THE MAGA-MAN DONALD TRUMP

[thelivyjr]

Alternet

"'Meathead' Pentagon chief blind to the fact he’s Trump’s next 'sacrificial lamb': analysis"

Elizabeth Preza

March 14, 2026

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has no idea he’s President Donald Trump’s “future victim,” British-American journalist Sarah Baxter writes in a Paper.

“We are beginning to see in real time what happens when a vain, looksmaxxing US secretary of war encounters death and destruction, and it isn’t pretty,” Baxter wrote Saturday.

Looksmaxxing, as the New Yorker puts it, is “the practice of intensively optimizing one's appearance.”

And for Baxter, who calls Hegseth a “cartoonish Johnny Bravo lookalike," the Pentagon chief is certainly a follower of the practice.

“With his ability to do 100 push-ups and 50 pull-ups in just over five minutes, he regards himself as the epitome of masculinity and bravery,” Baxter writes.

MAGA TRUMPER HEGSETH, A "PRETTY BOY" WHO WHINES LIKE A PETULANT TODDLER, LACKS THE EMOTIONAL MATURITY REQUIRED IN A LEADER OF WARRIORS ...

The Daily Beast

"Pentagon Pete ignores dead troops to melt down at CNN"

Story by Sarah Ewall-Wice

14 MARCH 2026

The Pentagon may have announced four more U.S. service members were killed as Donald Trump’s Iran war rages, but Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth kicked off his briefing early Friday by blasting the media in a wild rant about the coverage of “Operation Epic Fury.”

U.S. Central Command shared Friday that at least four of the six crew members who went down in the KC-135 refueling aircraft in western Iraq have died.

The rescue and recovery effort is ongoing.

But Hegseth started his remarks on Friday by attacking CNN and whining that the press was not delivering the war propaganda he wanted to see in its headlines.

“More fake news from CNN, reports that The Trump Administration Underestimated the Iran War’s Impact on the Strait of Hormuz," Hegseth read.

"Patently ridiculous, of course."

"For decades, Iran has threatened shipping in the Strait of Hormuz."

"This is always what they do, hold the strait hostage.”

The defense secretary was taking aim at a CNN report late Thursday from multiple sources that the Pentagon and National Security Council “significantly underestimated Iran’s willingness to close the Strait of Hormuz in response to US military strikes.”

“CNN doesn’t think we thought of that,” Hegseth ranted.

“It’s a fundamentally unserious report."

"The sooner David Ellison takes over that network, the better.”

Ellison is the pro-Trump Paramount CEO who restructured CBS News and is now working on a merger with CNN’s parent company Warner Bros Discovery.

Shipping through the crucial Strait of Hormuz has seen significant disruptions since the war began, causing some countries to cut oil production because it cannot access the ships needed to export it.

The price of oil has skyrocketed as Americans are seeing a surge in gas prices.

The administration has been left scrambling to tap into Strategic Petroleum Reserves and lift sanctions on Russian oil to help with the strain on supply.

Hegseth insisted they “don’t need to worry about it” on Friday.

And he was not done freaking out at the press.

“Another example of a fake headline that I saw yesterday: War Widening,” Hegseth wailed.

“Here’s a really headline for you or an actual patriotic press."

"How about: Iran Shrinking, Going Underground?”

“You see Iran’s leaders are hiding in bunkers and moving into civilian areas."

"The only thing that is widening is our advantage, not to mention our Gulf partners stepping up even more now,” Hegseth declared.

The former Fox News host also made what he called “a few suggestions” about the banners seen on television screens about the war.

“People look up at the TV, and they see banners."

"They see headlines."

"I used to be in that business, and I know that everything is written intentionally,” Hegseth moaned.

“For example, a banner or a headline: Mideast War Intensifies, splashing on the screen the last couple of days alongside visuals of civilian or energy targets Iran has hit because that’s what they do."

"What should the banner read instead?"

"How about Iran Increasingly Desperate?"

"Because they are."

"They know it, and so do you, if it can be admitted.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/pe ... 345d&ei=22

[thelivyjr]

FOX News

"Trump suddenly seems anxious to end the war as American casualties mount and Iran finds ways to hit back"

Opinion by Howard Kurtz

13 MARCH 2026

It was Mike Tyson who famously said, "Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth."

In terms of sheer firepower, the greatest military machine in human history has totally overwhelmed Iran and is decimating the country.

But the Iranians are finding ways to fight back, as American officials acknowledge, and those who envisioned a cakewalk are finding a rockier road.

The Trump administration’s disclosure that 140 U.S. service members were wounded in the initial attack that killed Ayatollah Ali Khameini and other top leaders highlights the ability of even an overwhelmed enemy to inflict pain.

As President Donald Trump sends decidedly mixed messages about the duration of the war, the question hovers in the air: What amounts to winning?

There are some, including Republicans, who want Trump to declare victory and get out.

He can boast that he disrupted the terror state’s latest attempt to develop a nuclear weapon.

Yesterday, in fact, the president told Axios that the war will end "soon" because there is "practically nothing left to target …"

"Little this and that …"

"Any time I want it to end, it will end."

Trump’s explanation: "We have done more damage than we thought possible."

Just days ago, the president said the military campaign against Tehran would take four to six weeks.

More important than the timing, Trump had insisted that Iran must undergo regime change.

He proclaimed that he had to approve the country’s next leader.

Well, with the Iranians anointing the ayatollah’s son, who Trump had specifically deemed unacceptable, that obviously didn’t happen.

The almost seamless quality of the U.S. kidnapping of Venezuelan leader Nicholas Maduro and takeover of that country’s oil may have given the Trump team a sense of overconfidence when it comes to Iran, which has 90 million people.

