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US Seeks to Deploy $15M ‘Dark Eagle’ Hypersonic Missile for the First Time Against Iran: Report

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The US military is reportedly considering sending its long-range hypersonic missile to the Middle East — to possibly strike ballistic-missile launchers embedded in Iran.

The request, which was made by US Central Command, justified the deployment of a hypersonic missile, arguing that the Iranian regime has moved its launchers out of range of the Precision Strike missile, which can hit targets more than 300 miles away, a person with direct knowledge told Bloomberg.

If given the green light, the move would mark the first time the US has deployed a hypersonic missile, which has not yet been declared fully operational.

The request has not been made public, and the US and Iran have had a tenuous cease-fire in place since April 8. President Trump, however, has repeatedly threatened to reignite the Iran war with renewed military action as talks toward a peace deal remain at an impasse

The Army’s Long-Range Hypersonic Weapon, known as Dark Eagle, has a reported range of 1,725 miles and is specifically made for “long range conventional precision strike capability” against “time-sensitive and heavily defended targets,” according to the Library of Congress. (Read more from “US Seeks to Deploy $15M ‘Dark Eagle’ Hypersonic Missile for the First Time Against Iran: Report” HERE)

Mystery Deepens over Mojtaba Khamenei’s Condition after Iran Unveils ‘Martyr’ Mural

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A viral mural showing the Islamic Republic’s new ayatollah among dead Iranian leaders has deepened speculation he was killed or gravely wounded in the 28 February strikes on Tehran.

A mural depicting Mojtaba Khamenei alongside dead Iranian commanders and officials has gone viral in Iran, fueling speculation that the country’s new ayatollah may be dead or gravely wounded nearly two months after he was last seen in public.

The mural, unveiled in Mashhad Ardehal west of Kashan and titled “Martyrs of the Epic Struggle,” depicts deceased top Iranian military and political leaders, including Qassem Soleimani, former President Ebrahim Raisi and Islamic Republic founder Ruhollah Khomeini.

The footage of the mural spread rapidly on social media, sparking questions over the fate of the new supreme leader and the son of late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who was killed in the initial US-Israeli strikes on Tehran on 28 February. Iranian authorities have not commented.

This was not the only slip-up by the Tehran regime in recent days. Tasnim News Agency, tied to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), referred to Khamenei in a recent post as the “martyred leader of the revolution.” The Islamic Republic officials later said it was an error. (Read more from “Mystery Deepens over Mojtaba Khamenei’s Condition after Iran Unveils ‘Martyr’ Mural” HERE)

Top Iranian Negotiator Arrives Back in Pakistan — while Trump Orders Chief US Aides to Phone it in

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Iran’s foreign minister was back in Islamabad on Sunday reportedly hoping to work on a peace plan — while President Trump said his top aides will only participate by phone at this point because Pakistan is too far to go to again.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi did the quick turnaround after leaving Pakistan’s capital without meeting with US officials Saturday, a move that prompted Trump to then swiftly cancel American negotiators’ intended return trip to Islamabad.

US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner were expected to leave for Pakistan’s capital Saturday before being called off.

Trump on Sunday doubled down on his refusal to send the US negotiators back to Islamabad, telling Fox News that the 18-hour trip is too far to travel if Iran continues to refuse his nuclear demands.

“Great respect for Pakistan, because they’ve been terrific. They’ve really tried, and they’ll stay involved, but we’re going to do it by telephone, so if they want, they can call us,” Trump said of Tehran. (Read more from “Top Iranian Negotiator Arrives Back in Pakistan — while Trump Orders Chief US Aides to Phone it in” HERE)

Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner Heading to Islamabad for Iran Talks

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Special Envoy Steve Witkoff and adviser Jared Kushner will head to Islamabad, Pakistan, on Saturday for another round of negotiations with Iran, and Vice President JD Vance “is on standby” and could potentially join them there.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the plans on Friday afternoon, first on Fox News Channel’s America Reports and then to reporters moments later.

“As you know, and I spoke about it earlier this week, the president was flexible in granting an extension of this ceasefire. Throughout this time, the President has decided to dispatch Special Envoy Witkoff and Jared Kushner back to Islamabad. The Iranians want to talk,” Leavitt told reporters.

