#1
This is the petrodollar system.
They sell their oil in dollars then recycle those dollars into US treasuries. Or it looks like other countries sell goods to us then recycle that money. This system is NOT a Ponzi scheme. It is the foundation of post-WW2 American power. It allows us to borrow incredible sums of money to maintain our global military presence as well as the war against the mad mullahs of Iran.
#2
China currently holds half the amount of US bonds they held in 2014 (not allowing for additional depreciation due to inflation in the past 12 years). They are deliberately reducing their exposure to the volatile US financing program.
Pakistan sent a squadron of jet fighters, an air-defense system, and about 8,000 troops to Saudi Arabia to honor a mutual defense pact between the two countries during the Iran war, according to a Reuters report on Monday.
“The deployment, the full scale of which is reported here for the first time, was confirmed by three security officials and two government sources, all of whom described it as a substantial, combat-capable force intended to support Saudi Arabia’s military if the kingdom comes under further attack,” Reuters wrote.
This seems like a delicate point, since Iran has attacked Saudi Arabia without any sign of an overwhelming response by Pakistani forces. The Saudis intercepted three more inbound Iranian drones on Monday, the day after Iran is believed to have used drones to bomb the Barakah nuclear plant in the United Arab Emirates.
As with past Iranian attacks, the Saudi Defense Ministry vowed to “take the necessary operation measures to respond to any attempt to violate its sovereignty and security,” but did not take any dramatic action against Iran. There was no clear indication that Pakistani forces played any role in taking down the latest three Iranian drones.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] All American bases in the southern Persian Gulf will be deactivated, Ebrahim Zolfaghari:
"All US military bases in the southern Persian Gulf will be deactivated soon. We will build a new order," Zolfaghari wrote on social media.
In addition, according to him, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy has not allowed a single vessel to pass through the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours.
They can try…
Posted by: badanov ||
05/19/2026 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
That's a code for we'll set your beloved oil fields on fire?
#4
In game-theory speak, this is known as cheap talk. It means pretty much what you think it means. Cheap talk makes for great press releases, but it does not have much weight when it comes to negotiating.
The opposite of cheap talk is a costly threat. An example would be moving a couple of aircraft carriers into strike range.
[IsraelTimes] Prosecutor says team of 3 targeted Pouria Zeraati, of opposition Iran International agency, in March 2024, causing him serious injury; Tehran denies involvement
A team of Romanian men, acting as proxies for the Iranian government,
…an early project of Kataeb Hezbollah?
carried out a knife attack on a journalist working for a Persian-language media organization in London, prosecutors told a British court on Monday.
Pouria Zaratifoukolaei, known as Pouria Zeraati, a British journalist of Iranian origin who works for Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... International, was stabbed in the leg three times in an attack near his home in Wimbledon, southwest London, in March 2024.
At the start of the trial of two of the three men accused of carrying out the stabbing, prosecutor Duncan Atkinson said they had targeted Zeraati, whose Saudi-funded TV employer is critical of Iran’s government and has been designated a terrorist organization by Tehran.
"This was no robbery, no fight that got out of control. It was deliberate, planned violence to achieve what it did, that is, serious injury to its target," Atkinson told London’s Woolwich Crown Court.
They "committed a planned attack preceded by reconnaissance, and which was ordered by a third party acting on behalf of the Iranian state," the prosecutor said.
Iran denied any involvement in the incident.
Nandito Badea, 21, and George Stana, 25, both deny charges of wounding with intent and unlawful wounding. The third man accused of involvement, David Andrei, was arrested in Romania, but is not involved in the trial.
Atkinson said Zeraati was an "obvious and readily identifiable target for violence to be inflicted by proxies" acting for Iran. He said posters had been put up in Tehran in November 2022 featuring pictures of journalists, including Zeraati, under the heading "Wanted: Dead or alive."
"In recent years, since 2005, the Islamic Theocratic Republic has turned less to its own operatives and increasingly to use proxies such as criminal gangs to meet their threatened violence on their behalf," Atkinson said.
"That has included attacks on persons in this country who have become targets of Iranian intimidation and, effectively, terror."
Atkinson said Zeraati had been subject to "extensive reconnaissance," and a year before, Stana was arrested in the garden of his apartment with another man, in possession of latex gloves, scissors, and a mask.
