Not so much.

Behind the Curtain: Trump’s escalation trap

Why it matters:

Trump could wind up trapped between his caprice and the realities of war. He expects a quick, clear victory. But unlike tariffs that can be swiftly imposed and rescinded, the war’s outcome is beyond unilateral control and quick fixes. And Iran gets a say.
Trump is working to help break the Persian Gulf oil jam. But in doing so, he risks getting caught in an “escalation trap,” where a stronger force is incentivized to keep attacking to demonstrate dominance amid diminishing returns.

State of play:

Israel wants regime change in Iran and more dramatic military destruction as it weighs an invasion of Lebanon. Bibi Netanyahu has shown several times that when it comes to Iran, he has the ability to convince Trump to take his side.

Iran wants survival — and to prove it can impose pain, militarily and economically, to scare off future attacks.
And other nations want the free flow of oil and commerce through the Middle East's waters and air.

What we’re watching: Averaging out the timelines mentioned by Trump and his aides, it’s fair to assume the administration expected an intense military operation lasting about 4-6 weeks. That makes April 1 (Day 33 of the war) a real gut-check moment.

But in Washington and in capitals around the world, officials are preparing for a much longer crisis. Axios' Barak Ravid tells us he's heard from three different people in the administration and in allied countries who believe the instability in the Middle East and U.S. involvement could continue until September, even if the war shifts to a low-intensity conflict.
Israel told journalists it plans at least three more weeks of attacks on thousands of additional targets in Iran.

Behind the scenes:

Trump has grown accustomed to doing what he wants and then quickly improvising if things go south. But this time, some in his inner circle have what one official called “buyer’s remorse” — growing fears that attacking Iran was a mistake.

Iran and U.S. have been in direct contact in recent days, sources say

A direct communications channel between U.S. envoy Steve Witkoff and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has been reactivated in recent days, according to a U.S. official and a source with knowledge.

Why it matters:

It’s not clear how substantive the messages passed between Araghchi and Witkoff were, but it’s the first known direct communication between the parties since the war started more than two weeks ago.

Behind the scenes:

The U.S. official and the source with knowledge said Araghchi sent text messages to Witkoff that focused on ending the war.

Drop Site News reported on Monday that Witkoff had sent messages to Araghchi and quoted Iranian officials who claimed the Iranian foreign minister was ignoring the White House envoy's messages.
The U.S. official claimed it was Araghchi who was attempting to engage, but told Axios the U.S. "is not talking" to Iran.
Neither of the sources spoke in detail about how many texts had been exchanged or about their content.

Has there been contact? Perhaps?

Trump family profiteering-

Nothing new, in politics, however, Trump railed against Biden’s nepotism. Yet, it looks to me as if the entire Trump clan is using their political ties to make money and lots of it

The U.S. military desperately needs drone capabilities for President Donald Trump’s war in Iran, and fast. Coincidentally, his sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr., are on the case.

Indeed, the Trump brothers are pumping money into defense-tech oriented firms that have already secured Pentagon contracts, or have already put battle-tested products to market. For example, they’ve invested in Powerus, a new drone company aiming to harness its “strong relationship with Ukraine” as a means to acquire and leverage war-tried Ukrainian drone technologies in a competitive U.S. market. Having bought out several competitors, Powerus already does business with the U.S. military.

In other words, the Trump family stands to benefit financially from the war, and already are.

Eric Trump also invests in Israeli drone firm and DoD contractor Xtend, whose “low cost-per kill” attack drones have been used by the IDF in Gaza. Expanding to the U.S., the company opened an office near Tampa last summer.

Donald Trump Jr. has a $4 million stake in, and sits on the board of Unusual Machines, a drone parts startup. In December, it secured a $620 million DoD loan — the largest loan in the history of the Pentagon’s Office of Strategic Capital — to make drone parts.

1- Trump and Bibi are going to cause a global economic catastrophe. If they didn’t think through what their attack on Iran was going to lead to they should have. Thinking of order out of chaos and the make America great again has me entertaining the idea that chaos was what they were after. They likely assumed Iran would back down like last time and Iran didn’t. Now things are getting out of hand. Trump is all over the place. Contradictory and bizarre claims. Including one of an impended Iranian drone attack on California. Alongside reports of drones stolen in November 2025
Do you all recall some time back there were all these reports about drones in the sky- December 2024- Leading to a bit of a hysteria?
And then no more reports- what was that all about, really?

