Iran War Intensifies and Escalates
The Telegraph wrote on March 19:
“Israel struck Iran’s South Pars gas field, the world’s largest, on Wednesday, in an attack Donald Trump said he ‘knew nothing about’. [Israel claims Trump knew about it ahead of time, and Israel’s attack was “coordinated” with the USA, compare Reuters, dated March 19. Subsequently, Israel said they had NOT informed the USA beforehand]. In retaliation, Tehran launched a series of strikes that damaged a gas plant in Qatar, hit a refinery in Saudi Arabia, forced the United Arab Emirates to shut gas facilities and caused fires at two Kuwaiti refineries.
“The latest escalation, which has sent gas and oil prices soaring, has exposed diverging aims between Israel and the US in the nearly three-week-old conflict… Israel’s interest, therefore, is in regime change, and failing that, leaving Iran in ruins. US interests are of course entirely different. It wants friends in the Gulf. It needs their oil for world markets, their shipping lanes and their capital for inward investment. Without stability in the region, global markets and economies will ultimately crash, and the US economy will go with it.
“Pete Hegseth… addressed a report that the Pentagon had requested more than $200bn in additional funding from Congress to pay for the conflict [This would be tantamount to Congress declaring war or approving of it, prompting many questions from Congress.] … Military aims in Iran have not changed [what were and are they?], Pete Hegseth has claimed [and that] it was untrue that the US was [being] dragged towards ‘an endless abyss, or a forever war, or a quagmire’… [This will have to be seen.]
“Donald Trump’s war with Iran was ‘a grave miscalculation’ which has put the Gulf economies in harm’s way, Oman’s foreign affairs minister Badr Albusaidi… said… ‘This is not America’s war, and there is no likely scenario in which both Israel and America will get what they want from it.’”
Trump’s Iran War has been a terrible failure… as we predicted from the outset.
Iran Was NOT Rebuilding Nuclear Enrichment Capacities?
Newsbreak wrote on March 18:
“US intelligence concluded Wednesday that Iran was not rebuilding nuclear enrichment capacities destroyed last year by the United States and Israel, contradicting a key justification by President Donald Trump for his ongoing war… Trump has repeatedly said he ordered the attack on Iran alongside Israel on February 28 because of an ‘imminent threat.’… ‘
“As a result of Operation Midnight Hammer, Iran’s nuclear enrichment program was obliterated,’ [Tulsi] Gabbard said… referring to the June 2025 US attack. [However, it is highly doubtful that the June attack did in fact obliterate Iran’s nuclear program. This propaganda was questioned by many experts from the outset, for good reasons.] ‘There has been no efforts since then to try to rebuild their enrichment capability,’ Gabbard wrote…
“She also assessed that Iran’s leadership remained intact.”
However one wants to look at Trump’s and Gabbard’s comments, they are ALL totally contradictory.
However one wants to look at Trump’s and Gabbard’s comments, they are ALL totally contradictory.
Just Like Prior to World War II?
Newsbreak wrote on March 18:
“The global order is currently transitioning through a high-risk phase of ‘great disorder’ that mirrors the lead-up to World War II, according to a searing analysis by veteran macro investor Ray Dalio. Following five decades of tracking market and historical patterns, Dalio warns that the convergence of soaring debt, internal political polarization, and shifting international alliances indicates the world has entered ‘Stage 5’—the final step before a systemic breakdown.
“While current global volatility has shocked the public, Dalio contends these events are part of a predictable 75-year ‘Big Cycle’ that governs the rise and fall of empires…. ‘Watching what is happening now is like watching a movie that I have seen many times before,’ Dalio noted, citing the 1929–1945 period as the most recent historical parallel. Dalio points to the 1930s, where four major democracies—Germany, Japan, Italy, and Spain—collapsed into autocracies under the weight of economic hardship and social fragmentation.”
Europe WILL soon become an autocracy under a German dictator who will still have to manifest himself on the world scene.
