Middle East

[PF5]

Trump continues his dual-track approach with Iran​

Daniel Bush
Washington correspondent

Image source,EPA/Shutterstock
During that cabinet meeting (see our last few posts), Donald Trump again insisted that Iran should negotiate a deal to end the war while also warning that the US will keep “blowing them away” if Tehran doesn’t come to the negotiating table.

Trump’s remarks raised new questions about the state of indirect talks between the US and Iran.

The president insisted, as he has for days, that Iran wants to reach a deal to end the war. But Iranian officials have said the country isn’t negotiating with the US.

On Wednesday, Iran also dismissed a US peace plan that reportedly demanded the regime give up its nuclear programme and limit its ballistic missiles. At the cabinet meeting, Steve Witkoff, Trump’s special envoy, confirmed that the US presented Iran with a 15-point peace plan. Witkoff didn’t offer details on the proposal.

Trump didn’t mention Iran’s initial rejection of the plan, or his decision to deploy ground troops to the Middle East - he simply argued the ball was in Iran’s court and warned the regime would face dire consequences if it doesn’t agree to a ceasefire.

“If they don’t, we’re their worst nightmare,” Trump said. “We’ll just keep blowing them away. Unimpeded, unstopped.”

Left unsaid was how the US plans to bring Iran to the negotiating table - or why a new wave of attacks will change Tehran’s calculus if nearly four weeks of war hasn’t.

 

[PF5]

The man believes every lie he tells is truth. He’s the most dangerous man in the world and
will do anything and everything to keep from being held accountable to even any
minor thing

he ain´t gonna change until people stop enabling him...I keep telling myself that the GOPs in Congress are just boot lickers who are only backing him out of fear or whatever, but then I talk to my maga friends, and they are still mostly ´all in´ on him and what he is doing...

 

[Polds4OSU]

GOP House Rep: Graham should have his Oval Office credentials revoked​

Link Via The Hill

MSN

Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) suggested Wednesday that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) should have less access to President Trump as the conflict with Iran persists.

“I absolutely think he should have his Oval Office credentials revoked,” Cammack told Migrant Insider’s Pablo Manríquez as she departed the Capitol.

 

[Polds4OSU]

Pentagon weighs diverting Ukraine military aid to the Middle East ,Washington Post reports​

Link via Reuters

MSN

 

[Pokey]

GOP House Rep: Graham should have his Oval Office credentials revoked​

Link Via The Hill

MSN

Rep. Kat Cammack (R-Fla.) suggested Wednesday that Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) should have less access to President Trump as the conflict with Iran persists.

“I absolutely think he should have his Oval Office credentials revoked,” Cammack told Migrant Insider’s Pablo Manríquez as she departed the Capitol.

This little dweeb sits in relative obscurity until the hint of war debuts, then he’s suddenly aroused and starts creating un thoughtful reasons for military action. Flimsy Graham’s a one trick pony IMO, and NOT to be taken seriously.

 

[Pokey]

Pentagon weighs diverting Ukraine military aid to the Middle East ,Washington Post reports​

Link via Reuters

MSN

Putin will that !!!

 

[Polds4OSU]

Well at least Fox News report confirmed it for him......​

Trump reveals 'present' he claims Iran gave him in negotiations​

President Donald Trump claims the Iranian government has gifted him eight fully-laden oil tankers that were allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz under a Pakistani flag this week as a good-faith gesture in talks to end the war he started nearly four weeks ago.

The bizarre reveal came after he was asked about comments he’d made two days ago, during a swearing-in ceremony for newly minted Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin. The cryptic remark indicated that he’d received a “present” from Tehran during ceasefire negotiations.


Speaking during a rambling Cabinet meeting on Thursday, Trump revealed the alleged gift when asked to explain what he’d meant by the “present” earlier in the week.

He told reporters that Iran had offered the precious cargo as part of the ongoing indirect talks that are currently being facilitated by Islamabad after he was asked about his prior claim.

“They said to show you the fact that we're real and solid, and we're going to let you have eight boats of oil, eight boats, eight big boats of oil. This was two days ago, and they'll sail up tomorrow,” he said.

Trump said he hadn’t thought much about the offer for the three subsequent days until he saw a report on Fox News about eight tankers being allowed to pass through the strait.

