There’s another verified US death today. Expect more.
Furious Trump Defends the War, Launches Revenge Attacks
The New York Post reports Furious Trump Defends the War, Launches Revenge Attacks on Iran
President Trump defended the war with Iran as the US launched retaliatory strikes on Tehran for the deaths of two American service members in a call with The Post on Saturday, saying the troops made the ultimate sacrifice to prevent the regime from obtaining a nuclear weapon — and warned the region could descend into wider conflict if Tehran isn’t stopped.
Speaking about an hour into the latest US bombing campaign, Trump called the deaths “a shame” but argued the mission remains critical.
“They did it because they don’t want to see Iran have a nuclear weapon,” Trump said of the troops. “… And it just shows you how bad [the Iranians] are.”
The US military unleashed an 8th consecutive night of strikes against Iran Saturday — starting their blitz at 6 p.m., completing it five and a half hours later at 11: 30 p.m.
Another U.S. Service Member Is Killed
The Post article was yesterday. Today, the New York Times reports Another U.S. Service Member Is Killed as Two Sides Edge Toward Wider War
The Pentagon said on Sunday that a third member of the American military had died during a weekend of back-and-forth attacks, as the war with Iran escalated and the United States began sending more warplanes to the region.
The death of the soldier, who was killed in northern Iraq during the disposal of a downed Iranian attack drone, came amid a cycle of strikes that has all but shredded the cease-fire reached last month. There was no sign of diplomacy between the two sides, and the U.S. military said Sunday evening that it had begun conducting a new wave of strikes against Iran for the ninth consecutive night.
A vessel was on fire early Monday local time about eight nautical miles off of the coast of Oman, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations, which tracks security at sea.
The United States Central Command said on Sunday evening that it had begun conducting a new wave of strikes against Iran for the ninth consecutive night to degrade “Iranian military capabilities used to attack commercial vessels and civilian mariners transiting the Strait of Hormuz.”
An American service member was killed in action on Saturday during the controlled detonation of a downed Iranian attack drone in northern Iraq, the United States Central Command on Sunday. It was the 17th death of a member of the U.S. military since the war began on Feb. 28. [Mish: The unidentified remains will make 18 ]
It’s a Shame
Iran to Invade Kuwait?
Propaganda on both sides is very high.
US Teeters on Return to All-Out War
The Washington Post reports US Teeters on Return to All-Out War
The United States and Iran moved closer to all-out conflict on Sunday, as the exchange of attacks on civilian and military structures continued to escalate and with at least three and possibly four U.S. service members killed since combat resumed a week ago.
“We hit them very hard again tonight, and we did that in honor of the … great patriots” who were killed, he told reporters after landing at Joint Base Andrews following the World Cup final match on Sunday.
“The U.S. is planning for a wider war,” said one U.S. official familiar with internal administration discussions, adding that the Pentagon was increasing the number of military aircraft in the region.
But the official, speaking on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media, cautioned that the expansion of U.S. operations will be limited by dwindling stockpiles of air defense and long-range munitions and constraints on the ability to surge more troops and aircraft into the area because of battle damage.
“We do not have enough to safely sustain operations, and I don’t think the White House is aware of that,” the official said.
Military experts have said that in addition to the toll taken on U.S. equipment and munitions stocks, the U.S. is unprepared for possible ground operations inside Iran that Trump last week refused to rule out.
“I think it would be a mistake to put ground forces anywhere in islands in the strait or onshore,” said Seth Jones, who heads the defense and security department at the Washington-based Center for Strategic and International Studies. “I don’t think U.S. forces are prepared for standoff strikes from Iranians.”
[A New Mission?]
But the Trump administration was largely silent during the day Sunday, with its only official comment coming from Energy Secretary Chris Wright, who said on ABC’s “This Week” that the U.S. mission to degrade “Iran’s ability to terrorize the world” would go on “until the mission is done.”
Trump has said that “radicals” in Tehran have fractured the Iranian government, although some internal assessments there have indicated that the war has begun to solidify support for a harder line.
