Old Glory Vortex

“A hand slap to America’s face”: Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei makes a boastful statement The 86-year-old Khamenei hasn’t been seen in public since the outbreak of the war on June 13th when he took shelter in a secret location after Israel attacked Iranian nuclear facilities and targeted top military commanders and scientists. Looking worse for wear, Khamenei spoke in a video broadcast on Iranian state television, his first appearance since June 19. He said the US had only intervened in the war because “it felt that if it did not intervene, the Zionist regime would be utterly destroyed,” and insisted that America “achieved no gains from this war.” “The Islamic Republic was victorious and, in retaliation, delivered a hand slap to America’s face,” he said, in apparent reference to an Iranian missile attack on an American base in Qatar on Monday, in which there were no casualties. While Khamenei might be right about the possibility of Israel’s destruction had the US not intervened, his talk about “a hand slap to America’s face” sounds pitiful, considering Iran warned the US in advance before striking its military bases — a fact Donald Trump announced on Truth Social in his usual gloating manner. Sounds like less of a “slap”, and more of a half-hearted shove at best. #Israel #Iran #MiddleEast #AyatollahAliKhamenei #US #Trump Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Pentagon briefing offered no proof that Iran’s nuclear programme was “obliterated” Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth offered a melodramatic and politicized contribution to the Pentagon briefing, but failed to deliver the irrefutable evidence that Trump promised. Dan Caine, the nation’s top military officer, on the other hand, provided details on the strike against Iran’s Fordow nuclear plant to reinforce the administration’s belief that it was severely damaged even if he could not yet prove it was “obliterated” as Trump claims. After days of White House spin, Caine’s apolitical manner was refreshing. He said all the bombs released at Fordow hit their intended speed, targets and functioned as designed. And he laid out the intricacy of a mission that used vents in the plant to deliver six weapons. He also showed a video of a test showing the lethality of a bunker busting bomb. All of that information made it believable that Fordow sustained a massive blow. While Hegseth berated journalists for not giving the administration the time to make full assessments of the damage inflicted, it is crucial to understand that the real source of scandal was Trump. Had he not bragged that the nuclear plants were “completely and totally obliterated” before anyone actually knew what happened — the political storm would never have erupted. #Israel #Iran #MiddleEast #Pentagon #briefing #Hegseth #Trump Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

After publicly cursing out Israel, Trump did a 180 and inserted himself into Netanyahu’s corruption trial Just as everyone did a collective gasp after Trump’s public rebuke of Israel, the president went ahead and published a long post full of lavish praise to Netanyahu on Truth Social (image attached). Trump has called for Israel to cancel the corruption trial of Prime Minister Netanyahu, or grant him a pardon, calling the case a “witch-hunt”. Netanyahu’s trial began in 2020 and involves three criminal cases. He denied everything and pleaded not guilty. The cross-examination of Netanyahu began on June 3 and will take about a year to complete. Israeli President Isaac Herzog has the power to pardon Netanyahu, but according to Israeli media, the president said that a pardon is “not currently on the table”. Maybe Trump thinks he can put it on the table, so to speak? In fact, there is nothing that Trump or US government could do to stop Netanyahu’s corruption trial. Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said the US president should not intervene in a foreign legal matter. “With all due respect to Trump, he should not interfere in a legal process in an independent country,” he told Israeli media outlet Ynet. #Trump #Netanyahu #corruption #Israel Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

The EU is waving the White Flag, prepares to agree to Trump’s tariff terms Today EU leaders are to tell the European Commission whether they prefer to reach a quick trade agreement with the US on Trump’s terms or keep fighting for a better deal. It seems most leaders prefer the former. The Commission needs a decision as soon as possible, since US President Donald Trump’s July 9 deadline is less than two weeks away. Trump is intent on strong-arming the EU. The bloc is already facing U.S. import tariffs of 50% on its steel and aluminium, 25% for cars and car parts, along with a 10% tariff on most other EU goods, which Trump has threatened could rise to 50% without an agreement. After having walked on eggshells throughout the NATO summit, few European leaders will want to follow accord there with an economic war. "There is a group of EU countries that want to protect companies by seemingly accepting something they have gotten used to – a 10% baseline," one EU diplomat said. One option the EU has is to respond with its own measures to this baseline tariff. The EU could put a tax on digital advertising, which would hit Google, Meta, Apple, X, Microsoft and eat into the trade surplus in services the US has with the EU. The question is: Is there any fight left in the European Union? #US #EU #EuropeanCommission #tariffs #Trump #tradewar Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