Keep in mind as mentioned in a previous post- The US reverse engineered an Iranian drone

2- There have been a number of alleged attacks in the area of conflict that originated elsewhere in my opinion. Two in particular strike me as false flags. Azerbaijan and Turkey, were allegedly fired upon by Iran. Iran denies targeting these two nations. I believe them. Iran has been quite open about who their targets are and why. It’s been US military assets in other countries and Israel- Sure, Turkey has NATO bases. And yet, still I do not believe Iran has targeted Turkey. Those two nation have shared common interests and concerns. They have cooperated on many things. Turkey has not allowed the use of their airspace for the US to attack Iran. Same as when the US attacked Iraq. Many Azeris live in Iran- there’s just no reason I can think of for Iran to attack Azerbaijan. Nothing.

Interesting reads..

*Rawstory

The Pentagon has confirmed an Iranian strike on a radar system at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan valued at $300 million, and Iran’s response – called Operation True Promise 4 – has surgically focused on targeting the detection systems that underpin the entire U.S. defensive architecture in West Asia, reported Monthly Review Online.

“The AN-TPY/2 radar is essentially the heart of the THAAD battery, enabling the launch of interceptor missiles and contributing to a networked air defense picture,” munitions specialist N.R. Jenzen-Jones told CNN last week. “It also happens to be an incredibly expensive piece of kit.”

*First week of Usrael attack on Iran has cost the US..

Over 11 billion dollars.

*Iran cannot accept US calls for negotiations while it keeps on committing war crimes

Iran said Thursday it cannot accept US calls for negotiations or ceasefire while “war crimes” are being committed against the country.

“We cannot accept that the enemy sometimes speaks about dialogue and negotiations, while at the same time we face war crimes,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said in statements carried by the state news agency IRNA.

He said Iran had faced a similar situation for the second time in less than a year, adding that Tehran had been engaged in a diplomatic process and negotiated seriously and “in good faith.”

Baghaei said the talks appeared close to producing an agreement, citing the latest round of US-Iran nuclear talks that concluded in Geneva under Omani mediation in late February, where both sides had described the atmosphere as serious and constructive.

“But the US and Israel carried out military attacks while negotiations were underway,” he added.

“We were in the middle of negotiations and they committed this crime,” he said.

The spokesman said Iran cannot ignore such experiences or accept calls for dialogue while attacks continue.

*Iran Lists Three Conditions To End War With US And Israel

Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said the conflict could only end if Iran’s rights are recognised, reparations are paid for damages caused during the war, and international guarantees are provided to prevent future aggression against the country.

In a message posted on social media platform X, Pezeshkian said he had reaffirmed Iran’s commitment to peace in the region while speaking with leaders of Russia and Pakistan. However, he maintained that the war—triggered by what he described as actions by the “Zionist regime” and the United States—could only end if the three conditions were met.

“The only way to end this war—ignited by the Zionist regime and the US—is recognizing Iran’s legitimate rights, payment of reparations, and firm international guarantees against future aggression,” Pezeshkian said.

Trump had said the US navy was going to escort ships through the Straits of Hormuz

No.

*US Navy not ready: Team Trump’s U-turn on oil tanker escort through Hormuz

In a U-turn from his earlier claim, US Energy Secretary Chris Wright said the US Navy is not yet ready to escort commercial oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most sensitive maritime choke points for global energy supplies.

Israel looks to as if it’s being hit hard- Though there seems to be a media blackout on that topic. Clearly they are a-ok with the losses, as it is their war of choice

*Iran is reporting civilian casualties over 1300. I expect this to climb because the US is carpet bombing Tehran/ Iran

*The United States and Israel are bombing Iran’s critical energy and civilian infrastructure, Marks New Escalation In War

More interesting reads

*US-Sanctioned Vessels Shipped $11 Billion of Russian Oil Last Year

*Russia and India see potential in Shanghai cooperation/BRICS to ease tensions

Russia, India see potential Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS roles in easing US-Israel-Iran tensions

*Russia shouldn’t get too excited about Trump’s proposal to reduce sanction

The U.S.-Israel war on Iran has, unsurprisingly, destabilized global energy markets. Oil prices shot up by around 30% to $119 per barrel earlier this week, marking a four-year high that is starkly felt by Washington’s alliance network in Europe and parts of Asia.

