Tag: perpetual war

Pentagon Turns to World War II-Era Tactic in Bid to Ramp Up Weapons Production: Report

The Trump administration wants automakers to put the pedal to the metal to help rebuild America’s weapons stockpiles, according to a new report.

As wars in the Middle East and Ukraine have consumed missiles and other weapons, the Trump administration is turning to a tactic from World War II in order to resupply as fast as possible, according to The Wall Street Journal.

Top executives at General Motors and Ford have been approached, the outlet reported, citing sources it did not name. GE Aerospace and machinery producer Oshkosh have also been approached.

The War Department “is committed to rapidly expanding the defense industrial base by leveraging all available commercial solutions and technologies to ensure our warfighters maintain a decisive advantage,” a Pentagon official said.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth has called for American manufacturing to be on a “wartime footing.”

Talks with manufacturers began before the war against Iran, with the goal of strengthening national security by increasing the military’s ability to quickly increase production of weapons and technology to meet emerging needs.

Defense officials sought input from companies that do not perform extensive defense work about barriers that need to be addressed by the government, such as the process for bidding and contracting.

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Hegseth Says US ‘Locked and Loaded’ to Strike Iran’s Power Plants If No Deal Reached

U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on April 16 urged Iran’s leadership to reach a deal with the United States, warning that a military operation against the country could be restarted quickly and that Iran’s power plants would be struck.

He said the U.S. government will ensure that Iran never has a nuclear weapon, which Trump administration officials say was a primary reason for launching strikes against the country in late February. Iran has long denied that it wants to obtain a nuclear weapon and insists that its nuclear program is for civilian purposes.

“We’d prefer to do it the nice way through a deal led by our great vice president and negotiating team. Or we can do it the hard way,” Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon alongside the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Dan Caine.

Hegseth called on Tehran to “choose wisely” in dealings with the United States.

“I pray you choose a deal, which is within your grasp for the betterment of your people and for the betterment of the world,” Hegseth added.

The U.S. military has kept up a naval blockade on Iran’s ports since April 13 in a bid to place economic pressure on the country’s leadership.

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Russia strikes Ukrainian military and energy sites after Kiev kills children – MOD

The Russian armed forces carried out mass strikes on Ukrainian military and energy sites on Thursday in response to a drone attack that killed two children in the country’s Krasnodar Region, the Defense Ministry in Moscow has said.

Russian strikes hit facilities involved in the production of cruise missiles and medium- and long-range UAVs, the MOD said in a statement on Thursday, adding that energy infrastructure sites used to support Ukraine’s military were also targeted.

”In response to terrorist attacks by Ukraine against civilian targets on Russian territory, a mass strike has been carried out over the past day using long-range precision weapons launched from land, air, and sea, as well as strike drones,” the ministry statement read.

”The objectives of the strikes have been achieved. All designated targets have been hit,” it added.

The strike followed a Ukrainian drone attack on the Russian Black Sea port city of Tuapse, in which two children aged five and 14 were killed.

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Israel May Be Preparing to Permanently Reoccupy Southern Lebanon

On April 16, U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 10-day ceasefire in Lebanon, set to begin later that day. Although Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam welcomed this announcement, it is unlikely to put a stop to Israel’s expanding occupation of south Lebanon. In the hours before the announcement, Israel continued to bomb Lebanon’s south, bombing a school as well as the last main bridge connecting the south of the country to the rest of Lebanon.

The announcement came after a meeting on April 14, in which U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio hosted Lebanon and Israel’s ambassadors for the first diplomatic talks between the two countries since the early 1990s, a move that is likely to cause further turmoil in Lebanon. In a statement after the meeting, the U.S. explained that direct negotiations would be launched at a later date, and that objectives included the disarming of Hezbollah. Additionally, it asserted that mediation would be limited to the U.S., and that Lebanon’s reconstruction would be linked to negotiations with Israel.

A day after the envoys met in Washington, D.C., Israel launched another round of strikes on southern Lebanon, pushing forward with its invasion of the south even as it purportedly moves toward “peace.” Israel’s strikes reportedly killed 20; at the same time, Israel issued yet another forced displacement order for residents of the south. Days earlier, protesters in Beirut mobilized against the Lebanese government’s planned negotiations with Israel.

