THE ASIA PIVOT - 23-May-2026

May 23, 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

Brian Berletic: 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.

Trumps top spy resigns under White House pressure over illegal war on Iran

However, multiple sources familiar with the matter confirmed to Reuters that the real trigger for her exit was mounting pressure from the White House after Gabbard repeatedly voiced strong objections to the unwarranted US-Israeli decision to launch a war against Iran in the absence of any "imminent threat" to American security.

Stanislav Krapivnik: Tulsi Gabbard Resigns! - Hezbollah Crushes IDF - War Becomes UNAFFORDABLE

May 22, 2026: Discussion on Tulsi Gabbard's resignation & unmet anti-war expectations in the Trump administration. Middle East escalation: Iran-Israel tensions, Hezbollah drone tactics challenging Iron Dome defenses. Ukraine update: Russian pressures following civilian attacks, potential escalation toward NATO infrastructure in Eastern Europe. Critique of Western political credibility, US negotiation unpredictability, and foreign lobby influence on policy. Economic warnings on depleting European oil reserves and market volatility. Analysis of Washington instability, leadership turnover, and the gap between campaign promises and governance. Key themes: accountability in foreign policy, the cost of proxy conflicts, failed political hopes, and the urgent need for genuine diplomacy over performative negotiations.

USs betrayals, contradictory stances, excessive demands source of disruption in talks: Iran FM

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi describes the United States' litany of failures to honor its commitments as the source of disruption of Pakistan-mediated negotiations.
The top diplomat made the remarks in a telephone conversation with United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Friday.
He listed the most egregious instances across the "history of failures" as Washington's repeated betrayals of diplomacy, military aggression against Iran, contradictory positions, and recurring excessive demands.

Seyed M. Marandi: Iran Closes Its Airspace as Negotiations Fail and the U.S. Prepares to Strike

Prof. Seyed Mohammad Marandi is a former advisor to Iran's nuclear negotiation team. Prof. Marandi discusses why the negotiations are failing and the US will likely resume its attacks. RECORDED MAY 23, 2026.

Iran Impasse: Trump Wants Airstrikes as Stockpiles Depleted

The United States finds itself in a deepening Iran impasse as new reporting confirms Iran has preserved most of its missile stockpile, is tracking and striking US stealth aircraft, and is outlasting the American economic blockade far longer than Washington predicted. Alex Christoforou and Alexander Mercouris on The Duran expose the full picture: US interceptors at half capacity, diplomacy going nowhere through Pakistan intermediaries, Gulf states panicking over desalination plant vulnerability, and the jaw-dropping New York Times revelation that the Israel and US regime change plan rested on installing the deeply discredited Ahmadinejad as Iran's next leader. Is this the biggest intelligence and strategic failure in American foreign policy in a generation?
00:00:00 Introduction: Iran negotiations update and impasse explained
00:01:21 Iran's attack success: missiles and launchers mostly intact
00:02:57 Iran tracking and striking US stealth aircraft over Iran
00:03:58 Iran's economic resilience: Caspian and land routes holding
00:05:11 Pressure is on the US not Iran: energy crisis and depleted arsenals
00:07:41 US military told Trump: do not strike, we are not ready
00:09:38 Washington Post: US interceptor stockpiles at 50% and falling
00:13:54 Can a deal still happen? What proper diplomacy would look like
00:16:27 A waiting game: Trump stretching out the conflict, Iran outlasting him
00:20:03 Gulf states trapped: currency swaps, desalination fears and Saudi outreach
00:23:39 NYT revelation: Ahmadinejad was the US and Israel regime change plan
00:27:32 Neocon pattern: regime change obsession with no plan for the day after

42 aircraft lost or damaged in Operation Epic Fury, congressional report says | The American Legion

At least 42 U.S. military aircraft have been lost or damaged since the start of the war with Iran, according to a recent analysis that compiled news reports and officials' statements to tally losses.
The Congressional Research Service report comes as lawmakers push Pentagon leaders for more clarity on timelines, costs and outcomes pertaining to Operation Epic Fury.
Pentagon acting comptroller Jules Hurst testified to Congress this month that the estimated cost of military operations in Iran had reached $29 billion.

