While most Republicans are still with Trump on Iran, beneath the outward show of unity, something more politically dangerous is beginning to emerge: a growing fear that a war sold as limited could turn into the kind of Middle East quagmire MAGA voters thought they had already rejected.

And it isn’t just the usual anti-interventionist voices. It is now being voiced by Trump allies, rank-and-file House Republicans, and even senior GOP lawmakers leaving closed-door briefings sounding less reassured than rattled.

To wit – several Republican members of Congress and two GOP senators told ZeroHedge that the Iran war – or, just as importantly, its economic fallout in the form of higher gas prices – could seriously frustrate MAGA voters if it drags on.

The clearest warning came from South Carolina Rep. and gubernatorial candidate Nancy Mace, who said that during her statewide campaigns, she’s received standing ovations for her opposition of U.S. boots on the ground.

“This is in front of conservative MAGA Republicans,” she told ZH on Wednesday. 

“If there are boots on the ground, public sentiment on this war changes overnight in a flash… people are not going to go for it,” Mace added. “I was just in the briefing with House Armed Services [Committee], and I got to tell you it did not inspire confidence. I quite frankly stormed out.“

Mace has since made clear that her opposition is not rhetorical. Earlier this week she told reporters: “I’ll be voting against the funding if we’re putting troops on the ground. I’m not going to fund that.”

Mace: I’ll be voting against the funding if we’re putting troops on the ground. I’m not going to fund that—no U.S. troops. pic.twitter.com/qLDbT0OrvA

— Acyn (@Acyn) March 24, 2026

She later sharpened the point further, writing on X: “If a single boot of a single American soldier sets foot on Iranian soil, I will vote against this. I will not vote to fund sending South Carolina’s sons and daughters to die in a ground war in Iran.”

Texas Rep. Chip Roy, originator of the hotly debated SAVE America Act, struck a similar note. For Roy, the issue is not just strategy but clarity: if the administration is moving toward troop deployments, Republican voters will want to know exactly why, exactly for how long, and exactly what victory is supposed to look like.

“There’s a lot of concern,” he said when asked about actual conversations he’s had with constituents. “It would need to be very clear what we’re doing if that’s where it’s headed.”

Another Texas House Republican, Brandon Gill, emphasized his trust in the President and the national security rationale for the war. But even Gill echoed the same red line voiced by Mace and Roy: support can evaporate quickly if this becomes an open-ended nation-building exercise.

“[Voters] don’t want to get us into – for the United States to get into – a long prolonged Middle East,” Gill told ZH. “We’re not going to go out and start nation building. The American people don’t want us to.”

That is the core tension now running through the GOP. Many Republican voters and lawmakers may still support the strikes as a show of force. But support begins to erode as the prospect of deeper involvement grows.

GOP lawmakers are belatedly starting to wake up to the possibility that the United States could once again get bogged down in another Middle East quagmire – this time in a country roughly double the size of Iraq in both geography and population.

At the center of that concern is the fear that what began as a supposedly limited operation is rapidly expanding into something far more costly, more open-ended, and more politically toxic. The Pentagon’s massive supplemental funding request only intensified those suspicions, especially after White House officials had initially previewed the war as lasting only “days” or a few “weeks,” not months or years.

That uncertainty matters because the politics of this war may ultimately be decided less by ideology than by cost. Kentucky Senator Rand Paul told us bluntly that the political fate of the conflict could be sealed at the gas pump.

“It’s going to be an uprising of [voters] saying they don’t want $5 gasoline,” Paul told ZH.

“The longer it goes on, particularly for people who most of their paycheck goes to rent, gas, and food, those people become increasingly against the war over time.”

Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley, while stopping short of criticizing the war itself, pointed to the same underlying vulnerability. Asked what is upsetting GOP voters and contributing to setbacks in places that should be safely Republican, he said simply: the cost of living.

“They want to see prices come down. They want gas to be cheaper. They want healthcare to be cheaper. Families need it,” Hawley told ZH. “What we have right now where everything continues to get expensive, or at least it’s not getting less so, but their wages are not meaningfully going up, something’s got to change.”

That is the danger now hanging over Trump and congressional Republicans alike. The admin has already lost anti-war conservatives, but they may be able to maintain the middle of the bell curve if the war doesn’t drag on. 

Or as Mace put it, support could change “overnight in a flash.”

The White House on Wednesday hosted an education summit featuring first lady Melania Trump walking side by side with an American-made humanoid robot. 

“Figure 03” AI-powered robot accompanies first lady Melania Trump to a White House summit on empowering children with educational technology. pic.twitter.com/RShdfvEG38

— CSPAN (@cspan) March 25, 2026

The robot’s placement at a White House event suggests the technology wing of the Trump administration is pivoting toward physical AI, with the next chapter increasingly centered on American-made humanoid robotics.

A Politico report in December revealed that the administration was preparing to go “all in” on accelerating humanoid robotics, with sources saying White House officials were considering an executive order sometime this year.

Melania’s appearance alongside the Figure 03 robot may be the clearest signal yet that the administration is preparing to embrace robotics as the next natural progression of physical AI.

Also on Wednesday, Jefferies analysts published an insightful note titled, “Humanoid Robots Begin to Clock In”…

“Given recent advancements in materials science, battery technology and, most importantly, AI/processing, the dream of larger-scale deployments is edging closer to reality,” the analysts wrote.

With humanoid robots now entering factory floors, and, as we have also pointed out, soon the battlefield, deployment of these autonomous machines in real-world commercial applications is set to ramp up this year and next. 

How to profit 

The analysts provided clients with a company breakdown of the most critical companies supplying components to humanoid robots, outlining where clients may be positioned to get the most exposure as the industry gears up for increased deployments 

Deployment Begins

The deployment timeline for these robots on factory floors is set to ramp this year and next, then accelerate sharply into the end of the decade before taking a quantum leap in the early 2030s.

