Gregg Carlstrom

Ships still being attacked in Hormuz, third aircraft-carrier group still on the way, still no deal or signs of concrete progress

I do think the threat of another imminent round has receded over the past week. But it hasn't gone away, and the fundamentals haven't really changed in that time. It's all vibes ft.com/content/07bdb5…

Seems like an odd setup unless you assume that Vance is worried Trump won't support whatever's emerging in the talks, in which case the first meeting is to discuss messaging strategy for the second one

As it was in February, so it is in November:

"At the core of the problem, according to people engaged in the debate, is a fundamental issue: Trump and his aides still cannot agree on what they are trying to accomplish." nytimes.com/2026/11/08/us/…

Starting a few weeks in the US with a stop in a Gulf petrostate where a charismatic cleric recently led the first successful regime change in decades

"Netanyahu has long presented himself to Israelis as the ultimate expert on America. Yet he has overseen the most drastic deterioration in his country's standing in America in Israel's history." economist.com/middle-east-an…