There’s no mistaking the fact that Trump, allied with Israel, has made other dire threats against an Iranian regime that has bedeviled a succession of American presidents since the 1979 hostage crisis.

"If Iran does anything that stops the flow of Oil within the Strait of Hormuz," he posted, "they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far."

But that’s exactly what the Iranians are doing, with reports that they are booby-trapping the strait, a major chokepoint for world oil shipments, with land mines.

Among other things, according to officials and experts cited by the New York Times, militias backed by Iran have attacked hotels utilized by American troops.

There was a series of drones launched at an affluent hotel in the Iraqi city of Erbil.

An Iran expert at Johns Hopkins University told the paper that the Iranians learned from the initial U.S. attack last June that the Pentagon is lacking certain missiles and defensive weapons that can intercept drones.

Another Times story, assessing the first 12 days, concluded that Trump and his advisers "misjudged how Iran would respond to a conflict that Tehran sees as an existential threat."

Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, however, told reporters that "I can’t say that we anticipated necessarily that’s exactly how they would react, but we knew it was a possibility."

"I think it was a demonstration of the desperation of the regime."

Beyond weaponry, the war launched by Trump has had a more predictable financial impact, creating economic uncertainty around the world.

Americans have been hit with soaring gas prices and shrinking retirement plans.

The market volatility and oil prices have bounced around, but this has clearly fueled feelings of anxiety.

What’s more, unemployment has ticked up and tens of thousands of jobs have been lost, which predates the war but also may be linked to the Supreme Court ruling rejecting Trump’s tariffs.

America has punched Iran in the mouth.

But the theocratic dictatorship can declare a victory of sorts simply by surviving.

Trump, for his part, can boost his party’s uphill chances in the midterms by bringing this war to an early conclusion.

That would also end a different war, the acrimonious debate within his MAGA coalition between those who defend the assault on Iran and those who believe he betrayed his base by abandoning his America First pledge to stay out of foreign wars.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/opinion/ ... e155&ei=31

[thelivyjr]

The Independent

"Having misjudged Iran, Trump now risks falling into his own trap"

Opinion by Editorial

14 MARCH 2026

The most grievous of the very many baleful consequences of Donald Trump’s war of choice in Iran is that it has given Vladimir Putin’s struggling war machine a vital boost.

With US sanctions on sales of Russian oil now being relaxed, the Kremlin can take further advantage of the energy crisis, and sell yet more oil and natural gas into world markets at inflated rates.

This will, in turn, help fund Russia in its grinding war of attrition in time for new spring offensives, after it found itself perilously short of money, and even manpower, in recent months.

For Volodymyr Zelensky, it must feel like yet another betrayal.

President Trump’s telephone conversation with his counterpart in Moscow earlier this week seems to have been the preparation for this latest move, and provides further proof, were it needed, of the uncanny, Rasputin-like influence the Russian leader exerts over the president of the United States.

One day, we may learn the perhaps disturbing reasons for this, but, for the time being, the fact is that Ukraine is being placed at a critical disadvantage because of the United States’ current misguided policy of appeasing Russia.

Or, to put it more directly, the very security of Europe is being sacrificed for a fundamentally futile war on Iran, which no one, with the prominent exception of Benjamin Netanyahu, ever wanted or needed.

It is doubly galling for the Ukrainians, because even as their motherland is occupied and in peril, President Zelensky has dispatched teams of advisers to help the US and the Gulf states to cope with Iran’s drone warfare.

It is no surprise that the Iranian Shahed drones, and similar unmanned aerial vehicles Tehran is guiding towards military, civilian and marine targets in Dubai, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, are, of course, the very same as the ones the Russians manufacture under licence, which rain down on the unarmed inhabitants of Ukrainian towns and villages.

Iran and Russia have long cooperated, diplomatically and militarily, in their sanctions-busting efforts, and there are rumours that the Kremlin has recently been supplying Tehran with details of the location of US assets in the region.

This only adds to the puzzle of President Trump’s almost maternal protection of Russian interests.

At any rate, Russia receives little criticism for its friendship with Iran, while Ukraine gets no thanks for saving Americans and Arabs from death and injury.

It can only be hoped that Ukraine receives some pecuniary benefit from the rich Gulf kingdoms in exchange for its expertise.

If so, it would help to offset the financial windfall that Russia and its war machine are currently enjoying – around £5bn already in the short time the conflict has lasted, and there is no end in sight to the fighting.

There has now arisen a bizarre spat between President Trump and the new Ayatollah Khamenei about who gets to decide when the war is over.

The competition actually makes peace less likely.

Mr Trump says that it is up to him, and he’s not done yet, despite saying the opposite only a few days ago; his counterpart declares that he won’t surrender, and that the vital Strait of Hormuz will remain closed to traffic at his pleasure.

An Iranian war aim is that the price of a barrel of oil should reach $200 (£151) – which would have crippling consequences for the world economy, but offer a further bonanza for President Putin.

In short, this is not a sustainable situation.

In Britain, the chancellor Rachel Reeves and her colleagues are rightly berating the oil companies for profiteering, based on the common observation that prices at petrol stations usually go up like a rocket at the first whiff of trouble in the Middle East, and down like a feather when the crisis passes.

But no Western government or population will be able to escape the grim consequences of a prolonged period of high energy costs and a bout of inflation, if not stagflation, unless things calm down rapidly.

Through his own vanity and misjudgements, President Trump has seemingly created a trap for himself: the US is now the only force with the firepower to break the Iranian embargo and get the oil and gas supplies moving again – so it cannot easily extricate itself from the war, even if it wished to.

