The Clock Is Ticking: Trump Wants To Wait - But Iran May Not

The Clock Is Ticking: Trump Wants To Wait - But Iran May Not

 PNW STAFF

The most dangerous period in the conflict with Iran may not be determined by missiles, aircraft or troop movements. It may be determined by the calendar.

President Donald Trump appears increasingly willing to slow the military tempo and let economic pressure do the work. His administration is preparing what Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has called the "toughest sanctions in history," targeting Iran's oil revenues, financial networks and countries that continue doing business with Tehran. Trump himself recently described the approach as "low-keying it," signaling that, at least for now, he prefers economic warfare to another major round of strikes.

That strategy requires something Washington believes it has: time.

Iran may be reaching exactly the opposite conclusion.

If Tehran believes the sanctions campaign will steadily weaken its economy, limit its ability to rebuild damaged military capabilities and increase internal pressure, then waiting until winter could leave it with fewer options than it has today.

And hanging over both calculations are two dates: Israel holds its national election on October 27. The United States holds its midterm elections exactly one week later, on November 3.

That creates a potentially explosive window in which Washington has powerful reasons to avoid escalation--and Tehran may have powerful reasons to provoke it.

From Washington's perspective, another large-scale military offensive carries substantial risks.

It could produce American casualties. It could trigger larger Iranian retaliation. It could further disrupt the Strait of Hormuz and send oil and gasoline prices higher at precisely the moment voters are deciding control of Congress.

Economic pressure offers Trump another option.

The administration believes months of warfare have left Iran substantially weakened and that sanctions may now accomplish what earlier financial pressure could not. The United States can squeeze Iranian petroleum exports, banking relationships and international trade while maintaining military pressure in the background.

The strategy is essentially: Why risk another costly military campaign today if Iran might be significantly weaker several months from now?

There is also an obvious political advantage to patience.

Even if the White House never publicly says it wants to avoid major escalation before November 3, presidents understand that wars are politically unpredictable. A successful operation can strengthen public confidence. A failed raid, captured American soldiers, rising gasoline prices or an unexpected regional escalation can dominate an election overnight.

Trump therefore has every reason to keep his options open while avoiding unnecessary surprises.

Iran, however, understands the same calendar.

Iran's best opportunity to create leverage may be before the elections rather than after them.

Mark Dubowitz, CEO of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, has warned specifically about the possibility of an Iranian "October surprise"--an operation deliberately timed around the Israeli and American elections. His argument is not that anyone knows precisely what Iran will do, but that Tehran has an unusually strong incentive to exploit this narrow political window.

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Indiana’s Blackout Exposes America’s Decaying Power Grid

Indiana’s Blackout Exposes America’s Decaying Power Grid

Martin Armstrong

Tens of thousands of people in northwest Indiana have been living without electricity for more than a week, yet this disaster received little national attention until residents had already entered what they described as “survival mode.” 

The blackout began after an August 11 derecho produced winds approaching 99 miles per hour, destroying power lines, transmission equipment, and utility poles across the region. More than 300,000 NIPSCO customers initially lost service, representing over 60% of the utility’s system and the largest outage event in its history. As of August 20, approximately 68,000 customers reportedly remained without power, with parts of Gary warned that full restoration could take until August 25.

This is not merely an inconvenience caused by a summer storm. Schools have closed, businesses have lost inventory and revenue, families have thrown away spoiled food, and people who depend upon refrigerated medicine or electrically powered medical equipment have been placed at risk. Traffic signals stopped working, communications were interrupted, and residents were forced to line up at community centers for hot meals and a place to charge their phones.

The national media will discuss an outage when it affects an airport, Wall Street, or a wealthy neighborhood. When working-class communities in Gary and Lake County lose power for more than a week, the story remains largely local until the suffering becomes impossible to ignore. There has been reporting, but the scale of the national response bears no relationship to the severity of what happened. If 68,000 customers in Manhattan had remained without electricity for nine days, every network would be broadcasting live from the streets and Congress would already be demanding hearings.

NIPSCO says the damage was unprecedented and that crews must replace or repair approximately 300 distribution poles and 44 transmission poles in Gary alone. More than 600 line workers have reportedly been involved in restoration efforts. Nobody should diminish the severity of a derecho with hurricane-force winds, nor blame crews working in dangerous conditions. The problem is that a natural disaster has exposed how little redundancy exists in the system. When a single series of storms can knock out electricity to most of a utility’s customers and leave tens of thousands disconnected for more than a week, the grid has become a single point of failure for the entire community.

