Originally published at: https://peakprosperity.com/israelis-protest-the-war-us-faces-energy-bottlenecks-as-trump-promises-more-bombs-and-sidelines-maha/
Geopolitics
Thousands of Israelis gathered in Tel Aviv, Haifa, and Jerusalem for what organizers described as the largest anti-war protests to date, under the banner “For all of our lives” and backed by former lawmakers and civil society groups. Demonstrators called for an end to the war, citing concerns over a potential prolonged conflict and damage to democracy. However, a poll indicated 78% of Jewish Israelis support the war against Iran. Police clashed with hundreds of protesters, leading to arrests, as authorities imposed restrictions on anti-war demonstrations.
In an address to the nation, President Trump described U.S. military operations in Iran as swift and decisive, claiming Iran’s navy had been destroyed, its air force left in ruins, and its missile capabilities curtailed. He stated that core strategic objectives were nearing completion but vowed to strike Iran hard over the next two to three weeks if no deal emerged, potentially targeting electric plants. Trump attributed gasoline price increases to Iranian attacks on tankers, emphasized U.S. energy independence, and urged countries reliant on the Strait of Hormuz to help reopen it. Opposition lawmakers criticized the speech for lacking a firm timeline on de-escalation and reopening the strait.
Meanwhile, Mojtaba Khamenei, the new Ayatollah, broke his silence and issued written messages praising Hezbollah’s perseverance against enemies and thanking Iraq’s Grand Ayatollah Ali Sistani and the Iraqi people for supporting Iran. Iranian state media attributed the statements to him, while intelligence agencies are seeking to confirm his whereabouts and status. Russia’s ambassador to Tehran confirmed Khamenei remains in Iran but is avoiding public appearances due to wartime conditions.
Lastly, United Arab Emirates authorities reportedly detained dozens of money changers linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guards Corps in Dubai, shut down associated companies, and imposed tighter restrictions on Iranian nationals. Dubai has served as a key offshore financial hub for Iran to convert oil proceeds and rials into hard currencies to fund proxies like Hezbollah and the Houthis, with bilateral trade reaching up to $28 billion annually. Analysts described the crackdown as severing a critical sanctions-evasion lifeline, adding to Iran’s economic strain from depleted foreign reserves and cash shortages.
Energy
Constellation Energy’s plan to restart the Three Mile Island Unit 1 reactor, renamed Crane Clean Energy Center, faces delays until potentially 2031 due to grid interconnection issues managed by PJM Interconnection. The 835-megawatt nuclear plant aims to power Microsoft data centers by late 2027, but requires transmission upgrades amid permitting delays and overloaded queues affecting nuclear restarts, renewables, and industrial loads. Conflicting reports suggest Constellation maintains the restart remains on schedule for late 2027.
Relatedly, America’s expansion of AI data centers, projected to consume 12 gigawatts by 2026, relies heavily on imported Chinese electrical equipment, including transformers, switchgear, and batteries, as domestic manufacturing capacity is insufficient. Lead times for high-power transformers have extended to five years, forcing delays or cancellations for nearly half of the planned U.S. data centers despite $650 billion in tech investments. Companies like Crusoe are pre-ordering supplies or refurbishing old equipment, while imports from China have risen sharply, comprising up to 30% of certain components despite tariffs and reshoring efforts. Domestic expansions, such as GE Vernova’s acquisition of Prolec, seek to reduce this import dependence.
Speaking of China, it is reportedly reselling record volumes of liquefied natural gas in a tight global market, leveraging its strong position amid heightened demand. In the first three months of 2026 alone, Chinese firms have already reloaded a record 1.31 million metric tons (equivalent to 19 cargoes) — with March seeing 8–10 cargoes, the highest monthly total on record — primarily sourcing from their imports while domestic demand has softened. They are reselling these cargoes at a significant markup amid spot prices that have jumped 85% since late February, offloading 10 to South Korea, 5 to Thailand, and the rest to Japan, India, and the Philippines.
