Home - CBSNews.com
· collected 2026-08-18 · by Duarte Dias, Tucker Reals, Khaled Wassef, Frank Andrews
- President Trump on Wednesday announced a "crushing economic operation" on Iran, one he said would amount to "economic warfare."
asserted
he → announce → warfare
Earlier, he said the U.S. might return to negotiations with Iran eventually but, he said, currently "the situation is so good."
uncertain
situation → say → Iran
- The head of Iran's armed forces on Wednesday renewed the country's warning to Persian Gulf states not to assist the U.S. military, saying any help would amount to joining operations against the Islamic Republic.
asserted
help → renew → Republic
- The United Arab Emirates said Wednesday it was suspending all trade and financial dealings with Iran after issuing its first warning to residents in weeks of an incoming missile threat on Tuesday.
asserted
it → say → Tuesday
Analysts see new confidence behind Iran's claims of a shift to "offensive operations"
uncertain
Analysts → see → operations
Six months into its war with the United States, Iran's military has begun signaling a shift from retaliation to offense, which analysts say could reflect Tehran's belief it holds leverage to advance its demands and break the stalemate.
uncertain
it → begin → stalemate
Since U.S.-Israeli strikes launched the war on February 28, Tehran has largely portrayed its strikes against the U.S., Israel and Gulf countries as revenge for attacks on the Islamic republic.
asserted
Tehran → launch → republic
Now, Iranian officials are openly talking about giving offensive operations a greater priority while keeping control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, a key source of leverage against Washington that has disrupted a vital global energy route and driven up energy prices.
asserted
that → talk → prices
Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei outlined that approach in a reshuffling of top military commanders earlier this month, calling for "strengthening maximum deterrence and preparing to conduct large-scale offensive operations against the enemy."
On Monday, Brig. Gen. Yadollah Javani, the political deputy of Iran's powerful Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, told the country's Fars News agency there would be a "transformative" approach under the refreshed leadership, saying: "Every action we take, although it has a defensive nature, must take on an offensive form."
Analyst Sina Toossi, of the Center for International Policy, believes any shift to offensive operations would not mean Tehran is "adopting a doctrine of preventive war."
Rather, he said, Tehran appears to have concluded that "if confrontation becomes unavoidable, Iran should escalate earlier and more forcefully, rather than wait for the United States or Israel to define the terms of the conflict."
Ahmad Zeidabadi, a Tehran-based international relations expert, believes the shift reflects Tehran's assessment of Washington's intentions.
asserted
shift → outline → intentions
"The Islamic Republic believes the United States has likely ruled out war and now seeks to perpetuate the status quo including the U.S. naval blockade and the economic pressure," he told AFP.
asserted
he → believe → AFP
Iran says Trump's "economic D-Day" against it will backfire
Iran's Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi predicted Thursday that the impact of what President Trump called new "economic warfare" against Tehran will be the opposite of what the president intends.
asserted
president → say → what
In a post on his Truth Social platform Wednesday, Mr. Trump announced a "crushing economic operation" against Iran that he said will consist of "Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale."
asserted
he → announce → scale
But Araghchi said in a social media post that, "The so-called "Economic D-Day" is a diversion from America's own crisis: unprecedented debt & surging interest costs.
asserted
Day → say → crisis
Doubling down on failed policies will only bring further defeat — and enmity of Iranians.
asserted
Doubling → double → Iranians
US economic terrorism threatens global economy and sovereignty worldwide."
asserted
terrorism → threaten → economy
Araghchi posted a New York Times article beneath his statement about the U.S. national debt crossing the unprecedented $40 trillion threshold.
asserted
debt → post → threshold
Pentagon officials considering firing longtime Stars and Stripes publisher, sources say
Pentagon officials have discussed firing the longtime publisher of Stars and Stripes before
, U.S. officials told CBS News, as the Trump administration strategizes an overhaul of the military news outlet partly funded by American taxpayers.
asserted
administration → consider → taxpayers
Max Lederer, who has served as the publisher of Stars and Stripes for 19 years, this week announced to colleagues his decision to retire on Sept. 30, citing fundamental differences with the Trump administration.
asserted
who → serve → administration
Editor-in-Chief Erik Slavin has spoken publicly, including to CBS News, about disagreements with Pentagon leaders.
asserted
Slavin → speak → leaders
It was unclear when a decision on the news outlet's leadership would be made.
uncertain
decision → make → leadership
Spokespeople for the Defense Department didn't immediately comment.
asserted
Spokespeople → comment → Department
The outlet, which receives about 65% of its funding through the Defense Department, has long prided itself on its editorial independence from the public affairs apparatus at the Pentagon.
asserted
which → receive → Pentagon
Iran's parliament speaker visits Iraq amid tension over Iraqi oil exports
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf arrived in Iraq for a three-day visit where he will meet with Iraqi officials and leaders of an Iran-backed political coalition.