America has built an economy in which virtually nothing functions without electricity. Food cannot be preserved, fuel pumps cannot operate, electronic payments fail, mobile phones eventually die, and many modern appliances become useless. Hospitals and emergency facilities possess backup generators, but ordinary households and small businesses are expected to fend for themselves. The government promotes the electrification of vehicles, heating, cooking, and transportation while the grid required to support this dependence remains vulnerable to trees, flooding, aging poles, overloaded transformers, and severe weather.

The American Society of Civil Engineers has repeatedly identified the country’s energy infrastructure as requiring massive investment. Much of the national transmission and distribution network was constructed decades ago for a completely different economy. Demand is now increasing from data centers, electric vehicles, manufacturing, air conditioning, and the attempt to electrify still more activities. The government cannot simultaneously increase dependence upon electricity and ignore the physical system that distributes it. That is not an energy transition; it is building society around a vulnerability.

Ancient cities protected their wells because water represented survival. Industrial society must treat electricity with the same seriousness. A power grid is not merely another corporate service. It is the infrastructure supporting food, health, banking, transportation, communications, public safety, and employment. When it fails for days, civilization quickly contracts to generators, canned food, cash, and neighbors helping one another.

Indiana was struck by an extreme storm, but the prolonged blackout is a warning to every American city. The country is increasing electricity demand while its transmission and distribution systems remain fragile, centralized, and expensive to repair. Politicians speak endlessly about creating the grid of the future while residents in Gary are waiting for the grid of the present to turn their lights back on. The storm caused the blackout, but years of neglect determined how difficult it would be to recover.

Setting The Stage For The Invasion Of Ezekiel 38

‘Antisemitic Dictator’: Turkish Military Entrenchment In Syria And Erdogan’s Ongoing Plot To Annihilate Israel

Breanna Claussen

The goals of Turkey are not shrouded in mystery. Turkish President Recep Erdoğan and officials within the nation have spent years openly calling for the invasion and annihilation of Israel as well as the “liberation” of Jerusalem from the Jews.

In a fiery speech, Erdoğan recently called for an end to the Jewish State and the “Promised Land delusion.”

“With Allah’s permission, we will never allow this,” he declared, adding that Israel’s destruction is the “duty of humanity.”

In efforts to carry out that objective, Turkey is working to position itself in Syria, moving incrementally toward the border of the Jewish State.

Israel recently watched as a Turkish delegation visited the Abu Al-Duhur airbase, which was considered one of the largest bases in Syria before it was abandoned in 2013, and sits 43 miles from the border of Turkey and less than 200 miles from Israeli communities. Israeli intelligence learned of Turkish plans to station radar and defense systems on the base in addition to the immediate deployment of Turkish troops.

After a “direct warning” given to the regime in Syria to prevent further Turkish military entrenchment went unheeded, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) were given the green light from the Prime Minister and Defense Minister to carry out strikes targeting the air base, which took place Monday evening into Tuesday morning.

Israel Defense Minister Israel Katz, describing the approval of the strike, stated that Erdogan was “caught with his hand in the cookie jar and was forced to back down,” adding, “It would be better for Erdoğan to continue his detached-from-reality, fanciful rhetoric against Israel in the Turkish Grand National Assembly than to attempt to test Israel’s determination to defend itself.”

Turkey attempted to flip the accusation, branding Israel as the perpetrator of “expansionist and destabilizing policies.” Netanyahu’s international spokesman Doron Spielman responded with a recorded presentation highlighting that the Jewish State has deployed troops in only “one-10th of 1%” of Syria (near the Golan Heights); meanwhile, Turkey has amassed a “substantial military presence” occupying roughly 5% of Syrian territory—constituting a 50 times larger presence than Israel.

“We will not allow Turkey to entrench itself in Syria and to be moving steadily south toward Israel’s border,” Spielman underscored, emphasizing the dangerous rhetoric from Ankara calling for the obliteration of the Jewish State, as well as the United States (a fellow NATO ally to Turkey).

