In recent developments President Trump’s ‘project freedom’ operation to open the Strait of Hormuz for captured shipping interests has been paused following Saudi Arabia’s withdrawal of support and their revocation of Saudi air bases for U.S. operations.
The issue behind the Saudi decision is not that complicated if you understand the longer-term background. However, the issue behind the Saudi decision also highlights a key ¹flaw in the Promethean analysis of the relationship (and the reason I caution everyone to sip slowly from this information source).
The cliff notes version is that Saudi Arabia and many of the Gulf States look at the negotiations between President Trump and Iranian interests with skepticism. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) wants a complete and final elimination of the threat Iran represents. They do not believe Iran can be negotiated out of that threat. The GCC view negotiations as an Iranian delay tactic.
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salmon, the main voice in the GCC position, has clear eyes and a long historic view on the threat Iran represents. They accept the people in control of the Iran regime will do and say anything to pause or remove the military confrontation; but they will never stop building the arsenal for war. There is zero, absolutely zero trust in anything the Iranians say on this matter.
As a consequence, Saudi Arabia understands the intent of President Trump’s request to support ‘project freedom’, however Saudi Arabia is not going to accept continued missile attacks from Iran during this ‘humanitarian’ effort to reopen the Strait. [Remember, this is also a Muslim Brotherhood issue. The Brotherhood is the political network behind extremist Islam.]
President Trump is asking Saudi Arabia and the GCC states to view the continued Iranian attacks as small slights, small provocations, while he diplomatically tries to negotiate with the Iranian regime. MbS and the GCC are unwilling to take this position, to accept these continued attacks against their nations, simply to give President Trump the political benefit of his policy.
Again, the Saudi’s and GCC have been dealing with this extremist threat for decades. They are unwilling to compromise in order to give space for negotiations they view as futile. The U.S. can use all Saudi support venues to confront Iran militarily, but they are not going to support the political and diplomatic effort behind ‘project freedom’ while they are simultaneously expected to accept continued attacks from Iran.
NBC News reported that Saudi Arabia revoked U.S. access to its bases for Project Freedom, a mission to safeguard the Strait of Hormuz from Iranian threats. A call between Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman failed to resolve the dispute, forcing the administration to pause the operation. Political commentators described the move as a significant strategic loss for the U.S. in the Gulf region. (source)
Essentially, the U.S. cannot say to the GCC: “Please open your skies and bases,” thereby exposing their energy infrastructure, only for everyone to discover afterwards the actual American policy was apparently: “Oh by the way, if Iran attacks you with ballistic missiles, cruise missiles and drones in several waves, we won’t retaliate because we are chasing a negotiated deal. And this is exactly what shocked the Saudis.
It was not the issue of the Iranian attack; after all, the UAE/GCC expect retaliation – this is Iran; no one in the Gulf is naïve about that. The shock came from the American reaction after the attacks against the GCC. Attacks against Emirati infrastructure, Fujairah was targeted, multiple waves involving drones, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles. And from their perspective Washington’s response was basically: “Meh. Minor incident. Let’s not escalate.” Minor incident?! From the perspective of the GCC this is madness. Thus, they withdraw support.
¹This is where it becomes critical to understand the position of the GCC as it relates to well over a decade of this Muslim Brotherhood/Iran extremist activity. It is not President Trump who triggered the GCC assembly to fight this radical Islamic extremism, a bastardized view of authentic Islam, it was Egypt and the GCC who have been confronting this stuff since President Obama triggered the “Arab Spring”.
Long before President Trump took office in 2017, Egyptian President Fattah al-Sisi had confronted the Muslim Brotherhood and assembled a coalition of mid-east partners to address this Islamist threat. Sisi went to see King Salmon (MbS dad) first, to get his support. Egypt then assembled Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan to confront Qatar, who was the bankers for the Muslim Brotherhood.
The GCC with all stable Arab state support then economically and diplomatically boycotted and isolated Qatar. The Qataris finally acquiesced to the pressure and in September 2014 the exiled leaders from the Muslim Brotherhood who were living in Qatar were sent to Turkey.
Egypt and the GCC have been confronting all of the tentacles from the Muslim Brotherhood for more than thirteen years now. All of these factions of radical Islam, al-Qaeda, al-Nusra, Hamas, Hezbollah, ISIS and more, come from this political apparatus represented by the Brotherhood, which is ideologically and structurally aligned in common cause with the extremism represented by the Iranian regime.
This is the background context for Saudi and GCC support for President Trump to finish the “drive them out of power” approach that Trump himself spoke of in 2017 during the Arab assembly. From the position of the GCC, they have done everything they can to destroy radical Islamic elements, now they need the power of the USA to eliminate what remains of it in Iran.
Saudi Arabia and the GCC view Iran as an existential threat that cannot be dealt with diplomatically and they do not trust any negotiation.
The most positive data points in all the U.S. activity against Iran have been two facets. First, the complete support of the Gulf Arab states for President Trump’s military confrontation of Iran. Second, Qatar joining in strong alignment with the gulf states against both Iran and the Muslim Brotherhood.
Qatar always sat on the fence with one foot supporting the Muslim Brotherhood and Iran, and the other foot supporting moderate Gulf Arab states. The difference between Qatar in 2015 and Qatar in 2026 is, quite frankly, remarkable – IF IT IS TRUE (I’m not convinced).
The GCC started their long battle against the Muslim Brotherhood in 2011, and frustratingly, they’re still standing on that same platform 15 years later. That’s why they’re not about to let Iran attack them while President Trump pursues a peace deal they see as worthless.
Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the GCC and even Qatar now holds the position that all political power structures within Iran must be destroyed.
