Category: National Security

The Latest: Trump sending Witkoff and Kushner to Pakistan for talks with Iran’s foreign minister | The Independent

Trump is deploying private envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner to Pakistan to participate in a second round of ceasefire negotiations between the United States and Iran, the White House announced Friday. Witkoff and Kushner lack formal government positions and operate as Trump’s personal representatives, following Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi’s arrival in Islamabad for preliminary talks with Pakistani officials. Vice President JD Vance will not attend the negotiations.

The Trump administration simultaneously announced economic sanctions targeting a major China-based oil refinery and approximately 40 shipping companies and tankers transporting Iranian oil as leverage in negotiations. This action implements the administration’s threat of secondary sanctions on entities conducting business with Iran, designed to eliminate Iran’s oil export revenue. Trump previously claimed the outcome of Iran negotiations makes “no difference” to American interests, while also accusing Iran of committing a “serious violation” of ceasefire terms.

Pakistan’s capital Islamabad entered near-lockdown conditions Saturday as security forces established checkpoints, road closures, and diversions throughout the city in preparation for the high-level talks. Hundreds of thousands of residents faced disrupted commutes, with soldiers and police stationed at intersections and helicopters circling overhead, particularly near the airport where Iran’s delegation arrived. Pakistan is hosting the negotiations as part of mediation efforts between the United States and Iran.

Iran executed another man Saturday over alleged ties to Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency and participation in anti-government protests, continuing a pattern of executions following the conflict. Human rights advocates have documented that Iran conducts closed-door trials without permitting defendants adequate legal defense, with recent executions targeting alleged spies, protesters, and members of Iranian opposition groups in exile.

Germany announced plans to deploy minesweeper ships to the Mediterranean with potential transfer to the Strait of Hormuz following hostilities, pending parliamentary approval. Pakistan’s President Asif Ali Zardari is traveling to China for a week-long visit to discuss economic cooperation and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, with discussions expected to include Pakistan’s role in facilitating U.S.-Iran negotiations.

(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/pakistan-iran-islamabad-jared-kushner-jd-vance-b2964803.html)

Trump Says Iran Has Committed ‘Serious’ Ceasefire Violation

President Donald Trump accused Iran of committing a “serious violation” of a ceasefire agreement after Iranian forces fired on two Indian vessels in the Strait of Hormuz, according to reporting by ABC News’ Jonathan Karl on Sunday. Trump stated that a peace deal would be reached “one way or another,” claiming the outcome would depend on whether Iran chose the “nice way or the hard way.”

In a Truth Social post following the call with Karl, Trump escalated his rhetoric, characterizing Iran’s actions as a “Total Violation” and threatening military strikes against Iranian infrastructure. Trump wrote that his representatives would travel to Islamabad, Pakistan for negotiations, while simultaneously warning that “if they don’t take the DEAL, the United States is going to knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge, in Iran.”

Trump’s statement contradicted his earlier claim of restraint, as he declared “NO MORE MR. NICE GUY” and framed potential military action as an “Honor” that previous administrations had failed to execute. He falsely claimed the United States had already blockaded the Strait of Hormuz and stood to lose nothing economically from its closure, while Iran stood to lose “$500 Million Dollars a day.”

The Republican president characterized his proposed agreement as “very fair and reasonable” while simultaneously threatening comprehensive destruction of Iran’s power and transportation infrastructure. Trump asserted that military action against Iran was overdue, stating it “should have been done to Iran, by other Presidents, for the last 47 years.”

The ceasefire violation allegation came as Trump’s administration prepared peace negotiations with Iran, though Trump’s public threats of devastating military action directly contradicted diplomatic efforts. Trump’s statements also echoed previous rhetoric from Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth characterizing military action against Iran as justified.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/media/news/no-more-mr-nice-guy-trump-seethes-at-irans-total-violation-of-ceasefire/)

Trump warns he will ‘blow up’ Iran if peace deal not reached | The Independent

President Donald Trump threatened to destroy Iran’s infrastructure, stating the “whole country is going to get blown up” if the nation does not reach a peace agreement with the United States. Trump’s ultimatum comes as a two-week ceasefire expires on Wednesday and follows the collapse of peace talks in Pakistan that Vice President JD Vance led.

The core dispute centers on Iran’s nuclear program, with the U.S. demanding its complete dismantling. The United States has implemented a blockade of Iranian ports to restrict oil sales as leverage in negotiations. Trump framed his threat as a shift in approach, declaring “no more mr Nice Guy” while threatening new military strikes on Iran if a deal is not finalized.