Wright defended Trump’s original statement that the war, which began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Feb. 28, would last four to six weeks until Iran capitulated.
Ain’t That a Shame
Ain’t that a shame Trump is such a pedophile-protecting, economically illiterate narcissist, and warmongering rapist with zero respect for the Constitution?
Can anyone say with certainty what this war is even about right now?
Related Posts
Please note Hello America, the Price of Gasoline Tops $4.00 Tomorrow
If you think this is a small price to pay, then thank Trump.
When gasoline prices blast higher this week, please keep telling yourself it’s a small price to pay, and Trump is doing this because he loves you.
There is no other logical explanation.
Escalation in Iran Results in Two More Dead U.S. Troops
Speaking of small price to pay, please note Trump’s Foolish Escalation in Iran Results in Two More Dead U.S. Troops
Trump had a golden opportunity to declare victory and move on. He chose unwisely.
By the way, have you noticed that the “small price” is never paid by those demanding it?
I think that he will understand something if there are thousands of American deaths
Then he will also ‘understand’ that it is someone else’s fault. He will never admit a mistake nor apologize, he believes that is what losers do.
I don’t think it will be long before he beaches in the shallow water. He is not looking healthy.
Why should Trump or any other member of the Epstein Class care?
You think a farmer mourns the deaths of his chickens at the slaughterhouse? No, he counts his money, happy as a clam.
Unfortunately, you go to war with the malignant narcissist you have, not the one you wish you had.
Even if the one you have is suffering from temporal dementia.
“If you ever feel useless, remember it took 20 years, trillions of dollars and 4 US Presidents to replace the Taliban with the Taliban”
— Norman Finkelstein
Good quote. For those who haven’t read him, Finkelstein is the world’s foremost scholar on the Israel-Palestine conflicts over the years.
ALL 3 abramic religions are nut jobs. best to avoid the true believers. i use them all as my private petting zoo. approach slowly and no fast moves. i lived among hasidic jews, and also orthodox muslims and raised among nutjob roman catholics. all in the 5 boros of nyc. my private petting zoo.
“Diplomacy” has been replaced with a new Term:
“BullshitOmacy.”
This was my well-thought out contribution 😁 of the day for my Mish Friends!
🙄 With Regards,
D.H.
democracy works. even in crumbling empires like the good ole pax dumbphuckistan. our people are nasty so keep electing nasty representatives, just like them. i repeat, democracy works. poli sci 101
I like your word better: “dumbphuckistan.”
Now, add mine and one more and we have:
“Dumbphuckistan pushes (Junkies) BullshitOcracy to push BullshitOmacy”
Come on, everyone, pitch in to help Mish create a brand new “Dicitionary of Dumbphuckistan.”
GO, Dumbphuckistan, Go!
RAH RAH, Dumbphuckistan!
This country is barely tolerable. We are a lost, hopeless Mess with TrumpCO in charge.
“TrumpFuckistan.”
pederast pedotus donald, ruler of all dumbphuckistan from DC to Tel Aviv…….
ha ha. i like it. this has happened in many lands before ours. from roman empire to argentina.
Deaths are always sad.
For example the slow incremental death of the American Republic.
The deaths are on Trump. He started this war for no apprentice reason. You don’t start a pissing match and expect not to get wet. Iran knows the pressure points: high body counts and high oil prices.
3 days to end the war…3 weeks to end the war…3 months to end the war…So what’s today, like day 142?
Let’s set the over under. Trump is not ending this war, his successor is.
at least a decade. maybe 2 or 3. this started in 1953 with old man IKE.
Latest update. Go get ’em!
Serious question Everyone; let’s try to be constructive:
If you were advising Trump, what exit strategy would you recommend for the current Iran crisis?
Personally, I can’t think of a single realistic way out for him; not in this lifetime.
There is no painless alternative for Trump.
The most rational one is cede the Strait, pull out of the Gulf and normalize relations with Iran.