On the day of the attack, Badea and Andrei confronted Zeraati as he crossed the street from his home to his car, the prosecutor said. Andrei held him, while Badea stabbed him at the top of his thigh before they fled to a getaway car driven by Stana, the prosecutor added.
The men, who were motivated by money, dumped the car and some clothing, and then took a taxi to Heathrow Airport, from where they flew to Geneva, Atkinson said.
The trial, which is expected to last more than two weeks, continues.
Oh thank goodness — and there will be so much evidence in the Biden-Harris Politburo files. Happy hunting, guys!
[FoxNews] The Department of Homeland Security and Department of War have joined a widening interagency investigation into a network of nonprofit groups funded by Shanghai-based American Marxist tech mogul Neville Roy Singham, allegedly sowing discord in the U.S., Fox News Digital has learned.
The expanding probe now includes multiple Trump administration agencies examining the coordination, funding and online organization of agitator groups and nonprofits allegedly tied to Singham’s network, which investigators suspect of sowing discord in the United States.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin told Fox News Digital he’s working with Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and intelligence agencies to uncover the inner workings of organizations "trying to stir up discontent."
17-year-old suspect attended virtual high school and was set to graduate this month, district says
Cain Clark was attending school virtually and was on track to graduate this month, a spokesperson for the San Diego Unified School District said.
Clark, 17, never attended classes at Madison High School, about 1 mile from the Islamic Center, but he lived in its attendance zone and could have attended classes there had he chosen to, according to spokesperson James Canning.
Clark did wrestle at Madison during the 2024-25 season, Canning said.
He was participating in the district's iHigh Virtual Academy and would have graduated this month, Canning said.
Officials have said Clark and another teenage suspect died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds after the attack at the center.
Suspect left behind note, police chief says
The mother of one of two suspects said he left behind a note, Wahl said.
The contents will not be immediately revealed, he said.
"She found some note from him," Wahl said. "What that note looks like, what that note says, I’m not going to disclose right now."
The suspects were found dead in a vehicle blocks away from the Islamic Center, and police said they believe they succumbed to self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
Wahl said police who interviewed the mother earlier in the morning after she reported that her son had run away believed that "there was a bigger threat picture here that we needed to consider."
One of the suspects was student at nearby high school
One of the teenage suspects was a student at nearby Madison High School, but authorities said there never appeared to be any known threat to the campus, Wahl said.
"He was associated with the school as a student," Wahl said.
The school, one of two public high schools serving the Clairemont community, is 1.1 miles north of the mosque.
Suspect's mother called police to report he'd run away
San Diego police got their first call around 9:42 a.m. from the mother of one of the suspects, who said her son had gone missing, along with her firearms and car, Wahl told reporters.
She also said her son was suicidal and was most likely in the company of a friend, Wahl said. Both young men were wearing camouflaged clothing, she told police.
Investigators were able to make a connection between one of the suspects and Madison High School, about a mile from the Islamic Center of San Diego, Wahl said.
At 11:43 a.m., police received reports of an active shooter at the mosque.
"Officers were in the area still talking with Mom, trying to piece together where they might be, the locations that she felt that they would be at, and that was just a few blocks away," Wahl said. "Those officers, once they heard what was happening at the Islamic Center, immediately dispatched themselves to the mosque."
When police arrived, they found three of the victims already dead. As police were searching for a suspect inside the Islamic center, dispatchers got calls that a landscaper may have been shot at blocks away, Wahl said.
After that, another report came in that the two suspects were dead in a car from gunshots, he said.
Investigators are now serving search warrants.
"We’re going to continue following any leads and any information that comes forward as we’re all focused on figuring out how this happened and what could we have done to prevent it," Wahl said.
'Hate rhetoric' involved in shooting, police chief says
Wahl, the police chief, reiterated that the shooting is being investigated as a hate crime.
"At this point, there was definitely hate rhetoric that was involved," he said in response to a question at a news conference. "I’ll leave it at that for now."
"There was generalized hate rhetoric and speech," but no specific threat was made to "any facility or any place," he said.
Sources ID suspects in mosque shooting
Two senior law enforcement officials briefed on the investigation and a federal law enforcement official identified Cain Clark, 17, and Caleb Vazquez, 18, as the suspects in today’s shooting at the Islamic Center of San Diego.
