A historic Catholic church and monastery complex in western Ukraine, part of a UNESCO World Heritage site, was damaged in a Russian strike this week, underscoring the continued toll of the war on religious and cultural landmarks.
Russian forces launched <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/mar/24/russia-strikes-civilian-areas-ukraine">a large-scale aerial assault</a> on Tuesday, striking the 16th-century Bernardine monastery complex in the city of Lviv, including St. Andrew’s Church, a cornerstone of Ukraine’s Greek Catholic community. The site, located in what has been described as the heart of Ukraine’s Catholic region, dates back roughly 400 years.
The attack comes just days before Holy Week, the most sacred period in the Christian calendar. Local officials confirmed that nearby residential buildings were also hit, with fires breaking out and parts of the monastery, including its tower, sustaining damage. 
The nearby Church of Saint Mary Magdalene was also impacted, with shattered windows and debris strewn across its interior. “Thank God it happened in the afternoon,” <a href="https://catholicreview.org/russian-drone-strikes-damage-historic-church-monastery-in-lviv-ahead-of-holy-week/">said</a> Archbishop Mieczysław Mokrzycki of Lviv, noting that the timing likely prevented fatalities. “People were still at work, children had not yet returned from school.”
Even so, the broader assault was deadly. Ukrainian officials reported that Russia launched nearly 400 drones in a single night, one of the largest aerial attacks since the war began in 2022, killing at least six people and injuring dozens more. In another strike, a maternity hospital in the Ivano-Frankivsk region was also hit.
UNESCO <a href="https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/unesco-alarmed-strikes-lviv-world-heritage-site">said</a> it was “deeply alarmed” by the damage to protected cultural sites, emphasizing that such landmarks are safeguarded under international law. For those on the ground, however, the destruction of churches is nothing new.
“This happens a lot,” said Steven Moore, executive producer of the documentary A Faith Under Siege, speaking from Kyiv to <a href="https://www.ewtnnews.com/world/europe/ukraine-monastery-hit-in-russian-missile-strike-most-historic-church-targeted-so-far">EWTN</a>. He noted that Russia has repeatedly targeted religious buildings throughout the conflict, including Orthodox churches, despite claiming to defend traditional Christian values. 
St. Andrew’s Church, he said, may be “the most historic church they have targeted so far.” The strike also comes at a moment of renewed intensity across the front lines, as both sides escalate operations ahead of the spring campaign season.
In eastern Ukraine, Russian forces have <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-ukraine-war-offensive-civilian-attacks-48a46d2503513c903bc3e4de31b96e00">continued grinding advances</a> in the Donetsk region, particularly around the heavily contested areas near Avdiivka and Chasiv Yar, where months of attritional fighting have yielded incremental gains at high cost. Ukrainian defenses, while still holding key lines, have been strained by manpower shortages and the constant pressure of artillery and drone assaults.
At the same time, Ukraine has expanded its use of long-range drone strikes deep into Russian territory, targeting oil depots, airfields, and logistical hubs in an effort to disrupt Moscow’s war machine beyond the front. These strikes, often carried out hundreds of miles from the battlefield, represent a strategic shift toward asymmetric pressure as Ukraine seeks to offset Russia’s numerical advantages.
Drone warfare, in particular, has become the defining feature of this phase of the conflict. Both sides are deploying thousands of unmanned systems monthly, from inexpensive first-person-view (FPV) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/drones">drones</a> used in trench warfare to long-range Iranian-designed Shahed drones that can strike cities far from the front. The scale and speed of this technological adaptation have transformed the battlefield into a constant, low-altitude threat environment where traditional lines of safety once assumed in Western cities such as Lviv no longer hold.
The war’s international dimensions are also becoming more pronounced. Iran continues to supply drone technology to Russia, while intelligence assessments have pointed to growing cooperation between Moscow and Beijing. Reports of North Korean personnel supporting Russian operations have further underscored concerns that the conflict is increasingly drawing in actors beyond Europe.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, <a href="https://www.president.gov.ua/en/news/masshtab-ciyeyi-ataki-svidchit-duzhe-chitko-sho-nemaye-v-ros-103497">addressing</a> the latest strikes, said their scale demonstrates that “Russia has no intention of really ending this war.” Now in its fifth year, the conflict continues to reshape daily life across Ukraine. Air raid sirens, damaged infrastructure, and the constant threat of attack have become routine, even in cities like Lviv, once considered relatively safe.
For Ukraine’s religious communities, the war has taken on an added layer of meaning. Churches that once stood for centuries as symbols of faith and continuity are now being drawn into the front lines, damaged, shattered, and, in some cases, destroyed. As Holy Week approaches, the strike on one of Ukraine’s most historic Catholic sites stands as a stark reminder: the war is not only being fought on battlefields, but in the cultural and spiritual heart of the nation itself.

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Russia Bombs Iconic Centuries-Old Christian Landmark

Christians

Church

Holy Week

Russia

Ukraine-Russia War

The Justice Department has reportedly agreed to pay President Donald Trump’s former National Security Adviser, Michael Flynn, roughly $1.2 million to settle a lawsuit over his prosecution during the Russia collusion investigation. 
The settlement, <a href="https://storage.courtlistener.com/recap/gov.uscourts.flmd.411523/gov.uscourts.flmd.411523.72.0.pdf">announced</a> Wednesday, resolves a malicious prosecution case Flynn filed in Florida against the DOJ. Flynn argued that FBI agents entrapped him during the investigation, which found no evidence that the Trump campaign colluded with Russia in the 2016 presidential election. 
“Today, after ten years of fighting, I have reached a settlement agreement with the United States Government in my case regarding the Russian Hoax FBI lawfare against me,” Flynn said in a statement. “Nothing can fully compensate for the hell that my family and I have endured over these many years — the relentless attacks, the destruction of reputations, the financial ruin, and the profound personal toll inflicted upon us all. No amount of money or formal resolution can erase the pain caused by a prosecution that should never have been brought.”
A Justice Department spokesman called the settlement an &#8220;important step in redressing&#8221; the &#8220;historic injustice.&#8221; 
&#8220;This Department of Justice will continue to pursue accountability at all levels for this wrongdoing. Such weaponization of the federal government must never be allowed to happen again,” the spokesman said. 
The DOJ did not disclose the exact settlement amount. The New York Times reported it at $1.25 million, while the Associated Press reported it as $1.2 million.
Flynn was charged during Special Counsel Robert Mueller’s Russia investigation and pleaded guilty in 2017 to lying to FBI agents about a phone call with Russian Ambassador Sergey Kislyak. He later sought to withdraw his plea, arguing he had been misled by federal agents. Trump pardoned Flynn in November 2020.
Flynn&#8217;s attorney, Jesse Binnall, said the agreement reflects acknowledgment that his client &#8220;was seriously wronged.&#8221;
“General Flynn is an American hero and he and his family should have never been put through this hell,” said Binnall. “That they had the courage to stand firm and fight back against the extremists in the Mueller investigation should be a testament to the strength of American character.”

