PU 41: The Iran Peace Deal

PU 41: The Iran Peace Deal

An analysis of the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between the US and Iran. What does it mean for the future of world politics and how has it been reported on in the media? Punching Upwards, Episode 41 for 21 June 2026 Topics: Politics [https://punchingupwards.substack.com/t/politics]/ War in Iran [https://punchingupwards.substack.com/t/war-in-iran] 🦉 No AI Content [https://punchingupwards.substack.com/p/no-ai-content] 📢 Podcast RSS Feed [https://fab.industries/podcast.rss] Credits Thanks to Michael Mullan-Jensen, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Vlad A Gouf, Fadi Mansour, Bennet Piater, Eric and Sir Galteran for supporting this podcast financially and therefore making it possible for me to produce it! See Also * Punching Upwards 36: Dire Straits of Hormuz [https://punchingupwards.substack.com/p/pu-36-dire-straits-of-hormuz] * Punching Upwards 35: The Horror of Computerised War [https://punchingupwards.substack.com/p/pu-35-the-horror-of-computerised] * Punching Upwards 30: Aviation and the War in Iran [https://punchingupwards.substack.com/p/pu-30-aviation-and-the-war-in-iran] * Punching Upwards 26: Trump Falls Into the Smart Bomb Trap [https://punchingupwards.substack.com/p/pu-26-trump-falls-into-the-smart] Sources * Early details on U.S.-Iran deal announced by Trump [https://www.cbsnews.com/video/early-details-on-us-iran-deal-announced-by-trump/], CBS News, 15 June 2026 * Takeaways from Trump news conference on Iran deal [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jg11AL-hTl4], CBS News, 17 June 2026 * “Humiliation”: Trump’s Iran deal ignites backlash from Dems AND MAGA over “surrender” [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cnIONk43LMs], MS NOW, 18 June 2026 * Iran’s ballistic missiles not mentioned in agreement but Trump says they ‘have to have some’ [https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/iran-s-ballistic-missiles-not-mentioned-in-agreement-but-trump-says-they-have-to-have-some-265266245753], NBC News, 17 June 2026 * Trump says there are “no limits” to his power after Iran war [https://x.com/axios/status/2067744300088045702], Axios, 19 June 2026 * Trump says U.S.-Iran deal “complete” after months of negotiations [https://www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/trump-says-u-s-iran-deal-complete-after-months-of-negotiations-265077317667], NBC News, 15 June 2026 * Gulf recalibrates as Iran emerges intact from war [https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/gulf-recalibrates-iran-emerges-intact-war-2026-06-15/], Reuters, 15 June 2026 * Iran, Israel voice caveats on deal ahead of expected signing ceremony [https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/iran-war-us-trump-peace-deal-agreed-israel/], CBS News, 16 June 2026 * US, Iran sign preliminary Hormuz deal ahead of formal ceremony [https://www.scmp.com/news/us/article/3357210/trump-vance-electronically-sign-peace-memorandum-iran-us-officials-say], South China Morning Post, 16 June 2026 * Trump and Iran reach tentative deal to end war, reopen Hormuz [https://www.nbcnews.com/world/iran/live-blog/live-updates-trump-iran-deal-end-war-reopen-hormuz-markets-israel-rcna350076], NBC News, 15 June 2026 * Donald Trump’s 12-point peace plan with Iran unveiled - including no concrete nuclear promise [https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/us-news/us-iran-peace-deal-nuclear-37306197], The Mirror, 17 June 2026 * What do we know about the US-Iran peace deal – and what questions remain? [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/15/us-iran-peace-deal-terms-details-conditions-explained-what-do-we-know-hormuz-lebanon-israel-nuclear], The Guardian, 15 June 2026 * What’s in – and what’s not in – the US-Iran peace deal [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/jun/15/analysis-us-iran-peace-deal-shipping-sanctions-relief-nuclear-talks-ballistic-missiles], The Guardian, 15 June 2026 * Read the 14-point memorandum of