Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said during a &#8220;60 Minutes&#8221; interview that he wanted to see U.S. military aid to Israel reduced to $0 within ten years.
Netanyahu spoke with CBS News&#8217;s Major Garrett in an interview that aired on Sunday, and he said that his goal was to see an Israel no longer dependent on aid from the United States.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells 60 Minutes he wants Israel to eventually stop relying on U.S. military aid: “It&#8217;s time that we weaned ourselves from the remaining military support.” <a href="https://t.co/mEN4CWeXMW">https://t.co/mEN4CWeXMW</a> <a href="https://t.co/LIwJKrfMOQ">pic.twitter.com/LIwJKrfMOQ</a>
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) <a href="https://twitter.com/60Minutes/status/2053549148998099293?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 10, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;Do you believe it&#8217;s time for the state of Israel to reexamine and possibly reset its financial relationship with the United States — meaning what the United States provides to Israel on an annual basis?&#8221; Garrett asked.
Netanyahu&#8217;s reply was unequivocal: &#8220;Absolutely. And I&#8217;ve said this to President Trump, I&#8217;ve said it to our own people. Their jaws dropped, but I said, &#8216;Look.'&#8221;
Garrett prompted Netanyahu to elaborate, asking, &#8220;What do you mean?&#8221;
&#8220;I want to draw down to $0 the American financial support, the financial component of the military cooperation that we have, because we receive $3.8 billion a year, and I think that it&#8217;s time that we weaned ourselves from the remaining military support,&#8221; Netanyahu said.
READ MORE: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/why-israel-does-not-want-americas-military-aid-money-anymore">Why Israel Does Not Want America’s Military Aid Money Anymore</a>
Garrett asked whether the Israeli Prime Minister was able to give him &#8220;a timetable&#8221; or an estimate as to when he thought that could be accomplished.
&#8220;I said let&#8217;s start now and do it over the next decade, over the next ten years, but I want to start now,&#8221; he replied. &#8220;I don&#8217;t want to wait for the next congress, I wasn&#8217;t to start now, and it could go down very fast.&#8221;
Netanyahu also weighed in on the state of the ongoing war in Iran, saying that he believed much of what the United States and Israel set out to accomplish had come to pass, but that it wasn&#8217;t over yet.
&#8220;I think it accomplished a great deal, but it’s not over,&#8221; he said.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“I think it accomplished a great deal, but it’s not over,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu tells 60 Minutes about the war in Iran. Netanyahu says highly enriched uranium must be removed from Iran and believes “it can be done physically.” <a href="https://t.co/N5XbvzpYa0">pic.twitter.com/N5XbvzpYa0</a>
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) <a href="https://twitter.com/60Minutes/status/2053482816134955065?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 10, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Donald Trump & Benjamin Netanyahu

