We have one very, very clear red line, and that is enrichment. We cannot allow even 1% of an enrichment capability,” Steve Witkoff, U.S. Special Envoy, ABC’s “This Week”

“Demanding zero uranium enrichment means NO DEAL”, Sayed Abbas Araghchi, Iran’s Foreign Minister

You could have spotted this from a mile away.

President Trump—who sabotaged the most stringent and comprehensive nuclear agreement in history (The JCPOA)—ordered his special envoy to make a surprise announcement that crosses all of Iran’s “red lines” and makes war between the US and Iran inevitable. Anyone with half a brain could see that this was the strategy from the very beginning. Just as Washington encouraged Kiev to intensify its bombardment of the Donbas forcing Putin to send Russian forces into Ukraine, so too, Washington lured Tehran into nuclear “talks” with the clear intention of creating a pretext for launching a war on Iran. In both cases, US war-planners ‘moved heaven and earth’ to make it look like the opposite party provoked the conflict when, in fact, Washington was the primary instigator. Let me explain:

On Sunday, US special envoy Steve Witkoff said the following on ABC’s “This Week”:

“We have one very, very clear red line, and that is enrichment. We cannot allow even 1% of an enrichment capability.”

Full Stop. Witkoff’s comments require thorough and unbiased analysis, mainly because they are designed with one purpose in mind: To sabotage the nuclear talks. There’s no other explanation. The Trump administration and anyone who has followed this issue over the last decade and a half knows that Iran’s biggest and brightest red line is enrichment. In the four meetings that have been conducted in Oman since April, US negotiators were told explicitly that nuclear enrichment was “non-negotiable” and ‘off the table’. In other words, they agreed that the issue would not be discussed or even brought up. (Non-negotiable means non-negotiable.) So, we must assume that the reason Witkoff decided to make this unexpected announcement was either because he wanted to torpedo the negotiations or because he doesn’t understand plain English. Which is it?

We think Witkoff understands plain English, in fact, we’re sure of it. So, what was his motive; why did he decide to deliver this bombshell on national TV to an American audience instead of Iranian negotiators who would have challenged him on the issue? Why?

There can only be one reason; he wants to sabotage the talks. He wants to force the Iranians to terminate the meetings so it appears that they do not sincerely seek peace. That is how Trump and Co. intend to turn-the-tables and make it look like Iran is the “bad guy.” More importantly, any suspension of the talks by Iran will be used as a justification for US-Israeli air strikes on targets in Iran. Trump has already threatened that—if the talks broke down—he would unleash holy hell on Iran. Witkoff has now laid the groundwork for those attacks.

Other analysts are starting to figure out what is going on behind the smokescreen of the nuclear talks. Here’s how Michael Tracey summed it up:

If anyone suspected that the purpose of this “negotiating” exercise was to set up an impossible endpoint (humiliating Iranian capitulation) and then when Iran balks, use that as a pretext to bomb Iran (“We tried to negotiate first!”) there is growing evidence for your suspicions

He’s right, isn’t he? The talks were a “set up” that was concocted to create a justification for war. It’s clear as day. Much of the public’s confusion on this matter is attributable to Witkoff himself, who seems like an affable and credible fellow, whose position on nuclear enrichment is identical to rabid ‘foam-at-the-mouth’ warmongers like John Bolton and Mike Pompeo. Think about that for a minute; Witkoff’s position is the same as Bolton’s and Pompeo’s. There’s no difference.

So, why is nuclear enrichment such a big deal that Iran won’t even discuss it?

Because Iranians have great pride and they will not allow themselves to be treated like second-class citizens by the likes of the US and Israel. That’s why.

Look: Iran’s right to nuclear enrichment is not a privilege granted by executive fiat or presidential edict. It’s a fundamental right that is enshrined in international law under the terms of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty. President Donald Trump does not have the authority to forbid Iran from engaging in activities that are not only perfectly legal under NPT statutes but also affirmed under the treaty’s “inalienable right” clause. Inquisitive people might want to read the section of the treaty itself to corroborate what we are saying here:

NPT Article IV and the Right to Nuclear Technology

Article IV Text (on the Right to Nuclear Technology):

Paragraph 1: “Nothing in this Treaty shall be interpreted as affecting the inalienable right of all the Parties to the Treaty to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination and in conformity with Articles I and II of this Treaty.”

