‘Trump, you magnificent bastard, I read your book!’

President Trump and Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent are facing mounting criticism for creating a window for Russia to sell oil and gas to the global market via “narrowly tailored, short-term” sanction relief.  However, few people are putting the issue into context, and the background here is exceptionally interesting.

According to the terms announced by Secretary Bessent, the license to sell applies solely to Russian crude or petroleum products loaded onto vessels as of March 12 and is valid through midnight Washington time on April 11. [Treasury Notice Here – OFAC Technical Details Here]

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The sanction relief license to sell will be done in globally recognized petrodollars and applies only to preexisting oil and petroleum products that are already in transit at sea.  However, here’s where it gets very interesting and the ramifications are significant.

Immediately following the Alaska summit between Russian President Vladimir Putin and President Trump, Russia restarted Arctic-2 LNG terminals and began increasing oil production for storage on ‘floating platforms.’  President Trump met with Putin on August 15, 2025, and the curious increase in Russian production began on August 18, 2025.

In the past six months Russia has been pumping sanctioned oil and gas and storing it on ships and mobile sea platforms, seemingly (at the time) with no customers.  Suddenly, against the background of the Iran conflict, all of that previously stored ‘on the water‘ production, now worth double, is authorized for global sale (in petrodollars).

Either Russian President Putin is the luckiest guy in the world, or Russia knew something.

In 2025 what Russia did following the Alaska summit did not make sense; now it does and the ramifications are stunning.

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CENTCOM has confirmed the loss of a KC-135 refueling aircraft, Stratotanker, that went down in western Iraq.

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Heavenly Father, fill our hearts with thankfulness and appreciation for their sacrifice. Give us the wisdom through Your grace, to find direct words of prayer for comfort and strength. Help us to honor their service and retain our focus of abiding gratitude for their unwavering resolve as they fulfill their mission. ~Amen

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The fact that Team Russia and Team USA would be discussing a strategic economic alliance on the issue of energy is not a surprise to those who watched both President Putin and President Trump outline that same content discussion in Alaska last August.  However, given the current conflict with Iran and the escalating oil price issue, Russia and the USA discussing Russian oil capacity and U.S. sanctions therein takes on a new angle.

It has been obvious that domestic U.S. politics, in combination with the Russia-Ukraine war, has impeded President Trump from organizing a strategic reset with Russia pulling away from historic conflicts.  However, CTH is also clear-eyed on the longer-term ramifications for Eastern Europe when contrast with Putin’s ambitions to fix what he perceives as prior Russian Federation mistakes regarding the West (more on that at the end).

As noted in social media exchanges from Witkoff and Dmitriev, the discussion was productive.

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All indications of this meeting give the appearance of less focus on progress in the Ukraine-Russia conflict, and a higher focus on current economic conditions -created by the Iran conflict- that could be enhanced with cooperation between the U.S. and Russia. {GO DEEP BACKGROUND}

According to Kirill Dmitriev, Russian special presidential envoy for investment and economic cooperation with foreign countries and director general of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), relayed through the Russian News Agency (TASS), “he visited the US upon orders from Russian President Vladimir Putin, taking part in a meeting of the heads of a working group on economic cooperation between the two countries.”

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During an impromptu press availability last night, President Trump was asked about potential Iranian sleeper cells or groups sympathetic to Iran that are active on U.S. soil.

Obviously, the threat from groups and individuals sympathetic to Iran creates an increased need for the Dept of Homeland Security and FBI to operate enhanced domestic surveillance, an unfortunate outcome that further enhances the need for FISA(702) authorities.

When this potential terror threat is combined with the millions of people who crossed the U.S. southern border during the Biden administration, the Palantir project within Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE), the need for rapid and aggressive deportation tracking and the Dept of Homeland Security (DHS), we can reasonably be assured that domestic surveillance will expand.

