Tag: perpetual war

Sen. Graham Urges Trump to Renew US Strikes on Iran

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on Sunday called on President Donald Trump to renew U.S. military strikes on Iran, arguing that a stalled ceasefire and a closed Strait of Hormuz are strengthening Tehran while inflicting economic pain at home.

“I think the status quo is hurting us all,” Graham told NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” framing continued military pressure, not negotiation, as the faster route to ending the war.

Graham’s appeal landed at a stalemate.

U.S.-Iran talks, mediated by Pakistan, have been suspended since both sides rejected each other’s latest proposals, and no permanent peace deal has been reached since the two countries announced a ceasefire last month.

Graham said the impasse only benefits Tehran.

“The longer the [Strait of Hormuz] is closed, the more we try to pursue a deal that never happens, the stronger Iran gets,” he said.

The senator, a leading proponent of Trump’s military campaign, urged the president to “weaken them further.”

He credited the administration’s strikes as “amazing, militarily.” But, he said, “there’s more targets to be had.”

Graham added that nothing in the conflict so far suggests Iran’s leadership has abandoned what he called the regime’s goal “to terrorize the world, destroy Israel, come after us.”

The closed strait, which before the war carried more than a fifth of the world’s energy supply, has driven oil prices rising higher since the conflict began on Feb. 28.

As of Friday, the average U.S. price of unleaded gas was above $4.50 a gallon, up 51% since the war started.

Graham argued that pressure would ease with force, telling moderator Kristen Welker, “Gas prices will come down when you put Iran in a box.”

Tehran has signaled little appetite for compromise.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday that Iran has “no trust” in the U.S. and would negotiate only if Washington is serious, citing “contradictory messages” from American officials.

The diplomatic freeze coincided with Trump’s return from a multiday summit in China, where he met President Xi Jinping.

Trump told Fox News’ Bret Baier he had not asked Beijing for help on Iran. “If he wants to help, that’s great, but we don’t need help,” Trump said, adding that accepting help invites obligations in return.

The dispute carries domestic political stakes.

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US Treasury Extends Temporary Waiver for Vulnerable Nations To Access Russian Oil Stranded at Sea

More oil as the war drags on.

As the fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran still holds, with ‘serious negotiations’ being held, the effects of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz are still affecting oil prices and the energy security of many countries.

Today (18), Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the Donald J. Trump administration will extend for another month a waiver that allows the sale of Russian crude that is already loaded on tankers.

Politico reported:

“The move is aimed at keeping more oil on global markets and tempering crude prices as the war in Iran, now nearing its third month, continues to choke off shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. But critics have blasted the waiver as allowing Russia to profit from elevated oil prices and enriching Moscow’s war machine.”

“The general license from Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control allows any country to purchase Russian oil already on the water for another month. It extends the sanctions relief, first issued in March and renewed in April, for a third month.

‘This general license will help stabilize the physical crude market and ensure oil reaches the most energy-vulnerable countries’, Bessent said in an X post. ‘It will also help reroute existing supply to countries most in need by reducing China’s ability to stockpile discounted oil’.”

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Pakistan Sent 8,000 Troops, Jets And Air Defenses To Saudi Arabia

Pakistan has deployed 8,000 troops, a squadron of fighter jets and an air defense system to Saudi Arabia under a mutual defense pact, ramping up military cooperation with the kingdom, all while playing the lead role in mediating talks between the United States and Iran.

The deployment was first announced by Saudi Arabia last month, specifically on April 11 — three days after the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran came into effect.

At the time, the Saudi Ministry of Defense said that the deployment came “as part of the Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement signed between the two brotherly countries.”

It added in a statement that the presence of Pakistani forces in the kingdom came with the purpose of “enhancing joint military coordination and raising the level of operational readiness between the armed forces of the two countries,” but didn’t elaborate on the scale of the deployment.

Iran attacked Saudi Arabia with missiles and drones on a near-daily basis right after the start of the American-Israeli war. Most attacks targeted Prince Sultan Air Base, which hosts American troops and aircraft, but the kingdom also accused the Islamic Republic of hitting infrastructure, including energy facilities.

The new details on the Pakistani military deployment in Saudi Arabia came in a report published by Reuters on May 18. The report cited three security officials and two government sources, all of whom described it as a substantial, combat-capable force intended to support the kingdom’s military if it comes under further attack.

The full terms of the defense agreement, signed last year, are confidential, but both sides have said it requires Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to come to each other’s defense in the event of an attack. Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has previously implied that it places the kingdom under Pakistan’s nuclear umbrella.

According to the sources, Pakistan has deployed a full squadron of around 16 aircraft, mostly JF-17 fighter jets. Meanwhile, two of the security officials revealed that Pakistan had also sent two squadrons of drones.

All five sources said that the deployment includes around 8,000 troops, with a pledge to send more if needed, as well as a Chinese HQ-9 long-range air defense system.

