MARCH 18/ANOTHER RAID ORCHESTRATED BY OUR CROOKED BANKS: THIS TIME THEY GOADED THE SPECS TO GO SHORT//GOLD CLOSED DOWN $111.80 TO $4890.80//SILVER CLOSED DOWN $2.36 TO $77.47//PLATINUM CLOSED DOWN $74.30 TO $2061.70 WHLE PALLADIUM CLOSED DOWN $90.00 TO $1530.00//GOLD COMMENTARIES TONIGHT COURTESY OF CHRIS POWELL WITH HIS GATA DISPATCHES//ISRAEL AND USA VS IRAN UPDATES; BIG STORY: ISRAEL HITS IRAN’S HUGE PARS NATURAL GAS FIELD AND THAT SENDS ENERGY UP ON ALL FRONTS//ISRAEL TBN LAST 24 HRS//ISRAEL VS HEZBOLLAH UPDATES//RUSSIA VS UKRAINE UPDATES// COVID INJURY REPORT//MARK CRISPIN MILLER/NEWSWIZE///OIL HIGHLIGHTS UPDATED//MIKE EVERY OF RABOCBANK COMMENTARY TONIGHT//USA DATA RELEASES/SWAMP STORIES FOR YOU TONIGHT/
Royal Mint Warns Of Delivery Delays As Londoners Rush For Silver
*CANADIAN GOLD: $6628.60 DOWN 228.00 CDN dollars per oz( * NEW ALL TIME HIGH $7293.80CDN DOLLARS PER OZ//MARCH 2/2026)
*BRITISH GOLD: 3635.20 DOWN $109.00 Pounds per oz// *(NEW ALL TIME HIGH//CLOSING//3,999.00 BRITISH POUNDS/OZ) JAN 28.2027/2025
*EURO GOLD: 4206.00 DOWN 128. Euros per oz //* (ALL TIME CLOSING HIGH: 4,564.65 EUROS PER OZ/ MARCH 2//2026)
Bitcoin morning price:$73,971 DOWN 459 DOLLARS (MANY SWITCHING TO PHYSICAL GOLD)
Bitcoin: afternoon price: $71,619 DOWN 2811
..
Platinum price closing DOWN $74.03 TO $2,061.70
Palladium price; DOWN $90.00 TO $1530.00
END
EXCHANGE: COMEX
zero
JPMORGAN STOPPED 0/0
MARCH
GOLD: NUMBER OF NOTICES FILED FOR MARCH/2026: 0 CONTRACTs NOTICES FOR 0 OZ or 0. TONNES
total notices so far: 9731contracts for 973,100 OR 30.267 tonnes)
FOR MARCH
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
SILVER NOTICES: 157 NOTICE(S) FILED FOR 0.785 MILLION OZ /
total number of notices filed so far this month : 8302 CONTRACTS (NOTICES) for 41.510 million oz
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END
GLD/
BOTH GLD AND SLV ARE FRAUDULENT VEHICLES//THEY ARE NOW RAIDING GLD AND SLV FOR PHYSICAL
THE CROOKS ARE STEALING GOLD AND SILVER FROM THE GLD/SLV AND REPLACING THE PHYSICAL WITH PAPER DOLLARS.
WITH GOLD UP $6.80 INVESTORS SWITCHING TO SPROTT PHYSICAL (PHYS) INSTEAD OF THE FRAUDULENT GLD
HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD INVENTORY AT THE GLD:: A HUGE WITHDRAWAL OF 1.144 TONNES OF GOLD OUT OF THE GLD/.
INVENTORY RESTS AT 1069.564 TONNES
SLV/
WITH NO SILVER AROUND AND SILVER DOWN $0.89 AT THE SLV: HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV/A DEPOSIT OF 1.087 MILLION OZ INTO THE SLV//
CLOSING INVENTORY RESTS AT:
CLOSING INVENTORY: 493.705 MILLION OZ
Let us have a look at the data for today
SILVER//OUTLINE
SILVER COMEX OI ROSE BY A SMALL SIZED 181 CONTRACTS TO 114,758 AND CONTINUING ON ITS MARCH TO THE RECORD HIGH OI OF 244,710, SET FEB 25/2020, AND THIS SMALL SIZED LOSS IN COMEX OI WAS ACCOMPLISHED DESPITE OUR $0.89 LOSS IN SILVER PRICING AT THE COMEX WITH RESPECT TO TUESDAY’S // TRADING. WE ARE NOW RISING FROM THE ABSOLUTE LOW POINT IN OI // SILVER AT 112,874
NOW ON A NET BASIS OUR SPECULATORS HAVE REVERTED BACK TO GOING LONG. THE FRBNY ON A NET BASIS IS PROVIDING THE NECESSARY PAPER TO OUR LONGS AND THEN HUGE NUMBERS OF LONGS LEFT STANDING TENDER FOR PHYSICAL AT 4 PM EACH NIGHT. BECAUSE OF THE HUGE SHORTFALL IN PHYSICAL SILVER IN LONDON THERE IS A LOTTERY TO SEE WHO GETS ANY OF THE PHYSICAL SILVER AVAILABLE THAT WHICH THEY ARE OBLIGATED TO DELIVER. THEY WAIT PATIENTLY FOR THEIR PHYSICAL METAL AND IF NOBODY GETS ANY THEY THEN COME BACK THE NEXT DAY AND SO ON. THIS IS IN LONDON, THE HOME OF PHYSICAL SILVER!!
IT WAS SOME OF OUR SILVER SPECULATORS THAT WERE BRUTALLY BEATEN UP AT THE SILVER COMEX THIS PAST MONTH AS THEY GOT RINSED OUT BADLY AT LAST MONTH’S RAID ON FIRST DAY NOTICE FOR THE MAR CONTRACT/.HOWEVER, WE FINALLY ARE NOW MOVING TO A MUCH HIGHER BASE IN SILVER PRICING SURPASSING THE $70.00 SILVER PRICE BARRIER TO A HIGH DEGREE, AND NOW READY TO ATTACK AGAIN, OUR LAST MAJOR HURDLE OF $100.00 SILVER.
WE HAVE A STRONG SIZED GAIN OF 360 TOTAL CONTRACTS ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES AS THE CME NOTIFIED US OF A SMALL SIZED 179 CONTRACT EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL ISSUANCE.. WE HAD SOME LIQUIDATION OF T.A.S. CONTRACTS IN COMEX TRADING WITH RESPECT TO TUESDAY TRADING///WITH OUR LOSS IN PRICE ALONG WITH A FAIR 310NT.A.S. ISSUANCE!! / THEY DESPERATELY AGAIN TODAY TRIED TO CONTAIN SILVER’S PRICE RISE FOR THE PAST SEVERAL WEEKS (WHERE RAIDS ARE CALLED UPON AGAIN AND AGAIN TRYING TO STOP THE RISE IN SILVER’S PRICE TO ABOVE $100.00 AND TO QUELL ADDITIONAL DERIVATIVE LOSSES TO OUR BANKERS’ MASSIVE TOTALS). THEY SUCCEEDED ON TUESDAY WITH SILVER’S STRONG LOSS IN PRICE
THE PRICE FINISHED STILL MASSIVELY ABOVE THE MAGIC NUMBER OF $70.00 SILVER SPOT PRICE BUT BELOW THE $100.00 MARK CLOSING AT $79.63 DOWN 0.89 WE ARE NOW WITNESSING HAVING MANY HUGE T.A.S ISSUANCES // TODAY’S WAS AT A FAIR SIZED 310 T.A.S. CONTRACTS !!. THE CROOKS ARE BECOMING MORE DESPERATE TO STOP SILVER BREAKING ABOVE THE 100.00 DOLLAR MARK!!.MAMMOTH SIZE T.A.S ISSUANCES ARE BECOMING THE NORM AT THE COMEX NOW!!
THERE IS NO NEXT LINE IN THE SAND ONCE THE 100.00 DOLLAR SILVER IS PIERCED AGAIN. WE HAD A SMALL SIZED 179 CONTRACT EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL ISSUANCE ACCOMPANIED BY OUR SMALL SIZED 310 CONTRACT T.A.S ISSUANCE WHICH WILL BE USED IN TODAY’S TRADING//AS THEY PLAY AN INTEGRAL PART IN OUR COMEX TRADING TRYING TO CONTAIN ANY SILVER PRICE RISE.
IN ESSENCE WE HAD A STRONG GAIN OF 350 CONTRACTS ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES IDESPITE OUR LOSS IN PRICE OF $0.57. WE HAD HUGE GOVERNMENT (FRBY) COMEX CONTRACTS TRADING ALL WEEK AND A MAJOR PORTION WILL BE REMOVED BY DAYS END. (I RECORD THIS FOR YOU ON A DAILY BASIS). THE STICKY SPECULATOR LONGS STILL REMAIN STOIC EVEN ON OUR HUGE PRICE FALLS. THE NON STICKY SPECULATORS WERE WIPED OUT WITH OUR HUGE FEB 24TH RAID!! BUT NOT DURING THIS WEEK AS THE RAID WAS A FAILURE SO THEY TRIED AGAIN LAST FRIDAY AND AGAIN FAILURE! .EASTERN CENTRAL BANKERS (LIKE CENTRAL BANK OF INDIA AND CHINA) AND LARGE INDUSTRIAL USERS LIKE SAMSUNG CONTINUE ON THE LONG SIDE AS THEY WILL TENDER FOR THE BADLY NEEDED PHYSICAL SILVER.
CRAIG HEMKE HAS POINTED OUT THAT THE CROOKS USE THE MID MONTH FOR MANIPULATION AS THEY SELL THEIR BUY SIDE OF THE CALENDAR SPREAD FIRST AND THEN KEEP THE SELL SIDE TO LIQUIDATE AT A LATER DATE.
THUS WE HAVE TWO VEHICLES THE CROOKS USE FOR MANIPULATION AND BOTH ARE SPREADERS: 1) AT MONTH’S END/SPREADERS COMEX AND 2/ TAS SPREADERS, THROUGHOUT MONTH. TOTAL TAS ISSUED ON TUESDAY NIGHT//WEDNESDAY MORNING: A FAIR SIZED 310 CONTRACTS. DESPITE MANY COMPLAINTS THAT THE CROOKS HAVE VIOLATED POSITION LIMITS DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE TAS ISSUED HAVE A VALUE OF ZERO (AS TO POSITION LIMITS FOR OUR CROOKED FRBNY BANKERS).
THE PROBLEM OF COURSE IS THAT THE CROOKS DO NOT LIQUIDATE THE TAS AS ONE UNIT, BUT SELL THE SHORT SIDE FIRST AND THEN LIQUIDATE THE LONG SIDE TWO MONTHS HENCE. IT IS OBVIOUS MANIPULATION TO THE HIGHEST DEGREE BUT IT NATURALLY FELL ON DEAF EARS WITH OUR REGULATORS (OCC) WHEN THEY RECEIVED OUR COMPLAINTS. IT NOW SEEMS THAT THE OCC HAS NOW ORDERED THE BANKS TO REDUCE ITS NEW LEVEL OF 1.1 TRILLION DOLLARS IN GOLD/SILVER DERIVATIVES.
THUS:
INITIAL STANDING FOR JANUARY: 22.915 MILLION OZ FOLLOWED BY TODAY’S 1.185 MILLION OZ QUEUE JUMP//NEW NORMAL STANDING ADVANCES TO 49.445 MILLION OZ// TO WHICH WE ADD OUR FIRST EXCHANGE FOR RISK FOR .100 MILLION OZ//NEW STANDING ADVANCES TO 49.545 MILLION OZ!!
INTIAL STANDING FOR FEBRUARY/SILVER: 13.505 MILLION OZ FOLLOWED BY TODAY’S HUGE 0.005 MILLION OZ QUEUE JUMP / : NEW STANDING FOR SILVER AT THE COMEX ADVANCES TO 25.180 MILLION OZ. BUT WE MUST ADD OUR FIRST EXCHANGE FOR RISK OF 25 CONTRACTS FOR .125 MILLION OZ AND THEN OUR SECOND EXCHANGE FOR RISK OF .0600 MILLION OZ TO OUR THIRD HUGE 2.825 MILLION OZ EXCHANGE FOR RISK!!
INITIAL STANDING FOR MARCH: A SURPRISINGLY LOW 31.076 MILLION OZ/ FOLLOWED BY A STRONG QUEUE JUMP OF 52 CONTRACTS OR 0.260 MILLION OZ/NEW STANDING ADVANCES TO 43.195 MILLION OZ
WE HAD:
/ SMALL COMEX OI GAIN+// FAIR SIZED 265 EFP ISSUANCE CONTRACTS (/ VI) A FAIR NUMBER OF T.A.S. CONTRACT ISSUANCE 310 CONTRACTS
I AM NOW RECORDING THE DIFFERENTIAL IN OI FROM PRELIMINARY TO FINAL: REMOVED 84 SILVER CONTRACT//
HISTORICAL ACCUMULATION OF EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICALS FEB.. ACCUMULATION
TOTAL CONTRACTS for 13 DAY(S), total 7957 contracts: OR 39.785 MILLION OZ (612 CONTRACTS PER DAY)
TOTAL EFP’S FOR THE MONTH SO FAR: 39.785 MILLION OZ
LAST 24 MONTHS TOTAL EFP CONTRACTS ISSUED IN MILLIONS OF OZ:
MAY 137.83 MILLION
JUNE 149.91 MILLION OZ
JULY 129.445 MILLION OZ
AUGUST: MILLION OZ 140.120
SEPT. 28.230 MILLION OZ//
OCT: 94.595 MILLION OZ
NOV: 131.925 MILLION OZ
DEC: 100.615 MILLION OZ
YEAR 2022:
JAN 2022-DEC 2022
JAN 2022// 90.460 MILLION OZ
FEB 2022: 72.39 MILLION OZ//
MARCH 2022: 207.140 MILLION OZ//A NEW RECORD FOR EFP ISSUANCE
APRIL: 114.52 MILLION OZ FINAL//LOW ISSUANCE
MAY: 105.635 MILLION OZ//
JUNE: 94.470 MILLION OZ
JULY : 87.110 MILLION OZ
AUGUST: 65.025 MILLION OZ
SEPT. 74.025 MILLION OZ///FINAL
OCT. 29.017 MILLION OZ FINAL
NOV: 134.290 MILLION OZ//FINAL
DEC, 61.395 MILLION OZ FINAL
TOTALS YR 2022: 1135.767 MILLION OZ (1.1356 BILLION OZ)
JAN 2023/// 53.070 MILLION OZ //FINAL
FEB: 2023: 100.105 MILLION OZ/FINAL//MUCH STRONGER ISSUANCE VS THE LATTER TWO MONTHS.
MARCH 2023: 112.58 MILLION OZ//FINAL//STRONG ISSUANCE
APRIL 111.035 MILLION OZ(SLIGHTLY GREATER THAN THAN LAST MONTH)
MAY 66.120 MILLION OZ/INITIAL (MUCH SMALLER THIS MONTH)
JUNE: 110.395 MILLION OZ//MUCH LARGER THAN LAST MONTH
JULY 85.745 MILLION OZ (SMALLER THAN LAST MONTH)
AUGUST: 171.43 MILLION OZ (THIS MONTH IS GOING TO BE HUGE //2ND HIGHEST ON RECORD
SEPT: 72.705 MILLION OZ (SMALLER THIS MONTH)
OCT: 97.455 MILLION OZ
NOV. 50.050 MILLION OZ
DEC. 66.140 MILLION OZ//
TOTAL 2023: 1,104.10 MILLION OZ/
JAN ’24 : 78.655 MILLION OZ//
FEB /2024 : 66.135 MILLION OZ./FINAL
MARCH: 143.750 MILLION OZ// 4TH HIGHEST ON RECORD.
APRIL: 161.770 MILLION OZ (THIS MONTH WILL BE A WHOPPER OF ISSUANCE OF EFPS//3RD HIGHEST EVER RECORDED FOR A MONTH)
MAY: 135.995 MILLION OZ //WILL BE A STRONG MONTH FOR EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL ISSUANCE
JUNE 110.575 MILLION OZ ( WILL BE ANOTHER STRONG MONTH ISSUANCE)
JULY: 108.870 MILLION OZ (WILL BE A STRONG ISSUANCE MONTH/ A TOUCH OVER 100 MILLION OZ/)
AUGUST; 99.740 MILLION OZ//THIS MONTH WILL BE STRONG FOR ISSUANCE BUT LESS THAN JULY.
SEPT: 112.415 MILLION OZ//WILL BE A HUGE MONTH FOR EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL ISSUANCE
OCT; 97.485 MILLION OZ (WILL BE SMALLER ISSUANCE THIS MONTH )
NOV. 115.970 MILLION OZ ( HUGE THIS MONTH)
DEC: 132.54 MILLION OZ (THIS MONTH WILL BE A HUMDINGER FOR ISSUANCE BUT ISSUANCE SLOWED DRAMATICALLY THESE PAST FIVE DAYS/// WILL NOT EXCEED MARCH 2022 RECORD OF 209 MILLION OZ
YEAR 2024 TOTAL: 1363.84 MILLION OR 1.363 BILLION OZ
JANUARY 2025: 67.230 MILLION OZ///(THIS MONTH’S ISSUANCE OF EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL WILL BE SMALL)
FEB. 58.260 MILLION OZ//EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL ISSUANCE/FINAL
MARCH: 67.020 MILLION OZ///QUITE SMALL AND BECOMING SMALLER EACH AND EVERY MONTH.
APRIL: 100.895 MILLION OZ///AVERAGE SIZE ISSUANCE
MAY: 28.975 MILLION OZ (ISSUANCE WILL BE QUITE SMALL THIS MONTH)
JUNE: 81.065 MILLION OZ
JULY: 50.925 MILLION OZ (QUITE SMALL)
AUGUST: 59.455 MILLION OZ (QUITE SMALL)
SEPT. 50.510 MILLION OZ.(QUITE SMALL)
OCT; 82.020 MILLION OZ (WILL BE STRONG THIS MONTH)/ OCC WANTS TO REIN IN THESE ISSUANCES!
NOVEMBER: 36.425 MILLION OZ
DEC: 45.765 MILLION OZ
JANUARY 2026: 134.270 MILLION OZ (WILL BE A VERY STRONG MONTH FOR EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL!)
FEB : 82.130 MILLION OZ
MARCH: 39.785 MILLION OZ
RESULT: WE HAD A SMALL SIZED INCREASE IN COMEX OI SILVER COMEX CONTRACTS OF 181 CONTRACTS DESPITE OUR LOSS IN PRICE OF $0.89 IN SILVER PRICING AT THE COMEX// TUESDAY,. THE CME NOTIFIED US THAT WE HAD A FAIR SIZED CONTRACT EFP ISSUANCE 310 CONTRACTS ISSUED FOR MAY, AND 0 CONTRACTS ISSUED FOR ALL OTHER MONTHS) WHICH EXITED OUT OF THE SILVER COMEX TO LONDON AS FORWARDS. INITIAL STANDING 31.176 MILLION OZ FOLLOWED BY TODAY’S 0.260 MILLION OZ QUEUE JUMP //STANDING ADVANCES TO 43.195 MILLION OZ. DESPITE HUGE SILVER DELIVERIES DURING THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, THIS PAST WEEK, WE HAVE REACHED OUR ABSOLUTE LOW POINT IN SILVER COMEX OI. (112,874). TODAY IT ADVANCED A LITTLE BIT TO 114,842 RAIDS WILL ACCOMPLISH NOTHING FOR OUR CROOKS AS LONGS WILL BE QUITE STICKYWITH THIS LOW COMEX OI!!
LAST 11 MONTHS OF SILVER DELIVERIES
WE FINISHED APRIL WITH A STRONG SILVER OZ STANDING OF 16.050 MILLION OZ NORMAL DELIVERY , PLUS OUR 4.00 MILLION EX FOR RISK
FINAL STANDING APRIL: 19.965 MILLION OZ
AND MAY:
NEW STANDING FOR MAY FINISHES AT: 75.615 MILLION OZ. (INCLUDES 5,000 OZ EFP TRANSFER TO LONDON + 12.93 MILLION OZ EXCHANGE FOR RISK ISSUANCE/PRIOR.//NEW TOTAL STANDING 88.540 MILLION OZ
AND JUNE: FINAL 16.995 MILLION OZ
AND JULY: 46.720 MILLION OZ//
AUGUST: 4.70 MILLION OZ INITIAL STANDING PLUS TODAY;S 5,000 OZ QUEUE JUMP //NEW STANDING ADVANCES TO 10.960 MILLION OZ
SEPTEMBER: 68.040 MILLION OZ NORMAL DELIVERY(INCLUDES ALL QUEUE JUMPING AND EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL TRANSFERS) PLUS 3.0 MILLION OZ EX FOR RISK = 71.040 MILLION OZ. (THIS IS THE FIRST AND ONLY ISSUANCE OF EXCHANGE FOR RISK FOR SILVER SINCE MAY.)
OCTOBER: 39.565 MILLION OZ OF NORMAL DELIVERY INCLUDES ALL QUEUE JUMPING
PLUS
2.110 MILLION OZ EXCHANGE FOR RISK//TOTAL OZ STANDING IN OCT ADVAN
NOVEMBER: INITIAL STANDING AT 11.575 MILLION OZ FOLLOWED BY TODAY’S 195,000 OZ QUEUE JUMP WHICH FOLLOWS ALL OTHER QUEUE JUMPS OF 9.155 MILLION OZ//STANDING ADVANCES TO 19.670 MILLION OZ/
DECEMBER: INITIAL AMOUNT STANDING FOR DELIVERY: 49.33 MILLION OZ// FOLLOWED BY ANOTHER STRONG 835,000OZ QUEUE JUMP+ DEC. FIRST EXCHANGE FOR RISK 0F .850 MILLION OZ + LAST WEEK.S 495,000 OZ EXCHANGE FOR RISK AND THEN A 3RD ISSUANCE IF 1.00MILLION OZ THEN FINALLY DEC 249ISSUANCE OF 1.35 MILLION OZ EXCHANGE FOR RISK//NEW TOTAL EX FOR RIS IS 3.685 MILLION OZ // STANDING ADVANCES TO 68.415 MILLION OZ//
JANUARY: INITIAL STANDING 22.915 MILLION OZ FOLLOWED BY TODAY’S 1.185 MILLION OZ QUEUE JUMP//NORMAL STANDING ADVANCES TO 49.445 MILLION OZ// TO WHICH WE ADD OUR FIRST EXCHANGE FOR RISK OF 0.100 MILLLION OZ//NEW STANDING ADVANCES TO 49.545 MILLION OZ
FEB: 13.399 MILLION OZ IS OUR INITIAL STANDING FOR SILVER! TO WHICH WE ADD OUR NEXT QUEUE JUMP FOR 5,000 OZ AND THEN ADD OUR 3 EXCHANGE FOR RISK FOR 3.010 MILLION OZ STANDING ADVANCES TO 28.190 MILLION OZ!!
MARCH: INITIAL AMOUNT OF SILVER STANDING IS 31.076 MILLION OZ FOLLOWED BY TODAY’S 0.260 MILLION OZ QUEUE //NEW TOTAL STANDING ADVANCESTO 43.195MILLION OZ
THE NEW TAS ISSUANCE TUESDAY NIGHT (310 WILL BE PUT INTO “THE BANK” TO BE COLLUSIVELY USED NO DOUBT WITH FUTURE TRADING!
WE HAD 157 NOTICE(S) FILED TODAY FOR 0.785 MILLION OZ
THE SILVER COMEX IS NOW BEING ATTACKED FOR METAL BY LONDONERS ET AL. IT IS NOW TIME FOR THE FBI TO ENTER THE COMEX AND ARREST THESE CROOKS EVEN THOUGH THE MAJORITY OF THE TRADING IS GOVERNMENT. THE BANKERS ARE COMPLICIT. THE SILVER COMEX IS NOW ON A MASSIVE SIEGE LOOKING FOR PHYSICAL SILVER!!
GOLD//OUTLINE
IN GOLD, THE COMEX OPEN INTEREST FELL BY A SMALL SIZED 795 OI CONTRACTS DOWN TO 411,388 OI AND FURTHER DROM THE RECORD (SET JAN 24/2020) AT 799,105 AND PREVIOUS TO THAT: (SET JAN 6/2020) AT 797,110. (ALL TIME LOW OF 390,000 CONTRACTS.) THUS WE ARE STILL CLOSE TO OUR NADIR OI IN COMEX BUT WITH AN EXTREMELY HIGH PRICE OF GOLD. THE SHORT RATS ARE ABANDONING THE SHIP.
THE DIFFERENTIAL FROM PRELIMINARY OI TO FINAL OI IN GOLD TODAY: REMOVED A SMALL 224 CRIMINAL CONTRACTS //.
WE HAD A SMALL SIZED LOSS IN COMEX OI (798ONTRACTS) . THIS LOSS OCCURRED DESPITE OUR GAIN IN PRICE OF $6.80 TUESDAY///.
LAST 10 MONTHS OF GOLD DELIVERIES: (MAY THROUGH TO /FEB)
MAY: SUMMARY FOR MAY TONNES WHICH STOOD FOR DELIVERY:
FINAL STANDING FOR MAY: 70.174 TONNES OF GOLD TO WHICH WE ADD 1. MONDAY’S (MAY 19) 6.221 TONNES EXCHANGE FOR RISK , 2. THEN WE ADD: 1.35 TONNES TO LAST WEEK”S. THEN WE ADD 3. 1.55 TONNES TO EQUAL 9.591 TONNES// NEW EXCHANGE FOR RISK = 9.591 TONNES WHICH MUST BE ADDED TO OUR NORMAL DELIVERY SCHEDULE OF 80.644 TONNES. THUS STANDING FOR MAY INCREASES TO 90.235 TONNES OF GOLD
2 JUNE CONTRACT MONTH: 93.085 TONNES OF GOLD (WHICH INCLUDES ALL QUEUE JUMPING AND 0 EX FOR RISK)
3.JULY INITIIAL STANDING FIRST DAY NOTICE: 17.847 TONNES. PLUS TODAY’S 0 TONNES QUEUE JUMP + 1.555 TONNES EX FOR RISK + 2.195 TONNES EX FOR RISK TODAY = 41.106 TONNES STANDING
4. AUGUST: 60.547 TONNES OF INITIAL GOLD FIRST DAY NOTICE FOLLOWED BY THE NET MONTH’S QUEUE JUMP OF 47.2312 TONNES TO WHICH WE ADD THE FOLLOWING EXCHANGE FOR RISK ISSUANCE RECEIVED FOR THE MONTH: 5.4432 TONNES EX FOR RISK/AUG 7 , AUG 11: 2.413 TONNES EX FOR RISK AND AUG. 12 OF 2.637 TONNES EX FOR RISK//AUG 25: 9.107 TONNES , AUGUST 26: 9.1010 TONNES AND NOW AUGUST 27: 9.0699 TONNES//NEW STANDING ADVANCES TO 107.5117 TONNES OF GOLD NORMAL STANDING (INCLUDES ALL MONTHLY QUEUE JUMPS/EX FOR PHYSICAL TRANSFERS//) +44.696 TONNES EX.FOR RISK = 152.208 TONNES
5.SEPT: INITIAL 8.093 TONNES OF GOLD PLUS TODAY’S QUEUE JUMP OF 0.4883 TONNES PLUS 2.2827 TONNES OF EXCHANGE FOR RISK TODAY//NEW TOTAL EX. FOR RISK/MONTH = 22.923//NEW TOTAL STANDING FOR GOLD SEPT ADVANCES TO = 48.801 TONNES!!
6.OCTOBER: 90.012 TONNES OF INITIAL GOLD STANDING WITH TODAY’S TINY 0.00311 TONNES QUEUE JUMP WHICH FOLLOWS ALL OTHER QUEUE JUMPS DURING OCT OF 76.1656 TONNES
THEN WE MUST ADD OUR 14.553 TONNES OF OUR ISSUANCE OF EXCHANGE FOR RISK/6 OCCASIONS//NEW TOTAL OF GOLD STANDING ADVANCES TO 197.5141 TONNES OF GOLD.
7.NOVEMBER BEGINS WITH 15.651 TONNES INITIALLY STANDING FOR DELIVERY FOLLOWED BY TODAY’S QUEUE JUMP OF 2.323 TONNES FOLLOWED BY ALL PREVIOUS QUEUE JUMPS IN OF OF 21.3775 TONNES TO WHICH WE ADD OUR TWO EXCHANGE FOR RISK ISSUANCE OF 4.5596 TONNES//NEW STANDING ADVANCES TO 43.9716 TONNES OF GOLD.
8. DECEMBER BEGINS WITH INITIAL STANDING OF 83.813 TONNES OF GOLD FOLLOWED BY TODAY’S 0.0TONNE QUEUE JUMP WHICH FOLLOWS ALL OTHER QUEUE JUMPS OF: 37.163 TONNES//NEW STANDING ADVANCES TO 115.390 TONNES TO WHICH WE ADD OUR 4 EXCHANGE FOR RISK FOR DECEMBER OF 6.587 TONNES/NEW STANDING ADVANCES TO 121.977 TONNES
9. JANUARY: INITITAL STANDING: 13.785 TONNES TO WHICH WE ADD OUR FIRST EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL TRANSFER OF 0.08709 TONNES WHICH FOLLOWS ALL OTHER QUEUE JUMPS OF 30.7117TONNES //NEW TOTAL QUEUE JUMPS 30.7117//NORMAL DELIVERY OF GOLD ADVANCES TO 36.8958 TONNES TO WHICH WE ADD OUR SIX EXCHANGE FOR RISK OF 22.315 TONNES//NEW STANDING ADVANCES TO 59.2108 TONNES.
FEB; INITIAL AMOUNT OF GOLD STANDING FOR DELIVERY: 93.567 TONNES OF GOLD TO WHICH WE ADD OUR NEXT 0.0248 TONNES 0.1555 TONNES QUEUE JUMP TO 41.2082 TONNES/ NEW NET QUEUE JUMP INCREASES TO 41.233 TONNES// AND THEN WE ADD OUR SIX EXCHANGE FOR RISK: 10,080 CONTRACTS OR 31.251 TONNES//NEW STANDING REDUCES TO 157.878 TONNES
MARCH:: INITIAL AMOUNT OF GOLD STANDING FOR DELIVERY: 8.099 TONNES FOLLOWED BY TODAY’S STRONG 0.3763 TONNES QUEUE JUMP //NEW STANDING ADVANCES TO 33.293 TONNES/
E.F.P. ISSUANCE/FOR OPENING MARCH. GOLD CONTRACT
THE CME RELEASED THE DATA FOR EFP ISSUANCE AND IT TOTALED A STRONG SIZED 2796 CONTRACTS:
The NEW COMEX OI FOR THE GOLD COMPLEX RESTS AT 411,388AND WE NOW WITNESSING A LOWER COMEX OI BUT WITH AN EXTREMELY HIGH PRICE OF GOLD.//NOW ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO FLEECE. THIS LEVEL ADVANCES FROM ITS DECADES LOW OI AT 404,829.
SILVER ALSO HAS AN ULTRA SMALL SIZED COMEX OI OF 114,758 CONTRACTS// GAINING A BIT FROM THURSDAY’S (MARCH 5) ALL TIME LOW OF 112,878 CONTRACTS.
IN ESSENCE WE HAVE A FAIR GAIN IN TOTAL CONTRACTS ON THE TWO EXCHANGES OF 2225 CONTRACTS WITH 571 CONTRACTS DECREASED AT THE COMEX// AND A STRONG SIZED 2796 EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL OI CONTRACT ISSUANCE WHICH NAVIGATED OVER TO LONDON.
THUS TOTAL OI GAIN ON THE TWO EXCHANGES OF 2001 CONTRACTS.. WE HAD THE FOLLOWING TAS CONTRACTS INITIATED (ISSUED): A SMALL SIZED BUT CRIMINAL 555 CONTRACTS AND THESE ISSUANCES ARE GENERALLY USED TO INITIATE A RAID WHEN CALLED UPON LIKE LAST THURSDAY AND FRIDAY . THE CROOKS MUST BE DESPERATE! THIS ENDS THE 5 DAYS IN A ROW OF A MEGA HUGE T.A.S ISSUANCE .
GOLD PRICE ON FRIDAY ROSE BY $6.80
CALCULATIONS ON GAIN/LOSS ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES
WE HAD A STRONG SIZED ISSUANCE IN EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICALS CONTRACT(2796) ACCOMPANYING THE SMALL SIZED LOSS IN COMEX OI OF 795 CONTRACTS/TOTAL GAIN FOR OUR THE TWO EXCHANGES: 2001 CONTRACTS..
