Iranian Regime Calls For Americans To Vote Democratic

In a 26-page sternly worded letter, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps politely requested that American voters cast their ballots against Republicans because, as it turns out, they and the Trump administration is just being far too mean to the world's premier terror apparatus (though Turkey is currently making a strong run for the title).

The "Open Letter to the Honorable People of the United States of America" released Tuesday urgently pleaded with citizens to elect Democrats and simply stop resisting the Iranian mullahs because, according to Iran, they are actually winning.

Indeed, Iran has achieved "remarkable strategic wins," the English translation declared, leaving experts to wonder what the Persian version says about the state of their centrifuges.

“Although American politicians often win your votes through deception and false promises, as Trump did, you can change the makeup of the government,” the letter stated, offering a Master’s class in international electoral intervention. “Remove from power the evil, deceitful, and violent politicians who are responsible for America’s current state [and let us defeat the Great Satan so that we can destroy the Little Satan as Allah requests of the world's Muslims, inshallah, yadda, yadda].”

At press time, the IRGC was reportedly drafting a follow-up memorandum offering customized "I Voted" stickers for anyone who complies. The stickers will feature a bloody sword and the words 'Kill the nonbelievers wherever you find them, especially the, you know, Jooooze'.

It makes one wonder whether the Kapo, Chuck Schumer, has a deal going with the remaining mullahs. The alligator will eat him and his ilk last--you know what that means.

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Iran Discovers U.S. Navy Has Opinions About Being Shot At With A Tit-for-Tat

TEHRAN, IRAN: Iran apparently learned an important lesson about international diplomacy Saturday after the United States responded to Iranian ballistic missile attacks on American warships by blowing up three Iranian oil tankers.

We've a lot more tits than they have tats.

U.S. Central Command announced that two Iranian oil tankers had been “permanently disabled” and a third was “completely destroyed” after Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, a designated terrorist organization composed of misguided Muslims who think they'll be getting 72 brown-eyed virgins rather than goats. They apparently decided that firing missiles at U.S. Navy ships was a reasonable foreign-policy strategy.

The IRGC may now wish to revisit that strategy.

“A U.S. aircraft carrier and guided-missile destroyer successfully evaded multiple unprovoked Iranian attacks. No American personnel were harmed,” CENTCOM said.

The United States then proceeded to make sure that some Iranian personnel had a considerably worse day.

U.S. forces “permanently disabled” the Iranian oil carriers MT Downy, located off the coast of Kharg Island, and MT Stark 1, which was struck near the Iranian coastal city of Jask.

The U.S. also “completely destroyed” the unladen crude oil carrier MT Kylo in the Gulf of Oman.

The Kylo, also known as the MT Noxen, was struck in “multiple critical locations to render it inoperable after the crew was directed to abandon ship.” This was the first time many of the crew bathed in months, reports say.

This is generally what happens when you fire ballistic missiles at American warships and discover that the other side has access to a calculator.

“The three Iranian crude oil tankers are part of a multibillion-dollar shadow network that funds the IRGC and its regional proxies. Iran has no means by which to defend them,” CENTCOM said. 

Iran's shadow fleet has apparently discovered that being a shadow fleet does not actually make a ship invisible. Perhaps we should consider not waiting for a tit-for-tat before destroying these type vessels.

“Let the message to the IRGC be clear: If you shoot at two of our ships, we will impose an even higher economic cost — taking out three of yours,” said CENTCOM commander Adm. Brad Cooper.

“We will not hesitate to defend American forces, and if necessary, destroy Iran’s limited and exposed oil fleet,” he added.

Iranian state-run Tasnim news agency had reported earlier Saturday that explosions were heard near Kharg Island, with an oil tanker, presumably the Downy, struck by four U.S. missiles.

Tasnim reported no casualties from the strikes, presumably because everyone involved had already received the helpful instruction to abandon ship and get the heck out of Dodge.

The strikes came after Iranian forces launched ballistic missiles at U.S. Navy warships patrolling in “regional waters.”

The two U.S. carriers currently deployed in the region are the USS George H.W. Bush and USS George Washington, which relieved the USS Abraham Lincoln two weeks ago.

The George Washington is reportedly sailing with a single destroyer escort, meaning Iran may have chosen to discover what happens when it picks a fight with a carrier group that is very much aware of what is happening.

For years, Iran has invested heavily in missiles, terrorism, proxy armies and a multibillion-dollar shadow oil network.

On Saturday, it apparently invested in three fewer oil tankers.

There are, one imagines, cheaper ways to learn that the United States Navy is still open for business and the United States of America is not a country to mess with.

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Civilization Is Once Again Asked Whether Aggression Carries Consequences

Two American service members were killed Saturday in an Iranian strike on Jordan, according to U.S. Central Command. A third American remains missing. It is a grim reminder that the Iranian regime continues to conduct itself as it has for decades, treating violence not as a last resort but as a preferred instrument of statecraft.

These are the first confirmed American combat fatalities resulting from Iran's attacks on Jordan this week. Four additional U.S. troops were evacuated to Jordanian hospitals for treatment and have since been released. CENTCOM stated that the names of the fallen will not be released until 24 hours after their families have been notified.

