During Thursdayâs White House briefing, Vance played the role of press secretary after Karoline Leavitt, who departed the administration last month. The White House has yet to name a replacement. At the presser, a reporter asked Vance if he would consider backing Cruz or Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for president.
Archiv: Pete Hegseth
LEAKED: Pentagon Nuclear Plans Prove the US Is Out of Options. Joe Kent on What Comes Next.
How close are we to nuclear war? According to Joe Kent, a lot closer than you think.
Tucker Carlson: Trump needs to be removed from office âimmediatelyâ
âWhy isnât there an attempt to remove him from office, like, immediately?â Carlson said. âAnyone who would even tolerate that kind of talk from any of his subordinates or employees is by definition unfit.â
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Elbridge Colby, the undersecretary of defense for policy, earlier this month said at a conference that officials are looking to give the president and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth âcredible, rational nuclear options.â
USA erwÀgen nuklearen Schlag gegen den Iran
Laut Wilkerson sitzt der eigentliche Treiber dieses Krieges sitzt nicht in Washington, sondern in Jerusalem. Benjamin Netanjahu, so Wilkerson, sei der Einzige, der den Krieg ârichtig interpretiertâ habe â nĂ€mlich als seine letzte Chance, den Iran endgĂŒltig zu erledigen.
Trump, so die Analyse, sei in eine Falle getappt â âkomplett fehlinterpretiertâ habe er den Konflikt. Und jetzt sei er gefangen: Netanjahu werde ihn nicht gehen lassen, egal wie sehr Trump einen RĂŒckzug brauche. Schon im MĂ€rz hatte Wilkerson gegenĂŒber Democracy Now gewarnt, Netanjahu sei bereit, eine Atomwaffe einzusetzen, âsollte es so schlimm werden, wie es gerade aussiehtâ.
Die europÀische Dimension: Gekaufte Vasallen
Pentagon wants âexpanding optionsâ for nuclear weapons, officials say
(August 7, 2026)
The start of the review was announced by Undersecretary of Defense for Policy Elbridge Colby during a keynote speech Wednesday. In his comments, Colby repeatedly emphasized the term âoptions,â though he stressed that as of right now, he had âno announcement of any kind of changeâ regarding the Pentagonâs nuclear policy.
âThereâs, you know, a review or sort of relook at the employment guidance, which is more about the commander of STRATCOM [Strategic Command] and his responsibilities and [the defense] secretaryâs authorities, etcetera,â he said in Omaha, Neb., during the 2026 Deterrence Symposium. Colby also noted that the review will not be released to the general public.
Colbyâs comments were not publicly broadcast, but a copy of the audio was shared with Breaking Defense.
They are discussing using nuclear weapons on Iran in strategy meetings. Yes you read that correctly. Itâs real. Iâm not speculating, I know. And itâs pure evil.
The last time a nuclear weapon was used was August 6th and 9th of 1945 on two cities in Japan, Hiroshima and Nagasaki, immediately killing 110,000 people, vaporizing people at ground zero, and total deaths reached 214,000 by the end of the year from severe burns and trauma.
But the extreme suffering continued for the Japanese people from radiation sickness, skyrocketing cancer rates, and generational birth defects.
Not to mention wiping out all means of their economy.
And the suffering was so great that all of humanity vowed, ânever again.â
Trump and his admin were told by our own intelligence that Iran was no where near creating a nuclear weapon, then Israel said the same line itâs repeated for decades, âIran is only weeks away.â
So we bombed anyways, killed their leaders and innocent little children in a school, and Iran has controlled the Strait of Hormuz ever since and punished the region for their part in it.
And now our government is the one actually discussing lowering the nuclear threshold in order to use nuclear weapons against Iran even though Trump claims heâs won the war like 40 times and says the U.S. controls the SoH.
Trump promised no more foreign wars, but may actually be the one who delivers a nuclear holocaust that would likely drag the entire world into major conflict, economic depression, and mass human suffering weâve never seen in our lifetimes and maybe throughout history.
People need to speak out and boldly stop this insanity.
America is not untouchable.
If and when that happens, everyone, and I do mean everyone, will hold ALL of those in leadership right now fully responsible for the rest of human history.
Do not use nuclear weapons and stop this war NOW.
