Diesel fuel, the lifeblood of U.S. industry, crossed an alarming and historic benchmark Tuesday.
Amid the Iran War and the Strait of Hormuz crisis, the U.S. average retail diesel prices have crossed $5 a gallon, the highest since December 2022.
This marks only the second time diesel prices have hit the historic 5-dollar benchmark, according to Reuters. Tuesday’s new average of $5.04 is now a record high, according to analysts at GasBuddy.
Meanwhile, gas prices across the country have surged 74 cents a gallon. This reportedly marks nearly a 30% increase over the past month, the highest monthly spike since Hurricane Katrina.
“The problem is, is we’re so strained financially coming into this issue,” explained Littleton, a third-generation farmer from Gibson County in the state’s northwest.
“We have had a couple of record losses over the last couple of years, so everyone’s kind of grabbing at straws anyway, and then to have input prices increase yet again, it just really couldn’t happen at a worse time.”
Littleton, who cultivates corn, soybeans, and wheat, is one of thousands of farmers nationwide who will pay significantly more this spring for the essential nutrients their crops require.
Nitrogen-based fertilizer is particularly crucial for corn, typically the largest crop in the U.S., which feeds the nation’s livestock and is converted into fuel for most U.S. vehicles.
This action has caused a significant slowdown in shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical choke point for 20 per cent of the world’s oil and natural gas.
Democrats and liberal media have been all in trying to disparage Operation Epic Fury against Iran.
If you listened to them, you would think we were being destroyed and were losing, despite the unparalleled success of the military operation.
It’s legitimate to ask questions. You can reasonably have concerns or maybe be against the actions now. What isn’t reasonable is pushing out false stories to undermine our effort and essentially help provide propaganda that could benefit Iran.
Then the public has to wade through that and evaluate what they think, rather than just assessing the facts. Which, of course, is why Democrats/liberal media are doing that.
But a new poll is putting paid to the Democratic narrative that people don’t support the effort.The McLaughlin survey of likely voters found strong support.
When voters were asked whether they approved of President Trump using the U.S. military to eliminate Iran’s nuclear missile program and its support for terrorism — given Iran’s refusal to negotiate an end to its nuclear weapons and missile development — 51% approved, while 41% disapproved.
Two Indian-flagged tankers together carrying over 92,000 metric tonnes of liquefied petroleum gas have arrived at ports in Gujarat state after safely passing through the Strait of Hormuz. New Delhi has been negotiating with Iran, but the government denies discussing the possible release of Iranian tankers it seized in February as part of the bargain. Meanwhile, global crude prices jumped again amid new Iranian attacks on the UAE.
Nearly three weeks into a war against a crazed theocracy, the political and media focus has been, like a complaining child in the back seat of a car on a long trip, “When will it be over?”
This ridiculous impatience is a product of a Democrat opposition to Operation Epic Fury that will exploit every misstep, whether occurring out of strategy, operations, rhetoric, or unintended consequences. It is akin to getting a work assignment that the employer and employee both know will only reasonably produce results after weeks of long hours, at minimum, but nonetheless getting harangued by the boss every day: “You’re not done yet!?”
Now, the boss may be just an intolerable micro-manager, or he may be trying to get you to quit out of frustration. But it’s fairly certain, given the Democrat decades-long foreign policy record, that productive oversight of the conflict is not their goal.
Between the now ascendant neo-Marxist left and the “river-to-the-sea” crowd, the Democrat war objectives are clear: sabotage.
Ali Larijani was the head of Iran’s Security Council and a key voice in the ear of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Gholamreza Soleimani was the head of the Basij militia. Both were pillars of Iran’s security apparatus. If they have indeed been taken out, the question is who replaces them, and will they take Iran down an even more hardline path?
The death of Iran‘s key figure Ali Larijani raises more questions than answers.
First, Israel says it has killed him in an air strike, but Tehran has yet to confirm or deny.
While Israel and the United States rejoice and call on the Iranian people to rise up and overthrow what is left of their Islamic leadership, the reality on the ground is less certain. The systematic killing of the leaders of Iran since February 28 has created a vacuum in Tehran.
