Who's who in the secret group advising Trump on Iran - who has been left out of the planning?
President Donald Trump let it be known on Thursday that he will make a decision on whether to involve the U.S. in Israel's war with Iran within the next two weeks, as tensions over the question continue to divide conservatives.
The president, who signed off on attack plans on Tuesday but resisted giving the go-ahead, is reportedly taking soundings from a small coterie of trusted advisers while also throwing the conversation open to fellow world leaders, as well as allies such as the hawkish Republican senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Tom Cotton of Arkansas.
Outside of his inner circle, MAGA personalities Tucker Carlson, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Steve Bannon, and Candace Owens have been speaking out against the prospect of the U.S. wading into another prolonged Middle Eastern war. At the same time, other Trump cheerleaders on Capitol Hill and the media have made the case for intervention.
Here's a look at the people Trump is listening to, according to NBC News.
Vice President Vance has previously struck a non-interventionist posture on foreign wars, notably opposing American support for Ukraine.
He appears to favor a diplomatic solution to the dispute with Iran, applauding Trump for showing 'remarkable restraint' and making the safety of American troops and assets his top priority.
The president's White House Chief of Staff and former campaign manager is known as the 'Ice Maiden' and regarded as an important restraining presence, in place to shield Trump from his own worst instincts.
A senior adviser and Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, Miller is known as an anti-immigration hardliner and one of the faces of Trump's mass deportation push.
A regular talking head on conservative media loathed by liberals, Miller has reportedly been nicknamed 'Weird Stephen' behind the scenes by the president, which does not suggest he commands the level of respect to which he aspires.
Once a bitter enemy of Trump and rival for the Republican nomination, the Secretary of State now has such a full plate he has been dubbed the 'Secretary of Everything.'
Rubio was out quickly last week to deny American involvement in Israel's initial onslaught but has since largely left the public messaging to the president.
Trump's Middle East envoy, like him, a former luxury real estate developer, has led talks with both Israel and Iran since taking office earlier this year and, like Rubio, has cut a busy figure, also serving as the president's de facto liaison with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The lieutenant general serving as Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff boasts the tough-guy nickname 'Razin' Caine' and previously served as a counterterrorism specialist to George W. Bush's Homeland Security Council.
He reportedly first befriended Trump at the Conservative Political Action Conference in 2019 and impressed him by suggesting that Isis could be stamped out within a week. 'One week? I was told two years!' Trump marvelled.
The head of U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) is a career army officer who also has a cool nickname, 'The Gorilla.'
He has reportedly been granted an unprecedented amount of leeway by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. He has seen an increasing allocation of resources to his areas of responsibility, which include the Middle East.
The CIA Director is an influential voice, having also served in the first Trump administration. He was previously a Texas congressman and a mayor of a small town.
Two names conspicuous by their absence from that list are Hegseth and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard.
Defense Department spokesman Sean Parnell has pushed back against the suggestion that Hegseth has been sidelined.
'This claim is completely false,' he told NBC. 'The secretary is speaking with the president multiple times a day, and has been with the president in the Situation Room this week.
'Secretary Hegseth is providing the leadership the Department of Defense and our Armed Forces need, and he will continue to work diligently in support of President Trump's peace through strength agenda.'
Trump is meanwhile reported to have fallen out with Gabbard for going 'off-message' after she posted a video on X attacking the 'political elite and warmongers' for 'carelessly fomenting fear and tensions between nuclear powers' and placing the world 'on the brink of nuclear annihilation.'
Asked by CNN's Kaitlan Collins aboard Air Force One about Gabbard's statement to Congress in March that, although Iran's enriched uranium levels are at an all-time high, the expert opinion is that Tehran is not currently seeking to develop a nuclear bomb.
'I don't care what she said,' the president snapped. 'I think they were very close to having a weapon.'
One Trump supporter to deny any involvement in Trump's discussions about the conflict is MAGA die-hard Laura Loomer, who attacked former Fox News anchor Gretchen Carlson on X on Thursday night for reporting that she was playing an advisory role, dismissing the claim as 'fake news.'