Ideally, given the reaction of the markets and the expectation of another “Taco”, the president will once again chicken out, declare victory, and at least pause Operation Epic Fury.

At that point, he should offer the Iranians a resumption of talks on the nuclear issue, which, a few weeks ago, very nearly yielded a historic agreement and the renunciation of nuclear weapons by the Iranians.

In turn, the Iranians should save their own people and their neighbours from yet more misery, by taking up the offer and voluntarily freeing the Strait of Hormuz.

In truth, it would probably end up not so very different from the US and European-sponsored Iran nuclear deal signed by Barack Obama in 2015 and subsequently rescinded by a jealous Mr Trump, but it is the best way that this catastrophic war can be ended swiftly.

For Mr Trump, it would restore his slim chances of retaining control of Congress this autumn, and remove the likelihood of a subsequent series of impeachments.

Knowing him, he would then illogically claim to have ended another war – even though this entire dangerous episode was a mess of his own making – and to have rescued the global economy from a slump.

Meanwhile, the experts say that between 40 and 440kg of partially enriched uranium remains unaccounted for, and is likely buried in some deep tunnel in Iran.

Other, more peaceful means will be needed to resolve that unfinished business in the years ahead; a nuclear-armed Iran remains an unacceptable prospect.

For now – and not least, for the sake of Ukraine – Mr Trump must end the fighting.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/ha ... 6434&ei=42

[thelivyjr]

India Today

"Another strait to get shut after Hormuz? Houthis ready to pull trigger in Iran war"

Story by Sushim Mukul

15 MARCH 2026

"Will the Houthis join the Iran war?"

"Why all is quiet on the Yemeni front".

These were some of the headlines global outlets carried earlier this week as Iran kept retaliating against joint American and Israeli strikes.

The questions are valid and asked with a sense of anxiety.

If the Yemen-based Houthis, a militant group long backed, armed and nurtured by Tehran were to join the war, it could get another crucial waterway, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, choked.

This could be catastrophic for global trade amid a shutdown of the Strait of Hormuz.

The Houthis, who were curiously staying out of the war on Iran, have just said that their "fingers are on the trigger".

They said they were "ready to respond at any moment should developments warrant it".

Experts have suggested Houthis to be part of "Iran's three-stage strategy" in the region.

Simultaneously, Iran's semi-official Fars News Agency reported that the Houthis and other "resistance groups" were on full alert and might join Tehran's ongoing fight, warning that it could lead to closure of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, the narrow passage at the southern tip of the Arabian Peninsula that controls traffic for sea vessels accessing the Suez Canal via the Red Sea.

Like the Strait of Hormuz, which remains choked amid reports of Iran blocking the passage of several cargo ships, the Bab el-Mandeb is an equally critical maritime route.

The Bab el-Mandeb links the Red Sea and effectively the Indian Ocean to the Mediterranean Sea, and further to the Atlantic Ocean.

The route is key to the Asia-Europe trade.

If the Houthis, who have long threatened and even tried to choke Bab el-Mandeb, move to block the route, the fallout could be as severe, especially at a time when the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf remains choked amid the war.

"The war's about to get wider and uglier," says Lebanese-Australian podcast host Mario Nawfal, reacting to the Houthi threat.

So, if the Bab el-Mandeb is blocked (in addition to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz), global trade would face a massive shock.

Together the routes carry roughly 30% of the world's seaborne oil and handle a major share of the Asia-Europe maritime trade through the Suez Canal.

The potential closure of the Bal el-Mandeb would also be significant, given the fact that Saudi Arabia had started an alternative oil delivery route through the strait at the entrance of the Red Sea.

WHAT EXACTLY ARE THE HOUTHIS THREATENING?

The warning from Yemen's Houthi came after around a fortnight of the joint Israeli-American war on Iran.

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Houthi leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi said his forces had "fingers on the trigger" and were prepared to intervene if the conflict widened.

The Houthis have warned that if countries like Saudi Arabia join the fight against Iran, or if attacks on Tehran intensify, they could begin targeting shipping lanes.

Their focus, in all likelihood, would be the Bab el-Mandeb, the narrow maritime chokepoint separating Yemen from Djibouti and Eritrea (near the Horn of Africa).

There is more reason to take the threat seriously.

The Houthis have attempted to choke the Bab el-Mandeb before and have repeatedly warned they could do so again.

A warning came from Tehran, the handlers of Houthis, as well.

A senior Iranian military official suggested that Iran could expand its maritime campaign to a second strategic chokepoint.

According to Al Jazeera, the official said the conflict could soon spiral into a wider regional war and warned that Tehran still had "many cards to play", including the possibility of extending pressure to the Bab el-Mandeb strait.

Fears of such tactics have already had an effect, even before the threat came.

Shipping giant Maersk temporarily paused some Red Sea transits amid fears the route could soon become unsafe, according to a report in Reuters on March 1.

"Due to the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East region following the escalating military conflict, we have decided...to pause future Trans-Suez sailings through the Bab el-Mandeb Strait for the time being," Danish container shipping group Maersk said.

Tehran's non-state allies, like Hezbollah in Lebanon, the militias in Iraq, Gaza's Hamas, and the Yemeni Houthis form what it calls the "Axis of Resistance".

It's the "Axis of Evil" for the Israelis.

If the war widens, analysts say these groups could open new fronts to pressure the United States and Israelis, directly and indirectly.

However, Hezbollah and Hamas have been battered by years of fighting with Israel, which has significantly limited their ability to escalate the war further for now.