Netanyahu Says He Wants To Completely Change US-Israel Relationship

Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel

Military

military aid

The remains of one of two U.S. Army soldiers who disappeared during “African Lion” military exercises in Morocco have been recovered after an intensive week-long multinational search operation, military officials confirmed Sunday.
The soldier was identified as Kendrick Lamont Key Jr., a 27-year-old 1st Lieutenant from Richmond, Virginia, who served as an Air Defense Artillery officer assigned to Charlie Battery, 5th Battalion, 4th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command.
<a href="https://nypost.com/2026/05/03/world-news/2-us-troops-missing-during-africa-lion-training-exercises-in-morocco/">According</a> to The New York Post, Key and another unidentified soldier vanished on May 2 during a recreational hike near the Cap Draa Training Area outside Tan-Tan, Morocco, hours after participating in the annual African Lion multinational war games exercise.
Officials said the two soldiers were seen near ocean cliffs before they reportedly plunged into the Atlantic Ocean. “A Moroccan military search team found the Soldier in the water along the shoreline at approximately 8:55 a.m. local time May 9, within roughly one mile of where both Soldiers reportedly entered the ocean,” U.S. Army Europe and Africa said in a <a href="https://www.europeafrica.army.mil/ArticleViewPressRelease/Article/4482802/press-release-us-army-recovers-identifies-one-soldier-near-cap-draa-morocco-sea/">statement</a>.
The second soldier remains missing as search efforts continue.
The disappearance triggered a massive international rescue operation involving more than 600 personnel from the United States, Morocco, and allied partner nations participating in the exercises. The operation included helicopters, drones, frigates, maritime vessels, and ground search teams combing more than 12,000 square kilometers of shoreline and ocean over eight days.
African Lion 2026 is the largest annual U.S.-led military exercise on the African continent, involving more than 7,000 personnel from over 30 nations across Morocco, Tunisia, Ghana, and Senegal. The exercise is designed to strengthen military coordination and readiness between the United States and allied African and NATO partner nations.
Military officials said a U.S. contingent remains in Morocco even after the formal conclusion of the exercises Friday in order to continue search-and-rescue operations for the second missing soldier.
Before joining the military, Key earned a Bachelor of Science degree in marketing from Methodist University in North Carolina, with additional studies in international business, entrepreneurship, and business administration. He entered military service in 2023 as an officer candidate before receiving his commission as an Air Defense Artillery officer in 2024 after completing Officer Candidate School and the Basic Officer Leader Course at Fort Sill, Oklahoma.
His military decorations include the Army Achievement Medal and Army Service Ribbon.
“On behalf of U.S. Africa Command, we extend our deepest condolences to the loved ones of 1st Lt. Key and to the entire 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command family,” AFRICOM commander General Dagvin Anderson and Command Sergeant Major Garric Banfield said in a joint statement.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“On behalf of U.S. Africa Command, we extend our deepest condolences to the loved ones of 1st Lt. Key and to the entire 10th Army Air and Missile Defense Command family.”
&#8211; General Dagvin Anderson and Command Sergeant Major Garric Banfield<a href="https://t.co/f1ZxHptZAC">https://t.co/f1ZxHptZAC</a>
— U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) (@USAfricaCommand) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAfricaCommand/status/2053546300122001826?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 10, 2026</a></blockquote>
The tragedy marks another deadly incident connected to the African Lion exercises, which began in 2004. In 2012, two U.S. Marines were killed and two others injured after a helicopter crash during the drills in Morocco.

Kendrick-Lamont-Key-c8396e

Body Of One Soldier Recovered After War Games Accident, One Still Missing

Africa

NATO

U.S. Army

Troops forced out over the COVID-19 vaccine may soon see a dramatic change as War Secretary Pete Hegseth — even for those who do not wish to return to military service.
Hegseth announced the change in a video posted to X on Friday afternoon, saying that he planned to restore missed payments and enlistment bonuses — as well as benefits denied based on unfavorable discharge characterizations.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
The Biden administration’s experimental COVID-19 vaccine mandate was wrongfully forced onto our warfighters.
It was unjust, and we are doing EVERYTHING we can to make it right. <a href="https://t.co/xLWpYd0sMc">pic.twitter.com/xLWpYd0sMc</a>
— Secretary of War Pete Hegseth (@SecWar) <a href="https://twitter.com/SecWar/status/2052860665165992134?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 8, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I&#8217;m directing the Under Secretary of War for Personnel and Readiness to establish a Department of War COVID-19 reinstatement and Reconciliation Task Force,&#8221; Hegseth explained, noting that their first move would be to assist anyone who wanted to return to military service to do so. &#8220;The services have them right now. We&#8217;re establishing one at our level to oversee the entire thing. The task force&#8217;s goal is to bring back into service all those who desire to continue to serve our country in uniform.&#8221;
But Then Hegseth went on to say that changes were also coming for those who were discharged for refusing the COVID vaccine mandate under former President Joe Biden and opted not to put the uniform back on. Those who were denied education benefits due to a &#8220;general&#8221; discharge, Hegseth vowed, would have them restored.
&#8220;Even if you do not intend to return to service, the War Department will provide a path for resolution of unearned bonuses, upgrades to discharge characterizations that will unlock your well-deserved benefits, and removal of adverse documents from service files,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Further, I have directed a review of policies and decision-making to ensure that we do not go down this path again. You raised your right hand and sworn ill to serve and protect the Constitution and our nation.&#8221;
&#8220;You were mistreated by the Biden Pentagon, and we are fixing that injustice,&#8221; Hegseth concluded.
Between August of 2021 and the beginning of 2023, approximately 8,700 service members were forced out over Biden&#8217;s vaccine mandate — and more than one third of them (3,000) received &#8220;general&#8221; discharges rather than &#8220;honorable&#8221; discharges. Still more, because they were forced to separate prior to fulfilling their contracts, were denied promised enlistment bonuses and pay.
Typically those who receive a &#8220;general&#8221; discharge from military service are eligible to receive disability benefits and health care benefits through the VA, but can be denied access to education benefits through the post-9/11 G.I. Bill.
By March of 2026, some 600 Air Force members had already had their discharges upgraded. The Marine Corps and the Navy had the highest number of separations due to the vaccine mandate.

