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US Deploys 3rd Aircraft Carrier — the USS George H.W. Bush — to Middle East as Iran War Rumbles On

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A third US aircraft carrier strike group is deploying to the Middle East as war with Iran rages on.

George Bush is headed back to the Middle East, ready for war.

The USS George H.W. Bush aircraft carrier will be sailing to the Middle East with a fleet of support ships in tow, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth announced Tuesday.

That news came after the Bush carrier group departed from its base in Norfolk, Virginia, in what Navy Times initially reported was a pre-scheduled deployment.

It will join two other aircraft carrier groups already in the Middle East — the USS Gerald Ford, in the Mediterranean Sea, and the USS Abraham Lincoln in the Arabian Sea.

The Bush’s deployment came as Trump and Hegseth have been warning that the most decisive days of the month-long war in Iran will soon be unfolding, and as thousands of US troops have begun deploying for the region for possible on-the-ground operations. (Read more from “US deploys 3rd aircraft carrier — the USS George HW Bush — to Middle East as Iran war rumbles on” HERE)

3,500 US Troops Arrive in the Middle East on USS Tripoli as Iran Issues Threat Against Ground Invasion

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A force of 3,500 US sailors and Marines arrived in the Middle East aboard the USS Tripoli — as Tehran warned that American forces will be killed if President Trump orders a ground invasion of Iran.

The flagship for the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group and 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit arrived over the weekend with troops in tow, US Central Command said Saturday.

Along with the troops, the amphibious warship brought transport and strike fighter aircraft, as well as assault and tactical assets, with the Pentagon allegedly preparing for weeks of boots-on-the-ground operations in Iran.

As the war in Iran continues to escalate, thousands of Marines are being prepped to deploy to the Middle East, sources told The Washington Post.

The troop movement would fall short of a full-scale invasion, with roughly 10,000 American troops being considered for deployment to boost the already significant military presence in the Gulf region. (Read more from “3,500 US Troops Arrive in the Middle East on USS Tripoli as Iran Issues Threat Against Ground Invasion” HERE)

Israel’s Reckless Strike in Qatar Sparks Houthi Retaliation

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A dramatic escalation unfolded across the Middle East today, as Yemen’s Houthi rebels launched a missile at Israel in retaliation for an Israeli airstrike in Doha that killed at least five Hamas affiliates and a Qatari security officer.

In an unprecedented move, Israel bombed a building in Doha where Hamas leaders were convening to discuss a U.S.-backed ceasefire plan. The attack reportedly took five lives—among them, the son of Hamas leader Khalil al‑Hayya—and injured others. Both Qatar and Hamas condemned the operation, holding the United States “jointly responsible.” The strike jeopardized Doha’s ongoing mediation efforts.

Within hours, Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi militants fired a missile toward Israel. While the Israeli military confirmed interception efforts, the strike marked an aggressive stance in solidarity with Gaza, reigniting fears of broader regional destabilization.

According to U.S. officials and subsequent media reports, Israel notified the United States in advance of the impending Qatar strike. President Trump then directed a top aide to alert Qatari authorities of the attack. He later expressed regret over the location of the strike, emphasizing it did “not advance Israel’s or America’s goals.”

International condemnation was swift. Qatar characterized the strike as a violation of its sovereignty, a sentiment echoed by Iran, Germany, Turkey, and others. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer denounced the attack, warning it risked “further destabilising the region.”

Meanwhile, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the operation and leveraged it to advance Donald Trump’s peace proposal, declaring that “terror leaders can enjoy immunity no more,” and that Israel had delivered “great blows to the axis of evil.”

Israel’s decision to carry out a targeted airstrike inside Qatar — a sovereign nation and one of the United States’ closest allies in the Middle East — marks a serious and potentially destabilizing escalation in the region. Qatar hosts the largest U.S. military base in the region, Al Udeid Air Base, and has been instrumental in sensitive diplomatic efforts, including ceasefire negotiations and hostage releases. Striking within its borders not only risks unraveling critical mediation channels but also puts Washington in a precarious position between two strategic partners. The incident raises profound questions about the limits of Israel’s military actions and whether long-standing alliances can withstand the pressure of unchecked conflict.

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Do Pentagon Pizza Orders Really Predict War? We Investigated

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The Pentagon has been busy. With conflict escalating in the Middle East between Israel and Iran, many federal workers are pulling odd hours to monitor the situation on the other side of the world. And since AI hasn’t taken over every job just yet, those workers need to be fed.

Enter: the Pentagon Pizza Index.

Initially used by the Soviets as a Cold War-era tool for open-source intelligence, according to Euro News, the theory was that an increase in food deliveries to federal buildings might be an indicator of potential crises.

