It’s A Bad Time to Be an Iranian Terrorist, What’s Up w/Pres. Xi? & It’s Summertime – Top 3 Takeaways – June 20th, 2025 - Driven By Braman Motorcars
Takeaway #1: (He) Should not continue to exist
If that were said in the context of a classic James Bond movie or perhaps even a contemporary Mission Impossible pick – it'd be a memorable line. Because it was said in the context of a real-life war, with what are potentially Biblical implications, it’s that much more dramatic. Sadly, there are probably a number of people who come to mind if you think about people who...” should not continue to exist”. There is unfortunately a lot of evil that’s been embraced around the world, and I'll admit that I used to get a kick out of the Old Key Lime House urinal that contained a strategically placed image of Osama Bin Laden. But, Bin Laden’s not existed for quite some time and learned many years ago that there were no virgins waiting for him, instead it’s the Ayatollah and specifically Iran’s Supreme Leader who’s become public enemy number 1. Did you know that according to the Global Terrorism Database, an average of 24,000 people per year are victims of terrorist attacks? That’s an average of 66 people per day and it’s the equivalent of over eight 9/11 attacks per year. Most of it doesn’t happen here so we tend to not pay attention, however the leading sponsor of terror attacks resulting in the highest number of victims is Iran – where their government leaders routinely chant “death to Israel, death to America”, so it was on brand for Iran to directly strike an Israeli hospital with a missile on Thursday. It was at that point where Israel’s defense minister said: A dictator like Khamenei (Iran’s Supreme Leader), who heads a country like Iran and has made the destruction of Israel his mission, cannot continue to exist. Further reinforcing his point, he said: The IDF has been instructed and knows that in order to achieve all of its goals, this man absolutely should not continue to exist. Well, in that case it sounds as though it’s a matter of when, not if Khamenei meets his end in this conflict. It may be the case that President Trump’s decision to not yet green light it (at least by way of what he’s said publicly) is the only reason he’s still alive. In any event, the most important aspect of what transpired yesterday happened far away from the fray. Throughout the week I’ve mentioned that the key to understanding the implications of what’s happening in Iran is actually in...
Takeaway #2: China and Russia
As I mentioned on Tuesday... China isn’t just China, it’s Russia, it’s Iran, it’s North Korea (with Little Rocket Man), it’s Cuba, it’s Venezuela and Nicaragua. But while allied, what that doesn’t mean is that their objectives are all the same. While the Mullahs in Iran, are Islamic zealots practicing Shria law, China actively persecutes Muslims, and faith of any kind is about the furthest thing from Putin’s mind. Their common interest is oil and for China and Russia, to have something of an ally with a significant foothold in the region. Recently I’d mentioned that on a call with President Trump, President Putin agreed that Iran shouldn’t have nuclear weapons. And as far as China goes, a country with over 600 nuclear war heads and growing...they’ve issued a statement that there can never be a nuclear war. What this means is that for Iran no help is coming. What you see is what you see, and Israel is effectively having their way with Iran at this point which means that the prospect of Iranian regime change is growing. On Thursday there was key update from Iran’s two biggest allies, and the message wasn’t that they were ready for war (ya know aside from the one Russia continues to wage inside Ukraine). China’s Foreign Spokesperson had this to say: President Xi Jinping spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin on the phone and exchanged views on the situation in the Middle East. President Xi made four proposals: 1) Promoting a ceasefire and ending the hostilities is an urgent priority. 2) Ensuring the safety of civilians is of paramount importance. 3) Opening dialogue and negotiation is the fundamental way forward. 4) Efforts by the international community to promote peace are indispensable. China stands ready to strengthen communication and coordination with all relevant parties, foster synergy, uphold justice, and play a constructive role in restoring peace in the Middle East. Now look, if you really think that what was really discussed between President’s Putin and Xi was a path for peace, love and happiness – I’ve got a golden bridge to sell you, but importantly what it continues to show is that as the Iranian regime is on the brink – there still doesn’t appear to be even a hint of a threat of escalation into something that could become World War III. That’s an especially good thing.
Takeaway #3: It's the longest day of the year
Yes, the Summer Solstice is finally here... or at least it officially will be at 10:42 this evening... Anyway – this means it’s (almost) officially summer no matter how you prefer to recognize the season (be it astronomically or meteorologically). That also means today is the longest day of the year, as in the day that we have the most daylight in our hemisphere. Today we’ll have 15 hours, 17 minutes and 4 seconds of daylight. By way of comparison that’s nearly 50% more daylight than on this past winter’s solstice when Florida experienced only a little more than ten hours of daylight. And given that it’s a Friday – I'll be sure to enjoy all of them (with a glass of wine in hand for at least of few of them).