Secretary Hegseth Administers Oath Of Enlistment At Washington Monument

Troops Forced Out Under Biden Could Soon See Major Reversal

COVID-19 Vaccine

Donald Trump

Joe Biden

Pete Hegseth

Politics

President Donald Trump lashed out on Sunday after receiving what he said was a &#8220;totally unacceptable&#8221; offer from Iranian leaders.
Trump took to Truth Social late Sunday afternoon to say that he&#8217;d received a reply to his latest offer from the Iranian regime to end the war and strike a deal — and that he was not at all happy with what they&#8217;d said.
&#8220;I have just read the response from Iran’s so-called &#8216;Representatives.&#8217; I don’t like it — TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE!&#8221; Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116552102914488206">posted</a>.
In a previous post earlier Sunday afternoon, Trump had warned that the Iranian regime against continuing to play games with the United States — and he has repeatedly encouraged leadership in Iran to agree to a deal, often threatening to end the regime if a deal is not reached.on his timetable.
Trump said on Friday that he was waiting for an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-iran-letter-trump-is-waiting-for-could-decide-what-happens-next">important letter</a> from Iran — one that would determine his course of action in the coming days — and at the time, he seemed confident that Tehran was anxious to strike a deal.
&#8220;We’re getting a letter [from Iran] supposedly tonight, so we’ll see how that goes,&#8221; he told reporters, adding that he wasn&#8217;t certain whether or not Iran&#8217;s leadership was intentionally dragging out negotiations — a tactic the Trump administration had said they used in the past. &#8220;I don’t know. We’ll find out soon enough.&#8221;
The Trump administration has been clear about the particulars of any potential deal with Iran, saying that no deal would be agreed to unless Iran agreed to stop any and all efforts to enrich uranium and develop nuclear weapons and to fully reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
The news comes as several skirmishes — provoked by Iranian attacks — had reporters asking Secretary of State <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rubio-we-arent-a-stupid-country">Marco Rubio</a> why there was so little ceasing and so much firing in the current ceasefire.
Rubio pushed back, saying that &#8220;only a stupid country&#8221; would not fire back when fired upon.

US-ISRAEL-IRAN-WAR-POLITICS-TRUMP

Trump Nixes ‘Totally Unacceptable’ Offer From Iran

Global Politics

Iran

Iran war

President Donald Trump warned on Sunday that the Iranian regime needed to stop &#8220;playing games&#8221; with the United States, blaming former Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden for the fact that they&#8217;d done so in the past.
Trump laid out his thoughts in a Sunday afternoon <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116551553302876569">post</a> on his Truth Social platform, declaring that Iran would soon be &#8220;laughing no longer&#8221; if things did not change.
&#8220;Iran has been playing games with the United States, and the rest of the World, for 47 years (DELAY, DELAY, DELAY!), and then finally hit &#8216;pay dirt&#8217; when Barack Hussein Obama became President,&#8221; Trump began, noting that the regime would always call for negotiations but then would never come to the table in good faith — and he argued that Obama had fallen right into their trap.
&#8220;He was not only good to them, he was great, actually going to their side, jettisoning Israel, and all other Allies, and giving Iran a major and very powerful new lease on life,&#8221; Trump continued, referencing Obama&#8217;s part in sealing the Iran Nuclear Deal and in freeing up billions of dollars that were then delivered to the world&#8217;s leading state sponsor of terrorism.
&#8220;Hundreds of Billions of Dollars, and 1.7 Billion Dollars in green cash, flown into Tehran, was handed to them on a silver platter. Every Bank in D.C., Virginia, and Maryland was emptied out — It was so much money that when it arrived, the Iranian Thugs had no idea what to do with it,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They had never seen money like this, and never will again. It was taken off the plane in suitcases and satchels, and the Iranians couldn’t believe their luck.&#8221;
Trump went on to argue that Biden had been even worse for the United States — and better for Iran — saying, &#8220;They finally found the greatest SUCKER of them all, in the form of a weak and stupid American President. He was a disaster as our &#8216;Leader,&#8217; but not as bad as Sleepy Joe Biden!&#8221;
In summation, Trump declared that his administration would not tolerate an Iranian regime that stalled negotiations to wait out American presidents and continued to kill their own people simply for protesting.
&#8220;For 47 years the Iranians have been &#8216;tapping&#8217; us along, keeping us waiting, killing our people with their roadside bombs, destroying protests, and recently wiping out 42,000 innocent, unarmed protestors, and laughing at our now GREAT AGAIN Country,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They will be laughing no longer!&#8221;