It’s not just Israel urging President Trump to take action against Iran. In fact, history shows that support from Israel is actually less than the backing he’s getting from Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and the GCC for ongoing military strikes against Iran.
Last point, that reality is also what makes the Tucker Carlson viewpoint look ridiculous and indicates he has some alternative motive behind his position.
Hope that helps.
Know Regime Change is a bad word but imo the only way out. The mullahs have to go. Need to have a secular gov running Iran.
Agree with the Saudis this is only a delay tactic. Current regime just trying to run down the clock.
You took the words right off my keyboard! Great post! 💁🏻♀️
So here is the problem with “Regime Change” in Iran. It’s really simple math.
If you supported this endeavor from the beginning, then it was because you think that the Mullah’s are crazy radicals that would actually use a Nuke if they got one. Iran has ~90 million people. Even if just 10% of the population support the Mullahs (low ball estimate) that’s 9MM crazy radicals that need to be eliminated. And because they are “crazy radicals” they will fight to the last one by definition of being a crazy radical.
So, tell me again how we are going to go door to door to eliminate that many people?
WE aren’t. the 90% that do NOT support the mullahs, whom the mullahs have been murdering and torturing, are the ones who will go door to door. They actually know who the crazies are.
So Iranian Civil War? Ours lasted 4 years. And this would turn into another proxy war even if WE aren’t on the ground. Sorry, Trapper, been there, done that too many times. See Ukraine as just latest example.
You didn’t have a civil war. 1861 – 1865 was a war of secession.
A war that was fought over tariffs, not slavery.
Yes… That is the truth of the matter…
Do you have a solution for this mess BucknutGuy.
It is easy to criticize, much harder to come up with a win solution.
I do not, but trust that President Trump does.
My solution was to not get involved in the first place per President Washington’s warnings. I am 1000000 times more likely to die from an illegal invader crashing his semi into me than I ever was/am from an Iranian nuke.
it is up to those ppl who start this war top figure out how to end….someone did not expect this kind of resistance from Iranians….I did hear someone yell after bombing leadership and 160 school girls …Why they did not give up ?????? well ..well they are not Syrians/Libyans/Iraqis/Lebanesse……
Ukraine isn’t a real comparison. That’s a political war, aka the Reddit war, not a civil war.
You do not, and cannot “eliminate” that many people, but the Iranian people could, conceivably, wrest back control of their country from the militant islamists, and deal with the left overs from the last 47 years as they see fit.
Yes, just watch Oliver Stone’s 2015 documentary “Ukraine On Fire” to get a better understanding of what was really going on.
The Iranians just macheted and shot 42K of their own people to death recently all in a fairly short period of time from what I remember in the news!
Too bad the Kurds stole the guns Trump sent for the Iranians (although that doesn’t solve the problems of training and supplying ammo.
…42 K… is not correct it same BS as gen. Kellogg 2 millions dead russian soldiers……
WALL STREET JOURNAL
April 15, 2026 12:57am ET
Trump, Criticizing Pope, Says Iran Killed at Least 42,000 ProtestersBy
Jiyoung Sohn
The Iranian people fiddled around, didn’t form a government when the Shaw was deposed, they let the mullahs take over the country…
They are doing the exact same thing now, letting the mullahs regain control…
As I said above, wipe out all those in Charge NOW. Once that happens there is no one left that will really fight.
“…they will fight to the last one by definition of being a crazy radical.”
How is this a bad thing?
For the III% of our own revolutionaries, it was not!
How long does President Trump want?
President Trump is very smart and he does not want Iran to have power.
Iran needs to be Persia again and open up the river flow.
Methinks you will find that far more than 10% of the Iranian people support the Mullahs… Perhaps as many as 40% are radical Mullah’s supporters…
And the other 60% are cowed down.
The problem is that brings us to boots on the ground and Iraq style home to home combat ie rooting out the Bathists in Iraq. Plus it’s a long term operation with little to zero help from our so called allies. Unless we let the Israelis do it.
When a country starts a war with us, it MUST end with their complete surrender and regime change. Ask the Japanese. Or the Germans. Or the Italians. Iran has been attacking us and chanting “death to America” for 47 years. Enough. It ends now with the end of the mullah regime.
Truth Details
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There will be no deal with Iran except UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER! After that, and the selection of a GREAT & ACCEPTABLE Leader(s), we, and many of our wonderful and very brave allies and partners, will work tirelessly to bring Iran back from the brink of destruction, making it economically bigger, better, and stronger than ever before. IRAN WILL HAVE A GREAT FUTURE. “MAKE IRAN GREAT AGAIN (MIGA!).” Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP
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https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116182551337254643
Mar 06, 2026, 5:50 AM
One doesn’t negotiate the terms of an unconditional surrender. Instead, the instrument of surrender is presented to the enemy and he is given a binary choice– sign or you and all of your nation dies.
It’s starting to look as if President Trump fails to understand the meaning of the term unconditional surrender. Perhaps Sanae Takaichi, the Prime Minister of Japan, would be so kind as to call and explain it to him. As he has no problems with the concept of sneak attack, it shouldn’t take her but a minute or two.
I dunno; I’m all for the end of the mullahs and their rule, but the “complete surrender and regime change” package program didn’t seem to work out so well in Iraq or Afghanistan, and Germany’s declaration of war against the U.S. only came after some months of the Roosevelt Administration carrying on a de facto state of hostilities with Germany in the North Atlantic.
I remember watching the very first edition of Ted Kppel’s “Nightline”…
Man, I’m tired.
Please God, end this.
And living through the Cuban Missile Crisis was enough for me…it’s time to really put an end to this. (I was dating a guy from Nellis who told back then that we had come within MINUTES of a nuke war…)
That’s right. Time to stop blaming the Joos.