ReAwaken America Tour

Michael Flynn Gets Payout As Justice Department Addresses ‘Historic Injustice’

Department of Justice

Donald Trump

Michael Flynn

Robert Mueller

Russia Collusion Hoax

In current foreign-policy debates on the Right, some have pushed for dividing the world into “spheres of influence.” The United States would get the Americas, the People’s Republic of China would be granted sway over Asia, and Vladimir Putin would have carte blanche to intervene in European affairs. Far from being steely-eyed “realism,” splitting up the world in that way might actually not take the national interest seriously enough.
The “spheres of influence” gambit has a superficial logic. By some measures, the United States is a smaller portion of the global economy than it was fifty years ago. It faces growing fiscal burdens. Its industrial infrastructure has withered. Some of its longstanding allies have hit economic and demographic slumps. The growth of other regional powers means that the geopolitical landscape has become more multipolar. Yet withdrawing from much of the globe would hamper the ability of the United States to respond to those changed circumstances and would also undermine the policy aims of American populists. International networks will be critical for renewing American industry and reinforcing national sovereignty.
While some European partners need urgent reforms (from cutting red tape to hiking defense budgets), the continent remains a major global economic hub. The White House’s recent <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/2025-National-Security-Strategy.pdf">National Security Strategy</a> observed that Europe “is home to cutting-edge scientific research and world-leading cultural institutions” and that it retains robust manufacturing and technology sectors. A full-scale American withdrawal from Europe could close down a crucial market for American industry (including defense sales) and could also threaten regional stability. Ending NATO and shuttering American military bases would create a power vacuum in that continent and also hurt the ability of the United States to project power abroad.
Nor can the United States afford to ignore Asia. Responsible for about half of <a href="https://www.mckinsey.com/mgi/media-center/cusp-of-new-era-in-asia">global manufacturing output</a>, Asia has become the workshop for the world. The People’s Republic of China is already a manufacturing powerhouse, and it could consolidate industrial dominance if the United States severs its commitments to allies in the Pacific. That is especially the case for the advanced technologies that are the building blocks of the digital economy. A link in countless international supply chains, Taiwan produces about <a href="https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/taiwan-semiconductors-including-chip-design-ai">90%</a> of the world’s most advanced semiconductors. If the People’s Republic of China conquered that island, it would have a chokehold on the American and global economies. It could cut off the chips that are needed for cars, computers, missiles, and phones. Beijing is already trying to use its control of key market sectors to influence policymaking in the United States. Responding to American tariffs and industrial policy, China has floated restrictions on some critical minerals, including those that are essential for <a href="https://www.csis.org/analysis/chinas-new-rare-earth-and-magnet-restrictions-threaten-us-defense-supply-chains">defense technologies</a>.
Populists have rallied around the claims of national sovereignty, but allowing the Chinese Communist Party to cut off the American economy at a whim is the antithesis of national independence. While building out American domestic semiconductor production is a national-security imperative, that’s also a very long process. The United States cannot afford to surrender economic self-governance for the indefinite future while it waits for some eschaton of economic autarky.
Conversely, coordinating with allies in Europe and Asia can bolster economic agency. For example, the PRC is responsible for over <a href="https://pubs.usgs.gov/periodicals/mcs2025/mcs2025-tungsten.pdf">80%</a> of the global annual production of tungsten, which is used for drills, computer chips, aerospace, x-rays, and more. The United States has not even mined tungsten commercially in over a decade. In addition to bringing back domestic tungsten production, American allies could help de-risk the tungsten market. Australia has massive tungsten reserves, and South Korea’s <a href="https://www.mining.com/sangdong-tungsten-mine-in-south-korea-returns-to-production-after-30-years/">Sangdong Mine</a> has returned to production for the first time in decades. Accessing those resources will require keeping Pacific alliances strong — and not surrendering that region to Beijing.
Likewise, allies in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East will continue to be important for American national-security aims. Even as it has stressed the need to reform certain geopolitical arrangements, the Trump administration’s foreign-policy strategy is premised on the United States being a global great-power. Losing the hard power that backs the dollar’s reserve-currency status would cause an immediate economic crisis at home, but a global defense infrastructure also helps target American foes abroad. The Jacksonian tradition of foreign policy — which prioritizes the targeted use of military force to defend the national interest — has achieved a renewed prominence in the Trump presidencies. Jacksonianism could be a way of rebalancing global commitments by keeping America’s rivals off-balance without tying down the United States. International alliances can help optimize such Jacksonian exertions of force.
From its very founding, the United States has prioritized having access to global markets. When the Barbary pirates threatened American ships, Thomas Jefferson sent frigates to Tripoli. To open up Japan, Commodore Matthew Perry brought the United States Navy to Edo Bay. The network of alliances in the aftermath of World War II could be seen as an extension of a long-term strategic imperative: that the Stars and Stripes should be able to move freely throughout the world and that those who live under that banner should be safe from both foreign and domestic threats.
We now face a very different political landscape from 1946 or 1999. Implementing “liberal democracy” in a country is a lot harder than getting an Amazon package there. If policymakers had sought to integrate the world into some post-historical bazaar, their dreams have been sorely disappointed. Great-power competition is back, and populist movements have roiled political establishments on both sides of the Atlantic. Those changes indicate the need to rethink international alliances without abandoning them entirely.
Yes, the United States needs to recognize the limits of power and to try to defer existential conflict with its competitors. It also needs to understand the interests of those competitors. At the same time, the United States needs to understand its own interests. Cutting itself off from allies in Europe, Asia, and elsewhere would squander a major geopolitical advantage and undercut efforts to build a stronger nation at home.
* * *
Fred Bauer is a writer from New England. Find his work at National Review, City Journal, The Atlantic, UnHerd, and The Washington Post. @fredbauerblog

