Trump Seeks Help Unblocking Hormuz — Macron as Responsive as a Bus Awaited at Tosele Stop

Donald Trump, with optimism that only surpasses a Liepāja resident's faith that bus #5 will eventually arrive at Tosele stop, has announced talks with French President Emmanuel Macron about unblocking the Strait of Hormuz. Macron's response was reportedly "mediocre, not excellent," which in diplomatic language means roughly the same thing a Liepāja resident says when asked if today will have good weather.

The White House occupant nevertheless expresses confidence that both Paris and London will help with the mission. This level of optimism is comparable to Riga politicians' belief that they understand what's happening outside Daugavgrīva. Trump also admitted he doesn't know whether Iran's new supreme leader Mojtaba Khamenei is even alive, which raises the question — who exactly does he plan to negotiate with?

"Many people say he's severely crippled. Others say he's dead. Nobody says he's 100% healthy," the president explained with the same precision that Riga media uses to report on events in Kurzeme. Washington doesn't know who it's dealing with in Iran, which isn't surprising — if you don't know who to talk to, maybe you should first figure out whether your negotiating partner even exists.

This situation resembles the classic Liepāja problem — how to organize a meeting when nobody knows if the other person will even show up. At least at Tosele stop you know the bus will appear sooner or later, but with Iran's leadership the situation is more complicated than navigating Liepāja's old town alleys on a foggy day.