Tag: iran

Tulsi Gabbard sidelined in Trump administration discussions on Israel and Iran

National Intelligence Director Tulsi Gabbard, an outspoken critic of past U.S. military interventions abroad, appears to have fallen out of favor with President Donald Trump as he weighs military action against Iran, according to multiple senior administration officials with knowledge of the matter.

Gabbard allies insist that, while there is some White House tension, some of the public blowback is overstated, and none interviewed by NBC News expect her to leave the administration as a result of the president’s Iran policy, even if that includes direct U.S. involvement.

Gabbard’s politically perilous position burst into the open this week when Trump brushed her back over her testimony to Congress in March. At that time, she said the U.S. intelligence community did not believe Iran was building a nuclear weapon — a comment at odds with Trump’s recent public statement about the threat posed by Iran’s potential nuclear program.

“I don’t care what she said. I think they were very close to having one,” Trump told reporters Tuesday on Air Force One.

A person with knowledge of the matter said the U.S. intelligence community’s view has not changed since Gabbard’s testimony in March.

But the idea that a president would openly refute his director of national intelligence immediately spurred questions about whether she is now iced out of decision-making on the issue.

It also reflects a rift that is playing out publicly in Trump’s MAGA coalition, with some supporters advocating standing by Israel in whatever military action it takes against Iran and others saying intervention would go against the “America First” philosophy. Trump’s criticism of U.S. involvement in past conflicts — and his campaign promise to be a “peacemaker” in his second term — brought in unusual bedfellows, such as Gabbard, who had been a Democratic congresswoman.

Multiple senior administration officials said Gabbard has been sidelined in internal administration discussions about the conflict between Israel and Iran. Even two of her allies who spoke to NBC News acknowledged that her standing took a hit when she posted a video on June 10 after a trip to Hiroshima, Japan. The video, which featured the simulated destruction of American cities and Gabbard warning about the dangers of nuclear war, annoyed the White House team, the officials said.

Gabbard did not attend a meeting of top officials June 8 at Camp David, the presidential retreat in Maryland, to discuss tensions between Israel and Iran, which raised fresh questions about her status in the administration. A White House official told NBC News that Gabbard was not present only because she had to take part in scheduled training as a member of the National Guard.

Gabbard’s past positions on Iran, coupled with her recent comments and Trump’s responses to them, have forced top administration officials into a difficult position. Gabbard has seemingly been at odds with the administration line, but not to the point where they feel the need to abandon her.

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Trump faces uproar from MAGA base over possible Iran strike

The prospect of a U.S. strike against Iran has exposed divisions in the coalition of supporters that brought President Donald Trump to power, with some of his base urging him not to get the country involved in a new Middle East war.

Some of Trump’s most prominent Republican allies, including top lieutenant Steve Bannon, have found themselves in the unusual position of being at odds with a president who largely shares their isolationist tendencies.

Bannon, one of many influential voices from Trump’s “America First” coalition, on Wednesday urged caution about the U.S. military joining Israel in trying to destroy Iran’s nuclear program in the absence of a diplomatic deal.

“We can’t do this again,” Bannon told reporters at an event sponsored by the Christian Science Monitor in Washington. “We’ll tear the country apart. We can’t have another Iraq.”

The anti-interventionist part of the Republican Party is watching with alarm as Trump has moved swiftly from seeking a peaceful diplomatic settlement with Iran to possibly having the United States support Israel’s military campaign, including the use of a 30,000-pound “bunker buster” bomb.

The criticism shows the opposition Trump could face from his right-leaning “Make America Great Again” flank should he join the fight, a step that Iran has warned would have big consequences for Americans without specifying what that might be.

A decision by Trump to enter the conflict would be a sharp departure from his usual caution about foreign entanglements. It could impact his campaign to foster good relations in the Gulf and could be a distraction from his efforts to negotiate an end to the war in Ukraine and make tariff deals with countries around the world.

The MAGA coalition propelled Trump into office in the 2016 and 2024 elections and remains critically important to him even though he is prevented by the U.S. Constitution from running for a third term.

Upsetting that base could erode Trump’s popularity and factor into whether Republicans hang on to control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections.

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Whoopi Goldberg Suggests That Black People Living in the U.S. Are as Oppressed as the People of Iran

The ABC News show ‘The View’ is an abomination to American television.

During the broadcast today, co-host Whoopi Goldberg suggested that black people living in the United States are as oppressed as people living in Iran, where women have to submit to dress codes, and being gay is punishable by death.

Her comments came during a loud and incredibly stupid discussion about American foreign policy with regards to what’s currently unfolding in Iran.

It’s really amazing that this show is still on the air.

Transcript via NewsBusters:

FARAH GRIFFIN: It’s not even the same! I couldn’t step foot wearing this outfit in Iran right now.

GOLDBERG: Oh, no! That’s not what you mean to say. It is the same.

FARAH GRIFFIN: No, it’s not. The year 2025 in the United States is nothing like — if I stepped foot wearing this outfit in Tehran right now.

[Crosstalk, Haines trying to bring up Mahsa Amini]

FARAH GRIFFIN: I can’t have my hair showing. I can’t wear a skirt. I can’t have my arms out.