WE HAVE 1) NOW REVERTED TO OUR ABNORMAL FORMAT OF BANKER (FRBNY) GOING ON THE LONG SIDE AND NEWBIE SPECULATORS GOING TO THE SHORT SIDE// . ,2.) STRONG FINAL STANDING FOR GOLD FOR FEBRUARY AND VERY STRONG FOR MARCH:
FEB; INITIAL AMOUNT OF GOLD STANDING FOR DELIVERY: 93.567 TONNES OF GOLD TO WHICH WE ADD OUR NEXT QUEUE JUMP OF 0.012 TONNES TO ALL OTHER QUEUE JUMPS//NEW QUEUE JUMP TOTALS INCREASES: 41.233 TONNES// /// TO WHICH WE ADD OUR SIX EXCHANGE FOR RISK FOR 31.251 TONNES//NEW STANDING FINISHED AT 157.878 TONNES
MARCH:: SMALL INITIAL STANDING FOR GOLD FOR MARCH AT 8.099 TONNES FOLLOWED BY TODAY’S 0.3763TONNES QUEUE JUMP///NEW STANDING ADVANCES TO 33.293TONNES OF GOLD./
FINAL STANDING FOR GOLD, JANUARY CONTRACT AT 59.2108 TONNES OF GOLD
FEBRUARY: INITIAL STANDING FOR GOLD: 157.878 TONNES!! WHICH INCLUDES ALL QUEUE JUMPING, THREE EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL TRANSFERS TO LONDON AND OUR SIX ISSUANCES EXCHANGE FOR RISK!!
MARCH: INITIAL STANDING AT 8.099 TONNES FOLLOWED BY TODAY’S 0.3763TONNES QUEUE JUMP +//NEW STANDING ADVANCES TO 33.293TONNES/
3) SOME T.A.S. LIQUIDATION AND SOME GOVT LIQUIDATION // WITH A GOOD GAIN OF EQUITY SHARES/MARCH 16 DESPITE HAVING 1)A $6.80COMEX PRICE GAIN AND YET WE HAD 2) NEWBIE SPEC SHORTS GOING LONG AGAIN ON A NET BASIS, + EASTERN CENTRAL BANKERS WERE PILING INTO THE LONG SIDE AS WE HAD A FAIR SIZED GAIN OF 2001 CONTRACTS ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES AND AS WELL A STRONG AMOUNT OF GOLD WILL STAND FOR DELIVERY IN MARCH. (33.293 TONNES). //, CENTRAL BANKERS TENDERED FOR PHYSICAL WITH THEIR PURCHASES OF CONTRACTS../ ALSO, 3)STICKY GOLD’S LONGS WERE REWARDED MONDAY EVENING AS THEY EXERCISED EFP’S FROM LONDON TO TAKE DELIVERY OF BADLY NEEDED PHYSICAL
4)A SMALL SIZED COMEX OI LOSS 5) V) STRONG SIZED ISSUANCE OF EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL GOLD (2796) AND A SMALL T.A.S. ISSUANCE (555) FOR RAID PURPOSES
ACCUMULATION OF EFP’S GOLD AT J.P. MORGAN’S HOUSE OF BRIBES: (EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL) FOR THE MONTH OF JAN :
TOTAL EFP CONTRACTS ISSUED: 42,354 CONTRACTS OR 4,235,400 OZ OR 131.738 TONNES IN 13TRADING DAY(S) AND THUS AVERAGING: 3258 EFP CONTRACTS PER TRADING DAY
TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA AS TO THE SIZE OF THESE EFP TRANSFERS : THIS MONTH IN13TRADING DAY(S) IN TONNES: 131.738 TONNES
TOTAL ANNUAL GOLD PRODUCTION, 2025, THROUGHOUT THE WORLD EX CHINA EX RUSSIA: 3555 TONNES
THUS EFP TRANSFERS REPRESENTS 131.738 TONNES DIVIDED BY 3550 x 100% TONNES = 3.71% OF GLOBAL ANNUAL PRODUCTION
SEPT 142.12 TONNES FINAL ISSUANCE ( LOW ISSUANCE)_
OCT: 141.13 TONNES FINAL ISSUANCE (LOW ISSUANCE)
NOV: 312.46 TONNES FINAL ISSUANCE//NEW RECORD!! (INCREASING DRAMATICALLY)//SIGN OF REAL STRESS//SURPASSING THE MARCH 2021 RECORD OF 276.50 TONNES OF EFP
DEC. 175.62 TONNES//FINAL ISSUANCE//
TOTALS: 2,578.08 TONNES/2021
JAN:2023 247.25 TONNES //FINAL
FEB: 196.04 TONNES//FINAL
MARCH/2022: 409.30 TONNES //FINAL( THIS IS NOW A RECORD EFP ISSUANCE FOR MARCH AND FOR ANY MONTH.
APRIL: 169.55 TONNES (FINAL VERY LOW ISSUANCE MONTH)
MAY: 247.44 TONNES FINAL//
JUNE: 238.13 TONNES FINAL
JULY: 378.43 TONNES FINAL/SECOND HIGHEST ON RECORD
AUGUST: 180.81 TONNES FINAL
SEPT. 193.16 TONNES FINAL
OCT: 177.57 TONNES FINAL ( MUCH SMALLER THAN LAST MONTH)
NOV. 223.98 TONNES//FINAL ( MUCH LARGER THAN PREVIOUS MONTHS//comex running out of physical)
DEC: 185.59 tonnes // FINAL
TOTAL: 2,847,25 TONNES/2022
JAN 2024: 228.49 TONNES FINAL//HUGE AMOUNT OF EFP’S ISSUED THIS MONTH!!
FEB: 151.61 TONNES/FINAL
MARCH: 280.09 TONNES/INITIAL (ANOTHER STRONG MONTH FOR EFP ISSUANCE)
APRIL: 197.42 TONNES
MAY: 236.67 TONNES (A VERY STRONG ISSUANCE FOR THIS MONTH)
JUNE: 172.667 TONNES (WEAKER ISSUANCE THIS MONTH)
JULY: 151.69 TONNES (WEAKER THAN LAST MONTH)
AUGUST: 195.28 TONNES (A STRONGER MONTH)//FINAL
SEPT: 254.709 TONNES (WILL BE LARGER THAN LAST MONTH AND A STRONG MONTH)
OCT. 248.09 TONNES. LIKE SILVER, THIS MONTH IS GOING TO BE A STRONG E.F.P. ISSUANCE.
NOV. 239.16 TONNES//WILL BE STRONG THIS MONTH,
DEC. 213.704 TONNES. A STRONG MONTH//
TOTAL FOR YEAR 2023: 2,569.57 TONNES
2025: AND NOW 2026
JAN. 2025: 257.919 TONNES (ISSUANCE WILL BE PRETTY GOOD THIS MONTH BUT MUCH LOWER THAN LAST MONTH)
FEB: 207.21 TONNES//EX FOR PHYSICAL ISSUANCE (WILL BE A FAIR SIZED ISSUANCE THIS MONTH)
MARCH 130.84 TONNES//QUITE SMALL THIS MONTH.
APRIL; 208.57 TONNES. STRONG THIS MONTH
MAY: 113.499 TONNES OF GOLD EFP ISSUANCE//QUITE SMALL THIS MONTH
JUNE: 97.79 TONNES OF GOLD EFP ISSUANCE/EXTREMELY SMALL
JULY : 150.877 TONNES// QUITE SMALL
AUGUST: 175.86 TONNES A LOT LARGER THIS MONTH.
SEPT. 116.13 TONNES VERY SMALL
OCT. 252.72 TONNES//CERTAINLY MUCH LARGER THIS MONTH/VERY STRONG
NOV: 124.74 TONNES
DEC: 190.04 TONNES//GOOD SIZED THIS MONTH FINAL.
TOTAL EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL ISSUED FOR YEAR 2025: 2,026.20 TONNES (LOWER THAN LAST YR 2,569.00 TONNES
JANUARY: 209.08 TONNES ( (WILL BE A STRONG MONTH FOR EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL)
FEB. 176.35 TONNES (WHICH IS A FAIR ISSUANCE)
MARCH: 131.738 TONNES//WILL BE STRONG ISSUANCE THIS MONTH
SPREADERS:
HERE IS A BRIEF SYNOPSIS OF HOW THE CROOKS FLEECE UNSUSPECTING LONGS IN THE SPREADING ENDEAVOUR ;MODUS OPERANDI OF THE CORRUPT BANKERS AS TO HOW THEY HANDLE THEIR SPREAD
YOU WILL ALSO NOTICE THAT THE COMEX OPEN INTEREST STARTS TO RISE BUT SO IS THE OPEN INTEREST OF SPREADERS. THE OPEN INTEREST IN WILL CONTINUE TO RISE UNTIL ONE WEEK BEFORE FIRST DAY NOTICE OF AN UPCOMING ACTIVE DELIVERY MONTH (OCT), AND THAT IS WHEN THE CROOKS SELL THEIR SPREAD POSITIONS BUT NOT AT THE SAME TIME OF THE DAY. THEY WILL USE THE SELL SIDE OF THE EQUATION TO CREATE THE CASCADE (ALONG WITH THEIR COLLUSIVE FRIENDS) AND THEN COVER ON THE BUY SIDE OF THE SPREAD SITUATION AT THE END OF THE DAY. THEY DO THIS TO AVOID POSITION LIMIT DETECTION. THE LIQUIDATION OF THE SPREADING FORMATION CONTINUES FOR EXACTLY ONE WEEK AND ENDS ON FIRST DAY NOTICE.”
WHAT IS ALARMING TO ME, ACCORDING TO OUR LONDON EXPERT ANDREW MAGUIRE IS THAT THESE EFP’S ARE BEING TRANSFERRED TO WHAT ARE CALLED SERIAL FORWARD CONTRACT OBLIGATIONS AND THESE CONTRACTS ARE LESS THAN 14 DAYS. ANYTHING GREATER THAN 14 DAYS, THESE MUST BE RECORDED AND SENT TO THE COMPTROLLER, GREAT BRITAIN TO MONITOR RISK TO THE BANKING SYSTEM. IF THIS IS INDEED TRUE, THEN THIS IS A MASSIVE CONSPIRACY TO DEFRAUD AS WE NOW WITNESS A MONSTROUS TOTAL EFP’S ISSUANCE AS IT HEADS INTO THE STRATOSPHERE.
The crooks also use the spread in the TAS account (trade at settlement). They buy the spot TAS (e.g. June) and sell the future TAS two months out (e.g. August). Then they unload the front month (i.e. unload the buy side first so the price of gold/silver falls. This occurs in the middle of the front delivery month cycle. They unload the sell side of the equation, two months down the road. The crooks violate position limits as the OCC refuse to hear our complaints.
First, here is an outline of what will be discussed tonight:
SILVER:
1.TODAY WE HAD THE OPEN INTEREST AT THE COMEX IN SILVER ROSE BY A SMALL SIZED 181 CONTRACTS OI TO 114,758AND FURTHER FROM THE COMEX HIGH RECORD //244,710( SET FEB 25/2020). THE LAST RECORDS WERE SET IN AUG.2018 AT 244,196 WITH A SILVER PRICE OF $14.78/(AUGUST 22/2018)..THE PREVIOUS RECORD TO THAT WAS SET ON APRIL 9/2018 AT 243,411 OPEN INTEREST CONTRACTS WITH THE SILVER PRICE AT THAT DAY: $16.53). AND PREVIOUS TO THAT, THE RECORD WAS ESTABLISHED AT: 234,787 CONTRACTS, SET ON APRIL 21.2017 OVER 7 YEARS AGO. HOWEVER WE HAVE NOW SET A NEW RECORD LOW OF 112,794 CONTRACTS THIS MONTH( MARCH 4/2026)
EFP ISSUANCE 179 CONTRACTS
OUR CUSTOMARY MIGRATION OF COMEX LONGS CONTINUE TO MORPH INTO LONDON FORWARDS AS OUR BANKERS USED THEIR EMERGENCY PROCEDURE TO ISSUE:
MAY 179 CONTRACTS and 0 ALL OTHER MONTHS: ZERO. TOTAL EFP ISSUANCE: 0 CONTRACTS. EFP’S GIVE OUR COMEX LONGS A FIAT BONUS PLUS A DELIVERABLE PRODUCT OVER IN LONDON. IF WE TAKE THE COMEX OI GAIN OF 181 CONTRACTS AND ADD TO THE 179 E.FP. ISSUED
WE OBTAIN A STRONG SIZED GAIN OF 360 OI OPEN INTEREST CONTRACTS FROM OUR TWO EXCHANGES DESPITE OUR HUGE LOSS OF $0.89
THUS IN OUNCES, THE GAIN ON THE TWO EXCHANGES TOTALS 1.80 MILLION PAPER OZ
OCCURRED WITH OUR LOSS IN PRICE.OF $0.89
2.ASIAN AFFAIRS MARCH 17 /2025
SHANGHAI CLOSED UP 13.08 PTS OR 0.32%
HANG SENG CLOSED UP 156.88 PTS OR 0.61%
Nikkei CLOSED UP 1687.50PTS OR 3.15%
//Australia’s all ordinaries CLOSED UP 0.32%
//Chinese yuan (ONSHORE) CLOSED UP 6.8757
/ OFFSHORE CLOSED UP AT 6.8761Oil DOWN TO 94.24dollars per barrel for WTI and BRENT DOWN TO 102.83 Stocks in Europe OPENED ALL DEEPLY IN THE GREEN
ONSHORE USA/ YUAN TRADING 6.8757/ OFFSHORE YUAN TRADING UP TO 6.8761/ONSHORE YUAN TRADING ABOVE OFF SHORE AND UP ON THE DOLLAR// / AND THUS STRONGER//OFF SHORE YUAN TRADING UP AGAINST US DOLLAR/ AND THUS STRONGER
1. COMEX DATA//AMOUNTS STANDING//VOLUME OF TRADING/INVENTORY MOVEMENTS
GOLD
LET US BEGIN:
THE TOTAL COMEX GOLD OPEN INTEREST FELL BY A SMALL SIZED 795 CONTRACTS DOWNTO 411,388 OI , (CLOSE TO DECADES ALL TIME LOW OF 404,829), DESPITE OUR GAIN IN PRICE OF $6.80 WITH RESPECT TO TUESDAY’S // TRADING/ //COMEX CLOSING TIME:… WE LOST ZERO NET LONGS, WITH THAT PRICE GAIN FOR GOLD . AND AS YOU WILL SEE BELOW, OUR GAIN IN PRICE ALSO HAD A STRONG NUMBER OF EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL ISSUED (2776).
WE HAD CONSIDERABLE T.A.S. LIQUIDATION DURING TUESDAY’S TRADING. IT SEEMS THAT THE SPECULATORS STARTED AGAIN TO GO MASSIVELY LONG THIS MONTH AFTER A BRIEF PERIOD OF GOING NET SHORT AT THE BEGINNING OF FEBRUARY.
CENTRAL BANKS ALSO TENDERED THEIR NEW LONG CONTRACTS AT THE END OF THE DAY FOR PHYSICAL GOLD. YOU CAN VISUALIZE THIS WITH THE MASSIVE AMOUNT OF GOLD STANDING AT THE COMEX FOR THIS MARCH CONTRACT MONTH!!
YOU WILL NOTICE THAT THE COMEX OI IS NOW MOVING SLIGHTLY AWAY FROM ITS ALL TIME LOW POINT IN OI OF 404,829 AND FROM THIS POINT, OI WILL RISE BUT IT WILL BE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT FOR THE CROOKS TO FLEECE OUR NEWBIE SPEC LONGS. THE ALL TIME LOW OF COMEX OI IS 390,000 CONTRACTS WHICH OCCURRED IN 2001 WITH GOLD AROUND $260. FROM CHINA WE LEARN THAT TODAY, THE GOLD LEASE RATE IS NOW AROUND 1 TO 2 %.(SILVER IS AT 8%). WITH AN OI OF 411,612 THERE IS LITTLE ROOM FOR THE CROOKS TO RAID OUR NEWBIE SPECULATORSWHO ARE VERY STICKY AT THIS POINT.
WE THUS HAD A TOTAL GAIN IN OI ON BOTH OF OUR EXCHANGES, THE COMEX AND LONDON’S EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL EQUATING TO 2001 CONTRACTS (OR 6.22 TONNES) WITH THE GAIN IN PRICE, TUESDAY.
THEN WE WERE NOTIFIED OF A ZERO CONTRACT EXCHANGE FOR RISK ISSUANCE IN GOLD CONTRACTS FOR 0 OZ OR 0 TONNES OF GOLD. DURING THE MIDDLE OF THE MONTH. WE HAVE HAD TWO IDENTICAL MONSTER 3,000 CONTRACT ISSUED FOR THE SAME 9.33 TONNES OF GOLD, AND THESE ARE THE HIGHEST EVER IN TONNAGE EVER ISSUED BY THE COMEX. ALTOGETHER THE TOTAL ISSUANCE THUS FAR FOR FEB NOW REMAINS AT SIX.(31.251 TONNES)
A LITTLE HISTORY OF EXCHANGE FOR RISK DECEMBER THROUGH TO MARCH:
IN DECEMBER WE HAVE RECORDED 5 ISSUANCES OF EXCHANGE FOR RISK/4 FOR DEC AND THE LAST ONE ON DEC 31 FOR JANUARY. WE NOW HAVE 3 CHOICES FOR THE RECIPIENT OF THIS ISSUANCE AND IT MUST BE A CENTRAL BANK. YOU WILL RECALL THAT THE BUYER ASSUMES THE RISK OF THAT DELIVERY. (THUS TOTAL EXCHANGE FOR RISK FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER IS 6.56 TONNES/4 OCCASIONS.
MONTH OF JANUARY/EXCHANGE FOR RISK
IN JANUARY THEY HAVE 6 TOTAL ISSUANCE : 3.446 TONNES EARLY, THEN JAN 9 ISSUANCE OF 9,331 TONNES AND THEN JAN 16: 0.1996 TONNES JAN 26: 1.499 TONNES, JAN 27: 3.160 AND FINALLY JAN 29: 4.659 TONNES TONNES//TOTAL EXCHANGE FOR RISK JANUARY 22.315 TONNES WHICH WAS ADDED TO OUR NORMAL DELVERIES.
AND FEBRUARY:
FEB EXCHANGE FOR RISK: NOW 6 ISSUANCES: 10,080 CONTRACTS FOR 1,008,000 OZ OR 31.251 TONNES!
HERE ARE THE CHOICES FOR THE RECIPIENT OF THOSE ISSUANCES:
1 THE CENTRAL BANK OF ENGLAND. BUT THEY RECEIVED CLEARANCE THAT THEIR GOLD IS BACK SO IT IS NOT LIKELY THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO ADD TO THEIR RESERVES.
2. THE CENTRAL BANK OF THE USA: THE FED. LOGICAL CHOICE AS THEY CLAMOUR TRYING TO REDUCE THEIR 106+ TONNES OF SHORTAGE. HOWEVER THEY SEEM NOT TO BE IN A HURRY TO COVER THEIR HUGE SHORTFALL
3. THE CENTRAL BANK OF CHINA AS THEY BATTLE WITS WITH THE USA.
TOTAL EXCHANGE FOR RISK FOR DECEMBER IS 6.56 TONNES AND THIS WAS ADDED TO OUR NORMAL DELIVERY TOTALS..
THE JANUARY ISSUANCE OF 17.656 TONNES WAS ADDED TO OUR DAILY DELIVERY TOTALS!!
FEBRUAY ISSUANCES 6 FOR; 31.251 TONNES !! AND THIS WAS ADDED TO OUR DELIVERY TOTALS FOR THIS MONTH.
MARCH: ZERO ISSUED SO FAR!
DETAILS ON OUR NEW MARCH COMEX CONTRACT MONTH//
IN TOTAL WE HAD A FAIR SIZED GAIN ON OUR TWO EXCHANGES OF 2001 CONTRACTS WITH OUR GAIN IN PRICE. HOWEVER, OUR FRIENDLY PHYSICAL LONDON BOYS HAD ANOTHER FIELD DAY AGAIN THROUGHOUT THIS WEEK AS THEY WERE READY FOR THE FRBNY.S CONTINUED ORCHESTRATED ATTACKS VERY EARLY IN THE COMEX SESSIONS AS THEY TRIED TO ABSORB EVERYTHING IN SIGHT FROM THEIR DAILY ATTACKS. LONDONERS EXERCISED THEIR BOUGHT CONTRACTS FOR PHYSICAL GOLD VIA THE EXCHANGE FOR PHYSICAL ROUTE AND THANKED THE FRBNY AND OUR SHORT SPECULATORS FOR THE THOUGHTFULNESS.
LONDON ANNOUNCED EARLY IN THE YEAR (AND SCARCITY CONTINUES TO THIS DAY) THAT THEY WERE OUT OF GOLD. WRONGLY IT WAS ATTRIBUTED TO THEIR SHIPPING PHYSICAL GOLD TO COMEX FOR STORAGE DUE TO TRUMP’S INITIATION OF TARIFFS. THE TRUTH OF THE MATTER IS THAT THIS GOLD LEFT LONDON TO OTHER CENTRAL BANKS, AND COMEX BANKS HAVE BEEN PAPERING THEIR LOSSES (DERIVATIVE) WITH KILOBAR ENTRIES. BOTH COMEX AND LBMA ARE WITNESSING MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF GOLD LEAVING THEIR VAULTS.
THE LIQUIDATION OF T.A.S. CONTRACTS THROUGHOUT THE MONTHS OF JUNE THROUGH MARCH/ CONTINUES TO DISTORT OPEN INTEREST NUMBERS GREATLY ALTHOUGH THE T.A.S. ISSUANCES IN GOLD HAVE GENERALLY BEEN ON THE LOW SIDE COMPARED TO SILVER WHICH HAVE BEEN HUGE. TODAY’S NUMBER IS A SMALL SIZED T.A.S ISSUANCE CONTRACTS .THE CME NOTIFIES US THAT THEY HAVE ISSUED 555 T.A.S CONTRACTS (ENDING OUR 5 STRAIGHT DAY OF MEGA ISSUANCES LAST FRIDAY. . THESE WILL BE USED FOR RAID PURPOSES TO STOP GOLD’S RISE AND TO TEMPER HUGE LOSSES IN OTC DERIVATIVE BETS AND IT WAS IN FULL FORCE DURING THIS WEEK WITH ANOTHER RAID CALLED FOR LASTFRIDAY.
IT SURE LOOKS LIKE THE BIS HAS SOMEHOW LOOKED THE OTHER WAY WITH ITS GOLD SWAPS WITH THE FRBNY AS THIS ENTITY FOR THE FED REFUSES THE BIS MARCHING ORDERS TO COVER AND THAT MAY EXPLAIN THE STRONG NUMBER OF T.A.S. ISSUANCES IN DECEMBER , JANUARY AND THROUGHOUT FEBRUARY TO GO ALONG WITH OUR HUGE NUMBER OF EXCHANGE FOR RISK ISSUED DURING THESE MONTHS INCLUDING FEBRUARY’S 6 EXCHANGE FOR RISK WHICH ALSO INCLUDED TWO MONSTER 9.3312 TONNE ISSUANCE (FEB 10 AND FEB 12). TOTAL EXCHANGE FOR RISK/FEB EQUALS 31.251 TONNES!! OTHER CENTRAL BANKS ARE PAYING ATTENTION AS THEY TAKE DELIVERY OF HUGE AMOUNTS OF PHYSICAL GOLD.
FOR MARCH NO EXCHANGE FOR RISK ISSUANCE SO FAR.. BUT DELIVERIES OF GOLD THESE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS HAVE BEEN HUGE:
FOR EXAMPLE:
HERE IS A SUMMARY OF GOLD STANDING FOR DELIVERY ON OUR LAST 11 MONTHS:
FOR APRIL AT 209 TONNES
2. AND THIS CONTINUED INTO MAY WITH FINAL STANDING AT 90.23 TONNES.
3. JUNE WHICH IS A HUGE DELIVERY MONTH , FINAL STANDING WAS RECORDED AT A STRONG 93.085 TONNES. //(TOTAL NET QUEUE JUMPING FOR THE JUNE MONTH: 31.027 TONNES.)
4. IN JULY WE HAD HUGE DELIVERY NOTICES ESPECIALLY FOR A NON ACTIVE DELIVERY MONTH WITH INITIAL STANDING AT 17.947 TONNES PLUS MANY QUEUE JUMPS + 3.75 TONNES EX FOR RISK = 41.106 TONNES OF GOLD // FINAL TOTAL TONNES STANDING JULY: 41.106 TONNES
5. FOR THE MONTH OF AUGUST:
INITIAL AMOUNT OF GOLD STANDING FOR AUGUST: 60.547 TONNES PLUS THE MONTHS HUGE QUEUE JUMPS OF 47.2312 TONNES +44.696 TONNES EX FOR RISK (7 ISSUANCES) //NEW STANDING 152.208 TONNES WHICH IS MONSTROUS!!!
6. FINAL AMOUNT OF GOLD STANDING FOR SEPT; INITIAL STANDING; 2,602 CONTRACTS OR 260,200 OZ FOR 8.093 TONNES OF GOLD FOLLOWED BY TODAY’S 0.4883 TONNES QUEUE JUMP TO GO ALONG WITH TODAY’S 1.244 TONNES OF EXCHANGE FOR RISK ISSUANCE TODAY AND // TOTAL EXCHANGE FOR RISK ISSUANCE SEPT: 22.923 TONNES//NEW TOTALS STANDING ADVANCES TO 48.801 TONNES OF GOLD!!!
7. OCTOBER:
OCTOBER: INITIAL STANDING FOR GOLD: 90.164 TONNES TO WHICH WE ADD OUR LATEST OCT 30 QUEUE JUMP OF 0.00311 TONNES WHICH FOLLOWS OCT 29 QUEUE JUMP OF .4096 WHICH FOLLOWS; OCT 28 QUEUE JUMP OF .5069 TONNES WHICH FOLLOWS OCT 27 OF 0.3048 TONNES WHICH FOLLOWS: OCT 24 OF 0.8615 TONNES, FOLLOWING OCT 23 QUEUE JUMP OF 1.695 TONNES OCT 22 JUMP OF 8.622 TONNES WHICH FOLLOWS OCT 21: 3.8600 TONNES TO OCT 20 QUEUE JUMP OF 7.695 TONNES WHICH FOLLOWED OCT 17 RECORD SETTING: 12.031 TONNE QUEUE JUMP WHICH FOLLOWED THURSDAY’S QUEUE JUMP OF 8.326 TONNES WHICH FOLLOWED WEDNESDAY;S 6.469 WHICH FOLLOWED ALL PREVIOUS QUEUE JUMPS OF 42.549 TONNES TO WHICH WE ADD OUR TOTAL 4679 EXCHANGE FOR RISK CONTRACTS ON 6 OCCASIONS FOR 467,900 OZ OR 14.553 TONNES.! TOTAL STANDING ADVANCES TO 197.511 TONNES OF GOLD
SUMMARY FOR OCTOBER STANDING:
NOVEMBER WHERE INITIAL AMOUNT OF GOLD STANDING IS REGISTERED AT 15.651 TONNES OF GOLD FOLLOWED BY TODAY’S QUEUE JUMP OF 2 TONNES AND FOLLOWED BY ALL OTHER NOV QUEUE JUMPS OF 21.3775 TONNES TO WHICH WE ADD OUR TWO EXCHANGE FOR RISK ISSUANCE FOR 4.5596 TONNES.
DECEMBER: INITIAL AMOUNT OF GOLD STANDING FOR DELIVERY IN THIS ACTIVE MONTH IS 83.813 TONNES FOLLOWED BY TODAY’S 0.XXXX TONNES QUEUE JUMP. THIS FOLLOWS ALL OTHER QUEUE JUMPING: 37.163 TONNES//NEW STANDING ADVANCES TO 115.390 TONNES TO WHICH WE ADD OUR FOUR EXCHANGE FOR RISK ISSUANCE OF 6.559 TONNES//NEW STANDING THUS INCREASES TO 121.977 TONNES
JANUARY: INITITAL STANDING: 13.785 TONNES TO WHICH WE ADD OUR QUEUE JUMP OF 0.000 TONNES WHICH FOLLOWS ALL OTHER QUEUE JUMPS OF 30.7117TONNES //NEW TOTAL QUEUE JUMPS 30.7117//NORMAL DELIVERY OF GOLD ADVANCES TO 36.8958 TONNES TO WHICH WE ADD OUR SIX EXCHANGE FOR RISK OF 22.315 TONNES//NEW STANDING ADVANCES TO 59.2108 TONNES.
FEBRUARY: . FEBRUARY: INITIAL STANDING: 93.566 TONNES TO WHICH WE ADD OUR NEXT QUEUE JUMP OF 0.0248 TONNES WHICH MUST BE ADDED ALL OTHER QUEUE JUMPS OF 41.2087 TONNES QUEUE JUMP//TOTAL QUEUE JUMP FOR FEB::ADVANCES TO 41.233 TONNES///STANDING ADVANCES TO 126.628 TONNES TO WHICH WE ADD OUR SIX EXCHANGE FOR RISK OF 31.251 TONNES/NEW STANDING RISES TO 157.879 TONNES
MARCH: INITIAL STANDING FOR GOLD: 8.099 TONNES TO WHICH WE ADD OUR NEXT STRONG QUEUE JUMP OF 037632TONNES//NEW STANDING FOR GOLD ADVANCES TO: 33.293TONNES
HERE ARE THE AMOUNTS THAT STOOD FOR DELIVERY IN THE PRECEDING 48 MONTHS 2021-2
DEC 2021: 112.217 TONNES
NOV. 8.074 TONNES
OCT. 57.707 TONNES
SEPT: 11.9160 TONNES
AUGUST: 80.489 TONNES
JULY 7.2814 TONNES
JUNE: 72.289 TONNES
MAY 5.77 TONNES
APRIL 95.331 TONNES
MARCH 30.205 TONNES
FEB ’21. 113.424 TONNES
JAN ’21: 6.500 TONNES.
TOTAL YEAR 2021 (JAN- DEC): 601.213 TONNES
YEAR 2022: STANDING FOR GOLD/COMEX
JANUARY 2022 17.79 TONNES
FEB 2022: 59.023 TONNES
MARCH: 36.678 TONNES
APRIL: 85.340 TONNES FINAL.
MAY: 20.11 TONNES FINAL
JUNE: 74.933 TONNES FINAL
JULY 29.987 TONNES FINAL
AUGUST:104.979 TONNES//FINAL
SEPT. 38.1158 TONNES
OCT: 77.390 TONNES/ FINAL
NOV 27.110 TONNES/FINAL
Dec. 64.000 tonnes
(TOTAL YEAR 656.076 TONNES)
2023:STANDING FOR GOLD/COMEX
JAN/2023: 20.559 tonnes
FEB 2023: 47.744 tonnes
MAR: 19.0637 TONNES
APRIL: 75.676 tonnes
MAY: 19.094 TONNES + 1.244 tonnes of exchange for risk = 20.338
JUNE: 64.354 TONNES
JULY: 10.2861 TONNES
AUGUST: 38.855 TONNES(INCLUDING .6842 EXCHANGE FOR RISK)
SEPT: 15.281 TONNES FINAL
OCT. 35.869 TONNES + 1.665 EXCHANGE FOR RISK =37.0355 tonnes
DEC. 47.073 + 4.634 TONNES OF EXCHANGE FOR RISK = 51.707 TONNES
TOTAL 2023 YEAR : 436.546 TONNES
2024/STANDING FOR GOLD/COMEX
JAN ’24. 22.706 TONNES
FEB. ’24: 66.276TONNES (INCLUDES 1.723 TONNES EX. FOR RISK)
MARCH: 18.8398 TONNES + 1.1695 EX FOR RISK = 20.093 TONNES
APRIL: 2024: 53.673TONNES FINAL
MAY/ 2024 8.5536 TONNES + 3.3716 TONNES EX FOR RISK/= 11.9325
JUNE; 95.578 TONNES. + 1.045 TONNES EXCHANGE FOR RISK =96.623 THIS IS THE HIGHEST RECORDED GOLD STANDING SINCE AUGUST 2022
JULY: 11.692 TONNES
AUGUST 69.602 TONNES//FINAL STANDING
SEPT. 13.164 TONNES.