Lawrence Wilkerson: U.S. Considers Nuclear Strike Against Iran
Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson is a retired Colonel in the US Army and the former Chief of Staff to the US Secretary of State.
Mysterious Attacks on Ecuadorian Fishers Raise Fears of Expanded US Boat Bombings
According to the Times, it was registered to a private company whose address was a UPS store mailbox in Virginia, deepening the mystery over who was operating itâand for whom.
âIt would be one thing if the US didnât have an overt maritime strike campaign, but they do, and theyâre posting snuff films of boats going up in flames regularly,â Brian Finucane, a former State Department lawyer who specializes in the laws of war, told the Times.
âAnd thatâs what makes this even more squirrelly,â added Finucane, now a senior adviser in the US Program at the International Crisis Group. âWho are these people that are operating, and under what authority? And they are using a UPS store as their company address? Come on.â
On Iran, a $37 billion price tag and no answers on how it ends
Hegseth, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine, came armed with an $87.6 billion Trump administration supplemental request that includes more than $67 billion for the war and other Pentagon spending.
And as Hegseth announced that the conflict had racked up $37.5 billion in costs, it is expanding. More US troops died over the weekend, bringing the death toll to 18; CNN reported that 100 American personnel had been injured since early July;
‚Imagine All the Better Things That Could Have Been Done‘: Trump Has Blown $37.5 Billion on Iran War
That figure came from a line of questioning by US Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), as Hegseth appeared before the Senate Appropriations Committee to support Trump‘s June supplemental funding request, which includes tens of billions for the Pentagon.
Hegseth told Durbin that the $37.5 billion estimate includes what‘s been spent so far, plus some projected spending through the end of the fiscal year in Septemberâan exchange quickly met with fury by various critics, many of whom pointed out the range of ways that money could have been better spent by an administration allegedly dedicated to combating „waste, fraud, and abuse.“
UKMTO issues warning after report of fire on board container ship
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) says it has received a report of an incident some nine nautical miles (about 17km) east of the Omani coast.
âMilitary authorities have reported that a container ship has sustained damage to the rear of the vessel, which has caused a fire on board,â it said.
âVessels are advised to transit with caution,â it added.
The alert came moments after CENTCOM announced the start of a third round of strikes on Iran, citing an Iranian attack on a Cyprus-flagged ship in the strait.
Hegseth says „the ceasefire is not over“ after U.S., Iran exchange fire in Strait of Hormuz
Hegseth later clarified that „the ceasefire is not over“ even though Iranian vessels on Monday fired on U.S. ships guiding vessels through the Strait of Hormuz, resulting in the U.S. sinking several small Iranian boats.
Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine said Iran had attacked the U.S. „more than 10 times“ since the April 8 ceasefire, but it „fell below the threshold of restarting major combat operations.“
Hegseth says US guiding of ships in Strait of Hormuz is „temporary“ and „defensive“
âTo be clear, this operation is separate and distinct from Operation Epic Fury,â Hegseth said. âProject Freedom is defensive in nature, focused in scope and temporary in duration, with one mission: Protecting innocent commercial shipping from Iranian aggression.â
The secretary said two US commercial vessels have moved through the strait and six other ships that attempted to violate the blockade of Iranian ports âwere all turned around.â
Hegseth orders withdrawal of 5,000 US troops from Germany
The drawdown, which comes after the countryâs leader sparred with President Donald Trump over the Iran war, leaves about 33,000 troops there.
Anordnung von Hegseth: USA ziehen 5.000 Soldaten aus Deutschland ab
US-Verteidigungsminister Pete Hegseth hat den Abzug von etwa 5.000 US-Soldaten aus Deutschland angeordnet. Man gehe davon aus, dass der Abzug innerhalb der nÀchsten sechs bis zwölf Monate abgeschlossen sein werde, teilte ein Sprecher des Pentagons mit.
Streit um Falkland-Inseln eskaliert: «Trump ist ein Tyrann, der die Macht Amerikas missbraucht»
Die Falklandinseln bleiben britisch â und daran wird sich nichts Ă€ndern. Mit dieser klaren Botschaft reagierte die Regierung der Falklandinseln im SĂŒdatlantik auf Berichte, wonach das Pentagon in ErwĂ€gung ziehe, die SouverĂ€nitĂ€tsansprĂŒche Argentiniens ĂŒber das Gebiet zu unterstĂŒtzen â und sich damit gegen Grossbritannien zu stellen.