understanding between the United States and Iran [https://www.militarytimes.com/news/pentagon-congress/2026/06/17/read-the-14-point-memorandum-of-understanding-between-the-united-states-and-iran/], Military Times, 17 June 2026 * US and Iranian presidents sign deal aiming to end war [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/crr8z4z2er9o]. The BBC, 18 June 2026 * World reacts to US-Iran deal to extend ceasefire, reopen Strait of Hormuz [https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/18/world-reacts-to-us-iran-deal-to-extend-ceasefire-begin-negotations], Al Jazeera, 18 June 2026 * Israel will not withdraw from southern Lebanon until security restored, Netanyahu vows [https://www.jpost.com/israel-news/defense-news/article-899856], The Jerusalem Post, 18 June 2026 * Senate Republicans raise alarm over Trump’s deal with Iran [https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/5929430-trump-iran-deal-republican-backlash/], The Hill, 18 June 2026 * The Iran war Trump can’t politically escape [https://www.dailysabah.com/opinion/op-ed/the-iran-war-trump-cant-politically-escape], Daily Sabah, 18 June 2026 * Trump took “sledgehammer” to security council before Iran war: ex-admin officials [https://www.alternet.org/trump-iran-war-nsc/], AlterNet, 17 June 2026 * “Worst foreign policy blunder in decades”: Republicans turn on Trump over Iran deal [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-iran-deal-republicans-war-b2998118.html], The Independent, 18 June 2026 * Trump’s MoU with Iran draws backlash from some Republicans [https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/18/trumps-iran-framework-draws-backlash-from-some-republicans], Al Jazeera, 18 June 2026 * MAGA hawk mutiny deepens Trump’s isolation on Iran [https://www.axios.com/2026/06/17/trump-maga-iran-divide], Axios, 17 June 2026 * MAGA Erupts in Fury as Full Text of Trump’s Iran Deal Is Revealed [https://newrepublic.com/post/212016/maga-pissed-full-text-trump-iran-deal]. The New Republic, 17 June 2026 * Israel and Hezbollah agree to ceasefire, US official confirms [https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cy9r022nqz9t], The BBC, 19 June 2026 * Trump Declares There Are “No Limits” to His Power [https://newrepublic.com/post/212085/trump-declares-no-limits-power], The New Republic, 19 June 2026 * Iran to Waive Hormuz Fees During 60-Day Window, Plans to Impose Charges Thereafter [https://www.outlookindia.com/international/iran-to-waive-hormuz-fees-during-60-day-window-plans-to-impose-charges-thereafter], Outlook India, 19 June 2026 * Netanyahu scheming to blow Trump’s Iran deal: report [https://www.alternet.org/trump-netanyahu-iran-maga/], AlterNet, 19 June 2026 * Why the Planned US-Iran Peace Meeting in Switzerland Fell Apart [https://english.pravda.ru/news/world/167082-merz-ukraine-peace/], Pravda Online, 19 June 2026 * As deal takes force, Trump says “it’s okay” for Iran to have some ballistic missiles [https://www.timesofisrael.com/as-deal-takes-force-trump-says-its-okay-for-iran-to-have-some-ballistic-missiles/], The Times of Israel, 18 June 2026 * US-Iran nuclear talks stall over Lebanon before they begin [https://www.stripes.com/theaters/middle_east/2026-06-19/iran-us-talks-delayed-lebanon-22017416.html], Stars and Stripes, 19 June 2026 * Iran-US war latest: Trump envoy heads to Switzerland for talks as deal under threat after Israel airstrikes [https://www.the-independent.com/news/world/middle-east/iran-us-war-live-trump-strait-of-hormuz-deal-ceasefire-b2999541.html], The Independent, 20 June 2026 * Donald Trump signs the MOU in Versailles [https://x.com/Scavino47/status/2067388433945760235], tweet by Dan Scavino, 18 June 2026 The theme music for the podcast is a track called Fight or Fall by Def Lev. Find out more about the show at fab.industries/podcast [https://fab.industries/podcast] — new media, new rules! Get full access to Punching Upwards at punchingupwards.substack.com/subscribe [https://punchingupwards.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