Trump Scorches Obama, Biden As He Warns Iran Will Be ‘Laughing No Longer’

Barack Obama

A routine national security briefing took an unexpected turn Tuesday when The Daily Wire’s White House Correspondent, Mary Margaret Olohan, pressed Secretary of War Pete Hegseth on reports of so-called “kamikaze dolphins,” prompting a moment of levity inside the room.
Olohan, asking about conditions in the Strait of Hormuz, raised both the issue of naval mines and the unusual reports circulating about weaponized marine animals. “For Secretary Hegseth, are there still concerns about mines in the strait,” she asked, “and can you kind of clarify these reports of kamikaze dolphins that we’ve heard about?”
Hegseth initially reacted with surprised laughter: “What?!”
<div style="max-width: 728px; margin: 0 auto;">  <iframe style="aspect-ratio: 9/16; max-width: 220px; display: flex; justify-content: center; width: 100%; margin: 20px auto 5px; border: 0;" src="https://player.mux.com/01YblO5NDgZpmQpTpr6fO00PxME006tMLd7?metadata-video-content-type=short&amp;metadata-video-id=f8be299b-ec00-4dbd-b86f-6d33022df12c&amp;metadata-video-stream-type=on-demand&amp;metadata-video-title=Daily%20Wire%20asks%20Pentagon%20question%20everyone%20wants%20to%20know%3A%20What%20about%20those%20%E2%80%98kamikaze%20dolphins%E2%80%99&amp;poster=https%3A%2F%2Fdailywireplus-v2.imgix.net%2Fimages%2Fshorts%2F9bf02b3a-c8bb-4b35-a1a8-de47b45d7c88.jpg&amp;autoplay=false&amp;accent-color=%23DB3D3B&amp;primary-color=%23ffffff&amp;secondary-color=%23000000" allowfullscreen="allowfullscreen"></iframe></div>
&nbsp;
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine interjected, joking, “I haven’t heard the kamikaze dolphins thing — it’s like sharks with laser beams, right?” referencing the film Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery.
Hegseth continued the lighthearted exchange before pivoting back to substance. “I can’t confirm or deny whether we have kamikaze dolphins,” he said, drawing laughter, “but I can confirm they don’t.”
Despite the humor, Hegseth addressed the underlying concern, noting that U.S. and allied forces are maintaining safe maritime conditions in the region.
“Ultimately, any follow-on effort, if there are mines identified, would be something that some of our units could undertake or the world could undertake,” he said. “But right now, we know we have a lane of safe passage that commercial shipping can flow through.” The exchange comes amid renewed attention on the strategic importance of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint for global energy markets, as tensions with Iran continue to simmer.
<a href="https://nypost.com/2026/05/01/us-news/iran-eyeing-mine-carrying-dolphins-to-attack-us-warships-in-strait-of-hormuz/">Recent reports</a> have suggested that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard has explored unconventional tactics to disrupt shipping in the region, including the potential use of trained dolphins equipped with explosives. Iran has previously acquired marine mammals trained by the Soviet Union, with programs that included attaching devices such as mines or harpoon launchers for naval operations.
While such claims remain speculative, they reflect broader concerns about asymmetric tactics in the region as Tehran weighs responses to ongoing economic pressure and maritime restrictions.
For a brief moment, however, those concerns gave way to humor, with Olohan’s question cutting through the formality of the briefing room and producing one of the more memorable exchanges of the day.