On Friday, Erdogan urged Interpol to issue a “Red Notice” against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and 35 other Israeli officials, requesting that international law enforcement begin efforts to locate, arrest, and extradite the Israelis for prosecution. The Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) called the move a “pathetic attempt to intimidate the leaders and soldiers of Israel,” adding that the Red Notice demand “will go nowhere.”

“Erdogan is an antisemitic dictator who has massacred Kurds, harbors Hamas terrorists, occupies half of Cyprus, and jails record numbers of journalists and politicians who oppose him,” the PMO statement detailed. “He now seeks to extend his aggression against Israel into Syria. Israel will not tolerate it.”

Arutz Sheva, in a timely op-ed titled “The Mask of NATO Has Fallen: Turkey is revealed as a mortal threat to Israel and the West,” emphasized the absurdity that Turkey maintains NATO protections, calling it an “act of strategic suicide for the Western world and a direct, existential threat to the survival of Israel.”

“For nearly half a century, the political capitals of the Western world have indulged in an unpardonable strategic delusion,” the article began. “They have meticulously maintained the comfortable fiction that Turkey is an indispensable, if somewhat recalcitrant, North Atlantic Treaty Organization ally. They have systematically turned a blind eye to imperialist expansionism, systemic domestic tyranny, and the methodical projection of radical Islamist influence across the globe.”

“Today, that luxury of strategic willful blindness is utterly shattered,” the writer underscored. “On the ground, this ideological enmity [of Turkey] has manifested as a direct, aggressive military escalation aimed at altering the regional balance of power. Turkey is expanding its military presence across Syria and pushing as close to Israel as possible. The geopolitical intent behind these troop movements is transparent to any serious military analyst. Through the establishment of illegal occupation zones, fortified outposts, and the integration of radical Syrian militias into auxiliary forces, Ankara is creating an unyielding territorial foothold. Israel’s targeted strike on Abu Dhur airport in Idlib was a warning shot across the Turkish bow, not a Syrian one. It was a direct, unambiguous signal that Jerusalem recognizes the encroaching menace on its northern border and will not permit an aggressive military cordon to tighten around its territory.”

The escalation between Israel and Turkey is incredibly relevant to Christians. Through the Bible, we are assured that Turkish goals to invade the Jewish State will not remain rhetoric for long. Ezekiel 38 details a future battle in which Turkey joins forces with Iran, Russia, and others to wage an invasion, swarming down with their armies on the mountains of Israel from the North.

North of the mountains of Israel today sits the highly destabilized nation of Syria, whose rag-tag army frequently chants threats against the Jewish State.

Earlier this month, the Syrian Arab Army in Damascus was filmed shouting, “A storm has risen! Rain down destruction in the heat of battle! Coming for you, Jew, I am coming at you like a mountain of fire! Making ammunition for you out of my own body! Making rivers out of your blood! Allahu Akbar!”

Syria’s capital is also prophetically significant. In Isaiah 17:1, we read of an unknown future event that will render Damascus an uninhabitable “ruinous heap.” Though it is not stated how this destruction will take place, Syria remains an important nation to watch closely.

As the situation around the nation of Israel becomes increasingly volatile, we may not know what shifts, escalations, or rhetoric will emerge in the coming days and months. What we do know is that prophesied events will take place in the future, precisely as the Bible detailed—and the survival of Israel is not in question.

None of the schemes to annihilate Israel from her many enemies will come to fruition. Even when the Jewish State is unable to adequately defend itself militarily, as detailed in Ezekiel 38-39, God Himself will directly intervene to ensure Israel’s protection for all to see. Turkey may call on the false god of Islam to assist in the invasion and destruction of the so-called “Promised Land delusion”; in doing so, like the prophets of Baal in the time of Elijah, the unwitting result will be the glorification of the God of Israel, in a miraculous demonstration of almighty power.

China’s Xi says Palestinian issue at heart of Middle East affairs

China’s Xi says Palestinian issue at heart of Middle East affairs

REUTERS

Chinese President Xi Jinping told Jordan’s King Abdullah that the Palestinians “are a core issue for the Middle East” in a meeting in Beijing, Chinese state radio says.

Xi called for a political solution, the resumption of peace talks between the Palestinians and Israel and for the swift “realization of Palestine’s… establishment as an independent state,” according to an official summary of the meeting broadcast on state radio.

Interior Department Approves Colorado River Water Reductions In 3 States

Interior Department Approves Colorado River Water Reductions In 3 States

Jacki Thrapp

The Department of the Interior will cut the amount of water it allocates through the Colorado River to Arizona, Nevada, and California in 2027 and 2028.

