Never fail, when you are craving some funny video to lighten the national mood – especially during a weekend break, and in the middle of so much uncertainty- you can look to Louisiana Senator John Kennedy (R), who is awesome at finding the perfect phrase to tickle everyone that is unique – just like him.
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That was certainly the case this week, when he was asked about where he thinks the current situation stands with ending the conflict with Iran. I’ll swing back to that shortly.
As RedState previously wrote, the U.S, has put quite a squeeze on Iran over the past two or three weeks, with the U.S. blockade of the Strait of Hormuz slowing the Iranian government’s ability to sell its lifesblood – oil – to a standstill.
We have also managed to stymie them financially, with Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and his department putting the Iran regime in a vise grip, as my colleague Nick Arama wrote.
And as we wrote late last week, Bessent laid out the facts on the banking front, in answer to the despairing propaganda of Iranian Parliament Speaker, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, while USCENTCOM estimated the blockage effort had drained a jaw-dropping “$6 billion-plus” from Iran’s coffers.
READ MORE: New: Bessent Follows Through on ‘Economic Fury’ Threat to Iranian Regime: ‘Follow the Money’
Iranian Leader Ghalibaf Tries a Desperate Bluster, Gets Decimated by Bessent
Now, we are hearing the most current estimate, with the Pentagon telling Axios Friday that since the U.S. blockade began, that staggering amount of wealth the regime has lost stands at just about $5 billion (again, that’s with a “B”).
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The Defense Department estimates Iran has been denied nearly $5 billion in oil revenue because of the U.S. blockade in the Gulf of Oman, causing unprecedented pressure on Tehran’s government.
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Zoom in: Since the blockade began April 13, the U.S. military has redirected more than 40 vessels that have tried to pass through the blockade by carrying oil and other contraband, Pentagon officials say.
- In total, 31 tankers laden with 53 million barrels of Iranian oil are “stuck in the Gulf” and have a value of at least $4.8 billion. Two ships have been seized by the U.S.
- Unable to fill oil in new tankers as on-land storage facilities reach capacity, Iran has begun to use older tankers as floating storage.
- Some tankers are taking “a costlier and longer route to deliver oil to China for fear of U.S. maritime interdiction,” officials said.
Back to that fun clip of the sage, John Kennedy. In a recent appearance on Fox News’ “Hannity” program, he talked about the success President Trump and the U.S. military have had to this point, saying in his unique way that the Iranian regime has run out of moves on the metaphorical chessboard.
America has Iran by the ying-yang. pic.twitter.com/HbrId4LfHB
— John Kennedy (@SenJohnKennedy) May 1, 2026
We “have Iran by the ying-yang,” Sen. Kennedy said. But he didn’t stop there. He then brought the receipts:
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“There’s nothing going in, and there’s nothing coming out. The only source of revenue that Iran has is the sale of oil, and they can’t sell a drop.
“They have to continue producing because if they shut down their wells – as they may have to – because of the low pressure, they’ll never get them started again.”
The senator said “another two to three weeks” of the blockade will force the Supreme Leader and the Revolutionary Guard “to have an epiphany, and be born again “
He also dismissed naysayers in the media who claim that the U.S. getting a hold of Iran’s fissile [nuke-building] materials needs to happen before claiming victory; Sen. Kennedy said he disagreed with anyone who said a regime change needs to take place first. And he said those yard sticks aren’t accurate—all indications, he said, prove that the United States “has [already] won.”
Trump said late on Friday we got a new offer from Iran, so we will see where things go next.
Editor’s Note: Thanks to President Trump and his administration’s bold leadership, we are respected on the world stage, and our enemies are being put on notice.
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