Negotiations are expected to resume with special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, though confusion persists regarding Vice President Vance’s role in future discussions. The escalation reflects Trump’s pattern of issuing inflammatory threats as negotiating tactics, following Pentagon briefings touting military operations against Iran as successful.

(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/bulletin/news/iran-war-peace-deal-trump-b2960611.html)

Trump tells DHS to pay TSA despite government shutdown after agents miss another paycheck | The Independent

President Donald Trump issued a presidential memorandum on Friday directing the Department of Homeland Security to pay TSA employees using undisclosed funds, following weeks of missed paychecks during a partial government shutdown. The directive covers approximately 50,000 security officers at airports and came after a six-week funding lapse that has caused excruciatingly long security lines and prompted nearly 500 TSA agents to quit while thousands more called out sick at record rates. Trump framed the action as necessary to address an “emergency situation compromising the Nation’s security,” though the source of the funds remains unclear.

The shutdown resulted from Democratic refusal to fund DHS until the Trump administration agrees to reforms for Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection. Trump rejected a Senate bill passed Friday morning that would have funded most DHS functions, including TSA, because it excluded ICE and CBP funding. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer stated Democrats would not provide funding without reforms, calling the administration’s immigration enforcement tactics “lawless and deadly.”

Trump’s memorandum blamed Democrats for the shutdown while emphasizing security vulnerabilities created by depleted TSA staffing and wait times exceeding three hours at some airports. DHS announced that TSA employees would begin receiving pay as soon as Monday. The administration has faced criticism for its aggressive immigration crackdown, including a January incident in Minneapolis where immigration agents fatally shot two U.S. citizens, which the administration characterized as self-defense.

(Source: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/trump-pay-tsa-shutdown-b2947422.html)

Trump Threatens Iran 48-Hour Ultimatum on Strait

President Donald Trump issued a 48-hour ultimatum to Iran via Truth Social on Saturday evening, demanding the country “FULLY OPEN” the Strait of Hormuz without threat or face U.S. military destruction of its power plants. Trump stated the United States would “hit and obliterate” Iran’s power infrastructure, beginning with the largest facility, if the demand was not met within the specified timeframe. The threat followed joint U.S. and Israeli strikes that killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei three weeks prior, part of an operation dubbed “Operation Epic Fury.”

The war with Iran has severely disrupted maritime commerce through the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping corridor through which roughly one-fifth of global oil trades. According to the BBC, maritime traffic through the passage plunged 95 percent in March, dropping from approximately 138 daily ship transits to about 100 since military operations commenced. Trump previously denounced NATO allies as cowards for refusing to deploy troops to reopen the strait, revealing his unilateral approach to the conflict has alienated potential partners.

Oil prices have surged dramatically as a direct consequence of the reduced shipping volume and ongoing military operations. A barrel of crude oil cost $98.09 at the close of Friday trading, representing a 47 percent increase since military strikes against Iran began. This economic disruption stems from Trump’s decision to initiate military action alongside Israel without prior diplomatic coordination with international allies.

Trump previously claimed Iran has “effectively ceased to exist as a threat” while simultaneously requesting $200 billion in additional congressional funding for continued military operations, demonstrating contradictory messaging about the conflict’s status and objectives. When challenged by New York Times reporter David Sanger over unmet war objectives, Trump posted on Truth Social that “The United States has blown Iran off of the map” and claimed success ahead of schedule, dismissing the reporter’s analysis as that of a “lightweight analyst.”

Operation Epic Fury has eliminated dozens of Iranian regime leaders beyond Supreme Leader Khamenei since the initial strikes three weeks ago. Trump stated he is considering winding down military operations in the Middle East while the war continues, claiming U.S. forces are approaching stated objectives, though the pattern of contradictory statements about war progress and outcomes demonstrates systematic disinformation surrounding the conflict’s purpose and accomplishments.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump-threatens-iran-you-have-48-hours-to-fully-open-strait-of-hormuz-or-else/)

No H.I.V. Aid Without More Access to Minerals: U.S. Ponders ‘Sticks’ Against Zambia – The New York Times

The Trump administration is considering withholding lifesaving H.I.V. treatment and tuberculosis and malaria medications from 1.3 million Zambians as leverage to force the southern African nation to grant the United States greater access to its mineral resources, particularly copper, lithium, and cobalt. A State Department memo obtained by The New York Times states the administration will “only secure our priorities by demonstrating willingness to publicly take support away from Zambia on a massive scale,” with potential cuts to aid through PEPFAR beginning as soon as May.

