The attacks were launched days after the US violated the Islamabad MoU with a wave of strikes on Iran, which resulted in the death of at least 50 Iranians, and the injury of 500 others.
Occupied by Israeli forces and depopulated, Majdal Zoun overlooks the nearby village of Al-Mansouri, where the few remaining residents come under Israeli attack on a near daily basis.
Iraq has pursued friendly relations with many countries who are themselves at odds. The strategy has lots of upside for war-torn Iraq – but holds key risks as well.
President Trump blew a gasket when he was asked if he had a concrete plan for the escalating war on Iran.“Mr. President, there are no signs that Iran is ready to stop fighting, so what is the plan?” a reporter asked Trump on Tuesday morning while he met with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in the Oval Office. “Is the plan to just keep bombing until they give up?”“How would you know that there are no signs? Why, do you know something I don’t know?” Trump replied.“Well, they continue to attack our allies and kill Americans.”“You don’t know what the dialogue is behind the scenes, that they wanna meet desperately to try and end it because they’re getting decimated. You don’t get that when you listen to your fake station,” Trump responded defensively. “You don’t know anything.”“So talks are still possible?” the reporter pressed.“Do you know something I don’t know?” Trump asked again.“Well, tell us.”“I will tell you: They wanna desperately meet. And until they’re ready to meet in a meaningful way, we have no interest in meeting.”So the answer is yes—the plan is to keep bombing Iran until something changes. It’s been 10 days of back-and-forth strikes between the two countries as Iran continues to hold tight to the Strait of Hormuz, with help from the Houthis reportedly on the way. Three U.S. service members have been killed since Friday, and Iran has demonstrated that it doesn’t need a massive Air Force or Navy to make U.S. efforts to control the region look futile. This comes as Trump continues the tough talk, threatening death and destruction while oil prices rise and the Pentagon runs out of money and weapons.Q: There are no signs that Iran is ready to stop fighting. So what's the plan?TRUMP: How do you know there are no signs? Do you know something I don't?Q: They continue to attack our allies and kill AmericasTRUMP: They want to meet desperately to try to end it. You don't get… pic.twitter.com/lJJiCRRKWk— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 21, 2026
Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon isn’t just running out of weapons as the war on Iran intensifies—it’s also running out of money.The Washington Post reported that the Pentagon is facing an upcoming budget deficit caused directly by President Trump’s war on Iran, forcing it to cut training, maintenance, and military preparations. Hegseth has also not been transparent or timely about the ultimate costs of the war, leading to more confusion and disarray.“We need to know what we’re purchasing and why we’re purchasing it,” Democratic Representative Betty McCollum, ranking member of the House Appropriations Defense Subcommittee, told the Post, noting that other Pentagon officials were “very concerned” about the lack of information they were receiving.The House is set to vote on a $73 billion defense package this week, more than the $67 billion the administration requested to help it out of the hole it’s dug. That request has not been well received, as most Democrats oppose any new funding for the Iran war.This news also comes as the U.S. is dealing with a dwindling stockpile of munitions, contributing to the administration’s financial requests.It’s absurd that the Pentagon is running out of money when its budget for this year was $1 trillion, with the Trump administration already requesting $1.5 trillion for 2027—a record-setting amount. They’re stacking up bills with your taxpayer dollars to go deeper into a war that the vast majority of the country does not support.