Dolphins in Caribbean Sea water

‘Kamikaze Dolphins’? The Daily Wire Asks Trump Admin What Everyone Wants To Know

Dolphin

Two United States service members are missing in Morocco after a massive war games exercise involving multiple nations.
The United States Africa Command (<a href="https://www.africom.mil/pressrelease/36450/search-and-rescue-ongoing-at-african-lion-2026">AFRICOM</a>) released a statement indicating that the two had gone missing somewhere near the Cap Draa Training Area — which lies just under 20 miles from the Atlantic Ocean near the city of Tan Tan. AFRICOM did not reveal which branch of service was involved.
&#8220;Two U.S. service members participating in African Lion 2026 were reported missing near the Cap Draa Training Area, near the city of Tan Tan, Morocco, May 2, 2026,&#8221; the command posted via X.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Two U.S. service members participating in African Lion 2026 were reported missing near the Cap Draa Training Area, near the city of Tan Tan, Morocco, May 2, 2026.<a href="https://t.co/7zxpKQRHfB">https://t.co/7zxpKQRHfB</a>
— U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM) (@USAfricaCommand) <a href="https://twitter.com/USAfricaCommand/status/2050898946659094702?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">May 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;U.S., Moroccan and other assets from African Lion immediately initiated coordinated search and rescue operations, including ground, air, and maritime assets,&#8221; the linked statement continued. &#8220;The incident remains under investigation and the search is on-going. Our focus is on the service members involved and their families.&#8221;
&#8220;Additional information will be provided as it becomes available,&#8221; the command promised, but no other details were given as to what may have been then nature of the &#8220;incident.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/daily-wire-explains-the-world-ep-8">RELATED: The Race To Rescue</a>
The war games exercise, referred to as African Lion, includes more than 7,000 troops from at least 30 nations, and was set to conclude in early May. The exercise was to play out across the four African nations of Morocco, Ghana, Senegal, and Tunisia.
The annual war games exercise — which was first launched in 2004 — includes American service members from the United States Marine Corps, Air Force, Army Reserve, and Army National Guard — and is touted as a chance to bring together senior leadership from several allied nations in cooperation and strategic development.

U.S. Marine Corps Sikorsky CH-53E Super Stallion At MCAS Miramar

U.S. Troops Missing After ‘War Games’ Exercise, Massive Manhunt Underway

U.S. Military

President Donald Trump raged Thursday morning that America&#8217;s allies fail to understand &#8220;anything unless they have pressure placed upon them,&#8221; once again taking aim at NATO after his meeting with the alliance&#8217;s secretary-general.
Trump targeted NATO in two social media posts shortly after his Wednesday meeting at the White House with NATO chief Mark Rutte, who traveled to Washington, D.C., following Trump&#8217;s renewed threats to pull the United States from the alliance.
&#8220;NATO WASN’T THERE WHEN WE NEEDED THEM, AND THEY WON’T BE THERE IF WE NEED THEM AGAIN,&#8221; Trump wrote in a social media <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116371693008302124">post</a> on Wednesday evening. &#8220;REMEMBER GREENLAND, THAT BIG, POORLY RUN, PIECE OF ICE!!!&#8221;
Trump <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/116374792489555954">ripped</a> NATO again Thursday morning, posting, &#8220;None of these people, including our own, very disappointing, NATO, understood anything unless they have pressure placed upon them!!!&#8221;
Trump&#8217;s frustration with NATO has been building for months, particularly after several alliance members pushed back on his idea to acquire Greenland. Tensions have intensified more recently as some allies have rejected the president&#8217;s calls to back U.S. efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Rutte met with Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday to discuss the alliance and Europe&#8217;s stance on the Iran war.
“He is clearly disappointed with many NATO allies, and I can see his point,” Rutte told CNN after the meeting.
Some NATO members — including the United Kingdom, France, and Spain — initially blocked U.S. aircraft from using their military bases for offensive strikes during &#8220;Operation Epic Fury.&#8221; The U.K. and France later allowed the United States limited use of bases for defensive purposes only, while Spain has remained a vocal opponent of the U.S. military operation.
&#8220;The large majority, including France, of European nations, has been doing what they committed they would do in a case like this,&#8221; Rutte said. &#8220;So Europe as a platform of power projection for the United States was in full play over the last six weeks. And yes, it is true that not all European nations lived up to those commitments, and I totally understand that [Trump] is disappointed about it.&#8221;
Rutte has been one of Trump&#8217;s biggest cheerleaders on the world stage in recent months and has repeatedly praised the U.S. president for forcing European nations to increase defense spending. The NATO secretary-general told CNN, &#8220;This was a meeting between friends because we like each other. I really admire his leadership &#8230; and NATO allies are with him when it comes to taking out, degrading the ballistic missile capacity of the Iranians.&#8221;
&#8220;The whole world is safer by this president degrading those capabilities,&#8221; Rutte added.
The United States is, by far, the largest financial supporter of NATO, covering more than 60% of the alliance&#8217;s defense spending, <a href="https://www.atlanticcouncil.org/commentary/trackers-and-data-visualizations/nato-defense-spending-tracker/#:~:text=United%20States%20$980%2C000%2C000%2C000%20NATO%20Europe,Kingdom%20France%20Italy%20Poland%20Spain">according</a> to the Atlantic Council. Last year, the United States spent roughly $980 billion on NATO&#8217;s defense.
Amid Trump&#8217;s pressure and repeated threats to withdraw from NATO, member states have ramped up their defense spending commitments. At last year&#8217;s NATO summit, allies agreed to increase their military spending to 5% of GDP by 2035.