Zambia’s critical minerals are central to the green energy transition globally, and the Trump administration views China’s access to these resources as a strategic threat. Unlike agreements with other nations that focus primarily on health spending commitments, the administration is attempting to weaponize health aid to coerce Zambia into signing a deal that prioritizes U.S. mineral access over public health needs.

This tactic follows the Trump administration’s broad cuts to foreign aid announced last year. The State Department has been pressuring countries to sign new agreements, with 24 nations having signed deals worth $20 billion in health aid over five years, though most agreements simply require recipient governments to increase their own health spending rather than serve geopolitical extraction goals.

Other African nations are resisting similar demands tied to aid. Zimbabwe’s government recently rejected negotiations, citing demands about data and biological sample sharing as intolerable sovereignty violations. Activists in Kenya have taken their country’s agreement to court over comparable concerns, signaling widespread resistance to conditioning essential health assistance on unfavorable terms.

The abuse of power represented by weaponizing H.I.V. treatment demonstrates how the Trump administration subordinates human life to resource extraction and geopolitical positioning, directly sacrificing the health and survival of vulnerable populations in service of mineral interests and competition with China.

(Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/03/16/health/zambia-hiv-aid-minerals-trump.html)

Trump’s Unilateral Iran War Backfires as Allies Reject Strait Coalition

Trump launched military strikes on Iran alongside Israel without coordinating diplomatically with allies, then scrambled to pressure nations to help manage the fallout. After initiating the conflict unilaterally, he requested roughly a half-dozen countries deploy warships to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical shipping passage through which one-fifth of global oil trades. Trump signaled he would leverage his scheduled trip to China to coerce Beijing into joining a coalition to restore tanker traffic, though his treasury secretary later attempted damage control on that statement.

Trump’s pressure campaign has failed to generate commitments from potential partners. China remains noncommittal, France offered conditional participation only when “circumstances permit,” and Britain declined to deploy a warship, instead discussing limited mine-hunting drone assistance. Australia’s transport minister stated the country will not send a ship, and Italy rejected expanding naval missions to include the Strait. Trump’s insistence that the United States does not need the waterway due to domestic oil access contradicted his simultaneous demand that other nations sacrifice resources to secure it.

The oil price surge resulting from Trump’s unilateral war decision has driven up gas prices domestically as midterm election season accelerates. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent downplayed war-related economic disruption and accused media outlets of manufacturing a crisis, claiming prices would stabilize after the conflict concludes. Trump dismissed advisers’ assessments of fuel price duration, stating he relies on personal instinct rather than expert counsel.

Trump’s willingness to delay his late-March summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping to pressure Beijing on the strait situation carries substantial economic risk, as tensions between the world’s largest economies remain strained over tariffs. Bessent explicitly discouraged negative market reaction to a potential postponement, framing any reschedule as logistical rather than strategic. China’s slowed growth projection to 4.5-5% for 2026, the lowest since 1991, means prolonged strait disruptions could inflict long-term damage on Beijing’s economy as well.

Trump’s approach mirrors his pattern of unilateral decision-making followed by attempts to extract concessions from allies. The Republican president previously leveraged tariffs and accusations of NATO freeloading to secure increased defense spending commitments, but global resistance to his Strait of Hormuz coalition reveals limits to coercive tactics when nations perceive no direct benefit or mutual agreement. His administration continues the pressure campaign despite repeated rejections, with White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt arguing that securing Iran’s disarmament serves the entire Western world regardless of countries’ voluntary participation.

(Source: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/trump-suggests-may-delay-china-043633731.html)

Trump Threatens Iran If It Mines Strait of Hormuz

President Trump issued a military threat against Iran on March 10th, 2026, demanding the immediate removal of naval mines from the Strait of Hormuz or face military consequences described as “at a level never seen before.” Trump posted on Truth Social that while his administration had no initial reports of mines being placed, any mines must be removed immediately or Iran would face severe military action. He followed this threat with a post claiming the U.S. had destroyed ten inactive mine-laying vessels within hours.

CNN reported Iran had begun mining the Strait of Hormuz, with a few dozen mines laid in recent days according to U.S. intelligence sources, though CBS News indicated mining “may be getting ready” rather than already underway. Intelligence sources stated Iran retained 80 to 90 percent of its mine-laying capability and possessed between 2,000 and 6,000 mines total, meaning hundreds more could be deployed. Trump’s threat came amid his unilateral Iran war that has deepened tensions without coordinating with allies on managing the fallout.

