Robert McCartney

Retired WashPost editor, correspondent & columnist, 1982-2021. Make lying wrong again. Retweets may = “interesting.” Email is [email protected].

[Sarah Longwell @SarahLongwell25]

I’m glad one party still supports democratic allies against brutal authoritarian regimes who invade sovereign nations.

[Home of the Brave @OfTheBraveUSA]

Back in March, the Trump administration repeatedly assured the public that the war with Iran would take "four to six weeks."

NINE WEEKS later, the President floats the idea that the blockade could continue through Labor Day.

[Gregory Brew @gbrew24]

Trump said a lot of interesting things in his NYP interview.

He implied the blockade on Iran could be in place until Labor Day (September).

He also suggested he would meet Iran's supreme leader at some point.

FWIW if the US maintains its blockade, Iran is unlikely to allow the strait to reopen.

[Marcus d’Osint 🎒🕊️ @WarFrontIntel]

The onion never misses. 😂

[Robert McCartney @McCartneyWP]

Delusional and dangerous.

[Aaron Rupar @atrupar]

Trump: "Look, we had a rigged election. We can't have a rigged election. It's been proven to be rigged. Biden lost in a landslide."

[Robert McCartney @McCartneyWP]

@Rozz74637537571 @lrozen Good point that Congress, not Trump, has power to lift key sanctions on Iran. It’s moot for now, as we’re far from a meaningful deal on nukes. If we did get such a deal, I doubt Israeli pressure would unravel it. Most of GOP would follow Trump, and most Dems would vote for peace.

[Robert McCartney @McCartneyWP]

Fighting intensifies in both Gulf and Lebanon, despite cease-fire. Still no clarity on whether Iran has suspended negotiations.

[The Washington Post @washingtonpost]

The U.S. and Iran traded strikes overnight in one of the most intense bouts of conflict since the ceasefire began.

The U.S. targeted Qeshm Island and Iran fired missiles and drones at Bahrain and Kuwait, killing one at Kuwait International Airport. https://t.co/f4E1Nk6eAp

[Neera Tanden🌻 @neeratanden]

Literally Rubio said yesterday that the war is over.

[Marc Caputo @MarcACaputo]

Trump confirms @axios reporting about Netanyahu call

Q: Axios reported that you … said, "Are you F-ing crazy? What are you F-ing doing? I helped you still out of jail”

Trump: I did

[Barak Ravid @BarakRavid]

The @WSJ confirms our story and reports Trump raised his voice with anger and told Netanyahu he had to obey because he would be in prison without the White House’s support
https://t.co/O4uVvGntND

[Robert McCartney @McCartneyWP]

Gulf media outlet agrees with Trump that U.S.-Iran talks continue. Still see no authoritative clarification from Iran.

[Mohammad Ali Shabani @mashabani]

NEW: Senior Iranian political source tells @amwajmedia there has NOT been any halt in communication with the US via intermediaries. In parallel, Qatar has among other regional intermediaries been working feverishly behind the scenes to contain a potential re-eruption of war over Lebanon. Informed Arab and Iranian sources said associate of Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri is in Doha to that effect. Qatari PM today also met IAEA chief @rafaelmgrossi.

Movement on multiple parallel yet interconnected tracks suggests we may be on the cusp of something.

HOWEVER, what will matter more than any announcement is implementation.

https://t.co/KsySlbb1PH

[Annie Karni @anniekarni]

An extreme statement even by deep red state standards.

[Matt Fuller @MEPFuller]

Notable that Rep. Andy Ogles isn't even opposing gay marriage here. He's straight up saying "homosexuality has no place in America."

Seems like the GOP may be retracing its steps on this issue.

[forestfromtrees @SandraB82981565]

@McCartneyWP According to Trump, we've won the war like 27 times.

[In My Opinion @DemocratsOnly]

@McCartneyWP @lrozen That is where our own propaganda hurting us in negotiations. Iran had a religious order against getting a nuke weapon for decades. They will play hardball but at end of day give up something they never had. I believe the enrichment was used as a deterrent same with missiles.

[Robert McCartney @McCartneyWP]

Rubio to Congress, just now: “The war is over.”

Reality: U.S. blockade of Iran and Iranian blockade of strait are acts of war. Plus the two sides have been attacking each other.

[Laura Rozen @lrozen]

@McCartneyWP I am not sure he loses leverage if there is a lift for lift deal, Iran has incentive to seek sanctions relief

[Robert McCartney @McCartneyWP]

Moving the goalposts: Rubio’s “justification” for Iran war is drastically shrunk from what Trump said at the start. Remember he wanted to topple regime, remove enriched uranium, bar further enrichment and end support for proxies like Hezbollah.

[Laura Rozen @lrozen]

Rubio’s flimsy explanation for the Iran war - to prevent Iran from having conventional capacity to deter attack on their nuclear program—does not show that it achieved that; if anything, they discovered a new more powerful conventional weapon, closing the Strait of Hormuz.

[Rachel Van Dongen @RachelVanD]

Senate GOP leader decrying Trump “weaponization” is something of a milestone on Capitol Hill