Iran signals Japanese ships may pass through Strait of Hormuz – Reuters

1 hour ago

Iran has indicated it is ready to allow Japanese-related ships to pass through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical route for global oil supplies, Kyodo News reported, citing Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi.

Tehran has begun discussions with Tokyo on the possible reopening of the strait, Araghchi told the Japanese news agency in a phone interview on Friday.

(What is this about when she was just with Trump a couple of days ago? Are they ramping down?)

https://www.iranintl.com/en/202603216681

US lends 45 million barrels from strategic oil reserve – Reuters

2 hours ago

The Trump administration announced on Friday it haslent 45.2 million barrels of crude from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to oil companies in an effort to ease soaring prices driven by the ongoing war on Iran, according to Reuters.

The initial loan covers 52% of the up to 86 million barrels the administration planned to release last week,with the broader plan aiming for 172 million barrels to be delivered through this year and into next.

Companies receiving the SPR loans include BP Products North America, Gunvor USA, Marathon Petroleum, and Shell Trading, the US Energy Department said.

https://www.iranintl.com/en/202603210662

Switzerland bans weapons exports to US during Iran war - NBC News

2 hours ago (Switzerland who broke their neutrality for giving arms and money to Ukraine to harm Russia, so do they consider Trump and America is like Russia. These people are fucked up. The EU is in massive decline. I bet they feel like they are getting revenge on the U.S. are hate of Israel. oh these idiots are so afraid of Iran they will abandon they ally for 70+ years)

Switzerland announced on Friday it will block the export of war materiel to the United States and other nations involved in the conflict with Iran for the duration of the war.

“The export of war materiel to countries involved in the international armed conflict with Iran cannot be authorized for the duration of the conflict,”the Swiss government said, adding that exports to the US “cannot currently be authorized.”

The US wasSwitzerland’s second-largest weapons importer last year, after Germany, according to SWI swissinfo.Switzerland added it has long refused military exports to Israel and does not export war materiel to Iran.

https://www.iranintl.com/en/202603217913

Vahid, the life-saving ‘one-man army’ Iranians turn to when news is censored. 2 hours .1/2.

As Tehran tightens control over wartime information, one of Iran’s most influential citizen journalists has come under renewed pressure: Vahid Online, long anonymous, is now stepping into the open.

For more than adecade, the anonymous operator behind Vahid Online built a vast following by aggregating videos, images and reports from inside Iran—often capturing events that state-controlled media ignore or suppress.

During the January protests,he was among the first to publish images from inside a Tehran morgue showing people searching for missing loved ones among rows of body bags.

During the 2022 Woman, Life, Freedom movement, many of the most iconic images—of both defiance and repression—first appeared on his channels.

Now, as the current conflict drives demand for real-time, uncensored information,his channels have once again surged in prominence.

Videos of strikes, damaged buildings and their aftermath are sent directly to him, along with a steady flow of messages from across Iran reporting explosions, air defense activity or fighter jets passing overhead—often with timestamps and locations attached.

The messages Vahid shares not only serve as a lifeline during the information blackout, but can also literally save lives, as evidenced by a recent case in which a user said two lives were saved thanks to a warning he had shared.

What sets the platform apart is not just speed, but trust. Over years of steady, often relentless posting, Vahid Online has built a reputation that prompts people inside Iran to send material directly—text messages, photos, audio and video.

“I rely on direct, independent material sent to me,” he wrote during the January protests. “If I were just reposting what’s already out there, there would be no point—many accounts are already doing that.”

That relationship often carries adistinctly personal tone. Messages frequently begin simply: “Vahid, this happened,” or “Vahid, please publish this.” The exchange resembles less a tip line than a direct appeal to a trusted intermediary—someone anonymous, yet familiar.

That approach—prioritizing original submissions over viral content—has shaped both his influence and its limits.It means he is sometimes slower in the early stages of unrest, when little verified material is available, and more visible once footage begins to flow from the ground.

The volume and intensity of that material come at a cost. He has written at times about the strain of constant monitoring, sleepless nights and exposure to graphic or distressing images—an emotional and physical toll that has, on occasion, affected his health.

The figure behind the account had long remained elusive. Describing himself only as a “curious netizen”based in the US state of Maryland, he has consistently avoided interviews or public exposure.

