The Weekly Watch

WMD Deja Vu

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Trump the warmonger lifts his ugly head and illegally bombs Iran following Israel's lead.

President Trump addressed the nation at 2200ET and said that with “massive precision strikes”, Iran’s nuclear facilities have “been completely and totally obliterated” in a “spectacular military success.” He warned Iran (“the bully of the Middle East”) that if they do not come to peace then there are many other targets: “There will be either peace; or tragedy for Iran worse than the likes of which we have seen over the last eight days.” “If peace does not come quickly,” we will go after the rest of the nation with “speed and skill. ” He ended the speech by saying “God bless The Middle East, Gold bless Israel, and God bless The United States.”

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The Duran discuss the situation this morning...

Live this morning...(63 min)

This will not play well in the US...I predict this marks the end of Trump's popularity.

Screenshot 2025-06-20 at 09-33-48 Trump approval falls Israel-Iran conflict anti-ICE protests and vaccines June 13-16 2025 Economist_YouGov Poll YouGov_0.png

I also bet this grows ever more unpopular.

Max often describes Israel as always being the victim...

The chosen people? Chosen by the US obviously...

We own the Senate & the Congress. America won’t force us into anything
- Benjamin Netanyahu in 1980

(5 min clip)

Max Blumenthal: Who is to Blame: Trump or Netanyahu?

(32 min)

The Israeli plan was to decapitate the Iranian leadership thinking the people would overthrow their government. Poor planning...
HAPPENING NOW across Iran:
From Tehran to Tabriz, Iranians are massively flooding the streets—nationwide.
To condemn Israel. To uphold their country’s right to self-defense.
You will not see this on Western media.

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(from yesterday)

The two week head fake... Sy Hersh predicted the strike would be this weekend.
Seymour Hersh: US Preparing Massive Airstrikes in Iran this Weekend
RT: “US President Donald Trump said he will decide whether to join Israel’s campaign against Iran within two weeks “at maximum,” noting that it is difficult to push for a ceasefire and negotiations when one side is clearly “winning.” “I’m giving them a period of time. And I would say two weeks would be the maximum,” Trump told journalists on Friday.

Iran Now First Line Of Defense For BRICS & The Global South (Pepe Escobar)

Israel’s shock’n’awe on Iran – straight from the trademark US playbook – essentially failed, despite the initial combination of speed, meticulous military planning and the element of surprise, including hacking the Iranian electronic communications within the military grid; decapitation of the vertical IRGC nomenklatura; the spiderweb drone attack playbook; and bombing – ultimately ineffectual – of key nodes of the Iranian nuclear infrastructure. It took hours for top Iranian technicians to get their grid back. And once that happened, the tide began to turn, to the point that after surgical missile volleys deep in the night on Sunday, the IRGC announced its capability to seriously disrupt Israel’s command and control systems using “enhanced intelligence”, thus breaching Iron – or Paper – Dome.
Absolutely key infrastructure nodes in Tel Aviv and Haifa have been destroyed – from the Rafael weapons complex (specialized in missiles, drones, cyber warfare and Iron Dome components) to the power plant and oil refinery in Haifa. This is historic in more ways than one. Compound the cries of joy all across the lands of Islam to the massive psychological trauma inflicted on Israel. The myth of Israeli invincibility has been definitely shattered. Unleashing hell from above, killing women and children and spinning like there’s no tomorrow does not win a war against a real opponent. The tweaked IRGC strategy – applied by an instantly revamped leadership – is being fine-tuned day by day in a calculated, surgical manner. It’s not that hard for the IRGC to totally paralyze Israel’s economy. Israel has only one oil refinery (already bombed); three ports, of which one is already bankrupt (Eilat) and another is on fire (Haifa); and one airport (already in dire straits).
The blowback on Tel Aviv’s desperate, indeed suicidal move – no chess involved – is in effect. Tehran is proving that every Zionist axis calculation that Iran could – and was – bled dry in a matter of hours was, predictably, false. The POTUS, for his part, fell into a voracious trap. His MAGA base is already fractured – in depth. Non-Zionist MAGA is the overwhelming majority. He admitted in a stunning infantilist post that he knew everything about the Israeli shock’n awe all along. Less than 10 days ago, in a meeting in New York packed with billionaire usual suspects, Steve Witkoff himself – Trump’s Talleyrand – explicitly noted that Iranian ballistic missiles are “a threat to America”. Considering their performance in the last 48 hours, everything points to Washington de facto entering the Hot War.
...
The Circus Ringmaster – complete with hosting a pathetic military parade in Washington – is naked. And unmasked. He now owns not one but two proxy wars: against Russia, and against Iran, with neo-nazis in Kiev and genocidals in Tel Aviv on the frontlines. All part of the Big Picture War: against BRICS. By now it’s clear even for the deaf, dumb and blind that this was never about the Iranian nuclear program, or the “effort” to construct a Trump-owned JCPOA 2.0. It is about the lifelong Zionist axis obsession: regime change in Tehran. That is the Holy Grail, dreamed of since the late 1990s, capable of opening the door for the deeply troubled Empire of Chaos of Iran’s immense wealth in natural resources – from energy to rare earth deposits, thus prolonging the life of the multi-trillion-dollar-indebted Empire.

