Free Republic

Iran’s regime lost the war the moment American force and economic pressure exposed its bluff; what remains is the slow collapse of a terror state running out of money, options, and time.Some nearly stochastic notes on Iran. I begin by singing the same song I have been crooning since President Trump announced the ceasefire and naval blockade in mid-April. The war is over. If this were a novel, we’d be in epilogue territory where we tie up some loose threads in the plot and learn about the fates of various characters.First, let’s talk about money, or rather Iran’s lack thereof....

The missiles and bombs may have stopped, at least for the moment, but the war between the US and Iran continues. The Strait of Hormuz remains closed, the US sanctions remain in place, and the fundamental issues separating the combatants remain unresolved. The bilateral negotiations have gone nowhere, and the two sides remain far apart. This stalemate has puzzled observers since it’s not hard to see the outlines of a deal. For Iran, the minimum acceptable goal is regime survival. For the US, it is the end of the Iranian nuclear program, which poses an existential threat to America’s regional...

The United Nations, in its infinite wisdom has appointed the Islamic Republic of Iran to serve as one of the 34 Vice Presidents of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Review Conference on Monday, which is set to review the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). The decision was made by a bloc of non-aligned and other states, typically composed of developing and non-nuclear countries. BREAKING: The U.N. just elected the Islamic Republic of Iran as one of the Vice Presidents of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Review Conference.Bravo to the U.S., UAE, Australia, UK, France and Germany for objecting.Last time, only 🇺🇸 spoke out: https://t.co/bmhFp2gKEw https://t.co/Ije4bXbV7u...

The shock announcement Tuesday comes after the UAE was the target of missile and drone attacks for weeks by fellow OPEC member Iran. Tehran’s attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz has also severely constrained the UAE’s ability to export oil, threatening the foundation of its economy. The UAE has played an influential role in OPEC’s decisions over nearly six decades. It was the group’s third-largest oil producer in February behind Saudi Arabia and Iraq. The UAE’s OPEC membership originated with the Emirate of Abu Dhabi in 1967, seven years after the organization was founded. The UAE came to...

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) is quitting the Opec and Opec+ groups of major oil producing nations next month after nearly 60 years of membership. The UAE said its decision would help it meet growing global energy demand in the long term after recent investments to boost its production capacity. It is seen as a blow to the cartel, with one analyst describing the exit as "the beginning of the end of Opec". The Gulf state's energy minister said being a country with no obligation under the groups would give it more flexibility. Opec was formed in 1960 by five...

The United Arab Emirates announced Tuesday that it will exit OPEC on May 1. “This decision follows a comprehensive review of the UAE’s production policy and its current and future capacity and is based on our national interest and our commitment to contributing effectively to meeting the market’s pressing needs,” the UAE energy ministry said in a statement.

Food for thought. Iran Is Not Winning. It Is Unraveling. The prevailing narrative on Iran has it almost perfectly reversed. We are told that Tehran is winning a war of wills in the Gulf and that Donald Trump is gambling recklessly with the world’s most sensitive chokepoint. In reality, Iran is not consolidating strength; it is managing decline. And Trump’s play on the Strait of Hormuz has quietly forced energy markets to reprice security—tilting the balance decisively toward the Americas, and away from Europe, Asia and China. The Islamic Republic no longer resembles a confident revolutionary project. With the old...

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Wednesday that he backed the idea of providing economic support in the form of a currency swap to the United Arab Emirates, an oil-rich ally that has been contending with economic fallout from the war in Iran. Speaking at a Senate hearing, Mr. Bessent said that the Emirates, along with several other countries in the Persian Gulf and Asia, had inquired about the possibility of a swap. He said such a maneuver would prevent the disorderly sale of U.S. assets as nations look to secure access to dollars. The war in Iran has damaged...

An international fugitive was arrested in Dubai this week following a years-long manhunt. Daniel Kinahan, the alleged leader of one of Ireland’s biggest criminal gangs, the Kinahan cartel, was arrested on organized crime charges on Wednesday in a covert operation involving Irish and United Arab Emirates authorities. The 48-year-old alleged crime boss is expected to face charges in Ireland related to a gangland feud between the Kinahan cartel and the Hutch gang that has left 18 people dead since 2015. Dubai police didn’t name Kinahan, saying they had “arrested an Irish fugitive for his alleged role in an organized criminal...

