This is indeed my assertion.

> no data to support the accusation.

Given that you video evidence of a rape along with the documented injuries of the survivor doesn’t meet your evidentiary standards, I doubt that anything would actually convince you, but it’s well documented that Israeli’s act with impunity against Palestinians in a number of contexts.

E.g.

“3% of the investigations (into settler violence) ended with a conviction”

https://www.yesh-din.org/en/data-sheet-law-enforcement-on-is...

What’s the difference?

I'm not sure President Trump shares your view here:

"ABC News’s Jonathan Karl asked Trump if he approved of Iran’s plan to charge vessels a fee for passing through the strait — a key channel through which roughly 20 percent of the world’s oil is transported. “We’re thinking of doing it as a joint venture,” the president told Karl, who shared Trump’s response on the social platform X. “It’s a way of securing it — also securing it from lots of other people. It’s a beautiful thing.”

https://x.com/jonkarl/status/2041839012097229086?s=46

https://thehill.com/policy/international/5821343-trump-us-ir...

I bet Trump will justify it as compensation for US “security” guarantees to Gulf States.

https://thehill.com/policy/international/5821343-trump-us-ir...

The arguments the Melians use against Athenians reasons for conquest end up going unheeded though - Athens conquers Melos and enslaves its inhabitants.

“ Soldiers when in desperate straits lose the sense of fear. If there is no place of refuge, they will stand firm. If they are in the heart of a hostile country, they will show a stubborn front. If there is no help for it, they will fight hard."

Sun Tzu

I think what new is the realization of Iran’s willingness to escalate.

> There is no real possible alignment between the regime in Tehran and the Sunni Emirates or Saudi Arabia or Kuwait. There is no way they are sprinting closer to Iran.

Can you please expand on that? I don’t understand why they couldn’t be aligned.

https://www.foreignaffairs.com/iran/america-has-lost-arab-wo...

Iran has fomented discord in a number of countries, most notably Syria and Lebanon. I think they are “rational” in the sense that they are pursuing their goals of eliminating US influence over the Middle East - but many other states in the MidEast would see that goal as “irrational” in itself.

I think this was done voluntarily as a demonstration of sacrifice and nationalism.

https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2023/11/benjamin-netany...

“Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.’”

Maybe an extremist Israeli put together that particular target list?

Might doesn’t make “right” but it determines geopolitical realities.

> Iran doesn’t control the straight though.

Then why was Trump demanding that Iran “open the fuckin’ Strait”?

“Transit volume through the Strait of Hormuz remains a fraction of what it was before the Iran conflict”

https://maritime-executive.com/article/traffic-through-strai...

Yes, that’s exactly my point. any country can do whatever they want … within the limits of their powers.

What is currently stopping US/Israel from forcing Iran to open the strait of Hormuz?

I don’t believe they have the ability to take out enough of Iran’s missiles/drones to prevent Iran from exerting its control of the Strait.

> It’s a matter of principle

“ Right, as the world goes, is only in question between equals in power, while the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must.”

Thucydides

But hermetic protection is REALLY important when your entire economy is based off of oil and water desalination plants. Iran still retains the ability to damage that infrastructure. The Gulf countries have some hard decisions to make, but I wouldn’t be surprised if several of them sprint closer to Iran. Already we are hearing of a joint Omani-Irani agreement on Hormuz administration…

Right, and “Pax” are rare enough that we actually name them. I.e. Pax Romana etc. what we are seeing here is the end of Pax Americana.

The US is stopping other countries from trading with Cuba and Iran. The US doesn’t have the “right” to do that, but it doesn’t need the “right”. It only needs power.

Iran has power over the Hormuz and is exerting it for what it deems is in its interest.

> Gulf States themselves will go to war over it

Maybe? But I doubt it - $1 per barrel amounts to like 1-2% of the price of oil. They may not like it but it’s not going to affect their bottom line nearly as much as closing the strait for 1 week will. A war with Iran would mean utter destruction of all oil infrastructure in the region, so probably better to pay 2% to avoid that.

War is about achieving political gains, even if it means material losses.

Compare the proposal that the US rejected in February to the 10 point plan that Trump now says is a "a very significant step" which he now " believes it is a workable basis on which to negotiate."

https://www.yahoo.com/news/world/article/trump-agrees-to-two...

The proposal in February mentions limiting nuclear enrichment.

"The Iranian proposal does not meet core US demands. US officials told the Wall Street Journal that Iran’s proposal would force Iran to reduce enrichment to as low as 1.5 percent, pause enrichment for a number of years, and process its enriched uranium through an Iran-based regional consortium.[11] Four unspecified Iranian officials told the New York Times on February 26 that Iran would also offer to dilute its 400 kg of 60 percent-enriched uranium in phases and allow IAEA inspectors to oversee all steps.”

https://understandingwar.org/research/middle-east/iran-updat...

The new 10 point agreement (see top comment on this story) explicitly mentions "Acceptance of Iran's nuclear enrichment rights" and "Payment of damages to Iran for loss in the war" as conditions (along with lifting sanctions).

https://english.news.cn/20260408/dd8df6148df94252aaa1d3fbb59...

The new plan is CLEARLY a step backwards from the perspective of the USA and the fact that the US is entertaining it while Iran literally is still launching missiles to Israel means that this is clearly a step backwards for the US.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/no-immediate-re...

How are they still firing missiles and downing aircraft?

Do you know of any studies that suggest BPC-157 absorption from gut?