“They want to talk in person. So the President is, as I’ve said many, many times to all of you, always willing to give diplomacy a chance,” she added.

Leavitt, who said on America Reports that Witkoff and Kushner are scheduled to depart Saturday morning, told reporters that President Donald Trump, Vance, and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will await updates in Washington, DC.

(Read more from “Steve Witkoff, Jared Kushner Heading to Islamabad for Iran Talks” HERE)

Iran Fires On 3 Ships In Strait Of Hormuz

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By Daily Caller. Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) fired on vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, complicating ongoing negotiations.

The IRGC fired on three vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz, according to information from the British military’s UKMTO. The action took place a day after President Donald Trump announced an indefinite ceasefire in a Truth Social post until the Iranian government would agree to resume in-person negotiations that were originally slated to take place in Pakistan.

The IRGC seized two of the vessels, according to reporting from The Associated Press. Iranian state media claimed the Iranian military was allegedly taking the ships back to Iran.

The ships that were hit were the Panama-flagged MSC Francesca, Liberia-flagged Epaminondas and the Liberia-flagged Euphoria, according to Reuters.

“Based on the fact that the Government of Iran is seriously fractured, not unexpectedly so and, upon the request of Field Marshal Asim Munir, and Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, of Pakistan, we have been asked to hold our Attack on the Country of Iran until such time as their leaders and representatives can come up with a unified proposal. I have therefore directed our Military to continue the Blockade and, in all other respects, remain ready and able, and will therefore extend the Ceasefire until such time as their proposal is submitted, and discussions are concluded, one way or the other,” Trump said in the Truth Social post on Tuesday. (Read more from “Iran Fires On 3 Ships In Strait Of Hormuz” HERE)

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Iran’s military more capable than Trump administration is publicly acknowledging, sources say

By CBS News. The Islamic Republic of Iran maintains more military capabilities than the White House or Pentagon has publicly admitted, according to multiple U.S. officials with knowledge of intelligence on the matter.

About half of Iran’s stockpile of ballistic missiles and its associated launch systems were still intact as of the start of the ceasefire in early April, three of the officials told CBS News.

Roughly 60% of the naval arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps is still in existence, the officials said, including fast-attack speed boats. On Wednesday, Iranian gunboats attacked several commercial ships in the Strait of Hormuz, shortly after President Trump announced he was unilaterally extending a ceasefire to allow more time for peace talks.

Iranian air power has been significantly degraded but not erased, said the officials, who requested anonymity from CBS News because they were not authorized to discuss the matters publicly.

About two-thirds of Iran’s air force is still believed to be operational, the officials said, after an intensive U.S. and Israeli campaign that struck thousands of targets, including storage and production facilities. (Read more from “Iran’s military more capable than Trump administration is publicly acknowledging, sources say” HERE)

Iran’s Maimed Supreme Leader Khamenei Issues New Military Threats Against US, Israel Amid Truce

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A gravely injured Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei issued a chilling message on Saturday amidst an uneasy truce with Israel, threatening that “Iran’s navy is ready to inflict new bitter defeats on enemies.”

The Iranian Armed Forces Day message comes from the newly minted Ayatollah who has not been seen since he took control of the regime after being maimed and losing a leg in the Feb. 28 US-Israeli airstrike that killed his father, Ali Khamenei.

Now, despite Iran negotiating a truce with Israel, the absentee Ayatollah is threatening to flex Iran’s heavily depleted military.

“Just as Iran’s drones strike like lightning against the US and Zionist criminals, Israel, the brave navy is also prepared to inflict new bitter defeat on enemies,” a post from Khamanei’s Telegram account read.

“The Army is like the nation’s child, which arises from within the heart of the people’s homes,” the shadowy cleric boasted in another post. (Read more from “Iran’s Maimed Supreme Leader Khamenei Issues New Military Threats Against US, Israel Amid Truce” HERE)

Trump says Iran Won’t Execute 8 Women after He Demanded Their Release

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President Trump announced Wednesday that Iran will no longer execute eight women after he pleaded Tuesday for their freedom — calling it “very good news” in a social media post.

