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Red line after red line broken in sequence.
The architecture of an infernal escalation machine – with no way out – is unforgiving.
The death cult in West Asia strikes South Pars, part of the world’s largest gas field, shared with Qatar’s North Dome. Then it strikes Natanz nuclear power station.
Iran strikes Dimona and Arad in southern Israel – only 10 km away from the Negev nuclear research centre.
Israel continues to carpet-bomb Tehran and strikes Isfahan again. Iran’s Energy Minister confirms that “the country’s vital water and electricity infrastructure has suffered heavy damage”, including “dozens of water transmission and treatment facilities” and “critical water supply networks.”
Neo-Caligula, in peak hysteria mode, threatens with a 48-hour ultimatum: reopen the Strait of Hormuz by Monday evening or the US will “hit and obliterate” Iranian power plants “starting with the biggest one first.”
Iran answers that Hormuz will be “completely closed” if power plants are hit. Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf stresses that all energy and oil infrastructure across the Persian Gulf will become “legitimate targets” and be “irreversibly destroyed.” Emphasis: “irreversibly”.
This column was written as the clock is ticking – early evening in Asia.
Goldman Sachs forecasts of oil from $110 to $125 in April are already irrelevant. It will be more like $200.
As the clock ticks, Iran once again stresses: No Surrender.
Instead, Tehran releases Top Five conditions, part of a New Strategic Legal Equation.
- Legal guarantees there won’t be another war.
- No more US military bases in West Asia – within 30 days.
- Reparations. As in $500 billion.
- No more wars on the Axis of Resistance.
- A new legal regime for the Strait of Hormuz.
Now contrast with Barbaria’s aim to end the war “in a few weeks”:
- Dismantling of Iran’s nuclear program.
- Severe missile restrictions.
- No more support for “proxies” in West Asia.
Translation: surrender.
A decree from the Baboon of Barbaria
The Empire of Chaos under the discombobulated baboon may allegedly be looking for an off-ramp, TACO-style. Its non-existence is a categorical imperative (Kant specialist Larijani would be able to explain it).
If the Empire calls it off, the petrodollar collapses – that’s already on the way – and the Persian Gulf chihuahuas later will be absorbed as Iran’s clients. Not to mention that the $39 billion-indebted Empire of Chaos and Plunder itself will plunge into a certified economic collapse.
Iran simply cannot afford to weaken the deterrence it has now conclusively established. If the – civilian – power grid is targeted, as it already was even before the ultimatum deadline, the response to this war crime cum collective punishment must be exemplary.
Zugzwang is in effect. If neo-Caligula’s armada tries to capture Kharg island, the Houthis block the Bab al-Mandeb. If neo-Caligula bombs Iran’s power plants per his ultimatum, Iran destroys Persian Gulf energy.
If these two bluffs are called in sequence, the path is open for Shah Mat. Checkmate.
As it stands, Neo-Caligula’s threat may be about to be configured as the ultimate example of the new paradigm: no rules whatsoever international chaos. If I don’t like you, I will bomb you and kill you.
All that “legitimized” by the American political/legal system: a war crime vociferated in advance in a social media post, unilaterally, bypassing any checks and balances, congressional oversight, judicial review, civil society debate. A decree by the Baboon of Barbaria.
Iran has got all it takes to calibrate its response to this madness designed as a simultaneous plunge into the dark void for global energy supply, financial markets and the supply chains of literally everything people buy.
Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf already issued a blunt warning: buyers of US Treasuries are now legitimate targets. “We monitor your portfolio.” He is essentially encouraging cowardly GCC petromonarchies to dump their Treasuries so they may exit the target list – the equivalent of a financial nuclear bomb.
Iran already bombed three Amazon data centers in the Gulf. Next on the list will be Google, Microsoft, Nvidia, Oracle, Palantir. Saudi and Emirati wealth funds will have to seriously consider the high risk of holding US debt. The Empire of Chaos needs to borrow heavily to fund this Forever War. If yields go out of control, that becomes un-financiable.
And then, like a magic trick, the ultimatum was self-expired by neo-Caligula himself. Talk about a royal TACO.
His rant on Truth Social walks and talks like a total fake. It contains nuggets like “very good and productive conversations regarding a complete and total resolution of our hostilities”. The Iranian Foreign Ministry was adamant: there were no conversations. “Iran rejects any talks until the objectives in the war are achieved”).
At face value, neo-Caligula decided to “postpone any and all military strikes against Iranian power plants and energy infrastructure for a five-day period.”
What may have really happened is that Iran, via Oman, relayed to Neo-Caligula that they have all the cards, and if he goes on with his threat, he will be sole responsible for crashing the global economy. So discombobulation set in in the Mar-a-Lago universe, as US Treasuries and stocks were already in panic mode, attacks on Iran power plants already took place early Monday, and Iran was bound to retaliate big time in the dead of night.
The infernal escalation machine though is far from contained. See you in five days.