The spike in oil prices stems from supply shortages and logistics constraints that, even if the U.S. takes steps to guarantee partial traffic through the blockaded Hormuz Strait, will likely persist throughout the duration of the war.

The White House, in an attempt to ameliorate global energy pressures stemming from the war, has temporarily lifted some sanctions on Russian oil. These steps include a recent decision to approve a 30-day waiver on Indian purchases of Russian oil; additional measures in this vein may be expected following a phone call between President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Monday.

* The US can’t be trusted to negotiate in good faith- CLEARLY via https://archive.ph/NRc52

Fyodor Lukyanov, a prominent Russian foreign policy analyst who advises the Kremlin and Russian diplomats, told a Russian radio station that the U.S.-Israeli campaign in Iran “marks a transition to a different type of international relations” where “at any moment, you can move from being a person sitting across the table to becoming a victim.”
Lukyanov added, “How can negotiations even be conducted in such a situation, if you know that at any moment the other side may shift to a direct personal attack against you?
Russia, like Iran, has sent officials to meet Witkoff and Kushner in Geneva in recent weeks. And Russia, like Iran, knows that it is viewed as a threat by the United States and NATO allies.

You can read to your hearts content! Thanks for stopping by!

The US was acting with deceit and malice all through the negotiations. The US and Israel were always going to attack, even though Iran had made very major concessions during the negotiations- listen below

Read at this link

The CIA is active on X- As they are always, providing instructions on how to make contact

Link

ALBAWABA – As tensions between the US and Iran escalate, the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) took to X (formerly Twitter) with a post guiding Iranian protestors on how to contact them privately and securely.

The CIA wrote in Persian, “Hello. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) can hear your voice and wants to help you. Below is the necessary guidance on how to securely contact us virtually,” followed by a two-minute video with an eight-step how-to guide

In the second step, the US agency advised Iranians to avoid using their office computers or phones and instead use a new or disposable device, and to remain aware of their surroundings.

Iran had conceded far more in these latest negotiations than what had previously been required in the JCPOA

As you can read from OmanObserver

Or listen below

From what I’ve seen so far. This will be ugly. Uglier than last time.

The naval forces of Iran, China, and Russia are preparing to launch the eighth iteration of the joint “Maritime Security Belt” exercises, scheduled for mid-February in the northern Indian Ocean.

According to Iran’s Al-Alam TV website on Saturday, units from the Iranian Army Navy and the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy will participate in the exercises, along with the navies of China and Russia, as part of efforts to strengthen military and maritime security cooperation among the three countries.

These exercises were first launched in 2019 at the initiative of the Iranian Navy, and seven successful rounds have been held to date.

Iran, Russia, China sign trilateral strategic pact

Jan. 29/26

The pact comes against the backdrop of decades of growing cooperation between these three states. Iran and Russia earlier concluded a 20-year Comprehensive Strategic Partnership Treaty designed to deepen economic, political, and defence ties, and to blunt the impact of Western sanctions — a treaty that was signed in January 2025 and entered into force last year.  Meanwhile, Iran and China have been bound by a 25-year cooperation agreement first signed in 2021, aimed at expanding trade, infrastructure, and energy integration.

What makes today’s signing significantly different, and newsworthy, is that it explicitly combines the three powers in a coordinated framework, aligning them on issues ranging from nuclear sovereignty and economic cooperation to military coordination and diplomatic strategy.

Officials in Tehran described the pact as a joint commitment to “mutual respect, sovereign independence and a rules-based international system that rejects unilateral coercion,” echoing similar statements issued by Beijing and Moscow.

AA

The leaders of Egypt and Iran discussed Iran’s nuclear file and efforts to reduce regional tensions during a phone call on Saturday, with Cairo stressing the need for diplomatic solutions and warning against military escalation, according to the Egyptian presidency.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi received the call from Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian, the presidency said in a statement. The conversation addressed developments related to Iran’s nuclear program, with Sisi expressing Egypt’s “deep concern” over rising tensions in the region.

Sisi stressed the need to avoid escalation and rejected military solutions, underscoring that diplomacy remains “the only and optimal path” to resolving the crisis in a way that spares the Middle East further instability, the statement said.

