April 30, 2026

Iran Watch

Blurb:

Massive march in NYC, backing the Trump Administration’s strikes on Iran.

The Democrat media axis is lying to you. About everything.

Blurb:

President Trump put fire under the broader community of concerned nations: the Countries of the World that receive Oil through the Hormuz Strait must take care of that passage, and we will help — A LOT! The U.S. will also coordinate with those Countries so that everything goes quickly, smoothly, and well. This should have always been a team effort, and now it will be (Truth).

That message continued through the weekend. New York Sun: President Trump pledged Saturday to quickly reopen the Strait of Hormuz with help from a multinational naval coalition, even while claiming to have “destroyed 100%” of Iran’s military capability in a two-week campaign that has disrupted global oil supplies and raised fears of a broader regional confrontation. “Many Countries, especially those who are affected by Iran’s attempted closure of the Hormuz Strait, will be sending War Ships, in conjunction with the United States of America, to keep the Strait open and safe,” Mr. Trump wrote on Truth Social. He called on China, France, Japan, South Korea, and the United Kingdom to contribute vessels, saying those nations have been harmed by what he described as “this artificial constraint” (New York Sun).

Blurb:

One thing the Iran War has demonstrated is that the overwhelming majority of journalists and commentators on the war are blindingly ignorant of the basics of military operations, they are unacquainted with the staff process, and they are so eaten alive by the all-devouring TDS virus that they have lost the ability to reason when Trump is involved.

The purpose of this post is not to declare victory, but to demonstrate that President Trump is leading a top-shelf strategic team put together by Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. He is getting good advice, he’s listening, and he’s making good decisions.

Friday, the Wall Street Journal reported what I think is a blindingly obvious example of how command and staff relationships work and how the commander-in-chief handles those relationships, and tried to portray it as a scandal or an example of recklessness.

Before the U.S. went to war, Gen. Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told President Trump that an American attack could prompt Iran to close the Strait of Hormuz.

Caine said in several briefings that U.S. officials had long believed Iran would deploy mines, drones and missiles to close the world’s most vital shipping lane, according to people with knowledge of the discussions.

Trump acknowledged the risk, these people said, but moved forward with the most consequential foreign-policy decision of his two presidencies. He told his team that Tehran would likely capitulate before closing the strait—and even if Iran tried, the U.S. military could handle it.

Now, two weeks into the war, Iran’s leaders have refused to back down, and the Strait of Hormuz has emerged as Tehran’s most potent leverage point.

Blurb:

Despite CNN being forced to walk back their fake news over the weekend where they suggested the U.S. military and the Trump administration didn’t have a plan to protect the Strait of Hormuz, ABC News program The View still pushed it during their Monday episode. The news show then went on to encourage people to vote for Democrats in the November midterms.

Chronically aggrieved co-host Sunny Hostin pushed the false claim there was no plan for dealing with Iran’s efforts to close the Strait, then suggested the national average price of gas was $8-per-gallon because of it:

I can’t believe that the president didn’t know that Iran’s response to this would be to close the Strait of Hormuz and not allow tankers in. And now our energy prices are going off the rails, $8 for gas.

Blurb:

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Sunday that “we don’t see any reason why we should talk with Americans” as President Trump has claimed Iran is seeking a deal to end the war between the U.S. and Iran.

“We never asked for a ceasefire, and we have never asked even for negotiation,” Araghchi said on “Face the Nation with Margaret Brennan.”

As the war entered its third week, Mr. Trump has claimed in recent days that Iran wants to reach a deal. The president said in a post on Truth Social late Friday that Iran “is totally defeated and wants a deal – But not a deal that I would accept!” On Saturday, he told NBC News that “Iran wants to make a deal, and I don’t want to make it because the terms aren’t good enough yet.”

But Araghchi said “we are ready to defend ourselves as long as it takes,” saying “this is what we have done so far, and we continue to do that until President Trump comes to the point that this is an illegal war with no victory.”

Blurb:

Keir Starmer is speaking at his press conference.

The war is entering its third week, he says.

He says he has been clear in his objectives.

First, we will protect our people in the region.

Second, while taking the necessary action to defend ourselves and our allies, we will not be drawn into the wider war.

And third, we will keep working towards a swift resolution that brings security and stability back to the region and stops the Iranian threat to its neighbours.

Blurb:

President Donald Trump has warned that the United States has the capability to wipe out the Iranian regime’s most critical oil export hub within minutes, and the U.S. military is “locked and loaded” and ready to do so with a moment’s notice.

