Iran War Update, Live with John Aravosis

Thank you sharon quinn, Mina D’Ambrosio, and many others for tuning into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.On tonight’s show, I’ll walk through the latest escalation in the Iran war, starting with the US blockade of Iranian ports using roughly 10,000 troops, more than a dozen warships, and dozens of aircraft -- and the claim that no ships made it through, with several turned back. I’ll look at the strange contradiction in the US position: the Navy says it isn’t escorting vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, but Washington is still telling commercial shipping that the passage is safe. And I’ll get into Trump claiming new talks with Iran could restart in two days, even as Europe is reportedly discussing a postwar coalition to help reopen shipping lanes -- possibly without the US.I’ll also cover the growing economic fallout. CNN reports wholesale inflation in the US has climbed to 4%, the highest annual rate in three years, driven in part by rising energy costs. The head of the International Energy Agency is warning that oil prices still may not reflect how serious the threat is if the Strait of Hormuz stays disrupted. And as Economist reporter Gregg Carlstrom points out, even if Iranian oil stops going to China entirely, China will just buy from somewhere else -- which means tighter global supply and higher prices for everyone else.Then I’ll turn to the political and cultural chaos swirling around the broader story -- from Orban, Serbia, Slovakia, and the Kremlin’s shifting posture, to JD Vance telling the Pope to stay in his lane on morality. I’ll also cover Trump’s new feud with Giorgia Meloni after she defended the Pope, the resignations of Eric Swalwell and Republican congressman Tony Gonzalez amid a new sexual assault allegation against Swalwell, Turkey putting LGBT activists on trial for the supposedly "obscene" behavior of kissing, a USDA Easter email that sounds more like government-sponsored evangelism, Ukraine reportedly capturing an enemy position using only robotic systems and drones, and one of the weirdest stories of the day -- the senior FEMA official who claims he was teleported to a Waffle House.7:45 - I cover the US blockade of Iranian ports and what it means for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz8:56 - I get into the Navy saying it isn’t escorting ships, while also telling vessels the strait is safe10:07 - I discuss Trump claiming Iran talks may restart in two days10:20 - I look at the reported European plan for a postwar coalition to reopen shipping11:43 - I cover rising oil prices, wholesale inflation, and why energy markets may still be underpricing the danger15:13 - I discuss Viktor Orban’s loss in Hungary and the broader regional implications17:13 - I get into the Orban-Serbia-Slovakia axis and the political ties behind it18:24 - I cover the Kremlin saying it and Orban were never really friends21:01 - I dig into the latest Trump-Pope fight and why Vance saying the Pope should stick to morality is absurd38:04 - I cover Meloni criticizing Trump’s attack on the Pope and the backlash in Italy39:49 - I discuss the resignations of Eric Swalwell and Tony Gonzalez amid scandal42:00 - I cover Turkey putting LGBT activists on trial over same-sex affection in public43:19 - I discuss Brooke Rollins’ Easter email to USDA staff and the bigger church-state problem49:07 - I cover Zelenskyy’s announcement that Ukrainian robots and drones captured a position without infantry50:11 - I discuss Andrew Harnik’s award-winning photo of Trump while a man collapsed nearby in the Oval Office55:49 - I cover the bizarre story of Trump’s FEMA official who claims he can teleport to Waffle House59:20 - I wrap up the news and shift into audience Q&A and dog update This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit aravosis.substack.com/subscribe