I am a blogman for the county, and I drive the main tabs …
Good times for the Gays of Hormuz. https://t.co/eUPnPz2I15
— John Ondrasik (@johnondrasik) March 16, 2026
Ed: Imagine this being the premise to a sequel of “The Birdcage.” David had more on this for our VIP members earlier today, but the gist is below …
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NY Post: President Trump was stunned to learn last week that US intelligence indicates new Iranian Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei may be gay — and that his father, the late Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, feared his suitability to rule the Islamic Republic for that reason, The Post can reveal.
Trump couldn’t contain his surprise and laughed aloud when he was briefed on the intel, according to sources.
Others in the room also found it “hilarious” and joined the president’s reaction, while one senior intelligence official “has not stopped laughing about it for days,” said one person familiar with the briefing.
Ed: I’m taking this with a grain of salt, although I won’t discard it entirely. If his father even got a whiff of this as truth, Nepo Babytollah would never have been allowed to live, let alone get close to the IRGC. On the other hand, if the IRGC knew about this, it might explain why they wanted Mojatba as the successor – so they could use this as leverage to make sure he never contradicted the military-industrial junta.
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According to The Telegraph Mojtaba Khamenei went out to the garden “to do something” moments before the Israeli missiles destroyed the bunker where his father was staying.
— Amit Segal (@AmitSegal) March 16, 2026
Ed: Perhaps. I’d consider him as dead until proof of life emerges. He’s become a literal cardboard cutout for the IRGC, and that makes him even more valuable dead, as long as no one can prove his death.
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CBS News: U.S. intelligence has circulated to President Trump and to a small circle around him that Iran’s late supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had misgivings about his son replacing him, multiple sources familiar with the matter told CBS News.
The analysis showed the elder Khamenei was wary of his son, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, ever taking power because he was perceived as not very bright, and was viewed as unqualified to be leader, according to sources.
The information gathered also indicated that the father was aware that his son had issues in his personal life, according to sources within the administration, the intelligence community and people close to the president.
Ed: I think that Khamenei the elder knew that his son was an IRGC toady and didn’t want him as a successor for that reason. Being a dullard fits with that, too. Again, if Ali thought Mojtaba was gay, he’d have likely executed him as a very pointed example.
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Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says the regime is not in a war of survival, telling @margbrennan the regime is “stable and strong enough.”
“We don’t see any reason why we should talk with Americans, because we were talking with them when they decided to attack us, and… pic.twitter.com/AQdyeWBiFu
— Face The Nation (@FaceTheNation) March 15, 2026
Ed: Baghdad Bob-sim lives. Remember when the American media took Mohammed Saeed al-Sahhaf’s briefings seriously, too, using them to call into question the Pentagon’s briefings on the 2003 Iraq War? Some people never learn. If the regime was “stable and strong,” why is Nepo Babytollah not making video statements and public appearances like Araghchi himself did this weekend?
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WSJ: President Trump said “numerous countries have told me they’re on the way” to help fully open the Strait of Hormuz, the vital waterway that Iran has effectively closed, though he also said the U.S. didn’t need help. The U.K. and the European Union said they were discussing options for reopening the strait, but Germany rejected Trump’s call for other countries to deploy warships to protect it.
Trump also said the U.S. doesn’t know who is in charge of Iran, saying that no one knows if the country’s new supreme leader is “dead or not” because “nobody’s seen him.” Trump also called Iran a “paper tiger” and said, “They don’t have too many missiles left.”
Ed: We may not NEED help, but it would be more impressive to have a multinational force. However, it might suit Trump’s strategy to get snubbed, as it would make a seizure of Kharg Island more necessary for the leverage it would give the US in dealing with Iran over Hormuz access.
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I would note that Trump’s unexpected attacks against Venezuela and Iran have added to his own personal version of the “madman theory.” Nobody knows what Trump will do in the near future, in part because Trump probably doesn’t know himself. Nicolás Maduro thought so little of… pic.twitter.com/l9rimYxDdM
— Jim Geraghty (@jimgeraghty) March 16, 2026
Nicolás Maduro thought so little of President Trump that he mocked him with a little dance. He’s probably not dancing in his cell in the Metropolitan Detention Center this morning. Last October, Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei sneered that Trump’s speech to the Knesset was “empty words” and “buffoonery.”
The ayatollah could not be reached for comment, nor could his son.
Ed: That also plays into the Kharg Island strategy. Trump has threatened to demolish it entirely, which would take Iranian oil exports off the market for years. Seizing the island would look more reasonable to Iran’s clients in the choice between total destruction and American control.