OCT 39.474 TONNES + + 20.917 TONNES EXCHANGE FOR RISK =60.391 TONNES
NOV . 11.265 TONNES +4.665 TONNES EXCHANGE FOR RISK/TUESDAY + 3.11 TONNES OF EX. FOR RISK/PRIOR = 19.0425 TONNES
DEC: 80.4230 TONNES PLUS DEC MONTH EXCHANGE FOR RISK TOTAL 14.6836 TONNES EQUALS 95.1066 TONNES
total year 2024: 540.30 tonnes
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
COMEX GOLD TRADING BEGINNING MARCH,. CONTRACT;
THE SPECS/HFT WERE UNSUCCESSFUL IN LOWERING GOLD’S PRICE( IT ROSE BY A $6.80)
WE HAD LITTLE T.A.S. SPREADER LIQUIDATION TUESDAY // COMEX SESSION// WITH OUR GAIN IN PRICE BUT OUR SPECULATORS REMAIN RELENTLESS POURING INTO THE COMEX STARTING TO BUILD ON ITS OI // BUT WITH OTHER EASTERN CENTRAL BANKS TENDERING FOR PHYSICAL EVERY NIGHT WHICH ALSO EXPLAINS THE HUGE NUMBER OF TONNES OF GOLD THAT STOOD FOR GOLD FOR FEBRUARY’S ACTIVE DELIVERY MONTH (157 TONNES) AND ALSO MARCH’S STANDING OF 33+ TONNES.
TUESDAY NIGHT//WEDNESDAY MORNING
THE CROOKS COULD NOT STOP OTHER CENTRAL BANK LONGS, SEIZING THE MOMENT, THEY EXERCISED AGAIN FOR PHYSICAL IN A BIG WAY TENDERING FOR PHYSICAL TUESDAY EVENING/WEDNESDAY MORNING AND THUS OUR HUGE NUMBER OF GOLD CONTRACTS STANDING FOR DELIVERY AT THE COMEX. CENTRAL BANKERS WAIT PATIENTLY FOR THE GOLD
A LITTLE REVIEW OF GOLD STANDING THESE PAST 7 MONTHS:
STANDING FOR GOLD OCT THROUGH TO MARCH:
ANALYSIS// OCT DELIVERY MONTH GOING FROM FIRST DAY NOTICE// OCT COMEX CONTRACT TO FINALIZATION OCT 31:
OCT AT 90.164 TONNES TO BE FOLLOWED BY ALL PREVIOUS QUEUE JUMPS OF 75.696 TONNES WHICH WE ADD OUR 14.553 TONNES EX FOR RISK/6 OCCASIONS:
/ TOTAL STANDING 197.551 TONNE/OCTOBER FINAL//ABSOLUTELY A MONSTER DELIVERY FOR A NORMALLY QUIET OCT MONTH
2. AND NOW NOVEMBER:
NOVEMBER BEGINS WITH A HUGE 15.651 TONNES INITIALLY STANDING FOR DELIVERY FOLLOWED BY OUR TODAY’S QUEUE JUMP OF 2.323 TONNES WHICH FOLLOWED ALL OTHER NOVEMBER QUEUE JUMPS OF 21.3775 TONNES TO WHICH WE ADD OUR TWO ISSUANCES OF EXCHANGE FOR RISK OF 4.5596 TONNES..
NEW STANDING ADVANCES TO 43.9716 ONNES OF GOLD.
3. AND NOW DECEMBER:
3. DECEMBER: INITIAL AMOUNT OF GOLD STANDING FOR DELIVERY: 83.813 TONNES FOLLOWED BY A 0 CONTRACT QUEUE JUMP FOR NIL OZ OR 0.000 TONNES WHICH FOLLOWS OTHER DEC QUEUE JUMPS OF: 0 TONNES///STANDING ADVANCES TO 115.390 TONNES TO WHICH WE ADD OUR FOUR EXCHANGE FOR RISK ISSUANCE OF 6.559TONNES/NEW STANDING ADVANCES TO 121.977TONNES
4. JANUARY:
9. JANUARY: INITITAL STANDING: 13.785 TONNES TO WHICH WE ADD OUR QUEUE JUMP OF 0.000 TONNES WHICH FOLLOWS ALL OTHER QUEUE JUMPS OF 30.7117TONNES //NEW TOTAL QUEUE JUMPS 30.7117//NORMAL DELIVERY OF GOLD ADVANCES TO 36.8958 TONNES TO WHICH WE ADD OUR SIX EXCHANGE FOR RISK OF 22.315 TONNES//NEW STANDING ADVANCES TO 59.2108 TONNES.
10. FEBRUARY: INITIAL STANDING: 93.566 TONNES TO WHICH WE ADD OUR LATEST QUEUE JUMP OF 0.0298 TONNES TO WHICH THIS IS ADDED TO ALL OTHER QUEUE JUMPS OF 41.2082 / NEW QUEUE JUMP ADVANCES TO: 41.233 TONNES//STANDING ADVANCES TO: 126.628 TONNES TO WHICH WE ADD OUR SIX EXCHANGE FOR RISK OF 10,080 CONTRACTS FOR 1,008,000 OZ OR 31.251 TONNES/NEW STANDING ADVANCES TO 157.879 TONNES
MARCH: INITIAL STANDING: 8.099 TONNES TO WHICH WE ADD OUR NEXT STRONG QUEUE JUMP 0.3763 // GOLD STANDING ADVANCES TO: 33.293 TONNES/
ALL OF THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH OUR GAIN IN PRICE TO THE TUNE OF $6.80
WE HAD A SMALL XXX CONTRACTS ADDED TO THE COMEX TRADES TO OPEN INTEREST (CROOKS)//PRELIMINARY TO FINAL. AND THIS IS TOTALLY INSANE (YOU ADD CONTRACTS?)
NET GAIN ON THE TWO EXCHANGES : 2001 CONTRACTS OR 200,100 OZ OR 6.22TONNES
ii) Out of HSBC enhanced: 95,731.550oz or 239 Good London delivery bars
total tonnes removed: 95,731.550 oz 2.77 tonnes
Deposit to the Dealer Inventory in oz
0 ENTRY
Deposits to the Customer Inventory, in oz
DEPOSITS/CUSTOMER
0 ENTRY
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No of oz served (contracts) today
0 CONTRACTS
OR 0 OZ
0. TONNES OF GOLD
No of oz to be served (notices)
973contracts 97,300 OZ 3.026TONNES
Total monthly oz gold served (contracts) so far this month
9731 notices 973,100 oz 30.267 TONNES
Total accumulative withdrawals of gold from the Dealers inventory this month
NIL oz
Total accumulative withdrawal of gold from the Customer inventory this month
dealer deposits: 0
DEPOSITS/CUSTOMER
0 ENTRY
0 entry
customer withdrawals:
1 ENTRIES
ii) Out of HSBC enhanced: 95,731.550oz or 239 Good London delivery bars
total tonnes removed: 95,731.550 oz 2.77 tonnes
comex is draining of gold/.
they are draining the comex of gold
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ADJUSTMENTs
ADJUSTMENTS 4
adjustments: / / 4// Dealer to customer:
a) Asahi: 1003.968 oz
b) Brinks 96m453.02 oz
c) Malca 2507.778 oz
d) Manfra 1571.431 oz
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net gold leaving dealer to customer: 3.158 tonnes
COMEX IS DRAINING GOLD
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
chaos inside the comex
AMOUNT OF GOLD STANDING FOR MARCH//CME CORRECTED/HUGE INCREASE IN GOLD STANDING!!
THE FRONT MONTH OF MARCH OI STANDS AT 973 CONTRACTS FOR A GAIN OF 88 CONTRACTS. WE HAD 33 CONTRACTS SERVED ON TUESDAY, SO WE GAINED A STRONG 121 CONTRACTS OR AN ADDITIONAL 12,100 OZ WILL STAND FOR DELIVERY AT THE COMEX. THE TONNAGE EQUATES TO 0.3763TONNES . WE HAVE A MASSIVE AMOUNT OF GOLD WILLING TO STAND AS CENTRAL BANKERS CLAMOUR FOR OUR ANCIENT METAL OF KINGS ON THIS SIDE OF THE PLANET
APRIL IS THE NEXT LARGEST DELIVERY MONTH AND IT LOST 4700 CONTRACTS DOWN TO 187,186 CONTRACTS. APRIL IS NOW THE NEW FRONT MONTH FOR DELIVERY OF GOLD. APRIL IS GENERALLY A VERY STRONG DELIVERY MONTH
MAY GAINED 34 CONTRACTS TO AN OI OF 921
JUNE IS A HUGE DELIVERY MONTH AND HERE THE OI ROSE BY A STRONG 3536 CONTRACTS UP TO AN OI OF 150,252
We had 0 contracts filed for today representing 0 oz
Today, 0 notice(s) were issued from J.P.Morgan dealer and 0 notices issued from their client or customer account. The total of all issuance by all participants equate to 0 contract(s) of which 0 notices were stopped (received) by j.P. Morgan dealer and 0 notice(s) was (were) stopped (received) by J.P.Morgan//customer account
To calculate the INITIAL total number of gold ounces standing for MAR. /2026. contract month, we take the total number of notices filed so far for the month (9731) to which we add the difference between the open interest for the front month of MAR (973 CONTRACTS) minus the number of notices served upon today 0 x 100 oz per contract) equals 1,070,400 OZ OR (33.293Tonnes of gold)
thus the INITIAL standings for gold for the MAR contract month: No of notices filed so far (9731 x 100 oz +we add the difference for front month of MAR (973 OI} minus the number of notices served upon today (0)x 100 oz) which equals 1,070,400OZ OR 33.293TONNES//
new total of gold standing in MAR is 33.293TONNES//
TOTAL COMEX GOLD STANDING FOR MARCH 33.292TONNES TONNES WHICH IS NOW MEGA HUGE FOR THIS NORMALLY VERY NON ACTIVE ACTIVE DELIVERY MONTH OF MARCH.
confirmed volume TUESDAY confirmed 148,107 poor
COMEX GOLD INVENTORIES/CLASSIFICATION
NEW PLEDGED GOLD:
241,794.285 oz NOW PLEDGED /HSBC 5.94 TONNES
204,937.290 OZ PLEDGED MANFRA 3.08 TONNES
83,657.582 PLEDGED JPMorgan no 1 1.690 tonnes
265,999.054, oz JPM No 2
1,152,376.639 oz pledged Brinks/
Manfra: 33,758.550 oz
Delaware: 193.721 oz
International Delaware:: 11,188.542 oz
total pledged gold: 1,736,316.742 oz 54.00 tonnes pledged gold lowers
total inventories in gold declining rapidly
total pledged gold: 1,736,316.742 tonnes oz 54.00 tonnes
TOTAL OF ALL GOLD ELIGIBLE AND REGISTERED GOLD 32,140,343.309 oz
TOTAL REGISTERED GOLD 16,658,998.275 or 518.164 Tonnes
TOTAL OF ALL ELIGIBLE GOLD 15,481,344.934 oz//eligible gold leaving hand over fist
REGISTERED GOLD THAT CAN BE SERVED UPON 14,923,582 oz ((REG GOLD- PLEDGED GOLD)=
464.186 Tonnes // (declining rapidly)
total inventories in gold declining rapidly
SILVER COMEX
MARCH DELIVERY MONTH
MARCH 18 2026
INITIAL/
Silver
Ounces
Withdrawals from Dealers Inventory
NIL oz
Withdrawals from Customer Inventory
3 entries
i) asahi: 19,930.440 oz ii) JPMorgan: 1,611,910.200 oz iii) Stonex: 1,1185,217.240 oz
total withdrawal: 2,817,057.880oz
the comex is being drained of silver
Deposits to the Dealer Inventory
0 ENTRY
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Deposits to the Customer Inventory
DEPOSIT ENTRIES/CUSTOMER ACCOUNT
ENTRIES: 1 i) into Customer account: Delaware 6030.300 oz
total deposit: 6030.300 oz
No of oz served today (contracts)
157 CONTRACT(S) ( 0.785 MILLION OZ
No of oz to be served (notices)
337 Contracts (1.685 MILLION oz)
Total monthly oz silver served (contracts)
8302 contracts 41.510 MILLION oz
Total accumulative withdrawal of silver from the Dealers inventory this month
NIL oz
Total accumulative withdrawal of silver from the Customer inventory this month
DEPOSITS INTO DEALER ACCOUNTS
nil
DEPOSIT ENTRIES/CUSTOMER ACCOUNT
ENTRIES: 0
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
withdrawals: customer side/eligible
3 entries
i) asahi: 19,930.440 oz ii) JPMorgan: 1,611,910.200 oz iii) Stonex: 1,1185,217.240 oz
total withdrawal: 2,817,057.880oz
the comex is being drained of silver
the comex is being drained of silver
adjustments: / / 2//dealer to customer acct:
a) Brinks 24,467.500 oz
b) Loomis: 14,620.620 oz
net out of registered to customer: 39,088. oz
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TOTAL REGISTERED SILVER: 78.903 MILLION OZ//.TOTAL REG + ELIGIBLE. 335.075 Million oz
registered silver dropping in numbers
CALCULATIONS FOR THE NEW STANDING FOR SILVER FOR MARCH
silver open interest data:
FRONT MONTH OF MARCH /2026 OI: 494 OPEN INTEREST CONTRACTS FOR A GAIN OF 15 CONTRACTS.
WE HAD 37 NOTICES FILED ON TUESDAY SO WE GAINED A STRONG 52 CONTRACTS OR AN ADDITIONAL 0.260 MILLION OZ OF SILVER WILL TRY FOR DELIVERY OVER HERE AS A BANKER ASSISTED QUEUE JUMP.
APRIL, THE NEW FRONT MONTH SAW A LOSS OF 17 CONTRACTS DOWN TO 1903 CONTRACTS
MAY SAW A 263 CONTRACT LOSS DOWN TO 76,081 CONTRACTS.
JUNE SAW A GAIN OF 1 CONTRACTS UP TO 399 OI CONTRACTS.
TOTAL NUMBER OF NOTICES FILED FOR TODAY: 157 or 0.785 MILLION oz
CONFIRMED volume; ON TUESDAY 35,659 poor+++//
AND NOW MARCH. DELIVERIES:
To calculate the number of silver ounces that will stand for delivery in MARCH. we take the total number of notices filed for the month so far at 8302 X5,000 oz = 41.510 MILLION oz
to which we add the difference between the open interest for the front month of MARCH (494) AND the number of notices served upon today (157)x (5000 oz)
Thus the standings for silver for the MARCH 2026 contract month: (8302)Notices served so far) x 5000 oz + OI for the front month of MARCH (494) minus number of notices served upon today (157 )x 5000 oz equals silver standing for the MAR..contract month equating to 43.195 MILLION OZ.
NEW STANDING: 43.195MILLION OZ WHICH IS STILL LOWISH FOR A GENERALLY HUGE DELIVERY MONTH OF MARCH.
New total standing: 43.195 million oz.
We must also keep in mind that there is considerable silver standing in London coming from our longs in New York that underwent EFP transfers.
There are ONLY 78.903 million oz of registered silver
JPMorgan as a percentage of total silver: 148.462/335.075.million: 44.17%
The record level of silver open interest is 234,787 contracts set on April 21./2017 with the price on that day at $18.42. The previous record was 224,540 contracts with the price at that time of $20.44.
BOTH GLD AND SLV ARE MASSIVE FRAUD
MAR 18/2026/WITH GOLD DOWN $111.80 TODAY/HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A HUGE WITHDRAWAL OF 1.144 TONNES OF GOLD OUT OF THE GLD// /// ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 1069.564 TONNES
MAR 17/2026/WITH GOLD UP $6.80 TODAY/HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A HUGE WITHDRAWAL OF 0.857 TONNES OF GOLD OUT OF THE GLD// /// ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 1070.708 TONNES
MAR 16/2026/WITH GOLD DOWN $60.45 TODAY/HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A HUGE WITHDRAWAL OF 4/327 TONNES OF GOLD OUT OF THE GLD// /// ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 1071/.565 TONNES
MAR 13/2026/WITH GOLD DOWN $61.40 TODAY/HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A HUGE WITHDRAWAL OF 1.428 TONNES OF GOLD INTO THE GLD// /// ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 1075.852 TONNES
MAR 12/2026/WITH GOLD DOWN $49.25 TODAY/HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A HUGE DEPOSIT OF 3.715 TONNES OF GOLD INTO THE GLD// /// ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 1077.28 TONNES
MAR 11/2026/WITH GOLD DOWN $70.55 TODAY/HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A HUGE DEPOSIT OF 2.858 TONNES OF GOLD INTO THE GLD// /// ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 1073.565 TONNES
MAR 10/2026/WITH GOLD UP $137.75 TODAY/HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:ANOTHER MONSTER WITHDRAWAL OF 2.614 TONNES OF GOLD OUT OF THE GLD// /// ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 1070.707 TONNES
MAR 9/2026/WITH GOLD DOWN $53.80 TODAY/HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:ANOTHER MONSTER WITHDRAWAL OF 2.573 TONNES OF GOLD OUT OF THE GLD// /// ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 1073.321 TONNES
MAR 6/2026/WITH GOLD UP $77.25 TODAY/HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:ANOTHER MONSTER WITHDRAWAL OF 5.144 TONNES OF GOLD OUT OF THE GLD// /// ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 1075.894 TONNES
MAR 5/2026/WITH GOLD DOWN $49.00 TODAY/HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A WITHDRAWAL OF 18.032 TONNES OF GOLD INTO THE GLD// /// ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 1081.038 TONNES
MAR 4/2026/WITH GOLD UP $9.55 TODAY/HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A WITHDRAWAL OF 2.545 TONNES OF GOLD INTO THE GLD// /// ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 1099.07 TONNES
MAR 3/2026/WITH GOLD DOWN $188.75 TODAY/SMALL CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A SMALL DEPOSIT OF 0.35 TONNES OF GOLD INTO THE GLD// /// ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 1101.36 TONNES
MAR 2/2026/WITH GOLD UP $71.00 TODAY/HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A HUGE DEPOSIT OF 3.23 TONNES OF GOLD INTO THE GLD// /// ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 1101,13 TONNES
FEB 27/2026/WITH GOLD UP $52.50 TODAY/SMALL CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A SMALL DEPOSIT OF 0.28 TONNES OF GOLD INTO THE GLD// /// ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 1097.90 TONNES
FEB 26/2026/WITH GOLD DOWN $30.25 TODAY/HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A MASSIVE DEPOSIT OF 11.45 TONNES OF GOLD INTO THE GLD// /// ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 1097.62 TONNES
FEB 25/2026/WITH GOLD UP $48.40 TODAY/SMALL CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A SMALL WITHDRAWAL OF 0.300 TONNES OF GOLD OUT OF THE GLD// /// ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 1086.17 TONNES
FEB 24/2026/WITH GOLD DOWN $47.40 TODAY/HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A MASSIVE PAPER DEPOSIT OF 7.72 TONNES OF GOLD INTO THE GLD// /// ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 1086.47 TONNES
FEB 23/2026/WITH GOLD UP $148.25 TODAY/NO CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD: /// ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 1078.75 TONNES
FEB 20/2026/WITH GOLD UP $79.75 TODAY/HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A DEPOSIT OF 3.14 TONNES OF GOLD INTO THE GLD /// ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 1078.75 TONNES
FEB 19/2026/WITH GOLD DOWN $9.00 TODAY/NO CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD: /// ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 1075.61 TONNES
FEB 18/2026/WITH GOLD UP $102.60 TODAY/HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A WITHDRAWAL OF 1.43 TONNES OF GOLD OUT OF THE GLD/ /// ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 1075.61 TONNES
FEB 17/2026/WITH GOLD DOWN $136.55 TODAY/HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A DEPOSIT OF 0.86 TONNES OF GOLD INTO THE GLD/ /// ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 1077..04 TONNES
FEB 13/2026/WITH GOLD UP $94.30 TODAY/HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A WITHDRAWAL OF 5.140 TONNES OF GOLD FROM THE GLD/ /// ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 1076.18 TONNES
FEB 12/2026/WITH GOLD DOWN $143.65 TODAY/HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A DEPOSIT OF 2.000 TONNES OF GOLD FROM THE GLD/ /// ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 1081.32 TONNES
FEB 11/2026/WITH GOLD UP $63.65 TODAY/SMALL CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A WITHDRAWAL OF 0.34 TONNES OF GOLD FROM THE GLD/ /// ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 1079.32 TONNES
FEB 10/2026/WITH GOLD DOWN $46.80 TODAY/HUGE CHANGES IN GOLD AT THE GLD:A DEPOSIT OF 3.43 TONNES OF GOLD FROM THE GLD/ /// ///INVENTORY RESTS AT 1079.66 TONNES
MAR 18 WITH SILVER DOWN $2.36: HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV// A DEPOSIT OF 1.087 MILLION OZ FROM THE SLV/.. ./ :INVENTORY RESTS AT 494.792 MILLION OZ.
MAR 17 WITH SILVER DOWN $0.89: HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV// A WITHDRAWAL OF 3.351 MILLION OZ FROM THE SLV/.. ./ :INVENTORY RESTS AT 493.705 MILLION OZ.
MAR 16 WITH SILVER DOWN $0.57: HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV// A WITHDRAWAL OF 2.536 MILLION OZ FROM THE SLV/.. ./ :INVENTORY RESTS AT 497.056 MILLION OZ.
MAR 13 WITH SILVER DOWN $3.83: NO CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV// . ./ :INVENTORY RESTS AT 499.592
MAR 12 WITH SILVER DOWN $0.51 HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV// ANOTHER MONSTER WITHDRAWAL OF 3.713 MILLION OZ OUT OF THE SLV. ./ :INVENTORY RESTS AT 499.592 MILLION OZ
MAR 11 WITH SILVER DOWN $3.96 HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV// ANOTHER MONSTER WITHDRAWAL OF 1.812 MILLION OZ OUT OF THE SLV. ./ :INVENTORY RESTS AT 503.305 MILLION OZ
MAR 10 WITH SILVER UP $5. HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV// A MONSTER WITHDRAWAL OF 1.63 MILLION OZ OUT OF THE SLV. ./ :INVENTORY RESTS AT 505.117 MILLION OZ
MAR 9 WITH SILVER DOWN $0.30 HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV// A MONSTER WITHDRAWAL OF 1.54 MILLION OZ OUT OF THE SLV. ./ :INVENTORY RESTS AT 506.747 MILLION OZ
MAR 6 WITH SILVER UP $2.02 HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV// A MONSTER WITHDRAWAL OF 5.526 MILLION OZ OUT OF THE SLV. ./ :INVENTORY RESTS AT 508,287 MILLION OZ
MAR 5 WITH SILVER DOWN $0.98 HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV// A WITHDRAWAL OF 1.097 MILLION OZ INTO THE SLV. ./ :INVENTORY RESTS AT 512.726 MILLION OZ
MAR 4 WITH SILVER DOWN $0.21 HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV// A DEPOSIT OF 2.545 MILLION OZ INTO THE SLV. ./ :INVENTORY RESTS AT 513.813 MILLION OZ
MAR 3 WITH SILVER DOWN $5.27 HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV// A WITHDRAWAL OF 2/899 MILLION OZ OUT OF THE SLV. ./ :INVENTORY RESTS AT 511.268 MILLION OZ
MAR 2 WITH SILVER DOWN $3.87 HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV// A WITHDRAWAL OF 3.352 MILLION OZ OUT OF THE SLV. ./ :INVENTORY RESTS AT 514.167 MILLION OZ
FEB 27 WITH SILVER UP $5.54 SMALL CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV// A DEPOSIT OF 0.544 MILLION OZ OUT OF THE SLV. ./ :INVENTORY RESTS AT 517.519 MILLION OZ
FEB 26 WITH SILVER DOWN $4.05 HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV// A WITHDRAWAL OF 0.906 MILLION OZ OUT OF THE SLV. ./ :INVENTORY RESTS AT 516.975 MILLION OZ
FEB 25 WITH SILVER UP $3.43 HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV// A FRAUDULENT PAPER DEPOSIT OF 8.923 MILLION OZ INTO THE SLV. ./ :INVENTORY RESTS AT 517.881 MILLION OZ
FEB 24 WITH SILVER UP $0.55 HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV// A FRAUDULENT PAPER DEPOSIT OF 10.056 MILLION OZ INTO THE SLV. ./ :INVENTORY RESTS AT 508.958 MILLION OZ
FEB 23 WITH SILVER UP $4.89 HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV// A FRAUDULENT WITHDRAWAL OF 0.951 MILLION OZ OUT OF THE SLV. ./ :INVENTORY RESTS AT 498.902 MILLION OZ
FEB 20 WITH SILVER UP $4.85 HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV// A MASSIVE AND FRAUDULENT WITHDRAWAL OF 3.035 MILLION OZ OUT OF THE SLV. ./ :INVENTORY RESTS AT 499.853 MILLION OZ
FEB 19 WITH SILVER DOWN $0.23 HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV// A MASSIVE AND FRAUDULENT WITHDRAWAL OF 5.798 MILLION OZ OUT OF THE SLV. ./ :INVENTORY RESTS AT 502.888 MILLION OZ
FEB 18 WITH SILVER UP $4.02 HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV// A MASSIVE AND FRAUDULENT WITHDRAWAL OF 11.325 MILLION OZ OUT OF THE SLV. ./ :INVENTORY RESTS AT 508.686 MILLION OZ
FEB 17 WITH SILVER DOWN $4.39 HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV// A WITHDRAWAL OF 4.253 MILLION OZ OUT OF THE SLV. ./ :INVENTORY RESTS AT 515.753 MILLION OZ
FEB 13 WITH SILVER UP $2.35 HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV// A WITHDRAWAL OF 1.994 MILLION OZ OUT OF THE SLV. ./ :INVENTORY RESTS AT 520.011 MILLION OZ
FEB 12 WITH SILVER DOWN $8.78 SMALL CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV// A DEPOSIT OF 635,000 OZ INTO THE SLV. ./ :INVENTORY RESTS AT 522.005 MILLION OZ
FEB 11 WITH SILVER UP $3.89 HUGE CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV// A DEPOSIT OF 815,000 OZ INTO THE SLV. ./ :INVENTORY RESTS AT 521.370 MILLION OZ
FEB 10 WITH SILVER DOWN $2.21 NO CHANGES IN SILVER INVENTORY AT THE SLV//. ./ :INVENTORY RESTS AT 520.555 MILLION OZ
Submitted by admin on Wed, 2026-03-18 12:24 Section: Daily Dispatches
From the Sound Money Defense League Charlotte, North Carolina Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Kansas, Arizona, West Virginia, Indiana, and Kentucky are the latest states to reject elaborate government-run “transactional gold” schemes this legislative session.
These failed measures are increasingly being recognized as unwise policy that harms free-market competition, involves a large new government program, and serves only narrow vendor self-interests.
A Kansas Senate Committee abandoned Senate Bill 115, which attempted to create a state-managed bullion depository and government-run transactional system, entangling the state in a public-private partnership that would pit the state government against hundreds of businesses in the private sector.
— Lawmakers in Kentucky recognized the harmful effects Kentucky Senate Bill 32 would have inflicted on in-state businesses, investors, and potentially the state itself, and they too abandoned the bill. …
Submitted by admin on Tue, 2026-03-17 22:28 Section: Daily Dispatches
By Jack Ryan Bloomberg News Monday, March 16, 2026
The worst silver sell-off in history at the end of January was accelerated by the growing footprint of retail investors in leveraged exchange-traded funds, according to the Bank for International Settlements:
The white metal collapsed as much as 36% on Jan. 30, its biggest one-day wipeout on record.
The plunge, following a rapid surge of more than 50% in just a few weeks, points to the destabilizing role of retail flows that were amplified by forced sales from leveraged ETFs, the Basel-based institution said in its quarterly report on market developments:
A wave of speculative buying helped push silver to fresh records at the start of the year, aided by geopolitical upheaval and concerns about the U.S. central bank’s independence. …
London Metals Exchange halts trading amid ‘technical outage’
Submitted by admin on Tue, 2026-03-17 10:26 Section: Daily Dispatches
By Leslie Hook Financial Times, London Monday, March 16, 2026
Trading was halted for nearly three hours on the London Metal Exchange on Monday afternoon due to a technical outage, during a period when the Iran war has triggered unusually high volatility for commodity prices.
All electronic contracts on the exchange — which include copper, aluminium, nickel, and other metals — stopped trading at about 2.44 p.m. local time, according to data from LSEG. Dealing resumed at 5.30 p.m.
“The LME’s primary electronic matching engine encountered an issue at 14.43, which caused electronic trading to enter a technical halt,” the exchange said in a statement, adding that the issue “affected the ability of market participants to hedge at the relevant prices.”
The LME, founded in 1877 and owned by Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing, is the world’s largest market for physical metals trading and sets the benchmark price for many base metals.
The exchange reported a brief outage on January 30, which caused it to delay the start of trading by one hour. Rival CME separately experienced a 10-hour outage in November. …
4. ANDREW MAGUIRE AND LIVE FROM THE VAULT PODCASTS
5. COMMODITY REPORT//gold
Why Is Wyoming Stashing Gold Inside This Old Newspaper Building?
Wednesday, Mar 18, 2026 – 08:25 AM
It’s no secret that despite President Donald Trump’s occasional tough talk about slashing the United States’ monstrous $38.9 trillion debt bomb, his administration has zero real political will to slam the brakes on Washington’s out-of-control spending spree.
The inaction has Wyoming Republicans gearing up for the inevitable economic trainwreck when the day comes that America can no longer just print its way out of paying the interest on that colossal tab.
In January, Wyoming lawmakers shelled out $10 million to snap up 2,312 troy ounces of gold bars, now worth a cool $11.6 million as the yellow metal keeps soaring.
The move came after the legislature passed the “Wyoming Gold Act,” forcing the state’s investment portfolio to load up on precious metals as a hedge against economic chaos, including skyrocketing federal debt, raging inflation, a weakening dollar, and even doomsday scenarios.
Wyoming state Sen. Bob Ide (R), the bill’s lead sponsor, isn’t mincing words.
“I can’t put a timeline on it, but there’s gonna be a sovereign-debt crisis,” Ide said. “There’s no will to rein in spending.”
The gold sits locked in a high-security vault run by private firm Wyoming Reserve, inside a beige, single-story building that once housed the Casper Star-Tribune.
The vault is structured like “an onion layer,” moored to bedrock and closely guarded, according to company Chief Executive Josh Phair. He testified in support of the gold-buying bill, which he said would help the state become a precious-metals hub for the country.
While state lawmakers mused about the logistics of transporting precious metals to Wyoming via aircraft and armored vehicle, the state ultimately bought gold from a bank that already had a stockpile in the Reserve, according to Phair. The storage fees there began at $7,021 a year when the state purchased the gold, but the cost fluctuates daily depending on the gold’s value, according to the state treasurer’s office.
However, not everyone is cheering the state’s accumulation of gold.
Some big-name Wyoming Republicans, including Gov. Mark Gordon (R), have claimed the gold grab as a real risk to the state’s financial security.
On the other hand…
As we noted on Friday, Goldman’s Robert Quinn suggests that gold may not be the safest haven – as demand underwhelmed at the onset of the Iran war.
During February 24th – March 3th, Managed Money purchased just +$470mm of Gold futures. New longs (+$830mm) were partially offset by shorts (-$360mm).
YOUR EARLY CURRENCY VALUES/GOLD AND SILVER PRICING/ASIAN AND EUROPEAN BOURSE MOVEMENTS/AND INTEREST RATE SETTINGS WEDNESDAY MORNING.7:30 AM
SHANGHAI CLOSED UP 13.08 PTS OR 0.32%
HANG SENG CLOSED UP 156.88 PTS OR 0.61%
Nikkei CLOSED UP 1687.50PTS OR 3.15%
//Australia’s all ordinaries CLOSED UP 0.32%
//Chinese yuan (ONSHORE) CLOSED UP 6.8757
/ OFFSHORE CLOSED UP AT 6.8761Oil DOWN TO 94.24dollars per barrel for WTI and BRENT DOWN TO 102.83 Stocks in Europe OPENED ALL DEEPLY IN THE GREEN
ONSHORE USA/ YUAN TRADING 6.8757/ OFFSHORE YUAN TRADING UP TO 6.8761/ONSHORE YUAN TRADING ABOVE OFF SHORE AND UP ON THE DOLLAR// / AND THUS STRONGER//OFF SHORE YUAN TRADING UP AGAINST US DOLLAR/ AND THUS STRONGER
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YOUR EARLY CURRENCY VALUES/GOLD AND SILVER PRICING/ASIAN AND EUROPEAN BOURSE MOVEMENTS/AND INTEREST RATE SETTINGS WEDNESDAY MORNING.7:30 AM
ONSHORE YUAN: CLOSED UP AT 6.8757
OFFSHORE YUAN: UP TO 6.8761
1.HANG SANG UP 156.88 POINTS OR 0.61%
2. Nikkei closed UP 1687.80PTS OR 3.15%
WEST TEXAS INTERMEDIATE OIL DOWN TO 94.24
BRENT; 102.83
3. Europe stocks SO FAR: ALL GREEN
USA dollar INDEX UP TO 99.42/// EURO FALLS TO 1.1525 DOWN 14BASIS PTS
3b Japan 10 YR bond yield: FALLS TO. +2.211DOWN 5 FULL BASIS PTS/ VERY TROUBLESOME//Japan buying 100% of bond issuance)/Japanese YEN vs USA cross now at 158.91… JAPANESE YEN NOW FALLING AS WE HAVE NOW REACHED THE ENDING OF THE YEN CARRY TRADE AGAIN AND THE REPATRIATION OF YEN DENOMINATED BONDS TRADING IN THE USA/EUROPE. JAPAN 30 YR BOND YIELD: 3.486DOWN 6FULL BASIS PTS. AND STILL VERY TROUBLESOME
3c Nikkei now ABOVE 17,000
3d USA/Yen rate now well ABOVE the important 120 barrier this morning
3e Gold DOWN /JAPANESE Yen UP CHINESE ONSHORE YUAN: 6.8787(UP) AND OFFSHORE: UP AT 6.8761
3f Japan is to buy INFINITE TRILLION YEN worth of BONDS. Japan’s GDP equals 5 trillion USA
Japan to buy 100% of all new Japanese debt and NOW they will have OVER 50% of all Japanese debt.