The Egyptian president said Cairo continues to make intensive efforts to encourage the US and Iran to return to the negotiating table, with the aim of reaching a peaceful and comprehensive settlement of the nuclear issue.

Trump keeping Iran Plans close to his vest, leaving allies questioning

President Donald Trump said Saturday the United States is keeping its plans close to the vest as tensions with Iran intensify, even as reports Friday said key Gulf allies remain uncertain about Washington’s intentions and potential intervention.

Trump, in excerpts of a Saturday interview posted on X, declined to provide specifics about U.S. military planning, arguing that secrecy is essential — even with partners in the region seeking clarity.

“Well, we can’t tell them the plan,” Trump said. “If I told them the plan, it would be almost as bad as telling you the plan — it could be worse, actually.”

The comments came a day after reports that several Gulf allies are “in the dark” about what the United States may do next, raising questions about coordination with governments that host U.S. forces and could be affected by any escalation between Washington and Tehran.

Trump framed the situation as a mix of pressure and diplomacy, saying Iran has been communicating with the United States but leaving open the possibility of further action.

“But look, the plan is that [Iran is] talking to us, and we’ll see if we can do something, otherwise we’ll see what happens,” he said.

So…. Is Trump looking for an out? A face saving quick operation? Then he can claim to have stopped 9 wars? His ego is that huge. We’ll know soon enough either way? One thing I’m certain of we don’t need any more war.

Left this comment at X

Gold is nearing $5,000.00 an ounce US – Hitting $4964.00 today

And Trump is stating he has quite a force ready to hit Iran

Atlantic Council

We’re watching Iran,” US President Donald Trump told reporters Thursday as he returned from the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. “We have a big flotilla going in that direction, and we’ll see what happens.” For the past week, a US carrier strike group led by the USS Abraham Lincoln has proceeded west from the South China Sea to the Persian Gulf near Iran. 

1. What are Trump’s options in Iran?

We are in unprecedented territory. Prior to Operation Midnight Hammer in June, the United States had never directly attacked Iran. The United States spent years developing the technology and expertise necessary to successfully carry out an operation against Iran’s nuclear program. Initiating strikes to protect protesters is an entirely different set of targets and objectives that are likely being developed in real time.

As the USS Abraham Lincoln enters the region, Trump likely has a range of options that fall into following broad categories. 

• Symbolic strikes: This could include strikes on conventional targets, such as Iran’s nuclear or missile program. While these strikes would do little to tangibly help the protesters, it will ensure that nobody can accuse the president of drawing “red lines” and then ignoring them.

• Strikes targeting the security apparatus: Trump likely has intelligence on a range of facilities and personnel connected to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, law enforcement forces, and the paramilitary Basij militia that may be connected to the crackdown on the protest movement.
• Economic targets: During confrontations between Iran and Israel over the past year, there was speculation that Israel might attack Iranian economic targets. This could include oil export terminals, such as Kharg Island in the Persian Gulf, as well as critical natural gas infrastructure. Such an operation would be risky and could impact energy markets, but it would also get the attention of a government that is teetering on the brink of economic collapse.

There were no mass protestors- There were mass armed destabilizers mass killing citizens including beheadings. Using weapons transferred through Iraq with the help of US and Israel. And lots of Starlink terminals supplied by Pentagon contractor Musk. There is lots going on in N/E Syria- with reports of the US flying ISIS fighters into Iraq. They may stay there? They may head into Iran? Hard to say?

Musk’s Starlink in Iran

Starlink is banned in Iran, yet tens of thousands of terminals may have been smuggled into the country, although it remains unclear how many are in use, according to Holistic Resilience, a US nonprofit that has helped deliver Starlink terminals to Iranians and says it is working with SpaceX to monitor what it describes as Iranian attempts to jam the system.

It seems Iran confiscated an untold but quite large number of these- It’s likely another nation ( Perhaps China?) helped Iran to locate these terminals.

