Trump Says He’s Not Sending Troops. The Marines Are Already On Their Way.
Next stop, ground war? Plus: CBS News enters the streamlining era. The latest Epstein shuffle. An AI framework Big Tech ordered. And Venezuelans celebrate an historic baseball victory.
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Now, the war.
Trump declared victory. On Truth Social — where else — he suggested the US has nearly achieved all its objectives in Iran and that the Strait of Hormuz is now somebody else’s problem. We broke it, you fix it.
Here’s what’s actually happening: There are reports the US may send troops to Kharg Island — Iran’s oil hub, responsible for roughly 90% of its crude exports — as leverage to pressure Tehran into releasing its grip on the Strait. That is not the posture of a country that has won.
Yes, the US has the firepower to knock out Iranian facilities and own the sky. Iran’s strategy is different: strangle oil infrastructure, threaten the global economy, spread the pain.
And as Iran holds the world economy hostage, the US is walking back its own red lines. There’s talk of lifting sanctions, shifting objectives — Trump’s messaging changing again. The gap between his Truth Social posts and the ground truth keeps widening.
Also today: Oil “doomsday” scenarios; rising costs for food, raw materials, and flights; the Pentagon asked for $200B and Republicans balked; CBS is slashing staff and killing its century-old radio division; Democrats walked out of Bondi’s Epstein hearing; a federal court slapped down RFK Jr. on gender-affirming care.
And in News That Doesn’t Suck: A “damn good baseball game” and a big win for Venezuela.
Iran Updates
Breaking: A federal judge on Friday revoked several parts of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s restrictions on Pentagon reporting, including a requirement that reporters pledge not to use unauthorized material. This voids the Pentagon’s ability to revoke press credentials for those who refused. The judge wrote that “those who drafted the First Amendment believed that the nation’s security requires a free press and an informed people and that such security is endangered by governmental suppression of political speech.” He noted the ongoing war makes it “more important than ever that the public have access to information from a variety of perspectives about what its government is doing.” So far, no word on the Pentagon’s response.
Human Cost: New estimates suggest the war in Iran has killed almost 1,500 civilians, including hundreds of children. The overall death toll tops 4,000, including over 3,000 in Iran, 1,000 in Lebanon, 15 in Israel, 4 in the West Bank, and dozens across the region, including 13 US troops.
Warning Signs: The Trump administration is sending thousands of additional Marines and sailors along with amphibious assault ships to the Middle East. These ships are used to get troops and their equipment on land for land-based missions. Trump is reportedly weighing several options for putting boots on the ground. They could be used to capture Iranian oil facilities in an effort to drive up pressure on Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. They could also be deployed to collect highly enriched uranium. NBC News reports Trump is interested in “escalating the war in an attempt to end it,” a strategy you might recall from the Iraq war surge. Trump continues to insist he’s “not putting troops anywhere.” But he added that “if I were, I certainly wouldn’t tell you.” Meanwhile, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday argued “there has to be a ground component” to achieve regime change in Iran. A new poll finds 65% of Americans believe Trump will eventually order a ground invasion, which only 7% support.
All Talk: While the Marines head to the Middle East, Trump is busy suggesting to the public he’s winding things down. Trump on Friday insisted the war in Iran has been “Militarily WON” and claimed he could end it “right now” — but said he won’t because he wants to ensure Iran can “never rebuild” its military capacity. (It would be hard for the US to get out while Iran is holding the world’s oil supply hostage in the Strait of Hormuz.) Trump on Friday seemed to hint at an off-ramp, writing that the US is “getting very close to meeting our objectives” and arguing the Strait could be defended by “by other Nations who use it.” Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday claimed, without evidence, that Iran can no longer enrich Uranium nor manufacture ballistic missiles. Iran on Friday insisted it is still constructing missiles, and launched drone and missile attacks across the region. So far, the US and Israel have degraded Iran’s capabilities but have failed to achieve “escalation dominance” — the ability to stop an adversary from escalating.
War Hits Home: The war is driving a worldwide energy crisis — one that is impacting global trade, consumer prices, and food security. US airline ticket prices are up as much as 124% for domestic travel. US gasoline is nearly $4 per gallon, the highest since 2022 and almost a dollar higher than before the war. Abroad, it’s worse. Over 40% of gas stations in Thailand and 30% in Cambodia have shut. Japan’s gas prices reached a record high this week and European gas prices have doubled since the start of the war. In Dubai, oil hit a record $166 per barrel. On Friday global oil prices hit $110 per barrel, and Goldman Sachs warned prices could stay above $100 for years. One Gulf scholar called this the “worst-case scenario” for the region. One analyst warned “we are now well on the road to the doomsday gas crisis scenario,” explaining price disruptions could last for years.
Major Attack: Just one example. Iran struck Qatar’s Ras Laffan Industrial City, which produces one-fifth of the world’s liquified natural gas. The attack destroyed 17% of its facility’s export capacity, with repairs expected to take 3–5 years. QatarEnergy’s CEO called these “attacks on global energy security” and Qatar’s prime minister said the “war must be stopped immediately.”
Knock-On: The ripple effects keep widening. The World Trade Organization this week warned the conflict has slowed global trade more than expected; the Strait of Hormuz is functionally closed, over 40,000 flights have been canceled, and damaged facilities are threatening shortages of raw materials like helium and sulfur. Oil-based goods, like plastic pellets, are also getting pricier and harder to find. This is important: Roughly one-third of the world’s supply of fertilizer moves through the Strait of Hormuz, so the blockade is driving up food prices and threatening shortages worldwide. Oh, and mortgage prices rose again this week for the third consecutive time, and are now the highest they’ve been in three months.
