Tag: perpetual war

The Promise Of A Quick Victory Turns Into A Stagnating Conflict – Pressing Lawmakers As New Fears Of A “Forever War” Are On The Rise

In February 2026, the United States and Israel conducted military strikes against Iran, which resulted in the death of the Iranian dictator, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and started another major war in the Middle East. Five months later, it has become unclear how long this war will last or what the objective even is.

The past few months have seen a nonstop back-and-forth on the status of the war, creating a lot of confusion for the general public. Throughout the war, Iran has closed the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most vital energy chokepoints and an important trading route. The closure of the straight has brought massive inflation to the U.S., with gas price averages rising close to $4 a gallon.

One moment, President Trump says that a peace deal is on the horizon; the next moment, U.S. strikes against Iran intensify. One moment talks about reopening the Strait of Hormuz see progress; the next moment, Iran closes the strait once again.

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Latest Case of “Palestine Exception” to Free Speech Is “Golden Gate Defendants”

Jury deliberations in the case of a group of San Francisco protesters dubbed the “Golden Gate Defendants” resulted in multiple misdemeanor convictions on July 2, 2026. The case stems from an organized action that took place April 15, 2024, in protest of the U.S.-enabled Israeli genocide in Gaza. Twenty-six people were initially arrested for blocking traffic on San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge and jailed for more than 48 hours. After a majority of the 1,144 combined charges were dropped, seven people went to trial.

In spite of being found guilty of multiple misdemeanors, the Golden Gate Defendants view the outcome as a victory. Tori Porell, senior staff attorney at Palestine Legal, who has been supporting the defendants, said San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins “failed to secure convictions on the most serious charges” of felony conspiracy. Jury members were deadlocked on the felony charges that could have resulted in 15-year prison sentences.

Still, defendants and their allies have spent two years enmeshed in the stress of a long-drawn-out trial. Now, those charged and convicted await a sentencing hearing in August.

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Trump warns Iran that next targets will be power plants and bridges if no deal is reached

President Donald Trump warned the Iranian regime Tuesday that the United States will target its bridges and power plants soon “unless they get to the table and negotiate.”

The Middle Eastern conflict resumed last week after Iran struck three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz and the United States has since launched its own strikes on Iran in response.

Trump warned Iran that the conflict will end when “I say it’s enough,” and that “energy targets” are next on his list. Iranian bridges and power plants will be struck next week if no deal is reached.

“I’ll save the energy targets for last, but ultimately we’ll hit energy targets,” Trump told Fox News reporter Trey Yingst. “We’re going to hit them very hard tonight. We’re going to hit them very hard tomorrow night. We’re going to hit them very hard the night after, and then next week it gets really bad for them because next week comes the power plants.

“Next week comes the bridges. We’re going to knock out all their power plants,” he continued. “We’re going to knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate.”

Trump defended the U.S.’s recent airstrikes on Iran, likening the country’s regime to a boxer who needs to be beaten down before peace can be achieved.

“The only way you can negotiate with these people is through strength, and the only strength is military strength, and that’s what we’ve done,” Trump told Yingst. “It’s like a great boxer. You think you have them beat, and then all of a sudden he comes back and he gives you a shot. They have some fight left, but they don’t have much.”

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Trump Does Not Rule Out Ground Invasion in Iran, Suggests US Will Take Kharg Island

President Trump on Tuesday sat for an interview with Fox News, where he suggested that a ground invasion may be imminent in Iran and that the US may take over Iran’s critical oil export hub of Kharg Island. 

The President declined to say whether he would rule out a ground campaign, suggesting it might be necessary if he “thought it was appropriate.”

“Sometimes you need a ground campaign, but we have other people that will do the ground campaign for us,” Trump added.

Trump also said the ongoing air campaign against Iran, which resumed last week, will “continue until I say it’s enough.”

As The Gateway Pundit reported, US forces carried out attacks on Iran for approximately seven hours last night, hitting “dozens of military targets near the Strait of Hormuz and Iranian coastal areas,” US Central Command said, releasing video of strikes.  

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Report: Trump Sons Build Defense Portfolio as Pentagon Billions Flow

President Donald Trump’s sons have built a broad portfolio of defense technology investments as their father’s administration directs more money toward drones, robotics, artificial intelligence, and other new weapons systems.

Funds linked to Donald Trump, Jr. and Eric Trump have invested in at least 15 companies seeking business from the Pentagon and other federal agencies, according to a Washington Post analysis. Most of the investments came after Trump won reelection.