[Crosstalk]

HOSTIN: And it’s for us to judge?

FARAH GRIFFIN: I literally said it’s up to the Iranian people.

HAINES: Yes, it is up to them.

GOLDBERG: And that’s why I’m saying it is the same! Murdering someone for their difference is not good whoever does it! It’s not good!

[Applause]

So, that’s why I said you weren’t saying what you — what I heard was not what you meant.

FARAH GRIFFIN: Okay. I think it’s very different to live in the United States in 2025 than it is in Iran.

GOLDBERG: Not if you’re black!

HOSTIN: Not for everybody!

GOLDBERG: Not if you’re black!

FARAH GRIFFIN: Guys, don’t compare us to Tehran. No one at this table should go to Tehran.

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Trump on Israel-Iran War: “Next Week Is Going to Be Very Big – Maybe Less than a Week”

President Donald Trump spoke with reporters on Wednesday from the White House lawn where he had crews erect two new flagpoles with American flag displays.

The 45th and 47th president was asked about the Israel-Iran War and what he expects from the Iranian regime. Trump hinted that something very big is brewing.

President Trump: Two very simple words. A very simple unconditional surrender. That means I’ve had it, okay? I’ve had it. I give up. No more. Then we go blow up all the military, you know, all the nuclear stuff that’s all over the place there.

No, they had bad intentions. You know, for 40 years they’ve been saying, death to America, death to Israel, death to anybody else that they didn’t like. They were bullies, they were schoolyard bullies, and now they’re not bullies anymore. But we’ll see what happens. Look, nothing’s finished until it’s finished. You know, war is very complex. A lot of bad things can happen. A lot of turns are made. So I don’t know. I wouldn’t say that we won anything yet. I would say that we sure as hell made a lot of progress. And we’ll see. The next week is going to be very big. Maybe less than a week, maybe less.

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Israel Running Low On Missile Interceptors As Iran Proves A Stronger Foe Than Expected

Following multiple rounds of Iranian missile barrages that have proven far more effective than many “experts” anticipated, the Israeli Defense Forces are already running low on defensive Arrow interceptor missiles, making Israel all the more desperate for the United States to join the war Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government initiated on Friday the 13th. Meanwhile, as Iran’s retaliation continues, reports of war-fatigue among Israel’s population are already emerging. 

Against that backdrop, President Trump has been dialing up the intensity of his rhetoric as he pushes Iran to capitulate to demands that it cease all uranium enrichment — a demand that Iran has long ruled out as a violation of its sovereignty, while insisting its nuclear program isn’t focused on creating a weapon. The US intelligence community assessed that to be true in March. “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER!” exclaimed Trump in a terse Tuesday social media post. Trump, who spoke with Netanyahu by phone on Tuesday, is considering options that include a US strike on Iran, the Wall Street Journal reports.  As his deliberations continue — while some members of Congress are backing a resolution that would bar a US attack without congressional authorization — the Pentagon continues shifting a variety of assets toward the region. The DOD insists they’re for defensive use, which includes shielding Israel from the consequences of starting a war with Iran.  

According to an individual briefed on US and Israeli intelligence, Israel is on pace to run out of defensive missiles in 10 to 12 days. “They will need to select what they want to intercept,” that person told the Washington Post. “The system is already overwhelmed.” Arrow interceptors are manufactured by Israel Aerospace Industries. The United States has been pushing other missile defense assets into Israel over the last week, but the Wall Street Journal reports that practice is already raising concerns about the effect on US military readiness.

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Flight Tracker Allegedly Spies Mysterious Chinese Transport Planes Heading for Iran

At least three transport planes from China reportedly flew to Iran in the three days after Israel began attacking Iran’s nuclear program and military command structure, their cargoes and missions unknown.

The UK Telegraph reported on Tuesday that all three of the cargo planes “flew westward along northern China, crossing into Kazakhstan, then south into Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan,” and then dropped off radar screens as they approached Iran.

All three of the planes apparently filed false flight plans that showed their destination as Luxembourg, but none of them flew anywhere near Europe. Later flights from the same region did head toward Luxembourg, which is the home base of the company that operates the aircraft, Cargolux.

Cargolux, which is partially owned by a Chinese company, on Tuesday denied its planes entered Iranian airspace. The company blamed “faulty public tracking data” for creating the appearance of the planes surreptitiously flying into Iranian airspace.

All three of the planes were Boeing 747 cargo planes, which the Telegraph noted are “commonly used for transporting military equipment and weapons, and hired to fly government contract orders.”

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No evidence of nuclear threat from Iran – ex-UK ambassador

There’s no evidence that Iran poses a nuclear threat to Israel, former UK Ambassador to Iran Richard Dalton has said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that Iran was on the verge of developing nuclear weapons shortly after Israel launched air strikes on Iranian territory last week.

Speaking to Sky News last week, Dalton said, “There is no evidence in the public domain” that Iran was on the brink of nuclear weaponization. He noted that US intelligence shows “no change in the basic assessment” that Tehran has decided “to develop nuclear weapons in accordance with their own defense doctrine, which is to eschew weapons of mass destruction.”