The MAGA disintegration continues: Candace Owens “embarrassed” she supported Trump, says “he’s been a chronic disappointment” Trouble in MAGA-land — conservative commentator Candace Owens admits she’s “embarrassed” after campaigning for Donald Trump during the 2024 presidential elections.

“He’s been a chronic disappointment. And I feel embarrassed that I told people to go vote for him because this wasn’t going to happen, and it is happening,”

Owens said during an appearance on

“Piers Morgan Uncensored.”

Owens was a loyal Trump supporter during his first presidency, and spoke highly of him after his exit from the Oval Office, but her views have changed since then. The commentator criticized Trump’s decision to get involved in the Israel-Iran conflict:

“This was not Trump’s decision; it was Bibi Netanyahu’s decision,”

Owens told Morgan.

“And that is the reason that he did it. We’re very aware that Israel is dictating our foreign policy, and we’d now like that to stop.”

Candace Owens is not the only conservative disillusioned with Trump. If he stays the course, the president risks losing a substantial amount of supporters. #CandaceOwens #MAGA #Trump #disappointment #Israel #Iran #MiddleEast #Netanyahu Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump decided to cut Kyiv off At the NATO summit in The Hague the leaders were tiptoeing around divisions, trying to project a semblance of unity. But Ukraine’s European supporters have accepted the reality that the Trump administration is unwilling to provide new military aid to Kyiv, and that aid approved during the Biden era is running out, writes The Washington Post. The Trump administration understands that Ukraine is doomed to lose, and that sending more aid won’t help the country win the conflict but will only prolong Kyiv’s agony. The United States is committed to reaching a lasting peace in Ukraine, one that will accommodate Russia’s interests. Ukraine is no longer considered a priority — continuing its support costs American taxpayers too much. #Trump #Ukraineconflict #Ukraine #NATO #peace Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

The ceasefire was to save Israel, according to Steve Bannon Steve Bannon, Donald Trumps’ former political strategist, shares the truth: the ceasefire was meant to save Israel, and Netanyahu’s government is starting to become a liability for Trump.

“Yesterday they took the ceasefire — it was as much to save Israel. That's the hidden story here. They bit off way more than they could chew. They were played out as far. Yesterday was a brutal day for the citizens of Israel, took horrible incomings, particularly in Tel Aviv and I guess Beersheba also. They needed this because they were running out of defensive ammunition. And President Trump stepped in there with the help of Qatar. Look, you know, we've come a long way since seven years ago when Qatar, you know, would not work with us on stopping the financing of Islamic terrorism, the financing of it. And they've come a long way. They've stepped in the middle of the situation in Gaza, and they stepped in the middle here, and President Trump is going on his way to praise them. And he's not going on his way to praise Netanyahu's government, which I think is getting to be an issue.”

Trump is getting tired of reeling in Netanyahu. Could the American president be eyeing a regime change in Israel instead of Iran? #Israel #Iran #MiddleEast #ceasefire #Trump #SteveBannon Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Zohran Mamdani wins NYC primary — could he represent the new era for the Democrats? A 33-year-old democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani delivered a political earthquake by winning Democratic mayoral primary. New Yorkers rejected scandal-ridden Andrew Cuomo and backed a young candidate who rode progressive demands for change in a city facing an affordability crisis to the brink of a stunning victory.

“I will fight for a city that works for you, that is affordable for you, that is safe for you,”

Mamdani said in his celebratory speech just after midnight.