But the Houthis, sitting on the southern tip of the Arabian peninsula near the Bal el-Mandeb, have been largely conserving their firepower.

So, what's the Bab el-Mandeb?

And how important a shipping route is it?

WHAT IS BAB EL-MANDEB, AND WHY DOES IT MATTER?

The Bab el-Mandeb, whose name translates roughly to "Gate of Tears", is one of the world's most important maritime chokepoints.

Just about 29 kilometres wide at its narrowest point, the strait connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the wider Indian Ocean.

Any ship travelling between Europe and Asia through the Suez Canal must pass through it.

If ships cannot pass through the Suez Canal via the Bab el-Mandeb, they must reroute around the Cape of Good Hope (the southern tip of the African peninsula).

That would turn a typical 20-25-day Asia-Europe voyage into roughly 30-40 days, adding about 10-15 extra days to the journey.

Roughly 12% of global trade, 10% of seaborne oil and significant volumes of liquefied natural gas (LNG) pass through this corridor.

In 2023 alone, around 8.8 million barrels of oil per day and large LNG shipments transited the route, according to the US Department of Energy.

The Houthis, who have controlled Yemen's Red Sea coastline since their takeover of Sanaa in 2014, have repeatedly targeted ships in the region.

After the Houthis attacked the UAE and Saudi Arabia in 2022, traffic through the Bab el-Mandeb declined.

During the Gaza War in 2023, the group launched more than 100 attacks on commercial vessels, according to reports by news agency Reuters and the BBC.

These strikes forced dozens of shipping companies to reroute vessels around Africa, adding days to journeys and billions in extra costs.

The attacks have typically relied on a mix of drones, anti-ship missiles and fast-attack boats, often described by analysts as "swarm tactics".

Western officials believe the Houthis receive intelligence and weapons support from Iran, including targeting information relayed by surveillance ships in the region.

This track record means the latest threats cannot be dismissed as mere rhetoric.

IF BAB EL-MANDEB CLOSES, HOW BAD COULD THINGS GET?

If the Houthis succeed in choking the Bab el-Mandeb, the consequences for global trade could be catastrophic.

And, given the economic and security stakes, that could be even more disruptive in some ways, especially, coupled with the crisis unfolding at the Strait of Hormuz.

The Strait of Hormuz disruption has already hit oil exports and prices.

Any instability at Bab el-Mandeb would further deteriorate container shipping and make energy prices go through the roof.

"If the Houthis go full military alliance with Iran and shut down another key waterway (Bab al-Mandab), the Red Sea becomes a complete no-go zone, oil prices explode again, and global trade gets choked even harder," Mario Nawfal posted on X.

The knock-on effects could ripple through global supply chains.

Electronics, machinery, food products and consumer goods moving between Asia and Europe would face delays and higher shipping costs.

Energy markets could also react sharply.

The choking of Hormuz has made the rate of crude oil hover near the $100 mark.

If Bal el-Mandeb is choked too, the prices might see a dramatic rise.

Crude oil prices in global markets have surged.

Circumnavigating the African peninsula would result in a surge in insurance premiums for ships.

Some routes could effectively become uninsurable, and cargo flows could slow down dramatically.

WHAT IRAN, HOUTHIS GAIN FROM POTENTIALLY BLOCKING OF BAB EL-MANDEB

Youssef Cherif, the Director of the Columbia Global Centre in Tunis, said that the Houthis blocking the Bab el-Mandeb is part of "Iran's three-stage strategy".

"First, the attacks by Iran that blocked Hormuz."

"Then, the attacks on Lebanon that are distracting Israel."

"And next will come the Houthis, who'll block Bab el-Mandeb," Cherif posted on X.

UAE-based investor and strategic expert Mohamed ELDoh, in a piece in the Global Security Review (written before the commencement of the war in the Middle East on February 28), noted that instability in the Red Sea is likely to continue because of three factors.

The first, he highlighted "the geographic leverage" of the Bab el-Mandeb, which he called was "irreplaceable for global trade".

Second, ELDoh said, the "asymmetric cost structure" of Red Sea attacks gives the Houthis leverage.

Their drones and missiles are cheap while Western interceptions and naval deployments are far more expensive.

Third, ELDoh said such attacks in the Red Sea generate global headlines, giving the Houthis "political signalling value" and making the Red Sea an attractive theatre for indirect pressure.

The latest presence of Israel in the Red Sea also adds a dimension to the ongoing war.

Israel, in December 2025, recognised the independence of Somaliland, a breakaway region of Somalia.

Jerusalem is pursuing a military base there near Berbera to gather intelligence, launch strikes against the Houthis, and secure a strategic foothold across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen, reported Bloomberg.

If the deal with Somaliland materialises, it would give the Israeli forces an extended sphere to retaliate against what they call the "Axis of Evil".

This could again increase the geographical ambit of the war in the Horn of Africa.

In short, if both the chokepoints — the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab el-Mandeb — are closed together, the world economy would be navigating one of the most severe maritime disruptions in modern history.

And that possibility, which might have been considered remote a week ago, is now being openly discussed as the Iran war enters its third week.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/an ... fffd&ei=81

[thelivyjr]

The Daily Express

"Trump issues ominous 2-day warning to Iran after key island totally decimated"

Story by Peter Rubinstein

15 MARCH 2026

President Donald Trump continued his streak of contradictory comments on the state of the United States' involvement in the war with Iran, claiming on Saturday that Iran will be "totally decimated" within two days after previously suggesting the conflict could last a month or longer.

"We've knocked out most of their missiles."

"We've knocked out most of their drones."

"We knocked out their manufacturing of missiles and drones, largely," Trump said during a wide-ranging phone call with NBC News.