The cuts were signed off by Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum on Aug. 21 as part of the department's 2027-2028 Operating Guidelines for the Colorado River, which provides water to over 40 million people, generates hydropower for seven states, and is a vital resource for 30 tribes and two Mexican states.

The Colorado River Basin is experiencing historically low runoff and reservoir levels amid a 26-year drought, which worsened recently after the winter of 2025-2026 resulted in the lowest observed snowpack on record.

The cuts were not a surprise to Arizona, Nevada, and California, as they pitched a temporary, two-year agreement to the Assistant Secretary of Water and Science in May in an effort to address the "deteriorating hydrologic conditions in the Colorado River system."

The Lower Basin states will see water deliveries reduced by a total of 1.25 million acre-feet annually in both 2027 and 2028, with Arizona taking a reduction of 760,000 acre-feet, California 440,000 acre-feet, and Nevada 50,000 acre-feet, according to the Interior Department press release.

The plan will see the Lower Basin states face a 21 percent reduction in water from the river in 2027 and 2028, with deeper cuts later.

But a trio of states warned that if water cuts double after 2028, it would devastate their economies.

"The combined contents of Lake Powell and Lake Mead have not been this low since before Lake Powell began filling following the closure of the gates at Glen Canyon Dam in 1963, with both Lake Powell and Lake Mead hitting record lows the last few weeks," the press release said.

The department suggested the plan will continue allowing reliable operations and water deliveries while "preserving the flexibility necessary to respond to Basin states' voluntary actions, consensus recommendations and the continued prolonged drought," the release said.

"Forty million people, millions of acres of farmland and ranchland, industries that power the American West, and some of our nation's fastest growing metropolitan areas depend on the Colorado River," Burgum said.

“Perfect Storm” For Global Food Production Decreases

3 Critical Factors That Will Lead To Reduced Food Production For The Rest Of 2026 And The Entire Year Of 2027

Michael Snyder

Global hunger was already soaring as we entered 2026, and now it appears that we have a historic crisis on our hands. The war with Iran has significantly restricted the flow of fertilizer out of the Middle East, and even the UN is admitting that this will make global food supplies much tighter in the months ahead. Meanwhile, the war in Eastern Europe has greatly escalated and that has resulted in severely reduced wheat exports from Ukraine. On top of everything else, it is being projected that the strongest Super El Niño in recorded history will peak later this year, and as a result crazy weather patterns will continue to hammer crops all over the planet. At this stage, no rational person can deny what we are witnessing.

Experts are warning that this upcoming fall harvest season will be a real turning point.

Agriculture analyst Noel Fryer recently explained to CNBC why we are facing a “perfect storm” for global food production…

“A lot of things will come together to seriously affect crops next year,” Fryer said on Thursday.

“We’ve had crops decimated by weather in Europe and the U.S. A searingly hot summer in Europe has eroded grazing potential, with no hay and grass for cattle. A possible result of that is significant herd liquidation,” he said.

“We’ve got no end in sight to the Black Sea problem. The issue with fertilizer since the start of the Iran conflict is still there and if anything getting worse. U.S. corn yields look concerning after a wet spring and less fertilizer use, and could push prices up.”

We have never been through anything quite like this.

Everyone assumed that commercial traffic would always be able to flow freely through the Strait of Hormuz, but now everything has changed.

Much of the fertilizer that normally comes out of the Persian Gulf didn’t get to farmers in the northern hemisphere this year, and as a result the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations is projecting that there will be a substantial tightening of global food supplies following the coming harvest season…

The Director-General of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), QU Dongyu, emphasized today that the global fertilizer scarcity caused by disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz will lead to lower yields and tightening food supplies in the latter half of 2026 and into 2027. He spoke at the Ministerial Meeting of the MED9++ Countries on “Supporting Food Security and Access to Fertilizers” co-chaired by FAO, Italy and Croatia.

Addressing ministers and senior representatives gathered in Rome, the Director-General stressed that the current crisis extends far beyond geopolitics, increasingly affecting food production, trade, agricultural inputs and access to food worldwide.

“We meet at a moment of profound strain,” the Director-General said. “This is not only a geopolitical crisis, but also a disruption at the core of the global agrifood system.”

