Current Affairs - 2026

[Mervyn and Trish]

Getting their excuses lined up for the next economic bad news. Of course Covid and the war in Ukraine weren't to blame for poor growth during Tory times, that was all the fault of the government. But if Rachel fails to hit her targets that won't be her fault at all.

[david63]

Getting their excuses lined up for the next economic bad news. Of course Covid and the war in Ukraine weren't to blame for poor growth during Tory times, that was all the fault of the government. But if Rachel fails to hit her targets that won't be her fault at all.

How dare you be so cynical?

Rachel from accounts will have always had this factored into her budget calculations along with the other "unknown" events that will occur!

[david63]

OK, not for the first time I am confused.

Yesterday Trump was lauding the fact that they had destroyed the Iranian navy, but today we have

US Central Command (Centcom) says US forces have "eliminated" 16 Iranian mine-laying ships today near the Strait of Hormuz.

Somebody is telling porkies!

[Stephen]

He’s probably talking sh*t about the plastic ones in his huge bath.

[Mervyn and Trish]

Well he eliminated all their nuclear weapons in November, so he's just being extra careful.

[Mervyn and Trish]

So to solve the oil crisis caused by his war, Trump is removing sanctions on Russia to help Putin with his. The man's a genius!

[david63]

So to solve the oil crisis caused by his war, Trump is removing sanctions on Russia to help Putin with his.

Why has nobody else thought of that? Sounds pretty obvious to me.

The man's a genius!

Doesn't seem to fall within my definition of "genius", but what do I know!!

[david63]

So now that Trump has got himself in a mess he wants everyone else come and bale him out

Trump calls on the UK and other nations to join the US in sending ships to help secure the Strait of Hormuz

Just typical America/Trump - don't have a clue as to what they are doing and when it goes pear shaped everyone will come to their aid. Trump started this so Trump can end it - that is if he has the first clue how to go about that!

Correct me if I am wrong but was this not inevitable and if the US and Israel had so much intelligence on what was going on in Iran why is it now a problem? Ah yes I know Trump and Netanyahu both thought that they knew better than their advisors - or more probably the advisors just shrugged their shoulders and said "as you know better than us just get on with it"!

[Mervyn and Trish]

Another dodgy dossier, like Iraq. I'm not a Starmer fan but unlike Bliar he wasn't fooled.

Ironic that a few days ago Trump didn't need our help because the war was won.

[Onelife]

We could of course have allowed Iran to further enrich their uranium... until such time that we wished they hadn’t.

[david63]

We could of course have allowed Iran to further enrich their uranium

And what makes you think that are not able to still do that?

Unlike Trump the Iranians have been preparing for this to happen for years and my guess is that they will have sites buried deep in some remote area where their nuclear program is continuing.

As I see it currently Itan is winning this war excursion.

[towny44]

We could of course have allowed Iran to further enrich their uranium... until such time that we wished they hadn’t.

But Trump bombed their uranium enrichment plants into oblivion last year, or so he claimed.

[Onelife]

We could of course have allowed Iran to further enrich their uranium

And what makes you think that are not able to still do that?

Unlike Trump the Iranians have been preparing for this to happen for years and my guess is that they will have sites buried deep in some remote area where their nuclear program is continuing.

As I see it currently Itan is winning this war excursion.

I don’t know if they can or not, but if it is the case that they have these facilities then I can’t think of a more catastrophe scenario being played out... should they be allowed to continue.

[Stephen]

And now the turn coat wants our help.

Trump urges UK and other nations to send warships to Strait of Hormuz https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cd039n9vj3vo

[david63]

But Trump bombed their uranium enrichment plants into oblivion last year, or so he claimed.

But as we all know you cannot believe a single word that comes out of his mouth.

[david63]

Trump urges UK and other nations to send warships to Strait of Hormuz

And there does not appear to be much appetite for that at the moment.

It would appear that Trump is treating this as a game when he comes out with the comment that he may hit Kharg Island again "just for fun." The man is a total disgrace!

[Stephen]

I'd call him more of a power crazed lunatic.

[Mervyn and Trish]

We could of course have allowed Iran to further enrich their uranium

And what makes you think that are not able to still do that?

Unlike Trump the Iranians have been preparing for this to happen for years and my guess is that they will have sites buried deep in some remote area where their nuclear program is continuing.

As I see it currently Itan is winning this war excursion.

I don’t know if they can or not, but if it is the case that they have these facilities then I can’t think of a more catastrophe scenario being played out... should they be allowed to continue.

Am I worried that Iran might, in time, acquire nuclear weapons? Yes. Am I more worried Trump already has them? Definitely.