Strategic world map with shipping infographics, flags and dice

The Plan To Split The World Into Spheres And What It Means For America

The Plan To Split The World Into Spheres And What It Could Means For America

China

Economics

Europe

National Security

Opinion

U.S. Military

U.S. Navy

Do you agree with Chinese dictator Xi Jinping and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin about the world? 
Are you convinced that America ought to surrender its global power to a multipolar order?
If so, you might be a Quisling, a fifth columnist, an America Laster.
There are plenty of them. They&#8217;ve spent years lying about America, about our history, about our foreign policy, about our enemies, about our allies.
In the end, the only unifying feature of their bizarre amalgam of conspiracism and untruth is an agenda; an agenda to reduce America&#8217;s role in the world.
Let’s talk about the America Lasters, the people who play defense for Iran, Russia, and China, but who go on offense against the allies who fight alongside the United States. What do these people want? What is their actual agenda and why? Why do they so despise America&#8217;s dominant role in the world?
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/bss-ep-2393-sub?elementPosition=1&amp;row=0&amp;rowHeadline=Recent+Episodes&amp;rowType=Horizontal+Show+Episodes+Carousel"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-974957" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp" alt="DailyWire+" width="1024" height="171" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1024x171.webp 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-300x50.webp 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-768x128.webp 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-1536x256.webp 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/09/511983dad25841c8b1ec058d75769bbe-2048x341.webp 2048w" sizes=" (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" /></a>
To understand the America Lasters, first we have to understand a basic reality: They are liars. They are lying about the nature of reality, and they have to lie because their lies are the only path toward American defeat, particularly in the current conflict with Iran.
I&#8217;ve been saying for weeks that those who most ardently oppose President Trump&#8217;s action are at best misinformed, and at worst, lying on behalf of the Iranian regime.
Since the beginning, they have argued that Iran was not a true threat to America or her interests; that President Trump was bamboozled into the war by lying, nefarious Israelis and domestic American voices, that all of this with regard to Iran is overblown, or even that Israel is the bad guy with regard to Iran.
Over the weekend, Iran blew that entire narrative up. Iran demonstrated full-scale that all of their defenders were useful idiots or America Lasters. The fools who claim that Iran posed no threat beyond the immediate region? They were parroting Iranian lies.
Just a few weeks ago, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Arachi — who is likely not long for this non-72-virgin world — announced that Iran had limited its own missile range to 2,000 km, roughly 1,200 miles. That would make Iran a threat to the Middle East, but not to the heart of Europe.
Top American officials at the time warned it was not true. Senator Tom Cotton said to CIA director John Ratcliffe last week:
<blockquote>Iran has always had a space launch program, which is flimsy cover for the first part of that intercontinental missile program. I haven&#8217;t seen any Iranian astronauts in space lately. And second, they have medium-range ballistic missiles, which already have a reentry vehicle. So if you crudely married those two technologies together, I&#8217;ve heard some analysts say that Iran could have had a functioning intercontinental missile to threaten the United States in as few as six months. Would you agree with that assessment?</blockquote>
Ratcliffe replied: 
<blockquote>You&#8217;re right to be concerned about Iran&#8217;s development of longer range ballistic missiles, Senator. If Iran were allowed to develop IRBM ranges, which is 3,000 km, it would threaten most of Europe.</blockquote>
Over the weekend, American officials announced that Iran had launched two intermediate-range ballistic missiles at Diego Garcia, a joint U.S. airbase in the Indian Ocean. Diego Garcia is 4,000 miles away from Iran.
What does that mean? Virtually all of Europe is in Iranian ballistic missile range, based on the attempt to hit the Diego Garcia airbase.
The Iranians appear to have been lying, which is not a shock because they lie all the time, whether it is ballistic missiles, their nuclear program, or their support of terrorists.
What would a world with a burgeoning Iranian nuclear program with intercontinental ballistic missile capacity look like? That is precisely the threat laid out by President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu over the course of the last several years, that Iran had already developed missiles that could threaten Europe and our bases overseas, and they&#8217;re working to build missiles that will soon reach the United States of America.
We were told by the America Lasters that all of this was untrue. But their lie was invalidated by the fact that there was a long-range missile that was aimed at Diego Garcia, which is thousands of miles from Iranian territory.
The America Lasters, people who actually really do despise America&#8217;s history and her present, are openly siding with China and Russia, just as they have with Iran in the current conflict.
Tucker Carlson recently told The Economist, “We can no longer be the sole author in terms of commerce of anything. We have to share power with China &#8230; because of their scale.” Tucker&#8217;s guests make this argument all the time, and just as often they are Chinese propagandists.
Take, for example, Jeffrey Sachs, a true globalist shill, basically an unofficial spokesperson for the Chinese Communist Party. He said: 
<blockquote>In many ways, the United States cannot compete with China, certainly on manufacturing production across a wide range of industries; can&#8217;t compete with China in a wide range of diplomatic areas; and this is very disruptive. It probably would be intrinsically disruptive, because this is a change of power and a change of the international order. And I think we all feel that it&#8217;s not the temporary phenomenon, but really the end of the U.S.-led geopolitics and even more fundamentally, the end of the Western-led geopolitics.</blockquote>
Carlson consistently repeats Sachs&#8217;s messaging, and he did so over the weekend while interviewing a man he called a prophet. This Chinese propagandist said:
<blockquote>What I would do is basically sit down, everyone, including Russia, China, Iran, and say it&#8217;s time for a new world order where we are partners in this relationship. &#8230; Now what we want to do is open a dialog where everyone is respected, where America is no longer the bully, but a winning partner in creating a new economic order that benefits everyone and not just a few.</blockquote>
“I think that&#8217;s the wisest possible advice and probably the only path that preserves civilization,” Carlson responded. “The one country standing in the way of that is Israel.”
So Israel — that tiny country in the Middle East, not the United States — is the one that&#8217;s blackmailing America into not giving up its global power?
Right.
It’s important to recognize what he is talking about when he calls for what you might call a “new world order”: a partnership between the United States, China, and Russia to restructure global economics to “not benefit a few.”
If you don&#8217;t find that alarming, it&#8217;s because you are full-scale ignoring what Tucker Carlson is saying.
To understand why the America Lasters seem to have power in the online space, we have to understand that the America Last philosophy is rooted in a deep conspiracism about the United States.
Here’s the point: To the untrained eye — the eye of a normal American who grew up in America, who loves America, who was born in America — a world with more American power is a better world, a freer world, a more prosperous world.
When I say “untrained,” I mean a non-conspiratorial eye. I might look at the increase of power of America since World War II and see overall, unprecedented economic prosperity, the defeat of the Nazi empire and the Soviet Union, the spread of democratic values, and the spread of economic freedom.
America Lasters — on the Left and the Right —see something else: a worse world since World War II, a world of evil American capitalism destroying local communities, of “racist military might” overwhelming people of color everywhere.
The story of the world since World War II in the left-wing America Last perspective is a world of unending tragedy: The failure of the Marxist dream of the Soviet Union, the collapse of a “fairer” vision to the reality of free markets, the emptying out of left-wing thought in favor of neoliberalism, while on the Right, the American Lasters see a worse world since World War II as well: a world of evil American capitalism emptying out the communitarian world of real America, a world of American imperialism spreading vile secularism abroad, a world of false meritocracy providing cover for an emptying out of so-called “heritage Americanism” decided by bloodline rather than American ideals. Those are ideals that they consider a sham and a ruse.
This would be why America Lasters are fully in favor of the destruction of American power abroad.
But to destroy American power, first, you have to change American minds. To do that, you have to explain that a world of increased American power is actually terrible, darker, and more evil. And to make that claim, you have to believe a bunch of conspiracies. You have to believe that American meritocracy is actually a lie, that the Declaration of Independence is a lie, that in reality, America is run by a secret coterie of evildoers who manipulate systems and events for their own specific, insular benefit. 
The America Last Movement relies on unchecked conspiracy theorizing, conspiracism run amok. And that conspiracy is not just on the rise, it&#8217;s on an exponential rise.
It&#8217;s no shock that all these figures on all sides of the American Last movement are radically anti-Israel, because Israel actually is a powerful ally acting in concert with the United States. Israel has spent decades building its military power, sharing intelligence and tech with the United States, destroying incipient threats to the West from the Iraqi nuclear reactor back in the 80s to the Syrian nuclear reactor in the mid-2000s to Iranian proxies, and now the Iranian government.
And all these people despise Israel for it. Hassan Piker, Tucker Carlson, and the propagandist for the Chinese government are all on precisely the same page.
How little must you think of America to believe that China and Russia ought to have more influence in the world and that this would somehow be better for the world and America?
American hegemony is the best thing for the world. It is we who keep the trade routes open, ensuring freedom of the seas and the trade that provides the lifeblood of the global economy. It is we who stand down the world&#8217;s most evil regimes, achieving the world&#8217;s most dangerous weapons. It is we who support the rise of allies who share our values. It is we who prevent the spread of perverse cancerous power emanating from imperialist tyrants of communist and fascist persuasion.
The alternative world, the one the American Lasters want, is dominated by the same people who ran the One-Child program, and who currently throw dissidents in prison to linger and die, like Jimmy Lai. A world run by people who currently chuck their political opponents from the roofs of buildings, or poison them with nuclear materials, as the Russians have done, while allying with regimes that murder people who oppose radical Islam and support radical Islamic terror all over the world.
America First has nothing to do with America Last.
And it shouldn’t.

