US/Israel conduct airstrikes on Iran again

From what we're seeing via various marine trackers there are ships exiting the strait and by staying close to the Iranian and then Pakistani coasts Trump's pirate fleet isn't risking going near them. So in effect Iran's new toll regime looks unlikely to ever be lifted, or altered. It is in effect a new norm.

The UAE strop of leaving OPEC seems to have zero effect on their exports, its only tangible result seems to be more short term bridging capital from the US. With 88% of UAE residents being transient foreigners it's hard to see leaving OPEC as being anything other than the rulers prostrating themselves to the US as desperate supplicants.

With zero preparation for an all out invasion of Iran it's hard to see much changing in the current dynamic, so at some stage we might see fractures within the UAE between rulers wanting to parley with Iran and those who'd rather just do a Shah on it by going into exile with their loot.

Another unexpected boon has been for west Africa where the cost of shipping has greatly reduced because of the record high volume opting for the Cape rather than the Suez.

UAE been under attack by Iranian drones and missiles for most of the afternoon. Oil futures on the march again after two oil tankers were hit and fires at the Fujairah pipeline oil facility.

Trump wants Korea to join in on Hormuz,

But what can they do?

Grow a pair and tell the US and Israel to **** off.

Do you seriously think they would take any notice?

I think part of the reason this thread has gotten quieter is that Trump has committed the US to orientate its entire military towards a war that he says isn't a war, yet has wartime consequences domestically with higher energy costs.

US bases in Europe do cost more to maintain as the US dollar weakens and their debt repayments increase.

I guess we're in the phony war stage, where Trump is too disorganised and mentally addled to formulate a way forward, too impatient for a quick win to listen to any experienced council, and too narcissistic to give Iran any option other than dig in further.

The US stock market gives the impression that all is good, even though if you remove the FAANG bubble the overall index is flat, and when measured in other currency is actually in decline.

Do you still think this conflict wil be over in a few weeks or have you revised your estimate?

The thing Israel has is money and controls on the levers of money which is why they hold so much sway in the U.S

Ergo most governments including our own have to dance around that

The closer we get to the mid terms,the closer e get to an end to the Iran US war or do we

I used think it couldn’t go on beyond November but Trump and co have made such a tangle for the States that I feel the democrats might think not supporting the war to its bitter end would be more harm than good for the U.S

Israel and the US do have the military might to crush Iran but the tangle is, now they’ve started,that to end it by military might would mean carnage on a scale that no one in Iran would be their friend after it

Common sense would have been to let it alone altogether but sure that wouldn’t have made money for speculators would it

Even if the war ends now, the sting in its tail will still be around in November and well beyond it. And with each passing week, the likelihood of a complete economic meltdown grows. If Trump really wants to rescue the midterms (and he no longer seems to care, or to have sufficient mental capacity do so), something will have to change dramatically within the next week or two.

There isn't any.

Because they elected a grifter moron to lead them and said initial moron selected a collection of lesser (but potentially more dangerous) morons to do his moronic bidding...there are one or two non-morons along for the ride but too few at a high enough level to ameliorate this shitshow.

We are now along for the ride on the moron express.....Next stop ...inevitable unpleasant consequences ville.....population .... unlikely to feature any of Trump family you can bet.....