Paragraph 2: E ncourages cooperation in sharing nuclear technology for peaceful uses, particularly for developing countries.

What part of the above statement is ambiguous?

There is nothing ambiguous about this statement. Iran clearly has “the inalienable right… to develop research, production and use of nuclear energy for peaceful purposes without discrimination.” That means that neither Trump nor anyone else can selectively order Iran to stop doing what is clearly permitted under an internationally recognized treaty.

And we should also pay special attention to the language that is used in the passage. The treaty does not simply refer to the “rights” of the participating parties; they refer to “inalienable right” which means that nuclear enrichment is a “fundamental, natural right that cannot be taken away or surrendered, either by a government or individual.”

The wording was formulated to avoid the situation we have today in which an impulsive and domineering despot arbitrarily repeals the laws (and rights) that don’t align with his own dubious political objectives. By refusing to comply with Trump’s executive edict, Iran is basically defending the global system upon which international law rests. It is a rejection of Trump’s iron-fisted unilateralism. We should all be grateful for Iran’s gutsy perseverance.

By the way, just to underscore Witkoff’s hypocrisy on this matter, here is a short video on Fox News of Witkoff stating unequivocally that Iran would be permitted to enrich at 3.67% which is a position he now rejects. The interview was conducted in April, a month before he banned all enrichment activities.

When President Donald Trump imposed his sweeping tariffs on April 2, he had two main objectives:

1. Reduce the trade deficits
2. Bring jobs and manufacturing back to the United States

These were the stated goals but, as we soon found out, the real aim was to weaken China by preventing them from selling goods to US consumers. The Trump administration also used the tariffs to isolate China by providing incentives to the nations that agreed to reduce their trade with Beijing. In short, the tariffs were the main weapon in a trade war on a peer competitor who has overtaken the US in nearly every area of industrial and technological production.

Fortunately, Trump’s plan failed, and he was forced to ease the tariffs without achieving any of his main objectives. The reason we say “fortunately” is because the tariffs policy never served the interests of the American people. Quite the contrary, Americans are hurt by unilateral policies that ignore the rules of international trade and needlessly disrupt supply chains. All that does is push prices higher, reduce employment and slow growth. Besides, manipulating tariffs with the intention of destroying a rival violates a number of widely accepted WTO rules that protect the interests of everyone.

In contrast to the US, China acted in a way that was consistent with their broader social philosophy which is rooted in their unique interpretation of socialism. They took the moral high ground, acted on principle, and refused to give in to Trump’s coercion. They only initiated countermeasures in response to Trump’s tariffs blitz that completely ignored the rules articulated in the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) which stipulates that countries cannot arbitrarily exceed “bound rates” or selectively target one country with 145% tariffs. (which is the equivalent of an embargo.) By acting alone, Trump basically showed his contempt for the international system and for any legal constraints on his own power. This is from the Global Times:

The multilateral trading system with the WTO at its core is the cornerstone of international trade and plays an important role in global economic governance. All parties should resolve differences and disputes through equal-footed dialogue under the framework of the WTO, jointly uphold multilateralism and free trade, and promote the stability and smooth functioning of global industrial and supply chains. Global Times

In other words, Trump’s loss was a victory for the system of international trade. But it was also a victory for China because China ‘stuck to its guns’ and refused to bow to Washington’s bullying. Here’s more from Bloomberg:

Xi Jinping’s decision to stand his ground against Donald Trump could hardly have gone any better for the Chinese leader.

After two days of high-stakes talks in Switzerland, trade negotiators from the world’s biggest economies announced Monday a massive de-escalation in tariffs. In a carefully coordinated joint statement, the US slashed duties on Chinese products to 30% from 145% for a 90-day period, while Beijing dropped its levy on most goods to 10%.

