A Republican member on the House Armed Services Committee told Fox News Digital ahead of the midterm elections that the Trump administration has a key decision to make on the future of the U.S.-Iran war as "continuing to do just enough not to lose, but not enough to win, is not OK."
Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-N.C., made the comments as Vice President JD Vance declared during a Fox News town hall on Thursday that he promises "Donald Trump is not going to let Iran become a forever war." Official and military sources also told Fox News this week that movements are being made in the Middle East to give the president options if he decides to resume strikes against Iran.
"I share my constituents and many Americans' perspective that I'm very, very frustrated that this war is not over. The way that ultimately this administration went about conducting the war, it needed to execute it and wrap it up in a very short period of time, and we are not there yet," said Harrigan, who is running for re-election in North Carolina's 10th Congressional District.
"That being said, Iran can't have a nuclear weapon. And so at the end of the day, I do believe that this was a war that was inevitable at some point, but the party that's in power and the administration that decided to pull the trigger on it is responsible for the outcome, and they're responsible for the outcome in a very short period of time. Otherwise, things get really, really difficult," Harrigan continued. "And I think we've been seeing that, both from a political perspective but also from a policy perspective."
TRUMP SUPPORTERS CONFRONT IRAN, AFFORDABILITY CONCERNS WITH A MESSAGE FOR CRITICS: 'GIVE HIM TIME'
"And so while the administration needs to wrap this up, we are not in a forever war, but we need to make sure that we're not... we keep the mission the same. We accomplish the mission. And we do what it takes to either win or come home," Harrigan added. "And that binary decision has to get made by this administration."
Harrigan told Fox News Digital that Trump "needs to involve Congress" if he chooses to renew military action against the Iranian regime.
"I think that that will long-term set the course for the country to be resolute in affirming and actually executing and accomplishing the objectives that exist. Because look, like it or not, Congress is responsible for the funding arm of the government. And if they run out of money to accomplish the objectives, then that is not good for our strategic interests," he said. "So, in my opinion, Congress and the White House need to be very closely involved in making the next set of decisions that exist for this conflict."
GOP CRACKS WIDEN OVER IRAN WAR AS VULNERABLE CANDIDATES BREAK WITH TRUMP, DEMAND ITS END
"And we do need to make sure, again, that we either do what it takes to actually win in Iran, or we need to take the three out of five objectives that we've accomplished and say that, you know what? We've largely accomplished our strategic objectives. We've got more work to do over the long-term that's going to require consistent and persistent over the horizon monitoring of their nuclear program. And we're going to have to mow the lawn every now and again, and everybody's got to realize that, and leave, right?" Harrigan continued, mentioning how the U.S. has prevented Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon and eliminated Tehran's missile and drone production.
"But we've got to choose one of those two options because continuing to do just enough not to lose, but not enough to win, is not OK," he said. "It's not OK for the American people, it's not OK for our troops, it's not OK for geopolitical and economic stability. And it does not serve the long-term strategic interests of the United States. So it's time to choose."
Harrigan, a Green Beret and business entrepreneur, is running for re-election on Tuesday in North Carolina. He is facing off against Democrat challenger Ashley Bell, a physician associate, and Libertarian candidate Steve Feldman, who ran unsuccessfully for the seat two years ago.
As a current member of Congress, Harrigan told Fox News there is "no question" the Republican Party's House majority is at stake heading into Election Day.
"Whoever has 218 votes gets to chart the course of the direction of the House, the work that its committees do. And in particular, as it relates to the Trump administration, whether or not President Trump's going to get impeached," he added.
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"What this boils down to is the future direction of the country. Are we going to be stuck looking backwards instead of actually looking forwards, dealing with the actual business of the county and the free world, or are we going to be stuck in some sort of a Democratically-led nightmare that is simply going to be obstructionist to the conservative principles and values that people voted for in 2024?" Harrigan asked. "That's what's on the line this election cycle."
Un paio di giorni fa il Wall Street Journal ha pubblicato un articolo in cui raccontava come l’amministrazione Trump avrebbe avvertito gli alleati dei Paesi arabi di una possibile ripresa di attacchi contro l’Iran dopo il voto di midterm. Una strategia che dovrebbe essere pianificata, ma il Pentagono ha un problema: ha licenziato il pianificatore.
Il generale Brett Sylvia, responsabile della pianificazione del Pentagono e tra i principali esponenti dello Stato maggiore congiunto, è stato licenziato da Pete Hegseth, il segretario alla Difesa che lo ha accusato di aver divulgato a due giornalisti informazioni classificate sulle crisi di Ucraina e Iran. Sottoposto al test del poligrafo, l’alto ufficiale avrebbe fallito quattro volte la prova. Il media Axios, che ha visionato un rapporto, ha confermato che Sylvia è stato allontanato ufficialmente per aver “divulgato ai media informazioni non autorizzate”.
