(2019-09-13). The Pirates of Gibraltar. counterpunch.org 
On April 17, 2019, a tanker named Grace 1 left Iran for an unspecified destination with reportedly 2.1 million barrels of crude oil, worth some $130 million. According to a March 20 report in Reuters about how Iran tries to evade US sanctions, the Grace 1 was "Panamanian-flagged and managed by Singapore-based shipping services firm." The Grace 1, TankerTrackers reported, was built in 1997 and, given its age and size, was not allowed to dock at many ports. It therefore had a history of handling ship-to-ship fuel oil transfers at sea. It would typically receive fuel oil from Iran, the source stated, and then delive…
(2019-09-13). With Bolton Out of the Way, Peace With North Korea Is Possible. truthout.org | | On September 10, President Trump fired John Bolton, his third national security adviser, announcing on Twitter that Bolton's "services were no longer needed." Unsurprisingly, Bolton fired back by tweet, countering that he hadn't been fired, but in fact had offered his resignation. | It was no secret in Washington that Trump grew increasingly frustrated with Bolton's hawkish positions, even joking in m…
(2019-09-13). Without Bolton's Hindrance Peace Might be Possible with Iran and North Korea. globalresearch.ca On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump finally fired his third national security advisor, John Bolton after eighteen long and grueling months. John happens to be the thirty-fifth member of Trump's revolving door administration to get fired or resign, since he …
(2019-09-13). Baltimore Displays Inflatable 'Trump Rat' to Greet US President. telesurenglish.net Dozens of protesters gathered in downtown Baltimore on Thursday as U.S. President Donald Trump made his first visit to the city since he blasted it as a "disgusting, rat and rodent infested mess." | RELATED: | Trump Fired Bolton for Going Against Easing Iran Sanctions | "A 14-foot inflatable Trump rat feels like an appropriate form of protest for th…
(2019-09-13). Iran Trumps Trump. globalresearch.ca Iran has trumped Trump by routing its oil tanker along the northern shore of the Mediterranean, pausing at ports in Greece and Turkey, then anchoring off Syria's Tartus. The current occupant of the White House, Donald Trump, persuaded London …
(2019-09-13). Russia's "Multilateral Strategic Stability" Proposal Could Bring "Balance" to South Asia. globalresearch.ca Russian media reported that the "multilateral strategic stability" proposal by some of the country's leading experts to actively prevent a military confrontation between nuclear powers runs counter to Moscow's current foreign policy, though its possible promulgation would represent a victory …
(2019-09-13). Donald Trump Just Admitted That It Makes Sense for America's Enemies to Get Nuclear Weapons. theintercept.com Trump noted that the overthrow of Moammar Gaddafi in 2011 sent foreign leaders a lesson: Disarmament can lead to your own personal doom.
(2019-09-13). Iran: A Club of Sanctioned Countries in Solidarity Against US Economic Terrorism. dissidentvoice.org PressTV Interview — transcript Background links: ifpnews.com/iranian-mps-propose-formation-of-club-of-sanctioned-countries www.newsweek.com/russia-china-iran-fight-sanctions-1458096 Excerpts: An Iranian parliamentary faction has come up with the idea of establishing a club of sanctioned countries for concerted action against the US economic terrorism. The chairman of the Parliament's faction on countering sanctions, Poormokhtar, gave a report on the formation of the faction and its …
(2019-09-12). Exit John Bolton, But Will That Mean An End To His Failed Foreign Policy? dissidentvoice.org 
Leon Neal, Getty Images Many who oppose the aggressive foreign policy of the United States under President Donald Trump, which has resulted in record numbers of bombs dropped, regime change operations against Venezuela, Nicaragua, Iran and Hong Kong, the abusive use of unilateral coercive measures (sanctions) and record military budgets, cheered when uber-hawk, John Bolton …
(2019-09-12). SF Officials Offer to Make Electricity Grid Public. therealnews.com 
By Steve Horn and Dharna Noor | Top Photo Credit: JP Smith | Wikimedia Commons | San Francisco has moved to municipalize Pacific Gas and Electric. | In a letter sent to the utility company on Friday, San Francisco Mayor London Breed and City Attorney Dennis Herrera offered to purchase the parts of the utility grid that serve the city and county for $2.5 billion. | "This marks the culmination of months of hard…
(2019-09-12). YouTubers arrested for trespassing near Area 51 ahead of planned 'invasion' of secret base. rt.com 
Two Dutch YouTubers have been arrested after entering a secure US government area in the Nevada desert while in search of Area 51. | The Nye County Sheriff's Office arrested 20-year-old Ties Granzier and his friend Govert Charles Wilhelmus Jacob Sweep, 21, after they were found filming about three miles inside the Nevada National Security Site, which is approximately 10 miles from Area 51. | The site is a secure area where US government researchers are known to carry out top-secret nuclear experiments. | | © Nye County Sheriff's Office | Nye County Sheriff's Office said in a statement that Granzier and…
(2019-09-12). Post-Bolton Thaw in US Relations with Iran? globalresearch.ca Hold the cheers! | The US has been hostile toward Iran since its 1979 revolution. It's hostile toward all nations it doesn't control. | Its imperial project calls for transforming them into US client states, pro-Western puppet rule replacing their sovereign independence, …
(2019-09-12). Will the US and Iran Resume Talks After John Bolton Is Ousted? truthout.org | | President Trump has ousted John Bolton, becoming the third national security adviser to be ousted by Trump so far. Bolton has long been a fierce critic of diplomacy. He had strongly pushed for Trump to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal. He also opposed negotiations with North Korea, as well as the Taliban in Afghanistan. And he was a key supporter of the attempted U.S.-backed coup in Venezuela and an advocate of regime change in Cuba and Nicaragua. Trump is expected to announce a replacement next week.
