Iran is pursuing its national interests rationally—and that is the United States’ best hope. The post Tehran’s Pragmatists Are Still Open to Diplomacy appeared first on The American Conservative .
Foreign Affairs Foreign Affairs Tehran’s Pragmatists Are Still Open to Diplomacy Iran is pursuing its national interests rationally—and that is the United States’ best hope. Vice President J.D. Vance recently offered the Islamic Republic of Iran some unsolicited advice: “Stop acting like crazy people.” He contrasted Iranian behavior with American actions, claiming that, “unlike the IRGC, the U.S. never targets civilians in combat.” “We never will do that,” he added. “We never have done that.” The latter assertion is unfortunately undercut by the recent deadly…Open
SACRAMENTO, CA — After months of speculation about Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei's health, suspicions of his demise arose once more after his name was discovered on the California voter rolls.
Who's leading Iran? President Trump says even Iran may not know the answer, claiming the country's leadership structure has been weakened after years of military setbacks. Libbey Dean reports from the White House.
State of the Union: Operations have strained materiel and personnel resources at the expense of theaters outside the Persian Gulf. The post Iran War Day 184: Military Leaders Warn Hegseth About Extending Iran Operations, Per Report appeared first on The American Conservative .
The Washington Post reported Sunday that several high-level military leaders warned Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth that extending operations against Iran could weaken American defense capabilities in other theaters. Per the report , the Navy’s top admiral and the heads of U.S. European Command, the U.S. Pacific Command, and the U.S. Southern Command disagreed with extending deployments in the Persian Gulf region. The report cited individuals familiar with the mid-August Secretary of Defense Orders Book (SDOB), which details the disposition of American military assets and personnel, articulates the administration’s priorities for the military, and delivers commentary from military leadership. The Army and Air Force agreed with…Open
Reported by: Cherry Meigh TimbolNews Content Editor Published August 30, 2026 Iran’s Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei has called on Muslim nations, particularly the Gulf states, to unite against what he described as their “real enemy,” [...]
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent vowed to launch what he called the "single greatest financial offensive ever" against Iran, a sweeping sanctions campaign that threatens any nation still doing business with Tehran. Bessent laid out the threat in a Financial Times op-ed published Sunday, framing the new economic pressure campaign in wartime language and warning that […] The post Bessent promises 'economic D-Day' to cut off Iran's financial lifelines appeared first on American Almanac .
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent vowed to launch what he called the "single greatest financial offensive ever" against Iran, a sweeping sanctions campaign that threatens any nation still doing business with Tehran. Bessent laid out the threat in a Financial Times op-ed published Sunday, framing the new economic pressure campaign in wartime language and warning that countries propping up Iran's economy face isolation from global capital markets. The op-ed came after a memorandum of understanding between the U.S. and Iran, reached in June, collapsed last month, and as Tehran's own leadership appeared divided over how to respond. The message from the Treasury Department was blunt: the era of nations quietly buying Iranian petroleum,…Open
Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei’s appointment of hard-line loyalists to top jobs suggests he is prepared to keep the country on a war footing and to quash domestic dissent.
In mid-May, U.S. negotiators trying to reach a deal with Iran to end the war ran into a problem: They couldn't tell if the people across the table actually spoke for the country's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). - So Trump administration officials did something unconventional — they went around Iran's negotiators and reached out directly to IRGC leadership. The person they tapped for the backchannel was Nechirvan Barzani, the president of the Kurdistan region in Iraq, who had something very few others do: the trust of both U.S. and IRGC leaders. Why it matters: The episode, which was detailed by three sources with direct knowledge and has not been previously reported, shows how tricky it's been for the U.S. to…
AI:The Trump administration bypassed traditional Iranian negotiators to establish a secret backchannel directly with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) leadership in an effort to resolve ongoing hostilities. Following the assassination of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and subsequent instability that shifted actual power to the IRGC, Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard utilized Nechirvan Barzani, president of the Kurdistan region, as a trusted intermediary due to his personal ties within the Iranian regime. While Barzani successfully facilitated communication with IRGC General Ahmad Vahidi to verify if Tehran's political officials were actually authorized to negotiate, proposed secret meetings in Erbil failed to materialize…Open
Mojtaba Khamenei has not been seen in public since the start of US-Iran war Published August 9, 2026 TEHRAN — Iran has released rare footage purportedly showing Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, apparently seeking to counter [...]
The U.S., Iran and Oman are closing in on an interim agreement to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, with the U.S. aiming for a Wednesday announcement, according to two regional sources and a U.S. official. Why it matters: The deal, which has been under negotiations for several weeks, is aimed at resuming the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran and restarting negotiations over a nuclear deal. - President Trump decided on Saturday not to follow through on threats to unleash a massive bombing campaign, in order to allow more time for diplomacy. If a deal isn't reached soon, however, Trump could green-light major strikes. - The emerging deal would meet some of Iran's demands for greater control over traffic in the Strait of Hormuz — control…