The attacks extend well beyond Jordan. In recent days, Iran has struck America's partners throughout the region. Kuwait reported that an Iranian attack hit a power generation and water desalination facility, igniting a fire and forcing critical infrastructure offline. A child in Qatar was injured by shrapnel. Bahrain also came under attack. This is not the behavior of a nation seeking stability. It is the behavior of a revolutionary regime that has spent decades exporting instability wherever it can.

The United States has responded by intensifying strikes against Iranian military targets, particularly around Bandar Abbas, the regime's principal strategic port on the Strait of Hormuz. The city is not merely a commercial center. It houses Iran's naval headquarters and serves as a vital hub for the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the regime's military operations.

CENTCOM also confirmed the destruction of the surveillance tower at Chah Bahar Shahid Kalantari Port on July 16, an installation with clear operational significance.

"The destruction of the tower directly degrades IRGC’s ability to coordinate attacks on innocent civilian crew members," CENTCOM said.

The statement reflects a simple military reality. Modern conflicts are won not only by destroying weapons but by dismantling the command structures that direct them. Surveillance and communications infrastructure are force multipliers. Removing them limits an adversary's ability to wage war.

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth reinforced that message by sharing images of American troops and declaring that "Iran does not control the SoH," referring to the Strait of Hormuz.

Meanwhile, the consequences of the conflict are increasingly being felt inside Iran itself. Reports indicate that the regime's Energy Ministry has instructed residents to reduce electricity consumption during peak hours after attacks on energy facilities disrupted the power grid across southern provinces. As so often happens under authoritarian governments, ordinary citizens are left to bear the costs of decisions made by leaders who remain insulated from the suffering they create.

The latest escalation follows Tehran's announcement that it would no longer honor its interim peace agreement with the United States. That decision has brought predictable consequences. History offers few examples of regimes abandoning diplomatic commitments while simultaneously escalating military aggression without inviting a forceful response.

President Trump summarized the strategic dilemma in stark terms during a July 14 interview.

"The only way you can negotiate with these people is through strength," Trump said. "And the only strength is military strength."

Whether one agrees entirely with that formulation or not, recent events have reinforced an uncomfortable truth. Peace cannot be sustained by wishful thinking alone. It requires the credible willingness to confront those who believe violence carries no meaningful cost.

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U.N. Discovers Closing One Of World's Most Important Shipping Lanes Might Actually Be Bad

The United Nations emerged from another emergency meeting Tuesday to announce a startling revelation: shutting down one of the world's busiest maritime chokepoints could have consequences.

The international body condemned the renewed fighting between the United States and Iran, warning that another closure of the Strait of Hormuz would create humanitarian problems across the globe. Apparently, even the U.N. has noticed that stopping the flow of oil, food and medicine isn't exactly a winning strategy.

U.N. rights chief Volker Turk called the renewed attacks "a huge setback for civilians in the region and beyond," warning about the "impact on human rights far beyond the region."

The strait "is a vital lifeline on which millions are reliant," Turk said.

More on Turk.

He is an anti-Zionist Austrian-born UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, which in his case, is an oxymoron.  Since Oct, 7, 2023, Turk has been consistently critical of Israel's refusal to do nothing about the attack, while softly condemning the Hamassholes who FA'd. While he did refer to Hamas' slaughtering of Jews "heinous, brutal and shocking" war crimes, he apparently cannot comprehend Israel's need to defend herself.

This anti-Semite repeatedly accused Israel of war crimes, "mass killing" of Palestine civilians [without mentioning how Hamas fires rockets among the civilian population], hindering humanitarian aid, thus contributing to starvation, [without mentioning how Hamas blocks or steals the aid, uses it or sells it back to Gazans], and the "horrifying and unconscionable suffering" meted out to Palestinians [which doesn't actually exist].  This is not an exhaustive list of Turk's anti-Zionist claims, but you get the picture.

A lifeline is one way of describing the narrow waterway through which a massive share of the world's energy supply travels. It turns out civilization enjoys having cargo ships reach their destinations instead of playing maritime bumper cars with Iran's Revolutionary Guard.

"Disruptions to the flow of food, medicines, and other necessary commodities have severe socioeconomic and humanitarian consequences, both regionally and globally, he continued, adding that diplomacy, restraint and de-escalation must be prioritized," Turk said.

It is a familiar refrain from Turtle Bay, where calls for "restraint" tend to always arrive after terrorists, dictators or rogue regimes strike the innocents. 

Turk also insisted hostilities between the U.S. and Iran "must stop immediately," urging an immediate return to the ceasefire, especially due to the fact that Iran is getting its butt handed to them.

The appeal will no doubt be filed alongside the U.N.'s long and distinguished collection of sternly worded statements that have proven absolutely terrifying to the world's most aggressive regimes. Not!

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Iran has launched a missile attack on Jordan

Not mosques; missiles

“Seek overhead cover and shelter in place immediately,” the embassy warned.