Edmund Fitton-Brown @EFittonBrown Oh dear. Iskandar323 picked the wrong jurisdiction in which to become one of the world’s leading pro-Hamas propagandists. The #UAE takes a dim view of foreigners who abuse their hospitality by supporting terrorist groups. It would be a pity if the Emiratis learned his identity. Quote WikiBias @WikiBias · Mar 23 Investigations have revealed that Iskandar323, the recently banned editor, who worked to rewrite Jewish history and whitewash the Iranian regime and Hamas, is an English journalist based in the United Arab Emirates. Our eyes are wide open for all others. More to come.

A Chinese-owned tanker under U.S. sanctions has passed the Strait of Hormuz despite the U.S. blockade of Iranian ports that began on Monday.Citing data from Kpler and MarineTraffic, Reuters reported that the vessel had traversed the chokepoint earlier today. Owned by Shanghai Xuanrun Shipping Co Ltd., the vessel, Rich Starry, became a target for U.S. sanctions because it was used to transport Iranian crude.

A Chinese tanker under US sanctions passed though the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, defying Washington's naval blockade that began on Monday. After circling the area late on Monday and initially turning back, the 600ft long vessel passed through the waterway on Tuesday.

A Chinese tanker under US sanctions passed though the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday, defying Washington's naval blockade that began on Monday. After circling the area late on Monday and initially turning back, the 600ft long vessel passed through the waterway on Tuesday. Oil tanker Rich Starry is owned by Shanghai Xuanrun Shipping Co Ltd. and became a target for US sanctions because it was used to transport Iranian crude. Rich Starry is a medium-range tanker that is carrying about 250,000 barrels of methanol, according to the data. It loaded the cargo at its last port of call, the UAE's...

Britain will host further talks on reopening the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane with a coalition of countries next week. The meeting will continue the Government’s efforts to restore freedom of navigation to the strait, which provides shipping routes for oil and gas. It comes after the Prime Minister spoke to Donald Trump about the need for a “practical plan” to get ships going through the area amid suggestions Iran wants to charge vessels for passage. An official with knowledge of the planning has said the meeting is expected to look for ways to support a sustainable end to...

A massive wave of hostile suicide drones has breached the national airspace of Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, targeting vital facilities and US military bases across the region. A major escalation has erupted in the Gulf as air defense systems in Kuwait and Dubai were forced into action to intercept a large scale wave of hostile suicide drones. Multiple vital facilities and US military bases have reportedly come under heavy attack, with massive explosions being heard throughout the United Arab Emirates. This sudden surge in violence suggests a significant expansion of the regional war, as national airspaces were breached...

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei vowed revenge in a fiery message in which he urged Arab neighbors to turn their backs on the Western nations. “Everyone must know that, God willing, we will certainly not let go of the criminal aggressors who attacked our country. We will definitely seek compensation for every damage inflicted, as well as blood money for the martyrs and compensation for the wounded of this war," read the message marking the 40th day since Ali Khamenei’s death, Iran International reported. Addressing his supporters, Khamenei said: “It should not be assumed that announcing an intention to negotiate...

The United Arab Emirates signals readiness to join a coalition to secure navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, while stressing that a ceasefire in the Iran war would not be enough to stabilise the region, Diplomatic Adviser to the UAE President Anwar Gargash said on Tuesday. Gargash framed Abu Dhabi’s position as both immediate and long-term, pointing to the need for coordinated maritime security efforts alongside a broader political settlement that addresses underlying risks. "We are not ready to act as a maritime force, but we will join any American-led or international effort to secure navigation in the Strait of...

The Ministry of Defence announced that on April 8, 2026, the UAE Air Defence Forces intercepted 17 ballistic missiles and 35 drones originating from Iran. Since the start of the brazen Iranian attacks, the UAE Air Defense Forces have intercepted 537 ballistic missiles, 26 cruise missiles, and 2,256 drones. These attacks resulted in 3 minor injuries, bringing the total number of injuries to 224 cases.

The United Arab Emirates emerged Wednesday as a suspected offensive actor in the widening Gulf conflict, with multiple Iranian sources and open-source military analysts pointing to UAE Air Force Mirage 2000-9 fighter jets as the platform behind a strike on Iran's Lavan Island oil refinery, hours after a US-brokered ceasefire was supposed to have halted hostilities. Abu Dhabi has not confirmed or denied the allegation, but the circumstantial case circulating in defense intelligence communities is substantial enough to have triggered an immediate Iranian retaliatory response against Emirati territory. Photographs circulating on social media Wednesday purportedly showed one of the UAE's...

With about a day left before the deadline expires, the US president held a marathon of calls with regional leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. At the center of the talks was the possibility of a significant escalation in the fighting against the Iranian regime. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and United Arab Emirates President Mohammed bin Zayed said there should be no ceasefire without removing the threat from Tehran.