🧵Trump, asked if he discussed Iran in call with Netanyahu, via WH pool: “Yeah, we discussed a lot of things, & it went very well, very smooth. We'll see what happens. You know, we're trying to do something with a country we just spoke about, Iran. I think you should negotiate this. …
“They are good negotiators, but they're tough. Sometimes they can be too tough. That's the problem.
We're trying to make a deal so that there's no destruction and death.
“And we've told them that, and I've told them that. I hope that's the way it works out, but it might not work out that way. We'll soon find out.”
🧵NYT on why Trump pulled the plug. After 30 days of US bombing:
“the results were not there. The US had not even established air superiority over the Houthis. Instead, what was emerging…was another expensive but inconclusive American military engagement in the region.
“The Houthis shot down several American MQ-9 Reaper drones & continued to fire at naval ships in the Red Sea, inc. a US aircraft carrier. & the US strikes burned through weapons & munitions at a rate of about $1 billion in the first month alone.
this gets stranger and stranger:
“Loomer was seated directly across the desk from the president. Next to her was Rep. Scott Perry, a Pennsylvania Republican who was one of Trump’s biggest allies in his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss.
🧵A former DoD civilian military planner writes to explain why the information that Defense Sec. Hegseth sent out in advance of US strikes in Yemen could have compromised the safety of US military personnel: “Why is something like F-18 launch times so sensitive?
1/
“Yes, it lets an adversary know of an impending attack, but it also reveals a key vulnerability.
An aircraft carrier is most vulnerable to attack when it is launching & recovering aircraft because..its ability to maneuver is restricted. 2/
“It has to be steaming within a specific range of courses & speeds when launching & recovering aircraft. Specifying when we're going to launch aircraft & making it easy to figure out the window of time they'll be recovering them…would let the adversary know when to plan a counterstrike on the carrier if they had the means.”
🧵Sen. Angus King: something you said has sort of puzzled me. …on the morning of March 15, Sec. Hegseth put into this group text a detailed operation plan, inc. targets, the weapons we were going to be using, attack sequences and timing.
King: And yet, you've testified that nothing in that chain was classified. Wouldn't that be classified?
Gabbard: Senator, I can attest to the fact that there were no classified or intelligence equities that were included in that chat group at any time.
King: the attack sequencing and timing and weapons and targets you don't consider to should have been classified?
Gabbard: Turning to key state actors, the IC sees China, Russia, Iran & North Korea engaging in activities that could challenge US capabilities & interests, esp. related to our security & economy. These actors are in some cases working together
Identifies Russian as a nuclear threat and cyber threat. new satellite intended to carry a nuclear weapon.
she does not mention Russian threat to US allies in Europe, invasion of Ukraine, hybrid threats, election interference, etc.
Gabbard on Iran: “The IC continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon, and Supreme Leader Khamenei has not authorized the nuclear weapons program that he suspended in 2003.”