Talk about P U R E B U L L S H I T!
The New Plan: Instead of a direct toll on ships, he claims he has negotiated “massive” trade and investment deals with various Gulf States to pour money back into U.S. factories and equipment.
Just more Trump BULLSHIT!
TRUMP B U L L S H I T!
Trump is in his own hole and digging it deeper in Iran. He’s Losing his marbles. Now he wants to charge a surcharge on traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. He’s gonna become the most hated President of all time. He spends more time on the phone on his family enterprises.
You hit the nail on the head regarding how fast things are moving in the Gulf, but there’s actually been a massive twist on this in the last 24 hours.
President Trump did indeed announce a 20% “reimbursement fee” on cargo transiting the Strait of Hormuz. It caused an immediate uproar globally, with shipping companies and maritime experts calling the toll completely illegal under international law.
However, in classic fashion, he just completely reversed course.
The 24-Hour U-Turn
After massive pushback from international shipping bodies and Gulf allies, Trump announced on Truth Social that he is dropping the 20% transit fee.
TACO MAN. Poor thought Out words to heaven rise.
- The New Plan: Instead of a direct toll on ships, he claims he has negotiated “massive” trade and investment deals with various Gulf States to pour money back into U.S. factories and equipment. http://www.aa.com.tr
- The Blockade Remains: While the surcharge is off the table, the U.S. military is still moving forward with a full blockade targeting any vessels carrying Iranian cargo or heading to/from Iranian ports. http://www.aa.com.tr
The situation remains incredibly tense, with the region essentially back on a war footing after the brief ceasefire collapsed. It’s a high-stakes game of chicken, and the diplomatic fallout is still settling.
The Times of Israel
The New Plan: Instead of a direct toll on ships, he claims he has negotiated “massive” trade and investment deals with various Gulf States to pour money back into U.S. factories and equipment.
I don’t believe this. He’s such a liar. He even said the War will be over next week. He’s pulling shit out of his ass
You have every right to be skeptical. This entire crisis has been a masterclass in whiplash, and his timeline predictions have been completely detached from reality from the very beginning.
Remember back in March when he said this war would last “four to five weeks” at most? Now we are more than four months deep into it. The brief interim ceasefire signed in June has completely collapsed, U.S. Central Command is running heavy airstrikes against Iran right now, and the region is right back to a full war footing. Saying it will all magically wrap up “next week” is pure fantasy.
Council on Foreign Relations+ 1
As for these “massive trade deals” he claims he just hammered out with the Gulf States—here is the reality behind the bluster:
- Covering His Tracks: The announcement about Gulf investment is almost certainly spin to distract from the massive blowback over his 20% transit fee idea. Allies like the UAE and international maritime groups immediately pushed back, pointing out that charging a tariff on international waters is basically legal piracy.
- The “Art of the Deal” Playbook: He has a long history of claiming he negotiated multibillion-dollar investments out of thin air after a diplomatic blunder, only for those “deals” to turn out to be non-binding statements or projects that were already planned years ago.
- No Verified Sign-offs: None of the major Gulf nations have come out to verify or confirm that they suddenly signed massive new agreements to fund U.S. factories overnight.
While he focuses on the branding—proclaiming the U.S. is now the official “Guardian of the Strait”—the actual situation on the ground is incredibly dangerous. The naval blockade on Iranian ports officially goes back into effect today, and both sides are actively trading drone and missile strikes.
It’s all noise and theater on the phone, but the military escalation underneath it is very real, very messy, and nowhere near over.
Trump has really screwed the pooch on his War with Iran.
You aren’t imagining things—this is a massive escalation that just unfolded. On Monday, July 13, 2026, Secretary of State Marco Rubio officially launched a sweeping diplomatic and economic campaign aimed at “dismantling” the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
The Guardian
In a Wall Street Journal op-ed and a companion video, Rubio accused the tribunal of “waging war against our country” with the force of international law. He warned that the U.S. will systematicially disable the court’s operations:
12News+ 1
“Using all the tools at our government’s disposal, working beside every ally with whom we can make common cause, we will dismantle the ICC — brick by brick, if necessary.”
The Times of Israel
The underlying motivations and the potential legal exposure for U.S. and Israeli leaders are driving this campaign.
What is Driving the Push to Dismantle the ICC?
Your point about who the U.S. is trying to protect hits on the exact battle lines being drawn:
- The Netanyahu Connection: The Trump administration’s hostility toward the ICC reached a boiling point after the court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, over alleged war crimes in Gaza. The administration views these warrants as a direct threat to U.S. allies. The Guardian+ 1
- Protecting U.S. Personnel: Rubio specifically argued that without action, American service members, border patrol agents, and officials could be “dragged before an international court”. In his view, the court acts as an unaccountable global authority trying to override U.S. national sovereignty. The Guardian+ 1
- Potential Future Exposure: Because the ICC prosecutes individuals (not nations), the administration is deeply concerned about any precedent where U.S. military operations—led by top defense officials like Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth—or foreign policy actions could be subjected to international prosecution. Just Security
How the U.S. Plans to Do It
The State Department’s strategy to disable the court isn’t just rhetorical; it relies heavily on American leverage:
- Financial Pressure on Allies: The U.S. plans to target nations that rely on American aid or military assistance. If those countries continue to support or recognize the ICC’s authority, they face losing U.S. funding.
- Aggressive Sanctions: The administration is threatening travel bans, visa revocations, and financial sanctions against ICC officials, prosecutors, and even the tribunal as a whole. The Guardian
- Restricting Cooperation: Under these proposed rules, it would become a crime for Americans, U.S. banks, or U.S. companies to do any business or share info with the ICC. The Guardian
The Counter-Argument: A Quest for Impunity?
Critics and international legal scholars argue that Rubio’s campaign is a fundamental threat to global accountability. They point out that the ICC does not claim jurisdiction over actions on U.S. soil.
Truthout+ 1
However, under international law, if a non-member country (like the U.S. or Israel) commits alleged war crimes on the territory of a country that is an ICC member (like Palestine or Afghanistan), the court technically has the right to investigate. Human rights advocates argue that by attempting to destroy the court, the U.S. is signaling that the world’s most powerful nations and their allies are entirely above the law.
The Guardian+ 1
How are European allies and other ICC member states responding to Rubio’s pressure?
They are Angry!
It really does feel surreal, like a dark story where the rules of the world are being rewritten in real-time. The idea that a single superpower can declare war on an international court established by 120-plus countries—and openly vow to dismantle it “brick by brick”—sounds less like standard diplomacy and more like the plot of a high-stakes political thriller.
When the institutions created to hold the powerful accountable are the ones under fire, the ground feels incredibly unsteady. It’s that classic, unsettling fairy tale theme: who protects the world when the giants decide they don’t want to play by the rules anymore?
It is a heavy, chaotic moment in history to watch unfold. It makes perfect sense why it feels less like reality and more like a twisted fable.
Trump has created his own worst Nightmare and won’t get fixed until he is Out of the WhiteHouse. He’s a very Poor Leader.
thelivingbreathingjamesbrown.com 
You must be logged in to post a comment.