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Crying Crisis – But Approved 52 Million Liters Diesel To Philippines

financetwitter — Thu, 16 Apr 2026 12:56:32 +0000

Fuel shortage, including subsidized RON95 petrol and unsubsidized diesel, has begun despite denial by the deputy minister of domestic trade and cost of living, Fuziah Salleh. An increasing number of stations, especially Shell, have put up signs that read ”Under Repair” to their pumps. There were cases where 8 out of 10 pumps were “out of order” – obviously due to the fuel shortage.

Shell Malaysia had claimed disruptions at several stations in the Peninsula were caused by delayed deliveries of RON95 and diesel. That’s a polite way of admitting a crisis of fuel shortage, which could spread nationwide if the clueless Anwar government does not fix the problem fast. Of course, to prevent panicking buying, the government had to lie and said it was just a temporary disruption of supply.

The signs of a crisis are all over the Madani administration. From Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s lecture for the people to brace for price hikes to Transport Minister Anthony Loke’s warning that we are in crisis mode, and from cutting the monthly subsidized RON95 petrol quota from 300 litres to 200 litres to sending civil servants to work from home (WFH), the government is running around like a headless chicken.

In fact, thanks to Donald Trump and Iran’s move to shutdown the Strait of Hormuz, the Iran War has torpedoed Anwar’s plan to call for a snap election this year. So, when Democratic Action Party (DAP) secretary-general Anthony cried about Malaysia in crisis mode, he actually meant about not only fuel supply, but also the 16^th General Election that may have to be postponed to next year.

The longer the conflict in the Middle East drags, the worse it will be for PM Anwar, who is seeking a second term. The energy crisis could easily bring down his government, if he’s not careful. Fuel prices have long been politicised in Malaysia, including by Anwar himself. Many still recall – and mock – his repeated claims as Opposition Leader – “If we win today, tomorrow the price of fuel will go down.”

But it would take fake reformist Anwar almost three years after he was installed as the 10^th Prime Minister in November 2022 to – reluctantly – bring down the RON95 petrol to RM1.99 per litre, from RM2.05 per litre, effective September 30, 2025. Even then, he did it due to plunging popularity and preparation for a general election. The unsubsidized diesel had shot up to RM6.72 per litre.

With the bill for subsidizing fuel bloated from RM700 million before the war to RM7 billion per month now, Mr Anwar, like a broken record, has been urging Malaysians to tighten their belts. He has also banned Hari Raya open houses by ministries and restricted overseas travel by government officials – largely seen as political drama or a populist move to pacify angry voters.

Yesterday (April 15), under pressure to cover up, the Madani government announced a blanket reduction in all fuel prices. The prices of RON97 and unsubsidized RON95 will be reduced by 25 sen nationwide from April 16 until April 22, while the price of diesel in West Malaysia will go down by 75 sen. Effectively, RON97 would be RM5.10 per litre, and unsubsidized RON95 at RM4.27 per litre.

Hence, the price of diesel in West Malaysia will be fixed at RM5.97 a litre, down from RM6.72 per litre but is still higher than diesel in Borneo – Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan – which is being subsidized at RM2.15 per litre. Interestingly, the government also decided to increase cash assistance for diesel users under two “Budi Madani” schemes to RM400 for April, up from RM300 in March.

Make no mistake. This is not because the government suddenly realized the economic disaster sparked by its own reckless policy in removing the blanket diesel subsidies. Rather, this is a damage control after Malaysia was exposed to having sold diesel to the Philippines at a time when Malaysians were left to fend for themselves with fuel shortages and high prices of diesel.

A few days ago (April 12), Economy Minister Akmal Nasrullah Mohd Nasir again repeated the Armageddon of fuel shortages, saying – “June and July will be a very critical period in ensuring fuel supplies are available.” Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim earlier in April signalled Malaysia may face uncertainty over fuel supplies as early as June.

However, at a time when the forked-tongue Prime Minister was whining, crying and bitching about fuel shortages and subsidies whilst the Madani government told ordinary folks to tighten their belts, all hell broke loose after the Philippine News Agency said about 329,000 barrels, or 52.311 million litres of diesel had been shipped from Malaysia to the Philippines to boost the country’s fuel supply.

According to the report, the shipment was part of efforts by the Philippine government to strengthen domestic supply, following a delivery of 142,000 barrels, or 22.578 million litres, from Japan on March 26. And thanks to Malaysia’s diesel delivery, the Filipinos saw their diesel prices drop by over 20 pesos (RM1.32) per litre effective April 14, 2026.

In response, Anwar said the recent shipment of diesel is not from national oil company Petronas but from a foreign commodity company, Vitol. “They (Vitol) have an agreement to transport oil and sell it to the Philippines. It is not us (PETRONAS) supplying it to the Philippines. But we are not stopping it. We are giving passage. The oil belongs to parties under foreign agreements,” – the Premier said.

Defending the shipment of diesel to the Philippines, PM Anwar also said Vitol had received approval for the transaction. Exactly from whom did the Swiss-based Dutch multinational energy and commodity trading company get its approval if not from the Anwar government? And the fact that Anwar “is giving passage and not stopping it” means the shipment of diesel could be stopped.

It has already raised a red flag when the Premier impatiently wanted the issue to end. The best part was when Minister of Communications cum Minister of Propaganda – Fahmi Fadzil – tried to spin and twist with more lies that the diesel shipped to the Philippines is not from Malaysia. If either the crude oil used to process diesel or the final product diesel has nothing to do with Malaysia, then why the government’s approval was needed in the first place?

You can’t say Musang King durians being exported by XYZ company to China are not from Malaysia when the government approved the export, gave passage and is not stopping the export even when Malaysians are suffering a serious shortage of the durians, can you? Fahmi’s lies were busted when the Philippines Department of Energy (DOE) undersecretary Sharon S. Garin dropped a bombshell yesterday.

“We wish to clarify that the PNOC EC shipment referenced in my post last Saturday, April 11, 2026, was procured from Singapore-based trader Vitol Asia PTE LTD. Based on the Certificate of Origin, the petroleum products were sourced from Malaysia and loaded onto the vessel MT Maritime Guardian on April 4, 2026, with delivery to PCSPC in Subic Bay Freeport Zone. In total, the government purchased 329,000 barrels, or approximately 52.31 million litres, of diesel to help augment the country’s fuel supply,” – wrote Sharon.

Yes, which part of “Certificate of Origin (COO)” and “sourced from Malaysia” that PM Anwar Ibrahim, Minister Fahmi Fadzil and all the blind bootlickers don’t understand, or pretend to not understand? A Certificate of Origin in the shipping industry essentially certifies that goods in a shipment were wholly obtained, produced, or manufactured in a particular country, which in this case Malaysia.

A piece of COO acts as a product’s “economic passport” – essential for customs clearance, determining tariff rates, and ensuring compliance with trade policies. Unless serial liar Anwar wishes to cook up another half-baked story that the raw material to produce diesel or the final product was actually smuggled from Iran before shipped to the Philippines, the Madani government has betrayed the people of Malaysia.

Vitol is just a trading company, making profit by outsourcing the dirty job of refining crude oil to Pengerang refinery in Johor to create products like diesel, which are then exported to countries like the Philippines. The Philippine government has admitted through Sharon’s statement that the petroleum products were sourced from Malaysia – not Middle East. Besides, Pengerang Refining and Petrochemical Sdn Bhd is a partnership between Petronas and Saudi Aramco.

Even though Petronas did not directly sell to the Philippines, it was involved, one way or another. Petronas could have sold to Vitol, who in turn exported to the Philippines. It doesn’t matter whether the oil processed in Pengerang is from the Middle East, locally produced, or a mixture of both. What is sure is Vitol did not transport 329,000 barrels itself all the way from the Middle East to Pengerang just to be processed.

At best, Petronas and Finance Minister Anwar Ibrahim chose profit over own people’s welfare by selling and refining Malaysia’s already depleted oil to the Philippines despite a domestic crisis of fuel shortages. At worse, the Anwar government is sucking blood from the people with a record high price of diesel at RM6.72 per litre – a man-made crisis which indirectly might have subsidized diesel for the Filipinos.

Anwar also loves to argue that Petronas is now a net importer of fuel to justify slashing of fuel subsidies due to Iran War, but keeps quiet about how the high oil prices would also boost Petronas’ dividends to the Malaysian government – profits that could be used to offset subsidies. The diesel shipment to the Philippines could be a contributing factor that made Malaysia a net importer of oil.

It’s only “half-truths” that Malaysia becomes a net importer of crude oil because its imports more than it exports due to declining domestic production and rising local demand. Petronas can actually increase production, but its exports and production levels are restricted by production quotas agreed upon within the OPEC+ cooperation agreements. The quota is voluntary, but Petronas chooses to follow the OPEC agenda for obvious reasons.

Petronas is a net exporter (not net importer) of energy overall, primarily driven by strong exports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) as well as crude oil. This is the part where the government won’t tell the public. The controversial shipment of diesel to the Philippines is also why Petronas has faced long-standing criticism regarding a lack of transparency in its financial reporting.

Its accounting books are kept partially secret or opaque to enable hanky-panky business such as bailouts, dubious contract allocations, and kickbacks. Operating in secret, Petronas only announces its overall profits. There are reasons why Petronas is not fully accountable to Parliament and reports only to the Prime Minister. Siphoning diesel out of the country is one of them.

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Panicking – Now Iran Cries Blockade Illegal & Act Of Piracy

financetwitter — Tue, 14 Apr 2026 08:28:09 +0000

Starting Monday (April 13), 10 a.m. Eastern Time, the U.S. military would block maritime traffic entering and leaving Iranian ports, a move that would prevent roughly two million barrels of Iranian oil a day from entering the world’s markets. While that would obviously further tighten global supply, the strategic move would also hit Iran where it hurts the most – oil revenue.