Mandare via Sylvia non è cosa da poco. Il suo ruolo è noto con la sigla J5: è l’ufficiale che fornisce consulenze dirette al Capo di Stato Maggiore, Dan Caine. Per almeno due fonti dello stesso Pentagono, l’allontanamento di Sylvia non ha tanto a che fare con i suoi rapporti non autorizzati con i media, quanto con la caccia ai “traditori” in divisa imbastita dopo che sulla stampa americana erano emerse le condizioni dell’arsenale e la penuria di scorte in seguito all’attacco all’Iran. La decisione di bombardare gli ayatollah è stata presa dal presidente Trump, ma nonostante i suoi annunci il regime sciita è rimasto in sella e il blocco dello Stretto di Hormuz ha provocato non pochi danni.
Tornando al licenziamento di Sylvia, l’agenzia Reuters ha riportato una dichiarazione di un funzionario dello stesso Pentagono che a condizioni di mantenere l’anonimato ha detto: “L’entità delle fughe di notizie è diventata così critica che il segretario Hegseth ha agito immediatamente e ha licenziato Sylvia per proteggere la sicurezza nazionale. Era necessario un intervento urgente e non si poteva aspettare un secondo di più”. Il portavoce del Pentagono, Sean Parnell, ha sostenuto che le responsabilità del generale sono state comprovate attraverso una indagine condotta dagli investigatori dell’Aeronautica. Sylvia avrebbe iniziato a parlare con i giornalisti da giugno 2025, sia attraverso canali di messaggistica come Signal sia in incontri di persona – almeno una volta – con un reporter in un ristorante di Arlington.
Di certo, il generale non è l’unico a pagare la strategia avviata dall’amministrazione Trump per colpire i comandanti ritenuti poco affidabili. Da quando Pete Hegseth è stato promosso al ruolo di Segretario alla Difesa, sono almeno venti i generali e gli ammiragli che sono stati costretti a lasciare i loro incarichi. Tra loro, si possono citare il generale Charles Q. Brown (Aeronautica), ex pilota di caccia con più di 3.000 ore di volo, mandato via da Trump con un post sui social; il generale James Slife (Aeronautica) che aveva guidato il Comando delle operazioni speciali; il generale Randy George (Esercito), veterano della Prima Guerra del Golfo, e nelle guerre in Iraq e Afghanistan; l’ammiraglio Alvin Holsey che ha ricoperto l’incarico di capo del Comando meridionale Usa; il vice ammiraglio Shoshana Chatfield, che era stata rappresentante degli Stati Uniti al comando della Nato; l’ammiraglio Lisa Franchetti che è stata la prima donna ad essere promossa ammiraglio a quattro stelle con la responsabilità delle operazioni navali.
Insomma, vestire la divisa per gli alti ufficiali americani può comportare discrete probabilità di entrare in collisione con l’amministrazione del presidente-tycoon. Lui, commentando la notizia del licenziamento di Sylvia, l’ha scambiato per una donna: “Stiamo cercando disperatamente chi ha fatto trapelare informazioni riservate e lei avrà grossi problemi, problemi a lungo termine”.
L'articolo La caccia di Trump ai “traditori” in divisa colpisce anche il generale che pianificava i raid sull’Iran: “Licenziato, passava informazioni ai giornali” proviene da Il Fatto Quotidiano.
When Americans vote in the November 3 midterm elections, Europeans will be anxiously awaiting the results. After nearly two years of abuse by the Trump administration, they are understandably eager for a change of course. A strong Democratic showing will send an important signal politically, including the desire to improve ties with scorned allies. Yet Europeans should have measured expectations about what will change for them practically, as it will take time to repair the damage.
La presidenta del Banco Central Europeo (BCE), Christine Lagarde, confirmó este jueves lo que era un secreto a voces: su marcha anticipada de la institución el próximo mes de febrero, en vez de octubre de 2027, como estaba previsto. Lo que ha precipitado la decisión ha sido la complicada situación política que atraviesa su país, Francia, en vísperas de unas elecciones presidenciales la próxima primavera que pueden llevar por primera vez a la extrema derecha al Elíseo. Lagarde asegura “no poder permanecer neutral” en esta campaña, como le exigiría su cargo, aunque ha dado a entender que ella no es candidata. La salida de Lagarde activa una remodelación de la cúpula del BCE. Y permite que las capitales pacten los nombramientos de la principal institución financiera de la eurozona al inicio de un ciclo electoral que marcará el rumbo del continente.
© Heiko Becker (REUTERS)
IISS study questions overreliance on American support and ‘overdependence on expensive, high-end systems’
Gulf states are going to have to reconfigure their trillion-dollar defences given the damage inflicted on their economies and the questionable continued value of US bases in the face of Iranian attack, according to a study by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.
The report says that in the weeks before the 8 April ceasefire, 12 regional states, overwhelmingly in the Gulf, faced 4,670 Iranian one-way attack drones and more than 1,400 ballistic missiles. Nearly half were aimed at the United Arab Emirates. Although the vast majority were repelled, one estimate of the damage to energy infrastructure cited by the report is put as high as $58bn (£43bn).