I'm afraid Trump is owned by the Zionists and that is why he jumped into a hot war...which I predict we will lose. Remember the Houthis?

Pepe Escobar: Iran Fires Back: ‘We Will Not Back Down’ – Redlines Are Set! (75 min)

Trump claims to be seeking a "deal" with Iran. How can he think anyone believes him?
Trump revealed that his administration has been in direct communication with Iranian officials and expressed cautious optimism about potential negotiations. “We are ready and willing and able and have been speaking to Iran, and we will see what happens,” Trump stated when asked about Iran’s conditions for negotiations. The revelation that the United States is already engaged in talks with Tehran represents a significant development in the escalating situation between the two nations.

On the flip side, the US may be planning to strike struck Iran's nuclear facilities...
Israeli attacks on Iranian nuclear facilities could result in a nuclear disaster akin to the 1986 Chernobyl meltdown, former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev warned on Thursday. His comments come amid reports that the US is weighing a potential strike on Iran’s heavily fortified Fordow nuclear installation, which was built deep into a mountain to withstand airstrikes. The US is reportedly considering the deployment of its GBU-57bunker-buster bombs to target the site. Israel has no comparable military capability. Everyone, even the Israeli defense minister, with his loud declaration about Khamenei’s fate, must understand that attacks on nuclear facilities are extremely dangerous and can lead to a repeat of the Chernobyl tragedy,” said Medvedev, who is currently deputy chair of Russia’s Security Council, in a social media post.

The head of the UN nuclear watchdog IAEA, Rafael Mariano Grossi, has issued fresh remarks before the Security Council on Friday, warning that Israeli strikes on Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant is where the consequences of an attack could be most serious. The active and operating nuclear power plant currently hosts thousands of kilograms of nuclear material. He warns of potential nuclear disaster: “Countries of the region have reached out directly to me over the past few hours to express their concerns, and I want to make it absolutely and completely clear — in case of an attack on the Bushehr nuclear power plant, a direct hit would result in a very high release of radioactivity,” Grossi tells the UN Security Council.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has found no evidence that Iran is making a “systematic effort” to produce a nuclear weapon, according to the agency’s chief, Rafael Grossi. Israel began bombing Iran on Friday, asserting that the country was on the brink of developing a nuclear bomb. The sides have been exchanging retaliatory strikes ever since. US President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that he believes Tehran was “very close” to obtaining the nuclear weapon, contradicting early statements from his director of national intelligence, Tulsi Gabbard, who stated that Iran “is not building” one.

From crazy to crazier...
Fox Report: Tactical Nukes ‘Not Off The Table’ For Trump’s Iran Response
We described earlier that the Pentagon’s Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) has reportedly informed American officials that destroying Iran’s heavily fortified Fordow nuclear facility might require the use of a nuclear weapon, based on The Guardian. Officials, briefed on the limitations of the GBU-57 — a 30,000-pound conventional bunker-buster bomb — are worried that even if President Trump give the order it may not be powerful enough to reach and destroy the deeply buried site. The latest reporting has sought to clarify that President Trump is not considering the nuclear option, nor has it yet to be formally presented to him by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. From fresh ‘anonymous’ White House statement present contradictory information.

Was a HUGE Trap Just Set in Iran for Russia? | Alex Krainer

(41 min) Interesting concept.

