Middle East

Alternet America -   JD Vance admitted on CNBC that nothing surrounding the Strait of Hormuz has been decided yet, hours after Trump declared it open and toll-free. Trump’s $14 million project to repaint the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool “American Flag Blue” is already blooming with green algae. ICE agents tried to raid the offices of three different law firms representing migrant children in the D.C. area within 48 hours. And the DOJ approved a $111 billion merger that would put CBS News and CNN under the control of a single Trump-allied family.

HQ News - Trump is giving $300 billion to Iran. This could pay for: — Student debt elimination for 7.6M Americans — An end to homelessness in America — Healthcare subsidies for 22M Americans for nearly a decade — Medicaid coverage for 3.2M Americans for a decade — Food assistance for 41M Americans for 3 years — Federal cancer research for 40+ years — Free school lunch for every kid in America for over 4 years — Replacing every lead pipe in America — Free pre-K for every child in America for over 7 years

Alternet -  One of President Donald Trump’s most outspoken supporters is turning on him over his deal to end the Iran war.   “I have asked for days, why can't we, the people, see the damn [memorandum of understanding]?” radio host Mark Levin, who traditionally supports the president, commented on Monday. “Not through people briefed by an anonymous person. Honestly, I've never seen anything like this. If it is a great outcome for peace, then release it.”

In a separate post, Levin commented on how Trump has shifted in his characterization of America’s relationship with Israel.

“In a period of two-months, Israel has gone from a great ally and partner in war, fighting by our side against a horrible enemy that has killed thousands of our people, killed tens of thousands of their own people, and was a dire nuclear threat intent on attacking us, to Israeli PM Netanyahu being a difficult person who should be thanking us for saving his country from Iran and should get our permission if he wants to defend his people from Hezbollah and Iran, and stand down when his country is attacked,” Levin wrote.

He added, “And just yesterday, Israel's [prime minister] avenged the execution of 5 American soldiers by taking out a Hezbollah commander/terrorist. And only Israel has been killing Hezbollah leaders who murdered our Marines, soldiers, embassy staff, and more. It seems to me a kind word is in order. How does this make any sense?”

New Republic -   Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth crumbled when he tried to explain the difference between Donald Trump’s new deal with Iran and Barack Obama’s Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action. 

Speaking on CBS News’s Face the Nation Sunday, Hegseth struggled to justify what the U.S. had actually won after months and months of mass destruction and global economic turmoil.

“The document says Iran will never have a nuclear weapon, won’t seek one, won’t buy one, won’t have one,” Hegseth explained. 

“JCPOA said that too,” host Margaret Brennan pointed out.

Pretty much verbatim, actually. The preface of Obama’s 2015 nuclear deal states: “Iran reaffirms that under no circumstances will Iran ever seek, develop or acquire any nuclear weapons.” 

Hegseth scrambled to defend the new deal. 

“But they didn’t have the threat of military force the way that we do that Iran respects in a very—in a way that their regime is more devastated, more devastating, excuse me, more devastated than it’s ever been in its 47 years, and that’s why they’re at the table,” he ranted incoherently.