America Last

America Last: Conspiratorial Collaborationists Root For Our Enemies

Ben Shapiro

Iran

Middle East

American adversary Russia is reportedly providing intelligence to Iran on the location of U.S. forces, including warships and aircraft.
The Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2026/03/06/russia-iran-intelligence-us-targets/">cited</a> three officials Friday morning who spoke on the condition of anonymity and said that Moscow has indirectly joined the conflict between the United States and Iran. One of the Post&#8217;s sources said that Russia&#8217;s involvement &#8220;does seem like it’s a pretty comprehensive effort.&#8221;
The Trump administration has not yet confirmed publicly whether Russia has stepped into the conflict to help Iran. The War Department declined to comment on the issue when asked by The Daily Wire. White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly did not address the Washington Post report but said, &#8220;The Iranian regime is being absolutely crushed.&#8221;
&#8220;Their ballistic missile retaliation is decreasing every day, their navy is being wiped out, their production capacity is being demolished, and proxies are hardly putting up a fight. Operation Epic Fury is meeting or surpassing all of its goals, and the United States will continue to dominate,&#8221; Kelly added.
After President Donald Trump launched &#8220;Operation Epic Fury&#8221; last weekend, Russia condemned the joint U.S.-Israeli military action targeting Iranian leadership, military assets, and nuclear infrastructure. Russia and Iran have long partnered on military efforts. Their ties were further strengthened last year when they signed a 20-year political and economic treaty partially focused on helping each nation fend off outside threats.
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin condemned the United States and Israel after they took out Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei. Putin <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/putin-says-killing-khamenei-is-cynical-murder-2026-03-01/">called</a> the strike that killed Khamenei and members of his family and inner circle a &#8220;cynical violation of all norms of human morality and international law.&#8221; The Russian dictator, however, stopped short of committing to defend his ally as the United States continues to pummel Iranian forces and defense systems.
Even if Putin committed to back Iran against the United States and Israel, Russia&#8217;s ability to come to Iran&#8217;s aid would be severely limited as Moscow remains in the middle of a war with Ukraine that has entered its fifth year, with no sign of the conflict ending anytime soon. Iran also has close ties with China, but it appears that the communist regime in Beijing has yet to intervene.
War Secretary Pete Hegseth was recently asked about any potential role Russia and China could play in the conflict, and he replied by saying the countries are &#8220;not really a factor here.&#8221;
Iran has launched precision strikes this week that have hit their targets, including U.S. military bases and embassies. Six American troops were killed in one Iranian strike in Kuwait.
The United States, meanwhile, has decimated Iran&#8217;s navy and continues to hunt down the regime&#8217;s ballistic missile launchers. In an update at Central Command headquarters in Florida on Thursday, Admiral Brad Cooper said that U.S. forces have sunk more than 30 Iranian ships and recently struck an Iranian drone carrier roughly the size of a World War II aircraft carrier. The Israeli Air Force also hit a military bunker on Thursday night that has been used by senior Iranian political and military leaders.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/live-updates-iranian-protests-intensify-as-citizens-demand-end-to-ayatollah-rule?author=Daily+Wire&amp;category=undefined&amp;elementPosition=8&amp;row=3&amp;rowHeadline=Latest+News&amp;rowType=Vertical+Carousel&amp;title=LIVE+UPDATES%3A+Overnight+Win+Blows+Apart+Iran+Regime%E2%80%99s+Secret+War+Bunker">LIVE UPDATES: Overnight Win Blows Apart Iran Regime’s Secret War Bunker</a>

Russia/Iran

A U.S. Adversary Quietly Helping Iran In War With America? Here’s What We Know

Israel

Trump Administration

U.S.