On the positive side of the issue, recent reports highlight Iranian citizens helping U.S/Israeli drones to target Iran regime officers on the streets in Tehran which has caused the regime police to withdraw from roadblocks and checkpoints.  [Well-sourced data here] This type of operation empowers the voices of the citizen opposition to organize.  WATCH:

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Tanker ships in the Gulf region continue to be targeted by various Iranian munitions including air and sea drones.  Three tanker ships were hit today.  Secretary of Energy Chris Wright appears on Fox News to discuss the issues with Iran and the decision to release oil from the SPR.  WATCH:

WASHINGTON—U.S. Secretary of Energy Chris Wright released the following statement regarding the International Energy Agency (IEA) and the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR):

“Earlier today, 32 member nations of the International Energy Agency unanimously agreed to President Trump’s request to lower energy prices with a coordinated release of 400 million barrels of oil and refined products from their respective reserves.

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President Trump answers questions from the media as he departs the White House for Ohio and Kentucky.  The majority of the questions surrounded Iran and the SAVE America Act.  WATCH:

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President Trump’s U.S. Special Envoy, Steve Witkoff, recently sat down with Greta Van Susteren to outline the point of diplomatic discussions with Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi when things broke down.

The Witkoff explanation is interesting as he outlines Iran’s unwillingness to even consider a cease to their ballistic missile program as part of the expanded security talks.  According to Envoy Witkoff, Foreign Minister Araghchi was intransigent on several key points of concern; even becoming loud and aggressive as he was pushed to explain why seeking ballistic missiles would be needed.

It’s an interesting background perspective that gives context to the decision that President Trump ultimately reached.  WATCH: 

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Despite the Trump administration pushing maximum transparency, there is a lot of noise and wrong information surrounding the U.S. military operation ‘Epic Fury’ against Iran.  Much of the false or incorrect information is coming from consultants to sell their opinions to corporate media.

Whenever the fog of war surrounds military activity that takes place against national security information, it is best practice to listen to the leadership who control and command the actual activity being reported on.  CENTCOM Commander Bradley Cooper provides updates on strategic missions.  The information is shared via CENTCOM’s X Account.  WATCH:

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Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Dan Caine hold a press briefing from the Pentagon with updates on Operation Epic Fury.  “The First Ten Days” recapped.

General Dan Caine noted CENTCOM Commander Brad Cooper will continue delivering intermediate updates.  Caine also outlined how targeting of the Iranian missile systems continues as a priority along with the systematic destruction of the Iranian navy assets.  Both aspects of the operation continue having maximum success and impact.

General Caine also noted how the third objective of dismantling Iran’s infrastructure systems to mechanize war are intensifying.  “We are moving deeper into Iran’s industrial base,” General Caine noted.   Missile attack launches from inside Iran have dropped 90%, and one-way drone launches have dropped more than 80%.  50 Iranian vessels have been destroyed by U.S. targeting.

As Iran’s treat capacity to target vessels continues to be degraded, the Strait of Hormuz begins to open.

US West Texas Intermediate Crude Oil Futures with April 2026 Expiry, traded at $89.89 per barrel, down by 5.2%. This oil benchmark touched an intraday low of 84.45 and recorded an overall decline of 29.3% from $119.43 per barrel level that was touched on March 9th. Yesterday, US WTI plunged nearly 18%.

Brent Crude Oil Price: Brent crude has nosedived by nearly 26.2% and touched an intraday low of $88.10 per barrel. This is compared to $119.50 per barrel mark it hit on March 9. Yesterday, the price dropped nearly 9%. {SOURCE}

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Almost all of the corporate news programs today are carbon copies of the same tired talking points, driving home the reality that mainstream U.S. media are concentric circles of the same news feed.  Essentially, media reports reporting on media reports, of other organized media reports.

No one seems to be asking any of the core operational and policy questions that can cut to the heart of the matter.  ie., “you are doing XXX, what is the intent of this action/policy move, and can you describe in actionable terms what benefit the American people can expect as a result of the anticipated outcome”?   Instead, the questions are all hindsight and reactionary.  Frankly, the repetition is mind-numbing.

In this Fox interview, Secretary of Energy Chris Wright answers some of the same questions from the CBS interview, sans the arrogant and condescending tone during the questioning.  WATCH:

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