On Thursday, Iran directed missiles toward Jordan. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps asserted that its forces had targeted the U.S.-operated Muwaffaq Salti Air Base. This strike forms part of a confrontation between Washington and Tehran that now spreads steadily across the region.

Jordan’s military reported that it had intercepted eight Iranian missiles before they could reach their intended targets within the kingdom.The U.S. Embassy in Amman responded with a nationwide security alert. It spoke of “missiles, drones, or rockets” in Jordanian airspace and instructed American citizens to take immediate shelter.

“Reports indicate missiles, drones, or rockets are in Jordanian airspace. Seek overhead cover and shelter in place immediately,” the embassy said.The launches caused a temporary halt in air travel.

All flights at Amman’s Queen Alia International Airport were delayed while Jordan dealt with the aerial threat.This assault on Jordan followed a wider Iranian retaliatory operation launched earlier the same day.

Tehran declared that it had sent a large barrage of missiles and explosive drones against U.S. military sites in Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain. Iranian sources claimed successful strikes on an aerial early warning system in Qatar, fuel storage facilities in Bahrain, and a Patriot missile battery in Kuwait. Iranian state media described the targets as “key infrastructure and facilities” linked to the American military presence across the Gulf.

At the same time, Reuters noted a drone strike on a camp belonging to the Iranian Kurdish opposition northeast of Erbil in Iraq. Another front opened in a conflict that expands with alarming speed.

These latest attacks arrived while the United States pressed its own military campaign against Iran. Iranian media described explosions in several cities, among them Kerman, Bushehr, Asaluyeh, and Bandar Abbas. The deputy governor of Bushehr province was quoted as saying that U.S. projectiles had struck areas surrounding the Bushehr nuclear power plant.

Several locations in the province, including the perimeter of the nuclear facility itself, came under fire in the most recent wave of American strikes.This widening exchange of blows follows consecutive nights of U.S. operations against Iranian military infrastructure. It comes after Tehran first targeted commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.

The pattern now raises grave and entirely justified fears that the conflict is sliding into a broader regional war.

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Zohran Mamdani Forced to Celebrate America's 250th Birthday While Wife Finds Better Things To Do At Luxury Islamic Retreat In Spain

Just another disgusting anti-American Communist [allegedly]

Nothing says "Happy 250th, America!" quite like spending Independence Day reminding everyone why America is terrible while your spouse is sipping Mediterranean sunshine at a $3,400 spiritual retreat dedicated to discovering flowers mentioned in the Quran.

As patriotic Americans celebrated the nation's 250th birthday with fireworks, flags, backyard barbecues, and enough red, white, and blue to make an eagle shed a tear, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani used the occasion to deliver another lecture about capitalism, ICE, and America being an "arena of supremacy."

Meanwhile, his wife, Rama Duwaji, decided that celebrating the country her husband now governs was simply too exhausting. She boarded a flight from Newark Liberty International Airport and headed for the luxurious Spanish island of Mallorca, where she is serving as artist-in-residence for a sold-out Islamic women's retreat.

The exclusive getaway carries a price tag of roughly $3,400 per guest, because apparently spiritual enlightenment is considerably more meaningful when accompanied by Mediterranean views and boutique accommodations.

Participants spend their time exploring "Plants of the Quran" through art, botanical workshops, and Islamic reflection. Duwaji is also scheduled to headline another sold-out retreat later this month in Corsica examining "Mary in the Quran," proving that nothing complements America's birthday quite like being several thousand miles away discussing someone else's religious heritage.

Republican New York City Councilwoman Joann Ariola summed up the optics with remarkable restraint.

"Nothing says 'America 250' quite like skipping the celebration for a Mediterranean vacation," Ariola said. "I am not surprised because she has made her hatred for America very evident."

Councilman Frank Morano also questioned the decision.

"It's disappointing that the First Lady chose to be overseas instead of taking part in one of the biggest civic events our city and country will mark this year," Morano said. "No one is saying elected officials and their families can't take vacations, but this was a moment to show up for the city and for the country."

The Mayor's Office declined to answer the criticism directly, though officials did confirm one encouraging detail. Duwaji did not require members of the NYPD security detail to accompany her Mediterranean escape.

The trip also revived interest in Duwaji's previously deleted social media posts, which offered a level of enthusiasm for the United States usually reserved for America's geopolitical rivals.

Among the resurfaced posts was one claiming American soldiers "are not brave" while accusing them of "slaughtering 3rd world civilians" in pursuit of American hegemony. Other deleted posts reportedly praised Palestinian militant organizations and criticized U.S. support for Israel.

Mamdani has argued that his wife should not be judged by those posts because she holds no official position in his administration. Duwaji later apologized for several of the messages, although critics noted that deleting anti-American rhetoric is considerably easier than explaining it.

Back home, the mayor marked America's semiquincentennial from behind George Washington's former desk at New York City Hall. Faced with an opportunity to celebrate the country that has given millions of people unprecedented liberty and prosperity, Mamdani instead chose to focus on everything he believes is wrong with it.

