Free Republic

U.S. officials have been told Israel is fully ready to launch an operation into Iran, multiple sources told CBS News. The U.S. anticipates Iran could retaliate on certain American sites in neighboring Iraq. This is part of the reason the U.S. advised some Americans to leave the region earlier Wednesday, with the State Department ordering non-emergency government officials to exit Iraq due to "heightened regional tensions."

Iran’s defence minister has said his country would target US military bases in the region if conflict breaks out with the United States, as President Donald Trump said he was losing confidence that a nuclear deal would be agreed. Washington and Tehran have held five rounds of talks since April as Trump seeks an agreement that would place constraints on Iran’s uranium enrichment. He has threatened to attack Iran if no deal can be agreed. Defence Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh said on Wednesday that Iran would target US military bases in the region if the US attacked it first. “Some officials...

President Trump told Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in their Monday phone call that he believes there's a chance of reaching a nuclear deal with Iran and he therefore opposes military action at this time, an Israeli official and a U.S. official tell Axios. Why it matters: The call between Trump and Netanyahu took place several days before the expiration of the two-month deadline Trump gave Iran for reaching a deal. Iranian officials have been finalizing their response to the U.S. nuclear deal proposal, and are expected to deliver a formal rejection this week. A sixth round of nuclear talks...

The top US military commander for the Middle East says he has presented US President Donald Trump with military plans to strike Iran and is prepared to do if so ordered. “I have provided the secretary of defense and the president a wide range of options,” Central Command head Gen. Michael Kurilla says during testimony before the House Armed Services Committee. Kurilla was responding to Representative Mike Rogers of Alabama, the chairman of the committee, who asked if CENTCOM was prepared to respond with overwhelming force if Iran does not permanently give up its nuclear ambitions. “I take that as...

Russia has signed a contract with Iran to build eight nuclear power plants, with four to be built in Bushehr, a district in the southern part of the nation, according to an announcement by the head of the Atomic Energy Organization. Ebrahim Rezaei, the spokesman for the Iranian Parliament's National Security and Foreign Policy Commission, commented that the Iranian people wish to support the nuclear industry, as it secures the country's future, according to The Iran Press.

United States President Donald Trump commented on Friday that his Russian counterpart, Vladimir Putin, and his Ukrainian counterpart, Volodymyr Zelensky, are both "stubborn." "I have known [Putin] very well. I have gone through a lot of things with him ... [But] I have gotten to see things that I was very surprised at: rockets being shot into cities like Kiev, during a negotiation that I felt was maybe very close to ending. We were gonna solve a problem, and then, all of a sudden, rockets got shot into a couple of cities," the US head of state said during a...

US President Donald Trump has appeared to set a two-week deadline for Vladimir Putin, threatening a different response if the Russian counterpart was still stringing him along. As the Kremlin escalated its attacks on Ukraine, Trump was asked in the Oval Office on Wednesday if he thought Putin wanted to end the war. "I can't tell you that, but I'll let you know in about two weeks," Trump told reporters, the latest amid a string of critical public remarks made by Trump about Putin. Since Sunday, Trump has written multiple posts on social media saying that Putin has gone "absolutely...

Satellite images have revealed how Moscow is bulking up its military presence on the Finnish border - in a chilling echo of pictures taken of Russian bases before Putin launched his war in Ukraine. Moscow is building troop accommodation, aircraft deployment infrastructure and refurbishing old facilities at key military bases, analysts have said, in a sign it is seeking to reinforce its capabilities in the border region. The pictures, which were obtained by Swedish broadcaster SVT from Planet Labs, suggest there has been activity at four locations inside Russia - Kamenka, Petrozavodsk, Severomorsk-2, and Olenya. In Kamenka, which is around...

South African politician Julius Malema, the leader of the radical Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) party, responded to President Donald Trump’s claims about “genocide” Wednesday by reiterating calls to kill white farmers. Earlier that day, Trump had shown visiting South African President Cyril Ramaphosa video of Malema leading rally chants of “Kill the Boer!”, “Kill the farmer!”, “Shoot to kill!”, and other incendiary slogans. Ramaphosa tried to argue that Malema’s rhetoric did not represent the government’s policies, but Trump countered that South Africa had passed a law allowing expropriation of land without compensation, that it had racially discriminatory laws, and that...

The Baloch of western Pakistan have declared themselves independant. Summarizes Baloch Welfare Assn of India's letter to the Indian PM enumerating the Pakistani's attrocities and human rights violations. Speaks to son of political prisoner being kept in perpetual solitary. Describes Balochis as non-militant moderates.