The fact that U.S. President Donald Trump did not take long after peace talks between the U.S. and Iran collapsed to execute the move shows that the U.S. has been planning the blockade for some time – possibly even before the Iran conflict began on February 28. The Iranian regime had miscalculated if it thought the U.S. was powerless against Tehran’s shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz.

Initially, there was confusion after Trump said the U.S. Navy “will begin the process of blockading any and all ships trying to enter, or leave, the Strait of Hormuz”. Then, the U.S. military’s Central Command clarified that the blockade would apply only to ships going to or from Iran, including all Iranian ports on the Gulf and Gulf of Oman. Vessels transiting the strait to and from “non-Iranian” ports are not affected.

On the surface, the blockade may seem like a crazy idea which only Trump could deploy. But a president who did not care about mocking Pope Leo as “weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy” and further insulting the head of the Catholic Church for thinking it’s OK for Iran to have nuclear weapons is definitely bad news to the Iranian regime.

True, blocking Iranian shipments would disconnect a significant source of oil from the world’s markets. Iran exported 1.84 million barrels per day (bpd) of crude in March alone. It has shipped 1.71 million bpd thus far in April, compared with a full-year average of 1.68 million bpd in 2025. However, 80% to 90% of Iran’s total exported crude oil goes to China.

So, as far as Trump is concerned, crippling Iranian oil exports through the blockade also means denying the commodity to the Chinese. Last month, the U.S. unveiled a sanctions waiver that has enabled other buyers, including India, to import Iranian oil. That creates a perception to Tehran – who was laughing all the way to the bank – that Washington was terrified of high oil prices.

Mr Trump’s naval blockade has certainly shocked – even creates panic – within the so-called powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). And the signs of panicking were all over Tehran and the bunkers they were hiding. Furious and frustrated, Iran screams that U.S. restrictions on maritime navigation in international waters are “illegal” and constitute an act of “piracy”.

Tehran’s criticism was both hilarious and entertaining – Iran’s own act of piracy in blocking the strait was legal, but not when the U.S. pulls a similar stunt? Suddenly, Iran understands the “international waters”. Heck, terrorist-turned-pirate Iran has even started to illegally collect transit payments by setting tollbooths in an attempt to control an international shipping waterway.

Having tasted its own medicine, Tehran is now crying, whining and bitching about Trump’s blockade. Was it not the arrogant Iranian regime who had previously celebrated its victory, with its new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei vowing to keep blocking the Strait of Hormuz? For more than 5 weeks, not only has maritime traffic through the strait been disrupted, but several vessels had even been attacked by Iran.

The Iranian regime, which had killed thousands of its own people for peaceful protests over economic hardship, thought it had won the war by weaponizing Hormuz. It thought the U.S. had been checkmated by allowing only Iranian and certain friendly ships to pass the strait. Trump simply turned the tables and took the control of the strait away from Iran by saying everyone cannot enter or exit except those allowed by the U.S.

By targeting shipping linked to Iran, Trump’s “all-or-none” policy is seeking to cut off a key source of revenue for Tehran’s government and military operations. Either the regime unconditionally reopens the strait, or its economy suffers the consequences of the U.S. blockade. It was also a clever strategy to force Tehran back to the negotiating table with a weaker bargaining power.

To a certain extent, the president may also be trying to pressure China into pushing Iran back to the negotiating table. Trump called Iran’s control over the waterway “world extortion”. Amusingly, only after his declaration of a blockade that some countries – including the Chinese, Turkish, European and Asian government – began to talk about “freedom of navigation” and “international waters”.

But the blockade was not the only option in the U.S.’s toolbox. Trump and his advisers are looking at resuming limited military strikes in Iran, although he could also resume a full-fledged bombing campaign to pressure Tehran. The regime should realize that the U.S. has yet to bomb its infrastructure such as desalinization plants and electric-generating plants.

U.S. officials have outlined Trump’s red lines in further negotiations with Iran. Those include Iran fully opening the Strait of Hormuz without tolls; ending all uranium enrichment and dismantling enrichment facilities; handing over its highly enriched uranium; accepting a broader security framework that includes regional allies; and ending funding of proxies such as Hezbollah in Lebanon and Yemen’s Houthi rebels.

A successful blockade would choke off Iran’s oil exports, which are the engine of its economy, and demonstrate to U.S. allies and nervous global energy markets that Tehran can’t hold the strait hostage. Around half of Iran’s government revenue comes from oil and gas. “We’ve seen this blockade strategy essentially work on Venezuela, and Trump has an opportunity to replicate it here,” – said Matthew Kroenig, a former Pentagon official.

The Iranian government has yet to bow to economic pressure from the U.S., including decades of crippling sanctions. But that does not mean it would remain untouchable with the blockade. The inability to sell oil – through the usual fleet of “dark fleet” of tankers that mask their identity and location to bypass U.S. – would deliver a huge blow to the Iranian regime.

“My advice to the White House folks I’ve spoken to is secure the strait at any cost and immediately as a matter of economic and national and global security,” – said Steve Moore, an economic adviser to Trump. The large delegation Iran sent to Islamabad for peace talks already showed that Tehran was more desperate than they appear to be.

A large U.S. Navy presence outside the Strait of Hormuz will provide the U.S. the ability to choke off traffic and interdict oil tankers. The aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea could serve as a base of operations for boardings. The U.S. had eight guided-missile destroyers in the region at the start of the conflict, and now has ballooned to more than 15 U.S. warships in place to support the operation.

The blockade will take place well off Iran’s coastline, and well beyond the range of most Iranian drones. Sure, the IRGC can try to fire missiles at U.S. warships, or even attempt suicide missions by ramming small fast boats into U.S. vessels. But the U.S. Navy is more than capable of detecting and dealing with such threats, not to mention Iran no longer has a navy.

Additionally, Trump has threatened drug-boat-style strikes on Iranian ships, saying in a social-media post that they would be targeted “using the same system of kill that we use against the drug dealers on boats at Sea.” And in case the slow, massive and cumbersome tankers and container ships refuse to cooperate, the U.S. special forces would simply board and tow them away.

Iran said no port in the Persian Gulf or the Sea of Oman would be safe if its ports are threatened. Iran’s Revolutionary Guard navy said that any approach by military vessels toward the Strait of Hormuz would be treated as a violation of the cease-fire. However, any Iranian attacks on ports of Gulf states could provoke the U.S. to launch ground assaults to seize islands such as the Kharg Island or Abu Musa.

Unless China enters the war, which they won’t, Iran is being systematically defanged and skinned by the military superpower. After each phase of slaughtering, the U.S. would stop and offer an option to talk, and then move on to the next phase of butchering the radical religious extremists. Trump’s counterattack to Tehran’s blockade with a blockade has not been anticipated by the IRGC.

To make matters worse for Tehran, its airspace is already being dominated by the U.S. and has become a playground for Israel, so it is in no position to airlift any essential supplies. Most of Iran’s neighbours are also uncooperative or downright hostile to the Islamic Republic. Israeli jets have preemptively bombed Iranian naval installations in the Caspian Sea, effectively barring Russain seaborne trade with Iran.

Instead of trapping its enemies in Hormuz, the Iranian regime is seriously boxed in. The best part – the blockade effectively destroys Iran’s fantasy of controlling and collecting toll fees from shipping companies. Whether the U.S. blockade is legal is a matter of debate that will preoccupy experts for a long time. What is clear is that a naval blockade against an enemy is a well-established and well-used strategy in warfare, which even China is exploring to take over Taiwan.

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The post Panicking – Now Iran Cries Blockade Illegal & Act Of Piracy first appeared on FinanceTwitter.

Round 2 – US To Blockade Hormuz After Talks Fail

financetwitter — Sat, 11 Apr 2026 16:29:12 +0000

Vice President JD Vance flew back to the U.S. early Sunday after peace talks with Iran in Islamabad, Pakistan collapsed. It was not even a negotiation as demands from both sides were simply too outrageous to each other. Nevertheless, the talks were a long shot. U.S. President Donald Trump himself played down the importance of the peace talks, which took place against the backdrop of a fragile cease-fire

However, as the pece talks kicked off, something interesting happened on Saturday (April 11). Two U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers entered the Strait of Hormuz – the first American warships to transit the strait since the U.S.-Israel offensive in Iran began on February 28. “This was an operation that focused on freedom of navigation through International waters,” – the U.S. official said.

The U.S. military’s Central Command said that the two guided-missile destroyers, the USS Frank E. Peterson and the USS Michael Murphy, “transited the Strait of Hormuz and operated in the Arabian Gulf.” The CENTCOM also said the operation was part of a broader mission “to ensure the strait is fully clear of sea mines previously laid by Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps,”

Frank E. Petersen is part of the Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group, while Michael Murphy is an independently-deployed destroyer. “Today, we began the process of establishing a new passage and we will share this safe pathway with the maritime industry soon to encourage the free flow of commerce,” – said CENTCOM commander Admiral Brad Cooper.

To be sure Iran gets the message, CENTCOM said additional U.S. forces, including underwater drones, will join the clearance effort in the coming days. The U.S. clearly wanted to send a message that the re-opening of the strait was non-negotiable in the U.S.-Iran ceasefire deal. And Trump wanted to demonstrate that the Iranian regime has no control over the strait.

President Trump posted on Truth Social on Saturday that the threat that a ship may “bunk” into sea mines was the only thing Iran had to intimidate them from crossing the strait. ‘We’re now starting the process of clearing out the Strait of Hormuz as a favour to countries all over the world, including China, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, and many others,” – he wrote.

