Free Republic

As Hezbollah’s grip weakens and war fatigue deepens, a growing number of Lebanese are beginning to see peace with Israel not as betrayal but as necessity For Hanin Ghaddar, returning to Lebanon would mean more than just going home. It would signal that something once unthinkable may finally be within reach: a country loosening itself from Iran’s grip and edging, however cautiously, toward peace with Israel. A veteran Lebanese journalist from a Shi’ite family in a village in southern Lebanon, Ghaddar was targeted by Hezbollah and forced to leave her homeland in 2016. And despite growing up with her country...

The man who ran security at 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and the 1996 Atlanta Games — where a bomber killed two and wounded more than 100 — warns that Iranian “sleeper cells” are likely plotting attacks during next month’s World Cup, as federal officials race to secure the 39-day competition. “I’m fairly confident there are Iranian sleeper cells or surrogate sleeper cells, and this would be an incredible opportunity for sleeper cells to attack,” Former LAPD Deputy Chief Bill Rathburn told The Post. His comments came after the feds warned about Iranian “prepositioned sleeper assets” in the US while the...

.......That would be Warren Kinsella, a native Canadian with an impressive résumé and a long list of accomplishments. In this riveting interview, featured on Israpundit.org, he relates how in his experience in running political campaigns — and being the campaign manager for Prime Minister Jean Chrétien (1993–2003) — he instantly recognized that the virtual explosion of worldwide anti-Semitism after October 7, 2023 was significantly similar to...yes, political campaigns, in which those who run them are primarily concerned with (1) Volunteers, (2) Leadership, (3) Messaging, (4) Money, (5) Advertising, and (6) Social Media. The campaign against Israel, Mr. Kinsella said, was...

Albanese specifically criticized Greek authorities for their cooperation with Israel's interception of the Gaza-bound humanitarian flotilla Sumud off Crete on Friday."The fact that the Greek authorities go hand-in-hand with the Israelis in stopping a humanitarian mission is wrong," she said.Regarding the military cooperation between Greece and Israel, she added that Greece, while presenting itself as a defender of international law, is in practice assisting a state that maintains an illegal occupation."Israel has no right to stop anyone going to Gaza. Greece should be taking positive measures to stop the genocide, instead of cooperating with the Israeli weapons industry. Greece is...

Townhall.com - Leading conservative site covering news, politics, and culture with analysis and commentary. A Federal Court Just Handed Gov. Greg Abbott a Win in His Fight Against CAIR. A Federal Court Just Handed Gov. Greg Abbott a Win in His Fight Against CAIR. Texas Governor Greg Abbott announced late last year that he was designating the Muslim Brotherhood and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) as foreign terrorist groups. Such a move would ban them from "buying or acquiring land in Texas and authorizes the Attorney General to sue to shut them down," Abbott said at the time. Abbott...

Iran

John Fetterman, a Democrat, is a U.S. senator from Pennsylvania.Many might not know, but I won my first race by a single vote to be mayor of Braddock, a small steel town — one of the poorest in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania — where 90 percent of the population has left. It was a forgotten community.I wasn’t interested in playing political games. I wanted to help deliver change. It wasn’t about being a Democrat or Republican, but about making sure places such as Braddock received the benefits, focus and investments they deserved for their contributions to this great country.As a...

President Donald Trump said Thursday that retaliatory strikes against Iranian targets were “just a love tap." The strikes came as U.S. Central Command said Iranian forces “launched multiple missiles, drones and small boats” while the U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyers USS Truxtun, USS Rafael Peralta and USS Mason were transiting the Strait of Hormuz.

TAMPA, Fla. — U.S. forces disabled M/T Sea Star III and M/T Sevda, May 8, prior to both vessels entering an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman in violation of the ongoing U.S. blockade. U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) enforced blockade measures against two Iranian-flagged unladen oil tankers attempting to pull into an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman. A U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet from USS George H.W. Bush (CVN 77) disabled both tankers after firing precision munitions into their smokestacks, preventing the non-compliant ships from entering Iran. U.S. forces also disabled Iranian-flagged M/T Hasna, May 6, as...

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...

