Iran War: Trump White House at ‘Panic Stations’ over Strait of Hormuz Crisis

Mar 19, 2026 | Saudi Arabia is warning it may retaliate against Iran after fresh threats to oil and gas infrastructure as Donald Trump’s administration desperately tries to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.

With strikes hitting key energy facilities across the Gulf, this conflict is no longer just military - it’s an economic war with global consequences.

So how far could this escalate? And what does it mean for energy prices, inflation and the world economy?

On this episode of The Fourcast Matt Frei is joined by The Economists defence editor Shashank Joshi and Channel 4 News’ economics editor Helia Ebrahimi.

Iran War Energy Crisis Panics Government: ‘The Genie Is Out of the Bottle’ | Steven Swinford

Mar 19, 2026 | “The genie is out of the bottle and it’s really hard to get it back in now.”

The government is “extremely worried about the cost of living”, especially energy bills in June, as the Iran war causes “huge levels of uncertainty” for UK energy, says The Times’s political editor Steven Swinford.

The End of the Petrodollar? How Iran War Is Reshaping the Global Economy: Author Laleh Khalili

Mar 19, 2026 | Professor of Gulf studies Laleh Khalili lays out the global economic implications of the effective closing of one of the world's "major choke points for oil," the Strait of Hormuz. "It doesn't benefit the average U.S. citizen … at the gas stations, but it does benefit the oil companies," says Khalili. "The higher the price of oil goes up, the relatively cheaper it becomes to actually have sustainable alternatives. Of course, that means that it benefits China … since China is way ahead of the rest of the world in producing these technologies."

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Trump Threatens to ‘Massively Blow Up’ Major Iranian Gas Field after Strikes in Qatar | BBC News

Mar 19, 2026 | US President Donald Trump threatened to “massively blow up” a major Iranian gas field, after Iran attacked Qatar's Ras Laffan in retaliation to an Israeli attack on its South Pars gas field.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump said the US "knew nothing" of Israel's strike, and threatened an escalation if Iran attacks Qatar again.

If Iran does strike Qatar again, Trump said the US will "will massively blow up the entirety of the South Pars Gas Field at an amount of strength and power that Iran has never seen or witnessed before".

Iran's South Pars is part of the world's largest natural gas field, with both Qatar and Iran operating facilities in the area - Israel is yet to comment.

The price of gas has risen sharply in the UK and Europe following the attack on Qatar's Ras Laffan.

Cuba Abandoned by Allies as Trump Considers Takeover

Mar 17, 2026 | “They’re all hamstrung.”

Cuba’s neighbours Brazil, Mexico and Colombia, as well as it’s traditional allies in China and Russia have been quiet as the US has stopped Venezuelan oil going to Cuba, leading Trump to consider whether he could ‘take’ Cuba, says Jon Bonfiglio, Latin America correspondent.

Iran Threatens Gulf Energy Facilities after Israeli Attack on Its Largest Gasfield

THE GUARDIAN: Revolutionary Guards say they will strike infrastructure in Saudi Arabia, UAE and Qatar after South Pars field hit

Iran has threatened to attack energy infrastructure across the Gulf region in retaliation for Israeli strikes on its largest gasfield, the first targeted attacks on its fossil fuel production since the war began.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards have threatened counterstrikes on several energy facilities across Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar “in the coming hours” after state media reports that missiles had targeted its gas facilities at the giant South Pars field, the largest gas reserves in the world.

The strikes on Iran’s South Pars gasfield, which it shares with Qatar, were widely reported in Israeli media to have been carried out by Israel with the consent of the US.

The attack against the heart of Iran’s gas infrastructure marks a key escalation in US and Israeli military operations. The two countries have until now largely spared Iran’s oil and gas sector and helped to keep a lid on the global oil price surge. » | Jillian Ambrose | Wednesday, March 18, 2026

Chris Murphy Exposes Trump's Family Corruption on Prediction Markets, Introduces Bill amid Iran War

March 17, 2026

As I have said many times before, Trump has turned a once decent and admired nation into a SHITHOLE! If the powers-that-be had had the SPUNK, Trump, the Felon- and Sex Offender-in-Chief, would have been sent to prison and locked up for good! Just think of how many innocent lives would have been saved in America and around the world had someone in high office had the SPUNK, the COURAGE, to act WISELY on behalf of the NATION! Wars, chaos, corruption, and a probable impending serious downturn in the world economy could have been avoided. An old, cruel, corrupt man with galloping dementia is really NOT the right man to lead the most powerful nation on earth. When America F***S UP, the rest of the world is SCREWED! — © Mark Alexander

Iran Challenges US Dollar, Demanding Oil Be Sold in Chinese Yuan, as It Targets US Corporations

Mar 17, 2026 | In response to the US-Israeli war, Iran shut down the Strait of Hormuz, the most important oil chokepoint on Earth, causing energy prices to skyrocket.

