SECRETARY OF STATE MARCO RUBIO UPDATES MEDIA

March 3, 2026 | Sundance |

Secretary of State Marco Rubio updates the media on current activity surrounding Operation Epic Fury.

Secretary Rubio begins with an update on what Americans in the region need to know. Rubio asks all Americans to record their status with the U.S. State Department.

Rubio then outlines the latest report on a drone hitting near a U.S. embassy in Dubai. A drone struck a parking lot adjacent to a chancellery building and a fire broke out. No Americans were hurt or injured. The consulate was already on minimal staffing.

Secretary Rubio then provides an update on the general disposition of the conflict effort. Rubio notes the two most powerful air forces in the world are about to go even more severe in our combat activity deep inside Iran.

The traditional frame of reference for pundits surrounds “the escalation trap.” Most of them are so stuck in their old Washington DC view of nation building they just cannot see another approach.

How do you avoid the trap? You don’t play the game.

• You don’t try to control the outcome on the ground. You change behavior, without being on the ground.

• Eventually, having killed or destroyed everything you want to see killed or destroyed (including their ability to wage war against you), you withdraw – then demand terms.

• You don’t need to be there on the ground.

•It’s a version of the Venezuela model.

• Tell the governing body, whoever that is, whoever surfaces to claim lead with the support of the people, what you expect. Then you hold them accountable.

• If they refuse to change behavior, bomb them again – select the refusers as new targets. Wash – Rinse – Repeat.

• Again, pull back, await the governing authority to surface, tell them the expectations, if they balk, reject or refuse, bomb them again…. Pull back, await the next crew, tell them the expectations; if they balk, fail or reject, bomb them again…. Then pull back.

Is there an escalation trap? No, you are trying to change behavior – full stop.

• You remain open but cold, hard and indifferent to any non-compliant replies.

BREAKING NEWS: Marco Rubio Speaks With Reporters After Iranian Drone Strikes US Consulate In Dubai

12:27

HTTPS://YOUTU.BE/L1GP2C7VIJQ

HTTPS://THECONSERVATIVETREEHOUSE.COM/BLOG/2026/03/03/SECRETARY-OF-STATE-MARCO-RUBIO-UPDATES-MEDIA/

IRAN CONFLICT – OIL DISRUPTION HITS KEY BRICS MEMBERS HARD

March 3, 2026 | Sundance1/2

Consider the severe economic body blows to China in the past 14 months.

♦ First blow, the Trump tariffs hit Beijing hardest. ♦ Second blow, the Beijing tentacle on the Panama Canal is severed. ♦ Third blow, global tariff threats changed the risk dynamic for southeast Asia countries who acted as transnational shippers for China. ♦ Fourth blow, cheap sanctioned oil from Venezuela was cut-off. ♦Now, the fifth blow; cheap, sanctioned Iranian oil is disrupted.

As noted by Politico: Following USA military strikes, “ships have begun to avoid the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Iran — a critical shipping lane for Gulf nations to export oil to Asia.China in 2025 received about half of its imported oil from the six Gulf countries that rely on the strait. Other large crude oil producers in the region — including Saudi Arabia, Iraq and the United Arab Emirates —transport almost all their crude exports through the geographic bottleneck.”

[SOURCE]

It’s not just a factor of oil flow,but also the price that China will ultimately end up having to pay. Beijing was buying oil from Venezuela, Iran and Russia at steep discounts becausetheir purchases were skirting western sanctions.

With Iranian oil production now no longer a market option, China will seek to replace their needs with more Russian alternative.However, that diversion means the oil India was purchasing from Russia will come at a higher price, and the refined final product that was exported by India will arrive to the European Union carrying an additional cost.

Simultaneously, Vladimir Putin was asked about Russia’s lack of military support to Iran in response to the U.S. military action, to wit the Russian president noted the technical terms of their joint military agreements did not include Russia’s immediate involvement.In shorthand, Russia is busy and is not getting involved.

Russia was/is partially dependent on receiving military supplies from Iran in exchange for oil transfers. The military component is reported to include drones from Iran for use in the Ukraine conflict.Now that exchange profile is shuttered.

TakingIran’s malign influence off the geopolitical chessboard is beginning to surface in major challenges to the BRICS assembly(Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa). Russia, China and India are impacted directly.

The BRICS nations were skirting western oil sanctionsby trading the commodity outside the petrodollar structure. However, PresidentTrump now controls the flow of oil from Venezuela, and his administration controls the currency in which it is sold.

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2026/03/03/iran-conflict-oil-disruption-hits-key-brics-members-hard/

>>24337387

2/2

With Iranian oil removed from the non-petro supply chain,the only remaining non-petro oil producer is Russia – who is simultaneously hit with a loss in military hardware support. China may end up as a larger oil customer to Russia, but at what price and in what payment structure.

With global oil supplies in a state of flux, and with the USA in control of the oil flow from Venezuela,North America is certainly in the best position for minimal energy disruption.

Asia is heavily dependent on oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz, and the majority of Europe has already shut themselves off from Russian oil production, putting themselves in a position of dependency to the global markets.The short-term ramifications of this oil disruption hit China, Southeast Asia, Japan and Europe particularly hard.

“OPEC+ countries affirmed on Sunday that they would boost oil productionstarting in April by 206,000 barrels daily — a modest increase intended to dampen the war’s effect on prices down the road. The majority of the increase would come from Saudi Arabia and Russia.” {SOURCE}

All of a sudden, this happens: Zelenskyy not to be trusted?

“Ukraine is under pressure to let the EU inspect a damaged pipeline carrying Russian oil to Hungary and Slovakia, as the two pro-Kremlin countriesaccuse Kyiv of overstating the impact of an attack by Moscow — despite what Ukrainian officials say is evidence of extensive destruction,” the report said.