The dramatic reduction exceeded expectations in China, and sent the dollar and stocks soaring — providing some much-needed market relief for Trump, who is facing pressure as inflation looks set to speed up at home. Chinese equities also surged. The deal ended up meeting nearly all of Beijing’s core demands. The elevated “reciprocal” tariff for China, which Trump set at 34% on April 2, has been suspended — leaving America’s top rival with the same 10% rate that applies to the UK, a longtime ally….

“This is arguably the best outcome that China could have hoped for — the US backed down,” said Trey McArver, co-founder of research firm Trivium China. “Going forward, this will make the Chinese side confident that they have leverage over the US in any negotiations.” , Swiss Info

Repeat: This is the best outcome that China could have hoped for — the US backed down”

US policy towards China is not only deeply immoral; it’s also counterproductive. Anyone who followed recent events in the foreign press, understands that the United States hurt itself very badly by its bullyboy tactics. What people outside the United States saw was an aging and enfeebled prize fighter enter the ring with a ferocious young contender who knocked him out in the first Round. In less than 6 weeks, Trump removed the bulk of the tariffs leaving just 30% in order to save face with his backers. In exchange, he got nothing from China at all. Beijing made no concessions other than allowing Trump to increase the tariff on Chinese imports from 20 to 30%, which means that the blue-collar men and women—who are Trump’s most ardent supporters—will pay an additional 10% at their favorite department store. So, while Trump promises massive new tax cuts for the uber-wealthy, working people just saw their taxes hiked by a whopping 10%. Here’s more from the Guardian:

Donald Trump will inevitably claim Monday’s temporary truce in the US-China trade war as a victory, but financial markets seem to have read it for what it is – a capitulation….

In other words, the president has caved. He may have been swayed by market wobbles but it seems more plausible that dire warnings from retailers about empty shelves – backed up by data showing shipments into US ports collapsing – may have strengthened the hands of trade moderates in the administration.

Confronted with warnings of a shortage of toys, Trump told reporters that children should be happy with “two dolls instead of 30 dolls”, and they might “cost a couple bucks more” than usual. But it is difficult to imagine even this most bullish of presidents withstanding the attacks that would come his way if he began to be seen as responsible for Covid-style shortages of key goods in the world’s largest economy.

Instead, the White House seems to have opted for tactical retreat. The China-US conflict was always the hottest theatre of confrontation in Trump’s trade war, with a longer history and deeper public support than his quixotic attacks on Mexico and Canada.

If Trump is indeed ready to give in even with Beijing, it sends a signal that some of the other aggressive aspects of his trade policy may be negotiable. Trump might claim China tariff victory – but this is Capitulation Day, Guardian

As far as Trump’s stated goals, (to reduce the trade deficits and bring jobs and manufacturing back to the US) the president failed on both counts. But in respect to his unstated goals, (weakening and isolating China) he also failed. And the reason he failed is due to three things:

1. China was able to maintain global trade flows through diversification (They found other buyers for US-bound exports)
2. China responded to the need for fiscal stimulus and government intervention quickly (which maintained their growth targets)
3. China was able to inflict serious pain on the US by withholding its exports which left ports on the West Coast in deep distress.

Donald Trump rolled the dice and came up snakes-eyes. He thought he could bully China, but China called his bluff. Now he must report his failure to the American people by trying to make the biggest trade blunder in the nation’s history, look like a ‘stunning triumph of the will’. Good luck with that.

Fortunately, we have a reliable metric for determining whether Trump succeeded or failed. If China makes concessions to preserve trade with the US, then we can say that Trump ‘won’. But if Trump is forced to remove his tariffs before China agrees to resume trade, then Trump ‘lost’. So, it’s really just a matter of who blinks first.

We figure that Trump will ‘blink first’ based on the fact, that Trump ‘has no cards to play.’ China has him over a barrel and they know it. Many analysts knew this from the very beginning, but their views were drowned out by the army of anti-China scribes and pundits who think the mighty USA can crush China whenever it wants. Now they’re going to see that the world doesn’t work that way. Now they’re going to see that a poorly governed country that is $36 trillion in debt and sliding towards irreversible insolvency, doesn’t get to make the rules. This is from a piece at CNN (on Sunday):

Top US officials involved in high-level trade negotiations with China emerged from two days of talks touting “substantial progress” and appearing to confirm that a deal between the two countries had been reached, which could have massive implications for the global economy.

