Former U.S. Secretary of State Blinken: One possible off-ramp from the war with Iran is simply declaring victory.
Saying the ayatollah is gone and Iran’s nuclear and missile programs have been degraded — and leaving the future of the regime to the Iranian people.
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Blinken: Looking at the war with Iran, two factors will determine where this goes and how it ends — markets and munitions.
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Blinken: Watch the markets — oil, stocks, and bonds. President Trump is very attentive to them. If stocks and bonds fall, or oil rises sharply and stays there, that could become a limiting factor.
J.P. Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon: Since World War II, wars usually move markets but rarely have long-term effects.
The exception was 1973, when oil prices tripled. If the Iran war is short and oil hits $80–$100, it likely won’t matter much — but if it drags on, all bets are off.
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Jamie Dimon: The most important thing in the world right now is geopolitics.
The free Western democratic world is under pressure — from Russia in Ukraine, Iran in the Middle East, and to some extent China, which wants to divide and weaken the West economically and militarily. 2/
Jamie Dimon: War with Iran can create an opportunity for a longer and more just peace in the Middle East, involving Saudi Arabia, the UAE and some path to Palestinian statehood.
Countries in the region want peace because strong economies and foreign investment depend on it.
Rubio: The hardest hits on Iran are yet to come. The next phase will be even more punishing.
We have clear objectives and will act as long as it takes to achieve them. When this operation is over, the world will be a safer place.
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Rubio: In a year or so, Iran would cross a line of immunity — with so many missiles and drones no one could stop them. This operation had to happen.
Look at the damage they cause now, weakened. Imagine them a year from now.
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Rubio: The United States would not deliberately target a school.
Our focus is on missiles and drones — their production and launch sites — not civilian infrastructure. Iran, on the other hand, is hitting hotels, embassies, airports, and oil facilities.