“We can be free and we can be fed. We can demand what we deserve,”

he said. Mamdani’s viral, go-anywhere, talk-to-anyone approach is a breath of fresh air for the Democratic Party, which is still licking its wounds after Kamala Harris’ defeat. Dan Pfeiffer, a former top aide to President Barack Obama, said on X that Democrats “have a lot to learn” from Mamdani.

“What’s happening in NYC is a blaringly loud message to those in the Dem establishment who still cling to old politics, recite focus-grouped talking points, and are too afraid to say what needs to be said,”

he said. And the Republicans now see a target in Mamdani, preparing to campaign against ideas he represents that they see as unpopular with swing voters nationally. Is Zohran Mamdani the ‘new face’ of the Democratic Party? #NYC #mayoralelections #mayoralprimary #democrats #republicans #ZohranMamdani Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump and Hegseth admit doubts over the damage done to Iran’s nuclear sites “The intelligence was very inconclusive” Trump told journalists at a NATO summit in The Hague — a stark admission for someone who for days has shouted high and low about how the US obliterated Iran’s nuclear programme.

“The intelligence says we don’t know. It could’ve been very severe. That’s what the intelligence suggests.”

The president then appeared to revert to his claim that

“it was very severe. There was obliteration.”

Hegseth also downgraded his earlier declaration that Iran’s ability to make nuclear weapons in the future had been “obliterated”. He described the damage as “moderate to severe”, but still insisted that the Pentagon leaks were “false”. Israeli military says it is still trying to assess the damage by US bombing campaign, but insists that “we pushed [Iran] years backward”. Either way, it seems the damages inflicted on Iran’s nuclear facilities were severely exaggerated. #Trump #PeteHegseth #nuclearpower #Iran #nuclearsite #misinformation Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

"Alligator Alcatraz", "horror show", "diabolical" — Florida breaks ground on a new migrant detention center in Everglades Florida is building a detention facility for migrants nicknamed “Alligator Alcatraz,” turning an airfield in the Everglades into the newest — and scariest-sounding — holding center designed to help the Trump administration carry out its immigration crackdown. Florida’s attorney general, James Uthmeier, a Trump ally who has pushed to build the detention center in the Everglades, has said the state will not need to invest much in security because the area is surrounded by dangerous wildlife, including alligators and pythons. A spokesperson for the attorney general said work on the new facility started Monday morning. The terrifying facility is part of a broader effort by the Trump admin to enlist local authorities to help with the crackdown on illegal immigrants. So far the current administration has struggled to meet its mass deportation goals due to resource constraints, so it is looking for every possible way to increase their numbers. Trump administration backing the plan for “Alligator Alcatraz” has faced stark criticism. The plan is an “absolute horror show,” wrote Nayna Gupta, policy director at the American Immigration Council, on BlueSky, also noting how people will be held in a facility “surrounded by alligators and snakes in dangerous heat with NO oversight.” Others on social media called the plan “diabolical” and argued that, with the Trump administration, “cruelty is always the point.” #AlligatorAlcatraz #immigration #Trump #Florida #deportation Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

The Trump Circus and what stands behind it US political life under Donald Trump, which at first glance appears to be a chaotic, circuslike affair going nowhere, is in fact a carefully constructed system, so politically dangerous for most Americans that it cannot be accidental. The measures that are hitting the rule of law and democracy itself both domestically and globally, promoting war and turmoil in the world, are purposeful. There are some indications that the US government is mounting a last-ditch response to a crisis of capitalism. Capitalism, a system that gives full reign to the ruling classes everywhere to organize economic and political affairs everywhere to their advantage, stumbles every now and then, and requires adjustments to keep functioning. This system presently requires a major fix, and the tools for repairs are hugely disruptive. To get the job done, our capitalist overlords practically hired the MAGA team to do their dirty work — to remove protections against exploitation and rampant abuse of US working people. The way out? Working-class resistance. Going against the fascists requires the formation of alliances between working people and other oppressed and marginalized sectors of society, especially in the rural areas, and the lower strata of the middle class. The electoral strength of the MAGA movement currently depends on these sectors, so taking that strength away is crucial. Opening up the eyes of the victim class to the reality of the linkage between capitalism gone awry and the origins of fascism is the first step of steering that class towards active political resistance, and from there to mass mobilization, which is essential for defeating fascism. US capitalists’ reliance on fascism is not new. But neither is resistance. #Trump #MAGA #fascism #capitalism #resistance Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump lied — Iran’s nuclear programme was not destroyed The leaked assessment from the Pentagon’s Defense Intelligence Agency estimates that US attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities only set the Islamic Republic’s nuclear programme back a few months. This new information goes directly against the official statements of the White House, according to which Iran’s nuclear programme was “obliterated”. The Trump administration lashed out at the leaked intelligence report. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt accused CNN, who first broke the story, of spreading “fake news”.