A core group of top US officials — including Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State and interim national security adviser Marco Rubio, and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles — had been closely monitoring the escalating conflict between India and Pakistan when on Friday morning, the US received alarming intelligence, Trump administration officials told CNN. While they declined to describe the nature of the information, citing its sensitivity, they said it was critical in persuading the three officials that the US should increase its involvement. Vance himself would call Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The vice president briefed...

Could President Donald Trump officially recognize Palestine as an independent state on his trip to the Middle East? That’s what some analysts are predicting as a lively debate rages in the Arab media sphere over just how far the U.S. president will go while abroad. There had already been some writing on the wall that Trump’s Middle East tour — which includes visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates — was not coming in the midst of a period of unalloyed harmony between the administration and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Hebrew-language Israeli media reported Thursday that...

Trump is furious about what he views as an attempt by Netanyahu and his team to pressure National Security Advisor Mike Waltz, who has since been dismissed from his position, toward military action in Iran. Netanyahu claimed in response to the publication of this matter in The Washington Post that he spoke with Waltz only once. However, Trump remained unconvinced. The president's anger likely explains Israel's exclusion from both the announcement regarding the ceasefire with the Houthis and Israel's inclusion in the agreement. It's worth noting that even after Trump announced the agreement with the Houthis, Israeli representatives handling relations...

As the first incredible month of Trump 2.0 continues, the Israeli cabinet announced on Tuesday its full support of President Donald Trump's ultimatum to the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas to release all its remaining hostages by noon on Saturday or, in the president's words, "all hell is going to break out."An Israeli official told Fox News on Tuesday that the cabinet's declaration came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu convened his security cabinet after Hamas announced it would delay the next release of Israeli hostages. Netanyahu said in a statement:The decision I passed in the Cabinet unanimously is this: If...

Israel will release major terrorists, including those who have murdered dozens of civilians, in exchange for the 33 hostages who will be freed by Hamas from captivity in Gaza, where they have been held illegally for 470 days of war. Under the terms of the deal, there will be a ceasefire lasting six weeks (42 days), during which Hamas will free several living hostages once a week, plus twelve hostages in the final week, freeing living hostages before deceased ones. In return, Israel will withdraw partially from Gaza, and will release roughly 1,900 terrorists — including nearly 1200 who were...

After seven hours of discussion, the Israeli cabinet today approved a deal to release around 2,000 terrorists, over 100 of whom are serving life sentences for mass murders, in exchange for 33 hostages living or dead. 24 ministers voted in favor of the deal, and 8 opposed, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, as well as Minister of Diaspora Affairs Amichai Chikli and MK David Amsalem from Netanyahu’s Likud Party. The deal will take effect on Sunday, Arutz Sheva reported. Josh Waller of The Israel Guys called the Hostage Deal “disastrous” and a “sinister scheme going on...

THE bizarre fiefdom of Chechnya has long been controlled by warlord and top Vladimir Putin crony Ramzan Kadyrov and his trigger-happy cosplay soldiers. Disturbed chief Kadyrov, 48, has ruled over the twisted Russian republic since 2007 with his reign now coming under fire again since the deadly Azerbaijan Airlines plane crash took place on his doorstep. The Christmas Day disaster left 38 dead after the packed passenger plane lost control and smashed into a fireball as it hit the ground. Reports have been swirling in the days since saying it was shot down by a Russian anti-aircraft missile believed to...

Russian deserters from the Ukraine war were burned alive in Vladimir Putin's infamous "torture jail". Five so-called 'refuseniks' were killed as a fire ripped through the army jail where they were being held in Yakutsk, the world’s coldest city. Reports suggest seven more were injured. The fire broke out at around 2am with seven people admitted to hospital, officials said, although the Russian defence ministry has not said what caused the fire. The notorious facility has been the target of numerous allegations of torture after footage from the grim prison was leaked in May. At the time of the blaze...

They said Assad was bad.Here is the new leader of Syria.(Information about Muhammad al-Juwayni and the terrorist group taking over Syria at link) Bush invaded Iraq for weapons of mass destruction and found none.Obama and Hillary took out Gaddafi in Libya and unleashed the Arab spring. What will happen next?

Russia has begun withdrawing ships from its naval base in Tartus, Syria, after a rapid advance by Islamist rebel forces that the Syrian army, led by President Bashar al-Assad, is unable to contain, according to Naval News. On December 2, the tanker "Yelnya," crucial for supporting Russian forces in the Mediterranean, departed Tartus. Other vessels may have left the base along with it. The Russian naval group in Syria consists of five ships and one submarine, including two "Admiral Gorshkov" class frigates, one "Admiral Grigorovich" class frigate, an upgraded "Kilo" class submarine, and two auxiliary vessels. If Russia decides to...