Via Archive.ph

The Tariffs were always a from of economic warfare, to waged against other nations

1: Trump Imposes Tariffs on Countries Supporting Greenland

President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post on Saturday that he would impose an additional 10 percent tariff on eight European countries—Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, and the U.K.—for deploying a small joint force to Greenland to conduct reconnaissance. Trump said the tariffs would take effect on February 1 and increase to 25 percent on June 1, adding they “will be due and payable until such time as a Deal is reached for the Complete and Total purchase of Greenland.” The leaders of the eight European nations responded in a joint statement, writing that “tariff threats undermine transatlantic relations and risk a dangerous downward spiral.” To learn more about Trump’s campaign to acquire Greenland, read Thursday’s TMD.

• Bloomberg reported Sunday that French President Emmanuel Macron plans to request that European Union leaders activate the EU’s anti-coercion instrument, a never-before-used mechanism created in 2023 that would implement further trade restrictions on the U.S., while also placing July 2025’s U.S.-EU trade deal in jeopardy. EU ambassadors met in Brussels later that night to discuss a potential response.

• On Friday, a bipartisan group of American lawmakers met with Danish lawmakers in Copenhagen.
• The same day, the chief military leader of Denmark’s Greenland-based Joint Arctic Command, Major General Soren Andersen, said that his priority is preparing against potential threats from Russia. “I don’t see a NATO ally attacking another NATO ally,” he said.

The EU is well positioned to trade with China and Russia and should do so- As they were before

2: Trump Issues More Pardons

Trump keeps right on pardoning criminals

Trump issued 14 pardons and eight commutations on Thursday and Friday. To learn more about Trump’s use of the pardon power, read the December 11 issue ofTMD. Last week’s pardons included:

• Former Puerto Rican Gov. Wanda Vazquez Garced—who was indicted in August 2022 for allegedly engaging in a bribery scheme to fund her 2020 re-election campaign—along with Garced’s two co-defendants.
• Venezuelan-Italian banker Julio Martin Herrera Velutini, whose daughter donated $3.5 million to Trump’s super PAC, MAGA Inc.
• Adriana Camberos, a California businesswoman who was convicted of wire fraud in October 2024 for making tens of millions of dollars by giving false information to consumer goods and food manufacturers. She received a commutation by Trump in 2021 after being convicted for operating illegal business schemes.

3: More Details on the U.S. Campaign in Venezuela

Reuters reported Saturday that U.S. officials had been communicating with Venezuelan Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello months before the U.S. apprehended Nicolás Maduro in a raid earlier this month. Sources told Reuters that the Trump administration has continued talks with Cabello, including warning him against ordering violence against opposition members. The Associated Press also reported Saturday that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration has categorized acting Venezuelan leader Delcy Rodríguez as a “priority target” for several years, with one confidential informant telling the federal agency in 2021 that she was running a money laundering scheme in the Caribbean

4: Ukraine Meetings in Florida

Ukrainian officials met with White House special envoy Steve Witkoff and Trump’s son-in-law and foreign policy adviser, Jared Kushner, in Florida over the weekend for a two-day discussion of prospective security guarantees and post-war reconstruction proposals. On Sunday, Ukrainian lead negotiator Rustem Umerov said that discussions focused on “practical mechanisms and carrying out and implementing them,” adding that both sides plan to meet again later this week at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland. On Friday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said that Ukraine’s defense systems were “insufficient” and that some were currently “without missiles.

David Barnea—the director of Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad—arrived in Miami on Friday to discuss with U.S. officials prospective responses to Iran’s violent crackdown.
Leaders of an Iraq-based Kurdish separatist group told the Associated Press that they have provided military and financial support to the anti-government protesters.
Reza Pahlavi—the son of the deposed shah of Iran—urged Trump during a press conference on Friday to intervene and support the anti-government protesters in the country, laying out a plan to lead the country through a prospective transition to democratic governance. On Sunday night, hackers broadcast footage supporting Pahlavi on Iranian state television transmissions.

5:Iran Blames Trump for Killings

In a Saturday speech—later reiterated on Twitter—Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei admitted that thousands had died in the country’s protests, but blamed the demonstrations and the deaths on U.S. interference. “We find the U.S. President guilty due to the casualties, damages and slander he inflicted upon the Iranian nation,” Khamenei’s account posted. Trump had commended the Iranian regime on Friday, posting on Truth Social that he “greatly respect[s] the fact that they canceled” the execution of more than 800 protesters scheduled to take place last week. But when asked about Khamenei’s posts over the weekend, Trump toldPolitico, “It’s time to look for new leadership in Iran.” On Sunday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian warned that “any aggression” against Khamenei would be treated as “tantamount to all-out war against” the country.

