'Broken for good': New Iran strikes spark concerns about fragile economy for analyst

07/07/26 10:46 PM

The U.S. military announced Tuesday it had launched "powerful strikes" against Iran — something an analyst signaled could be a sign of what repercussions are to come.CNN White House reporter Adam Cancryn told CNN anchor Jake Tapper and senior White House correspondent Kristen Holmes during a live report that a military official said these attacks were meant as "punishment" after Iran attacked three commercial vessels in the Strait of Hormuz. Cancryn warned that the retaliation could have a direct impact on Americans."At least in the immediate term here, it means more uncertainty when it comes to energy prices," Cancryn said. "So, we've already seen, as a result of these economic sanctions, sanctions being now reimposed, the global oil prices, and markets going up once again. The real risk here again is how the Iranians respond, whether they end up closing the Strait of Hormuz again, which, over the last few months, really pushed the price of oil and the price of gas at the pump up."The attacks also put the current ceasefire into further question while Trump was in Turkey, which borders Iran, for a NATO summit where world leaders were planning to discuss the Strait of Hormuz and the ongoing conflict."The concern here is that the ceasefire that we've had these last few weeks is maybe not as solid as people hoped it would be, that it's fragile, it could be broken. It could be broken for good," he added. "That's the real concern here that we end up in this standoff when it comes to the shipment of oil through that Strait."

'Classless' Markwayne Mullin flattened over ugly World Cup comments

07/02/26 12:19 PM

With the country engrossed by the unexpected success of the US men's team’s performance in the 2026 World Cup, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin refused to take the high road when the team from Iran was eliminated.In a column for MS NOW, political analyst Zeeshan Aleem called out the former Oklahoma plumber-turned-US senator for gloating in the Iran team elimination after the US government made their appearance a nightmare with travel restrictions and continued harassment by government officials."I'm just glad they're done, and they're not coming back," Mullin boasted, according to Politico. "I was so happy when we were able to pull their visas and said they could leave U.S. soil, and I might have sung a song or two, or maybe danced a happy dance."According to Aleem, what Mullin glossed over was the fact that the U.S. government had spent weeks making life hell for Iran's team. The administration didn't just deny visas to support staff—it forced Iran to move its training base from Arizona to Mexico, sabotaged their preparation time, and treated elite athletes like criminals rather than competitors in an international sporting event.And yet Iran nearly made it to the knockout stage anyway—three draws despite the handicaps the Trump administration imposed.Calling the Donald Trump appointee "classless," Aleem added, "After all this, Mullin had the opportunity to wish Iran’s team well or stay silent. Instead he gloried in their loss and underscored the narrative that the team should be viewed purely as a proxy for the Iranian government."He added that had Mullin been gracious or, better yet, said nothing, it would have been a boon to Trump negotiators who have been spinning their wheels attempting to negotiate an end to the war with Iran that has help put the US economy into a tailspin. "It’s a reminder of how Mullin’s comments are not just unsportsmanlike, they’re bad diplomacy. The U.S. is in negotiations with Iran to wind down a war in which the U.S. has faced a humiliating loss and lacks the leverage to extract good terms. Why would a prominent Trump official bask in Iran being ousted from the World Cup, a globally watched opportunity to use soft power?" he asked. "A long-term thinker might have used the tournament to show Iran that the U.S. could be fair-minded. Instead, the Trump administration confirmed countless Iranians’ suspicions that the U.S. is treacherous and untrustworthy, as if hawks in Iran needed more ammunition."

'Flailing' Trump's latest humiliation proves he's 'in over his head': war expert

07/08/26 9:06 PM

A national security expert tore into President Donald Trump's latest responses to questions about the Iran war and an embattled ceasefire.In a Wednesday piece for The Atlantic, national security scholar Tom Nichols reacted to Trump's comments in the wake of renewed hostilities with Iran. Trump was asked on Wednesday morning whether the memorandum of understanding with Iran was dead."That's a very interesting question," Trump responded, according to Nichols. "To me, I think it's over. I don't wanna deal with them anymore. They're scum, you know what scum is? They're scum." However, Trump also said on Wednesday that he plans to "give them a little warning" about attacks and "we'll see how it all works out." Trump is "unable to give sensible answers to questions about the renewed hostilities," Nichols noted, arguing that Trump doesn't know what to do and is waiting to see how Iran will respond to more strikes."This is not the approach of a president who's running a war," Nichols wrote. "This is the flailing of a man who's in over his head and is reacting to events, rather than guiding them."Nichols also pointed out how Trump's recent comments contrasted with the praise he gave Iranian leaders last month, when he called them "very rational people," "strong people, smart people," and "nice to deal with." He also pointed out Trump's recent gaffes, like confusing Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky with Russian President Vladimir Putin and saying "Tic Tac" when he meant "TikTok."Trump has also floated two "terrible ideas," Nichols added, referring to a possible invasion of Iranian territory and a "campaign of probable war crimes."