Category: Iran

Lindsey Graham: ‘the guys with the guns (the IRGC) are in charge’

The Strait of Hormuz exists in a state of both openness and closedness until a ship actually attempts the transit.

US Senator Lindsey Graham has summarized the situation succinctly by tweeting “the guy in the suit (Araghchi) is not in charge. It’s the guys with the guns (the IRGC) who are in charge.”

Unfortunately, the US has been negotiating with the guys in the suits.

Uncertainty over talks, Trump insists deal to come ‘quickly’

President Donald Trump said Monday he will not let Democrats pressure him into a deal with Iran that is less than optimal.

  • Iran says it has no plans to send negotiators to Pakistan for a new round of talks after the United States seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
  • Still, President Donald Trump says US team, led by Vice President JD Vance, is on its way to Islamabad,
  • Pakistan tightens security in the capital before the possible talks, locking down parts of the city and deploying 20,000 security personnel.
  • In Lebanon, the 10-day ceasefire with Israel holds despite repeated Israeli attacks, as the US says second round of talks between Israel and Lebanon will be held in Washington on Thursday.
  • Read more

Iran pulls out of peace talks due to ‘Washington’s excessive demands and the ongoing naval blockade’

The Islamic Republic is using these negotiations to buy time in order to regroup and fight again more effectively. As such, the mullahs need them more than Trump does. On the other hand, they know that his threats have proven empty before, and thus that they have some time to regroup even without making any concessions to the Great Satan.

“Iran pulls out of US peace talks and takes swipe at Donald Trump,” by Rebecca Robinson, Express, April 19, 2026:

Iran has reportedly rejected the second round of peace talks with the US they day before they were due to go ahead. The state IRNA news agency reported Tehran’s absence is due to “Washington’s excessive demands, unrealistic expectations, constant shifts in stance, repeated contradictions, and the ongoing naval blockade”.

Xi Urges Immediate Opening Of Hormuz Strait For First Time, In Call With Saudi Crown Prince

Calls for comprehensive ceasefire…

Yemen’s Houthis threaten to close Bab al-Mandeb Strait, claim ‘no force will be able to open it’

It was only a matter of time. The Houthis should have been dealt with during the Biden administration when they were tying up Red Sea shipments and creating a nightmare for the world economy. But Biden was weak and a global laughing stock. Now, the Trump administration is left to deal with the fallout.

President Donald Trump said Sunday the U.S. “stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engineroom” of an Iranian-flagged cargo ship before seizing the vessel — marking the first known use of force under Washington’s naval blockade as Tehran threatens retaliation and critical ceasefire talks hang in the balance. Continue reading Lindsey Graham: ‘the guys with the guns (the IRGC) are in charge’

Teheran huffs & puffs…. Trump blows holes in Iranian ships…

In a Truth Social post on Sunday, the US president ‌accused Iran of violating the ceasefire agreement, but added that US negotiators will be heading to Islamabad, Pakistan on Monday to strike a deal.

“We’re offering a very fair and reasonable deal, and I hope they take it because, if they don’t, the United States is going to knock out every single power plant, and every single bridge, in Iran,” he said in the post.

Trump said Washington would obtain Iran’s enriched uranium, calling it “nuclear dust” and referring to the 440kg (970lbs) believed to be buried at sites hit by US strikes last year. He repeated on Truth Social that “the USA will get all Nuclear ‘Dust’”.

Iran Tests Trump

U.S. Navy Blows Hole in Iranian Ship, Seizes Vessel, POTUS Says

Tehran Threatens Response

Where to From Here?

President Donald J. Trump updates members of the media on the rescue of missing U.S. airme

President Donald Trump said Sunday the U.S. Navy “stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engineroom” of an Iranian-flagged cargo ship before seizing the vessel — marking the first known use of force under Washington’s naval blockade as Tehran threatens retaliation and critical ceasefire talks hang in the balance.

