Christopher Holly

Perhaps now it's time for the Western Allies, the Gulf States, and any other country that utilizes the Strait of Hormuz to step up and try to negotiate an operational agreement with Iran. It may not be successful initially but at the very least it might change the dialogue and de-escalate this conflict.

On @CNN with @FareedZakaria this morning discussing President Trump's plan to blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. This  is not a trivial move on the chessboard. It requires enormous naval power, and Iran has real options to fight back. Here's what I told Fareed:

The Iran regime is an "evil-doer" but what about all the other "evil-doers" in the world who have a nuclear weapon? I think most Americans support the effort of maximum pressure upon Iran, they just don't want their sons and daughters fighting in another quagmire, which sounds like a very sane premise to me.

If the world were truly sane, every country would back the action against Iran. But they don’t, and 60 percent of Americans don’t either, according to polling. Therefore, the evil-doers in Tehran gain a big advantage. Many folks don’t care what they do. There is heavy evidence that the Mullahs continue to work on a nuclear weapon. If they succeed, the entire planet could be in peril. billoreilly.com/b/Disruption/-…

If the President chooses to step back now, he will simply take his place among the long line of predecessors who opted to kick this particular can further down the road. The speed with which Iran can reconstitute its nuclear and missile capabilities will hinge largely on the scale of support it receives from Russia and China. In truth, the only path that appears capable of decisively ending the current regime’s ambitions is a committed ground campaign—an option that neither the United States nor its Western allies seem willing to entertain. It feels, in many ways, as though America has driven the ball to the five-yard line, only to punt rather than push for the touchdown. History alone will render the final verdict on whether this restraint proves wise or merely another chapter in a recurring pattern of hesitation.

Bolton: JD Vance doesn't want to come back from this meeting [Iran negotiations] as the Neville Chamberlain of this conflict. The ceasefire with Iran was a mistake. It gives the Iranians a breathing space. It’s not clear to me there's any prospect for progress. 1/

@MarioNawfal I think Israel probably believes Trump is going to exit the war fairly soon leaving a questionable Iran regime in power. You can’t blame them for wanting to destroy their biggest enemy in Lebanon before the war concludes.

🚨🇮🇷🇱🇧🇵🇰 STRAIT OF HORMUZ CLOSED... HERE'S THE REAL REASON Prof. of International Affairs Mehdi Noorbaksh says the ceasefire deal is more complicated than the US is letting on. Iran and Pakistan both say Hezbollah's protection was part of the agreement. JD Vance disagrees. But the Strait of Hormuz is closed. And it won't reopen until Lebanon is settled. Israel says it's only hitting Hezbollah. But Hezbollah is Iran's extension... and Israel struck Iran first. The cause and effect here is being deliberately blurred. @MehdiNoorbaksh

As a Christian MTG is correct. Some of the language coming out of DC is abhorrent, and I wish some of our political leaders would take a lesson in temperance -because there is life and death in the power of tongue. There is no excuse for such language because it travels well beyond the intended target and plants a dark seed throughout humankind. So knock it off.

Marjorie Taylor Greene: "Other Republicans are terrified. They're cowards. And I really have to call out Speaker Mike Johnson, who calls himself a Christian. I don't know how he can stand by those words. That's what was so offensive to me. Any Christian serving in Congress or the administration really need to take pause and ask themselves, 'As a Christian, do you really support the president calling to wipe out an entire civilization of people?' I don't think you should, because that's not what Jesus said and that's not what Christianity is all about."

@newtgingrich Best reason for this Iranian regime to be removed. Given that I am from Chicago.😁

What if in the next decade or two Iranian missiles armed with nuclear warheads destroy several American cities? If we were to lose Chicago, Seattle, or New York, the scapegoating would begin. gingrich360.net/p/if-we-lose-c…

@JeffMcC07691743 @davidsenra From 40 hours a week to doing nothing. What will humankind do with itself with all this down time😁.