“I’m happy to report that we’ve made substantial progress between the United States and China in the very important trade talks,” Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a brief statement Sunday in Geneva, Switzerland, where the talks were held, calling the negotiations “productive.”

US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer indicated that an agreement had been reached Sunday, after President Donald Trump imposed sweeping 145% tariffs on most Chinese goods last month.

“The president declared a national emergency and imposed tariffs, and we’re confident that the deal we struck with our Chinese partners will help us to resolve work toward resolving that national emergency,” Greer said.

He added, “It’s important to understand how quickly we were able to come to agreement, which reflects that perhaps the differences were not so large as maybe thought.” CNN

“GREAT PROGRESS”, he says. That either means that China has accepted Trump’s unilateral tariffs or they have made important concessions. So, which is it?

We’ll know on Monday.

All we know so far, is that both sides agreed to establish a US-China trade consultation mechanism.

What does that mean?

It means the US and China agreed to a particular framework for ongoing dialogue between the two countries on issues related to trade, tariffs, export controls, and access to markets. In other words, they agreed to pick up the phone when officials from the other country call.

Don’t they do that anyway?

Yes, they do, which means the terminology was created to divert attention from the fact that China has offered no concessions and is refusing to budge until the tariffs are lifted. All of this is very bad for Trump who wants to convince his base that “tough talk” and bullyboy tactics can force rivals to bend to Uncle Sam’s will. But that clearly has not happened. This is from an article at the Global Times on Sunday:

Global attention is focused on Geneva, Switzerland, where China, US high-level economic and trade meeting has been held over the weekend….

In response to questions about the US abuse of tariffs, Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Miao Deyu on Sunday stated at a media briefing… that the US uses tariffs as a weapon to exert maximum pressure and seek self-interest, embodying typical unilateralism, protectionism, and economic bullying. This approach sacrifices the legitimate interests of countries worldwide to serve US hegemonic interests. China firmly opposes the US imposition of so-called “reciprocal tariffs” and has taken forceful legal measures to resolutely counter them, CCTV News reported on Sunday.

China will firmly safeguard its development interests, uphold international fairness and justice, and maintain the international trade order. We are willing to strengthen communication and coordination with Latin American countries to jointly uphold multilateralism and the multilateral trading system, Miao said….

China’s decision to engage in talks with the US was made after careful consideration of global expectations, China’s own interests, and the concerns of US businesses and consumers, and it reflects China’s openness and sense of responsibility as a major global power…

If the US continues to cling to “America First” and unilateralism, seeks concessions from China through pressure tactics, any dialogue is unlikely to achieve meaningful progress, Ying noted….

T he world’s largest economy had already contracted in the first quarter – marking the first decline since 2022. The tariffs have only added to the strain, dealing a heavy blow to the US economy by exerting mounting pressure across key areas such as consumer spending, employment, investment and trade… In comparison, China has the resilience and the necessary policy tools to protect its legitimate interests. The country has maintained its position as the world’s largest goods trading nation for eight consecutive years and it is a major trading partner for over 150 countries and regions….

China’s trade continued to expand at a solid pace in April. The country’s total import and export value in April reached 3.84 trillion yuan ($531.46 billion), up 5.6 percent year-on-year. Exports stood at 2.27 trillion yuan, rising 9.3 percent, while imports totaled 1.57 trillion yuan, a 0.8 percent increase, according to data released by the General Administration of Customs on Friday. Global Times

So, as of Sunday, there is no indication that China is going to resume trade with the US unless Trump caves in and removes the tariffs. So, what Trump must do now is throw in the towel to China and then claim ‘victory’ for creating the invaluable “trade consultation mechanism”. He must snooker his backers into believing that his capitulation is actually a solid ‘win’ for Team USA.

