Cogito Ergo Non Serviam
Trump Administration in Chaos over Iran
In the last couple days, the Trump administration has stated several postions on the war with Iran, some of them contradictory. Secretary of War Crimes Pete Kegsbreath claimed the ceasefire is still in effect, facts notwithstanding. Secretary of State, National Security Advisor and Chief Bottle-Washer Marco Rubio had a long talk with the media in which he announced the war was over, sort of. The president himself announced a humanitarian action to get the sailor stranded in the Gulf home; a few hours later, he paused it. All of this appears to be the White House trying to find a place where it can say the Iran situation is behind it because Mr. Trump is headed to China in a few days.
Major Kegsbreath (his rank in the National Guard where he is a week-end warrior) claimed the ceasefire applies to Operation Epic Fury (the attack on Iran) but Project Freedom (the blockade of Iran) is not the same war. One would suspect the notorious alcoholic was advised by Jim Beam, Jack Daniels and Captain Morgan.
The Hill stated, "Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Tuesday morning that the U.S. ceasefire with Iran is not over after both sides traded fire on Monday in the Strait of Hormuz as 'Project Freedom' went into effect.
"'No, the ceasefire is not over. Ultimately, this is a separate and distinct project, and we expected there would be some, some churn at the beginning, which happened, and we said we would defend and defend aggressively, and we absolutely have,' Hegseth told reporters at the Pentagon when asked if the fragile ceasefire was over."
According to Time magazine, Little Marco Rubio (to use the Presidentially bestowed nickname) said "The operation is over . . . . We're done with that stage of it."
The magazine added, “In its place, Rubio clarified, the United States has shifted to a 'defensive' posture focused more on restoring commercial passage through the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow waterway that carries a significant share of the world's energy supplies and has effectively been choked off since the conflict intensified."
So which is it? Is Epic Fury over or is there a ceasefire while it continues? Do Messrs. Kegsbreath and Rubio have each other's phone number? Do they ever talk? The answers are unclear.
The president let Project Freedom, the guiding of commercial ships out of the Strait of Hormuz by US Navy ships, managed to get two Maersk ships out. Both are used in support of the US navy. Then, he paused it.
Mr. Trump posted on Truth Social on Tuesday, "Based on the request of Pakistan and other Countries, the tremendous Military Success that we have had during the Campaign against the Country of Iran and, additionally, the fact that Great Progress has been made toward a Complete and Final Agreement with Representatives of Iran, we have mutually agreed that, while the Blockade will remain in full force and effect, Project Freedom (The Movement of Ships through the Strait of Hormuz) will be paused for a short period of time to see whether or not the Agreement can be finalized and signed."
This is all so much nonsense. Epic Fury is not distinct from Project Freedom any more than the landings in Normandy in Operation Overlord in World War II formed a distinct conflict from the Invasion of Italy in Operation Avalache.
Moreover, the ceasefire is not in effect. The UAE faced several ballistic missile, cruise missile and drone attacks in the last couple of days. That gives lie to the US claim that Iran has no such weapons any more. Also, when one country attacks another, it is hard to say a ceasefire is in effect. Add in the Iranian attacks on the ships trying to run its blockade of the Strait and US return fire and it is clear there is no ceasefire. Both sides are just afraid of starting up a big fight.
The US military has done what has been asked of it. America has, nonetheless, lost the war because the White House has no strategic plan. Until and unless the ships can enter and leave the Gulf freely, things are worse for the US than before the war. That is the definition of defeat.
© Copyright 2026 by The Kensington Review, Jeff Myhre, PhD, Editor. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written consent. Produced using Ubuntu Linux.
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