Washington wants to show that not only Tehran’s grip over the Strait of Hormuz can be challenged by sending American warships there, but also that the U.S. is capable of ensuring the safety of ships transiting the strait. This comes after Iran announced on Thursday that there were mines in the strait – a tactic to strike fear in commercial vessels.

As part of a strategy to illegally control the international waterway, Iran has laid out two paths that ships can use to avoid the mines. One of the paths included the Tehran tollbooth, which required ships to sail by Iran’s Larak Island while also contacting the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps) to provide documentation and, in some cases, payment.

This week, two Japan-based Avenger-class minesweepers were dispatched toward U.S. Central Command. USS Pioneer (MCM-9) and USS Chief (MCM-14) came into port in Singapore after transiting the South China Sea. Transits through the strait have continued to trickle despite the two-week ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran, and Trump was not impressed.

However, Iran “strongly rejected” Washington’s claims that U.S. vessels entered the strait. Admitting that the enemy warships had successfully crossed without any military retaliation from the so-called powerful IRGC would be a humiliation. At the same time, if Tehran starts striking the American warships, it would provoke the military superpower to retaliate with a force the regime can’t handle.

The fragile ceasefire was just an excuse for the U.S. Navy to buy some time to restock its depleted weapons arsenals. President Trump revealed that while the war is paused, the military is staying in place to “be loading up with supplies of all kinds” during the peace talks. Officials have said U.S. joint forces struck more than 13,000 targets before the ceasefire, sinking more than 90% of Iran’s regular naval fleet.

Round-2 of the conflict could see a potential invasion by American troops on strategic Iranian positions such as the Kharg Island, a key oil hub responsible for 90% of Iran’s oil exports. The U.S. could also take over Abu Musa that acts as a cornerstone of Iran’s naval strategy to control the Strait of Hormuz – serves as a base for IRGC missiles, drones, and fast-attack craft.

There are many ways to skin a cat. After peace talks with Iran collapsed, President Trump said the U.S. Navy would begin blockading “any and all ships trying to enter or leave the Strait of Hormuz,” The Commander-in-Chief said – “I have also instructed our Navy to seek and interdict every vessel in International Waters that has paid a toll to Iran. No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas,”

Yes, taking a page from Iran’s playbook, Trump is threatening to close off the Strait of Hormuz – the same way Iran closed the strait to oil tanker traffic, causing severe economic damage to some countries that rely on Middle Eastern crude. So why would Trump want to blockade the strait that he wants reopened?

The strait isn’t technically closed – Iran has been gradually allowing some tankers through in exchange for a toll of up to US$2 million per ship. Crucially, Iran has been allowing its own oil to pass in and out of the region throughout the war: Iran had managed to export an average of 1.85 million barrels of crude a day through March – about 100,000 barrels a day more than in the previous three months.

By closing off the strait, Trump would cut off a key source of financing for Iran’s government and military operations. To prevent oil prices from skyrocketing during the conflict, the U.S. Navy has allowed Iranian tankers to pass through the region. In fact, the United States in March granted a temporary license for Iran to sell oil that had been sitting afloat on tankers.

The license allowed Iran to sell its sanctioned oil to help finance its war against the U.S. and its allies. And Iran was profiting handsomely off its sales, selling its oil for a premium of several dollars above the price of Brent crude, the international benchmark – earning approximately US$139 million per day from oil exports, driven by high export volumes to China.

With Iran’s refusal to give up its pursuit of nuclear weapons, Trump said that his eventual goal was to clear the strait of mines and reopen it to all shipping, but that in the meantime Iran must not be allowed to profit from its control of the waterway. In a Fox News interview, Trump threatened to impose a 50% tariff on Chinese imports if Beijing tries to help the Iranian military.

After Trump’s announcement of a blockade, which is a declaration of war, and a warning that any Iranians who attack U.S. vessels or other peaceful ships “will be BLOWN TO HELL!”, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy said “any miscalculation or hostile move” will trap the U.S. “in the Strait in deadly whirlpools,”

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PM Anwar Shamelessly Demands Credit & Praise For Iran Diplomacy

financetwitter — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 16:42:46 +0000

After our article suggesting Anwar Ibrahim should call Iran for a safe and free passage over the vital Strait of Hormuz rather than barking non-stop like a mad dog about RON95 and fuel subsidies, the prime minister finally made the call on March 26. A few days later, the Malaysian leader began his usual gloating exercise that Tehran has allowed Malaysian ships to pass through the strait.

In a televised address, PM Anwar expressed his gratitude to Iran’s President Masoud Pezeshkian for granting Malaysian vessels “early clearance” through the waterway, which has been effectively closed by Tehran. “We are in the process of securing the release of the Malaysian oil tankers and the workers involved so they can continue their journey home,” – Anwar said.

The fact that the Premier had resorted to using television just to express an appreciation to Tehran, which has no right to close the international strait in the first place, was already a despicable drama to solicit credit or praise from 34 million Malaysians. This is Anwar’s typical narcissist character – constant hunger for attention, recognition, and praise.

Malaysia under the leadership of Anwar is arguably the only country in the world that has to broadcast its gratefulness over the TV to the Iranian regime who illegally shut down the strait with threat of missiles and drones. The drama queen talked as if Malaysia was the only country granted transit when ships from China, Russia, India, Pakistan, and Iraq were already able to navigate the Strait of Hormuz.

Yet, despite the so-called “early clearance” and “Iran does not forget its friends”, it would take another 12 days since Anwar’s sensationalized phone call with Iran before the first of seven Malaysia-owned commercial vessels stranded in the Strait of Hormuz was allowed to transit. During those 12 days, between 84 and 180 vessels (limited to around 7 to 15 ships per day) from other countries had been transiting the strait.

Worse, even till today (April 10), the remaining six ships are still waiting for their turn to set sail after the first vessel crossed the strait. So much for sucking up to Tehran. There is no special privilege for Anwar Ibrahim, and the early clearance claim was nothing but lies and political rhetoric to hoodwink gullible Anwar supporters.

It appears that Anwar – despite sharing ideological, diplomatic and intellectual roots with the Muslim Brotherhood in Iran – does not enjoy the same respect Tehran accorded to leaders from China, Russia, India, Pakistan, Iraq and Japan. You didn’t hear Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin, Narendra Modi, or Shehbaz Sharif profusely thanked Pezeshkian the same way Anwar did.

Rather than telling all and sundry how grateful he was to Tehran, Mr Anwar should actually keep a low profile and not count the chickens before they hatch. It’s his government’s job to use diplomatic channels to fix problems with other countries during crisis. Besides, there’s nothing to be proud of when Malaysian ships were being held ransom by a regime that weaponizes the strait it doesn’t own.

It also shows that Foreign Minister Mohamad Hasan was not doing his job when the country’s commercial ships were left stranded for more than a month before a self-proclaimed respected Muslim leader – Anwar Ibrahim – suddenly realized there was something called telephone which he can used to contact Tehran, begging for transit.

Under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), the Strait of Hormuz is designated as an international strait, granting vessels the right of non-suspendable “transit passage”. In short, international law entitles ships and aircraft to “transit passage” there. But Iran, unable to fight the U.S. and Israel, has blocked the strait by imposing control using military threat.

For argument sake, imagine Indonesia sparks the 1963-1966 Confrontation with Malaysia again today, and unilaterally blocks the Strait of Malacca (Melaka) – effectively choking roughly 25%-40% of global trade and over 35% of seaborne oil shipments. It would similarly cause severe energy shortages, not to mention triggering a catastrophic global economic crisis.

It’s both pathetic and entertaining when Anwar, who only knows how to discriminate, bully, and threaten minorities Chinese and Indian ethnics, happily celebrated Iran after being bullied by the world’s biggest sponsor of terrorism. Even if he has no balls to challenge Iran’s control over the strait, at least he should stop glorifying the regime which killed thousands of its own people during nationwide protests over economic hardship.

Iran behaves exactly like a pirate when it demands fees or toll payments for ships passing Hormuz even during the current two-week ceasefire. Perhaps forked-tongue Anwar should share whether his Madani government agrees with Tehran’s daylight robbery, which directly pushes up oil prices that he keeps moaning, whining, and bitching till foaming at the mouth.

Disappointed and frustrated with lack of praise, Prime Minister Anwar went berserk a few days ago. The narcissist demands recognition from the opposition, arguing that credit should be given to the government’s efforts to strengthen diplomatic relations and voice a firm stance on issues involving Iran and the Gaza conflict.

“Do you think it’s easy to persuade the Iranian president to allow our ships through the Strait of Hormuz? Look at how many countries have made statements as firm as Malaysia’s – we deserve some credit,” – he said at a Johor convention of his Parti Keadilan Rakyat. He then continued his bragging spree over his negotiation with Trump in “the Beast”, the president’s official vehicle.

How hard was it to beg Iran to allow Malaysian ships a safe passage through the strait? After all, was it not Anwar who had donated RM200 million of taxpayers’ hard-earned money to Hamas, a terrorist organization sponsored by the Iranian regime? Iran should have given buddy Malaysia a free and safe passage without Anwar having to engage in relentless phone-call diplomacy with Tehran.

Big talker Anwar should feel embarrassed – not proud – that he had to bootlick and beg Iran when “kafirs” like China, Russia, India and Japan did not have to. He should feel ashamed, yet he has the cheek to demand credit for negotiating with a terrorist. Yes, the world’s biggest sponsor of terrorism is holding the world hostage by choking the Strait of Hormuz, and now demands toll payments.

