WASHINGTON – The U.S. placed more sanctions on Iran Friday in response to its missile attack on U.S. military troops in Iraq last week, and it threatened further action to weaken Iran’s economy if Tehran continues to carry out what it considers terrorist actions.
Read MoreTag: Iran
Omar Says She Feels ‘Stricken with PTSD’ Over Iran Tensions, Then Laughs and Jokes While Colleague Discusses Dead Soldiers
Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) said she feels “ill” and “stricken with PTSD” in response to the conflict with Iran before she laughed and joked with her peers while a colleague discussed U.S. casualties in Iraq just moments later.
Read MoreOhio Secretary of State Frank LaRose Notified Ohio’s County Board of Elections of a Potential Iranian Cyber Attack
Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose notified all of Ohio’s 88 county boards of elections to be aware of potential Iranian cyber threats.
Read MoreCommentary: Sorry Democrats, There Is a Trump Doctrine, And It’s a Good One
For the Democrats, the killing of Iranian terrorist General Qassem Soleimani offered a great opportunity to tout the risk of having Donald Trump as commander in chief, and they were, as usual, extremely disciplined in maintaining that narrative.
Read MoreFive Top Iranian Officials You Should Know
Tensions between the United States and Iran seem to be deescalating again, but the countries clearly are still at loggerheads.
Read MoreIran May Have Accidentally Shot Down Passenger Jet
WHITE HOUSE – U.S. President Donald Trump is publicly voicing suspicion that Iran may have accidentally shot down a Ukrainian airliner.
Read MoreIraqi Consulate in Detroit Opened for ‘Condolences’ for Soleimani
The Iraqi Consulate General in Detroit held a memorial event for Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, the leader of a designated terrorist organization who was killed last week in a U.S. airstrike.
Read MoreTrump De-escalates: Says ‘Iran Appears to be Standing Down,’ U.S. ‘Ready to Embrace Peace’
President Trump made it abundantly clear in his address to the nation Wednesday morning that Iran’s free reign of terror throughout the Middle East was over, but the United States would not be retaliating militarily against the Islamic Republic following their missile strikes on two Iraqi bases housing U.S. troops.
Read MoreIran Fires Missiles at Two Iraqi Air Bases Housing US Forces, Pentagon Says
PENTAGON – Iran has fired more than a dozen ballistic missiles into at least two Iraqi air bases that house U.S. troops, the Pentagon says.
Read MoreCommentary: Americans Will Rally Around Trump on Iran
The Democrats have stumbled into yet another beartrap in their unanimous objection to President Trump’s order to kill the world’s leading terrorist, Iranian general Qassem Soleimani. The same misdirected solicitude that caused the Washington Post to describe ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, after he was driven to suicide by U.S. special operators, as an “austere cleric” has elevated Soleimani to the status of an Iranian General MacArthur.
Read MoreTwitter Responds After Obama-Era State Dept Official Katie Stanton Demands Company Nix Trump’s Tweets on Iran
Twitter is refusing to pull down a President Donald Trump’s tweet threatening future strikes against Iran despite calls from an Obama-era official to do something about the president’s account.
Read MorePresident Trump Threatens Iranian Cultural Sites
President Donald Trump is threatening to hit Iranian cultural sites if Iran retaliates for last week’s assassination of its top general Qassem Soleimani.
Read MoreDuped Again: Former CIA Spook Says People Are Sharing Babylon Bee’s Satirical Take on Democrats’ Reaction To Soleimani’s Death ‘Like It’s Legit’
A former CIA analyst and cyber disinformation researcher said people are sharing satirical content suggesting Democrats are calling for the American flag to be at half-mast for Gen. Qasem Soleimani “like it’s legit.”
Read MorePompeo Staunchly Defends Drone Attack on Iranian General Soleimani
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Sunday staunchly defended the drone attack that killed top Iranian general Qasem Soleimani, but refused to publicly offer any evidence supporting the American claim that he posed an imminent threat to U.S. forces and officials in the Mideast.
