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“Iran Has a Secret Weapon in Its War With America: Help From China,” WSJ, 9-23-26.  “Iranian customs data show Chinese entities have made thousands of shipments of components used in drones and missiles.”   This blog has recorded this problem dozens of times.  In the blog I use the term “enablng.”

Really rich.  “Iran president: We have been “victims of terrorism,” Axios, 9-23-26.  But by everyone else’s definition, Iran fails.

“Iran’s president warns Trump it will not ‘bend at the knee’,” Politico, 9-23-26.

“Pezeshkian squeezed at home over meeting Trump in New York,” Iran International, 9-23-26.

Remember, China can get all the (cheap) oil they need elsewhere.  “Trump asked Xi to stop supporting Iran,” Axios, 9-23-26.

See?  The Regime is behind it.  “Iranian advisers helped Houthis seize Yemen’s Red Sea coast in less than 48 hours, sources tell AP,” AP, 9-23-26.

“Iran threatens to paralyse airports in neighbouring countries if they stop Iranian flights,” Reuters, 9-23-26.

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I’ve been waiting for this type of article.  When the U.S. brought the economic sanctions hammer down on Iran two weeks ago, Iran decided to find a pressure point in an attempt to relieve the pressure.  That involved Iran telling its proxie group to attack the Kingdom.  “Houthis’ escalating attacks on Saudi Arabia give Iran leverage in the Middle East,” ABC, 9-21-26.

“US targets Iranian airlines, Tehran threatens wider war,” Iran International, 9-21-26.

“Iran’s President Gets Rare Opportunity to Make His Case to the World,” WSJ, 9-21-26.

“Iranian FM reportedly met Witkoff at sidelines of UNGA to discuss Hormuz reopening | LIVE BLOG,” I24, 9-21-26.

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“U.S. embassies across Middle East issue security alerts for Americans,” CBS, 9-20-26.

Quote of the Day.  “The emerging reality — Iran’s allies firing on the kingdom across multiple borders while closing crucial shipping lanes — “puts the Saudis in serious danger,” said Yoel Guzansky, senior fellow at the Institute for National Security Studies. “This is their biggest challenge since 1990, when Saddam Hussein invaded Kuwait and threatened Saudi oilfields.””  “As Iran and Houthis tighten the screws on Saudi Arabia, a potential role emerges for Israel,” Times of Israel, 9-20-26.

“Iran war updates: Tehran warns of ‘painful’ response if US launches attacks,” Al Jazeera, 9-20-26.

“Security Alert:  Iran – September 19, 2026,” U.S. Virtual Embassy Iran, 9-20-26.

“Iran-backed Houthi rebels warn against joining Saudi Arabia in Yemen’s growing civil war,” PBS, 9-20-26.

“Egyptian president meets CIA chief, calls for agreement to resolve Iranian crisis,” MEMO, 9-20-26.

“Iran claims US preparing to resume attacks, threatens bases, supporting regional countries,” JPost, 9-20-26.

“Iran’s economy faces another blockade: Red tape and gridlock are clogging up land routes that bypass the U.S. Navy’s Hormuz stranglehold,” Fortune, 9-20-26.  “But bureaucratic hurdles, such as long customs checks, and infrastructure that wasn’t designed to handle so much volume have produced massive traffic jams. At one crossing with Turkey, 3,700 trucks were stranded on the Iranian side. Lines of trucks stretch for miles, and drivers sometimes wait more than three weeks to finally bring their cargoes across a border. During that time, perishable foods go bad, and delays for other essentials add to costs, with inflation now at 90%. A Turkish truck driver hauling used cars into Iran told the Financial Times that wait times at the border on the return trip can reach 24 days. And an Iranian trucker said he spent 23 days waiting at a crossing along the Afghanistan border in mid-June.”

“What’s behind Iranian authorities’ push for a mass mobilisation campaign?,” Al Jazeera, 9-20-26.

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“Have We Lost the Iran War?,” Hoover Institution, 9-17-26.

“Mahsa Amini’s legacy, four years after her murder by Iran’s morality police – editorial,” JPost, 9-17-26

“U.S. Probes Iran Link to Cyberattacks on Texas-Bound Energy Tankers,” WSJ, 9-17-26.  “The two tankers were transiting the Strait of Gibraltar in early August when they were hit by the attacks. The ships—an oil tanker and a liquefied petroleum tanker—were making their way to ports in Texas at the time, according to tracking data and one of the officials. The location of the attacks and the destination of the tankers has raised the prospect that Iran or an Iran-aligned actor could be seeking to disrupt another key maritime chokepoint or blow up a U.S. port. Ships run on integrated systems that, if compromised, could result in an explosion, a collision or an oil spill. … Iran’s semiofficial news outlet Mehr News reported on the incident in August. Citing crew members, it said the attackers infiltrated the VL Prosperity’s engine-room systems, reduced the engine’s cooling flow, increased the engine speed, and disabled the ship’s fuel and engine-oil tank. It said no group had claimed responsibility for the incident.”