Vladimir Putin

While the majority of the media ecosystem has spent the first few days of Operation Epic Fury bickering over a predicted “forever war,” the real danger to the Iranian people, the United States, and the greater Middle East is being ignored.
As impressive as the United States and Israel’s achievement is, we can’t afford for it to be momentary, can’t let outside forces take the opportunity to reassert control in a chaotic situation.
The smoking crater that was once the top of Tehran’s Islamic regime, where they spent decades proudly chanting “death to America,” will not remain empty. There is not just one faction, one starry-eyed underclass “yearning to breathe free,” that stands ready and organized to safely take the reins. In reality, monarchists, Marxists, ethnic minority groups, secular republicans, and “moderate” — that is, slightly less brutal — regime officials are already preparing to vie for control.
The most popular of these factions in Western media is headed by the 65-year-old son of the deposed Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, the heir to the former Pahlavi dynasty, Reza Pahlavi. The chants &#8220;Javid Shah&#8221; (&#8220;Long Live the Shah&#8221;) have been heard in Iran, but diaspora surveys show support for him at only 31%. That’s the biggest majority so far, but his support is far stronger outside the nation than inside of it — and he has no militia ready to back him between the Elburz and Zagros mountains.
Far more concerning is the Mujahedin-e Khalq (MEK), a group that has rebranded itself as a &#8220;democratic&#8221; resistance force but carries a troubling legacy of Marxist-Leninist ideology and violent extremism. Led by Maryam Rajavi from exile in Albania, the MEK was founded in the 1960s as an opposition to the Shah, engaging in bombings against both Iranian and American targets before turning against the post-revolution Islamic Republic. Their alliance with Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq War, which included attacks on their fellow Iranians, has cemented their reputation as traitors in the eyes of most citizens, eroding any domestic legitimacy.
Today, through the National Council of Resistance of Iran, they claim underground networks and a vision for secular governance, but reports of cult-like practices — such as enforced divorces, mandatory ideological indoctrination, and isolation from the outside world — raise alarms about their true intentions. With minimal popular support inside Iran and a history of prioritizing power over principle, the MEK&#8217;s attempt to fill the current vacuum could ignite factional violence, impose a new form of authoritarian control masked as democracy, and destabilize the region further by alienating key allies and inviting prolonged internal conflict.
Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo <a href="https://x.com/mikepompeo/status/2028189931873419567" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://x.com/mikepompeo/status/2028189931873419567&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1772767792597000&amp;usg=AOvVaw06eVG9UFwRIXsejthoZvQV">bewilderingly framed</a> the MEK as “Iran&#8217;s democratic opposition … ready to step up and lead.” He was immediately mocked for promoting the openly Marxist group as the path forward for Iranians. China and Russia will most likely attempt to funnel weapons and resources to the MEK, which could quickly result in an effort to massacre ethnic minorities like the Kurds.
This is the ethnic group that the Trump administration will most likely support should Iran begin to Balkanize. Over the past year, Iran has struggled immensely with the Kurds along its western border with Iraq, and of the factions inside the collapsing Iran, this is the only one other than the regime itself that has the force of arms.
With their history of bitter treatment by Tehran and their relationship with the United States and Israel, the Kurds would be likely to split away. It’s unclear if the Khuzestani Arabs — the native Arab ethnic group inhabiting Iran&#8217;s southwestern Khuzestan Province — would temporarily ally with the Kurds to aid in this, or if Kuwait might assist the neighboring rebels — but the Trump administration is already in talks over potentially arming or training the Kurds, per the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/iran-israel-us-strikes-2026/card/trump-open-to-supporting-armed-militias-in-iran-u-s-officials-say-nydkWoLgSs641jEV68Dg?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqc-g-zftE4SzR1ykI8jAjBE8d8cDS4M-PdT8bCZ-1js6HGsmepnX8qlGJdQYxk%3D&amp;gaa_ts=69a70d1a&amp;gaa_sig=WqriyHSPE9RnD0NbEUy4YSeofZ-XJPwZw82KoPY4c-TOv8H6lap_hIM8jB5VDgH3EVvk3umnKrTSseNttNbvEg%3D%3D" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.wsj.com/livecoverage/iran-israel-us-strikes-2026/card/trump-open-to-supporting-armed-militias-in-iran-u-s-officials-say-nydkWoLgSs641jEV68Dg?gaa_at%3Deafs%26gaa_n%3DAWEtsqc-g-zftE4SzR1ykI8jAjBE8d8cDS4M-PdT8bCZ-1js6HGsmepnX8qlGJdQYxk%253D%26gaa_ts%3D69a70d1a%26gaa_sig%3DWqriyHSPE9RnD0NbEUy4YSeofZ-XJPwZw82KoPY4c-TOv8H6lap_hIM8jB5VDgH3EVvk3umnKrTSseNttNbvEg%253D%253D&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1772767792598000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1y_JLolg3AyLWKPjF09P78">Wall Street Journal</a> this morning.
While the Iranian regime’s standing orders for provincial leaders are to govern and defend pseudo-independently for the foreseeable future, Tehran cannot deploy reinforcements to fight the Khuzestani Arabs and Kurds effectively. It’s unclear whether the Baloch separatists — a Sunni native ethnic group that primarily inhabits Iran&#8217;s southeastern Sistan and Baluchestan Province — such as Jaish al-Adl, would be able to seek resources in the east, bordering Afghanistan, as the Pakistani-Afghan war is currently stealing attention and resources.
The only other likely possibility is another collaborationist council or parliament and a new regime blending some of the rebels and representatives of dissident groups with former Islamic Republic officials. As we’ve seen in Syria and other recent “go along to get along” regimes, these often trade birthright for a bit of stew and act as satellite states for Russia or China.
Kurdish groups, the MEK, and the regime hold roughly all of the firearms in the country. Rest assured that bad actors will funnel arms to whichever group is willing to take orders and give them exclusive access to Iran’s oil and the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow transit checkpoint through which 20% of the world&#8217;s entire petroleum supply flows.
The greatest danger is that outside powers will flood arms to those who have no interest in a non-authoritarian form of government, stealing the gift of victory from the United States and Israel to the Iranian people.
***
Tony Kinnett is the national correspondent for The Daily Signal and host of its flagship nationally syndicated radio/TV show and podcast, &#8220;The Tony Kinnett Cast.&#8221; Follow him on X @TheTonus.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

