Dungeon Crawler Carl said:

---

F16 logic dictates that Putin is pure evil for invading Ukraine. What does that make Trump and Bibi for doing what they are doing in Iran and Lebanon?

---

Pure Evil is a blatant hyperbole
What Putin is 100% at fault for invading a peaceful neighbor in his delusional
goal of recreating Russia and its vassal states as an equal to NATO

The mid east there is lots of blame to go around starting with the oil rich nations funding terrorists while not trying to solve the refugee issues

Keyno said:

---

2026NCAggies said:

---

Keyno said:

---

MarvZindler said:

---

Trump has proven you can justify a new ME war of choice, if you can simply convince enough people the alternative is inevitable nuclear annihilation. "Can't let evil Muslims get nukes." It's the fail proof fallback arguement that never expires. You can use it even after you declare you "obliterated their nuclear capability."

---

It's literally just "Saddam has WMDs" part 2. It was fake then and it's fake now. But people trip over themselves to fall for it again as usual

---

So Iran doesn't have 60% enriched uranium?

---

Last I heard it was buried. Last I checked 60% also is not weapons grade. Also, there was never any evidence of an Iranian nuclear weapons program. Just like no evidence of whatever we claimed Saddam had/was doing. Just another fake casus belli to get us to take out another regional enemy of Greatest Ally.

---

There is no war in Ba Sing Se

Phatbob said:

---

Keyno said:

---

2026NCAggies said:

---

Keyno said:

---

MarvZindler said:

---

Trump has proven you can justify a new ME war of choice, if you can simply convince enough people the alternative is inevitable nuclear annihilation. "Can't let evil Muslims get nukes." It's the fail proof fallback arguement that never expires. You can use it even after you declare you "obliterated their nuclear capability."

---

It's literally just "Saddam has WMDs" part 2. It was fake then and it's fake now. But people trip over themselves to fall for it again as usual

---

So Iran doesn't have 60% enriched uranium?

---

Last I heard it was buried. Last I checked 60% also is not weapons grade. Also, there was never any evidence of an Iranian nuclear weapons program. Just like no evidence of whatever we claimed Saddam had/was doing. Just another fake casus belli to get us to take out another regional enemy of Greatest Ally.

---

There is no war in Ba Sing Se

---

Had to google that one. Haven't seen that movie so I do not get the reference

Strait is open now.

[When you deliberately bypass obscenity filters you can count on a ban every time -- Staff]

President Donald Trump has boosted his support among Republicans by nearly 10 points in a month, according to new polls. https://t.co/Bz0YmJNY5L

— Newsweek (@Newsweek) April 16, 2026

How can this be??? We were told by the Iran fan boys that Trump is only popular on F16!

how can this be?? we were told polls were BS

According to Fox, Iran has completely opened the strait. Trump is still blockading Iran vessels and ports though until a deal is met and signed. Looks like the Blockade worked and or is working

Oil should drop and stocks will go up more.

Iran declares Strait of Hormuz "completely open" for remainder of truce in line with Israel-Lebanon ceasefire. Follow live updates. https://t.co/73zZNbV43n pic.twitter.com/lQneg1dY8g

— CNN (@CNN) April 17, 2026

Sq 17 said:

---

And US taxpayer money going to Bibi to buy more weapons. The MIC keeps winning

---

My tax dollars are better spent on the tools Israel uses to kill terrorists than they are on enriching Somali fraudsters, illegal immigrants, welfare queens, or about a hundred other places they are spent domestically.

Are we sure "opening the Strait" didn't have anything to do with this:

Axios: Trump considering 20B for Iran deal

12D chess? Art of the Deal? F16 has led me to believe sending $$ to Iran is weak and/or dangerous?
At least Obama got the deal AND 4 American prisoners for his $400M....

asmith96 said:

---

Are we sure "opening the Strait" didn't have anything to do with this:

Axios: Trump considering 20B for Iran deal

12D chess? Art of the Deal? F16 has led me to believe sending $$ to Iran is weak and/or dangerous?
At least Obama got the deal AND 4 American prisoners for his $400M....

---

1) tear up the old deal
2) start a war
3) "negotiate" a worse deal
4) claim victory

art of the deal

Old McDonald said:

---

asmith96 said:

---

Are we sure "opening the Strait" didn't have anything to do with this:

Axios: Trump considering 20B for Iran deal

12D chess? Art of the Deal? F16 has led me to believe sending $$ to Iran is weak and/or dangerous?
At least Obama got the deal AND 4 American prisoners for his $400M....