Why

The analysts pointed to three structural forces set to accelerate mass adoption: 

• Aging populations, particularly in China and other developed markets, are increasing demand for labor supplementation and assistance.

• Declining interest in manufacturing jobs among younger generations is creating labor mismatches across global supply chains.

• Breakthroughs in semiconductors and AI are sharply improving robot intelligence and functionality while reducing costs.

The other major breakthrough is labor cost: With workers demanding $20 to $25 per hour and much higher rates for skilled jobs, companies could operate these robots on a fully loaded basis for between $2 and $3 per hour after accounting for operating costs.

Mass adoption of these robots, with price points around $25,000 by 2030, would make them very appealing for companies looking to automate low-skilled tasks and drive down labor costs. 

The analysts noted that robots are already beginning to invade factory floors. As they wrote, “In late ’24, California-based Figure AI achieved a milestone by delivering its Figure 02 humanoid robot to a paying client. Around the same time in China, UBTech Robotics began the world’s first large-scale deployment of full-sized humanoid robots.”

Melania walking with a humanoid robot this week may mark an early signal that the Trump administration is preparing to accelerate the American-made humanoid robotics, assuming policy support has already been drafted, which could spark an investment cycle into companies in the same field, both public and private.

Professional subscribers can read the full “From Asimov to the Assembly Line: Humanoid Robots Begin to Clock In” at our new Marketdesk.ai portal

At 2:22 a.m. EST, the Senate unanimously passed a spending bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security after a 40-day shutdown that disrupted airport security and sparked travel chaos for millions of Americans.

The bill, which excludes funding for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, still needs House approval and President Trump’s signature. The overnight breakthrough came as airport TSA lines worsened nationwide this week, with TSA agents calling out sick or quitting due to missed paychecks.

BREAKING.

The Senate just passed funding for most of DHS for the rest of the fiscal year.

The bill funds all but ICE and *Border Patrol*

This was by unanimous voice vote. It now goes to the House, which is still in town and can vote later today.

The bill contains no…

— Lisa Desjardins (@LisaDNews) March 27, 2026

Unpaid TSA agents have been calling out by the hundreds at major airports so far, including Atlanta, Baltimore, Houston, and New York, sparking long checkpoint lines. The funding lapse has led to 480 TSA workers resigning.

The breakthrough also came after President Trump added pressure on Thursday (read here), saying he would sign an order to fund TSA officers’ paychecks. 

“I am going to sign an Order instructing the Secretary of Homeland Security, Markwayne Mullin, to immediately pay our TSA Agents in order to address this Emergency Situation, and to quickly stop the Democrat Chaos at the Airports,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post on Thursday. 

President Trump pins blame on Democrats for DHS shutdown at cabinet meeting: “They need to end this shutdown immediately, or we’ll have to take some very drastic measures.” pic.twitter.com/Pt4pFK2wB0

— CSPAN (@cspan) March 26, 2026

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said, “Hopefully they’ll be around, and we can get at least a lot of the government opened up again, and then we’ll go from there.”

Thune blamed unhinged Democrats for the airport chaos: “President Trump should never have had to step in to rescue TSA workers and U.S. air travel. We are here because, thanks to Democrats’ determined refusal to reach an agreement, there will be no Homeland Security funding bill this year.” 

Democrats have widely objected to passing a DHS spending bill that includes funding for ICE and CBP. This is mostly because the president has used those federal agencies to deport illegal aliens, the very ones that Democrats let in through disastrous open borders to build a new voting bloc in their aspirations of a one-party rule nation, just like the insanity in California, Maryland, and other deeply blue states. 

Punchbowl News explained there were “no winners” in this six-week standoff.

“Who won the Senate standoff? No one, in truth. Nothing really changed. Both sides wanted to have this fight, so it happened. It was another example of how little moderation is left in the Trump era, where the first instinct is to go to war,” the outlet wrote in a morning note.

February U.S. commercial real estate transaction activity appeared soft on the surface, but Goldman analysts believe the weak initial print will likely be revised meaningfully higher. The most notable area of weakness in last month’s transaction data was across the retail space, which is not especially surprising as the K-shaped economy continues to pressure lower-income consumers.

Goldman real estate analyst Julien Blouin wrote Wednesday that the initial February reading on CRE transaction volumes showed a 13% year-over-year decline. He noted that transaction data from MSCI Real Assets is typically “revised materially higher” and said the early print is not a major cause for concern.

Blouin added that prior months were revised higher by roughly 24% to 25% on average, suggesting the final February reading will likely show transaction growth in the high single-digit territory once the data is finalized.

February Transaction Volumes

Volumes are muted and well below Covid surge. Need rates lower. 

Deal activity is improving in some areas, especially office and industrial. Multifamily faced a much tougher comparison versus the same period last year, so the decline looks a lot worse than the underlying trend. The sharpest drop in CRE transactions was in retail, which includes shops, strip malls, convenience stores, restaurants, and malls.

CRE bucket breakdown for February:

• Multifamily/apartments: down 24% year over year

• Office: up 9%

• Industrial: up 15%

• Retail: down 61%

Retail CRE volumes plunged 

Blouin did not get into the details of the slump in retail deal activity, but it does appear buyers may still be selective in retail, due in part to the K-shaped economy, which is pressuring lower-income consumers’ ability to go out and spend at restaurants and shops.

Related:

• AI Takeover Complete: Data Center Construction Surpasses Office Construction For The First Time

The takeaway is that the sharp drop in retail CRE transactions likely reflects buyer caution around consumer-exposed properties, given everything we know about the K-shaped economy.

Professional subscribers can read the full Goldman note here at our new Marketdesk.ai portal

Authored by Stephen Katte via CoinTelegraph.com,

The UK government is advancing plans for a moratorium on political donations made through cryptocurrencies, following an independent review and pressure from multiple high-ranking politicians.

