IRAN WAR WEEK 22, day #5: Iran tries coercing Gulf states to accept its strait control

Trump does multitask, financial criming while running a war with faulty negotiations amid combat ‘pauses’. Iran attempts to intimidate its neighbors. Key Takeaways Recent attacks on regional states by Iran’s proxies and partners enable Iran to maintain plausible deniability while continuing to advance its objective of coercing the United States to end the war in terms favorable to Iran, which include accepting Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz. Saudi Arabia and Jordan reported hostile drone attacks on July 27. Iranian-backed Iraqi militias probably conducted the attack on Jordan and at least some attacks on Saudi Arabia. ** The recent strikes on Saudi Arabia also support Iran’s objective of coercing the Gulf states to accept Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz by disrupting efforts to bypass the strait. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea announced on July 27 that the Houthis launched drones targeting Saudi infrastructure vital to transporting oil from Saudi oilfields in eastern Saudi Arabia to export hubs on the Red Sea. Saudi Arabia has increasingly relied on the East-West pipeline and Yanbu on the Red Sea coast to export oil to circumvent Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz. ** Houthi attacks on Saudi Arabia support the Houthis’ objective of coercing Saudi Arabia to lift its blockade on Houthi ports and airports. Houthi officials have emphasized that the Houthis will continue to act against Saudi Arabia until Saudi Arabia terminates its blockade on Houthi-controlled ports and airports and ceases strikes on Houthi infrastructure. Recent attacks on regional states by Iran’s proxies and partners enable Iran to maintain plausible deniability while continuing to advance its objective of coercing the United States to end the war in terms favorable to Iran , which include accepting Iranian control over the Strait of Hormuz. Saudi Arabia and Jordan reported hostile drone attacks on July 27.[1] Saudi Arabia confirmed that Iranian-backed Iraqi militias conducted attacks on Saudi territory, but the Houthis also claimed attacks on Saudi infrastructure.[2] Jordan reported that its air defenses shot down two unspecified drones.[3] The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) and Artesh did not claim these attacks, and a senior Iranian official told Reuters on July 26 that Iran would halt its attacks so long as the United States halted its attacks on Iran.[4] The official added that Iran had conveyed this message to the United States.[5] The United States has not conducted any attacks on Iran since July 24.[6] These facts indicate that Iranian-backed Iraqi militias probably conducted the attack on Jordan and at least some attacks on Saudi Arabia, which support Iran’s effort to pressure the United States to end the war on Iran’s terms.[7] These attacks also support Iran’s effort to compel regional countries to pressure the United States to end the war by imposing economic and political costs on these countries. The recent strikes on Saudi Arabia also support Iran’s objective of coercing the Gulf states to accept Iranian control over the strait by disrupting efforts to bypass the strait. Saudi Arabia stated on July 27 that it shot down drones launched from Iraq aimed at petroleum facilities in its Eastern Province and in Riyadh.[8] IRGC-affiliated media reported a fire on July 27 at the Abqaiq oil facility in Saudi Arabia’s Eastern Province due to drone and missile attacks.[9] Israeli media also posted satellite imagery of a fire at the facility.[10] No actor has claimed the attack on Abqaiq at the time of this writing. Houthi military spokesperson Yahya Sarea announced on July 27 that the Houthis launched drones targeting Saudi infrastructure vital to transporting oil from Saudi oilfields in eastern Saudi Arabia to export hubs on the Red Sea.[11] The Houthis did not specifically claim the attack on Abqaiq, however. The Abqaiq oil facility is the start of the East-West oil pipeline, which ends at Yanbu Port. The Houthis claimed attacks on Saudi Aramco facilities in Yanbu and Jizan on July 24.[12] Saudi Arabia has increasingly relied on the East-West pipeline and Yanbu to export oil to circumvent Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz.[13] Strikes against Gulf energy infrastructure support Iran’s goal of degrading the Gulf states’ willingness and ability to resist Iranian control of the strait. Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated on July 22 that “no one will sell oil” if Iran cannot sell oil in response to the US naval blockade on Iranian ports.[14] Senator Professor Elizabeth Warren has had it and took Treasury Secretary and hedge fund manager Scott Bessent to the shed over Trump’s day trading, noting that any private entity with such success and activity would have regulators knocking at the door with warrants. Instead, Bessent got Warren, wondering how the hell this happens right in front of us. Bessent had nothing because there’s nothing to be had, only retorting that Congress should “get its house in order first,” as if A.) It’s his job to tell Congress what to do B.) Congress being almost as bad somehow gives Trump a license to commit crime in daylight, and C.) any self-respecting government couldn’t do both. It is right there. Trump making millions, Mullin jetting around in Kristi Noem’s jet, doing whatever one does in bed 35,000 feet over the country, working on a COVID schedule rather than planning for the next pandemic. Whatever is to come of it is up to the country, whether we even care enough anymore, remains to be established; what’s up to the Dems is making sure that it’s at least known, addressed, and fought against. So fight they do. As for Trump, Bessent, Mullin, the entire lot of them. They must see a nation of suckers. There’s nearly no other explanation as to how Trump can trade seven-figure NVIDIA stock in the same week he opens China to their chips. Instead of shooting someone on the street, Trump took the gun to the bank and simply walked out with a bag. Money doesn’t create itself out of thin air; there are victims. Trump bought that stock from someone who thought it more likely to go down, given everything known at the time, the seller not knowing what Trump did, that he alone was about to improve NVIDIA’s fortunes. Get invested, so to speak.