Joe Kent’s Resignation
Joe Kent, Trump’s director of counterterrorism and a close ally of Vice President JD Vance and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard resigned on Tuesday. In his resignation letter, he said the US had been deceived by Israel. “It is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby,” he said.
The Daily Mail wrote on March 18:
“Kent, who deployed to combat 11 times and lost his wife Shannon in what he calls a war manufactured by Israel, is closely aligned with the populist ‘America First’ wing of the Trump administration, including Gabbard and Vance, who have both warned against new Middle East entanglements.
“His resignation lays bare a widening split inside Trumpworld. Kent accused high-ranking Israeli officials and members of the American media of running a ‘misinformation campaign‘ to deceive the President into believing Iran posed an imminent threat, drawing a direct parallel to the lead-up to the Iraq war…. The resignation drew immediate praise from prominent ‘America First’ voices.
“Marjorie Taylor Greene called Kent ‘a great American hero,’ while Candace Owens went further, declaring Trump ‘a shameful President’ and urging US troops to explore conscientious objection, calling Kent a ‘patriot’.”
Europe Prepared for WAR With USA
Euractiv wrote on March 19:
“Denmark is reported to have quietly prepared to blow up its own runways in Greenland – as European allies rushed troops north – amid fears that the United States might attempt to seize the Arctic territory by force in January… Danish forces deployed to Greenland in January 2026 carried explosives intended to destroy key airstrips in Nuuk and Kangerlussuaq, in order to deny access to any incoming US military aircraft in a worst-case scenario.
“The episode suggests the extent to which Denmark and its European allies appear to have considered – and prepared for – a potential military confrontation with the United States, highlighting strains in transatlantic relations and adding momentum to Europe’s push for greater strategic autonomy. ‘We were faced with the most difficult foreign policy situation since the Second World War,’ said Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen… ‘The only reason we are in a better position today is because we have close, strong and reliable European allies.’
“The deployments were reportedly not merely symbolic. Aircraft are said to have transported blood supplies from Danish hospitals, indicating preparations for potential combat casualties. Danish F-35 fighter jets were reportedly armed and repositioned, while French naval assets and multinational troops were sent toward the Arctic. Several other European countries also hastily sent soldiers to Greenland at the height of the crisis, in a show of support for Denmark and to bolster Arctic security.
“France alone was reportedly prepared to send several hundred troops to the Arctic island. ‘Would you like more soldiers? You could have them. Would you like more naval support? You could have that too. Would you like more air support? You could have that as well,’ a French official told DR.
“The US military operation in Venezuela on 3 January 2026 was a turning point. For European officials, the move demonstrated that President Donald Trump was willing to use force – elevating concerns that his repeated statements about ‘taking’ Greenland might translate into action.
“Frederiksen… said on Sunday that she no longer considers the US Denmark’s closest ally. “When you ask who our closest allies are today, the answer is Europe, the Nordic countries and partners such as Canada,’ said Frederiksen during a televised debate.”
Such European military preparations and contemplated actions against America would have been unthinkable a few years ago. How times have changed.
Europe Asks Iran to Open Strait of Hormuz, But Does Not Commit to Send Naval Ships
Business Today wrote on March 19:
“Leaders of the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Japan on Thursday condemned Iran’s actions in the Strait of Hormuz, calling its disruption of shipping a threat to global energy supply and international security… ‘We call on Iran to cease immediately its threats, laying of mines, drone and missile attacks and other attempts to block the Strait to commercial shipping…’
“While signalling willingness to support maritime safety, the countries stopped short of committing forces… Several European countries, including France, have indicated reluctance to join such operations. ‘We are not a party to the conflict, and therefore France will never take part in operations to reopen or liberate the Strait of Hormuz,’ French President Emmanuel Macron said on Tuesday.”
Axios wrote on March 19:
“The statement does not include any commitment to send naval vessels or other resources to make that happen… France, Germany, Italy and Japan have previously all publicly ruled out sending naval vessels to the strait during the war… As long as the Iranian blockade holds and Gulf oil remains trapped, President Trump can’t end the war and declare victory even if he wants to.”