So what will 2027 be like?

In addition to facing a global fertilizer crisis, the rapidly escalating war in Eastern Europe has severely disrupted Ukrainian grain exports…

Recent military strikes on grain export facilities, oil tankers and vessels in the Black Sea region have now made it too challenging for shipping firms to get insurance, meaning many are avoiding its ports. Alternative land routes for Ukrainian grain are also being stymied by low water levels on the Danube river, and by rail maintenance in Eastern Europe.

Separately, Bloomberg pointed out that Russian attacks on Odesa have nearly halted Ukraine’s grain exports this peak harvest season. Total grain shipments from Ukraine have amounted to about 500,000 tons since the start of August, equivalent to roughly 20% of the country’s potential exports. The Greater Odesa ports normally handle about 90% of Ukraine’s grain shipments.

Meanwhile, the wheat harvest in the United States is going to be very disappointing this year.

According to Newsweek, it is being estimated that the U.S. will “harvest its lowest acreage of wheat since 1877″…

America is expected to harvest its lowest acreage of wheat since 1877, due to drought, scorched crops, high input costs and uncertainty in export markets.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service released estimates on June 30 that the total area of all wheat planted was 42.7 million acres in 2026, down six percent from the previous year. This was also 1 million acres below the agency’s March forecasts.

The harvested area of all wheat for 2026 is forecasted to be around 32 million acres, which would be the lowest level in about a century and a half, according to USDA data.

It’s a perfect storm of terrible conditions for wheat farmers this year. Drought, dramatic swings in temperature, the skyrocketing price of fertilizer and diesel, plus multiple viruses affecting wheat have all led to one of the most challenging years for farmers in decades.

The outlook for the months ahead is not promising at all because we haven’t even reached the peak of the Super El Niño yet.

According to CNN, the latest forecast from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says that there is almost a 70 percent chance that this Super El Niño will be the strongest Super El Niño in recorded history…

One prominent climate scientist named Daniel Swain is openly admitting that we are “already at record-breaking or record-tying territory now”…

“This is a genuinely remarkable event,” said University of California climate scientist Daniel Swain in a YouTube briefing on El Niño broadcast this week.

“We’re already at record-breaking or record-tying territory now, and we’re expected to skyrocket,” he said. 

Uncontained brush fire in Nevada triggered by human activity; inferno grows to 13K acres

Uncontained brush fire in Nevada triggered by human activity; inferno grows to 13K acres

Stephen Sorace

The fast-moving brush fire that has scorched more than 13,000 acres outside Reno, Nevada, since erupting Saturday was caused by human activity, authorities said.

Firefighters have yet to contain any part of the blaze, which is threatening roughly 1,000 homes and has prompted evacuations for roughly 42,000 residents.

Nevada Gov. Joe Lombardo declared a state of emergency for Washoe County as the Hawk Fire grew quickly throughout the day. Strong, gusty winds, low humidity and dry vegetation helped fuel the flames, according to the Truckee Meadows Fire Protection District.

About 400 firefighters and other personnel from local, state and federal agencies were working the fire Saturday night, both on the ground and from the air. Three helicopters were set to fly overnight as crews worked to protect homes and other property.

"The Hawk Fire is a very dynamic incident for us as it's being driven by the winds," Truckee Meadows Fire and Rescue Chief Richard Edwards said in a video posted to social media.

"The wind-driven fires move very rapidly into our residential areas, creating a lot of challenges for our firefighters to save homes and protect lives," Edwards added.

Officials ordered new evacuations for the Somersett community, including areas north of Somersett Parkway to Robb Drive, as well as neighborhoods north of West 7th Street to North McCarran Boulevard.

About 1,000 homes were also in a "Warning — GET SET" zone, with residents told to be ready to leave.

Reno Mayor Hillary Schieve urged anyone ordered to evacuate not to wait, saying the fire had already damaged structures.

Lombardo also said the fire was threatening homes and other structures.

"This is an active and rapidly evolving situation, and I urge everyone in the affected areas to remain vigilant and follow the direction of local officials," the governor said in a statement.

Trump's economic playbook to cripple ayatollah regime

Trump's economic playbook to cripple ayatollah regime

Danny Zaken

The Trump administration is poised to announce a sweeping new wave of sanctions against Iran on Monday, introducing measures with a scope and intensity never seen before. The primary objective is to threaten any nation that conducts business with Iran across virtually any sector, expanding the net far beyond the traditional targets of oil, refined petroleum products, and weaponry. This aggressive maneuver serves as a stark American warning to any entity attempting to trade with Iran, aiming to cut the Islamic Republic off from global commerce almost entirely.