  • Trump renews threats if no deal is reached: “No More Mr. Nice Guy”

  • Trump says U.S. struck and seized Iranian-flagged cargo ship in Gulf of Oman

  • Tanker traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has ground to a halt after multiple incidents (Iran renewed threats to close the Bab al-Mandeb Strait)

  • Vance to lead negotiations with Iran, along with Witkoff and Kushner, on Tuesday or Wednesday

  • “We are still far from the final discussion,”  said speaker of the Iranian parliament Ghalibaf

“No More Mr. Nice Guy”: US Strikes, Seizes Iranian Cargo Ship Trying To Break Blockade

 

“…the Iranian crew refused to listen, so our Navy ship stopped them right in their tracks by blowing a hole in the engine-room. “

  • Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson says government has no plans regarding a new round of talks after the United States seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship in the Strait of Hormuz.
  • The attack comes hours after US President Donald Trump announced that he is sending his team to Islamabad for possible talks with Iran.
  • Pakistan tightens security in Islamabad before the possible talks, locking down parts of the city and deploying 20,000 security personnel.
  • In Lebanon, the 10-day ceasefire with Israel holds, with thousands of people continuing to return to check on their destroyed homes in the south.
  • Visit our live tracker for the latest casualty figures from across the region.

Continue reading Teheran huffs & puffs…. Trump blows holes in Iranian ships…

Trump threatens to ‘blow up whole country’ if Iran peace deal fails

Trump seems to be prepared to make tabula rasa

BREAKING: President Trump tells FOX News’ @TreyYingst that this is the “last chance” for Iran to agree to a deal, vowing to not make the same mistake as former President Obama. “If Iran does not sign this deal, the whole country is getting blown up,” Trump said.

UPDATES

  • US President Trump says Iran has committed a “serious violation” of the ceasefire but a peace deal “will happen one way or another – the nice way or the hard way”.
  • Iran and the US have made progress in negotiations but are still a long way from a deal, according to Iran’s chief negotiator – amplifying concerns about a possible return to war when their ceasefire expires on Wednesday.
  • Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh says no date has been set for a new round of face-to-face talks with the US and slams Washington’s refusal to abandon its “maximalist” demands.
  • Israel launches attacks on southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire and says it established a “yellow line” – similar to the one it imposed in Gaza.
  • Visit our live tracker for the latest casualty figures from across the region.

‘Last chance’ for Iran to make a peace deal, Trump warns

The US president tells Fox News this is the “last chance” for Iran to agree to a peace deal.

Trump also said he won’t make “the same mistake” as former US President Barack Obama, whose administration signed a comprehensive nuclear deal with Iran in 2015.

“If Iran does not sign this deal, the whole country is getting blown up,” Trump warned.

Kharg Island is CHOKED OFF

“While the Iranians make many of these statements publicly, privately, they are very WORRIED about what is taking place.”

“The Iranians are saying they’re going to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed.

They are saying they’re not willing to give up their highly enriched uranium. And they say they are prepared to return to war with the United States. They’re trying to call President Trump’s bluff.”

“The president is NOT bluffing. He is very serious about the situation with Iran.” “Either they make a good faith deal and give up their enriched uranium, or it will be taken from them.”

“Less than 72 hours away before this ceasefire ends. And the president has indicated he’s not really interested in extending the ceasefire agreement. If the Iranians are willing to make a good faith deal, they’re going to make it right now.”

@TreyYingst
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The muftis are bitching:

Continue reading Trump threatens to ‘blow up whole country’ if Iran peace deal fails

Who runs Iran? Tehran says no date set for US talks, Hormuz Strait closed

Iran has effectively turned the strait into a pay-to-pass zone.

Iran frames it as charging for “securing the strait” and safety services, not a classic toll. They’ve drafted laws and protocols around this. 

Grok: If you pay we let you pass!

  • Iran says it will not open the Strait of Hormuz unless the US stops blockading its ports.
  • Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh says no date has been set for a new round of face-to-face talks with the US and slams Washington’s refusal to abandon its “maximalist” demands.
  • US President Donald Trump says the naval blockade on Iranian ports will remain in force until there is a deal, and warns that Washington will not be blackmailed by Tehran.
  • Israel launches attacks on southern Lebanon despite a ceasefire, and says it has established what it calls a “yellow line” – similar to the one it imposed in Gaza.
  • French President Emmanuel Macron has blamed Hezbollah for an attack that killed a French peacekeeping soldier in Lebanon. The armed group denied the claim.