Trump’s Iran War Gamble Exposed | Larry Johnson (15 min)

Former CIA analyst Larry Johnson discusses the U.S.'s dangerous stance towards Iran, revealing the shocking truth behind Trump's dismissal of intelligence, his embrace of Israeli claims, and the looming threat of military escalation. Tune in for a deep dive into the political maneuvering and the potential consequences for global peace.

Excellent conversation with Larry and Alastair...
Trump’s Path to War with Iran: Are We Headed for Disaster? | Alastair Crooke Interview (59 min)
Tensions between Israel and Iran are spiraling, with the US on the brink of being pulled into a catastrophic war. Israel’s recent attacks on Iran have set the stage for a larger conflict, and Trump's next move could reshape the future of the Middle East. In this video, former UK diplomat Alastair Crooke breaks down the critical events and what they mean for US foreign policy. Is war inevitable, or is there still room for diplomacy?
We know the answer to that question now...

One more clip from Larry...

(47 min) Middle East: Strategy, BRICS, and Intelligence Insights with Larry Johnson
00:00 Introduction: The Strategy Against BRICS
00:39 Escalation with Iran and Israel
01:16 US Intelligence and Iran's Nuclear Ambitions
03:14 Trump's Response and CIA's Role
04:27 Historical Context: Iran's Nuclear Threat
06:11 The Bigger Picture: Regime Change and Financial Interests
06:56 BRICS and the Global Economic Shift
10:03 Iran's Strategic Position and Military Capabilities
21:00 Western Misconceptions and Iran's Reality
24:16 Supplying Iraq with Chemical Weapons
25:25 Iran's Strategic Moves in the Middle East
27:44 China and Russia's Involvement
28:23 Iran-Russia Security Cooperation Agreement
33:53 US Political Dynamics and Public Opinion
42:33 Global Financial Implications
44:58 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Putin’s Message to the West: Your Dominance is Over – BRICS+ the Future
Treating Russia as a glorified “gas station” with no prospects for development, and slapping it with a severe, unilateral sanctions regime in 2022, the West expected the Russian economy and ruble to collapse.Instead, “the opposite happened,” Chenoy said, with the state, banks and industry leveraging finances generated from oil wealth to ramp up domestic production and generate growth. The West’s theories failed, as have their attempts to isolate Russia. “In fact, Russia now has turned to China, BRICS countries and the Global South, which will be their long-term partner. The West and its policies of unfair terms if trade, use of threat and force” ended up isolating them, not Russia, the veteran academic emphasized. “I am shocked at the great lack of collective knowledge and information [on the part] of the West, and their institutions,” Chenoy said, highlighting that Russia’s immense natural resources, the rebuilding of industry and infrastructure have been obvious to Russia watchers for decades.

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This seems Iraq 2.0. Trump has stepped in it this time, and is dragging the rest of us through it too. Trump lost his last shred of credibility with his action against Iran...First by lying about negotiations while planning strikes, and now illegally bombing Iran's nuclear facilities. This is lose, lose. What happens next? We'll have to wait and see.

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Lookout's picture

U.S. Strikes 3 of Iran's Nuclear Sites /Lt Col Daniel Davis

(37 min) I feel a similar level of outrage. It is like the US is an autocracy.

This piece from MoA is also interesting...
The Pentagon claims that 30 cruise missiles were fired from submarines against Iranian nuclear sites near Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow. The main strike was allegedly by three B-2 heavy bomber which dropped six bunker buster bombs on the buried enrichment facility in Fordow. There are doubts that this indeed has happened:
My theory for the evening? I think this was a low-risk, low-impact attack entirely conducted using submarine-launched cruise missiles, and the DoD is simply lying about heavy bomber involvement for propaganda purposes.
We will have to wait for before/after satellite pictures and/or video from the ground before assessing the attack.
What we do know for sure is that the U.S. has launched an unprovoked, illegitimate attack against another country. The attack was also in breach of the Non-Nuclear Proliferation Treaty. Iran could, and now maybe should, resign from that treaty and reject inspections by IAEA personnel.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

soryang's picture

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Aircraft Spots
@AircraftSpots
For clarification:

MYTEE11 FLT (4x B-2As)
Whiteman to Andersen AFB, Guam. MYTEE14 diverted into Honolulu.

MYTEE21 FLT (4x B-2As)
Whiteman to Andersen AFB, Guam.