Read MoreCommentary: War With Iran?
Does the U.S. armed forces’ killing of Qassem Soleimani, leader of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps’ foreign wing, and his subordinate, Abu Mahdi al-Mohandes, outside Baghdad’s airport increase or decrease the chances of war with Iran? Does it mean a continuation of our disastrous endless wars?
Read MoreThe Battleground State Report: Trump’s Unpredictability Is a Game Changer Both Foreign and Domestic
During a live recording on Friday’s Battleground State Report with Michael Patrick Leahy and Doug Kellett – a one-hour radio show from Star News Digital Media in the early stages of national weekend syndication rollout – with Kellett out of the studio, Leahy welcomed Tennessee Star Report’s all-star panelist Crom Carmichael to the show.
Read MoreSoleimani Was Planning ‘Imminent Attacks’ That Could Have Killed Hundreds of Americans, Top US Official Says
Gen. Qasem Soleimani, the leader of Iran’s elite Quds Force, was planning “imminent attacks” that could have killed hundreds of Americans prior to being killed in an airstrike near Baghdad’s airport Friday, a senior U.S. official said.
Read MoreIranian-backed Protesters Withdraw From US Embassy Compound in Baghdad
Iranian-backed paramilitary groups protesting U.S. air strikes in Iraq withdrew from the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad on Wednesday after a second day of protests, even as Tehran and Washington traded threats.
Read MoreUS Airstrikes on Iran-Backed Militia Kill 25
An Iran-backed militia threatened revenge Monday in response to U.S. airstrikes against its positions in Iraq and Syria, which killed at least 25 people.
Read MoreUS Official: Iran Protest Deaths May Have Topped 1,000
WASHINGTON – A senior U.S. official said Thursday Iranian forces may have killed more than 1,000 people in response to protests that were sparked by the government’s sudden and dramatic increase in fuel prices.
Read MoreReport: Iranian Hackers Targeted Trump’s Reelection Campaign
Iranian hackers attempted to hack President Donald Trump’s reelection campaign, The New York Times reported Friday afternoon, citing sources who are familiar with the matter but who cannot comment publicly.
Read MorePompeo: Trump’s Iran Strategy Is Working
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo says the U.S. is working to find a diplomatic outcome to tensions with Iran, which has been blamed for an attack on Saudi oil facilities, but he warned if diplomacy fails President Donald Trump “will make necessary decisions to achieve our objectives.”
Read MoreUS to Send Troops, Military Equipment to Saudi Arabia, UAE
WASHINGTON – The U.S. is sending additional military forces and air defense equipment to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the Pentagon said Friday night.
Read MoreCommentary: Quagmires Won’t Make America Great Again
What should President Trump do in response to the surprise attack on Saudi Arabia’s oil infrastructure?
Read MoreTrump ‘Substantially’ Increases Iran Sanctions, Blaming Tehran for Saudi Oil Field Attacks
U.S. President Donald Trump said Wednesday he is “substantially” increasing economic sanctions against Iran in the wake of last weekend’s missile and drone attacks on Saudi Arabia’s oil fields that Washington says were launched by Tehran.
Read MoreUS Says It Has Warrant to Seize Iranian Oil Tanker
The U.S. government said Friday that it had a warrant to seize an Iranian supertanker caught in a diplomatic standoff off the coast of the British overseas territory Gibraltar.