The report came just a day after Saudi Arabia reported that three drones were intercepted and destroyed after entering the Kingdom’s airspace from Iraq, where several armed factions allied to Iran are active. The incident highlighted growing tensions amid the ceasefire.

The forces sent by Pakistan to Saudi Arabia are very capable. However, it is clear that the deployment is purely defensive in nature.

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Communist Dictator Miguel Díaz-Canel Threatens ‘Bloodbath’ Against America as Cuba Stockpiles 300+ Russian and Iranian Drones in Desperate Panic Under Trump’s Crushing Pressure

Cuba’s blood-soaked communist dictator Miguel Díaz-Canel lashed out Monday, warning that any U.S. military action against his crumbling island prison would unleash a “bloodbath with incalculable consequences.”

The thug-in-chief, who has spent years crushing dissent, jailing protesters, and turning Cuba into a starving socialist dumpster fire, took to X to spew his hollow threats after explosive reports revealed his regime has been quietly amassing over 300 military drones from Russia and Iran.

Just days ago, reports emerged that the Trump administration was weighing aggressive options amid growing national security concerns surrounding Cuba, while CIA Director John Ratcliffe reportedly warned Havana that it could no longer function as a “safe haven for adversaries.”

According to classified intelligence cited by Axios, Cuban officials have acquired more than 300 military drones of varying capability since 2023 and have held discussions about how such systems could be used in the event of hostilities with Washington.

Potential targets discussed include the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, American military vessels, and possibly even locations in southern Florida, including Key West.

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Trump Calls Off Planned Military Strikes Against Iran – Says “Full, Large Scale Assault” Is Ready “on a Moment’s Notice”

President Trump announced on Monday that he called off planned strikes against Iran as negotiations to end the war continue.

As The Gateway Pundit reported earlier, US officials said Trump was planning to break the ongoing ceasefire and resume the war after rejecting a Sunday proposal from Iran, which he deemed insufficient.

Trump was expected to hold a meeting with his national security team in the Situation Room on Tuesday.

“For Iran, the Clock is Ticking, and they better get moving, FAST, or there won’t be anything left of them. TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE!” the President wrote on Truth Social.

Trump said on Monday afternoon that the next attack was “scheduled for tomorrow.” However, Middle Eastern leaders asked the President to hold off “in that serious negotiations are now taking place, and that, in their opinion, as Great Leaders and Allies, a Deal will be made, which will be very acceptable to the United States of America, as well as all Countries in the Middle East, and beyond,” he added.

“Based on my respect for the above mentioned Leaders, I have instructed Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, The Chairman of The Joint Chiefs of Staff, General Daniel Caine, and The United States Military, that we will NOT be doing the scheduled attack of Iran tomorrow, but have further instructed them to be prepared to go forward with a full, large scale assault of Iran, on a moment’s notice, in the event that an acceptable Deal is not reached,” Trump wrote.

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‘Now 60%’: Netanyahu admits Israel taking more territory in Gaza, despite ceasefire

Israel has been expanding the territory it controls in the Gaza Strip during the ceasefire, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu acknowledged Sunday, pushing past the lines that were agreed upon in the US-brokered ceasefire that took effect last October.

At the start of the truce, the Israel Defense Forces controlled around 53 percent of the war-torn Palestinian enclave, with Hamas controlling the other 47%, in which nearly all of the Strip’s two million residents live. The army established the “Yellow Line,” demarcating the part of Gaza occupied by Israeli troops, and has been regularly firing at those who approach the line and are deemed a threat.

“In Gaza now, we already control not 50%, but 60%,” Netanyahu said at the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, confirming reports that Israel has taken more territory despite the ceasefire still being in effect.

Maps issued quietly by Israel in March showed a new restricted area beyond the 53%. The area, marked on the maps with an orange line, makes up an estimated 11% of Gaza’s territory beyond the Yellow Line. The areas cordon off nearly two-thirds of Gaza’s territory in total.

The military sent the maps to aid groups in Gaza in mid-March, saying the area between the orange line and the yellow line is a restricted zone to enable aid delivery, and that aid groups must coordinate their movements with the military. It says civilians are not affected.

The expanded zone has stirred fears from displaced Palestinians living there that they could be deemed targets by Israel. It has also stoked concerns that Israel may plan to hold the area permanently.

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Iranian Hostilities Flare Up Again as Drone Strike Sparks Fire Near Abu Dhabi Nuclear Plant

A drone strike sparked a fire near the Barakah Nuclear Power Plant in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday, in the latest sign of continued regional hostilities linked to the Iran conflict.

Authorities in Abu Dhabi said the drone struck an electrical generator outside the nuclear facility’s inner perimeter in the Al Dhafra region.

According to UAE officials, no injuries were reported, radiation levels remained normal, and the plant’s core systems were unaffected.

The UAE Defense Ministry said three drones were launched from the country’s western border.

Two were intercepted, but a third struck the site, causing the fire.

The Federal Authority for Nuclear Regulation said the plant continued operating normally, while the International Atomic Energy Agency confirmed that Emirati authorities had informed it that radiation levels remained stable.