Trump Confirms Strait of Hormuz ‘Completely Open’ to All Shipping Traffic

Trump: Iran ‘Agreed to Everything’ Including Reopening the Strait of Hormuz and Not Enriching Uranium

Iran Claims to Have Shut Down Strait of Hormuz Again

Trump Says Iran ‘Can’t Blackmail’ United States, After Ships Come Under Fire in S

Iranian official says no enriched uranium to be sent to US

Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Saeed Khatibzadeh says his country will not send any enriched uranium to the US and that the question is “not open for discussion”.

The IRNA news agency reported on Khatibzadeh’s comments, which came on the sidelines of a diplomatic meeting in Turkiye.

“Multiple messages have been exchanged between Iran and the United States, but [the US] insists on demands that Tehran considers excessive,” he said, according to IRNA.

“Iran wants Hormuz, and it wants to keep its enriched uranium; and the US wants exactly the opposite, not half of a loaf – and that’s what’s really standing in the way,”–Robert Pape, a professor of political science at the University of Chicago

Iran says Strait of Hormuz closed again over US ‘piracy’

Update:

Iran says Strait of Hormuz closed again over US ‘piracy’

  • Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corp says control of the Strait of Hormuz has now “returned to its previous state” because of the US’s continuing blockade of Iranian ports.
  • US President Donald Trump says the naval blockade will “remain in full force” until “our transaction with Iran is 100% complete”.

Earlier today:

President Donald Trump said today that the Iranians have “agreed to everything,” including getting rid of their enriched uranium.

The Iranian Foreign Minister said that the Strait of Hormuz is now completely open.

NATO counties won’t let us use their NATO bases while we take out Iran for them? Then why the hell are we part of NATO?

How and why did NATO start?

Trump opens the Straight of Hormuz, then Italy, France, and the UK jump in to claim credit:
 
Giorgia Meloni: “the work we’re doing”
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Starmer Announces Bold Mission to Reopen Strait of Hormuz:

“It’s good news that the Strait of Hormuz has now reopened. This must be a long lasting and workable solution, without tolls or restrictions on routes.”

“We will lead a multinational mission to open the Strait of Hormuz.”

After Iran and Trump Just Declared It Open.

Starmer’s masterplan:

“UK will lead a defensive military mission with France to protect shipping in the Strait of Hormuz”

You have no shame. You hindered the peace effort every step of the way. You emboldened Iran. You blocked the US from using your air space.

You’re all irrelevant buffoons.

Al Bozo would like a  pat on the back from big bad Trump:

More than a dozen countries have offered to play role in the UK-France led mission in the Hormuz Strait. Read the full story: https://bit.ly/488E66

Continue reading Iran says Strait of Hormuz closed again over US ‘piracy’

Iran: Mullah’s Fear Humiliation More Than Anything

A senior Iranian cleric said no one would dare attack Iran, while warning that any strike would fail and urging caution toward the United States.

“ No one will dare attack Iran anymore,” Ahmad Khatami, Tehran’s interim Friday prayer leader, said.

“ They may attack, but it will not lead anywhere and this revolution will endure,” he added. Khatami also urged distrust of the United States during the ceasefire period.

“ We must even be pessimistic about the enemy’s smiles, especially our enemy named Trump, who is a symbol of lies,” he said.

He stressed the importance of public support and unity during the truce, saying people should remain present and trust in leadership.

