Putin and Araghchi Meet in St. Petersburg Donald Trump must have stayed at a Holiday Inn last night because when he departed the White House on Friday to head to Florida to give a speech at The Villages, geriatric community known for Sexually Transmitted Diseases, he thought he was a lawyer. Friday, May 1st, marked the day that he is required by the War Powers Act to seek Congressional approval to continue the war in Iran. But Trump, thinking like an ambulance-chasing attorney, announced that the war with Iran is over.
My dear friend, Ray McGovern, believes that Trump may be serious (and I pray Ray is right) and was motivated to make this announcement because Vladimir Putin, during their phone conversation on Tuesday, had warned Trump not to attack Iran.
I raised another possibility with Ray and the Judge today… Trump is going to wait a few days and then launch a new series of attacks on Iran and claim that the 60 day clock stipulated in the War Powers Act is restarting from Day 1, because this is a “new” war. I think that Trump will order a new attack on Iran in the coming days. There has been a massive movement of US military aircraft into West Asia during the past 10 days. They are carrying supplies of missiles and bombs and additional army and navy personnel. The US military is locked-and-loaded to execute new missions if ordered to do so by President Trump.
CENTCOM Commander Admiral Cooper, along with the General commanding aviation assets and the Admiral commanding maritime assets, have updated plans for a renewed air campaign. They also, in response to an order from Donald Trump, prepared options for taking Kharg Island and/or Qemsh Island, and options for a raid on an Iranian nuclear site.
Although CENTCOM has planned for new operations, Admiral Cooper and this two subordinate commanders reportedly have advised President Trump not to renew military options against Iran. They believe that further military strikes will not accomplish the objective of forcing Iran to make concessions and open the Strait of Hormuz. More importantly, an air campaign will further deplete the US inventory of Tomahawk cruise missiles, JASSMs (i.e., Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missiles), Patriot PAC 3 interceptors and THAAD interceptors. As of May 1–2, 2026, the Iranian government’s official position—communicated through Pakistani mediators and public statements by President Masoud Pezeshkian, Foreign Ministry officials, and IRGC-aligned figures—is that it will not reopen the Strait of Hormuz or fully de-escalate until the US meets several core conditions. Iran has repeatedly described these as non-negotiable “red lines” and has rejected U.S. proposals that demand immediate nuclear concessions or maintain the naval blockade. In its most recent revised offer (passed to the U.S. via Pakistan) Iran stipulates that:
- The U.S. must immediately lift its naval blockade of Iranian ports.
- - The two sides must agree to a permanent end to the war (or a long-term, guaranteed ceasefire).
- - In direct exchange , Iran will end its chokehold/mining/attacks on the Strait of Hormuz and fully reopen it for international shipping.
- - Discussions on Iran’s nuclear program would be postponed to a later phase after the immediate crisis is resolved.
- President Trump has publicly stated he is “not satisfied” with this proposal, primarily because it delays nuclear talks. Iran’s position regarding nuclear enrichment has hardened over the course of the last two weeks. Iran now insists that because it is a signatory to the Non-Proliferation Treaty and has allowed IAEA inspections of its nuclear sites, it has a legal and sovereign right to enrich uranium. Negotiations between the US and Iran are stalled. Iran, however, has been busy on the diplomatic front. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi made a series of phone calls primarily on Friday, May 1, 2026 (with some activity possibly spilling over from Thursday, April 30) to the following countries: Türkiye (Turkey) Egypt Qatar Iraq Saudi Arabia Azerbaijan Araghchi briefed his counterparts on the latest diplomatic efforts to end the US-Israel war with Iran, including Iran’s revised proposal on the Strait of Hormuz, the blockade, and regional de-escalation. I hope we have a quiet weekend, but the prospects for a negotiated settlement appear to be fading. I will continue to monitor the situation and keep you updated.
Colonel Wilkerson and I chatted with Nima about the latest developments on the Iran front: Mario and I had a great conversation about the failure of Trump’s blockade and the unwavering stance of Iran: Ray McGovern and I, as I mentioned above, spoke with Judge Napolitano about the Tuesday conversation between Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin: Finally, I recorded a fantastic conversation with Professor Marandi on Monday, and it posted today (Friday --- I thank you for your invaluable support by taking time to read or comment. I do not charge a subscription fee nor do I accept advertising. I want the content to be accessible to everyone interested in the issues I am discussing. However, if you wish to make a donation, please see this link .