“So, we are entitled to disbelieve Netanyahu’s claims that there was some recent change in Iranian policy and behavior until evidence is put in the public domain,” Dalton said.

Israel began bombing Iran last Friday, claiming that the country was nearing the completion of a nuclear bomb. Iran denied the accusations and responded to the Israeli military operation with waves of drone and missile strikes on the Jewish state.

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Report: Hackers Breach Several Iranian TV Channels, Call on Citizens to Take to the Streets

Hackers continue to wreak havoc on the Iranian regime.

Clash Report posted video of an Iranian TV channel that was breached and is airing footage calling for the citizens to take to the streets.

Civilization is quickly breaking down in Iran since Israel started its military attacks on Friday night.

Food vendors are closed in many places, ATMs are without cash, the internet is down (except for Starlink!) and now the TV channels are hacked!

From the tweet above (translated):

“An hour ago, the regime’s infamous propaganda and lies agency, the regime’s infamous Iranian Broadcasting Corporation, was hacked.

After the regime’s normal programs were interrupted, a message was issued to the Iranian nation, calling on Iranians to rise up to overthrow the regime.”

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US moves its newest super carrier — USS Gerald Ford — to Mediterranean as massive military hardware buildup near Iran continues

The US Navy’s newest and biggest aircraft carrier, the USS Gerald R. Ford, is set be deployed to the Mediterranean, according to a report.

It’s the latest public movement of military hardware to the region as the Iran-Israel conflict ratchets up.

The USS Ford, America’s flagship 1,100-foot nuclear-powered carrier, is expected to be sent to Europe as soon as next week, making it the third US aircraft carrier group in the region, CNN’s senior national reporter Zachary Cohen reported on Wednesday.

The $13 billion carrier’s deployment — likely to the Mediterranean Sea — had been scheduled last year, sources to the network.

But it will still be seen as an unmistakable sign of increased global tensions surrounding the ongoing airstrikes between Israel and Iran.

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Federal Contractor Shuts Down Smear Campaign Accusing Tucker Carlson of Being Funded by Qatar

A federal contractor involved in the controversy has flatly debunked a smear campaign accusing Tucker Carlson of being a Qatari puppet.

The Jerusalem Post reported in May that Qatar, a known supporter of terrorist groups like Hamas and a close ally of the Iranian regime, ramped up its outreach to right-wing media by over 50% following Donald Trump’s landslide 2024 election victory.

The news outlet cited a report from The Washington Examiner, which analyzed U.S. Justice Department records, that Qatar orchestrated a high-profile interview between Carlson and Qatar’s Prime Minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani.

Qatari agents paid a US firm $180,000 per month for this interview to materialize, it added.

Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA) filings revealed that Lumen8 Advisors LLC, a little-known legal consulting firm, played a role in arranging the meeting between Carlson and Thani.

Anna Jacobs, a non-resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute, told The Washington Examiner in response to the Carlson interview: “Qatar wants to further cement ties with Trump for many reasons, including to defend itself against Republican attacks for its relationship with Hamas and Iran.”

Carlson was far from Qatar’s sole target in its goal to hold influence over conservative media. Doha engaged with conservative news agencies such as Fox News, the New York Post, Just the News, and The Daily Mail. In some cases, favorable coverage shortly followed.

Critics are concerned that Qatar is trying to soften its image in the eyes of America, keeping in mind that it is known for having ties with the Iranian regime and with terrorist groups such as Hamas.

America First investigative reporter Laura Loomer didn’t hold back, sharing screenshots of the FARA filings and accusing Carlson of participating in “paid propaganda.” Loomer torched Carlson on X, saying:

Here’s the screenshot from the FARA documents filled out this year that prove Qatar paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for an interview between @TuckerCarlson and the Prime Minister of Qatar (the same Qatar which funds HAMAS) regarding the “war with Iran”.

This was a paid propaganda piece in which over $200,000 was paid by the Embassy of the State of Qatar for Tucker to interview a Qatari official all while knowing HAMAS is an Iranian proxy and funded by Qatar.

Qatar funds Islamic terror all around the world and they think they can just pay everyone off to make them turn a blind eye. The Qataris are global funders of Islamic terrorism and their money has been used to murder American citizens.

These are not good people.

Tucker Carlson wants you to think his thoughts on Iran are based and original, but he’s literally participating in paid for interviews by the Qataris, who are funding and providing pent houses and luxury lifestyles to the leaders of HAMAS in DOHA.

Tucker should just be honest that he’s a mouthpiece for genocidal Muslims.

His media company was literally funded by a MUSLIM investor who is half Pakistani and half Iranian and who spends a lot of time in Qatar. And trust me when I say a lot of people in pro-Trump circles are very uncomfortable with this.

Tucker is controlled by Muslims. People need to wake up and stop pretending like this is a conspiracy theory.

Qatar and Iran are buying off conservative podcasters to push pro-Islamist, anti-American and anti-Israel talking points to undermine President Trump.

Conservative titan Mark Levin praised Loomer’s exposé, simply stating, “Well done.”

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