The clueless Madani government appeared to be in contradiction and confusion when on one hand, PM Anwar was incredibly grateful to Iran despite being held ransom, but on the other hand, the foreign ministry said – “Malaysia remains firmly committed to the principle of freedom of navigation, safety and security of maritime passage, in accordance with international law.”

It also screams hypocrisy and stupidity when Anwar has defended Malaysia’s firm stance on protesting Israeli and U.S. attacks on Iran, but at the same time keeps quiet on Iranian regime’s attacks on Saudi Arabia, U.A.E., Qatar, Bahrain, and Kuwait. Is Anwar on the side of Sunni Muslims led by Saudi Arabia or Shia Muslims led by Iran?

The burning question is has his diplomacy with Iran resulted in non-disruption of energy and food supplies and prices? How dare Anwar demand praise when diesel prices in Peninsular Malaysia have reached a record high of RM6.72 per litre whilst the monthly BUDI95 targeted subsidy quota for RON95 petrol has been slashed from 300 litres to 200 litres?

Not only Malaysia’s diesel is more expensive than Indonesia’s RM3.30 per litre, the record high diesel prices in Peninsular Malaysia are also three times higher than those in Sabah and Sarawak (RM2.15 per litre). Anwar whined and bitched every day about high fuel subsidy due to the Iran War, yet he practices discrimination, inconsistency and double standards because he dares not offend voters from the Borneo states.

The Anwar administration could not explain why the cost of living remains high, even after the Malaysian Ringgit has experienced a significant appreciation over the last 24 months, having risen by over 10% to 12% against the U.S. dollar in 2025 alone. But as the Iran War entered its 4^th week, the panicked PM was quick to cut fuel subsidies and warned that supplies and prices of almost everything will skyrocket.

Of course, Anwar and his despicable minions’ sudden outburst about the Iran War, to the extent of trying to spook the public about an economic crisis, is to divert attention from the Prime Minister’s Corporate Mafia scandal. That’s why chameleon Anwar never call for Strait of Hormuz to be opened unconditionally. It also explains why the hypocrite closes both eyes after Iran attacked Saudi pipeline just hours after the ceasefire was agreed upon.

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Wiping Iran Civilization – How & Why China Got Iran To A Ceasefire

financetwitter — Thu, 09 Apr 2026 02:58:22 +0000

Never interrupt your enemy when he’s making a mistake – said Napoleon Bonaparte. It’s unclear if he had actually learned and adapted the military strategy from Sun Tzu, a Chinese military general, strategist, philosopher, and writer born in 544 BC. The quote means when an opponent is acting recklessly or making poor decisions, you should not stop them, but rather let their mistakes lead to their own downfall.

However, on Tuesday (April 7, 2026), Donald Trump said something extremely disturbing he had to be interrupted. At 8:06 a.m. that day, the U.S. President issued the most dramatic ultimatum of his presidency – Unless Iran struck a deal in the next 12 hours, “a whole civilization will die tonight, never to be brought back again.” Not even dictator Adolf Hitler had publicly threatened to wipe out a civilization, although the Nazi did kill six million Jews.

Despite known for spewing bombastic language and has long relied on maximalist threats to get what he wanted, Trump’s 85-word post was startling. It ricocheted from the Oval Office to foreign embassies and stock markets, setting off a countdown to Trump’s 8 p.m. deadline and a frantic global guessing game over what the world’s most powerful man was prepared to unleash.

At 9 a.m., Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Joint Chiefs Chairman Gen. Dan Caine initiated their secure video-conference with Adm. Brad Cooper, the commander of U.S. Central Command. Pentagon and military planners pulled out existing target lists that had already been reviewed and vetted by military lawyers. They had been preparing for potential strikes on Iran’s energy infrastructure.

Of course, the list of targets was far fewer than Trump’s threat that “every power plant in Iran will be out of business, burning, exploding.” But each target was legally viable because it had a clear connection to Iran’s military and security forces and wouldn’t harm the civilian population excessively. Overnight, the U.S. military pounded more than 50 military targets on Kharg Island for the second time, but didn’t strike oil infrastructure.

The U.S. president had been warning for days that he would bomb Iran’s bridges, power plants, and other civilian infrastructure, justifying the country’s people “would be willing to suffer that in order to have freedom.” He wrote on Tuesday morning – “WHO KNOWS? We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World.”

While traders on Wall Street treated the day like other Trump deadlines that have come and gone – a negotiating tactic they largely expected to pass without catastrophe – phones were ringing off the hook in the White House with calls from executives and political allies trying to decipher whether Trump’s threat was a bluff or a prelude to an escalation that might send Iran back to the “Stone Ages”.

Less than 30 minutes after Trump’s jaw-dropping annihilation threat, Iranian officials told Egypt that Tehran had cut off direct communications with U.S. negotiators. As his threat made the rounds in Iran, many residents prepared for power and gas to go out and debated whether it would be safer to stay in the city or scramble for the countryside.

Not only Trump’s post was so disturbing that some officials inside the Trump administration privately expressed concern about the president’s threat, it had also shocked former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who said – “I want to believe what he meant is we will destroy the regime. I don’t think we can accept any destruction, total or partial, of Iranian civilization.”

Shortly after 3 p.m., Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif publicly called on Trump to extend his ultimatum by two weeks and back a U.S.-Iran cease-fire, while urged Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz for the same period as a goodwill gesture. The president spent most of the afternoon holed up with key aides in the Oval Office, taking calls and listening to pros and cons of the proposal.

Then, the moment arrived. The crude oil prices immediately plunged 16% to below US$95 a barrel about less than ninety minutes before Trump’s deadline – he decided to hold off on his planned strikes, writing in a social-media post that he had agreed to a two-week cease-fire with Iran and would suspend his threatened strikes subject to the immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz.

In turn, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on social media that Tehran will agree to a ceasefire “if attacks against Iran are halted”, as well as the reopening of the key Strait of Hormuz waterway. Apparently, mediator Pakistan was not the key influencer who had managed to get Tehran to a ceasefire. President Trump publicly said he believed China had persuaded Iran to negotiate.

In fact, China directly contacted Iran to persuade Tehran to agree to a temporary ceasefire with the U.S., according to the Associated Press (AP) news agency. Beijing initially tried to act through intermediaries, including Islamabad, Ankara, and Cairo. But as Trump’s deadline approached to wipe out the Iranian civilization, Chinese officials decided to directly contact the Iranian regime to facilitate the ceasefire.

Hours before the ceasefire announcement, China and Russia, another ally of Iran, blocked a resolution at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that would have authorised the use of force to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, through which one-fifth of the world’s oil passes. On the same Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held 26 phone calls with Iran, Israel, Russia and Gulf countries.

While Trump acknowledged China’s role, it was not mentioned in Trump’s official statement. For obvious reasons, the U.S. president’s ceasefire announcement explicitly and deliberately credited Pakistan, naming Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and his “favourite Field Marshal” Asim Munir. By crediting Pakistan, Trump preserves the narrative that the U.S. drove the outcome while using a trusted intermediary, and keeps China’s role invisible.

Recognizing, or worse praising the Chinese role, would position Beijing as a co-equal peace-broker in a war that Washington started. The last thing Trump wants is to legitimize China – and not Pakistan – as the real player behind the mediation. It would dilute Pakistan’s role as a peace-broker, reducing its role to a messenger boy between the U.S. and Iran.

Even if Trump was bluffing about wiping out the entire Iranian civilization, he certainly was not bluffing about blowing up Iranian power plants, oil storage or strategic bridges used by the IRGC (Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps). While China prefers not to interfere, and quietly watching with popcorn to learn how the U.S. engaged in the Iran conflict, Beijing cannot afford to see its ally lost power permanently.

Make no mistake – China has been in no rush to end the war in Iran. Beijing is watching the United States sink deeper into the Iranian battlefield − pouring in billions, stretching troops thin, losing military assets, and chasing a decisive victory that never comes. It’s a geopolitical windfall for China, weakening America’s grip without Beijing firing a shot. China is also learning how the U.S. forces would act in the event of a Taiwan invasion.

But Iran is a strategic partner. China doesn’t need Iran to win. It just needs Iran to survive, remain estranged from the West, and stay economically dependent on Beijing. A weakened but functioning Iran is still a useful partner. A collapsed Iran, or one reduced to become a puppet of Washington would not benefit Beijing. China knew Trump would pull the trigger to “incrementally” destroy Iran’s infrastructure.

The bigger risk for China was the consequences if Trump pulled the trigger. If a full-blown war broke out, all bets are off and Iranian oil exports would stop entirely. Worse, if the U.S. took control of Hormuz, the shadow fleets could be intercepted. Already, Venezuelan oil exports to China have fallen after the U.S. took control of its reserves following the capture of its president, Nicholas Maduro.

Crucially, Beijing is the main buyer of Iranian oil, most of which passes through the Strait of Hormuz. But at the same time, China also has strong economic ties to the Gulf countries. At the rate Iran is firing missiles and drones at neighbouring Gulf states, those kingdoms would be badly damaged long before the U.S. could dismantle the Iranian regime. That would make the Arabs more depended on the U.S.

Therefore, a dramatic escalation in the Middle East would directly hurt China’s energy security and economy. Roughly 13% of China’s seaborne oil imports came from Iran, accounting for about 80% of Iran’s exported oil. Any prolonged disruption to shipping would raise import costs, strain economic growth, and intensify pressure on an already fragile economy.

Moreover, an unstable global economy due to prolonged war could severely hit the ability of China, a global manufacturing hub, to sell goods around the world. Clearly, ending the war and unblocking the Strait of Hormuz would serve Chinese interests on multiple fronts. Beijing does not need to take any credit because by helping Pakistan to broker a ceasefire, it also helps promote the Chinese as a trustworthy partner.