Iranian state media recently claimed—without independent verification—to have uncovered his identity, publishing what they said were personal details alongside an AI-generated image. In response, he said some details were accurate but dismissed the image as not resembling him.

https://www.iranintl.com/en/202603198537

>>24407298

.2/2.

"The Islamic Republic has known my official identity for years. The day just finally came when they decided to reveal it and pretend they had obtained it in some special way," Vahid said in a post on his Telegram channel on March 17.

"The information they cited from my identity documents appears to be correct," he said.

Three days later, he officially signed off his Nowruz message on X with the name released by Iranian state media:Mir-Vahid Hassantabar.

For many Iranians—inside the country and across the diaspora—Vahid Online functions as a kind of real-time window onto eventsthat might otherwise go unseen. Admirers sometimes describe him as a “one-man army.”

Vahid operates primarily on Telegram—where he has 1.2 million subscribers—and to a lesser extent on X, where he has about 700,000 followers.

His rise dates back to the aftermath of Iran’s disputed 2009 presidential election, when protests erupted following the reelection of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Then a blogger, he gained attention by publishing mobile phone footage of a raid on the campaign headquarters of opposition leader Mir-Hossein Mousavi.As repression intensified, he left Iran—reportedly via Turkey—and later sought asylum in the United States.

Since then, Vahid Online has become a central node in the circulation of information about Iran, particularly during waves of unrest. Major international outlets have at times drawn on such material.

Supporters credit the platform withhelping bridge an information gap created by censorship, pointing to practices such as blurring faces, withholding identifying details and selectively posting material to protect sources. The operator himself has described his role more modestly—as an “audience member” highlighting what others might miss or suppress.

Iranian state media accuse the platform of foreign backing or links to intelligence services—claims made without publicly verifiable evidence.

Vahid has dismissed such allegations as routine smear tactics, writing recently: “I am an ordinary citizen with no links to anyone.”

As conflict deepens and information becomes another battleground, Vahid Online is far more than an ordinary citizen. His platform is no longer peripheral, but part of the story—one that may, in time, be written with material he helped bring to light.

In his March 17 statement, he said now that the Islamic Republic has exposed his identity and "this barrier had been removed," he has been pushed into "a new phase of life."

"Now I’m not sure what new things I might want to do that I couldn’t before because of these limitations."

https://www.iranintl.com/en/202603198537

Eric Daugherty

@EricLDaugh

🚨 LMFAO! New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is being mocked nationwide after she BEGGED people to move back from Florida

4 years ago, she was GLOATING, saying Republicans should "jump on a bus and head down to Florida"

Mamdani will make the problem EVEN WORSE!

From

I Meme Therefore I Am 🇺🇸

5:41 PM · Mar 19, 2026

1.3M Views

(She supported socialism, now she is edging to communism!. It won’t work Bitch!)

https://x.com/EricLDaugh/status/2034747134679871991?s=20

>>24407340

She is so fucked, this is where Billionaires and Millionairs do Fuck off bitch it’s not just the taxes, it’s about crime rising and Mandammi running NYC. She thought she could get away with it. Just like CA are losing them in droves. They are both losing a humongous amount of money that they waste.

UK allows US strikes on Iranian missile sites from British bases – FT

5 hours ago

The United Kingdom on Friday confirmed it will let the United States use British air bases to strike Iranian missile sites and other military targets threatening ships in the Strait of Hormuz,marking a significant expansion of London’s policy on the Iran conflict, Financial Times reported.

US President Donald Trump criticized the move, saying Britain should have “acted a lot faster.” The bases designated for US operations include RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire and Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean.

A Downing Street spokespersonsaid the agreement “for the US to use UK bases in the collective self-defense of the region includes US defensive operations to degrade the missile sites and capabilities being used to attack ships in the Strait of Hormuz.”

Promethean will have a news day with this.

https://www.iranintl.com/en/202603203861

>>24407361. It’s more than funny, she fucked her future if ever being a governor again. No one likes her anyway, just the retards do.

>>24407386. KEK the nurse totally faked it, any New Yorker would know this is bullshit. May these assholes really get the Covid shot!