Read MoreBritain Drafts Plans to Sanction Iran Over Tanker Heist
by Jamie Dettmer British officials are drawing up plans to target Iran with sanctions for its seizing of a British-flagged oil tanker in the Strait off Hormuz, and it may urge European Union countries to reimpose sanctions that were lifted in 2016 as part of Tehran’s agreement to curb its…
Read MoreUS Shot Down Iranian Drone, Trump Says
President Donald Trump said a U.S. warship shot down an Iranian drone Thursday that was threatening the ship and its crew in the Strait of Hormuz. Trump told reporters at a White House event that the drone came within 900 meters of the USS Boxer and ignored “multiple calls…
Read More2020 Election Meddling by China, Iran, N. Korea Likely, Administration Officials Warn
by Fred Lucas Russia isn’t the only threat to election security going into 2020, as Trump administration officials say they are preparing for meddling from Iran, China, and North Korea. The federal government anticipates that Russia will again meddle in the U.S. election in 2020 through “Russian-controlled or influenced…
Read MoreIran Says White House Is ‘Mentally Retarded’ After Learning of New Sanctions
by Shelby Talcott President Hassan Rouhani of Iran said that the White House is “mentally retarded” Tuesday after new sanctions were imposed on the country. “Hard-hitting sanctions” were placed on Iran by President Donald Trump Monday as tensions between the two countries increased. The sanctions were specifically placed on…
Read MoreTrump Approved Cyberattacks Against Iran After He Backed Off a Military Assault
by Chris White President Donald Trump approved a series of cyberattacks targeting the systems Iran uses to launch missiles, Yahoo reported. Personnel with U.S. Cyber Command launched the attacks Thursday, the Friday report notes, citing sources within the administration. The sources told reporters that the Pentagon proposed launching them after…
Read MoreTrump Warns Iran US ‘Cocked & Loaded’ but ‘In No Hurry’
The United States was “cocked & loaded,” ready to strike three sites in Iran in retaliation for the downing of a U.S. drone over the Strait of Hormuz but called off the attacks at the last possible moment to spare Iranian lives. The revelation by U.S. President Donald Trump…
Read MoreCommentary: Be Skeptical About War with Iran
by Christopher Roach Americans are weary of Middle Eastern wars and skeptical of claims from our intelligence agencies supporting such conflict. While the attack on Iraq in 2003 depended on intelligence suggesting an ongoing nuclear weapons program and attacks on Syria occurred after Bashar al-Assad’s supposed use of illegal…
Read MoreIran Shoots Down US Drone
Iran shot down a U.S. drone in an incident Iranian officials said happened over the country’s territory but U.S. officials say took place in international airspace. U.S. Central Command spokesman Capt. Bill Urban said Thursday an Iranian surface-to-air missile shot down a U.S. Navy maritime surveillance aircraft in international…
Read MoreU.S. Guarantees Hormuz Shipping Passage
The United States says it will “guarantee freedom of navigation” for shipping through the Strait of Hormuz through diplomatic talks or military intervention, contending again that it was “unmistakable” that Iran launched last week’s attacks on two tankers sailing through the narrow passage. “These were attacks by the Islamic…
Read MoreUS Blames Iran for Attacks on Two Tankers in Gulf of Oman
The U.S. Navy has released video it says shows an Iranian patrol boat removing an unexploded limpet mine from the hull of one of two tankers carrying petroleum products that were attacked in the Gulf of Oman Thursday. One of the tankers is Norwegian-owned and the other is owned…
Read MoreThe Battleground State Report Discusses Foreign Policy and the Unpredictability of Trump
The Battleground State Report, airing Fridays at 8 am CST with Steve Gill, Michael Patrick Leahy, and Doug Kellett is a one-hour radio show from Star News Digital Media in the early stages of a national weekend syndication roll out. Gill, Leahy, and Kellett talked about the constant tinderbox that is the Middle…
Read MoreEx-CIA Chief Brennan to Brief House Democrats on Iran
House Democrats will hear from former CIA director John Brennan about the situation in Iran, inviting him to speak next week amid heightened concerns over the Trump administration’s sudden moves in the region. Brennan, an outspoken critic of President Donald Trump, is scheduled to talk to House Democrats at…
Read MoreUS Sending More Military Power to Counter Iranian Threat