3g Oil DOWN for WTI and BRENT DOWN this morning
3h European bond buying continues to push yields LOWER on all fronts in the EMU. German 10yr bund YIELD DOWNTO +2.8933 Italian 10 Yr bond yield DOWN to 3.653 SPAIN 10 YR BOND YIELD DOWN TO 3.372
3i Greek 10 year bond yield DOWNTO 3.646
3j Gold at $4987.60 Silver at: 79,20 1 am est) SILVER NEXT RESISTANCE LEVEL AT $100.00
3k USA vs Russian rouble;// Russian rouble DOWN 1AND 18 100 roubles/83.66
3m oil (WTI) into the 94 dollar handle for WTI and 102 handle for Brent/
3n Higher foreign deposits moving out of China// huge risk of outflows and a currency depreciation. This can spell financial disaster for the rest of the world/
JAPAN ON JAN 29.2016 CONTINUES NIRP. THIS MORNING RAISES AMOUNT OF BONDS THAT THEY WILL PURCHASE UP TO .5% ON THE 10 YR BOND///YEN TRADES TO 158.97 10 YEAR YIELD AFTER FIRST BREAKING .54% LAST YEAR NOW EXCEEDS THAT LEVEL TO 2.211% DOWN 6BASIS PTS STILL ON CENTRAL BANK (JAPAN) INTERVENTION//YEN CARRY TRADE NOW UNWINDING//YEN BOND TRADING OVERSEAS REPATRIATED.//JAPAN 30 YR: 3.489DOWN 6 PTS..: USA/SF this 0.7869 as the Swiss Franc . Euro vs SF: 0.9069
USA 10 YR BOND YIELD: 4.174 DOWN 3 BASIS PTS…
USA 30 YR BOND YIELD: 4.827 DOWN 3 BASIS PTS/
USA 2 YR BOND YIELD: 3.664DOWN 23BASIS PTS
USA DOLLAR VS TURKISH LIRA: 44.21 UP 0 BASIS PTS/LIRA GETTING KILLED
10 YR UK BOND YIELD: 4.6570 DOWN 4 PTS
30 YR UK BOND YIELD: 5.337DOWN 4 BASIS PTS
10 YR CANADA BOND YIELD: 3.387 DOWN 5 BASIS PTS
5 YR CANADA BOND YIELD: 2.944DOWN 4 BASIS PTS.
1a New York Opening report
Futures Slump, Erasing Overnight Gains After Iran’s Giant Pars Field Attacked; FOMC Looms
by Tyler Durden
Wednesday, Mar 18, 2026 – 08:40 AM
Stocks were set to extend gains into a third day as Iraq’s deal to reroute crude via Turkey, bypassing the Strait of Hormuz, eased some supply concerns as Iranian strikes target Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, and UAE, but it all unwound shortly after 7am ET, following an Iranian report that US and Israeli airstrikes hit its giant South Pars natural gas field and associated infrastructure; Oil and petrochemical facilities in nearby Asaluyeh also came under attack, it added rekindling fears about the impact of the war in the Middle East on inflation. Aa a result S&P futures erased all of their overnight gains, fading what was earlier a 0.6% rise, and trading in the red. Nasdaq also faded all of its gains, and was trading flat at last check. All of this happens just hours before the Fed is expected to keep rates unchanged at 2pm ET today. Bond yields were down 1-2bp into the Fed meeting where the Fed is expected to hold rates steady with the dots potentially reflecting a hawkish outlook; the USD is flat. In commodities oil / natgas prices are lower but are off their overnight lows with Ags / Metals lower. Today’s macro data focus is on PPI and the Fed meeting.
In premarket trading, Mag 7 stocks are mixed (Nvidia +0.7%, Tesla +0.5%, Microsoft +0.3%, Alphabet +0.2%, Apple +0.2%, Meta Platforms +0.1%, Amazon -0.1%)
Applied Optoelectronics (AAOI), Lumentum (LITE) and Coherent (COHR) rally after the companies announced updates and spoke to optical demand at the Optical Fiber Communications Conference in Los Angeles.
CF Industries (CF) falls 4.3% after Mizuho Securities cut its recommendation on the fertilizer company to underperform from neutral after the stock price rallied on expected growth in demand and prices after the Iran war and disruption to the Strait of Hormuz tightened fertilizer supply.
Constellation Brands (STZ) is up 2.8% after Citi raised the recommendation on the beverage company to buy from neutral, citing a beer topline acceleration and a valuation that’s below historical levels.
Coupang (CPNG) is up 2.6% after the company said that its collaboration with Nvidia helped it build an AI platform that will support the firm’s e-commerce logistics and delivery services.
Duolingo Inc. (DUOL) falls 1.3% after Argus Research downgraded the language learning software company to hold from buy.
Gemini Space Station Inc. (GEMI) is down 1.8% after Citi analyst Peter Christiansen cut its recommendation on the crypto exchange to sell from neutral.
Grail Inc. (GRAL) rises 4.5% after TD Cowen upgraded the life sciences company to buy from hold, saying the recent selloff creates an “attractive entry.”
SL Green (SLG) is up 2.7% after Deutsche Bank upgraded the office REIT to buy from hold.
Swarmer Inc. (SWMR) jumps 35%, set to extend gains after the artificial intelligence drone software company notched the best trading debut for a US stock in nearly a year.
T1 Energy (TE) is up 3.9% after the solar equipment maker said it secured 50 MW of grid power in Norway for a data center.
In corporate news, Lululemon forecast a second-straight year of profit declines, further pressuring the brand that’s dealing with product mishaps while searching for a new CEO. AI remains in focus, with Asian memory stocks extending gains after Reuters reported Amazon’s CEO seeing AWS reaching $600 billion in annual sales — double his own prior estimate — and as Samsung considers a shift toward multi-year contracts for memory chips. Wall Street will be looking for any commentary from Micron on how long prices could remain elevated, when the company reports results after the close. Alibaba is raising prices for its AI computing and storage products by as much as 34%. AI stocks in China got a lift after Nvidia Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang said OpenClaw, an agent that uses large language models to perform tasks like hailing a ride and booking restaurants, was “definitely the next ChatGPT.”
Markets remain on high alert over the war and the risk that a near-closure of the Strait of Hormuz stokes inflation. How policymakers respond is now top of mind for investors, with the Fed expected to hold rates unchanged for a second straight meeting.
Iranian attacks on Israel and Arab states in the Persian Gulf continued overnight into Wednesday, while President Trump said the US could end the war with the Islamic Republic “in the near future.” The attacks followed Iran confirming the assassination of its security chief, Ali Larijani, in an Israeli strike. Meanwhile, sentiment deteriorated rapidly and oil prices spiked to a session high after Iran said shortly after 7am ET that US and Israeli airstrikes hit its giant South Pars natural gas field and associated infrastructure. Oil and petrochemical facilities in nearby Asaluyeh also came under attack, it added. An attack, if confirmed, would mark the first time Iran’s upstream oil and gas facilities have been targeted in this war. The field is shared with Qatar.
Israel said Wednesday that Iranian intelligence minister, Esmaeil Khatib was killed. Earlier, President Donald Trump said the US could end the war with the Islamic Republic “in the near future.”
“Equity markets are following the oil price quite closely, and at this stage what we’re seeing is perhaps that they are pricing in the most positive outcome,” said Nina Stanojevic, investment specialist at St. James’s Place. “That, I think, leaves equity markets quite vulnerable.”
Even if oil prices stabilize, they remain elevated and the longer they stay there, the greater the macro implications, which could be a source of focus for this week’s busy central bank slate.
Today at 2pm ET, the Fed is expected to hold its benchmark interest rate steady. Investors will seek insight on how the central bank weighs pressures on both sides of their mandate — and whether responding to the threat of slower growth could add fuel to inflation that’s been above the Fed’s target for five years running. Ahead of Fed’s policy rate announcement, overnight swaps price in no hike premium and a combined 25bps of easing by the end of the year. Into the meeting, traders have been deleveraging in futures and unwinding hawkish policy hedges which have profited from the recent hawkish shift in policy pricing amid rising oil prices. Fed Chair Jerome Powell will likely emphasize that officials need more time to see how long the conflict with Iran lasts and to assess how it might ripple through to growth and inflation. He’s also likely to highlight the elevated level of uncertainty and the Fed’s need to keep its options open. Our full FOMC preview can be found here.
“The market wants to understand where the Fed is leaning next,” said Stephanie Niven, portfolio manager at Ninety One. “Any shift in the median dot, any slight changes, will be really focused on.”
In geopolitics, Japan’s Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi warned she’s facing an “extremely difficult” meeting with Trump on Thursday, after he criticized the country for rebuffing his demand for warships to help secure the Strait of Hormuz. Speaking of Hormuz, it remains effectively shut with just three total commercial vehicle crossings in the last week.
Bank of America equity derivatives strategists warn that the current gap between realized and implied volatility is unusually wide, flagging “rising stress in still-complacent markets.” Equity resilience suggests sentiment has not reached peak bearishness and the worst is likely not over, writes Bloomberg’s Skylar Montgomery Koning.
In Europe, the Stoxx 600 touched its highest level in more than a week before trimming the advance. It rose 0.5%, rising for a third day and keeping the global equity rally going after a broadly positive session in Asia. Banks and industrials lead gains in Europe, while the food and beverage sector is among the biggest laggards.Here are some of the biggest movers on Wednesday:
Diploma shares rally as much as 18% to their highest intraday level on record after the building components supplier boosted its organic revenue forecast for the full year.
Bollore shares rise as much as 16%, the most since February 2021, after the French conglomerate announced an exceptional dividend payment.
Softcat shares rise as much as 9.9%, the most in a year, as first-half results prove much better than analysts expected and the IT services provider lifts its full-year guidance.
Commerzbank shares climb as much as 6.3% after UniCredit’s chief executive officer said the main purpose of Monday’s fresh takeover bid for the German lender was to “break the stalemate” and lead to a “common plan” between stakeholders.
PPC shares gain as much as 9.6% in Johannesburg, the most in nearly a year, after the cement maker reported a 22% jump in adjusted Ebitda for the 10 months through January on the company’s strategic plan gains.
Logitech shares drop as much as 5.9% after UBS downgrades the Swiss maker of computer peripherals, seeing signs of easing in the positive earnings revision cycle and weaker signals in the gaming market.
HelloFresh shares drop as much as 15% to a record low after the meal-kit company’s guidance for this year’s sales and profits came in well below analyst expectations.
Axfood shares fall as much as 5.3% after Handelsbanken joined Danske Bank in downgrading the Swedish food retailer and wholesaler, saying the case for a buy rating has played out as expected after a 20% gain since December.
Verbund shares drop as much as 5%, the most since November, after the renewable electricity firm gave 2026 guidance that Citi said implied significant downgrades.
Asian shares climbed 1.9%, led by gains in South Korea’s Kospi as Samsung Electronics Co. jumped more than 7%. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index gained as much as 2.2%, adding to Tuesday’s 0.9% advance. Shares of chip giants TSMC, Samsung and SK Hynix were the biggest contributors to the rally. Korea’s benchmark jumped 5% as authorities announced more measures to enhance shareholder value.
In FX, the Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index slipped 0.1%, pushing losses into a third-straight day
In rates, European bonds are holding higher and Treasuries also edge up although futures trade off best levels into the early US session leaving yields richer by 1bp to 2bps across the curve. US session includes PPI data and the Federal Reserve policy interest rate announcement at 2 p.m. New York. Treasuries gains led by intermediates, flattening 2s10s spread by 1.5bps and adding to Tuesday’s tightening move. The 2s10s curve now at around 50.5bp trades just inside the yearly lows at 49.6bp reached March 12. US 10-year yields trade around 4.18% with gilts outperforming by 2bp in the sector. The two-yield Treasury yield slipped 1bp to 3.66%; traders are betting on 26bps of Fed cuts by year-end, down from around 60bps at the end of February. On Thursday, Treasury sell 10-year TIPS in a $19 billion reopening auction
In commodities, oil erased an earlier fall with Brent crude futures now flat on the day and back around $104 a barrel, after Iran announced that its oil and gas assets in the South Pars oil field were under attack. Precious metals dip. Based on a study of the past six supply-side oil shocks, “on average it takes around four to five months” for crude and stock markets to come to pre-shock levels, David Chao, a global markets strategist at Invesco said in a Bloomberg TV interview. The firm is “sticking with our outlook” of preferring US cyclical small cap stocks and emerging market equities, he added.
Today’s US economic data slate includes February PPI (8:30 a.m. New York time), January factory orders and durable goods orders (10 a.m. New York time), January TIC flows (4 p.m. New York time), and of course the FOMC decision at 2pm
1 b) European opening report
Equities gain, DXY flat ahead of FOMC decision; Iran rejects ceasefire as missiles hit Tel Aviv – Newsquawk US Market Open
Wednesday, Mar 18, 2026 – 06:55 AM
Israel attempted to assassinate Iran’s Intelligence Minister Khatib overnight, Jerusalem Post reported, citing an Israeli official, but is still awaiting the results of the target.
Iran’s Foreign Minister said Iran will target US forces wherever they assemble, including near urban areas. Iran fired retaliatory missiles towards Tel Aviv for the killing of Larijani.
European equities gain, Banks benefiting from a delay in capital requirements; US equity futures follow peers.
Mostly flat FX trade heading into the FOMC; CHF narrowly lags ahead of tomorrow’s SNB.
Crude continues to dictate macro sentiment; Gold rotates around USD 5,000/oz.
Fixed income firmer amid energy downside ahead of key central bank announcements.
Looking ahead, highlights include US PPI (Feb), New Zealand GDP (Q4), BoC, Fed & BCB Policy Announcements. Speakers include BoC’s Macklem & Rogers, Fed Chair Powell & NVIDIA (NVDA) CEO Huang. Earnings from Micron.
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EUROPEAN TRADE
EQUITIES
European Bourses are broadly higher with the IBEX 35 leading on bank strength, while the CAC 40 also gains. The SMI underperforms as Logitech declines following a downgrade at UBS. Softer oil prices, after the resumption of exports through Ceyhan port, provide a modest tailwind to equities.
Sectors show a positive bias. Banks outperform amid reports the EU may delay stricter capital requirements, lifting names such as Banco Santander, Société Générale, and Intesa Sanpaolo. Food, Beverages & Tobacco lag after HelloFresh guides adj. EBITDA below expectations. Elsewhere, Heidelberg Materials gains on a double upgrade at Morgan Stanley, Unilever slips on reports it is exploring a food division separation, and Diploma surges after raising organic revenue growth guidance.
US equity futures are firmer (ES +0.5%, NQ +0.6%, RTY +0.9%), extending gains for a third session ahead of the Federal Reserve decision, where policymakers are expected to keep rates unchanged.
Tencent (0700 HK) Q4 (CNY): Revenue 194.3bln (exp. 194.1bln), Operating Profit 60.34bln (exp. 60.45bln), Adj. Net Income 64.69bln (exp. 64.93bln).
Multiple Chinese companies were said to have received approval from authorities to purchase NVIDIA (NVDA) H200 AI chips, according to Reuters.
DXY is flat in a tight 99.46–99.71 range after two sessions of declines, tracking softer oil prices. Focus turns to the Federal Reserve decision, where rates are expected to be maintained, with markets not pricing cuts until Q4 2026 and Chair Powell likely to avoid firm guidance given geopolitical uncertainty.
EUR and GBP trade muted against the dollar amid limited fresh catalysts. EUR/USD trades within 1.1518–1.1549, while GBP/USD sits in a 1.3341–1.3375 range as markets look ahead to the ECB and BoE tomorrow, both expected to signal a data-dependent stance.
JPY is choppy ahead of the BoJ decision overnight, where no policy change is expected. USD/JPY briefly dips to 158.57 before stabilising near 159.00, with some late pressure as oil prices ease.
Antipodeans are quiet with a slight upward bias. AUD/USD holds recent gains following the RBA decision, while broader macro drivers remain limited.
FIXED INCOME
UST is firmer in contained trade, tracking the broader fixed income bid driven by softer energy and yield expectations. Futures trade in a 111-30+ to 112-07 range, with focus squarely on the Federal Reserve decision, where updated projections and Chair Jerome Powell’s tone will guide expectations on how the Fed assesses Middle East-driven inflation risks.
Bund is stronger, with gains of up to 34 ticks and a high of 126.81 as energy-driven yield pressure eases. Upside levels are seen at 127.00, then 127.20–127.53, with a gap toward 128.00. Focus turns from final HICP (no reaction seen) and German supply to the FOMC as a signal for how the European Central Bank may position policy amid the energy shock.
Gilt outperform, rising over 50 ticks to a 90.26 peak, continuing the recent trend of UK strength versus peers. Resistance sits at 90.85 (11 March high). Attention remains on the FOMC as a precursor to Thursday’s BoE decision, alongside domestic political noise after criticism of UK PM Starmer from former Deputy PM Rayner.
Australia sold AUD 1bln 4.25% October 2036 bonds, b/c 4.14, avg. yield 4.9122%.
COMMODITIES
Crude futures are softer, but off APAC lows as markets digest geopolitical updates without fresh escalation. Iran confirms the death of security chief Ali Larijani, while officials rule out a ceasefire, maintaining elevated uncertainty. Elsewhere, Iraq and Kurdish authorities agree to resume exports via Ceyhan, adding some supply relief, while private inventory data shows a crude build and gasoline draw. WTI trades within USD 91.45–95.65/bbl and Brent within USD 100.34–103.67/bbl.
Spot gold trades rangebound around the USD 5,000/oz level, balancing oil-driven inflation risks against persistent geopolitical uncertainty. Trades within a USD 4,977.21–5,016.20/oz range, with silver also contained.
Base metals are softer, extending the recent pullback as a firmer dollar and rising inventories weigh. Copper trades in a narrow USD 12,642–12,803/t range, with positioning also lighter on the bullish side.
Senior NATO military official pushes for extension of alliance’s pipeline system towards the east to supply NATO troops in a conflict with Russia. Adds that the NATO pipeline network should be extended to Poland, the Baltic states, Finland and Romania.
South Korea envoy said to receive 18mln barrels of crude oil from UAE and that UAE pledges to give number 1 priority to South Korea for crude supply.
Indian Government official says they are to give 10% more commercial LPG to states if they help if the long-term shift from LPG to piped gas, adds that LPG situation is still of concern.
India’s government is in talks with Iranian authorities for safe passage of six India-bound vessels carrying LPG and two crude oil carriers, according to two people aware of the matter cited by Mint.
Libya’s Sharara oilfield is gradually shutting down following a pipeline explosion.
TRADE/TARIFFS
Japanese PM Takaichi said it will be tough regarding her visit to meet US President Trump on Thursday, while she will do her best to protect Japan’s interests.
Japanese PM Takaichi is to meet US President Trump on March 19th, Nikkei reported.
Japan-US summit joint statement is said to agree up to JPY 11tln as second investment batch, according to NHK.
CENTRAL BANKS
ECB reportedly urges lenders to keep a close watch on their USD funding after observing individual weaknesses on key metrics.
NOTABLE EUROPEAN DATA RECAP
EU Inflation Rate YoY Final (Feb) Y/Y 1.9% vs. Exp. 1.9% (Prev. 1.7%, Low. 1.8%, High. 1.9%).
EU Inflation Rate MoM Final (Feb) M/M 0.6% vs. Exp. 0.7% (Prev. -0.6%, Low. -0.6%, High. 0.7%).
EU Core Inflation Rate YoY Final (Feb) Y/Y 2.4% vs. Exp. 2.4% (Prev. 2.2%).
Swiss SECO Forecasts: Cuts 2026 GDP growth to 1.0% (prev. 1.1%), maintains 2027 GDP forecast at 1.7%; 2026 CPI raised to 0.4% (prev. 0.2%), 2027 CPI maintained at 0.5%.
South African Inflation Rate YoY (Feb) Y/Y 3.0% (Prev. 3.5%).
GEOPOLITICS
MIDDLE EAST
Several US officials described President Trump as the most bullish person in the White House on going to war with Iran, Axios reported. Three advisors to POTUS believe that Trump would want to end major operations before Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. However, the article noted that the leaders appear closer than ever.
US President Trump reiterated that they are way ahead of schedule regarding Iran.
Israel attempted to assassinate Iran’s Intelligence Minister Khatib overnight, Jerusalem Post reported citing an Israeli official; still awaiting results of the target, however the initial assessment is that he has been eliminated.
Iran’s Foreign Minister said the new protocol [in the Strait of Hormuz] to ensure safe passage would be under “specific conditions” and based on Iranian and regional interests.
Iran’s Foreign Minister said Iran will target US forces wherever they assemble, including near urban areas, he understands neighbours’ concerns and holds the US responsible for the conflict.
Iranian Foreign Minister has ruled out a ceasefire.
Iranian army spokesperson said armed forces will make use of more weapons that were not previously used in war, state TV reported.
Iran targets Tel Aviv with missiles carrying cluster warheads in retaliation for the killing of security chief Larijani, while Iran’s army vows decisive and regrettable revenge for Larijani killing.
Australian PM Albanese said an Iranian projectile hit near an Australian airbase in the UAE, although no personnel were injured.
Saudi Arabia is to host a meeting on Wednesday of Arab and Islamic foreign ministers in Riyadh on regional security according to the foreign ministry.
USS Gerald R. Ford is to head to Crete for repairs after a large non-combat fire last week, while USS George H.W. Bush is to relieve USS Gerald R. Ford in the Middle East.
Analysts warned that Iran is capable of sharply escalating its attacks on energy infrastructure in the Gulf, according to FT.
OTHERS
US Secretary of State Rubio called New York Times report on Cuba fake news and denies the US is seeking to oust the Cuban president.
CRYPTO
Bitcoin finds resistance at USD 75k while Ethereum holds below USD 2.4k.
APAC TRADE
APAC stocks were mostly higher following the positive handover from Wall Street and as oil prices retreated, while markets now await a flurry of upcoming central bank policy decisions, including from the FOMC later today.
ASX 200 gained with the help of strength in tech, utilities and real estate, but with gains limited amid weakness in health care and the consumer sectors following the recent central bank rate hike, while money markets are currently pricing a coin flip for a third consecutive hike in May.
Nikkei 225 climbed back above the 55,000 level amid several positive factors, such as mostly better-than-expected trade data, which showed a surprise surplus and with exports topping forecasts. US and Japan are also set to agree on the joint development of rare earths, copper, and lithium at a summit on Thursday, while they will jointly develop AI shipbuilding robots. Furthermore, participants mull over the first wave of corporate responses to the Shunto wage demands, and the BoJ also kick-started its 2-day policy meeting.
Hang Seng and Shanghai Comp were mixed with weakness seen in auto stocks and China’s oil majors, while reports that multiple Chinese companies were said to have received approval from authorities to purchase NVIDIA H200 AI chips failed to inspire the mainland.
NOTABLE ASIA-PAC HEADLINES
South Korea’s financial regulator said will expand the KRW 100tln market stabilisation programme if needed. To prepare specific plans to ban dual listing of parent companies and subsidiaries.
Japanese Balance of Trade (Feb) 57.3B (Prev. -1152.7B, Low. -789B, High. 2299.7B).
Australian Westpac Leading Index MoM (Feb) M/M -0.1% (Prev. -0.1%).
1 c) Asian opening report
APAC traded mostly higher; focus on the Fed and the ongoing Iranian war – Newsquawk Europe Market Open
Wednesday, Mar 18, 2026 – 03:19 AM
US President Trump said they had a big day on Tuesday, knocking out targets, and said it will be a couple of weeks regarding Iran, not much longer, and that they are way ahead of schedule.
Iran confirmed that its security chief Larijani was killed, according to Iranian media.
Iran’s Foreign Minister said Iran will target US forces wherever they assemble, including near urban areas, he understands neighbours’ concerns and holds the US responsible for the conflict.
APAC stocks were mostly higher following the positive handover from Wall Street and as oil prices retreated, while markets now await a flurry of upcoming central bank policy decisions, including from the FOMC later today.
European equity futures indicate a higher cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures up 0.5% after the cash market closed with gains of 0.5% on Tuesday.
Looking ahead, highlights include EZ CPI Final (Feb), US PPI (Feb), New Zealand GDP (Q4), BoC, Fed & BCB Policy Announcements. Speakers include BoC’s Macklem & Rogers, Fed Chair Powell & NVIDIA (NVDA) CEO Huang. Supply from Germany. Earnings from Micron & HelloFresh.
US President Trump said they had a big day on Tuesday, knocking out targets, and said it will be a couple of weeks regarding Iran, not much longer, and that they are way ahead of schedule.
US Central Command said American forces struck Iranian missile sites along the Strait of Hormuz coastline with 5,000-pound deep penetrator munitions.
USS Gerald R. Ford is to head to Crete for repairs after a large non-combat fire last week, while USS George H.W. Bush is to relieve USS Gerald R. Ford in the Middle East.
Iran confirmed that its security chief Larijani was killed, according to Iranian media.
Iran targeted Tel Aviv with missiles carrying cluster warheads in retaliation for the killing of security chief Larijani, while Iran’s army vowed a decisive and regrettable revenge for the Larijani killing.
Iran’s Basij force commander Gholamreza Soleimani was killed in a US/Israeli attack.
Iran’s parliament speaker Ghalibaf said the Strait of Hormuz situation won’t return to its pre-war status.
A projectile struck near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant, but no damage was reported, according to Tasnim.
US Embassy in Baghdad was being targeted, according to a security source cited by AFP.
Kuwait’s army reported air defence systems were engaging enemy missile and drone attacks
Dubai said sounds were heard from air defence interceptions, while booms were also heard in Qatar’s capital of Doha, and Bahrain activated sirens.
Australian PM Albanese said an Iranian projectile hit near an Australian airbase in the UAE, but there were no injuries.
Saudi Arabia is to host a meeting today of Arab and Islamic foreign ministers in Riyadh, on regional security. It was also reported that Saudi’s Defence Ministry announced the interception and destruction of four drones in the eastern region.
Russia has been expanding its intelligence sharing and military cooperation with Iran, providing satellite imagery and improved drone technology to aid Tehran’s targeting of US forces in the region, while the technology provided includes components of modified Shahed drones, which are meant to improve communication, navigation and targeting. Russia has been providing Iran with the locations of US military forces in the Middle East as well as those of its regional allies, according to WSJ.
Iran’s Foreign Minister said Iran will target US forces wherever they assemble, including near urban areas, he understands neighbours’ concerns and holds the US responsible for the conflict.
US TRADE
EQUITIES
US stocks eked out mild gains on Tuesday amid the broader risk-on sentiment. Despite the constant flow of Middle East headlines, there were few escalatory or de-escalatory developments, while Israel and the US announced that Iran’s security chief Larijani was killed in an airstrike, which Iran later confirmed.
In terms of some of the notable remarks, the EU’s Kallas suggested that a model similar to the Black Sea could be used in the Strait of Hormuz, but the question is what neighbouring countries, including Iran, could agree on, and she also stated that the door is not closed on participation in the Strait. Furthermore, there were also numerous comments from US President Trump, although they failed to garner much reaction, as he stated they are not ready to leave Iran yet, but will leave in the near future, and that it won’t be too long before ships can go through the Strait of Hormuz.
SPX +0.25% at 6,716, NDX +0.51% at 24,780, DJI +0.10% at 46,994, RUT +0.67% at 2,520.
Japanese PM Takaichi thinks it will be tough regarding her visit to meet US President Trump on Thursday, but will do her best to protect Japan’s interests, amid demands from US President Trump for Iran war aid.
Multiple Chinese companies were said to have received approval from authorities to purchase NVIDIA (NVDA) H200 AI chips, according to Reuters. NVIDIA was also reported to be preparing a version of Groq AI chips that it can ship to China.
Belgium’s top customs official warned the EU’s planned tax on small parcels will not stop the flood of cheap Chinese goods entering the bloc, according to FT.
NOTABLE HEADLINES
White House released a letter detailing changes it is willing to make to the DHS as it seeks to secure a deal to end the partial government shutdown, according to POLITICO. In relevant news, the FAA posted a ground stop on some flights at Newark due to staffing issues amid the partial government shutdown.
APAC TRADE
EQUITIES
APAC stocks were mostly higher following the positive handover from Wall Street and as oil prices retreated, while markets now await a flurry of upcoming central bank policy decisions, including from the FOMC later today.
ASX 200 gained with the help of strength in tech, utilities and real estate, but with gains limited amid weakness in health care and the consumer sectors following the recent central bank rate hike, while money markets are currently pricing a coin flip for a third consecutive hike in May.
Nikkei 225 climbed back above the 55,000 level amid several positive factors, such as mostly better-than-expected trade data, which showed a surprise surplus and with exports topping forecasts. US and Japan are also set to agree on the joint development of rare earths, copper, and lithium at a summit on Thursday, while they will jointly develop AI shipbuilding robots. Furthermore, participants mull over the first wave of corporate responses to the Shunto wage demands, and the BoJ also kick-started its 2-day policy meeting.
Hang Seng and Shanghai Comp were mixed with weakness seen in auto stocks and China’s oil majors, while reports that multiple Chinese companies were said to have received approval from authorities to purchase NVIDIA H200 AI chips failed to inspire the mainland.
European equity futures indicate a higher cash market open with Euro Stoxx 50 futures up 0.5% after the cash market closed with gains of 0.5% on Tuesday.
FX
DXY was uneventful after retreating yesterday alongside a decline in yields and with the buck also not helped by mixed data, while the attention turns to the approaching flurry of central bank policy decisions, including the Fed, which is expected to stand pat and will also release its latest projections.
EUR/USD traded sideways after returning to the 1.1500 territory and with very little currency-specific news, while it was reported that the EU moved to delay raising bank capital requirements over competitiveness concerns.
GBP/USD paused overnight after regaining a footing at the 1.3300 handle and with UK Chancellor Reeves seeking a framework to build the relationship with the EU, without constant renegotiation, although price action is quiet amid a sparse calendar for the UK for most of the week, heading into Thursday’s BoE meeting.
USD/JPY traded indecisively ahead of tomorrow’s BoJ policy announcement, in which the central bank is unanimously forecast to refrain from any policy tweaks, while there was late pressure seen as oil trickled lower.
Antipodeans remained afloat amid the mostly positive risk environment and with AUD/USD holding on to its post-RBA spoils.
PBoC set USD/CNY mid-point at 6.8909 vs exp. 6.8798 (Prev. 6.8961).
FIXED INCOME
10yr UST futures remained underpinned amid lower oil prices and as yields continued to fade recent advances amid pre-FOMC positioning.
Bund futures extended on the prior day’s gains heading into the looming Bund issuances.
10yr JGB futures tracked the upside in global peers as oil prices continued to drive price action, while JGBs were unfazed by the mostly better-than-expected trade data, and with the BoJ kick-starting its 2-day policy meeting.
COMMODITIES
Crude futures were lower as participants digested the latest geopolitical headlines and commentary, but with no major fresh escalation or de-escalation in the conflict, while Iran confirmed its security chief Larijani was killed in an air strike. Furthermore, Iraq’s government and Kurdish authorities reached an agreement to resume exports to Ceyhan port in Turkey, while there was mixed private inventory data, which showed a larger-than-expected build in crude and a wider-than-forecast drawdown in gasoline.
