Iran’s state media delivered the message this way: “To the noble and proud people of Iran: With the ultimate grief and sorrow this is to inform you that following the barbaric attack by the criminal governments of America and the evil Zionist regime, the true example of faith, jihad and resistance, the Supreme Leader of the Revolution Grand Ayatollah Khamenei achieved the blessing of martyrdom.”

President Trump shares the following message via Truth Social:

“Khamenei, one of the most evil people in History, is dead. This is not only Justice for the people of Iran, but for all Great Americans, and those people from many Countries throughout the World, that have been killed or mutilated by Khamenei and his gang of bloodthirsty THUGS. He was unable to avoid our Intelligence and Highly Sophisticated Tracking Systems and, working closely with Israel, there was not a thing he, or the other leaders that have been killed along with him, could do.

This is the single greatest chance for the Iranian people to take back their Country. We are hearing that many of their IRGC, Military, and other Security and Police Forces, no longer want to fight, and are looking for Immunity from us. As I said last night, “Now they can have Immunity, later they only get Death!”

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According to multiple confirmations following visible evidence of his body, news is now widely spreading throughout the middle east that Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is DEAD.

This could rapidly escalate an end to the U.S. military operation, through regime change.  We await confirmation of this news from President Donald Trump.

The very first strikes in Tehran by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) were targeted to the power circle in control of government in Iran.

In a nationally televised address, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu just said the strikes had targeted the compound of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

“There are growing signs that the tyrant is no longer alive,” Netanyahu said. However, earlier today, Iran’s foreign minister told NBC News that the country’s supreme leader and president were alive “as far as I know.”

Several of Iran’s top military leaders and family members of Khamenei are confirmed to have been killed, which seems to explain the unfocused attacks by Iran toward a host of middle east nations including Israel, Bahrain, Dubai, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed in an Israeli airstrike this morning on Iran, with his body being found recently among the rubble, Israeli officials tell The Times of Israel. {Source}

Brig. Gen. Effie Defrin, an Israeli military spokesperson, says the strikes also killed other senior Iranian officials. Defrin says they included the commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the defense minister, the head of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei’s military bureau and the secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council. {Source}

U.S. President Donald Trump has spoken with the leaders of Saudi Arabia, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates and NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte, after the strikes on Iran, according to White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt.

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A remarkable conflict has revealed itself amid the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) software, the United States Government (USG), the Dept of War (DoW) and the AI software company Anthropic.

At the core of the issue is the USG contracting with Anthropic for the use of their Claude AI system for use in military operations.  The Dept of War has a contract with Anthropic to use their software in combination with various military and weapon use systems.  However, Anthropic is putting restrictions on the military application of their AI.

Anthropic says the AI cannot be used for defense dept autonomous weapons that do not utilize human triggering.  Additionally, Anthropic is saying their system cannot be used to surveil U.S. citizens. Anthropic engineers would be the decisionmakers on the government use.

The Trump administration has rejected the demand of Anthropic, saying they will not permit a Silicon Valley group of engineers to determine deployment of U.S. applications, thereby replacing the decision-making of elected officials, military commanders, the Joint Chiefs’ of staff, and ultimately the President of the United States and even military servicemembers who are facing life or death decisions.

It is a key moment for the use of AI as it applies to government application and private sector.

♦ After several weeks of conflict between U.S. government officials and the CEO of Anthropic, Dario Amodei, President Trump finally said enough and told all agencies of government to stop using Anthropic products.

President Trump via Truth Social: “The Leftwing nut jobs at Anthropic have made a DISASTROUS MISTAKE trying to STRONG-ARM the Department of War, and force them to obey their Terms of Service instead of our Constitution. Their selfishness is putting AMERICAN LIVES at risk, our Troops in danger, and our National Security in JEOPARDY.

Therefore, I am directing EVERY Federal Agency in the United States Government to IMMEDIATELY CEASE all use of Anthropic’s technology. We don’t need it, we don’t want it, and will not do business with them again! There will be a Six Month phase out period for Agencies like the Department of War who are using Anthropic’s products, at various levels. Anthropic better get their act together, and be helpful during this phase out period, or I will use the Full Power of the Presidency to make them comply, with major civil and criminal consequences to follow.

WE will decide the fate of our Country — NOT some out-of-control, Radical Left AI company run by people who have no idea what the real World is all about. Thank you for your attention to this matter. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!”

♦ Secretary of War Pete Hegseth then responded via X:

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Many Americans are waking up this morning to discover the United States and Israel have launched joint military operations against Iran.  The news can be unsettling, unnerving and yes, admittedly, frustrating for many.

President Trump has made the decision and called for the people of Iran to stand now against the Iranian regime that has been a thorn in the side of many regional partners for decades.  A direct and kinetic U.S. war against Iran is underway.

This decision has weighed heavily on President Trump throughout the first fourteen months of his presidency. Regardless of our personal opinions therein, the decision has been made.  Knowing the stakes at hand both here and abroad, we carry the assurance that President Trump knows what the ramifications entail.

Accepting the stakes; knowing this is an all or nothing proposition; the conflict is likely to be a long duration event for several days, even weeks.  For the leadership in Iran this is a zero-sum moment.  For those who have long tried to find an alternative to war, this is also a no retreat moment.  Either the regime in Iran is toppled, or the operation will have failed. Given all the expanded energy, this is the reality of the matter.