"We see masked agents terrorizing our streets," Mamdani said, referring to ICE officers, while also criticizing what he described as monopolies and oligarchs controlling the nation's wealth.

One can only imagine George Washington listening from the great beyond, wondering whether crossing the Delaware had somehow led to Independence Day becoming an annual grievance seminar.

To his credit, Mamdani eventually concluded with "God bless America," although by then the phrase landed like an obligatory disclaimer after several minutes of cataloging the nation's alleged sins.

The mayor later attended official America 250 celebrations in New York, including the Parade of Sail and the Empire State Building's Fourth of July lighting ceremony.

His wife, meanwhile, remained comfortably overseas, reminding Americans that while millions celebrated the greatest experiment in self-government ever devised, at least one member of New York City's first family apparently found a luxury Mediterranean retreat to be the more compelling destination.

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Iran Declares World's Busiest Shipping Lane Now Subject to "Supreme Leader's HOA Rules"

Iran's ruling mullahs apparently woke up Sunday and decided that one of the world's most important shipping routes now belongs to them.

An Iranian lawmaker announced that Tehran intends to keep a firm grip on the Strait of Hormuz, confidently informing the rest of the planet that everyone else will simply have to obey. It is the diplomatic equivalent of the neighborhood bully claiming ownership of the public sidewalk.

"We unequivocally support the ever-victorious Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' decisive action against the American enemy and the assertion of Iranian sovereignty over the Strait of Hormuz," Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesperson for the Parliament's Foreign Policy and National Security Commission, wrote in a post on X.

Apparently, "ever-victorious" now means repeatedly picking fights with countries that possess aircraft carriers, stealth bombers, and a habit of responding when provoked.

Rezaei doubled down on the fantasy by declaring, "The Strait of Hormuz will not return to its previous state, and others have no choice but to submit to Iran's directives in the Strait."

The statement was widely interpreted as Iran's version of posting a handwritten "My Pool, My Rules" sign on an international waterway.

The bravado came after President Donald Trump warned on June 27 that the U.S. military would "complete the job" if Tehran failed to honor the ceasefire agreement. History suggests that when Trump starts talking about "completing the job," Iranian officials suddenly become very interested in underground architecture.

The interim Memorandum of Understanding between Tehran and Washington includes provisions governing the Strait of Hormuz intended to guarantee toll free passage for commercial vessels during a 60 day period.

Whether Iran plans to honor that agreement or simply continue issuing royal decrees over waterways it doesn't own remains to be seen. Fortunately for the world's shipping industry, international law has traditionally carried a little more weight than an angry post on X.

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Israel and Lebanon agree on a US-brokerred deal to ceasefire

The Department of State on Wednesday announced that the United States has brokered a major ceasefire breakthrough between Israel and Lebanon.

One should pause at such a declaration. For decades the border between Israel and Lebanon has served as a theater of managed violence, where the ambitions of a distant theocracy in Tehran have been permitted to play out through the proxy army known as Hezbollah. Now, after negotiations that began on May 29 and culminated in a trilateral meeting held June 2-3, something resembling progress is claimed, but let's breathe.

“As a result of the U.S. led negotiations, Israel and Lebanon agreed to the implementation of a ceasefire,” the department said in a joint statement.

“Israel and Lebanon reaffirmed that they have no hostile intent toward one another and committed to continuing direct negotiations to build confidence, resolve all outstanding issues, and work toward a comprehensive agreement between the two countries.”

The conditions attached to this deal reveal its fragility and its realism. 

The agreement is conditional upon Hezbollah, that Iran-backed, Lebanon-based terrorist group, ceasing all attacks, withdrawing its fighters from southern Lebanon’s South Litani Sector, and preventing the re-emergence of non-state armed groups. Pilot zones are to be established under the exclusive control of the Lebanese Armed Forces. These measures, modest as they are, acknowledge a truth too often evaded in diplomatic circles: that Lebanon has for years been less a sovereign state than a hostage held by an Iranian militia.

“Hezbollah is not just an enemy of Israel and an enemy of America, but that it is an enemy of Lebanon,” officials said.

Here at last is language that refuses the usual equivocations. Hezbollah has bled Lebanon dry, turning a once-prosperous country into a launchpad for rockets and a pawn in regional conquest. Its disarmament and removal from the border are not optional extras in any serious peace process. They are the precondition for Lebanon’s own survival as anything other than a forward operating base for the Islamic Republic.

Both sides are scheduled to meet again during the week of June 22 to continue negotiations toward a comprehensive peace treaty. Any permanent agreement to end hostilities must be reached directly between the two governments and brokered by the U.S., the department added.Whether this fragile framework holds will depend on something rarely discussed in the polite language of State Department statements: the willingness of the West to enforce consequences when Iran and its proxies test the limits, as they inevitably will. 

Ceasefires between Israel and its neighbors have too often served only as pauses for rearmament. This one, if it is to mean anything, must mark the beginning of Hezbollah’s strategic defeat and the slow reclamation of Lebanese sovereignty. The stakes could scarcely be higher, for Israel’s security, for Lebanon’s future, and for the credibility of American diplomacy in a region that has learned to measure resolve by deeds rather than declarations.