"Within two days, it'll be totally decimated."

Faced with increasingly pointed questions from Democratic lawmakers and members of the media over America's involvement in the ongoing attack with Israel against Iran, top Trump administration officials have issued mixed messages that at times directly contradict one another.

It comes as the 4 safest states to live in during a nuclear war were revealed in a terrifying new map.

Trump said "we are way ahead of the timetable" and there's "practically nothing left to target," but he has also claimed the war could last more than a month and proved unable to provide clear objectives for the attack.

His statement on Saturday came as Iran's effective blocking of the Strait of Hormuz has forced global price surges in oil, and after experts say the U.S. was likely behind the bombing of an all-girls' elementary school in Iran that killed more than 150 students.

"The only power they have, and it's a power that can be closed off relatively quickly, is the power of dropping a mine or shooting a relatively short-range missile," Trump claimed, according to NBC.

"But when we get finished with the shoreline, they're not going to have that power either."

The islands off Iran have become the latest focus of the war after a U.S strike destroyed military sites Friday on Kharg Island, which is vital to Iran's oil network, according to The Associated Press.

The U.S. strike on the island in the Persian Gulf left its oil infrastructure intact, but Trump warned that if Iran or anyone else interferes with the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, he will reconsider his decision not to wipe it out.

Although they account for only a small share of Iran's territory, the islands carry outsized importance because of their oil facilities and strategic location.

Tehran said Saturday that the U.S. had used "ports, docks and hideouts" in the UAE to launch strikes on Kharg Island, without providing evidence.

It urged people to leave areas where it said U.S. forces were sheltering, the AP reported.

Hours later, there was no sign of an attack on Dubai's Jebel Ali port - the Mideast's busiest - or the Khalifa port in Abu Dhabi.

But debris from an intercepted Iranian drone hitting an oil facility sparked a fire at the third port, in Fujairah.

Iran's parliamentary speaker has said strikes against the country's oil infrastructure would provoke a new level of retaliation.

Araghchi told MS NOW that the strait was closed only to "those who are attacking us and their allies."

As global anxiety soars over oil prices and supplies, Trump said Saturday that he hopes China, France, Japan, South Korea, the U.K. and others send warships to keep the Strait of Hormuz "open and safe."

Britain, in response, said it was discussing with allies a "range of options" to secure shipping.

Araghchi, in a social media post, urged neighbors to "expel foreign aggressors" and described Trump's call as "begging."

A U.S. official said Friday that 2,500 more Marines with the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and the amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli were being sent to the Middle East, adding to the military's largest buildup of warships and aircraft in the region in decades.

The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military plans.

Marine Expeditionary Units can conduct amphibious landings but also specialize in bolstering security at embassies, evacuating civilians and providing disaster relief.

The deployment doesn't necessarily indicate that a ground operation will take place.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the Marine deployment.

The Tripoli was spotted by commercial satellites sailing near Taiwan, putting it more than a week away from waters off Iran.

It comes after a doctor issue a chilling amputation warning over Trump's alarming condition.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/tr ... fffd&ei=47

[thelivyjr]

TRUMP ONLY WANTS HIS FAKE NEWS PROPAGANDA BROADCAST SO HE IS SICCING ANOTHER OF HIS MAGA TRUMPER THUGS ON THEM - "PRINT TRUMP'S LIES, OR ELSE!"

USA TODAY

FCC chair threatens broadcasters over Iran war coverage"

Story by Karissa Waddick, USA TODAY

15 MARCH 2026

Federal Communications Commission Chair Brendan Carr threatened to revoke broadcasters' licenses over coverage of the Iran war, after President Trump accused news outlets of "intentionally misleading" the American public.

Trump criticized print media outlets, including the Wall Street Journal, for reporting Friday that Iranian strikes damaged five U.S. Air Force refueling planes in Saudi Arabia.

The president said four of the five tanker planes suffered "virtually no damage and are already back in service."

"The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal (in particular), and other Lowlife "Papers" and Media actually want us to lose the War," Trump said in a social media post, calling the journalists "sick and demented people."

Carr in a follow-up post warned the FCC would consider Iran war coverage when renewing broadcasters licenses.

"Broadcasters that are running hoaxes and news distortions - also known as the fake news - have a chance now to correct course before their license renewals come up," he wrote in a social media post.

"The law is clear."

"Broadcasters must operate in the public interest, and they will lose their licenses if they do not."

Aaron Terr, director of public policy at The Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression, a free speech nonprofit, condemned Carr's comment, arguing it equated to government censorship and infringed on the First Amendment.

"The president's hand-picked misinformation czar is at it again, singling out "fake news" that conflicts with his boss's political agenda," Terr wrote in a post.

"The First Amendment doesn't allow the government to censor information about the war it's waging."

Gov. Gavin Newsom, D-California, blasted Carr's post as "flagrantly unconstitutional."

"If Trump doesn't like your coverage of the war, his FCC will pull your broadcast license," Newsom, a fierce opponent of Trump, said March 14.

This isn't the first time Carr has been accused of censorship.

Free speech activists and opponents of Trump slammed the FCC chair in September for appearing to threaten ABC to take action against late night host Jimmy Kimmel over comments he made about Charlie Kirk.

Carr recently urged broadcast companies to air “patriotic, pro-America content” as part of programming aligned with the country's 250th anniversary.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... 379a&ei=20

[thelivyjr]

The Mirror US

"Trump blasted as 'deeply sick and disgusting man' for insulting act against dead soldiers"

Story by Hannah Broughton

15 MARCH 2026

President Trump has been called 'deeply sick and disgusting man' for a highly contentious move that has already drawn sharp attack from California Governor Gavin Newsom.