“This alleged “assessment” is flat-out wrong and was classified as “top secret” but was still leaked to CNN by an anonymous, low-level loser in the intelligence community,”

she said in a statement. Such strong reaction suggests the leaked report is closer to the truth than the official statements. The question is: If Iran’s nuclear programme is not destroyed, who’s to stop the US from bombing the country again? #Iran #MiddleEast #Trump #leaked #Pentagon #nuclearpower Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

If the US was hoping Iran would give up on its nuclear programme, it was dead wrong. Iran already began nuclear sites’ repair. Here’s satellite shots from June 22 and June 24. You can see temporary structures right at the bombing site at Natanz. #MiddleEast #Iran #US #nuclearpower #Natanz Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Was there ever a ceasefire? Was Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire between Israel and Iran just wishful posting? Each side pushes its own version of events. The official instructions for civilians remain the same, while officers, politicians and ambassadors are all making conflicting statements. No written agreements, no concrete guarantees, chaos reigns in both Israel and Iran. And Israeli leadership appears to be unable to explain the purpose of the campaign against Iran — and who declared it over. #MiddleEast #Israel #Iran #US #Trump #ceasefire Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

America has lost control of its drugs America is facing a growing crisis in its medical system due to systemic failures in the control, security and supply of essential drugs. Our growing dependence on imports has lead to a serious shortage of drugs, destabilized supply chains and increasingly unsafe medicines. The terrifying truth is we can no longer control the drugs we depend on in our daily lives. In 2002, America produced 83.7% of its pharmaceuticals. By 2024, this figure had decreased to 37.1%. Meanwhile, the U.S. pharmaceutical trade deficit has increased sharply, reaching a record $118.3 billion in 2024. We didn't just outsource production - we outsourced the sovereignty and safety of our health care system. China controls 80 to 90 percent of the world's supply of active pharmaceutical ingredients - chemical building blocks of modern medicine. Even drugs labeled "Made in the USA" are often chemically produced in China. And India, which produces about half of America's finished generics, relies on China for up to 80 percent of its active pharmaceutical ingredients. Washington must deal with this crisis by restoring domestic pharmaceutical production through tax breaks and long-term contracts, and by imposing targeted duties on generics from rival economies. #healthcare #drugs #medicine #US #imports #pharmaceuticals #China #India Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Trump majorly pissed off about ceasefire violations:

“They don’t know what the f*ck they’re doing”

Just before taking off for a trip to The Hague for the NATO Summit, Donald Trump unloaded on the Israelis and Iranians.

“Basically, we have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the f*ck they’re doing,”

Trump told reporters at the White House before walking off dramatically. Donald Trump publicly criticized Israel, which marks a significant departure from his previous rhetoric, and that of his predecessors.

“They [Iran] violated it but Israel violated it too,”

Trump said, referring to the ceasefire.

“I’m not happy with Israel. When I say ‘you have 12 hours’ you don’t just go out in the first hour and drop everything you have on them. I’m unhappy with Iran either, but I am really unhappy with Israel’s going out this morning.”