Donald Trump/Mark Rutte

Trump Signals A Continued Pressure Campaign On Allies After Meeting With NATO Chief

Europe

President Donald Trump gave the Iranian regime a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/live-updates-iranian-protests-intensify-as-citizens-demand-end-to-ayatollah-rule">deadline</a> of 8 p.m. on Tuesday to reach a deal with the United States and reopen the Strait of Hormuz, and a number of Democrats have spent the hours leading up to that deadline warning American service members to be wary of — or disregard — any potentially &#8220;illegal&#8221; orders.
Responding to Trump&#8217;s deadline — and his warning that &#8220;a whole civilization will die tonight&#8221; — Democrats quickly lined up to claim that the president was either not in full possession of his mental faculties or about to issue illegal orders to the United States military, if not both.
&#8220;This is a threat of genocide and merits removal from office. The President’s mental faculties are collapsing and cannot be trusted,&#8221; Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez <a href="https://x.com/AOC/status/2041563794787193194">declared</a>. &#8220;To every individual in the President’s chain of command: You have a duty to refuse illegal orders. That includes carrying out this threat.&#8221;
Rep. Ted Lieu (D-CA) addressed his <a href="https://x.com/tedlieu/status/2041277990903091695">warning</a> to the Joint Chiefs of Staff, saying, &#8220;The UCMJ and federal law prohibit war crimes. Striking civilian infrastructure that causes disproportionate civilian harm constitutes war crimes. You will disobey those illegal orders. If you commit war crimes, the next Administration will prosecute you.&#8221;
&#8220;These are not the words of a sane person,&#8221; Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) <a href="https://x.com/RepJasonCrow/status/2041516423906824681">added</a>. &#8220;Calling for the elimination of a civilization is a war crime. As I’ve repeatedly said, our military must only follow lawful orders. Every American of good conscience must repudiate this.&#8221;
Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) ignored the possibility that a bridge or power plant might be considered a military target if it was part of the necessary infrastructure sustaining and supplying the Iranian forces, and instead suggested that any attack on such infrastructure would necessarily be an attack on civilian populations.
&#8220;Threatening to target power plants and other non-military targets is not strength. If those words become orders to destroy civilian infrastructure with no valid military purpose, it’s hard to see how they would not violate the laws of armed conflict. America leads best with strength, discipline, and professionalism. Illegal orders to make civilians suffer would be a black mark on our military and our country,&#8221; <a href="https://x.com/SenMarkKelly/status/2041333810269151246">Kelly said</a>.
Democrats began warning American troops that &#8220;illegal&#8221; orders were a possibility — and were perhaps even to be expected — from President Donald Trump&#8217;s administration months earlier, when &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hegseths-war-department-escalates-review-of-mark-kelly-over-seditious-six-video">The Seditious Six</a>&#8221; published a <a href="https://x.com/SenatorSlotkin/status/1990774492356902948">video</a> in response to a number of precision strikes on narco-terrorists. Led by Senators Kelly and Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), the group called on members of the military to refuse &#8220;illegal&#8221; or &#8220;unlawful&#8221; orders while heavily insinuating that if Trump or War Secretary Pete Hegseth had not already given such orders, they were likely to do so.
Slotkin doubled down on Tuesday, <a href="https://x.com/SenatorSlotkin/status/2041559132755653104">posting</a>, &#8220;I know that our service members up and down the chain of command know their duty and the law to refuse illegal orders. Even as the Commander-in-Chief tells the world otherwise. It’s moments like these that are why we made the video to service members last year. And I hope and believe our troops — especially those in command — will have the moral clarity to push back if they are given clearly illegal orders.&#8221;

Celebrity Sightings In New York City – June 22, 2024

Trump’s Iran Clock Is Ticking As Democrats Try To Make Moves Behind His Back

Dems Prep For Trump's Iran Deadline By Warning Military Against 'Illegal Orders'

U.S.

