Hobbes’s Self-Defeating Theory

The Iranian Regime's Crypto Shadow Arsenal Authored by Tamuz Itai via The Epoch Times, In 2025, Iran’s crypto ecosystem swelled to more than $7.78 billion, according to Chainalysis, marking a notable acceleration from prior years amid economic collapse and geopolitical turmoil. For ordinary Iranians—roughly one in six of the population—crypto served as a vital lifeline. Facing relentless rial depreciation (down nearly 90 percent since 2018), chronic inflation of 40 to 50 percent, and frequent power blackouts or internet shutdowns during protests, citizens turned to Bitcoin and stablecoins like U.S. dollar-pegged stablecoins (USDT)...

Oil Tumbles As Tehran Pushes Draft Peace Framework While Sidestepping Uranium Question Summary Iran only having 'indirect' US contacts while asserting that enriched uranium is 'off the table' for negotiations: state TV says Tehran has a draft of the initial unofficial framework for MOU with US. IRGC keeping up the rhetoric: warns that Iran would "turn the area from Chabahar to Mahshahr into a graveyard for aggressors" if the ceasefire collapses. CENTCOM: "Clearly the Iranians are trying to hedge their bets here and put more pressure on the US." Iranian president: "The main battleground...