So, this statement is more of a symbolic act, accomplishing nothing.
Europeans Will NOT Militarily Intervene
The Daily Mail wrote on March 20:
“President Donald Trump assailed NATO allies on Friday over their lack of support for the US-Israel war against Iran, calling the longtime US allies ‘cowards’… The de facto closure of the strait by Tehran has proved disastrous for global energy and trade flows, triggering the largest oil supply shock in history and surging global oil prices.
“Despite Trump’s demands, his European allies have asserted that they wouldn’t send naval escorts to help secure the passageway, citing safety concerns and the risk of escalating the conflict.
“Instead, Prime Minister Keir Starmer joined counterparts in Japan, Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands on Thursday in calling on Iran to stop attacks on energy sites and civilian infrastructure and to end the shipping gridlock… Italy, Germany and France made clear later Thursday that they were not talking about any immediate military help, but rather a potential multilateral initiative after a ceasefire.
“… the UK has the biggest exposure to these supply chain shocks of any country in Europe. Britain imports $12billion (£8.9billion) worth of goods through the Strait of Hormuz each year…”
Hegseth Attacks Europe
t-online reported on March 19:
“US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has not only defended the United States’ attack on Iran but has simultaneously leveled sharp accusations against European allies. Speaking to journalists in Washington, he referred to ‘ungrateful allies in Europe’ who ought to be thanking President Donald Trump…
“With this, the US administration is ratcheting up the rhetoric toward those European states that have so far refused to align with Washington’s military course. At the same time, Hegseth made it clear that an end to the war is not in sight… These attacks on Europe come amidst growing tensions within the Western alliance.”
Using US Ground Troops?
Reuters wrote on March 20:
“The United States military is deploying thousands of additional Marines and sailors to the Middle East… No decision had been made to send troops into Iran itself… but they will build up the capacity for potential future operations in the region…. The units can be used for a number of reasons, including carrying out strikes using the aircraft on board the ships, or being deployed on land… options, Reuters has reported, include securing the Strait of Hormuz, potentially by deploying U.S. forces to Iran’s shoreline.
“The Trump administration has also discussed options to send ground forces to Iran’s Kharg Island, the hub for 90% of Iran’s oil exports,…
“Any use of U.S. ground troops – even for a limited mission – could pose significant political risks for Trump, given low support among the American public for the Iran campaign and Trump’s own pre-election promises to avoid entangling the U.S. in new Middle East conflicts…. A Reuters/Ipsos poll that closed on Thursday found that some 65% of Americans believe Trump will order troops into a large-scale ground war in Iran and just 7% support that idea.”
Iran Seeks Clarification From Germany
t-online reported on March 19
“According to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Iran is no longer capable of enriching uranium or manufacturing ballistic missiles. [This statement is certainly false and is not shared even by the United States.]
“Iran’s ambassador to Germany, Majid Nili, has demanded a clarification from the Federal Government regarding the U.S. military’s use of the Ramstein Air Base for the war against Iran. The role of the military base in Rhineland-Palatinate remains ‘officially unclear’ to Tehran, Nili told the news agency AFP in Berlin on Thursday. ‘So far, we have received no response.’ [The surest way to drag Germany into the war against Iran.]”
Germany to Participate in the War Against Iran???
On March 18, Nius published the following commentary by Markus Brandstetter—this coming after Nius had previously published a commentary to the contrary by Jan A. Karon on March 17, in which Merz’s veto was deemed both correct and necessary.
“Thus, if the USA and Israel wage a war against Iran, Germany cannot be the ‘laughing third party’—the one standing on the sidelines, staying out of everything, and simply waiting to see what unfolds. This war in Iran is our war, too… That is why the USA, under President Donald Trump, is waging a just and righteous war. [A war waged by human beings is never just or righteous.]