China hopes its political weight in influencing Iran could help to push Pakistan to resolve its military escalations with Afghanistan, both nations with which China maintains special relationships. The Pakistan-Afghanistan “open war” exploded following surge in cross-border militant attacks from the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan and retaliatory air strikes by Pakistan.

Trump is scheduled to travel to Beijing in mid-May to meet Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, in a crucial summit between the two superpowers. The trip was originally scheduled for early April, but Trump postponed it due to the Iran war. China’s 11^th-hour call to pressure Iran to accept a temporary ceasefire would see the war calm down as Beijing prepares to meet Trump for a more pressing matter – trade war.

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The U.S. Most Daring Pilot Rescue Deep Inside Iran

financetwitter — Sun, 05 Apr 2026 16:44:16 +0000

For nearly two days, injured and alone, a U.S. aviator hid in a remote mountain crevice as Iranian forces and militias closed in on him with helicopters and drones. It was like a scene from a Hollywood film. The only difference is the airman, who ejected on Friday (April 3) when an F-15E Strike Eagle jet was shot down over southwestern Iran, was not John Rambo in the 1982 First Blood’s one-man war against local police.

But the airman, armed with a handgun, had received training for this situation, which involves intermittently turning on a beacon signal to help American forces locate him, getting to high ground, establishing communications and concealing himself. U.S. air crews are trained in Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape (SERE) techniques if downed behind enemy lines.

The airman had sprained his ankle but was facing a challenge in staying undetected while seeking rescue. “God is good,” – the Air Force colonel had radioed once he reached an elevated ridge, a message that was initially met with suspicion in Washington as a possible Iranian trap as officials scrambled to verify he was still alive. The message was to express the faith of the highly religious airman.

By early Sunday, he heard the heavier roar of U.S. aircraft and a barrage of fire as U.S. commandos reached him 200 miles deep inside Iran. As they whisked him to safety, they blew up aircraft stranded on the ground rather than risk the sophisticated military equipment falling into Iranian hands, leaving behind a final explosion and a plume of smoke.

Shortly after the F-15E Strike Eagle with the aircraft call sign “Dude 44” crashed, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, briefed President Donald Trump about the situation. They told him the Pentagon had long planned for this scenario and could rescue the airman. Once the Pentagon confirmed the aviator’s identity, Hegseth rushed to the Oval Office to seek a final order.

The Commander-in-Chief immediately gave his approval – “We have to get him.” But the rescue operation was not a walk in the park. The effort to recover the officer set off a sprawling, high-risk rescue mission involving some 100 special-operations forces, dozens of U.S. warplanes and helicopters, and even a last-minute Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) deception campaign to buy more time.

Troops led by Central Command brought a stunning and devastating array of firepower to keep its enemy at bay. Four B-1 bombers, part of a larger air armada, dropped nearly 100 of 2,000-pound satellite-guided bombs, according to two U.S. officials. MQ-9 Reaper drones also struck suspected fighters as they approached within kilometers of the aviator’s hiding site.

While the news of the F-15E shot down gave headache to the White House, the search for an American airman stranded behind enemy lines jolted the U.S. The Iranian regime has portrayed the downing of the jet as proof that the U.S. could be bloodied and has challenged Trump’s claims of American air superiority. If the rescue mission fails, Trump would be hugely humiliated.

The most famous rescue operation that the U.S. has previously attempted in Iran – aimed at freeing 53 U.S. Embassy staff hostages nearly 46 years ago – had failed dramatically after a series of mishaps, punctuated by a fiery crash at a desert staging area. By hook or by crook, the Trump administration had to extract the airman because a failure would be a political nightmare for Trump.

When the F-15E came under fire on Friday, the aircrew pulled their ejection handle, which blew the canopy, blasted the seats out of the cockpit and deployed their parachutes. Below them, the damaged plane crashed hundreds of miles inside Iranian territory. But while the pilot was rescued the same day, the second crew member – a weapons operator – became separated and remained stranded in a sparsely populated, rugged region.

It was this rare moment when Donald Trump, infamous for speaking faster than thinking, obediently kept his big mouth zipped. “We didn’t play up the first one, because then they would have found out about the second one. So by not talking about the first one, it took them a day and a half to find out there was a second one,” – Trump finally spoke on Sunday about the missing airman.

Eventually, the news first broke on Iranian state television. Reading from a sheet of paper, a female anchor announced that a U.S. aircrew had ejected from a plane in southwestern Iran. She urged “all tribes people and villagers” to cooperate with the military and law enforcement. “If you capture the enemy pilot or pilots alive and hand them over to the police, you will receive a precious prize,” – she said.

While U.S. aircraft were seen flying low over the area on Saturday, Iran offered a bounty of US$60,000 to anyone who found the U.S. airman alive. For the Pentagon, this was a worst-case scenario. It was the first time a piloted U.S. aircraft had been lost over enemy territory in more than 20 years. Although the regime would not behead hostages and captives like the Islamic State (ISIS), the consequences would be equally devastating.

Video footage of a captured U.S. airman in enemy hands would have gifted Tehran a major propaganda tool and a source of leverage at a critical moment in the war. U.S. officials worried that the regime would use the airman’s capture to seek maximalist concessions. That was why Trump, knowing the seriousness, kept quiet while receiving constant updates from Hegseth.

The complex mission quickly ran into problems. As the U.S. redirected aircraft in the region to help with the mission, some planned targets – including missile launcher sites – were left untouched. That allowed Iran to fire more weapons than usual in recent days. The first attempt to rescue the airman had to be aborted. Two H-6 helicopters took small-arms fire from the ground, wounding the crews in both aircraft and requiring them to land safely in Kuwait.

Finally, under cover of darkness, Navy SEALs slipped deep into Iran, undetected, scaled a 7,000‑foot ridge and pulled the stranded airman to safety, moving him toward a secret rendezvous point before dawn on Sunday. Then everything stopped. Two MC-130Js, a special-operations aircraft, landed in a makeshift forward-operating base inside Iran but ran into problems when their nose wheels sank in soil and couldn’t take off.

Suddenly, U.S. elite commandos risked being stuck behind enemy lines. Their commanders decisively made a high-risk decision, ordering additional aircraft to fly into Iran to extract the group in waves – a decision that left the commandos waiting for a couple of tense hours.“If there was a ‘holy shit’ moment, that was it,” – said the official, who credited quick decision-making that saved the day.

The gamble worked. Three smaller “turboprop” aircraft, capable of landing on small airfields, made their way to the remote staging area. The rescue force was pulled out in stages, and U.S. troops destroyed the two disabled MC‑130s (costing more than US$100 million each) and two MH-6 Little Bird helicopters rather than risk leaving sensitive equipment behind – a standard practice for the military. Iran quickly claims credit for the destruction.

Still, the mission was not that straightforward. Time was of the essence. Regular Iranian forces, pro-regime militia and members of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps were on the airman’s trail, using helicopters and drones to find him. The U.S. deployed MQ-9 Reaper drones and other aircraft to strike the Iranian trackers, giving the airman a greater chance of survival.

The CIA also helped with the operation. After using its capabilities to pinpoint the aviator’s location to a mountain crevice, which a senior administration official described as finding a needle in a haystack, the agency shared that information with the Pentagon and White House, and continued to feed real-time information over the course of the operation.

In addition, the CIA also carried out a deception operation to throw the Iranians off the airman’s track. As the aviator hid from Iranian forces, the agency spread false information inside the country that the U.S. military had already located the downed airman and was preparing to move him overland for exfiltration. At the same time, the U.S. military took additional steps – jamming electronics and bombing key roads around the location to prevent enemies from getting close

Other U.S. intelligence agencies also provided support to the mission, officials said. U.S. officials coordinated with Israel to share intelligence and pause attacks in the area to help the mission. The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) had assisted with the operation, including by launching strikes “designed to act as a diversion, drawing Iranian security forces away from the crash site and toward other areas”.

Throughout the operation, the White House, the Pentagon and the U.S. military’s Central Command were uncharacteristically silent. Trump was so relatively quiet that a local reporter went to check if he was at Walter Reed Hospital. But once the mission was complete, Trump was triumphant. “WE GOT HIM!” – Trump proudly wrote on Truth Social. And you can bet your last dollar that this high-stakes rescue mission would make its way to the Hollywood movie.

“Over the past several hours, the United States Military pulled off one of the most daring Search and Rescue Operations in U.S. History. The U.S. Military sent dozens of aircraft, armed with the most lethal weapons in the world, to retrieve him. He sustained injuries, but he will be just fine,” – said the U.S. president. The successful rescue mission emboldens Trump to use harsh language on Tehran.

“Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell,” – Trump posted on Truth Social early Easter morning about the Strait of Hormuz, the strategic waterway that Iran has largely closed to commercial traffic since the war began. In a separate post, the president gave Iran an 8 p.m. Tuesday deadline to comply before the U.S. starts bombing bridges and electric plants.

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Madani Mart – What Anwar Government Doesn’t Want You To Know

financetwitter — Sat, 04 Apr 2026 16:05:01 +0000

From Madani Housing Scheme to Madani Mosque, and from Budi Madani RON95 to Rahmah Madani Sales, the Madani administration of Anwar Ibrahim has now introduced the first Madani Mart retail outlet in the country. Just like his predecessors’ policy frameworks and slogans, Anwar’s Madani is just another political branding to convince voters that this government is better.

Prime Minister Anwar’s “Malaysia Madani” – replacing predecessor Ismail Sabri’s concept of “Keluarga Malaysia” – is also another marketing gimmick to enrich the political elites and cronies, the same way how sloganeering business was booming under Abdullah Badawi’s “Islam Hadhari”, Najib Razak’s “1-Malaysia” and Muhyiddin Yassin’s “Kerajaan Prihatin”.

