GEOFINANCIAL
EARTHQUAKE
Meanwhile, there seems to be no end in sight to the
military hostilities. What are the current and future consequences for the
global economy?
By Sidney Hey
The start of the war against Iran has a very calculated purpose – or does it not? Israel was the aggressor and the US followed suit, believing it would all be over in a couple of days. Donald Trump, far from using his own judgement and listening to those who really know, ended up believing he would secure a lightning victory. This is what the deputy head of the Mossad and Netanyahu himself assured him. As we can see, that did not happen, and beyond the destruction of civilian and military infrastructure and the human casualties being caused (including their own), Donald Trump’s blunder is already inflicting severe damage on the international financial system that could bring it down completely.
On this last point, and as a separate note, there is
growing internal tension between the camp of Wall Street financiers and the
supporters of technology companies in Silicon Valley –not to benefit US
citizens-, let alone the world, but to bring down the current system and
replace it with one in which AI and a digital currency (which would supplant
the dollar) set the parameters for a new global financial economy.
Meanwhile, reality hits hard. The economist and
professor Richard Wolff was blunt on the matter, stating that “this war could
lead the country to a fiscal cliff”, and whilst he made it very clear that
Trump is not solely responsible for these consequences, he has done much to
make matters worse. Although he is not responsible for the enormous public
debt, he is contributing to it causing the collapse of the state of the Union’s
finances and, with that, the consequences for the economy. Likewise, it is
already too late, and all he is trying to do is lick the wounds of his own arrogance.
Trump continues to try to cover up his strategic blunder with false
announcements in a bid to buy time, but Iran is not buying it and has already
shown itself determined to drive his forces out of the entire region. Added to
this, his arrogant proposals for a ceasefire are unacceptable (and even less
desirable) to Tehran, especially as they are achieving their strategic
objectives. Proof of this is the shift in the dynamics of the conflict, in
which IRGC forces are gradually going on the offensive using the most
sophisticated missiles and other weapons systems that have not yet been
deployed.
Trump’s underestimation of Iran and its ability to
manage the conflict has served him well enough to have his own words turned
against him: “You’re fired”. It is precisely in the US where citizens have the
opportunity to dismiss a clearly reckless leader who, in addition to betraying
his voter base, has jeopardised not only global peace but also his own
country’s political, economic and financial stability by supporting a war to
satisfy the personal ambitions of a corrupt and criminal foreign politician
like Benjamin Netanyahu.
Now the markets no longer pay attention to what Trump
might say in the media, on his “Truth Social” network or through any of his
spokespeople; they look to and get their information from independent sources
about what is really happening on the ground. Even more so. They are surely
paying closer attention to Iranian media than to the reality-shapers of Western
media such as CNN, FOX NEWS, AXIOS and all their affiliates across the
hemisphere, which merely tailor the facts to suit Washington’s whims and convenience.
Even if they were to turn to reasonably credible Israeli media outlets such as
HAARETZ, they could find useful pieces of information despite the military
censorship imposed by the Tel Aviv regime.
All this brings to light a reality that is very hard
for Trump and Netanyahu to swallow, revealing the failure of their
expectations.
As of today, whilst the White House attempts to
contain the damage caused by its occupant’s own nonsense, the Strait of Hormuz
remains closed to the Americans and their allies in the aggression, shattering
like glass the grandiose assertions about negotiations, surrenders or even
victories uttered by a man accustomed to lying. The announcement that passage
and oil transactions would be charged in Chinese currency is already a direct
torpedo to the waterline of the US economy and a right-handed cross to Trump’s
own jaw. Even more so. Tehran is already allowing passage to ships from nations
that stand apart from the aggression and have no trade relations with either
the US or Israel.
This reality, which neither Trump nor the media, let
alone the intelligence agencies, can hide today, has begun to take effect. Just
to mention the extent of the structural damage Tel Aviv has been enduring –and
speaking only of urban infrastructure– it would require some 100 million
dollars to rebuild, demolish and refurbish a large proportion of the buildings.
As for the economic damage already caused by the
disruption to business resulting from the bombings and the serious threat posed
by Iranian missiles, this has not yet been quantified, and the Israeli public
is no longer buying the explanations offered by Netanyahu and his cabinet.
To the imminent and progressive rise in oil prices
must be added the consequences for productive sectors that affect the global
economy. One of these is industrial production, which, according to the
Secretary-General of the International Chamber of Commerce (ICC), John Denton,
“the war could become the worst industrial crisis in living memory”, he said.
At the same time, as Fatih Birol, head of the International Energy Agency
(IEA), stated, we are also on the brink of the most severe energy crisis since
the 1970s, when the oil crisis left US petrol stations dry.
Let us not forget that just a few hours after the first
attack on Tehran, the Iranian authorities set themselves the goal of using oil
and gas as a deterrent against the aggressors’ criminal plans. If we compare
the two positions and assess which is the most credible, we will see that the
Iranian stance is the one that is being most effectively implemented, with the
aim of pushing the price per barrel to over $200 something that, in the view of
analysts and economists, would be a global disaster.
As you can see, ‘the emperor has no clothes’ (in
reference to Trump), and although he believes otherwise and his sycophants such
as Hegseth, Witkoff and Kushner fawn over him obsequiously, the markets do not
share that view and can clearly see that he is left with his arse in the air;
so one might well ask: what else is he prepared to sacrifice?





