economics

Bovard: Trump’s Iran Bombing Is The Latest In Presidential Absolutism

Authored by Jim Bovard

Does President Trump have any legal basis for his foreign policy actions aside from his personal entitlement to absolute power? Presidents have been scorning congressional leashes on their foreign interventions since at least the Korean War. But Trump’s erratic behavior and fevered comments almost make President Richard Nixon look mild-mannered.

Democratic members of Congress and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) are pushing for a vote on a War Powers Act resolution to put a leash on Trump. But in the same way that President George W. Bush found lawyers that assured him the president was authorized to order torture, so Trump supporters are denying the validity of any law restricting the White House’s warring. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) declared on Tuesday: “Many respected constitutional experts argue that the War Powers Act is itself unconstitutional. I’m persuaded by that argument. They think it’s a violation of the Article 2 powers of the commander in chief.” Johnson is blocking any vote in the House of Representatives on that resolution.

Some Trump apologists are claiming that the 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF), enacted in response to the 9/11 attacks, provides all the legal justification that Trump needed. Since President George W. Bush listed Iran as part of the “axis of evil” in his 2002 State of the Union address, that entitles subsequent presidents to scourge Iran forever. There was no justification for putting Iran in that 2002 trifecta, but lack of evidence rarely impedes presidential prattle.

Besides, the AUMF seems as archaic nowadays as a balanced budget amendment. In the same way that congressmen can perpetuate deficit spending by promising decades hence to balance the budget, so the AUMF allows politicians to perpetually pummel any group or nation accused of wrongdoing.

Trump appears to be claiming unlimited power to intervene abroad. In February, Trump posted on Truth Social a saying attributed to Napoleon: “He who saves his country does not violate any law.” Sounding like he was entitled to rule the world, Trump proclaimed in February: “We’ll own Gaza.” Trump signaled support for forcibly expelling more than a million Palestinian refugees in order to create “a Riviera of the Middle East.” In 2023, he boasted to Jewish donors that “I gave you Golan Heights,” signaling his prerogative to dispose of Syrian territory and redraw national boundaries as he pleased.

Trump’s pattern of issuing sweeping demands is driving his response to the Israel–Iran clash. Trump demanded “unconditional surrender” from Iran, as if he were General Ulysses S. Grant in 1862 waiting outside a fort commanded by a dimwitted Confederate general. Trump decreed that Iran must completely end all its efforts to enrich uranium, regardless of prior international approval and the lack of evidence for an active weapons program. At one point, Trump ominously warned Tehran’s 10 million residents to “immediately evacuate”—though he didn’t specify any locale where they would be safe from Israeli bombing. Perhaps Trump’s most bizarre utterance was his Truth Social post Saturday night. After announcing that the U.S. had bombed three sites in Iran, Trump concluded, “NOW…

GOP’s Thom Tillis Rage-Quits Senate, Will Not Seek Re-Election Amid ‘Political Theatre’ And ‘Hypocrisy’

Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) announced on Sunday that he will not seek re-election, just one day after voting “no” on a procedural vote to advance President Donald Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ – for which Trump attacked Tillis in a series of posts on Truth Social. 

“In Washington over the last few years, it’s become increasingly evident that leaders who are willing to embrace bipartisanship, compromise, and demonstrate independent thinking are becoming an endangered species,” Tillis said in a statement, adding “It underscores the greatest form of hypocrisy in American politics. When people see independent thinking on the other side, they cheer. But when those very same people see independent thinking coming from their side, they scorn, ostracize, and even censure.”

“As many of my colleagues have noticed over the last year, and at times even joked about, I haven’t exactly been excited about running for another term. That is true since the choice is between spending another six years navigating the political theatre and partisan gridlock in Washington or spending that time with the love of my life Susan, our two children, three beautiful grandchildren, and the rest of our extended family back home. It’s not a hard choice, and I will not be seeking re-election.”

Tillis’ decision creates a political opportunity for Democrats, as it now means a wide-open Senate race in a state that has long been a contested battleground. 

In several posts to Truth Social, Trump slammed Tilis for being one of two GOP senators who voted against the bill – accusing him of seeking publicity with his “no” vote, and threatening to launch a campaign against him. 

“Tillis is a talker and complainer, NOT A DOER,” Trump wrote. 