The branding and promotion of government slogans are huge business. For example, the Keluarga Malaysia (Malaysian Family) slogan under the administration of former Prime Minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob cost over RM62 million within a just a 14-month period. But the leakage was as high as RM700 million, which led to Sabri being investigated over his government promotional allocation.

The inauguration of Madani Mart by Prime Minister Anwar on Friday (April 3) at Indera Mahkota 8, Pahang has raised more than a few eyebrows due to its similarity to ex-PM Najib’s Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia (KR1M) chain of convenience stores. First launched in 2011, Najib’s pet project – supposedly to help reduce the cost of living for low-income groups – soon went belly up in 2017.

The KR1M stores were designed to sell basic, essential groceries at lower prices (30% to 50% cheaper than market prices) than standard supermarkets, branded under Najib’s 1Malaysia brand. The main operator, Mydin Mohamed Holdings Sdn Bhd, reported losses exceeding RM100 million. It simply could not compete against established retailers in terms of product quality and competitive pricing.

To save face, then-PM Najib tried to rescue it with KR1M 2.0 in February 2018, but was discontinued after the ruling Barisan Nasional government lost power for the first time in the May 2018 General Election. Ameer Ali Mydin, the managing director of Mydin, mocked that KR1M 2.0 was a “joke” and a massive loss-making venture that should be discontinued.

So, what’s so different between Anwar’s Madani Mart and Najib’s KR1M? Anwar defends Madani Mart – with the slogan “Kedai Runcit Harga Rahmah” – as a government initiative to help ease the cost of living, but people generally see Madani Mart as a copycat of KR1M. Upset, Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Fuziah Salleh denied Madani Mart was a “copy and paste” job.

Fuziah argues that unlike the previous KR1M model, the business model of Madani Mart did not involve “direct” government capital expenditure but was driven through a strategic collaboration model involving the public sector through the Ministry of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living (KPDN), operators or license holders (private), and Yayasan MADANI (social).

If KR1M, despite government’s capital injection and subsidy, could not succeed, what makes the clueless Fuziah think that Madani Mart would work without government funding? What she did not reveal was that the government actually provides capital “indirectly”, not directly. Get real, no business can start with zero capital, especially in a razor-thin margin business like convenience stores.

Madani Mart is a rebadge of KR1M, the same way Najib’s Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia (BR1M) cash assistance program introduced in 2012 was rebranded by the Anwar administration in 2023 as STR (Sumbangan Tunai Rahmah). However, Madani Mart appears to use franchising model, which the government claims to be a licensing model. The primary difference between both models is the depth of the business relationship and the degree of control.

Like McDonald’s, the franchising model enforces strict operational standards, training, and uniformity across all locations. In the licensing model, the licensor has much less control, focusing primarily on how the intellectual property is used, while the licensee maintains operational freedom. Yet, despite Fuziah’s denial that it’s a franchise system, Madani Mart provides almost everything – from training to support, and from pricing to customer service standards.

On top of the food chain is Yayasan Madani, the licensor who owns the copyright of Madani Mart brand, granting licensed rights (3 years, renewable) to store operators (licensees). Licensees will be provided training, business mentorship, evaluation, and development courses. In returns, operators or licensees have to pay not only license fees, but also “royalties” to Yayasan Madani.

The licensees have to bear 100% capital for the Madani Mart stores, but have to maintain operational standards, staff and store operations, ensure service quality and comply with brand guidelines, pricing, store payout and branding. The question is where do the cost of training and support, marketing and branding and consultation to maintain compliance and standards come from?

The answer is obvious – those costs come from the government, not to mention the hidden possibility that operators might get “soft loans”. Yayasan Madani is trying to copy and replicate the business model of successful convenience stores like 7-Eleven, 99 Speedmart, KK Mart, FamilyMart or even myNEWS. The cost of setting up a Madani Mart store could easily breach tens of thousands of ringgit.

Crucially, the Yayasan Madani board of trustees comprises Deputy Minister of Domestic Trade and Cost of Living Fuziah Salleh, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s political secretary Farhan Fauzi and Kamil Munim, political secretary to Minister of Finance Anwar Ibrahim. What could possibly go wrong with politicians loyal to Anwar selling licenses for Madani Mart, right?

Kamil is the Youth Chief of Anwar’s political party PKR (Parti Keadilan Rakyat), while Farhan Fauzi is a PKR member, who is also the son of Fauzi Abdul Rahman, a former Member of Parliament for Indera Mahkota and Kuantan. Fuziah Salleh is currently a PKR Senator, who used to be a fierce critic of Lynas rare earths plant in Kuantan – till PKR became the ruling party and Anwar became the 10^th Prime Minister.

It’s not hard to predict what is going to happen even before Anwar’s ambitious plan to establish 640 Madani Mart stores could materializes. Conflict of interest, mismanagement, leakages and ultimately corruption would see Madani Mart go bust the way KR1M did. Tax payers’ money to the tune of hundreds of millions, if not billions, would be used to bail out certain cronies or free loaders.

Yes, the entire scheme smells fishy – even triggers a “mini corporate mafia” suspicion – when Deputy Minister Fuziah proudly proclaimed as founder and chairman of Yayasan Madani, whilst two aides to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim are glorified as co-founders. The three musketeers must be having a wet dream fantasizing themselves as billionaires like Elon Musk and Mark Zuckerberg.

Store layout planning, renovation, POS system installation, and inventory setup would see cronies making handsome profits through sub-contract jobs. A centralized supply system would see top management of Yayasan Madani soliciting kickbacks from suppliers eager to supply products for Madani Mart stores. And what is there to stop license fees and royalties paid to Yayasan Madani from going into the pockets of Fuziah and her gang?

Because Yayasan Madani knows nuts about convenience store business, it has to outsource consultation, training and support, marketing and branding, and whatnot to cronies, who in turn would outsource those services to external parties or contractors. It’s not rocket science that government allocation (taxpayers’ money) has to be channeled for this pet project.

Fuziah should stop insulting people’s intelligence with half-baked narrative that Madani Mart does not involve government funding. There is no such thing as free lunch. Even brand awareness campaigns need money. Someone has to pay for the so-called “free” service. The suckers are either the mart operators, the taxpayers or both.

The whole idea of Madani Mart was from the Rahmah Sales program, which used public funds to the tune of RM600 million in 2025 alone. Some genius got the idea of transforming the Rahmah Sales, which runs three times a month in 600 state constituencies at various locations, into Madani Mart, which now involves high operational risks but opens up more opportunities for cronies to exploit.

When politicians venture into business using taxpayers’ money, it is bound to fail and screams conflict of interest. A government’s job is to administer and govern the country, not do business and act like a business tycoon in awarding licenses and collecting royalties. Worse, before Madani Mart collapses, it would create havoc on the existing supply chain ecosystem and forces small players to close shop.

With an unclear financial structure and without transparency, people are in the dark over who covers the operational costs (such as rent, salaries), who manages the inventory, and which suppliers are being used. Without subsidies, it’s hard to believe Madani Mart could offer lower prices than existing, competitive retailers. There’s an easier way to help ease the cost of living – increase the allocation for MyKasih cashless aid distribution programme.

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Secret Codes & Renminbi Fees To Pass Hormuz Tollbooth

financetwitter — Thu, 02 Apr 2026 17:15:10 +0000

Forget nuclear program – Iran might have found a more lethal weapon than nuclear. While closing the Strait of Hormuz to everyone appeared to be a brilliant plan, Tehran soon discovered such strategy also hurts friendly countries. So the Iranian regime began to modify its newly found economic weapon. Recently, some tankers stuck at the Strait of Hormuz are being selected by Iran for passage.

After weeks at anchor with missiles and drones passing overhead, it could finally sail safely out through the Strait of Hormuz and into the open ocean – escorted by the Iranian Navy. But first it would need to change its registration and raise the flag of Pakistan, according to a company executive, speaking on condition of anonymity in order to discuss sensitive conversations.

The company wasn’t able to take up the offer, which came from the government of Pakistan. Iran agreed to allow 20 Pakistani vessels to transit through the strait, but the country only had a few flagged ships in the Gulf. Islamabad began reaching out to some of the world’s biggest commodity traders to see if they had vessels that could transit Hormuz while temporarily sailing under a Pakistani flag.

One of the people said that Pakistan was looking for the biggest ships it could find within the region, including oil supertankers capable of carrying 2 million barrels each. Arranging their passage would be a way to show the success of diplomatic efforts to bring the conflict to an end. At least two large oil trading houses have received the offer.

The arrangement shows how Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) is exerting considerable control over shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, the critical maritime chokepoint through which a fifth of the world’s oil and liquefied natural gas normally transits. The IRGC is already extracting tolls from vessels passing through, and giving preferential treatment to ships from countries it deems to be friendly, while threatening to attack those from countries it sees as aggressors.

Iran’s National Security Committee has approved a bill that would impose fees on Strait of Hormuz, the semi-official Fars news agency reported, citing a member of the committee. The contours of a more formal system are now emerging, based on the accounts of multiple people with knowledge of the situation, speaking on condition of anonymity as they aren’t authorized to talk to the media.

Ship operators have to contact an intermediary company linked to the IRGC, and provide information about their vessel’s ownership, flag, the cargo manifest, destination, crew list, and data from its automated identification system, or AIS – a transponder that ships use to record and broadcast their position.

The intermediary then passes the file onto the IRGC Navy’s Hormozgan Provincial Command for background checks on the ship to make sure that it has no links to Israel or the U.S., or other states that Iran considers to be enemies.