The fear among analysts is that the space will be filled by regime insiders who will be hardened and more radical.
Larijani was the lead negotiator at the now aborted talks to find a peaceful way forward.
Fires have broken out in Baghdad’s Green Zone after a drone swarm, believed to have been launched by groups aligned with Iran. Al Jazeera’s Assed Baig witnessed the attacks.
High-profile attacks on oil tankers in the Strait of Hormuz have epitomized Iran’s hit-and-run response to superior American and Israeli firepower, but analysts warn that Tehran’s asymmetric strategy isn’t limited to guns, bombs or the physical geography of the battlefield.
from www.washingtontimes.com
The concept of freedom of the press isn’t ruined by criticism of the press. But when liberal TV hosts roll out their lectures, they sound a little like the president they routinely attack. Any criticism of their work must be Fake News.
MS NOW host Ana Cabrera expressed indignation on March 16 after FCC chairman Brendan Carr tweeted that broadcast stations should watch what they’re airing on the war in Iran: “Freedom of the press has been such a huge, huge underpinning of the democracy in this country, right? In order to hold people in power accountable to be that government watchdog.” But Carr is “squashing” press freedom with a simple tweet.
NPR media reporter David Folkenflik lamented Carr wanted to “get in the weeds of what’s said,” but allowed that “you can argue there are good principles involved about wanting to make sure certain kinds of coverage is fair to all sides” – yet the government shouldn’t interfere.
MS NOW host Ana Cabrera freaked out at Brendan Carr tweets, arguing press freedom is a huge underpinning of democracy. He’s quashing it! NPR’s David Folkenflik says Carr’s FCC wants to “get in the weeds of what’s said.” Yes! Much of what they say would fit the weeds metaphor. pic.twitter.com/7GATuVWf8X
Dr Dorsey pointed out that there may also be a hardening of the lines on both sides of the war following the security chief’s death.
“You could see Israel, the United States, seeing this as a major body blow that sets the stage for trying to finish Iran off,” he said.
Already, Iran has retaliated for the assassination of its security chief, targeting Tel Aviv with missiles carrying cluster warheads, which are difficult to intercept.
Larijani’s death is also likely to lend more power to the more radical leaders and Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, said Dr Mehran Kamrava, professor of government at Georgetown University Qatar.
“As an insider with deep connections within the Islamic Republic’s deep state and with impeccable revolutionary credentials, he would have been indispensable to any decision to end the current war,” Dr Kamrava told CNA.
“His death is likely to strengthen the hands of President Pezeshkian and Foreign Minister Araghchi on the one hand, and the more radical, less compromising commanders of the Revolutionary Guards on the other.”
Israel’s defense minister said Wednesday that the country would escalate its war against Iran, and its parallel assault on the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah in Lebanon, clearly signaling an escalation of the conflict in the heart of the Middle East.
“The intensity of attacks in Iran is increasing. We are in the midst of achieving a decisive outcome,” Katz said in his video message, shared on social media.
“Israel’s policy is clear and unequivocal: no one in Iran has immunity, and all are targeted. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and I have authorized the IDF to neutralize any senior Iranian official for whom an intelligence and operational opportunity arises, without the need for additional approval. We will continue to intercept and hunt them all,” he said.
“Significant surprises are also expected throughout today across all arenas, which will escalate the war we are conducting against Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon.”
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy met with with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on Tuesday for talks on peace and sanctions on Russia.
The meeting comes at a time when the Iran war has revived Russia’s ailing economy through increased oil revenue, robbed US-brokered talks to end Russia’s invasion of Ukraine of momentum and could soon limit Kyiv’s access to vital Western air defence systems that are needed in the Middle East.
“We can’t lose focus on what’s going on in Ukraine and the need for our support,” Starmer said alongside Zelenskyy for talks at 10 Downing Street, which NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte also attended.
“Putin can’t be the one who benefits from the conflict in Iran, whether that’s oil prices or the dropping of sanctions,” Starmer said. “It is really important we keep our resolve in relation to supporting Ukraine, doing everything we can to weaken the hand of Putin.”