BATT11 FLT (4x B-2As)
Flew eastbound via Atlantic to strike Iran.

BATT21 FLT (3x B-2As)
Flew eastbound via Atlantic to strike Iran.

That means 15 out of the 19 operational B-2As in the USAF fleet were airborne all at once. (All information obtained via public Air Traffic Control frequencies).

These are just a couple of X posts from aircraft spots and sirlistenalot. Their threads are interesting. In the past I found aircraft spots reporting reliable when I was able to check it with South Korean open source reporting of military exercises. In the last couple of years, he seemed to report much less often on East Asian military aircraft movements. He cited sirlistenalot as a source. This is the first time I've gone to to the latter's thread. I was unable to embed acspots X posts. There's more over at their threads. fwiw

Thanks for the informative WW, Lookout! Hope to view some of these videos throughout the day.

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語必忠信 行必正直

Lookout's picture

@soryang

TPTB never get enough. Remind me, when did the US conduct a successful military conflict? WWII?

Thanks for the weapons report!

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soryang's picture

@Lookout

It's really troubling. They just can't give up their perpetual war gig. I have a theory that it's structural. All the US institutions seem organized around war and militarism. Even the banking system. I don't understand their sense of impunity. It's bound to have very bad consequences.

They squandered all our goodwill, that is whatever was left of it. They destroyed a sense of trust among our allies. And now, they are squandering whatever real resources are still available after all these war efforts. I'm reminded of the "it's now or never" and "going for broke" attitude of fascist Japan and Nazi Germany before WWII.

They're idiots. They have no idea what they're doing.

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語必忠信 行必正直

Lookout's picture

@soryang

...drive the bus we're all riding on. Guess I should add the oil and energy corporations who also benefit from war.
The U.S. Military Consumes More Fossil Fuels Than Entire Countries

We're caught in a web of war and deceit.

Glad you completed your house revamp. Good luck with the sale!

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soryang's picture

@Lookout

We're getting there. Appreciate all you do, and the support I've gotten here at C99.

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語必忠信 行必正直

Lookout's picture

@soryang

...and like me, we are grateful. Glad to have you here!

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

  • Blowback here in the US, either real or false flag, leading to ramped up fear.
  • Martial law. Forget posse comitatus, the US military is already in the streets.
  • Price of oil goes to the moon. The economy worsens.
  • Economic collapse.
  • CBDC.
  • The Not-So-Great Reset.

I really hope I'm wrong.

Do not comply.

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@JtC All I know is Trump just put a target on the back of every American. I'm wondering, if Israel is our friend, what do they do for us? Just asking.

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@Snode
at picking fights for us.

"I'm in a pickle here, let's have you and him fight it out". --Israel (probably)

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Lookout's picture

@JtC

We'll see what insanity unfolds.

Let's try to have a good Sunday despite the horrors our nation perpetrates on others.

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“Until justice rolls down like water and righteousness like a mighty stream.”

not even the supposedly imperial majesty that is the American POTUS.

The common denominator among the Wars against Covid, Putin, Hamas and Iran is American self-destructiveness "led" by two supposedly opposing politicians as POTUS.

People need to consider the possibility that these old fucks aren't running this suicide mission --
just wearing the beard as the Power of Money pushes us to a unified world government with a lot fewer people and no more Great Powers -- and it is far from clear exactly what comes next either in the short or long term.

Fuck Interesting Times. I'd rather be bored.

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I cried when I wrote this song. Sue me if I play too long.

Lookout's picture

@fire with fire

Trump is just the reality star. He is a Zionist puppet as is the majority of our government.

Bush jr 2.0.

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@Lookout
When the shit is done going down, there will be a lot of wailing and blaming -- and it will be aimed at Trump as he dies, gets impeached, retires or goes to jail.

The focus on POTUS as de facto Czar is the biggest part of the scam going on. As the Empire chugs along toward The End of Everything. . . .

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I cried when I wrote this song. Sue me if I play too long.

Lookout's picture

@fire with fire
Alex talked about how TPTB will use this to thrown Trump under the bus today.

