India is negotiating with Iran to let 23 oil and LNG tankers pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

The ships have been stuck in the Persian Gulf since U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran began.

Source: WSJ

Israeli officials think Iran’s regime is unlikely to fall soon. Despite heavy military strikes, Iran’s leadership is still functioning and security forces are keeping tight control of the streets, discouraging protests.

The U.S. and Israel are expected to continue pressuring Iran through economic sanctions and covert operations even after the fighting stops.

Source: WSJ

Trump:

Putin might be helping Iran “a little bit”, probably thinks we’re helping Ukraine.

MEANWHILE: Pakistan carried out airstrikes near Kandahar Airport in Afghanistan, hitting a fuel depot used by Kam Air.

Pakistan claims the site supported militant logistics, while the Taliban condemned the strike as a violation of Afghan sovereignty and vowed retaliation.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice:

It’s very hard to change a regime from the air, and it is also very hard to shape the politics afterwards from the air.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice:

There is no evidence that there would be large-scale mobilization in any way of ground forces for some kind of activity.

It took us almost a year to mobilize the force that we sent into Iraq. So you see nothing like that.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice:

We have been at war with this regime for 47 years — or they have been at war with us for 47 years.

John Bolton on Iran war:

I think Trump believes he can walk away from it.

I think this is Trump moving in the direction of ending the war to avoid political downside at home.

He should have thought about that before he started the war.

John Bolton on U.S. easing sanctions on Russia for lower oil prices:

I think they drank a lot of vodka in the Kremlin when they heard that news.

This is an absolute gift to the Russians.

John Bolton:

Trump is always looking for an off-ramp.

He may cause a lot of destruction in Iran but leave before the regime is changed.

If he wasn’t willing to pursue regime change to the end, he never should have started this war.

John Bolton:

Trump could declare total victory and pull everyone out, he’s perfectly capable of it.

I wish we had a different president doing this.

Hegseth on Iran:

The United States is decimating the radical Iranian regime's military in a way the world has never seen before.

Never before has a modern, capable military which Iran used to have been so quickly destroyed and made combat ineffective.

Hegseth on Iran:

Looking up, the IRGC and the Iranian regime see only two things on the side of aircraft: the Stars and Stripes and the Star of David.

The evil regime's worst nightmare.

Hegseth on Iran:

They are exercising sheer desperation in the Straits of Hormuz.

We are dealing with it, dont need to worry about it.

Hegseth on Iran:

Soon — very soon — all of Iran’s defense companies will be destroyed. For example, as of two days ago, Iran’s entire ballistic missile production capacity has been eliminated.

Every company that builds components for those missiles has been functionally defeated and destroyed.

Buildings, complexes, and factory lines across Iran have been destroyed.

Hegseth on Mojtaba Khamenei:

We know the new so-called, not-so-supreme leader is wounded and likely disfigured. He put out a statement yesterday, but there was no voice and no video. It was only a written statement.

Iran has plenty of cameras and plenty of voice recorders — so why only a written statement? I think you know why.

He’s scared. He’s injured. He’s on the run, and he lacks legitimacy. It’s a mess for them.

Who’s in charge? Iran may not even know.

Hegseth on Iran:

Reports that the Trump administration underestimated the Iran war’s impact on the Strait of Hormuz are ridiculous.

For decades, Iran has threatened shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. This is always what they do — try to hold the strait hostage.

Does CNN think we didn’t consider that? It’s a fundamentally unserious report.

The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better.

Pete Hegseth is now talking about “patriotic press.”

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Hegseth on Iran:

Today will be yet again the highest volume of strikes that America has put over the skies of Iran and Tehran.

Hegseth on Iran:

We know who the good guys are here.

The American people do too.