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Forbes
30 minutes ago
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Israel-Iran Updates: European Leaders Hold Talks With Iran (Live)
June 20, 9 a.m. ET Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, meets with his counterparts from the U.K., France and Germany on Friday to discuss a diplomatic resolution to the conflict with Israel. The meeting takes place in Geneva and marks the first major diplomatic exchange involving Iran since Israel struck its nuclear program last week. French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot on Thursday said the talks will focus on ways to 'achieve a lasting rollback of Iran's nuclear and ballistic missile programme,' with top European officials joining the U.S. in seeking an end to Iran's uranium-enrichment program. However, Araghchi told state media that the Geneva meeting will only focus on 'nuclear and regional' matters and Iran's missile program was not up for discussion. Regarding his country's missile program, Araghchi said: 'Our missiles are for the defense of the country and to create deterrence.' June 20, 2 a.m. ET Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz warned Hezbollah's leadership to stay away from its conflict with Iran, saying 'The Hezbollah Secretary General has not learned from his predecessors and is threatening to act against Israel under orders from the Iranian dictator.' On Thursday, the leader of the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Naim Qassem said he will offer 'all forms of support' to Iran in the conflict and claimed that uranium enrichment was meant for 'peaceful purposes.' Katz wrote, 'I suggest to the Lebanese proxy to be careful and understand that Israel has lost patience with terrorists who threaten there is terrorism, there will be no Hezbollah.' 2 a.m. ET The Israeli military claimed it struck 'dozens of military targets in Iran' on Thursday night including, 'several industrial sites used to manufacture the Tehran area.' The IDF said it also struck the headquarters of the SPND, Iranian main defense research organization, and said: 'This building was used for the development of advanced technologies and weapons supporting the Iranian regime's military capabilities.' 12:30 a.m. ET Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned against pushing for a regime change in Iran and said Russia would react 'very negatively' if the Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was killed, in an interview with Sky News. On the issue of potential direct U.S. involvement in the conflict, Peskov said an 'enlargement' of the conflict 'is potentially even more dangerous,' as it could lead to escalation of tensions in the region. Russia, which has close ties with Iran, has so far not been drawn into the conflict and Peskov refused to comment on whether Moscow would take any action in the event Khamenei was killed. June 19, 3:06 p.m. ET Netanyahu told Israeli news outlet Kan that Israel will strike 'all' of Iran's nuclear facilities and said it can carry out the attacks without help from the U.S., according to The New York Times, though the Israeli prime minister noted the U.S. is helping with air defense, saying, 'American pilots are intercepting drones alongside our pilots.' It was widely reported prior to Netanyahu's comment the U.S. was supporting Israel in a defensive capacity, providing support through American air defense systems and naval destroyers as far back as October, when Iran launched ballistic missiles against Israel, though this was the most specific information so far released. June 19, 1:35 p.m. ET Leavitt provided a statement on behalf of Trump to reporters, saying there is a 'substantial chance of negotiations that may or may not take place with Iran' soon and the president will make his decision 'on whether or not to go within the next two weeks.' Leavitt also said Steve Witkoff, Trump's special envoy to the Middle East, is still in contact with Iranian officials. June 19, 12:16 p.m. ET Iran issued a warning to any 'third party' involvement in its conflict with Israel, seemingly referencing the U.S. without directly mentioning it and threatening an 'immediate response,' according to CNN. June 19, 6:45 a.m. ET Tom Barrack, the U.S. Ambassador to Turkey and Special Envoy for Syria, warned the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah against joining the Israel-Iran conflict. Hezbollah has criticized Israel's strikes on Iran and on Thursday it warned that the assassination threats against Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei 'are foolish and reckless, and will have disastrous consequences.' Barrack, who is on an official visit to Beirut, addressed the militant group's threat, saying: 'I can say on behalf of President Trump, which he has been very clear in expressing