However, Tehran is allowing Chinese tankers through, and says other ships can pass if they agree to sell oil in China's currency, the renminbi (aka yuan).

Iran is also targeting offices of major American corporations, and wants to force them out of the Middle East (West Asia), while trying to expel US military bases.

Ben Norton explains how this war affects the petrodollar system, and the dominance of the dollar as the global reserve currency.


INVESTOPEDIA: Yuan vs. Renminbi: What’s the Difference? »

Trump Says He Will Have the ‘Honor’ of ‘Taking Cuba’

THE NEW YORK TIMES: President Trump’s words came amid a nationwide blackout and as a top Cuban official said his country would move to open the economy to foreign investors.

President Trump raised the possibility of the United States “taking” Cuba on Monday, telling reporters at the White House, “I do believe I will be having the honor of taking Cuba.”

“Taking Cuba. I mean, whether I free it, take it. I think I can do anything I want with it,” he said. “They’re a very weakened nation right now.”

The president’s words came on the same day as Cuba experienced a nationwide blackout, amid diminishing fuel supplies. On Monday evening, Cuban officials had also planned to announce that the country’s Communist government would open itself to foreign investment, including from the United States, Cuba’s deputy prime minister, Oscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga, told NBC News.

“Cuba is open to having a fluid commercial relationship with U.S. companies, also with Cubans residing in the United States and their descendants,” the deputy prime minister said in a clip of an interview posted by the network on Monday morning.

It is unclear how widely Cuba intends to open its economy, or how the moves compare with those made a decade ago under President Barack Obama. But the scheduled announcement coincides with a severe humanitarian and energy crisis, with some experts saying the island could run out of fuel within weeks because of a de facto blockade by the Trump administration. » | Annie Correal, Jack Nicas and Frances Robles | Reporting from Mexico City and Florida. | Published: Monday, March 16, 2026. Updated: Tuesday, March 17, 2026

Watch the NYT video here.

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Kuba will Kubanern im Ausland Investitionen und Firmenbesitz auf der Insel ermöglichen

BERLINER ZEITUNG: Erstmals sollen im Ausland lebende Kubaner offiziell Firmen auf der Insel gründen und besitzen dürfen. Doch es gibt Zweifel an der Wirksamkeit der Pläne.

Kubas Regierung will im Ausland lebenden Kubanern – darunter Hunderttausende in Miami –, künftig erlauben, auf der Insel Unternehmen zu besitzen und in den Privatsektor zu investieren. Das kündigte der stellvertretende Ministerpräsident Oscar Pérez-Oliva Fraga in einem Interview mit NBC News in Havanna an.

„Kuba ist offen für fließende Handelsbeziehungen mit US-Unternehmen“ sowie „mit in den Vereinigten Staaten lebenden Kubanern und deren Nachkommen“, sagte Fraga, der zugleich Außenhandels- und Investitionsminister ist. Die Öffnung gehe über den reinen Handel hinaus und umfasse auch Großinvestitionen, insbesondere in die Infrastruktur, so Fraga gegenüber NBC News. » | Lea Brüggemann | Montag, 16. März 2026

Britain Before WWI: The Empire Built by Workers I SLICE History | Full Documentary

Feb 27, 2026 | Edwardian Britain was the richest empire in the world. But behind the power of the crown stood millions of workers.

For the first time, rare archival footage from 1901–1914 has been carefully colorized, revealing the real faces of miners, dockworkers, factory girls, market porters, and children whose labour built modern Britain. From Queen Victoria’s funeral to the mills of Lancashire, from London’s docks to Blackpool’s seaside resorts, this is the story of a nation at its industrial peak — just years before the First World War would change everything.

Documentary: Edwardian Britain in Colour EP:1
Directed by: Alison Grist
Production: MAKE WAVES Ltd production for channel 5 [London & Singapore] [MW]

Steve Rosenberg: Russian Media Continue to List Benefits for Moscow from Iran War

Mar 16, 2026 | The Russian newspapers continue to write about how Russia benefits from the Iran war. Writing about Donald Trump, one paper says the US president has "made a mistake as old as the world. It's a feature of personalistic regimes. He comes to believe in his own genius. Those around him say only what he wants to hear. He takes a decision in a narrow circle of one of two trusted persons…as a result the blitzkrieg scenario didn’t work." Plus, a Russian lawyer who believes "the USSR is alive, not only in our hearts."

