Iran

they lied about the purpose of their war. Trump attacked Iran to distract from the Epstein files investigation.

27 Sep 2026 Iran said its demands for reopening the Strait of Hormuz had not changed - including the release of frozen Iranian assets, the lifting of sanctions on Iranian oil, and an end to the US naval blockade. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York.

08 Aug 2026 Iran says the Strait of Hormuz stays closed until the US lifts sanctions, ends the naval blockade, and pays war damages. The US has gone quiet, months into a war with no end in sight.

disruptions to oil supplies and shipping have pushed up energy and transportation costs, threatening to fuel inflation and further strain an already fragile global economy.

the scale of the cyberattacks against the US water facilities is certainly concerning.

Iranian Revolution 1979, and the Obama deal 2015

the Iranian Revolution of 1979 toppled a US-friendly authoritarian. The IR overthrew the pro-Western monarchy of Shah, and established and Islamic republic led by Ayatollah Khomeini.

2015 JCPOA

Obama achieved an agreement with Iran in 2015 JCPOA

2015 JCPOA why did Obama use cash? Cash was used for a $400M payment to Iran - which settled a decades-old, pre-1979 military trust fund dispute - because US sanctions prohibited direct wire transfers and barred Iran from using the US financial system. The US gov used foreign cash (euros and Swiss francs) flown in on an airplane to bypass these banking restrictions and guarantee immediate payment.

this specific cash transfer was separate from the general ecomomic relief provided by the 2015 JCPOA. The broader agreement involved unfreezing billions in Iranian assets held in foreign central banks, which were eventually returned via standard banking methods once the sanctions were lifted.

Trump ended Obama's JCPOA

08 May 2018 the US under the first Trump admin withdrew from the Iranian nuclear deal / JCPOA Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action that Pres Obama and Sec State Kerry negotiated in 2015.

Trump abandoned diplomacy and bombed Iran, targeting nuclear facilities, without the required briefing to Congress.

the US pres literally calling for US genocide on Iran, "a whole civilization will die tonight" if Iran does not make a deal.

2026 May. US gave Iran an MOU: memorandum of understanding. It is not a deal. This is the beginning of talking about a deal. The real deal was the 2015 JCPOA: Obama's Iran nuclear deal. The US withdrew from the deal in 2018, Trump argued it only focused on nuclear issues.

The Hormuz Strait has always been open. In February the US pres bombed Iran. In response to the attack Iran closed the Hormuz Strait. The US pres has been humiliated. Now the US pres says the reason for the war is to open the Hormuz Strait.

Feb 2026 US pres attacked Iran

Sat 28 Feb 2026 US pres attacked Iran. Massive bombing campaign. No Congress. US and Israel launched coordinated strikes on Iran, triggering Iranian retaliation across the region. This is a war of choice, to distract from the Epstein crimes.

Iran attacked as a reciprocal action consistent with legitimate defense. Subsequently Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz to end international oil shipping.

Trump attacked Iran

28 Feb 2026 US targeting Iran military but hit a school and killed 178 children. A Tomahawk cruise missile (TLAM) is fired from a US Navy destroyer or submarine, and is a $3.6 million, long-range, jet-powered, subsonic cruise missile used for deep land attack warfare.

a year earlier

Sun 22 Jun 2025 2:10 am in Iran US bombed Iran. US credibility has been damaged both as a country and as a particpant in any international negotiations.

the United States Air Force and Navy attacked three Iranian nuclear sites: Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, in an operation called "Midnight Hammer". Seven B-2 bombers of the 509th Bomb Wing departed Whiteman Air Force Base in Missouri, with each carrying two GBU-57A/B MOP bombs.

it appears Iran moved nuclear material before the attack. Trump couldn't bust a bunker with a bunker buster.

tactically it was a success; the strike package was delivered. the consequences of the attack are uncertain. Iran is thinking about what they will do. Our goal should be to get the Iranians to agree to a more restrictive nuclear accord. We will see what are the third-order consequences are.

we still don't know where Iran's stores of enriched uranium are and how quickly its leaders could reconstitute a nuclear program, should they choose to.

China's Foreign Ministry has criticized the US attack on Iran as a serious violation of the United Nations Charter

The Israel-Iran war escalated rapidly following the United States' bombing of Iranian nuclear sites over the weekend, a move China framed as a blow to America's global reputation.

China is likely to earn more diplomatic goodwill in the wake of the US military attack on Iran's nuclear sites.

China has long portrayed the US as a destabilizing force, while framing itself as a responsible advocate for peace and stability.

$3.5 billion US military ordnance

bunker buster is a term to describe bombs that are designed to penetrate deep below the surface before exploding. The US used 7 B-2 bombers to deliver 14 bunker busters. The massive ordnance penetrator (MOP) is a $500 million, 30,000 pound bomb.

Trump lost his war

Trump lost his war of choice in Iran, military failure, foreign policy blunder. Messaging has changed dramatically. Kindergarten MOU to end the war.