Amid widespread reporting that Iran had long ago moved into a emergency wartime decentralized command among autonomously-acting units, serious questions persist as to the role of Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, who replaced his slain father, longtime leader Ali Khamenei.

What’s clear is that the new, younger Khamenei – who may have been wounded in the early days of US-Israeli strikes, hasn’t been seen in any public way, not even on TV, throughout the war. There have not so much as been official recent images of him circulated.

This has raised obvious questions on the degree to which the Ayatollah is actually running the country and the wartime response, also after national security official Ali Larijani was killed. Larijani had clearly been the interim public face of the Islamic Republic, before his death less than a mere week ago (reportedly on March 17).

In the meantime The Wall Street Journal on Saturday writes that Iran is filling the gap of the Ayatollah’s public absence with AI and voice-overs:

In his first, fiery address to the Iranian nation on March 12, new Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei vowed to “avenge the blood of our martyrs” and to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed. That message of defiance wasn’t delivered by Khamenei himself: It was read out on state television by a female news anchor.

Since then, the mystery surrounding Khamenei’s whereabouts and well-being has only deepened. Khanenei hasn’t appeared in public, nor has the Iranian government issued new images of him or even recordings of his voice.

His 86-year old father did not appear to have been in hiding at all when he was slain by airstrike on the very first day of Operation Epic Fury.

It could be that the younger Khamenei is directing the war from a much more secure and hidden setting, for example a deep underground bunker – or in a remote part of the country. Axios newly reports:

The CIA, Mossad and other intelligence agencies around the world were watching during Nowruz on Friday to see whether Iran’s new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei would follow his father’s tradition and give a new year’s address.

The intrigue: When the holiday passed with only a written statement from Mojtaba, the mystery around his physical condition, whereabouts and role in Iran’s war effort deepened.

As for who is really at the helm of the Iranian state, there’s little doubt that the elite IRGC is now largely driving the response. 

To some degree, amid ongoing reports of assassinations by aerial bombing of a slew of top military leaders, it doesn’t ultimately matter who precisely is in charge. Iranian institutions have deep benches, in the sense that especially high military officials are replaceable. 

The new Ayatollah has not been seen as Netanyahu makes virtual or AI appearances. Both are playing it safe. Targeted assassination is the new name of the game. A terrible world has come into being.

— Poli-tea 🫖 (@MirzaMahan) March 21, 2026

At the same time, Tehran has signaled it is ready for a ‘long war’ – and will keep fighting while imposing a high cost on its attackers. This means it doesn’t have to ‘win’ in a conventional sense, but just has to survive and exact pain. 

The WSJ writes, “Three weeks into the war, the Iranian regime is signaling that it believes it is winning and has the power to impose a settlement on Washington that entrenches Tehran’s dominance of Middle East energy resources for decades to come.”

Rising fuel costs tied to the conflict in Iran are forcing many Americans to rethink everyday spending, especially on gas, according to Bloomberg.

At a Costco near San Antonio, drivers are waiting up to half an hour to fill up, while others are checking apps like GasBuddy or driving farther to save a few cents per gallon. With prices close to $4 nationwide, households are cutting back on dining out, travel, and even groceries.

The broader economic impact will depend on how long prices remain high. Oil has jumped about 45% since the war began, and gasoline futures are up more than 50%, driven by supply disruptions and the shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz. That has pushed pump prices higher across the country, with some states already well above average.

Economists say this kind of spike quickly changes behavior. Gregory Daco pointed to $4 per gallon as a key threshold: “When you go from $3.99 to $4.01… there is a psychological effect.” As prices cross that line, consumers tend to rein in spending elsewhere.

Some are already doing so. A Texas driver quit DoorDash after realizing higher gas costs wiped out her earnings. Others are chasing discounts at warehouse clubs or using grocery reward programs, increasing traffic at retailers like Costco and Sam’s Club. GasBuddy says its monthly users have doubled since the conflict began.

Bloomberg writes that lower- and middle-income households are being hit hardest, since fuel makes up a larger share of their budgets. Families are also seeing costs rise beyond gas, from groceries to basic goods, and are adjusting by cutting extras and planning purchases more carefully.

Even though inflation had been easing, higher energy prices could reverse some of that progress. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said the ultimate effect is uncertain, noting, “We just don’t know.”

With prices climbing after a period of decline, the issue could also carry political weight ahead of upcoming elections. While officials hope tax refunds and other measures will support growth, economists warn that prolonged high energy costs could further strain consumers.

For many Americans, everyday choices now come down to trade-offs, from driving farther for cheaper fuel to skipping small indulgences at the store.

While Iran’s decision to close the Straits of Hormuz in response to the US-Israeli bombing campaign was understandable, after all it’s the biggest point of leverage the IRGC-controlled nation has left (it is certainly more understandable than bombing all of its Gulf neighbors in the process pushing them from being on the fence to being staunchly anti-Iran), there was always a bit of a glitch in Tehran’s calculus: as we showed the day the war broke out, the biggest clients of Gulf exporting nations by far are China, India, Korea and Japan, namely Asian countries which – with the exception of Japan – are hardly allies of the US. Therefore, the countries that would be hit the hardest were those Pacific rim nations that would buy millions of barrels of oil daily from Gulf countries before the war, and now find that oil indefinitely blocked behind the Strait.