Awww… Com’on AM… You know we have posters on TCH that blame the Joos for everything, and they ain’t gonna stop…
Do we?
Yep… We sure do have them… Sometimes, several a day in comments re: various subjects…
Again, do we? There are certainly commenters here critical of Israel and the various and sundry anti-Christian and anti-white initiatives that many prominent Jews get involved in, but I don’t recall seeing anyone literally “blam[ing] the Joos for everything.” That claim appears to be a shabbos goy strawman more than than anything.
Lots of them. Like you.
Citations, please.
Of course the Iranian maniacs will lie, lie and lie some more to get their way. Is PDJT really this naive? I don’t blame the Arabs one bit for denying us their facilities. Excellent that they did. President Trump is chasing his tail in ‘negotiations’ with Iran.
Yes, no matter what the mullahs agree to, it will be all lies and they will not honor any agreement they make…
Things can change in a nanosecond.
And have apparently…Gulf States have lifted curbs on military access.
That is, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait.
I’m betting President Trump has been in direct communication with MbS.
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/first-chinese-tanker-attacked-near-hormuz-beijing-urges-waterway-reopened
Islam’s “prophet” was famous for delay and lies.
If we fall for this it is on us.
Just re-start the bombing and be done with it.
Saudi Arabia knows the score.
I agree with you and the Saudis and GCC, it’s a delay tactic by the Iranian Islamist regime; meanwhile, the cheapest gas I can find in NE Texas is $3.69.9/gal.,, in the immediate locale, it’s $3.97.9/gal. on up to over $4/gal.
The Iranian Regime is mostly IRGC. Good luck (and lots of troops) at getting rid of them.
The Iranian people cant do it as they are unarmed.
How much blood and treasure are we willing to expend ro please the Saudis and their friends? Why aren’t they attacking Iran?
The Basij (high ideological devotion) also must go.
There are loads of infiltrators (Mossad, et al) who have been living among the people for quite some time (years + +).
Getting rid of the ‘nasty’ ones is achievable and setting up an exit system (emigration) would help. Afghanistan might take them.
smoke and mirrors
they want the US to spend our money to obliterate Iran
while I agree with the concept that Iran should be decimated
as to their power, corrupt government and nuclear weapons
I say put your money where your mouth is
in other words, the middle east should pay for it
How much did they agree to invest just few months ago? Wasn’t in the trillions?
…and maybe do it themselves…we’ll support the efforts…
I’ve read somewhere that we could arm ME countries troops & support them from the air and with missiles, etc. – also the Iranian people themselves once armed would know where to attack the MB. And from many Iranian voices I’ve heard they only want Reza Pahlavi.
The countries that have ships trapped due to Iran closing Hormuz, should sent their navies to open the Hormuz Strait…
In agreement with you. Our fighting power, even with Israel, but the Arab countries need its own boots on the ground for this one. No just sitting on the sidelines.
“…a bastardized version of authentic Islam”???
What is authentic Islam? As defined by whom? As practiced by whom?
It may be that the GCC hates the Iranian Shia violence that is destabilizing to their countries, but that is a political power calculation, not an interpretation of Islam.
Trump’s attempts at alliances with these countries are done in good faith and are consistent with his worldview, but any such alliance is likely to be fickle and brittle and short lived.
Prayerful help needed.
They are referring to, for instance, the “12th Imam.”
Islam is NOT a Religion even though they claim it is. It IS A CULT!
“All wars are banker’s wars”
Xi is the Mullahs banker. Have been wondering if the stall was due to President Trump wanting to have direct conversations with Xi about ending the Iranian regime when they are together.
IRGC will cut a better deal with PDJT than they will with Xi. IRGC will come to the table soon. I figure PDJT knows this. Just a flyover hobbit’s view.
Eric Daugherty
@EricLDaugh
JUST IN: President Trump is now considering RESTARTING Project Freedom in the Strait of Hormuz, to ensure freedom of navigation, after pausing it this week — WSJ
This comes as both Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have “LIFTED RESTRICTIONS” on the US using their bases and airspace
Cont and video…
10 mins ago…WSJ reports, but Reuters can’t verify….
+++
Saudi Arabia, Kuwait lift restrictions on US military access to bases and airspace, WSJ says
https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-kuwait-lift-restrictions-us-military-access-bases-airspace-wsj-says-2026-05-07/
If true, BOY! Was that fast!!! 🙂
Trump: You have an unpleasant military job to … finish.
There can be no “deal making.” Listen to the people who know. People who have thousands of years of experience.
None of this is what you nor anyone would want. You have started to end this 47-year reign of terror, however, and you must finish.
Yes, for example: You’re going to have to bomb the oil delivery infrastructure and docks on Kharg Island into oblivion. (I said: “oblivion.”)
Inescapably, this means Iran won’t be able to export oil, even after the Mullahs are gone. This cannot be helped.
It NEVER made sense to pause it. At all.
Maybe if you thought – hoped – wished – that “a deal could be made.” That you had any rational people to “deal” with.
But, what the people who actually know are telling you now is that it can’t. Like I said, they have thousands of years of experience. Proceed accordingly. No, of course you don’t like what you hear. But, hear it anyway.
“Maybe if you thought – hoped – wished – that “a deal could be made.” That you had any rational people to “deal” with.”
You can’t make a deal with someone who doesn’t want a deal. Putin probably would like a deal with Ukraine, but EU and UK don’t, and they’re pulling Zel’s strings, so there will be no deal there.
Same with the Iranians. If they are bound and determined to have a nuke, then there is no leverage that can be applied to them, no deal to be had.
I appreciate Trump’s honesty and perhaps naeviety (however it is spelled), but honesty is a 2 way street
Sundance, thank you for your always awesome analysis of the situation at hand. It is much appreciated.