If a vessel makes the cut then discussions over the toll begin. The people said that the Iranians have a ranking system of one to five for nations, with ships from countries that are seen as friendly more likely to get better terms. For oil tankers, the starting price in the negotiations is typically around US$1 per barrel of oil, paid in yuan, or stablecoins – cryptocurrencies pegged to the value of hard currency.

A very large crude carrier, or VLCC, typically has a capacity of around 2 million barrels. Meaning operators of such tankers have to pay a whopping US$2 million to Tehran for a safe passage. Once the toll is paid, the IRGC issues a permit code and route instructions.

Ships are expected to raise the flag of the nation that negotiated the passage agreements, and in some instances, to change their official registration to that country. As it approaches the Strait of Hormuz, the ship broadcasts its passcode over its very high frequency radio, and is met by a patrol boat that escorts it through the passage, close to the coast between a group of islands that has already been dubbed the “Iranian tollbooth” by people in the industry.

Vessel tracking data shows that ship transits through the Strait of Hormuz have increased slightly over the past week, albeit to a fraction of pre-war levels. The legal basis for Iran’s imposition of a toll isn’t clear. Countries typically have territorial boundaries extending 12 nautical miles – around 14 miles, or 22 kilometers – from their coastlines, in which they are allowed to inspect vessels.

Iran wrote in a letter this month to the International Maritime Organization – the world’s shipping watchdog – that ships associated with non-hostile sates are able to receive safe passage through Hormuz. It added that it was restricting those it considered hostile.

“As the coastal state bordering the Strait, the Islamic Republic of Iran, in full conformity with established principles and rules of international law, has restricted the passage of vessels belonging to or associated with the aggressors,” – it said in the letter.

“The Iranian justification is that this is an exercise of their rights to self-defense, and therefore they need to check the vessels. And in checking these vessels you need to pay a fee,” – Jason Chuah, professor of commercial and maritime law at City University London, said. “Now from the perspective of most international law commentators, this is not legal.”

Ship owners and operators face difficult legal questions over whether they should pay tolls, which rules, sanctions and conventions may be applied to them by the US and Iran, and what might be covered by their insurance.

“I think that the Iranian war has thrown up a lot of challenges and questions for international law, perhaps partly because both sides seem to have been engaged in activities which are, to put it mildly, highly controversial under international law or under established rules,” – Chuah said.

But Washington has vowed to not let the situation become the status quo. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said – “The Iranians are threatening to set up a permanent system in the Strait of Hormuz where they get to decide who goes through international waters. That will never be allowed to happen. The rest of the world should take note. They have more at stake there than we do. Very little of our energy comes through there. The rest of the world gets a lot more”.

Insurance costs have spiked dramatically for ships that want to cross the Straits of Hormuz. Several vessels have been hit by projectiles while at anchorage in the Persian Gulf or in the strait. On March 31, a Kuwaiti oil tanker was struck by at least one drone near Dubai, causing a fire and damage to the hull. The U.S. promises of naval escorts – as yet unfulfilled – and state-backed insurance have not reassured ship owners enough that they’re willing to risk their crews.

Negotiating access with the IRGC may not be seen as a safe option either. Notwithstanding the physical risks and the cost of insurance, making deals with the IRGC, which is subject to sanctions by the US, European Union and the UK, puts ships at risk of violating sanctions or anti-money laundering rules, experts said.

U.S. President Donald Trump said that he wants to end the US’s war with Iran within two or three weeks, whether or not the Strait of Hormuz is reopened. After his comments, Israel and the U.S. continued to strike Iran, which fired missiles and drones at targets across the region, with one projectile hitting an oil tanker in Qatari waters. On Wednesday morning, Trump said that a ceasefire would only be possible if the strait was opened.

The existence of an Iranian-backed safe passage deal doesn’t mean that the dangers to shipping have reduced, according to Basil Germond, chair in international security at Lancaster University and a visiting fellow at the UK’s Royal Navy Strategic Studies Centre. “For this approach to work, Tehran needs to maintain its capability to credibly threaten commercial shipping in the Strait and the Gulf,” he said. “To be credible, Tehran needs to attack tankers from time to time.”

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U.A.E. Readies To Join Iran War – Wants To Force Hormuz Open

financetwitter — Tue, 31 Mar 2026 16:43:44 +0000

After four weeks of war, it is obvious that the U.S. and Israel have enjoyed extraordinary military success in eliminating much of Iran’s leadership and military capabilities. However, Iran’s regime has succeeded at a political (at least rhetorical) and economic level – first by simply surviving the onslaught and second by exercising its stranglehold on the Strait of Hormuz.

Because the U.S. has set the bar so high to achieve its goal within a very short time, Trump has to climb down and make flip-flopping statements which confuse the financial markets. Likewise, because Iran has set the bar so low to win within unlimited time, Tehran has to do nothing but fire a few dozens missiles or drones every day enough to spook oil and stock markets.

It’s both amusing and puzzling how the U.S. would be mocked for losing the war because it could not affect a regime change within a few weeks since the war started on February 28, while Iran would be praised for winning the war despite losing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, destruction of the Islamic Republic of Iran Navy, Air Force, military infrastructure, ability to project power and whatnot.

Depending on how they argue, both sides can claim victory if the Iran War were to end tomorrow. When U.S. President Trump reportedly told aides he’s willing to end the U.S. military campaign against Iran even if the Strait of Hormuz remains largely closed, one should take the news with a pinch of salt. Do you really think the U.S. would stupidly tell all and sundry about its war strategies or exit plans?

It’s not rocket science that it was a trap or a smokescreen. While some argue – even laugh – that Trump has lost control of the conflict and is panicking, hence uses the withdrawal narrative to cover up the failure to achieve the original military goals, others argue that it is a deliberate tactic to “pass the buck” to European and Gulf allies to secure their own shipping.

It’s true when Trump says the U.S. does not need Strait of Hormuz because the U.S. is already the world’s largest producer of oil and gas. And the U.S. president was right to tell U.K, France and other unhelpful and parasitic allies to “go get your own oil”, threatening to quit the war in two to three weeks as he argues that the responsibility for keeping the Strait of Hormuz open will rest with countries that rely on the commodities.

Within the Gulf states, it appears the United Arab Emirates is on the way to become the first Persian Gulf country to take a direct combat role, preparing to help the U.S. and other allies open the Strait of Hormuz by force. And it’s not hard to see why U.A.E. is eager to fight against Iran – over half of the estimated 5,000 projectiles fired by Iran at the GCC (Gulf Cooperation Council) countries were reported to have targeted the U.A.E.

In a fundamental shift in its strategic outlook, the U.A.E. is lobbying for a United Nations Security Council resolution that would authorize such action. In fact, Emirati diplomats have urged the U.S. and military powers in Europe and Asia to form a coalition to open the strait by force, according to Arab officials. Bahrain, a close U.S. ally that hosts the Navy’s Fifth Fleet, is sponsoring the U.N. resolution.

Before the war began on February 28 this year, the U.A.E. saw Iran as a difficult but manageable neighbour. But the outbreak of the war revealed a very different regime that was trying to sow panic with strikes on hotels and airports in Dubai. The Iranian attacks have reduced the U.A.E.’s air traffic and tourism, hurt its property market and led to a wave of furloughs and layoffs.

The U.A.E.’s position has now changed largely because Tehran’s indiscriminate attacks have threatened the country’s fundamental selling point – from an oasis of peace to a risky and dangerous neighborhood. The Iranian regime – powerless against the mighty Israeli and Americans – thinks it is fighting for its existence and is willing to bring the global economy down with it by choking the strait.

Unlike the European countries that can buy oil and gas from Russia or elsewhere, the Emirates and other Gulf states must reopen the Strait of Hormuz – a lifeline for its energy exports, shipping business and food. Gulf officials said the U.A.E. believes countries in Asia and Europe that are reluctant now would help clear the strait with the blessing of the U.N. Security Council.

Besides having actively engaged and intercepted hundreds of missiles and drones launched by Iran, the U.A.E. has countered Tehran’s attacks with tough financial measures. A notice from the Dubai-based Emirates airline said Iranian nationals aren’t allowed to enter or transit the country, a step that followed government moves to close the Iranian Hospital and Iranian Club Dubai.

Crucially, UAE authorities have detained dozens of money changers and shuttered offices associated with financial entities linked to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), effectively blocking a major economic lifeline for Tehran. The country has been exploring and implementing measures to freeze billions of dollars in Iranian assets held in the Gulf state, including those belonging to shadow companies.

The Gulf states can only play a defensive role for so long before being forced to retaliate. It doesn’t matter whether Donald Trump was bluffing or not after his threat to pull out of the conflict. The Arabs would be in deep trouble if the unpredictable U.S. president follows through with his threat. Hence, Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states are now turning against Iran’s regime and want the war to continue until it is disabled or toppled.

To show its seriousness, the U.A.E. official said the country had reviewed its capabilities to assist in securing the strait, including efforts to help clear it of mines and other support services. Heck, the Gulf state has also said the U.S. should occupy islands in the strategic waterway including Abu Musa, which has been held by Iran for a half-century and is claimed by the U.A.E.

Still, U.A.E. participation in freeing the strait carries risks. Tehran has warned it would destroy the vital civilian infrastructure of any Gulf state that supported any operation to seize its territory and specifically pointed to the U.A.E. The Gulf state could enter the war, but Trump could choose to declare victory before reopening the strait or crippling Iran’s missile and drone capabilities.

Russia and China could veto the resolution. But even if the resolution fails, the U.A.E. would still be prepared to gamble and join an effort to free the Strait of Hormuz due to deep concerns over Iran’s implementation of a de facto “toll booth” system for ships navigating the Strait of Hormuz. The Gulf states fear diplomatic solutions might legitimise Iranian control over the waterway, especially after Trump’s remarks.