While prices are fungible, the biggest loser from a Hormuz closure in terms of actual physical oil is China which is the main destination of the 13.1mm barrels of oil that passes through the Strait every day https://t.co/FwWVsHiwpZ pic.twitter.com/ozXwXpo2El

— zerohedge (@zerohedge) March 1, 2026

Nowhere has this asymmetric impact been more evident than in the price of Asian-basin grades such as Dubai and Oman, which hit a record $170 on Thursday before retracing modestly to $160, while at the same time Europe-heavy Brent has been trading around $110, and WTI crude which primarily feeds the US is trading just below $100.

As a result, it’s hardly a surprise that while ideologically they may support Iran, Asia’s largest Gulf clients are suddenly finding themselves facing crashing stock markets and a brutal stagflation. 

It’s also why while the world’s attention has been focused on the escalating daily attacks in the Gulf, which last week crippled global LNG supplies for years – in the process once again hammering Asian supply chains far more than the US which for years has been swimming in natural gas – there has been a furious backchanneling operation to allow passage for tankers belong to said Asian countries.

To wit, late on Friday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said the nation was prepared to facilitate passage for Japanese vessels through the Strait of Hormuz after consultations between the countries’ officials, according to Kyodo News.

“We have not closed the strait. It is open,” Araghchi said in a telephone interview with Kyodo News on Friday. He also stressed that Iran, which was attacked by the United States and Israel in late February, is seeking “not a cease-fire, but a complete, comprehensive and lasting end to the war.”

Araghchi said Iran has not closed the strategic waterway but has imposed restrictions on vessels belonging to countries involved in attacks against Iran, while offering assistance to others amid heightened security concerns. He added that Iran is prepared to ensure safe passage for countries such as Japan if they coordinate with Tehran.

Japan relies on the Middle East for over 90 percent of its crude oil imports, most of which travel through the strait.

Araghchi made the comments in an interview with the Japanese news agency on Friday, Kyodo said. Japan relies heavily on the Middle East for its oil-import needs. The war in Iran prompted the Asian nation to release oil from its reserves this month. 

Araghchi, a former ambassador to Japan, has held phone talks with Motegi twice since the attacks on Iran were launched on Feb. 28. The top Iranian diplomat said he had discussed the passage of Japanese ships through the strait with Motegi.

In their most recent conversation earlier in the week, Motegi urged Iran to ensure the safety of all vessels in the strait.

In Tokyo, a Foreign Ministry official said Japan will carefully assess Araghchi’s remarks, adding even if Japanese vessels are able to sail through, the surge in energy prices will remain.

A Japanese government official said that “directly negotiating with the Iranian side” is the “most effective way” to lift the blockade of the strait, while noting the need to avoid provoking the United States.

The potential de-escalation comes as Japan has also been under pressure from US President Donald Trump to help secure the strait. At an in-person meeting with the president earlier this week in Washington, Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi explained to him the legal limits to Japan’s involvement in such efforts. At the same time, she highlighted areas of agreement, including a pledge to import more oil from the US and to cooperate on missile development.

But it’s not just Japan. In recent days, vessels from countries such as India, Pakistan and Turkey have also passed through the strait.As a reminder, all ships that fly Chinese national flags are free to pass the Strait of Hormuz as Beijing remains Tehran’s only financial lifeline. 

In another indication that Iran’s stance on the Hormuz blockade is softening, the Iranian Navy guided an Indian liquefied petroleum gas tanker through the Strait of Hormuz last week, allowing the ship to pass on a pre-approved route following diplomatic engagement by New Delhi, according to a senior officer onboard the vessel.

As Bloomberg reports, the officer asked for anonymity, as the crew of his vessel — one of two Indian ships that made the crossing — were not permitted to talk to the media. His account appears to confirm analysts’ views that Tehran is trying to impose a traffic control system through the strait, permitting safe passage for friendly vessels while leaving others fearful of attack.

Over the past week, several ships have transited via a narrow gap between the Iranian islands of Larak and Qeshm, and tracked close to the Iranian coast.

CONFIRMED – Iran is allowing select vessels transit the SoH after verfication

At least 4 vessels have transited outbound voa the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24hrs with a short diversion via the Larak-Qeshm Channel.

This appears to be a verification process whereby Iran… pic.twitter.com/csriocNo1h

— Martin Kelly (@_MartinKelly_) March 16, 2026

They include two bulk carriers that had called at Iranian ports, and a Pakistani-flagged vessel, the Karachi.

The officer on the Indian LPG ship declined to give specific details of their route. They traveled with their automatic identification system, or AIS, system switched off, according to the officer and AIS data analyzed by Bloomberg, turning it back on after they were safely out into the Gulf of Oman. The officer said the ship was also unable to use GPS, which has been subject to widespread interference since the beginning of the conflict. That meant the crossing took hours longer than usual.

During the crossing, the officer’s ship was in contact with the Iranian navy by radio, he said. The Iranians took details of the ship’s flag, name, origin and destination ports, and the nationality of the crew members – all of whom were Indian – and guided them on an agreed course.

Before they entered the strait last week, sailors onboard the LPG tanker prepared their life rafts, the officer said. They had been anchored in the Persian Gulf for around 10 days when they were told on the morning of Friday March 13 that they had been granted permission to make the transit that night. On the far side of the strait, Indian Navy ships were waiting to escort them, with the national flag flying higher than usual, the officer said. The vessel has since sailed on to India.