“The IAEA is following the situation closely and is in constant contact with the UAE authorities, ready to provide assistance if needed,” the UN nuclear watchdog said.

Footage of such incidents is notoriously scarce because of the UAE’s aggressive crackdown on posting photos or videos that could damage the country’s image as a “safe haven.”

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IDF warns of severe personnel shortages, last window to solve crisis with legislation

The Israel Defense Forces on Sunday warned of a steadily worsening shortage of combat soldiers in the standing military, high burnout among troops, and fears that the reserve army could “collapse” if necessary legislation is not advanced by the government.

According to the IDF, a bill being advanced by the government that would ostensibly increase military conscription in the Haredi community, but ultimately enshrine blanket exemptions from military service, will not provide an adequate solution to the military’s personnel needs in the short term.

The coalition’s draft exemption bill is widely seen as legally iffy and loophole-laden and has generated intense resistance even among members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition. The government has been working on advancing it despite repeated warnings from the IDF that it needs more troops.

If the bill is passed, and even if all its recruitment targets are met, only several hundred additional Haredi combat soldiers are expected to enlist per year, which the military has said would not answer its current needs.

The military has repeatedly warned that it is currently short some 12,000 standing army soldiers, a gap that it said would only expand due to the shortening of mandatory service at the start of 2027, unless the government passes legislation addressing the personnel shortages.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir has several times urged the government to again extend mandatory military service for men to 36 months, after it was shortened to 30 months in August 2024. The government has so far refused to approve this move.

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The EU’s sanctions fever: From Russia to China, a crisis expands

The European Union has taken yet another step in its long-running confrontation with Russia. But what now stands out is not only the scale – it is the restless, almost reflexive expansion of sanctions as a default instrument of policy.

In April, EU authorities unveiled their 20th round of sanctions targeting Russia and Belarus, while pointedly extending their reach toward China.

Sanctions spiral

What was once framed as a targeted response now resembles a sanctions regime without clear geographic or strategic limits. By including 56 designations tied to Russia’s military-industrial complex – 17 of them in China, the United Arab Emirates, Belarus, and Central Asia – the EU has effectively dissolved the boundaries of its own confrontation. Another 60 entities now face tightened export controls tied to alleged contributions to Russia’s defense sector.

For the first time, even a Chinese state-owned entity has been targeted by anti-Belarusian sanctions. In Brussels, this is justified through the language of “dual-use” goods. But outside Europe, the perception is of a growing tendency toward economic coercion that stretches legal authority across borders, fueled by an escalating appetite for pressure.

China’s response was swift: officials condemned what they described as “long-arm jurisdiction,” rejecting the EU’s attempt to discipline Chinese firms operating far beyond European territory. More importantly, Beijing read the move as a signal of the EU’s shifting posture toward China itself.

Within a day, China placed seven European entities on its control list over arms sales to Taiwan, imposing restrictions that mirror the EU’s own extraterritorial reach. These measures prohibit the transfer of Chinese goods to the targeted firms, extending the ripple effects well beyond those directly sanctioned.

The list includes one German entity, two Belgian firms, and four Czech companies – including military industrial manufacturers Omnipol and Excalibur Army, all deeply embedded in supply chains connected to Ukraine.

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Pentagon quietly shut legally required program to prevent civilian deaths by military, watchdog finds

The Pentagon has quietly dismantled a program it is legally required to operate to prevent and respond to civilian deaths in US military operations, according to its internal watchdog.

A report released by the department’s inspector general concluded the US military no longer has the people, tools or infrastructure needed to comply with two federal statutes requiring it to maintain a functioning civilian casualty policy, and operate a Civilian Protection Center of Excellence (CP CoE).

Donald Trump’s administration has been accused of making deep cuts to the Pentagon’s civilian harm mitigation and response (CHMR) program, designed to handle training and procedures critical in limiting civilian harm in theaters of war.

While the program has not been officially canceled, the inspector general’s report said that funding had ended for a data management platform; committee meetings had halted; and many dedicated personnel had been lost or reassigned.

“As a result, the DoW may not comply with its civilian casualties and harm policy,” the report read. “A policy required by federal law.”

The Pentagon did not respond to a request for comment.

The program was created by Lloyd Austin, then defense secretary, in January 2022, under Joe Biden, following years of deadly US bombing campaigns in Yemen, Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan. Airwars, a civilian harm monitor, estimated that US drone and airstrikes killed at least 22,000 civilians – and perhaps as many as 48,000 – in the 20 years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001.

Pete Hegseth, the Pentagon chief, has recently come under fire over deadly attacks on Iran, including a US strike in Minab that killed at least 175 people, a majority of them children, at an all-girls school.

Limiting casualties has not been a top priority under Hegseth’s tenure at the Department of War, rebranded on his watch from Department of Defense last September. When pressed on civilian casualties in Iran, he has pivoted to blame the country’s regime for placing rocket launchers in civilian areas, and also claimed no nation in history had taken more precautions than the US to avoid civilian deaths.

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