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Iran's leaders show a united front over the war but are divided over what the goal is
Aug 2, 2026 - World 
Iran's leadership is showing unity in its war strategy against the U.S., but there are sharp differences over the endgame
Trump says he will order halt to Iran strikes after parameters reached for deal to end war
Aug 2, 2026 - World 
U.S. President Donald Trump says he will order American forces to hold off on strikes he had threatened against Iran, claiming Mideast allies had reached the parameters of a deal to end the war
US ally begs Trump to hold off on ‘unprecedented’ attack in private plea: report
Aug 2, 2026 - World 
Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman pleaded with President Donald Trump Saturday to hold off on authorizing an “unprecedented” attack on Iran that is reportedly being actively considered by U.S. and Israeli officials, Axios reported.The Trump administration and Israeli officials are considering launching what would be “one of the harshest bombing campaigns to date” targeting Iranian energy infrastructure, multiple inside sources told CBS News, and as a response to the Iranian attacks on a U.S. military base in Jordan earlier this week.However, “such an attack could lead to an unprecedented escalation in the five-month war,” Axios’ Barak Ravid wrote, and could put U.S. allies in the Middle East at great risk of Iranian retaliatory strikes.“The Saudis expressed concern and asked for clarity about the plan of action,” a U.S. official told Axios. A second source, described by Axios as a person “with knowledge of the call” said that bin Salman “urged Trump to de-escalate and refrain from launching the strikes,” Ravid wrote.Trump has repeatedly downplayed concerns about the conflict's trajectory, insisting in recent public remarks that the war is "going extremely well" and that Iran's military capabilities have been severely degraded, while also floating the possibility of a negotiated settlement. Meanwhile, Iranian officials have signaled no willingness to back down, with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi telling NBC News that Iran is ready for a ground invasion by American troops and would refuse any negotiations with Washington.
Policy expert flags Trump’s major ‘strategic mistake’ that could ‘bring the war to the US’
Aug 1, 2026 - World 
Foreign policy expert Trita Parsi issued a bleak warning Saturday over what he called a major “strategic mistake” of the Trump administration that could very well “bring the [Iran] war to the U.S.,” and soon.Earlier on Saturday, CBS News reported that the United States and Israel were actively planning “one of the harshest bombing campaigns to date” targeting Iran’s energy infrastructure, citing multiple inside sources. Also on Saturday, federal authorities were investigating whether Iran was responsible for a string of cyber attacks on U.S. water systems across several states.The cyber attacks, per The New York Times, “increasingly appeared to be the work of Iran.” As such, Parsi, a foreign policy analyst and president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft, feared that the Trump administration’s plans and the cyber attacks could be connected.“If Iran is behind these cyberattacks on US water systems, the message is clear,” Parsi wrote in a social media post Saturday on Substack.“It's a warning: If the US strikes critical infrastructure in Iran, including desalination plants and power grids, Iran will respond in kind through cyberattacks against critical infrastructure in the US. Essentially, Iran will bring the war to the US itself using cyber.”President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to destroy Iranian power plants and other critical infrastructure, threats that, if carried out, would likely be considered war crimes. Should the United States and Israel carry out its supposed plan to launch a massive attack on Iranian energy infrastructure, Parsi warned that the consequences could be astronomical for Americans.“The strategic mistake of starting – and restarting – this war is only becoming more enormous,” Parsi wrote.If Iran is behind these cyberattacks on US water systems, the message is clear.It's a warning: If the US strikes critical infrastructure in Iran, including desalination plants and power grids, Iran will respond in kind through cyberattacks against critical infrastructure in the US.Essentially, Iran will bring the war to the US itself using cyber.The strategic mistake of starting - and restarting - this war is only becoming more enormous. https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/01/us/politics/iran-cyberattack-water-systems.html?campaign_id=60&emc=edit_na_20260801&instance_id=179699&nl=breaking-news®i_id=75080685&segment_id=224053&user_id=a45a9b52edcc21d2f15a650c5a769bd9 - Trita ParsiRead on Substack
Tourist plane crashes during flight over Peru’s Nazca Lines, killing 13
Aug 1, 2026 - World 
Aircraft crashes into field after departing from nearby city of Pisco, according to local authoritiesPolice in Peru report that 13 people, among them foreign tourists, have been killed in a plane crash in southern Peru, near the Nazca Lines.Local authorities in Nazca confirmed that 11 tourists and two pilots died when the Cessna Grand Caravan crashed in Pueblo Viejo, approximately 4 miles (6km) from the city of Nazca and roughly 12km from the Nazca Lines site. Continue reading...
