“Canada imposed sanctions Friday on five Iranian officials over activities it said obstructed navigation rights in and around the Strait of Hormuz and undermined international peace and security, Global Affairs Canada said in a news release.”  And “Nine European countries have aligned themselves with an EU decision imposing sanctions on six Iranians over serious human rights violations, the Council of the European Union said Friday.”  See “Trump says US will hit Iran economically as Iran has ‘not a lot’ of missiles, drones left,” Iran International, 8-20-26.

“The End of the American Middle East:  Iran and the Last Gasp of a Failed Order,” Foreign Affairs, 8-20-26.  “The American Middle East is finished. The regional order that has prevailed since 1991 has been one of the many casualties of the U.S.-Israeli war with Iran. The American and Israeli failure to dislodge the regime in Tehran has proved the bankruptcy of decades of sanctions and violence. The inability of the United States to protect its Gulf allies from Iranian attacks or to keep the Strait of Hormuz open has fatally undermined the core security bargain that justified its network of military bases in the region. And Israel’s increasingly threatening posture and abandonment of any pretense of interest in reaching an accommodation with the Palestinians have ended Washington’s decades-long mission of bringing its Arab allies and Israel together into an enduring security partnership.”

“IRGC Threatens More Destructive Weapons in Potential Conflict,” IranWire, 8-20-26.

Bulgaria?  Cyprus?  “Iran weighs attacks on military targets in Europe – FT,” Iran International, 8-19-26.

“Iran’s Parliament Speaker Ghalibaf says “the time has come”,” I24, Ariel Oseran, 8-18-26.  They are determined to re-open the fighting, certainly not to let go of the opportunity to hold the world hostage through the vehicle of Hormuz.

Interesting, but redesigning U.S. presence is not only because of Trump and Hegseth missteps.  We have been pivoting toward China for some time.  Did you know that during Carter’s administration there were no U.S. bases in the Gulf?  Our closest was in Kenya, over a 1,000 miles away.  We have come a long way since FDR’s meeting with the Saudi king after WWII, and can mainly blame it on the threat to the GCC from Saddam Hussein in Iraq after his 1990 invasion of Kuwait, but also turning after 1979 to protect allies on the west side of the Gulf from the Ayatollah, including after the ruinous 1980-88 Iran-Iraq War.  See “Pentagon weighing smaller U.S. military presence in Gulf once Iran war ends,” WPost, 8-18-26.

“UAE says it halted all trade with Iran after new ballistic missile launches,” Iran International, 8-18-26.

“Trump lashes out at Oman as the preliminary deal with Iran expires,” NYT, 8-17-26.  Go back and look at my long entry about how the step by steps had to be followed for the June MOU, and my prediction that Iran wouldn’t do so.  So now we’re seeing these types of stories from the U.S. for weeks, and this culmination today in the ceasefire not becoming permanent.  Remember, follow Thomas Jefferson’s lead.

“IRGC says it will crush threats with ‘powerful offensive operations’,” Iran International, 8-17-26.

21 states are members of the Board of Peace.  If this story is true, it means that not only must Hamas truly disarm, but that Hezbollah (Iran) must also.  Otherwise, Israel stays on the land.  Well, I think we know that the Regime will say this is a non-starter.  See “IDF will remain in Gaza until Hamas is fully disarmed, Board of Peace official tells i24NEWS,” i24, 8-17-26.  There are over 20 countries involved in the Board.  “According to the Board of Peace official, Hamas has committed to “fully disarm” and immediately halt all military activity in Gaza, including rearmament and the construction of tunnels. The agreement stipulates that all weapons, light and heavy, must be collected and permanently decommissioned, while Gaza’s tunnel network must also be dismantled. Israel, meanwhile, will retain what the Board of Peace described as its “full right of self-defense.”  … The agreement also means there will be no IDF redeployment from Gaza until Hamas has been fully disarmed and the territory demilitarized. Israeli forces will also not withdraw from the so-called Yellow Line during this stage of the process. The talks also produced an understanding that reconstruction and broader rehabilitation efforts in Gaza will not move forward until Hamas’ disarmament has been completed. According to sources familiar with the discussions, Hamas must begin handing over its weapons if it wants to demonstrate that the disarmament process is genuine and viable. The weapons surrendered by Hamas will not be transferred to a future Palestinian governing body. Instead, they will be destroyed. During the initial phase, Hamas is expected to hand the weapons directly to an American force, with their destruction carried out under the responsibility and supervision of US General Jasper Jeffers.”

