quote:

Originally posted by downtownv:

quote:

Originally posted by Some Shot:
Link requires a subscription.

NO, it does not...I do not have a subscription, and I read it daily.

It does have a pop up screen first, you need to click continue to story at the top and once you do, bam, it's gone.... the cover page that is...

quote:

Iran has previously accused Israel and the United States of smuggling devices to undermine security, though Starlink remains unlicensed there despite reports of active service.

There is an old saw in the community of people engaged in IP routing: "The Internet interprets censorship as damage, and routes around it." Kind of why the protocols were designed the way they were.

Closed-door outburst turns into victory for Trump’s Iran negotiations

By Alex Miller | Fox News
Published June 24, 2026 11:02pm EDT

An explosive meeting in the Senate turned into a win for President Donald Trump and his administration as key Republicans flipped on another bid to handcuff the administration’s authorities in Iran.

In its final act before leaving Washington, D.C., for an over two-week break, the Senate rejected Democrats’ attempt to rein in Trump’s war powers in Iran as talks continue between Iran and the U.S. to hammer out a long-term peace deal.

It was the same war powers resolution from Sen. Tim Kaine, D-Va., that passed over a month ago and stunned Republicans in the upper chamber.

What seemed like a predetermined outcome just hours after Trump and Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., sparred over the Iran war, and the administration's lack of forthcomingness with lawmakers, during a closed-door meeting to discuss the president's marquee voter ID and citizenship verification legislation turned into a surprise late night win.

Trump argued to the GOP that the previous war powers resolution, which passed on Tuesday thanks in part to a pair of Republicans being absent, hurt the administration's negotiating position with the Iranians.

Meetings with key holdouts at the White House helped change the minds of Cassidy and Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who has routinely voted with Democrats on every war powers resolution brought forward, and provided the administration with a win as they work toward a deal beyond the 60-day memorandum of understanding with Iran.

"I want to thank Vice President [JD] Vance and Special Envoy [Steve] Witkoff for the thorough briefing this afternoon on Iran," Cassidy said on X. "I appreciate the quick invitation to the White House to address many of my concerns."

And Paul, who voted present, noted that his "opinion on the debate over war and executive power has not changed and I have voted that way several times."

"But since hostilities seem to be over and the President asked me to give consideration to his negotiating position, I will do so," Paul said on X. "My vote of present is a way to give the President more space and leverage to negotiate a lasting peace."

Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., who has been at the forefront among Democrats in pushing war powers resolutions in the upper chamber, acknowledged that "this is a different moment," but cautioned that the ceasefire appeared to be "precarious right now."

When asked if he believed Trump's case to Republicans that the successful war powers vote just a day before was hurting the administration's leverage, Murphy said, "The Iranians don't — you know, all they have to do is read a poll and find out that people in this country don't support the war. They didn't support the war."

Still, it marked a key win for Senate Majority Leader John Thune, R-S.D., and the Senate GOP's whip operation, led by Senate Majority Whip John Barrasso, R-Wyo., to flip the skeptics into backers of the administration’s long game in Iran after several contentious weeks in the Senate spurred by Trump's last-minute decisions that either derailed or torpedoed several of his key agenda items.

Thune and Barrasso, accompanied by Sens. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., and Bernie Moreno, R-Ohio, huddled in the GOP leader's office as the vote wound down late Wednesday to call Trump, and share the news of the vote.

"Wow! The Senate just changed its vote on Iran from 50-48 against, to 50-47 for," Trump said on Truth Social. "Rand Paul and Bill Cassidy changed. Thank you to Leader John Thune, Lindsey Graham, Bernie Moreno, and all. This vote puts Iran on notice!"

It also comes at a time when speculation has swirled over the nature of Thune and Trump's relationship as the president, accompanied by chatter online, have ramped up the pressure to pass the Safeguarding American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act.

Moreno made the case that the questions over their relationship, and Thune's position as leader, was just noise, and that "there's not a single solitary Senator running for office that says leader Thune should be replaced, not one, even non-incumbents."

"What today showed is that President Trump has a kind of relationship with John Thune where he says, ‘Hey, let me talk to the guys,’ understand the situation," Moreno said. "As much as Cassidy and Trump got into it, it was because they're both passionate, they're both smart people."

"And now, we've most importantly sent the Iranians a message that President Trump has the full backing of the Congress, and that was an incredibly important day," he continued. "That's a huge victory for us."

quote:

Originally posted by AirmanJeff:


Maybe because the President realizes it's not worth tens of thousands of American lives? And this is really not our war to begin with?

The certainty of large, economically and politically powerful nation led by insane Muhammedans with nuclear bombs and long range missiles capable of reaching the continental USA is not our war to begin with?

^^^ Agreed. If not ours, whose?

This is not Iraq, where Hussein denied he had WMDs, outside inspectors couldn't find any, we invaded anyway, and sure enough none were found.. The assaholahs in Iran openly brag about it.

