Achieving an outright victory in a war that increasingly seems unwinnable may spur Netanyahu onwards. But Trump, as ever, gets spooked by the markets plunging, with his smash n’ grab raid turning into an expensive stalemate, costing US lives and threatening the economy.
A former head of Iran research for Israel’s defence intelligence agency, argues that the previous Iranian leadership, now largely dead, were “cautious, calculating” actors. They had reportedly signalled that Iran was prepared to significantly dilute the country’s stock of enriched uranium, a critical component in the development of nuclear weapons. In his view, “US negotiators appeared to struggle to fully grasp the technical and strategic implications of this offer.”
Netanyahu’s banner-waving for warfare as the only answer obscures the fact that Hamas is still entrenched in Gaza and the assassination of the Hizbollah leadership in 2024 did not end the Lebanese militant group’s threat. His recipe for perpetual war against a backdrop of rapidly declining international support for Israel, including in the US is a formula for disaster.
A growing belief is that the biggest long-term strategic threat to Israel is not Iran — but the potential loss of the American support on which Israel relies. Israel’s brutal campaign in Gaza in the wake of Hamas’s October 2023 attacks has led to a change in sentiment.
Scouring around for a chink of hope in the swamp, several astro-thoughts.
The 2025 Inauguration Trump Second Term chart, starting on a do-or-die-determined, ruthless Mars opposition Midheaven Sun Pluto square a 6th house Libra Moon always did look as if it would peak in its bullying approach in February/March this year as the Progressed Moon moved to square the Sun Pluto and Progressed Pluto by mid May this year and will lessen in effect thereafter. Before then the Trump Administration will be facing an extremely anxious April with two Neptune midpoints catching a hard square from tr Uranus bringing crises, sudden upsets, weakness, mourning and even more indications of confusion and off-the-wall meanderings from fantasy land.
Trumps’ natal chart through April also indicates weakness even illness caused by anxiety, alongside excitability. His birth time being exactly accurate tr Uranus will also square his Ascendant in April.
Trump’s relationship chart with Netanyahu has been showing their joint power drive being undermined through March; but it is late May to mid August which will be most noticeably undermining and disappointing for their association with tr Neptune opposition the composite Venus and square the composite Saturn, which repeats into 2027 – so there will be a distancing.
The USA/Israel relationship chart has been undermined since tr Neptune Saturn moved into Aries opposing the composite overly-hopeful Jupiter Neptune and square the Mercury Venus from late this month to late May – and that lessening of friendly feeling extends into early 2028. Where it reaches total rupture point will be around 2029/30 as tr Uranus squares the composite Sun and opposes the composite Uranus Sun.
The Iran attack, 28 February 2026 9.45 am Teheran, which launched on an intense Moon opposition Pluto will clear that aspect which comes exact by progression in early August this year. This would coincide with thoughts about the 12 August Solar Eclipse which – “brings a time of breaking out of a negative, hopeless situation into positive phase with more options. A worry will disappear as solutions appear that need to be grasped.”
None of this is decisive but I would hazard a guess that Trumps’ stomach for this foray does not outlast April if it even gets that far. Late May to August will be critical for a US/Israel fall out and general disarray with tr Neptune at 4 degrees Aries square Netanyahu’s Uranus for high-anxiety and it also squares the Israel Venus for emotional discontent.
Muddle and mayhem. Deranged Don wrapped in his Superman fantasy allied with Netanyahu obsessed with destroying Iran – both in different ways entirely unrealistic. I have long thought that Israel was walking itself up a cul-de-sac. However sympathetic about the Jewish people’s terrible history of persecution, there is no mileage on stoking up yet more blood feuds in a region where memories are long.
There is a tricky set of planetary aspects coming up in April.
The upcoming Full Moon at 12 Libra on 2nd April is occurring close to Donald Trump’s natal Chiron at 14 Libra. Saturn at 5 Aries will be opposing his natal Neptune at 5 Libra and sextiling transiting Pluto at 5 Aquarius. The Full Moon will oppose the Islamic Republic of Iran’s 1st April 1979 natal Sun at 12 Aries.
There follows a lot of activity in Aries. Mars enters the sign on 9th April and conjuncts Neptune at 2 Aries on 13 April.
Mercury having turned Direct enters Aries on 15 April. The following day the Sun conjuncts Chiron at 26 Aries. Mercury then conjuncts Neptune at 2 Aries on 17 April just before a New Moon at 27 Aries. On the 19 April Mars conjuncts Saturn. On the next day the Sun enters Taurus, Mercury conjuncts Saturn and then conjuncts Mars .
The month ends with Venus conjunction Uranus at 29 Taurus on 24 April before entering Gemini 3 hours later. Uranus itself enters Gemini on 26 April.
The upcoming Full Moon at 12 Libra on 2nd April is occurring close to Donald Trump’s natal Chiron at 14 Libra. Saturn at 5 Aries will be opposing his natal Neptune at 5 Libra and sextiling transiting Pluto at 5 Aquarius. The Full Moon will oppose the Islamic Republic of Iran’s natal Sun at 12 Aries.
There follows a lot of activity in Aries. Mars enters the sign on 9th April and conjuncts Neptune at 2 Aries on 13 April.
Mercury having turned Direct enters Aries on 15 April. The following day the Sun conjuncts Chiron at 26 Aries. Mercury then conjuncts Neptune at 2 Aries on 17 April just before a New Moon at 27 Aries. On the 19 April Mars conjuncts Saturn. On the next day the Sun enters Taurus, Mercury conjuncts Saturn and then conjuncts Mars .
The month ends with Venus conjunction Uranus at 29 Taurus on 24 April before entering Gemini 3 hours later. Uranus itself enters Gemini on 26 April.
I think this period the time the full impact of the Neptune/Saturn conjunction will become fully manifest. My guess is that the full economic ramifications of the current conflict in the Middle East will be apparent by the end of the month. The charts will all bear examination but that triple conjunction of Mercury/ Mars/Saturn looks particularly powerful.
With regard to the conflict in the Gulf I think the Iranians have got Trump quite literally over a barrel but need to be careful they don’t close off his escape route from the war. If they leave the US President with no way out then they risk that his volatile and vindictive nature will go into full revenge mode which could have unpredictable and catastrophic results for everyone.
Thanks, Hugh. Regarding the line-up in Aries which has the potential to cause so much disruption, I mentioned on Marjorie’s oil article that on March 26, the conjunction of Chiron and Eris becomes exact and will be squaring Trump’s Cancerian Venus, which rules his midheaven.
I am fascinated by that Eris Chiron conjunction and can’t quite get my head round what is means – conflict and catalyst meets old unhealable wounds which is supposed to teach us??? what? Interesting that it collides so closely with Trump’s chart.
I’m hoping that one of the reasons “the Trump Administration will be facing an extremely anxious April” is because of the stock market manipulation they have been engaging in since the first bombing of Iran, as noted in today’s posting by Nobel Prize-winning economist, Paul Krugman. Seems as though Neptune, the planet of oil, inflation, intrigue, and stocks, is casting a smokescreen over the hidden exploitation of our markets by insiders—friends and family of the president.
https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/treason-in-the-futures-markets
https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/treason-in-the-futures-markets
Actually, has been manipulating the markets since he imposed his first tariffs last year.
Now he is using the war he started to manipulate Wall Street.
Someone finally got to Trump to make him understand that Iran will burn down the entire Middle East if America tries to take out its leadership through further air strikes or a ground invasion through Lebanon.
There also seems to be some insider manipulation of betting markets, polymarket, kalshi & co. Very immoral to allow or facilitate betting on war.