Free Republic

President Donald Trump said his preference is to “take the oil” from Iran — despite whatever gripes his critics would have about it — during an interview with the Financial Times on Sunday. “To be honest with you, my favorite thing is to take the oil in Iran but some stupid people back in the U.S. say: ‘why are you doing that?’ But they’re stupid people,” Trump told the outlet. The outlet noted “such a move would involve seizing Kharg Island through which most of Iran’s oil is exported.” Trump has been calling for the U.S. to take the island...

The Pentagon is preparing for weeks of ground operations in Iran, U.S. officials said, as thousands of American soldiers and Marines arrive in the Middle East for what could become a dangerous new phase of the war should President Donald Trump choose to escalate. Any potential ground operation would fall short of a full-scale invasion and could instead involve raids by a mixture of Special Operations forces and conventional infantry troops, said the officials. All spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss highly sensitive military plans that have been in development for weeks. Discussions within the administration over the...

More than 3,500 U.S. troops, including the USS Tripoli with about 2,500 Marines, arrived in the Middle East, officials announced Saturday, as strikes in the Iran war intensified. The U.S. Central Command said in a social media post that the USS Tripoli, which serves as the flagship for the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group / 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit, arrived in its area of responsibility. Central Command said that in addition to the Marines, the Tripoli also brings transport and strike fighter aircraft, as well as amphibious assault assets to the region. The USS Boxer and two other ships, along with...

Roaring Lion Shows Israel’s Moral Compass in War. Gaza and Iran Alike—Israel’s War Is With Terror, Not Civilians. Israel’s Precision Strikes Prove It Never Targets Civilians. Israel’s conduct during Operation Roaring Lion underscores a consistent principle: it does not target civilians as a matter of policy. Even in Iran—where Israel has no obligation to minimize harm toward a hostile regime—civilian casualties were unintended and limited. This is significant because it demonstrates that Israel’s military doctrine prioritizes precision and restraint even when facing adversaries. If Israel were indifferent to civilian life, operations in Iran would likely look very different. Instead, the...