The problem is this makes the current situation more confusing. For those of us who don’t play 4d chess it is difficult to digest.
We want the SOH opened and Iran to give up current nuke material and future nuke ambitions.
It makes more sense if you look at it like tic tac toe. At the outset, Trump said this would take no more than 4-6 weeks. That has proven false. Trump was unable to anticipate our regional allies response to missile attacks as a result of Project Freedom. Why didn’t Trump know Saudi Arabia would react the way they did? Why did Trump spend the day telling everyone he paused Project Freedom because Iran was close to signing a deal, when the reality is our regional allies forced him to pause. There is no 4d chess or grand strategy.
“Why did Trump spend the day telling everyone he paused Project Freedom because Iran was close to signing a deal, when the reality is our regional allies forced him to pause. There is no 4d chess or grand strategy.”
Because someone in his administration is making bank manipulating the markets. Large short bets on the price of oil have been placed numerous times just prior to him posting something on Truth Social.
https://sonar21.com/trumps-bogus-claims-about-progress-in-talks-with-iran-just-made-some-insider-a-lot-of-money/
“Because someone in his administration is making bank manipulating the markets”
The UniParty doesn’t just exist in Congress. I have long suspected that President Trump is surrounded by multiple treacherous people who don’t share his values or goals in regard to moving America forward in the interest of the American people, but who could be just using him for his position of power to benefit themselves. What better opportunity than for someone “in the know” to maneuver so the oil market responds for their own financial gain, regardless of the geopolitical fallout or if this puts egg on the face of President Trump?
Are family members or in-laws off the table for consideration in terms of who could be influencing the President so they can make profitable financial deals?
Never thought I would agree with the Saudi’s but this time I do. Iran is playing Trump.
I agree with all of them, we need to finish the job
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have lifted restrictions on the US military’s use of their bases and airspace imposed after the start of the American operation to reopen the Strait of Hormuz: WSJ
I see it a whole lot differently.
One could make the same commentary about Israel – in terms of dealing with the long-term threat. But Israelis fight and die. Gulf states are feckless and effete. As allies they are worse than Europe – which at least has the excuse of being poor. These monarchies know nothing but inherited wealth that they will do anything to preserve. I was hopeful that this would not become so apparent for Trump’s sake.
It is their neighborhood WHY does somebody else need to clean it up?
Israel would have cleaned it up long ago if the USA had just let them do it…
Israel has the most to lose if the Iranian regime and their terrorist proxies aren’t completely destroyed. They would likely gladly finish off the job with the aid of some of the advanced weaponry the US has which they lack.
But if the US lets them do this, then the Forever Wars people couldn’t keep making money when this ends.
There is also the element of people who don’t want a US success in this war because they want to make President Trump look bad prior to the midterms. These people are also rooting for Iran because they like Islamic terrorists and all things Jihadi.
Also, John The Revelator tells us the wars won’t end until the Battle of Armageddon takes place…
……Israelis army…is short of soldiers..not enough to fight millions and millions Iranians….also Orhodox Jews do not wanna entry to their Army…( 2 millions? of them…)
Remember the Six Day War back in June of 1967?
Trump Mulls Restart Of ‘Project Freedom’ As Gulf States Lift Military Curbs, Iran Reiterates Nuclear Enrichment Red Line
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait have lifted restrictions on the U.S. military’s use of their bases and airspace…
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/first-chinese-tanker-attacked-near-hormuz-beijing-urges-waterway-reopened
Why doesn’t Saudi Arabia retaliate if it’s such a problem for them? Why do we have to do it for them? They are exponentially wealthier than Iran and we’ve been selling them weapons for decades. The gulf states clearly don’t support this confrontation or else they would join. I’m supposed to believe they secretly support it, while simultaneously withdrawing support of escorting ships through the straight.
You’re trying way too hard today and your TDS is oozing. Take a break and go have mommy make ya hot pocket ace.
I love Trump. You can check my stats. But I’m not following him off a cliff.
And just like that, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait lift the restrictions. Operation Freedom is back on. https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2052444524295659886?s=20
Maybe Trump told them, hey, if you want to remove the Mullah regime, you’ll have to send YOUR troops in.
Bases are an easy way to prove you’re an ally. Sending your troops into a groundwar is a whole nuther animal
And just maybe, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are again lifting the restrictions so our VSGPDJT can setup the beginning of the END to the Mullahs with massive bombings – fingers crossed
I almost wish they stuck their initial, impossibly stupid, position. When the reporter asks Trump…”Italy wouldn’t let you use the Sicily airbase for logistics, you threatened pulling troops out of NATO. When the foreign minister of Germany said it is not their war, you threatened abandoning NATO. When PM Merz insulted the USA by saying that Iran was humiliating the US, you launched a plan to pull troops from Germany. When will you start pulling troops out of the Gulf? After all they have a great deal more at stake than NATO countries”.
The answer to this hypothetical question might be very revealing. It seems Trump has made it clear what the stakes are for the Gulf. At least I hope that we would treat these feckless monarchies worse than NATO countries.
I’m a strong Trump supporter. In part because he usually gets things right and has common sense. However, in this case, the GCC and MbS are right.
You have to be a special kind of stupid to believe that Iran is somehow going to keep their word. All one has to do is look at their track record to realize that they will say anything to get out of a bind but have no intention to keep their promise. I understand that Trump is trying to save the mid-terms but negotiating with the Mullahs is about as effective as putting a screen door on a submarine. We started this job…. and now we need to finish it regardless of political costs. Its the right thing to do.
The solution is was discovered by Monte Python in the Black knight scene.
Negotiation is the same, just risk him biting your legs off and call it a draw.