Cointelegraph reported on Wednesday that the Rycroft Review, an independent inquiry into foreign financial interference in the UK’s political and electoral systems, recommended a moratorium on crypto donations to political parties.

New statements from UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on Wednesday have confirmed that the government will pursue the temporary ban.

“I can tell the House we will act decisively to protect our democracy. That will include a moratorium on all political donations made through cryptocurrencies,” said Starmer during Prime Minister’s Question Time on Wednesday.

Several members of parliament, including the chair of the security committee, have been pushing for a full ban this year, warning that foreign states could exploit crypto payments to influence UK politics.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer pledged a moratorium on all crypto political donations. Source: YouTube 

Under the new measure, crypto will be prohibited for political donations until robust regulations are in place to prevent untraceable funds and foreign interference in UK elections, according to a separate government statement on Wednesday.

Bill still has to pass and become law

The ban would require amending the Representation of the People Bill, and the government said the changes would take “retrospective effect” from March 25.

The legislation is at the committee stage in the House of Commons. It needs to pass through both the House of Commons and the House of Lords, then receive royal assent from King Charles III to become law.

The legislation is still at the committee stage in the House of Commons. Source: UK Parliament 

“Once the legislation comes into force, political parties and regulated entities like candidates and MPs will then have 30 days to return any unlawful donations they may have received in the interim, after which enforcement action can be taken,” the government said.

Reform UK was the first political party in the country to accept crypto donations in May last year, with leader Nigel Farage announcing at the Bitcoin 2025 conference in Las Vegas that the group would accept Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies from eligible donors.

Ban will not be lifted until sign-off from government

Once the ban comes into force, it won’t lift until “Parliament and the Electoral Commission are satisfied that the regulatory environment is robust enough to ensure confidence and transparency in donations being made in this way.”

The next general election in the UK must be held by Aug. 15, 2029.

Summary

• The Pentagon is looking at sending up to 10,000 additional ground troops to the Middle East to give the US President more military options even as he weighs peace talks with Tehran, according to unnamed Department of War officials  
   
• The earlier five-day deadline for resumption of US attacks on Iranian energy has now been moved to ten days (it was set to expire Fri/Sat). The following was issued by President Trump late Thursday afternoon on Truth Social. “As per Iranian Government request, please let this statement serve to represent that I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 P.M., Eastern Time. Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media, and others, they are going very well.” Shortly after, Iran denied it has requested a pause on energy-site strikes. 
   
• Iran rejects US plan but says diplomacy continues (indirectly, apparently) – White House, Pentagon reviewing options for ‘final blow’ as Trump tells Iranians ‘get serious’ about talks. Hegseth: we’ll “negotiate through bombs”. Trump asserts Iran is begging for a deal. Trump extends energy destruction ‘deadline’ to 10 days – oil slides & almost immediately rebounds.

• Trump touts “present” of several tankers allowed by Tehran through Strait, while at the same time warning Tehran of ‘no turning back’ if it doesn’t negotiate. Cabinet meeting hails ‘successes’ while saying war to ‘end soon’, confirms 15-point plan delivered via Pakistanis.

• Iranian hardliners ramp up call to get nuclear weapons, Reuters reports. Israel says it has killed Alireza Tangsiri, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy.

• Iran “laying Traps” & “building up defenses” on Kharg Island; NYT report says 13 US regional bases largely ‘uninhabitable’ in wake of Iran ballistic missile retaliation on Gulf.

*  *  * Support us here

Pentagon Weighs Sending Another 10,000 Ground Troops To Middle East

Just hours after President Trump said he was pausing strikes on Iran’s energy sector for 10 more days, to April 6, so peace negotiations can take place, the WSJ reported that the Pentagon is looking at sending up to 10,000 additional ground troops to the Middle East to give the US President more military options even as he weighs peace talks with Tehran, according to unnamed Department of War officials. 

The force, which would likely include infantry and armored vehicles, would be added to the roughly 5,000 Marines and the thousands of paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division who have already been ordered to the region.  The will join well over 50,000 servicemembers already deployed to air and army bases, as well as on naval ships, across the Middle East in the lead up and since the start of Operation Epic Fury.

It is unclear where precisely forces will go in the Middle East, but they will likely be within striking distance of Iran and Kharg Island, a crucial oil export hub off Iran’s coast.

Trump has repeatedly said he will open the Strait of Hormuz, with or without the help of U.S. allies, and it is increasingly looking like 

“All announcements regarding troop deployments will come from the Department of War. As we have said, President Trump always has all military options at his disposal,” said Anna Kelly, the deputy White House press secretary. A spokesperson for U.S. Central Command, which is responsible for U.S. forces in the Middle East, declined to comment.

Pentagon suggests seizing Iran-controlled islands in Persian Gulf

The Pentagon has suggested seizing the Iran-controlled Islands of Larak or Abu Musa, located in the eastern Persian Gulf near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz, roughly 40 miles from both Iran and the United Arab Emirates, sources tell Axios. In interviews with Axios, officials and sources familiar with the internal discussions describe four major “final blow” options Trump could choose from:

• Invading or blockading Kharg Island, Iran’s main oil export hub.
• Invading Larak, an island that helps Iran solidify its control of the Strait of Hormuz. The strategic outpost hosts Iranian bunkers, attack craft that can blow up cargo ships and radars that monitor movements in the strait.
• Seizing the strategic island of Abu Musa and two smaller islands, which lie near the western entrance to the strait and are controlled by Iran but also claimed by the UAE.
• Blocking or seizing ships that are exporting Iranian oil on the eastern side of the Hormuz Strait.

The U.S. military has also prepared plans for ground operations deep inside the interior of Iran to secure the highly enriched uranium buried within nuclear facilities. Instead of conducting such a complicated and risky operation, the U.S. could instead carry out large-scale air strikes on the facilities to try to prevent Iran from ever accessing the material.