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Iran Claims Virtually Entire Strait Of Hormuz Is Now Under Its Control In Newly-Released Map

TEHRAN—In a bold strategic masterstroke that military analysts are calling “both hilarious and completely insane,” Iran’s newly created Persian Gulf Strait Authority released a map Wednesday claiming control over a massive “maritime supervision zone” in the international waterway Strait of Hormuz, an area so humongous that ships would reportedly be unable to pass through the critical waterway without entering territory now claimed by Tehran.

According to the statement issued by the authority on X, the regime defined the boundaries of its claimed control zone using geographic lines stretching from the Iranian coast to parts of the United Arab Emirates, because nothing says “regional superpower” like drawing on a map with a crayon and declaring victory. It's like a wet caliphate.

“The Islamic Republic of Iran has defined the boundaries of the Strait of Hormuz management supervision area,” the statement said, outlining a maritime corridor extending from Kuh Mobarak in Iran to southern Fujairah in the UAE and westward toward Umm al-Qaiwain.

Iran also declared that vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz must now coordinate with the Persian Gulf Waterway Management authority and obtain permits before passage, or face the terrifying consequences of strongly worded letters and possibly a very angry tweet from the Supreme Leader.

“Passing through the Strait of Hormuz require[s] coordination with the Persian Gulf Waterway Management and a permit from this entity,” the statement said.

At press time, the U.S. Navy was reportedly updating its “How To Sail Through Iranian Fantasy Maps” training manual while quietly loading extra ammunition, just in case the mullahs decide their imaginary lines need defending with real boats.

Bring it.

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India confronts Iran after ships come under fire in Strait of Hormuz, a critical oil route: 'Serious incident'

Ships and tankers in the Strait of Hormuz off the coast of Musandam, Oman,
April 18, 2026. Reuters.

India summoned the Iranian ambassador for a meeting after Indian ships reportedly came under fire in the Strait of Hormuz on Saturday.

"The Ambassador of the Islamic Republic of Iran in New Delhi was called in by the Ministry of External Affairs for a meeting with Foreign Secretary this evening," the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

"During the meeting, Foreign Secretary conveyed India’s deep concern at the shooting incident earlier today involving two Indian-flagged ships in the Strait of Hormuz," it continued.

"He noted the importance that India attached to the safety of merchant shipping and mariners and recalled that Iran had earlier facilitated the safe passage of several ships bound for India," the ministry said. "Reiterating his concern at this serious incident of firing on merchant ships, Foreign Secretary urged the Ambassador to convey India’s views to the authorities in Iran and resume at the earliest the process of facilitating India-bound ships across the Strait."

The statement follows an earlier Reuters report claiming that two merchant vessels were hit by gunfire as they attempted to cross the Strait of Hormuz early Saturday.

Reuters also reported that the Sanmar Herald, an Indian-flagged vessel carrying crude oil, was attacked in the Strait on Saturday.

The reported attacks came after Iranian officials reversed a decision to reopen the crucial waterway, citing an ongoing U.S. naval blockade in the Strait.

"As long as the United States does not agree to the complete freedom of navigation for vessels... the situation in the Strait of Hormuz will remain tightly controlled and in its previous state," an Iranian military official said, according to Iranian state media agency Fars.

Despite the reports, President Donald Trump said during an unrelated Oval Office press conference Saturday that negotiations are "going actually along very well." Trump also insisted that Iran "can't blackmail us."

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Starmer backs Iran: says UK won't support Strait of Hormuz blockade

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced on Monday that no matter how much pressure is applied, Britain would absolutely not be dragged into the Iran war or participate in any silly blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

"We're not supporting the blockade," he told BBC Radio 5 Live, adding that it was vital to get the Strait reopened and therefore help Iran supply oil and goods for the regime.

"It is, in my view, vital that we get the Strait open and fully open, and that's where we've put all of our efforts and we'll continue to do so," Starmer said.

Britain had minesweepers in the region, he said, and while he could not discuss operational matters lest he tip his hand to the USA, the military capability was "focused from our point of view on getting the Strait full open."

The U.S. military said it would begin a blockade of all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports and coastal areas on Monday, after weekend talks failed to reach a deal to end the war with Iran.

The U.S. Central Command said that the U.S. blockade, starting at 10 a.m. ET on Monday (1400 GMT), would be "enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman."Vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports will not be impeded, the U.S. military said.

President Donald Trump said on Sunday U.S. forces would also intercept every vessel in international waters that had paid a toll to Iran.

"No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas," Trump wrote on social media, adding: "Any Iranian who fires at us, or at peaceful vessels, will be BLOWN TO HELL!"

This is akin to blowing vessels into smithereens and Trump isn't kidding.

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POTUS says the US is "starting the process of clearing out" Strait of Hormuz

The United States is beginning to clear sea mines laid by Iran in the Strait of Hormuz as the two-week ceasefire remains in effect, President Trump announced on Saturday morning.

Trump said the only threat that Iranian forces had left was that a ship may “bunk” into their sea mines, which the Islamic regime apparently can’t locate. Trump suggested this was the case because Iran doesn’t have the means to retrieve them.

