Posted on 04/20/2026 7:51:24 AM PDT by MacNaughton
This map provides yet more evidence there was no long-game strategy behind Trump's decision to launch the catastrophic 28 Feb sneak attack on Iran. The entire world may crash into a great depression, and even famine, but island nations will suffer the most. And island nations are many of our most important allies.
The INSTC cuts shipping time from Russia to India in normal times, and during the shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz, it still connects Iran to all of Asia.
The North-South route also means Russia is less dependent on sending ships through the Baltic, North Sea, North Atlantic and Mediterranean, which are NATO areas of operation. The Caspian Sea is not.
Even at low water levels, the Caspian permits ships to transit directly from Russia to Iran. Transport aircraft can also fly directly from Russia to Iran without crossing hostile air space.
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If you don’t take out the bad people, they win.
This is silly.
The U.S. has oil for sale.
right now Iranians are doing delaydelaydelay to push to 60 days -War Powers Act. finish the job, POTUS
Yup would have been so much better with a nuclear armed Iran,” peace in our time” strategy, worked well in Europe 😎
The pipelines and railroads from Russia, through Iran, and onto Pakistan, Afghanistan then India are planned, not built
That’s their whole plan. Stall until the democraps run to their aide.
Russia is having a hard time feeding and fueling and arming its own country 🤔
Definitely looking at the 60 days...but President can extend for 30 days.
If your war strategy is to play by your enemy’s customs, haven’t you abdicated your own sovereignty?
I don’t follow Bracken enough to know his political leanings, but here, he is spouting the standard, devious, and wrong UK-Davos globalist perspective, ie) the USA must tie its own hands, because we “owe” it to the rest of the world, and especially the EU, to support their statist-socialism.
And then he throws in disjointed argument that even so, this INSTC will save Iran. Maybe yes, maybe now. Is this INSTC equipped to handle all of Iran’s oil? I highly doubt it it can carry any of it, and if so, why wasn’t it used already?
He also adds the point of “we may drive Russia and China together.” Sorry Pal, Biden and his handlers in the US and UK Deep State already did that years ago.
Trump is slowly trying to reverse that situation with Russia, and more importantly, remove Iran as a node in that network.
The captive Iranian people hate the IRGC which is running the country.The IRGC has only one ally on the globe. The IRGC’s only ally is the Democrat Party thet will try to assist them thru the War Powers Act after the 60 days have elapsed
If the war drags on and the Strait of Hormuz remains closed, no doubt Iran will suffer. But Iran is the 5th richest country in the world based on its own natural resources, and it’s connected by the Caspian Sea and railroads to both Russia and China.
On the other hand, America’s allies, the UK, Ireland, Japan, Taiwan, the Philippines, Australia and New Zealand are island nations, and the closure of the SoH is an absolute catastrophe for them. South Korea is a “virtual island” because it’s only connected to North Korea.
Under the British and later the American empires, the “Great Game” meant using shifting diplomacy, naval power, and temporary alliances to prevent Russia from ever becoming the dominant Eurasian power.
For example, the British fought against Russia in the Crimean War, and were later allied with Russia in WW1, when Germany was threatening to become a superstate that might control European Russia.
Since the end of WW2, an American diplomatic imperative was to prevent an alliance between Russia and China. With our support of Ukraine, and now our war against Iran, we have driven them together, and Iran will benefit from its land connections to them, while America’s island-nation allies will suffer enormously.
In the emerging Great Energy World War, America will cast aside old alliances and throw its friends under the bus to gain an advantage. Have no doubt of this.
For example, inexpensive Russian LNG going to Europe via Germany posed the threat of creating a potent European-Russian economic bloc, so the USA sabotaged the Nord Stream Pipeline in 2022. (Yes, we did it.) YouTube video link.
Our island-nation allies must understand how ruthless America under Trump can and will be to serve its own advantage. Witness the recent gloating about empty tankers from around the world rushing to “The Gulf of America” to load up with Texas and Louisiana petroleum and LNG.