Iran Denies It Requested Pause On Energy

Iran hasn’t requested a 10-day pause on strikes on its energy plants and is yet to deliver a final response to a 15-point plan to end the war, peace talk mediators said. President Trump said earlier Thursday he was pausing strikes on Iran’s energy sector for 10 more days, to April 6, so peace negotiations can take place. Trump’s previous deadline was Friday. He said the extension was at Iran’s request.

TACO Thursday: Trump Issues New 10 Day Timeline

Another walk-back and extension: the earlier five-day deadline for resumption of US attacks on Iranian energy has now been moved to ten days (it was set to expire Fri/Sat). The following was issued by President Trump late Thursday afternoon on Truth Social:

As per Iranian Government request, please let this statement serve to represent that I am pausing the period of Energy Plant destruction by 10 Days to Monday, April 6, 2026, at 8 P.M., Eastern Time. Talks are ongoing and, despite erroneous statements to the contrary by the Fake News Media, and others, they are going very well. 

Now it’s ten days… but perhaps this at least means the sides are talking(?!), if not indirectly. Or else this is a move to buy more time to put some kind of ground force component in place. Oil slides – then quickly rebounds – on the headlines, as apparently markets aren’t buying it, remaining unchanged:

Iran ‘Hardliners’ Push For Nukes: Reuters

This can’t be good for anyone hoping that the escalatory rhetoric being hurled between the waring sides would be dialed down a notch: Reuters is freshly reporting that hardliners inside Iran are calling for leaders to achieve nuclear weapons status in order to stave of ongoing US-Israeli attacks. “The debate among Iranian hardliners over whether Tehran should seek a nuclear bomb in defiance of an escalating U.S.-Israeli attack is getting louder, more public and more insistent, sources in the country say,” Reuters write Thursday.

“With the Revolutionary Guards now dominant following the killing of veteran Supreme Leader ‌Ayatollah Ali Khamenei at the start of the war on February 28, hardline views on Iran’s nuclear approach are in the ascendant, two senior Iranian sources said,” the report adds. 

Coupled with these very alarming nuclear headlines, the Iranians are demanding that the US scale back its demands presented in the 15-point ceasefire plan delivered via Pakistan. As for the nuclear question, many analysts of the ‘realist’ foreign policy school had long ago predicted precisely that if Iran suffered major attack from the US and Israel, it would then be incentivized to run after a nuke as fast possible. Trump earlier claimed that prior to the June US bombings, Iran was “two to four weeks” from obtaining a nuclear weapon. Currently there are reports that Tehran is being very heavily bombed.

The “final blow” could aim to open a waterway that was open before the war began, or maybe secure uranium that would have been secured under a nuclear agreement—risking US troops in the process.

Or we could just stop the war? pic.twitter.com/N1LWAgNwCn

— Andrew Day (@AKDay89) March 26, 2026

Trump Touts Gift of Several Tankers Allowed by Tehran Through Strait

President Donald reiterated in a televised cabinet meeting on Thursday that Iran had given the US “present” in the form of several boats carrying oil, able to pass through the otherwise closed Strait of Hormuz.

Trump claimed Iran had planned to send over eight large vessels of oil as a show of good faith related to potential peace negotiations. He then described hearing of media headlines which said eight ships were moving through the Strait of Hormuz. He also stated his team is having “very substantial talks” with Tehran to resolve the conflict – but at this point it appears merely indirect via Pakistani mediation. As for the ‘gift’, some factcheckers have begun investigating the claim:

Tanker tracking data compiled by Bloomberg shows no sign of the eight big boats full of oil that are going right up the middle of the Hormuz strait that President Trump just mentioned in his briefing.

In the meantime oil went to highs of the day after Iran’s parliament called to continue the war until the enemy is “definitively forced to regret its actions”. Al Jazeera is also citing statements from Iran’s military of possessing “one million troops” ready to oppose a potential US invasion.

BREAKING: Trump reveals Iran’s gift:

They will let us have 8 boats of oil; they will sail tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/JwriJxAsK9

— Clash Report (@clashreport) March 26, 2026

Trump, Vance, Hegseth Address Cabinet Meeting: Negotiations, Bombs, Nuclear Threat

President Trump in a rambling review of the Iran war situation didn’t add too much that’s new. He said the US is engaged diplomatically with the Iranians, who are “sick” people who he says were bent on getting a nuclear weapon. At one point Trump stated the Iranians were just “two to four weeks away” from achieving a nuclear weapon, apparently in reference to the June war. Trump says “the conflict with Iran will end soon, it won’t be long. Had to take a little detour.” He had several times mentioned that Israel was under direct threat, and later said they “would have come after us (America) next.” And a new deadline before strike on Iranian energy/power infrastructure starts?

TRUMP ASKED ON NEW IRAN DEADLINE: I’LL ANNOUNCE IT

TRUMP: OIL PRICES, STOCK MARKET DROP HAVEN’T BEEN THAT ‘SEVERE’

TRUMP: TAKING CONTROL OF IRAN OIL AN OPTION

TRUMP ON IRAN, HORMUZ: I HAVE A FEELING IT’LL BE CLEANED QUICK

Vice President Vance briefly offered some specifics, in terms of revealing the White House’s view of the mission, declaring that the “Iranian conventional military is effectively destroyed” and “this gives the US options”. This means, Vance said, that we “have the ability to use every tool in the US’ disposal to ensure Iran never has a nuclear weapon.” The the meeting, the White House confirmed that it presented a 15-point peace plan to Tehran via Pakistani mediators.

Witkoff: in an address, the Trump envoy declared that “Iran has miscalculated” after the Iranians “repeatedly rebuffed the US’ requests in discussions; they have been stalling. No doubt the US is making all possible efforts towards a resolution.” Finally, he said we have warned Iran “don’t miscalculate again”. Witkoff emphasized, “We will see where things lead.” Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth later added: “The Department of War will continue negotiating with bombs.”

