Howard

NEW: The United States has reportedly sent Iran a 15-point plan to conclude the war, according to unspecified officials speaking to the New York Times. The officials said that the plan addresses shipping through the Strait of Hormuz and Iran’s ballistic missile and nuclear programs. (1/2) Pakistan reportedly delivered the US proposal to Iran. Israeli officials continue to express that they expect the war with Iran to continue for “weeks.” Iran sent a letter to International Maritime Organization member states on March 22 stating that “non-hostile” ships can pass through the Strait of Hormuz if they coordinate with Iran, according to the Financial Times. Ships associated with the United States, Israel, or other “participants in the aggression” are not eligible for safe passage. This report is consistent with reports that over 20 vessels have taken an Iranian-approved route through the Strait of Hormuz as of March 23. Iran has reportedly required some of these vessels to pay a fee to transit the strait. The combined force continues to conduct airstrikes against Iranian naval capabilities to degrade Iran’s ability to threaten shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. The IDF said that it recently struck two long-range anti-ship cruise missile manufacturing facilities in Tehran. The IDF also struck a facility responsible for designing and developing submarines and support systems in Esfahan Province. Iran has launched six barrages of missiles targeting Israel since ISW-CTP’s last data cutoff. One missile impacted near a power station in Hadera, northern Israel. Israeli media also reported an impact in an industrial zone in the Negev Desert.

New Day, New Smuggling Charge. This Time: Thailand. The DOJ just unsealed charges against three individuals, a Chinese national and two US citizens, for conspiring to smuggle export-controlled AI chips to China through Thailand. The alleged scheme involved ordering 750 servers worth approximately $170 million from a California-based hardware company, with 600 of those servers containing chips on the Commerce Control List. Thailand-based shell companies were used as the stated end buyers. The actual destination was China. If you follow my work, none of this should surprise you. Thailand is not new to this story. Southeast Asia as a transshipment corridor is not new to this story. Front companies signing false end-user certifications is not new to this story. I documented these routes, these mechanics, and the structural incentives behind them for years. This is yet another validation, in the form of a criminal indictment, of the research I have been publishing since late 2023. Smugglers were aware of the danger and the risks and tried to hide any reference to China, similar to how SMCI used hair dryers. In their own words: "We will draw attention from US government for embargo violation." More to follow.