>>24407340

Even her saying she’s a nicer Governor will drive more businesses out. I’d do it out of spite while she let Mandammi finally ruin the losing state under her.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent

@SecScottBessent

Iran is the head of the snake for global terrorism, and through President Trump’s Operation Epic Fury, we are winning this critical fight at an even faster pace than anticipated. In response to Iran’s terrorist attacks against global energy infrastructure, the Trump Administration will continue to deploy America’s economic and military might to maximize the flow of energy to the world, strengthen global supply, and seek to ensure market stability.

Today, the Department of the Treasury is issuing a narrowly tailored, short-term authorization permitting the sale of Iranian oil currently stranded at sea.

At present, sanctioned Iranian oil is being hoarded by China on the cheap. By temporarily unlocking this existing supply for the world, the United States will quickly bring approximately 140 million barrels of oil to global markets, expanding the amount of worldwide energy and helping to relieve the temporary pressures on supply caused by Iran. In essence, we will be using the Iranian barrels against Tehran to keep the price down as we continue Operation Epic Fury.

This temporary, short-term authorization is strictly limited to oil that is already in transit and does not allow new purchases or production. Further, Iran will have difficulty accessing any revenue generated and the United States will continue to maintain maximum pressure on Iran and its ability to access the international financial system.

So far, the Trump Administration has been working to bring around 440 million additional barrels of oil to the global market, undercutting Iran’s ability to leverage its disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz.

President Trump’s pro-energy agenda has driven U.S. oil and gas production to record levels, strengthening energy security and lowering fuel costs. Any short-term disruption now will ultimately translate into longer-term economic gains for Americans – because there is no prosperity without security.

7:10 PM · Mar 20, 2026

·

2.7M

Views

https://x.com/SecScottBessent/status/2035131840604881359

I like how loyal Bessent is to Trump and approves his economic policies. Bessent is brilliant on economics and has an interesting life studying it.

Trump admin tasks Treasury Dept. with student loan collection. What borrowers need to know

PUBLISHED FRI, MAR 20 202

KEY POINTS

• Trump officials plan to task the U.S. Department of the Treasury with collecting on defaulted student loans and eventually “operational support” on current loans.

•Currently, the Education Department oversees the country’s entire nearly $1.7 trillion federal education debt portfolio, held by roughly 42 million people. (Holy fucking shit!Did every President ignore this for 70 years?)

The Trump administration announced on Thursday that it will task the U.S. Department of the Treasury with collecting on defaulted student loans.

Currently, the U.S. Department of Education oversees the country’s nearly $1.7 trillion federal education debt portfolio, held by roughly 42 million borrowers.

The joint announcement from the two agencies said that the Treasury Department would take on more duties related to federal student debt over time, eventually providing “operational support” on current loans.

President Donald Trump has repeatedly said he intends to dismantle the Education Department and to transfer education authority to the states. In a statement, U.S. Secretary of Education LindaMcMahon said the partnership with Treasury is a “historic step toward breaking up the Federal education bureaucracy.”

Some student loan borrowers may see more direct and immediate impacts from the change than others.

“Borrowers are craving clarity and certainty around student loans,” said certified financial planner and certified student loan professional Landon Warmund at Reliant Financial Services in Kansas City, Missouri. “With this recent announcement, it’s adding more uncertainty into the mix.”

Here’s what we know, so far.

Why is this change happening?

The government said that the Treasury is better positioned to collect on debt because it has the offset program. That program involves debt enforcement of child support and other past-due balances owed to the federal government and states.

“Under President Trump’s leadership we are undertaking the first serious effort to clean up a $1.7 trillion portfolio that has been badly mismanaged for years,” U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent said in a statement about the transition.

“Treasury has the unique experience, the operational capability, and the financial expertise to bring long overdue financial discipline to the program and be better stewards of taxpayer dollars,” Bessent said.

Around 9 million borrowers are in default, according to the Education Department.

The Treasury Department has been involved in student loan collection efforts in the past. But the department itself found it collected at lower rates than private companies, according to an archived 2016 blog post from the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine.

“Moving collections to the U.S. Treasury will not lead to improved effectiveness,” Kantrowitz said.

Will I be affected?

For now, only defaulted student loan borrowers are affected by the change. You’re typically not considered to be in default on your federal student loans until you haven’t made your scheduled payment in at least 270 days.

