So let me get this right:

The Iranians mine much of the Strait of Hormuz, and then allow certain ships through (friendly and/or willing to pay);

The Tangerine Tyrant claims this is 'closing' the Strait (it isn't);

Pakistan mediated 'peace talks' fail because JD Vance refuses to budge - not negotiation, just demands for surrender;

Now, the US says it will close the Strait - the very thing it accused Iran of doing?

Thereby deepening the crisis the attacks on Iran caused.

#Iran #Trump
h/t FT

@ChrisMayLA6
But as the USA now have (all?) the Venezualian oil, why would they care?
@tiggy
Because they want ALL the oil, especially the one sent to #China, of which #Iran's is just a part, but Zelensky is already bombing #Russia's refineries.
#USA is a pirate state.
@ChrisMayLA6
@tiggy @ChrisMayLA6
Venezualian (?) Oil and Alberta tar sands are 'heavy crude' and require more expensive/specialized processing than the 'light crude' from the gulf.
@ChrisMayLA6
Also would rest on very dubious legal grounds
@ChrisMayLA6 Trump heard about the crypto payments? He wants in on the shakedown? #USpol
@ChrisMayLA6 I suspect it's just market manipulation so his cronies can make a killing. If he even knows what he's saying and isn't just reacting mindlessly to something someone said to him 90s previously.
@ChrisMayLA6 if tge can block it and clear it of mines….?
@ChrisMayLA6 we are back to the year 1588, a new Gravelines :)
@ChrisMayLA6 Yeahbut what trades did he make before making this announcement?

@ChrisMayLA6
> Now, the US says it will close the Strait

As negotiations in Islamabad about sharing the toll failed Trump is trying to set his own toll booth now ;))

@ohir @ChrisMayLA6
Yes exactly. He can't open it without Iran's cooperation, but he can close it. He wants a cut of the toll money so he can claim he made a deal.

@huxley @ChrisMayLA6
> but he can close it

In fact he can not. He likely can seize a European vessel, but he can not do the same with Chinese one. This would be universally recognized casus belli. Europe is not ready to face US-Russian military alliance, yet, though China might have no choice but stop the US from receiving TSMC products from Taiwan. What next? I dunno :)

Though the Armageddon scenario is not likely to be seen:

Unlike the West, China is well prepared to make the retaliation nuclear strike and likely has advanced MDS (anti-missile defense) deployed all over their territory. So far the US' MDSes are guarding mostly military installations and, recently, Trump's properties. Then while US regime is not prepared to lose a city, China can withstand losing a half of population. The US Army brass is well aware of that asymmetry.

Update: in his post orange weirdo confines the seizure to vessels that paid the toll to the Iran. As if the toll were to be paid to Ayatollahs in suitcases full of dollars.

@ChrisMayLA6 Worse: this’ll likely bring China into it.
@aral @ChrisMayLA6 it should be mind boggling that the US regime just seems to want "total surrender" after a rather ineffective bombing campaign. They seem to act as if Iran is losing when they... didn't? At all?

Like it's so very obvious how incredibly bad these people are at "deals". I mean it's
always been obvious, but Iran is in the better position. The US has shown it's unwilling or unable to control Israel's bombing campaign, has shown that its military isn't "as mighty" as they often pretend, has been a radically unstable and untrustworthy partner in holding up its end of prior deals re: nuclear ambitions. Why would Iran give up when they're winning, I wonder?

This fucking US regime needs to fucking
go. These people are so bad at all of this. They're not even very good thieving oligarchs! They're just given a million opportunities to steal and they've finally had enough successes...
@ChrisMayLA6 @aral What is the threat? "If you don't open the strait (because that will kill our economy) that was open before we bombed you, we'll fire more largely ineffective and super expensive bombs at you (that are slowly bankrupting our country)! Or, OH, I know, we'll... put guards... at the door of the strait you control!! That won't have any repercussions! I'm so good at this!!"

WOW what a threat guy, my straits are open
just thinking about it.
@ChrisMayLA6 remember: Trump is playing 4D chess with his huuuuuge intellect.
@dannyreving @ChrisMayLA6 He holds all the cards. Sadly those cards a a 6 of diamonds, a Mr Bun the Baker, a football card of Ronaldo, and a dog-eared Magic the Gathering juju bubble.

@ChrisMayLA6 Ok, so: Trump uses most of the US navy to create a rotating blockade and the necessary escorts for approved through traffic inwards and outwards.
Next day, China pops its navy into the Taiwan Strait, blockades inbound food, outbound chips. Uses this as a precedent for future naval placement within the Strait.
Good job, Donald.

Who knew that ‘Strait’ was going to be the annoying word of the year?

@BashStKid @ChrisMayLA6

Trump puts most of his navy in close reach of Iranian drones and missiles, not having leaned from Russians experience.....

@Thebratdragon @ChrisMayLA6 A bunch of sunk hulks make a good blockade.

@BashStKid

1. 3900 ships pass thru Hormuz or 130 per day or about 1000 per week.
2. The 5th Fleet has between 15 and 35 ships at any one time.
3. It takes between 2 - 3 hours to transit under normal conditions.
4. How are 35 US Navy ships, including fuel, supply, and personnel transport ships, supposed to accompany and defend slow moving tankers filled with flammable liquid in a narrow passage filled with mines, drones, and missiles?
5. Are US Navy ships entering Hormuz?
6. What if any ship refuses US escort? Because it identifies them as a willing stooge of the US.

@ChrisMayLA6

@pattykimura @ChrisMayLA6 It’s worse than that, as ships have to be rotated on and off the blockade and convoy duty.
tl;dr it’s not a practical plan.
@ChrisMayLA6 @EF You’re saying it like anything Trump says is supposed to make sense.
@ChrisMayLA6 It’s not even clear that Iran actually *did* mine the Strait — the mere claim is enough to bottle up commercial shipping.
@ChrisMayLA6 Trump is definitely playing 1-dimensional chess: always the same move, no matter what effect it has.

@ChrisMayLA6

I am surprised M Vance took the time away from campaigning for M Orban to pretend to negotiate with Iran.

@ChrisMayLA6 even when you say it out loud you can’t believe it 🤦🏻‍♀️ I’m surprised still that no one has gone and dragged his raggedy ass out of the White House.