Ray McGovern

Why is Iran a no-show today for Islamabad talks w/Vance (and his Zionist minders)? Simple. Iran’s team leader and Parliament speaker Ghalibaf: “US America First policy is in practice Israel First; US makes decisions based on false information from Israel.”

Scott Ritter and I review the bidding on Iran: from Pope Leo to Epstein; Tehran to Kiev; “warrior” Hegseth to professional military; Strait of Hormuz to the Arc De Trump of the narcissist-in-chief; Estonia to China; with Joe Lauria asking tough questions:

https://consortiumnews.com/2026/04/18/watch-the-world-this-week-an-uncertain-war/

Scott, Larry, and I dissect Trump’s “PROHIBITING” Israeli attacks on Lebanon. Why did Iranians unselfishly insist on including Lebanon in the ceasefire? Because they lead AXIS OF RESISTANCE TO OCCUPATION – NOT “terrorism” – to the ‘Greater Israel’ project.

Prattling on w/Jeff Prather: Personal intelligence anecdotes – all of them true, most of them w/lessons for today. Abrahamic roots; the pre-Aramaic word for “Justice” DENOTED“showing mercy to the poor”; for Catholics it’s “preferential option for the poor”

https://rumble.com/v78lcoq-challenge-to-my-critics.html

Pope Leo the Lion cannot ban the “Holy Card” Trump published of himself today. But Leo can artfully lampoon him from Aboard the Papal Plane (AP) “Putting my message on the same plane as the president, mine is rooted in the gospel, and I will speak out.”

“Trump Must Demonstrate That He Can Control Netanyahu, Again” writes an out-to-lunch erstwhile analyst https://www.rsn.org/001/trump-must-demonstrate-that-he-can-control-netanyahu-again.html Really! Netanyahu’s smirk itself betrays “who the managing partner is”. Author should see the even more telling photo atop p1 of NYTimes yesterday.

Today’s NY TIMES, YES, THE TIMES, largely blames Netanyahu for ill-conceived attack on Iran. https://nytimes.com/2026/04/07/us/politics/trump-iran-war.html#permid=150217484 Pew poll in March: 59% of US adults lack confidence in him. For cogent commentary from an Iranian specialist on Trump’s backdown yesterday.

On Sunday, top Catholic armed forces prelate, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, labeled the US attack on Iran “unjust.” Uh-oh. The US Navy has the highest percentage of Catholics. Should we expect to see still more clogged latrines and laundry-room fires at sea?

WHY WAR ON IRAN? Easy to explain. First, hard evidence. Then psnl vignette: 20 yrs ago, distinguished Virginia Gentleman, Sen. John Warner, unconsciously cut the blood-flow from my arm and escaped, when I suggested he try to stop Israel from attacking Iran

Easter Egg Hunt down memory lane. Like Alice, I was taught to believe “impossible things” – the kind that Queen of Hearts Kaja Kallas apparently still practices believing daily before breakfast. A personal-professional & historical review of NATO & Russia.