The human cost of Israel and America’s air campaign on Iran is mounting, nowhere more painfully felt than in the children’s wards of its hospitals.
In the intensive care unit of one, four-year-old Anita lies in a coma with severe head injuries a few days after being pulled out of the rubble of her home when it was destroyed in an air strike.
Her mother Zeiba was in torment, clutching her tiny hand and begging her to wake up. Doctors say she almost certainly never will.
The Islamic Republic has unveiled a new and dangerous weapon: the Sejjil missile. It can be set up and launched with minimal delay, making it harder to hit with preemptive strikes. Iran has only a few hundred, but they are produced indigenously. Fortunately, there is a simple way to stop production for good.
The Sejjil’s menace stems from its design for speed in deployment. Unlike Iran’s older liquid-fueled Shahab missiles, which take hours to prepare, leaving them vulnerable to preemptive strikes, the Sejjil runs on solid propellant. That means it is ready to be fired from road-mobile launchers in mere minutes, vanishing before countermeasures kick in.
Iranian state media claim it also has mid-descent maneuverability that allows it to dodge interceptors—they call it the “dancing missile”—but that has not been confirmed. There is no sign of side thrusters or similar features seen on other Iranian missiles that would make maneuvering possible.
Far-left podcast host Joy Reid argued that the United States is only “marginally better” than Iran, even after the brutal Islamic regime recently slaughtered tens of thousands of protesting citizens.
During the January anti-regime protests, thousands of Iranians were killed by their own government.
Estimates of the number killed vary substantially, hampered by the ongoing internet shutdown.
The Iranian government has acknowledged more than 3,000 dead.
However, the US-based organisation HRANA (Human Rights Activists News Agency), whose figures have been reliable during previous crackdowns, says it has verified more than 6,000 dead and has more than 17,000 more recorded deaths under investigation, giving a possible total of about 22,000.
A fresh wave of attacks on the United Arab Emirates’ energy infrastructure has ramped up concerns over prolonged supply disruptions amid the Iran war.
It comes after the world’s largest ultra-sour gas development was struck by a drone, a fire broke out in the UAE’s Fujairah Oil Industry Zone, and another tanker was hit near the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz.
The UAE also reopened its airspace on Tuesday after a brief shutdown following a fire caused by an Iranian drone attack hitting a fuel tank.
Operations at the UAE’s massive Shah gas field remained suspended on Tuesday following a drone attack, which caused a fire at the facility, according to Abu Dhabi authorities. No injuries were reported from the incident.
The Shah gas field is located about 110 miles southwest of Abu Dhabi and is operated by a joint venture between Abu Dhabi National Oil Co. and Occidental Petroleum Corp. It has the capacity to produce 1.28 billion standard cubic feet of gas per day and 4.2 million tons of sulfur per year.
Joe Kent, who led the National Counterterrorism Center, resigned Tuesday, saying he “cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran.”
“Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby,” Kent wrote in his resignation letter to Mr. Trump.
Kent accused high-ranking Israeli officials and some in the media of waging a “misinformation campaign” that was “used to deceive you into believing that Iran posed an imminent threat to the United States, and that should you strike now, there was a clear path to a swift victory.”
“This was a lie,” he said, urging Mr. Trump to “reflect upon what we are doing in Iran, and who we are doing it for.”
In a post on X, Gabbard appeared to respond to Kent’s letter, saying the president “is responsible for determining what is and is not an imminent threat.”
Democrats are lambasting a top Trump adviser for dismissing concerns that high oil prices brought on by the war in Iran will raise costs for American consumers.
The adviser, National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, acknowledged that a prolonged war would “hurt consumers” in a Tuesday morning interview on CNBC.
“We’d have to think about, you know, if that continued, what we would have to do about that,” he said. “But that’s, like, really the last of our concerns right now, because we’re very confident that this thing is going ahead of schedule.”
Hassett made the comment in the context of arguing that the economy is “fundamentally sound,” and would not be disrupted if the war in Iran were extended for a significant period of time.
The U.S. Embassy in Baghdad came under a heavy barrage of rockets and drones early Tuesday in what Iraqi security sources described as one of the most intense attacks on the capital since the war erupted.
