Changes

*[https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/beaten-and-shopworn-trump-settles Beaten and Shopworn Trump Settles on Flaccid 'Forever-Blockade' Strait as Broken-Down Carrier Limps Home].

*[https://simplicius76.substack.com/p/beaten-and-shopworn-trump-settles Beaten and Shopworn Trump Settles on Flaccid 'Forever-Blockade' Strait as Broken-Down Carrier Limps Home].

{{quotebox-float|"Two interesting contradictory pathways are emerging for [[Trump]] on [[Iran]], if we are to trust latest [[MSM]] reports. On one hand, new reports claim that Trump now sees the twin options of either total withdrawal from Iran or resumption of hostilities as equally bad. The reports claim he therefore prefers to now maintain the blockade indefinitely as the chief operative posture toward the Islamic Republic. But at the same time, [[Reuters]] reports the comical news that the [[Trump 2.0|Trump admin]]’s [[intelligence agencies]] are [[Prefactual thinking|“examining” how Iran’s leadership will potentially react]] to Trump simply declaring a quick “victory” and pulling out of the conflict:  

{{quotebox-float|"Two interesting contradictory pathways are emerging for [[Trump]] on [[Iran]], if we are to trust latest [[MSM]] reports. On one hand, new reports claim that Trump now sees the twin options of either total withdrawal from Iran or resumption of hostilities as equally bad. The reports claim he therefore prefers to now maintain the blockade indefinitely as the chief operative posture toward the Islamic Republic. But at the same time, [[Reuters]] reports the comical news that the [[Trump 2.0|Trump admin]]’s [[intelligence agencies]] are [[Prefactual thinking|“examining” how Iran’s leadership will potentially react]] to Trump simply declaring a quick “victory” and pulling out of the conflict:  

:"JUST IN - U.S. intelligence agencies are studying how Iran would respond if Trump were to declare a unilateral victory against Iran, and potentially pull back from the war — Reuters" [https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-spy-agencies-examine-how-iran-would-react-trump-declaring-victory-2026-04-28/]

:"JUST IN - U.S. intelligence agencies are studying how Iran would respond if Trump were to declare a unilateral victory against Iran, and potentially pull back from the war — Reuters" [https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-spy-agencies-examine-how-iran-would-react-trump-declaring-victory-2026-04-28/] [Ed note: Gee whiz, I thought we didn't know who Iran's leadership is...]

::[Ed note: Gee whiz, I thought we didn't know who Iran's leadership is...]

"The implication here is obviously that Trump is considering doing so because he knows he has no cards and no further real options—a true [[zugzwang]] by any definition...."}}

"The implication here is obviously that Trump is considering doing so because he knows he has no cards and no further real options—a true [[zugzwang]] by any definition...."}}