The theory was later popularized by Frank Meeks, a Domino’s franchise owner in the Washington, D.C., area, who told the Los Angeles Times he delivered a record number of pizzas to the CIA on Aug. 1, 1990—the night before Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait.

Now, an anonymous X account, @PenPizzaReport, has taken up the mantle of monitoring the activity of pizza places neighboring the Pentagon, as reported live on Google Maps.

Although @PenPizzaReport provides valuable information by capturing the data and sharing it publicly, what it doesn’t do is compare its findings to the timeline of global events to determine whether the increase in pizza orders is one of correlation or causation. So that’s what the Daily Caller did. (Read more from “Do Pentagon Pizza Orders Really Predict War? We Investigated” HERE)

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Iran Promises to Retaliate Against Any Military Conflict With Missile Attacks on U.S. Bases, Some in Europe; U.S. Evacuating Nonessential Personnel

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The United States is evacuating diplomatic personnel from Iraq and military family members from the Middle East following threats from Iran‘s defense minister that Tehran would target U.S. bases if negotiations broke down.

“If a conflict is imposed on us … all U.S. bases are within reach,” Iranian Defense Minister Aziz Nasirzadeh warned on Wednesday, just days before the latest U.S.-Iranian nuclear negotiations.

Later in the day, the State Department confirmed its decision to reduce its footprint in Iraq, and Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth authorized the voluntary departure of military families across the Middle East on Wednesday, a U.S. defense official told the Washington Examiner.

“The safety and security of our service members and their families remains our highest priority, and U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) is monitoring the developing tension in the Middle East,” the official said. “CENTCOM is working in close coordination with our Department of State counterparts, as well as our allies and partners in the region to maintain a constant state of readiness to support any number of missions around the world at any time.”

A State Department official told the Washington Examiner, “President Trump is committed to keeping Americans safe, both at home and abroad. In keeping with that commitment, we are constantly assessing the appropriate personnel posture at all our embassies. Based on our latest analysis, we decided to reduce the footprint of our Mission in Iraq.” (Read more from “Iran Promises to Retaliate Against Any Military Conflict With Missile Attacks on U.S. Bases, Some in Europe; U.S. Evacuating Nonessential Personnel” HERE)

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Report: Syrian Regime Falls; Assad Flees; Possible Plane Crash

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Reports from the Middle East indicate that the Syrian regime of Bashar al-Assad has fallen, with the dictator fleeing the country as rebel forces entered the capital city of Damascus.

Unconfirmed social media reports also suggest that Assad’s plane crashed.

The sudden collapse of the Assad regime, dating back over half a century to the rule of Hafez al-Assad, Bashar’s father, has rocked the Middle East and could mean the Iranian regime, a Syrian ally, is in danger.

Assad was one of the most notorious tyrants in the world, one who used chemical weapons against his own people. His regime nearly fell in the civil war that erupted during the Arab Spring in 2011, but he was shored up by Russian and Iranian forces. (Read more from “Report: Syrian Regime Falls; Assad Flees; Possible Plane Crash” HERE)

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Austin Orders U.S. Forces to Be Ready to Deploy as Middle East Heats Up

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The U.S. is further beefing up its military presence in the Middle East, sending in additional troops and putting others on standby while keeping an aircraft carrier on station as the region prepares for more violence.

The moves come after Israeli forces killed Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in Lebanon on Friday, in a strike that threatens to plunge the region into a wider war.

Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Sunday ordered the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln and its attached destroyers to remain in the region, just a month after rerouting them to the Middle East while they were on a planned deployment to the Pacific. The directive comes days after the USS Harry S. Truman carrier strike group left its home port in Virginia for a scheduled cruise, potentially creating a two-carrier presence in the Middle East for the second time since the summer.

The Pentagon also announced that the U.S. will be sending additional “air-support capabilities in the coming days,” and that the USS Wasp Amphibious Ready Group will remain in the eastern Mediterranean. The group includes the amphibious ships USS New York and USS Oak Hill, along with thousands of Marines capable of performing civilian evacuations from Lebanon if necessary. The Wasp, which can launch small boats ashore, is also loaded with Marine-flown F-35B fighter planes, giving military planners an extra aerial punch if needed.

Those ships have been patrolling the Mediterranean since June and have been at sea since April. The Wasp group replaced a similar group of amphibious ships led by the USS Bataan, which had its own deployment to the region extended several times and ended up spending eight months at sea before heading home in March. (Read more from “Austin Orders U.S. Forces to Be Ready to Deploy as Middle East Heats Up” HERE)

More U.S. Troops to Deploy Amid Rising Tensions in the Middle East

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In a significant move amidst escalating violence, the Pentagon has announced the deployment of additional U.S. troops to the Middle East. This decision comes as fighting intensifies between Israel and Hezbollah in Lebanon, raising concerns about a potential wider regional war.