Meanwhile, the Black Knight has no arms or legs. (Air force, Navy, Nukes, and Oil) They will still talk threats, but be neutered.
“effective as putting a screen door on a submarine. ”
If you put a screen door on the top and then never submerge, a screen door is good enough for a sub. 😛
Finishing it would only help the midterms.
It seems like a race against time kind of thing. It seems President Trump would prefer slow economic death to the Iranian regime by maintaining the blockade and taking out any Iranian interference in the strait, rather than bombing Iran’s infrastructure etc. He also doesn’t want to risk American lives with boots on the ground. Yet the success of the blockade could take awhile to collapse the regime, especially with China and Russia supporting them. Meantime at home, Americans are whining about paying $1 more/gallon for gas and that’s not helping reduce inflation. And it’s election primary season.
“Finish it regardless of political costs”:
Do you realize what that means? This may happen anyway due to the massive election fraud in the country and the fact that not one GOP Senator is willing to stand up to Thune to do what it takes to get SAVE election integrity laws passed, but the cost could be the Democrats get the House, and maybe also the Senate. If so, they plan to impeach Trump, nuke the filibuster, and then they can do whatever they want to turn our Republic into a Communist Authoritarian Hell-hole. Just look to CA if you’d like to see what a Democrat Supermajority that has been cemented in for years has done if you’d like to see what awaits the entire US if this happens in DC.
Yes I care about eliminating the Iranian threat. But I guess I don’t care enough about it at the moment to risk the midterms. If large numbers of Americans start coming home in body bags that’s all it would take. Trump has done a tremendous amount to hobble the Iranian threat. It doesn’t mean he can’t pick up where he left off if he doesn’t finish everything at this moment. IMHO there are higher priorities in the next few months. And sure-as-shooting, the Iranians will give him plenty of reasons in the future to resume the fight. OF COURSE they won’t change and become reasonable, responsible world citizens. That’s not possible for demonic, homicidal, deceitful psychopaths. It’s completely naive to think that could happen.
So, the beast is wounded. The gulf states have no standing militaries. Join in on the cause, offensively.
Why not?
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/05/deep-state-leaks-cia-iran-war-dossier-wapo/
Worms and snakes still doing what they do.
****************** Breaking **************
Washington Post reporting CIA playing games against the President yet again.
“Iran retains about 75 percent of its prewar inventories of mobile launchers and about 70 percent of its prewar stockpiles of missiles, a U.S. official said. The official said there is evidence that the regime has been able to recover and reopen almost all of its underground storage facilities, repair some damaged missiles and even assemble some new missiles that were nearly complete when the war began.”
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2026/05/deep-state-leaks-cia-iran-war-dossier-wapo/
https://dnyuz.com/2026/05/07/u-s-intelligence-says-iran-can-outlast-trumps-hormuz-blockade-for-months/
Cold Anger, ………………….hard, cold anger at the treachery inside our “fourth branch”
Gulf States Lift Restrictions That Blocked ‘Project Freedom’ in Strait of Hormuz (WSJ)
https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/saudi-arabia-kuwait-lift-restrictions-on-u-s-military-access-to-bases-airspace-8504c830?st=MiP7i6&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink
AND ISRAEL BTW!
After Oct 7, they will accept NOTHING besides total eradication of Iran, Hamas, Houthi, hezballa threats.
That’s been my issue from the beginning with this Promethium group.
(Not understanding how Israel understands this as a fight for survival)
LaRouche has been antagonistic to Israel for a long long time – since LaRouche himself, actually.
And quite rightly so.
We will agree to disagree about whether it is right or not. But my point is different. The LaRouche perspective on many things has long been intelligently articulated, but until one has more than a passing exposure, one is not informed that LaRouche has been antagonistic to Israel for many years. That’s all.
For those of us who see your view as disqualifying of good judgment, which I respect as your right, many of us were once quite interested in what Tucker Carlson had to say for many years. And then, cracks began to appear, and his positions on topics such as Israel turned those cracks into chasms (or as PDJT would say – a “very stupid person”). I was one of those people who willingly overlooked Tucker’s obvious biases for some time until I could no longer pretend. So it is with many other intelligent sounding people.
Thanks, but no.
Which is likely to help his message more than hinder it these days, I dare say.
And the same to you in turn, from those of us who likewise see your view as disqualifying of good judgement.
And so it was for myself with regard to the Israeli state. I was once a fervent supporter, but eventually the disparity between the rhetoric and the reality (not to mention the theological problems for my Christian faith) became too glaring to ignore.
I don’t think LaRouche was ever a supporter of Israel.
As for whether that perspective makes one popular, I support PDJT. It doesn’t make me popular – any more than our President’s respect for Netanyahu makes him more popular.
What I would note of your post is that you were “once a fervent supporter” of Israel. Interesting. WHen was that? And what accounted for you being fervent then?
Again, I’m not here to debate how you feel now, any more than I would debate Elizabeth Warren or Mamdani. But I am intrigued about what inspired your “fervent,” and when that was?
Trump: “I’m trying to pull OUT, after giving the other guy a trashing, and beat down, … I don’t want to continue to keep hitting a guy on the ground, and keep pounding him”
The fighter getting the beat down: You are beating me pretty good, I raise my hands to pause, and collect myself, …
Trump says: Do you unconditionally surrender?
Figher getting the beat down: I am hurting bad, … I got a few super fast tiny boats, and only a couple of missles, let me save some “face” by tapping on the other countries … just to keep my dignity.
Saudi’s say: Hell no, the guy knocked down is sending missles, and drones to us, and you say “put up with that”. screw that.
Paul Newman & George Kennedy – Cool Hand Luke.
‘It is not President Trump who triggered the GCC assembly to fight this radical Islamic extremism, a bastardized view of authentic Islam, it was Egypt and the GCC who have been confronting this stuff since President Obama triggered the “Arab Spring”.’