Iran's UN envoy rejects US allegations about drone attack on UAE nuclear plant

Iran's ambassador to the United Nations has dismissed US allegations regarding a drone strike against the Barakah nuclear power plant in the United Arab Emirates, saying Washington abused the Security Council to spread false accusations against Iran and its peaceful nuclear program.
[...]
Iravani went on to denounce it as deeply ironic that the US - the only country ever to have used nuclear weapons and itself responsible, together with the Israeli regime, for attacks against safeguarded Iranian nuclear facilities - now claims concern for nuclear safety and security.
He said that the US and the Israeli regime targeted, inter alia, the safeguarded facilities at Natanz, Fordow, Isfahan, and Bushehr during the unlawful acts of aggression and two unwarranted and savage wars against Iran in June 2025 and February 2026 in blatant violation of the Charter of the United Nations, international law, international humanitarian law, the IAEA Statute, and relevant IAEA resolutions.
[...]
He stated that the US unlawfully withdrew from the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in violation of Security Council resolution 2231 (2015), undermined diplomacy, imposed unlawful unilateral coercive measures against the Iranian people, and repeatedly resorted to threats and the use of force.

IRGC Navy says 25 ships passed through Strait of Hormuz in 24 hours

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy has announced that 25 vessels, including oil tankers, container ships, and other commercial vessels, transited the Strait of Hormuz over the past 24 hours after obtaining permission and under the security coordination of the IRGC Navy.
According to a statement released by the IRGC Navy on Saturday, the ships crossed the strategic waterway following authorization and with security provided by the force.
The statement added that the intelligent control of the Strait of Hormuz continues with full strength despite the insecurity created following the aggression of the "terrorist American army" in the strait.

Thomas Massie's defeat shows Aipac's enduring grip over US Republicans | Middle East Eye

The Kentucky congressman's stand against US aid to Israel and the Iran war triggered a pro-Israel donor backlash that reveals how firmly the lobby still shapes Republican politics

Video: America's War against Europe - Global Research

America is no longer "An Ally" of the European Union. Quite the opposite.
The insidious role of the U.S. government in carrying out acts of sabotage against the EU is amply documented. Beyond doubt.
Meanwhile corrupt EU politicians are not only blaming Russia, they are setting the stage for the destabilization and impoverishment of several European countries on behalf of Washington.
They are "Sleeping with the Enemy" to the Detriment of the People of Europe.
In this GRTV video production, Michel Chossudovsky and Drago Bosnic focus on the history of the European colonial powers as well as the complex contemporary relationship between Europe and America.

Israeli armed forces kill 6 paramedics, 5 civilians in southern Lebanon

Israeli airstrikes across southern Lebanon have killed at least 11 people, including paramedics, rescuers, and a child, and wounded several others, as the occupying regime continues to violate the ceasefire.

Gaza flotilla activists recount abuse after release from Israeli custody

The Global Sumud Flotilla said it had documented at least 15 cases of sexual abuse involving detainees. According to the group, some of the most serious incidents occurred aboard an Israeli landing craft converted into a temporary detention facility using shipping containers and barbed wire.
The organization said detainees were beaten and subjected to "humiliating strip searches, sexual taunting, groping and pulling of genitals, and multiple accounts of rape."
"At least 12 sexual assaults have been documented on that vessel alone," the statement added.
Mi Hoa Lee, an activist from Spain, said she was beaten and tasered inside a darkened container aboard one of the vessels.
"Then they kept beating me until I almost lost my conscience[ness]," she said in a video released by the flotilla organizers.
Ilaria Mancosu, an Italian activist, told Reuters that detainees aboard one of the prison ships suffered fractures and taser-related injuries. She also said detainees were denied blankets and running water for two days.

Israeli strike kills five Gaza police officers | Middle East Eye

Israeli air strikes in the Gaza Strip killed five police officers on Saturday, according to the enclave's police department.

Israeli forces target refugee camps in central Gaza despite ceasefire | Middle East Eye

Since the ceasefire took effect on 10 October, Israel has continued nearly daily attacks across the Gaza Strip, killing at least 883 Palestinians and injuring 2,648 others, according to Gaza's health ministry.