(2019-09-12). Will U.S. & Iran Resume Talks After John "Bomb Iran" Bolton Is Ousted as National Security Adviser? democracynow.org 
President Trump has ousted John Bolton, becoming the third national security adviser to be ousted by Trump so far. Bolton has long been a fierce critic of diplomacy. He had strongly pushed for Trump to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal. He also opposed negotiations with North Korea, as well as the Taliban in Afghanistan. And he was a key supporter of the attempted U.S.-backed coup in Venezuela and an advocate of regime change in Cuba and Nicaragua. Trump is expected to announce a replacement next week. We speak with Phyllis Bennis, fellow at the Institute for Policy Studies and a member of the national board of J…
(2019-09-11). Iran urges US to 'put warmongers aside' after John Bolton firing. thecanary.co 
Iran's president has welcomed Donald Trump's abrupt dismissal of his national security adviser, saying the US should "put warmongers aside" amid tensions in the Persian Gulf.Hassan Rouhani's remarks signalled approval after the US president forced out John Bolton, who had been hawkish on Iran and other global challenges.Rouhani's website quoted him as urging the US to "abandon warmongering and its maximum pressure policy" on Tehran.Ali Rabiei, a government spokesman, said after a cabinet meeting that Bolton's dismissal may help the US have a "less biased" attitude towards Iran.John Bolton (Evan Vucci/AP)The sudde…
(2019-09-11). Iran thaw coming? After firing chief hawk, Trump hints at lifting sanctions on Tehran. rt.com 
Days after saying he had "no problem" meeting his Iranian counterpart Hassan Rouhani and soon after firing his hawkish adviser John Bolton, US President Donald Trump has hinted he may lift some sanctions on Tehran. | Iran has been under crippling US economic sanctions since the US unilaterally withdrew last May from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA, or Iran Nuclear Deal). Relations between Washington and Tehran have since deteriorated, with the sanctions accompanied by a military buildup in the Persian Gulf and back-and-forth threats from both sides. | But, speaking to reporters on Wednesday, Trum…
(2019-09-10). War and whiskers: Freshly-resigned John Bolton gets meme-roasting. rt.com 
US National Security Advisor John Bolton's departure from the Trump administration has been met with a mix of joy from the MAGA crowd and protests from dedicated neocons, but also with an avalanche of memes. | President Donald Trump announced Bolton's dismissal by tweet on Tuesday, saying he had "disagreed strongly with many of his suggestions," presumably meaning his advocacy for military-enforced regime change in Syria, Venezuela, North Korea and Iran. Bolton insisted that he attempted to resign before Trump's announcement. | Reaction flowed in swiftly, with some commenters in the media lamenting the war-haw…
(2019-09-10). With Strikes Against Iran, Netanyahu Risks Jeopardising his Closest Alliance. dissidentvoice.org Every Israeli prime minister — not least Benjamin Netanyahu — understands that a military entanglement with Hezbollah, Lebanon's armed Shia movement on Israel's northern border, is a dangerous wager, especially during an election campaign. It was Shimon Peres who lost to Mr Netanyahu in 1996, weeks after the former prime minister had incensed Israel's Palestinian …
(2019-09-10). John Bolton Tried His Best to Draw the U.S. Into a War. Luckily, He Failed. theintercept.com President Donald Trump parted ways with his hawkish national security adviser John Bolton on Tuesday, ending a 17-month tenure that included additional troops deployed to the Middle East, saw the U.S. repeatedly threaten "military action" against the Venezuelan government, and brought the country within minutes of bombing Ira…
(2019-09-09). US-China Trade War and the Future of Iran Oil Exports to China. uwidata.com 
China is self-sufficient in many respects in the old oil industry, but it still needs foreign equipment and imported advanced technologies to extract and explore oil resources. These are China's weaknesses that need to be addressed. China's oil industry will not be immune to US-China trade clashes and production and services may come to a …
(2019-09-09). Nuclear testing has 'disastrous consequences' for people and planet, General Assembly told. un.org Events commemorating the recent International Day against Nuclear Tests serve as an "important and stark reminder…of the disastrous consequences of nuclear testing on human health and the environment", a top UN official told the General Assembly on Monday.