“And I said, ‘well, I guess, I guess they were right,’ and they were, real, and I think they were Pakistani flagged. And I said, ‘well, I guess we're dealing with the right people,” he said.


The president added that Tehran “apologies for something they said” and offered two more tankers, for a total of ten fully-laden ships.

His claim to have been gifted ten tankers full of oil came days after he left members of his own staff stupefied by alleging that Tehran had given him “very big present, worth a tremendous amount of money.”

“I’m not going to tell you what that present is, but it was a very significant prize, and they gave it to us,” he said.

“That meant one thing to me,” he added. “We’re dealing with the right people.”

 

[Polds4OSU]

To put this into perspective Trump's own words were “I’m not going to tell you what that present is, but it was a very significant prize, and they gave it to us"

As shown above in Trump's Own Words. Iran allowed 10 of those Super Tankers through

The United States consumes approximately 20–23 million barrels of oil per day.
In 2024, estimates of U.S. petroleum consumption vary slightly depending on the source, but most authoritative data place it around 20 to 23.5 million barrels per day. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration (EIA), total petroleum consumption in 2022 averaged about 20.28 million barrels per day, including biofuels such as ethanol and biodiesel, with the transportation sector accounting for the largest share. Other sources report that in 2024, U.S. consumption reached 23.5 million barrels per day, reflecting growth in industrial, residential, and transportation demand.

VLCC — Very Large Crude Carrier​

• Capacity: 1.9 to 2.2 million barrels of crude oil

VLCCs are the most common “supertankers” you see moving oil internationally.

---

ULCC — Ultra Large Crude Carrier​

• Capacity: Over 3 million barrels

ULCCs are rare today but represent the largest oil‑carrying ships ever built.


A fully loaded supertanker would supply the U.S. for:

• About 2–4 hours, depending on size.

 

[CowboyJD]

Well at least Fox News report confirmed it for him......​

Trump reveals 'present' he claims Iran gave him in negotiations​

President Donald Trump claims the Iranian government has gifted him eight fully-laden oil tankers that were allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz under a Pakistani flag this week as a good-faith gesture in talks to end the war he started nearly four weeks ago.

The bizarre reveal came after he was asked about comments he’d made two days ago, during a swearing-in ceremony for newly minted Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin. The cryptic remark indicated that he’d received a “present” from Tehran during ceasefire negotiations.


Speaking during a rambling Cabinet meeting on Thursday, Trump revealed the alleged gift when asked to explain what he’d meant by the “present” earlier in the week.

He told reporters that Iran had offered the precious cargo as part of the ongoing indirect talks that are currently being facilitated by Islamabad after he was asked about his prior claim.

“They said to show you the fact that we're real and solid, and we're going to let you have eight boats of oil, eight boats, eight big boats of oil. This was two days ago, and they'll sail up tomorrow,” he said.

Trump said he hadn’t thought much about the offer for the three subsequent days until he saw a report on Fox News about eight tankers being allowed to pass through the strait.

“And I said, ‘well, I guess, I guess they were right,’ and they were, real, and I think they were Pakistani flagged. And I said, ‘well, I guess we're dealing with the right people,” he said.


The president added that Tehran “apologies for something they said” and offered two more tankers, for a total of ten fully-laden ships.

His claim to have been gifted ten tankers full of oil came days after he left members of his own staff stupefied by alleging that Tehran had given him “very big present, worth a tremendous amount of money.”

“I’m not going to tell you what that present is, but it was a very significant prize, and they gave it to us,” he said.

“That meant one thing to me,” he added. “We’re dealing with the right people.”

This is so bizarre.

Does he think that oil in those tankers now belongs to HIM?

Or the US Government?

Or to whomever actually paid for it?

It appears that it's actually Iranian oil headed to China, India, or some other country that still purchases from them despite the sanctions.

Hidden codes keep Iranian oil flowing through Strait of Hormuz

A small number of ships from certain countries appear to be sending messages to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps to keep them safe from attack

www.thetimes.com

This looks more like an Iranian "see what we can do....ship our oil while keeping others' oil from shipping" flex of power and authority over the strait than a "gift" to Trump.