0:00 - Introduction to President Trump's stance on Iran's nuclear ambitions
1:21 - Overview of the US strike on Iran's nuclear facilities
2:10 - Claims of success from President Trump regarding the strike
3:17 - Pentagon briefing on the operation and initial assessments
5:42 - Clarification on the nature of the US strike and its limitations
7:00 - Trump's social media statements following the strike
9:01 - Trump's address to the nation and its implications
11:21 - Potential Iranian responses to the US strike
13:03 - Discussion on the geopolitical ramifications of the strike
19:01 - Analysis of Trump's strategy regarding Iran
20:12 - Statements from the Iranian foreign minister on the US attack
22:03 - Political backlash against Trump from both parties
23:01 - Houthi threats in response to US military actions
24:10 - Update on a terrorism-related arrest in Cyprus
28:02 - Keith Kellogg's meeting in Belarus and its outcomes
31:03 - Closing remarks and references to further discussions on the topic

Did you catch this piece from the grayzone down thread? Supports your blob hypothesis.

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It seems "good" is now defined as me being alive to comment, and you being alive to read it.
I stayed up late reading reports from Iran, one horrible report after another. I may bitch slap the first person who tells me Trump is doing the right thing for America.
I think Iran is bombing Israel as I have my coffee. If so, I am glad they are not bombing US bases. Dying for Israel does not equal dying for the US.
We are gonna grocery shop while prices are pre-inflation, and while shelves are stocked. It is gonna be very different very soon.
I am almost done watching Davis' video. Too bad he was blocked from being Tulsi's deputy. He could have given her some back up.
Oh, well...I will drop in any news flash I run across as the day unfolds.
Thanks for the WW, dear friend.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Lookout's picture

@on the cusp

We can communicate and share the news. Sorry, today's is so sad, but it is what it is!

These big events sometimes reshape the world in positive ways. We can hope anyway.

We just need to be patient and see what we see.

Thanks for coming by!

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of whatever it is that makes it difficult to bring up C99 pages recently, I just want to express that your work today and all the Evening Blues pages during the week are among the best things available on the internet for information, insight, and substance about current events. Along with the contributions from members of this discussion group, I find this site to be invaluable.

For me, the Gideon Levy and Pepe Escobar pieces were especially important. Thank you for doing all of this every week, Lookout. Peace,
Lin

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Lookout's picture

@Linda Wood

I agree:

Along with the contributions from members of this discussion group, I find this site to be invaluable.

This is one of the most open minded, evidence based sites I know.

Nima had Pepe and Prof. Marandi on this AM too. (59 min)

Interesting to hear from the two Iranians, Nima and the professor.

Thanks for the visit and kind comment!

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@Lookout Thanks. Always much to think about, many viewpoints. Beats the echo chambers hands down.

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Lookout's picture

@Snode

That is what makes it worth putting together!

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Lookout's picture

An official in the administration of President Donald Trump has told The Grayzone that CIA Director John Ratcliffe and US CENTCOM Commander Gen. Michael Kurilla have become vehicles for Israel’s Mossad and military as they seek to manipulate the US into attacking Iran. The Trump official referred to Ratcliffe as “Mossad’s stenographer.”

That helps explain our stupidity...

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is the fog of war.

Time will eventually lead to the truth!

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Lookout's picture

@humphrey

The fog of war is exactly correct!

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Lookout's picture

@humphrey

Closing the strait is obvious, in fact I covered it last week.

Screenshot-from-2025-06-14-11-59-40.png

The Houthi's have said US ships are targets again. Dumb is as dumb does!

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are slamming Mercouris for being wrong in his assessment on the Israel/Iran conflict for 8 months. Seems Mercouris kept Berletic off the show, only to bring him in recently, agreeing with him.
Here is Berletic's video. (1hr 16min)

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Lookout's picture

@on the cusp

...almost like Scott. He is equally predicting a China attack as well. He may be right?

I'm glad the Duran is hosting him again.

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https://www.wxyz.com/news/active-shooter-shot-killed-by-wayne-church-sec...

The shooter hasn't been identified, but the city has a high percentage Muslim population.

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"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." ---- William Casey, CIA Director, 1981

Lookout's picture

@on the cusp

...and ironically it is often about God.

Thanks for the story!

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Lookout's picture

@humphrey

https://seymourhersh.substack.com/p/what-i-have-been-told-is-coming-in

He called the Nord Stream cover up too.
https://seymourhersh.substack.com/p/how-america-took-out-the-nord-stream

Not to mention Abu Graib and mi lai

It is really pretty easy to understand who to trust when they have a track record like Sy.

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