IRAN-US-ISRAEL-WAR

The Iranian Regime Is Dead, But What Comes Next Is Full Of Risk

Kurds

A CNN senior military analyst said on Tuesday that the demonstration of military force and precision on display in Operation Epic Fury was enough to make the political leadership in both Russia and China sit up and take notice.
Admiral James Stavridis (Ret.) joined anchor Kasie Hunt on &#8220;The Arena with Kasie Hunt,&#8221; where he argued that in addition to capturing the complete attention of global adversaries, the United States was also progressively weakening both Russia and China as it weakened Iran.
WATCH:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
🚨NEW: CNN Senior Military Analyst James Stavridis🇺🇸
&#8220;If you are Xi or Putin, you have to RESPECT the military capability. What the US Military has done in the last 2 months is EXTRAORDINARY. It&#8217;ll get your attention in Beijing &amp; Moscow. Weakening Iran weakens Russia &amp; China.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/CmWMLfxtwY">pic.twitter.com/CmWMLfxtwY</a>
— Jason Cohen 🇺🇸 (@JasonJournoDC) <a href="https://twitter.com/JasonJournoDC/status/2028961128651395234?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 3, 2026</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
&#8220;If you are Xi or Putin, you hate us, but you have to respect the military capability of the United States,&#8221; Stavridis explained. &#8220;And it&#8217;s Midnight Hammer, it&#8217;s the snatch-and-grab on Maduro, and now a pretty massive bombing campaign. And yeah, we&#8217;ll have some missteps and some foot faults here and there, but when you look at the span of what the U.S. military has done in the last two months, it&#8217;s pretty extraordinary, it&#8217;ll get your attention in Beijing and Moscow.&#8221;
Stavridis went on to say that he didn&#8217;t believe the United States had attacked Iran solely to demonstrate strength — although that was certainly a byproduct of the campaign — but because every hit that damages Iran also strategically weakens both Russia and China, although for different reasons.
&#8220;By weakening Iran, you are weakening Russia, you are weakening China,&#8221; he said. &#8220;China looks at Iran as a big investment opportunity. Russia looks at Iran as an arms and technology supplier. Many of the drones flying in Ukraine today were made in Iran. So there&#8217;s a geopolitical pragmatism that can affix itself to these strikes in terms of degrading both Russia and China.&#8221;
As Operation Epic Fury, undertaken alongside Israel, stretched into its fifth day, War Secretary Pete Hegseth announced that U.S. naval assets had destroyed a hefty portion of the Iranian regime&#8217;s navy — and that American forces had set their sights on cutting off access to and from Iranian airspace.

US admiral James Stavridis in Athens

CNN Military Analyst Says Operation Epic Fury Weakens China, Russia

Global Politics

Military

Operation Epic Fury

Pete Hegseth

Operation Epic Fury is underway, and the so-called Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khamenei, is dead. Despite the histrionics from the Left and right-wing podcasters who warned about Trump initiating a military attack: there will be no World War 3. The myth of inevitable and uncontrolled escalation has once again been busted. The United States has agency and can decide on its terms when to initiate a military campaign with clearly defined and achievable military and political objectives.
The United States and Israel, together, are carrying out a sophisticated, multi-pronged military campaign. President Trump laid out U.S. objectives. Because the Iranian regime refused to end its ideologically motivated hostilities against the United States and its allies, and would not eliminate its dangerous nuclear missile program, the United States will eliminate the threats posed by the Islamic Republic. Operation Epic Fury will: “raze” the regime’s missile industry, “annihilate”  the Iranian navy, hit Iranian nuclear facilities, and “ensure that the region’s terrorist proxies can no longer destabilize the region or the world and attack our forces.”
And while Epic Fury is overwhelming the regime’s ability to respond, Iran’s backers, China and Russia, are not coming to its rescue.
China buys more than 80% of Iranian oil and has been aiding Iran’s efforts to rebuild its air defenses after the United States and Israel’s successful campaign to wipe them out and establish air dominance last summer. Russia has been a longtime partner in arms dealing with Iran. Russian leaders condemned the U.S. attack on Iran, just as they condemned the U.S. operation to arrest the illegal dictator of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro. But in both cases, the Russians were as feeble to help their authoritarian friends as their air defenses were to thwart American special forces.
And although the now-eliminated Khamenei believed he was the leader of the entire Muslim world, Muslim nations that host American forces have condemned Iranian aggression and sided with America. As of now, more than 24 hours since the start of the attack, Iran’s missiles and drones have been smaller in scale than the previous offenses over the last two years, and the United States and Israel have total supremacy of the skies in Iran. President Trump did warn the American people that in this campaign, there is a risk that there may be some casualties in service of this noble mission to protect Americans and to end the reign of Islamist terror.
Over the decades of the Islamic Republic’s iron fist, the regime trained, armed, and funded terrorist proxies throughout the Middle East. Those Islamist proxies have murdered and maimed Americans, thwarted and threatened global shipping, and, in recent years, tried to assassinate Americans, including President Trump and former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who served in the first Trump administration and supported the successful operation that eliminated Qassam Soleimani, the head of Iran’s elite Quds Force. And lest we forget, when U.S. forces were searching for Al Qaeda terrorists after their attacks on Americans on September 11, <a href="https://ge.usembassy.gov/the-iran-al-qaida-axis/">Iran provided Al Qaeda</a> sanctuary.
After the formal confirmation of the Islamist dictator’s death, Trump posted on Truth Social: &#8220;This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country,&#8221; and said Khomeini’s elimination is justice, &#8220;not only for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans&#8221; killed or harmed by the regime. Bibi Netanyahu sent the Iranian people the same message: “This is an opportunity, do something. Do not sit with your arms crossed,” he said. “You have to complete this work and you have to bring down and eradicate this regime.”
Under the direction of Khamenei and his loyalists, the regime brutally repressed the Iranian people. Just weeks ago, it slaughtered over 32,000 innocent young people who opposed the regime in defiance of President Trump’s direct order to the regime not to kill protesters, drawing a bright red line. He then encouraged the protesters to persevere in their protests against the regime and issued a promise to the Iranian people that the United States would send help.
Trump has now enforced that red line and, with Netanyahu, is delivering the conditions for the Iranian peoples&#8217; liberation. But the Iranian people must take over control of their own government and their future. Trump made that clear and continues to send that message. The most realistic path forward for a transition government to emerge is through the formation of a coalition of factions within Iran, including those who defect from the Iranian police force, the standing Army, and even the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). Trump offered defectors <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/5760902-trump-offers-immunity-iran-forces/">immunity</a> if they were to lay down their arms, a great alternative to executions and civil war.
Over the next few days, the United States and Israel will carry out more attacks, hunting missile launchers and destroying the facilities where new nuclear weapons activity was ongoing. There is uncertainty about the duration of the campaign. It should not be surprising if it ends in a matter of days or a couple of weeks, but only once the will of the remaining regime leaders is broken. Only then can the Iranian people take their country back, and in doing so, bring greater peace to the Middle East and to the detriment of the Islamic Republic&#8217;s authoritarian backers and to the benefit of America and its allies.
Rebeccah L. Heinrichs is a senior fellow and director of the Keystone Defense Initiative. She specializes in US national defense policy with a focus on strategic deterrence.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