Tyler Durden
Sun, 06/29/2025 – 16:55…

Mapping The World’s Wealthiest Cities

Where do the world’s wealthiest live? Globally, the millionaire population is clustered in urban centers that offer business-friendly environments and attractive lifestyles. 

In this Markets in a Minute graphic, via Visual Capitalist’s Jenna Ross, created in partnership with Terzo, we highlight the cities with the most millionaires.

Tracking the Millionaire Hotspots

Henley & Partners, the source of our data, defines a millionaire as someone with liquid investable assets exceeding $1 million, excluding real estate.

The U.S. dominates the list, taking up seven slots or nearly 30% of the top 25 cities.

Rank
City/Area
Country/Region
Number of Millionaires
1
New York City
🇺🇸 U.S.
384,500
2
The Bay Area
🇺🇸 U.S.
342,400
3
Tokyo
🇯🇵 Japan
292,300
4
Singapore
🇸🇬 Singapore
242,400
5
Los Angeles
🇺🇸 U.S.
220,600
6
London
🇬🇧 UK
215,700
7
Paris
🇫🇷 France
160,100
8
Hong Kong
🇭🇰 Hong Kong
154,900
9
Sydney
🇦🇺 Australia
152,900
10
Chicago
🇺🇸 U.S.
127,100
11
Milan
🇮🇹 Italy
115,000
12
Beijing
🇨🇳 China
114,300
13
Osaka–Kyoto–Kobe
🇯🇵 Japan
112,200
14
Shanghai
🇨🇳 China
110,500
15
Toronto
🇨🇦 Canada
108,400
16
Melbourne
🇦🇺 Australia
94,000
17
Houston
🇺🇸 U.S.
81,800
18
Dubai
🇦🇪 UAE
81,200
19
Frankfurt
🇩🇪 Germany
80,300
20
Zurich
🇨🇭 Switzerland
77,800
21
Dallas
🇺🇸 U.S.
72,400
22
Geneva
🇨🇭 Switzerland
70,200
23
Munich
🇩🇪 Germany
69,800
24
Seoul
🇰🇷 South Korea
66,000
25
Seattle
🇺🇸 U.S.
53,100
Data as of December 2024 and figures rounded to the nearest 100.

America’s three most populous cities—New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago—are all within the top 10 spots. In New York City, one in every 22 residents is a millionaire.

The Bay Area, which includes San Francisco and Silicon Valley, comes in at second place. In the last 10 years, the number of millionaires has nearly doubled. The Bay Area is fertile ground for wealth given its status as the world’s top startup capital, commanding nearly two-thirds of global venture funding.

Wealth Hubs in Asia and Europe

Tokyo has the most millionaires in Asia. Home to companies like Sony, Toyota, and MUFG, the city has a strong mix of technology, manufacturing, and finance. 

Singapore follows closely behind in the fourth spot. The island nation offers three options for investors to gain permanent residency in exchange for making a significant financial investment in Singapore. These “residence by investment” programs are a strong attractor for wealthy individuals, and are a feature of seven of the 10 wealthiest cities in this ranking. 

In Europe, London has the most millionaires. However, London is the only city in the top 25 to see a decline in millionaires over the last decade. The outflow of wealthy people is due to a number of factors, including high taxes, the growing dominance of the U.S. and Asia in tech, and the declining importance of the London Stock Exchange.

Tyler Durden
Sun, 06/29/2025 – 07:35…

Senate Advances Trump Tax & Spending Bill In Saturday Night Vote

Update (2335ET): Senate Republicans narrowly advanced President Trump’s tax and spending package, as GOP lawmakers in both chambers are hoping to pass the legislation by the 4th of July. Now that the bill has advanced, it will be followed by a Democrat-demand to read the entire 1,000-page bill on the floor (total children) before a maximum 20 hours of debate on the legislation and a multi-hour vote-o-rama, putting it on course for final passage from Sunday into Monday.
Senate Majority Leader John Thune (AP)

Two Republicans voted against the bill; Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) – who opposed raising the debt ceiling by $5 trillion, and Thom Tillis (R-NC), who says the ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ could cost his state heavily when it comes to Medicaid funding.

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI) flipped his vote from “no” to “aye,” while Sens. Mike Lee (UT), Rick Scott (FL) and Cynthia Lummis (WY) also voted yes. 