Eissa Hashemi has never denounced his mother — a spokesperson for the Iranian regime&#8217;s propaganda machine — but still he&#8217;s living large in Los Angeles, lecturing American students in his field: psychology.
<a href="https://nypost.com/2026/04/06/us-news/son-of-irans-twisted-pr-chief-found-living-life-of-luxury-in-la-and-hes-teaching-superrich-california-kids/?utm_campaign=capost&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social">Hashemi</a>, 43, has been living in the United States since 2010 and is an adjunct associate professor at The Chicago School in Los Angeles, the New York Post reported — but has recently faced criticism and calls for deportation as critics say that he has never publicly condemned his mother&#8217;s role in the oppressive Iranian revolutionary government.
Hashemi is the son of former Iranian Vice President for Women and Family Affairs <a href="https://pulitzercenter.org/stories/ex-spokeswoman-hostage-takers-says-us-misreads-iran">Masoumeh Ebtekar</a> — better known as &#8220;Screaming Mary&#8221; to Americans who were alive when militants attacked the United States Embassy in Tehran in 1979.
Ebtekar was a 19-year-old college student when she joined the revolutionaries in storming the embassy — and because she herself had been raised in Philadelphia, she quickly became their spokesperson when their embassy raid escalated to a hostage crisis that went on for more than a year.
She was the voice heard around the world after violent revolutionaries took 52 American hostages — and proceeded to hold them for 444 days — giving interviews in English and spinning the regime&#8217;s propaganda throughout. She often toured the embassy where the hostages were being held, pushing them to give more positive comments about their time in captivity.
She has, in the time since, claimed that the United States is to blame for diplomatic rifts between Washington and Tehran — and has defended her own role in the revolution.
Hashemi, for his part, is just one of a number of Iranians who were born into political prominence in the regime, but who have since chosen to live in the United States. He is also one of several children of the regime who have risen to prominent positions in academia, and have gone on to educate American children.
Several of those who have been connected to regime officials have already had their <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/family-members-of-slain-iranian-general-arrested-u-s-legal-status-revoked">legal status</a> in the United States revoked — and a number have already begun petitioning for Hashemi to receive similar treatment. Several protests calling for just that took place in January outside The Chicago School and other facilities with which he has been associated.

Iranian Vice-President Masoumeh Ebtekar

His Mother Raised Him On Iran’s Regime Propaganda. Now He’s Teaching Your Kids.

His Mother Raised Him On Iran's Regime Propaganda. Now He's Teaching Your Kids.