Sundance, you been smoking the crazy weed? “Authentic Islam” is very radical and violent. In fact, the more authentic it is, the more radical violence it expresses.
Last point, that reality is also what makes the Tucker Carlson viewpoint look ridiculous and indicates he has some alternative motive behind his position.
Please tell us, what would his alternative motive be?
Tey have had 20 years to do something they expected President Trump to accomplish in 20 days.
And just like that the Marketing & PR department is trying to act like the CIA is acting like the “Deep State” is the managing partner, at the firm. Worse what the WP is printing has nothing to do with them. LOL
UnFingBelievable
An article like this is useful to mirror the fairly regular and cynical swipes at Israel and Prime Minister Netanyahu for allegedly manipulating the United States into its military initiative. Obviously there is a whole region and beyond that is handicapped by Iran’s malign actions and nihilistic exporting of terrorism as a political strategy.
I take issue with Sundance referring to Iran as a “bastardized version of Islam.” It’s not, really. It is Islam, just as Muslim Brotherhood is Islam. It’s just theocratic Islamism that promotes exporting itself to be the dominant ideology near and far. That reflects the political motives of the IRGC, Muslim Brotherhood, and all of the leaders in that group.
The collaborations between Israel and UAE in particular, Israel and other countries and in fact, Israel and the successes of its own Muslims demonstrate that Islam can co-exist with other countries that have different religious beliefs. It’s not whether that version of Islam is “bastardized (which is a globalist (Bush-esque) talking point that keeps the Sadiq Khans and Mamdanis from taking ownership of the stealth insinuation that they advance),” it’s that the Iranian version has proven itself to desire to spread beyond its borders by any means necessary, and exploiting Western weakness for money and (social influencer/academia/lawmaker) bribery (“campaign contributions”), as well as the vehicle of social media for disinformation.
That “theocratic version” of yours would also happily obliterate any neighboring Arab country within reach – if they are “Sunni” and not “Shi’ite.” There’s a reason why they are incessantly bombing them … and their neighbors know why.
Their sect wants to trigger the Apocalypse, so that their “12th Imam” will reappear to create a world-wide “caliphate.” Of course, that means that every “infidel” throughout the world – including you and me – would be killed. Likewise every “non-true Islam.” (Such as “Sunni.”)
I agree with you. But when you also consider that Iranians are Shiites, the government had no problem killing 40,000 of their own Shiites in a span of less than two weeks. Their messianic aims justify their nihilistic and shocking means. While the UN, bought-off intellectuals like Tucker and the academic left fixate on Israel and its shackled effort to extirpate the rejectionist Jihadists from Gaza and Hezbollah-occupied Lebanon.
Attempting to cure this problem, rather than continuing to contain it, was a severe miscalculation. While Iran has suffered great damage, the regime still stands. Meanwhile, the side effects are politically toxic in the U. S. Although the polled responders acknowledge that the U. S. has “won” the war, it remains unpopular (about 60% against) because of the blowback of energy price hikes.
IMO Americans aren’t buying the rationale that Iran was about to launch waves of nukes at their country. They see this as a regional mess involving Shia vs. Sunni, Israel’s gradual expansionism, and the Gaza/Palestinian situation … and done using only conventional weaponry.
The war polls aren’t the only ones getting uglier. Today Rasmussen has PDJT at his second-term low for the third consecutive day … 41% approval. Before late last week, the previous low at 43% was touched a few times before rebounding higher. Just last October, POTUS was getting 50% and above for awhile. I trust Rasmussen because it polls every week day and uses the same honest uncomplicated, and unskewed questions about approval/disapproval. Unlike the fake media polls that cherry pick results and gaslight with loaded questions. Bottom line, the midterms are looking as shaky as can be, just because of hubris of attempting to be a successful world cop in a region that is a ghetto. ICE would have more success in Seattle or Portland by comparison.
Why is President Trump watching the polls. The public is notoriously fickle. What is the right thing to do should be the question answered.
On Breitbart, there is an article saying that Homan said PDJT was considering various forms of amnesty for illegal aliens. If done, that will immediately end President Trump’s popularity with his MAGA base. Midterms? Would be lost for sure, then.
“Homan said PDJT was considering various forms of amnesty for illegal aliens. ”
When I saw that, I threw my hands up in the air in disgust / resignation. Trump does not have the hatred for the corrupt Institutions and for the criminal third world detritus that has been flooded into the country. There should be no mercy round ups and plane trips and a middle finger to the courts who think otherwise.
Start with farms and landscapers and feedlots and meat packing plants that are notorious for hiring illegals, and after the employees are rounded up and accidentally set on fire in the back of the horse trailers brought to pick them up, ICE should move to the office areas and round everyone up in that part of the building.
That and he apparently doesn’t have any hatred for those who have stolen our country right out from under us. He has no interest in rounding up the perps and saving America. And he wonders why hard core MAGA types like me are disgusted with him right now. Swamp not drained, clinton not in jail, pelosi not in jail, schumer not in jail, obama not in jail, brennan not in jail, val jar not in jail, etc etc etc. 2-3 thousand of them should be rotting in some craphole prison overseas somewhere. I don’t want to ever hear “promises made, promises kept” again from Trump.
They are all Muslims…none can be trusted.
Either wipe Iran off the map, take over strategic control of their oil, or GTFO.
We did this in Iraq and have zero to show for it unless you are in D.C. making residual $$$ from the MIC lobby.
Iran cannot be trusted in any way. They LIE like Democraps.
What we need to do is wipe out everyone in charge, IRGC, Politicians, Bureaucrats etc……..
Then help the People take over their OWN Country.