‘Diplomacy has Not Stopped’ – Iran says while saying No Direct Talks

Iran is confirming that only within the last 24 hours it formally received the US ’15-point’ plan via Pakistani mediators, but stated its assessment that it is “one-sided and unfair”. Iran has also slammed the proposals as ‘deceptive’. So in effect little has changed from reports earlier this week.

There is still no arrangement for negotiations, no realistic plan for talks at this moment, state media conveyed further on Thursday. However, there also this from state Tasnim: “Diplomacy has not stopped, if realism prevails within the US, then a way forward could be found.” Previously Tehran media stated “An informed source told Tasnim that Iran’s response to the 15 articles proposed by the US was officially sent last night through intermediaries.” So there’s ‘hope’ for an offramp through what are so far only indirect talks, but then Iran is also vowing to keep fighting, after some reports Tehran leaders are ready for a ‘long war’:

IRAN REJECTS U.S. PROPOSAL DELIVERED VIA MEDIATOR, VOWS TO CONTINUE FIGHTING

Slight dip in oil on the headlines:

‘Final Blow’

President Trump on Thursday is on the one hand calling on Iran “to get serious soon” in negotiations with the US “before it is too late” – while on the other he’s said to be mulling plans for a “final blow” in the military campaign. Axios writes that several possibilities are being considered, all which point toward serious escalation and in some cases even ground troops. All but one of the below “final blow” options carry the potential for US to get stuck in Iran for years:

— Seize or blockade Kharg Island (Iran’s main oil export hub).

— Invade/control Larak Island (key to Strait of Hormuz control).

— Take Abu Musa + nearby islands (strategic entrance to the strait).

— Block or seize Iranian oil tankers in the region.

— Launch massive airstrikes on nuclear/energy sites.

— (More extreme) Ground operations inside Iran to secure nuclear material.

Axios elsewhere reminds: “Trump’s five-day pause on strikes against Iranian energy infrastructure expires Saturday, and a dramatic military escalation will grow more likely if no progress is made in diplomatic talks, particularly if the Strait of Hormuz remains closed.”

Negotiations or ‘No Turning Back’

Meanwhile, below are a couple of the latest Iran-related Truth Social posts by President Trump, at a moment Iran has made clear it will reject direct talks until its ‘five conditions’ are met. Iran has said it won’t be “fooled again” and even though Trump has declared ‘success’ and that Iran has been “militarily obliterated, it’s clear that Tehran has serious strategic leverage given its de facto control of the Hormuz Strait.

Trump threatens in all caps that if Iran doesn’t relent then there is “no turning back” – however, the WSJ is at the same time reporting Trump has told aides he wants a speedy end to the war.

“President Trump has told associates in recent days that he wants to avoid a protracted war in Iran and that he hopes to bring the conflict to an end in the coming weeks,” WSJ writes.

The publication continues, “Nearly one month into the war, the president has privately informed advisers he thinks the conflict is in its final stages, urging them to stick to the four-to-six-week timeline he has outlined publicly, according to people familiar with the matter. White House officials planned a mid-May summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing with the expectation that the war would be concluded before the meeting begins, some of the people said.”

And then it states the obvious which should have been known before Operation Epic Fury was launched: “The problem is Trump has no easy options for ending the war, and peace negotiations are at a nascent stage.” Certainly all of the above-mentioned ‘final blow’ options all carry extreme risk of quagmire (which might make the Iraq and Afghan wars easy by comparison). Path to offramp or more massive escalation coming?

Iran War: We are not watching a path to peace
Three warning signs now visible:
1. “Talks” without a ceasefire
2. Expansion to economic choke points
3. Quiet preparation for ground forces
This is how limited wars become global disasters pic.twitter.com/GTTOc4o4YB

— Robert A. Pape (@ProfessorPape) March 26, 2026

IRGC Navy Commander Killed, Says Israel

Israel says one of its air strike has killed Alireza Tangsiri, commander of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps navy, in another reported top-level death. Defense Minister Israel Katz described the strike was carried out on Wednesday night “in a precise … operation” and targeted other “senior officers of the naval command.” He played a central role in controlling the strategically vital Strait of Hormuz and recently issued direct warnings to Israel and the United States, including threats to close the waterway; however, just like all Iran’s military commanders, he’ll likely soon be replaced.

Overnight and in the last 24 hours, Iran has targeted more key refineries in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, which Gulf states have described as a “brutal aggression” against the global economy. Gulf Cooperation Council officials said the situation is an “international responsibility,” warning that “what is a threat today will grow” and stressing that oil supply chains must be protected.

Reminder: Israel keeps an ‘assassination list’ and has reportedly removed these two men from it, to leave room for negotiations, apparently. Below: Mohammad-Bagher Ghalibaf and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Aragchi

The GCC called for de-escalation, stating their goal is a “diplomatic solution” to end the attacks, at a moment Pakistan, Turkey, and Egypt are said to be seeking mediation to get peace talks off the ground. “Our main message to our partners in the world is to send an international message, a unified message to Iran to stop immediately and unconditionally their attacks against the GCC countries.” They added their objective is not to “destroy” Iran but to build a “good relationship,” warning that “the deterioration of the situation in the Arab Gulf will be a warning that will exceed the Gulf area.”

Casualties in Iran: Iran’s Deputy Health Minister Ali Jafarian said at least 1,937 people have been killed during the war, including 240 women and 212 children. He added that at least 24,800 people have been injured, including around 4,000 women and 1,621 children.

Meanwhile Iran continues to send steady missiles and drones on Israel, with mounting Israeli casualties and much infrastructure, cities, and neighborhoods suffering severe damage.

⚡️ Iranian cluster munition hit in Israel’s Kafr Qasim earlier today pic.twitter.com/jEs6fdK8ON

— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) March 26, 2026

’13 US Regional Bases Uninhabitable’: NYT

…Something analysts suspected was the case over the course of the last weeks of expanding war: “Many of the 13 military bases in the region used by American troops are all but uninhabitable, with the ones in Kuwait, which is next door to Iran, suffering perhaps the most damage.” This is based on statements by unnamed US defense officials who admit they’ve had to scramble to find ‘alternative’ housing and office solutions for personnel.