There was drama into the home stretch… less than an hour after the vote opened up, Sens. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Lee, and Scott, hadn’t made an appearance on the Senate floor. Paul and Tillis had previously announced that they would oppose the motion to proceed, and could not support the bill in its current form. 

When Murkowski finally sauntered onto the floor, Thune quickly approached her along with Sens. Barrasso, Graham, and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-ID), who peppered her with demands – as one does when it comes to Lisa Murkowski…

*  *  *

Update (1718ET): Elon Musk has weighed in on the Senate’s latest iteration of President Trump’s tax and spending bill, calling it “utterly insane and destructive,” and that it will “destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country!”

The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country!
Utterly insane and destructive. It gives handouts to industries of the past while severely damaging industries of the future. https://t.co/TZ9w1g7zHF
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 28, 2025
Musk also called it ‘political suicide.’

Polls show that this bill is political suicide for the Republican Party pic.twitter.com/HJwKZ9g4tu
— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 28, 2025
Meanwhile, Senate Republicans are marching toward an initial vote Saturday afternoon despite several GOP Senators expressing grave concerns. 

Both Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Thom Tillis (North Carolina) are either “leaning against” or “no” on final passage. According to Politico, Trump “has personally reached out to Tillis to try to work him on the bill.”

If at least two other Republicans join Tillis to oppose the procedural vote Saturday afternoon, Senate leadership would have to rely on Vice President JD Vance to break a tie to move forward to debate the bill. Sens. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Tim Sheehy (R-Mont.) all have concerns that could drive them to vote against moving forward.

Johnson and Paul, who have been vocally opposed to the bill because of its impact on the national debt, met with the president on Saturday shortly before the vote, according to Lee.

According to Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK), “We…

Trump Says He Will Only Appoint Fed Chair Who Wants To Cut Interest Rates

Authored by Aldgra Fredly via The Epoch Times,

President Donald Trump said on Friday that he may appoint someone who is more inclined to lower interest rates to succeed Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.

“If I think somebody’s going to keep the rates where they are or whatever, I’m not going to put them in. I’m going to put somebody that wants to cut rates,” Trump told reporters at the Oval Office.

Trump criticized Powell for not lowering interest rates and said that he would “love” the head of the U.S. Federal Reserve to step down if Powell chooses to do so.

The president suggested lowering rates to 1 percent, although he believes cutting interest rates by two percentage points would save the country “more than $600 billion” annually.

“I think we should be paying 1 percent right now,” he said.

The Fed decided last week to keep its benchmark policy rate unchanged at 4.25 to 4.50 percent.

Powell, whose term is set to expire in May next year, has held off on cutting interest rates, citing the need for more clarity on the possible course of the economy following the administration’s policy changes.

During his semi-annual monetary policy report to Congress on June 24, he told lawmakers that the central bank is waiting to determine if Trump’s global tariffs will result in consumer inflation.

While data over the last three months indicate that price pressures have yet to materialize, Powell said that any tariff-related inflation could appear in the June or July data.

“As we go through the summer, we should start seeing this,” he said. “If we don’t, I think we’re perfectly open to the idea that the pass-through will be less than we think.”

Powell stated that the central bank may begin cutting interest rates if it observes that inflation pressures remain contained.

Trump said on Friday that lowering interest rates now could save the country “hundreds of billions of dollars.” He suggested that the Fed could raise rates later if inflation begins to increase.

“If you were there, you’d say … the United States is doing well, there is no inflation. And if they do get inflation in a year or two, we’ll start raising the rates,” he stated.

Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One earlier this month that he would decide on Powell’s successor “very soon.”

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a CNBC interview on June 27 that there is a possibility that someone could be nominated to succeed Powell between October and November.

When asked if he might become the next Fed chair, Bessent said he “will do what the president wants,” but indicated that he would prefer to stay in his current role.

Tyler Durden
Sat, 06/28/2025 – 17:30…

Pulitzer Winning Washington Post Journalist Busted For Child Porn

A Pulitzer-Prize winning Washington Post journalist was arrested and charged with possession of child porn, DC US Attorney Jeanine Pirro announced Friday. 
Photo: Facebook/Tom LeGro @tom.legro

Thomas Pham LeGro, 48, was arrested on Thursday after FBI agents discovered 11 videos of child sexual abuse material on his work laptop during a raid, Pirro’s office says, adding that they also found fractured pieces of a hard drive in his hallway, and seized several electronic devices.