Anil Trigunayat, a former Indian ambassador in Jordan and Libya, said that the fact India was able to secure safe passage shows that diplomacy is possible. “Iran also would not want to burn bridges with everyone at this juncture,” he said. “India, if needed, can also play the role of an interlocutor. These factors have collectively led to India getting this window.”

On Saturday, the WSJ reported that Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said he reiterated the importance of keeping international shipping lanes open during a call with Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian. Modi said in a social-media post on Saturday that he condemned attacks on critical infrastructure in the region, which he said threaten stability and disrupt global supply chains. He also “reiterated the importance of safeguarding freedom of navigation and ensuring that shipping lanes remain open and secure,” said the post.

Spoke with President Dr. Masoud Pezeshkian and conveyed Eid and Nowruz greetings. We expressed hope that this festive season brings peace, stability and prosperity to West Asia.

Condemned attacks on critical infrastructure in the region, which threaten regional stability and…

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 21, 2026

While two India-flagged tankers passed through the Strait about a week ago, India is now negotiating for more ships to be able to cross, Indian maritime government officials have told The Wall Street Journal, and indeed overnight we received reports that two additional LPG tankers had crossed the strait with Indian navy protection. 

BREAKING: Two more LPG tankers are transiting the Strait of Hormuz under Indian Navy protection. Two Indian naval task forces have been deployed to escort India-bound vessels, ensuring the safe passage of crude oil and gas shipments bound to India amid rising tensions. pic.twitter.com/VPD11PTrlV

— Baba Banaras™ (@RealBababanaras) March 21, 2026

Iran’s threats to ships passing through the strait give the government in Tehran leverage over global energy markets, pushing up prices and creating fears of shortages of oil, natural gas, cooking fuel and fertilizer. Around a fifth of the world’s oil normally passes through the channel. Since the beginning of the war in late February, several ships have been struck by missiles or drones in the strait, at least two seafarers have died, and insurance costs have soared. There have been reports that Iran has mined the waterway.

“It seems that Iran is allowing select vessels to transit Hormuz after verification which takes place during the ships’ transit inside Iranian waters,” said Martin Kelly, head of advisory at EOS Risk Group. “While ships are being allowed to transit, it is mostly only to the benefit of Iran.”

Which is to be expected until some sort of ceasefire deal is reach, or the Iran government capitulates. But even if passage remains limited, recall again that the primary shippers through the Strait are already nations that are viewed as either openly friendly to Iran, such as China, or quasi friendly, such as India and now, Japan. Which means that a significant percentage of the ships that would otherwise be blocked by Iran, can pass through, and the actual limitation to oil and LNG passage is much less than the mainstream media reports. 

Update (1655ET): In addition to Elon Musk offering to cover TSA workers’ paychecks during the ongoing shutdown, President Trump has threatened to place U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents at airports if Democrats don’t agree to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

“If the Radical Left Democrats don’t immediately sign an agreement to let our Country, in particular, our Airports, be FREE and SAFE again, I will move our brilliant and patriotic ICE Agents to the Airports where they will do Security like no one has ever seen before, including the immediate arrest of all Illegal Immigrants who have come into our Country, with heavy emphasis on those from Somalia, who have totally destroyed, with the approval of a corrupt Governor, Attorney General, and Congresswoman, Ilhan Omar, the once Great State of Minnesota,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. 

The post comes after Politico reported that Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) is “planning to put a stalled” bill to fund DHS “on the House floor a third time next week.”

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The Department of Homeland Security shutdown entered its 36th day on Saturday after Senate Democrats blocked yet another funding bill for Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Transportation Security Administration, and other federal agencies, triggering weeks of chaos at airports nationwide, including long TSA checkpoint lines during the peak of the spring break travel season.

Early Saturday morning, Elon Musk, closely tracking the DHS funding lapse, wrote on X that he would personally pay the salaries of TSA agents to get them back to airports and help avert further chaos.

“I would like to offer to pay the salaries of TSA personnel during this funding impasse that is negatively affecting the lives of so many Americans at airports throughout the country,” Musk said.

I would like to offer to pay the salaries of TSA personnel during this funding impasse that is negatively affecting the lives of so many Americans at airports throughout the country

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) March 21, 2026

On Friday, a motion to advance a funding bill failed 47-37, falling short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a Democratic filibuster. John Fetterman (Pa.) was the only Democrat to vote “yes” on the DHS funding bill. Sixteen senators from both parties were absent for the vote. This marks the fifth time Democrats have blocked the Homeland Security Appropriations bill since DHS funding ended in mid-February.

Democrats have been absolutely furious over any funding bill for ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that does not include reforms to immigration enforcement operations. That is mostly because they are watching President Trump erode their political power by deporting the very illegal aliens their party allowed to invade the nation under the Biden-Harris regime. Remember, these illegals are the future voting bloc of the Democratic Party, meant to seize political control by disenfranchising citizens.

Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) is planning to force a vote sometime today on a proposal to fund the TSA.

“The chaos at TSA is reaching a boiling point. We need to reopen it as quickly as possible. That is what Senate Democrats are intent on doing,” Schumer said.

Related:

• “Problem Is Solvable”: Airline CEOs Urge Congress To End Shutdown, Pay TSA Workers

By the end of the week, 10% of all TSA workers did not show up for work – just below the record 10.22% absentee rate set at the start of the week. Nearly 400 agents have quit so far in the months-long shutdown, according to DHS. These workers have been without pay since mid-last month, when the Democratic Party began using these agents as political pawns.