The president has utilized a photograph from his recent visit to Dover, where he paid tribute to troops killed in the Iran war by wearing a white campaign baseball cap, in fundraiser emails.

Trump distributed an email to his supporters stating, "These final spots are reserved for my strongest supporters (YOU'RE ONE OF THEM! )."

"This is no ordinary membership."

It comes after Melania's comments about Barron's mental state exposed why he can't be drafted into the army.

Citing a post on X announcing the news of Trump's national security briefings, Gavin Newsom responded by condemning the president, stating: "Donald Trump is fundraising off of dead soldiers."

"He is a deeply SICK and DISGUSTING MAN!".

The post was composed in Trump's characteristic all-caps format, as Newsom continues to relentlessly criticize the U.S. leader on a daily basis.

One individual on X responded to Newsom, stating: "And he claims he will give 'private' national security briefings to small donors."

"When he won't even give them to Congress! !", reports the Irish Star.

"Snake oil peddling carpetbagging Liberace flavored grift."

"No shame."

"No remorse."

"Just an unapologetic gold-plated vat of shit."

"And people look up to him."

"That's where we are as a society," added someone else.

Whilst hawking his brand amid the Iran war appears to be a fresh development for Trump, he has persistently marketed his own products throughout his time in office.

In February, Trump launched a new website selling his personally branded watches, with one model peculiarly called "Trump's red beauty - fight, fight, fight."

The cost varies from an eye-watering $100,000 to a still-substantial $499.

Commercials for the timepieces appeared on Fox News just 400 days after Trump pledged to tackle soaring U.S. inflation.

It is deemed an ethics violation for the president to exploit their role in public office for personal gain or to advertise private enterprises.

Depending on the circumstances, this could breach constitutional provisions, according to CREW (Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington).

Despite the apparently straightforward rules governing Trump's marketing of his own merchandise during his presidency, he has previously promoted similar products with limited legal consequences.

It comes as a former Trump aide revealed the chilling reason why Melania will never leave Donald.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... c936&ei=41

[thelivyjr]

Dereliction of Duty – Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, The Joint Chiefs of Staff, AND THE LIES THAT LED TO VIET NAM by H.R. McMaster, pp. 311,312:

Although the Constitution designated the President as Commander in Chief of the military, each member of the JCS was sworn to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

The Constitution charged Congress, as representatives of the People, with the responsibility to decide whether to declare war.

The American People, through their representatives in Congress, were to determine whether South Vietnam’s “freedom and independence” was worth the costs and risks.

“Maybe we military men were all weak.”

“Maybe we should have stood up and pounded the table.”

“…. I was part of it (ABDICATING RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE TROOPS DURING THE VIET NAM WAR) and I’m sort of ashamed of myself, too.”

“At times I wonder, ‘why did I go along with this kind of stuff?'”

– Adm. David Lamar McDonald (Navy Chief 1965), 1976

From Dereliction of Duty – Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, The Joint Chiefs of Staff, AND THE LIES THAT LED TO VIET NAM by H.R. McMaster

WITH TRUMP AS PRESIDENT, WE ARE NOT THE STRONGEST NATION IN THE WORLD BECAUSE THE REAL STRONGEST NATION IN THE WORLD, WHICH RIGHT NOW APPEARS TO BE RUSSIA, WOULD NOT HAVE A DONALD TRUMP AS ITS PRESIDENT ...

CNBC

"Trump signals coalition to force open Strait of Hormuz is not ready yet: ‘Some are less than enthusiastic’"

Spencer Kimball @spencekimball

Published Mon, Mar 16 2026

Key Points

* President Donald Trump said Monday that some U.S. allies are not willing to join a coalition to protect tankers in the Strait of Hormuz.

* Trump said some countries have agreed to help, but he declined to name them.

* British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said reopening the Strait will not be easy.

* German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Berlin will not participate in a mission in the Strait as long as the war continues.

President Donald Trump said Monday that he is frustrated some countries will not join a coalition to escort oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.

“Some are very enthusiastic, and some are less than enthusiastic,” Trump told reporters at a press conference.

“And I assume some will not do it."

"I think we have one or two that will not do it that we’ve been protecting for about 40 years at tens of billions of dollars.”

Trump has been pressuring U.S. allies to send military forces to get oil exports flowing through the Strait.

Tanker traffic through the narrow sea route has plunged due to Iranian attacks.

This has triggered the largest oil supply disruption in history, with crude prices surging about 40% since the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran two weeks ago.

Trump declined to name which nations have agreed to participate in the coalition.

The president said the White House will soon announce a list of countries that have agreed to do so.

“Numerous countries have told me they’re on the way,” Trump said.

Britain, France and Germany

The president said the United Kingdom has been reluctant to join the coalition.

Trump said British Prime Minister Keir Starmer was hesitant to send two aircraft carriers to the region at U.S. request.

“He didn’t really want to do it,” Trump said.

“I was not happy with the U.K."

"I think they’ll be involved, but they should be involved enthusiastically."

"We’ve been protecting these countries for years with NATO.”

Starmer said Monday that the U.K. is working on a plan with all of its allies to restore freedom of navigation in the Persian Gulf as quickly as possible.

“Ultimately, we have to reopen the Strait of Hormuz to restore stability in the market — that is not a simple task,” Starmer said at a press conference.

Trump said he has spoken to French President Emmanuel Macron about escorting tankers.

“I think he’s going help,” Trump said.

“I’ll let you know."

"I spoke to him yesterday."

"I don’t do a hard sell on them because my attitude is, we don’t need anybody."