Now The Bad News: China Has Replaced Us Already

CHINA HAS ALREADY sold huge amounts of products originally meant for US consumers to its neighbors… And the neighbors are buying big, giving China giant an 8.1% boost in export sales, surprising analysts.

“In early April, I said that Trump’s tariffs on China will strengthen trade ties between China and the rest of the world in the next few years,” said Prof Justin Hauge of Cambridge University in the UK, commenting on X. “It didn’t take a few years. It took a month.”

This is bad news for US Treasury chief Scott Bessent as he heads into negotiations later today in Switzerland, to bargain with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng.

THE NUMBERS

Here’s what the media is not telling you:

Iran persuaded the Houthis to agree to a ceasefire with Trump in order to build momentum for this weekend’s nuclear talks in Oman. Two Iranian officials indicated that Tehran encouraged the Houthis to stop targeting U.S. assets, aligning with Iran’s interest in de-escalating tensions to advance nuclear negotiations. Here’s the story from a piece at the Times of Israel:

Iran leaned on Yemen’s Houthi rebel group to reach a truce with the US over attacks in the Red Sea in a move aimed at pushing along negotiations for an agreement over Tehran’s nuclear program, according to reports.

US President Donald Trump on Tuesday evening announced an end to hostilities with the Houthis, catching Israeli officials by surprise. The announcement did not mention the ongoing Houthi missile and drone attacks on Israel, and officials for the Yemeni rebel group pledged that such strikes would continue.

Two Iranian officials, one from the foreign ministry and the other from the Revolutionary Guards, said that Iran had persuaded the Houthis to stop their attacks on US assets as part of the Omani mediation efforts, The New York Times reported.

CNN cited people familiar with the matter as saying Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff had worked with the Omanis over the past week to broker the US-Houthi ceasefire. The sources said the ceasefire was also meant to help build momentum in the Iran nuclear talks, which Witkoff has also been leading on behalf of the Trump administration. Times of Israel

What does it mean?

It means that Iran is using its influence over allies in the region to reduce the fighting (and open critical shipping lanes) hoping that it will improve the chances of a striking a deal with Trump on the nuclear issue. (Trump has said that if an agreement can’t be reached, then war will be the only option.)

Naturally, these developments terrify Israel from the point of view that Israel needs the US to assist it in any attack on Iran. But if Trump goes ahead and makes a deal with Iran (without telling Bibi, like he did with the Houthis) then Israel’s dream of defeating Iran and emerging as dominant power in the region, becomes impossible. In short, Israel needs US support in any future conflict with Iran, which means they must preemptively sabotage the nuclear negotiations. If the negotiations fail, then Trump will join Israel in air strikes on Iran. This is the scenario Netanyahu wants.

So, we should not be surprised that—less than 48 hours after Trump made the deal with the Houthis—two suspicious incidents took place that suggest Israel is (desperately) taking steps to sabotage the negotiations. First there’s this excerpt from an article at the Times of Israel:

Eight Iranian men arrested in the United Kingdom over the weekend are suspected of plotting to attack the Israeli Embassy in London, according to an unsourced report Wednesday in The Times newspaper.

“Police have refused to publicize details of the alleged plot, but it is understood the embassy was the main target,” said the report, without naming sources….

Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command, said earlier this week that “the investigation is still in its early stages and we are exploring various lines of enquiry to establish any potential motivation as well as to identify whether there may be any further risk to the public linked to this matter.”

British media on Tuesday reported mounting speculation that the seven Iranians and one other person arrested over the weekend had been “hours away” from carrying out an attack on a synagogue or a location linked to London’s Jewish community, though there was no confirmation of the reports.

Report: Arrested Iranian nationals were planning attack on Israeli Embassy in London, Times of Israel

Right on cue, (less than two days after Trump made the deal with the Houthis) we have an incident in which there are no verifiable facts or evidence and no public official who will corroborate what allegedly happened. Even so, the incident casts the Iranians as maniacal terrorists bent on killing Jews. That’s the intended message, right? And if they are homicidal maniacs, then they certainly can’t be trusted on a matter as serious as nuclear energy. This is exactly how Israeli propaganda is designed to work.