Trump Requests $88 Billion Supplemental Funding Package Focused On Iran War Funds, Farm Aid, And Ebola Response

President Donald Trump formally asked Congress on Wednesday for $87.6 billion in supplemental appropriations - your tax dollars - to cover urgent needs stemming from the U.S. military campaign against Iran, provide economic relief to American farmers, and respond to the Ebola outbreak in Central Africa.

The request, sent in a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, comes as the administration seeks to replenish military stocks and address operational expenses from Operation Epic Fury, the joint U.S.-Israeli military effort launched on February 28, 2026.

Breakdown of the Funding Request

According to the White House letter and reporting from multiple outlets, the package allocates funds across several priorities:

Department of War (Pentagon): $67.146 billion - the largest share. This includes approximately $21 billion for munitions to rebuild stockpiles, substantial funding for operations and readiness, $2.4 billion for drones, $5.1 billion for cybersecurity and autonomy, fuel costs, and $12.1 billion for classified programs.
American Farmers (USDA): $11.1 billion - $10 billion in temporary economic assistance for row and specialty crops in 2026, plus $1.1 billion to help Florida agricultural producers recover from winter storm damage.
Ebola Outbreak Response: $1.4 billion - focused on detection, contact tracing, surveillance, humanitarian assistance in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, and Kenya, plus medical evacuation and departure support for U.S. citizens.
Infrastructure and Other: $500 million for restoration and capital projects in Washington, D.C.; $1 billion toward modernizing Penn Station in New York City; plus smaller amounts for the Department of Energy and other items.

The administration described most of the request as addressing “urgent needs related to Operation Epic Fury” while also tackling other critical domestic and international priorities.

https://www.zerohedge.com/poli...n-war-funds-farm-aid

Cargo Vessel Comes Under Apparent Iranian Attack Near Oman, Crude Jumps, After IRGC Warned It Controls Hormuz Strait

Update(11:28ET): A tanker appears to have come under (likely) Iranian attack close to the coast of Oman on Thursday. It seems that Iran is seeking to impose control, and its red lines as its military issues the following message: "Coordination with the IRGC Navy for passage through the Strait of Hormuz via Channel 16 is mandatory, and violator vessels will be dealt with."

Crude jumps, also as Bloomberg reports that already "At least three ships, including two oil supertankers, appeared to turn around while attempting to cross the Strait of Hormuz using a route that hugs Oman’s coastline."

Bloomberg continues: "It wasn’t immediately clear why the vessels turned around, but two maritime intelligence companies published broadcasts that purported to be from the Iranian navy instructing ships not to cross. Not all ships have turned around and some continued along the Oman route, according to tracking data compiled by Bloomberg."

This comes after there's been some optimism this week after the signing of the US-Iran MoU, as tanker traffic has clearly picked up. However, Tehran’s Persian Gulf Strait Authority has been insistent that transit can't happen without express permission, and as Tehran seems to impose steep tolls under its protocol.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geop...plying-will-be-dealt

quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:
Cargo Vessel Comes Under Apparent Iranian Attack Near Oman, Crude Jumps, After IRGC Warned It Controls Hormuz Strait

Shocked....absolutely shocked I tell you. I was so sure the nutjob Mullahs were going to keep their word this time.

^^^^^^
There are multiple factions claiming to be the Iranian government. A big problem for us.

Destroy the early favorites, then see who's left still talking smack. Run, rinse, repeat.

My opinion is worth more than anyone else on this subject but I think we should either process the conflict to the fullest (kill everyone that even may oppose us, and break ALL of their shit), or completely stay out of it.

It seems for now Iran's population isn't ready to throw off their government, understandable if the shortages and general pain of living isn't hard enough, or if they just don't want to get shot or hung, so since they're not headed for an inflection point in the near term, we're probably stuck with the current continuation of the old boss, or the new boss that's just like the old boss, either way everyone stays screwed. The real solution may be more like a purge in the biblical sense, but obviously that's not an option at this time, like it was securing full surrender and prosecution of Germany and Japan at the end of WWII.

I can't explain it, but it just feels like the Iranians just aren't up for it, they're just too accustomed to living under a black cloud, and as nasty as it is, it's something they understand and navigate on a daily basis.

quote:

Originally posted by chellim1:
Trump Requests $88 Billion Supplemental Funding Package Focused On Iran War Funds, Farm Aid, And Ebola Response

I'd be happy to pay for that. Just take the funds out of the budget for SNAP/foodstamps and Section 8 (among others).

I think we Americans don't understand people that live under oppression. These people are not like us. We think they quest for freedom the way we did 250 years ago. These people will trade freedom for security every damn time. Reading Solzhenitsyn I remember him describing a Russian that comes across a frozen thought to be extinct salamander. He frees it from the ice and then eats it. He says this is a quintessential Russian behavior, and a warning. Never underestimate the capacity for Russians to endure hardship. I think we are making the same mistake with the the Iranian people. Are we absolutely sure they want western style freedom?

quote:

Originally posted by goose5:
I think we are making the same mistake with the Iranian people. Are we absolutely sure they want western style freedom?

They don't know what it is. Few of the citizens were adults the last time they had some freedom under the Shah, and apparently it still wasn't true freedom.