This is bad. While I suspect my comment will be unpopular, I vote for withdrawal. Our military was not prepared for Iran. Israel will not cooperate with ceasefire. Now this. Its bad. Come home and take care of Americans. We are not happy with this war. We are out of time. Millions will starve next year. This is not good for humanity.
We lack the force to achieve the objective of removal all uranium and processing capability, let alone regime change. That Hegseth couldn’t see that reflects on him. I don’t think we can win at a negotiation table what couldn’t be achieved by arms. Meanwhile Israel seems to be using the distraction to bring a final solution to the middle east, including removing any Christian presence.
Nonsense.
grasshopper..lots of ppl include you know little what’s going on in the Israel….saaadly….
“I vote for withdrawal.” Thumbs up.
followed immediately by mass deportations of EVERY muzzie ICE sees and can tase into submission on the way into a horse trailer. Just wait for the 5am call to prayer; a target rich environment
There are more muzzies in the US AFTER 911 than there were before, FFS. That is not the brain activity of a normal or moral country.
Our military obliterated Iran in just a few weeks. And only because we declined to totally destroy their infrastructure does Iran even exist right now.
Frankly, I hope Israel keeps pounding anyone and everyone who attacks them.
Who is “we” cupcake? I’m very happy with things so far. And out of time? Explain that one, cupcake. Makes no sense.
And “humanity” is way better off with the Mullahs decapitated.
I guess the difference this time over other times is the blockade if it is working. Now of course the radicals aren’t suffering. They just us some of their stolen billions to pay off protection.
Literally, the Iran leaders only have to hold out about 5-6 months and hope Trump loses the midterms. Now, if he (we) win or hold the majority then Iran cant hold out 2 more years.
Trump has to figure some way of blockade and guide good folks thru. He can not escalate that spikes and holds gas prices high and if he goes boots on the ground, it’s over.
I guess the best bet now (optimal solutions, where have we read that) is keep with passive blockade and avoid US service member casualties.
“American” leftists are doing there best to encourage Iran to just hang tight.
“A nation can survive its fools, and even the ambitious. But it cannot survive treason from within. An enemy at the gates is less formidable, for he is known and carries his banner openly. But the traitor moves amongst those within the gate freely, his sly whispers rustling through all the alleys, heard in the very halls of government itself. For the traitor appears not a traitor; he speaks in accents familiar to his victims, and he wears their face and their arguments, he appeals to the baseness that lies deep in the hearts of all men. He rots the soul of a nation, he works secretly and unknown in the night to undermine the pillars of the city, he infects the body politic so that it can no longer resist. A murderer is less to fear.”
Taylor Caldwell, A pillar of Iron.
I wonder if China will change their minds now…
The Tucker viewpoint is ridiculous. I was watching “Chicks on the Right” and they showed Megyn Kelly in January 2026 blasting Islam. In May 2026, she loves Islam.
Candace Owens and Nick Fuentes are advocating voting democrat. Tucker is trashing the president constantly.
It looks like they are being paid to break up MAGA. They won’t get away with it.
After the SPLC indictments, Candace, Nick and Tucker all went to Italy. Very suspicious. It looks like they had to show their true affiliation earlier than they planned. It is too far away from the midterms for them to make any difference since they outed themselves as “moderate democrats.”
I’ve mentioned it before, but the IRGC knows we have midterms coming up and if they can hold out, keep gas prices high and uncertainty in the mix, a Dem takeover come November will solve all of their problems.
These Islamo-fascist countries have proven to be extremely resilient. They have zeolotry on their side, and an iron boot on their own people, despite infighting of domestic factions.
The oil situation and the financial situation will not allow the country to last in an “as is” status until the midterms.
The people are going hungry and the troops aren’t getting paid….can you say coup or chaos?
Please get this Message to the President. He seems to be shielded or something from the truth of what this Muslim Brotherhood, radical Islamic elements are capable of. They are infiltrating our own country very quickly, just like Europe. California, Texas and now Florida are being targeted. Someone has to have some access and pull with the President. God Help Us all and all the Gulf States. The IRGC in IRAN will retaliate if they are not destroyed and all their sleeper cells will be activated all over the world.
I read the NBC article that appeared to stimulate a lot of this discussion. But it was bylined by five authors which to me lowers credibility to something around zero. But that is just me.
There are things going on that I am not privy to so my position is to watch things unfold.
Here is the story from the GCC:
I read that earlier as well. Appreciate the link though.
Those countries wanting Iran attacked again do realize this happened, right?
As of May 1, 2026, the 60-day deadline under the 1973 War Powers Resolution expired for the U.S. military operations against Iran, which began Feb. 28 and were reported on March 2. The law requires the president to end unauthorized military engagement within 60 days
Re-start the clock again, its a whole new ball game if Iran keeps attacking ships, its neighbors and US troops and equipment.
In any case, “War Powers Resolutions” are probably Unconstitutional, and they have already been ignored many times by many other Presidents.
True that Mike, but the banshees will start screaming because PTDS
The mullahs who have been in charge of Iran are genetically incapable of conducting themselves truthfully. Epigenetic engineering has rendered these people absolutely formed and defined by deceit. They are incapable of honor and virtue. They are given over to deception and betrayal. Their bloodthirst is built into their dna and they are blinded to any rational or moral philosophy. They must be destroyed and rendered incapable of rising again. The Saudis and the rest of the Middle East know this.
Well, if true, then the players in the region must step up in their own defense. Right now we are acting as a shield, just like we did with NATO for decades. The Europeans skated on defense costs and manpower contribution so that they could enlarge their social programs. The regional Arabs are counting upon Uncle Sam to play the same patsy again in their neighborhood. For some reason POTUS is going along with it.