(AP) – A person briefed on the military plans says Saturday’s operation was planned by the U.S. and Israel for months and closely coordinated. The person says the attacks are expected to continue for several days. {SOURCE}

That said, there will be time for talking about the domestic political consequences for this action; however, this is not that time. Right now, our thoughts and prayers are with American military carrying out their mission, and with those who are in the expanded region of conflict.  We pray for their protection, safety and strength.

Within hours the Iranian regime responded with counter attacks launched against U.S. military bases and regional allies in Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Jordan and the UAE.  U.S. and allied defensive missile systems are intercepting Iranian missiles in multiple operational areas while the U.S. joint military operations against Iran continue into what is presumably multiple pre-planned stages.

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In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

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Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

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Following a Thursday afternoon visit to the White House Netflix CEO Ted Sarandos announced he was withdrawing his bid to take control over Warner-Discovery, clearing the way for Larry Ellison’s bid to succeed.

Larry Ellison and a group of financial investors now position Paramount Skydance to win control over Warner-Discovery. CNN insiders are reported to be apoplectic considering that Larry and David Ellison will now likely downsize the media group and change directions.

MEDIA – […] The development will likely see the storied Hollywood studio and a group of TV properties that includes CNN fall into the hands of Paramount, reshaping US media.

Without a Netflix counteroffer, the Warner Bros. Discovery board is now free to terminate its agreement with the streaming giant and proceed with Paramount.

The sweetened offer, made Monday, was the latest installment of a bidding war that has drawn White House attention, with President Donald Trump insisting he had a say in the outcome.

The revised Paramount offer included a purchase price of $31.00 per share in cash, a one-dollar increase from its earlier bid, which valued the company at around $108 billion.

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Many people were befuddled when I shared the statement that FBI Director Kash Patel really needs to get his arms around his FBI agency quickly, because operatives inside the FBI are currently working to attack other cabinet level national security and intelligence officials. One of those examples is outlined in this interview by Kristi Noem.

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem notes how officials within the government (I’m specifically citing the FBI as the origin) have worked to conduct surveillance on her team, planted spyware on her devices and monitor the activity within the Dept of Homeland Security.

Watch this interview with DHS Secretary Noem and you will get a more comprehensive understanding of what her and all the other National Security officials (DNI, NCTC, DHS, ICE, FEMA, etc.) are having to deal with. WATCH:

Patrick Bet-David sits down with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem to discuss her claim that “they spied on me,” the discovery of a secret DHS file room, the fallout surrounding El Mencho and cartel operations, and efforts to identify and remove alleged deep state actors inside the Department of Homeland Security.

TIME STAMPS:
00:00 – Show intro
04:54. – South Dakota Governor Journey
13:20 – China Threat Rising
18:09 – DHS Files & Spy Concerns

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Yesterday the alarming story surfaced of Biden-era FBI officials working for Jack Smith conducting phone record surveillance on Kash Patel and Susie Wiles in 2022 and 2023 when Donald Trump was organizing his second term candidacy.

Beyond the initial element of subpoenas for Patel and Wiles phone records was an alarming assertion made inside the Reuters report stating:

“[…] In 2023, the FBI recorded a phone call between Wiles and her attorney, according to two FBI officials. Wiles’ attorney was aware that the call was being recorded, and consented to it, but Susie Wiles was not.” (source)

That statement is shocking on many levels.  There is no legal mechanism for the FBI to gain wiretap authority to record a phone conversation between a lawyer and his client.  Every legal cannon that underpins the American legal system forbids such an intrusion.

Any lawyer who would consent to his client being recorded by the FBI while keeping the client unaware would be disbarred and lose their license.

No judge or legal authority would even consider approving a warrant for such a wiretap, and inside the judiciary any of the content from such a violative breech would be immediately nullified in any capacity.

Reporting by Marc Caputo of Vice News now reflects the lawyer categorically denying being aware of his conversation with Susie Wiles being intercepted or recorded.  “The lawyer representing Susie Wiles at the time of this incident categorically denies he allowed his client to be recorded by the FBI w/out her consent.  I understand she believes him & that the Biden-era FBI may have lied about it.  Here’s what the lawyer told me: “If I ever pulled a stunt like that I wouldn’t – and shouldn’t – have a license to practice law. I’m as shocked as Susie.” (source)

As the story now rests. If the FBI does indeed have a recording of a private phone call between Susie Wiles and her attorney, the recording itself could have only come from an illegal wiretap by rogue elements of the FBI working in coordination with Jack Smith.  No judge would ever approve of such a violative action.

If such a recording and wiretap does factually exist, Jack Smith and the top elements of the former DOJ (Merrick Garland and Lisa Monaco) together with FBI leadership Director Christopher Wray, now have a lot to answer to.  Again, that is if the predicate claim is factual; if a recording of such an intercept does factually exist.

This is certainly a story to watch closely and see who exactly is asking the right questions to get the right answers.

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In an effort to keep the Daily Open Thread a little more open topic we are going to start a new daily thread for “Presidential Politics”. Please use this thread to post anything relating to the Donald Trump Administration and Presidency.

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

(more…)