Wie ein brisanter Reuters-Bericht nahelegte, prĂŒft die US-Regierung diese drastische Massnahme offenbar als Druckmittel gegen das Vereinigte Königreich. Dies, weil London die USA im Krieg gegen den Iran nicht unterstĂŒtzen möchte.
Argentina calls for renewed negotiations over Falkland Islands
Argentina‘s government on Friday reiterated its willingness to resume âbilateral negotiations with the United Kingdom âin regards to a sovereignty dispute over the Falkland Islands, which Argentina knows as âthe Malvinas and has long âclaimed sovereignty over.
Donald Trump Angers NATO Ally U.K. Before King Charles‘ Visit with Push to Help Argentina Reclaim Falkland Islands
(April 24, 2026)
Reuters reported on Friday, April 24, that a recent internal Pentagon email had outlined options for the U.S. to punish NATO allies that it believes have inadequately supported its military operations in Iran.
According to the report, the Defense Department has suggested that the U.S. reassess its support for European âimperial possessions,â including the Falkland Islands, and consider suspending Spainâs NATO membership.
Pentagon chief Hegseth says US blockade on Iran ‚going global‘
„We‘re enforcing the blockade across the board against any ship of any nationality that is transiting to or from an Iranian port or territory,“ Caine said.
„We‘re closely tracking vessels of âinterest headed towards Iran âand those moving â away from Iran that were outside the blockade area when this blockade was ordered and … we‘re prepared and postured to intercept them,“ he âsaid.
The U.S. naval blockade on Iran began on April 13.
WATCH: Hegseth calls U.S. war in Iran a ‚gift to the world‘
Watch the full news conference in the video player above.
Speaking to reporters at the Pentagon, Hegseth said the U.S. blockade of Iranian shipping will continue „as long as it takes“ to accomplish America‘s „bold and dangerous“ mission to end Iran‘s threat to global security.
US Navy Secretary Phelan ousted as naval blockade of Iran continues
Phelan is a businessman with no prior military service; he and his wife previously fundraised millions of dollars for Trumpâs campaign before he was confirmed as Navy secretary in 2025.
âJohn will be a tremendous force for our Naval servicemembers, and a steadfast leader in advancing my America First vision,â Trump said at the time. âHe will put the business of the US Navy above all else.â
US military: ‚locked and loaded‘ to strike Iran‘s power plants, energy industry if ordered
„We are reloading with more power than ever before, and better intelligence,“ Hegseth âsaid at a Pentagon news briefing. „We are locked and loaded on your critical dual-use infrastructure, â on your remaining power generation, and on your energy industry. We‘d rather not have to do it.“
Press TV Exclusive: US destroyers‘ Strait of Hormuz transit stunt failed, came close to destruction
Press TV‘s investigation found the American attempt to be an extremely high-risk move that could have easily turned into a disaster for the United States and its military.
The destroyers were only a few minutes away from complete destruction after Iranian cruise missiles locked onto the vessel and attack drones were deployed.
When the two destroyers and the accompanying fleet reached the mouth of the Persian Gulf, Iran‘s cruise missiles locked onto them, and the destroyers were given only 30-minutes to turn back. The vessels immediately retreated.
They had attempted to use electronic warfare tactics, including turning off its position reporting system, in a bid to deceive the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) naval forces.
âCasualty Cover-Upâ: The Pentagon Is Hiding U.S. Losses Under Trump in the Middle East
The Pentagon has sent outdated statements on the number of U.S. troops killed or wounded during the Iran war, resulting in undercounts.
Almost 750 U.S. troops have been wounded or killed in the Middle East since October 2023, an analysis by The Intercept has found. But the Pentagon wonât acknowledge it.
Exit of Trump officials including FBI director Patel under discussion, Atlantic reports
(April 2, 2026)
There are discussions about âFBI Director Kash âPatel, Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll âand Labor âSecretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer leaving â the Trump âadministration, the âAtlantic reported on Thursday, citing people familiar âwith White âHouse plans.