Stop Hitting Yourself: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Thursday said the US is considering removing sanctions on Iranian oil in tankers at sea. Yes, the same Iran sanctions Trump reimposed after scrapping the nuclear deal — in part because he didn’t want Iran profiting from oil sales. Bessent claimed the administration “will be using the Iranian barrels against the Iranians to keep the price down” for the next two weeks. Energy Secretary Chris Wright also argued that the oil is already on ships, so why use sanctions. On Friday he clarified that “most of that oil will be absorbed in the next 30 to 45 days.” We should have put a trigger warning on this item.
Let the
SpiceOil Flow: Bessent also suggested the US may release more of its Strategic Reserve. But after last week’s record-breaking international release, the Reserve’s levels are below a legal threshold barring further releases (unless an emergency is declared) and nearing a structural threshold that, if breached, could undermine the stability of the Reserve itself. The Trump administration failed to fully refill the Reserve before the war. This, after the Biden administration ordered a massive release to tamp down prices when Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022.
Blank Check: The Pentagon has requested $200 billion for the war in Iran. That’s more than Congress appropriated for the first year in Iraq, more than the US has sent to Ukraine in the last four years, and more than the annual defense budget of any country on Earth bar the US and China. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s response? “It takes money to kill bad guys.” Even Republicans in Congress are unhappy. Sen. Roger Marshall (R-KS) called the request a “little tall.” Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) said, “You can’t just come up here with an invoice and say, ‘Pay this,’ and expect to have great cooperation.”
Fire Sale: The Trump administration on Thursday moved forward with $23 billion in arms sales to Gulf nations. It invoked an emergency clause to bypass normal Congressional review.
Who’s the Boss: Netanyahu on Thursday appeared to address rumors Israel pushed the US into the war. He lavished praise on Trump, calling him “the leader. I’m his ally. America is the leader.” This was during his first press conference in days, dispelling online conspiracy theories he had been killed.
New Year, Same War: Friday marks Nowruz, the Persian new year, a 3000-year-old celebration of spring. It includes the display of Haft-Sin, seven symbolic items representing rebirth and health. This year Iranians are braving air strikes and retaliation by local security forces just to set the table — if they can afford it and if their stores are open. “At this rate,” one person told the BBC, “there might not even be much left of Iran. I don’t want this to be our last Nowruz.”
Here Are Your (Other) Headlines
Conglomeration Killed the Radio Star: CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss on Friday announced the end of the network’s century-old radio division, which serves 700 affiliate stations. Weiss also announced layoffs for roughly 6% of the news division. She told employees this has “nothing to do with the quality of your work,” but “simply has everything to do with the times we’re living in.” The Writers Guild of America condemned the layoffs as another example of “recklessness and greed.” CBS News’ ratings are falling under Weiss’ leadership; its flagship evening newscast is down to fewer than 4 million viewers since Weiss took over.
And the TV Star, Too: The FCC on Thursday approved a merger between Nexstar and Tegna, creating the country’s largest operator of local TV stations, which will reach a remarkable 60% of US households. The FCC waived a rule barring a single company from reaching more than 39% of US households to allow the merger. FCC Chair Brendan Carr claimed the waiver will promote “competition, localism, and diversity.” FCC Commissioner Anna M Gomez condemned the “unlawful” merger, saying it “was approved behind closed doors with no open process, no full Commission vote, and no transparency.” She warned it will lead to “fewer voices, less competition, and higher costs for consumers.” The merger was approved less than a day after a coalition of eight states sued to block it for violating antitrust laws.
Concerning Framing: The Trump administration on Friday released a framework for national AI legislation that would essentially strip states of the ability to regulate AI, while locking in few guardrails nationwide. It includes some protections for children and electricity costs. The Electronic Privacy Information Center criticized the framework’s “vague” policy recommendations and argued it “fails to address the full scope of ways AI harms people.” House Republican leaders immediately endorsed it, but Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) acknowledged “concerns that a lot of our members have about not trampling state’s rights.”
Protect Kids: A federal judge on Thursday blocked HHS Secretary RFK Jr’s attempt to prevent hospitals from providing gender-affirming care to minors. In December, RFK declared such treatment neither “safe nor effective,” and threatened to revoke federal funding for hospitals that provide it. The Trump administration argued RFK’s declaration was just his opinion — but the lawsuit noted that HHS used the declaration to refer 13 academic medical institutions to the Office of the Inspector General. The judge ruled RFK overstepped his authority and violated federal law by issuing the declaration. New York Attorney General Letitia James, one of 19 states that sued over the declaration, said the ruling “gives some needed clarity to patients, families, and providers.” She noted the real world impact: “Young people are losing access to life-saving treatment, families are being left in the dark, and medical providers are being threatened just for doing their jobs.”
Lost Forever: ICE on Friday announced the death of a 19-year-old who was in Glades County Detention Center, Florida. The agency claimed Royer Perez-Jimenez, originally from Mexico, died of a “presumed suicide.” In 2022, ICE moved to limit its use of the Glades County facility, “in part due to persistent and ongoing concerns related to the provision of detainee medical care.” ICE reinstated its contract in April to “allow greater capacity.” Perez-Jimenez is at least the 13th person — and the youngest — to have died in ICE custody this year.
Most Vulnerable: A New York Times review of 10 cases of pregnant women detained by ICE has found the agency regularly violated its own guidelines by “subjecting them to conditions that medical experts say can jeopardize the health of mothers and their babies.” Women described being served food crawling with cockroaches, shackled by hands and feet, and having their requests for medical care ignored. An earlier ACLU report found similar claims: pregnant and postpartum women shackled, put in solitary confinement, refused adequate medical care or given medical care “without informed consent.”
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