Education

CNN anchor Jake Tapper and former director of the National Counterterrorism Center Joe Kent traded barbs over media coverage of Operation Epic Fury and Iranian state-promoted propaganda.
Kent, who abruptly left his position in the United States intelligence community over President Donald Trump&#8217;s military operation in Iran, spurred the back-and-forth when he commented on the ongoing rescue mission to retrieve an airman from behind enemy lines in Iran.
&#8220;Praying for the rescue of our downed pilot &amp; the safe return of our Special Operators going in to get him back. USAF PJs &amp; CSAR Air crews are top notch,&#8221; Kent <a href="https://x.com/joekent16jan19/status/2040578006230462496">posted</a>, but also shared a report from Drop Site News that parroted Iranian propaganda that suggested the United States was actively attempting to kill the downed airman rather than rescue him.
<blockquote>Iranian state-linked Tasnim News, citing a military source, claims U.S. forces are bombing areas in southwest Iran where a missing pilot may be located, alleging Washington has “lost hope” of recovery and is attempting to kill him.</blockquote>
Tapper <a href="https://x.com/jaketapper/status/2041125801051967769">pushed back</a> early on Monday, one day after an elaborate rescue mission had succeeded in safely extracting the weapon systems specialist, saying, &#8220;Former National Counterterrorism Center director Joe Kent sharing Iranian state-linked outlet nonsense claiming, falsely, that the U.S. was trying to kill the then-lost U.S. pilot. Aged rather poorly, I think it&#8217;s fair to say.&#8221;
Kent responded by claiming that Tapper was promoting the war and that Iranian media was &#8220;independent,&#8221; and said that anyone &#8220;cheering on wars&#8221; should be questioned.
&#8220;Tapper’s purpose, like the entire corporate media, is to promote this foolish war &amp; attack anyone who points out how this war isn’t in our nation’s interest. Read independent media, Iranian media &amp; US media &#8211; always question those cheering on wars &amp; always pray for our troops,&#8221; he <a href="https://x.com/joekent16jan19/status/2041140400304337063">posted</a>.
The CNN anchor disputed Kent&#8217;s characterization, saying that neither he nor CNN were in the business of promoting any war. &#8220;We cover it, critically.&#8221;
&#8220;Moreover, I wasn’t attacking Mr. Kent. I pointed out that he had promoted false information suggesting the U.S. was seeking to *kill* the missing U.S. pilot. Wild stuff,&#8221; Tapper concluded.
Kent had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/joe-kent-bomb-bomb-bomb-bomb-bomb-iran">previously</a> called for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/joe-kent-circa-2020-i-personally-think-trump-should-have-crushed-their-ballistic-nuke-capes">far more aggressive treatment</a> of Iran, but pivoted and quickly announced his departure from the Trump administration after the president took action.

GettyImages-2251397231-2

Even The Left Calls Out Joe Kent After He Pushes Iranian Narrative

Jake Tapper

Joe Kent

Media

Propaganda

World

CNN guest Nayyera Haq attempted to spin the war as a win for Iran, claiming that the United States was behind when it came to internet memes and propaganda, and arguing that in order to &#8220;win,&#8221; all Iran had to do was &#8220;survive.&#8221;
Haq — who previously served as a senior State Department adviser under former President Barack Obama — joined a panel discussion on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union,&#8221; where she said that the war thus far had been a showcase displaying two areas in which Iran was prevailing over the United States.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
WATCH <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottJenningsKY?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@scottjenningsKY</a> clowns Obama WH official Nayyera Haq for suggesting Iran&#8217;s memes are a capability on par with the Shahed drone.
NAYYERA HAQ: I think the irony in all of this is that Iran has shown its capabilities in two ways, where the United States is unfortunately… <a href="https://t.co/ob7XuCtbVa">pic.twitter.com/ob7XuCtbVa</a>
— Jorge Bonilla (@BonillaJL) <a href="https://twitter.com/BonillaJL/status/2040902780999667831?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 5, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;I think the irony in all of this is that Iran has shown its capabilities in two ways, where the United States is unfortunately catching up,&#8221; Haq began, saying that the first capability was the use of cheap drone technology to carry out attacks — a capability that Iran had honed while providing that technology to Russia in its ongoing war with Ukraine.
&#8220;And the second is the meme war and internet propaganda, which is something actually the Iranians have been known for and influencing. And so they had — for all of our talk on our side of all the people killed in the regime, they have been pushing out through multiple channels around the world, images of the American army generals and military people who have also lost their jobs at this time,&#8221; Haq continued. &#8220;So, again, the way this looks out in the public is not a United States that is locked and loaded and working in one direction.&#8221;
Conservative commentator Scott Jennings pushed back then, asking Haq, &#8220;Do you think that the Iranians would rather have their entire navy back or their memes?&#8221;
&#8220;Oh, I think the — I think that, no, when we&#8217;re talking —&#8221; Haq protested.
&#8220;I mean, come on. We have destroyed 13,000 military targets. And they have memes,&#8221; Jennings said.
&#8220;This is a — the big distinction, is that we&#8217;re fighting the war on their land,&#8221; Haq pivoted. &#8220;So they have a say. If they survive, that&#8217;s a win for them. That&#8217;s it. So their stakes are so much higher, but they have to do so much less to be able to maintain some kind of credibility.&#8221;

Phillip Faraone/Getty Images for Politicon

CNN Analyst Says Iran Is Winning War Because Memes

CNN Guest Tries To Spin War In Iran's Favor, Cites ‘Memes’

Menu