The severity of the government shutdown this time has not yet reached the crisis level of travel disruption seen during the 43-day shutdown late last year, when air traffic controllers were used as leverage in political disputes, disrupting air travel nationwide. To prevent such issues in the future, perhaps privatization talks for these agencies should begin.

Is it possible that an unhinged, left-wing judge might try to block Musk from offering to pay TSA agents’ salaries during the funding lapse?

*  *  * GRAB A MULTITOOL OR THREE

Christmas is right around the corner… pic.twitter.com/TXc7STNYQW

— ZeroHedge Store (@ZeroHedgeStore) November 3, 2025

Authored by Steve Watson via modernity.news,

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna appeared on Bill Maher’s show and confirmed what the Epstein document dumps have long hinted at: the former president wasn’t just flying on the Lolita Express — he was operating under an entirely different identity in the files.

This revelation lands as the House Oversight Committee presses forward with its investigation, following the Justice Department’s release of millions of pages under the Epstein Files Transparency Act signed by President Trump. Lawmakers and victims are still pushing for the remaining 2.5 million documents that remain hidden or heavily redacted, according to recent reporting.

Bill Clinton’s connection to Jeffrey Epstein runs deep and documented. The former president flew on Epstein’s private jet multiple times in the early 2000s, often for Clinton Foundation-related trips, and maintained social ties with both Epstein and Ghislaine Maxwell long after red flags emerged. He has repeatedly denied any knowledge of Epstein’s crimes or visits to the island.

👀 Rep. Anna Paulina Luna says documents show Bill Clinton had a “COMPLETE OTHER ALIAS” tied to Jeffrey Epstein.

BILL MAHER: “You have Hillary Clinton come in? This is like three gazillion pages of men behaving badly. And the witness you want is a woman?”

LUNA: “She was issued… pic.twitter.com/v9ZyN1mVfw

— The Vigilant Fox 🦊 (@VigilantFox) March 21, 2026

Via @VigilantFox

Luna laid it out plainly during the interview. When Maher questioned bringing Hillary in, asking, “You have Hillary Clinton come in? This is like three gazillion pages of men behaving badly. And the witness you want is a woman?”

Luna shot back: “She was issued a bipartisan subpoena, meaning the Democrats wanted her in, too. Cause Bill Clinton was all over those logs.”

She continued: “We can get at the whole Jeffrey Epstein ties because I actually talked to Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton specifically about that, presenting them with the actual document that showed that he had a COMPLETE OTHER ALIAS.”

Maher responded: “You get a lot of information that we don’t all have.”

Luna replied: “I’m happy to come back.”

Maher closed: “We want you. I appreciate it.”

What was Bill Clinton doing with another alias? The question hangs heavy. In the files of a convicted child sex trafficker, a second identity isn’t a coincidence — it’s a red flag screaming for answers.

This isn’t the first time the Clintons have scrambled to contain the Epstein fallout. Bill Clinton’s chief of staff raged after half-naked photos of the former president surfaced in the latest Epstein drop.

Back in 2024, reports also revealed Clinton allegedly threatened Vanity Fair to kill articles about his “good friend” Jeffrey Epstein.

The pattern is clear: suppression, denial, and now — an alias. While the Clintons sat for depositions earlier this year, insisting they saw nothing wrong, Luna’s committee work keeps peeling back layers the deep state hoped would stay buried.

The American people are watching. The files don’t lie, and neither do the subpoenas. Every new detail like this alias proves why the fight for real accountability matters — because when the powerful hide behind fake names in pedophile networks, it’s not just scandal. It’s a warning that the old guard still thinks the rules don’t apply.

Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via Locals or check out our unique merch. Follow us on X @ModernityNews.

Summary

• Natanz nuclear site attacked: Iran says “no nuclear radiation” detected, even as attacks on core sites like Isfahan nuclear facilities signal clear escalation despite earlier Trump signals of maybe “winding down.”

• War expands with furthest ever Iranian missile launch: Iran fires missiles at Diego Garcia in a failed but unprecedented long-range strike.

• US claims”degraded” Iran’s threat to traffic through Hormuz: CENTCOM says Iran has lost “significant combat capability” after 8,000+ strikes, and bunker-busting attacks on coastal facilities tied to control of the Strait of Hormuz.

• 23 ‘allies’ sign statement of support for Hormuz traffic safety, signaling their readiness to support secure transit through the Strait,

• Kharg invasion risk rising: US still weighing a high-risk seizure of Kharg Island as more US warships and Marines surge to the region, raising odds of boots-on-the-ground escalation.

*  *  *

Natanz Nuclear Site Suffers Direct Attack – No Radiation Leakage 

President Trump’s late in the day Friday comments proclaiming “I think we’ve won” suggested he might be readying the announcement of an offramp or at least de-escalation, but that speculation has proven premature as things definitely escalated overnight. 

For apparently the second time of Operation Epic Fury, Iran’s flagship enrichment site at Natanz nuclear facility has come under attack. Iran’s nuclear agency confirmed the strike but is keeping details deliberately vague, saying nothing about how it was carried out or what weapons were used. What it did emphasize, however, is that “no nuclear radiation” was released.