According to five diplomats and EU officials who spoke to the FT,even pro‑Ukrainian governmentswithin the European Union and the European Commissionhave also asked Ukraine to permit a delegation to inspect the pipeline. Two sources told the newspaperthat European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen requested access for EU experts during her visit to Kyiv on Feb. 24, the fourth anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion.The request, according to the sources, was refused.

As tensions escalated, the EU’s ambassador to Ukraine, Katarina Mathernova,reportedly asked through the presidential office for permission to inspect the damaged pipeline herselfor to allow visits by other EU diplomats.Those requests were denied for security reasons, the sources said.” (link)

(The EU foolishly trusted Zelensky the PT Barnum of the EU, and anyone in Ukraine. Now comes the boomerang!)

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2026/03/03/iran-conflict-oil-disruption-hits-key-brics-members-hard/

Kek this is funny at the end of an article on Iran!

https://theconservativetreehouse.com/blog/2026/03/03/president-trump-rejects-premise-u-s-is-not-running-out-of-strategic-munitions/

>>24336922 @realDonaldTrump I STAND WITH TRUMP - THE MOST BADASS PRESIDENT OF ALL TIMEPN

Just saw this on il Trumpo today

THEIR WHOLE LEADERSHIP IN ONE SHOT!!!😎🇺🇸💥💥💥

0:17length

https://rumble.com/embed/v74a7mc/?pub=4

>>24337118 Former President Bill Clinton may have just handed Illinois voters a political earthquake.PN

Duhhh…Thaf wasn’t an accident, that was a threat!billy boy is not dumb!

https://x.com/IAPolls2022/status/2028962183049097691?s=20

2026 ELECTION

Judge orders Dallas County to extend polling hours for Texas Democratic primary amid voter confusion

Two county Republican parties opted to use precinct-level rather than countywide polling sites, which Democrats say led voters to show up at the wrong locations.

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/thousands-texas-voters-showed-wrong-polling-site-state-democrats-say-rcna261618

Greg Price

@greg_price11

Jasmine Crockett is already claiming that there was "cheating" in the Texas Democrat Primary election.

8:32 PM · Mar 3, 2026

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74.9K

https://x.com/greg_price11/status/2029007057307811916?s=20

Bill Melugin

@BillMelugin_. KEK

NEW: I asked House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) about Nancy Pelosi saying in 2011 that President Obama didn't need Congressional approval to bomb Libya, but Dems now say President Trump needs approval to bomb Iran?

Jeffries said Iran is "very different" & told me "I don't even understand the genesis or basis of that question…not suggesting you're asking it in bad faith."

When I pointed out that the Libya bombing campaign went on for 7 months, (and also included a no-fly zone), Jeffries said he wasn’t in Congress at the time and that the Trump admin "isn't even pretending to have intelligence at this point" to justify the strikes in Iran.

3:34 PM · Mar 3, 2026

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905.2K

https://x.com/BillMelugin_/status/2028932152126054616?s=20

Republican Sen. John Cornyn is fighting for a fifth term, with state Attorney General Ken Paxton and Rep. Wesley Hunt both arguing

Say prayers for Paxton!he needs to win again Cornyn. Trump hater

Crockett looks like she’s lost

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-primary-elections/texas-senate-results

🔴 LIVE: 2026 TEXAS MIDTERM PRIMARY RESULTS

Reporting now

https://www.youtu.be/8FE6_59bglw

https://x.com/VoteHub/status/2028974046562472208?s=20

North Carolina elections director says early voting up 25% from last midterm primary election

Rebecca Shabad.

Helen Graham

and

Rebecca Shabad

North Carolina elections director Sam Hayes said today that early voting in the state's primary is up about 25% compared with the 2022 midterm election primary.

Voters wait in line to cast their ballots on the last day of early voting in the North Carolina primary election in Durham on Saturday. Rachel Jessen /

"A total of 701,000 voters cast ballots during the early voting period for this primary. That’s up from 559,000 in 2022, which was the last midterm primary," Hayes said at a news conference.

Hayes also noted thatearly voting participation even surpassed the 2020 primary levels, "demonstrating strong engagement from North Carolina voters."

https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2026-election/live-blog/texas-north-carolina-arkansas-primary-election-live-updates-rcna261440#rcrd102697

Suspected Iranian drone attack hits CIA station in Saudi Arabia - WaPo

5 hours ago

Listen to this article

A suspected Iranian drone attack targeted the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) station in Saudi Arabia, The Washington Post reported on Tuesday citing informed sources.

https://www.iranintl.com/en/202603039942

Video shows ruins of Iran's Expediency Council building after strikes

6 hours ago

Iran’s Expediency Discernment Council on Mirdamad Street in Tehran was destroyed after being targeted in an airstrike on Monday, footage released by Iranian media showed.

The council is a powerful state body that selects the clerical member of the Interim Leadership Council andmakes the final decisions on five key issues until a new Supreme Leader is elected:

1- Determining the general policies of the Islamic Republic

2- Ordering a referendum

3- Declaring war or peace

4- Dismissing the president

5- Appointing or dismissing the chief of the Joint Staff, the commander-in-chief of the IRGC, and senior military and law enforcement commanders

Iran International English

@IranIntl_En

·

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Iran’s Expediency Discernment Council on Mirdamad Street in Tehran was destroyed after being targeted in an airstrike on Monday, footage released by Iranian media showed.

The council is a powerful state body that selects the clerical member of the Interim Leadership Council and Show more

2:55 PM · Mar 3,

https://x.com/IranIntl_En/status/2028922179090284793?s=20