---

1) tear up the old deal
2) start a war
3) "negotiate" a worse deal
4) claim victory

art of the deal

---

From everything I am reading- Iran agreed to open the Strait as a show of good faith on the basis that the Israel/Lebanon ceasefire holds. That apparently lasts 10 days?

I get your point though. Objectively and factual speaking, the Strait was WIDE OPEN for commerce before the US and Israel attacked Iran.

The rumored $20Bn is to purchase Iran's nuclear materials. Would be a good face-saving measure. But we've heard rumors before (previously it was going to be given to Russians).

Keyno said:

---

Iran declares Strait of Hormuz "completely open" for remainder of truce in line with Israel-Lebanon ceasefire. Follow live updates. https://t.co/73zZNbV43n pic.twitter.com/lQneg1dY8g

— CNN (@CNN) April 17, 2026

---

How does this work? Did the supposed mines just vanish? Did their non-existent Navy retreat? I just don't understand how Iran has any control of the strait after we bombed the crap out of them. Yeah, I get they have missiles and drones but it's got to be minimal at this point. If they did launch could we have some defensive systems in place along their coast to keep ships safer? Also, if they do launch it seems that Israel or US can see where they launch from and take the site out quickly.

I'm just trying to keep up.

Keyno said:

---

Old McDonald said:

---

asmith96 said:

---

Are we sure "opening the Strait" didn't have anything to do with this:

Axios: Trump considering 20B for Iran deal

12D chess? Art of the Deal? F16 has led me to believe sending $$ to Iran is weak and/or dangerous?
At least Obama got the deal AND 4 American prisoners for his $400M....

---

1) tear up the old deal
2) start a war
3) "negotiate" a worse deal
4) claim victory

art of the deal

---

From everything I am reading- Iran agreed to open the Strait as a show of good faith on the basis that the Israel/Lebanon ceasefire holds. That apparently lasts 10 days?

I get your point though. Objectively and factual speaking, the Strait was WIDE OPEN for commerce before the US and Israel attacked Iran.

---

If this ends with actual verifiable assurances that Iran will not pursue nuclear weapons then we will have measurably improved our position even beyond where it was with regards to the JCPOA, considering the degree to which we have degraded their conventional offensive capabilities, combined with Israel's decimation of their sponsored terror networks.

GCRanger said:

---

Keyno said:

---

Iran declares Strait of Hormuz "completely open" for remainder of truce in line with Israel-Lebanon ceasefire. Follow live updates. https://t.co/73zZNbV43n pic.twitter.com/lQneg1dY8g

— CNN (@CNN) April 17, 2026

---

How does this work? Did the supposed mines just vanish? Did their non-existent Navy retreat? I just don't understand how Iran has any control of the strait after we bombed the crap out of them. Yeah, I get they have missiles and drones but it's got to be minimal at this point. If they did launch could we have some defensive systems in place along their coast to keep ships safer? Also, if they do launch it seems that Israel or US can see where they launch from and take the site out quickly.

I'm just trying to keep up.

---

Iran has a massive stockpile of drones and missiles. They can fire them from anywhere. It's not minimal, which is why the Strait has been closed. No, the US cannot escort commerce moving through the Straight. Why? Because they would get hit by Iranian missiles and drones. This is why the Strait has been closed.

Its called war

Old McDonald said:

---

asmith96 said:

---

Are we sure "opening the Strait" didn't have anything to do with this:

Axios: Trump considering 20B for Iran deal

12D chess? Art of the Deal? F16 has led me to believe sending $$ to Iran is weak and/or dangerous?
At least Obama got the deal AND 4 American prisoners for his $400M....

---

1) tear up the old deal
2) start a war
3) "negotiate" a worse deal
4) claim victory

art of the deal

---

Giving them any money looks weak and dumb

2026NCAggies said:

---

Old McDonald said:

---

asmith96 said:

---

Are we sure "opening the Strait" didn't have anything to do with this:

Axios: Trump considering 20B for Iran deal

12D chess? Art of the Deal? F16 has led me to believe sending $$ to Iran is weak and/or dangerous?
At least Obama got the deal AND 4 American prisoners for his $400M....

---

1) tear up the old deal
2) start a war
3) "negotiate" a worse deal
4) claim victory

art of the deal

---

Giving them any money looks weak and dumb

---

Dumber than spending 5 times that amount in munitions and other resources to achieve the same amount?

Keyno said:

---

GCRanger said:

---

Keyno said:

---

Iran declares Strait of Hormuz "completely open" for remainder of truce in line with Israel-Lebanon ceasefire. Follow live updates. https://t.co/73zZNbV43n pic.twitter.com/lQneg1dY8g

— CNN (@CNN) April 17, 2026

---

How does this work? Did the supposed mines just vanish? Did their non-existent Navy retreat? I just don't understand how Iran has any control of the strait after we bombed the crap out of them. Yeah, I get they have missiles and drones but it's got to be minimal at this point. If they did launch could we have some defensive systems in place along their coast to keep ships safer? Also, if they do launch it seems that Israel or US can see where they launch from and take the site out quickly.

I'm just trying to keep up.

---

Iran has a massive stockpile of drones and missiles. They can fire them from anywhere. It's not minimal, which is why the Strait has been closed. No, the US cannot escort commerce moving through the Straight. Why? Because they would get hit by Iranian missiles and drones. This is why the Strait has been closed.

It's called war

---

Brilliant! The Hormuz is Schrödinger's Strait: simultaneously open and closed.

Those who hate the war will also have a problem with the peace. Just watch.

— Walter Kirn (@walterkirn) April 7, 2026

Donald Trump: Iran has agreed to stop supporting proxy groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas.

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) April 17, 2026

aggiedata said:

---

Donald Trump: Iran has agreed to stop supporting proxy groups such as Hezbollah and Hamas.

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) April 17, 2026

---

A) They are of course, lying

B) For a little while, they really have no choice. They have no money to support them with

The irony is that the Israel First regime changers like Mark Levin have fear mongered the nuke dust so hard, its now become the gigantic bargaining chip Iran hoped for, and the off ramp Trump desperately needs to end the war.

Everything the left does against Trump backfires, and now we may see Israel get left holding the bag too. Both Israel and anti-IRGC Iranians are worse off if the war ends without IRGC replacement. That's what makes this a ME quagmire for Trump. Israel wants real regime change, and Trump loyalists just want to rub victory in the face of TDS libs.

Iran's conventional military assets have been destroyed. They couldnt, and still cant, build their own nuke. They desperately need an economic boost to ramp up drones/missles, and buy a nuke on black market. The only way they do that is by Trump lifting sanctions. Trump knows he can become the Nuclear Messiah to whats left of his base, if he can get the worthless 60% uranium. Iran recognizes this, and is ready to cash in BIGLY....full sanctions relief, for worthless nuke dust and opened Hormuz.

Years later, this will all be looked at as the "Shart of the Deal", costing US taxpayers 100s of billions for another fake story about Trump saving the world from nuclear holocaust. What Hegseth is now selling as a noble Christian Crusade against radical Islam , will be looked back on as an "Operation APAIC Fury" scam. In time, the real truth will surface. The Fauci worshipers got exposed on COVID, and the Trump worshipers will ultimately get exposed on this dumb wasteful gamble.

When I retire, I wanna be able to be THIS drunk this early, if I feel like it!

Sounds good fob

Reads like wish casting. People need to start looking beyond events in Iran only. Other big changes are already in play that could be permanently good for everyone and us:

1. Lebanon returns to self-management without Hezbollah as proxy government.
2. New supply chains are set up to mitigate the choke hold that the Persian Gulf enjoys.
3. China has been put in a corner and their energy security as their Achilles Heel. Smart people already knew that but now the world knows.
4. US establishes even greater hold over our own destiny via energy - the lifeblood of humanity.
5. Iran has made itself an NK level pariah. None of their neighbors now trust them nor will hey tolerate their b.s. nearly as much going forward.

The day after Trump tells everyone it's open Iran claims to have shut the strait down again because the US refuses to lift its blockade on Iranian ships.

Dungeon Crawler Carl said:

---

I could care less about Hezbollah. the comment is speaking more to the ridiculousness of claiming that Trump and Bibi are "peace makers".


Just be honest. The Israelis have been carrying out a decades long plan to reshape the region to become the dominant force over their neighbors. They've used the backing of the US to do so.

It is what it is, just don't try to claim they are the "good guys" in this.

F16 logic dictates that Putin is pure evil for invading Ukraine. What does that make Trump and Bibi for doing what they are doing in Iran and Lebanon?

---

Sarcasm duly noted.

Dungeon Crawler Carl said:

---

I could care less about Hezbollah. the comment is speaking more to the ridiculousness of claiming that Trump and Bibi are "peace makers".


Just be honest. The Israelis have been carrying out a decades long plan to reshape the region to become the dominant force over their neighbors. They've used the backing of the US to do so.

It is what it is, just don't try to claim they are the "good guys" in this.

F16 logic dictates that Putin is pure evil for invading Ukraine. What does that make Trump and Bibi for doing what they are doing in Iran and Lebanon?

---

The term you are looking for is "couldn't care less" wise guy.

Now that we've covered proper English in your first language, please educate me on geopolitics.