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A tanker caught fire in the Strait of Hormuz after a small boat approached the vessel and attached two explosive devices directly to its hull, temporarily disabling it in an attack that marked a departure from previous strikes on commercial shipping in the waterway.
The attack occurred on October 29, approximately 25 nautical miles northeast of the port city of Khasab in Oman, according to the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency.
UKMTO said the tanker was approached on its port side by a small boat that attached two explosive devices above the waterline before departing.
Maritime security firm Vanguard Tech identified the vessel as the Panama-flagged Louise 1, a 159,092-deadweight-ton tanker owned by Panama-based Aquarius Maritime Ventures.
“The subsequent blasts resulted in a fire in the engine room which temporarily disabled the vessel. The fire is now reported as extinguished and vessel is continuing to its next port of call,” UKMTO said, noting that all crew members were safe.
The method differs from previous Iranian attacks in the Strait of Hormuz, which have mainly involved anti-ship missiles and one-way attack drones.
The incident was the latest in a series of maritime security emergencies reported on October 29. Earlier in the day, UKMTO received a report from a company’s security officer that another tanker had been struck by an unidentified projectile while completing an outbound transit of the strait.
An even earlier vessel-fire report by the agency was subsequently attributed to a regional trading dhow that caught fire, listed and sank.
“Regional authorities have identified the vessel as a dhow, which was involved in a maritime security incident, igniting a large fire onboard causing the dhow to list and sink. Local authorities have confirmed that the crew have been safely evacuated,” UKMTO said.
Meanwhile, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy said three oil tankers had exploded and caught fire after striking naval mines while attempting to pass through what Tehran described as the unauthorized southern route of the strait.
The Corps said in a statement the vessels had “switched off all their radar and navigation systems” and ignored warnings from Iranian forces before hitting the mines.
Iran’s regular army subsequently announced that a fourth tanker had struck mines east of the strait while operating in what it described as a “restricted and dangerous area.”
The developments come as the United States maintains that its forces have cleared the internationally recognized primary shipping routes of naval mines.
IRGC spokesman Hossein Mohebi challenged that assertion earlier in the week, writing on X: “Prove your Hormuz mine-clearing claim with independent evidence, not statements!”
The International Maritime Organization recorded 34 confirmed attacks on vessels between September 28 and October 27, most of them in the Strait of Hormuz.
Commercial shipping through the Strait of Hormuz remained severely restricted on October 30, with AIS-based tracking recording just five commercial vessel crossings by the morning, compared with a pre-crisis average of approximately 85 per day.
Eight vessels had crossed in the preceding 24 hours, while 497 ships were waiting outside the strait and another 163 were stationary inside the Gulf.
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The post Iran Turns to Hull-Mounted Explosives in New Tactic Against Tankers in Hormuz appeared first on South Front.
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Axios correspondent Barak Ravid on October 30 deleted a post reporting that the United States carried out what he described as “self-defense strikes” against missile-launch sites in southern Iran, as Iranian media reported an encounter between the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and a hostile fighter jet near the Strait of Hormuz.
Ravid also stated that the U.S. has been carrying out such attacks since last week. He did not, however, publicly explain why he deleted the post.
Separately, Iran’s Tasnim and Mehr news agencies reported that the IRGC Aerospace Force intercepted a hostile fighter jet near Qeshm Island and forced it to withdraw from the area.
Neither agency identified the aircraft’s nationality or model, and no details were provided about whether it sustained damage.
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Iran’s Fars News Agency separately reported explosions near Qeshm and Sirik overnight, while the official IRNA news agency reported that residents of Qeshm had heard explosions and observed flashes in the sky and over surrounding waters.
Local sources cited by IRNA said air defense systems on the island had been activated. The agency also suggested that some of the sounds could have been warning shots fired at vessels in the Strait of Hormuz.
Click to see full-size image.
The developments come amid growing preparations for a possible resumption of the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. Axios reported earlier in the week that Washington and Israel were coordinating plans for a week-long bombing campaign targeting Iranian leadership, energy facilities and nuclear infrastructure. The Associated Press separately reported that Washington had warned regional allies to prepare for renewed strikes and Iranian retaliation.
More recently, The Wall Street Journal reported that the commander of U.S. forces in the Middle East briefed President Donald Trump at the White House on military options for Iran.
Taken together with recent developments, the reports suggest that renewed attacks could begin in the days following the November 3 U.S. midterm elections.
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SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence
NOW hosted at southfront.press
Previously, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.org.
The .org domain name had been blocked by the US (NATO) (https://southfront.press/southfront-org-blocked-by-u-s-controlled-global-internet-supervisor/) globally, outlawed and without any explanation
Back before that, from 2013 to 2015, SouthFront: Analysis and Intelligence was at southfront.com
The post U.S. Strikes on Iranian Missile Sites Reported Amid Fighter Jet Confrontation (Photos) appeared first on South Front.
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