US Private Inventory Data (bbls): Crude +6.6mln (exp. +0.4mln), Distillates -1.4mln (exp. -1.5mln), Gasoline -4.6mln (exp.-1.6mln), Cushing +0.8mln.
US is to ease Venezuela oil sanctions to boost output amid the Iran war.
Iraqi government and Kurdish authorities reached an agreement to resume exports to Ceyhan port in Turkey from today.
India’s government is in talks with Iranian authorities for safe passage of six India-bound vessels carrying LPG and two crude oil carriers, according to two people aware of the matter cited by Mint.
South Korea’s envoy said they are to receive 18mln barrels of crude oil from the UAE and that the UAE pledged to give number 1 priority to South Korea for crude supply.
Libya’s Sharara oilfield is gradually shutting down following a pipeline explosion.
Spot gold traded rangebound with prices oscillating around the USD 5,000/oz level as the FOMC looms.
Copper futures continued its recent pullback amid the downbeat mood in its largest buyer.
CRYPTO
Bitcoin saw two-way trade but ultimately returned to above the USD 74,000 level.
NOTABLE ASIA-PAC HEADLINES
China’s government is taking actions to penalise people linked to Meta’s (META) USD 2bln acquisition of Singapore AI start-up Manus, in an effort to discourage Chinese AI executives from moving business offshore, according to NYT.
Ukrainian President Zelensky told the EU that repair work on the Druzhba Pipeline is nearing completion and the damaged pumping station will be restored in one and a half months. Zelensky also said that Ukraine is working on underwater drones and drones capable of operating in the ocean.
Trump admin official said that finding a “way to align closer with Russia” could create “a different power balance with China that could be very, very beneficial”.
OTHER NEWS
US Secretary of State Rubio called a New York Times report on Cuba fake news and he denied that the US is seeking to oust the Cuban president.
EU/UK
NOTABLE HEADLINES
EU moved to delay an increase in bank capital requirements over competitiveness concerns, with Brussels to adopt legislation after Easter to neutralise the short-term impact of the Fundamental Review of the Trading Book, according to two officials familiar with the plans.
2.a NORTH KOREA/SOUTH KOREA/JAPAN
/JAPAN
3. CHINA//
Footage Appears To Show China Mass-Producing Iranian-Style Kamikaze Drones
Tuesday, Mar 17, 2026 – 11:15 PM
Across both conflict theaters, the Russia-Ukraine war in Eastern Europe and the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran, there is one common denominator that stands out the loudest: the widespread use of cheap kamikaze drones.
Focusing on the Middle East, Iran’s counteroffensive strategy of mass kamikaze-drone swarms, missile barrages, and electronic warfare has exposed the limits of expensive U.S. and allied air-defense systems, whose interceptor missiles can cost millions of dollars apiece.
Operation Epic Fury risks devolving into a grinding war of attrition for U.S. and allied forces across the Gulf. Reports indicate that missile-interceptor stockpiles are running low, while separate reports say the U.S. has deployed a copycat Shahed-type drone into combat.
There have also been reports that Saudi Arabia could acquire Ukrainian interceptor drones to defend high-value assets, such as oil and gas facilities.
The point is that low-cost kamikaze drones are changing the economics of war. It is not sustainable for the U.S. and allied forces to use million-dollar interceptors against $20,000 Iranian drones.
The problem gets worse for the U.S. as a new report says Chinese private companies are mass-producing Shahed-type drones.
New footage published by The Sun appears to show Shahed-type drones being mass-produced at a factory in China. The footage was originally posted on the video platform Douyin.
Britain’s former security minister Tom Tugendhat commented on the report on X, saying, “Oh look – Iranian and Russian Shahed drones are being mass produced in China.”
Iran’s kamikaze-drone swarms showed over the last three weeks that the battlefield cannot be contained in one single area, and civilian infrastructure was not spared, from data centers to skyscrapers. This alarming reality for the West is a wake-up call that these drones could soon be over US skies.
4. EUROPEAN AND SCANDINAVIAN AFFAIRS
GERMANY
Berlin Accused Of Prioritizing Migrants Over Merit In Hiring Judges & Prosecutors
A diversity hiring policy affecting the recruitment of judges and public prosecutors in Berlin has come under renewed scrutiny after the city’s justice senator warned that the system may conflict with Germany’s constitutional requirement that public offices be filled strictly on merit.
The policy, introduced in 2021 under then justice senator Dirk Behrendt of the Green Party, stems from amendments to the Law to Promote Participation in a Migration Society, known as the PartMigG. The legislation was adopted by Berlin’s House of Representatives with support from the then-governing coalition of the Social Democrats, Greens, and the Left.
Under the law, recruitment procedures must ensure that applicants with a migration background are invited to interviews in numbers reflecting their share of the population. In Berlin, around 40 percent of residents fall into that category, defined by the Federal Statistical Office as individuals who themselves, or at least one parent, were not born with German citizenship.
In practice, the rule means that some interviewees experience positive discrimination and their migration background is a criterion for their selection, regardless of whether other applicants may have stronger academic credentials.
According to Bild, the system has been implemented in recent years by Berlin’s chief public prosecutor, Margarete Koppers, also associated with the Greens.
The newspaper noted that internal warnings were first raised when the measure was initially drafted.
Officials cautioned that introducing a quota linked to migration background during the selection process could violate Article 33(2) of Germany’s Basic Law, which states that access to public office must be determined by “suitability, competence, and performance.”
Berlin’s current justice senator, Felor Badenberg of the center-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU), has now drawn attention to the issue and questioned whether the rule is compatible with constitutional principles.
Badenberg said she supports efforts to improve integration and participation in public institutions, noting that she herself has a migration background, with parents who came from Iran. However, she emphasized that the constitution must remain the guiding standard.
“Access to public office must be based on suitability, competence, and performance,” she said, describing the Basic Law as her “compass.”
Critics say the policy reflects a diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) approach that prioritizes demographic representation over merit, though there is no suggestion that the law will be amended or challenged in the near future.
Europeans are committing demographic suicide and the tools used to managed migration are failing at every level, said Rodrigo Ballester, the head of the Center for European Studies at the Mathias Corvinus Collegium. He made his remark at a recent Ordo Iuris Institute event in Warsaw, Poland, which saw European politicians, policymakers, and other important players gather to discuss a groundbreaking paper: “Taking Back Control from Brussels. The Renationalization of the EU Migration and Asylum Policies.”
“As Europeans, we are committing demographic suicide. We are a continent of old rich people, facing a continent of young, hungry, and determined people — ambitious people. We’re still trying to manage migration with hopelessly outdated tools, using conventions from a century ago. They have completely lost their meaning today. In practice, I’m talking about the Geneva Convention. This is the ‘sacred cow’ we should get rid of,” Ballester emphasized.
Many of the speakers discussed various aspects of Europe’s ongoing immigration crisis, including the sharply differing trajectories of pro-immigration countries such as Poland versus Germany.
Polish Prof. Zdzisław Krasnodębski, a former MEP, spoke to the large audience who had gathered, where he compared the impact of immigration on the Polish city of Warsaw to the German city of Bremen where he lived and worked for a long time.
“How did it happen that such a process, which is suicidal, was supported by societies for years? I can tell you that I know two such cities well. One was poor and large, and people were moving away from it. It was Warsaw. Warsaw was also White, if I may use that term. The other city (Bremen) was well-off, middle-class, also White. In 2025, one is almost a ruin. It used to be a prosperous, medium-sized town. Meanwhile, this big, great city we’re in right now has become one of the wealthiest cities in Europe,” he pointed out.
Krasnodębski underlined the trajectory of Warsaw, which is economically booming while still maintaining a strong White majority and rejecting the diversity seen in many other Western cities. Meanwhile, Bremen has been labeled the “most dangerous city in Germany,” where an incredible 73 percent of crime suspects are non-German. The situation has deteriorated so greatly in Bremen that even left-wing politicians in the city have admitted that “massive immigration” has sparked a housing and crime crisis.
However, other speakers warned that not all is well in Poland, either.
Jacek Saryusz-Wolski—a former Polish Minister for European Affairs and Member of the European Parliament, currently President Nawrocki’s main advisor for European affairs — took the floor.
“Looking at the statistics, you can see that in most of Western Europe, immigrant communities make up a percentage in the teens, or even over 20 percent, of the population. It’s not like that here (in Poland) yet, but we too face the risk of an open-borders policy starting here. We will then, after a certain delay, share the same fate,” noted Saryusz-Wolski.
Saryusz-Wolski further warned that the EU is taking more and more power away from nation-states in order to dictate an open borders policy.
“Migration policy is not among the European Union’s exclusive or shared competencies. This is only an area, the third category of cooperation, within which the Union institutions may assist, encourage, and advise the member states, but they cannot legislate. And that is the origin of this great usurpation,” the politician emphasized.
Another speaker, Róbert Gönczi, an analyst at the Hungarian Institute for Migration Research and at Mathias Corvinus Collegium, warned that policies in other countries, such as Spain, which is working to legalize hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants.
“Today we are witnessing a huge surge in migration that Europe is grappling with, and let’s not forget that we are all part of the European Union; it affects us all, and we all bear the consequences,” the analyst emphasized.
He also drew attention to the problem of numerous migrants not being registered in European countries’ systems.
“There are millions of people we can’t track down. We don’t know where they are, we don’t know what they’re doing, we don’t know where they came from, and we don’t know what to do about it. This places a very significant burden on the European system, on the European Union, and it is one of the reasons why we find ourselves in a serious economic crisis,” he noted.
Deputy Speaker of the Sejm, Krzysztof Bosak, emphasized that in addition to illegal immigration, mass legal immigration is also a problem.
“The discussion about legal immigration — its scale, rules, and criteria — is no less important, if not more important, because the transformation of Western Europe was largely the result of large-scale legal immigration, and only as a result — or in parallel — did illegal immigration begin to arrive,” he said.
The politician also noted that the European Union treats different countries unequally when it comes to assessing their migration policies. He pointed out that this area has already been partially “renationalized,” but he warned against a possible hardening of the stance toward countries that continue to firmly protect their borders.
“Please note that very few of our Border Guard’s decisions — whether during the Law and Justice government or now under the Civic Platform-led government — have been seriously challenged by any EU bodies. However, I’m not saying that this won’t happen at any moment now. It can happen. It depends solely on where the ‘Eye of Sauron’ from Brussels, from Luxembourg, turns its gaze, and which regulations, which practices it chooses to scrutinize. Such arbitrariness, it seems to me, has been taking place in the European Union for years with regard to the practice of so-called pushbacks — that is, what I call sending illegal migrants back to the proper side of the border,” said Bosak.
“Taking Back Control from Brussels. The Renationalization of the EU Migration and Asylum Policies” report discusses the possibility for European Union member states to regain greater control over migration and asylum policy without the need to adopt new EU treaties. The authors show that the key competencies concerning border protection, security, and deciding on the admission of foreigners still belong to nation-states, and that any limits on them result more from legal interpretation than from actual legal provisions.
The publication critically assesses the EU migration pact, indicating that it may facilitate mass migration and the forced relocation of migrants. The report also proposes specific legal measures that would enable EU countries to strengthen their own migration policy under existing European and international law.
Iran Confirms Death Of Ali Larijani In Another Key Loss Of Leadership
Tuesday, Mar 17, 2026 – 06:55 PM
Summary:
Iranian state media confirms deaths of top national security chief Larijani and Basij chief Gholamreza Soleimani. Israel issues widest evacuation order for Lebanon since the major 2006 war.
Russia is trying to keep its regional ally Iran “in the fight”; Pentagon eyes ramping up Kamikaze drone use and production.
Trump: War will be over “soon” after which “oil prices will drop like a rock”; We are “not ready to leave Iran yet” but will in “near future”. Brushes off potential for ‘Vietnam-style quagmire.’Trump on China and delayed Xi meeting – “Looks like it’ll happen in five weeks.”
Macron: “We are not party to the conflict and therefore France will never take part in operations to open” Strait of Hormuz. Trump says we don’t need NATO. Key NATO states are refusing to join US efforts to secure Hormuz, amid lack of confidence in Trump’s often shifting articulation of operation.
New oil targeting phase as Tehran pledges to be gatekeeper of Hormuz: Ships pass only “in coordination” with Tehran – talk of separate deal-making with BRICS capitals.
* * *
State Media Confirms Larijani Death
It’s official: Iranian state media confirmed late Tuesday that Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council, is dead, hours after Israel first announced he and another senior Iranian official were killed in overnight airstrikes
“Ali Larijani, Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council, has been martyred,” the Fars News Agency wrote on X, translated from Persian. “Martyr Ali Larijani, one of the country’s prominent and prudent officials, along with his son, one of his deputies, and a group of bodyguards, was targeted by American and Zionist regime fighter jets at his daughter’s home in the Pardis area and was martyred,” the news agency wrote in follow-up.
Larijani was speaker of Iran’s parliament until 2020, is the second most senior Iranian official to be assassinated since Ayatollah Ali Khameini was killed on the first day of the war. One problem this potentially presents is that it will now by anything but clear what official external states can deal with, in terms of potential negotiations to wind down or end the war.
Internationalization of Kamikaze Drone War over Gulf
On Tuesday afternoon the WSJ is reporting on two trends which suggesting a creeping internationalization of the Iran conflict. First, it says Russia is trying to keep its regional ally Iran “in the fight” through expanded intelligence-sharing. “Russia has been expanding its intelligence sharing and military cooperation with Iran, providing satellite imagery and improved drone technology to aid Tehran’s targeting of U.S. forces in the region, people familiar with the matter said,” the publication writes. This might prolong the war, keeping the US and Israel bogged down, to the geostrategic benefit of Moscow. There are reports that China too is doing more to step up support, but there’s little in the way of specifics that can ultimately be verified. Are superpowers starting to get into a drone-lobbing competition over the Gulf?
The technology provided includes components of modified Shahed drones, which are meant to improve communication, navigation and targeting, the people said. Russia has also been drawing on its experience using drones in Ukraine, offering tactical guidance on how many drones should be used in operations and what altitudes they should strike from, said the people, who included a senior European intelligence officer. –WSJ
Another big headline, from the same publication, is that the Pentagon is looking to mass produce a kamikaze drone the U.S. recently used to strike Iran – this according to a top US defense official. “The one-way attack drone, called Lucas, is an American-made copy of Iran’s Shahed drones, which have terrorized Iran’s neighbors in the current conflict with the U.S. and Israel,” the WSJ writes.
The Pentagon plans to mass-produce the LUCAS kamikaze drone after successful use in recent strikes on Iran.
A top defense official said it has performed well and is being refined for large-scale production.
Trump: “Not Ready to Leave Iran Yet” But Will in “Near Future”
President Trump met with Irish Prime Minister Taoiseach Micheál Martin on Tuesday late morning in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, and the Q&A focused almost exclusively on Iran, with Trump again signaling an eventual US exit from the Iran war – but not just yet, and really with no set timeline (amid at least a “five week” delay until Xi summit). “We’re not ready to leave yet, but we will be leaving in the near future,” he said, adding that US-Israeli strikes have set Iran back so severely it could take “a decade” to rebuild.
Important: Trump on China and Xi meeting – “Looks like it’ll happen in five weeks.”
Crucially (and alarmingly) Trump also brushed off warnings from Tehran that deploying US ground troops could trigger a Vietnam-style quagmire. “No, I’m not afraid of – I’m really not afraid of anything,” he said.
At the same time, Trump is lashing out at NATO allies for sitting on the sidelines. “We help them, and they didn’t help us, and I think that’s a very bad thing for NATO,” Trump said. “Everyone agrees with this, but they don’t want to help,” he said.
Still, he stopped short of threatening immediate consequences, calling it simply “not good for a partnership.” All the while, Trump kept touting that the world faced “nuclear holocaust” from Iran if he didn’t give the order to attack. He even claimed nuclear conflict would have reached Europe if he hadn’t taken action.
BREAKING: TRUMP SAYS HE IS NOT AFRAID TO PUT BOOTS ON THE GROUND IN IRAN:
Q: Are you afraid that if you put boots on the ground in Iran, it could be another Vietnam?
US Doesn’t Need NATO to Help with Iran Mission: Trump
President Trump is not happy with NATO and is letting the world know it. First countries like Spain, Germany, and Greece made it clear they would not heed his call for a coalition to open the Strait of Hormuz, and on Tuesday France’s Macron stated it is “not our war”.
Trump said in a fresh Truth Social Post “I am not surprised by their action, however, because I always considered NATO, where we spend Hundreds of Billions of Dollars per year protecting these same Countries, to be a one way street — We will protect them, but they will do nothing for us, in particular, in a time of need.” And more:
Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer “need,” or desire, the NATO Countries’ assistance — WE NEVER DID! Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea. In fact, speaking as President of the United States of America, by far the Most Powerful Country Anywhere in the World…
Without doubt, these countries have memories of Iraq and Afghanistan, which were multi-national efforts (and largely failures in terms of becoming unanticipated ‘forever wars’ and quagmires).
Macron: France Won’t Join Trump’s Hormuz Ops
President Emmanuel Macron has just slammed the door on Trump in a huge way, though he did so in his classic meager and weak, somewhat ambiguous fashion.
He said Tuesday that though France will not immediately take part in efforts to militarily unblock the Hormuz Strait, it will continue to prepare for a potential future coalition that could provide freedom of navigation once the conflict ends.
“We are not party to the conflict and therefore France will never take part in operations to open or liberate the Strait of Hormuz in the current context,” Macron said at the start of a cabinet meeting.
As a reminder, Trump on Monday said of Macron: “I have spoken to him. On a scale of 0 to 10, he’s been an eight. Not perfect, but it’s France…” And the US president added, “I think he’s going to help. I spoke to him yesterday. I don’t do a hard sell on them because my attitude is that we don’t need anybody. We’re the strongest nation in the world. We have the strongest military by far in the world.”
Expanding Lebanon War: IDF Issues Widest Evacuation Order Since 2006
A new – or perhaps it should be renewed – ground war between Israel and Lebanon has fully opened, also as Beirut continues to get hit from the air. Israel told residents of southern Lebanon that its military would be conducting airstrikes against Hezbollah. The area under immediate evacuation orders is seeing the biggest Israeli-drive evacuation going all the way back to the major 2006 war.
“Remaining south of the Zahrani River could endanger your life and the lives of your families,” the Israeli military’s Arabic spokesman Avichay Adraee said on X. Israeli officials have meanwhile signaled readiness to fight in Lebanon even beyond the conclusion of the Iran war, which itself hasn’t been subject of a timeline.
Via Rabobank note: Trump has announced his long-awaited looming trip to Beijing is unlikely to happen because of the war: he wants a delay of a month or so. In short, only if the war ends without a US retreat can Trump and Xi discuss the US-China relationship.
The messaging is crystal clear. So is that China can get energy from the Western hemisphere to replace Iran and the GCC if needed. So is the US ability to then put a foot on the hosepipe in certain geopolitical circumstances – as it is now doing with Iran at far greater distance, risk, and cost. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t part of a future deal.
Trump said when asked about the trip Monday, “I don’t know, we’re working on that right now.” He added: “We’re speaking to China. I’d love to, but because of the war, I want to be here. I have to be here, I feel.”
Israel Claims Big Decapitation Strike: Larijani & Basij Chief
Israel is making another big ‘decapitation strike’ claim, saying it has taken out Iran’s top security believed to be effectively running the country and the war, Ali Larijani. Israel further announced early Tuesday the longtime head of the Basij militia, Gholamreza Soleimani, was also killed.
If true it would mark one of the most significant blows to Tehran’s leadership since the war began. But in classic fog-of-war fashion, Tehran is pushing back against Israeli statements. Tehran has presented a handwritten message attributed to him, though not exactly what passes for proof of life.
The note was released ahead of funeral ceremonies for Iranian sailors killed in a recent US strike, and urges citizens to show support for the national ‘martyrs’ – but in the end does little to clarify whether Larijani is alive or dead. Just days ago he was seen marching defiantly in the streets of Tehran with other high-ranking officials as US-Israeli bombs fell not too far away.
The IDF announcement proclaiming his alleged death:
🔴Ali Larijani, Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council and the regime’s effective leader, has been eliminated.
Throughout the years, Larijani was considered one of the most veteran and senior figures within the Iranian regime leadership, and was a close associate… pic.twitter.com/kBIgSSGBm0— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) March 17, 2026
“The martyrdom of the brave members of the Navy of the Army of the Islamic Republic in Dena is part of the sacrifices of the proud nation that has emerged in this time of struggle against international oppressors,” Larijani wrote, in what could prove to be his last message. If he is deceased, he is likely to quickly be replaced.
No Peace Yet: Must Be ‘Brought to Their Knees’
Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian is calling on citizens to flood the streets for mass funerals of sailors killed when the IRIS Dena was sunk off the coast of Sri Lanka. Enemies “should know that in the shadow of the name of each of these high-ranking martyrs, thousands of other brave men will rise,” he said.
Most importantly, he announced that Islamic Republic leadership is rejecting any talk of de-escalation. Iran will exact a steep cost against its aggressors, he vowed. It is not “the right time for peace until the United States and Israel are brought to their knees, accept defeat, and pay compensation,” a senior official was quoted in Al Jazeera as saying, describing the position as “very tough and serious.”
Iran’s messaging here has been consistent. On Monday when President Trump claimed Tehran was “talking” – and later there were reports of text messages between Iran’s FM Araghchi and White House envoy Steve Witkoff, Iran’s government was quick to call this fake news.
“We don’t ask for ceasefire, but this war must end, in a way that our enemies never again think about repeating such attacks,” Araghchi has said. Central Israel has also continued to see inbound projectiles, also from Hezbollah in Lebanon.
Iran: Hormuz Isn’t Officially Shut, But it Controls Who Gets Through
Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei pushed back on blockade claims, while signaling Tehran is effectively managing traffic through the critical chokepoint – as it tries to play nice with its BRICS allies but tries to keep the leverage on Washington, its allies, and the global economy.
“Ships from some countries passed through the Strait of Hormuz in coordination with the Islamic Republic of Iran,” he said, framing Iran’s position as ultimately as the gatekeeper of the world’s most important oil artery. “Iran has always been the guardian of the Strait of Hormuz and the safe passage of ships.”
This could include pledges for Indian, Chinese, and Russian safe passage – and there’s been evidence of some of these getting through, just as in the Houthis Red Sea crisis of last year.
On Tuesday, Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf said: “The Strait of Hormuz cannot be the same as before and return to its previous conditions,” adding that “there is no longer any security.”
Bombardment of US Bases, Embassy, Oil Sites
“We have no hostility toward regional countries,” Baghad also said. “What we target are American bases and assets.” This after a likely Iranian-made drone hit the US Embassy in Baghad to start of this week, and also a drone slammed into the central Al-Rasheed Hotel in Baghdad’s highly protected Green Zone.
Air defenses in the Green Zone engaged incoming threats, but to no avail – the drones still got through. At the same time, energy infrastructure is increasingly in the crosshairs.
A drone attack forced the shutdown of a gas field in Abu Dhabi, while a tanker was reportedly hit by an “unknown projectile” near a UAE oil port – only adding more pressure to already volatile markets and pushing oil prices higher.
C-RAM System reportedly seen in action, but is Green Zone’s defense crumbling?
An Iranian-backed militia successfully used a (likely fiber optic) FPV drone to carry out a reconnaissance mission through the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad yesterday.
Seen here, the drone flies unchallenged through the embassy complex for nearly two minutes. pic.twitter.com/S1Ky3eVUv0— OSINTtechnical (@Osinttechnical) March 17, 2026
“Not Our War”: NATO Allies
Still, amid all this, NATO allies are holding back – perhaps confused and lacking confidence in President Trump’s daily shifting rhetoric, and as sometimes Trump issues contradictory messaging on the same day, or even in the very same presser.
“What does … Donald Trump expect a handful or two handfuls of European frigates to do in the Strait of Hormuz that the powerful US Navy cannot do?” German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius told reporters on Monday. “This is not our war, we have not started it.“
Some leading NATO powers have made clear they won’t directly support any military effort to unblock the strait – including Germany, Italy, and Spain.
President Trump himself has conceded this week of Western partners: “Some are very enthusiastic about it, and some aren’t. Some are countries that we’ve helped for many, many years. We’ve protected them from horrible outside sources, and they weren’t that enthusiastic. And the level of enthusiasm matters to me.” Naturally they might be looking back only to last year and the Gaza War, when the major US-led naval coalition in the Red Sea struggled to halt Houthi attacks on global shipping, resulting in a stalemate and uneasy status quo where the Iran-linked Houthis built a lot of leverage.
Iran’s “New Phase Of Oil War”
Bloomberg Opinion and commodities columnist Javier Blas has written on X. “Further ominous developments today. For the first time, Iran successfully targeted oil and gas production facilities, rather than refining, terminals, and storage,”
Blas listed the IRGC’s attacks on Gulf oil and gas facilities:
Oil and gas field in the UAE (Shah) hit
Oil field in Iraq (Majnoon) attacked
Plus Saudi Arabia saw large drone swarms
He explained that these attacks suggest “Iran has started a new phase of its oil war” against Gulf states aligned with the US. “Tehran is clearly going after the Strait of Hormuz bypass route, with Fujairah (UAE) coming under attack. But so far, the Saudi pipeline bypass hasn’t been attacked, and neither the Yemeni Houthis have tried to close the Red Sea,” Blas said. Brent crude has jumped more than 40% since the start of Operation Epic Fury in late February, but out-of-control spikes in crude markets have largely been capped so far by the IEA’s 32-nation “historic” emergency SPR release. Read our fuller analysis here.
The federal Iraqi government is in contact with Iran to persuade Tehran to allow some Iraqi oil tankers to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, Iraq’s Oil Minister Hayyan Abdul Ghani said on Tuesday.
“There is communication with Iran regarding allowing the passage of some Iraqi oil tankers,” the minister said in statements carried by the Iraqi News Agency (INA).
Iraq, unlike Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), doesn’t have any options – even partial – to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, which has been closed for over two weeks now, forcing Baghdad to slash oil production as storage sites and tankers available in the Gulf filled up.
Iraq was the first to announce more than a week ago it was slashing crude oil production amid the de facto blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.
END
EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING; BIG NEWS OF THE DAY
Trump less worried on gas strikes than on oil strikes.
Israel strikes the huge PARS gas field
(JerusalemPost
WATCH:Iranian gas infrastructure at Iran’s South Pars and Asaluyeh hit in Israeli air strike
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that petrochemical facilities in South Pars were targeted and that the extent of damage was not yet clear.
Facilities linked to Iran’s gas industry in South Pars and Asaluyeh were targeted in an Israeli airstrike on Wednesday, a source confirmed to The Jerusalem Post.
The South Pars gas field is the world’s largest natural gas reserve and is jointly operated by Iran and Qatar.
An Israeli official told the Post that the attack was coordinated with the United States, adding that the target was Iran’s largest gas facility in Bushehr.
Iranian national flags fly near chemical storage tanks at the Arya Sasol Polymer Co. petrochemical complex which produces ethylene and polyethylene in Asaluyeh, Iran, on Tuesday, July 9, 2019. (credit: Ali Mohammadi/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Trump less worried about gas strikes than oil
Trump and his administration opposed the previous strikes on oil facilities due to the images of fires and the resulting surge in prices. However, in the case of gas, this appears to be less of a concern, the Israeli official explained.
Iran’s semi-official Tasnim news agency reported that petrochemical facilities in South Pars were targeted and that the extent of damage was not yet clear.
This is a developing story.
end
Major Escalation: Iran Vows To Strike Energy Infrastructure “Previously Thought Safe” After South Pars Attack
Wednesday, Mar 18, 2026 – 09:07 AM
Energy headlines summary:
Iran says upstream oil and gas assets are under attack for first time since war began
Iraq reroutes some flows through Ceyhan Pipeline to Turkey
Iran reiterates new rules in place for Hormuz transit as traffic remains de-minimus
“The blockade is now the worst disruption to oil flows ever. Real barrels are now disappearing from global oil markets, which can lead to demand destruction in the weeks to come.”
Iran set to retaliate against oil/gas assets in the Gulf area
* * *
Iran Plans Counterattack on Gulf Area Energy Infrastructure
Brent crude futures jumped from around $103.5/bbl to $108/bbl following Israeli airstrikes on Iran’s South Pars gas field in the Persian Gulf. This escalation in strikes underscores what Bloomberg commodities analyst Javier Blas said: “Both sides are now targeting upstream (i.e., production) oil and natural gas assets.”
He asked, “Is this an attempt to escalate to de-escalate? Or is it simply a sign that escalation is spiraling out of control?”
IRAN TO RETALIATE AGAINST ATTACK ON ENERGY INFRASTRUCTURE: FARS
IRAN WILL HIT ENEMY SITES PREVIOUSLY THOUGHT TO BE SAFE: FARS
The semi-official Fars news agency reports that Iran’s energy infrastructure “will not go unanswered, and Iran’s response will target enemy infrastructure previously thought to be safe.”
Translation: Major escalation inbound for Gulf states, with crosshairs likely on upstream energy infrastructure.
“With enemy missiles hitting the Asaluyeh refinery, the pendulum of war has effectively swung from limited battles toward an ‘all-out economic war’,” Fars stated, adding, “As of tonight, the red lines have shifted. If the enemy believed these attacks could increase pressure on Iran to force it to back down, they have made a fatal miscalculation, for this action has placed the trump card of reciprocal retaliation squarely in Iran’s hands.”
Iranian Oil, Gas Assets Under Attack
Crude oil futures are surging after Iranian state TV reported that part of the South Pars gas field in the Persian Gulf area had been hit by an airstrike.
Bloomberg reports that Israel appears to be behind the air strike on Iran’s energy assets.
South Pars is the backbone of Iran’s gas system and part of the world’s largest natural gas field, which Iran shares with Qatar, where the same reservoir is called the North Field.
Oil and petrochemical facilities in nearby Asaluyeh also came under attack, it added.
An attack, if confirmed, would mark the first time Iran’s upstream oil and gas facilities have been targeted in this war.
According to the Iranian oil ministry’s official news service, Shana, daily gas production at South Pars, which is shared with Qatar, reached a record 730 million cubic meters in 2025.
Iranian state TV says that South Pars phases 3, 4, 5, and 6 were hit by Israeli air strikes. This suggests damage to core upstream gas infrastructure at the backbone of Iran’s energy system, marking a major escalation in Gulf energy risk
Most of Iran’s gas production comes from South Pars, making it central to power generation, industrial feedstock, petrochemical production, and winter heating demand.
Bloomberg noted that the gas field is the “key source of pipeline gas to Turkey via the Tabriz–Ankara line. Disruptions to those flows could force Ankara to seek more spot LNG on already tight global markets.”
WTI futures quickly surged to $95/bbl on the news.
Operation Epic Fury appears to have shifted toward targeting the IRGC’s funding lines. This was evident last week with strikes on the Kharg Island export hub.
Iraq Reroutes Oil From Hormuz, through Ceyhan Pipeline to Turkey
Brent crude futures roller-coastered, oscillating between $100 and $103 per barrel after news broke that Iraq had found an initial (though still limited) workaround for the Hormuz chokepoint by restarting exports through Turkey’s Ceyhan port.
Bloomberg reports that North Oil Co.’s oil pipeline to Ceyhan port, with an expected initial export capacity of 250,000 barrels, has begun operation. That is in addition to 210,000 barrels per day from Kurdistan through the northern pipeline, according to Oil Minister Hayyan Abdul Ghani.
Ceyhan exports crude from the Kurdistan and Kirkuk fields (Iraq) to the Mediterranean port, effectively bypassing the chaos at the Hormuz chokepoint and in the Gulf region.
Disruption of tanker flows in the critical waterway forced Iraqi oil production to plunge to about 1.4 million barrels per day, roughly one-third of pre-Hormuz closure levels.
Three weeks into the US-Iran conflict, tanker activity on the waterway has slowed to a crawl, at just about 400,000 barrels per day, compared to the pre-Hormuz closure average of 14 million barrels per day.
Kpler oil analyst Muyu Xu warned, “The blockade is now the worst disruption to oil flows ever. Real barrels are now disappearing from global oil markets, which can lead to demand destruction in the weeks to come.”
Iraq is following Saudi Arabia’s playbook of shipping crude through pipelines rather than through Hormuz as IRGC drone and missile threats persist. Saudi Aramco shifted its crude flows through the East-West pipeline to export terminals at Yanbu and Al Muajjiz on the kingdom’s Red Sea coast.