(2019-09-05). Was the imprisonment of Iranian-American journalist Marzieh Hashemi spun into expanded US sanctions? thegrayzone.com The relationship between former Air Force analyst-turned-Iranian spy Monica Witt and Hashemi — who was jailed by US authorities this…
(2019-09-05). Headlines for September 5, 2019. democracynow.org 2020 Dem Candidates Talk Fracking, Green New Deal, Nuclear Energy & More at Climate Crisis Town Hall, Brexit Battle Heats Up as Lawmakers Vote to Block "No-Deal" Scenario, Trump Shows Doctored Hurricane Map as Dorian Hits U.S. Coast After Ravaging Bahamas, Report: FBI Tracking Immigration Activists Who Oppose Trump Policies, Aid Groups Uncover More Human Remains at Arizona-Mexico Border, State Dept. Official Offered Millions to Captain of Iranian Oil Tanker to Divert Vessel, Mexico: Main Suspect in 2014 Ayotzinapa Student Disappearance Acquitted, Denmark Bans PFAS from Food Packaging, Germany Announces Glyphosate…
(2019-09-03). Meet the militantly pro-Israel Trump official directing the economic war on Iran. thegrayzone.com From her influential post at the Treasury Department, Sigal Mandelker has vowed to defend "our great partner, Israel" by sanctioning…
(2019-09-02). US conducts ground launch cruise missile test. liberationnews.org 
On Aug. 18, less than three weeks after scrapping the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces treaty, the U.S. launched a ballistic cruise missile from San Nicholas Island, CA.
(2019-08-31). Will Rouhani meet Trump? liberationnews.org 
Washington's foreign policy establishment is dominated by "Iran Hawks," headed by National Security Adviser John Bolton.
(2019-07-18). Diplomacy Instead of a Disaster in Iran. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — July 18, 2019 — In response to reports of the U.S. shooting down an Iranian drone, Paul Kawika Martin, Senior Director for Policy and Political Affairs at Peace Action, released the following statement: "Because of the Trump administration's policy of maximum provocation towards Iran, America stands on the precipice of another blunderous …
(2019-06-28). Most Senators Oppose War with Iran Without Congressional Approval. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — June 28, 2019 — In response to the Senate voting 50-40 in favor of an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to block funding for military action against Iran without congressional approval, Paul Kawika Martin, Senior Director for Policy and Political Affairs at Peace Action, released the following statement: "Because …
(2019-06-25). Peace Action Endorses Ilhan Omar for Congress. peaceaction.org Washington, DC — June 25, 2019 — Peace Action has announced its endorsement of Ilhan Omar for Congress in Minnesota's 5th Congressional District. Peace Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance nuclear disarmament, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights, and support nonmilitary …
(2019-06-24). Peace Action Endorses Kara Eastman for Congress. peaceaction.org Washington, DC — June 24, 2019 — Peace Action has announced its endorsement of Kara Eastman for Congress in Nebraska's 2nd Congressional District. Peace Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance nuclear disarmament, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and human rights, and support nonmilitary …
(2019-06-20). Striking Iran Now Could Spark a Major War. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — June 20, 2019 — In response to reports that the Trump administration is considering strikes on Iran in response to the downing of a U.S. surveillance drone, Jon Rainwater, Executive Director of Peace Action, released the following statement: "The United States has stumbled into a perilous situation. If, for example, the U.S. …
(2019-06-17). Peace Action Endorses Ayanna Pressley for Congress. peaceaction.org Washington, DC — June 17, 2019 — Peace Action, the nation's largest grassroots peace organization, and its affiliate Massachusetts Peace Action, endorsed Ayanna Pressley for Massachusetts' 7th district. Peace Action is a national grassroots organization working to advance nuclear disarmament, promote government spending priorities that support human needs, encourage real security through international cooperation and …
(2019-06-17). Sending More Troops to the Middle East is Adding Fuel to the Fire. peaceaction.org Washington, D.C. — June 17, 2019 — In response to the Trump administration's decision to send an additional 1,000 troops to the Middle East amidst escalating tensions with Iran, Jon Rainwater, Executive Director of Peace Action, released the following statement: "Rather than pursuing diplomatic off ramps to avert conflict with Iran, the Trump administration is …