The push for direct negotiations between Israel and Lebanon came after Israel’s massive attacks on Lebanon on April 8. Hours after a fragile ceasefire took effect in the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran on April 7, Israel escalated its attacks on Lebanon, unleashing the most violent assault of its six-week war on the country. Iran and Pakistan — which mediated the U.S. ceasefire with Iran — insisted that a halt to attacks on Lebanon was part of the agreement, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Trump claimed otherwise. Israel’s military declared that “the battle in Lebanon is ongoing,” while renewing expanded evacuation orders for southern Lebanon.

Israel’s wave of attacks on April 8 clearly aimed to pressure the Lebanese government to further capitulate to Israel’s wishes. Throughout that morning, Israel bombed areas of southern Lebanon, attacking residential buildings as well as medical vehicles and a medical center. In the early afternoon, Israel escalated, unleashing more than 100 airstrikes in less than 10 minutes, bombing residential and commercial areas across Beirut as well as in southern Lebanon and the eastern Bekaa Valley. These airstrikes killed at least 357 people and wounded more than 1,200, marking the deadliest day of Israel’s current assault on the country. Airstrikes struck residential complexes, bridges, grocery stores, a funeral procession in a cemetery, and a university hospital.

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US Sends Thousands More Troops to Middle East, Considers Ground Ops in Iran

The US is sending thousands of additional troops to the Middle East and is considering restarting the bombing campaign against Iran or launching ground operations in the country, The Washington Post reported on Wednesday, citing unnamed US officials.

The report said that the forces include 6,000 troops aboard the aircraft carrier USS George H. W. Bush and its accompanying warships. Notably, the Bush traveled around southern Africa on its way to the region instead of going through the Mediterranean and the Suez Canal, the typical route of US warships, signaling the US is concerned the Houthis in Yemen could close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait.

About 4,200 other US troops, including thousands of Marines, are heading to the region from the Pacific aboard the Boxer Amphibious Ready Group. The Post said they are expected to reach the Middle East by the end of April. Once both forces arrive, the US will have more than 60,000 troops in the region.

The buildup and the US blockade of Iranian ports are framed as an effort to get Iran to agree to US demands for a diplomatic deal. But according to President Trump, the US is continuing to demand that Iran make a commitment to never again enrich uranium for civilian purposes, a condition that’s seen as a non-starter and will likely lead to a renewal of the bombing campaign if the US sticks to it.

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Confusion as US military undercuts Trump’s claim the Strait of Hormuz is open with chilling warning: ‘Prepare to be boarded’

The US military has warned ships in the Strait of Hormuz to ‘prepare to be boarded’ as it enforces Donald Trump‘s blockade.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) released audio of the ominous radio message on Wednesday, even as the President stated that he is ‘permanently opening’ the Strait.

‘The US has announced a formal blockade of Iranian ports in coastal areas,’ a military officer says.

‘This is a legal action. All vessels are advised to immediately return to port if leaving, and discontinue transit to Iran if that is your next port of call, do not attempt to breach the blockade.’ 

The officer warns that any vessels breaching the blockade ‘will be boarded for interdiction and seizure’ and that ‘we will use force.’

The military’s statement directly contradicts Trump’s earlier claim on Truth Social that the strait is ‘permanently open’ after secret talks with Xi Jinping, claiming the Chinese leader had agreed to stop arming Iran.

‘China is very happy that I am permanently opening the Strait of Hormuz,’ Trump wrote on Truth Social. ‘I am doing it for them, also – And the World. This situation will never happen again.’

A senior White House official told the Daily Mail that, despite Donald Trump’s promise to reopen it, ‘the blockade is fully in effect and working.’ It remains unclear whether Trump was declaring the strait open to shipping traffic immediately or signaling an intent to reach a permanent resolution as peace talks with Iran continue.

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China sold Iran spy satellite that was used to target U.S. bases: report

ran secretly purchased a spy satellite from China in 2024, which it then used to target U.S. bases. 

According to the Financial Times, Earth Eye Co, a Chinese company, built and launched a TEE-01B satellite in 2024. After it was launched into space from China, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ Aerospace Corp purchased the satellite, leaked Iranian military documents show. 