“All 28 of their mine dropper boats are also lying at the bottom of the sea,” he wrote on Truth Social. [You gotta love 'mine dropper boats'. Technically they're called minelayers.]

“We’re now starting the process of clearing out the Strait of Hormuz as a favor to Countries all over the World, including China, Japan, South Korea, France, Germany, and many others,” he said. “Incredibly, they don’t have the Courage or Will to do this work themselves.”

Shortly before the announcement, Axios reported several U.S. Navy ships crossed the strait on Saturday in a move that was not coordinated with the Islamic regime.

Iranian state media reported that Tehran threatened to attack a U.S. destroyer if it continued sailing toward the Strait of Hormuz, communicating their warning to a mediator in Pakistan. The U.S. did not receive word of such a warning, according to an Axios reporter.

Both sides are engaging in peace talks in the Pakistani capital of Islamabad on Saturday after a tentative deal to pause the fighting was made earlier this week. Vice President JD Vance is heading the U.S. delegation.

A U.S. official said the operation was “focused on freedom of navigation through international waters,” referring to the sea mine recovery efforts.

Trump continues to boast that much of Iran’s military capabilities are destroyed and its senior leaders, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have been killed.

“Their Navy is gone, their Air Force is gone, their Anti Aircraft apparatus is nonexistent, Radar is dead, [not Radar O'Reilly from M*A*S*H* since capitalizing that word might have confused older readers] their Missile and Drone Factories have been largely obliterated along with the Missiles and Drones themselves and, most importantly, their longtime ‘Leaders’ are no longer with us, praise be to Allah,” he said in a comment appearing to mock Islam.

Look, this is classic Trump, turning a military mop-up into a global public service announcement while the mullahs are still pretending they have a navy. The Iranians spent years bragging about their "asymmetric warfare" with those cheap little mine boats, and now all 28 of them are decorating the seafloor like some kind of underwater parking lot for losers.

The man is out here doing the world a solid, clearing the Strait of Hormuz so China and Europe do not have to get their soft little hands dirty, and they are still too cowardly to say thank you. 

Meanwhile, Tehran is issuing threats through Pakistani middlemen like it's 1979 all over again. Newsflash, guys, your destroyers are at the bottom of the ocean, your leaders are checking in with Allah and the Goats, and nobody in Washington even got the memo on your big scary warning.

This is what winning looks like when you actually have a president who is not interested in managed decline. The mullahs are finished, their toys are smashed, and Trump is out here mocking them in their own holy language. Praise be, indeed.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

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Amnesty Int'l wants Iran strike to be investigated as a war crime

On March 1, the Iranian regime lit another match and civilians paid the price.

Ballistic missiles slammed into the Israeli city of Beit Shemesh, killing nine and wounding at least 46 in the Ramat Lehi neighborhood. Now, Amnesty International is finally saying what’s been obvious: this needs to be investigated as a war crime.

After combing through social media footage, images, and on-the-ground digital evidence, Amnesty concluded the damage tells a clear story. The destruction of the Tiferet Israel synagogue, along with a bomb shelter beneath it, and the strike trajectory point squarely to ballistic missile use. Not surprisingly,  investigators found no military targets anywhere near the impact zone. The closest Israeli base was more than two miles away.

In other words, this wasn’t collateral damage. It looks deliberate because it was, because this was not an isolated incident.

Amnesty, along with media and humanitarian groups, says Iran has also been deploying cluster munitions, indiscriminate weapons that scatter explosives over wide areas and are banned under international law for good reason.

This escalation didn’t come out of nowhere. The March 1 strike followed joint U.S.-Israeli operations against Iran on February 28, setting off a regional chain reaction. What started as targeted strikes has metastasized into something far bigger, with attacks now hitting Qatar, Lebanon, the UAE, and beyond.

Meanwhile, the human toll keeps climbing and the stories are brutal.

“After I worked up the courage to go, I saw the synagogue was completely destroyed, and the [bomb] shelter was split open. The shelter wasn’t safe. It did not provide protection,” Rabbi Yitzak Biton told Amnesty International, “I lost not one, not two, but three children.”

That’s not just a statistic, that’s the reality on the ground.

And the numbers are staggering. Amnesty estimates the conflict has killed 1,900 people in Iran, more than 1,116 in Lebanon, and at least 16 in Israel.

This is a widening war with civilians caught in the blast radius.

And it's clear, the Iranian people, not the regime, welcome Israel's and the USA's help in removing the terrorist regime from their country.

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Pakistani DM wants Turkey to 'kidnap' Bibi Netanyahu

Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and Pakistani Defense Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif. (photo: Halil Sagirkaya/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images, Jim WATSON / AFP via Getty Images, SHUTTERSTOCK).  

Pakistan's Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has called upon the United States and Turkey to carry out what can only be described as an act of international vigilantism: the abduction of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. 

Speaking on Geo TV, Pakistan's largest television channel, Asif branded Netanyahu "the worst criminal of humanity," a phrase so hyperbolic it might have been lifted from the most fevered corners of anti-Western propaganda. Of course, the real reason may have something to do with Bibi being Israeli and Jewish.

