Iran Watch

U.S. naval destroyers have crossed the Strait of Hormuz, CENTCOM says– www.cbsnews.com

pgnewser April 13, 2026 0

Blurb:

Two U.S. Navy destroyers had transited the Strait of Hormuz to begin mine-clearing operations in the vital waterway, U.S. Central Command said Saturday.

The destroyers crossed through the Strait and operated in the Arabian Gulf, CENTCOM said on social media. Additional U.S. forces, including underwater drones, will “join the clearance effort in the coming days,” CENTCOM said.

The operation came as President Trump said on Truth Social on Saturday that the U.S. was doing “a favor to Countries all over the world” by clearing mines from the strait. Mr. Trump also said Saturday that all of Iran’s mine-laying ships have been destroyed.

How Iran became the GOP’s go-to bogeyman– www.dailykos.com

pgnewser April 13, 2026 0

Blurb:

President Donald Trump spent the last week causing global panic, threatening to wipe out Iranian civilization before walking it back—at least for now.

But his callous threats are nothing new.

This is just the latest example of Republicans indulging themselves in phony masculinity by championing loud and obnoxious aggression. And this type of behavior didn’t begin with Trump, and it isn’t even the first time the right’s saber-rattling has involved Iran.

Pope Leo XIV blasts ‘delusion of omnipotence’ fueling US-Israeli war in Iran– abcnews.com

pgnewser April 13, 2026 0

Blurb:

ROME — In his strongest words yet, Pope Leo XIV on Saturday denounced the “delusion of omnipotence” that is fueling the U.S.-Israel war in Iran and demanded political leaders stop and negotiate peace.

Leo presided over an evening prayer service in St. Peter’s Basilica on the same day the United States and Iran began face-to-face negotiations in Pakistan and as a fragile ceasefire held.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei ‘Incapacitated’ in ‘Severe Condition,’ Report Reveals– slaynews.com

pgnewser April 9, 2026 0

Blurb:

Iran’s leadership is facing new questions after a report claimed the country’s newly installed supreme leader is no longer able to function in his role just weeks after taking power.

According to The Times, Mojtaba Khamenei is “incapacitated and receiving medical treatment” in the city of Qom.

The report cites a diplomatic memo based on U.S. and Israeli intelligence shared with Gulf allies.

Intelligence Memo Raises Serious Questions

The memo reportedly describes Khamenei as suffering from a “severe condition.”

The unidentified condition has left him “unable to be involved in any decision-making by the regime.”

The claims, if accurate, would signal a major disruption at the top of Iran’s ruling structure during a period of heightened regional tensions.

Trump’s Bombshell Easter Message: This is Madman Theory– www.louderwithcrowder.com

pgnewser April 9, 2026 0

Blurb:

After President Trump took out Soleimani, you would think that his relatives wouldn’t be allowed to spread anti-American hate in the United States. Turns out the State Department is just getting around to it. An F-15E was struck down over Iran, and American special forces went in to recover the missing pilots. Europe just doesn’t understand why it matters. X has become a right wing echo chamber. At least, Nate Silver thinks so. Let’s try to figure out his logic.

Trump and Iran remain far apart on peace terms. Here are the biggest gaps– www.cbc.ca

pgnewser April 9, 2026 0

Blurb:

Despite U.S. President Donald Trump’s sunny assessment of the prospects for a long-term peace agreement with Iran, fundamental differences remain between the two sides’ visions for a deal.

Trump has described Iran’s 10-point plan as “a workable basis on which to negotiate,” but questions remain about what exactly it contains and whether it crosses U.S. red lines.

Iranian state media have reported that the plan would allow Iran to maintain its ability to enrich uranium, protect Tehran’s allied militant groups in the Middle East, including Hezbollah and Hamas, and secure the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from bases in the region.

However, U.S. Vice-President JD Vance denies that this is the plan Trump was describing as workable.

Iran-US war live: US insists conflict went ‘exactly as planned from day one’ despite fragile ceasefire– www.independent.co.uk

pgnewser April 9, 2026 0

Blurb:

The Australian foreign minister has called for an urgent end to hostilities in Lebanon.

In a statement, Penny Wong said: “Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Indonesia, Jordan, Sierra Leone and the United Kingdom remain deeply concerned by the worsening humanitarian situation and displacement crisis in Lebanon.