If you’re that far behind, the Treasury Department will likely be tasked with collecting on your debt. The student loan servicer that handles defaulted accounts for the government, Maximus, is unlikely to change, Kantrowitz said.

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/20/student-loan-collection-will-be-managed-by-treasury-department.html

'Punish Iran': Saudi Arabia and UAE inch closer to supporting US-Israeli war

The kingdom has given the US wider access to new bases, but experts say joining offensive operations opens 'can of worms'

Earlier this month, Elbridge Colby, a senior official in the US Department of War, held a call with Saudi Arabian Defence Minister Khalid bin Salman, who is also the brother and top adviser to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Iran’s attacks on US bases in the Gulf were heating up, and the US needed expanded access and overflight permissions. Saudi Arabia agreed to open King Fahd Air Base in Taif, in Western Saudi Arabia, to the Americans, multiple US and western officials familiar with the matter told Middle East Eye.

The base is important because it is farther from Iranian Shahed drones than Prince Sultan Air Base, which has come under repeated Iranian attacks. Taif is also close to Jeddah, the Red Sea port that has become a critical logistics hub since Iran effectively took control of the Strait of Hormuz.

Current and former US officials tell MEE that if the Trump administration is preparing for a longer war on Iran, Jeddah may be critical for sustaining US armed forces. Thousands of US ground troops are en route to the region from East Asia.

Saudi Arabia’s decision to expand base access, current and former officials say, underscores a shift in how the kingdom and some other Gulf states are responding to the US-Israeli war on Iran.

“The attitude in Riyadh has shifted towards supporting the US war as a way to punish Iran for strikes,” a western official in the Gulf told MEE.

Trump and the Saudi crown prince have been holding regular phone calls for the last three weeks, the US and western officials told MEE.

The UAE has also told the US that it is geared up for a long war, putting no pressure on Washington to wrap up the conflict soon.(don’t piss off the Gulf States, Iran should have known)

In a phone call earlier this month, UAE Foreign Minister Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed told his counterpart, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, that the UAE is prepared for the war to last up to nine months, the US official told MEE.

Differing Gulf perspectives

Saudi Arabia, the UAE and Qatar lobbied US President Donald Trump against attacking Iran. While they host US military bases, the states insisted that they not be used as launchpads when the US joined Israel on 28 February to attack Iran.

Despite this, the Gulf states have paid the heaviest price for the US’s decision to go to war.

The UAE alone has intercepted 338 ballistic missiles and 1,740 drones since the start of the war.

Qatar suffered the worst attack of any Gulf state despite being a critical mediator that has consistently focused on de-escalation.

'Not only do we really need to create deterrence, we need to create a precedent for post-war'

• Abdulaziz Alghashian, Gulf International Forum

Iran responded to an Israeli attack on its South Pars gas field this week by launching missiles at Qatar’s Ras Laffan refinery. The damage will take three to five years to repair and affects 17 percent of Qatar’s gas production, according to Qatari energy minister Saad al-Kaabi.

Some states, like Oman, have said that Israel hoodwinked the US into launching an unlawful attack on Iran.

There is also anger at the US over its value as a security guarantor.

The US has been unable to replenish the Gulf states' Patriot and Terminal High Altitude Area Defence interceptors. The US bases in the Gulf, meant to protect the Arab monarchies, have been targeted. Meanwhile, oil and gas exports have ground to a halt.

Omani Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi wrote in The Economist this week that this is "not America's war" and that Washington’s allies needed to make clear to the US that it was dragged into a conflict with little to gain.

Busaidi’s remarks contrasted with those of Saudi Arabian Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan. After Riyadh and the port of Yanbu were attacked by Iran, he delivered a blistering message to the Islamic Republic. One former US intelligence official described it as “fighting words”.

Farhan said Iran had committed “heinous attacks” which “are an extension of [Iran’s] behavior that is based on extortion and sponsoring militias, threatening the security and stability of neighbouring countries”.

"Saudi Arabia has repeatedly tried to extend its hand to the Iranian brothers…but the Iranians did not reciprocate,” he said, adding that the kingdom reserved the right to take “military action”.

While no one in the Gulf wanted a war with Iran, the Gulf states are approaching the conflict from varied, evolving perspectives as it drags into its fourth week, experts say.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/saudi-arabia-and-uae-inch-closer-to-us-israeli-war-on-iran