Dubai: Defying international law governing global waterways, Iran is trying to force shippers to comply with a new protocol for transiting the Strait of Hormuz — or risk attack. According to a document seen by CNN, Tehran has introduced new rules for vessels seeking passage through the strategic waterway, pressing ahead with efforts to formalise control over Hormuz despite repeated US and regional warnings. The document, titled “Vessel Information Declaration,” was issued by Iran’s newly created Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA). It requires vessels transiting Hormuz to submit detailed information, including ownership, crew nationalities, cargo details and voyage plans, before...

China had a head start on controling rare earths. Trump cut off oil from Iran to China, and uses that as leverage to get access to China rare earths. Israel is pioneering new rare earth extraction technology in the Negev, and working on recycling old electronics and batteries for their rare earth content.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday said Iran will be bombed “at a much higher level” if it doesn’t agree to a peace deal, raising tensions even as news outlets reported that Washington and Tehran are nearing an agreement to end the war. Trump in a Truth Social post said the U.S. military offensive known as Operation Epic Fury “will be at an end” if Iran “agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption.” ... But “if they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity...

MS NOW's Morning Joe descended into juvenile innuendo on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, as host Joe Scarborough repeatedly mocked Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) over U.S. policy on the Strait of Hormuz by hammering the homophone “strait/straight.” In a segment criticizing the Trump administration’s handling of the Iran conflict, Scarborough launched into a repetitive riff while adopting his signature faux-folksy persona: “You know, Lindsey goes, ‘It’s all about the Strait. Everything’s about the Strait. We’re doing this, it’s all about the Strait. Say it’s all about the Strait.’” This isn’t Scarborough’s first time using this kind of Beavis & Butthead personal...

Eric Daugherty @EricLDaugh·1h 🚨 UPDATE: The US military has just STRUCK another Iranian oil ship that tried to go through President Trump's Strait of Hormuz blockadeFAFO. They can't conduct ANY business. 🔥CENTCOM: "After Hasna’s crew failed to comply with repeated warnings, U.S. forces disabled the tanker’s rudder by firing several rounds from the 20mm cannon gun of a U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet launched from USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72). Hasna is no longer transiting to Iran."May 6, 2026

Rising optimism surrounding a potential diplomatic breakthrough between the United States and Iran placed renewed focus on the Strait of Hormuz early Wednesday, as traders monitored signs of easing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East. Reports indicate Washington and Tehran are nearing a one-page memorandum of understanding aimed at de-escalating the conflict between the two nations. The development sparked a shift in market expectations regarding global shipping activity through the strategically critical waterway, which handles a significant share of the world’s oil flows. On prediction platform Kalshi, traders increased the probability that traffic through the Strait of Hormuz will normalize...

The United States and Iran are closing in on a one-page memo to end their war, a Pakistani source involved in the peace efforts told Reuters on Wednesday, confirming an Axios report citing two US officials."We will close this very soon. We are getting close," the source said, with Pakistan's Foreign Minister adding that the country is working to ensure the agreement would lead to a "permanent end" to the conflict.According to Axios, the US expects a response from Iran within 48 hours regarding the key points of a one-page, 14-point memorandum of understanding. An Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson told...

The Norwegian government has been heavily criticised for approving plans to reopen three North Sea gasfields nearly three decades after they were closed to help fill the gap in energy supplies created by the Middle East war. Amid sharp price rises in oil and gas since the US and Israel’s attack on Iran in February, Oslo has also given its approval for oil and gas companies to explore in 70 new locations in the North Sea, Barents Sea and Norwegian Sea. The decision by the Labour-run government goes against the advice of the country’s environment agency and has infuriated left-leaning...

Donald J. Trump @realDonaldTrump Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran. If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DONALD J. TRUMP May 06, 2026, 7:41 AM

UK Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has sharply criticized the government’s handling of rising antisemitism, describing the situation as a “national emergency" and calling for immediate action, including a ban on pro-Palestinian marches, as reported in the Daily Mail. Her remarks come as Prime Minister Keir Starmer convenes senior officials, police representatives, and public figures in Downing Street for a “whole of society" discussion on the recent surge in attacks targeting Jewish communities throughout the UK. The meeting follows a stabbing incident in Golders Green last week, which left two Jewish men injured and heightened concerns over public safety. Badenoch warned...