But this puts America in the position of a mafia boss who controls a small town, and whose son owns one of the only two gas stations. The mafia boss sent an arsonist to blow up the other gas station, and now he controls the only one in town. This might provide the mafia boss a temporary advantage, but his customers will hate him, and they will work hard behind his back to find other sources of gasoline and diesel, and to curtail his power, in order to prevent future misdeeds.
To return from the analogy, by Trump’s mafia-like actions, we are driving the world into the arms of the Chinese and Russians. This will mean the demise of the petrodollar, the end of the USD as the world reserve currency, and all the terrible consequences that will follow like night follows day.
America’s island-nation allies will be suffering economic and social pain far beyond anything experienced in the USA. Just off stage, they are putting enormous pressure on Trump to end his misbegotten undeclared war of choice. If Trump cares about these island nation allies remaining in America’s orbit, he will act accordingly. If he does not, they will act in their own interests, and make their own way in the world, realigning with Iran, Russia and China.
Iran has two “luxuries”...
1. no concern for the welfare and casulties of its own population.
2. knowing their most reliable allies are the Western
Leftards in Europe, Western Media, USA Democrat party and #RustyIrony Pope Leo, all who are central to Iran’s war “strategy” to hold out to the midterms.
SEC. 3. The President in every possible instance shall consult with Congress
before introducing United States Armed Forces into hostilities
or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances,
and after every such introduction shall consult regularly with the Congress
until United States Armed Forces are no longer engaged in hostilities or have been removed from such situations.
REPORTING
SEC. 4. (a) In the absence of a declaration of war, in any case in which United States Armed Forces are introduced—
(1) into hostilities or into situations where imminent involvement in hostilities is clearly indicated by the circumstances;
(2) into the territory, airspace or waters of a foreign nation, while equipped for combat, except for deployments which relate
solely to supply, replacement, repair, or training of such forces; or
(3) in numbers which substantially enlarge United States Armed Forces equipped for combat already located in a foreign nation;
the President shall submit within 48 hours to the Speaker of the House of Representatives and to the President pro tempore of the Senate a report, in writing, setting forth—
(A) the circumstances necessitating the introduction of United States Armed Forces;
(B) the constitutional and legislative authority under which such introduction took place; and
(C) the estimated scope and duration of the hostilities or involvement.
(b) Within sixty calendar days after a report is submitted or is required to be submitted pursuant to section 4 ( a ) ( 1 ) , whichever is earlier, the President shall terminate any use of United States Armed Forces with respect to which such report was submitted (or required to be submitted), unless the Congress
(1) has declared war or has enacted a specific authorization for such use of United States Armed Forces,
(2) has extended by law such sixty-day period, or
(3) is physically unable to meet as a result of an armed attack upon the United States.
Such sixty-day period shall be extended for not more than an additional thirty days
if the President determines and certifies to the Congress in writing
that unavoidable military necessity respecting the safety of United States Armed Forces
requires the continued use of such armed forces in the course of bringing about a prompt removal of such forces.
https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/93/hjres542/text
The War Powers Resolution: Concepts and Practice
CRS Product Type: Reports
CRS Product Number: R42699
Referenced Legislation: H.J.Res. 37; S.J.Res. 54; P.L.116-37; P.L.93-148; P.L.98-119; P.L.98-164
Topics: Foreign Affairs
Publication Date: 03/08/2019
Author: Weed, Matthew C.
https://www.congress.gov/crs-product/R42699
Oil Exports Under Threat: Ukraine Strikes Tuapse🛢⚠️ US Stops First Iranian Tanker🛑 MS For 2026.04.20
https://youtu.be/j8TIVojKV7A?si=z6wW0mx92Kt4KUN0
Facts on the ground
US v Iran
Russ v Uk
The INSTC, as depicted, is already cut by the U.S. naval blockade. The Iranian ports on the Caspian have already been bombed once, and they can be again. Railroad hubs can also be destroyed.
This issue has been mentioned online within the last month. It was said that ground water will leak into the drill hole and cause irreversible damage. Outside of my wheelhouse. Any Freepers have knowledge about this?
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