After examining LeGro’s work laptop, the FBI says it found a “folder that contained 11 videos depicting child sexual abuse material.”

Award-Winning Journalist Arrested and Charged with Possession of Child Pornography
🔗https://t.co/fLjXZGyCO2@USAttyPirro @FBIWFO pic.twitter.com/jYz4IRjc4z
— U.S. Attorney DC (@USAO_DC) June 27, 2025

LeGro, a veteran journalist who worked at WaPo for 18 years, made his first appearance in District Court of Washington DC on Friday, and has a detention hearing scheduled for next Wednesday, the NY Post reports. He faces a maximum of 20 years in prison if convicted.

A heavily redacted FBI affidavit against LeGro claims the reporter was linked to multiple E-Gold accounts in 2005 and 2006.  

E-Gold was a digital payment service that ceased operations after the feds accused the company in 2007 of laundering money for child pornographers.

The affidavit notes that the FBI received court approval to monitor LeGro’s internet account in May. -NY Post

LeGro worked for the Post’s sports department between 2000-2006, left to work as a reporter and producer for “PBS NewsHour”, and then returned to WaPo in 2013. At WaPo, he was part of a team of reporters who won a Pulitzer Prize in 2017 for coverage of former Alabama Republican Senate candidate Roy Moore – who was the victim of a disinformation campaign funded by LinkedIn founder Reid Hoffman.

The Post was threatened by Moore with a lawsuit after the outlet claimed that he romantically pursued a 14-year-old girl when he was in his 30s – an allegation he vehemently denied. 

According to the NY Post, LeGro has been placed on leave. 

Tyler Durden
Sat, 06/28/2025 – 00:32…

US Reluctant To Drop Its “Economic Bunker Buster” On China, India, & Russia

Authored by Andrew Korybko via Substack,

It’s unrealistic to expect the US to maintain 500% tariffs on China and India for their purchase of Russian oil, which would also ruin its trade talks with them and derail the Ukrainian peace process…

Senator Lindsey Graham recently said that his bill to impose 500% tariffs on every country that imports Russian resources is “an economic bunker buster against China, India, and Russia”, yet for all his tough talk, the US is still reluctant to drop it. The Wall Street Journal reported that the Trump Administration is “quietly pressuring” the Senate to water down the legislation by “turn[ing] the word ‘shall’ into ‘may’ wherever it appears in the bill’s text, removing the mandatory nature of the prescribed reprimands”.

Their report was lent credence by Graham himself proposing an exemption for countries that aid Ukraine, thus averting an unprecedented US-EU trade war in the event that his bill passes into law. Trump’s remark to Politico in mid-June about how “sanctions cost us a lot of money” suggests that he’s not interested in going this route, with Secretary of State Marco Rubio later telling them that sanctions could derail the Ukrainian peace process, though he also didn’t rule them out in the future.

These are sensible explanations for the US’ reluctance to drop its “economic bunker buster” on Russia but they don’t account for its reluctance to drop it on China and India, which have served as invaluable valves for Russia from the West’s sanctions pressure due to their large-scale import of its oil. Graham expects that they’ll cut off their purchases if the US threatens them with 500% tariffs but they’re unlikely to comply since they know that the US would also harm its own economy through these means.

Not only that, but the trade deal that US and China recently agreed to would be jeopardized, as would the ongoing talks with India over a similar such agreement. Trump is pleased with both and doesn’t want to rock the boat right now. While he might revert back to his previous tariff pressure if things don’t go his way, he could just unilaterally impose more tariffs against either in that scenario, and they probably wouldn’t be anywhere near the counterproductive level that Graham’s legislation demands.

Seeing as how “The US Is Once Again Trying To Subordinate India”, which is part of his administration’s efforts to reshape South Asian geopolitics, he’s more prone to imposing higher tariffs against it instead of China but it’s premature to predict that he ultimately will. In any case, the pretext probably wouldn’t be energy-related given that he just surprisingly posted that “China can continue to purchase Oil from Iran” in spite of early February’s Executive Order that explicitly aims to “drive Iran’s export of oil to zero”.