Reza Pahlavi—the son of the deposed shah of Iran—urged Trump during a press conference on Friday to intervene and support the anti-government protesters in the country, laying out a plan to lead the country through a prospective transition to democratic governance. On Sunday night, hackers broadcast footage supporting Pahlavi on Iranian state television transmissions.

David Barnea—the director of Israel’s intelligence agency, Mossad—arrived in Miami on Friday to discuss with U.S. officials prospective responses to Iran’s violent crackdown.

Leaders of an Iraq-based Kurdish separatist group told the Associated Press that they have provided military and financial support to the anti-government protesters.

As mentioned in a previous post- This would be the PKK providing guns and money to PJAK in Iran- They are the same

**More on the hacking of Iranian television

To broadcast the so called exiled crown prince (resident of the US)

Hackers disrupted Iranian state television satellite transmissions to air footage supporting the country’s exiled crown prince and calling on security forces to not “point your weapons at the people,” footage online showed early Monday, the latest disruption to follow nationwide protests in the country.

***Some Kurdish thugs in Iran were killed according to this group

Since they were given cash and arms from the PKK- I gotta figure they were up to no good!

Hoping everyone here understands that yes the US attempted to assassinate Putin. That’s how I see the drone attack- It happened and Putin was the target.

Let’s get to Iran

penny2says:
January 4, 2026 at 2:42 pm • Edit

My opinion? He’s going for Greenland next
Not sure if it will be before or after he assists Israel in their attack on Iran?

Looks as if he’s going to hit Iran first and soon. Attempt to take out the leadership? I’m going to say definitely! All out warfare if the decapitation strike on Iran’s leadership doesn’t succeed? Quite likely. Whatever the case- it’s extremely dangerous times..
Israel always being the wild card with it’s Sampson Option ideology. Israel is clearly gung ho and I believe Trump is all in with mass strikes on infrastructure and an attempt to kill/overthrow the government

Read the Jerusalem Post article linked, excerpt included below

Until now, Trump had made a variety of statements threatening to intervene if the Iranian regime started killing protesters, but had qualified those statements with other statements suggesting he might only intervene very late in the game, if it looked like he could help push the protesters over the top of the regime, and without taking the risk of intervening without a guaranteed “win.”

Trump’s options in Iran: Massive airstrikes, assassinations, and cyber weapons – analysis

In some ways, it seemed like Trump was experimenting with how much he could impact the world after abducting Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, just by using the shock value of that action but without necessarily taking any concrete further action on other fronts.

In the case of Iran, Israel can do the follow up work if necessary so Trump can have some plausible deniability

But Trump’s latest statement indicates a greater and more sustained commitment.

Now, if he does not intervene in some substantial way, he and the US will lose face and some of their deterrent posture in other parts of the world whenever another conflict arises.

So what might he do?

First of all, the US is still the world’s greatest superpower and, using either airpower, naval long-range strikes, a ground invasion, or all of the above, it has the capability to take down the current regime.

That does not mean it could ensure a friendly new leadership, as the US found out in Iraq and Afghanistan, but doing the toppling itself is doable.

Still, presuming that Trump has not completely changed character and is not ready for a long war that could lead to many Americans dying and expending significant funds on the military campaign, it would be more likely that he will take a more measured approach in using American power.

As stated Israel can do the follow up work, with the US as a silent partner

One example could be targeted strikes against the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and especially its Basij branch, which is at the center of oppressing protesters.

Regarding the airstrikes option, it is notable that CENTCOM made a big announcement about expanding air and missile defense power at its base in Qatar, striking distance from Iran, and also a base that Iran tried to attack in the past.

In the same sentence and around the same time, Qatar posted an unusual warning that “catastrophe” would result if the Iran conflict expanded into a wider war.

Doha is doubtlessly concerned since after Trump bombed Iran’s nuclear facilities in June, Tehran attacked the US base in Qatar, causing fear and shock in the area, even if there were no deaths.

A spin-off of this would be trying to create free zones or no-fly zones in parts of Iran where the minorities are the majority (replay of Iraq and the Kurds) and hate the regime.

This would leave the regime in control of most of the country, but would start a larger process of poking holes in its veneer of invincibility.