While it isn’t clear that military action could open the strait, Gulf states like Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. that support military action feel that the consequences of having a hostile neighbour controlling such a vital conduit make it worth the risk. A decision to join the military campaign would send a public signal of Arab support for the war.

It would also open up additional options for operations against Iran and for attempting to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The U.A.E. has bases, a deep-water port at Jebel Ali and a location near the entrance to the Strait of Hormuz that could be useful staging grounds for a U.S.-led operation to seize islands or to escort commercial tankers through the waterway.

Tehran might look down at the tiny U.A.E., but the Emirates also has a small but capable air force with U.S.-supplied F-16 jet fighters that conducted airstrikes in Iraq alongside the U.S. in the fight against Islamic State. The Emirates also has surveillance drones and a stockpile of U.S.-supplied bombs and short-range missiles that could help ease U.S. and Israeli shortages.

“The proximity along the strait means that you can team up and place different platforms there to protect shipping and go after Iranian targets on the other side of the Gulf,” said Grant Rumley, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute, a think tank. To be clear, there are now over 50,000 American troops in the Middle East.

And the aircraft carrier USS George HW Bush has been deployed on Tuesday (March 31) and is slated to travel to the region along with three destroyers. The new deployment of a carrier strike group that consists of more than 6,000 sailors follows the administration’s decision to send 2,500 Marines and 2,000 paratroopers from the 82nd Airborne Division to the region last week. These are not signs Trump is ending the war soon.

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How Pakistan Suddenly Becomes Peace Broker In Iran War

financetwitter — Mon, 30 Mar 2026 14:10:40 +0000

Just a few years ago, Pakistan faced diplomatic and economic uncertainty – even isolation. For years, during the Cold War and War on Terror, the U.S. counted on Pakistan as an ally. The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) worked closely with Pakistan’s army and intelligence services in its hunt for the al Qaeda militants responsible for Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, including the group’s leader, Osama bin Laden.

Islamabad’s reputation and trustworthiness in the eyes of Washington took a dive when Osama was discovered living in a Pakistani town – where he was killed in a covert U.S. mission in 2011. During Trump’s first term, he accused Pakistan of lying and deceiving the United States while receiving billions of dollars in foreign aid. In 2018, the U.S. president alleged Pakistan harboured terrorists.

Criticizing Pakistan for offering a “safe haven” to terrorists, Mr Trump said – “We have been paying Pakistan billions and billions of dollars at the same time they are housing the very terrorists that we are fighting. It is time for Pakistan to demonstrate its commitment to civilisation, order, and peace”. In retaliation, Pakistan mocked Trump for being bitter due to the “U.S. defeat in Afghanistan”.

The Biden administration as recently as 2024 alleged that Pakistan was seeking to develop a missile that could strike the U.S. To make matters worse, Pakistan’s total external debt and liabilities skyrocketed to US$138 billion as of late 2025. The country continues to rely on IMF bailouts for external financing as it faces roughly US$30 billion in annual external debt obligations.

As of late 2023–2024, China is Pakistan’s largest creditor, holding about US$28-US$29 billion in debt, which makes up about 22% of Pakistan’s total external debt. Struggling with repayments, Pakistan, with tail between legs, had to go to the IMF. But the U.S. is the International Monetary Fund’s largest financial contributor. Therefore, Islamabad cannot afford to offend Washington.

The reset in relations began early in Trump’s second term after the Pentagon delivered a message to Islamabad – “find and deliver the militant behind the 2021 Kabul airport bombings”. Two months after Trump’s inauguration, Pakistan gladly delivered a key plotter behind the bombing that killed 13 U.S. service members, and Trump praised it in an address to Congress last March.

Just weeks after that, in an effort to suck up to Trump, Islamabad credited Washington for a cease-fire in a brief 4-day conflict with its nuclear-armed neighbour, India, something New Delhi disputes. For Trump’s role in mediating the ceasefire, the Pakistani government has formally recommended U.S. President Donald Trump for the 2026 Nobel Peace Prize.

After nominating Trump for the peace prize for his so-called “stellar statesmanship” in preventing a nuclear war between India and Pakistan, Islamabad was one of the first to sign up to Trump’s international Board of Peace. At the board’s inaugural meeting in Washington, special envoy Steve Witkoff announced a deal for the U.S. and Pakistan to jointly redevelop the Roosevelt Hotel in New York, owned by Pakistan’s loss-making airline.

During that meeting, Trump praised Asim Munir, whom he previously hosted at the White House, as a “tough man and good fighter.” The Pakistan’s army chief, whom Trump has described him as his favourite Pakistani field marshal, had earlier this year presided over the signing of a crypto deal between a Witkoff firm and the Pakistani government.

The Iran War provided another opportunity for Pakistan to be in the good books of the U.S. Islamabad’s offer to host potential peace talks between the U.S. and Iran saw how it helped deliver America’s 15-point peace plan to Iran. Pakistan’s sudden and surprise role as a peace broker marks a remarkable return to the White House’s confidence.

Not bad for a country that Trump in his first term insulted as a bad-faith actor that had given the U.S. nothing but “lies & deceit.” But Pakistan’s emergence as a peace broker is testament to how its powerful officials have cultivated Trump and made deals involving the president’s inner circle, cryptocurrency, critical minerals and counterterrorism.

Crucially, the strong working relationship between Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif and Field Marshal Asim Munir has been central to this effort, blending political leadership with institutional strength. Shahbaz Sharif has publicly offered Islamabad as a venue for dialogue between the U.S. and Iran. “Pakistan stands ready and honoured to facilitate meaningful and conclusive talks,” – the PM said on X.

Soon after, U.S. President Donald Trump reposted Shahbaz Sharif’s post on X, conveying subtle endorsement and raising hopes of a possible end to the war sooner rather than later. This suggests that through back-channel diplomacy, Pakistan is playing a quiet but critical role in relaying messages between Washington and Tehran.

Pakistan’s handling of regional tensions drew international recognition because the country not only managed to avoid escalation, but also projected itself as a responsible nuclear state committed to dialogue. Last week, PM Shahbaz briefed Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Pakistan’s diplomatic efforts to reduce tensions in the Middle East, while condemning recent Iranian attacks on the Kingdom and reaffirming Islamabad’s support for Riyadh.

Additionally, Tehran respects Islamabad. Iran, which shares a border with Pakistan, has economic and diplomatic ties with Islamabad and regards it as a friendly nation. Tehran has agreed to allow 20 additional Pakistani ships to transit the Strait of Hormuz, which the Islamic Republic has effectively blocked to commercial shipping – a sign of progress which Trump quickly took credit.

Although Iran has rejected the U.S. 15-point peace proposal and responded with its own 5-point plan, Pakistan said over the weekend that an initial summit of mediating countries is set to take place in Islamabad this coming week in an effort to de-escalate the conflict. While there’s no guarantee the summit would lead to substantive peace talks, Pakistan has already executed a diplomatic coup in its favour.

“From Pakistan’s point of view, it’s a win-win. Whether there is a deal or there isn’t,” – said Husain Haqqani, a former Pakistani ambassador to the U.S. “What Pakistan has accomplished is that the impression and image of isolation has been replaced by it being center stage.” At a time when the entire world is suffering from the fallout of the ongoing Iran war, with no hope of any immediate end, Pakistan has made headlines.

From the point of domestic politics, Pakistan has good reason to do everything it can to bring about an end to the conflict. After the U.S. and Israel killed Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, deadly anti-American protests broke out in Pakistan. After Iran, Pakistan has the world’s largest Shia Muslim population – numbering between 20 million and 40 million.

In actuality, Pakistan’s mediating role started as early as September last year – some five months before the U.S.-Israel’s blitzkrieg on Tehran – when it communicated messages between Iran and the U.S. on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly in New York, in an unsuccessful attempt to revive nuclear talks, according to an Iranian and an Arab official.

However, from the beginning, Pakistan’s job is to get the “U.S. and Iran talking”, and not to directly involved in negotiations, which will be very complex. They say it would prefer to play the role of back channel facilitator, which Islamabad held in talks with the Taliban over the U.S. military’s withdrawal from Afghanistan. Still, the job isn’t a walk in the park largely because both the U.S. and Iran cannot be seen as weak.

While U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly claimed negotiations are underway, Iran has flatly rejected that, insisting publicly any end to the war would be on its terms. Behind the rhetoric, Iranian officials have quietly indicated openness to talks, even as Tehran maintains a hard public line. The gap between public messaging and private signalling is where countries like Pakistan are stepping in.

In truth, Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia and even Malaysia wanted to play the role. Egypt is seen as too close with the Gulf Arab states, which are in direct conflict with Iran. Turkey is not only a NATO member, thus complicating its image as a strictly neutral party, but also has strongly criticized Israel. Because the U.S.-Iran conflict is deeply tied to the US-Israel-Iran war, this bias limits Ankara’s credibility with Washington.

While Indonesia has offered to mediate, it lacks neutrality due to its pro-Palestine and anti-Israel position. Iranian officials have urged Indonesia to take a “firm stance in condemning the aggression” of the US and Israel. Likewise, Malaysia has been highly critical of U.S. and Israeli actions against Iran, but closed both eyes when the regime butchered thousands of ordinary Iranians who demonstrated against the Mullahs.

Worse, the U.S. has expressed serious concerns about Iran using Malaysian entities to finance and sell oil to allied groups, which has led to pressure from the U.S. Treasury. Reports suggest Malaysia has been viewed by the U.S. as a “silent enabler” of Iran’s sanction evasion, with studies indicating hundreds of ship-to-ship transfers of Iranian oil in Malaysian waters.

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