Free Republic

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth warned that some traditional U.S. allies are "hemming and hawing about the use of force" as Washington presses forward with its campaign against Iran, raising fresh questions about NATO cohesion at a moment of escalation.Spain has refused U.S. permission to use certain bases for strikes on Iran, calling for de-escalation and adherence to international law. Turkey has criticized the operation and warned of broader regional destabilization, while President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan said he was "saddened" by Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s death and denied that Turkish territory was used in the campaign. In a statement released on...

In the wake of the 12-day war between Israel and Iran, the regime appears to be turning inward — escalating repression with chilling speed. According to Kasra Aarabi, director of IRGC research at United Against Nuclear Iran, the Islamic Republic is accelerating toward what he said is a "North Korea-style model of isolation and control." "We’re witnessing a kind of domestic isolation that will have major consequences for the Iranian people," Aarabi told Fox News Digital. "The regime has always been totalitarian, but the level of suppression now is unprecedented. It’s unlike anything we’ve seen before." A source inside Iran...