Every time that I read about “progress” on a new Iranian cease-fire proposal, I see Charlie Brown running up to Lucy holding the football with hopium that this time will be different.
And their neighbors just might surprise you and do that – “the Arab way.” It wouldn’t be pretty.
Tucker Carlson was probably offered the carrot or the stick. If anyone knows what they were please enlighten me.
Sundance, great work, as usual, in pointing out nuance and the many factors that go into some of these moves.
Stepping back, though, I get the sense that Iran as the adversarial spectre is nothing more than a pretext for black market operations. It seems very curious who has and hasn’t helped or allied with or against Iran. It seems that there is a fundamental NEED to keep Iran in an adversarial limbo.
Why?
The Iranian population writ large is a glorified penal colony. The regime has enough useful idiots and propaganda controls to keep the jailers motivated.
And the ultimate canary in the situation seems to be control and flow through the strait. But why so much emphasis from rest of world if oil supply can be supplemented? What is it that has such a strong vested self-interest for all these entities to want the ships to flow?
The cargo. The transactions that don’t appear in any legitimate account or ledger of any bank. A Clearinghouse for illegitimate business. Sure there is legitimate business that passes through, but the facts seem to point only in one direction. The Iranian regime is a gatekeeper for a black market conduit.
The oil problem has been a concern of mine also. Can’t figure out how our fighting Iran, who doesn’t supply us oil, the strait which does not pass oil to us, and the many other countries that President Trump says is not needed as we have the most can or does affect our oil consumption. Just a commoner here but my adding can never make two and two anything but puzzled.
This is just opportunistic capitalism in my estimation. Conflict pops off in Iran, constraining oil supply, traders buy up oil contracts to capitalize on disruption. Arbitrage combined with temporary demand push the price higher.
With SA and UAE finding alternate ways to export their oil, helps to stabilize, plus increasing North American supply (including Venezuela here).
It will get better.
Aside from squeezing China, blockade only seems to be a customs checkpoint for naval traffic. Maybe it is being called a Humanitarian effort because it is choking trafficking operations.
thanks for the explanation. As Sundance writes: There’s trillions at stake I guess.
As always, great background and current information on the: who, what, when, where, why and how of the situation in iran and surrounding countries.
Thank you Sundance and team for clearly presenting what others are incapable of doing because they don’t have the ability (or worse, those that have the ability gaslight the masses for their hidden agendas).
A big analytic help, Sundance. Thank you.
Having a tough time with this statement. “As a consequence, Saudi Arabia understands the intent of President Trump’s request to support ‘project freedom’, however Saudi Arabia is not going to accept continued missile attacks from Iran during this ‘humanitarian’ effort to reopen the Strait.”
“not going to accept”……OK, I’ll bite, what are they going to do in lieu of “accepting” missile attacks?
Seems like they recognized their grave mistake – acting like Germany, Italy and Spain.
I believe they just attacked Iran back.
this is all so ridiculous, verging on pointless. I think that Trump’s blind spot is that when he goes into negotiations, or when he did while in business, he expects the other party or parties to be negotiating in good faith; that is certainly how he approaches matters.
But when you sit across the table from other people who have no vested interest in YOUR side of the deal ………(negotiating for the trash removal at your casino….. they negotiate in good faith that your casino will actually get built and they have a long term deal to earn money with)….. which is to say you’re going to be out of office in a couple years, what TF do they care about your good intentions or long term peace?
If nukes are too severe, as I understand it, fuel air explosives kill everything within the blast radius by sucking the air out of their lungs while leaving their dresses still on and untouched (which can be brought back and presented to Lloyd Austin and the lipstick luggage thief).
It might even be fun to write “you’re next, Carney” on such a bomb as it is attached to the plane about to drop it.
Which is why I was disappointed that free and fair monitored elections was not on the list of demands.
The Saudis nixed it.
I think it will be easier to get rid of the extremist Mullahs than it will be to get rid of the IRGC. My sense is that the IRGC is acting on their own mostly and sending out their own edicts. It will take the regular army and police in Iran to deal with them. If they get pushed out then Iraq and Syria will have to deal with them.
Thank you Sundance. This is a great article and insightful as always.
President Trump needs to quit playing games with this death cult and destroy them immediately.
Thank you Sundance for clarifying this surprising development in the US relationship with Saudi Arabia.
I must agree with the Saudis on this one 100%. I cannot believe the President thinks he can make a deal with terrorists. Deals are fine in business, but this is politics\war, and deals don’t work. Only leverage and force works in DC & with terrorists. I would have thought Trump would have learned this by now. One of his issues I believe is the Iranians have their remaining weapons surrounded by innocent civilians and Trump will not attack them because he will not inflict any collateral damage. Well, you simply cannot wage a war this way. All the enemy has to do is place civilians near the weapons and they win. This is war, innocents get hurt and killed. It happens. That’s why you don’t pull the war trigger unless it is necessary. This was necessary in my view, but once committed, you can’t stop for any reason until the enemy is completely wiped out. The terrorists must be totally wiped out in Iran and the country secured. Trump can’t call it a “win” unless this happens. BTW, I thought we already “obliterated” Iran’s nuke capabilities a while back. So, why does a threat remain? Also, if Iran’s military is “obliterated” how can they block the strait of Hormus? What are they using to block this, and why can’t we destroy that in like five minutes? Methinks there is a lot we don’t know. Something smells fishy here. Things do not add up. The entire Iran operation should have been over in about three days. If we can’t totally destroy a backward fourth world country like Iran in 3-4 days, how could we ever deal with Chyna?
Today, Bill O’Reilly said that Trump simply HAS TO be more clear to us about what’s going on and why (and he did, of course, post the caveat that he knows not everything can be made public all the time (parahrase).