It would therefore be utterly bizarre for Trump to impose tariffs of any level on India or whoever else for purchasing Russian resources when he now no longer cares about the US’ systemic rival China purchasing oil from none other than Iran, which…

“Time To Leave NYC”: Kyle Bass Urges Dan Loeb To “Embrace Your Inner Texas” After Mamdani’s Socialist Shockwave

Far-left socialist and foreign-born Muslim Zohran Mamdani’s surprise primary victory over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the NYC mayoral race has sent shockwaves through the business community. Even more unsettling for pro-business leaders is the realization that a growing segment of voters in the sanctuary city appears completely detached from basic economic math—a symptom of a failed progressive-dominated education system that has glorified socialism while vilifying capitalism. 

Earlier this week, Dan Loeb, chief executive of hedge fund Third Point and a major Cuomo backer, put it best: “It’s officially hot commie summer.” Loeb was referring to Mamdani’s victory over Cuomo in the mayoral primary.

It’s officially hot commie summer.
— Daniel S. Loeb (@DanielSLoeb1) June 25, 2025
“The irony is that socialist policies that lead to hoarding of available housing and stifles investment in new housing leads to high housing costs; other well-intentioned anti-market attempts at wage control, excess regulation, a bloated government bureaucracy and confiscatory taxes cause this,” Loeb wrote on X earlier.

The irony is that socialist policies that lead to hoarding of available housing and stifles investment in new housing leads to high housing costs; other well-intentioned anti-market attempts at wage control, excess regulation, a bloated government bureaucracy and confiscatory…
— Daniel S. Loeb (@DanielSLoeb1) June 27, 2025
Loeb’s X post cited a Wall Street Journal article explaining that Mamdani’s rise to fame was fueled by young, white, college-educated New Yorkers who are increasingly frustrated by out-of-control living costs in the progressive city.

The CEO of Third Point emphasized: “Doubling down will not solve any of these problems while they may drive out the city’s tax base.”

Mamdani’s appeal among young, woke voters centers on his socialist agenda, including rent freezes, city-owned grocery stores, and free bus rides.

Young socialists go wild while celebrating Zohran Mamdani winning the NYC Mayoral Democratic Primary.pic.twitter.com/xD7eaE6U5b
— Oli London (@OliLondonTV) June 25, 2025
Mamdani’s supporters might want to revisit their college gender studies microeconomics textbooks and relearn that rent control suppresses the construction of new apartments by distorting the economic incentives for developers and investors.

Landlords, such as Danny Fishman, CEO of real estate investment firm Gaia Real Estate, told the Wall Street Journal that the Mamdani administration “would be the death penalty for the city.”

Fishman said a socialist in NYC City Hall “would be the best thing to happen to Miami and Palm Beach since Covid.”

“We’ve got to do something,” said Greg Kraut, chief executive of New York office landlord KPG Funds.

Kraut plans to set up meetings with Adams and the Republican Party to find “another viable path” instead of Mamdani.

“You’re going to see a ton of money coming into the race from all levels literally against this one person,” said Kraut.

Earlier this week, Goldman’s trading desk noted that its NYC Office REITs basket tumbled on the prospect of Mamdani winning. Their analysts said the “big focus is on the back of Mayoral Candidate Zohran Mamdani winning last night. Lot of inbounds on what this potential administration means for NYC exposed…

What Types Of Jobs Will Survive The AI Revolution?

Authroed by Javier Simon via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

As artificial intelligence (AI) spreads its tentacles into industries throughout the globe, many wonder whether their jobs are on the chopping block. And it’s not surprising.
A photographer takes a picture of AI robots at an AI summit in Geneva, Switzerland, on July 7, 2023. Fabrice Coffrini/AFP via Getty Images

Today, it seems like you can do anything with AI. And the world’s biggest companies are pumping billions into this emerging technology.

But despite its rapid development, AI has struggled to replicate interpersonal communication, creativity, and critical thinking. And jobs that require these skills are considered by experts to be less likely to be overtaken by AI.

“While AI can be proficient at handling logical and repetitive tasks, it cannot match the creativity and emotional intelligence inherent in humans,” Smart Forum, a digital services provider for businesses, stated in a blog post. “AI cannot replace jobs that require human intuition, empathy, ethical judgment, emotional depth and physical presence.”

So let’s take a look at some of the fields that could stand strong in the face of the AI job-eating machine.

Health Care Professionals

While AI can contribute to diagnosis and treatment, it simply can’t replace the human touch offered by experienced doctors, nurses, therapists, and psychologists.