The remarks came in the immediate aftermath of the United States' capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, an event Asif appeared to regard as a convenient precedent. "Turkey may abduct Netanyahu, and we Pakistanis are praying for it," he declared, his words carrying the unmistakable weight of official endorsement.

Asif invoked the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court against Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024, insisting that nations must now enforce justice themselves. The ICC's action, he suggested, provided moral and legal cover for extraordinary rendition. He speculated openly about Turkey seizing Netanyahu and transporting him to Ankara, a fantasy that reveals far more about the speaker's worldview than it does about any realistic prospect of international law.

This outburst occurred during a live broadcast that ended abruptly: the anchor, sensing the perilous direction of the conversation, announced that Asif would not remain on air after the break. One can only imagine the discomfort in the studio as a senior minister of a nuclear-armed state casually advocated for the kidnapping of the leader of another sovereign nation.

Such rhetoric is not merely inflammatory; it is a symptom of a deeper malaise in parts of the Muslim world, where Israel is cast not as a state defending itself against existential threats but as the singular embodiment of evil, as Islamic scripture frames it.

Asif's claim that "no community has done what Israel has done to Palestinians in the last 4,000-5,000 years" collapses under even the slightest scrutiny, yet it persists because it serves a political purpose: to deflect from the failures of governance, the corruption, the sectarian strife that plague so many states in the region.

The deterioration in Israel-Turkey relations since 2024, marked by trade freezes and airspace closures, provides the backdrop for this fantasy of abduction, but it does nothing to justify it.

What we witness here is the normalization of extremism in high office: a defense minister openly wishing for the forcible removal of a democratically elected leader, cloaked in the language of human rights and international justice.

The civilized world must confront this for what it is: not a legitimate call for accountability, but a dangerous incitement that erodes the very norms Asif pretends to uphold. 

When ministers speak of kidnapping heads of government, the boundary between statecraft and terrorism begins to dissolve. And once dissolved, it is not easily restored.

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Will Kamala set up GoFundMe for Maduro? She believes it was 'unlawful and unwise' taking Maduro down

Failed presidential candidate Kamala Hahaharris couldn't resist chiming in after that textbook-perfect op that snagged socialist narco dictator Nicolás Maduro and his not very lovely wife Cilia Flores. Predictably, she slammed President Trump's move and parroted the usual left-wing talking points claiming the dictator's takedown was somehow "illegal."

She fired off her blather on X late Saturday, complete with the tired old line: Maduro's a monster . . .  but Trump shouldn't have grabbed him.

"Donald Trump’s actions in Venezuela do not make America safer, stronger, or more affordable," she whined, ignoring how nailing Maduro absolutely boosts our safety and flexes real American muscle, and how ecstatic the huge majority of Venezuelans are now that Maduro has been taken into custody.

"That Maduro is a brutal, illegitimate dictator does not change the fact that this action was both unlawful and unwise," the failed ex-VP lied. "We’ve seen this movie before. Wars for regime change or oil that are sold as strength but turn into chaos, and American families pay the price.

"The American people do not want this, and they are tired of being lied to." [Except that most of us do want this, especially those Americans who escaped the Maduro regime and fled to the USA.]

She even honked that Trump was endangering troops (zero U.S. losses, by the way) and had no exit strategy post-capture. U.S. troops know the dangers of being in the military and sign up for it. Her argument holds water like a sieve.

This word-salad queen, who cheerled Biden's disastrous Afghanistan pullout, (the one that killed 13 American heroes and wounded dozens because her administration) couldn't plan its way out of a paper bag, thinks she knows anything about this situation.

Thank God this empty-headed pantsuit isn't anywhere near the Oval Office these days.

"America needs leadership whose priorities are lowering costs for working families, enforcing the rule of law, strengthening alliances, and, most importantly, putting the American people first," she wrapped up.

Of course, Harris was a key player in the regime that bombed on every single one of those fronts.

In case you forgot who Joe Biden is, this video should refresh your memory:

Beyond the hollow outrage, Kamala's got a little hypocrisy problem from her old gig. As she's busy trashing Trump for bagging Maduro, remember it was Joe Biden, one of his final acts, who jacked up the bounty on the guy to $25 million for tips leading to his arrest.

Kamala's knee-jerk partisan freakout over Trump's clean, casualty-free snatch of Nicolás Maduro just highlights her breathtaking double standards. More than that, it's a stark reminder we've got bold leadership now getting big wins.

Harris has been the polar opposite.

Bottom line: Her meltdown only drives home why America showed her the door, and why Trump's no-nonsense, America First approach is racking up victories she could never deliver.

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Israel's Iron Beam Laser Drops While Arms Sales Hit a Whopping $15 Billion Record—And Guess Who's Buying?

An Iron Dome missile costs about $50,000 US, and it has done a remarkable job protecting the Israeli people from Hamas and their ilk firing upon Israeli civilians. And while Israel might be public enemy number one for the usual suspects on the global stage, suddenly everyone is lining up with checkbooks in hand. 