as has Special Envoy Witkoff: that would be a very, very, very bad decision.' June 19, 4 a.m. ET Iranian state media claimed the main target of the missile attack which damaged a hospital in southern Israel was the 'vast command and intelligence base' of the Israeli military's C4i tech and communications unit and 'the campus of their military intelligence, located in the Gav-Yam technology park.' The hospital which was struck appears to be located less than two miles away from the Gav-Yam technology park. 3:30 a.m. ET Israel's Defense Minister Israel Katz said he and Netanyahu have ordered the country's military to 'intensify strikes against strategic targets' in Iran after the latest wave of missile attacks. Katz accused the Iranian Supreme Leader of committing the 'gravest of war crimes' and said 'The cowardly Iranian dictator sits in the depths of the fortified bunker and fires aimed shots at hospitals and residential buildings in Israel.' 3 a.m. ET The Soroka Medical Center, a hospital in the southern Israeli city of Be'er Sheva was struck by an Iranian missile which caused 'extensive damage' but no serious injuries, according to authorities in Israel. The strike was the first time a hospital in Israel was struck by an Iranian missile since the conflict between the two countries began last week. Overall 65 people were injured across Israel in the latest barrage of missile strikes launched by Iran. June 18, 4:48 p.m. ET The State Department is conducting the evacuations of nonessential diplomats, the Associated Press reported, noting diplomats were authorized to leave at the government's expense Wednesday (Forbes has reached out to the State Department for comment). June 18, 2:45 p.m. ET Some embassy personnel were evacuated from Israel via U.S. military aircraft, according to CNN, which reported earlier Wednesday a full evacuation of the embassy was not ordered and diplomats and family members were not required to leave. June 18, 10:39 a.m. ET The Iranian Mission to the U.N. said 'no Iranian official has ever asked to grovel at the gates of the White House,' in a post on X responding to Trump's claim made minutes earlier that Iran had contacted his administration, writing 'the only thing more despicable than his lies is his cowardly threat to 'take out' Iran's Supreme Leader.' June 18, 10:15 a.m. Trump said 'You don't seriously think I'm going to answer that question . . . I may do it, I may not do it, I mean nobody knows what I'm going to do,' when asked by a reporter at an unrelated White House event if the U.S. is moving closer to striking Iranian nuclear facilities. Trump said the Iranians have reached out to him and he told them 'it's very late to be talking . . . there's a big difference between now and a week ago,' referring to Iran's refusal to accept a deal with the U.S. to prevent it from developing a nuclear weapon sooner. In subsequent comments, Trump said 'we're not looking for a long-term war . . . I only want one thing: Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon,' while also elaborating on what he meant when he called for 'unconditional surrender' a day earlier: 'That means I've had it . . . I give up, no more. Then we go blow up all the nuclear stuff that's all over the place there.' June 18, 7 a.m. According to a statement delivered via Iranian state media, the Supreme Leader said his country 'stands firm against an imposed war, just as it will stand firm against an imposed peace,' adding that Iran will 'not surrender to anyone in the face of imposition,' warning any U.S. involvement in the ongoing Israel-Iran conflict will undoubtedly lead to 'serious irreparable harm.' The Iranian leader also addressed President Trump's comments on Tuesday calling for Iran's 'unconditional surrender,' saying those who know his country's history 'know that Iranians do not answer well to the language of threats.' June 18, 3 a.m. Aerial attacks from both sides continued early on Wednesday as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office claimed Iran has launched more than 400 missiles and hundreds of drones since Friday. June 17, 6:30 p.m. White House officials told multiple outlets Trump spoke with Netanyahu on Tuesday after a meeting with national security advisors, though the details of the conversation have not been publicly reported. June 17, 6 p.m. Unnamed U.S. officials cited by Axios said Trump was seriously considering entering the conflict by launching strikes against Iran's nuclear facilities. June 17, 12:19 p.m. Trump warned on Truth Social earlier Tuesday: 'We know exactly where the so-called 'Supreme Leader' is hiding,' referring to Khamenei, who is increasingly isolated after Israel assassinated several of his top generals, adding Khamenei is 'safe' and 'we are not going to take him out (kill!), at least not for now,' but said 'our patience is