PU 40: The First Trillionaire

The company pulling off the most successful IPO in the history of stock exchanges, SpaceX, is losing money hand over fist. And its promised future money-maker, data centres in space, is a pipe dream. Punching Upwards, Episode 40 for 14 June 2026 Topics: Technology [https://punchingupwards.substack.com/t/technology]/ Artificial Intelligence [https://punchingupwards.substack.com/t/artificial-intelligence] 🦉 No AI Content [https://punchingupwards.substack.com/p/no-ai-content] 📢 Podcast RSS Feed [https://fab.industries/podcast.rss] Credits Thanks to Michael Mullan-Jensen, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Vlad A Gouf, Fadi Mansour, Bennet Piater, Eric and Sir Galteran for supporting this podcast financially and therefore making it possible for me to produce it! See Also * Punching Upwards 34: Scam Altman [https://punchingupwards.substack.com/p/pu-34-scam-altman] * Punching Upwards 27: LLMs Are a Dead-End [https://punchingupwards.substack.com/p/pu-27-llms-are-a-dead-end] Sources * Musk’s SpaceX Goes Public: What Makes This IPO Different [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfM57vU0_Jk], The Wall Street Journal, 12 June 2026 * SpaceX is now a public company valued for its AI potential, so what comes next? [https://arstechnica.com/space/2026/06/spacex-is-now-a-public-company-valued-for-its-ai-potential-so-what-comes-next/], Ars Technica, 13 June 2026 * SpaceX (Space Exploration Technologies Corp, SPCX) trading on the NASDAQ [https://www.google.com/finance/beta/quote/SPCX:NASDAQ], Google Finance * SpaceX Opens At $150—Surging 20% After Largest IPO Ever [https://www.forbes.com/sites/tylerroush/2026/06/12/spacex-opens-at-150-surging-17-after-largest-ipo-ever-live-updates/], Forbes, 12 June 2026 * SpaceX’s I.P.O. Could Turn 4,400 Employees Into Millionaires [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/06/10/technology/spacex-ipo-employee-millionaires.html], The New York Times, 10 June 2026 * Rocket Man: The otherworldly ambitions of Elon Musk [https://www.mercurynews.com/2014/04/10/2014-rocket-man-the-otherworldly-ambitions-of-elon-musk/], The Mercury News, 10 April 2014 * Meet the Musks: who’s who in Elon’s extended family? [https://www.theguardian.com/technology/shortcuts/2018/feb/21/meet-elon-musk-family], The Guardian, 21 February 2018 * How Elon Musk made his money – from emeralds to SpaceX and Tesla [https://www.independent.co.uk/space/elon-musk-made-money-rich-b2212599.html], The Independent, 28 October 2022 * Apollo’s Portable Life Support System [https://apollojournals.org/alsj/LM15_Portable_Life_Support_System_ppP1-5.pdf], Hamilton Standard, undated The theme music for the podcast is a track called Fight or Fall by Def Lev. Find out more about the show at fab.industries/podcast [https://fab.industries/podcast] — new media, new rules! Get full access to Punching Upwards at punchingupwards.substack.com/subscribe [https://punchingupwards.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