Iran Remains In Control Of The Strait
Meanwhile, Iran-linked vessels accounted for 35% of the 20 crude tankers that made outbound Hormuz transits in the first week of the conflict, according to Kpler. About a week later, that number rose to five of the eight tankers that left the region, suggesting that Iran’s control of the critical waterway has significantly increased.
On Tuesday, the conflict escalated further with the confirmation of the killing of Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
According to Aaron Stein, president of the Foreign Policy Research Institute, “The Larijani killing is a big deal, and may make Iran more desperate to disrupt oil flows.”
“Trump is obviously being pressured to escort tankers, so we’re in for the possibility of very tense US operations in ways I’m certain the Navy would like to avoid,” Stein said.
On Wednesday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera about new rules that should be imposed on the critical waterway.
“We need to design new arrangements for the Strait of Hormuz and the way ships pass through it in the future after the war so that peaceful navigation through this waterway can be permanently maintained under clear regulations with consideration for Iran’s interests and the interests of the region,” Araghchi said.
He said, “It should guarantee that safe passage through the strait takes place under specific conditions,” adding that conditions should “ensure peacefulness. We do not want to witness another war in the region and we do not want to see the strait closed again.”
Hormuz Traffic Remains Practically ‘Halted’
Goldman analysts, led by Yulia Zhestkova Grigsby, showed clients on Tuesday that shipping traffic through Hormuz remains down 98% from normal levels (4-day moving average).
The estimated total hit to oil flows from the Persian Gulf stands at 15 mb/d, 15 times larger than the peak April 2022 hit to Russian oil production.
Iranian crude exports dominate the Strait.
“With no end in sight to hostilities, shut-ins rising on a daily basis, and the Strait technically closed, we remain of the view that Brent is set to remain in a new, higher $95-to-$110 range,” Westpac Banking analyst Robert Rennie wrote in a note.
“Were we to see a major refinery plant hit or confirmation of additional mining of the strait, we would expect that range to extend higher by another $10-$20,” Rennie added.
The takeaway here is that Gulf countries, such as Iraq and Saudi Arabia, are rerouting crude flows from tanker transit through the waterway to pipelines out of the hostile region, as Iran remains largely in control of the Strait, necessarily (and dramatically) reducing global energy supply (for longer).
…and now he is reportedly dead (among many other Iranian leaders).
ISRAEL/IRAN/USA
Next Iranian leader to be assassinated:
Israel assassinates Iranian intelligence minister Esmaeil Khatib, IDF, Katz confirm
Before the assassination was confirmed, two sources gave The Jerusalem Post different indications on the likelihood of the success of the operation, which took place Tuesday night.
An IDF biographical infographic on Iranian intelligence minister Esmeil Khatib, killed by the IDF on March 18, 2026.(photo credit: IDF SPOKESPERSON’S UNIT)ByYONAH JEREMY BOB, AMICHAI STEINMARCH 18, 2026 10:12Updated: MARCH 18, 2026 13:06
The IDF has assassinated Iranian Intelligence Minister Esmaeil Khatib, Defense Minister Israel Katz, and the military both confirmed on Wednesday.
Before the assassination was confirmed, two sources gave The Jerusalem Post different indications on the likelihood of the success of the operation, which took place Tuesday night.
Iran’s intelligence minister Esmaeil Khatib (C) sits with Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian (C-R) before a speech to members of parliament in the capital Tehran, on August 17, 2024, as he defends his cabinet selection. (credit: Atta Kenare/AFP via Getty Images)
Khataib’s death marks the next most significant assassination in Iran since the early days of the war, other than the killing of Ali Larijani and the Basij chief on Monday night
Khatib has been the intelligence minister since August 2021, when ultra-hardliner and former Iranian president Ebrahim Raisi was elected.
When Raisi was killed in a helicopter crash, and Masoud Pezeshkian succeeded him as Iranian president, he kept Khatib in his role, an unusual move given that traditionally new presidents replace top ministers with their own close associates.
Khatib seen as hardliner close to Khamenei checking Pezeshkian
However, Khatib was close to Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and was viewed as a hardliner who could keep Pezeshkian’s more moderate positions in check
In addition, over the years, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) started to displace aspects of the authorities and power of the intelligence ministry, causing friction and competition between the bodies.
Raisi was closer to the IRGC than former president Hassan Rouhani, and Khatib spent much of his career in the IRGC’s intelligence branch.
When Raisi moved Khatib from the IRGC to run the intelligence ministry, it also cemented some of the IRGC’s new intelligence powers.
Khamenei wanted to keep Khatib in place partially to ensure continued IRGC dominance.
Although the IRGC was viewed by Khamenei as more loyal and ideologically committed to his causes, the Post has reported that the intelligence ministry had been viewed by outside CIA and Mossad officials as far more professional and competent.
If IRGC intelligence officials might sometimes be promoted to their roles due to ideological loyalty, top intelligence ministry officials usually only achieve promotion based on outstanding spycraft.
CIA and Mossad officials have even seen the ascent of IRGC intelligence over the intelligence ministry as a positive development for them since they viewed the IRGC as slightly less formidable.
Tzvi Jasper contributed to this report.
end
Iran Intel Chief Killed As Israel Grants IDF ‘Free Hand’ To Eliminate Leaders; Trump Muses Tehran Could Be ‘Finished Off’
Wednesday, Mar 18, 2026 – 08:45 AM
Summary:
Israel says Iran’s intelligence chief Esmail Khatib was eliminated overnightaspace of top leadership killings accelerates.
Israeli attack on Iran’s major South Pars gas field could trigger retaliation on Saudi oil fields.
President Trump issues posts musing whether US should ‘finish off’ Iran, though Tehran signals continuity & stability of govt.
Iran FM says no change in nuclear posture: vows Tehran not pursuing an atomic bomb.
* * *
Iran Intel Chief Killed In 3rd High-Level Hit
More decimation of Iranian top leadership, as Israel’s defense minister Israel Katz has announced Iran’s intelligence chief Esmail Khatib was eliminated in an overnight strike, which marks yet another alleged high-level hit as the tempo of targeted killings accelerates. “On this day, significant surprises are expected across all arenas that will escalate the war we are conducting against Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon,” Katz warned in a military briefing, according to Israeli media.
If confirmed, the reported hit would mark the third top-tier Iranian figure eliminated in just 48 hours, following Israeli strikes that reportedly killed national security chief Ali Larijani, who was likely effectively running the war, and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani.
Trump Posts: Finish Them
President Donald Trump posts Wednesday: I wonder what would happen if we “finished off” what’s left of the Iranian Terror State, and let the Countries that use it, we don’t, be responsible for the so called “Straight?” That would get some of our non-responsive “Allies” in gear, and fast!
Trump also said in a rapid follow-up that “We are rapidly putting them out of business!”
Still, Iran is signaling continuity, not collapse, even as newspapers in America run celebratory headlines such as “Israel Is Hunting Down Iranian Regime Members in Their Hideouts, One by One.” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi pushed back on the narrative of systemic breakdown, insisting the Islamic Republic “does not rely on a single individual.”
Meanwhile, unconfirmed chatter suggests parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf may have narrowly survived an assassination attempt in northern Tehran. There are indicators that he too may be running the day-to-day of the government and of the wartime response; however, it’s also clear the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is firmly in control of the country.
Israel Gives Military Freedom Of Elimination Strikes
As a reminder of analysis we featured earlier in the conflict, “Endurance regimes do not need clean victory to change the game. They only need to survive the shock while making the old equilibrium too costly for their adversaries to restore.” Journalist Jeremy Scahill, who starting over two decades ago covered the lead-up to the Iraq war from on the ground in Baghdad, has reiterated that “In asymmetric warfare, the less powerful side does not need to militarily defeat an adversary, but rather force it to a point where it determines the costs of continuing the war is too high.”
The US-Israeli operation is seeking to so utterly smash the country and its leadership, and potentially bring people out to the streets to topple the government, so as to avid reaching this dilemma. Israel is said to be working with spies and spotters on the ground, which Basij forces have sought to expose and arrest.
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi on the killing of Ali Larijani:
I do not know why the Americans and the Israelis still have not understood this point.
The Islamic Republic of Iran has a strong political structure with established political, economic, and social… pic.twitter.com/v6cgyjaoU3
But just as Iran is clearly trying to adapt, by reportedly allowing autonomy of command among military units in the instance of being cut off from top leadership, so is Israeli too adapting its strategy and tactics. Katz has confirmed that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have granted the military standing authorization to eliminate additional senior Iranian officials, with no case-by-case approval required. Or in other words, the Israeli decapitation efforts are now on autopilot, signaling greater escalation.
More Patriots in Turkey After Third Iran Missile Flyover
Escalation isn’t just contained to the US-led Operation Epic Fury inside Iran. In Turkey, NATO is reinforcing its posture, deploying another US Patriot battery to Adana alongside existing systems – soon on the heels of the alliance reportedly having intercepted a third Iranian ballistic missile that briefly entered Turkish airspace this week.
Meanwhile, Iran’s own retaliatory footprint is widening, as it vows “revenge” for the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top leaders. A strike near the Al Minhad base in the UAE, which hosts Australian troops, sparked a fire that damaged facilities, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed while saying that thankfully though no personnel were injured.
Dubai, long marketed as the region’s stable and quiet “safe haven” – continues to witness nightly sounds of air defense fire. The UAE confirmed its systems intercepted a barrage of threats, with fighter jets also scrambling in response to the threat overnight.
Tehran Signals No Change in Nuclear Posture
Tehran, for its part, is surprisingly signaling that it has no intention of developing a nuclear weapon. It’s hard to evaluate any such official stance in the middle of a war for survival, but FM Araghchi on Wednesday reiterated that Iran’s nuclear posture “won’t significantly change” – even as military leaders warn of a “decisive and regrettable” response to Israeli strikes.
Tehran holds funeral ceremony for security chief Ali Larijani and Basij chief Gholamreza Soleimani. pic.twitter.com/4sjTyzzJgj
Nuclear sites have come under direct threat during the war, with Tuesday a projectile reportedly having near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear facility, though local officials say no damage occurred.
In Washington, there’s some clear doubling down militarily on the part of the Trump administration, while the question of finding an offramp is still likely being hotly debated within White House and national security circles. On the political front, the closer the US gets to Memorial Day travel with gas prices climbing higher, the more politically costly it is likely to be for Republicans.
South Pars Gas Field, Hormuz, Israel
The International Maritime Organization is scrambling to convene an emergency session on establishing a “safe maritime corridor” as ships and crews remain essentially trapped in the Persian Gulf. Crucially, Bloomberg is reporting that the attack on South Pars gas field appears to be from Israel and that Iran has vowed it would retaliated against regional energy infrastructure if attacked in such a way. Oil facilities have also reportedly been struck.
Axios’ Barak Ravid has cited a senior Israeli official to report Wednesday: “The Israeli Air Force struck the largest natural gas processing facility in Iran, located in the southwest of the country. The strike was carried out in coordination with and with the approval of the U.S.“
Iranian missiles killed civilians overnight near Tel Aviv, and Israeli rail lines were disrupted along with a pause in many civic and public services, as people seek shelters. “An elderly couple, identified as Yaron and Ilana Moshe, were killed early Wednesday morning in Ramat Gan by a cluster missile as Iran continued to fire salvoes at Israel through the night and into the morning,” Times of Israel reports. “From midnight to 8 a.m., there were four rounds of missile fire that caused injuries and damage to property.”
Lebanon and Beirut are once again under fire as Israel expands strikes against Hezbollah positions in the southern part of Lebanese capital – with whole central buildings on fire and in some instances collapsing. A ground war has also been once again opening in southern Lebanon.
end
The ayatollahs’ eyes and ears: Inside Iran’s intelligence ministry – explainer
Khatib was not your average minister. Appointed by Khamenei in 2021, he was a Shia cleric with deep roots in the security world and a history inside the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC).
A SATELLITE image shows a closer view of the buildings of the Intelligence Ministry in Tehran, Iran, February 22, 2026, before airstrikes.(photo credit: VANTOR/HANDOUT VIA REUTERS)ByALEX WINSTONMARCH 18, 2026 14:38Updated: MARCH 18, 2026 16:49
The overnight assassination of Iran’s intelligence minister, Esmaeil Khatib, in a targeted Israeli strike in Tehran was a strike at one of the Islamic Republic’s most opaque and important institutions in maintaining the regime of oppression in place. His death was confirmed on Wednesday morning by Defense Minister Israel Katz.
Khatib was not your average minister. Appointed by Ali Khamenei in 2021, he was a Shia cleric with deep roots in the security world and a history inside the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps. He ran both the crushing of dissent at home and the expansion of Iran’s shadow operations abroad.
The Ministry of Intelligence, known by its acronym MOIS, was created in 1984, during the chaotic first years after the revolution and amid the Iran-Iraq War. It was intended to replace the shah’s SAVAK intelligence service.
The ministry’s original brief was to protect the revolution from its enemies, foreign and domestic, similar to the mission of the IRGC. That mandate has since expanded to cover almost everything. The ministry nowadays functions as a secret police, a foreign spy service, and an ideological watchdog rolled into one.
Inside Iran, its reach is deep. It runs informant networks through universities, newsrooms, minority communities, and activist circles. Its people identify protest organizers, monitor phones and messages, and conduct interrogations. During the 2009 Green Movement, the 2019 fuel protests, and the Mahsa Amini uprising in 2022, the ministry was central to the crackdown. It rounded up protest leaders and, according to consistent accounts, extracted the televised confessions that followed.
Esmaeil Khatib, pictured in 2024. (credit: Khamenei.ir/via Wikimedia Commons)
Repression in Iran is structured, intelligence-led, and deeply embedded within state institutions. MOIS provides much of that structure. Former detainees describe a system that is as methodical as it is brutal.
Prisoners held by the ministry have spoken of prolonged solitary confinement, sleep deprivation, and psychological pressure designed to break them rather than simply extract information. Interrogations are often accompanied by threats against family members, with detainees forced to sign confessions that later appear on state television.
But MOIS does not work alone. The regime has always been careful never to hand any single body too much power, lest it pose a threat to the ayatollahs, and intelligence is no different. Running parallel to the ministry is the IRGC Intelligence Organization, a separate apparatus that answers directly to the supreme leader and tends to operate with less restraint.
MOIS and IRGC, however, are not straightforward allies. The ministry works through long-term surveillance and institutional channels, whereas the IRGC’s intelligence arm is more ideologically driven and quicker to move when unrest flares. The regime wants overlap and a degree of mutual suspicion between its security arms. Each keeps watch on the population, while, at the same time, keeping a quiet eye on the other.
Khatib struck balance between IRGC and intelligence ministry
Khatib straddled both worlds. His IRGC background, having served in its intelligence unit from 1985 to 1991, made him useful precisely because he could move between clerical authority and paramilitary power. He was a coordinator as much as a minister.
Abroad, the ministry’s tentacles spread globally. Iranian intelligence has been tied to the assassination of opposition figures across Europe since the early years of the republic. More recently, its operations have targeted Israeli and Jewish interests, Western institutions, and Iranian exiles whom the regime has considered threats.
That is why Khatib was in Israel’s sights. It says that, as well as directing internal crackdowns, he was involved in operations against Israeli and American targets.
The Islamic Republic possesses one of the most dangerous and repressive internal security systems in the region, which is capable of penetrating society at nearly every level. Nevertheless, it continues to face waves of protest, public dissent, and unrest.
Now, the minister has been eliminated. The unrest, however, carries on.
end
more updates
Iran Intel Chief Killed As Israel Grants IDF ‘Free Hand’ To Eliminate Leaders; Trump Muses Tehran Could Be ‘Finished Off’
Wednesday, Mar 18, 2026 – 08:45 AM
Summary:
Israel says Iran’s intelligence chief Esmail Khatib was eliminated overnightaspace of top leadership killings accelerates.
Israeli attack on Iran’s major South Pars gas field could trigger retaliation on Saudi oil fields.
President Trump issues posts musing whether US should ‘finish off’ Iran, though Tehran signals continuity & stability of govt.
Iran FM says no change in nuclear posture: vows Tehran not pursuing an atomic bomb.
* * *
Iran Intel Chief Killed In 3rd High-Level Hit
More decimation of Iranian top leadership, as Israel’s defense minister Israel Katz has announced Iran’s intelligence chief Esmail Khatib was eliminated in an overnight strike, which marks yet another alleged high-level hit as the tempo of targeted killings accelerates. “On this day, significant surprises are expected across all arenas that will escalate the war we are conducting against Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon,” Katz warned in a military briefing, according to Israeli media.
If confirmed, the reported hit would mark the third top-tier Iranian figure eliminated in just 48 hours, following Israeli strikes that reportedly killed national security chief Ali Larijani, who was likely effectively running the war, and Basij commander Gholamreza Soleimani.
Trump Posts: Finish Them
President Donald Trump posts Wednesday: I wonder what would happen if we “finished off” what’s left of the Iranian Terror State, and let the Countries that use it, we don’t, be responsible for the so called “Straight?” That would get some of our non-responsive “Allies” in gear, and fast!
Trump also said in a rapid follow-up that “We are rapidly putting them out of business!”
Still, Iran is signaling continuity, not collapse, even as newspapers in America run celebratory headlines such as “Israel Is Hunting Down Iranian Regime Members in Their Hideouts, One by One.” Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi pushed back on the narrative of systemic breakdown, insisting the Islamic Republic “does not rely on a single individual.”
Meanwhile, unconfirmed chatter suggests parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf may have narrowly survived an assassination attempt in northern Tehran. There are indicators that he too may be running the day-to-day of the government and of the wartime response; however, it’s also clear the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is firmly in control of the country.
Israel Gives Military Freedom Of Elimination Strikes
As a reminder of analysis we featured earlier in the conflict, “Endurance regimes do not need clean victory to change the game. They only need to survive the shock while making the old equilibrium too costly for their adversaries to restore.” Journalist Jeremy Scahill, who starting over two decades ago covered the lead-up to the Iraq war from on the ground in Baghdad, has reiterated that “In asymmetric warfare, the less powerful side does not need to militarily defeat an adversary, but rather force it to a point where it determines the costs of continuing the war is too high.”
The US-Israeli operation is seeking to so utterly smash the country and its leadership, and potentially bring people out to the streets to topple the government, so as to avid reaching this dilemma. Israel is said to be working with spies and spotters on the ground, which Basij forces have sought to expose and arrest.
But just as Iran is clearly trying to adapt, by reportedly allowing autonomy of command among military units in the instance of being cut off from top leadership, so is Israeli too adapting its strategy and tactics. Katz has confirmed that he and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have granted the military standing authorization to eliminate additional senior Iranian officials, with no case-by-case approval required. Or in other words, the Israeli decapitation efforts are now on autopilot, signaling greater escalation.
More Patriots in Turkey After Third Iran Missile Flyover
Escalation isn’t just contained to the US-led Operation Epic Fury inside Iran. In Turkey, NATO is reinforcing its posture, deploying another US Patriot battery to Adana alongside existing systems – soon on the heels of the alliance reportedly having intercepted a third Iranian ballistic missile that briefly entered Turkish airspace this week.
Meanwhile, Iran’s own retaliatory footprint is widening, as it vows “revenge” for the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and other top leaders. A strike near the Al Minhad base in the UAE, which hosts Australian troops, sparked a fire that damaged facilities, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has confirmed while saying that thankfully though no personnel were injured.
Dubai, long marketed as the region’s stable and quiet “safe haven” – continues to witness nightly sounds of air defense fire. The UAE confirmed its systems intercepted a barrage of threats, with fighter jets also scrambling in response to the threat overnight.
Tehran Signals No Change in Nuclear Posture
Tehran, for its part, is surprisingly signaling that it has no intention of developing a nuclear weapon. It’s hard to evaluate any such official stance in the middle of a war for survival, but FM Araghchi on Wednesday reiterated that Iran’s nuclear posture “won’t significantly change” – even as military leaders warn of a “decisive and regrettable” response to Israeli strikes.
Tehran holds funeral ceremony for security chief Ali Larijani and Basij chief Gholamreza Soleimani. pic.twitter.com/4sjTyzzJgj
Nuclear sites have come under direct threat during the war, with Tuesday a projectile reportedly having near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear facility, though local officials say no damage occurred.
In Washington, there’s some clear doubling down militarily on the part of the Trump administration, while the question of finding an offramp is still likely being hotly debated within White House and national security circles. On the political front, the closer the US gets to Memorial Day travel with gas prices climbing higher, the more politically costly it is likely to be for Republicans.
South Pars Gas Field, Hormuz, Israel
The International Maritime Organization is scrambling to convene an emergency session on establishing a “safe maritime corridor” as ships and crews remain essentially trapped in the Persian Gulf. Crucially, Bloomberg is reporting that the attack on South Pars gas field appears to be from Israel and that Iran has vowed it would retaliated against regional energy infrastructure if attacked in such a way. Oil facilities have also reportedly been struck.
Axios’ Barak Ravid has cited a senior Israeli official to report Wednesday: “The Israeli Air Force struck the largest natural gas processing facility in Iran, located in the southwest of the country. The strike was carried out in coordination with and with the approval of the U.S.“
⚡️Earlier this morning, Israeli warplanes demolished a building in Al-Bashoura in Beirut pic.twitter.com/Y7zhlZNTho
Iranian missiles killed civilians overnight near Tel Aviv, and Israeli rail lines were disrupted along with a pause in many civic and public services, as people seek shelters. “An elderly couple, identified as Yaron and Ilana Moshe, were killed early Wednesday morning in Ramat Gan by a cluster missile as Iran continued to fire salvoes at Israel through the night and into the morning,” Times of Israel reports. “From midnight to 8 a.m., there were four rounds of missile fire that caused injuries and damage to property.”
Lebanon and Beirut are once again under fire as Israel expands strikes against Hezbollah positions in the southern part of Lebanese capital – with whole central buildings on fire and in some instances collapsing. A ground war has also been once again opening in southern Lebanon.
end
Gulf Wants Iran’s Ballistic Arsenal Destroyed; China Ignores Trump Hormuz Plea
Fresh reports suggest that at least some Gulf states are now egging on the US-Israeli bombardment of Iran, hoping that the Islamic Republic’s significant ballistic missile can be blunted forever. Sultan al-Jaber, the U.A.E. minister of industry and advanced technology, was quoted by The Wall Street Journal as saying, “Any long-term political settlement must address the full spectrum of threats, including Iran’s nuclear program, ballistic missile capabilities, and their network of regional proxies.”
And yet, Israel and the US now extending their aerial attacks to Iran’s oil infrastructure has immediately resulted in Iran declaring that it will in turn target oil fields and infrastructure among America’s Gulf allies. As these easily predictable steps on the escalation ladder continue to play out, China is ignoring President Trump’s request to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz for vital global oil transit. What Beijing has made clear, however, is that it wants all parties to cease hostilities in an military engagement it believes should have never started.
Trump Waives Jones Act, Iran Halts Gas Flows To Iraq
Reuters reports that after US and Israeli fighter jets attacked Iran’s South Pars gas field – the largest in the world – gas flows to Iraq were halted.
Gas flows from Iran account for 40% of Iraq’s supply. An Iraqi official told the outlet that the gas flows had been diverted for domestic use.
Israel’s escalation of the conflict – now targeting Iran’s upstream energy assets – sent Brent crude futures above the $109/bbl level, as WTI prices inched closer to triple-digit territory.
Some facilities belonging to Iran's natural gas industry in South Pars and Asaluyeh were attacked, without elaborating, Iranian state media reports. The South Pars gas field is the world’s largest natural gas reserve and is jointly operated by Iran and Qatar. pic.twitter.com/3B4VeNXUwf
— Ariel Oseran أريئل أوسيران (@ariel_oseran) March 18, 2026
The surge in energy prices this morning was met with the Trump administration waiving the century-old Jones Act – a maritime law that will now allow foreign ships to transport energy products between US ports – to ensure there are no logistical bottlenecks and that shipping costs stay low amid the worst energy shock the world has ever seen.
END
MORE UPDATES
Iran FM Discusses Strait of Hormuz with EU’s Kallas
Yesterday, here’s what EU Foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said: “Nobody is ready to put their people in harm’s way in the Strait of Hormuz. We have to find diplomatic ways to keep this open so that we don’t have a food crisis, fertilizers crisis, energy crisis as well.” And on Wednesday, oil is dumping on new EU contacts with top Iranian officials:
IRAN’S ARAGHCHI SPOKE WITH EU’S FOREIGN AFFAIRS CHIEF KALLAS
IRAN’S ARAGHCHI DISCUSSED REGION, STRAIT OF HORMUZ WITH KALLAS
Iran Begins Retaliation Strikes Over South Pars Attack
Following the US-Israeli attack on Iran’s South Pars gas facility earlier today, and Tehran’s angry comments about imminent retaliation for the attack on its upstream energy assets, Iranian ballistic missiles have been launched at surrounding Gulf states, with reports on X that one struck a target in the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
Headlines:
RIYADH RESIDENTS GET MOBILE ALERT OF HOSTILE AERIAL THREAT
SAUDI: INTERCEPTION SHRAPNEL FELL IN SCATTERED AREAS OF RIYADH
Video footage appears to show a large explosion from an Iranian ballistic missile impact and several fires burning tonight across the Saudi capital of Riyadh, likely part of Iran’s retaliation for Wednesday’s strikes on gas infrastructure by Israel. pic.twitter.com/2dIXUQglfZ
Saudi Arabia Taps East-West Pipeline, Reviving More Than Half Of Its Oil Exports
JPMorgan’s commodities chief, Natasha Kaneva, states that Saudi Arabia has resumed half of its oil exports via the East-West pipeline amid disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.
With Hormuz all but closed, Saudi Arabia has been rerouting oil through a 746-mile pipeline to the western port of Yanbu on the Red Sea. At the same time, it has quickly amassed a huge armada of tankers that have steamed toward the Red Sea to load oil and are now piling up around the port.
Earlier today, Iraq began rerouting some crude oil flows through the Ceyhan pipeline to Turkey.
The overall understanding here is that crude can flow out of the Gulf area in other ways besides the Hormuz chokepoint.
Israel says Iran’s intelligence chief Esmail Khatib was eliminated overnight as pace of top leadership killings accelerates.
Iran says upstream oil and gas assets are under attack for first time since war began, readies retaliatory action against oil/gas assets in Gulf area, including Qatar, Saudi Arabia, & UAE
Iraq reroutes some flows through Ceyhan Pipeline to Turkey
Iran reiterates new rules in place for Hormuz transit as traffic remains de-minimus, sparking reports that “the blockade is now the worst disruption to oil flows ever…“
Iran FM says no change in nuclear posture: vows Tehran not pursuing an atomic bomb.
President Trump issues posts musing whether US should ‘finish off’ Iran, though Tehran signals continuity & stability of govt.
* * *
end
Oil prices headed north
In response to Israel/US attacking Iran’s South Pars gas field, Iran has issued evacuation orders for:
Samref Refinery – Saudi Arabia
Al Hosn Gas Field – United Arab Emirates
Jubail Petrochemical Complex – Jubail, Saudi Arabia
Mesaieed Petrochemical Complex and Mesaieed Holding Company (affiliated with Chevron) – Qatar
Ras Laffan Refinery (Phases 1 and 2) – Qatar
Haifa refinery
These sites have become legitimate targets and will be targeted in the coming hours.
END
Some Gulf States Egg On US Iran Strikes As EU, Russia, China Demand Ceasefire – Beijing Ignores Trump’s Hormuz Plea
Wednesday, Mar 18, 2026 – 12:25 PM
Fresh reports suggest that at least some Gulf states are now egging on the US-Israeli bombardment of Iran, hoping that the Islamic Republic’s significant ballistic missile can be blunted forever, after countries from Bahrain to UAE to Saudi Arabia have been target of literally thousands of drones and missiles since Operation Epic Fury began.
“This is not a military exchange. This is an attack on a peaceful nation, a nation that has been working diligently and very hard for diplomacy,” Sultan al-Jaber, the U.A.E. minister of industry and advanced technology, was quoted by The Wall Street Journal as saying. Jaber stressed, “Any long-term political settlement must address the full spectrum of threats, including Iran’s nuclear program, ballistic missile capabilities, and their network of regional proxies.”
And yet, Israel and the US now extending their aerial attacks to Iran’s oil infrastructure has immediately resulted in Iran declaring that it will in turn target oil fields and infrastructure among America’s Gulf allies.
As these easily predictable steps on the escalation ladder continue to play out, China is ignoring President Trump’s request to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz for vital global oil transit. What Beijing has made clear, however, is that it wants all parties to cease hostilities in an military engagement it believes should have never started.
One analyst, Ali Wyne, senior research and advocacy adviser for US-China relations at the International Crisis Group, has stated: “President Trump’s request to delay his long-awaited summit with President Xi Jinping underscores how significantly he underestimated the fallout from Operation Epic Fury.”
“A show of US force that was meant to intimidate Beijing has instead served to puncture the illusion of US omnipotence: Unable to reopen the Strait of Hormuz alone, Washington now needs its principal strategic competitor to help it manage a crisis of its own making,” Wyne concludes. So as things stand:
“Arab states are egging the US on to continue its strikes to cripple Tehran so it can never attack anyone again. Europe, with Russia and China, is calling for an immediate ceasefire.” – Rabobank
After Trump’s appeal for allies to help reopen Hormuz, and no one stepping up, the president was reportedly livid, launching public invective that the US can’t rely on its allies when needed and will proceed with them, also suggesting there’s little point to NATO.
Ominously, the same was implied by the more moderate (in terms of US alliances) Senator Graham. Once this war is over, win or lose, there are likely to be serious geopolitical and geoeconomic consequences and realignments – indeed, that looks the deliberate target.
However, there’s another obvious overlooked angle here – and it’s where Trump’s own rhetorical style starts to have direct repercussions. NATO allies see him saying the US has already ‘won’ in Iran (which he’s declared several times verbally and in Truth Social posts). Trump has also moved between berating these very NATO allies and proclaiming Washington doesn’t actually need their help at all.
Trump could not have been any more emphatic when he posted on the following on Tuesday:
“Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer ‘need,’ or desire, the NATO Countries’ assistance — WE NEVER DID! Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea,” Trump writes. “In fact, speaking as President of the United States of America, by far the most powerful country anywhere in the world, WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE!”
If there had been any European leaders in fact sitting on the fence and seriously contemplating a decision to commit warships to a US coalition in the Persian Gulf, the above statement alone would be enough to convince them to go the other direction, also not wanting to risk the lives of their nation’s men and women in uniform. On top of this is the typical real-time mission creep on display, which has been a clear pattern of all prior major US wars in the Middle East.
ISRAEL VS HEZBOLLAH
WATCH: IDF launches new round of strikes on Hezbollah, issues evacuation for southern Lebanon
The strikes come in preparation for a “larger-than-standard” overnight rocket attack, according to IDF warnings.
The Israeli Air Force launched a new wave of attacks against Hezbollah sites throughout Lebanon, IDF’s Arabic-language spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Ella Waweya announced in a post on X/Twitter Tuesday.
“During rapid monitoring and targeting operations, launch cells and missile launch platforms were attacked before launch or shortly after the launch operation was carried out,” she said.
The strikes are part of the IDF’s efforts to thwart incoming rocket fire towards Israel as the terror groups plan a large overnight rocket barrage later tonight.
Citizens warned to evacuate Tyre, surrounding camps
In a later post on X, Arabic-language spokesperson Avichay Adraee warned citizens of Tyre and its surrounding camps and neighborhoods to evacuate and move north of the Zahrani River.
He listed the following camps as being in danger of strikes: Shabriha Hamadiyeh (Tyre), Jal El Bahr, Zaqouq El Mufdi, El Bass, Burj El Shamali, Nab’a El Housh, Rashidiyeh, and Ain Baal.
“Your presence near Hezbollah members, facilities, or weapons puts your life at risk,” Adraee warned. “Any building used by Hezbollah for military purposes may be targeted.”
#عاجل ‼️انذار عاجل إلى سكان مدينة صور والمخيمات والأحياء المحيطة بها وفق ما يعرض في الخارطة
🔸انشطة حزب الله الإرهابي تجبر جيش الدفاع على العمل ضده بقوة. جيش الدفاع لا ينوي المساس بكم. 🔸حرصًا على سلامتكم ندعوكم إلى اخلاء منازلكم فورا وفق المنطقة المعروضة في الخارطة والانتقال… pic.twitter.com/axvKIlW8IZ
Large waves of people have already begun evacuating Tyre, Israeli media reported.
Adraee issued another warning in a post on X warning citizens of the Bashoura neighborhood in Beirut to evacuate. He included an image of a map specifying a building from which citizens were instructed to stay at least 300 meters away.
“You are located near a facility belonging to the terrorist group Hezbollah, against which the IDF will operate,” he said.