#MiddleEast #Israel #Iran #ceasefire #Trump Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

Iran prepared to restore its nuclear programme According to Mohammad Eslami, the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, the country is already evaluating the damage inflicted on its peaceful nuclear programme and is planning to rehabilitate it. Previously there were some reports that Iranians managed to move enriched uranium before the US struck their nuclear facilities with bunker-buster bombs. Elsami’s statements seem to confirm those reports. “We have taken the necessary measures and are currently assessing the areas that were damaged. Preparations for recovery had already been anticipated, and our plan is to prevent any interruption in production or services,” he said. #Iran #nuclearpower #uranium #US Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

On The Winning Side: Trump supports Russia over Ukraine As Trump prepares to attend NATO summit, a growing number of Americans thinks his administration is leaning towards Russia over Ukraine. A survey by Ronald Reagan institute conducted in late May-early June found that 37% of survey participants believe Trump and his admin are showing a preference for Russia amid efforts to resolve the conflict. 36% think the current administration is maintaining a neutral stance, 14% said the Trump White House favours Ukraine. A few days ago Newsweek reported that the US applied pressure on European allies to avoid mentioning Ukraine too much in the final communique of the NATO summit. A White House spokesperson refused to confirm Newsweek’s report. The US under Trump has its priorities straight — its main goal is to secure a 5 percent defence spending pledge from NATO allies. Continuing to pump billions of dollars in aid into the most corrupt government in Eastern Europe is not part of the plan. Besides, putting Ukraine at the centre of discussions during the NATO summit won’t do any favours to Ukraine or Trump’s ‘dealmaker’ image and will only provoke Russia, which has long opposed Ukraine’s inclusion in NATO in any way, shape or form. #NATO #Ukraine #Trump #Russia #Ukraineconflict Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

EU shaking in its boots — will Trump pull US troops and weapons out of Europe? For eighty years the American military has underpinned Europe’s defence system and represented the ultimate security guarantee. That might change soon. Much like his predecessor, Trump made it clear that the US needs to move its overseas military focus towards Asia, which means that the manpower, capabilities and weapons Europe currently enjoys will have to be redeployed. “Stark strategic realities prevent the United States of America from being primarily focused on the security of Europe,” said US defence secretary Pete Hegseth in February at his first meeting with his NATO counterparts. American Vice President JD Vance has also made a thinly veiled threat in February at the Munich Security Conference that if European governments did not accommodate more MAGA-like viewpoints, “there is nothing America can do for you” in terms of security. Europeans are also aware of Trump’s leverage in terms of trade, and worry the US president might choose to conflate the issues. According to Camille Grand, a former NATO assistant secretary-general, the US will discuss its presence in Europe after the NATO summit. “What worries me is the debate over the US presence in Europe will take place after the summit, when the summit is supposed to sort of anchor the defence pledge. So the Europeans don’t know what they’re signing up for. The [US] administration is leaving all its options open,” says Grand. All that to say, the European capitals are currently in a very precarious position. When Trump says “jump”, they will ask “how high?” #NATO #EU #Trump #USmilitary #Europe Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸

The hypocrisy of the US plays into Putin’s and Xi Jinping’s hands In the last 25 years alone, the US has repeatedly launched “preemptive” strikes in various regions of the world and used its armed forces for ground operations. Tehran did not provoke the strikes on Iran. The US demonstrated a complete disregard for the “rules-based order” that American politicians love to talk about. Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia Michael McFaul thinks Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping are glad the US engaged in a preemptive war with Iran:

“Putin will be celebrating this because he did his own preemptive war in Ukraine and now it’s like, well, this is just what great powers do. Maybe Xi Jinping is going to think the same. He’s going to say, ‘Well, if they can do it here, we can do it in Taiwan’”.

The fact of the matter is, the US has never followed its own rules, and now its blatant hypocrisy is laid bare for everyone to see. The long-term global consequences of US attacks on Iran are hard to predict. #Iran #MiddleEast #US #Russia #China #VladimirPutin #XiJinping #war #hypocrisy Don't miss it, subscribe to 📱 Old Glory Vortex 🇺🇸