The timing is âuncertain â and President Donald Trump has not yet âmade âup â his mind, the Atlantic âreported.
Hegseth ousts US Army chief of staff and two other generals amid Iran war
George found out in a phone call from Hegseth on Thursday while he was in a meeting, a second US official said. He later spoke to his staff in person about the announcement, and his staff was âvery stoicâ when receiving the news, the official said.
As the Army chief, George has worked closely with Army Secretary Dan Driscoll â a senior official close to the White House whom Hegseth has perceived as a threat and at times had a contentious relationship with.
Pentagon declines to reaffirm NATO‘s collective defense, says up to Trump
The remarks by Hegseth at a Pentagon briefing were extraordinary, given that collective defense lies at the heart of the NATO alliance, which was formed in 1949 with the primary aim of countering the risk of Soviet attack on allied territory.
Trump says Hegseth âfirst one to speak upâ in support of Iran war
âPete, I think you were the first one to speak up and you said letâs do it because you canât let them have a nuclear weapon,â the president said at a Memphis Safe Task Force roundtable in Tennessee.
Hegseth was sitting beside Trump at the roundtable in Memphis.
Trump Tries to Spread Blame for Iran War
As the conflict increases in complexity and decreases in popularity with the American public, Trump is trying a new tactic: throwing his Cabinet under the bus.
At a Monday roundtable event with national military and law enforcement leaders, Trump told the audience and reporters that his Secretary of Defense and self styled Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, was actually the person responsible for pushing him to go to war.
Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine Hold a Press Briefing
On day ten of Operation Epic Fury, we are winning with an overwhelming and unrelenting focus on our objectives, which are the same as the day I gave my first briefing here on Operation Epic Fury. They‘re straightforward and we are executing them with ruthless precision.
One: destroy their missile stockpiles, their missile launchers and their defense industrial base; missiles and their ability to make them. Two: destroy their Navy. And three: permanently deny Iran nuclear weapons forever. It‘s a laser focused, maximum authority mission delivered with overwhelming and unrelenting precision, no hesitation, no half measures.
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Second, we continue to strike the Iranian Navy and their capabilities in order to do things like sustain movement through the Straits of Hormuz. And third, we continue to start working on and going deeper into Iran‘s military and industrial base in order to prevent the regime from being able to attack Americans, our interests and our partners for years to come and project power outside their borders. This means servicing production facilities, research and development sites and infrastructure.
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SECRETARY OF WAR PETE HEGSETH: Ultimately, the aftermath is going to be in America‘s interests, our interests. We wonât live under a nuclear blackmail scenario of conventional missiles that can target our people, which is why the objectives have been scoped from the beginning: missiles, missile production, the defense industrial base, navy, all in service of ensuring they don‘t have nuclear power projection capabilities.
Did Caine just announce the Morgenthau option for Iran?
That is why Caineâs wording evokes Henry Morgenthauâs wartime vision for Germany. Morgenthau argued that making Germany incapable of renewed aggression required more than smashing its armaments sector. He called for eliminating the metallurgical, electrical, and chemical industries and contemplated a Germany that would become âpredominantly agrarian.â Another State Department summary described the plan as looking toward converting Germany into a country âprimarily agricultural and pastoral in character.â
No, the administration has not formally announced a Morgenthau Plan for Iran. But that is not the point.
The top US general says most of Iran‘s best air defenses are no longer factors, clearing the way for deeper air operations
In October 2024, Israel carried out a significant strike targeting Iran‘s missile production and air defenses, saying it could operate „with greater freedom in Iranian airspace.“
Israel conducted another preemptive strike in June 2025, destroying Iranian air defenses so its air forces could attack Iran‘s nuclear facilities. Days later, the US carried out Operation Midnight Hammer aimed at destroying major Iranian nuclear sites.
After that operation, Caine said it didn‘t look like Iran got a shot off at the strike package. „It appears that Iran‘s surface-to-air missile systems did not see us,“ he said.
Lawmakers: Israeli plan to attack Iran dictated Trumpâs decision on strikes
Senior lawmakers in both parties said Monday that the Trump administrationâs decision to launch bombing and missile strikes across Iran this weekend was largely dictated by Israelâs plan to attack Iran with or without U.S. support.