In fact, employment of registered nurses alone is expected to grow 6 percent from 2023 to 2033, or faster than the average for all occupations, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

In addition, the BLS expects demand for health care professionals to grow because of an increase in the number of older citizens who tend to require more health care.

Overall, the future seems bright for the health care field—and even AI may not be able to keep up. Here are the median salaries for different members of the health care system, according to the BLS:

Registered Nurse: $93,600
Physicians and surgeons: $239,200
Dentist: $179,210
Physical therapist: $99,710
Occupational therapist: $98,340
Skilled Trades

Can AI swing a hammer? No, thankfully. Skilled laborers like construction workers, electricians, plumbers, and carpenters rely heavily on hands-on skills, complex problem solving, and critical thinking in real time. This is something AI struggles to mimic.

And it’s a good time for skilled tradespeople. Cities throughout the country are experiencing construction boosts, leading to a spike in demand for skilled laborers. Plus, an aging workforce is creating a hole that these people would need to fill. The job outlook for construction workers between 2023 and 2033 alone is 7 percent, faster than average, according to the BLS. Here are, according to BLS data, the median salaries for different tradespeople:

Plumber: $62,970
Electrician: $62,350
Carpenter: $59,310
Construction worker: $46,050
Educators

AI can certainly solve complex math problems and answer your questions about science, history, and much more. But an educator’s role goes beyond simply transferring knowledge.

Teachers strive to develop personal connections with their students in order to understand their unique needs and adapt their techniques accordingly. It’s a very “human” role that AI may have trouble trying to imitate. Plus, the median pay for high…

VDH: In the End, Everyone Hated The Iranian Theocracy

Authored by Victor Davis Hanson via AmericanGreatness.com,

It is hard even to digest the incredible train of events of the last few days in the Middle East.

Iran had been reduced to an anemic, performance-art missile attack on our base in Qatar—the last Parthian shot from a terrified regime, desperate for an out—and a ceasefire.

Iran would have been better off not launching such a ceremonial but ultimately humiliating proof of impotence.

Even worse for the theocracy, Iran’s temporary reprieve came from the now magnanimous but still hated Donald Trump.

So ends the creepy mystique of the supposedly indomitable terror state of Iran, the bane of the last seven American presidents over half a century.

For Supreme Leader Khamenei, it was hard to swallow that U.S. bombers got their permission to fly into Iranian airspace from the Israeli air force.

A good simile is that Trump put a pot of water on the stove, told Iran to jump in, put the lid over them, then smiled, turned up the heat—and will now let them stew.

As postbellum realities now simmer in Iran, the theocracy is left explaining the inexplicable to its humiliated military and shocked but soon-to-be-furious populace. All the regime’s blood-curdling rhetoric, apocalyptic threats against Israel, goose-stepping thugs, and shiny new missiles ended in less than nothing.

A trillion dollars and five decades’ worth of missiles and centrifuges are now up in smoke. That money might have otherwise saved Iranians from the impoverishment of the last fifty years.

How about the little Satan Israel, to which Iran for nearly 50 years promised extinction?

Israel had destroyed Iran’s expeditionary terrorists, Iran’s defenses, its nuclear viability, and the absurd mythology of Iranian military competence. And worse, Israel showed it could repeat all that destruction when and if it is necessary.

So, the most hated regime in the world crawled into the boiling pot because it looked around in vain for someone to void Trump’s ultimatum for a cease and desist.

But there were no last-minute saviors to rescue them.

The dreaded decades-long Iranian nuclear threat?

It is either gone for now, or if it resurfaces, it will be again far easier to vaporize at will than to rebuild a lost trillion-dollar investment.

Russia Its former Obama-Kerry re-invitation back into the Middle East lasted only a decade.

It will now cut its losses like it did with the vanished Assad kleptocracy in Syria. Putin exits the Middle East not entirely displeased that his lunatic Iranian client did not get a bomb—but did get its just desserts. A tense Middle East tends to prop up Russian export oil prices.

Did China come to the mullahs’ aid?

No, they were not shy about ordering their Iranian lackey to keep the Strait of Hormuz open, through which 50 percent of Chinese-purchased oil passes.

For President Xi, the Iranians are treated as little more than Uyghurs with oil.

The world decided that it was tired of a half-century of crybully terrorism, empty nuke threats, mindless mobs screaming scripted banalities, cowardly murdering, and medieval theocrats threatening the general peace.

So, the world turned…