Scott Horton

SECRETARY RUBIO: The Israel-Lebanon ceasefire is very unique because Lebanon and Israel are not at war. Israel’s problem is with Hizballah. Unfortunately, Hizballah happens to be inside of Lebanon conducting attacks against Israel.

Latest developments in the Iran war: 1) Trump is betting that Iran will crack before the global economy does. He's said he has "all the time in the world" and that "the clock is ticking" for Iran, while maintaining the blockade that's choking off Iranian oil exports. He rejected Iran's latest proposal. 2) This is why Trump thinks he is in the drivers seat. The blockade is preventing Iran from exporting oil, and the core question is how long before storage runs out and Iran is forced to shut down wells, potentially causing long-term damage to its oil infrastructure. Trump claimed Iran has only "three days" left, but analysis firm Kpler estimates 12 to 22 days of remaining storage capacity, while other assessments say it could take two months. 3) to try and overcome this Iran is filling stranded tankers in the Persian Gulf with crude, using damaged and previously abandoned storage facilities (including Asluyeh, which Israel bombed), and shipping oil to Chinese refineries by rail, a far more expensive method that erodes Iran's price advantage. 4) Still, oil prices remain elevated at $108 per barrel (Brent), and this is hurting Trump politically. His approval rating has dropped to 34%, a new low in his second term. Only 26% of Americans think the war is worth the cost, and only 25% believe it makes the US safer. Internal pressure on Trump to end the war is enormous, with Republicans fearing losses in the November midterms. 5) Iran exploiting the ceasefire. A US source told Reuters that Iran has used the temporary ceasefire to dig up missile launchers, ammunition, drones, and other materials buried during the initial US-Israeli bombing campaign, meaning the "tactical costs" of resuming war are now higher than they were at the start of the ceasefire. 6) There's a heated debate within the Trump administration over who has more leverage. Some officials believe two more months of blockade will cause irreversible damage to Iran's energy sector and force a deal. Others point to Iran's hardening negotiating positions, repeatedly rejecting demands to halt enrichment and surrender enriched uranium, as evidence that the pressure theory is flawed. 7) Iran's vice president issued an explicit warning: if any infrastructure including oil wells is damaged by the blockade, Iran will inflict "four times the damage" on countries supporting the US, meaning the Gulf Arab states. "One oil well equals four oil wells," he wrote. The bottom line: both sides are bleeding, Iran economically, Trump politically. But the theory of pressure on Iran is ill-conceived. Iran is fighting for survival. Trump for personal honor. It is clear who is willing to sacrifice more.

Since the start of the Iran war Jet Fuel: +68% Sulfur: +59% Heating Oil: +52% Urea: +49% Brent Crude Oil: +49% Diesel: +45% WTI Crude Oil: +44% European Natural Gas: +38% Gasoline: +38% Fertilizer: +23% Bitcoin: +15% Palm Oil: +12% Coal: +10% Iron Ore: +8% S&P 500: +4% $VIX: -9%

Zionist Organization of America Pres. Mort Klein says Americans need to lose their free speech rights in response to the WHCD shooting. He frames criticism of Trump's Israel First war on Iran (which Klein has championed) as illegal "incitement."

SECRETARY RUBIO: Our desire is not to hurt the people of Iran. Frankly, we wish the voices of the people of Iran were heard as opposed to having 40,000 of them murdered in the streets, inside of hospitals, and executed on a routine basis. They are victims of that regime.

Mark Levin says it’s time to ban “Nazis” and “Jihadis” from social media, saying free speech has gone too far and is “overprotected.” He wants them immediately removed from all platforms because they are “inciting” violence. Levin is trying to put people who disagree with his politics in the same category as an assassin. “Get off our platform.”