"We’re the strongest nation in the world.”

Macron said in a social media post Sunday that freedom of navigation in the Strait “must be restored as soon as possible.”

France has deployed an aircraft carrier strike group to the Eastern Mediterranean.

The aircraft carrier is deployed in defensive posture and there has been no change to its status, according to a Saturday social media post from France’s Foreign Ministry.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said Monday that Berlin will not participate in a naval mission in the Persian Gulf.

The U.S. and Israel did not consult Germany before the war, Merz said.

Berlin wants an end to Iran’s nuclear and missile programs but it will not join the conflict, he said.

“That means that so long as the war continues, we will not participate in the Strait of Hormuz with military assets to guarantee freedom of navigation,” the chancellor said at a press conference.

“We are not aware of any concept of how such an operation could be successful.”

Japan

Britain, France and Germany are traditionally the closest U.S. allies in Europe.

Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Monday that Tokyo does not currently have plans to send forces to escort tankers through the Strait.

“No decision has been made whatsoever regarding the dispatch of escort vessels,” Takaichi told parliament Monday, according to The Japan Times.

“We are currently examining what Japan can do independently and what is possible within the legal framework.”

U.S. Energy Secretary Chris Wright told CNBC Thursday that the U.S. Navy is not ready to escort tankers through the Strait.

“It’ll happen relatively soon but it can’t happen now,” Wright said.

“We’re simply not ready."

"All of our military assets right now are focused on destroying Iran’s offensive capabilities and the manufacturing industry that supplies their offensive capabilities.”

https://www.cnbc.com/2026/03/16/strait- ... y-yet.html

[thelivyjr]

REUTERS

"Middle East oil exports drop at least 60% as Hormuz stays mostly closed, data shows"

By Ahmad Ghaddar and Alex Lawler

March 16, 2026

Summary

* Strait of Hormuz effective closure causes major supply disruption

* Middle Eastern oil exports fall to 9.7 million bpd from 25.1 million bpd, data shows

* Some exports still flow from Saudi Red Sea, Oman, UAE and Iran

* Floating ​storage of crude rises to above 50 million barrels

LONDON, March 16 (Reuters) - Daily oil exports from the Middle Eastern Gulf, home to top exporter Saudi Arabia and other major producers, have dropped by at least 60% in the week to March 15 compared to February due to disruptions and output cuts amid the ​U.S.-Iran war, according to shipping data and Reuters calculations.

The effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, ​normally used to transport about a fifth of the world's oil supply, has forced ⁠exporters to cancel shipments and shut production at oilfields, creating the world's biggest ever supply disruption.

Crude oil ​prices have surged to the highest in four years and those of some fuels to record highs.

Crude, condensate ​and refined fuels exports from eight Middle Eastern countries - Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates - in the week to March 15 averaged 9.71 million barrels per day, data from Kpler showed, down 61% from ​25.13 million bpd in February.

Data from Vortexa shows an even more dramatic drop, with exports from the eight ​countries last week reaching 7.5 million bpd, down 71% from February's 26.1 million bpd.

Prior to the war, the eight ‌countries ⁠accounted for 36% or global seaborne oil exports of 70.43 million bpd, according to Kpler.

The actual exports could be even lower as some volumes go into floating storage but not leaving the Gulf.

"Floating storage of Middle Eastern crude has surpassed 50 million barrels this week, up from pre-war levels of around 10 million barrels," Kpler ​analyst Johannes Rauball said.

Loadings ​from the UAE's Fujairah ⁠port have been disrupted in the past few days due to drone attacks.

Oil flows that are continuing include exports from Saudi Arabia's Red Sea port of Yanbu, Iran's exports, Oman's exports ​and the UAE's flows from Fujairah.

Total oil output cuts from Middle East producers ​have risen as ⁠the countries run out of storage and traffic through Hormuz remains a fraction of normal levels.

Oil output in the United Arab Emirates, which pumped about 3.4 million bpd before the conflict, is down by more than half, Reuters reported ⁠on ​Monday.

Saudi Arabia has cut production by 20%, and Iraq by ​some 70%.

Total crude oil output cuts in the Middle East now stand at 7-10 million bpd, according to analysts' estimates.

Reporting by Ahmad Ghaddar and Alex Lawler, Editing by nick zieminski

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy ... 026-03-16/

[thelivyjr]

Dereliction of Duty – Lyndon Johnson, Robert McNamara, The Joint Chiefs of Staff, AND THE LIES THAT LED TO VIET NAM by H.R. McMaster, pp. 311,312:

Although the Constitution designated the President as Commander in Chief of the military, each member of the JCS was sworn to “support and defend the Constitution of the United States.”

The Constitution charged Congress, as representatives of the People, with the responsibility to decide whether to declare war.

The American People, through their representatives in Congress, were to determine whether South Vietnam’s “freedom and independence” was worth the costs and risks.

THE WHINER WAR MONGER TRUMP SHOULD HAVE THOUGHT OF THIS BEFORE HE LAUNCHED HIS WAR OF CHOICE AGAINST IRAN ...

AND WHO IN THEIR RIGHT MIND WANTS TO GET INVOLVED IN A BIG MESS THAT TRUMP MADE?

NOT MANY IS THAT ANSWER ...

TRUMP IS GOING TO HAVE TO SINK OR SWIM ALL ON HIS OWN ...

