Before financial markets opened in the United States on March 25, the US president stepped back from a threat to target Iranian energy sites. But 15 minutes before Trump's statement, thousands of oil contracts were traded - meaning anyone who placed bet on crude prices dropping would have made a lot of money. It's raising questions on if anyone acted on insider knowledge.

*More Than 600 Schools Damaged, 282 Medical Facilities Struck in Iran as Result of U.S. and Israeli Attacks

*French far-right leader Marine Le Pen said on Wednesday that the US has “clearly made a mistake” in attacking Iran, Anadolu reports.

“What I see is that the United States clearly made a mistake, thinking the Iranian regime would fall within a few days. It has not fallen. The Iranian regime is extremely strong,” Le Pen, head of the National Rally (RN), told France Inter radio.

She said Trump’s war goals are “erratic” and questioned the ultimate objective of the conflict, adding that “no one knows” what he seeks to achieve.

Le Pen underscored that the war has affected several Gulf countries and caused a heavy imbalance in energy supplies.

*Most Americans say US action in Iran has gone too far and worry about rising gas prices as Trump’s foreign policy faces growing criticism.

*Trump halted Iran escalation after Gulf states warned of regional catastrophe

Trump’s pause pointed to two possible trajectories. One is tactical, buying time to complete deployments and test Iran’s response. The other is strategic, using de-escalation to prepare the ground for a broader deal.

*Russia received no information on reported plan

Spokesman Peskov says Russia does not know how reliable US newspaper’s report is, adding it is ‘impossible to judge anything’ until official sources confirm it

*What do we know of the US’s 15-point peace plan sent to Iran?

Donald Trump says he has a 15-point plan that has been offered to Iran to bring an end to the war. But details remain vague and Trump’s claims of progress in talks have been dismissed by Tehran

*US Sends Up to 3,000 Elite 82nd Airborne Troops to Middle East, Ground War Concerns Rise

The US is deploying elite 82nd Airborne troops to the Middle East, boosting forces to nearly 60,000 as options for a potential ground operation against Iran are considered.

*Potential Partners on the Ground in Iran – Kurds

The Prospect of Partnership

In the Iranian Kurdish opposition groups, the United States could have a strong partner ground force, but there are important limitations to what they could achieve. Kurdish opposition groups could support U.S. war aims by disrupting and denying the regime’s use of the Iranian Kurdistan region. U.S.-Israeli strikes have already targeted numerous regime installations in the region, and a partner ground force could be a force multiplier for these efforts, attacking other targets or providing intelligence assistance. With proper support and sufficient mobilization, they could also defend territory in Iranian Kurdistan.

Like the SDF, Iranian Kurdish opposition groups will need U.S. support to operate against the regime in Iran. This support could involve airstrikes and intelligence to aid partner ground forces, as well as some training and funding to upgrade their combat power. The United States has achieved significant success in previous conflicts when partnering with irregular forces, including the SDF, the Afghan Northern Alliance, Iraqi tribal groups, and the Iraqi Peshmerga.

Lots of interesting reading, take advantage!

Al Jazeera

Prepare to pay more for food: Nova Scotia farmers hit hard by skyrocketing cost of fertilizer, diesel from Iran war disruptions

The American-Israeli invasion of Iran, and the subsequent closure of the Strait of Hormuz, is having a devastating effect on the cost of vital fertilizers. Nitrogen is a fundamental component in the mixes used by local food producers, but one third of the global supply comes from Persian Gulf nations so a massive amount of that stock can’t be delivered because of the Iranian shipping blockade.

There is not so much of an actual blockade as there are issues with insurance- Some ships are going through.

Based on current prices, using the usual amounts of fertilizer this season will cost about 40 per cent more. Laying out that kind of extra cash at the beginning of the growing season is a tough pill to swallow.

But putting less on the fields to try to save money in the short term would reduce yields dramatically, which would be a heavy financial hit on the back end. Put another way, farmers are between a rock and a hard place.

Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr appointed as new secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council

Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian has appointed Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr as the new secretary of the Supreme National Security Council (SNSC).

The announcement was made on Tuesday by Seyyed Mehdi Tabatabaei, deputy for communications at the Iranian president’s office, in a post on social media platform X.

Tabatabaei said the appointment was made with the consent of Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei.

US marines deploy as Trump pressures Iran on oil route

Sen. Dave McCormick, R-Pa., joins ‘Mornings with Maria’ to discuss President Donald Trump’s Iran deadline, rising military pressure in the Middle East and the potential impact on oil prices and U.S. national security.

Just a few news articles.. for your reading enjoyment?!

1- We already know Trump manipulated the stock market yesterday.

2-Trump claims there are negotiations with Iran. Iran denies there are any negotiations taking place