@Maximusholly @davidsenra You didn't ask for my take, but perhaps you'll find it interesting. The industrial revolution caused many of the same worries but what ended up happening due to massive productivity gains is reduced working hours and higher standards of living. Likely same result with AI.

"Capitalism created the possibility of the win win win. It used to be a zero sum game where somebody won, somebody else lost. The biggest mistake people make, intellectuals in particular, they still think we're in a zero sum world. They're obsessed with some billionaires because Bernie Sanders thinks that Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk somehow stole the money from the people. They don't understand that it's this prosperity machine that's creating more, not just for those billionaires, but for everything that they're touching. They're creating value for their customers, they're creating value for their employees. Their suppliers are flourishing, their investors are seeing their capital go up. It can be reinvested and compound. All philanthropy ultimately comes from business. That's where the profits are. Where does all the taxes come from? It ultimately comes from business as well. This is the engine that's lifting humanity out. The entrepreneurs are the drivers of that engine. Somebody like Elon Musk, he gets a very, very, very tiny sliver of the value that he creates for the whole world." — @iamjohnmackey

I truly want President Trump and the US to win this conflict. However, I do not understand why the President would make a public statement about being co-partners with this regime regarding the Strait is puzzling. It definitely signals to the regime that the pressure upon the Strait is working. This Iranian cannot have any control over the Strait FULL STOP.

Megyn Kelly says Trump got “bamboozled” on Iran, warns the GOP is going to lose midterms because he was “too gullible” to “see through the lies.” “We got here thanks to Bibi Netanyahu, Lindsey Graham, and Mark Levin, and… the president who was bamboozled.” “He was too weak to say no. He was too gullible to see through the lies.” Kelly argues Trump would have “handled this a little differently” if he were up for re-election and warns the GOP is now stuck “picking up the pieces” from this “insane conflict.” “He doesn’t care about the Republican Party. He cares about himself,” Kelly said. “And I don’t think he cares that JD Vance or Marco Rubio wins the presidency next time around.” “I think there’s a piece of Trump that would like to say, ‘I’m the only one who could do it. The Republican Party’s nothing without me.’” “And the rest of us are gonna be around to pick up the pieces.”

Seems like the Iranian regime is also in a power position with the Strait of Hormuz. Would you agree that leaving the Strait of Hormuz under Iranian control going forward would be catastrophic? It was a strategic error that we didn’t seize the Strait much earlier in the conflict. Although that option is still available.

As we predicted on the @NoSpinNews the Trump haters say the President “backed down” from Iran by postponing military action. Total lie.  Disgraceful in fact.  Low point for actual journalism.  The USA remains in the power position.

@HillValleyForum We’ve come this far. Just finish the job. Ground invasion lead by Iran’s neighboring countries with US air power. No need to blow up the electrical grid.

"They've been murderers of Americans and other people for 40 or 50 years. That's not a threat. That's actual killing." Jamie Dimon on Iran — and why the conflict might actually lead to lasting peace: "Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, America, Israel all want permanent peace in the Middle East. And you know what they all want too? Foreign direct investment. But it won't go there if things like this are taking place." "They can't have neighbors that could lob ballistic missiles into their data centers thinking that people will put $10 billion in a data center." The Hill & Valley Forum 2026 @HillValleyForum @jpmorgan @ChairmanG

@ChrispLMarshall @LolzPat Thank you. These are wise words for my flesh. However, for me the focus on myself is what keeps me in bondage. In order for me to find true freedom, love and peace, I have to rely upon GOD. He created me in His image and in His image I humble myself and cry abba Father.

@Maximusholly @LolzPat Paying attention to what you are good at, and developing your abilities, takes focus and effort. The payoff, however, is profound when you see what a difference you can make to the people close to you.

I’m starting to see that the gospel isn’t about forcing yourself to stop sinning, but about loving God so deeply that sin loses its appeal.