“People will not accept negotiations with humiliation,” he added. iranintl.com/en/202604176974

Tehran says US blockade of ports must end as strait to open

    • Speaker of Iran’s parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has said that recent claims by US President Donald Trump regarding Iran “were false”, and warned that the Strait of Hormuz “will not remain open” if the US blockade of Iranian ports continues.
    • Trump told the AFP news agency that there were no “sticking points” left for a deal with Iran, while also issuing a series of upbeat messages on social media regarding apparent agreements with Tehran.
    • But the US president also stated that the naval blockade would “remain in full force” until “our transaction with Iran is 100% complete”.
    • Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said earlier on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz was “completely open” to all commercial vessels, “in line with the ceasefire in Lebanon” and “on the coordinated route as already announced”.
    • Trump said Israel was “prohibited” from bombing Lebanon, as the first day of a 10-day ceasefire in the country saw tens of thousands of people return to homes they were forced to flee during weeks of Israeli attacks on the country.
    • Visit our live tracker for the latest casualty figures from across the region.

Here’s a recap of the latest developments:

  • US President Donald Trump has claimed that things are “going very well” in talks with Iran, but senior officials in Tehran say the US blockade of Iranian ports must end if the Strait of Hormuz is to remain open.
  • Despite claims by Trump, Tehran has denied agreeing to transport enriched uranium out of the country, saying that is a red line.
  • US Central Command (CENTCOM) said 21 ships attempting to enter or leave Iranian ports have complied with directions from US forces to turn around and return to Iran since the maritime blockade began on April 13.
  • Abas Aslani, a senior fellow at the Centre for Middle East Strategic Studies in Tehran, said there are “glaring contrasts in the narratives” coming from the US and Iran on talks to end the war.
  • Ship-tracking site MarineTraffic said a cruise liner, reportedly without passengers, has successfully sailed through the Strait of Hormuz, the first passenger vessel to make it through since the war began.
  • The Office of the US Chief of Naval Operations said reports of food shortages on board the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier and USS Tripoli – both deployed in the Middle East – are “false”.

He who laughs last in Iran

Lars Hedegaard

Influential parts of the US Democratic Party, including several members of Congress and many in the mainstream media, are clearly hoping for an Iranian victory in the Israel-US war and the Iranian clergy. They delight in every little difficulty they claim President Trump lacks the sense to master. Some of them claim that the mullahs and their revolutionary guards have either already won the war or are on the way to it. Continue reading Iran: Mullah’s Fear Humiliation More Than Anything

Trump Confirms Strait of Hormuz ‘Completely Open’ to All Shipping Traffic

Winning!

US President Donald Trump walks on the South Lawn of the White House after arriving on Mar

President Donald Trump confirmed Friday that Iran has fully opened the contested waters of the Strait of Hormuz to all commercial shipping traffic.

Iran: Strait of Hormuz open ‘for remaining period of ceasefire’

  • Iran’s Foreign Minister says “in line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire”.
  • United States President Donald Trump says naval blockade on Iran to stay in place until peace deal signed.

First loaded Iranian oil tankers leave Gulf since US blockade: 

Three Iranian oil tankers have become the first loaded vessels to leave the Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz since the US blockade came into force, according to maritime tracking firm Kpler.

Iran Demands Arab Countries It Bombed Pay ‘Compensation’

Continue reading Trump Confirms Strait of Hormuz ‘Completely Open’ to All Shipping Traffic

French Police Tries to Raid Elysée Palace in Corruption Probe…

Some updates:

President Emmanuel Macron of France offered his support to President Pedro Sánchez of Spain, after President Trump threatened to inflict economic pain on Spain for refusing to allow American fighter planes to use the country’s airbases to attack Iran.

The European Union has held off on designating the IRGC a terror group, while Australia and Canada have followed the US’s lead. The Europeans have been divided, with Italy lobbying for the designation and France resisting

French Police Tries to Raid Elysée Palace in Corruption Probe, but Are Denied Entrance by Presidency Staff Invoking Macron’s Immunity

A Panthéon corruption scandal is brewing.

A new French corruption scandal erupted today (14) as financial and anti-corruption police raided services linked to the Élysée Palace as part of an investigation opened in October 2025.

The probe is looking into allegations of favoritism, conflict of interest, corruption, and influence peddling when awarding public contracts for organizing prestigious Panthéon ceremonies by the Centre des Monuments Nationaux (Center of National Monuments).