“However, the Americans launched this war hastily and without thinking it through to the very last detail. Trump will have to be held accountable for this—even if his actions are by no means incomprehensible. Quite evidently intoxicated by the initial, highly successful bombing strike on Iranian nuclear facilities in July 2025—and by the astonishingly smooth capture of Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro in January 2026—the trio of President Donald Trump, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio evidently assumed that a lightning-fast subjugation of Iran was probable and achievable without causing major disruptions to the global economy. That—this much is already clear—was a miscalculation. Iran cannot be defeated in a short period of time. [At least the author acknowledges that much.]
“[Iran] still possesses… enough missiles and drones to bring shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz to a complete standstill…
“But no matter how long the conflict lasts: Israel and the USA will win it. [This is a pipe dream that will not come true—unless one ignores reality and the facts in one’s assertions.]
“However, the war will last longer than anticipated by Trump and CENTCOM (the US regional command for the Middle East), and it will certainly be no walk in the park… That is why Americans and Israelis need support—from European NATO members, and most especially from… Germany. Once again: Israel and the USA will win this war in Iran—with or without German support. [If they are going to win the war regardless, why do they need German support? The author’s inconsistency is appalling.] But active support—for instance, through the deployment of a modern frigate… would demonstrate to the entire world that we Germans do not always leave the Americans to do the dirty work alone. Dirty work that, since the Second World War, they have consistently and unhesitatingly performed on our behalf. This can be conclusively illustrated by a single example: German reunification.”
“We Germans must not delude ourselves: German reunification [which, according to the author, was dirty work???] did not take place simply because we wanted it to, or because politicians in the West—or even in the East—had spent decades working energetically toward it… The single most decisive prerequisite for German reunification was the fall of the Soviet Union and the resulting collapse of the Eastern Bloc. And this was triggered by the strong, uncompromising stance taken by President Ronald Reagan (1981–1989)… [Even this point is open to doubt. Reunification did not come about under Ronald Reagan and Willy Brandt, but rather—after initial reservations—under George Bush Sr., Mikhail Gorbachev, Helmut Kohl, and Hans-Dietrich Genscher, and in the face of resistance and considerable apprehension from Margaret Thatcher and François Mitterrand. Yet, according to biblical prophecy, reunification was bound to happen.]
“Now, this week, Trump has asked his European NATO partners—specifically Great Britain, France, and Germany—to support the U.S. regarding Iran by deploying minesweepers. And how did the NATO partners respond? They declined across the board. Defense Minister Boris Pistorius rejected any form of support for the U.S. with a terse statement: ‘Germany is not a party to this conflict. The German Bundeswehr will not participate in this war.’ Unexpectedly unequivocal, too, was the otherwise eternally wavering, dithering, and hesitant Friedrich Merz—who, for once in his life, knew exactly what he did ‘not’ want: namely, to get involved in this war…”
And how did the article end?
“We must once again be capable of combat and war.”
Really? Must we? If so—then poor Germany.
Trump’s Boomerang Will Hit Germany
On March 20, Nius published a somewhat contrarian “analysis” by Chris Becker, which also addressed Germany’s helplessness:
“As expected, the aggressive actions taken by the Americans and Israelis in the Middle East have had a destabilizing effect on the situation across the entire region. In the process, the warring parties are increasingly targeting their adversaries’ energy infrastructure. This debacle demonstrates the powerlessness—but also the economic vulnerability—of Europe and Germany in particular. Now, an oil and gas crisis looms…
“For Germany, all of this now results in an exacerbation of its economic problems… Rising global market prices are hitting Germany… disproportionately hard. The effects are already palpable. Prices at the pump have risen significantly—in some regions to over two euros per liter, and in some cases even higher. Diesel and jet fuel—which until recently were sourced in substantial quantities directly from the Gulf region—have suddenly become scarcer.
