CIRCLE WITH A DOT

Given how little he cares about Americans, the chance that Trump gives a shit about the Iranian people is zero.

Clear message from the Trump regime to European clients* dependent on US tech companies: those will be brought under control.

*) like the Dutch tax authority preparing to outsource all of its VAT collection.

To get an impression of how Trump's department of war sees the rule of US companies, have a look at its present pressure on Anthropic. https://www.americanprogress.org/article/the-trump-administration-is-trying-to-make-an-example-of-the-ai-giant-anthropic/

Letting this happen would put control over the inflow of €1.5 billion per week to the Dutch government in the hands of a US company. That might be tempting leverage for the Trump regime.

The decision (already mid-2022) to opt for buying software from an external supplier instead of continuing the internal effort by the tax authority was based on advice by McKinsey: https://www.computable.nl/2026/02/24/digitale-autonomie-en-de-uitbesteding-applicatiediensten-omzetbelasting-door-de-staat/

RE: https://mstdn.social/@barbarakathmann/116138203723312771

Dutch tax authority wants to transfer full IT control on VAT collection to an American company. Smart move ‍️‍️

Dutch right-wing newspaper Telegraaf headline: Aid organisation OxfamNovib linked to Hamas. Solely based on an accusation by a Jerusalem-based, Israeli government-linked organisation, which says Palestinian fighters can hide behind trees irrigated with help of Oxfam.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/michielservaes_het-is-het-eeuwige-dilemma-negeren-of-weerspreken-ugcPost-7431060596294430720-1xbZ?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_android&rcm=ACoAAALeRZIBePL5CSgOklve8RIlp9QabpkHOX4

Just last year, our Minister of Climate and Green Growth informed parliament that the equivalent of Hinkley Point C in the Netherlands (2 * 1.6 GW, same supplier envisioned) would cost €30 billion. That'd be a reduction by 48% then, which seems improbable, even if she left out construction interest.
https://www.hln.be/milieu/nieuwe-kerncentrales-in-nederland-kosten-minstens-20-miljard-euro-veel-meer-dan-begroot~affc333a/

And on that new delay, what's a year in this project?
In 2007, EDF Energy CEO Mr de Rivaz predicted that UK citizens would be cooking their Christmas turkeys with power from Hinkley by 2017.
https://www.constructionnews.co.uk/peoplemoves/edf-energy-chief-executive-to-leave-this-year-14-06-2017/

So the real actual estimate of Hinkley Point C investment cost is €58 billion. That's €18,000 per kW.

Two of those for the Netherlands (the equivalent of the four new nuclear power plants considered of 1.6 GW each) would then require €115 billion, to be put up by a new state-owned energy company.

Costs of Hinkley Point C could have been even higher if not for EDF charging £1.6 billion to the parallel Sizewell C nuclear project for sharing expertise gained from Hinkley, helping to mitigate similar issues and delays.
https://www.bitget.com/news/detail/12560605210256

UK's Hinkley Point C new nuclear plant delayed to 2030 as costs climb to €56 billion*, i.e. €17,500 per kW.
EDF said the first reactor at the site in Somerset will begin operations in 2030, a year later than in the last update – almost 13 years after construction work began – after a series of delays to the project.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2026/feb/20/hinkley-point-c-delayed-to-2030-as-costs-climb-to-35bn?CMP=Share_AndroidApp_Other
*) £35 bn in 2015 prices = £49 bn now = €56 bn