Previously, law enforcement officials said the suspects died of self-inflicted gunshot wounds. At a briefing this afternoon, police said the suspects were 17 and 19. At a new conference this evening, the chief said the suspects were 17 and 18.
No motive has been provided. Investigators are examining possible anti-Islamic writings found in the car where police found the dead suspects, two senior law enforcement officials said.
Authorities probe possible anti-Islamic writings linked to suspects
Investigators are examining possible anti-Islamic writings found in the car where police discovered the dead suspects, two senior law enforcement officials said. If that was the motivation, beyond an attempt at suicide by cop, then this does belong on Page 1: War on Terror. So we’ll keep this there until we are definitively informed. Mosque attack occurred at beginning of holy month
Muslims throughout the world today are observing the second day of Dhu’l-Hijja, which takes place annually on the last month of the Islamic calendar. It is considered one of the holiest months and translates to "month of the pilgrimage."
It marks a time when millions of faithful embark on the Hajj, an annual pilgrimage to Mecca in Saudi Arabia. The Hajj, the largest gathering of Muslims in the world, will begin this year on May 25, the United Arab Emirates announced today.
WHAT WE KNOW
At least three adults are dead after a shooting at a San Diego mosque and school, police said.
Among the victims is a security guard, who officials say played a crucial role in limiting the loss of life at the Islamice Center of San Diego.
Two suspects are also dead after a umassive police response to the mosque in the Clairemont neighborhood.
The pair, 17 and 18, died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds, police said.
An imam from the Islamic Center said all teachers, students and other school staff members who were at the mosque are safe.
Clairemont is roughly 8 miles north of downtown San Diego.
#8
I’m leaving it on Page 1: WoT, since the lads deliberately went hunting at the mosque, no matter their political orientation. No different than Antifa, Moslem colonists, Iranian sock puppets, or feral Black yoots hunting for Jews.
Though if this becomes a trend, we are likely to see colonists moving elsewhere to colonize in safety. It’s no fun thinking yourself mighty Lions of Islam, only to discover you’re actually a dear little lambikins in comparison to your neighbours.
Hamas has reportedly appointed Mohammed Awda as the new military leader of its Qassam Brigades, succeeding Izz al-Din al-Haddad, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Friday, several Hamas sources tell Saudi A-Sharq Al-Awsat.
— Ariel Oseran أريئل أوسيران (@ariel_oseran) May 18, 2026
Text:
Hamas has reportedly appointed Mohammed Awda as the new military leader of its Qassam Brigades, succeeding Izz al-Din al-Haddad, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Friday, several Hamas sources tell Saudi A-Sharq Al-Awsat. "NEXT!"
Awda was the head of Hamas military intelligence during the October 7 attacks and was offered the leadership position of Hamas's military wing after the elimination of Mohammed Sinwar in May 2025. Awda refused, and al-Haddad was appointed in his stead.
Awda was considered close to al-Haddad and in constant contact with him, especially regarding plans to rebuild the organizational structure of Hamas's military wing.
The picture shows (from the right) Mohammed Awda, alongside three eliminated senior Hamas commanders: Rafeh Salameh, Abu Obeidah, and Mohammed Deif.
was tasked with gathering intelligence on IDF bases near the Gaza border and on weak points in the military’s Gaza Division in the run-up to October 7.
Odeh, estimated to be in his late 40s to early 50s, grew up in Gaza and was reported to have been involved with Hamas his whole life. In the past, he was involved with the group’s security unit that sought out Israeli spies.
Israel has tried to kill Odeh several times, and a strike on his father’s house in Gaza in 2025 killed his eldest son, Amr.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas led a devastating invasion of southern Israel that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and triggered the Gaza war.
Just getting this into the record:
This is wild: Every single indigenous Palestinian freedom fighter is just a foreign invader. pic.twitter.com/RIRzYuWz0H
[IndustrialsAge] 128 weeks is nearly two and a half years of wait time before a transformer ships. That figure comes from actual utility and developer order data, not theoretical capacity projections. Generator step-up transformers, which are larger and more specialized, run even longer at 144 weeks. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation reported lead times crossing 120 weeks in 2024, and the trend has continued upward into 2025.