9d211218c5c87d21367858bc8f13d41fe03ae99c670765318f5409cce2fa5744

Why A Dead Ayatollah Won’t Lead To World War 3

Billionaire Microsoft co-founder and jet-setting philanthropist Bill Gates apologized to staffers at his foundation for his connection to pedophile Jeffrey Epstein and admitted to affairs with two Russian women, whom he assured were not victims of Epstein&#8217;s sex-trafficking scheme.
Gates fessed up to the affairs during a Gates Foundation town hall on Tuesday, and said that Epstein — whom he developed a relationship with beginning in 2011 — found out about the sexual encounters. Gates claimed, however, that his trysts with a Russian bridge player and a Russian nuclear physicist were not connected to Epstein&#8217;s trafficking scheme, The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/bill-gates-apologizes-to-foundation-staff-over-epstein-ties-67f39ef5?gaa_at=eafs&amp;gaa_n=AWEtsqek1UOzXZu5KCDZ0mERHQSw6s9RBN3NcXzfpVds_SV5t0soStlD94LDanyajXI%3D&amp;gaa_ts=699e71fb&amp;gaa_sig=zguMEzSFfJW9zNlBErbyjEXXX-W6sN50DIaUq7Qv_c6u2p2RGor5qZCedkMLbQaMde-3UyR_95uRW8ddmeH2pQ%3D%3D">reported</a>.
“I did nothing illicit. I saw nothing illicit,” Gates told his staff, adding, “To be clear I never spent any time with victims, the women around [Epstein].&#8221;
“I did have affairs, one with a Russian bridge player who met me at bridge events, and one with a Russian nuclear physicist who I met through business activities,” he acknowledged.
In 2010, Gates met a Russian bridge player who was in her 20s. The young Russian woman was introduced to Epstein in 2013, according to The Wall Street Journal. Epstein reportedly paid for the woman to attend school for a software coding course, and in a 2017 email, the financier asked Gates to reimburse him.
The nuclear physicist with whom Gates admitted to having an affair previously worked at one of Gates&#8217; companies, but Gates did not say if the sexual relationship began while the physicist was under his employment, the Journal reported.
Gates told his staff during the town hall meeting that he traveled with Epstein multiple times, but &#8220;never stayed overnight&#8221; with the convicted pedophile and never visited Epstein&#8217;s infamous island.
Gates&#8217; apology comes after Epstein-related emails from 2013 released by the Justice Department hinted at Gates&#8217; affairs with the Russian women and suggested the trysts were illegally facilitated. One of the emails released by the Justice Department was a <a href="https://www.justice.gov/epstein/files/DataSet%2010/EFTA01965732.pdf">message</a> Epstein sent to himself that appears to be a draft of a resignation letter from Gates&#8217; former science adviser, Boris Nikolic. In the message, the writer admits to &#8220;facilitating &#8230; illegal trysts, with married women&#8221; and helping Gates &#8220;get drugs, in order to deal with the consequences of sex with russian [sic] girls.&#8221;
&#8220;In my role as his right hand I have been asked and wrongly acquiesced into participating in things that have ranged from the morally inappropriate, to the ethically unsound and have been repeatedly asked to do thing[s] that get near and potentially over the line into the illegal,&#8221; the message continues.
Last month, a representative for Gates said the claims made in the 2013 email &#8220;are absolutely absurd and completely false&#8221; and come from a &#8220;proven, disgruntled liar.&#8221;
&#8220;The only thing these documents demonstrate is Epstein’s frustration that he did not have an ongoing relationship with Gates and the lengths he would go to entrap and defame,” the Gates representative added.
According to Gates, Epstein only found out about the affairs because Nikolic told him. Nikolic told the Journal that the emails found on Epstein&#8217;s server “were not written on my behalf or at my request.”
Gates has not been accused of committing any crimes connected to Epstein or in relation to his sexual encounters with the Russian women.
The 2013 email also references a &#8220;severe marital dispute&#8221; between Gates and his then-wife, Melinda French Gates. The couple divorced in 2021, a process that began shortly after reports of Bill&#8217;s close relationship with Epstein began circulating in 2019.
Bill told his staff on Tuesday that he first met Epstein in 2011, three years after Epstein pled guilty to procuring a child for prostitution in 2008. Melinda first expressed concerns about his relationship with Epstein in 2013, but he continued to meet with the disgraced financier.
&#8220;To give her credit, she was always kind of skeptical about the Epstein thing,&#8221; Gates said of his ex-wife.
Gates claimed he was aware of an issue that limited Epstein&#8217;s ability to travel, but said that he didn&#8217;t bother to look into Epstein&#8217;s background.
&#8220;It was a huge mistake to spend time with Epstein,&#8221; the Microsoft co-founder added. “I apologize to other people who are drawn into this because of the mistake that I made.”

Bill Gates

Bill Gates Admits To Affairs With Russian Women — But Washes Hands Of Epstein’s Crimes

Jeffrey Epstein

Melinda Gates

Ukraine hit a Russian plant manufacturing ballistic missiles in a missile strike in the remote Udmurtia region, the Ukrainian General Staff said on Saturday.
Ukraine said its forces attacked the plant manufacturing Russian missiles, including the short-range Iskander and intercontinental Topol-M, in Votkinsk, east of Moscow and about 1,400 km (800 miles) from Ukraine.
It said in a statement on the Telegram messaging app that the Ukrainian forces used domestically produced ground-launched Flamingo cruise missiles. The attack caused a fire on the site, the Ukrainian military said.
Alexander Brechalov, the governor of the Udmurtia region in Russia, had earlier said a site there had been attacked overnight with drones.
&#8220;There has been damage and injuries as a result,&#8221; Brechalov said in a video posted on the Telegram app. He provided no other details.
The airport in Udmurtia&#8217;s main city, Izhevsk, and those in cities in nearby regions suspended operations, the civil aviation authority Rosaviatsiya said.
The unofficial Russian Telegram channel SHOT, which often quotes contacts in the security services, said residents in Votkinsk reported hearing at least three explosions and the humming of drones.
Russia uses its ballistic missiles to reinforce its drone attacks on the Ukrainian energy infrastructure, knocking out electricity and heating supplies for millions across Ukraine during the cold winter months.
Ukraine is increasingly targeting military and energy infrastructure deep inside Russia. Kyiv says that hitting the weapons producers and the energy system that fuels Russia&#8217;s military is the best way to gain leverage over its bigger enemy as the war enters its fifth year next week.
The Ukrainian military said it also hit a gas processing plant in the Russian Samara region. Russian officials in the Samara region issued no report of such an attack.
(Reporting by Olena Harmash, Editing by Alex Richardson)