Trump ready to use cyber weapons

Trump has also shown he is more ready to publicly use cyber weapons for a massive attack than past US presidents.
He bragged loudly about having turned off all of the lights in Caracas, a city of more than three million.

The US could launch targeted cyberattacks against the IRGC, the Basij, and senior-level commanders of the regime to break down their ability to coordinate their efforts against protesters.

This could also lead to sabotaging some of their weapons.

In fact, America could do worse and send them false information to send IRGC and Basij personnel into traps or to the wrong locations, so that the protesters could proceed wherever they would actually be campaigning

Trump Cancels Iran Talks As Protests Death Toll Surpasses 2,000:

And there’s the flag of the Shah.

To the death toll… the “peaceful protestors” have been attacking and killing all kinds of people- regular persons on buses. Firebombing people in mosques- Attacking law enforcement.

The US is absolutely lawless and out of control. Trump is exactly as expected. The US is acting out of a desperate need to hold onto global control. It won’t work- But it’s dangerous for us all.

Trump Says US Has Captured Maduro and Wife and have flown them out of the country

President Donald Trump announced early Saturday morning that the United States captured Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, flying them out of the country after a “large scale strike.” This marks the administration’s most aggressive action in the region since taking office.

The shocking announcement follows months of airstrikes on alleged drug smuggling boats in the region that have killed dozens, as the administration has denied that the real goal was a regime change to oust the authoritarian leader.

The United States of America has successfully carried out a large scale strike against Venezuela and its leader, President Nicolas Maduro, who has been, along with his wife, captured and flown out of the Country,” the president wrote on his social media platform Truth Social at 4:21 a.m. Eastern time. “This operation was done in conjunction with U.S. Law Enforcement. Details to follow. There will be a News Conference today at 11 A.M., at Mar-a-Lago. Thank you for your attention to this matter! ”

AG Bondi: Maduro, Wife Indicted in SDNY for Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy

Attorney General Pam Bondi has announced the indictment of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro and his wife on terrorism and weapons charges in the Southern District of New York.

“Nicolas Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, have been indicted in the Southern District of New York,” Bondi wrote Saturday morning on X.

“Nicholas Maduro has been charged with Narco-Terrorism Conspiracy, Cocaine Importation Conspiracy, Possession of Machineguns and Destructive Devices, and Conspiracy to Possess Machineguns and Destructive Devices against the United States. They will soon face the full wrath of American justice on American soil in American courts. On behalf of the entire U.S. DOJ, I would like to thank President Trump for having the courage to demand accountability on behalf of the American People, and a huge thank you to our brave military who conducted the incredible and highly successful mission to capture these two alleged international narco traffickers.“

CBC

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday declaring fentanyl a weapon of mass destruction, a move that dramatically expands the U.S. government’s authority to fight the synthetic opioid blamed for tens of thousands of American overdose deaths each year.

The designation, unprecedented for a narcotic, signals Trump’s intent to treat fentanyl not merely as a public health crisis but as a national security threat on a par with chemical warfare.

“We’re formally classifying fentanyl as a weapon of mass destruction, which is what it is,” Trump said at a White House event honouring service members tasked with helping to police the U.S. southern border with Mexico. “They’re trying to drug out our country.”

“Illicit fentanyl is closer to a chemical weapon than a narcotic,” Trump’s order said.

Democratic House Rep. Jim McGovern of Massachusetts criticized the move, referencing Trump’s pardon earlier this year of Ross Ulbricht, the founder of the Silk Road marketplace, which prosecutors alleged was used to sell more than $200 million US worth of drugs during a two-year period described at trial.

“Reminder: Trump pardoned the founder of a black market that imported fentanyl from China into the U.S.,” McGovern posted on social media.

Applying the “weapon of mass destruction” label is plainly and obviously manipulating and politicizing language/belief and perceptions to justify, in this case, Trump’s desire for war.

Higgins was laid off from his job as an administrator at a nonprofit providing housing for asylum seekers. (NGO connections to recent asylum seekers)

Although Higgins has never been to Syria, and until recently had no connection to the country (he became the go to guy)

It’s very incongruous, this high-intensity conflict being monitored by a guy in Leicester,” Stuart Hughes, a BBC News producer in London, told me. “He’s probably broken more stories than most journalists do in a career.”