PU 39: The Dead Internet Theory Was Right

Are humans on the internet being pushed out by bots? Is this a lunatic fringe conspiracy theory or does Cory Doctorow’s thesis of enshittification accurately describe what is happening? Punching Upwards, Episode 39 for 7 June 2026 Topics: Technology [https://punchingupwards.substack.com/t/technology]/ Artificial Intelligence [https://punchingupwards.substack.com/t/artificial-intelligence] 🦉 No AI Content [https://punchingupwards.substack.com/p/no-ai-content] 📢 Podcast RSS Feed [https://fab.industries/podcast.rss] Credits Thanks to Michael Mullan-Jensen, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Vlad A Gouf, Fadi Mansour, Bennet Piater, Eric and Sir Galteran for supporting this podcast financially and therefore making it possible for me to produce it! See Also * Punching Upwards 22: Moltbook Madness [https://punchingupwards.substack.com/p/pu-22-moltbook-madness] Sources * Tweet by Matthew Prince [https://x.com/eastdakota/status/2062212701414187452], 3 June 2026 * Bots Now Outnumber Humans Online And The Internet Was Never Built For This [https://www.forbes.com/sites/josipamajic/2026/06/04/bots-now-outnumber-humans-online-and-the-internet-was-never-built-for-this/], Forbes, 4 June 2026 * Bot web traffic has overtaken human web traffic, data shows [https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/bot-web-traffic-overtaken-human-web-traffic-data-shows-rcna348522], NBC News, 5 June 2026 * AI Agents Now Generate More Web Traffic Than Humans [https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/its-official-agentic-bots-surf-the-web-more-than-real-people-do/], CNET, 4 June 2026 * Cloudflare CEO says bot internet traffic has overtaken humans [https://sea.mashable.com/tech/48717/cloudflare-ceo-says-bot-internet-traffic-has-overtaken-humans], Mashable, 5 June 2026 * AI and bots have officially taken over the internet, report finds [https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/26/ai-bots-humans-internet.html], CNBC, 26 March 2026 * The 2026 State of AI Traffic & Cyberthreat Benchmark Report [https://www.humansecurity.com/wp-content/uploads/HUMAN_Report_2026-State-of-AI-Traffic-and-Cyberthreat-Benchmark.pdf], Human Security, undated * “Bots have now passed human traffic online,” Cloudflare boss laments — says agentic traffic wasn’t expected to eclipse real people until next year [https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/artificial-intelligence/bots-have-now-passed-human-traffic-online-cloudflare-boss-laments-says-agentic-traffic-wasnt-expected-to-eclipse-real-people-until-next-year], Tom’s Hardware, 4 June 2026 * Bots are taking over the internet and AI users are to blame [https://www.theregister.com/software/2026/02/04/ai-bot-traffic-closing-in-on-human-web-visits-study-finds/4921090], The Register, 4 February 2026 * More Articles Are Now Created by AI Than Humans [https://graphite.io/five-percent/more-articles-are-now-created-by-ai-than-humans] / AI Now Writes as Many Online Articles as Humans [https://graphite.io/five-percent/ai-now-writes-as-many-online-articles-as-humans-do], Five Percent, 15 May 2026 * How dead is the internet? [https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct6vyt], BBC World Service, 17 May 2025 * Social Quitting [https://doctorow.medium.com/social-quitting-1ce85b67b456], Corey Doctorow, 15 November 2022 * Enshittification:Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What To Do About It [https://www.versobooks.com/products/3341-enshittification], Corey Doctorow, 2025 * The Age of Enshittification [https://www.newyorker.com/culture/infinite-scroll/the-age-of-enshittification], The New Yorker, 1 October 2025 The theme music for the podcast is a track called Fight or Fall by Def Lev. Find out more about the show at fab.industries/podcast [https://fab.industries/podcast] — new media, new rules! Get full access to Punching Upwards at punchingupwards.substack.com/subscribe [https://punchingupwards.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

PU 38: Is Chat Control Finally Dead?

The EU’s attempt to assume that all of its citizens are guilty of crimes and to then scan all of their communications is finally dead. But the dangerous ideas that spawned this insanity live on. Punching Upwards, Episode 38 for 31 May 2026 Topics: Privacy [https://punchingupwards.substack.com/t/privacy]/ Crypto Wars [https://punchingupwards.substack.com/t/crypto-wars] 🦉 No AI Content [https://punchingupwards.substack.com/p/no-ai-content] 📢 Podcast RSS Feed [https://fab.industries/podcast.rss] Credits Thanks to Michael Mullan-Jensen, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Vlad A Gouf, Fadi Mansour, Bennet Piater, Eric and Sir Galteran for supporting this podcast financially and therefore making it possible for me to produce it! See Also * Punching Upwards 27: LLMs Are a Dead-End [https://punchingupwards.substack.com/p/pu-27-llms-are-a-dead-end] * Punching Upwards 14: Chat Control is Back [https://punchingupwards.substack.com/p/pu-14-chat-control-is-back] * Punching Upwards 6: Chat Control Denied [https://punchingupwards.substack.com/p/pu-6-chat-control-denied] Sources * End of “Chat Control”: EU Parliament Stops Mass Surveillance in Voting Thriller – Paving the Way for Genuine Child Protection! [https://www.patrick-breyer.de/en/end-of-chat-control-eu-parliament-stops-mass-surveillance-in-voting-thriller-paving-the-way-for-genuine-child-protection/], Patrick Breyer, 26 March 2026 * YouTube short from Tuta [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/tN0mpN1eBhk], 24 March 2026 The theme music for the podcast is a track called Fight or Fall by Def Lev. Find out more about the show at fab.industries/podcast [https://fab.industries/podcast] — new media, new rules! Get full access to Punching Upwards at punchingupwards.substack.com/subscribe [https://punchingupwards.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]