“Even more serious, however, are the indirect effects… Heating oil is becoming more expensive, as it is derived directly from crude oil. Electricity prices are following suit with a delay, as gas-fired power plants are also affected. At the same time, costs for fertilizers—the production of which depends heavily on gas prices—are rising. Consequently, agricultural products such as grain, meat, and milk are becoming more expensive…
“…Transportation costs are rising, as shipping companies are forced to choose longer and safer routes. Insurance premiums are increasing, and the prevailing uncertainty is generating additional costs. Imported goods—ranging from foodstuffs to electronics—are thereby becoming significantly more expensive. The construction industry is being hit particularly hard…
“These are the realities to which Germans must now adjust. Those who shouted ‘Hurray!’ [the warmongers and proponents of war] will not reimburse them for these additional costs…”
“But it is not only in Germany that prices are climbing. In the USA, President Donald Trump is coming under increasing pressure. Rising energy costs are hitting American consumers as well and stand in stark contradiction to his political promise to ensure economic stability. To say nothing, of course, of his promise to stop starting foreign wars…
“Finally, a fundamental geopolitical question comes into focus: Who, exactly, wants what in this conflict? … If one places Israeli and American interests side by side, the Israelis might well have an interest in escalating the conflict to such a degree that U.S. ground troops—and thus regime change—would become necessary. In that scenario, Trump would lose the midterms by a landslide [which he likely will anyway], but Netanyahu would emerge as the man of the hour. Will Donald go over this cliff for Bibi?…
“However things unfold, a solution to which we could contribute anything at all is nowhere in sight. For the moment, we can only watch as the boomerang Donald Trump threw comes back to hit us squarely on the head. … For consumers, this new oil crisis means one thing above all else: rising costs in everyday life. Fueling up, heating homes, shopping, building—nearly every area of life is being impacted by this crisis.
“Germany is being bled dry, yet it is not yet exhausted—not exhausted enough, at least, to rouse itself into action.”
Not yet… not under the current timid and impotent government. But a different—and far stronger—government will come; one that will not recoil even from a military confrontation with the USA.
Iranian Missile Explodes Near Jerusalem’s Holy Sites
The Telegraph wrote on March 20:
“An Iranian missile blew a crater in Jerusalem’s historic Old City near the Western Wall and the Al-Aqsa Mosque. The projectile smashed into a hillside just inside the fortified walls of the ancient city, leaving debris strewn across the streets a few hundred metres from the religious sites.
“Israeli officials said that the impact was caused by an Iranian missile, not a fragment from an interceptor… A later statement from the Israeli police said that the ‘warhead that fell… contained dozens of kilogrammes of explosives’.”
U.S.-Israeli Strike Near Iran’s Nuclear Plant Reactor
Reuters reported on March 18:
“Russia on Wednesday condemned a strike near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant a day earlier which it said was just metres away from its reactor and called on the United States and Israel to stop attacking the Islamic Republic’s nuclear facilities…
“Russia built the Bushehr plant, helps Iran run it, and is helping expand it.”
Now Major European Cities in Danger
Daily Mail wrote on March 21:
“Iran’s ballistic missile strike on a British military base [on Diego Garcia] in the Chagos Islands has escalated fears that major European capitals are now within reach of another attack by the extremist regime…
“Diego Garcia lies around 3,800km (2,360 miles) from Iran – undermining the… previous [assumption] that [Iran’s] ballistic missiles could only reach 2,000 km (1,240 miles).
“Experts have warned that if Iran has proven its capabilities are far greater, the missile threat could now extend to most capital cities in Western Europe. This includes Paris, which is 4,198km (2,609 miles) from Tehran, while London lies on the ‘edge of vulnerability’ at around 4,435km (2,750 miles).
“The unnerving analysis comes as General Sir Richard Barrons, who headed the UK’s Joint Forces Command between 2013 and 2016, said Iran’s power may have been ‘serially underestimated’…. Foreign affairs analyst Nawaf Al-Thani also reacted to the Diego Garcia strikes on social media, saying that a long-held assumption about Iran’s missile capability ‘has just collapsed’…. ‘The real story is not whether the missile was intercepted. It is that Iran may have demonstrated reach far beyond what much of the world believed it possessed… Diego Garcia was not just a target. It was a message.’”