The revelation comes on the heels of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) having earlier warned that if American troops are ‘stationed’ in hotels or civilian office complexes, then those hotels and locations effectively become targets.

The Times report suggests that the US saw early fatalities and casualties (CENTCOM figures say 13 dead and some 300 injuries thus far) in part due to lack of preparedness for such a robust Iranian ballistic missile retaliation on US regional bases.

Iran “Laying Traps” & “Building Up Defenses” On Kharg Island

Iranian forces are said to be “laying traps” and “building up defenses” on Kharg Island, in preparation for a possible US ground attack and takeover. Iran has recently bolstered its defenses around Kharg Island, anticipating a possible US move to seize the key oil export hub, CNN reported this week. The island is vital to Iran’s economy, handling roughly 90% of its crude shipments, and has become a focal point in escalating tensions.

There is also growing skepticism among US allies and policymakers about whether capturing the island would achieve its broader objective. Even some Republicans are starting to publicly push back against any possible plans involving ground forces.

*  *  *

More headlines and latest developments:

• Iranian state TV quoted an anonymous official saying Tehran rejected the plan delivered via Pakistan and will “end the war when it decides to do so and when its own conditions are met”.
• Iranian FM: “At present, our policy is the continuation of resistance. We do not intend to negotiate – so far, no negotiations have taken place, and I believe our position is completely principled.”
• The White House said the US is “very close to meeting the core objectives in Iran” and warned Donald Trump is prepared to “unleash hell” if Iran does not accept defeat.
• Trump said negotiations are under way and claimed Iran wants “to make a deal so badly” but that “they’re afraid to say it, because they figure they’ll be killed by their own people”.
• VP Vance may travel to Pakistan this weekend for potential talks with Iran.
• Iran has threatened to disrupt the Bab el-Mandeb Strait—the vital Red Sea route connecting the Mediterranean with MENA and Asia—if attacks target its territory or islands.
• Iran attacked a power plant in Israel; the state monopoly said there was no infrastructure damage.
• Iran said the US and Israel attacked the vicinity of the Bushehr nuclear plant.
• Media coverage of potential Kharg Island takeover scenarios has intensified in the past 24 hours.
• Iran’s parliament is working on a bill to impose fees on ships in the Strait of Hormuz.
• The Israeli military said it carried out a “wide-scale wave of strikes on Iran” this morning.
• The Telegraph: Russia has begun arming Iran with drones in the first known transfer of lethal munitions from Moscow to Tehran since the war began.
• The United Kingdom is discussing with global partners “a viable plan” to secure maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz.

* * * 3 MONTHS OF QUALITY FOOD // USE CODE THANKYOU10 FOR 10% OFF

Submitted by Thomas Kolbe

They form a massive workforce, the last continuously growing sector of our society: civil servants.

Approximately 5.5 million employees work in the public sector, and last year alone, 205,000 new civil servants were added.

This is by no means a blind attack on the bureaucracy. Civil servants indispensable to our society work to maintain internal and external security and uphold the judiciary as guardians of law and order.

Yet the question must be allowed. How can a civil service army grow by over 200,000 in a single year, even as artificial intelligence and digital automation could handle repetitive tasks?

Across the country – it is an open secret that the public sector functions as a kind of safety net for slowly rising unemployment. Employees often tread on each other’s toes, paralyzed and bored by pseudo-tasks that the political apparatus spontaneously invents to feed its overflowing administration.

They have created a fantasy world. A world where budgets not only never run dry but are continuously expanded—producing what could be called a destructive life of its own. Bureaucracies, after all, are social organisms that fight to survive and strive for expansion.

There is a surplus of bureaucratic energy, combined with the drive to weave the still young ideology of green socialism into the state. This creates a dangerous mix of ideological messianism and administrative activism, which fools taxpayers into thinking something is being accomplished—even where tasks could clearly be automated and restraint would be better.

One of the newer ideas, traceable to the ministerial environment, is the creation of a new corporate legal form.

The debate surrounding the upcoming introduction of the Society with Bound Capital offers a deep insight into the ideological and intellectual status quo of the German civil service and state apparatus. The new legal form is intended to prevent profit distributions and redefine owners as a kind of participating activists.

In short: The basic rules of the market economy are being turned upside down. One could also see it this way: in the Society with Bound Capital, the typical bureaucrat’s desire for absolute stability and predictability crystallizes, freezing the status quo.

Economic resilience and adaptation within capital structures via free markets are mortal enemies of this ideology, which dangerously mixes socialist elements with green subsidy mania—what we know as eco-socialism.

No deeper sociological studies are needed to see who this corporate law targets. The gigantic green subsidy apparatus eagerly seeks to divert capital into an NGO-like structure.

It would expand the civil service into a state-tethered clientelism that relies on subsidies, grants, price guarantees, and a steady stream of tax money—supported by politically manipulated market structures that perpetuate themselves. For businesses, this effectively means slowed investment, stifled innovation, and severely reduced responsiveness to market and crisis shocks.

What the Ministry of Justice bureaucrats have painstakingly devised resembles a medieval fideicommissum, a type of noble inheritance trust. It is the antithesis of private property, contractual freedom, and all the civilizational achievements that have given us prosperity, security, and crisis resilience, allowing rapid response to external shocks through capital reallocation.

* * * 

About the author: Thomas Kolbe, a German graduate economist, has worked for over 25 years as a journalist and media producer for clients from various industries and business associations. As a publicist, he focuses on economic processes and observes geopolitical events from the perspective of the capital markets. His publications follow a philosophy that focuses on the individual and their right to self-determination.