The Jewish state, about the size of New Jersey, has rocketed to become the world's eighth-largest arms exporter, raking in a record $15 billion in sales for 2024 alone. They're sitting pretty behind Britain but blowing past Turkey and South Korea. 

Why the rush? Because Israel's gear isn't some lab experiment, it's been tested in real wars, and nothing says "buy me" like the Iron Dome missile defense system that's saved countless lives by swatting those rockets out of the sky.

Europe's leading the charge, with Germany and Finland as top buyers, but India, Thailand, Greece, and even Muslim-majority nations like Morocco, the UAE, and Bahrain are snapping up missiles, drones, and cyber systems from the Jewish state. 

And now, just as sales are booming, Israel rolls out the game-changing Iron Beam laser system: a high-energy beam that zaps incoming missiles, mortars, and drones up to six miles away for pennies on the dollar, literally $2 per shot at the speed of light [186,282.397 miles per second].

Compare that to traditional interceptors running $100,000 to $1 million each. With a deal like this, no wonder it's turning heads.

"With the laser, the only cost is electricity," says Yuval Steinitz, chairman of Rafael Defense Industries, manufacturer of the Iron Beam. "It is like between $1 and $2, less than the price of a hot dog in New York." Smart Israeli engineering.

"We have already used it against UAVs launched by Hezbollah in the north and missiles from Iran. It works," says University of Tel Aviv professor Isaac Ben-David. "The most important advantage is, once you see the target, it is intercepted at the speed of light. It takes a fraction of a second, and the laser is already destroying it."

After years of other countries fumbling with laser tech, Israel is the first to deploy it successfully in combat. Ben-David, a key figure in its development and former head of R&D at Israel's Ministry of Defense, knows a thing or two about getting it right.

First deployments are heading north to counter Hezbollah's barrage from Lebanon, where rockets can cross the border in under a minute. Soon, it'll protect ships and air bases too. "This is just the beginning of a new era," Steinitz said. "In time, maybe five years, it will enable us to shoot down every hostile object in the air around Israel. It's really a game changer. "Developed with Lockheed Martin and $1.2 billion in U.S. funding, the tech is already flowing back to America's directed energy programs.

"We cannot do without the United States," he said. "But sometimes, in a partnership, even the dwarf can contribute to the giant."

In a world full of threats from Iran-backed proxies, Israel is innovating circles around everyone else, and the sales prove it. 

When push comes to shove, nations vote with their wallets for what actually works, in spite of where it comes from.

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Israel threatens escalation against Hezbollah amid fragile ceasefire

In a stark reminder of the tenuous peace holding southern Lebanon together, Israel has issued a fresh ultimatum to Beirut: disarm Hezbollah, or face a surge in military operations. The warning comes even as a US- and French-brokered ceasefire, now nearly a year old, has failed to quell the low-level violence simmering along the border.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu laid down the gauntlet on Sunday, accusing the Iran-backed militia of plotting to rebuild its arsenal in defiance of the truce. Speaking at a press conference, he framed any Israeli response as a matter of survival, insisting it would adhere strictly to the ceasefire's fine print.

"We will not allow Lebanon to become a renewed front against us, and we will act as necessary," Netanyahu said.

He went further, underscoring Israel's fierce autonomy in matters of defence. "We report to the United States but do 'not ask for permission,'" he added, "Israel maintains responsibility for its own security."

The prime minister's words landed hours after the Israeli military announced it had eliminated four Hezbollah fighters in a targeted strike – one of dozens conducted since the November 2024 accord that was meant to end 14 months of cross-border exchanges. Those clashes, which killed more than 2,000 Lebanese and displaced over a million, had drawn in Israeli ground forces and left Hezbollah reeling from the loss of its top leadership, including Hassan Nasrallah.

Yet the group endures, its fighters still embedded in Lebanon's rugged south, where Israeli troops hold several hilltop outposts overlooking the frontier. Jerusalem justifies the occupations as temporary measures to enforce the ceasefire's demilitarised zone, but Lebanese leaders decry them as a violation of sovereignty.

From Beirut's perspective, the dynamic is inverted: Israel's intermittent airstrikes – often hitting deep into civilian areas – not only undermine the truce but also bolster Hezbollah's rationale for clinging to its rockets and bunkers. Officials in the Lebanese capital have repeatedly condemned the raids for collateral damage, pointing to shattered roads, schools and hospitals as evidence of disproportionate force. "These attacks give the group a pretext to hold onto its weapons," one senior diplomat told reporters last month, echoing a familiar refrain.

The human toll since the ceasefire tells its own story. Lebanon's health ministry reports over 270 deaths and some 850 injuries from Israeli operations in the past year. The UN's human rights office, sifting through the data, has verified at least 107 civilian fatalities among them – a grim ledger that underscores the ceasefire's fragility.

As winter sets in along the Blue Line, Netanyahu's pledge of escalation hangs like a storm cloud. For now, the guns remain mostly quiet, but in this corner of the Levant, quiet has a way of shattering without warning.

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