IRAN WAR NEWS - 14-May-2026
ANNOUNCEMENT: As of 9-May-2026 i have drastically curtailed my coverage of the US-Israel-Iran conflicts. I had thought that an end to these conflicts was in sight, but i no longer think that is true. It appears this conflict, and others to come, are going to last a long time, potentially a decade or more, and covering all this on a daily basis requires a lot more time than i want to invest. I will therefore be posting only select updates from this point on and not necessarily on a daily basis. To understand the bigger picture, i'll refer you to the following article:
Read: The bigger picture: It's not about Iran.
US "ACHIEVEMENTS" IN IRAN WAR:
- Strait of Hormuz forced open: FAIL (Iran is in full control of the strait (that was open and free before the US-Israel attack))
- US blockade of Strait of Hormuz: LIMITED SUCCESS (US Navy cannot approach Iran coast nor patrol the immense area of the waters)
- elimination of nuclear enrichment program: FAIL
- elimination of nuclear weapon program: INAPPLICABLE (Iran is not seeking nuclear weapons, or at least they weren't prior to the US-Israel attack)
- seizure of highly enriched uranium: FAIL
- elimination of ballistic missile program: FAIL
- elimination of navy: PARTIAL SUCCESS (best yet to come if US continues to FAFO)
- elimination of air force: PARTIAL SUCCESS (destruction largely irrelevant)
- regime change: PARTIAL SUCCESS, if you want to call it that (new ayatollah is less US-friendly than his father was)
- US involved in selection of new ayatollah: FAIL
- US regional bases fully operational: FAIL
- US presence in Gulf states: COMPROMISED
- threat to Israel eliminated: FAIL
The US War for Energy Dominance: Seeking Dominance Over Europe and Asia - YouTube
Europe has already suffered what is likely irreversible political and economic damage from its political capture by the US and now its growing energy dependence on the US.
Asia risks being likewise weakened by growing energy dependence on the US, making political capture much more likely by the US, then being transformed into a united front - this time against China rather than Russia - and used to wage war on the US' behalf at the expense of the people, peace, and prosperity of Asia.
China Sent a Tough Message to Trump... Did He Understand It?
Before Trump stepped off his Presidential jet in Beijing the Chinese were sending subtle but clear signals that they consider Trump a second class leader and that relations remain frosty.
CHINA WON'T BEND: NO RARE EARTHS FOR U.S. MILITARY | Carl Zha
President Trump is in Beijing for a highly anticipated two-day summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping. But while Trump dragged a dozen CEOs to the other side of the world with him, what he really wants is for Beijing to lift its restrictions on refined rare earth minerals to be used by the U.S. Military.
Carl Zha, a geopolitical analyst and Host of the Silk & Steel Podcast, noted that while Beijing may announce a lower level deal with Boeing, or the purchase or more U.S. soybeans, there is nothing the Trump Admin can offer to get China to change its stance on rare earths or its relationship with Iran. As he put it: "Trump may think he has the cards... but those cards are Made in China."
China gains edge over US amid war on Iran: Report | Middle East Eye
A US intelligence analysis suggests that China is gaining an edge over the US amid the war on Iran, US officials familiar with the report told The Washington Post.
The assessment, produced for the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine, details Beijing maximising its advantage over Washington in various arenas, including militarily, economically and diplomatically.
China has assisted countries around the world struggling to meet their energy needs following the blockade on the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world's most essential waterways for the transport of oil and gas.
US seeking to convince China to pressure Iran - Rubio - RT World News
The US plans to persuade China to pressure Iran into making concessions in the Middle East conflict, Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said ahead of a meeting between the two countries' leaders in Beijing.
US President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping are set to hold talks on Thursday, with discussions expected to include the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz and the issue of Taiwan.
"It's in their interest to resolve this," Rubio told Fox News host Sean Hannity aboard Air Force One en route to China. "We hope to convince them to play a more active role in getting Iran to walk away from what they're doing now and trying to do now in the Persian Gulf."