Since the sons invested, says the report,

The companies have collectively generated at least $3.2 billion in direct government business since the sons invested and an additional $3.1 billion in future contract options. Some have gained coveted spots on shortlists of preapproved contractors that can bid exclusively on up to nearly $200 billion in future work.

The explosion of the family’s financial wealth does not stop with the sons. A disclosure filed in 2026 showed that Trump himself reported at least $2.2 billion in income for 2025, up from about $600 million the previous year. That works out to roughly $6 million per day. His accounts also made thousands of securities trades across the economy, including investments in defense companies and other industries heavily regulated by, or dependent on, federal policy.

The Money Trail

The Trump sons’ investments reportedly flow mainly through two firms.

Donald Trump, Jr. joined venture-capital firm 1789 Capital as a partner within days of his father’s 2024 election victory. The firm promotes what its partners call “patriotic capitalism.” It invested in 11 of the 15 defense, robotics, and AI companies identified by The Post.

Meanwhile, Eric Trump has invested primarily through American Ventures. The firm operates through Dominari Holdings, a small investment bank based in Trump Tower. Eric Trump told the outlet that he was “one of several passive investors.”

Neither brother holds a government position. Neither had notable experience in defense technology before the investment drive began. Both remain executive vice presidents of the Trump Organization.

The Companies

The companies that the Trump-linked firms invested in range from industry giants to little-known startups.

Elon Musk’s SpaceX accounted for about $2.1 billion in direct federal business after the investment and another $1.2 billion in potential commitments, according to The Post. Musk was also Trump’s largest financial backer in 2024. He spent nearly $300 million supporting Trump and other Republicans.

SpaceX was already deeply dependent on Washington. As of February 2025, it reportedly held about $22 billion in government contracts, including roughly $15 billion from NASA.

Its military role has since expanded sharply. This May, SpaceX won a $4.16 billion Space Force contract for satellites designed to track and target airborne threats. Days earlier, it secured another $2.29 billion to build a military satellite communications network.

Those systems could form important parts of Trump’s controversial Golden Dome missile shield. SpaceX was previously identified as a leading contender for the program, alongside Anduril and Palantir (all run by Trump’s mega donors).

Anduril ranked second in The Post’s tally. It accounted for about $1 billion in direct government business and another $122.9 million in potential work. The company builds autonomous drones, surveillance systems, missiles, and counter-drone technology.

Together, SpaceX and Anduril accounted for 97 percent of the direct federal money identified by The Post.

The remaining investments covered automated weapons factories, rare earth magnets, quantum computing, humanoid robots, drones, rocket fuel, and targeting software. Hadrian and Vulcan Elements secured the largest potential commitments among the smaller firms. Other companies included Databricks, Foundation Future Industries, Unusual Machines, Firehawk Aerospace, Perplexity AI, PsiQuantum, and Aeon Industrial.

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Media Cheering a Deal That Puts Lebanon on the Chopping Block for Israel

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio on June 26 triumphantly announced the “signing of the Trilateral Framework between Lebanon, Israel and the United States.” The document allegedly “builds a realistic path out of endless conflict” between Israel and Lebanon—“the inheritors of ancient civilizations that date back to the time of the Bible.”

According to Rubio:

This agreement establishes a clear and structured process to restore Lebanon’s sovereignty, disarm Hezbollah and dismantle its terrorist infrastructure, and enable Israel to return to its borders once that threat to its citizens is removed.

The framework also creates a cool-sounding “Military Coordination Group for Lebanon (MCG4L), facilitated by the United States.”

As should be immediately clear to anyone who has paid minimal attention to politics over the past 80 years, any US-brokered agreement between the two inheritors of ancient civilizations will automatically be designed to screw over Lebanon in favor of Israel—which has harbored designs on Lebanese territory from the get-go.

As Amnesty International noted, the agreement “betrays victims of war crimes in Lebanon” by essentially blocking their right to seek justice in international forums. It also signs off, Amnesty said, on the “prolonged and indefinite forced displacement of tens of thousands of residents of vast swathes of southern Lebanon occupied by Israeli forces.”

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France Approves Ukraine to Produce SCALP Missiles, Aster-30 Interceptors, Confirms First 16 Rafale Fighter Jet Deliveries

France has approved a major expansion of its defense cooperation with Ukraine by allowing the local production of several French-designed weapons and confirming a delivery timeline for the first batch of Rafale fighter jets.

French President Emmanuel Macron announced the decision on July 13 following a meeting of the Coalition of the Willing in Paris, where leaders discussed continued military support for Ukraine.

Under the new agreement, Ukraine will receive licenses to manufacture Aster-30 air defense interceptor missiles, SCALP long-range cruise missiles, and AASM Hammer precision-guided bombs on its own territory. France said the move is intended to strengthen Ukraine’s domestic defense industry and reduce dependence on continued deliveries of finished weapons from abroad.