Pentagon press secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder refrained from providing specifics about the number of troops or their intended missions. Currently, approximately 40,000 U.S. service members are stationed in the region. Recently, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin expedited the deployment of a guided missile submarine and the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier strike group to the area, underscoring the urgency of the situation.

The situation in Lebanon has dramatically deteriorated, with Israel preparing for further military operations against Hezbollah. This escalation follows a series of airstrikes that targeted hundreds of Hezbollah positions, resulting in at least 274 casualties—marking one of the deadliest days in the ongoing conflict.

In light of the escalating violence, the U.S. State Department has issued urgent warnings for American citizens to evacuate Lebanon. The embassy highlighted the unpredictable nature of the conflict and recent explosions in cities, including Beirut, stating, “Due to the ongoing conflict, we urge U.S. citizens to depart Lebanon while commercial options still remain available.”

The increase in U.S. military presence signals a commitment to stabilizing the region, but it also raises questions about the potential for American forces to become more deeply involved in the conflict. Analysts warn that further military escalation could lead to unintended consequences, drawing the U.S. into a complex web of alliances and hostilities.

The backdrop of this conflict is shaped by long-standing tensions between Israel and Hezbollah, as well as the wider geopolitical dynamics involving Iran, which supports Hezbollah and has been vocally critical of U.S. involvement in the region. As the situation evolves, international diplomatic efforts are likely to intensify, aiming to de-escalate hostilities and prevent a broader war.

As both the U.S. and Israel prepare for possible further action, the risk of a wider confrontation remains high.

Now It’s the United States That Gets Caught Persecuting Christians

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. . .A report at the Washington Stand explains that now international religious freedom organizations “are monitoring religious freedom conditions in the United States … and it’s easy to see why.”

Arielle Del Turco, of the Center for Religious Liberty at the Family Research Council, added, to the publication, “Sadly, American culture is increasingly hostile to traditional Christian beliefs.”

Two recent situations both have developed in the leftist state of Colorado, run now by Democrats in the governor’s office, state House and state Senate. There bureaucrats first accused Masterpiece Cakeshop owner Jack Phillips of discrimination because he wouldn’t promote same-sex marriages with his cake artistry, and then they demanded a web designer promote same-sex weddings if she provided any wedding services.

In both cases the principals are Christians who refused state demands they violate their faith, and in both cases the state was summarily slapped down by the U.S. Supreme Court. However, the state still maintains the so-called “anti-discrimination” agenda under which the two were charged.

Del Turco told the Stand, “To a large extent, we can all intuit that by browsing through a streaming service or scrolling on social media. But these cultural shifts are also having real-work impacts for Christians in America who simply want to go about their lives while staying true to their faith.” (Read more from “Now It’s the United States That Gets Caught Persecuting Christians” HERE)

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Republicans Slam Biden for ‘Disastrous’ Response to U.S. Soldiers Being Murdered: ‘Retaliatory Strikes Are Not Deterrence’

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Republican lawmakers slammed President Joe Biden on Friday for taking nearly a full week to respond to three U.S. troops being murdered in the Middle East last weekend, saying that the administration’s response did not go far enough and failed to establish deterrence.

U.S. bombers hit dozens of targets in a limited number of locations in Iraq and Syria after Iranian-backed terrorists conducted a suicide drone attack on a U.S. base last week that also wounded approximately three dozen troops.

“The tragic deaths of three U.S. troops in Jordan, perpetrated by Iran-backed militias, demanded a clear and forceful response,” said House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA). “Unfortunately, the administration waited for a week and telegraphed to the world, including to Iran, the nature of our response. The public handwringing and excessive signaling undercuts our ability to put a decisive end to the barrage of attacks endured over the past few months.”

“We have suffered more than 150 attacks on U.S. forces, lost American lives, and spent billions of dollars in the region since October,” he continued. “It is long overdue for the Biden administration to admit that its strategy of appeasing Iran has been disastrous for the international community and regional stability. We must stand firmly against those who would harm Americans, propagate terror, or threaten our allies. Now is the time for President Biden to wake up to the reality that his policy of placating Iran has failed. To promote peace, America must project strength.” (Read more from “Republicans Slam Biden for ‘Disastrous’ Response to U.S. Soldiers Being Murdered: ‘Retaliatory Strikes Are Not Deterrence’” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

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