Early Wednesday morning, the IDF announced a new wave of strikes against Hezbollah targets in southern Lebanon.
“Following the civilian evacuation in the area of Tyre in southern Lebanon and in response to the rocket fire toward the state of Israel, the IDF has begun striking Hezbollah terror targets,” said the military in a statement.
Since the beginning of Operation Roaring Lion, the IDF has attacked hundreds of Hezbollah terrorist launch sites throughout Lebanon.
This is a developing story.
END
ISRAEL AND LEBANON VS HEZBOLLAH
these guys do not get it: Lebanon wants these killers out of their country!!
(JerusalemPost)
World leaders decry possible IDF invasion of Lebanon in statements
Describing Lebanon’s humanitarian situation as “deeply alarming,” the statement is not the only recent expression of concern from European leaders.
Smoke plumes rise following Israeli bombardment on the village of Khiam in southern Lebanon near the border with Israel, as seen from nearby Marjayoun, on March 16, 2026.(photo credit: AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES)ByLEO FEIERBERG BETTERMARCH 18, 2026 12:57
Describing Lebanon’s humanitarian situation as “deeply alarming,” the statement is not the only recent expression of concern from European leaders.
European and other leaders and officials warned this week of “devastating humanitarian consequences” as fighting between Israel and Hezbollah intensified, voicing concern over a possible ground invasion of Lebanon.
The leaders of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom issued a statement on Wednesday expressing their concern over “the escalating violence in Lebanon,” appealing for talks between Israel and Lebanon to reach a “sustainable political solution.
In the statement, the leaders demanded an end to Hezbollah’s attacks and its “targeting of civilians,” and condemned attacks on civilians and medical infrastructure in Lebanon. It also called on the Lebanese government to disarm Hezbollah in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which required the disarmament of all non-state actors in southern Lebanon.
Notably, the joint declaration criticized the possibility of an Israeli ground invasion, which analysts have speculated to be in the works since early March.
Smoke rises among the residential buildings following the Israeli attack on Dahieh region in Beirut, Lebanon on March 10, 2026. (credit: Houssam Shbaro/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Describing Lebanon’s humanitarian situation as “deeply alarming,” the statement is not the only recent expression of concern stemming from Europe.
Macron offered to mediate Israel-Lebanon direct talks
The joint statement of European leaders follows a Sunday post from French President Emmanuel Macron on X/Twitter calling on Israel and Hezbollah to end hostilities and for talks between Israel and Lebanon, with Macron offering to mediate in the event of direct negotiations.
“The Lebanese executive has signaled its willingness for direct discussions with Israel,” he wrote, adding that France is willing to host talks in Paris.
Roughly a week earlier, EU foreign affairs chief Kaja Kallas issued a similar statement, blaming Hezbollah for the renewed combat but lambasting Israel for an overly “heavy-handed” response.
“[The response] risks drawing Lebanon and its people into a war that is not theirs, with severe humanitarian consequences,” she wrote.
“Israel should cease its operations in Lebanon. Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity must be respected.”
Kallas also reiterated the EU’s support for UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping force stationed in Lebanon’s south since 1978, and demanded a guarantee of safety for its troops.
Hezbollah restarted conflict after Iran war began
Fears of an Israeli ground invasion began when Hezbollah shattered the roughly year-long ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon by initiating attacks against Israel as a response to Israel’s assassination of Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei.
Since then, Israel has struck hundreds of Hezbollah targets, including personnel and infrastructure. Last Wednesday, IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir ordered the IDF’s Golani infantry brigade to the country’s north, a move that signifies offensive action.
On Tuesday, the IDF announced that troops from the 36th division (of which Golani is a part of) had begun a limited operation into southern Lebanon. While this operation doesn’t have the goal of reaching the Litani river as a full ground invasion would, the possibility of one occurring hasn’t been ruled out, and Israel has issued sweeping evacuation orders in the region.
On Friday, Axios reported that Israel plans on seizing all land south of the Litani River, citing Israeli and American officials. According to the Israeli official cited, last week’s coordinated Hezbollah-Iran attack, in which the Lebanese terrorist group fired some 200 missiles at Israel, was the catalyst for the decision to commit to a full ground invasion.
Yonah Jeremy Bob, James Genn, and Fraidy Moser contributed to this report.
RUSSIA VS UKRAINE
Russia Touts Capture Of A Dozen Ukrainian Settlements In Opening Weeks Of March
b
Wednesday, Mar 18, 2026 – 02:45 AM
The Russia-Ukraine war, now at the start of its fifth year, has largely fallen from daily global headlines, given the world’s attention – and markets – seem wholly focused on the fast-moving events of the Iran war, and the standoff in the Strait of Hormuz.
While many pundits are essentially ‘looking the other way’ – Russia continues gobbling up territory, and this week has announced its forces captured 12 settlements in just the first half of March. This comes as its offensives intensify in the east and south.
Chief of General Staff Valery Gerasimov touted the advances, declaring the push is broad-based and accelerating in all directions.
“The offensive is being conducted in all directions,” he has freshly announced, adding that “12 settlements have been liberated” in just two weeks.
This includes troops now “actively moving towards Sloviansk” – which remains one of the most heavily fortified Ukrainian strongholds in Donetsk, while also claiming 60% control of Kostiantynivka amid ongoing urban combat.
There are running “street battles” in Kostiantynivka Gerasimov described of the assault which has reportedly pushed deeper into the city. Russia says it’s also establishing buffer zones along the Kharkiv and Sumy borders.
The Ukrainian military and government leaders are meanwhile pushing back against this. President Volodymyr Zelensky himself is seeking to contradict the Russian narrative of consistent battlefield gains.
“Ukraine’s defense forces have disrupted Russia’s strategic offensive operation,” Zelensky said Monday. “Although attacks are constant… their intensity and scale are not what Russia had planned.”
The dueling claims highlight a familiar pattern of the last several years of grinding war in the east – one of Moscow touting steady territorial gains, while Kiev insists its troops blunting and reversing the push, even as the front line remains fluid but on the whole somewhat stalemated.
But both sides have settled in for a war of attrition, and while neither side publishes freshly updated casualty figures, the lives lost from the tragic war is widely believed to be in the hundreds of thousands.
END
RUSSIA/UKRAINE
Crewless Russian Fuel Tanker A ‘Ticking Time Bomb’ In Mediterranean After Likely Ukrainian Attack
Wednesday, Mar 18, 2026 – 04:15 AM
A damaged Russian LNG tanker is drifting uncontrolled in the Mediterranean after what Moscow says was a Ukrainian drone attack, triggering alarm across Europe over a potential ecological disaster in the heart of EU waters, as the stricken tanker is somewhere between sunny Malta and Italy’s beautiful resort town Lampedusa.
The carrier Arctic Metagaz was reportedly attacked east of Malta earlier this month, and is in a deteriorating state, raising fears of a major spill. A letter cited by Reuters outlines the alarm raised by Italy, France and several other EU states, who have told Brussels that the situation poses an “immediate and serious risk” to both maritime safety and the environment.
“The unstable condition of the vessel, combined with the nature of its specialized cargo, creates an immediate and serious risk of a major environmental disaster in the very center of the EU maritime space,” the document laid out.
The crisis actually highlights a “double problem” – per officials – namely containing the environmental issue while also navigating EU sanctions on Russian energy exports. Or in essence, Europe wants to look the other way while Ukraine engages in the high-risk behavior of targeting so-called dark fleet Russian tankers.
Moscow is in turn highlighting the contradictions and irony here, pointing the finger squarely at Kiev for creating the crisis, and as ‘blowback’ on the EU.
Russia’s Transport Ministry has said, “The tanker was traveling with cargo, issued according to all international rules, from the port of Murmansk. The attack on him was carried out from the coast of Libya by unmanned boats of Ukraine.”
So this appears a rare or even unprecedented instance of the Ukrainians using a foothold on the Mediterranean to attack Russian interests.
Malta has meanwhile confirmed the vessel is drifting without crew and remains “in an uncontrolled state” – with Italy now coordinating monitoring efforts as it floats within Malta’s search-and-rescue zone. Ticking time bomb?
Surveillance footage shows the 277-meter Arctic Metagaz smoldering and listing heavily to one side with a massive gash in its port hull. The vessel, identified as part of Moscow’s sanctions-evading shadow fleet, is a floating powder keg carrying approximately 900 metric tons of diesel and over 60,000 metric tons of liquefied natural gas (LNG).
The ship was reportedly struck by maritime and aerial drones on March 3 in neutral waters about 168 nautical miles southeast of Malta while en route from Murmansk to Egypt. The 30-person crew abandoned the burning vessel and were rescued by the Libyan Coast Guard, according to CNN.
Both Italy and Malta have reportedly sent tugboats and anti-pollution assets to monitor the vessel, also enforcing a strict five-nautical-mile exclusion zone as it drifts with not steering or control. Here’s more from the Kremlin:
“Notably, the attack occurred in close proximity to the shores of an EU member state, yet none of the European nations have condemned the incident to date,” Zakharova said while calling the incident as “a flagrant violation of international law”.
❗️According to Italy’s RAI, the Russian shadow fleet gas tanker Arctic Metagaz is currently drifting off the coast of the island of Lampedusa after explosions on March 3. On board were about 60,000 tonnes of LNG and 900 tonnes of diesel fuel. pic.twitter.com/ugH8cUkye7
The whole episode and potential further ecological disaster serves to underscore how the Ukraine war continues to spillover into the heart of Europe. NATO’s role in the war has meanwhile only deepened.
A new bill introduced last week in the Kansas Legislature would prohibit government agencies, employers, schools, and businesses from denying services or employment based on a person’s medical decisions, including whether they accept or refuse vaccines, tests, masks, or other medical interventions.
The legislation, Kansas Senate Bill 522, was introduced March 2, 2026, during the 2025–2026 legislative session and is currently pending before the Senate Public Health and Welfare Committee, where lawmakers are scheduled to consider the measure in a committee hearing.
The bill was requested for introduction by the Kansas Senate Committee on Federal and State Affairs, a legislative committee responsible for advancing policy proposals related to statewide governance and regulatory matters.
SB522 would establish the “Kansas Medical Freedom Act,” prohibiting both government and private entities from denying services, employment, access to events, or public benefits based on whether an individual accepts or refuses a medical intervention.
The legislation defines “medical intervention” broadly to include vaccines, masks, diagnostic tests, medications, devices, and other health-related treatments.
Under the proposal:
Private businesses could not deny services or access to individuals based on their use or refusal of medical interventions.
Employers—both public and private—could not require medical interventions as a condition of employment.
Schools, conferences, and educational institutions could not require medical interventions for entry or participation.
Government agencies could not condition licenses, permits, benefits, or access to public buildings or transportation on compliance with a medical intervention.
The bill also states that these protections would apply even during declared emergencies, meaning they could not be suspended during a public health crisis or state of emergency.
Individuals who believe their rights were violated under the law could file complaints with the Kansas Attorney General, who would be authorized to investigate and impose civil penalties of up to $50,000 per violation.
Strengths of the Bill – & Areas Lawmakers May Want to Strengthen
One of the strongest provisions of SB522 appears in Section 5, which states:
“The provisions of this act shall apply at all times and shall not be suspended, nullified or otherwise disregarded during any declared emergency, public health crisis or state of emergency issued by any local, state or federal authority.”
This language is significant because pandemic mandates were largely justified under emergency powers.
By stating the law cannot be suspended during emergencies—including those declared by federal authorities—the bill attempts to close the same legal pathway used during COVID-19 to impose vaccine mandates, mask mandates, and other public health orders.
At the same time, several areas could be strengthened before final passage.
First, while the bill is titled as legislation “relating to medical mandates,” its core mechanism is to prohibit the penalties used to enforce those mandates. The bill bars governments, employers, schools, and businesses from denying employment, services, or access to venues based on an individual’s acceptance or refusal of a medical intervention. By removing the primary enforcement tools used during COVID—such as job loss, service denial, or exclusion from public spaces—the legislation effectively makes medical mandates extremely difficult to enforce in practice. Lawmakers may nevertheless wish to clarify this further by explicitly stating that governments cannot impose universal mandates for vaccines, testing, masking, or other medical interventions.
Second, the bill does not address quarantine or isolation powers, which were heavily used during the COVID response. Current public health statutes often allow officials to restrict movement or isolate individuals during outbreaks. Legislators could consider adding due-process protections, such as requiring individualized medical evidence or court orders.
Third, although the bill effectively blocks discrimination tied to vaccination status, it does not explicitly prohibit vaccine passport systems. Stating this directly could remove ambiguity.
Fourth, the legislation does not address insurance or financial discrimination tied to medical decisions, such as premium surcharges or employer penalties imposed on individuals who decline certain medical interventions.
Finally, enforcement depends largely on investigations by the Kansas Attorney General, who may issue civil penalties for violations. Some lawmakers may consider adding a clearer private right of action, allowing individuals to sue directly if their rights under the law are violated.
Taken together, SB522 represents a significant attempt to prevent COVID-style medical mandates and discrimination, while leaving several areas where lawmakers could further strengthen the protections before the bill reaches final passage.
Israel to Russia: stay away from this criminal Islamic regime!!
Russia Evacuates Hundreds Of Its Specialists From Iran’s Nuclear Bushehr Complex After Missile Strike
Wednesday, Mar 18, 2026 – 10:10 AM
Russia has lodged formal protest with Israel following its reported strikes near Iran’s Bushehr nuclear facility, angrily warning that the attacks directly endangered Russian personnel on the ground.
Israeli and Russian media have confirmed that Moscow issued a sharp condemnation and warnings of a red line after Israeli forces reportedly hit the grounds of the nuclear power plant where Russian specialists are stationed.
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) had also earlier provided independent verification that a missile struck the Bushehr complex on Tuesday evening, although no damage to the plant or injuries to staff were reported.
The Kremlin made clear to Israel that Russian nationals working in and around the facility were put at risk. Russian state media described the communication delivered to Israel via the Russian embassy “official demands” – which indicates a formal escalation in diplomatic pressure.
Even more provocative is that reports indicate Israeli strikes may have directly targeted residential quarters housing a Russian nuclear expert.
According to TASS: “Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev specified that the strike had hit the area near the office of the facility’s meteorological service, in close proximity to an operating power unit, at 3:11 p.m. GMT on March 17.” It was the first such known strike on an Iranian nuclear plant since Trump’s Operation Epic Fury began.
The Rosatom chief has indicated that several rounds of personnel evaluation from the Bushehr NPP are underway. There were many hundreds of Russian scientists, personnel, and technicians at the site. He indicated about 480 Russian nationals remain at the site.
“Attacks on nuclear facilities blatantly violate the key rules and principles of international security,” Likhachev emphasized.
Meanwhile, IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi has also urged “maximum restraint” during the conflict in order to prevent the risk of a nuclear accident. Just like war in Ukraine has threatened nuclear power sites, so has the Iran conflict raised concerns over nuclear fallout and radiation – in the instance of a strike leading to major accident.
END
GLOBAL ISSUES
ROBERT H….
PARASITES VS CANCER:
Dr. Lee Merritt Drops Bombs – Mass Arrests of Big Name All – Rumble
Footballer Cameron Ontko (33); singer Maritri Garrett; C&W singer Billy Gilman’s mother; aerospace leader Dr. Deborah Barnhart; journos Carl Steward, Ernie Anastos; DJs Lord Sear, Rick Thomas; & more
Cameron Ontko, a former professional football player who briefly took his game to the NFL, died suddenly at the age of 33. The former linebacker passed away on March 7. His mother, Brenda Boulton, indicated his cause of death as a ruptured ulcer in a social media post. Ontko tried to make it in the NFL, participating in the Tampa Bay Buccaneers’ rookie minicamp before playing three years in the Canadian Football League. He walked away from the sport in 2018 at the age of 26, citing concerns for his mental and physical health. The Ohio native started his football career at collegiate level, first playing for Wisconsin, playing two seasons with the Badgers. When announcing his retirement in 2018, Ontko cited concerns over the long-term effects of hits to the head on retired football players.
I was very sorry to hear about the sudden passing of Maritri Garrett, a gifted singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and educator who was part of the New York City–based group The Soulfolk Experience.
Researcher’s note – Maritri Garrett was strongly in favor of the COVID “vaccines”.
Country singer Billy Gilman revealed this mother, Frances G. Gilman, died earlier this week. An obituary at the Avery Funeral Home website (Hope Valley, R.I.) makes special note of Fran Gilman’s love of family and animals. She was also a member of the Quarter Horse Association, winning nearly 80 awards for showing them. Gilman shared a similar sentiment on Facebook. “While my heart is full it is and will be forever broken,” he writes. “Love you forever, my other half.” Beyond it being sudden, no cause of death was shared.
An influential Huntsville [AL] aerospace leader died early Wednesday morning, according to the Space & Rocket Center. Dr. Deborah Edwards Barnhart, 73, held the title of CEO Emerita after a long and distinguished career with the U.S. Space & Rocket Center in Huntsville. She retired in 2019 after serving as the CEO and executive director for nine years. Her last year of service saw many incredible markers. The museum and Space Camp saw record-breaking attendance numbers, and she helped lead the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing.
The East Bay [CA] lost two sports-writing titans within a week with the passing of former Oakland Tribune and Bay Area News Group columnists Dave Newhouse and Carl Steward, who, combined, provided readers with more than 100 years of entertaining reading. Newhouse, who began writing for the Tribune in 1964, went on to a six-decade-plus career of producing stories, books and columns wrapped in compassion and positivity with a tinge of humor. He was 87 when he died on Thursday. His death was due to heart failure, brought on by years of battling COPD, his family said. Steward, a 50-year veteran of sports journalism – including 42 in the Bay Area – possessed both an acerbic wit that permeated much of his writing and the kind of self-deprecating humor that led him to write his own obituary before he died on Friday, March 6. When his four-year battle with cancer was over, he was 72.
NEW YORK, NY – Ernie Anastos, veteran New York City television news anchor, award-winning Hall of Fame Broadcaster, and the first Greek-American news anchor in the United States, passed away on March 12. He was 82. The cause of death was pneumonia, according to his wife Kelly Anastos, who confirmed the sad news to media outlets including the New York Times. A beloved figure in the Greek-American community, Anastos received more than 30 Emmy awards and nominations in his remarkable career which spanned nearly 50 years. In 2020, Anastos took a break from Fox 5 to enroll at Harvard Business School to take leadership and management courses. In recent years, he continued to be active in broadcasting with his own nationally syndicated radio show ‘Positively America’ on WABC radio, featuring positive stories.
Lord Sear, a DJ and hip-hop radio personality who toured with Eminem and worked on his Shade 45 channel, has died. He was 52. His death was announced Wednesday on social media. No cause of death was given.
MANHATTAN, Kan. – A popular Kansas radio DJ has died after suffering an apparent heart attack, his employer confirmed Monday. He was 58. Dan Engle with Eagle Radio said Rick Thomas collapsedwhile shopping at a Dillons store in Manhattan on Saturday afternoon. Emergency medical personnel were unable to revive him. Rick (Scott Menzies), a morning DJ at Power Hits 97.5 in Manhattan, gained popularity in Wichita in the 90s while working for rock station T-95.
Mohommad Nazeer Paktyawal, 41, was detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in front of his family and taken into custody in Dallas, Texas. Just 24 hours later, the family was told Paktyawal, who had served as an Afghan special forces soldier for more than a decade and fought side-by-side with the US Army Special Forces, had died. A statement issued by the non-profit organization, AfghanEvac, has called for an investigation into the death, as they say the healthy41-year-old should not have fallen ill and died sosuddenly. Their statement read, “The cause of death is unknown. But one fact is clear: it is not normal for a healthy 41-year-old man to die within a day of being taken into government custody.”
COVINGTON, Va. – Covington Mayor Fred F. Forbes III [63] died Saturday morning, March 14, according to local sources. His reported death comes just eight months after he replaced late Mayor Lance Carson in 2025. Carson also passed away in office after his battle with ALS, or Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
Havertown, PA – Mario Oliva, a former Haverford Township commissioner of 16 years, died suddenly on Saturday, according to his obituary. He was 57. For 16 years, Oliva served on the Board of Commissioners, representing the 2nd Ward.
Waverly, Michigan – Marlee Ann Force, a cherished soul whose laughter and love were as radiant as the morning sun, passed away peacefully in her hometown of Lansing, MI, on March 8, 2026. Born on June 19, 2015, to her devoted parents Desiree Perez and Kyle Force, Marlee’s life was a brilliant spark that, though it shone for a short time, illuminated the lives of all who knew her.
A California community is mourning after a teen collapsed during school and was pronounced dead later the same day. Officials identified the victim as 14-year-old Daniel Padilla Jr., of Fresno, Calif., ABC 30, ABC 7 News, and KMPH reported. The incident happened at Fresno High School on Monday, March 9, while the student was playing basketball during P.E. class. In a GoFundMe created by his sister Hailey Valdovinos, Padilla is remembered as a “silly kid who loved playing video games, cracking jokes and enjoyed spending time with his family whenever he got the chance.” Valdovinos added that playing basketball was one of his favorite hobbies, and he also enjoyed going to the movies and hanging out with his siblings.
Police and a medic unit responded to the 6400 block of North 16th Street in Philadelphia at 2:43 a.m. on Monday, March 16, after reports of an unresponsive male, according to the Philadelphia Police Department. A 15-year-old boy was discovered unresponsive in his bedroom by a family member, police said. Philadelphia Fire Department medics pronounced him deadat the scene at 2:55 a.m., authorities said. Investigators reported there were no signs of blunt trauma or struggle inside the home.
A former Manchester [CT] 15-year-old student remembered for her talent, leadership, and kindness has died, leaving classmates and teachers grieving. Camilla Lagos died last week after battling pneumonia and later succumbing to sepsis in the hospital, according to Manchester Public Schools Superintendent Matt Geary. Her family said she was an honor-roll student with a promising future. She moved with her family to Hamburg, Pennsylvania, last summer, where she attended Blue Mountain Academy and served as president of the freshman class.
GOP Senator’s Vote Against SAVE Act Sparks Conservative OutrageThe Senate’s progress on the SAVE America Act faced a setback when Senator Lisa Murkowski voted against the bill, igniting backlash from conservatives who view the legislation as vital for election integrity.
MICHAEL EVERY/OR OR PICTON/GIFFIN OR RABOBANK EXECUTIVE/COMMENTARY ON WORLDLY AFFAIR
No One (?)
Wednesday, Mar 18, 2026 – 10:55 AM
By Michael Every of Rabobank
One of the central beliefs of neoclassical economics is that we are all One. One world market; One global central bank; One base interest rate; with temporary aberrations and interventions, One price. Except, as has been evident for some time, that doesn’t work very well, so increasingly we aren’t One. And that division is perhaps even spreading to something we all rely on: energy.
This Daily has flagged the huge dislocation between the price of oil on a screen and on the ‘street’, now around $50 on some measures. As some point out, there’s also a matching dislocation between the price of it in the West vs in parts of Asia. Allow me to remind readers the central thesis of my 2026 ‘Who has the cards?’ outlook was that this year would see deliberate intervention in upstream commodity supply chains so the instigator would get low prices for them and the other bloc would pay much more. That may now only be being seen in relative terms, but this still matches the dislocations in downstream products on the back of tariffs and broader economic statecraft. It’s hugely significant – and it does not say, “because markets” we are One.
The same lack of unity was also on display in the latest news from the Iran War. Israel killed two Iranian leaders, Larijani and Soleimani, which its intel thinks could seriously undermine regime stability going forwards: don’t only look at headlines saying the former was a ‘moderate’ who could be negotiated with. Arab states are egging the US on to continue its strikes to cripple Tehran so it can never attack anyone again. Europe, with Russia and China, is calling for an immediate ceasefire.
Trump said the US is “not ready to leave Iran yet,” but will in “very near future”, as the US aircraft carrier Ford, whose stay in the region was just extended to May, is to go to port in Crete after a recent fire. However, another report has it that a US operation in the Strait of Hormuz could extend the war with Iran by two months.On that kind of timetable, the economic impact would be vastly larger than anything felt so far.
Meanwhile, after Trump’s appeal for allies to help reopen Hormuz, and no one stepping up, the president was reportedly livid, launching public invective that the US can’t rely on its allies when needed and will proceed with them, also suggesting there’s little point to NATO. Ominously, the same was implied by the more moderate (in terms of US alliances) Senator Graham. Once this war is over, win or lose, there are likely to be serious geopolitical and geoeconomic consequences and realignments – indeed, that looks the deliberate target.
With so much at stake, a haggling process continues. The French foreign minister just stated that Norway and Iceland might join the EU, and half-jokingly, that so could Canada. More transactionally, Finland has suggested the EU could perhaps help Trump now if he backs Ukraine. The UK and France might send ships to Hormuz to police a ceasefire once the war is over, as the Wall Street Journal underlines everything is One in that Russia is sharing satellite imagery and drone tech with Iran (as the latter helps Russia). The Journal also notes Ukraine is emerging as a net security exporter in drone and anti-drone tech, elevating it in global power rankings, as Europe declines. Trump’s meeting with Japan’s PM Takaichi this week will also be dominated by Iran: were she to follow his lead, it would mark a decisive geopolitical break, especially if Europe shows it’s unable (physically) or unwilling (in terms of domestic politics) to follow a US lead when even a pacifist Japan can.
In the background, the US geopolitical flip of Cuba from the anti-American to at least neutral continues apace: the White House is apparently demanding the Cuban president steps down so another Castro, literally, whom they can do business with can return to office. Just to underline the differences in approaches here, Europe, along with some past US admins, has aimed for near normal economic relations with the isolated island. Russia is offering it unspecified support.
In geoeconomics: the first European airline has cancelled flights due to soaring jet fuel prices; Australia’s PM Albanese just stated, “It’s a different world now,” and is reportedly set to announce measures to “shield Australians from the worst of global uncertainty” – which are(?); Britain is warned it faces a “years-long energy shock even if war ends soon”; the EU–US trade pact faces vote this week after months of delay; Sweden became the first member of the EU to sign the US Pax Silica Declaration; and Malaysia the first country to declare its US trade deal ‘null and void’ after the recent Supreme Court tariff ruling.
Time for a musical interlude, with apologies to U2:
“Is it getting better? Or do you feel the same? Will it make it easier on you now? You got someone to blame. You say, one price, one life; When it’s one need in the night; One price, we get to share it; Leaves you baby if you don’t care for it. Did I disappoint you? Or leave a bad taste in your mouth? You act like you never had stuff; And you want me to go without. Well, it’s too late tonight; To drag the goods out into the light. We’re one but we’re not the same; We get to carry each other, carry each other.
One!
Have you come here for forgiveness? Have you come to raise the dead? Have you come here to play the near bust? Of private creditors in your head. Did I ask too much? More than a lot; You gave me nothin’ now it’s all I got. We’re one but we’re not the same; Well, we hurt each other then we do it again.
You say price is a temple, price a higher law; Price is a temple, price the higher law. You ask me to enter but then you make me crawl; And I can’t be holdin’ on to what you got. When all you got is hurt.”
7. OIL ISSUES/NATURAL GAS/ENERGY ISSUES/GLOBAL
Worst Disruption To Oil Flows Ever’: Oil Surges After Iran’s Oil, Gas Assets Attacked
Wednesday, Mar 18, 2026 – 07:48 AM
Energy headlines summary:
Iran says oil and gas assets are under attack
Iraq reroutes flows through Ceyhan Pipeline to Turkey
Iran reiterates new rules in place for Hormuz transit
“The blockade is now the worst disruption to oil flows ever. Real barrels are now disappearing from global oil markets, which can lead to demand destruction in the weeks to come.”
* * *
Update (0748ET):
WTI crude futures are surging after Iranian state TV reported that part of the South Pars gas field in the Persian Gulf area had been hit by an airstrike. Bloomberg reports that Israel appears to be behind the air strike on Iran’s energy assets.
South Pars is the backbone of Iran’s gas system and part of the world’s largest natural gas field, which Iran shares with Qatar, where the same reservoir is called the North Field.
Most of Iran’s gas production comes from South Pars, making it central to power generation, industrial feedstock, petrochemical production, and winter heating demand in Iran.
WTI futures quickly surged to $95/bbl on the news.
Operation Epic Fury appears to have shifted toward targeting the IRGC’s funding lines. This was evident last week with strikes on the Kharg Island export hub.
* * *
Brent crude futures were directionless overnight, oscillating between $100 and $103 per barrel after news broke that Iraq had found a workaround for the Hormuz chokepoint by restarting exports through Turkey’s Ceyhan port.
Bloomberg reports that North Oil Co.’s oil pipeline to Ceyhan port, with an expected initial export capacity of 250,000 barrels, has begun operation. That is in addition to 210,000 barrels per day from Kurdistan through the northern pipeline, according to Oil Minister Hayyan Abdul Ghani.
Ceyhan exports crude from the Kurdistan and Kirkuk fields (Iraq) to the Mediterranean port, effectively bypassing the chaos at the Hormuz chokepoint and in the Gulf region.
Disruption of tanker flows in the critical waterway forced Iraqi oil production to plunge to about 1.4 million barrels per day, roughly one-third of pre-Hormuz closure levels.
Three weeks into the US-Iran conflict, tanker activity on the waterway has slowed to a crawl, at just about 400,000 barrels per day, compared to the pre-Hormuz closure average of 14 million barrels per day.
Kpler oil analyst Muyu Xu warned, “The blockade is now the worst disruption to oil flows ever. Real barrels are now disappearing from global oil markets, which can lead to demand destruction in the weeks to come.”
Iraq is following Saudi Arabia’s playbook of shipping crude through pipelines rather than through Hormuz as IRGC drone and missile threats persist. Saudi Aramco shifted its crude flows through the East-West pipeline to export terminals at Yanbu and Al Muajjiz on the kingdom’s Red Sea coast.
Meanwhile, Iran-linked vessels accounted for 35% of the 20 crude tankers that made outbound Hormuz transits in the first week of the conflict, according to Kpler. About a week later, that number rose to five of the eight tankers that left the region, suggesting that Iran’s control of the critical waterway has significantly increased.
On Tuesday, the conflict escalated further with the confirmation of the killing of Ali Larijani, secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council.
According to Aaron Stein, president of the Foreign Policy Research Institute, “The Larijani killing is a big deal, and may make Iran more desperate to disrupt oil flows.”
“Trump is obviously being pressured to escort tankers, so we’re in for the possibility of very tense US operations in ways I’m certain the Navy would like to avoid,” Stein said.
On Wednesday, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told Al Jazeera about new rules that should be imposed on the critical waterway.
“We need to design new arrangements for the Strait of Hormuz and the way ships pass through it in the future after the war so that peaceful navigation through this waterway can be permanently maintained under clear regulations with consideration for Iran’s interests and the interests of the region,” Araghchi said.
He said, “It should guarantee that safe passage through the strait takes place under specific conditions,” adding that conditions should “ensure peacefulness. We do not want to witness another war in the region and we do not want to see the strait closed again.”
Goldman analysts, led by Yulia Zhestkova Grigsby, showed clients on Tuesday that shipping traffic through Hormuz remains down 98% from normal levels (4-day moving average).
The estimated total hit to oil flows from the Persian Gulf stands at 15 mb/d, 15 times larger than the peak April 2022 hit to Russian oil production.
Iranian crude exports dominate the Strait.
“With no end in sight to hostilities, shut-ins rising on a daily basis, and the Strait technically closed, we remain of the view that Brent is set to remain in a new, higher $95-to-$110 range,” Westpac Banking analyst Robert Rennie wrote in a note.
“Were we to see a major refinery plant hit or confirmation of additional mining of the strait, we would expect that range to extend higher by another $10-$20,” Rennie added.
The takeaway here is that Gulf countries, such as Iraq and Saudi Arabia, are rerouting crude flows from tanker transit through the waterway to pipelines out of the hostile region, as Iran remains largely in control of the Strait, necessarily (and dramatically) reducing global energy supply (for longer).
…and now he is reportedly dead (among many other Iranian leaders).
END
8. EMERGING MARKETS//AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND ISSUES
MALAYSIA/USA
ROBERT H…
Malaysia just cancelled the US trade deal. Null and void.
Signed five months ago by Trump and Malaysia’s Prime Minister, Anwar. It cut tariffs from 47% to 19%.
Malaysia’s Trade Minister put it plainly: “It is not on hold. It is no longer there.”What happens if others do the same?
More than 700 Iran agents in Canada pose national security threat, MP warns
Iranian refugees and Canadians of Iranian descent are “terrified that the repression and reach of that regime is right here in our country,” lawmaker said.
