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Trump on Iran: ‘The blockade scares them even more than the bombing’
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Essentially, we are financially strangling them until they give in. Fox News : Discussing when the war might come to an end, Trump said there was “no time frame” and no rush. “People say I want to get it over because of the midterms, not true,” Trump stated, adding that the administration wanted to “get a good deal for the American people.” “The blockade scares them even more than the bombing,” Trump said of the Iranian regime. “They’ve been bombed for years but the blockade they hate. Once those wells go down, sometimes they are down for good,” Trump added ( Fox News). An earlier assessment of the economic cost on Iran of the blockade: The blockade would inflict heavy economic losses on Iran, cutting roughly $280 million a day in export revenues and disrupting another $160 million in imports. That amounts to a combined impact of about $435 million per day, or nearly $13 billion per month. Iran’s vulnerability is significant. More than 90 percent of Iran’s $109.7 billion in annual trade passes through the Persian Gulf, while oil and gas generate around 80 percent of export earnings and account for 23.7 percent of gross domestic product ( Middle East Forum). Mark Penn: Ultimately the president made the decision to de-escalate direct combat and focus on economic strangling of the regime by $500 million a day and if the IRGC strikes out at American ships or soldiers, the US is positioned to inflict massive retaliation. Our military force grows stronger each day ( Penn).
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Iran Fires on Three Ships, Reportedly Seizing Two
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And they’re the ones accusing us of breaking a cease-fire. Wall Street Journal: Iran attacked three ships in the Strait of Hormuz and escorted two of them to Iranian waters, as tensions flared in the waterway. Mediators scrambled to get the diplomatic process back on track, including arranging a possible meeting between Iran and the U.S. as soon as Friday, officials familiar with the matter said. President Trump will give Iran a few days to offer a peace plan, U.S. officials said, a sign that his cease-fire extension won’t last indefinitely ( Wall Street Journal). CNBC: Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Navy said in a statement that it had seized the ships for what it claimed were maritime violations and transferred them to Iranian shores, according to state media. CNBC could not independently verify the claim. The announcement came after U.K. maritime authorities said two ships had been attacked in the Strait of Hormuz. Iranian media reported a third vessel had also been targeted by the country’s military ( CNBC).
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CENTCOM: US Forces Have Blocked 29 Vessels
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Since the implementation of the blockade. Also: They dispute that any vessels have bypassed the blockade. CENTCOM: U.S. forces have directed 29 vessels to turn around or return to port as part of the U.S. blockade against Iran. Over past 24 hours, media reports have alleged that several commercial ships evaded the blockade, citing M/V Hero II, M/V Hedy, and M/V Dorena as examples. These reports are inaccurate. Hero II and Hedy did not sail past the blockade as part of a flotilla that “ferried” millions of barrels of oil to the market. In fact, the Iranian-flagged tankers are anchored in Chah Bahar, Iran, after being intercepted by U.S. forces earlier this week. Dorena has been under the escort of a U.S. Navy destroyer in the Indian Ocean after previously attempting to violate the blockade. The U.S. military has global reach. American forces are operating and enforcing the blockade across the Middle East and beyond ( CENTCOM).
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Internal Factions and Iran’s Inability to Keep a Ceasefire
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One power center to watch is the current head of the IRGC (Islamic Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps), Ahmad Vahidi. He has shown little interest in cooperating with any ceasefire. Some have speculated that he’s the man in charge. More on Vahidi from Israel’s MediaLine: Ahmad Vahidi, recently elevated to lead Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), is emerging as a central figure in Tehran’s decision-making on war and diplomacy, as analysts warn his rise signals a shift toward a more hardline posture. Analysts say the appointment places significant authority in the hands of a figure long associated with Iran’s external operations and security apparatus ( MediaLine). Foundation for Defense of Democracies: [Vahidi] is also linked to the 1983 Beirut barracks bombing that killed 241 U.S. servicemembers, the 1996 Khobar Towers attack, and a 2008 embassy attack in Yemen ( FDD). Institute for the Study of War: Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf appears to be engaged in a serious intra-regime debate with Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) Commander Major General Ahmad Vahidi and other senior regime officials opposed to negotiations with the United States. Ghalibaf publicly defended negotiations on Iranian state television on April 18, arguing that diplomacy with the United States, alongside military power, is necessary to secure Iran’s objectives ( ISW).
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Virginia Judge Blocks Certification of Redistricting Referendum Results
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This will be interesting. WRIC in Richmond: A Tazewell County judge has declared that Virginia cannot certify the results of Tuesday’s special election — during which voters approved a controversial proposal to redraw the state’s congressional map — due to several concerns about whether or not the effort is legal. According to court documents obtained by 8News, on Wednesday, April 22, Tazewell Circuit Court Judge Jack Hurley ruled that Virginia Democrats’ efforts to redraw the state’s congressional map mid-decade were illegal on multiple counts. He further declared that Virginia cannot certify the results of the referendum held on Tuesday, April 21 and that legislators cannot take any action to implement the new map ( WRIC).
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The Virginia Referendum Election Was Very Close; Should Democrats Be Concerned?
