Iran Adamantly Rejects US Attempt to Control Upcoming Negotiations Over Iran’s Nuclear Program
What a day!! Lots of negotiation and non-negotiation action on the Iranian front. In the span of two hours, starting at 1 pm and ending around 3 pm eastern time, the world was whipped sawed with news that the bilateral negotiations between Iran and the US was cancelled — that was the 1 pm news — and then, at 3 pm, the talks were back on. The initial reports that the meeting in Oman would not take place cited Iran’s reaction to a US demand that Iranian ballistic missiles and Iran’s support for groups like Hamas and Hezbollah must be on the agenda or there would be no negotiations. Without a moments hesitation, Iran barked back and said, “Ok, no meeting.”
Axios reported that US officials were surprised by Iran’s reaction and scrambled to come up with a response to Iran. Within two hours, the US retreated and accepte Iran’s position that the Friday meeting in Oman would only address nuclear bombs and uranium enrichment. Iran won this first round.
While all of this was taking place, Pentagon officials announced that the US carrier strike force had shot down an Iranian drone that was flying towards the USS Abraham Lincoln again… No word about the make and model. Three days ago, Iran successfully overflew the USS Abraham Lincoln and showed the video footage on Iran’s Press TV. I think Pete Hegseth and his team of sycophants were embarrassed by that episode and decided to retaliate with force.
And if that was not enough, Iran dispatched a bevy of small boats to harass what the press described as a US tanker navigating the Strait of Hormuz. I think Iran was simply trying to remind the US that it is serious about taking action against the US military and economic presence in the Persian Gulf if the US acts on its threat to attack Iran.
Danny Davis, Doug MacGregor and I have heard active duty military officers in recent days insist that any Iranian attacks would be easily repulsed by US forces in the region. We all think that those officers do not understand the full capabilities of the Iranian navy and air force to overwhelm US defenses with a combination of drone and missile swarms if the US carries out an attack on targets inside Iran. King Solomon, writing in Proverbs, accurately described this attitude… Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.
If the US is going to attack Iran it will want to launch in the next two weeks because Russian and Chinese warships are headed to the area to participate in the annual Iran-Russia-China joint-naval military exercise. Iran, Russia, and China are scheduled to hold their joint naval military exercise, known as Maritime Security Belt 2026 (the eighth edition of the series), in the northern Indian Ocean (including areas near the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Sea) in late February 2026. Iranian Navy Commander Rear Admiral Shahram Irani announced on January 31, 2026, that the exercise will involve units from Iran’s regular navy (Nedaja), the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy, and naval forces from China and Russia.
A very busy podcast day… Danny Davis and I discussed the Russian position on territorial negotiations with Ukraine and the US. Next up is my conversation with Alexander Babakov — the number two legislator in the Duma — about Russia’s view of the root causes of the war with Ukraine. I also had the pleasure of chatting with the beautiful and talented Rachel Blevins… the hardest working woman in Austin, Texas. I closed out the day with Ed DeMarche, who posts on Gerald Celente’s Trends Journal:
Larry's inclusion of Proverbs 16:18 to describe the elite roosters in the US is appropriate: "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall."
I found this commentary on the Scripture...further apt description of the elite:
Pride: Often viewed as a dangerous trait, pride can blind individuals to their weaknesses. It creates a false sense of security, making one vulnerable to failure.
Haughty Spirit: This refers to an attitude of superiority and disdain for others. Such arrogance often leads to negative consequences.
Larry is 100% correct about Rachel Blevins. She consistently has smart, well-informed guests. She is intelligent, gracious and likeable.
I think with the fluctuating situation concerning Iran, the pressure on Trump--from outside sources and from within himself--has to be close to the point where his cork will pop. By this I mean he will/could make an irrational decision that will cause devastating results. The poor and clamorous decision will be a release for him, as he aims to 'subdue the enemy' while glorifying himself. Oh, and factor in that pesky Israel creature that continues to buzz his ear...he won't swat it, but he will keep placating it.