Free Republic

The Trump administration and Israeli officials are reportedly discussing a high-stakes shift in the conflict: the direct seizure of Kharg Island, Iran’s primary economic artery. While special operations plans originally focused on securing Iran’s 450-kilogram stockpile of highly enriched uranium, the strategic conversation has expanded to physically capturing the terminal that handles roughly 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports, according to Axios. The ultimate goal, according to former Lockheed marketing executive Jarrod Agen, now the director of the National Energy Dominance Council, is to take control of Iran’s oil. “Ultimately, we’re not going to have to worry about these issues...

More than half of Americans in a survey released Friday rated President Trump’s first year back in office as a “failure.” The CNN/SSRS survey found that 58 percent of U.S. adults said 2025 was a failure for the president on a number of issues. Another 42 percent said the year was a “success,” and about 1 percent had no opinion. Overall, 61 percent of respondents said they disapprove of the way Trump is handling his job. Of that number, 35 percent cited personal behavior — including putting self-interests above the nation, bullying and being disrespectful, erratic behavior, allegations of racism,...