wearing thin.' Tensions between Iran and Israel first erupted on Friday, when the Israel military carried out unilateral strikes against key nuclear facilities and killed several top Iranian generals and nuclear scientists. Netanyahu claimed Israel's attack was an act of self defense as the Iranian nuclear program posed 'a danger to Israel's very survival.' On Monday, Trump exited the G7 summit earlier than scheduled and flew back from Canada to Washington as tensions between Iran and Israel escalated, with the White House press secretary saying he left early 'because of what's going on in the Middle East.' Shortly before leaving the summit, Trump issued an ominous warning to residents of Tehran, Iran's capital, on Truth Social: 'Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON…Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!' At the time, Trump did not specify why he called for an evacuation of the city of 10 million people, but when asked later, Trump said: 'I want people to be safe…That's always possible something could happen. I just want people to be safe.' The president spoke to reporters on board Air Force One on his return to Washington and said he wanted something better than a ceasefire 'An end. 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'If President Trump is genuine about diplomacy and interested in stopping this war, next steps are consequential. Israel must halt its aggression, and absent a total cessation of military aggression against us, our responses will continue. It takes one phone call from Washington to muzzle someone like Netanyahu. That may pave the way for a return to diplomacy,' he wrote. The post also attacked Netanyahu, calling him a 'war criminal.'
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Among the leaders of the Civil War era, figures such as Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman stand tall. Charles Sumner, the abolitionist and senator, was their contemporary—yet many Americans today associate his name with a single historical moment: when Preston Brooks, the representative from South Carolina, viciously beat him with a cane on the floor of the Senate Chamber in 1856. Sumner deserves to be remembered for much more than being the victim of Brooks's assault, argues Zaakir Tameez in his engrossing biography 'Charles Sumner: The Conscience of a Nation.' Mr. Tameez, a scholar of antitrust and constitutional law, has written an excellent book about the courageous Massachusetts senator, whom the author calls 'the most famous civil rights leader of the nineteenth century.' A physically and intellectually imposing figure whose heart 'bled for abolition, racial justice, and constitutional democracy,' Sumner pushed U.S. presidents and Senate colleagues alike to end slavery before the Civil War and to secure black rights during Reconstruction. Mr. Tameez's monograph joins Stephen Puleo's 'The Great Abolitionist' (2024) as the only two biographies of Sumner to have been published since David Herbert Donald's 'Charles Sumner and the Rights of Man' (1970). The excision of some repetitious material could have reduced the protracted length of Mr. Tameez's book, but 'Charles Sumner' is nonetheless an engaging account. Drawing from hundreds of letters, articles and speeches, Mr. Tameez has created a remarkable portrait of a complex man who faced many personal challenges. Depression stalked Sumner throughout his life, but his desire for racial justice gave him a sense of purpose and a will to live. As a young man, he struggled with his sexuality, partaking in 'romantic friendships' with married men—including Samuel Gridley Howe, the abolitionist and physician, and Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the poet—and failing to find happiness with Alice Hooper, who abandoned him after mere months of matrimony. Heart disease afflicted Sumner in his older age, causing painful episodes of angina that sapped his strength and impeded his ability to work. Sumner's unwavering commitment to uplifting African-Americans was informed by his childhood on the North Slope of Boston's Beacon Hill, where he was born, in 1811, in a predominantly black community. Mr. Tameez describes Sumner's birthplace as 'featuring gaslit lamps, steep cobblestone roads, and redbrick sidewalks'; these distinctive elements didn't emerge until years later, but Beacon Hill at the turn of the 19th century was exceptional in other ways. Approximately 1,000 free African-Americans lived there and helped produce a 'bubbling movement of Black abolitionism,' Mr. Tameez tells us, making the neighborhood 'a beacon of hope' at a time when slavery was still legal in many states.
News24
35 minutes ago
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Iranians in Europe share mixed feelings on Israel offensive
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