Donald Trump aboard Air Force One, February 16, 2026 (Elizabeth Frantz/Reuters)
EA on France 24: US-Israel War — Trump’s Deception About “Talks” With Iran
US-Israel War, Day 26: Iran Rejects Trump’s 15-Point “Plan”
I joined Times Radio’s Maddie Hale for a 36-minute deep dive into developments around the US-Israel War on Iran, beginning with the possibility of Donald Trump’s corruption.
I set out the story of how $580 million in oil futures traded in New York in 60 seconds, around 15 minutes before Trump switched from “obliterating” Iran to “productive conversations” with its leaders. Any insider trading, exploiting the sharp drop in the global oil price after Trump’s announcement, would have brought profits of hundreds of millions of dollars.
I contrast the Trump camp’s short-term gain with their longer-term predicament. Unable to obtain “regime surrender”, Trump is now featuring “talks” with Tehran. Is there any prospect that these will be genuine negotiations, rather than a US ultimatum to Iran? And if the Iranian regime refuses to come to the table, what does the Trump camp do next?