Russia’s top oil port in the Baltic Sea, Primorsk, resumed loading days after it came under attack from Ukrainian drones, although Bloomberg notes that the company that pipes crude there said it is trying to divert barrels elsewhere because of the incidents.

Ukraine attacked Russia’s largest oil port in the Baltic Sea to prevent it from benefiting from rising oil prices: about 60% of Russia’s maritime oil exports pass through the port of Primorsk. pic.twitter.com/M2ghU0o6i1

— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) March 23, 2026

The Minerva Georgia, a Suezmax-class vessel capable of hauling about 1 million barrels of crude, berthed on Wednesday. Another, the Anlan, is scheduled to depart Thursday having been there for several days.

Ukraine has stepped up attacks on Russian oil infrastructure to prevent Putin from benefiting from soaring prices. It also targeted the port of Ust-Luga this week, as well as the Kirishi oil refinery. Transneft, Russia’s pipeline operator, aims to divert flows away from the Baltic ports, Interfax reported.

If Trump is allowed, why don’t we?!

Putin’s burning russian port of Primorsk is visible for the entire flight from Finland. In general, Putin no longer has an oil-loading port in the Baltic. Ukraine has declared an oil embargo on Putin.

And f**k Biden’s escalation management… pic.twitter.com/HDbA4yI54q

— EMPR.media (@EuromaidanPR) March 25, 2026

Kiev’s moves seek to disrupt the flow of Russian petroleum at a time when the Iran war has already caused an unprecedented oil-supply shock. A Turkish oil tanker carrying Russian oil also came under drone attack in the Black Sea.

On Thursday, the European Parliament in Strasbourg delivered what many are calling one of the most significant setbacks in recent memory for the EU’s traditional bureaucratic and centrist consensus.

In a single day, MEPs advanced stricter mass deportation rules, rejected controversial mass surveillance of private communications (known as “Chat Control”), and moved forward on dropping tariffs on key U.S. goods as part of a broader transatlantic trade reset.

This might be one of the worst days in history for the EU Bureaucrats:

– Mass deportation proposal passed
– Chat surveillance proposal rejected
– All tariffs on US goods dropped

The centrists have begun voting en masse with the nationalists…

This has never been seen before. pic.twitter.com/UWokIJ4tjo

— Inevitable West (@Inevitablewest) March 26, 2026

These outcomes reflect a pragmatic and unprecedented alliance between the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP) and right-wing to so-called ‘far-right’ groups such as the Patriots for Europe (PfE), European Conservatives and Reformists (ECR), and others. For the first time in years, traditional “firewalls” isolating nationalist voices have cracked, forcing Commission President Ursula von der Leyen’s agenda into retreat on sovereignty, borders, digital rights, and economic realism.

1. Mass Deportations Advance: A Tougher EU Return Regulation

The Parliament voted overwhelmingly to launch inter-institutional negotiations on a reformed EU Return Regulation – often called the “Deportation Regulation” by critics. The measure aims to make it far easier to deport rejected asylum seekers and irregular migrants. Key provisions include:

• Extended detention periods (potentially up to 24 months or more in some cases).
• EU-wide recognition of return decisions.
• Creation of “return hubs” – offshore detention and processing centers in third countries outside the EU.
• Stronger cooperation requirements from returnees and fewer procedural safeguards.

The vote builds on earlier committee approvals and the 2024 Migration Pact (full implementation due June 2026). Centre-right and right-wing MEPs formed a clear majority, overriding opposition from Greens, Socialists, and liberals who warned of a “historic setback for refugee rights.” The International Rescue Committee (IRC) condemned the move as leading to more raids, criminalization, and detention of vulnerable people.

Supporters argue it addresses years of failed integration, rising irregular arrivals, and public frustration post-2015 and 2022 migration surges. Similar national policies in Italy (under Meloni), Denmark, and the Netherlands have already normalized this harder line.

2. Chat Control Defeated: A Victory for Digital Privacy

In a nail-biter described as a “voting thriller,” MEPs rejected attempts to expand or extend untargeted mass scanning of private chats, messages, and photos for child sexual abuse material (CSAM). A narrow amendment (passed by a single-vote margin in key steps) limits any future scanning to targeted, judicially supervised cases involving suspected individuals or groups – explicitly ruling out blanket surveillance of entire platforms or users.

This effectively ends the temporary “Chat Control 1.0” derogation’s broader rollout and aligns with the Parliament’s long-standing 2023 mandate against indiscriminate monitoring. Digital rights advocates, including Pirate MEP Patrick Breyer and groups like DigitalCourage, hailed it as a historic win against Big Tech and Commission overreach. Critics had long argued the proposal violated fundamental rights and risked breaking end-to-end encryption.

The Commission and most of the Council had pushed hard for extensions, but Parliament’s stand – backed by a cross-ideological privacy coalition – prevailed. It sends a clear signal: Europe is prioritizing targeted security tools over mass surveillance.

3. Tariffs on U.S. Goods Dropped: Pragmatic Trade Reset with Trump’s America

MEPs advanced ratification steps for elements of the 2025 EU-U.S. Turnberry trade deal (struck last July in Scotland). This includes eliminating or suspending EU tariffs on major U.S. industrial and agricultural imports in exchange for American concessions and a 15% ceiling on most EU exports to the U.S. Earlier retaliatory tariffs on billions in U.S. goods were effectively sidelined.

The move comes amid ongoing Trump-era pressures – including threats of universal tariffs, LNG supply leverage, and even Greenland-related tensions. Committee votes (e.g., 29-9 in the trade committee) reflected realism: Europe needs stable U.S. energy and defense ties amid Ukraine stalemate and Iran conflict fallout. Full parliamentary approval is expected soon, with safeguards added to protect EU interests.

This de-escalation marks a shift from protectionist posturing to pragmatic partnership — one that right-wing voices have long advocated.