French cops are focusing on Shortcut Events, which monopolized the organization of all such €2 million ceremonies from 2002 to 2024.

Investigators want to know if the contracts awarded to the same firm involved improper support from the Élysée, Ministry of Culture, or related bodies, bypassing normal procurement rules.

But the French police found the doors of the Presidential Palace closed to them.

Politico reported:

“The French presidency refused to let investigators enter the Elysée Palace on Tuesday as part of a probe into contracts linked to memorial ceremonies, invoking the immunity enjoyed by French President Emmanuel Macron.

The investigators that presented themselves at the Elysée Palace weren’t granted entry, according to a French presidency official who was granted anonymity for protocol reasons.

‘Investigators were told that the documents pertaining to Élysée Palace staff, which are unrelated to the President’s official duties and can therefore be disclosed, would be provided to them upon request’, an Elysée official said.”

Macron kept the police out of the Elysée Palace

National Financial Prosecutor Pascal Prache said that the failed raid was part of a probe on contracts for the organization of memorial ceremonies.

“French presidency staff told investigators they couldn’t search the Elysée Palace because the premises are covered by presidential immunity, the statement said.”

Meanwhile, Macron schmoozes with African despots, like this guy who runs the largest slave nation:

When Protest Becomes Intimidation: The Far Left’s Blind Spot on Violence

There is a strain within modern left wing politics that refuses to confront an uncomfortable truth. While it speaks the language of compassion and justice, it too often minimises, excuses or rationalises disorder when it serves a political end. That is not a fringe problem. It is a cultural one. The recent death of a conservative activist at the hands of the so called progressives in France, is just another example.

Continue reading French Police Tries to Raid Elysée Palace in Corruption Probe…

Lebanon & Israel will talk directly – “France was not just sidelined, it was rendered irrelevant”

Israel Will Fight On

The six-week war with Iran has dramatically changed the strategic picture for the better.

I come here not to defend the Jews or Israel but to chastise you for your lack of knowledge of history and the fifteen hundred year threat of Islam.
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This is how the Christian majority in Lebanon ended.
“Lebanon was the only Christian country in the Middle East, and also the only one to accept Palestinian refugees. Lebanon had an open border policy, we wanted to share our knowledge with our Muslim neighbors. But then they became the majority, they started slaughtering the Christians who welcomed them.”– Brigitte Gabriel

Continue reading Lebanon & Israel will talk directly – “France was not just sidelined, it was rendered irrelevant”

Trump is a Genius

T A C O : “Trump Administration Controls Oil”

We could be witnessing the most historic reset in our lifetime and those of our parents.
Some think Trump has no clue what’s going on, when in reality, he now controls the flow of 36%+ of the world’s crude oil supply, and just forced the nations of the world to buy oil from us, and Venezuela, which in case you forgot, Trump conveniently already secured, along with the Panama Canal.
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Notice how oil has dropped in price two days in a row now due to the blockade? Maybe Trump had a plan all along.
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Now Trump’s focus on Greenland, Canada, and the Arctic shipping routes, makes even more sense.
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If I’m not mistaken, Trump is securing global shipping lanes, and turning the US into THE global energy superpower.
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Trump has China, and the world, by the balls, and the sheep are oblivious.
From the looks of it, Trump is completely shaking up the global order, and forcing the world to deal through the USA.
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I think Trump is stripping the Deep State of their leverage, and securing the entire board.
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We seem to be watching the “world’s most powerful reset”, and the dawning of what I hope is truly the USA’s “Golden Age”.
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The dominoes’ are starting to fall. The Deep State’s reign is over.
The Democrats in Washington are backstabbing and eating their own and simply have been outmaneuvered.
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Trump controls the oil, therefore, he controls the world.
Leverage Otained . . .
 
T A C O : “Trump Administration Controls Oil”
 

Over 20 US-Approved Ships Pass Through Hormuz, As Trump Eyes Jump-Starting Next Pakistan Peace Talks

It remains that ships not under sanction, & not visiting Iran’s ports can pass through American-imposed blockade.

Continue reading Trump is a Genius