What allowed the Founders to create a free USA was that for about 150 years people had lived with very little governing. The King was across an ocean. Many lived in small towns or villages effectively under only local control. Via real world experimentation they had found that limited government led to freedom which was of great benefit. Several generations grew up knowing freedom, and they valued it enough to fight for it.

Australia was similar. The citizens were known to be fiercely independent.

We cannot impose western freedom on a different society. It takes generations before a new philosophy becomes ingrained.

quote:

Originally posted by Fly-Sig:
We cannot impose western freedom on a different society. It takes generations before a new philosophy becomes ingrained.

This is true, and it goes both ways. I’m sure that founding fathers would lose their minds at the level of over regulation we deal with day to day.

Little by little, growing like a cancer, government consumes liberty. We may still have the best government out there, but the founding fathers wouldn’t recognize it.

Damage To Key US Bases In Gulf So Extensive The Pentagon May Not Rebuild Them

With each week and month that passes since the start of Trump's Operation Epic Fury, more and more reports have come out revealing the massive extent of damage to US military facilities in the Mideast region based on Iran's retaliation across the region.

This is often based on fresh satellite imaging and analysis, despite US government pressure for these research entities to refrain from publishing such data, and to censor open source photographs. After a series of deep investigative reports, it has been proven time and again that the Pentagon and Washington officials have been downplaying and covering up the real extent of devastation caused by Iranian missiles and drones.

More fresh reporting in the Wall Street Journal once again adds confirmation to this, referencing satellite imagery which shows far more serious damage at a key naval base in Bahrain than the US has publicly acknowledged.
WSJ featured newly publicized images of whole US military command & communications buildings belonging to the US Navy in Bahrain obliterated, via AIRBUS

The damage is said to be bad enough that the Pentagon is mulling shrinking its troop presence there and elsewhere in the Gulf, including a potential reduced troop footprint in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. Iran is hailing this reported pullback as a significant strategic victory produced by its retaliation.

Unnamed officials were cited in the report as saying American forces could retreat as far westward as Israel, after some bases essentially became unusable or uninhabitable altogether.

Concerning the Bahrain base details, WSJ writes:

The U.S. Navy base in Bahrain was repeatedly targeted between late February and June. Strikes that got through caused extensive damage, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis of satellite imagery, social-media footage and interviews with current and former servicemembers—damage that the Pentagon hasn’t publicly acknowledged. Hit hard were the command headquarters and at least a dozen other buildings, along with two satellite communications terminals.

The military said no one was killed at the base, known as Naval Support Activity Bahrain, and that the strikes didn’t significantly impact operations. The U.S. evacuated most personnel but has kept a small staff on the ground.

Notably in Bahrain the headquarters building for the US Navy in the Middle East was struck and seriously damaged, along with sensitive communications centers being destroyed.

But here is a key, somewhat unexpected line in the Journal report: "The extensive damage done to America’s sole naval base in the Middle East - along with hits to at least 20 U.S. sites across the region, including military installations and diplomatic facilities - has the U.S. re-evaluating its entire footprint in the region, according to U.S. officials familiar with the deliberations.

This means that damaged structures and bases may not be rebuilt at all, and the sites may just be abandoned as future key US military hubs, WSJ says.

The draw-down of expensive Pentagon comms centers could include from Bahrain: "The military is now considering revamping the base in Bahrain, reducing the U.S. presence in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia and moving some bases or base functions west, farther from the reach of Iranian missiles and drones, according to the officials familiar with the deliberations," WSJ writes.

Reconstruction costs would be staggering, per the same report:

The Center for Strategic and International Studies estimated in a report published Tuesday that the total cost of the war was about $40 billion. That estimate included their calculus of $2.2 billion to $5.1 billion in damage to U.S. bases, based on structures that CSIS identified as damaged.

The Journal used satellite images and social-media footage to identify which buildings on the Bahrain base were damaged. To estimate what it would cost to construct buildings of the same types today, the Journal reviewed a publicly available Defense Department cost model as well as procurement reports. The estimates only cover construction, and don’t include other costs that ​could factor into the total if the buildings were to be rebuilt, such as debris removal and reinforcement. ​

"The estimated construction costs at NSA Bahrain totaled about $400 million," it continues. But ultimately a draw-back from these locations would be based on the proven reality that Iran can easily hit them at any time.

Some further implications to all this are that in any future flare-up or even return to all-out war between the US and Iran, American forces would find themselves executing a conflict much further away from the theatre itself. For example, dozens of major Air Force refueling tankers have already had to be relocated far away from the Gulf, to places like Tel Aviv. Many were destroyed in the opening weeks of the war while parked at Gulf airfields, clearly over-exposed as it seems Iran knew exactly where to target.

Back in late March, US officials admitted to the NY Times that Iran's significantly retaliation damaging US bases was "a war that is much harder to prosecute."

https://www.zerohedge.com/mili...may-not-rebuild-them

quote:

Originally posted by goose5:

frozen thought to be extinct salamander. He frees it from the ice and then eats it.

Tastes like chicken.

I call bs on that wsj article. I am skeptical of most of it.

To be fair it’s very comforting to China, North Korea and Russia.