A second story appeared on Fox News just hours before the alleged terrorist plot in London was foiled. Here’s an excerpt:

Fox News has exclusively obtained satellite imagery revealing what an opposition group says is a previously undisclosed Iranian nuclear weapons facility — raising fresh concerns amid ongoing negotiations between Tehran and the Trump administration.

The newly identified site, located in Iran’s Semnan Province, is far from the regime’s already-known nuclear facilities. According to the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), intelligence gathered from sources inside the country points to a sprawling compound covering nearly 2,500 acres.

Code-named the “Rainbow Site” by Iranian officials, the facility has reportedly been in operation for more than a decade, masked as a chemical production company known as Diba Energy Siba.

Satellite images reveal alleged secret Iranian nuclear weapons facility, Fox News

Despite wielding the most advanced surveillance systems in the world Fox News would have you believe that the US JUST discovered a new Nuclear facility in Iran producing weapons-grade material. How very WMD of you. pic.twitter.com/tt7jLfPpQC

— Clint Russell (@LibertyLockPod) May 8, 2025

These same unverified allegations have been published by a number of other legacy media agencies that that are helping to clear the path to war with Iran. Check out this excerpt from a piece at Newsweek:

Speaking at a press conference organized Thursday at its Washington, D.C., office, representatives of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) claimed that the Iranian Defense Ministry’s Organization of Defensive Innovation and Research was covertly pursuing nuclear weapons-related research at a location known as the “Rainbow Site” in the Ivanaki area of the north-central province of Semnan….

MeK is the leading faction of NCRI and claims to have an extensive network of members and activists within the Islamic Republic. MeK is designated as a terrorist organization by Iran due to its past involvement in violent attacks and was considered a terrorist organization by the United States as well until its delisting in 2012. Newsweek

It might have helped if the author had pointed out that the MEK or Mujahedin-e-Khalq is a dodgy cult that was on the U.S. State Department’s list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations until 2012 and that nothing they say can be trusted. But, whatever.

Question 1—On Tuesday, President Trump said that the US will stop bombing Yemen because the Houthis said they would “not be blowing up ships anymore.” Trump added that the Houthis “capitulated” and “don’t want to fight anymore”. Is Trump telling the truth; did the Houthis ‘give up’?

Aisha Jumaan— Based on the attached statement from the Sultanate of Oman Foreign ministry, it seems that the ceasefire between the US and Ansar-Allah in Sana’a was reached in a mutual way. Ansar-Allah, in an interview with DropSite by one of the Ansar-Allah leaders said, “We do not consider ourselves at war with the American people,” said Mohammed al-Bukhaiti, a member of Ansar Allah’s political bureau and a longtime spokesperson for the Houthis. “If the U.S. stops targeting Yemen, we will cease our military operations against it.”

This was in response to comments made by President Trump and Secretary of Defense indicating that they will stop bombing Yemen if Ansar-Allah agrees to stop attacking US ships. “The choice for the Houthis is clear: Stop shooting at U.S. ships, and we will stop shooting at you,” Trump wrote in a post on TruthSocial on March 31. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said in an interview with Fox News: “The minute the Houthis say, ‘We’ll stop shooting at your ships, we’ll stop shooting at your drones,’ this campaign will end. But until then, it will be unrelenting.”

Based on reports coming out from Yemen, Ansar-Allah understand that the agreement does not mean they stop attaching Israel.

A recent statement by President Trump said “We take their word for it… We hit them very hard. They had a great capacity to withstand punishment,” he said. “You could say there’s a lot of bravery there.”

A Spokesman at the Foreign Ministry said today that, following recent discussions and contacts conducted by the Sultanate of Oman with the United States and the relevant authorities in Sana’a, in the Republic of Yemen, with the aim of de-escalation, efforts have resulted in a ceasefire agreement between the two sides. In the future, neither side will target the other, including American vessels, in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab Strait, ensuring freedom of navigation and the smooth flow of international commercial shipping. The Sultanate of Oman expresses its gratitude to both parties for their constructive approach that led to this welcome outcome, and hopes that it will lead to further progress on many regional issues towards achieving justice, peace, and prosperity for all.