Natanz – alongside the Isfahan nuclear facilities – sits at the core of Tehran’s nuclear program, long viewed as a prime target in the US-Israel campaign to cripple Iran’s ability to produce an atomic bomb – though it remains that even Iran’s current wartime leadership is saying it has no intent to produce a nuclear weapon. The AP says Natanz was earlier struck at least once at the opening of the conflict, writing: “The facility, Iran’s main uranium enrichment site, was hit in the first week of the war and several buildings appeared damaged, according to satellite images.”

All of this, along with steady the overnight and early morning heavy bombing of Tehran marks a definite escalation despite Trump having floated the idea of “winding down” operations in the late Friday comments.

Iran Vastly Expands Threat Radius: Diego Garcia

Another huge escalation and development: British officials are staying tight-lipped after an attempted Iranian strike on the key Indian Ocean air base on Friday reportedly failed, offering no details on what exactly happened. But this risks pulling in the UK, which has appeared reluctant to directly participate in Trump’s operation. Britain has generally condemned “Iran’s reckless attacks.”

Just hours after Iran targeted the Diego Garcia base, Britain confirmed US bombers can continue using UK facilities – including the same base – for operations aimed at stopping Iranian attacks on shipping in Hormuz.

“Iran fired two intermediate-range ballistic missiles at Diego Garcia, a joint U.S.-U.K. military base in the middle of the Indian Ocean, according to multiple U.S. officials,” The Wall Street Journal details. “Neither of the missiles hit the base, but the move marked Iran’s first operational use of IRBMs and a significant attempt to reach far beyond the Middle East and threaten US-UK interests.”

“One of the missiles failed in flight, and a U.S. warship fired an SM-3 interceptor at the other, according to two of the people,” the report added. “It couldn’t be determined if an interception was made, according to one of the officials.”

Which is odd, because Araghchi said…

Speaks for itself:

Feb. 25, 2026: “We are not developing long-range missiles… we have limited the range below 2,000 kilometers” — Iran’s FM Araghchi (IRNA).

March 20, 2026: Iran fires missiles at Diego Garcia—ranging 4,000 kilometers (WSJ). ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/F4ncRLSGq3

— Brett McGurk (@brett_mcgurk) March 21, 2026

The geographical expanse of the war just got greatly expanded, given Diego Garcia lies about 4,000 kilometers from Iran.

23 ‘Allies’ Signal Support For Secure Transit Through Hormuz

Following the degradation of IRGC forces in the Hormuz area, a coalition of 23 Western and allied nations (UAE, UK, France, Germany, Japan, Canada, South Korea, Australia, and 15 others) issued a joint statement condemning Iran’s attacks on commercial shipping, energy infrastructure, and the strait.

The countries signaled their readiness to support secure transit through the Strait, including coordination efforts and preparatory planning. In other words, this is a major diplomatic breakthrough to reopen Hormuz.

23 nations just issued a joint statement on the Strait of Hormuz. This is a major diplomatic escalation.

∙ Signatories – UAE, UK, France, Germany, Japan, Canada, South Korea, Australia + 15 others condemn Iranian attacks on commercial vessels and civilian energy infrastructure… pic.twitter.com/vPjqlPlMDi

— DA Sails (@da_sails) March 21, 2026

Iran and some regional proxies continue attacking US military sites and interests across the region:

Drone strike triggers massive blaze at US-linked Baghdad airport facility

Iran-backed militia Ashab al-kahf claims responsibility for the attack#israel #iran #war #strikes #drones #attack #hezbollah pic.twitter.com/GZnmWWEv8l

— WION (@WIONews) March 21, 2026

Iran’s Threat To Hormuz Traffic “Degraded”

On Saturday morning, Admiral Brad Cooper, commander of U.S. Central Command and the official overseeing Operation Epic Fury, released an update on day 22 of the combat mission and stated:

Iran has lost significant combat capability over the last three weeks. We are taking out thousands of Iranian missiles, advanced attack drones, and all of Iran’s Navy, which they use to harass international shipping. Their navy is not sailing. Their tactical fighters aren’t flying. They have lost the ability to launch missiles and drones at high rates as seen at the beginning of the conflict.

Cooper then focused on the Hormuz chokepoint, stating that U.S. forces had “destroyed intelligence support sites and missile radar relays” along the critical waterway that the IRGC used to monitor commercial shipping traffic and conduct targeting operations.

“Iran’s ability to threaten freedom of navigation in and around the Strait of Hormuz has been degraded as a result. And we will not stop pursuing these targets,” Cooper noted.

“Iran’s capabilities are declining…” – Adm. Brad Cooper, CENTCOM Commander pic.twitter.com/FC3TgpEGpJ

— U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) March 21, 2026

A quick summary of the overnight U.S. military operations to degrade IRGC forces around the Hormuz chokepoint, which could allow tanker traffic to resume in some greater capacity next week as the world, and Asia in particular, faces an unprecedented energy shock:

U.S. forces have destroyed Iranian radar and surveillance nodes used to track shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, struck underground anti-ship missile facilities, and hit multiple coastal military sites, as Cooper assesses that Iran’s combat capability has deteriorated over the first three weeks of the war.

Cooper’s push to neutralize IRGC forces in the Strait of Hormuz comes as shipping traffic through the waterway remained subdued last week.

Pentagon Touts ‘Obvious Progress’; Bombs Underground Facilities

CENTCOM chief Adm. Brad Cooper has said in an operational update that Iran “has lost significant combat capability” in the three weeks since the war began, also at a moment of reports that more IRGC leadership has been taken out in airstrikes. He said the US has struck more than 8,000 military targets, including 130 Iranian vessels. “Our progress is obvious,” Cooper boasted.

He described that multiple 5,000-pound bombs were dropped on an underground facility on Iran’s coastline, part of a strategy to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. “We not only took out the facility but also destroyed intelligence support sites and missile radar relays that were used to monitor ship movements,” Cooper said.

Domestic fallout amid rising prices at the gas pump looks to grow in US:

Question: I’m a waiter at a local restaurant in Queens, a full time college student who sleeps an average of four hours a night and is still thousands in debt. How is a war in a country half the world away funded by the taxes pulled from my check, helping me in any way? pic.twitter.com/QVgzfSSQZ8

— Acyn (@Acyn) March 21, 2026

Trump is still said to be mulling a very high risk Kharg Island takeover, which to accomplish would most definitely require ground troops. A second deployment of US troops to the region was authorized earlier this week, and three warships and thousands of additional Marines are en route to the Middle East.

One among many problems in even getting to Kharg Island is that hundreds of miles of Iranian coastline must be passed by any ship hoping to reach Kharg, which lies over 300 miles deep and northwest of the Strait of Hormuz.

*  *  * ORDER BY SUNDAY NIGHT

Authored by Martin Young via CoinTelegraph.com,

The major gold trade association, World Gold Council, and the Boston Consulting Group have proposed a new platform to modernize how the precious metal operates in digital financial systems.

The World Gold Council said on Thursday that it published a white paper on “Gold as a Service,” a new platform to “support the issuance and operation of scalable, interoperable digital gold products.”

The open platform would connect the physical custody of gold with the digital systems used to issue and manage tokenized gold products. 

“By standardizing essential market processes such as custody coordination, reconciliation, compliance, and redemption, the model aims to reduce operational complexity, improve access, and enable greater consistency across digital gold products,” the World Gold Council said. 

Crypto-native tokenized gold products include Tether Gold or Pax Gold, which have formed their own custody, compliance and redemption models, but the World Gold Council’s standard could have more sway with institutions due to the trade group’s prominence.

Features include audits, fungibility, and liquidity 

Key features of the Gold as a Service would include standardizing tokenized gold issuance and management, increasing digital gold’s fungibility, embedding audits and assurance, enabling interoperability with existing finance rails, and improving liquidity in lending and borrowing markets. 

World Gold Council CEO, David Tait, said that financial services are undergoing a “rapid and pervasive digital transformation” and gold must also evolve to maintain its role in the global financial system. 

“Shared infrastructure can help gold become more accessible, more easily traded and fully integrated into modern financial systems — ensuring it remains as relevant tomorrow as it has been for millennia,” he added.

Matthias Tauber, a managing director and senior partner at Boston Consulting Group, said, “The question is no longer whether gold will be digital; it’s how it can participate in modern financial systems without compromising physical integrity.” 

Commodities are 20% of tokenized asset market

According to RWA.xyz, tokenized commodities such as gold account for around $5.5 billion, or 20% of the total on-chain value of tokenized real-world assets, a segment that has grown by 340% over the past 12 months, as demand for gold has skyrocketed. 

Tokenized gold and commodities represent 20% of the entire tokenized RWA market. Source: RWA.xyz

Tether’s tokenized gold product has a market capitalization of $2.6 billion, up 17% over the past 12 months, while Pax Gold has a market cap of $2.3 billion, according to CoinGecko. 

On Thursday, crypto exchange Bybit launched a yield-bearing tokenized gold product that lets users earn interest on Tether Gold. 

Trevor Milton, founder and former CEO of the now-bankrupt Nikola, is trying to mount a “comeback story”.

Through social media, interviews, and bold public claims, Milton once convinced investors that Nikola was on the verge of delivering breakthrough technology with trucks. Now he’s going to attempt the same in the aircraft business, according to a new report from the Wall Street Journal.

He has reemerged in the aviation sector through his involvement with SyberJet, a company focused on developing a small business jet known as the SJ30. The aircraft itself is not new; its design dates back decades and has changed hands multiple times through bankruptcies and restructurings. SyberJet acquired the program and has since promoted plans to bring the jet into full-scale production, emphasizing its speed, range, and efficiency relative to competitors in the light jet category.

Milton’s involvement has drawn attention because it places him back in a leadership context tied to capital-intensive, technology-driven manufacturing—an environment similar to the one in which he previously operated. 

SyberJet’s core asset, the SJ30, is designed to fly faster and higher than many comparable business jets, with a focus on long range and fuel efficiency. The aircraft has received FAA certification in the past, but production has been limited, and the program has faced persistent financial and operational hurdles. The company’s current strategy centers on securing sufficient funding and industrial capacity to restart manufacturing and deliver aircraft to customers.

The company has also outlined ambitions to expand beyond the existing SJ30 platform, including potential future aircraft development and broader participation in the private aviation market. These plans depend heavily on capital access, supply chain execution, and the ability to convert interest into firm orders—challenges that have historically constrained the program. As with many aerospace ventures, timelines have proven difficult to meet, and progress has often been slower than initially projected.

Milton’s reappearance at SyberJet comes at a time when private aviation demand has seen periods of strength, particularly following the pandemic-driven shift toward private travel. However, translating demand trends into sustainable aircraft production requires significant operational discipline and long-term investment. The company’s path forward will likely hinge on whether it can stabilize funding and demonstrate consistent manufacturing output.

Milton has described SyberJet as more than just a traditional aircraft manufacturer, outlining ambitions to integrate advanced software and artificial intelligence into both aircraft operations and the broader private aviation ecosystem. He has suggested that AI could be used to optimize flight performance, maintenance, and routing, as well as to enhance the customer experience through more automated and efficient service models.

From WSJ:

He said the avionics the company is developing will integrate some level of AI and that he hopes “to display that in the coming one to two years to the public.” He said he wants SyberJet eventually to be the first to produce fully autonomous corporate jets. “Eventually everyone is going to have to do what we do, but they’re probably just going to buy our platform,” he said.

In public statements, he has also pointed to longer-term plans that extend beyond the existing SJ30 platform, including the potential development of new aircraft and aviation-related technologies. These claims position SyberJet not simply as a jet producer, but as a technology-driven aviation company, though many of these initiatives remain conceptual and dependent on future execution.

 Nikola was first exposed by short seller Nathan Anderson, founder of Hindenburg Research, after the startup released a 2020 promotional video, which showed its Nikola One truck rolling down a hill to simulate full functionality.

In 2023, a jury found Milton guilty of lying to investors about Nikola’s electric and fuel cell semi-truck technology and sentenced him to four years in prison. He was then pardoned by Donald Trump and attempted to sue both CNBC and Hindenburg Research, but his lawsuit was thrown out in December and costs were awarded to both CNBC and Hindenburg. 

Robert Mueller, the former FBI Director and Special Counsel who led the high-profile investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election and potential ties to Donald Trump’s campaign, has died at age 81 – passing away Friday night, according to AP. No cause of death was disclosed in initial reports.

In response, President Trump took to Truth Social to dance on his grave – writing “Robert Mueller just died. Good, I’m glad he’s dead. He can no longer hurt innocent people! President DONALD J. TRUMP.” 

The Russia Investigation

As part of a Clinton campaign / deep state smear campaign legitimized and laundered through US intelligence and the FBI, Mueller was appointed Special Counsel in May 2017 by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein, and was tasked with examining Russian efforts to interfere in the 2016 election and any coordination between the Trump campaign and Russia.

The probe, which lasted nearly two years and cost an estimated $32 million, produced a 448-page report released in redacted form in April 2019. Key findings included:

• No conspiracy or coordination: The report concluded there was insufficient evidence to establish that members of the Trump campaign conspired or coordinated with the Russian government in its election interference activities.
• Russian interference confirmed: It detailed extensive Russian operations, including hacking Democratic emails and a social media disinformation campaign by the Internet Research Agency.
• Obstruction of justice: Mueller did not reach a conclusion on whether Trump obstructed justice, stating the office could not exonerate him but also could not charge a sitting president under DOJ policy. The report outlined 10 potential instances of obstruction but left the matter to Congress or future prosecutors.

Trump and his allies repeatedly described the investigation as a “witch hunt” and “hoax,” pointing to the lack of collusion charges against campaign officials (though several Trump associates, including Paul Manafort, Michael Flynn, and Roger Stone, faced unrelated convictions or guilty pleas). The investigation had flawed origins, such as the unverified and infamous Steele dossier (funded in part by the Clinton campaign and DNC via Fusion GPS), FISA warrant abuses targeting Carter Page, and exculpatory evidence allegedly withheld from surveillance applications. Later reviews, including the 2019 Inspector General report and the 2023 Durham report, criticized aspects of the FBI’s handling, including confirmation bias and procedural errors in the Crossfire Hurricane probe, though Durham’s own prosecutions yielded limited results.

In July 2019, Mueller testified to Congressional investigators in a low-key appearance where he largely stuck to the report’s language, declining to expand on obstruction or deliver a dramatic verdict, and generally appeared elderly and confused. After the probe concluded, Mueller largely retreated from public life. 

Dirty Deeds

Mueller’s career as a high-level Justice Department official and FBI Director involved him in several major investigations where official records, congressional inquiries, and whistleblower accounts have documented questions about the handling of powerful foreign and domestic interests. During the early 1990s Bank of Credit and Commerce International (BCCI) scandal, Mueller, as Assistant Attorney General heading the Criminal Division, personally took charge of the DOJ’s task force. The Senate inquiry into BCCI detailed how the bank operated as a global money-laundering network serving drug traffickers, arms dealers, terrorists, and intelligence operations, with deep ties to Saudi and Pakistani networks. While Mueller’s team ultimately secured indictments against prominent figures like Clark Clifford and Robert Altman, congressional reports highlighted delays in pursuing leads aggressively and limitations placed on fully exposing broader foreign-intelligence connections, including alleged CIA overlaps. The investigation ended with significant convictions but left key aspects of the bank’s elite protections and global operations incompletely resolved.

Enron

Following his appointment as FBI Director in September 2001, Mueller oversaw the Bureau during the Enron collapse in late 2001, the largest corporate bankruptcy in U.S. history at the time. He quickly assembled the Enron Task Force, deploying top prosecutors and agents who built cases around accounting fraud and obstruction of justice, leading to multiple convictions. This period overlapped with the 2001 anthrax attacks, which killed five people and heightened national fears in the immediate aftermath of 9/11.

