Free Republic

It would seem that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has accomplished what his predecessors could only have dreamed of: U.S. and Israeli fighter jets flying tandem over Tehran, Israeli officers ensconced in U.S. Central Command’s Florida headquarters. Since the days of David Ben-Gurion, Israel’s leaders have sought backing from the world’s preeminent superpower, which they hoped would guarantee their state’s survival into perpetuity. None could have imagined the level of cooperation currently on display. If one were to wake up the Old Man, as Ben-Gurion was known, from his otherworldly slumber in the sands of Sde Boker, he would surely...

ToplinePresident Donald Trump claimed Iran backed out of talks scheduled for Friday in Switzerland, and warned they were "FINISHED" and would "get no money" out of the newly signed deal with the U.S.—as the agreement appears fragile less than 48 hours after it was signed.Key FactsTrump said "we'll play out the 60 days. They get no money, not ten cents!" referring to the 60-day period after the agreement was signed overnight Wednesday to negotiate outstanding issues, including the future of Iran's nuclear program.The deal included a commitment from the U.S. to lift sanctions on Iran and unfreeze Iranian assets in...

The United States on Wednesday released the official text of the memorandum of understanding reached over the weekend with Iran.A senior US administration official read out the 14-point document, which spells out provisions for reopening the Strait of Hormuz, easing certain financial restrictions on Iran and sets out expectations for addressing Iran’s nuclear program during future technical talks.Titled the “Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding between the United States of America and the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the document was released after outcry that its text hadn’t been released publicly.

It's time to release the Memorandum of Understanding between the United States and Iran. Speculation is running rampant about what's in it, and leaks from the administration are making Trump's allies very nervous because they all seem to suggest that Iran's propaganda about what's in it is largely accurate. Vice President Vance is spinning like a top that it's really a great deal, and all the great benefits Iran claims it will get depend on performance, but unless we know what is in the MOU, we don't know what "performance" really means. (snip) One thing we do know is that...

Donald Trump accused Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu of killing 'too many people' in Lebanon while speaking at the Group of Seven summit on Tuesday. While sitting for bilateral meetings with the Qatari delegation, including Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, the President expressed his frustrations with Israel's actions in Lebanon. 'Israel is fighting Hezbollah too long, and too many people are being killed,' Trump said while taking questions from reporters. ’They should have been able to do the job faster.’ 'You don't have to knock down an apartment house every time you're looking for somebody. There are a lot...

@joekent16jan19 We can strengthen our chances of this deal holding by cutting all military/intel assistance to Israel, they took every opportunity to tank this deal & will likely do so again unless we take action. We should also quietly get our troops out of the bases in the Gulf that can be reached by Iran. This ensures Iranian hardliners can’t strike us to drag us back into the fight. Take away every factor that we can control that could force us back into the war on Israel or Iran’s terms. Set all conditions that we can control in our favor.

US President Donald Trump said the United States may begin striking Iran's power plants and bridges due to the Islamic regime “tapping the United States along” in talks, according to an interview with Fox News's Trey Yingst on Wednesday. "I may keep going," Trump told Fox. "They had a chance to sign a deal and survive." He added that little progress has been made in negotiations between the two countries. Earlier on Wednesday, Trump implied that he would take action against Iran for taking too long on a peace deal. "The Bully of the Middle East is DEAD!!!" wrote Trump...

Recent U.S. intelligence reports raised alarms about Israel spying on American officials to gain insight into the Trump administration’s approach to the Iran War, according to separate reports from the New York Times and NBC News. The Times reported Saturday that U.S. intelligence offices discern an elevated threat of Israeli espionage operations targeting Steve Witkoff, the top American negotiator with Iran, Elbridge Colby, the Pentagon’s under secretary of defense for policy, and Michael DiMino, one of Colby’s top deputies. Colby and DiMino are widely perceived to be part of an America First faction that is skeptical of military intervention in...

The Defense Department has increased the counterintelligence threat assessment to its highest level, and Israel is believed to have eavesdropped on American negotiations with Iran.