There are at least 700 Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps members in Canada who pose a national security threat, a Canadian member of Parliament warns. The IRGC is part of the Iranian armed forces.
“We have 700 IRGC agents, whom we know about, who are currently active in this country,” Melissa Lantsman, a conservative MP for Thornhill, Ontario, said during a recent parliamentary debate. She also said Canada’s Minister of Public Safety Gary Anandasangaree “could not even tell us if there was more than one who has been expelled.”
Iranian refugees and Canadians of Iranian descent are “terrified that the repression and reach of that regime is right here in our country,” she said. “We know of senior members of the regime who have worked out in the same gyms as they have, a neighborhood gym in my own constituency. We know of senior members of the regime eating in fancy steak houses. We know of senior members of the regime’s kids who are studying in universities here.
“There has been violence in our communities. There have been people kidnapped. There have been, potentially, murders because of the reach of the mullah’s thugs.”
She also held a news conference stating that IRGC “agents presently on Canadian soil are using Canada as a safe haven to organize and to fundraise and to terrorize diaspora communities right here at home.”
: A clearly shaken up Melissa Lantsman explains that hundreds of IRGC terrorists are freely living it up in Canada. Terrorizing Iranian Canadians & Jewish Canadians, with impunity.Elbows up Liberals could care less as shots ring out daily at Jewish communities and… pic.twitter.com/5Npdjq02UN— Bruce McGonigal (@bruce_mcgonigal) March 11, 2026
Anandasangaree later said “individuals who are believed to be members of IRGC are being thoroughly investigated by the Canada Border Service agencies. They’re going through the legal process of being removed. Some have already been removed. We will continue to ensure that every single member who is inadmissible to Canada will be removed.”
Lantsman said Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney was “nowhere to be found” as the debate on the threat of Iran to Canadians continued in parliament.
Carney has provided mixed messages on the U.S./Israel strike against Iran, first stating he supported it “with regret.” He also said it was a “failure of international order” and occurred without “engaging the United Nations or consulting with allies, including Canada,” BBC News reported. Two days later, he said the strikes “were inconsistent with international law.”
The Canadian warning comes as The Center Square has reported on northern border national security and terrorism threats for years. Sources have told The Center Square that the national security crisis is largely due to Trudeau-era visa policies that admitted men considered “Special Interest Aliens” into the country, including a member of ISIS who later went on to plan a terrorist attack in Toronto.
It also has to do with a lack of resources or political will to address a massive international crime ring involved in drug trafficking, organized crime, human smuggling and money laundering in Canada. Several Canadian groups have called on Canadian authorities to address the threat, noting that the government doesn’t even have data about several threats it’s requested.
The Canadian-U.S.-Future Borders Coalition, Canadian Center of North American Prosperity and Security, and others are also working with Texas leaders to develop national security solutions, The Center Square reported.
Last February, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency at the U.S.-Canada border after a record number of illegal border crossers were reported entering the U.S. from Canada. Among them were the greatest number of known or suspected terrorists (KSTs) apprehended coming from Canada as terrorist arrests soared under the Biden and Trudeau administrations, The Center Square first reported.
Last December, the Trump administration identified at least 18,000 KSTs released into the U.S. during the Biden administration. The total also included 2,000 Afghans released into the U.S. with “have ties to terrorist organizations,” The Center Square reported.
An additionL 1,500 Iranians were apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol agents after they illegally entering the U.S. nationwide from 2021 to 2024. Nearly half, 729, were released into the country who weren’t properly vetted, authorities told The Center Square in an exclusive report.
The Center Square obtained the data after Trump authorized the use of American-built B2 bombers to strike three nuclear facilities in Iran last June.
Nine months later, a U.S./Israel attack against Iran is entering its third week and concerns are growing about retaliatory Iranian terrorist attacks on U.S. and Canadian soil.
END
YOUR EARLY CURRENCY/GOLD AND SILVER PRICING/ASIAN CLOSING MARKETS AND EUROPEAN BOURSE OPENING AND CLOSING/ INTEREST RATE SETTINGS WEDNESDAY MORNING 6;30AM//OPENING AND CLOSING
OPENING LEVELS OF CURRENCIES// AND CLOSING ASIAN STOCK MARKET AND OPENING EUROPEAN STOCKS:6 AM EST
EURO VS USA DOLLAR: 1.1525 DOWN 0.0014
USA/ YEN 158.97 UP 0.062 // NOW TARGETS INTEREST RATE AT 1.75% AS IT WILL BUY UNLIMITED BONDS TO GETS TO THAT LEVEL…//YEN STILL FALLS//END OF YEN CARRY TRADE BEGINS AGAIN DEC 2024/Bank of Japan raises rates by .25% TO 1.75 ..TAKAICHI NEW PM AS YIELDS RISE//JAPAN DEEPLY IN TROUBLE WITH RISING RATES AND A FALLING YEN!!
GBP/USA 1.3347N DOWN 0.0009 OR 9 BASIS PTS
USA/CAN DOLLAR: 1.3699 UP 0.0011 CDN DOLLAR DOWN 11 BASIS PTS//
Last night Shanghai COMPOSITE CLOSED UP 13.08 PTS OR 0.32%
Hang Seng CLOSED UP 156.88TS OR OR 0.61%
AUSTRALIA CLOSED U0 0.32%
// EUROPEAN BOURSE: ALL GREEN
Trading from Europe and ASIA
I) EUROPEAN BOURSES: ALL GREEN
2/ CHINESE BOURSES / :Hang SENG CLOSED UP 156.88PTS OR 0.91%
/SHANGHAI CLOSED UP 13.08 PTS OR 0.32%
AUSTRALIA BOURSE CLOSED UP 0.32%
(Nikkei (Japan) CLOSED UP 1687,50PTS OR 3.15%
INDIA’S SENSEX IN THE GREEN
Gold very early morning trading: 4987.60
silver:$79.20
USA DOLLAR VS TRY (TURKISH LIRA): 44.21
USA DOLLAR VS RUSSIAN ROUBLE: 83.56 ROUBLE// DOWN 1ROUBLE AND 18 BASIS PTS
UK 10 YR BOND YIELD: 4.6570DOWN 4 BASIS PTS
UK 30 YR BOND YIELD: 5.3370 DOWN 4 BASIS PTS
CDN 10 YR BOND YIELD: 3.387 DOWN 5 BASIS PTS
CDN 5 YR BOND YIELD; 2,944 DOWN 4 BASIS PTS
USA dollar index early WEDNESDAY MORNING: 99..42UP 9 BASIS POINTS FROM TUESDAY’s CLOSE
WEDNESDAY MORNING NUMBERS ENDS
And now your closing WEDNESDAY NUMBERS 10.00 AM
Portuguese 10 year bond yield: 3.375% UP 5 in basis point(s) yield
JAPANESE BOND 10 yr YIELD: +2.222% DOWN 4 FULL POINTS BASIS POINTS /JAPAN losing control of its yield curve/
JAPAN 30 YR: 3.498 DOWN 5 BASIS PTS//
SPANISH 10 YR BOND YIELD: 3.438 UP 5 in basis points yield
ITALY 10 YR BOND: 3.740 UP 8 points in basis points yield ./ THE ECB IS QE’ ING ITALIAN BONDS (
GERMAN 10 YR BOND YIELD: 2.9396 UP 4 BASIS PTS
IMPORTANT CURRENCY CLOSES : MID DAY WEDNESDAY
Closing currency crosses for day /USA DOLLAR INDEX/USA 10 YR BOND YIELD/10:00 AM
Euro/USA 1.1503 DOWN 0.0033 OR 33 basis points
USA/Japan: 159.51 UP 0.600 OR YEN IS DOWN 60 BASIS PTS// HIGHLY INFLATIONARY TO JAPAN
Great Britain 10 YR RATE 4.8350 UP 4 BASIS POINTS //
GREAT BRITAIN 30 YR BOND; 5.358 DOWN 2 BASIS POINTS.
Oil-Equity Link Breaks As Trump Says ‘War Over Soon’; Market Plumbing Starts To Creak
WRAP UP
USA DATA RELEASES
INFLATION BECOMING A PROBLEM
(ZEROHEDGE)
Rate-Cut Odds Tumble As US Producer Prices Surged In February – Hottest In Over A Year
Wednesday, Mar 18, 2026 – 08:40 AM
After a hotter than expected print in January, US Producer Prices were expected to continue to rise (but only modestly) in February data released today. The consensus direction was right but the scale was way off as headline PPI accelerated 0.7% MoM (vs +0.3% exp and +0.5% prior) – the biggest monthly jump since July 2025.
That lifted producer prices higher by 3.4% YoY (notably hitter than the 3.0% expected and up from the 2.9% prior). That is the hottest PPI since January 2025…
Source: Bloomberg
More than half of the February rise in prices for final demand can be attributed to a 0.5-percent advance in the index for final demand services. Prices for final demand goods increased 1.1 percent.
PPI rose 0.7% in February after rising 0.5% in January. PPI rose 3.4% for the 12 months ended in February, the largest 12-month advance since increasing 3.4% in February 2025. More than half of the February rise in prices for PPI final demand can be attributed to a 0.5-percent advance in the index for final demand services. Prices for final demand goods increased 1.1 percent.
Details:
Final demand services: The index for final demand services rose 0.5 percent in February, the third straight advance. Nearly three-fourths of the February broad-based increase can be traced to prices for final demand services less trade, transportation, and warehousing, which moved up 0.6 percent. The indexes for final demand trade services and for final demand transportation and warehousing services also rose, 0.4 percent and 0.5 percent, respectively. (Trade indexes measure changes in margins received by wholesalers and retailers.)
Product detail: About 20% of the February advance in the index for final demand services is attributable to a 5.7-percent jump in prices for traveler accommodation services. The indexes for food and alcohol wholesaling; securities brokerage, dealing, investment advice, and related services; fuels and lubricants retailing; long-distance motor carrying; and inpatient care also rose. In contrast, margins for apparel, footwear, and accessories retailing fell 4.5 percent. The indexes for gaming receipts (partial) and for airline passenger services also decreased.
Final demand goods: Prices for final demand goods increased 1.1 percent in February, the largest rise since moving up 1.6 percent in August 2023. Forty percent of the February broad-based advance can be traced to the index for final demand foods, which jumped 2.4 percent. Prices for final demand energy and for final demand goods less foods and energy also increased, 2.3 percent and 0.3 percent, respectively.
Product detail: Over 20% of the February rise in the index for final demand goods is attributable to a 48.9-percent jump in prices for fresh and dry vegetables. The indexes for diesel fuel, chicken eggs, gasoline, jet fuel, and tobacco products also increased. Conversely, prices for jewelry and jewelry products fell 4.0 percent. The indexes for home heating oil and for soft drinks also declined.
Core PPI (ex Food and Energy) also soared (+0.5% MoM) pushing core prices up by 3.9% YoY – the highest since Jan 2025…
Source: Bloomberg
…and if oil prices remain elevated, PPI (and CPI) are about to become a whole lot hotter…
And the pipeline for producer price inflation is higher…
Margin pressures remain as input prices rise faster than output prices…
The bottom line is that this will likely lead to a hotter than expected Core PCE print – something The Fed watches closely – and rate-cut odds are falling on the news…
Importing people who hate America didn’t end well.
See if you can spot any similarities in these four events.
During the weekend, President Donald Trump attacked Iran, Ndiaga Diagne opened fire at a bar in Austin. He wore a “Property of Allah” sweatshirt on top of an Iranian flag shirt.
He killed three people and injured more than a dozen before police shot him dead.
Diagne was a citizen of Senegal. He entered the United States in 2000 on a tourist visa and became a naturalized citizen in 2013.
On Saturday, March 7, around 20 people protested Islam outside of Gracie Mansion, the home of NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Around 125 people attended a counterprotest. Emir Balat, 18, then threw a bomb. Video suggests Balat screamed, “Allahu Akbar.” Video shows Balat grabbing a second bomb from Ibrahim Kayumi. Police saved the day, heroically subduing both men. Fortunately, neither explosive device detonated.
Balat later told police, “This isn’t a religion that just stands when people talk about the blessed name of the prophet …. We take action!” according to the Department of Justice. Balat also wrote that he pledged allegiance to the Islamic State.
Kayumi said he was connected to ISIS, watched ISIS propaganda, and that ISIS inspired his actions.
Balat’s parents are naturalized citizens from Turkey. Kayumi’s parents are naturalized citizens from Afghanistan.
On Thursday, Mohamed Bailor Jalloh shouted “Allahu Akbar” before opening fire in an ROTC class at Old Dominion University. Jalloh killed Lt. Col. Brandon Shah, the retired military officer leading the class and injured two others before at least one brave student killed him.
Jalloh was a naturalized U.S. citizen who came from Sierra Leone. He had previously been convicted of supporting ISIS.
Also on Thursday, Ayman Ghazali rammed a truck filled with explosives into a Jewish synagogue in West Bloomfield, Michigan. There were around 140 children plus staff at its early childhood center at the time. The man left his vehicle with a rifle. He exchanged gunfire with armed security who shot and killed him. The FBI believes the man specifically targeted the Jewish community.
Ghazali came from Lebanon and legally entered the United States in 2011. He became a naturalized citizen in 2016.
There are three obvious takeaways here.
First, guns aren’t an inherent problem.
It’s a problem when bad guys have guns and a lifesaver when good guys have guns.
Next, America’s immigration system is broken.
The melting pot has boiled over. All cultures aren’t created equal and some simply aren’t compatible with American values. When “naturalized” citizens murder Americans, it shows the naturalization process didn’t work. Congressional Republicans should pass a bill making it easier to denaturalize and deport those with terrorist sympathies.
Finally, Muslim terrorism is a systemic problem—and one the left doesn’t want to talk about.
The left has no problem using isolated incidents as evidence of a widespread threat from white supremacy. But after the NYC bomb attack, inverse journalism made it sound like Mamdani was the intended target.
Willful blindness doesn’t end well. Look at the child rape scandal in the UK. Officials let abuse continue for years rather than risk being called racists for exposing that the perpetrators were largely Pakistani Muslims.
In a 2016 post on Twitter, now X, the late comedian Norm Macdonald perfectly skewered this mindset.
“What terrifies me is if ISIS were to detonate a nuclear device and kill 50 million Americans. Imagine the backlash against peaceful Muslims?” he wrote.
Islamophobia is a weapon that leftists wield to keep people from discussing and fixing an obvious problem. Many Muslims want to destroy the West and kill Americans. Ignoring that reality has led to deadly consequences.
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of ZeroHedge.
VICTOR DAVIS HANSON
KING NEWS
The King Report March 18, 2026 Issue 7702
Independent View of the News
Israel says top Iranian officials killed in strike Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Tuesday the country’s military killed top Iranian security official Ali Larijani and Gen. Gholam Reza Soleimani, the head of the Revolutionary Guard’s all-volunteer Basij force, in an overnight strike… https://justthenews.com/world/middle-east/israel-says-top-iranian-officials-killed-strike
@realDonaldTrump: The United States has been informed by most of our NATO “Allies” that they don’t want to get involved with our Military Operation against the Terrorist Regime of Iran, in the Middle East, this, despite the fact that almost every Country strongly agreed with what we are doing, and that Iran cannot, in any way, shape, or form, be allowed to have a Nuclear Weapon. I am not surprised by their action, however, because I always considered NATO, where we spend Hundreds of Billions of Dollars per year protecting these same Countries, to be a one way street — We will protect them, but they will do nothing for us, in particular, in a time of need. Fortunately, we have decimated Iran’s Military — Their Navy is gone, their Air Force is gone, their Anti-Aircraft and Radar is gone and perhaps, most importantly, their Leaders, at virtually every level, are gone, never to threaten us, our Middle Eastern Allies, or the World, again! Because of the fact that we have had such Military Success, we no longer “need,” or desire, the NATO Countries’ assistance — WE NEVER DID! Likewise, Japan, Australia, or South Korea. In fact, speaking as President of the United States of America, by far the Most Powerful Country Anywhere in the World, WE DO NOT NEED THE HELP OF ANYONE! Thank you for your attention to this matter. President DONALD J. TRUMP
@CollinRugg: President Trump says he is thinking about leaving NATO, says he doesn’t need approval from Congress. Reporter: Are you rethinking the United States’ relationship with NATO? Possibly getting out? Trump: I’m disappointed in NATO that we spend trillions of dollars on NATO… I don’t need Congress forthat decision. https://x.com/CollinRugg/status/2033941745923391515
ADP Employment Change for week ended Feb. 298: +9k; Prior +14.75k revised down from 15.5k
ADP Employment Change for February +63k (1-19 employees +58k 500+ employees +10k) Hiring jumped in February, delivering the best showing for job gains since November 2025. Construction (+19k) and education and health services (+58k)led the growth. (Mfg. -5k, Prof & Biz Services -30k) https://adpemploymentreport.com/
March NY Fed Services Business Inde -22.6, -20.0 expected, -25.7 prior Feb Pending Homes Sales 1.8% m/m -0.6% y/y NSA; -0.6% m/m & -4.5% y/y NSA expected
ESMs traded modestly lower in early Monday night trading. They meandered lower until they hit a daily low of 6715.75 (-39.75) at 2:10 ET. ESMs then staged an intractable rally that took ESMs to a daily high of 6908.50 (+53.00) at 9:45 ET. The Pro Dump then appeared; ESMs sank to 6764.25 at 12:05 ET.
ESMs then plodded up to 6787.50 at 14:50 ET; they then eased down to 6769.00 at 15:57 ET.
Trump: “We hit 50,000 on the Dow… and 7000 on the S&P… And then I said, well, we’re doing great!… And then went to Susie and I said: Do you mind if a make an excursion…” https://x.com/Osint613/status/2033972870406148177
Why does Trump keep tying himself to the stock market? The strategy is insanely idiotic! Trump cannot stay of the psychological mode of hawking luxury units and stuff to the wealthy.
Positive aspects of previous session ESHs rallied 92.75 from their overnight low. USMs were +8/32 at the NYSE close.
Negative aspects of previous session Gasoline soared 4.44% or 13.31 cents at peak; oil rallied sharply; ESMs & stocks peaked at 9:45 ET.
Ambiguous aspects of previous session Did too many traders get too long on Monday?
First Hour/Last Hour NYSE Action [S&P 500 Index]: 1st Hour: Up; Last Hour: Down
Pivot Point for S&P 500 Index [above/below indicates daily trend to day traders]: 6727.06 Previous session (S&P 500 Index) High/Low: 6754.30; 6710.80
GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna @RepLuna: It is time for a convention of states. Congress will never term limit itself… and as you are seeing it is broken. Too many of these cats get up to DC and hop onto the uniparty train. The problem is the uniparty doesn’t work for you! It works for special interest.
DJT threatened GOP Senators that don’t pass the Save America Act by saying he would campaign against them. A sad & totally lame threat! Trump should do as Rep. Luna requests: Call for a convention of statesto pass term limits, which is exceedingly popular; Voter ID, another very popular position; Excluding foreigners from the Census; halt ‘Anchor Babies,’ etc. (Need 34 states to call for a convention)
@realDonaldTrump: The Save America Act is one of the most IMPORTANT & CONSEQUENTIAL pieces of legislation in the history of Congress, and America itself. NO MORE RIGGED ELECTIONS! Voter I.D., Proof of Citizenship, No Rigged Mail-In Voting (We are the only Country in the World that allows this!), No Men in Women’s Sports, No Transgender MUTILIZATION of our Children. 90% to 99% ISSUES ALL! Only sick, demented, or deranged people in the House or Senate could vote against THE SAVE AMERICA ACT. If they do, each one of these points, separately, will be used against the user in his/her political campaign for office – A guaranteed loss! Get your Senators, REPUBLICAN OR DEMOCRAT, to VOTE “YES” ON “THE SAVE AMERICA ACT.” I WILL NEVER (EVER!) ENDORSE ANYONE WHO VOTES AGAINST “SAVE AMERICA!!!” Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP
The Senate voted to advance the SAVE America Act, 51-48. The vote was to begin debate on the bill.
Trump: We are resetting the meeting with China. It will take place in 5 weeks.
Today is Fed Day and Weird Wednesday, which normally contains the peak intensity of the Expiry Week manipulation. However, no one expects the Fed to cut rates. The mystery is the disposition of the FOMC Communique and Powell’s press conference. No one expects Powell to be bullish and aid Trump.
After the big rally on Monday and the modest rally on Tuesday, stocks are vulnerable to unexpectedly hawkish comments in the FOMC Communique and by Powell. Feb PPI should be higher than the expected 0.3% m/m & 3.0% y/y; the same for Core PPI, which is expected to be 0.3% m/m & 3.7% y/y.
ESMs are +0.75; NQMs are +29.25; USMs are +1/32; oil is down a tad; gas is a tad higher at 20:32 ET.
Expected Economic Data: Jan Factory Orders 0.1% m/m, Ex-Trans 0.4%; Jan Durable Goods 0.0% m/m, ex-Trans 0.4%, Nondef Ex-Air 0.0%; FOMC Communique 14:00 ET; Powell Presser 14:30 ET
S&P Index 50-day MA: 6878; 100-day MA: 6842; 150-day MA: 6754; 200-day MA: 6612 DJIA 50-day MA: 48,935;100-day MA: 48,256; 150-day MA: 47,449; 200-day MA: 46,509 (Green is positive slope; Red is negative slope)
S&P 500 Index (6716.09 close) – BBG trading model Trender and MACD for key time frames Monthly: Trender and MACD are positive – a close below 6035.78 triggers a sell signal Weekly: Trender is positive; MACD is negative – a close below 6458.06 triggers a sell signal Daily: Trender and MACD are negative – a close above 6828.49 triggers a buy signal Hourly: Trender and MACD are positive – a close below 6690.92 triggers a sell signal
Ex-Green Beret & Gold Star husband @joekent16jan19: After much reflection, I have decided to resign from my position as Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, effective today. I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran. Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby… Fox’s @aishahhasnie: A senior administration official tells FOX, Joe Kent was: a known leaker and he was cut out of POTUS intelligence briefings months ago.the WH told DNI Tulsi Gabbard he should be fired for suspected leaks but she never did.he has not been part of any Iran planning discussions or briefings at all. (Reportedly Kent was a Democrat until he switched to the GOP in 2021.) @adamhousley: The fact that this guy with a straight face can say Iran posed no threat and somehow he was the head of the National Counterterrorism Center…shows he shouldn’t be the head of the counterterrorism center. He’s doing us a favor. (Yet another horrid Trump hiring!) @MarinaMedvin: In between these tweets (Kent notes DJT assassination Iran plots), Iran continued working on nuclear weapons to use against Americans, attacked our bases throughout the Middle East, and motivated Islamic terror attacks on US soil.But here is what happens when propaganda takes over the brain — it turns to mush and then the mouth just repeats the world “Israel” over and over again. https://x.com/MarinaMedvin/status/2033922269345443990/photo/2 @SharrellAnne2: Gold Star wife here.When ISIS killed your wife, you supported going after the people responsible. You understood exactly why we were fighting and never called it “Israel’s war.” My husband, Alan, was killed by Iranian proxies in Iraq. And now, after decades, the fight is finally leading back to the number one state sponsor of terrorism in the world. You understood it when it was your loss. Now you’re minimizing it when it’s mine. You don’t get to redefine this war just because it’s not your grief anymore.
WH @PressSec: There are many false claims in this (Kent’s) letter but let me address one specifically: that “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation.”… As President Trump has clearly and explicitly stated, he had strong and compelling evidence that Iranwas going to attack the United States first… Iran is the world’s leading state sponsor of terrorism. The Iranian regime is evil. It proudly killed Americans, waged war against our country, and openly threatened us… Iran was aggressively expanding their short-range ballistic missiles to combine with their naval assets to give themselves immunity – meaning they would have a degree of a capabilities that would give them immunity to hold us and the rest of the world hostage. The regime aimed to use those ballistic missiles as a shield to continue achieving their ultimate goal – nuclear weapons… The President, through his top negotiators, gave the regime every single possible opportunity to abandon this unacceptable course by permanently giving up their nuclear ambitions in exchange for sanctions relief, free nuclear fuel, and potential economic partnerships with our country… And finally, the absurd allegation that President Trump made this decision based on the influence of others, even foreign countries, is both insulting and laughable. President Trump has been remarkably consistent and has said for DECADES that Iran can NEVER possess a nuclear weapon… https://x.com/PressSec/status/2033932810709315865
GOP Sen. Mitch McConnell @SenMcConnell: Joe Kent testified before the Senate one year ago that Iran and its terror proxies threatened U.S. servicemembers in the Middle East. He said it would be an honor to return to the fight against terrorism, and he pledged to lead with integrity and accountability. The virulent anti-Semitism of his resignation letter makes it clear that Mr. Kent is incapable of upholding these pledges, and those who mistake its baseless and incendiary conspiracies for brave truth-telling are only fooling themselves. Isolationists and anti-Semites have no place in either party…
Ex-Deputy WH CoS @Budowich: Joe Kent is a crazed egomaniac who was often at the center of national security leaks, while rarely (never?) producing any actual work. He spent all of his time working to subvert the chain of command and undermine the President of the United States. This isn’t some principled resignation—he just wanted to make a splash before getting canned. What a loser.
@DailyCaller: Never Trumpers and Iran Chicken Hawks All Henpeck in Unison to Smear Joe Kent: He was deployed 11 times and received six Bronze stars.
Biden judge throws top NJ prosecutor out of child porn perv’s hearing in tantrum over Trump appointmentshttps://trib.al/GZYwxz6
@IngrahamAngle: “This judge is substituting his OWN judgment.” @JonathanTurley criticizes a federal judge for trying to block changes to a vaccine advisory committee. “He’s essentially saying, ‘I like the old experts better.’ But that’s not a judge’s decision — that’s a policy choice.” https://x.com/IngrahamAngle/status/2034061790577881111
@ABC: In a rare public appearance, Chief Justice John Roberts on Tuesday addressed criticism of the Supreme Court, the federal judiciary and individual judges, saying, “personally directed hostility is dangerous, and it’s got to stop.”https://t.co/bL6kfkTaUA
The wretched and inept Roberts is trying to deflect attention from US Courts corruption and politicking. He has done nothing to reign in abjectly political lower court judges and defuse the egregious politics in decisions, particularly his good buddy Boasberg, who is the worst of a very bad bunch.
SWAMP STORIES FOR YOU TONIGHT
California Democratic Lawmaker Seeks To Create Two New Muslim State Holidays
Multiculturalism is on the march in California: A Democratic state lawmaker has introduced a bill to recognize two Muslim holidays as official state holidays.
Fox 11 reports that California State Assembly member Matt Haney (D–San Francisco) has introduced AB 2017, which would designate Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha as state holidays and would, in Haney’s words, ensure that Muslims are “seen, valued and treated with the same dignity as every other community in our state.”
According to the New York Post, Eid al-Adha is among the most important holidays in Islam alongside Eid al-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan—the month in which faithful Muslims fast from dawn until sunset.
Haney says the California Muslim community is among the largest in the country, yet they do not have major holidays recognized by the state in the way Christianity does—for example, Christmas or Easter.
In a news release, Haney said, “No student should have to choose between celebrating one of the holiest days of their faith and showing up to school, and no worker should feel they have to sacrifice their religious observance.”
AB 2017 is cosponsored by the California chapter of the Council on American–Islamic Relations (CAIR–CA), the nation’s largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization.
CAIR–CA Legislative & Government Affairs Director Oussama Mokeddem celebrated the introduction of AB 2017, saying, “This is a historic moment for California’s over one million Muslims. The climate of heightened fear and anti-Muslim hostility in our country remains a daily reality.”
Mokeddem added, “In this environment, publicly celebrating these holidays is a powerful way for California to show Muslim constituents that their joy, traditions, and presence in our state are deeply valued and protected.”
The bill was also sponsored by the Commission on Asian and Pacific Islander American Affairs in California, which called it a “step toward ensuring that California’s policies reflect the diversity of the communities that call this state home.”
According to Fox 11, the bill will be heard in the Assembly Governmental Organization and Assembly Public Employment committees over the next few weeks.
If it passes, California would become the second state in the U.S. to formally recognize both Eid holidays.
END
WATCH: Investigative Journalist Nick Shirley Releases Video Uncovering $170 Million in Fraud in California
Investigative journalist Nick Shirley released his latest video on Monday, uncovering $170 million in fraud in California.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg in Democrat-run California.
“We uncovered over $170,000,000 in fraud as these fraudsters live in luxury with no consequences,” Nick Shirley said.
“California’s version of Medicaid called ‘Medi-Cal’ has more than doubled since 2022 from $108 billion to a proposed $222 billion in 2026. Their population, however, has not grown exponentially. However, their spending has,” Nick Shirley said.
“There has been a 1,000 percent increase in hospice care in Los Angeles County,” Nick Shirley said. It’s estimated that the fraud in California could be in the hundreds of billions of dollars.”
Nick Shirley visited ‘hospices’ in Los Angeles and ‘daycares’ in San Diego.
The Somali ‘daycare’ owner/operator screamed at Nick Shirley and called the police after he asked her why there weren’t any children in the facility.
In December, Nick Shirley exposed more than $110 million in Somali fraud in Minnesota in one day.
An angry Somali woman ‘working’ at a daycare – with no children inside – slammed the door as journalist Nick Shirley asked some simple questions about the so-called children’s center.
Minnesota Childcare Center claims it takes care of 102 children, however, the facility is empty.
Another Somali learning center couldn’t even spell ‘learning’ correctly.
Screencap of Twitter/X video.
In a follow up video, Nick Shirley exposed more than $16 million in Somali welfare fraud.
“In this 51 minute video David and I expose another $16 Million in fraud as Minnesota welfare programs continue to operate fraudulently and steal from law-abiding taxpayers,” Nick Shirley said in January.
For the past four years in a row, retired Airforce Major Tom Haviland has been asking embalmers in the “Worldwide Embalmer Blood Clot Survey” what mortuary workers are finding in the bodies they are preparing for burial. Haviland surveyed embalmers all around the world in the United States, Canada, UK, Australia and New Zealand. At the end of 2024, 301 embalmers responded. 250 of them, or 83%, said they are still seeing the unusual white fibrous clots in the veins and arteries of their corpses. In 2025, only 59 from around the world took the survey. This small sample gave similar results. What is going on, and why have so few responded to the 2025 survey? Haviland says, “I have actually been in touch with a vascular specialist and cardiologist from Jacksonville, Florida, Doctor Mohannad Bisharat, and he’s admitted to me that he has been removing these same fibrous clots in living people for the last five years . . .. He sucks them out or pulls them out of living patients. They are causing strokes and heart attacks, and there has been a huge coverup by the funeral industry and by the medical community to not want to talk about this.”
Haviland goes on to say, “70% to 80% of embalmers say they are seeing it in the surveys. What percentage of funeral directors are talking about this? Less than 20% of the funeral director associations are talking about this phenomenon, even though 70% to 80% say they are seeing it. Something is wrong.”
Haviland contends the amount of deaths and injuries from the CV19 so-called “vaccines” are well known. To keep quiet about it and pretend it’s not happening on a large scale is a crime against humanity. Haviland explains, “Absolutely, this is a criminal coverup at this point in time. If funeral directors, embalmers, vascular surgeons and cardiologists don’t let us know what is inside people’s veins and arteries, and the general public does not know what they see. . . the fact they are sitting on this information and they know it is happening and not relaying it to the authorities is criminal, in my opinion.”
Haviland says he contacts the FDA and CDC about his survey results every year and gets zero response. Haviland says doctors he talks to say people need treatment, so these clots do not form. He mentioned Ivermectin, Nattokinase, Hydroxychloroquine and other supplements doctors are using to detox the vax injured. Haviland points out that once the big white fibrous clots form, there is no dissolving them. They have to be removed by a specialist if the white fibrous clots do not kill the patient first.
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Join Greg Hunter of USAWatchdog as he goes One-on-One with Tom Haviland to do a deep dive into the 2025 “Worldwide Embalmer Blood Clot Survey” and why there is a gigantic and growing clot coverup caused by the CV19 vax” for 3.17.26.
Samref Refinery – Saudi Arabia
Al Hosn Gas Field – United Arab Emirates
Mesaieed Petrochemical Complex and Mesaieed Holding Company (affiliated with Chevron) – Qatar
Haifa refinery 
: A clearly shaken up Melissa Lantsman explains that hundreds of IRGC terrorists are freely living it up in Canada. Terrorizing Iranian Canadians & Jewish Canadians, with impunity.Elbows up Liberals could care less as shots ring out daily at Jewish communities and… pic.twitter.com/5Npdjq02UN— Bruce McGonigal (@bruce_mcgonigal) March 11, 2026
harveyorganblog.com 