Bild Online reported on March 21:
“The Middle East fears the mullahs’ missiles: For weeks, Iran has been shelling its neighboring states, striking critical security facilities. Europe—and Germany in particular—felt safe, however, as experts maintained that the projectiles could fly a maximum distance of 2,000 kilometers. Berlin lies approximately 3,500 kilometers from the Iranian capital, Tehran. An explosive incident overnight now reveals: The range of the mullahs’ missiles has apparently been underestimated!”
Iran Denies Responsibility
AlJazeera wrote on March 22:
“An Iranian official… has denied the allegations that it was behind the launch of what US media outlets said were two ballistic missiles…
“Muhanad Seloom, lecturer at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, told Al Jazeera that the reported Iranian attack ‘changes the calculus’ of the war for the US. ‘These missiles to Diego Garcia mean Iran has 4,000km-plus ballistic missiles, and that hasn’t been revealed before. All reports before that said Iran had a 2,000km [1,240-mile] range and not beyond that,’ Seloom said. ‘If you reverse the direction of these missiles, then they could reach London, so that changes the calculus not only for the US and its justification for the war but also for a reluctant London and European Union to join the war.’
“Earlier this month in an interview with the US broadcaster NBC, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi rejected US President Donald Trump’s assertion that Tehran had developed missiles capable of reaching US territory. ‘You know, we have capability to produce missiles, but we have intentionally limited ourselves to below 2,000km of range because we don’t want to be felt as a threat by anybody else in the world,’ Araghchi said on March 8.
“Aniseh Bassiri Tabrizi, an associate fellow in the Middle East and North Africa Programme at Chatham House, said Iranian denials regarding attacks depend on their nature and their aftermath. ‘I think the denial is different from the steps that Iran is taking on other fronts. Only a couple of instances when Iran denied an attack is when the strikes hit civilian infrastructure or some gas plants rather,’ he told Al Jazeera. Iran has denied attacks that Tabrizi believes would likely ‘provoke further action or retaliation potentially’… The targeting of the Diego Garcia airbase ‘is particularly sensitive because we know the distance of the missiles shot was more, much more than the 2,000km which Iran has previously said it kept its missiles to.’ ‘It signals the Iranian capability to reach far beyond 2,000km, and therefore, is something that is likely to provoke further concern and, therefore, response particularly from the UK but also from other countries,’ he said…
“The UK-US military airbase [Diego Garcia] is home to nearly 2,500 mostly American personnel and has supported US military operations from Vietnam to Iraq, Afghanistan and strikes on Yemen’s Houthi rebels. The airbase is part of the Chagos Islands, a remote archipelago in the middle of the Indian Ocean, south of the tip of India, and has been under British control since 1814. The airbase has been at the centre of a dispute between Trump and Starmer over Britain’s plans to hand sovereignty of the Chagos archipelago to Mauritius…
“Elijah Magnier, a Brussels-based military and political analyst, said the missile launch on Diego Garcia reflects a deepening of Iran’s response to the war… ‘The battlefield is expanding geographically, and if that happens, the control of escalation, which the Americans want, becomes much more difficult because new elements, new locations are becoming vulnerable,’ Magnier told Al Jazeera… ‘By threatening a distant target, it’s a signal that any continuation of the war will come with increasingly high risk.’”
Aljazeera added in a subsequent article on March 22:
“Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said in a statement on X that the missile launches were a ‘false flag’ operation — and suggested that Israel might have been behind them. Baghaei also referenced NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte’s comments on Sunday, when he told CBS News that the alliance ‘cannot confirm’ Israel’s claim that the projectiles targeting the Diego Garcia airbase were Iranian intercontinental ballistic missiles.”
Hard to say who is telling the Truth, as all sides keep lying. Note the next article.
Trump Talks With Iran??? More Lies?
ABC News wrote on March 23:
“Iranian officials have continued to deny that any talks took place with the U.S., after President Donald Trump said earlier Monday that Washington and Tehran had two days of ‘productive’ talks. According to state media, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Qalibaf [Ghalibaf] said ‘no talks with the U.S. have taken place’…
“During an event in Memphis on Monday afternoon, Trump said the U.S. is having ‘really good discussions’ with Iran… ‘They want peace. They’ve agreed they will not have a nuclear weapon…’ [This extraordinary claim is very difficult to believe.]
“President Donald Trump said Monday he had instructed the Pentagon ‘to postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five day period, subject to the success of the ongoing meetings and discussions.’… The president had threatened to strike Iranian power plants on Saturday unless Tehran ended its efforts to block commercial shipping from transiting the strategic Strait of Hormuz within 48 hours. That deadline was set to expire on Monday evening….
“In a statement issued on Monday and published by the semi-official Fars news agency, Iran’s Defense Council threatened to deploy naval mines across the ‘entire Persian Gulf’ in response to any land invasion….”
Trump claims that the person America is talking to is Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf. An Israeli official said that Ghalibaf was in touch with Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, which Iran and Ghalibaf deny. “Others with knowledge of the talks suggested there were no direct communications between Tehran and Washington yet…” (The New York Post, dated March 23). So again, who is lying?
Trump Lashes Out at Starmer—the “Mother of All U-Turns”
Express wrote on March 20:
“US President Donald Trump said the UK ‘should have acted a lot faster’ in allowing America to use British bases to strike Iranian missile sites targeting the Strait of Hormuz. Trump’s comment came after UK Government ministers agreed to let the US use British bases to strike Iranian sites targeting the vital oil route in the Middle East. Downing Street said on Friday afternoon UK bases will now be used for US ‘defensive operations to degrade the missile sites and capabilities being used to attack ships’. Up until this point, the Government has allowed the US to use British bases only to hit missile sites targeting British interests in the region…
“Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch commented [on] the government’s decision on social media and called it ‘the mother of all U-Turns’… Earlier today, Iran’s foreign minister warned the UK the regime sees its choice to let the US use British bases as ‘participation in aggression’ in a phone call with Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper, Iranian state media claimed.
“Responding to the US getting permission to use British bases to strike Iranian sites targeting the Strait of Hormuz, shadow defence secretary James Cartlidge said: ‘After weeks of dither and finger pointing, the Prime Minister has once again changed his mind and performed yet another screeching U-turn. The Prime Minister had the Navy’s only active minesweeper taken out of the Gulf a week before the war began.’ He also said, ‘Starmer is weak and indecisive’.”
Starmer is playing with fire… quite literally. It will be interesting to see German Chancellor Friedrich Merz’s further conduct. If Starmer is the “mother of all U-Turns,” then Merz could perhaps be described as the “father of all U-Turns.” He just said the obvious: that Trump was not too happy with him, but he wanted to invite him to a ridiculous sausage festival in Germany and expressed his desire to uphold the trans-Atlantic relationship; obviously with some considerable compromises in mind. One wonders what’s next on his agenda. It is obvious that Germany, deeply unhappy with Merz, wants a strong and courageous leader… and it is not Merz.
Germany and Japan—New Military Cooperation
Politico wrote on March 22:
“Germany is seeking to deepen defense ties with Japan, with Defense Minister Boris Pistorius proposing a new agreement to make it easier for troops from both countries to operate on each other’s territory–a framework designed to ‘ease the exchange of soldiers in each other’s countries and significantly reduce bureaucratic hurdles.’..
“[The proposal] signals a shift toward more structured military cooperation with Berlin’s partners in the region… As both governments face rising pressure from authoritarian powers — from Russia’s war in Ukraine to China and North Korea in East Asia — they are increasingly treating their security challenges as interconnected, translating those shared concerns into closer bilateral defense cooperation.”
This brings back memories of the alliance between Germany and Japan during World War II—especially against China, Russia and the USA.