But he won’t do it. He will take the most irrational route until the pain becomes unbearable.
Boots on the ground! Stop dilly-dallying.
Have you researched this plan to determine how it can fail? Everyone who has is guessing you have not.
Of course not, JoJo could not care less about the fate of American troops going to fight in 115 degree weather in July. Jojo has said many times that it is their problem because they chose to join the armed forces.
I do not think Iran will negotiate with Trump for real any more. We need a regime change in the US first. And if a future admin needs to cut a deal with Iran, we should definitely put Trump on the table as a bargaining chip, as in, we give them Trump, Hegseth etc.
Leave the Middle East. Pack up and go home. Reagan did it after US troops were hit in Lebanon in 1983, and Trump should do it now.
he invaded grenada after that. Raygun’s CIA did brutal warcrimes from central amerika to iran and beyond. don’t be naive. his CIA director and war criminal was offed in hospital day before he was to testify. that bastard is buried a short stones throw from our family burial plot. i told my parents decades ago i ain’t going there to spend eternity there. in a few centuries there will be bonfires and pissing on his grave by descendants………..pax dumbphuckistan is evil. has been for 250 years. it was always a scam to be a world wide empire, allowing the idiots to vote for the plunder, too.
I’m aware Reagan is a war criminal, along with every President since at least WWII. His decision to pull the US out of Lebanon was a good one though, just like a Trump decision to pull out of the Middle East now would be the smart move (even though starting the war was dumb).
If Reagan had listened to the advice of his SecDef, the Marines would never have been in Lebanon.
1) Admit you lost
2) End wartime ops
Serious question Everyone; let’s try to be constructive:
If you were advising Trump, what exit strategy would you recommend for the current Iran crisis?
Personally, I can’t think of a single realistic way out for him; not in this lifetime.
Trump has his best last chance way out. He agreed to a MOU and that was it.
He could have and should have bragged that he stopped Iran from getting a nuke and heaped lavish praise on himself for sealing a deal.
There is no way out now.
Then it’s time to think for a way out for we the people by ousting him.
Apologize profusely to Iran in private, claim victory in public, leave. That’s as good as it gets.
“An American service member was killed in action on Saturday during the controlled detonation of a downed Iranian attack drone“
So basically a noncombat death of some DEI clown that got them-self blown up.
Not my problem.
BTW — I thought we already blew up Iran’s nuclear program and turned it into dust, did they already start a new one?
You, sir, are a jackass. It could have been a non-DEI hire who joined the military because that was their best option based on the marketable skills (or lack thereof) they had. It also could have been a non-DEI hire who was proudly following in the family footsteps. It could also have been a non-DEI hire who was following the steps they were trained to do and still got hurt. We may never know. We do know, however, that you are a 🐔🍭.
DEI hire? what obvious gutter racism and pointed at someone who is dead. no bottom for you people
He is glad Robert Mueller is dead
You clearly are paying very little to no attention and just making up BS along the way.
A service person died in an accident, while performing their duties.
trying to repost:
This is what happens when you appoint a bootlicking, unqualified Army reserve Major to the most important military position on the planet. He focuses on testosterone, beards, fighting DEI, and macho warfighting bullshit instead of strategy and how to fight modern wars.
There’s an argument to be made that the US military had gotten lax with out of shape and overweight service members. I saw many officers who made me shake my head in the last 5 years in being out of shape or otherwise substandard to the old school standards. But Hegseth is an over-reaction bc outside of focusing on physical fitness, reading Bible verses, and focusing on grooming standards, he brings zero qualifications to the job.
Not one MAGA hat in the parking lot after church today. Farm country is starting to see that reality under Trump is an unmitigated disaster.
The number of big diesel pickups is down in the parking to. Wives SUV’s are bringing the family and mom’s are talking about carpooling.
Whatever big spiked dildo is being shoved into their collective asses right now, it is nowhere near as long or as thick as they deserve.