Question 2— Can you expand on your first answer: Does the agreement between the US and Yemen mean that US warships will be allowed to transit the Red Sea even though Trump is still providing bombs and weapons to Israel?

Aisha Jumaan—I don’t know the specifics of the agreement reached between the U.S. and Ansar-Allah. However, based on an article by Haaretz, many of the arms transfer occur by planes. Also, it seems that most sea cargo of weapons to Israel go through the Mediterranean to Haifa and Ashdod. Eliat port has been declared bankrupt due to the blockade of the Red Sea.

A dizzying pace, then a drop: How U.S. arms shipments to Israel slowed down, Haaretz. Publicly available flight tracking data shows how many U.S. arms shipments have arrived in Israel each month since the Gaza war started, revealing a sharp rise and then gradual tapering off in the pace of deliveries

Question 3— The Pentagon said on Tuesday that US Central Command forces have struck 1,000 targets in Yemen since March 15, killing roughly 200 Yemeni civilians and destroying much of the country’s critical infrastructure. How bad is the situation on the ground for ordinary people? (Is there enough food, water and medical supplies?)

Aisha Jumaan—The number of civilians killed and injured might be much higher than the reported ones. It is possible that many of the injured died due to severe injuries and lack of appropriate medical care in Yemen. The health system in Yemen is only operating at less than 50% since most of the health centers were bombed by the Saudi led coalition.

The second largest port for importing fuel and gas was destroyed by the U.S. resulting in severe fuel and gas shortages. People are waiting in lines for up to 12 hours and they still can’t get fuel for their cars. Here is what one person in Sana’a wrote.

This person says I went to stay in line to get fuel and when I left there were 45 cars before me.

The U.S. and the Israeli bombed Hodeidah port making it difficult to import food, fuel and essential goods into the country. There are about 17 million people in Yemen who need humanitarian assistance. Millions of Yemeni children suffer from malnutrition. This will affect their cognitive development and will affect them for generations to come.

Here are the concerns voiced by Dr Alwazir.

He is a prominent political figure in Yemen. He lives outside Yemen now.

Today, politics have entered the arena and has produced positive results in the ceasefire agreement between Yemen and America. However, the huge losses in infrastructure cannot be easily compensated for, and they are all very significant, whether the destruction of Ras Isa Port or the destruction of Hodeidah Port. Both ports are the lifeblood of the valiant Yemeni people and the only outlets for the economy. This is what saddens me greatly and pains me greatly, due to the serious consequences for the people and their daily lives. The enemy is trying to subjugate our economy and force us to obtain our imports of food, medicine, and other necessities, as well as oil and gas, from Mokha Port and Ma’rib Governorate. This will place our economy in the hands of others and will place our economy under their supervision and control. The destruction of the cement factories has also greatly damaged our economy, which is another important nerve center for the economy. It has also damaged three major power plants, the infrastructure at Sana’a Airport, and three Airbus aircraft. Affiliated with Yemenia Airlines…

All of this pains and grieves me, yet we will be patient and seek reward and recompense, and perhaps God will bring about something new after that…

I only mention this because of the necessity of finding import alternatives other than what the enemy is trying to bring us to. We must think deeply about the means to achieve this and apply all possible pressure to achieve it. We must also include the issue of compensation for these unjust damages in any upcoming political meetings or negotiations, and involve other parties or countries to also pressure for compensation for what was destroyed, just as the State of Oman mediated between us and America in this agreement, something I have repeatedly stated in several previous articles
and others…

I am also attaching a presentation that I gave at UW on the impact of U.S. war in Yemen

Question 4— Israel is very angry at Trump for making a deal with Yemen without consulting them. The headline in Wednesday’s Times of Israel says: Trump ditched Israel with surprise Houthi truce. That doesn’t bode well on Iran… Days after Yemeni group caused untold economic damage by hitting Ben Gurion Airport , the US president blindsided his allies; this has no doubt unsettled Jerusalem amid nuclear talks. Here’s more from the article: