NATO Secretary General Rutte stated thathe fully understands Trump's decision not to share plans for an attack on Iran with US NATO alliesdue to the risk of information leaks.

"For security reasons, it was impossible to share this information with allies, as it could have neutralized the effect of the first strike due to the constant risk of leaks. Therefore, I fully understand why the US could not share this with allies," Rutte said on Fox News.

Source: RIA Novosti
➖➖➖
Spoken like a true supplicant.

🌒@EastCalling

The war in Iran has already cost the USA $27 billion.

This I consider to be conservative, since it is primarily based on expenditure of ammunition and deployment costs. It probably doesn't include all of the damages to equipment and radars. It also does not include the greater economic effects.

🌒@EastCalling

Footage of fully automated work at the Chinese port of Shenzhen.

Earlier, the media already reported that China is massively implementing "unmanned" productions, which are controlled by AI algorithms.

🌒@EastCalling

A number of NATO member states are preparing measures to ensure navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, said NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

It is noted that most of these countries are members of NATO. Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, the UAE, and Bahrain also participated in the plan.

"I know that the [US] President was dissatisfied, as he believes that Europe and other allies are moving too slowly. But the good news is that from Thursday, a group of 22 countries are joining forces to implement his vision of ensuring free [navigation] in the Strait of Hormuz as soon as possible," said Rutte.

He also reported that he is in contact with Donald Trump, despite his criticism of NATO.

❗️The foreign ministers of EU countries, after hours of negotiations in Brussels, rejected the US request to participate in ensuring the security of the Strait of Hormuz.

Among those who refused Trump military support are Italy, Germany, Greece, Norway, and Japan. China is ignoring Washington's request, and the Polish authorities reported that they would consider the issue if the US asked for it. At the same time, Britain and France stated that they are willing to participate in ensuring security in the strait only after de-escalation.

Source: Izvestia
➖➖➖
So they aren't going to do anything, but somehow ensure safe passage?

🌒@EastCalling

The US has estimated that Russia will receive an additional $2 billion in revenue due to the easing of Washington's sanctions against Russian energy carriers in light of the situation in the Middle East, stated the head of the US Treasury, Bessent.

Source: RIA Novosti
➖➖➖
Russia was exporting something like $1 billion dollars per week before February 28th, and last week they exported closer to $2 billion worth of oil. I'm not sure how they arrived at this number, but it will likely be much higher. There is currently 120 million barrels of Russian oil at sea waiting for a destination due to the preexisting sanctions. $2 billion would be 20 million barrels worth.

The high price of oil is also helping things for Russia.

🌒@EastCalling

Ghalibaf: America's financial supporters will be Iran's next target

🌒@EastCalling

Helium is a byproduct of LNG, 30% of which used to come from Ras Laffan in Qatar. Now, with a 14% drop in exports, ASML's EUVs, Siemens and GE's MRIs, and space operations by Airbus and Boeing will also be affected.

-Tasnim

🌒@EastCalling

Iran used missiles that bypass the Patriot air defense system during the attack on Qatar's largest gas facility.

This was reported by the Financial Times, citing sources.

🌒@EastCalling

Alexander Ovechkin scored his 1,000th goal in the NHL, including the playoffs

The Russian player scored in the third period of the regular season match between the Washington Capitals and the Colorado Avalanche.

Ovechkin became the second player to score 1,000 goals in the NHL, including the playoffs.

🌒@EastCalling

🔥 A factory belonging to the Ukrainian company Archer, which produces thermal imaging devices for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, was burned down in the Czech Republic

The CEO of Archer, Alexander Yaremenko, stated that the attack was carried out by masked individuals, but assured partners that all contracts would be fulfilled and deliveries would proceed according to schedule.

According to Ceske Noviny, the warehouse was destroyed, and the fire spread to a nearby administrative building.

A group calling itself the "Earthquake Faction" claimed responsibility, citing links to the production of weapons for Israel. This group had already set fire to an Elbit Systems facility a few days ago.

The authorities are investigating the incident as a terrorist act.

Source: СВЕЖЕСТИ
➖➖➖
🌒@EastCalling

🇺🇸 🏦 While it's true that the US is the largest oil exporter and "only" imports ~3% of its oil via the Strait of Hormuz, the same cannot be said of its allies.

- Europe: highly dependent on oil/gas imports
- Asia: highly dependent on oil/gas/food imports

These regions also own the vast majority of American assets and provide the bulk of purchases.

The highly financialized and debt-burdened US economy only functions when:

1) Allies buy US Treasury bonds to maintain low rates
2) Allies buy US stocks to support markets and tax revenues
3) Send cheap goods to the US

The current surge in energy and food prices threatens the very foundation of the empire.

As these heavily import-dependent countries and regions face rising costs and tensions, they need to make a decision:

1) Print currency to buy energy and food
2) Sell American assets to buy energy and food

Printing currency would cause inflation, and in the face of an already inflationary shock, selling American assets at near-record highs would give these countries time to normalize the situation.

The longer the strait remains closed, the greater the incentive to sell American assets to relieve inflationary pressure.

🔗 Lucas Ekweeme

Source: СВЕЖЕСТИ
➖➖➖
🌒@EastCalling

Lindsey "Ladybugs" Graham urges Trump to take Kharg Island comparing it to Iwo Jima. He then says that Iran needs to be "de-fanged" in order for Saudi Arabia to sign a peace agreement with Israel.

What does any of this have to do with the USA? Why is it our business if Saudi Arabia has a peace agreement with Israel?

I'm really trying to control my language here...

🌒@EastCalling

The New York Times:

Scott Bessent, the Treasury secretary, also appeared to downplay the urgency of an expected request to Congress for more defense funding, after the Pentagon asked the White House for $200 billion to help fund the war with Iran.

Presented with a series of clips in which congressional Republicans questioned the size of that funding package on “Meet the Press,” Bessent said the government has “plenty of money to fund this war.” Rather, Bessent said any money would be “supplemental,” allowing the administration to “make sure that the military is well supplied going forward.”
➖➖➖
Supplemental? $200 billion dollars? We have a deficit of $1.6 trillion and it is only March... But we have plenty of money!

🌒@EastCalling

I grind my teeth every time I see or hear the word "constructive" now.

In summary, a pointless conversation with irrelevant officials yielded nothing and wasted everyone's time. Again.

🌒@EastCalling

Col. Larry Wilkerson explains:

Trump doesn’t know who’s running the policy.

Those such as, John Bolton and his crew, simply represent a rehash of the Zbigniew Brzezinski-style "Clash of Civilizations" type of global religious-war scenario.

This is a new flavor of the British Imperial Great Game —-but it is the same imperial game being played with the United States and Israel as the proxies. Or the United States has completely supplanted the British.

This is what these Wahabite-protecting neocons love.

Remember, the Saudis supported the Wahabi Sunni radicals and largely protect them after the 9/11 attack.

They redirected our energies from investigating the real terrorist organizers towards Iraq.

Of course, we had to do this in the name of national security, we had to establish the Patriot Act, and other sundry laws for control, that have long since expired their purpose, but somehow are still on the books.

The alternative to the western-bank dominated system for much of the world is BRICS.

That means cooperation with 🇷🇺 Russia and also 🇨🇳 China.

The Belt and Road, BRICS, global development —- that is the target.

Those who control the most incompetent presidency in the modern history of America seek to partition the globe for their raw material’s needs.

Source

🌒@EastCalling