The cost pressure is equally significant. Power transformer prices have risen 77% since 2019, according to industry sourcing data. Distribution transformer prices have climbed 78% to 95% over the same period. The underlying material drivers are straightforward: grain-oriented electrical steel prices have roughly doubled since 2020, and copper prices have risen more than 50%. Both materials are core inputs in every transformer manufactured.
The demand surge is not temporary. Generator step-up transformer demand has grown 274% since 2019. Power transformer demand has grown 119% over the same period. AI data center construction, large-scale electrification of industrial processes, and grid modernization programs are all pulling from the same constrained supplier base simultaneously.
#1
Good thing we never had an open border that let in a lot of sleeper cell agents that would love to cripple us by taking out a few key power nodes huh?
#3
Like so many heavy industrial products, the strategy of off-shore competitors over the past 50 years has been the same, compete domestically with US manufacturers at a net loss per unit if needed, come to dominate the industry competition over several years by lower pricing until US manufacturers fold, then slowly decrease quality and increase pricing to recoup losses from previous years and ensure single source dominance. Establish political connections to assist in making re-establishment of domestic US competition prohibitively expensive and unpopular.
Look at most major industrial products and sourcing since the early 1970's and you see the off-shoring trend.
In 1945 American made virtually everything domestically, and was the world standard on quality and reliability, and by 1998, just bought virtually everything from elsewhere.
Excepts fro Wiki AI answer on Major Transformer Manufacturers:"Global Utility & Power Leaders:
Hitachi Energy: The top global manufacturer by revenue, providing grid automation, power transformers, and high-voltage direct current (HVDC) systems. Learn more on the Hitachi Energy platform.
General Electric (GE): A premier U.S.-heritage company offering a comprehensive portfolio of power transformers, grid solutions, and digital energy management tools via GE Vernova.
Schneider Electric: Specializes in energy automation, medium voltage distribution, and eco-friendly transformer alternatives. Browse their inventory via Schneider Electric.
Siemens Energy: A massive global provider of large power transformers and transmission infrastructure. Explore their products on the Siemens Energy site.
ABB Ltd: Known globally for pioneering power grid technology, transformers, and electrical distribution. Track their offerings at ABB.
HD Hyundai Electric: Emerged as a dominant global supplier, ranking highly in large-capacity power transformers. "
Iran's Supreme National Security Council announced the launch of the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) on Monday.
The PGSA's first post on X read: “In the name of God. The official X account of the Persian Gulf Strait Authority is now live. Follow us for real-time updates on Hormuz Strait operations and latest developments.”
The PGSA later posted that it would serve as “the legal and official representative authority of the Islamic Republic of Iran responsible for managing transit through the Strait of Hormuz.”
“Navigation within the introduced boundaries of the Strait of Hormuz, which were previously determined by the Armed Forces and authorities of the Islamic Republic of Iran, is contingent upon full coordination with these entities, and passage without permission will be considered illegal,” the PGSA said.
Meanwhile, Maritime intelligence firm Windward AI also said Iran would “soon unveil a transit toll mechanism for the Strait of Hormuz via the new PGSA.”
“With reported fees hitting $2 million and new OFAC warnings on secondary sanctions, the corridor is a high-stakes compliance minefield,” the firm said in a post shared on X. Iran's Press TV had earlier described the body as “a system to exercise sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz.”
WHAT TO KNOW
President Donald Trump warned Iran that the "clock is ticking" on it proposing an acceptable nuclear deal that will ensure Tehran never obtains a nuclear weapons Monday.
The U.S.-brokered Abraham Accords designed to counter Iran in the Middle East is showing signs of strain amid tensions between Israel and the United Arab Emirates this week.
Trump is expected to hold a Situation Room meeting on the potential revival of military action against Iran on Tuesday.
President Donald Trump said that the United States is holding off on a planned attack on Iran that had been scheduled for Tuesday, citing what he described as “serious negotiations”
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said that any talks with Washington do not signal surrender by the regime.
Iran's Supreme National Security Council announced the launch of the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) to manage transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
The commander of Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Maj. Gen. Ali Abdollahi, warned the United States and its allies against a “strategic miscalculation.”
President Donald Trump said the delay on strikes against Iran would be for about “two or three days” as discussions with Tehran restarted.
Posted by: Skidmark ||
05/19/2026 00:00 ||
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A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for 
