Trump has signed an executive order that will impose tariffs of 50 per cent on a wide range of Canadian exports, a dramatic ramping up of his trade war against his northern neighbour. read more
The Bureau of Land Management plans to reopen the area around Chaco Culture National Historical Park for possible oil and gas leasing, giving the public until July 29 to comment. read more
Yemen's Houthi rebels announced they are imposing a maritime embargo against Saudi Arabia in response for a recent attack on Sanaa Airport. The statement did not clarify exactly what that means. This could put pressure on Saudi Arabia, which uses its East-West Pipeline to try to move oil out of the kingdom while the Strait of Hormuz remains closed. read more
Rep. Becca Balint (D-VT) thinks there's something queer about Secretary Pete Hegseth's fixation on masculinity. The congresswoman weighed in on the U.S. military's plans to test male service members' testosterone levels, telling journalist Scott MacFarlane there's something odd about being so obsessed with manliness while villainizing the LGBTQ community at the same time. read more
An Iranian official says they privately warned Vance about how Trump's son-in-law and his special envoy to the Middle East were destroying peace talks. read more
"Could Iran Disrupt the Gulf Countries' Desalinated Water Supplies?"
Center for Strategic & International Studies
www.csis.org
For the GCC countries, extensive desalination systems constitute indispensable critical infrastructure. Desalination fulfills 77.3 percent of total water demand in Qatar, 67.5 percent in Bahrain, 52.1 percent in the UAE, 42.2 percent in Kuwait, 31 percent in Oman, and 18.1 percent in Saudi Arabia. Desalination plants are especially important for meeting drinking water needs. Qatar derives 99 percent of its drinking water supplies from its network of desalination facilities, and Bahrain over 90 percent. For Kuwait, Oman, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, the figures are 90 percent, 86 percent, 70 percent, and 42 percent, respectively. Cities such as Doha, Dubai, Manama, and Kuwait City would not be possible without desalination. Qatar and Bahrain, in particular, also rely heavily on desalination for industry, too, devoting over half their desalinated water production to sectors such as petrochemicals and data centers. Damage or disruptions to the region's desalination infrastructure could compromise crucial water resources for business, industry, and thousands or even millions of people across the Persian Gulf.
They aren't just "social media influencers." As the headline e at The Guardian reports:
Andrew and Tristan Tate Arrested in Miami on UK Charges of Rape and Sex Traffickimg
www.theguardian.com
Some indication about what this might mean for SA:
And there it is: Bab Al-Mandeb, the second of two petro chokepoints.