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How Israel ‘Chain-Ganged’ The Trump Administration Into War Against Iran

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After several days of shifting and sometimes contradictory justifications from the Trump administration for why it launched a war against Iran over the weekend, Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Monday finally gave the real reason: Israel forced us into it.

“It was abundantly clear that if Iran came under attack by anyone, the U.S. or Israel or anyone, they were going to respond against the United States,” Rubio said. But later he added this: “We knew there was going to be an Israeli action. We knew that would precipitate an attack against American forces, and we knew that if we didn’t preemptively go after them before they launched those attacks we would suffer higher casualties and perhaps even higher numbers of those killed. And then we would all be answering questions about why we knew that and didn’t act.”

Later in the day, Speaker Mike Johnson said pretty much the same thing, that, “This was a defensive measure … If Israel fired upon Iran and took action against Iran to take out the missiles, then [Iran] would have immediately retaliated against U.S. personnel and assets.”

These remarks from Rubio and Johnson would seem to confirm recent reporting from the New York Times, which published a lengthy account Monday chronicling how President Trump decided to go to war. The article opens with this line: “Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel walked into the Oval Office on the morning of Feb. 11, determined to keep the American president on the path to war.” It goes on to explain that amid weeks of U.S.-Israeli planning for war, Trump administration officials had begun negotiating with Tehran over the future of its nuclear program, “and the Israeli leader wanted to make sure that the new diplomatic effort did not undermine the plans.”

Netanyahu, who has been candid about his decades-long desire to draw the United States into a war against Iran, was successful in this effort. The diplomatic talks with Iran faltered and Trump gave the go-ahead to launch strikes that immediately took out Tehran’s entire leadership, effectively bringing about a decapitation of the regime.

Why did it happen? Not necessarily because of our decisions, but because of Israel’s. According to the Times’ reporting, just hours before President Trump’s State of the Union address last Tuesday, Rubio and John Ratcliffe, the CIA director, briefed congressional leaders from the so-called Gang of Eight about ongoing negotiations with Iran and the possibility of strikes if those talks failed. “In the briefing, Mr. Rubio argued that, no matter if Israel or the United States struck first, Iran would respond with a powerful barrage of weapons against U.S. bases and embassies. It was logical then, Mr. Rubio said, that the United States should act in concert with Israel, since America would be dragged in anyway. And Israel, Mr. Rubio said, was determined to act.” (Read more from “How Israel ‘Chain-Ganged’ The Trump Administration Into War Against Iran” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Ayatollah Khamenei’s Son Is Frontrunner to Succeed Dad as Iran’s New Supreme Leader: Report

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The son of Iranian Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is the frontrunner to replace him as supreme leader, according to reports.

Mojtaba Khamenei, 56, is currently favored to take control of Iran by the country’s Assembly of Experts, a powerful body of clerics that makes the decision, the New York Times reported while citing sources close to the deliberations.

Other outlets – including Israeli media and Iranian opposition channels – were reporting early Tuesday that Mojtaba had already been selected, though Iranian state media has not confirmed anything.

The report was widely being picked up by Israeli media but had not been confirmed by Iranian state mouthpieces.

Mojtaba was at first believed to have been among the 40 top Iranian aides killed during the Saturday strike that took out Iran’s highest-ranking cleric. (Read more from “Ayatollah Khamenei’s Son Is Frontrunner to Succeed Dad as Iran’s New Supreme Leader: Report” HERE)

China Is Refusing to Help Iran Fight, but Is Offering This Instead

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As we enter the fifth day of Operation Epic Fury, few people — outside of Democrats and their Leftist allies — are really going to bat for the Iranian regime.

This includes China, who is reportedly not going to offer Iran, a major supplier of oil to the communist nation, any material support. China does, however, offer Iran “moral backing.”

We suppose that’s better than offering them cheap, ineffective military equipment. After all, failed Chinese-made radar helped the U.S. capture Nicolas Maduro back in January.

Iran is hoping so.

That’s more accurate.

(Read more from “China Is Refusing to Help Iran Fight, but Is Offering This Instead” HERE)

Michigan Imam Mourns ‘Beloved’ Khamenei, Says He Was Martyred by ‘Wretched Hands,’ Slams U.S. Strike as ‘War Against Justice’

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A Metro Detroit imam publicly praised Iran’s late Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a “martyr” in remarks delivered during a Ramadan program at his mosque amid joint U.S.-Israel operations in Iran and the death of the brutal dictator.

On Saturday in Dearborn Heights, Michigan, Mohammad Ali Elahi, spiritual leader of the Islamic House of Wisdom, delivered a eulogy for Khamenei during a livestreamed event at the mosque, as reported by the Middle East Media Research Institute.

lahi, an Iranian-born cleric who emigrated to the United States in 1991 and established the Islamic House of Wisdom in Metro Detroit, described the death of Khamenei as a profound loss and condemned U.S. military actions that preceded it.

Lamenting what he called the “depths of the tragedy,” Elahi characterized the “evil” and “ugly” operations in Iran as “a war against justice, against humanity, against morality, against legality, [and] against truth.”

(Read more from “Michigan Imam Mourns ‘Beloved’ Khamenei, Says He Was Martyred by ‘Wretched Hands,’ Slams U.S. Strike as ‘War Against Justice’” HERE)

Pentagon Identifies Four of Six U.S. Army Casualties During Iran Strikes

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The Department of War (DOW) publicly identified four of the six U.S. Army casualties following the strikes against the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The four identified were Army Reserve Soldiers serving in support of Operation Epic Fury, with ages ranging from as young as 20 to as old as 42, including one woman.