Iran-backed Iraqi militias have launched drone attacks on U.S. military and diplomatic targets both within Iraq and abroad, piling pressure on Baghdad, which for years has delicately tried to maintain strong ties with both Washington and Tehran.
Qalibaf praised the country's Tehran-backed militias, which he called the "resistance in Iraq," describing them as a "key component of the country's national power."
His comments came even as the Iraqi government has been trying to disarm the militias that have long operated on their own even though they were nominally under state command.
asserted
they → visit → command
Iraq is asking Iran to grant special status to Iraqi oil exports through the Strait of Hormuz because the country has been affected greatly by Iran's war with the U.S. and needs to guard its economic interests, according to a statement from Iraqi Parliament Speaker Haibet al-Halbousi.
uncertain
country → ask → Halbousi
Iraq relies on oil revenues for roughly 90% of its budget, and most of its oil is exported through the strait.
asserted
most → rely → strait
Since the war erupted and Iran asserted control over the strait, halting most shipping traffic, Iraq has turned to alternate routes, including sending oil over land to Syria, which is less efficient and more expensive.
asserted
which → erupt → Syria
Trump announces "crushing economic operation" on Iran
President Trump announced a "crushing economic operation" on Iran that he said will consist of "Economic Warfare and Isolation on an unprecedented scale."
asserted
he → announce → scale
He called it "an economic D-Day."
asserted
He → call → it
"No one has given the Islamic Republic of Iran a greater opportunity to make a Deal than me.
asserted
one → give → me
TRAGICALLY, for them, they have failed to take it," the president wrote on Truth Social.
asserted
president → fail → Social
He also said any country that would "provide any type of lifeline to Iran" will face repercussions.
" …
asserted
that → say → repercussions
ANY country that allows its financial institutions, businesses, airports, or government entities to provide any type of lifeline to Iran will itself face TREMENDOUS Economic Consequences.
asserted
institutions → allow → Consequences
Oil smuggling, swap lines, cash transfers, exchange houses, ship registries, front companies — It all needs to stop NOW.
asserted
It → need → ?
You know who you are," Mr. Trump said.
asserted
Trump → know → ?
The president said Iran is "on the ropes, and these HISTORIC MEASURES will cripple them and their ability to project terror worldwide," reiterating that "IRAN WILL NEVER HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON."
Military newspaper Stars and Stripes publisher announces retirement, cites differences with Pentagon leadership
The longtime publisher of Stars and Stripes has announced his retirement, ending a decadeslong career with the military newspaper as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's Pentagon moves to exert editorial control and eliminate what it asserts are "woke distractions."
Max D. Lederer Jr. announced his retirement, effective at the end of September, in a memo to staff on Tuesday, as well as in an interview with Stars and Stripes.
asserted
Jr. → say → Stars
In the memo, seen by The Associated Press, Lederer, the second full-time civilian in the position, wrote that it had "become clear that my philosophy of leadership, and my understanding of the value and mission of Stars and Stripes, differ in fundamental ways from the direction the leadership of the Department of Defense has for the organization."
asserted
leadership → see → organization
The Pentagon did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
asserted
Pentagon → respond → comment
Stars and Stripes has recently been at the forefront of some of the reporting on conditions for sailors on the
and concerns for their mental health during the aircraft carrier's long deployment — concerns that President Trump has downplayed.
asserted
Trump → downplay → that
Lederer's announcement comes less than four months after the Pentagon fired Jacqueline Smith, ombudsman for the newspaper, whose job it was to safeguard editorial independence.
asserted
it → come → independence
The news outlet is partly funded by the Defense Department but has a legacy of independence from military and government leadership.
asserted
outlet → fund → leadership
…and 230 more, not listed.
