Tuesday, August 18, 2026

An AJ item about the UK providing weaponry to Ukraine, while interesting in itself, presents the question of reported depletion of US weapons stock being fake news. Fake reason for down-scaling the incivilities with Iran while each side calls the other untrustworthy snakes.

 https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/8/18/why-is-russia-threatening-uk-with-consequences-over-ukraine-drones

The item is lengthy but when mentioning munitions being provided Ukraine, the notion is the UK has a fraction of the war-making manufacturing capacity of the U.S. yet a claim is U.S. stockpiles are being dangerously depleted. Hence, less sorties, but still an oil strangulation situation on the world in general.

The U.S. claims vessel interdiction of Iranian commercial trade, with effectiveness of that claim hard to substantiate. Trump says the U.S. can take over the Strait, and Iran says that is all bluster. But is much fire being interchanged while Iran and Oman are discussing long term Hormuz tolls, whatever they may be called in documents? From rhetoric alone, one would think such talk, excluding apparently U.S. participation, would conflict with stated aims of Trump and company. 

Stated aims are only that, statements, and standing strong on both sides saying we are winning and will impose our will - with little hostilities - seems as if a regime change has in fact happened where Iran has much invested in making it look otherwise, and the U.S. plays along. 

Meanwhile Trump U.S. oil cronies are making record profits. Trump clucks some about that, but what's real and what's for propaganda leading away from actual things?

Who do you trust? In this situation, should you trust Iran, much less should you put any trust in Trump and his BS campaigns? If the actual outcome of things is Straits can be subject to toll impositions by bordering nations, despite UN understandings, where does that lead and who might benefit?