President Donald Trump has embraced economic warfare as his weapon of choice against Tehran, with the explicitly stated goal of bringing the regime to its knees until it accepts US conditions for ending the conflict. The overarching strategic aim is to cripple the regime to a point of critical weakness – potentially paving the way for its collapse – as Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has explicitly outlined. The administration intends to achieve this by depleting Iran's resources and igniting domestic economic chaos that could spark widespread civil unrest.

Israel Hayom has learned the impending sanctions will tighten the naval blockade to its maximum limit. The measures will aggressively expand restrictions on oil exports and the companies facilitating them, while also targeting new commercial sectors and financial networks. Among the planned moves is a long-term strategy by the US Navy to establish total control over the Strait of Hormuz, ensuring the blockade remains impenetrable.

Furthermore, the US is expected to unleash dramatic secondary sanctions against companies and nations that trade with Iran across a vast array of products and industries, with exemptions limited strictly to humanitarian goods like food and medicine. This poses a severe risk of sweeping penalties for numerous businesses in Pakistan, China, Turkey, Russia, and beyond, simply for maintaining commercial ties with Tehran.

While state actors like China and Russia may publicly shrug off the sanctions, their corporate entities that rely on business relations with the West and the US will likely tread carefully. Many may even opt to sever trade ties with the Islamist regime altogether to protect their global interests.

Simultaneously, the US Treasury Department has drastically ramped up efforts to trace, freeze, and confiscate Iranian financial assets, whether hidden in traditional banking institutions or the digital crypto space. According to intelligence estimates, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (Iran's primary military force) has funneled a substantial portion of its wealth into cryptocurrencies in a desperate bid to sustain international trade, evade surveillance, and prevent asset freezes.

The Treasury Department task force spearheading this effort has already identified numerous digital wallets, successfully seizing some while actively pursuing others. The primary target is the IRGC's colossal economic conglomerate, Khatam al-Anbiya (the IRGC's engineering and construction firm), which dominates nearly half of the Iranian economy. Striking this corporate behemoth directly undermines the regime's ability to survive.

Even before this new barrage of sanctions, Iran's economy is teetering on the edge of the abyss. The domestic fuel crisis deepens by the day. Despite being one of the world's top crude oil producers, Iran suffers from a severe lack of refining capacity, and its stockpiles of processed fuel for transportation and power generation are rapidly dwindling. Private vehicle owners are now restricted to a meager monthly quota of just 60 liters (15.8 gallons), and anyone seeking an additional liter (0.26 gallons) is forced to pay exponentially higher prices.

This localized crisis could be the spark that ignites broader chaos. A strike by truck drivers, joined by workers in vital industrial sectors reeling from wage cuts, could trigger a rapid descent into turmoil. Real wages have eroded so drastically that Ali Aslani, a senior leader in Iran's workers' councils, estimates an average Iranian worker's monthly salary now covers only 10 to 15 days of basic living expenses.

The financial reality is grim. A new worker earns roughly 21.8 million tomans (slightly more than $100) per month, yet urban rent can easily hit 28 million tomans (approximately $128). The basic cost of living for a family of four in a major city is estimated at 80 to 90 million tomans ($366 to $412), meaning the average household income barely covers half of what is needed to survive.

The governor of the Central Bank of Iran has openly expressed fears of a total economic collapse, while Davood Ranghi, vice chairman of the Iran Chamber of Commerce, warned the nation's stockpile of essential goods will run out in less than three months. Iran, he stressed, remains highly vulnerable due to its heavy reliance on imported food staples like wheat and corn.

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Bessent warns: 'Endgame' with Iran is near

Elad Benari

US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday that Washington is approaching the “endgame" in its confrontation with Iran, following what he described as the destruction of much of Tehran's military capabilities.

“President Trump has dismantled Iran’s military capabilities, destroyed nearly 100 percent of its military factories, and buried its nuclear program," Bessent wrote on social media.

“We are now entering the endgame. At dawn begins an economic D-Day - the single greatest financial offensive ever marshaled against an adversary," he added.