PU 37: How Not to Report an Aviation Accident

China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735 crashed into a hill near Wuzhou in 2022, killing 132 people. What do we know about this Boeing 737 crash and what secret is the Chinese government keeping? Punching Upwards, Episode 37 for 24 May 2026 Topics: Aviation [https://punchingupwards.substack.com/t/aviation] / China Eastern Airlines Flight 5735 [https://punchingupwards.substack.com/t/china-eastern-airlines-flight-5735] 🦉 No AI Content [https://punchingupwards.substack.com/p/no-ai-content] 📢 Podcast RSS Feed [https://fab.industries/podcast.rss] Credits Thanks to Michael Mullan-Jensen, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Vlad A Gouf, Fadi Mansour, Bennet Piater, Eric and Sir Galteran for supporting this podcast financially and therefore making it possible for me to produce it! See Also * Punching Upwards 11: What Happened to UPS Flight 2976? [https://punchingupwards.substack.com/p/pu-11-what-happened-to-ups-flight] Sources * China Eastern Plane Crash May Have Been Intentional, Reports Say [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=onbjg0MUF5A], NBC News, 18 May 2022 * China Eastern plane could deliberately have crashed, sources say [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YLFWvbv2DFE], Reuters, 18 May 2022 * Crash: China Eastern B738 near Guangzhou on Mar 21st 2022, lost altitude and impacted terrain [https://avherald.com/h?article=4f64be2f], The Aviation Herald, 21 March 2022 * Letter from the NTSB in response to a FOIA request [https://avherald.com/files/NTSB_response_to_FOIA_request_on_China_Eastern_Airlines_Flight_MU5735_alternative_version.pdf], NTSB, April 2026 * NTSB report on CVR and FDR data download [https://avherald.com/files/NTSB_DCA22WA102_Cockpit_Voice_and_Flight_Data_Recorder_Combined_Download_Report.pdf], NTSB, 1 July 2022 * China Eastern Airlines flight 5735 crashes en route to Guangzhou [https://www.flightradar24.com/blog/flight-tracking-news/major-incident/china-eastern-airlines-flight-5735-crashes-en-route-to-guangzhou/], Flightradar24, 21 March 2022 * Search finds 49,000 pieces of plane in China Eastern crash [https://apnews.com/article/business-china-beijing-3f8f48921cfdb740dbd55256ea8f6746], The Associated Press, 31 March 2022 * CAAC issues brief statement on anniversary of China Eastern 737 crash [https://www.flightglobal.com/asia-pacific/2023/03/caac-issues-brief-statement-on-anniversary-of-china-eastern-737-crash/], FlightGlobal, 21 March 2023 * Investigation into deadly crash finds no anomalies [https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202403/21/WS65fb8e1ba31082fc043bde1e.html], China Daily, 21 March 2024 * Flight data bolsters claim China Eastern plane was deliberately crashed in 2022 [https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/04/china/china-eastern-crash-ntsb-report-intl-hnk], CNN, 4 May 2026 * Data Suggests Struggle in Cockpit Before Deadly China Eastern Plane Crash [https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/07/world/asia/china-eastern-plane-crash-flight-5735-ntsb.html], The New York Times, 7 May 2026 * Deadly China plane crash was caused by fuel cut-off, says report [https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ckgpy223y9go], The BBC, 5 May 2025 * New Investigative Report Says China Knew More About Flight 5735 Crash Than It Let On [https://guessingheadlights.com/new-investigative-report-says-china-knew-more-about-flight-5735-crash-than-it-let-on/], Guessing Headlights, 5 May 2026 * Evergrande linked to China plane crash in wild suicide rumour [https://www.asiamarkets.com/evergrande-linked-to-china-plane-crash-in-wild-suicide-rumour/], Asia Markets, 11 April 2022 * Evergrande Group [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Evergrande_Group], Wikipedia * Translation of the CAAC preliminary report by a Reddit user [https://www.reddit.com/r/aviation/comments/1bgwsxf/comment/kva0yb4/], Reddit * Reddit rumour #1 [https://www.reddit.com/r/aviation/comments/1bgwsxf/comment/l1xluxj/] * Reddit rumour #2 [https://www.reddit.com/r/China/comments/1t2vrc3/comment/ojts6ew/] The theme music for the podcast is a track called Fight or Fall by Def Lev. Find out more about the show at fab.industries/podcast [https://fab.industries/podcast] — new media, new rules! Get full access to Punching Upwards at punchingupwards.substack.com/subscribe [https://punchingupwards.substack.com/subscribe?utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=CTA_4]