Missile

Ukraine Strikes Ballistic Missile Producer Deep Inside Russia, Kyiv Says

Ukraine

World

The United States has presented new seismic data to substantiate its allegations that China tested a nuclear device in 2020, violating an international agreement against such tests.
A seismic monitoring station in Kazakhstan registered a 2.75 magnitude seismic event on June 22, 2020, the date that Washington has said Beijing tested a nuclear device in northwest China. The reading may be minor, but it picked up on an event that happened over 450 miles away, according to Assistant Secretary of State Christopher Yeaw.
“There is very little possibility that it is anything other than an explosion, a singular explosion,” Yeaw said on Tuesday, according to <a href="https://www.npr.org/2026/02/17/nx-s1-5716046/u-s-releases-new-details-on-alleged-secret-chinese-nuclear-test">NPR</a>. “It is quite consistent with what you would expect from a nuclear explosive test.”
Yeaw said that the event that was measured in Kazakhstan originated from Lop Nor, long recognized as one of China’s main nuclear test sites.
The revelation of the seismic data comes as the United States is pushing China to join in nuclear talks between Washington and Moscow. Earlier this month, an arms treaty that limited nuclear weapons <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/nuclear-caps-gone-as-u-s-russia-treaty-expires">expired</a> between the United States and Russia.
President Donald Trump said last year that China and Russia have conducted secret nuclear weapon tests. Trump said that the United States would begin testing, too.
“Russia’s testing, and China’s testing, but they don’t talk about it. You know, we’re an open society. We’re different. We talk about it. We have to talk about it, because otherwise you people are going to report,” the president said during an interview with “60 Minutes.” “We’re going to test, because they test and others test.”
Days after the CBS interview, the president <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-announces-major-decision-on-nuclear-weapons">announced</a> that he had directed the Department of War to begin conducting nuclear tests.
“The United States has more Nuclear Weapons than any other country,” the president said in a Truth Social <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/115499324245510580">post</a>. “This was accomplished, including a complete update and renovation of existing weapons, during my First Term. Because of other countries [sic] testing programs, I have instructed the Department of War to start testing our Nuclear Weapons on an equal basis.”
In a video message, Trump added, “Because of the tremendous destructive power, I hated to do it, having to do with nuclear weapons, but I really had no choice. Russia is second in line, and China is a distant third, but will be even within five years.”

Donald Trump, Xi Jinping

Trump Admin Reveals Seismic Data To Confirm Secret Chinese Nuclear Tests

Communist China

Nuclear Weapons

United States

The Islamic Republic of Iran’s foreign minister called the latest round of nuclear negotiations with the United States a success, even as both parties heighten their military posture.
Following the conclusion of talks in Geneva, Switzerland, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi told reporters that “the path for a deal has started,” calling the latest round of talks “serious” and “constructive.” The United States delegation, led by Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner — who went immediately from Switzerland to a high-stakes trilateral meeting with Russia and Ukraine — has yet to release a formal readout of the meeting.
But the ostensible progress is set against military tension between Washington and Tehran. The United States is continuing to surge assets toward Iran, with the USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group reportedly around 700 kilometers away from Iran. Meanwhile, the USS Gerald R. Ford — the world’s largest warship — and its accompanying strike group are en route from the Caribbean. 
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Tuesday taunted President Donald Trump’s military buildup, stating that while American aircraft carriers are “dangerous machines,” the “weapon that can sink the aircraft carrier to the bottom of the sea” is more dangerous.
Iran has also been flexing its own military muscle. On Tuesday, the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2026/02/17/iran-us-strait-of-hormuz-oil-nuclear-talks-geneva.html">briefly closed</a> parts of the Strait of Hormuz for what it called “security precautions” as it conducted exercises in the strategic chokepoint, a critical artery for global oil shipments.
Iran also has plans to hold joint naval exercises with Russia and China for the “Maritime Security Belt 2026.” Russian presidential aide <a href="https://www.aa.com.tr/en/asia-pacific/russia-china-iran-deploy-ships-for-joint-exercises-in-strait-of-hormuz/3832330">Nikolay Patrushev said</a> that the exercises, which have been held periodically since 2019, “proved to be relevant.” <a href="https://wanaen.com/iran-russia-and-china-to-hold-joint-naval-drill-soon/#:~:text=WANA%20(Feb%2017)%20%E2%80%93%20Nikolai,search%2Dand%2Drescue%20operations.">Iranian news outlet Wana</a> reported that the exercises are scheduled for late February and involve naval deployments from all three countries.
In total, there are at least 12 U.S. warships in the Middle East, according to satellite imagery <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c1d64p3q2d0o">reviewed by the BBC</a>. They include the USS Abraham Lincoln and its three Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, which form a full carrier strike group; two additional destroyers; and three specialized ships designed for near-shore combat, currently positioned at Bahrain’s naval station in the Gulf. Two other destroyers have been spotted in the eastern Mediterranean, and another in the Red Sea.
There has reportedly been an increase in F-15 and EA-18 fighter jets stationed at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan, along with cargo planes, refueling aircraft, and communications planes moving toward the region.
Trump told reporters on Monday aboard Air Force One, “I don’t think they want the consequences of not making a deal,” while describing Iran as “tough negotiators” and confirming his indirect involvement in the talks.
Hardline rhetoric has also come from Iran’s IRGC senior advisor General Mohammad Reza Naghdi, <a href="https://x.com/MEMRIReports/status/2023711589548036173">who declared</a> last week that the United States is “incapable of doing a damn thing even if it deploys 12 aircraft carriers.”
That&#8217;s a markedly different tone from Araghchi, the foreign minister, who said &#8220;good progress was made compared to the previous session, and we now have a clearer path ahead, which I consider positive.” The foreign minister of Oman, who moderated the talks, echoed that positive assessment, saying the talks concluded with “good progress towards identifying common goals and relevant technical issues” and highlighting the “constructive spirit” of the discussions. 
Curbing Iran’s missile capabilities has remained a top concern for Israel, which repeatedly raised the issue with Trump in December. Trump reportedly told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu he would support an Israeli strike on Iran’s ballistic missile program if diplomacy failed.

Trump and Ayatollah

Iran Says Nuclear Talks Are ‘Constructive’ As Trump Sends A Message In The Gulf

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei

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