This war is making the world a more dangerous place, not a safer one.

[Meg 50]

there was a comment on the news yesterday from one of his cabinet - or something - saying that the orange p***ock ( my description, not his...) has no plan whatever and they come out of meetings without a clue what is going on

[Onelife]

Hi Sir Merv, there are those like me who believe this war is illegal (under the terms set out by international law and defined by the UN Charter). The question we should be asking ourselves is where does self-defence begin when you have a country such as Iran who are actively funding terrorism to the likes of Lebanon, Palestinian, Iraq, and gawd knows who else. I agree that we live in a dangerous world, not helped by the loose cannon which is Trump, that being said, sooner or later something would have had to be done to prevent Iran gaining Nuclear capabilities.

The IAEA has long sought answers regarding the presence of man-made uranium particles discovered at undeclared sites.

Restricted Monitoring: Iran has restricted IAEA access and monitoring equipment at its enrichment facilities, including at Natanz and Fordo.

High Enrichment Levels: Iran is the only non-nuclear-weapon state producing and accumulating uranium enriched to 60% purity—a short technical step from the 90% weapons-grade level—which the IAEA has described as a "serious concern"....

Source Ai

What do you all think would happen if Iran had Nuclear capabilities…and would the world be a safer place?

[Mervyn and Trish]

Why assume Iranians are stupid? They understand as well as anyone that using a nuclear weapon would mean the end of the world, including them. The principle of mutually assured destruction. And I don't think they're any more stupid than Netanyahu and Trump.

And who says they are enriching uranium to that level? US Intelligence (though that may be an oxymoron). The same people who said Iraq had weapons of mass destruction ready to use in 45 minutes. Remind me how that worked out?

[towny44]

Why assume Iranians are stupid? They understand as well as anyone that using a nuclear weapon would mean the end of the world, including them. The principle of mutually assured destruction. And I don't think they're any more stupid than Netanyahu and Trump.

And who says they are enriching uranium to that level? US Intelligence (though that may be an oxymoron). The same people who said Iraq had weapons of mass destruction ready to use in 45 minutes. Remind me how that worked out?

A perfect assessment Merv.

[Onelife]

I wouldn't assume for a minute that Iranians are stupid but it is a fact that Iran's military /terrorist actions are greatly influenced by its religious doctrine…

(Clerics and their followers believe they are preparing the world for the return of the Mahdi (a messianic figure in Shia Islam). This apocalyptic belief holds that creating chaos and conflict in the Middle East will hasten his re-emergence, leading to global rule) source AI

In answer to your question…. IAEA (UN Nuclear Watchdog): Director General Rafael Grossi has frequently expressed concern, stating that Iran is continuing to accumulate uranium enriched to 60%, a level near weapons-grade. The IAEA reported that Iran is increasing its stockpile of 60% enriched uranium and, as of early 2026, there are concerns about activities at the Isfahan Fuel Enrichment Plant.
Source Ai

As to whether or not Iran is moving towards nuclear weapen capability is unknown,...other than to those who might want to use it….I suppose the first place to know if they have the capability will be Isreal…but Iran should keep that to themselves because any escalation towards that aim would most certainty instigate preemptive Nuclear strikes even before they’ve had chance to say paradise.

I’ve tried to answer your questions so how about answering mine.

[Mervyn and Trish]

I thought I had answered yours. However to be clear I don't think the world would be a safer place if Iran had nuclear weapons. But I don't think it would be any more dangerous than lunatics like Trump and Netanyahu having them. And I think those two warmongers have made it less safe by attacking Iran. WW3 is closer now than it was a month ago.

[david63]

I know it is stating the obvious but I am of the opinion that Trump is mentally unstable.

Yesterday he was saying that the terms for a ceasefire in Iran were unacceptable - well I suppose that argument could be considered valid as Iran as not suggested any terms for a ceasefire.

And todays comment

Trump warned that if there was no response from other nations, it could be "very bad for the future of Nato", adding that the US has been "very sweet" to its European allies.

The president went on: "We didn’t have to help them with Ukraine. Ukraine is thousands of miles away from us . . .  But we helped them. Now we’ll see if they help us. Because I’ve long said that we’ll be there for them but they won’t be there for us. And I’m not sure that they’d be there."

Perhaps somebody should remind him about 9/11 and Pearl Harbour!.

Same old same - America gets itself in a mess and everyone else has to come and bale them out. Well Trump wants to isolate America from the rest of the world so go sort your own mess out.

I think that it is a total insult to any American serviceman that someone who managed to bribed his way out of being drafted is Commander in Chief.