However, Trump says he has deliberately chosen not to pull the trigger – yet.

Speaking with reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said U.S. forces are fully prepared to destroy Kharg Island, the regime’s primary oil export terminal and a vital economic lifeline for Tehran.

“We can do that on five minutes’ notice,” Trump said.

“We have it all locked and loaded and ready to go if we want to do it.”

Blurb:

President Donald Trump delivered a stark warning to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), urging allied nations to help secure the Strait of Hormuz and cautioning that failure to do so could have serious implications for the alliance.

Speaking in an interview with The Financial Times, Trump said NATO members that rely on the critical shipping route should share responsibility for protecting it.

“It’s only appropriate that people who are the beneficiaries of the Strait will help to make sure that nothing bad happens there,” Trump said.

“If there’s no response, or if it’s a negative response, I think it will be very bad for the future of NATO.”

Blurb:

President Donald Trump wants the world to act quickly to stop Iran from threatening shipping in the Straits of Hormuz. Iran has used mines, drones, and naval harassment to disrupt traffic through the narrow channel between the Persian Gulf and the Arabian Sea. About one-fifth of global oil shipments travel through that route, and a shutdown would send fuel costs climbing across the world within days. Trump’s message to allies and rivals alike remains simple: help reopen the waterway and keep global commerce moving.

Trump already ordered American forces to strike all remaining Iranian maritime assets and energy facilities tied to the effort to block shipping. U.S. forces destroyed over 30 Iranian mine-laying vessels and carried out strikes against an oil hub on Kharg Island. U.S. Secretary of War Pete Hegseth supports the campaign and has kept naval forces in the region on alert.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi responded with warnings that Iran would increase retaliation if attacks continue. Trump still calls on allied navies to join the effort and escort tankers through the strait.

Blurb:

This is a developing story.

A U.S. KC-135 refueling aircraft has gone down in Western Iraq.

Recovery efforts are underway.

Right now, it is not believed that the crash was caused by hostile or friendly fire.

Here’s what we know so far:

Blurb:

There is little doubt that U.S. and Israeli strikes on military targets inside Iran have dealt a severe blow to the country’s capacity to wage war. The campaign has eliminated the first and second tiers of Iran’s leadership, destroyed more than 60 naval vessels, degraded its weapons stockpiles, and dismantled key air-defense systems — leaving large portions of the regime’s political and command infrastructure in disarray.

Yet despite the devastation, Iran’s leadership shows no sign of capitulation. Instead, it remains defiantly entrenched. As the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps exhausts its remaining military options, it has increasingly turned to another weapon: a coordinated propaganda campaign waged through its state-controlled media. And, as so often happens, the anti-American foot soldiers of the U.S. legacy press have proven more than willing to amplify it.

Blurb:

President Donald Trump said the replacement for the deceased Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, his son Mojtaba Khamenei, hasn’t been killed, although he implied he was seriously injured.

The statement, made in an interview with Fox News set to air on Friday morning, was first reported by Fox and other sources on Thursday night.

The announcement comes after much speculation that the new supreme leader had also been killed in one of the airstrikes that led off the joint U.S./Israeli campaign against Iran on Feb. 28.

Blurb:

President Donald Trump campaigned on ending endless wars, not starting them. Just over a year into his second term, he is delivering this on his terms. The U.S.–Israeli 2026 military campaign against Iran’s nuclear infrastructure, which began following Iran’s reckless provocations in the wake of the 12-Day War, has already achieved its strategic goals. With only a small number of remaining nuclear facilities left to neutralize and the Strait of Hormuz on track to be fully secured within the coming weeks, the United States stands ready to proclaim mission accomplished and swiftly conclude major combat operations.

Blurb:

President Donald Trump blasted the New York Times early Friday morning for its coverage of Operation Epic Fury, claiming that it showed that the U.S. was “not winning.” The president provided a list of military accomplishments so far and teased that something would be occurring “today.”

“We are totally destroying the terrorist regime of Iran, militarily, economically, and otherwise, yet, if you read the Failing New York Times, you would incorrectly think that we are not winning,” Trump said in a Truth Social post. “Iran’s Navy is gone, their Air Force is no longer, missiles, drones and everything else are being decimated, and their leaders have been wiped from the face of the earth.”

Blurb:

U.S. Central Command has confirmed that the military lost a plane as “Operation Epic Fury” continues in the Middle East.