No lube…
I will donate fish hooks
Proving that common Boobus Americanus always votes their pocketbooks. Ideology and principle come after economic well-being. SAD!
the amount of fat to be cut out of amerikans lifestyle is harmless, rich world little stuff. i don’t feel any compassion for them. because those fat phucks in farm country are on the government teat and trimming down will be good for their bodies and minds. remember when farmers and loggers and such were skinny and muscular ? i do. mountain boys in adirondacks were my school mates in the 1970s. my mexican pals who worked for me in AZ are lean and mean. we never hired the native borns. too fat, lazy and drugged out on meth. or they attracted their meth head friends and girlfriends to job sites.
Before Trump claims that Iran is “begging for a deal”:
Iran’s foreign minister says negotiations should begin only when Tehran has secured “the upper hand” militarily.
The Strait is closed, oil reserves are at record low, the US and the Gulf Countries are running low on interceptors and the devastating Iranian attacks to the Muwaffaq Salti Airbase in Jordan made US logistics in the region a lot more complicated.
I think it is Trump who will soon be “begging for a deal”, like he did last time.
All this pessimism!
Just remember: Only another 2 1/2 years to go.
…until the oligarchs install another shithead who starts some other war to enrich his backers.
The only hope for human salivation is to put an AI in charge.
You want human saliva?! I’m sure there are some here who would be willing to deliver theirs to you face-to-face.
Who will go on the liberal Sunday morning political talk shows and defend Taco now that Graham is gone??? Tom Homan was on Face the Nation and it didn’t go well. He said the car ICE was using had its emergency lights on when they tried to pull over the now deceased. The moderator said they had video evidence that they weren’t using them. The story then changed to, “well I was saying it had emergency lights, I just don’t know if they were using them. we have to finish the investigation”.
Such incompetence in this administration! Today we hear the FDA was wrong about the source of the ‘explosive diarrhea’ problem, they tested the wrong sample.
One thing is guaranteed: there will be more deaths of US troops and Iranian troops and civilians. Israel is loving this, particularly the distraction from their ongoing genocide in Gaza and their death campaigns in the West Bank, Lebanon and Syria.
It’s going to be a long hot summer…
BB is on cruise control. I bet he loves the smell of fresh kill in the morning.
So I take it, that you are an Iranian shite Muslim?
Yes, anyone who is against slaughter of the inhabitants of the West Bank, Lebanon and Gaza, must be an Iranian Shiite Muslim. Because only a Iranian Shiite would care about the deaths of the random civilian in the West Bank, Gaza or Lebanon or Syria.
You are a psychopath.
I heard this is what the military is like Mike. Does it ring a bell for you?
You do realise Alice’s Restaurant is a satire?
what the hell are you even talking about? You are deranged.
Dual citizen here – Iranian Shiite Muslim and Russian as well because I am also against what the West is doing to genocide Ukraine in a futile war against Russia.
No, I’m not Iranian, Shiite, or Muslim. It is funny how many on this site assume that I must be a member of a group when I support and passionately argue in favor of that group’s position. Last year when I railed against ICE violence in Miinneapolis, someone here assumed I lived in Minnesota. When I argued DHS trying to revoke green cards for political reasons was outrageous, another commenter assumed I was Latino. When I was one of the few criticizing Israel a couple of years ago, I was accused of being a part of some international leftist conspiracy. During the Biden years, I was repeatedly labeled as MAGA for opposing affirmative action and supporting gun rights.
I believe in individual freedom and civil liberties. I like the Golden Rule as a basic principle, as well as the basic libertarian philosophy of ‘don’t hurt people and don’t take their stuff’. I am perpetually in opposition to any Uniparty Presidential administration and their inevitable war crimes. Defending any Uniparty politician by saying they are less evil than the other Uniparty politician will never persuade me to support them; I don’t support evil.
bully bully
“You must be an “Iranian Shiite Muslim’” is a particularly halfwit version of Tribal Logic.
