Against the backdrop of U.S. withdrawing from the ill-fated Iran nuclear deal (JCPOA); and against the backdrop of looming U.S. sanctions therein; there has been an ongoing geopolitical simmering/positioning between allies and adversaries surrounding the current and future disposition of Iran.
Recently China, likely responding to economic trade leverage from the U.S., made a deal with Saudi Arabia for petroleum purchases weakening their alliance with Iran. At the same time Turkey, a tenuous NATO ally, began positioning in advance of U.S. sanctions and removing Iran oil purchases. Collectively, and with President Trump putting pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin via Syria and Iranian influence, this has led to Iran feeling an economic squeeze similar to the previous Trump Doctrine leverage as witnessed in N-Korea.
Iranian President Hassan Rouhani is feeling the heat. On Sunday he said “war with Iran is the mother of all wars.” That led to the tweet reply from President Donald Trump:

This follows on the immediate heels of a speech given by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo yesterday at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Library in Simi Valley, CA.
There is a clearly coordinated and unified message:
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Amid ongoing maneuvers by China and Russia to influence the activity of North Korea; and amid both Chinese and Russian interests in violating ongoing trade and economic sanctions against North Korea; Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley meet with the U.N. Security Council.
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[Transcript] SECRETARY POMPEO: Good afternoon, everyone. First I want to commend my good friend Ambassador Haley and her excellent team here at the United Nations. Her leadership in advancing American interest on North Korea and many other issues has been evident here this morning, and she’s got a great team behind her helping. So thank you, Nikki.
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President Trump hosts a cabinet meeting after returning from the NATO summit, U.K. visit and Helsinki meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin. The overall emphasis was on the U.S. economy, employment, job-training and the larger goal of leveraging economic strength to advance American interests.
The administration kept the cameras rolling as key cabinet members and White House officials discussed ongoing initiatives with a heavy emphasis on workforce development. If you want an idea of the massive scale and scope of Trump’s MAGAnomic initiatives for American workers, watch this video in its entirety.
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Labor Secretary Acosta discussed an ongoing workforce development initiative for providing job skills and apprenticeship programs for former prisoners/inmates.
Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross discusses the expanded investment into the U.S., massive employment opportunity for skilled workers, and the importance of continuing to develop a skilled labor pool.
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President Trump begins the day with a breakfast with the President of the host nation Finland.
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[Transcript] – Mntyniemi Residence – Helsinki, Finland – 9:54 A.M. EST
PRESIDENT NIINIST: Mr. President, ladies, gentlemen, it’s great to have you here.
PRESIDENT TRUMP: Thank you.
PRESIDENT NIINIST: — you are most welcome. We have done our utmost so that your visit and your negotiations here would be successful. And, like we see, even the sun is with us, although it begins to be far too warm, even here in the North.
But, once again, warm welcome. And we wish all the success in your meetings and negotiations with President Putin.
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President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump participate in the NATO Belgium welcoming ceremony. Anticipated start time 1:10pm EST
UPDATE: Video Added
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Oh snap. Brilliant, simply brilliant. President Trump keeps the cameras rolling during a breakfast with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg; and absolutely crushes the NATO position on needing money to defend against Russia when NATO -specifically Germany- is funding Russian expansion financially through energy development, and simultaneously asking the U.S. for money to defend against Russia.
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo looks like he is half going to break out laughing, and half saying to himself: oh, it’s on..
Stoltenberg: […] I think that two World Wars and the Cold War taught us that we are stronger together than apart.
Trump: But how can you be together when a country is getting its energy from the person you want protection against or from the group that you want protection?
Stoltenberg: Because we understand that when we stand together, also in dealing with Russia, we are stronger. I think what we have seen is that —
Trump: No, you’re just making Russia richer. You’re not dealing with Russia. You’re making Russia richer.
This is a MUST WATCH:
Transcript – AT BILATERAL BREAKFAST – Chief of Mission Residence – Brussels, Belgium – 9:13 A.M. CEST – PRESIDENT TRUMP: Good morning, everybody. Good morning to the media — the legitimate media and the fake-news media. Good morning to them. A lot of good people here. Surprising.
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One of the strongest geopolitical alliances exists between the U.S. and Japan. President Trump and Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are not only good friends, but also work well together toward regional goals for a denuclearized Korean peninsula.
Additionally, the U.S-Japan alliance is bolstered by a respectful economic partnership; and the appearance of Secretary Pompeo arriving in Japan to brief Prime Minister Abe on his discussions with the DPRK also highlights the importance of the relationship.
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Secretary of State Mike Pompeo visited North Korea amid the backdrop of the U.S. -vs- China trade confrontation. The geopolitical economic issues form the structural disconnect between the ongoing U.S. negotiations and the responses from China through their proxy province in North Korea.
Secretary Pompeo debriefs the media shortly before departing the DPRK; and expresses a generally positive disposition about the ongoing talks:
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However, unnamed officials, likely elements within the central North Korean government who are control agents for Beijing, send a more confrontational message at the conclusion of the meetings:
(AP) North Korea says high-level talks with a U.S. delegation led by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo were “regrettable” and has accused Washington of trying to unilaterally pressure the country into abandoning its nukes.
There is an article from Bloomberg which finally concedes the obvious economic and trade dynamic within a U.S. -vs- China confrontation. The media paradigm shift is based on new statements from Chinese Ministers admitting they cannot win a trade confrontation with U.S. President Trump.
The summary reason is simple, we have discussed it frequently:
China is a production-based economic model, they do not have the ability, or wealth, to consume their own durable goods production; they rely on exports.
The U.S. is a more balanced economy; we consume 80% of our own production. We are self-sustaining, China is not.
Without a market to sell their products, the Chinese economy cannot survive.
Conversely, China has focused so intensely on durable-goods manufacturing, their consumable goods market (food) is dependent; they cannot feed themselves. The U.S. can survive without exporting food, China cannot survive without importing food. The U.S. economy can survive without importing durable goods; the Chinese economy cannot survive without exporting durable goods. This is the unavoidable trade reality. As a consequence President Trump has all the factual leverage.
In stunning, and carefully worded economic writings, Chinese academics and economic ministers are now talking about the inherent weakness of the Red Dragon policies:
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Immediately before lunch with members from congress, President Trump delivers remarks in response to the Supreme Court removing a challenge to the administration travel restrictions and vetting process. In a 5-4 decision the Supreme Court upheld the president’s authority to restrict travel from countries who are not compliant with U.S. vetting requirements.
UPDATED Video ADDED
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