Capt. Cody A. Khork, 35, of Winter Haven, Florida.
Sgt. 1st Class Noah L. Tietjens, 42, of Bellevue, Nebraska.
Sgt. 1st Class Nicole M. Amor, 39, of White Bear Lake, Minnesota.
Sgt. Declan J. Coady, 20, of West Des Moines, Iowa.

All those identified reportedly “died on March 1, 2026, in Port Shuaiba, Kuwait, during an unmanned aircraft system attack.” They were assigned to the 103rd Sustainment Command, Des Moines, Iowa.

(Read more from “Pentagon Identifies Four of Six U.S. Army Casualties During Iran Strikes” HERE)

CENTCOM: Six U.S. Service Members Killed in Operation Epic Fury

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U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) provided an update on Monday that six U.S. military service members have been killed as part of Operation Epic Fury in Iran.

In a post on X, CENTCOM explained that “the remains of two” U.S. service members who had been unaccounted for had been recovered.

“As of 4 pm ET, March 2, six U.S. service members have been killed in action,” CENTCOM said. “U.S. forces recently recovered the remains of two previously unaccounted for service members from a facility that was struck during Iran’s initial attacks in the region.”

“The identities of the fallen are being withheld until 24 hours after next of kin notification,” CENTCOM added.

CENTCOM added that “major combat operations continue.” (Read more from “CENTCOM: Six U.S. Service Members Killed in Operation Epic Fury” HERE)

Poll: GOP Voters’ Lukewarm Support for Iran Strikes Significantly Lower Than Past Conflicts

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Reuters/Ipsos poll that concluded on Sunday revealed that the joint U.S.-Israeli regime-change strikes are unpopular with most Americans.

While Republicans are apparently more supportive of the military campaign than their counterparts, the new poll found that such support is largely conditional and far less than for the Afghanistan and Iraq conflicts.

The new polling is consistent with surveys conducted last month, which indicated that Americans were not particularly keen on the prospect of a new series of U.S. military strikes against Iran.

For instance, an SSRS/University of Maryland poll, conducted from Feb. 5 to Feb. 9, found that 21% of respondents favored an attack, 49% were opposed, and 30% were unsure. An Economist/YouGov poll found that 28% of respondents supported and 48% opposed the U.S. taking military action in Iran.

Despite strong public headwinds, the U.S. joined Israel in hammering the Shiite nation anyway, destroying numerous military assets and assassinating top Iranian officials over the weekend while sustaining numerous casualties. (Read more from “Poll: GOP Voters’ Lukewarm Support for Iran Strikes Significantly Lower Than Past Conflicts” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

US Embassy in Saudi Arabia Hit in Suspected Iranian Drone Attack: Reports

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The US Embassy in Saudi Arabia’s capital city of Riyadh was damaged in a suspected Iranian drone attack Monday night.

The embassy was hit by two drones, “resulting in a limited fire and minor material damage to the building,” a spokesperson for the Saudi defense ministry wrote on X.

A loud blast was heard, and a small fire was seen at the embassy, Reuters reported.

“The U.S. Mission to Saudi Arabia has issued a shelter in place notification for Jeddah, Riyadh and Dhahran and are limiting non-essential travel to any military installations in the region,” a “security alert” posted by the Riyadh embassy on X read.

“We recommend American citizens in the Kingdom to shelter in place immediately.” (Read more from “US Embassy in Saudi Arabia Hit in Suspected Iranian Drone Attack: Reports” HERE)

US Intel Did Not Suggest a Preemptive Strike From Iran Before US-Israeli Attacks

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Trump administration officials told congressional staff in private briefings Sunday that U.S. intelligence did not suggest Iran was preparing to launch a preemptive strike against the U.S., three people familiar with the briefings said.

The administration officials instead acknowledged there was a more general threat in the region from Iran’s missiles and proxy forces, two of the people said. The third person, however, said the administration emphasized that Iran’s missiles and proxy forces posed an imminent threat to U.S. personnel and allies in the region.

The officials did not provide any clarity about what would happen next in Iran after the joint U.S.-Israeli operation, the two people said. All three people insisted on anonymity to discuss details that have not been made public.

The information conveyed to the congressional staff contrasts with the message from President Donald Trump. “Our objective is to defend the American people by eliminating imminent threats from the Iranian regime. A vicious group of very hard, terrible people,” he said in a video message after launching strikes on Iran. (Read more from “US Intel Did Not Suggest a Preemptive Strike From Iran Before US-Israeli Attacks” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

China Denounces U.S. as ‘War Addict’ for Strikes on Iran

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The Chinese Defense Ministry on Saturday denounced the United States as a “war addict” for launching strikes on Iran, while more temperate Chinese government organs called for an immediate cease-fire.

“The U.S. is a war addict. Throughout its over 240-year history, it has been at war for all but 16 years,” said a Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman at a press conference in Beijing in remarks spread by social media accounts linked to the Chinese government.

“The U.S. has 800 overseas military bases in over 80 countries and regions. The U.S. is the main cause of international disorder, global turbulence, and regional instability,” the spokesman said.

The state-controlled China Daily wrote an editorial on Saturday saying that American and Israeli action against Iran “ignores international law” and “follows a pattern of increasing belligerence.” (Read more from “China Denounces U.S. as ‘War Addict’ for Strikes on Iran” HERE)