The Political Earthquake: Centrists Align with Nationalists

What makes Thursday truly historic is the voting pattern. EPP MEPs, traditionally the anchor of pro-EU centrism, repeatedly sided with PfE, ECR, and other right-wing blocs – overriding the old Renew-S&D-Green coalition. This “Venezuela majority” (named after an earlier symbolic vote) has now delivered on concrete policy.

Von der Leyen, re-elected in 2024 with broad centrist support, is reportedly furious. Multiple no-confidence motions from the Patriots have failed so far, but her Green Deal, globalist migration, and regulatory agenda face constant erosion. So-called ‘far-right’ groups now act as kingmakers, reflecting the post-2024 election reality where populist parties dominate polls in France (RN), Germany (AfD), Austria (FPÖ), and beyond.

Broader Context: Europe’s Rightward Shift in 2026

These votes are not isolated. They mirror a continent-wide backlash against open borders, digital overreach, inflation/energy crises, and perceived bureaucratic elitism. National trends reinforce the momentum:

• France: Marine Le Pen’s RN leads polls ahead of 2027.
• Germany: AfD hits record highs in western states.
• Hungary: Viktor Orbán faces a tough April 12 election but frames the EU as the real threat.
• Italy: Giorgia Meloni’s government remains stable and influential.

Upcoming local and national tests – plus full implementation of the Migration Pact in June – will determine if rhetoric translates to results. Farmers’ protests, youth discontent, and security concerns continue to fuel the shift.

Implementation Challenges and the Road Ahead

While today’s votes are symbolic victories for sovereignty advocates, real change will take time. Return hubs require third-country agreements; Chat Control’s targeted approach still needs enforcement; trade safeguards could face U.S. pushback. Courts, NGOs, and some member states are expected to challenge the hardest edges.

Yet the Overton window has permanently shifted. The old centrist consensus is fracturing. As one MEP from the Patriots group put it anonymously: “We’re at a tipping point.”

Europe isn’t undergoing a full revolution overnight, but Thursday’s actions crystallized a new pragmatic realism. Voters demanded borders, privacy, and economic common sense – and for the first time, a critical mass of MEPs listened. Whether this delivers tangible improvements before the next electoral cycle will define the decade.

Authored by Chris Summers via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

The U.N. General Assembly on March 25 adopted a resolution declaring the trafficking of enslaved Africans “the gravest crime against humanity” and calling for reparations.

The vote at U.N. headquarters in New York City saw 123 countries voting in favor of the resolution, with only the United States, Israel, and Argentina voting against it.

The UK, France, Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands—who were all heavily involved in the slave trade during the 17th, 18th, and part of the 19th centuries—were among the 52 countries that abstained.

General Assembly resolutions, unlike U.N. Security Council resolutions, are not legally binding.

The resolution, put forward by Ghana, “declares the trafficking of enslaved Africans and racialized chattel enslavement of Africans as the gravest crime against humanity,” adding that claims for reparations “represent a concrete step towards remedying historical wrongs against Africans and people of African descent.”

Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, who helped draw up the resolution, said an estimated 13 million African men, women, and children were enslaved over several centuries.

The document says that under international law, “states bear responsibility for internationally wrongful acts and have an obligation to cease the act if it is continuing and to offer appropriate assurances and guarantees of non-repetition if the circumstances so require, and to make full reparation for the injury caused, which may take the form of restitution, compensation and satisfaction, either singly or in combination.”

Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Dan Negrea said before the vote that the resolution’s text was “highly problematic in countless respects.” He said the United States “does not recognize a legal right to reparations for historical wrongs that were not illegal under international law at the time they occurred.”

“The United States also strongly objects to the resolution’s attempt to rank crimes against humanity in any type of hierarchy,” Negrea added. “The assertion that some crimes against humanity are less severe than others objectively diminishes the suffering of countless victims and survivors of other atrocities throughout history.”

Negrea said the United States “must once again remind this body that the United Nations exists to maintain international peace and security” and not to “advance narrow specific interests and agendas, to establish niche International Days, or to create new costly meeting and reporting mandates.”

The British Empire was heavily involved in the slave trade. The UK passed the Abolition of the Slave Trade Act in 1807, but according to the UK Parliament, “slaves in the colonies (excluding areas ruled by the East India Company) were not freed until 1838—and only after slave—owners, rather than the slaves themselves, received compensation.”

At the time, the UK borrowed 20 million pounds ($26.7 million)—equivalent to 2.2 billion pounds ($2.94 billion) in 2026—to compensate slave owners. The debt was paid off in 2014.

James Kariuki, chargé d’affaires at the UK mission to the United Nations, said in a March 25 statement: “We have repeatedly recognised the abhorrent nature of slavery and the transatlantic slave trade, which inflicted untold harm and misery on millions of people over many decades. Its horrors were profound and its legacy continues to leave deep scars today.”

Kariuki said that the UK disagreed with “fundamental propositions of the text” and therefore could not vote in favor of it.

“The UK is firmly of the view that we must not create a hierarchy of historical atrocities,” he said. “None of the recognised sources of international law, as set out in Article 38 of the Statute of the International Court of Justice, identify a prohibition on slavery and the slave trade until the 20th century.”

All 27 members of the European Union abstained in the vote. Cypriot Deputy U.N. Ambassador Gabriella Michaelidou, speaking on behalf of the EU, said the resolution had an “unbalanced interpretation of historical events.”

‘Safeguard Against Forgetting’

Mahama, who was elected in 2024, noted that the vote was taking place on the International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery and the Transatlantic Slave Trade.

He said before the vote that the resolution “serves as a safeguard against forgetting.”

“Let it be recorded that when history beckoned, we did what was right for the memory of the millions who suffered the indignity of slavery,” he said.

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres, who will be stepping down later this year, said he welcomed the steps some countries are taking to “apologize for their role in the evil of slavery.”

“But far bolder actions, by many more states, are needed,” Guterres said. “This includes commitments to respect African countries’ ownership of their own natural resources.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.