Global Capitalism: An Economic Analysis of the War on Iran

March 15, 2026

'It Isn't Worth the Costs': Schiff Slams Trump's Continued Downplaying of Iran War Impacts

March 15, 2026

Europe’s Quiet Break-up with US Big Tech

March 15, 2026

Tucker Carlson Blows Up at Rutger Bregman in Unaired Fox News Interview | NowThis

Feb 20, 2019 | Fox News refused to air this full interview with historian Rutger Bregman after Fox News host Tucker Carlson lost his temper, calling his guest a 'tiny brain...moron' during the interview.

During the Rutger Bregman interview, host Tucker Carlson goes off on Bregman, calling his guest a 'tiny brain...moron.' NowThis has obtained the full segment of the unaired interview with historian Rutger Bregman that Fox News refused to air. Watch it here first..

Col Doug Macgregor: Iran War Not Ending Anytime Soon

March 15, 2026

La Pologne, ce « Phoenix européen » en plein boom qui fait revenir sa diaspora au pays

LE FIGARO : RÉCIT - Ils étaient partis à l’Ouest, souvent pour effectuer des petits boulots ou poursuivre leurs études. Aujourd’hui, ils sont plus nombreux à quitter le Royaume-Uni, l’Allemagne ou les Pays-Bas pour revenir sur leur terre d’origine que leurs compatriotes effectuant le chemin inverse.

Le fameux mythe du « plombier polonais » ne semble être plus qu’un lointain souvenir. Il y a deux décennies, l’expression enflammait le débat public français pour désigner, avec un brin de condescendance, la main-d’œuvre peu qualifiée venue des bords de la Vistule sur notre marché du travail.

Depuis, la donne a bien changé. « Pour la première fois depuis des générations, notre solde migratoire est positif », indique Dominika Pszczółkowska, chercheuse au Centre de recherche sur les migrations de l’Université de Varsovie. Une consécration pour la Pologne qui, après s’être libérée du carcan soviétique et avoir utilisé à bon escient la manne européenne, s’impose désormais comme une locomotive économique du continent. Cette année, le pays signe même son entrée dans le Groupe des vingt pays les plus avancés de la planète. » | Par Adam Hsakou, à Varsovie | samedi 14 mars 2026

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Trump and the Death of the Atlantic Partnership

Mar 14, 2026 | From detained tourists and phone-searching ICE agents to Steve Bannon dismissing Britain as "pre-Islamic", the Special Relationship is exposed as the diplomatic fiction it always was. With the FIFA World Cup heading to Trump's America, British fans need to think hard. And so does Keir Starmer. It's time for the UK to stop turning up on Washington's doorstep with flowers, and start building something real with the neighbours who actually share our values. Europe is right there. It always has been.

I am in total agreement with the sentiments expressed in this video. My regular visitors will know that I have been saying similar things in my comments for a very long time. These things need to be said over and over. The concept of the so-called, one-way, and often very elusive “Special Relationship” is almost indelible in the psyche of the average Brit, because it has been repeated so many times. But the fact remains that any relationship with the USA is always lobsided and always on the side of being pleasing to America. It is not, and never could be, a relationship between two equals. Further, the undeniable fact of the matter is that Brits are Europeans, whether we are in the European Union or not, so our sensibilities and perceptions are fashioned by European mores and thought.

It is high time that we stopped harping on about this elusive special relationship, turned our backs on it, and rejoined our family and friends in Europe.

Naturally, we need to maintain good relations with America, but our future lies in and with Europe. The sooner we accept this incontrovertible fact, the better. — © Mark Alexander

Michael Lambert: Trump Is Delusional: The Real Reason for the Iran War

Mar 14, 2026 | Trump's war in ran continues and in this video I discuss the stupidity of this reckless venture and the many negative consequences. I talk about the lack of qualifications of Steve Witkoff and Jered Kushner who without any previous experience of diplomacy were sent by Trump to negotiate a peace deal with Iran.

I explain how the US has committed economic suicide and achieved diplomatic isolation as a result of this war, how the US has damaged relationships with allies in the Middle East notably Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

I point out that Iran's blocking of the Strait of Hormuz where 20% of the world's oil passes should have been predicted by the United States before entering into this war.

Oil prices are rocketing and this will have.an effect on the worldwide economy.

Russia and China are now supporting Iran and this will make it all but impossible for America to end this war with victory.

The war is costing at least $1 billion per day and many lives lost. The US has lost a number of servicemen who have been killed and at least 1,000 are said to have died in Iran. The most tragic incident has been the killing of 160 people, mostly schoolgirls in an incident at the start of the war.

All of this has been caused by the decision of one man, Donald Trump. The war started just 7 days before the latest, and last, batch of the Epstein files were released and it is hard to believe that the timing of the war was not chosen by Trump to distract from the Epstein files in which he features. I also note that Trump's decision to go to war was almost certainly influenced by Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel who saw this as a 'once in a lifetime' opportunity to decapitate and defeat Iran