Witnesses said two drones were shot down by the embassy’s C-RAM defense system, while a third struck a building inside the embassy compound, sparking a fire and sending thick smoke into the sky.
Video seen by CNN showed air defenses intercepting what appeared to be a drone over Baghdad. The clip captured the moment it was hit, followed by a blast about 1,000 meters from the embassy compound.
“There it is, there it is,” a voice is heard saying in the video as the drone was intercepted.
The irony is thicker than the haze described by the band Deep Purple in their classic hard-rocking tune, Smoke on the Water. The new Supreme leader of Iran, Mojtaba Khamenei (son of the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei) — who nobody is sure is even alive or dead — may be (have been?) gay.
This, in one of the most anti-LGBTQ regimes in the world — one that is reportedly prone to hanging homosexuals in the public square. Not surprisingly, the internet went wild with memes and jokes.
Although the conflict with Iran is anything but funny, sometimes humor best exposes the absurdity of the backward regime and its murderous leaders (the ones who are still left breathing, anyway).
A near disaster took place in Israel. Iran launched missiles into the Old City of Jerusalem. The missiles were intercepted. However, the debris landed just a few feet away from the Church of the Holy Sepulchre. One of the most sacred sites in Christianity, believed to be the place of Jesus’ crucifixion, burial, and resurrection.
An Iranian missile exploded over Jerusalem’s Old City. Its fragments fell on the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the Armenian Patriarchate, the Jewish Quarter and on the Temple Mount near the Al-Aqsa Mosque.
Just a reminder, the only reason Christian holy sites in the Old City of Jerusalem remain standing, is because it is part of Israel. If the Palestinians controlled the Old City of Jerusalem’s Christian Quarter, all traces of Christianity would be attacked and destroyed. Exactly what the Palestinians have tragically done to the once flourishing Christian community in Bethlehem.
🚨A ballistic missile fragment just fell on the courtyard of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem’s Old City.
This is what evil looks like. This is why Israel fights.
Pray for the peace of Jerusalem🇺🇸🇮🇱🕊️@Real_life_Netpic.twitter.com/ypDl6I6ELB
Ali Larijani, the closest thing Iran’s Islamic Republic currently has (er, had) to a political leader, is believed dead following an Israeli airstrike Tuesday. And that’s just the start of today’s good news concerning Operation Epic Fury/Roaring Lion.
It seems like only yesterday [It was only yesterday, Steve —Editor] that we discussed how Iran’s regime losses — from the topmost echelons all the way down to Basij street-thug enforcers — make the country increasingly ripe for regime change.
Well, yesterday’s news of limited drone strikes on individual Basij thugs pales in comparison to today’s news from Mossad Commentary [unofficial]: “Overnight strikes reportedly killed ~300 Basij commanders and field officials, targeting key command, logistics, and operational centers across Tehran.”
Facilities hit include “vehicle repair units, Mohammad Rasoulollah Corps HQ, Imam Hadi command center, and Imam Ali battalions.” The result is that “the Basij’s capability to mobilize against protests and maintain internal control” is severely degraded.
It’s this big a deal:
🔴 COMMANDER OF THE BASIJ UNIT ELIMINATED
Yesterday, the IDF targeted & eliminated Gholamreza Soleimani, who operated as commander of the Basij unit for the past 6 years.
Under Soleimani, the Basij unit led the main repression operations in Iran, employing severe violence,… pic.twitter.com/aJ0dNtCFz0
Podcaster Shawn Ryan said Tuesday he hoped the resignation of National Counter-Terrorism Center (NCTC) Director Joe Kent “wakes people up” about the war with Iran.
“Sometimes the most impactful statement you can make is a strong resignation. It’s unfortunate it’s come down to this. God’s speed @joekent16jan19, I hope this wakes some people up,” Ryan, a former Navy SEAL, posted.
Sometimes the most impactful statement you can make is a strong resignation. It’s unfortunate it’s come down to this. God’s speed @joekent16jan19 I hope this wakes some people up. https://t.co/3zWc1g0I5c