NORTHCOM's Shock Drone Admission, Nuclear Talk, and Trump's Latest Threat – 8/17/26

                                                                                 

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Monday Afternoon Updates: NORTHCOM's Shock Drone Admission, Nuclear Talk, and Trump's Latest Threat – 8/17/26

Here's the news you need to know. So far.

Ben Meiselas and MeidasTouch Network Aug 17

U.S. President Donald Trump walks to a vehicle after exiting Marine One at the Ellipse near the White House, in Washington, D.C., U.S., August 16, 2026. REUTERS/Annabelle Gordon

Hi all, Ben here. I hope you all had a nice weekend. It’s Monday and there is A LOT happening.

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OK, top stories:

• Iran threatens to go “fully offensive” in the Strait of Hormuz if diplomacy fails

• Iran’s secret escalation plan includes a possible strike on undersea internet cables, a ground raid into Kuwait, and more, per WSJ

• The IRGC flatly denies Trump’s claim of a backchannel, calling it his “delusions and nightmares”

• Trump tells Fox he’ll “bomb the shit” out of Oman…We’ve heard these threats before

• Congressional Republicans wave away concerns about depleted US stockpiles and dire conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln

• NORTHCOM’s deputy commander warns the US can’t defend against a drone swarm on American soil

• Marjorie Taylor Greene says nuclear weapons against Iran are being discussed by the Trump regime

• Recent remarks from Israeli leadership

• Secret Russian drone bases within striking distance of NATO

• Legal news on the ballroom front and in the E. Jean Carroll case

• And more…

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Here we go.

Iran Just Flipped the Script on Trump

For months, Trump has tried to act like he’s the one calling the shots, manipulating the oil markets, in my opinion, telling everybody a deal is juuuuuust around the corner, pretending he controls the Strait of Hormuz, and I could go on and on. Well, Iran seems to be done playing that game. A senior Iranian official told Reuters that Tehran is shifting from a defensive posture to what they’re calling “fully offensive,” and they are setting their own deadline. Iran says if the US and mediators don’t meet Iran’s terms in the next few weeks, the same terms that were laid out in the Memorandum of Understanding in June, they will go on offense.

And we’re learning what that offense could look like. The IRGC has reportedly finished planning preemptive strikes against US and Israeli targets, per WSJ. One option on the table is going after the undersea internet cables that run beneath the strait, cables that carry a massive chunk of the region’s internet traffic. The WSJ says an attack on those cables would be akin to an “economic earthquake” for Gulf countries built on cloud computing and AI infrastructure. Another option for Iran is a ground incursion into Kuwait, where the US has bases.

Trump’s Backchannel “Delusions”

It’s Monday, so Trump did his best to try to manipulate the markets before open. He called Fox host Trey Yingst, who is currently based in Tel Aviv, and claimed he has a backchannel with the IRGC and that they are working closely on a deal. The IRGC responded quickly, telling Iran’s Tasnim that there are no talks whatsoever between the IRGC officials and American, and called Trump’s claim “fantasies that he is experiencing due to delusions and nightmares resulting from defeat and desperation in the war.” They also accused Trump of trying to manipulate the markets, and affirmed that the path forward is to implement the terms of the deal already agreed to.

Trump’s reaction was to threaten to “bomb the shit” out of Oman if Oman gets in the way of any deal. If you are thinking “WTF,” I don’t blame you. Oman isn’t even negotiating with the US right now. They are working directly with Iran on how to manage shipping through the Strait. As a reminder, Oman was the original mediator the US selected back in February, and the Omani foreign minister said the deal negotiated then was actually stronger than Obama’s JCPOA. Then, Trump and Netanyahu decided to invade. And here we are. There are secondary effects to Trump’s threats that I want to highlight. Mainly, that they push Arab nations away from the US, and closer to adversaries like China.

Republicans Brush It All Off

MAGA lawmakers, meanwhile, have been going on Fox to run defense for the failed war. Rep. Pat Fallon dismissed the reports of dire conditions aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln, saying he trusts the Navy and doesn’t make much of the stories. Rep. Brian Mast admitted US stockpiles are being depleted, but brushed that off too. And they all continue to act like this war has been ongoing for decades, not started illegally by Donald Trump. And while they try to brush it all off, the markets certainly aren’t. The Treasury yields on the 30-year are now the highest they’ve been since 2007.

NORTHCOM’s Terrifying Warning

In a moment discovered by MeidasTouch, NORTHCOM’s Deputy Commander, Lt. Gen. Joseph Jarrard, told a conference that North Korea has successfully tested ICBMs capable of reaching anywhere in North America, and that China and Russia are developing weapons specifically to get past US defenses. He also admitted the US DOES NOT HAVE the capabilities or sensors to defend against a drone swarm attack on American soil. That puts Trump’s constant paranoia about his ballroom and the need for rooftop “drone ports” in a new perspective. Trump may be terrified we could come under a drone attack, and he wants to protect himself—not the country. To add to all that, a Telegraph investigation found Russia has built 10 secret drone bases within striking range of NATO territory, including within range of Warsaw.

A Nuclear Warning From MTG…

Marjorie Taylor Greene made a post yesterday that went under the radar, but it caught my eye. She claimed that the Trump regime is discussing nuclear weapons in strategy meetings right now related to the war in Iran. Her comments in a vacuum are one thing. But there was also recent reporting from Fox that said the Pentagon is developing new tactical nuclear options for Trump, led by Under Secretary Elbridge Colby, shifting emphasis toward smaller battlefield nukes instead of long-range strategic weapons. As this news was all breaking, Trump posted again that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon, in any way, shape, or form.

Here’s What Israel’s Leadership Is Up To

Jared Kushner spent four hours leaning on Prime Minister Netanyahu to move forward on Trump’s Gaza ceasefire plan, and reportedly, Netanyahu wasn’t having it, citing his own upcoming elections and insistent Hamas fully disarm before any withdrawal. Remember, we’ve been told a ceasefire has been ongoing for months and months, but that data shows that the fire has never ceased. Meanwhile, Israel’s finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said on camera that Gaza should remain “an eternal ruin” and never be rebuilt. And Netanyahu is running campaign ads with NYC Mayor Mamdani’s face next to the Ayatollah’s. Really despicable stuff.

Meanwhile, In China

Xi Jinping put out a statement earlier about “completing the reunification of the motherland” with Taiwan. That timing is not a coincidence. The US just pulled its last aircraft carrier out of the Pacific and sent it to the Middle East, because Trump’s war has stretched our military so thin we can’t hold down 2 regions at once.

SCOTUS Tells Trump No Means No

Let’s end on some good news. The Supreme Court today announced it is REFUSING to rehear E. Jean Carroll’s $5 million lawsuit win, in a massive and final defeat to Trump over the issue. Enough, Donald. No means no.

Writer E. Jean Carroll leaves the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, where former U.S. President Donald Trump is asking a federal appeals court to overturn a $5 million jury verdict finding him liable for sexually assaulting and defaming her, who accused Trump of raping her nearly three decades ago, in Manhattan, New York, U.S., September 6, 2024. REUTERS/Adam Gray

That’s it for now. Ron will be back later with the full bulletin. And stay tuned for the brothers’ live episode of the MeidasTouch Podcast later today.

And please tell me if you’ve preordered our book, WTF America?!: The Way Out of This Hell and Back to Democracy. Preorders are a huge deal, so if you want to grab a copy, consider getting yours today (it’s available in hardcover, audiobook, and ebook).

Thanks again and see you soon! Shoutout to the Meidas Mighty!

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