Oil markets reacted volatile to the threat and mining reports, with barrel prices surging to $116 on Monday before dropping to $86 by Tuesday afternoon, representing a 28 percent increase since Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei’s death. Trump claimed on Monday the war was “pretty much” complete and would wrap up “soon,” contradicting the escalatory nature of his latest threats. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated the U.S. has not yet begun escorting oil tankers through the Strait of Hormuz.

Trump’s demand for mine removal without diplomatic engagement reflects his pattern of issuing ultimatums rather than pursuing negotiated settlements. The threat to deploy military force at unprecedented levels escalates tensions in a region already destabilized by his unilateral military strikes without allied coordination. This approach prioritizes military action over diplomacy, potentially widening the conflict rather than resolving the underlying disputes.

(Source: https://www.mediaite.com/politics/trump-threatens-iran-with-never-seen-before-attack-if-it-mines-strait-of-hormuz/)

Trump White House Blocks Iran Terror Threat Warning to Police

Trump’s White House blocked a joint intelligence bulletin from the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and National Counterterrorism Center warning law enforcement nationwide of elevated terrorist threats linked to his military operation against Iran. The five-page report detailed specific threats from Iranian government targets, proxies, and radicalized individuals motivated by the conflict, along with guidance for local law enforcement response. Trump ordered the bulletin placed on hold hours before release, violating standard protocol that keeps intelligence communications neutral and fact-based rather than subject to White House political control.

A senior DHS official stated the White House imposed new restrictions requiring all unclassified Iran-related information to be reviewed by Trump before distribution to law enforcement. The official characterized this as having a chilling effect on threat communication, saying Trump does not want information released showing his Iran war is raising domestic terrorism risk. DHS broke protocol by alerting the White House before release, actions taken against FBI leadership’s wishes, according to the official.

Trump launched Operation Epic Fury one week prior in a joint US-Israeli military campaign that killed Iranian senior leadership including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. The conflict has since expanded across the Middle East, with Iran retaliating against US military bases and allied Gulf nations, killing six American troops and injuring more than a dozen others.

Iran operates proxy militant networks including Hezbollah and the Houthis for attacks on Western targets. Days after Trump’s war began, a gunman killed three people and wounded 15 others at an Austin bar before police killed him; investigators found he had expressed online support for the Iranian regime. Trump was warned by military advisers that Iran could respond with proxy terror attacks on US soil.

White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson denied blocking the bulletin, claiming the White House coordinates with agencies to ensure information is accurate and properly vetted. FBI counterterrorism teams were placed on elevated alert nationwide following Trump’s military operation, though the duration of the alert remains unstated.

(Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15622933/White-House-blocks-warning-rising-threat-linked-Iran-war.html)

Trump Orders U.S. Agencies to Stop Using Anthropic AI Tech After Pentagon Standoff – The New York Times

Trump ordered federal agencies to cease using Anthropic’s artificial intelligence technology on Friday, attacking the company as “radical Left” and claiming its leadership lacks understanding of reality. Within 13 minutes of Trump’s announcement, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth formally designated Anthropic a “supply-chain risk to national security,” barring any military contractor from conducting business with the company, a designation previously reserved for foreign adversaries rather than American firms.

Anthropic had resisted Pentagon demands for unfettered access to its AI systems without safety guardrails, citing two specific concerns. The company refused to allow its AI models to be deployed in autonomous weapons systems, arguing current models are unreliable and would endanger American troops and civilians, and rejected use of its technology for mass domestic surveillance, which it characterized as violating fundamental rights.

Legal experts characterized the Pentagon’s action as unprecedented and legally vulnerable. Anthropic stated it would challenge the designation in court, calling it historically reserved for U.S. adversaries and warning the move establishes a dangerous precedent for American companies negotiating with the government. The company had attempted good faith negotiations with the Pentagon over acceptable uses of its AI technology for national security purposes.

The confrontation reflects Trump’s pattern of weaponizing government authority against corporations that resist his demands, consistent with his broader efforts to remake federal institutions and eliminate independence from executive control. Hours after Anthropic’s designation, OpenAI announced a deal with the Defense Department to provide AI technology for classified military systems, demonstrating Trump’s preference for companies willing to comply without restrictions.

(Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/02/27/us/politics/anthropic-military-ai.html)

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