“We welcome the ceasefire agreed between the United States, Israel and Iran. We call for an urgent end to hostilities in Lebanon.

“Civilians and civilian infrastructure must be protected from the effects of hostilities.

BREAKING: FBI arrests ex-Special Operations Command employee for leaking classified info to media | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com

pgnewser April 9, 2026 0

Blurb:

“FBI and our partners have arrested a former SOCOM employee, who supported our top-level military warfighters, for allegedly transmitting classified information to a member of the media.”

The FBI has arrested a former Special Operations Command employee who allegedly leaked classified information to the press.

“FBI and our partners have arrested a former SOCOM employee, who supported our top-level military warfighters, for allegedly transmitting classified information to a member of the media,” FBI Director Kash Patel said on Wednesday. “Let this serve as a message to any would-be leakers: we’re working these cases, and we’re making arrests. This FBI will not tolerate those who seek to betray our country and put Americans in harm’s way.”

Vance: Iran’s Leaders Will ‘Find Out’ What Happens If They ‘Mess Around’ with Trump and Ceasefire Falls Apart– slaynews.com

pgnewser April 9, 2026 0

Blurb:

Vice President JD Vance said the current ceasefire with Iran remains “fragile,” but the regime’s leaders will learn the hard way if they “mess around” and cause the ceasefire deal to collapse.

Vance is warning that President Donald Trump is prepared to take decisive action if Tehran fails to negotiate in good faith.

Speaking at a conference in Hungary on Wednesday, Vance emphasized that the two-week ceasefire hinges on Iran reopening the Strait of Hormuz and engaging seriously in negotiations.

House Democrats Are Accelerating Efforts To Remove Trump– www.politicususa.com

pgnewser April 9, 2026 0

Blurb:

 

Trump’s behavior surrounding the Iran war has changed the priorities of House Democrats.

For the duration of Trump’s first year in office, House Democratic leadership has stressed that dealing with affordability and inflation are the top issues that they have been focused on, but Democrats are getting an overwhelming number of calls from their constituents, and the members themselves are enraged over Trump’s behavior.

FBI Warns of Iran-Affiliated Hackers Targeting U.S. Critical Infrastructure– legalinsurrection.com

pgnewser April 8, 2026 0

Blurb:

 

The FBI Cyber Division warned organizations and companies that Iran-affiliated hackers are targeting U.S. critical infrastructures.

The warning comes hours before the 8 PM ET deadline President Donald Trump gave Iran to open the Strait of Hormuz.

“Iran-affiliated cyber actors are targeting operational technology devices across US critical infrastructure, including programmable logic controllers (PLCs),” the division wrote on X. “These attacks have led to diminished PLC functionality, manipulation of display data and, in some cases, operational disruption and financial loss.”

Iran presents US with ‘entirely different’ proposal, used as basis for talks — White House – World– tass.com

pgnewser April 8, 2026 0

Blurb:

WASHINGTON, April 8. /TASS/. Iranian representatives offered the United States a revised proposal that has been taken as a basis for negotiations on a potential settlement, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told a press briefing.

“The Iranians originally put forward a 10-point plan that was fundamentally unserious, unacceptable and completely discarded. It was literally thrown in the garbage by [US] President [Donald] Trump and his negotiating team. Many outlets in this room have falsely reported on that plan as being acceptable to the United States, and that is false,” she noted.

Iranian-Canadians voice fear, uncertainty after ceasefire announcement– globalnews.ca

pgnewser April 8, 2026 0

Blurb:

Iranian-Canadian communities in Vancouver and Toronto say a temporary ceasefire has brought some relief, but deep concern remains for loved ones in Iran following threats from U.S. President Donald Trump.

Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire after Trump’s latest warnings raised alarms internationally.

Human rights advocate Soushiant Zanganehpour said the rhetoric marked a sharp escalation.

Trump LIVE: Iran ceasefire in tatters after ‘blatant’ missile attacks | World | News– www.express.co.uk

pgnewser April 8, 2026 0

Blurb:

Donald Trump’s ceasefire appears to be in the brink of collapse after Iran launched a series of “blatant” missile and drone attacks on Gulf neighbours. The US President had last night boasted there was no question the US had won a “total and complete victory” in the war against the Islamic Republic which America launched alongside Israel on February 28.

Trump and Washington had come under mounting pressure after Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz by threatening to attack shipping. The vital waterway usually carries around 20% of the world’s oil and gas supplies.

