This past weekend Evie and I attended the annual Brownstone gala in Chattanooga TN. It was sold out and packed with people just like us: curious, awake, and more than a bit worried about the direction of things.
For my talk, I riffed around the saying ‘the purpose of a system is what it does.’ I noted that despite the great Blue Wave I predicted no real change in the prosecution of the Iran war.
The purpose of the permanent state for my entire adult life has been to engage in war. That’s what it does, and it doesn’t matter which party is in office. So it will carry on as it has been unperturbed by the changing of the guard.
And, indeed, that’s been the case.
US & Iranian Attacks
This past weekend, the US repeatedly struck Iranian targets on Qeshm Island and in Jask:
🚨🇮🇷🇺🇸 Smoke is rising into the night sky on Qeshm Island, after a U.S. strike against an air defense system.The same system was reportedly active earlier.Probably won't be again…Source: @TabzLIVE on TG / Writer: Michael https://t.co/o3fvbvDike pic.twitter.com/0lNQjYciNs
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) November 8, 2026
Missiles were reported to be flying in both directions:
🚨BREAKING: Heavy missile exchanges have erupted in the Strait of Hormuz between Iranian and U.S. armed forces.It appears to be a rather large volley. 👀
— The Enforcer (@ItsTheEnforcer) November 7, 2026
Somehow we’re supposed to believe that the same amount of oil is getting out as before the war despite also being told that Iran, which as ~12% of the pre-war flows, has been completely shut in by the US blockade.
And, the same amount of oil is getting out despite ships being attacked every single day since mid-October.
Here’s an oil products tanker:
🇮🇷 Iranian forces reportedly hit the oil products tanker Navig8 Messi near the Strait of Hormuz, leaving the ship ON FIRE.The vessel was attacked near Khasab, off Oman’s Musandam Peninsula. Its crew was evacuated and no injuries were reported.The tanker had already been…
— Mario Nawfal (@MarioNawfal) November 9, 2026
A container ship:
The situation of the container ship targeted in the southern Strait of Hormuz, which was hit and is on fire despite US air escort. pic.twitter.com/IL2Ku3BYVG
— Sprinter Report (@SprinterReport) November 9, 2026
At least 6 ships have been hit over the weekend:
UPDATE: There have been multiple vessels struck in the Strait of Hormuz in the last 48 hours, with likely 5-6 vessels hit in the last two days, multiple of which have been captured by satellite imagery as actively on fire.While the United States is proving highly effective at…
— Brett Erickson (@BrettErickson28) November 8, 2026
Saudi Arabia’s Houthi Problem
The Houthis continue to attack Saudi Arabia, seemingly at will.
🚨🇾🇪🇸🇦 DEVELOPING: Fresh Houthi missile and drone attacks have targeted Saudi Arabia, following Sunday's strikes on Riyadh that damaged an Aramco tower. Saudi air defences reported intercepting multiple incoming threats. pic.twitter.com/KUoFpRrAfE
— Zulfiqar Siddiquizada🇵🇰🇷🇺🇨🇳🇵🇸 (@SiddiquiZadaa) November 9, 2026
They
by redneck-engineer 
