Trump is desperate. How can he resolve the Iran shitshow?

[TooBigForMyBoots]

He is flailing, desperate and increasingly unhinged. Weakening the USA, alienating allies and strengthening the enemies of democracy with every step.

How can he fix this?
Can he fix it at all?

• [Title edited to correct typo]

The Chinese vessel was not bound for Iran so did not break the blockade.

(Though it might have been assumed it would be stopped as had previously been sanctioned, it’s worth noting that it did not break the blockade).

It seems that there is some discussion going on between Iran and the US atm
regarding nuclear capability

‘US aligning closer with Israel on issue of Iran’s nuclear enrichment: Analyst
Media reports suggest that Iran has countered Washington’s proposal for a 20-year halt on Iran’s uranium enrichment to five years, a suspension that would be a win for Tehran, says an analyst.
“Five years is not a lot of time – it would allow Iran to basically rebuild in short order,” Mohamad Elmasry, a professor of media studies at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, told Al Jazeera.

The US demand for a full halt to Iranian uranium enrichment marks a notable shift in policy, he added.
“The US has not historically had a no-enrichment policy,” Elmasry said, adding that Washington now appears to be aligning with Israel’s longstanding zero-enrichment position.

With US midterms approaching, Elmasry said Trump will be under pressure to frame any deal as a clear-cut victory for American voters.’
aljazeera

US said No to 5 years but would have agreed to 20 years apparently.

So they are not a million miles apart. Just 15 years.

Ultimately all that extra energy being retained from the sun has to go somewhere.

Seaweed farming is already a thing. With the UK vaguely at the front.

https://marinescience.blog.gov.uk/2022/05/05/the-developing-uk-seaweed-industry/

Good to hear that that there are some kind of negotiations ongoing even tho' Trump publically says he's not interested in further talks

Yes I agree
It’s key that they keep some sort of dialogue but again Israel need to be part of it too

I can’t see Israel agreeing to stop bombing Lebanon, destroying the area, allegedly creating a buffer zone around Israel to ensure future safety, a land grab. The sick and elderly displaced.

Agree
I can’t see the talks being successful if Israel insist on the land grab.

Bulldozers in
just like Gaza

Disgusting behaviour and worthy of much greater worldwide outcry. I am fed up of Starmer and his weak approach to condemning these inhumane acts, I'm ashamed I voted for him but the alternatives also looked bleak at the time.

It wasn't the Chinese but the Iranians themselves.

An Iranian-flagged oil tanker, Elpis, also subject to US sanctions, crossed through the middle of the strait around noon yesterday, passing east out of the waterway and into the Gulf of Oman as the blockade began, according to ship-tracking data.
It originally departed Iran's Port of Bushehr, to the north of the Persian Gulf.

The next bit of escalation will be when the US tries to board sanctioned ships. Apparently all the crew needs to do is weld the doors to the bridge shut and sip tea 😉while they snack on the food they took in with them. Its a well tried and effective tactic.
He who controls the bridge, controls the vessel.

Yes v quick to condemn Hamas/Hezbollah but when Israel commits murder, its all softly softly....

I wont be voting Labour again, so long as he is at the helm.

How do they get away with it. They certainly won’t be safer when the world’s countries turn against them for their actions.

As fed up as you may be with Starmer, how do you think the following previous PMs would have acted ?

David Cameron
Theresa May
Boris Johnson
Liz Truss
Rishi Sunak

Additionally - continuing on with a theme that you started, who out of the potential replacements would you think better:

Kemi Badenoch
Ed Davey

and just for the fringe nutters

Nigel Farage
Zack Polanksi

?

It doesn't do to dismiss the best you have, if you can't replace it.

You have highlighted my problem exactly. It's the paucity of good choices.

Possibly.

But you didn't wander onto this thread to make an unhelpful comment for the algorithm.

I also admit that I would echo the Duke of Wellington about our current crop of supposed leaders. However we are where we are.

Wasn't a fan of May overall but I think she was largely OK on Israel/iran policy at the time - she strongly supported the JCPOA, called out the settlements as being a barrier to peace, condemned Hamas/Hezbollah and was an advocate for a 2 state solution. I don't know how she would handle this current war because she is not PM

In terms of leaders who did not become PM, Ed Miliband was surprisingly balanced when he was head of Labour - he strongly condemned the ground incursion into Gaza in 2014 and whipped up Labour MPs in the motion to recognise Palestine as a state. He also proposed a ban on imports of settler goods to the UK. Again, not sure how that would translate to if he were PM today.

Jeremy Corbyn was once head of Labour and would most definitely have stood against this. Am aware that his name sparks a lot of controversy.

Just because others may have been worse doesn't mean you can't condemn the weakness of current leadership and feel upset at having had to vote them in (to essentially block worse candidates out)

The problem is you have to view politicians "overall". Otherwise you end up chasing unicorns like Brexit are are prey to any number of shysters like Farage.

Also because a lot of people aren't that bright, they only ever think about themselves. Whereas if Starmer is doing the job right, he is thinking about everyone but himself. And that might - just might - mean having to do things in a different way to them.

As an example. Our street currently seems to be experiencing a rat renaissance. Loads ot chatter on the Whatspp about ideas to deal with them.

Now for myself, industrial quantities of poison - job done. However a few neighbours have pets and are concerned for their safety. So other ideas are being looked at.

Now am I "weak" for thinking of them ? Or should I plough on and say "fuck 'em" after all, it's not like I was even elected to look to their best interests is it ?

@EmeraldShamrock000 @Stirabout
Today's BBC (I know, I know) coverage of what Israel is doing in the Lebanon will make the hardest heart break.😢

Latest news is that the two Chinese ships that have exited SoH had stopped in Iranian ports. Poor Vance still insisting that no ships will be passing thru. Someone who hates him, slipped him the wrong memo.

There are many different paths to strong diplomacy that don't necessitate a violent approach. I've been very impressed with Spain's PM for example

Starmer was late out of the gate even condemning with words, let alone driving policy to enact change. That is what I find weak - he comes across as someone who is looking for which way the wind is blowing before committing to a stance. Call me naive, but I genuinely hoped for more gumption from a human rights lawyer to actually call out human rights violations

I repeat. Someone not doing what you like doesn't mean they did it to annoy you.

No one here has the faintest clue of the 99.999% of affairs that may be whirling around inside the UK government at any one time. Maybe the price of keeping one place spinning is to fail to spin another quite as fast for a moment and risk it wobbling. But at least you keep more plates in the air.

I judge by outcomes and plates left spinning, not by the weight of broken crockery.

I'm sure I can dream up more analogies if you are looking for a rally 😀

BBC Security Correspondent writes that the first 24 hours of the US naval blockade of Iran’s ports have been “notable for their inconsistency - possibly because American forces were not yet ready for it”.

I don't believe he did it to annoy me, I don't think he gives a flip about people like me. All I'm saying is that other countries have managed to keep their plates spinning whilst calling out injustice where they see it.

The fallout isn't a plate breaking, it's loss of lives. There is no analogy to compare against the destruction of life and property that is being conducted. Not rats, not plates.

I don't want a rally. For me this isn't a fun thought exercise. For me it is about voicing my opinion when the action or inaction of my government is either directly or indirectly leading to violence and death (regardless of where it is occurring). I don't care if Starmer is trying to balance this against US trade deals or whatever his motivation is. I saw an article that disgusted me and felt like calling it out. That is all.