Keyno said:

---

MarvZindler said:

---

Trump has proven you can justify a new ME war of choice, if you can simply convince enough people the alternative is inevitable nuclear annihilation. "Can't let evil Muslims get nukes." It's the fail proof fallback arguement that never expires. You can use it even after you declare you "obliterated their nuclear capability."

---

It's literally just "Saddam has WMDs" part 2. It was fake then and it's fake now. But people trip over themselves to fall for it again as usual

---

Tell that to the

• thousands of Americans killed, some by beheading video taped by the Islamic terrorists,
• tens of thousands of Iranian peaceful protesters summarily executed by the IRG and Iranian police.
• the thousands of Israelis killed by Iran and the puppet terrorists Hamas, Hezbollah and Houthis
• the hundreds of thousands of black Christian's executed in northeast Africa by terrorists, funded by the Iranian death cult in charge.
• the Iranian negotiators that summarily told our negotiators they had enough nuclear material for 8 nuclear bombs.
• the Mullahs that openly called the U.S. the great Satan and openly advocate for the genocide of all Christians and anyone that refuses to join their death cult.

If it's fake explain the efforts recently exposed of the Iranians trying to dig out the nuclear material that was buried by our Air Force.

nortex97 said:

---

Who?mikejones! said:

---

BREAKING: The House narrowly failed to pass a resolution to end Trump’s war with Iran, losing by a single vote, 213–214.

Only one Democrat, Jared Golden, voted with Republicans to allow the war effort to continue.

— unusual_whales (@unusual_whales) April 16, 2026

---

I assume Massie voted with the Dems as usual. He's losing his primary and feels empowered to fly his flag more than ever. Podcasts incoming.

War powers act, fyi all, is a toothless, constitutionally unenforceable at best act. Maybe if Congress had a veto-proof majority to immediately cut off all DoD appropriations it could have an impact. Potus runs foreign policy/conflicts, the only real solution for team mullahs on the hill is to impeach and remove Potus, and his VP.

That doesn't seem real likely this year, as Trump hosts the Lebanese/Israeli prime ministers shortly to broker yet another shocking peace.

---

Agreed.
The war powers act IMHO is unconstitutional. The founding fathers argued this very point, after which they changed the verbiage for Congress has the power to "make war" to "declare war". The reason was the President is Commander in Chief with the ability to make war. The argument is Congress has 2 methods to stop war, impeachment and purse strings.

Dungeon Crawler Carl said:

---

Congratulations, after 40 years of Israeli bombing they finally surrendered....


Now do Hezbollah

---

The Lebanese have always wanted to eliminate Hezbollah.
Interestingly, historically there has been a significant % of Christians in Lebanon, would be in complete opposition to Hezbollah.

Christianity in Lebanon

• In 2014, according to * *, Christians made up 36.66% of registered voters aged 21 and above: 19.97% Maronites, 7.69% Orthodox, 5.01% Melkites and 4.22% other Christian minorities. In 2022, based on the registered voters aged 21+ for the elections, Christian represented 37.46%: 19.94% Maronites, 7.82% Orthodox, 5.26% Melkite and 4.75% other Christian minorities. The overall proportions remained very stable between 2014 and 2022, with only slight increases in all groups.

bonus points for anyone who knows who Amos Muzyad Yaqoob Kairouz (January 6, 1912 - February 6, 1991)was.

Quote:

---

Iran's economy entered 2026 already in structural collapse, and the February 28 war has since accelerated every negative trend simultaneously. The IMF projects a 6.1% real GDP contraction for 2026, one of the largest country-level revisions in the April World Economic Outlook, cut by 7.2 points from the January forecast, alongside projected consumer price inflation of 68.9%.
That figure carries important methodological caveats. It assumes a short-lived conflict, counts oil extracted into floating storage as produced output regardless of whether it can be sold, and will not capture the full destruction of infrastructure until Q2 and Q3 data are published later in the year. Specialized war impact analyses put the contraction at 10% or more, and historical precedent from Iraq in 2003 and Ukraine in 2022 shows that initial estimates in active war zones are consistently revised sharply downward in subsequent quarters.
Pre-war contraction was already underway. Iran's GDP shrank by 0.6% in the first half of the Iranian fiscal year, including oil, and by 0.8% excluding it, driven by weak demand, falling investment, and a 12.9% collapse in construction. Agriculture contracted 2.9% and industry and mining 3.4%. Nominal GDP per capita has since fallen to $3,415 in 2026, down from $4,264 in 2025, a nearly 20% drop in a single year.

---

LINK

IMF

Since it is Polymarket, any confirmation of this?

JUST IN: Major U.S. Air Force deployment to the Middle East currently underway, per flight tracking data.

— Polymarket (@Polymarket) April 18, 2026