Iran used the satellite to monitor major U.S. military sites. Satellite imagery was taken in March prior to drone and missile strikes on the military locations. The sites included Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. On March 14, President Donald Trump said aircraft at the base were hit in missile strikes. 

Trump said Wednesday that China has agreed not to send weapons to Iran, but China has not confirmed the statements. 

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Senate Rejects Resolution to Block Further Military Action Against Iran

The U.S. Senate on April 15 voted against advancing a resolution to halt further U.S. military operations against Iran.

Senators voted 52–47 against advancing the bill.

The legislation, sponsored by Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), came as a privileged motion under the 1973 War Powers Resolution, which was designed to constrain a president’s ability to prosecute military action without congressional approval. A privileged motion is given the highest priority in the Senate over other matters and allows an immediate debate and vote on the floor.

Duckworth’s resolution specifically calls for the removal of U.S. forces “from hostilities within or against the Islamic Republic of Iran that have not been authorized by Congress.”

Democrats brought the resolution to a vote a week after President Donald Trump approved a two-week ceasefire to pursue further negotiations with the Iranian regime.

Washington and Tehran concluded a round of talks over the weekend without reaching an agreement on Iran’s nuclear pursuits, raising the potential for renewed fighting in the near future. Since then, Trump has ordered U.S. forces to enact a blockade of Iranian ports.

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Democrats file impeachment articles against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth

Democrats in the U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday filed articles of impeachment against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, leveling serious criticisms of his handling of the Pentagon and the U.S. attacks on Iran.

As Republicans control the House, this move is unlikely to have an effect in 2026. Rep. Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., introduced the resolution, which says Hegseth has “demonstrated a willful disregard for the Constitution, abused the powers of his office and acted in a manner grossly incompatible with the rule of law,” CBS News reported.

The six articles of impeachment cite offenses including waging unauthorized war in Iran and reckless endangerment of U.S. service members, as well as breaking the laws of armed conflict and targeting civilians. Civilian casualties in Iran have included more than 160 people killed in an attack on a girls school in February.

They further accuse Hegseth of mishandling sensitive military information, which refers to his use of a Signal group chat on his personal phone to share information on a military operation in Yemen last year.

The resolution also says Hegseth obstructed congressional oversight by withholding information on military operations and abused his power by using it for political retribution.

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Young woman says Canadian university banned her for listening to a conversation about Iran war

A Canadian woman says she has been banned for life from the University of Guelph in a violation of her Charter rights because she overheard a private conversation that her father had about the Iran war with some Muslims.

Sarah Dotzert, a young conservative activist, posted a YouTube video about her ordeal through her organization, Unify Action. She explains just how far the university went in political correctness by banning both her and her father.

“I’m about to expose the reality of what it’s like to work on university campuses in Canada. I just banned from ever setting foot on the University of Guelph ever again. No joke, this is not a lie. That thumbnail was real – I actually got banned,” she said.

According to Dotzert, she received a letter in the mail from the university titled “notice of trespass.”

The letter reads, as noted by Dotzert:

Dear Sarah,

As a result of your actions on March 6, 2026, this letter serves as a notice of trespass. The University of Guelph and all associated properties are private property. Presently, you are not a registered student, staff, or faculty member at the University of Guelph and are therefore prohibited from entering all University of Guelph properties. Should you be found in violation of this order, you will be charged under the Trespass to Property Act by the Campus Safety Office. This prohibition is in effect for an indefinite period from the date of this letter. A copy of this notice will be forwarded to the Guelph Police Service for their records. If you have any questions, please contact me directly.

— Director of Campus Security

According to Dotzert, she did nothing that would have warranted her being banned from campus. She says that on March 6 at around 7 p.m. she was attending a “private religious function” at the university. She noted that the event was open to the public as well as “non-students,” so she was “free to attend.”

Dotzert said that as her father was dropping her off in the parking lot, he started a conversation with some other girls next to them. Dotzert said that for context the girls “were Muslim.”

“His opening question was, ‘What do you guys think of the war in Iran?” to the girls.

“Immediately, they take it hostile. On his part, he was not hateful, judgmental, or offensive in any way. He makes conversation with everyone … He was simply trying to talk … But they were offended. The conversation lasted minute, maybe two minutes,” Dotzert recounted.

According to Dotzert, she “took no part in it” and was already out of the car and “walking away.”

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