No sign Iran ceding control of Strait of Hormuz in ceasefire, with logjam expected to continue for weeks– www.cbc.ca

pgnewser April 8, 2026 0

Blurb:

Shippers looking to revive the passage of tankers through the Strait of Hormuz were seeking clarity on the logistics on Wednesday, while refiners inquired about new crude loadings, in response to a ceasefire deal between the U.S. ‌and Iran.

Most stranded oil and gas tankers remained inside the Gulf, LSEG shipping data showed, hours after U.S. President Donald Trump announced the two-week ceasefire and said the U.S. would help with the traffic build-up.

Iran hits Gulf states after agreeing to ‘fragile’ truce with US– www.channelnewsasia.com

pgnewser April 8, 2026 0

Blurb:

Underscoring the precarity of the situation, Iranian state media announced fresh “missile and drone attacks” Wednesday on US-allied Gulf states UAE and Kuwait in retaliation for airstrikes against its oil facilities.

Kuwait said its oil facilities and power and desalination plants were damaged in “an intense wave” of strikes that lasted hours, and demanded Iran cease its attacks.

The UAE said it was intercepting Iranian attacks while Bahrain also said its capital Manama had been hit.

Pope says Trump’s threat to destroy Iranian civilization is ‘unacceptable’– abcnews.com

pgnewser April 8, 2026 0

Blurb:

ROME — Pope Leo XIV said Tuesday that U.S. President Donald Trump’s threat to destroy Iranian civilization was “truly unacceptable” and said any attacks on civilian infrastructure violate international law.

In some of his strongest comments yet against the war, Leo urged Americans and other people of good will to contact their political leaders and congressional representatives to demand they reject war and work for peace.

“Today as we all know there was this threat against all the people of Iran. This is truly unacceptable,” he said as he left his country house in Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome.

He was referring to Trump’s threat that a “whole civilization will die tonight” if Iran fails to meet his latest deadline to strike a deal that includes reopening the Strait of Hormuz.

France’s Strait of Hormuz Problem | American Enterprise Institute– www.aei.org

pgnewser April 8, 2026 0

Blurb:

If there is one country that can ill-afford a prolonged Strait of Hormuz closure, it is France, the Eurozone’s second-largest member country. Even before the Strait’s closure, France had unsustainable public finances. Those finances were proving difficult to correct in the context of its sclerotic economy, its fragmented politics, and its being stuck in a Euro straitjacket. The energy and fertilizer price spike resulting from the Strait’s closure will substantially exacerbate France’s public finance problem. In turn, that raises the real risk of another round of the Eurozone sovereign debt crisis, especially given the French government’s high dependence on external borrowing to finance its gaping budget deficit.

Report: Israeli Commando Units Assisted U.S. in Rescue of Downed US Airman– gellerreport.com

pgnewser April 7, 2026 0

Blurb:

Baruch Hashem. Forever united. Haters going to hate the good. That’s what real friends — real allies — do for each other. Juxta this to France who has been secretly aiding Iran and stabbing us in the back.

As details emerge about the extraordinary rescue of the American pilot deep inside Iran, the Telegraph reports how Israel assisted with during the operation.

President Trump Said the Iranian Regime Ends Tonight– townhall.com

pgnewser April 7, 2026 0

lurb:

President Trump gave the Iranian regime until 8 pm tonight to agree to a ceasefire deal. He made it very clear that Iran is either going to disarm and open the Strait of Hormuz, or he will bomb the regime into submission.

Of course, the Left is melting down over this, calling the legitimate targeting of infrastructure “war crimes,” while they spent the past three years turning a blind eye to the actual war crimes committed by Hamas and the past 47 ignoring the terrorism Iran has carried out around the globe.

Downed Airman’s First Words to U.S. Forces From Inside Iran Were ‘God is Good’ › American Greatness– amgreatness.com

pgnewser April 7, 2026 0

Blurb:

Both President Donald Trump and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth invoked God Monday during a White House press conference detailing the rescues of two U.S. airmen whose F-15E fighter jet was shot down over Iran.

“God was watching us—amazing,” Trump said, noting that it happened around “Easter territory.”

The entire ordeal played out over Easter weekend, beginning with the traumatic shootdown of the fighter jet on Good Friday and concluding with the dramatic rescue of the second airman on Easter Sunday.