Destroying Steven Hatfill’s Life

The FBI’s multi-year investigation under Mueller initially centered on biodefense scientist Steven Hatfill, whose prior work at USAMRIID gave him access to the Ames strain of anthrax and whose background included biothreat scenario presentations and multiple Cipro prescriptions around the time of the mailings.

The focus on Hatfill lasted several years and profoundly disrupted his life. The FBI conducted repeated raids on his home and storage facilities, placed him under constant surveillance for more than two years, tapped his phone, and publicly identified him as a “person of interest” through statements by Attorney General John Ashcroft. Media leaks fueled widespread speculation about his guilt, resulting in the loss of his job at Science Applications International Corporation, the collapse of a potential teaching position at Louisiana State University due to Justice Department pressure, and severe financial and emotional strain. Hatfill described the period as one of intense personal turmoil, with his reputation publicly shattered through a sustained drumbeat of innuendo. In 2003 he filed a lawsuit against the Justice Department and FBI, citing violations of his privacy rights. The government settled the case in 2008 for $5.8 million without admitting liability, and shortly afterward formally exonerated him in a letter confirming he had no access to the specific anthrax strain used and played no role in the attacks. Only after Mueller shifted investigative leadership in late 2006 did the probe pivot to Bruce Ivins, who allegedly died by suicide in 2008 before charges could be filed; a later National Academy of Sciences review pointed to scientific limitations in the evidence tying the spores exclusively to Ivins’ lab.

9/11 and the Saudis

Then there’s Mueller’s involvement in the Saudi connections uncovered in the 9/11 hijackers’ support network through Operation Encore, the FBI’s follow-up investigation launched around 2007.

Mueller was sworn in as FBI director on September 4, 2001 – days before the attacks, and immediately oversaw the PENTTBOM investigation—the Bureau’s massive probe into the hijackings—and directed its command center to operate from FBI Headquarters in Washington rather than a field office. In the early months post-9/11, Mueller’s leadership shaped how the FBI handled emerging leads on potential Saudi support for hijackers Khalid al-Mihdhar and Nawaf al-Hazmi in San Diego and Los Angeles. According to accounts from agents involved, including former San Diego counterterrorism chief Richard Lambert, Mueller’s deputies instructed staff to frame the Saudi role narrowly when preparing his September 26, 2002, testimony before the Joint Inquiry into Intelligence Community Activities Before and After the Terrorist Attacks of September 11, 2001. The guidance was that “the bureau’s position is that there was no complicity” in the plot. In his public testimony, Mueller emphasized that the hijackers “effectively operated without suspicion, triggering nothing that alerted law enforcement,” downplaying the possibility of an established support network in the U.S. that might have warranted closer scrutiny.

During Operation Encore, the FBI’s follow-up probe into the Saudi links, internal FBI records show field agents compiled evidence of logistical support (housing, banking, introductions) from Saudi nationals with government ties, but headquarters decisions – spanning Mueller’s era – often deemed it circumstantial or unwitting, reassigning resources and classifying materials.

Of course the inception surrounding 9/11 goes one level deeper – which we’ll let you discuss below. 

*  *  *

Authored by Nathan Worcester via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

WASHINGTON—The Senate will hold a weekend session as it debates the SAVE America Act, a bill that would require citizenship verification and photo identification in federal elections.

President Donald Trump, who strongly backs the SAVE America Act, has called on lawmakers to add provisions banning men from women’s sports, outlawing gender-altering surgery in minors, and restricting mail-in voting.

The legislation made it out of the House on Feb. 11, where it was backed by Republicans and opposed by almost all Democrats.

The Senate initiated debate on March 17, less than two weeks ahead of a scheduled recess.

Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) has opposed what some call the standing filibuster, citing misgivings from many of his GOP Senate colleagues about an approach that could, in theory, exhaust a filibuster of the SAVE America Act.

Senate Republicans are continuing a debate on the act even as they stare down the 60-vote filibuster threshold, a significant barrier given the current party breakdown in the upper chamber.

As the debate kicked off, Thune told reporters, “How it ends remains to be seen.”

“There will be a point at which it will end, and there will be a series of votes that come with that,” he said.

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) told reporters on March 20 that he would be glad to see the Senate stick around to debate the Iran War, but not because of the SAVE America Act, which he described as legislation that “everybody knows is not going to pass.”

Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah), lead sponsor of the SAVE America Act, doubled down on his commitment to the measure.

“The SAVE America Act will pass[.] The Senate must keep debating it until that happens,” he wrote on X on March 20.

On Truth Social, Trump reiterated his support for the measure on March 20, ahead of the Senate’s weekend work.

“The SAVE America Act must be passed by the Senate. There is nothing more important for the U.S.A.,” he wrote.

Lawmakers have submitted multiple amendments to the bill, including some intended to implement Trump’s proposed changes to it.

An amendment to the SAVE America Act from Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) to ban men from competing in women’s sports is now on pace for a March 21 vote.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has also teed up a procedural vote related to funding the Transportation and Security Administration, though one removed several steps from a vote on the floor.

In addition, Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) filed for cloture on Sen. Markwayne Mullin’s (R-Okla.) nomination as Homeland Security Secretary.

Thune’s move brings up a March 22 vote in the Senate.