TSA Chaos Hits California—With ICE Hurting, Not Helping!
The New York Post wrote on March 23:
“… the Golden State braced for a dramatic standoff over President Donald Trump’s plans to deploy ICE agents to major terminals to fill gaps left by TSA agents…. Robert Mack told NBC7: ‘Absolute shock because that’s just the most ridiculous thing I’ve heard yet out of this.’…
“TSA lead transportation security office at the airport Aaron Vazquez added to the Times of San Diego: ‘I have no idea how they can contribute at an airport unless it was for intimidation purposes… I don’t want them anywhere near the checkpoint and officers that I’m in charge of. I don’t want them interfering with what the officers are trying to do. I don’t need an ICE agent telling passengers what to do. We are trained to be nice to passengers. They are law enforcement so they are armed. TSA is not.’”
A stupid idea indeed.
No Decency Left in the USA?
The Huffington Post wrote on March 21:
“Democratic lawmakers and pundits are unleashing on President Donald Trump for his social media post celebrating the death of Robert Mueller, the former FBI director and special counsel who oversaw the 2016 investigation into Russian election interference, calling it ‘disgusting’ and ‘insane.’.. the president wrote: ‘… Robert Mueller just died. Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people!’
“‘I expect every Republican who was outraged at people for celebrating Charlie Kirk’s death to immediately condemn Trump for saying, “I’m glad he’s dead” about Robert Mueller,’ wrote liberal political influencer Harry Sisson on X.
“Many Trump supporters are defending him, however, arguing that Mueller spread ‘the most destructive lies of the 21st Century’ and was a ‘piece of garbage’ for his so-called ‘persecution’ of Trump. Other conservatives condemned the post. ‘This is the kind of stuff Trump does that makes people not just oppose him but hate him,’ wrote Fox News senior political analyst Brit Hume. ‘There was no need to say anything.’”
Hume is right. Trump’s uncalled outrage for revenge and hatred expressed towards a dead man was un-Christian and unethical. Mueller did not even find that Trump conspired with Russia, but he did not exonerate him of destruction of justice either. When Trump loses the midterm elections, he will be impeached for sure, and this time, it won’t be such an easy walk for Trump in the park.
Cuba “Prohibited” From Taking Russian Oil—Trump to Invade Cuba?
CNBC wrote on March 20:
“The U.S. Treasury Department has said Cuba won’t be allowed to take delivery of Russian crude, even as the fuel-starved island appears poised to receive two tankers carrying [Russian] oil and gas.
“In a general license published Thursday, the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) added Cuba to a list of countries that would be blocked from transactions involving the sale, delivery or offloading of crude or petroleum products that originate from Russia…
“Beset by blackouts and a worsening economic crisis under a U.S. oil blockade, the communist-run Caribbean island is currently facing its biggest test since the collapse of the Soviet Union…. Russia, which has been allied to Cuba for decades, has sharply criticized the Trump administration’s fuel blockade and pledged to provide the country with ‘necessary support, including financial aid.’
“Cuba had been heavily dependent on oil from Venezuela, but it has effectively been cut off since early January when the U.S…. [deposed] Venezuela President Nicolás Maduro.
“The Trump administration has called Cuba’s government ‘an unusual and extraordinary threat’ and suggested the U.S. could turn its sights to Cuba after the Iran war. Cuba’s President Miguel Díaz-Canel on Wednesday lashed out at the ‘almost daily’ threats from the U.S. and pledged to meet the Trump administration’s move to choke off the island’s fuel supplies with ‘unyielding resistance.’”
Cuba seems to be next.
Acknowledgement and Disclaimer:
These Current Events are compiled and commented on by Norbert Link. We gratefully acknowledge the many contributions of news articles from our readership. The publication of articles in this section is not to be viewed as an endorsement or approval as to contents or accuracy of the selected articles, but they are published for the purpose of pointing at worldwide developments in the light of biblical end-time prophecy and godly instruction. Our own comments are provided in italics.