Yes, it’s very incongruous (out of place) – some alleged random guy breaking stories and feeding them to main stream outlets. Brown Moses morphed into Bellingcat- Anyway spook then, spook now. Let’s bring this up to speed as Bellingcat continues to carry out it’s duties

Ukrainian British Plot to Hijack Fighter Jet- Bellingcat Involvement

Moscow alleged on Tuesday that it had uncovered an operation by Ukraine’s Main Intelligence Directorate (HUR) and its “British handlers” to hijack a Russian MiG-31 fighter jet.

According to a statement from the Public Relations Center of Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB), Ukrainian military intelligence officers attempted to recruit Russian pilots for the purported scheme, “offering them a payment of three million U.S. dollars” in exchange for stealing the jet.

“The intelligence service then planned to send the aircraft, armed with a Kinzhal missile, toward the largest NATO air base in southeastern Europe, located in Constanta, Romania, where it could have been shot down by air defenses,” the FSB claimed.

The agency also released a video featuring a person wearing a flight helmet that conceals his face. The man appears against a backdrop of military aircraft, his voice digitally distorted. In the clip, he claims that in the fall of 2024, he was contacted on Telegram by someone using the name “Sergey Lugovsky,” who said he was a journalist from Bellingcat and offered to pay him for “consulting on military issues.” To confirm his identity, the man says, Lugovsky sent him a press card. “I believe Sergey’s real goal in contacting me was to compromise me and later use that to the advantage of intelligence services,” he says.

An FSB operative told Russian state news agency TASS that “the intelligence service used the so-called journalistic organization Bellingcat, which is controlled by the U.K.’s CIS.” The source added that in 2022, the FSB had already accused journalist Christo Grozev, who worked for Bellingcat at the time, of involvement in a “failed HUR operation to hijack a Su-34 fighter jet.”

The man goes on to say that shortly afterward, he received an anonymous email offering him one million dollars to hijack an aircraft. If the plane carried a Kinzhal missile, the payment would rise to three million. A man named Alexander allegedly kept in touch with him through “various foreign messaging apps,” at one point sending him a video showing a large amount of cash.

According to the man, when he said he “did not have sufficient skills to land a MiG-31 on his own,” Alexander arranged a phone call with a Ukrainian Air Force pilot who attempted to train him remotely, assuring him that “there was nothing difficult or complicated about it.”

You can, of course, read the rest for yourself- I don’t doubt Bellingcat was involved in some sort an attempt at afalse flag operation. I don’t doubt if for a second.

Still in Ukraine.. who here remembers the Oligarch Kolomoisky? Yes, he is a dual citizen with Israel. He is Jewish. And yes, he funded the Ukrnazi brigades as his private militia until they were integrated into the Ukraine military.

Bloomberg calls him and his criminal consort “tycoons”. It’s a nice way of whitewashing their criminality. Via archive.ph

Two former Ukrainian billionaires (they left Ukraine for Israel and they are both still extremely wealthy!) were ordered to pay more than $3 billion by a London judge after they were found liable for a fraud that cost the state-owned lender Privatbank PJSC billions of dollars.

Igor Kolomoisky and Gennady Bogolyubov must pay about $1.8 billion in damages and a further $1.2 billion in interest along with the £76 million ($100 million) that the bank spent on the long running litigation, the judge said in a judgment on Monday.

The decision follows a July ruling that found the two businessmen ran “a highly complex loan recycling scheme.

The bank was forced to take a bailout and nationalized in 2016. Kolomoisky and Bogolyubov’s global assets were frozen in 2017.

“To the extent that these sums are not paid voluntarily, PrivatBank will immediately commence the recovery stage of the process and seek to enforce the judgment against the former owners’ assets to obtain compensation for the Bank and, by extension, its shareholder, the Ukrainian Government,” a bank’s spokesperson said.

Kolomoisky is currently being held in a detention center, standing trial on various charges ranging from fraud to contract murder, while Bogolyubov fled Ukraine last year in anticipation of criminal charges against him.

Just a couple of nice fellas.

And lastly, in case you thought it impossible a Jewish billionaire would fund a Nazi brigade in nazified Ukraine.. Read this

Batallion Backed by Jewish Billionaire Sent to Fight Pro-Russian Militias