The United States military is once again increasing its arsenal in the Middle East to counter Iranian threats, announcing Friday the movement of a Patriot missile battery and the USS Arlington landing platform dock ship used in amphibious assaults. The move comes a day after The USS Abraham Lincoln…
Read MoreIn Middle East, Pompeo Seeks Regional Support Against Iran
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo is in the Middle East for regional security talks as Washington looks to draw new support in its opposition to Iranian aggression. Pompeo began is trip in Kuwait late Tuesday and headed to Israel Wednesday. His trip will also take him to Lebanon. In…
Read MoreOPEC Scraps April Meeting but Keeps Oil Cuts in Place
Reuters Oil producer group OPEC on Monday scrapped its planned meeting in April and will decide instead whether to extend output cuts in June, once the market has assessed the impact of U.S. sanctions on Iran and the crisis in Venezuela. A ministerial panel of OPEC and its allies…
Read MoreTrump Assails Intelligence Chiefs as ‘Extremely Passive and Naive’
U.S. President Donald Trump assailed his intelligence chiefs Wednesday, calling them “extremely passive and naive when it comes to the dangers of Iran. They are wrong!” He added, “Perhaps Intelligence should go back to school!” Trump’s unusual broadside on Twitter against the heads of the country’s intelligence agencies came a…
Read MoreFamilies of Americans Held in Iran Ask Trump to Revoke Visas for Children of Iranian Diplomats
by Hanna Bogorowski Multiple families of United States citizens currently imprisoned in Iran are urging President Donald Trump and his administration to pull the visas of children of top Iranian officials, according to a Monday report. The Trump administration has yet to take action on such requests, NBC News…
Read MoreTrump’s Security Chief Bolton Vows to Squeeze Iran
President Donald Trump’s National Security Adviser John Bolton vowed Tuesday to “squeeze” Iran “until the pips squeak,” a week after a tough new round of sanctions came into force. Trump has dramatically increased pressure on Tehran, withdrawing from an international agreement aimed at ending its nuclear program and introducing…
Read MorePompeo Terminates Iran Treaty After UN Court Hands Tehran a Victory in Sanctions Lawsuit Against Washington
by Will Racke Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announced Wednesday the U.S. will terminate a 63-year-old treaty with Iran, hours after a top United Nations court ruled in favor of Tehran in a lawsuit challenging U.S. sanctions. Pompeo said the abrogation of the 1955 Treaty of Amity was “39 years overdue,”…
Read MorePromoting Religious Liberty Affirms ‘Human Dignity,’ Pompeo Tells Values Voter Summit
by Fred Lucas Secretary of State Mike Pompeo reaffirmed Friday that the Trump administration is committed to religious liberty, both at home and abroad. Speaking at the conservative Values Voter Summit in Washington, Pompeo said that more than 80 percent of the world’s population lives in countries that place…
Read MoreMattis Backs Up Trump’s Strong Words On Iran
by Evie Fordham Secretary of Defense James Mattis backed up President Donald Trump’s fiery message about Iran at the Hoover Institution in Stanford, California, on Tuesday. “[Iran] cannot continue to show irresponsibility as some revolutionary organization that is intent on exporting terrorism, exporting disruption across the region,” Mattis said, reported The…
Read MoreIn Another Blow to Iran’s Faltering Economy, Shipping Giant CMA CGM Announces Exit, Citing US Sanctions
Reuters One of the world’s biggest cargo shippers announced Saturday that it was pulling out of Iran for fear of becoming entangled in U.S. sanctions, and President Hassan Rouhani demanded that European countries to do more to offset the U.S. measures. The announcement by France’s CMA CGM that it was…
Read MorePresident Trump Withdraws from Iran Deal; Marsha Blackburn and Diane Black Praise Decision
Ahead of the May 12th deadline and against the many requests from European allies, President Trump announced Tuesday afternoon the United States will withdraw from the Obama-era “Iran Deal.” The president announced his decision in a speech at the White House in the Diplomatic Room as Trump’s National Security Adviser…
Read MoreWhat Trump Calls ‘Right Message’ to North Korea After Evidence Iran Cheats on Nukes
by Fred Lucas President Donald Trump, without saying he would pull out of the Iran nuclear deal, said Monday that he is open to signing a better agreement with the Islamist regime. Commenting after Israel accused Iran of cheating on the deal, Trump also rejected the premise that by pulling…
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