(In the first step towards shifting aid further into the shadows, the House's 2027 NDAA would all but fuse the two countries' armed forces together) At a time when the American public is expressing unprecedented levels of distrust in the Israeli government, Congress just proposed tying the U.S. to the Israeli military more than ever before. Buried in the House's version of the 2027 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) released on Tuesday, is section 224, entitled “United States-Israel Defense Technology Cooperation Initiative.” The provision would arguably do more to intertwine the U.S. military with the Israeli military than the more...

The fact that the New York Times would interview Tucker Carlson in the first place is an indication of how much the former Fox host has gone off the rails. The Times only interviews people who support its far-left worldview, including endless vilification of Israel for alleged war crimes in Gaza, and Carlson was ready with the goods. In his interview, which was published Saturday, Carlson adopts the pose of a moral philosopher to attack the Jewish state, and Judaism as well, from a new angle:I think what we’re seeing is evil. Are you allowed to kill people who’ve committed...

@benshapiro has renamed the “Horseshoe Right.” They’re now simply the “New Left.” They believe: 🔘The constitution is antiquated and should be updated or replaced 🔘 America is a nefarious force in the world & our service members are war criminals 🔘 America’s enemies (Russia, China, Iran, etc.) are the good guys 🔘 Capitalism is corrupt & govt power is the solution 🔘 Americans can be divided by race into victims and victimizers Ben says they “have NOTHING in common with traditional conservatism, and they have nearly EVERYTHING in common with their new friends on the left.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I18-4lPkYzM

OK. I have been doing my best to read the Trump tea leaves, figure out the Art of the Deal, and parse all the information out there so that I can figure out Donald Trump's strategy in the Iran War. I thought I had a good handle on it, and until the past few days, Trump's behavior accorded pretty well with my overall theory. Trump's strategy appeared to have been to pressure Iran into full and complete capitulation on the issues of nuclear weapons, ballistic missiles (which exist to make attacking Iran nearly impossible), and to get the Strait of...

In the annals of shameless media bias, CNN has just delivered another punch. On March 26, 2026, in the Palestinian village of Tayasir in Judea and Samaria, a CNN crew led by correspondent Jeremy Diamond and photojournalist Cyril Theophilos didn’t just stumble into a tense security situation, they went hunting for one. They were there to film the aftermath of an Israeli settler attack and the establishment of a new illegal outpost. Fair enough, if you’re into selective outrage. But when IDF soldiers from a reserve battalion showed up to secure the area and prevent clashes, the crew was ordered...

#A10Warthog #MilitaryAnalysis #MilitaryTechnology The geopolitical tension in the Middle East has just reached a boiling point as Iran's asymmetric strategy to blockade the Strait of Hormuz spectacularly backfires. Attempting to trigger a global energy crisis, the IRGC deployed Maham-class sea mines, kamikaze drones, and fast-attack boat swarms to choke the world’s most vital oil transit route. But the United States and its allies were ready. In a devastating two-phased military campaign dubbed "Operation Epic Fury," the U.S. Navy and Air Force completely dismantled the Iranian blockade. The response was brutal: GBU-72 bunker-buster bombs obliterated underground missile silos, while legendary A-10...

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...

For decades, the Iranian regime has forged a powerful network of regional allies, known as the "Axis of Resistance" or "Axis of Steadfastness." The regime began building alliances and entities supporting its ideology immediately upon assuming power in 1979. The axis evolved into a diverse coalition of groups and armed forces, centrally featuring Hizbullah, Hamas, the Houthis, Iraqi militias and the former Syrian regime. However, the axis has suffered severe blows and largely disintegrated over the last two years. Operation Epic Fury, a major US-Israel offensive against Iranian regime targets on February 28, resulted in the death of Supreme Leader...

WASHINGTON, March 18 (Reuters) - The ​Pentagon has ‌asked the White House ​to ​approve a more ⁠than $200 ​billion request ​to the U.S. Congress to ​fund ​the war in ‌Iran, ⁠the Washington Post reported ​on ​Wednesday, ⁠citing a senior ​administration ​official.