News Vérité

Iranian diplomats can promise one thing, but the country’s revolutionary defenders can counter with a punch of their own. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) evidently disagreed with the country’s announced “open” policy for the Strait of Hormuz and today fired upon a vessel trying to take advantage of the sea passage’s new openness. The IRGC put out the word that the strait will remain closed so long as there is a U.S. naval blockage. Ouch! In one fell swoop, or blow, the IRGC in essence just put U.S. policy in another “strait”-jacket. The country also announced that President Trump’s announced plans for returning to the bargaining table are nowhere on the nation’s upcoming agenda. Trump’s very good Friday is thus now a very bad Saturday. “They wanted to close up the strait again … as they’ve been doing for years,” Trump told reporters on Saturday morning at the White House. “They can’t blackmail us.” The ever-glossing-over-the-truth Trump then went on to say that chances for a deal remained “very good.” Tell that to the IRGC, Mr. President. [PICTURED: A scene from an Iranian Lego cartoon showing IRGC boats attacking ships in the Strait of Hormuz]

I am having a hard time keeping up with the breaking news. It looks like this is a great day to stay in front of the boob tube. It also looks like a great day for President Trump — and for the world, if everything I’ve seen and ahead is true and stays in effect. From what I’ve learned on TV and from the pages of the Wall Street Journal, Trump today has announced: The Strait of Hormuz is open, a statement backed up by Iran’s Foreign Minister The U.S. will obtain all nuclear “dust” left over from our Midnight Hammer strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities last summer Israel will be forbidden to drop any more bombs on Lebanon President Trump himself will be flying to Pakistan to sign a deal with Iran If all this holds true, all I can say is “WOW” and hats off to President Trump. Despite his braggadocco, he’s done it!

Iran is at it again with a video blasting President Trump, replete with a rap song evidently titled “They Lied to You.” The video — watch here — shows Trump in various poses — raising the Israel flag over the U.S. Capitol (shown above),  and standing over rows and rows of American-flag-draped coffins while saluting an Israeli flag. The message is, obviously, that Trump attacked Iran to carry out Israeli interests.

European leaders are busy planning to control the Strait of Hormuz at the end of the war, provided that Trump and Company disappear. At the same time, they’re working on a plan to run NATO by themselves if the Trumpster decides to pull out — perhaps even if he doesn’t. Hidden behind all this official planning, however, it wouldn’t be surprising if some of these leaders don’t deep inside long for Iran to triumph over the man from Mar-a-Lago, if not militarily, then at least politically and diplomatically. The European plan for securing passage through the Strait of Hormuz involves sending in minesweepers and patrol vessels. French President Emmanuel Macron, he of world leadership aspirations/pretensions, said the plan for patrolling the Strait by his Hormuz Homeboyz won’t happen if any “belligerents” are in the area, meaning the U.S. and its Navy. In other words, the plan is all pretense, not practicality, since the U.S. won’t withdraw until the Strait is open and Iranian ambitions held firmly in check. Now, as regards NATO, the plan is once again one of Macronian design, or at least impetus. The key to realizing this long-promoted French plan for a “European NATO” is a buy-in