Economy
Sadara Chemical Company, a $20 billion Saudi Aramco-Dow joint venture in Jubail, indefinitely shut down its entire complex, producing over three million tonnes annually of ethylene, polyethylene, and derivatives for packaging, construction, and automotive uses. The halt stems from the inability to receive seaborne naphtha feedstock due to Strait of Hormuz restrictions, including tolls and clearance requirements, with Asian and European spot prices rising 10 to 15 percent.
Additionally, Iranian missile and drone strikes reportedly damaged power plants supplying Emirates Global Aluminium’s Al Taweelah smelter in the UAE and Aluminium Bahrain’s facility, halting EGA operations and reducing Alba to 30% capacity. The disruptions, combined with Strait of Hormuz constraints on inputs, could remove 3 to 3.5 million tonnes of global aluminum output in 2026, or 4.7% of supply excluding China, with London Metal Exchange futures up 50% from a year ago. However, some reports indicated minimal damage due to effective interceptions by air defenses.
British Politics
The British government announced the end of non-crime hate incidents, records logged by police for perceived prejudiced behavior without criminality, following legal challenges such as Harry Miller’s case over a retweeted limerick. However, critics described the reforms as a rebranding rather than an actual abolition of prior practices. The new system logs certain anti-social behaviors with a prejudice qualifier if meeting an incident threshold, maintaining personal data disclosure on enhanced DBS checks. Concurrently, the “Protecting What Matters” plan introduces algorithm regulations on platforms, greater user controls over online content, access for researchers to platform data, and a new non-statutory definition of “anti-Muslim hostility” covering prejudicial stereotyping beyond unlawful acts. A government-appointed special representative will implement it across police, health services, schools, universities, and workplaces. Around 100,000 historic NCHI records remain on databases.
Health
Robert Malone stated that the White House made a strategic decision to prevent the Make America Healthy Again coalition from discussing vaccines, viewing it as a losing issue for midterms based on internal polling. Malone described MAHA supporters as an inconsequential minority whose concerns, including liability protections, are being sidelined by political advisors focused on electoral calculus. However, some respondents dismissed Malone’s claims as unreliable.
Sources
Thousands of Israelis Stage Largest Anti-War Protests Yet Amid Police Clashes
Thousands of Israelis are now taking to the streets demanding an end to the war
Source | Submitted by Rodster
Oil Spikes as Trump Vows to Hit Iran “Extremely Hard,” Send It “Back to Stone Age”
Will hit Iran extremely hard over next 2-3 weeks
Source | Submitted by travissidelinger
New Ayatollah Khamenei Breaks Silence, Praises Hezbollah and Iraq’s Shia Leaders
Ayatollah Breaks Silence, In Written Message Praises Hezbollah & Shia Leaders Of Iraq
Dubai Crackdown Severs Iran’s IRGC Economic Lifeline
Dubai crackdown hits Iran’s economic lifeline, squeezes IRGC networks
Three Mile Island Restart Reveals America’s True Energy Security Flaw: The Grid
Data centers expose the weakness; they do not create it.
Iran Strikes Cripple Gulf Aluminum Giants, Igniting Supply Shock and Price Surge
EGA’s Al Taweelah facility in the United Arab Emirates halted operations after an Iranian missile and drone attack on Saturday damaged a power plant.
Britain’s Speech Police: Scrapped, Rebranded, Still Stalking
So the government gave you back a marble. And then it took your entire house.
Iran Never Needed to Hit Jubail: The Strait Did the Job
Iran threatened to hit Jubail for decades. It never needed to. The Strait of Hormuz did the job.
Robert Malone: White House Strategically Silences MAHA on Vaccines as “Losing Issue” for Midterms
“a strategic decision” to stop MAHA from talking about vaccines
China Resells Record LNG in Tight Global Market
In tight global market, well-positioned China resells record LNG volumes
America’s AI Build-Out Hinges on Chinese Electrical Parts
America’s AI Build-Out Hinges on Chinese Electrical Parts
Source (Paywalled)
In addition to sources submitted by community members, the following were also used in the creation of this report: +972 Magazine, Senate Intel Democrat Mark Warner via Craig Caplan, Times of India, India Today Global, World Nuclear News, Bloomberg, Javaid Ahmad, MS Alrahmani, Reclaim The Net, and Dr. Jane Ruby.
