Iran

John Limbert does some much needed threat-deflating regarding Iran:

The facts do not support the fearmongers. Their warnings of “Iranian hegemony” and a “new Persian Empire” have no basis in reality.

Before Palin endorsed him, Trump was on stage babbling about Iran and Yemen (starting at around 16:40):

Israel’s defence minister has stated that Iran is a bigger threat to Israel than ISIS, saying that Tehran’s nuclear ambitions and “terror infrastructure” make them Israel’s number one enemy. Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon told a conference in Tel Aviv that “Iran is our main enemy,” and faced with having to choose between Iran and ISIS in an open conflict, he would “prefer ISIS.” RT.com reports: The logic seems simple, as IS will be eventually be defeated, while Iran continues to pose a threat with its new rapprochement with the West.

Submitted by Gail Tverberg via Our Finite World blog,

A person often reads that low oil prices–for example, $30 per barrel oil prices–will stimulate the economy, and the economy will soon bounce back. What is wrong with this story? A lot of things, as I see it:

1. Oil producers can’t really produce oil for $30 per barrel.

On Tuesday evening we checked in on Xi Jinping as he makes his first visit to the Mid-East as President.

As we detailed extensively, the trip comes at a critical time for the region. Saudi Arabia and Iran are at each other’s throats following a series of unfortunate events that began with the execution of a prominent Shiite cleric and quickly escalated into an all-out diplomatic firestorm.

Now, the spat is on the verge of triggering a wider sectarian conflict that could further destabilize an already precarious security situation.