The decision marks the first time France has approved local production of these advanced French-designed systems in Ukraine. Macron said the agreements build on discussions held with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and previous understandings reached last year.

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Trump claims ‘other people’ could lead ground campaign in Iran

US President Donald Trump has refused to rule out a ground campaign in Iran, saying unspecified allied forces could seize key strategic sites like Kharg Island without the involvement of US troops, while threatening to expand the bombing campaign to include power plants and bridges.

In an interview with Fox News on Tuesday, Trump said he would consider a ground operation “if I thought it was appropriate.”

“Sometimes you need a ground campaign, but we have other people who will do the ground campaign for us… But we have already hit Kharg Island twice, even three times. I said, ‘Hit everything but the oil!’”

Located around 25 km (15 miles) off Iran’s Gulf coast, Kharg Island handles around 90% of the country’s crude exports and serves as the primary outlet for oil revenue.

Ahead of the now-broken April ceasefire, Trump threatened to seize Kharg Island “to take the oil.” Asked whether he still intends to seize the island, Trump replied, “As far as taking it is concerned, if we degrade them far enough and deep enough, I would do that.”

The president also vowed to intensify the air campaign, saying US strikes will continue until he decides “it’s enough.”

“They’ll continue until I say it’s enough. Next week comes the power plants. Next week comes the bridges. We’re going to knock out all their power plants. We’re going to knock out all their bridges unless they get to the table and negotiate.”

Trump warned that Iran “won’t have anybody left” unless it reaches a deal, claiming US officials relayed that message to Tehran “about an hour ago.”

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‘Not How It Works’: Critics Slam Trump Bid To Restart Legal Clock on Illegal Iran War

Critics from both sides of the political aisle on Monday denounced President Donald Trump’s effort to construct a facade of legality for the illegal US-Israeli war of choice on Iran by notifying Congress of renewed military strikes on the Mideast nation.

Trump claimed in a letter to members of Congress that, on July 7, he ordered “defensive strikes against targets within Iran, including missile launch sites, air defenses, military maritime assets, military support infrastructure, and command and control capabilities.”

“These strikes are limited, measured, planned, and executed in a manner designed to minimize civilian casualties,” wrote Trump, whose war has killed more than 3,400 people – hundreds of them children – and wounded over 26,500 others since February 28, according to Iran’s Ministry of Health.

“I am providing this report as part of my efforts to keep the Congress fully informed, consistent with the War Powers Resolution,” the president added.

The War Powers Resolution of 1973 – also known as the War Powers Act – requires the president to notify Congress within 48 hours of committing troops to military action and limit such action to 60 days, with a 30-day withdrawal period, unless lawmakers declare war or issue an authorization for the use of military force.

Elected Democrats and legal experts have rejected Trump’s argument that the negotiated ceasefire he’s now abandoned resets the War Powers Resolution’s 60-day limit; absent congressional authorization, the statutory clock generally starts from the first US strike and continues uninterrupted until military action ends.

Asked Monday by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins if this is “just the new normal for the American people,” Trump – who has called himself the “peace president”—replied, “No, well, you know, we were in Vietnam for 19 years; we’re [in Iran] for four months.”

Trump said during the same press conference that “we’re doing another very major attack tonight” in Iran.

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said Monday that US forces “began launching the third consecutive night of strikes against Iran, at the Commander in Chief’s direction.”

“These strikes will continue imposing a heavy cost on Iranian forces and degrade their ability to attack innocent civilians and commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz,” CENTCOM added.

Responding to the president’s letter, former libertarian Congressman Justin Amash (R-Mich.) said on social media: “This is not how it works. The War Powers Resolution doesn’t give the president a ‘free’ 60 days – and the Constitution certainly doesn’t either. Regardless, we’re talking about a single war. You don’t get to pause it and then pretend it’s a different war.”

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A Budget of the Pentagon, By the Congress, and For the War Profiteers

The first sentence of Thomas Paine’s classic 1776 essay, Common Sense, urged the American people to challenge the legitimacy of the English Crown, something that had never been challenged before. He wrote:

“Perhaps the sentiments contained in the following pages are not yet sufficiently fashionable to procure them a great favor; a long habit of not thinking a thing wrong gives it a superficial appearance of being right, and raises at first a formidable outcry in defence of custom. But the tumult soon subsides. Time makes more converts than reason.”

Two hundred and fifty years later, time and reason strongly suggest that the U.S. “defense” budget is out of control, unsustainable and absent of accountability.

Only the American people can rein it in.

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