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Jerusalem Post: Lebanon has ordered its official media outlets to stop using the term “resistance” when referring to Hezbollah, and instead use the terror group’s name, Lebanese outlet Al Modon reported on Monday, citing a circular from the country’s information ministry.
Further, the phrases “resistance” and “Islamic Resistance” are being removed from statements issued by Hezbollah itself from broadcasts from the National News Agency, Lebanon’s official government news agency, Al Modon reported.
Lebanese Information Minister Paul Morcos sent a circular to official media outlets, as per a March 2 Lebanese cabinet decision to monopolize government authority on “decisions of war and peace,” sources familiar with the matter told Al Modon.
Ed: Let’s hope that this indicates some increased level of seriousness in dealing with Hezbollah’s occupation of Lebanon. That is exactly what this has been for the last 40-plus years. I have more on Israel’s latest incursion of Lebanon here.
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Taking Kharg Island (variety of ways) “kind of checkmate” – General (ret) Jack Keane, Chairman @TheStudyofWar , on @FoxNews
“The Straits of Hormuz eventually will be a problem that will be solved, but not immediately. Kharg Island; Kharg Island, I think everybody has been… pic.twitter.com/uTdhmde872
— John Spencer (@SpencerGuard) March 16, 2026
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CNN: Cuba’s electrical grid suffered a total collapse on Monday, the country’s power operator said, marking the latest nationwide blackout in recent years, and the first since the US effectively shut off the flow of oil to Cuba.
Efforts are underway to restore power across the Caribbean island, the state-owned operator said. …
Cuba heavily relies on oil for electricity generation. The effective blockade of fuel shipments has worsened the country’s energy crisis, causing intermittent power cuts, a rationing of medical supplies and a decrease in tourism, officials have said. Fuel prices have skyrocketed so much that it can cost up to $300 in the unofficial market to fill up a car’s gas tank.
Ed: Presumably, this will accelerate their negotiations with Trump. And perhaps cool off their enthusiasm for Iran. That statement from Diaz-Canel expressing solidarity with Tehran a few days ago undoubtedly got noticed by the White House.
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I was feet away @HannahDCox. A man died there ma’am who was someone’s son, husband & father–2 other men were gravely injured all in front of me. I stood there too–It was my job to keep working. Others were in disbelief
To suggest or hint that this was staged is unconscionable. https://t.co/SmOBaA9Mzy— ZitoSalena (@ZitoSalena) March 15, 2026
Ed: What a ghoul Hannah Cox is. First off, sound travels slower than the bullet, which meant that there may have been a second or two gap between the hit on Trump and the first report. It then takes people some time to recognize the situation, and then to figure out what to do about it. Salena goes on to explain all of that, but Cox didn’t even bother to do basic research before spewing her conspiracy theory nonsense. Because Cox only cares about belittling people who got fired upon by a political assassin.
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NBC News: Gregory Bovino, the U.S. Border Patrol agent who became the face of President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, will retire at the end of the month, two Customs and Border Protection officials told NBC News.
Bovino was removed from his role as CBP commander at large in January and returned to his role as Border Patrol sector chief in El Centro, California. The move came after the deaths of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, and aggressive immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis, Chicago and Los Angeles.
His exit coincides with the date President Trump announced would be Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s last day in the job. In his position as commander, he reported directly to Noem and her senior adviser Corey Lewandowski.
Ed: Both he and Noem got effectively sidelined in January after Trump put Tom Homan in charge. This is not a surprise.
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Is Al Jazeera okay? pic.twitter.com/XezeTlXSe5
— Ashley Rindsberg (@AshleyRindsberg) March 16, 2026
Ed: The answer is … their Qatari patrons are furious with Iran. This is not a signal about how the war is going as much as it shows the mindset of the emirs. But yes, the headline is also objectively true.
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Axios: Behind the scenes: The U.S. official and the source with knowledge said Araghchi sent text messages to Witkoff that focused on ending the war.
Drop Site News reported on Monday that Witkoff had sent messages to Araghchi and quoted Iranian officials who claimed the Iranian foreign minister was ignoring the White House envoy’s messages.
The U.S. official claimed it was Araghchi who was attempting to engage, but told Axios the U.S. “is not talking” to Iran.
Ed: I have no doubt that the Iranians want a face-saving way out of the war. I believe Trump’s public comments about not offering anything of value is the response to Araghchi’s outreach. I doubt if this will change anything.
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Trailer for Disney’s “The Caliphate” pic.twitter.com/4bch5EkLBS
— Kellie-Jay Keen (@ThePosieParker) February 21, 2026
Ed: This started gaining traction the last couple of days on others’ feeds, but Kellie-Jay is the original creator. This is pretty impressive satire. Like the best satire, it cuts uncomfortably close to the truth.
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