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The results currently have the “yes” vote are 51.5 percent, the “no” vote at 48.5 ( NBC). James Blair, Trump’s political director in the 2024 campaign, was on CNN. He set Tuesday night’s results in a different context: This is a state in November of 2025 that went by 15 points to the Democrats for governor and about eight points for Attorney General. Last night, this was a three-point race. That’s actually a three point over-performance of the Trump 2024 historic performance in Virginia. So just as a baseline for all the Democrats crowing this morning: If Republicans perform anywhere near on average the way they did in Virginia last night, we not only add seats to the Senate, but we add seats to the House and we have a historic midterm. It was very close last night. There’s a backlash to the fact that they were not honest and the same is going to be true in November. They don’t have policies to run on. They don’t have a vision to run on. We’re going to make them litigate the question of their policies in November. And again, if it turns out the way it did last night, Democrats are not going to win the majority in either chamber ( McLaughlin). Note: Blair is overseeing Trump’s political operation for the midterms ( Politico).
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Ninth Circuit Strikes Down California Law Requiring ICE Officers to Show ID
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Another significant blow for California Gov. Newsom. Los Angeles Times: The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals slapped down a California law that would have forced immigration agents and other law enforcement officers to display ID while on duty, with a ruling Wednesday finding that the measure “attempts to directly regulate” the federal government. “[The law] purports to override the federal government’s power to determine whether, how, and when to publicly identify its officers,” wrote Judge Mark J. Bennett. “The Supremacy Clause forbids the State from enforcing such legislation” ( Los Angeles Times). Ed Morrissey at Hot Air: Gavin Newsom and the Democrat-dominated legislature in California just lost big time at the Ninth Circuit. And so did Tom Steyer and his pledge to attack immigration enforcement if elected as Newsom’s successor. Will either pay a price for their arrogance? Perhaps only in embarrassment… The ruling today more firmly enjoins the state of California from enforcing its 2025 law restricting agents of the federal government from enforcing immigration laws: Either Newsom, Steyer, and the Democrat supermajority in Sacramento are civics idiots, or they are lying demagogues. There are no other options. They are selling insurrection to California voters, and hoping that those voters aren’t smart enough to see through their act ( Hot Air).
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Energy Crunch of War Eased by ‘global gas glut’ Going Into Iran Conflict
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Yes: There is a crunch. Yes: It could get worse. But: It’s nowwhere near what it could have been. Ambrose Evans-Pritchard for Telegraph (U.K.): True, not a single loaded tanker of liquefied natural gas from Qatar and the Emirates has dared run the gauntlet since the war began. Qatar’s giant Las Raffan LNG complex remains shut and badly damaged. It ought to be terrifying, but the effects are being overwhelmed by the sheer scale of the global gas glut coming into this year. “We have been through seven weeks with 20pc of the world’s LNG offline and the price really didn’t move. That tells us that the oversupply is bigger than we thought,” said Hochstein, speaking to the Columbia Energy Exchange…. “I have been telling European politicians to stop panicking. There is more than enough new LNG reaching the market from the US and all over the world,” said Prof Alan Riley, an energy fellow at the Atlantic Council. The bad news is that we are living in the la-la land of complacency over mounting global shortages of crude, jet fuel, refined petroleum, fertilisers, sulphur needed for metal mining, helium needed for semiconductors, and aluminium ( Telegraph).
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Democratic Rep. David Scott Dies
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The Georgia congressman was 80, first elected to Congress in 2002. Politico: First elected to the state Assembly in Georgia in 1974, Scott’s career in politics spanned decades. The 12-term lawmaker became the first Black chair of the House’s powerful Agriculture Committee when he was tapped to lead the panel in 2020. Scott’s death leaves Congress at 218 Republicans and 212 Democrats, with five vacancies. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, a Republican, will have 10 days to call a special election to fill the vacancy in the deep blue seat ( Politico). There have been five deaths of members of Congress in this, the 119 th Congress: Rep. David Scott, 80 (D-GA); Rep. Doug LaMalfa, 65 (R-CA); Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-VA), 75; Rep. Raúl M. Grijalva, 77 (D-AZ), Rep. Sylvester Turner, 70 (D-TX). CBS: The deaths come against the backdrop of a narrow House GOP majority, where just one or two absences, vacancies or defections can play a role in whether legislation passes. Scott’s death means Democrats now have 212 seats, compared to 218 for Republicans, including one GOP-leaning independent ( CBS).
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Landlords in London Advertising for ‘Muslim only’ Rentals
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Apparently, people of other faiths need not apply. Telegraph: Landlords are illegally advertising for “Muslim only” tenants across London and the south-east, an investigation by The Telegraph has found. The listings, posted on Facebook, Gumtree and Telegram, a social media and messaging channel, feature phrases such as “only for Muslims”, “for 2 Muslim boys or 2 Muslim girls” and “Muslims preferred”…. On Facebook, a company called Roshan Properties, which also has a TikTok account, had dozens of listings stating “prefer Muslim boy”, “one double room is available for Muslims” and “suitable for Punjabi boy”…. All the advertisements appear to breach the Equality Act 2010, which prohibits discrimination based on religion or belief, race and other protected characteristics. Landlords who breach the act can be brought to a civil court by a tenant or prospective tenant ( Telegraph). Watch to see if there’s any enforcement of the Equality Act 2010.
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