This exact scenario has been war gamed for decades and the outcomes were known. The Strait will remain closed and US bases in the region will be under constant missile and drone barrage for the foreseeable future.
It would take a land invasion to actually beat Iran, plus an open ended occupation.
But Trump and his closeted defense secretary decided to go ahead anyway, because ‘warfighter’, and ‘murica’, and here we are. This is what happens when you sniff your own farts and start to like it.
This is what happens when you appoint a bootlicking, unqualified Army reserve Major to the most important military position on the planet. He focuses on testosterone, beards, fighting DEI, and macho warfighting bullshit instead of strategy and how to fight modern wars.
There’s an argument to be made that the US military had gotten lax with out of shape and overweight service members. I saw many officers who made me shake my head in the last 5 years in being out of shape or otherwise substandard to the old school standards. But Hegseth is an over-reaction bc outside of focusing on physical fitness, reading Bible verses, and focusing on grooming standards, he brings zero qualifications to the job.
Congrats – You win a Pin.
Unfortunately the system will not let me pin a reply.
Repeat it straight up and I will pin it.
Thanks Mish.
I will repost straight up.
trying to repost
Hegseth, is bringing Honor, Tradition & Duty
Back to our Military. Unlike the Democrats
Who favored forced Gays & Sex change operations & other BS non-military related stuff into our Military.
To hell with you, tell me when you served and what you did in service. Coward.
Hegseth is utterly unqualified to fill the role he is in.
I served with Honor. And I fulfilled all Duty that I was ordered to.
A pox on you and your cowardice. You know nothing of service.
“reading Bible verses” — sometimes as written in The Book of Quentin Tarantino.
Where did you take that an invasion would defeat Iran? It’s twice the size of Alaska and thrice the size of Texas, but with 80 million people. And well armed and trained military, unlike the Usonian one. If anything, the US would be defeated for good and their run in warmongering and hegemony would be over.
Taco could care less about the life of anyone other than his own deranged and pitiful self. One sick individual and he is president. What a total nightmare and we haven’t seen the worst as yet.
Oh he cares very deeply about our Troops,
It appears that it is you, who’s having nightmares over what the US should have done 40 yrs ago to Iran.
Can we get rid of Veteran’s Day now?
Since US troops are merely paid mercenaries used to pay off presidential election bribes, why the fuck should we honor them?
Smedley Butler lived to tell us about it.
Pat Tillman did not.
Go for it Iranian Regime! This would surely get American boots on the ground in Iran and gives us the opportunity to install a new government there, as we did in Iraq.
Remember, we are fighting against the repressive, oppressive Iranian Regime, NOT the people of Iran, 70% or more who hate living under the yoke of the Regime and would be happy to see them removed. The US with boots on the ground, could deputize and provide the iranian Rgime opposition the weapons they need to help us quickly wipe out the Regime!
Go join those boots on the ground, coward.
“Remember, we are fighting against the repressive, oppressive Iranian Regime, NOT the people of Iran, 70% or more who hate living under the yoke of the Regime and would be happy to see them removed.”
Stop this nonsense about how you care even the slightest bit about the people of Iran. Just today, in reply to a sarcastic comment that the US could try to firebomb more girls’ schools, you responded “Let’s hope so. The world does not need more Iranians.”
You want genocide for Iran, not freedom, and even suggested nuking Iran. You have made similar comments about Palestinians. So stop pretending that you care in any way about other human beings.
Well put. 3 US servicemembers die, and the world is ending and we need to make Iran pay with merciless attacks.
But hundreds of Iranians have died in the last week and somehow that’s not a tragedy.
And BTW I mourn the loss of all 3 service members. Anyone who has the guts to sign up and serve has my respect and love. But that doesn’t mean that the Iranian multitudes dying right now deserve to die either.
Blame it on THEIR government.
“3 US servicemembers die, and the world is ending and we need to make Iran pay with merciless attacks.”
It’s a pretext. Nothing more. No servicemen die and the halfwits crow that Iran is weak. Three servicemen die and we have to destroy Iran for them.