@LolzPat Thank you. I pray that you find the narrow gate in your journey. Be blessed.

What you're describing is real. Many people in faith wrestle with that same tension. Loving God deeply isn't something we force or "think" our way into. It grows through relationship. Spending time with Him, learning to trust Him and being honest about where we're at. Renewing the mind isn't just removing "sin thoughts" but replacing them with truth about who God is and who you are in Him. And that struggle of doing what you don't want to do isn't failure. It’s part of the journey. Growth comes through dependence, not perfection. "When I am weak, then I am strong" means strength shows up when we stop relying on ourselves and start leaning on God fully

@cao_medeiros @WallStreetApes In a perfect world I would agree but Congress is far from being perfect.

@Maximusholly @WallStreetApes CEOs and their companies should not act as shadow regulators. Congress is elected by the people and is responsible for defining and enforcing what is best for America, alongside the executive branch. If they do so, maximizing profits is often in the best interest of the nation.

Jamie Dimon, CEO of JPMorgan Chase, says that US Government raising taxes doesn’t do anything to help the average American He says raising taxes does nothing because Congress just launders the money to their friends, special interest groups and “17,000 lobbying groups” “I don't know anyone, and you guys in the room, you might be Democrats, Republicans who thinks that sending another trillion dollars to Washington D.C will actually improve anything. So when you say raise taxes, if you said raise taxes and directly give it to the people who need it, do it. That does not happen. It goes to all these interest groups, and they give it to their friends and all that.” “Which is why the people are considered a swamp. It's kind of a swamp, the 17,000 lobbying groups. But bank companies are guilty too. They're just fighting for their one self-interest as opposed to what's good for my country”

@WallStreetApes Perhaps AI job displacement should start with Congress.

His assessment about the Dems is a fair criticism, however, the proposed fix of regaining the middle-class sounds like old school blue collar dogma. With the rapid development of AI, there may not be a middle-class as we currently define it. Why is it that most politicians ignore this inevitable future.

Emanuel: "50% of American kids aren’t reading at grade level. Reading and math scores at a 30-year low. The Democratic Party’s response was bathroom access and trans athletes in women’s sports."

@Dearme2_ I feel ya. However there is eternal life at the end of this tunnel. The Light that you bring to this world illuminates in the darkness even though you may not be consciously aware of it. Keep shining your Light.

I have to concur with Mr. Dimon. Iran’s behavior for decades cannot be characterized as deterrence. It seems to be more about vengeance. The world would be a much better place if Iran’s current regime replaced vengeance with forgiveness or the Iranian people, with the help of its neighboring countries eradicated this regime.

🚨 JPMorgan CEO Jamie Dimon just FIRED BACK at Axios CEO Jim VandeHei for calling Trump’s Iran operation a “war of choice.” “Yeah, I would step back on that one a little bit, when you say its a ‘war of choice.’” Despite market volatility, Dimon DEFENDED the president’s decision to take decisive action against a regime that’s been killing Americans for decades. VANDEHEI: “China’s been a big beneficiary of our war in Iran.” “It is a war of choice.” “Are we giving, are we handing sort of this golden opportunity to China and to Russia?” DIMON: “Yeah, I would step back on that one a little bit, when you say its a ‘war of choice.’” “I’ve heard a lot of people say there was no imminent threat and the threat means that it hasn’t happened yet, the bad thing hasn’t happened.” “They’ve been killing people around the world for 45 plus years.” “They’ve killed a lot of Americans.” “They funded not just Hamas, Hezbollah, the Houthis.” “They have terrorist cells here.” “They were about to get their ballistic missiles, which I think you just found out, can go almost 3000 miles now.” “They never gave up nuclear.” “THEY WERE BAD.” “so I don’t look at this like...does it create all this uncertainty? Absolutely.” “Does it create more short-term risk for the oil prices? Absolutely.” “I’m praying it ends well.”