“I have just been informed that the eight women protestors who were going to be executed tonight in Iran will no longer be killed. Four will be released immediately, and four will be sentenced to one month in prison,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

“I very much appreciate that Iran, and its leaders, respected my request, as President of the United States, and terminated the planned execution.”

The announcement came hours after Trump extended a two-week cease-fire with Iran as US negotiators await Tehran’s reply to the latest American offer to end the nearly two-month conflict.

Iran’s judiciary denied that the eight women were ever set for execution, claiming that “Trump was misled once again by fake news” and that “some of them have been released, while others face charges that, if convictions are upheld, would at most result in imprisonment.” (Read more from “Trump says Iran Won’t Execute 8 Women after He Demanded Their Release” HERE)

Photo credit: New York Post

Islamic Guard Takes Full Control of Iran, Sidelines Moderates: Analysts

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Iran’s hardline Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps leader has effectively taken control of Tehran’s military and negotiation team over the weekend, analysts said.

IRGC Commander Maj. Gen. Ahmad Vahidi and members of his inner circle have allegedly taken charge of the Islamic republic, as evident by Iran’s attacks on ships trying to sail through the Strait of Hormuz and Tehran’s refusal to join peace talks with the US this week, the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW) think tank said.

The sudden shift to a hardline stance also shows that more moderate members of Iran’s leadership, including Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Abbas Araghchi, have been sidelined.

Araghchi had initially agreed to open the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend after reaching a consensus with the Trump administration, but the IRGC demanded it remain shut in the face of the American blockade on Iranian ports.

Vahidi reportedly received the backing of Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, Iran’s Supreme National Security Council secretary and an IRGC veteran, to control the strait — further cementing Vahidi’s grip on Iran. (Read more from “Islamic Guard Takes Full Control of Iran, Sidelines Moderates: Analysts” HERE)

Iran’s Top Negotiator Rejects Talks ‘Under Threat’ — Warns Regime ‘Ready to Reveal New Battlefield Cards’ as Ceasefire Looms

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Iran’s top negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, declared late Monday that Tehran will not negotiate with the United States “under the shadow of threats,” warning Tehran is prepared to “reveal new cards on the battlefield” as a ceasefire deadline looms and the fate of renewed talks remains uncertain.

Speaking in a post on X, Ghalibaf — who has led Iran’s recent negotiations alongside Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi — accused President Donald Trump of attempting to turn diplomacy into “an instrument of surrender” through continued pressure, including a U.S. naval blockade.

“Trump, by imposing a siege and violating the ceasefire, seeks to turn this negotiating table — in his own imagination — into a table of surrender or to justify renewed warmongering,” Ghalibaf wrote. “We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats, and in the past two weeks, we have prepared to reveal new cards on the battlefield.”

Ghalibaf’s remarks underscored a hardening stance in Tehran just hours after conflicting signals earlier Monday suggested talks could proceed — only to be thrown into doubt again by Monday night.

(Read more from “Iran’s Top Negotiator Rejects Talks ‘Under Threat’ — Warns Regime ‘Ready to Reveal New Battlefield Cards’ as Ceasefire Looms” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Trump Admin Officials Pull Democrat Inflation Tactic Amid Iran War

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President Donald Trump’s administration is being accused of taking a page out of the Democrats’ playbook by blaming inflation on price gouging during the economic instability of a U.S.-Iranian war.

The strategy was employed by members of the House GOP and Trump cabinet officials at hearings on Capitol Hill earlier this week to save face over a war-born hike in the cost of living as the midterms approach.

In March, the U.S. annual inflation rate jumped to 3.3%, marking not only a large increase from the 2.4% inflation rate in both February and January, but also the highest inflation rate since reaching 4.1% in May 2023, Trending Economics shows.

Although the inflation rate is the highest it has been under either of Trump’s terms, it is still dwarfed compared to Joe Biden’s June 2022 peak of 9.1%, which gave Democrats at the time plenty of practice deflecting responsibility and placing it on greedy corporations and fat-cat businessmen.

Ahead of 2022’s midterm elections, Biden blamed the rise in gas prices on the greed of oil companies despite funding a war between Ukraine and Russia, which had resulted in a fall in supply of oil, and thus a rise in oil prices, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

(Read more from “Trump Admin Officials Pull Democrat Inflation Tactic Amid Iran War” HERE)