“The 60-day deadline for an Iran peace deal is expiring. Here’s where things stand,” AP, 8-17-26.

“Iran’s latest warning to the US signals the hardliners are just getting started,” CNN, 8-16-26.

Lost in the stories of the Lincoln carrier is this quote, regarding the targeted use of the types of munitions of which we have ample supply against the smaller targets that make a difference.  “Cooper has advocated for a more forceful response to Iran’s attacks in recent weeks, pushing to go beyond the smaller retaliatory airstrikes that have done little to deter Tehran from threatening ships in the Strait of Hormuz and lobbing missiles at American forces in the region, The Wall Street Journal has reported.”  See “Iran War Commander Visits the USS Abraham Lincoln,” WSJ, 8-15-26.

“Iran says no progress on reviving interim peace deal with US,” Reuters, 8-12-26.

“Iran defies Trump, declares Strait of Hormuz blocked after president claims US has ‘total control’,” Fox, 8-12-26.

“Several close personal aides joined Trump on his secret flight from Turkey, source says,” CNN, 8-12-26.  Keep in mind that Iran is trying to kill POTUS.  No other country in the world is doing such.  Other countries should condemn this.

“The Iran War Is a Whole New Level of Quagmire for the US,” Politico, 8-12-26.  Do read this article, as it reflects on the foreign policy missteps and the implications.

The NYT has several pertinent stories today.  “How Iran Adapted Its Attacks as U.S. War Munitions Dwindled,” NYT, 8-11-26.  “The Pentagon has used more than 1,500 Patriot interceptor missiles in the war and has fewer than 1,700 interceptors left, according to two people briefed on the stockpile levels who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive military details. The United States produced about 600 interceptors in all of 2025. The rapid depletion is occurring as Iranian forces study another war. In Ukraine, Russia has used combinations of ballistic and cruise missiles to distract Ukrainian air defenses, and then rushed in drones.”

“Live Updates: Iran Said to Have Known Details of Trump’s Stay at NATO Summit,” NYT, 8-11-26.  Iran knew building and floor.  And see “The U.S. knew of a shoulder-fired missile threat against Air Force One, officials say,” NYT, 8-11-26.  Finally, see “A Catering Truck and a Decoy Plane: How Trump’s Great Escape Unfolded,” NYT, 8-11-26.

“Israeli intelligence prompted secret evacuation of Trump from Air Force One in Turkey – report,” i24, 8-11-26.

“All Mojtaba’s men: Old guard shapes Iran’s new order,” Iran International, 8-11-26.  “Iran’s unseen supreme leader has issued his first military decrees, raising a central question about the emerging order under Mojtaba Khamenei: is he tightening his grip on power, or relying on the old security establishment to shore up his authority? The six decrees named Ali Abdollahi chief of staff of the armed forces, with Kioumars Heydari as his deputy; Ahmad Vahidi commander-in-chief of the Revolutionary Guards, with Mostafa Izadi as his deputy; Ali Azmaei commander of the Guards’ navy; and Hossein Taeb, the feared former intelligence chief of the Guards, head of the Basij. Separately, Mohsen Rezaei, the former Guards commander named Khamenei’s military adviser in March, became secretary of the Supreme National Security Council and the leader’s representative on the body.”  I repeat the first line, “unseen.”  Who is communicating with him?  Who brings him food?  Does he see any relatives?  Does the sun ever shine on him?

“Four crew, two rescuers killed in Red Sea attack; US strikes ship in Gulf of Oman,” Reuters, 8-11-26.

“US forces disable cargo ship attempting to reach Iran, CENTCOM confirms | LIVE BLOG,” i24, 8-10-26.  “Iran’s Rezaei: Strait of Hormuz will remain closed until US ends war, unfreezes Iranian funds and accepts Tehran’s conditions.”

“US, Israel failed to achieve goals against Iran, IRGC commander says,” Iran International, 8-9-26.

“Rezaei named Iran’s top security chief and Khamenei representative,” Iran International, 8-9-26.