Bessent argued that the Trump administration had fundamentally changed the balance of pressure between Washington and Tehran.

“The Islamic Republic has subsisted by dressing extortion as security guarantees. It has drawn strength from a calculus that regards Iranian retaliation as certain and American enforcement as negotiable. Under President Trump, that era is over. And those who fear the danger of defying Tehran ought not to discount the cost of testing Washington," warned Bessent.

He said Trump had also laid the groundwork for an expansive campaign targeting Iran's remaining economic lifelines.

The Treasury Secretary further stated that Trump “has created the conditions to leverage every agency, every authority and action many assumed we would never summon. Our objective is to sever every economic lifeline that sustains the tyrannical regime until Tehran stands alone."

"Watch this space for more announcements coming next week because we are going to apply measures like have never been seen in the history of economic isolation on a country," Bessent told Newsmax.

"It will be a combination of economic isolation like the world has never seen before, and the continued blockade in the Strait of Hormuz that will keep anything from going in or out of the Iranian ports," he added.

New UN Secretary General Selection Process is Underway

New UN Secretary General Selection Process is Underway

Joseph A. Klein,

The United Nations Security Council’s fifteen members participated in the second straw poll on August 21st to select a candidate to recommend to the General Assembly as the next UN Secretary General. He or she will succeed Antonio Guterres, whose term ends on December 31, 2026. No final selection has been made yet. At least nine votes are required for final approval of a candidate with no vote of disapproval by any of the five permanent members of the Security Council including the United States.

The straw polls are held behind closed doors. The process is opaque. There is no official record of the results. The ballots, which give the members the option of choosing “encouraged,” “discouraged,” or “no opinion expressed,” are shredded following the end of each straw poll. However, it has been reported that Carolyn Rodrigues Birkett, who was nominated by Guyana on June 15th, is in the lead so far. She is currently the Permanent Representative of Guyana to the UN and had previously served as Guyana’s foreign minister. Ms. Birkett’s vision statement is full of generalities, but we know from prior statements of hers to the Security Council regarding the Middle East that she is anti-Israel. On one occasion, in 2024, she accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza.

The other current candidates for the highest-level UN position are:

• Ivonne A-Baki (Ecuador), who was nominated by Tonga on August 17th;

• Michelle Bachelet Jeria (Chile), who was nominated by Brazil, Chile, and Mexico on February 2nd, with Chile withdrawing its nomination on March 24th;

• María Fernanda Espinosa Garcés (Ecuador), who was nominated by Antigua and Barbuda on May 11th;

• Rafael Mariano Grossi (Argentina), who was nominated by Argentina on November 26, 2025;

• Rebeca Grynspan Mayufis (Costa Rica), who was nominated by Costa Rica on March 3rd;

• Olara Otunnu (Uganda), who was nominated by Uganda on July 24th; and

• Macky Sall (Senegal), who was nominated by Burundi on March 2nd.

The candidates have held interactive dialogues with the UN General Assembly and informal dialogues with the Security Council. One of the candidates, however--Olara Otunnu --participated in the dialogues only after having appeared on the Security Council ballot in the first straw poll, which drew criticism for violating precedent.

United Nations General Assembly President, Annalena Baerbock of Germany, was among the critics. She signed a letter to the Security Council last month that encouraged “the Security Council to include in its process of consideration of candidacies only those candidates who have already been heard by the General Assembly in an interactive dialogue.” In a follow-up letter, she wrote that “I reiterate the expectation of the wider membership that any candidate should first be heard by the General Assembly in an interactive dialogue before being considered by the Security Council in its straw polls.” The Security Council disregarded her objection and proceeded with its straw polls.

Ms. Baerbock had overstepped her authority by interfering in the Security Council’s selection process. In an address to the Security Council on August 19th, Jennifer Locetta, the U.S. alternative representative for special political affairs at the United Nations, chastised Ms. Baerbock for “overreach and irresponsible actions.”

That said, much more than proper procedure is at stake in the Secretary General selection process. The Trump administration must say no to any candidate with a socialist record, who espouses globalist governance and anti-Americanism, or who evidences anti-Israel bias such as Ms. Birkett did when she accused Israel of genocide.

Israel's Ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said Friday that the selection would be "a test for the future of the United Nations," adding that "The next Secretary-General must restore the credibility the UN has lost, not perpetuate the failures that brought it to this point."