(6 July 2026) It is now 10 pm MST July 6, or, 5 AM GMT, July 7. We have been watching events centered on Iran and its regime, waiting for escalation of what looks to be the Second Signpost.
The Strait of Hormuz was closed solidly for 112 days starting on March 2.
It has now been 16 days that the Strait opened, then closed, but looks like it is starting to open up to regular traffic.
Marinetraffic.com right now shows several oil tanker ships going through the Strait at the moment.
July Might Be “Normal”
We saw in this last post that peace talks are starting again July 11. And now we have a report that oil tanker traffic is increasing through the Strait.
The Second Signpost looks like it is just getting started, but if the current signs hold a few weeks we might see a “normal” July. I use quotes because—though places like Southeast Asia will be hurting—other areas like the Americas, Europe and China might see the degraded oil situation at least stabilize in this new normal.
According to the news report, oil tanker traffic has quadrupled compared to the last few weeks. Though traffic was 950 ships traversing per week (135 per day), there were 258 transits last week, which in turn is far more than zero.
Conclusion
The Second Signpost looks like it is still in its early stages.
The oil coming through the Strait might be enough to keep the effects of the oil inventories scraping bottom to affect prices.
Supply chains might still be holding for a little while.
Do not procrastinate. God seems to be allowing us several more days of “normal” before the junk really hits the fan.
Keep watch.
Categories: In The News, Signpost #2: Iran, World in the End Times
THE FOUR SIGNPOSTS 
Looking forward to your suggestions on how to best prepare …
Get Outlook for iOShttps://aka.ms/o0ukef
Iran does its very best to prevent July to become normal…
The IRGC fired missiles at two commercial ships in the Gulf of Oman, near the Strait of Hormuz, early today. Iran acknowledged the attack. The IRGC had warned that their missiles and drones were ready for vessels using the route cleared by the U.S. military near the coast of Oman.
One of the vessels, an outward bound Qatari LNG tanker, was hit in the engine room, causing fire. It was as well the hit was so accurate, for if it had struck the LNG tanks there would have been an explosion like a small nuclear bomb.
The vessel had its transponder off so it does not appear on marinetraffic.com. This site is of very limited use already for a long time because so many vessels have been keeping their GPS transponders off. In reality, in recent days 30-60 vessels crossed the Strait, so roughly a quarter to a half of the pre-war number.
https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/irgc-fires-missiles-at-ships-in-strait-of-hormuz-c3fbadd0
Elsewhere I read that the US is expected to retaliate for this attack, and that the IRGC has deployed small fast attack boats against “the Omani route”.
About the size, workings and State of US Strategic oil Storages, this is a very good explainer and description:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naLXdDsQdi4
It amounts to:
– If the US only drains storages to levels that do no damage to them (so they can be refilled), AND the limit of the US Ministry of War is respected to keep a certain amount ready at hand for a big war, then the lower limit will be reached this very month, July 2026.
– If the storages are drained to the very last drop that can be squeezed out, destroying the storages with reckless abandon, not respecting any limits set by the Department of War, the limit will only be reached far into 2027.
Apart from smuggling tankers through the Strait, optimising pipeline use, maximising production elsewhere, draining stocks, and demand destruction, there is one other very important factor that keeps the oil and fuel prices down:
China imports very little oil. Much less than before. Even Iran has difficulty selling it to them. This is the most unexpected factor that puzzles many oil analysts. Nobody knows why, but a hypothesis is that Trump asked Xi to do this during his recent visit to China. If this is true, then Trump must have given/promised something to Xi in return. Nobody seems to have any idea what that might be.
I keep coming across this in several news media. Here is one:
https://www.vox.com/politics/491853/china-oil-imports-iran
What nobody yet seems to grasp is that if this factor is so important to keep the prices down, it also is a weapon in China ‘s hands. China could ramp up imports again quickly, if and when it wants to. If it does so when or soon after shortages hit, China can make the price rise much more dramatic – or drain some of its own reserves and sell them abroad to mitigate the price rise. Whichever will be most in China’s interests.
Make,
It’s all about mental and spiritual preparation. Physical prep takes a third seat. Regarding spiritual prep, it involves making sure you have exited the Harlot, heeding the warning “Come out of her my people” as written about in Hidden Babylon.
Robert Pape on marioxnawfal show gives a great analysis.
Indeed I just read in the news that because of Tuesday mornings attacks on ships, the US has reinstated oil sanctions for Iran.
And CENTCOM just announced that they had attacked Iran in retaliation.
Goodbye normal July… 😦
Hi Mark:
Gordon Peterson here.
My favorite weekly news magazine, The Week — contained the following article in July 3rd addition assessing the situation in the Persian Gulf. The title of the article was … Iran deal: Gulf states are worst off. I quote the article … :Donald trump into the insists he’s restoring Pax Americana to the Middle East. But … his Iran peace deal looks more like the dawn of a Pax Iran that leaves the region’s fate in the hands of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps. The cease fire solidifies Iran’s influence over the strait of Hurmuz — and the conflict demonstrates that Iran can close that artery at will to throttle the global economy. The deal also gives Tehan sanctions relief which, which lifts economic pressure on the regime.”