REUTERS

"Trump upset as key US partners shun call for Hormuz warship escorts"

By Bo Erickson, Maayan Lubell and Parisa Hafezi

March 16, 2026

Summary

* US-Israeli war on Iran enters third week, boosting global oil prices

* Several allies decline US call to escort shipping in Hormuz

* Israel has at least three weeks of plans for military strikes

* Iran fires at Israel, launches drone attacks on UAE and Bahrain

WASHINGTON/TEL AVIV/DUBAI, March 16 (Reuters) - Several U.S. allies rebuffed Donald Trump's call on Monday to send warships to escort ​shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, drawing criticism from the U.S. president, who accused Western partners of ingratitude after decades of support.

The U.S.-Israeli war on Iran is in its third week with no end in sight, largely ‌shutting the Strait of Hormuz, through which 20% of the world's oil and liquefied natural gas flow, raising energy prices and fears of inflation.

Israel said on Monday it had drawn up detailed plans for at least three more weeks of war as it pounded sites across Iran overnight, while Iranian drone attacks temporarily shut Dubai airport and hit a key oil facility in the United Arab Emirates.

A number of U.S. partners including Germany, Spain and Italy said they had no immediate plans to send ships to help reopen the strategic waterway, which Iran has effectively shut with drones and ​naval mines.

"We lack the mandate from the United Nations, the European Union or NATO required under the Basic Law," German Chancellor Friedrich Merz said in Berlin, adding that Washington and Israel had not consulted Germany before launching the ​war:

"That is why the question of how Germany might become militarily involved here does not arise."

Trump, speaking at a news conference in Washington, said many countries had told him they ⁠were prepared to help, but voiced frustration with some long‑standing allies hosting large numbers of U.S. troops:

"Some are very enthusiastic about it, and some aren't."

"Some are countries that we've helped for many, many years."

"We've protected them from horrible outside ​sources, and they weren't that enthusiastic."

"And the level of enthusiasm matters to me."

ISRAEL STILL HAS 'THOUSANDS' OF TARGETS IN IRAN

Israeli military spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Nadav Shoshani told reporters there were detailed operational plans for the next three weeks in Iran, and other plans ​extending further.

Israel has said it wants to weaken Iran's capacity to threaten it, striking ballistic missile infrastructure, nuclear facilities and the security apparatus, and that it still has thousands of targets to hit.

"We want to make sure that they are as weak as possible, this regime, and that we degrade all their capabilities, all parts and all wings of their security establishment," Shoshani said.

Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said it would target U.S. industrial facilities in the Middle East and urged people living near U.S.-owned plants to leave.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tehran had not asked ​for a ceasefire or exchanged messages with the U.S., according to Iran's semi-official Student News Network.

In a post on X, Araqchi also said that some "neighbouring states" that host U.S. forces and permit attacks on Iran were also actively encouraging the killing ​of Iranians.

He said 200 children were among the hundreds of Iranian civilians killed in U.S. or Israeli bombings.

Iran's Mehr news agency said five people had been killed and seven wounded in overnight strikes on Markazi province in central Iran.

Fars News Agency reported that several civilians ‌had been killed ⁠in a strike near Tehran's Martyrs' Square, without giving figures.

Rescue workers in Tehran worked to pull people from the wreckage of a building in what an Iranian Red Crescent aid worker said was an entirely residential alleyway.

ISRAEL CLAIMS STRIKES ON IRAN'S SPACE PROGRAM

The Israeli military said it was carrying out air strikes on Shiraz, Tabriz and Tehran.

The head of a U.N. investigation said in Geneva that an Israeli air strike in June on the notorious Evin prison, where many political prisoners have been held, was a war crime that had killed 80 people including a child and eight women, and that the latest war could lead Iran to crack down even harder on dissent.

In response to the U.N. report, an Israeli military spokesman said, "The strike was carried out in a precise manner ​to mitigate harm to civilians imprisoned within the prison to ​the greatest extent possible."

Israel said its air force had ⁠struck sites linked to Iran's space program, including destroying a research facility in Tehran involved in developing a satellite launched in 2024.

One Tehran resident told Reuters that there had been no internet overnight and Iranians felt isolated from the world.

"People are being killed," Shahnaz, 62, said via WhatsApp.

"Just days before Nowruz (Iranian New Year, on March 20), but people are not in the mood ​to celebrate."

"When will this end?”

Asked if she supported the Islamic Republic, Shahnaz said: "No, I don’t."

"How can I?"

"They killed my granddaughter in (January's) protests."

"We want this regime to ​go."

"We want this misery to ⁠end."

SOME RELIEF FOR OIL PRICES AND STOCKS

In Israel, air raid sirens warned of Iranian missiles.

The IRGC said Iran had launched attacks on areas in Tel Aviv, the U.S. al-Dhafra air base in Abu Dhabi, the U.S. naval base in Bahrain, and Bahrain's Sheikh Issa air base.

Furthermore, oil loading operations at the UAE port of Fujairah on the Gulf of Oman were suspended following an Iranian drone strike.

Fujairah is a key exit point for the UAE's Murban crude - a volume equivalent to roughly 1% of global demand.

Flights at Dubai International ⁠Airport, one of ​the world's busiest, were suspended for several hours after a drone strike on a nearby fuel storage facility sent plumes of black smoke into the ​sky.

Saudi Arabia intercepted 34 drones in its eastern region in one hour, state media said.

No injuries were reported in either incident.

Despite the turbulence, oil prices, which had been above $100 a barrel, fell and stocks rallied after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told CNBC the U.S. was "fine" to let some Iranian ​fuel vessels through the strait, and believed Indian and Chinese tankers had also passed through.

Reporting by Reuters bureaux; Writing by Lincoln Feast, Sharon Singleton and Crispian Balmer; Editing by Kevin Liffey

https://www.reuters.com/business/energy ... 026-03-16/