Anyone who has seen a barroom bully start a fight knows the logic.
This is why Iran was foolish not to get The Bomb. Thugs like the United States and Israel understand only force.
During war with Japan, we fire bombed Tokyo & killed 100,000 Men, Woman & Children in One night! That’s how you fight wars…Why are you praying for defeat?
You should be praying for Victory.
It’s you who is the coward…
Says the gutless one who never served or ever put their life of the line. A pox on all you cowards.
Suckers & losers
This RR you keep responding to is likely a troll. One objective of trolls is to throw totally bullshit ideas and comments into a comments section to piss people off and turn the comments section into a back-and-forth between the troll and normal people, who ruin the comments section even more by feeding the troll.
Smash that Hide button and resist the temptation to feed JoJo, Rex River (hmmmmm, both trolls with double consonants in their names…maybe a pattern), and any other troll.
I dunno, he sounds like a garden variety MAGA.
The US dropped 2.3 million tons of bombs in Cambodia. The Allies COMBINED dropped 1.9 million tons of bombs in Nazi Germany for the duration of WW2.
How did the campaign against Cambodia go?
Starting a war of choice against Iran, who was no threat to us, was idiotic and will result in the deaths of many people, including Americans, and cause havoc to the world economy. Worse, those people will die for nothing, the war will result in no benefit to Americans (or anyone else other than Israel and MIC) and will cost hundreds of billions of dollars.
Yes, I want this war to stop. It is not a matter of cowardice, it is a matter of ending homicidal idiocy.
I think Jojo cares about human beings. He just doesn’t think the goyim are human beings.
I think YOU may be a bot.
I think you nailed it
I have nothing against iranians who are not part of the Regime.
As to your whining about the poor girls, crap happens in war, which is why it should be avoided.
If the iranian Regime wasn’t driven by it corrupt religious beliefs, then they might be able to play nice with their Middle East neighbors and none of this warfare would be necessary.
Stop being an Iranian Regime TOOL!
I believe much of what we call “free will” is an illusion; that we are instead so molded through nature, nurture, and ubiquitous propaganda that it’s hard or perhaps unknowable whether any of us are more than a kind of bot.
So, rather than just call you names, I do wonder what circumstances shaped such a mind as yours. Care to share how your upbringing or circumstances differ significantly from the norm? Parents’ net worth over $10m? Private school? Any SSRI use? Any physical or mental trauma?
There should be a law: anyone who supports a war should be conscripted to fight in it. If they are too old to serve, one of their adult children should take their place.
Similarly, anyone who wants to post online should have to pass an IQ test proving they have at least average intelligence. You would fail.
Rubio urges global powers to share burden of protecting Strait of Hormuz shipping
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio says Iran is using the Strait of Hormuz as leverage in the regional conflict and called on other countries to do more to protect global shipping.
Speaking to reporters before travelling to the Philippines, Rubio said the United States would continue taking measures to safeguard maritime traffic but argued that other governments should contribute equipment or funding to help share the burden.
Rubio is such an idiot.
Yes, the whole world should help Iran protecting the strait.
Fixed it for you. You’re welcome!
Another gutless, armchair warrior calling for more war. You cowards sicken me.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/HNnsPGEWoAEAuKr?format=jpg&name=900×900
“The United States pledges that it is and from now on will be the policy of the United States not to intervene, directly or indirectly, politically or militarily, in Iran’s internal affairs.” https://www.counterpunch.org/2026/07/17/we-have-been-there-before-the-us-iran-mou-and-the-algiers-accords/
First of all, that statement is from Jimmy Carter back in 1979 and was made to obtain the release of the American prisoners that fool and coward Carter refused to go in and take back.
Second, you know that you are getting an authentic and unbiased article when it includes writing like this:
“Finally, on June 17, 2026, 109 days after starting the aggression, the madman in the White House signed, virtually and unceremoniously, a Memorandum of Understanding with Iran.” 😜
Do better Robby!