CENTCOM put out a statement on Thursday and shared the news on X:

Blurb:

U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) has released video footage showing American strikes destroying the Iranian regime’s outdated aircraft on the ground as the U.S. military continues its campaign against the Islamic Republic.

“The Iranian regime is losing air capability day by day,” CENTCOM wrote in a post on X.

“U.S. forces aren’t just defending against Iranian threats, we are methodically dismantling them,” the command added.

The post included a video showing several Iranian planes being destroyed.

Blurb:

Mojtaba Khamenei, the newly appointed supreme leader of Iran, was notably absent from a rally held in Tehran celebrating his appointment, raising fresh questions about the stability of the regime following the recent war with the United States and Israel.

Thousands of supporters gathered Monday at Enghelab Square for the event, which was organized to mark the transition of power after the death of longtime ruler Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

But the man the crowd came to celebrate never appeared.

Blurb:

Iran’s new supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, reportedly issued his first public “statement” Thursday as swirling rumors claimed he is gravely wounded, possibly in a coma and even missing part of a leg after the U.S.-Israeli strikes that killed his father and shattered Tehran’s leadership.

The message was not delivered in person. Instead, Iranian state TV aired a lengthy statement read by an anchor while an image of Khamenei was displayed on screen.

In the statement, Khamenei vowed to keep the Strait of Hormuz closed to shipping and promised retaliation.

Blurb:

Iran is escalating its war on the world by attacking multiple oil tankers, sending oil prices skyrocketing.

Iran’s actions came despite a Truth Social warning from President Donald Trump on Tuesday that, “If Iran does anything that stops the flow of Oil within the Strait of Hormuz, they will be hit by the United States of America TWENTY TIMES HARDER than they have been hit thus far.”

In the early hours of Thursday, three oil tankers were set ablaze, according to CNBC, following three ships attacked on Wednesday.

Blurb:

Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has almost completely stopped in the days since the United States and Israel launched strikes against Iran.

Iran sits above this strategic waterway, which is a vital route for exports of oil, gas and other commodities from the Persian Gulf, and has targeted tankers in the area.

Its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps has warned ships not to sail through the passageway, saying that vessels “could be at risk from missiles or rogue drones”, according to Iran’s semi-official Fars news agency.

Blurb:

President Donald Trump has just announced that Iran’s navy and air force have now been completely destroyed following a series of U.S.–Israeli strikes.

On Wednesday, Trump revealed that the Iranian regime’s military capabilities have been significantly weakened during the conflict that began in late February.

Speaking to reporters as he departed the White House aboard Air Force One, Trump said the strikes had dealt major blows to Tehran’s military infrastructure and leadership.

Blurb:

More than three million people have been displaced in Iran since the United States and Israel launched a war against the country late last month, the United Nations says, as concerns mount over a worsening humanitarian crisis.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) said on Thursday that as many as 3.2 million people – representing between 600,000 and one million Iranian households – have been forcibly displaced since the war began on February 28.

Blurb:

Markets on Wall Street retreated and oil prices jumped another five per cent again early Thursday as the war in Iran approached its second week with no indication that the United States and Israel were ready to scale back their attacks.

Futures for the S&P 500 lost 0.5 per cent before the opening bell, while futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average were 0.6 per cent lower. Nasdaq futures were also down 0.5 per cent. On Wednesday, the Dow declined 0.6 per cent to its lowest level the year.

Oil prices initially shot more than nine per cent higher as supply concerns worsened with Iranian attacks on commercial shipping around the Strait of Hormuz. The U.S. campaign of airstrikes in Iran is now in its 13th day.

Blurb:

For almost two weeks now, the US and Israel have been waging war on Iran. What Washington initially presented as a military campaign that would swiftly alter the strategic balance and put Tehran in a vulnerable position has proven to be far more complex. Over the past months, the White House has maintained that Iran could be on the brink of total defeat by the end of the first, or at most, the second day of a conflict. Apparently, the American side expected a rapid dismantling of Iran’s capabilities and a serious destabilization of its government. However, recent developments tell a different story.

Blurb:

Vladimir Putin’s “hidden hand” is likely helping Iran respond to Donald Trump’s war, the UK defence secretary has said, as it emerged that Iranian-linked drones hit a base in Iraq where some British troops are located.

They were not hurt.

John Healey said attacks by Iranian forces against targets across the Middle East “have the hallmarks” of how Russian troops operate in their war against Ukraine.