Department of War Restores U.S. Pacific Command Designation.
CAMP H.M. SMITH, Hawaii — The Department of War announced today that the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) will officially restore its name to the U.S. Pacific Command (USPACOM).
Originally established on January 1, 1947, by President Harry S. Truman, the command operated under the USPACOM banner for over 70 years, standing as the oldest and largest of the United States' unified combatant commands.
Restoring the legacy USPACOM designation honors the command’s deep historical roots, fostering a sense of pride and collective spirit among all who serve in the Pacific. From its critical role in establishing the post-WWII regional security architecture to its coordination of joint forces during the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and countless humanitarian operations, the USPACOM namesake carries decades of military heritage and enduring regional partnerships.
USPACOM’s vast area of responsibility—spanning from the waters off the West Coast of the United States to the western border of India—remains exactly the same. The command's fundamental mission and its unwavering commitment to maintaining a free and open theater alongside regional allies and partners are unchanged.
https://t.co/5zeycP2lip
If @Bloomberg text is accurate, it's no surprise Adm didn't want it released sooner. It's not so much an MOU as a letter of intent, aspirational with the core issues on nuclear kicked down road. Indeed light on nukes; heavy on financial incentives. https://t.co/GyNBaPTKB3
Massachusetts’ leading Dem Senate candidates - incumbent Sen. Ed Markey + challenger Rep. Seth Moulton - both pushing to slash topline DOD spending.
Markey today out w a bill to cap FY2027 military spending at $750B; Moulton sought a $150B cut to DOD during HASC NDAA markup.
Ratcliffe isn't the only skeptic in Trump's top team. Secretary of State Rubio and Secretary of Defense Hegseth have both expressed concerns and raised questions about the deal in internal discussions, while VP Vance and U.S. envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner advocated for it
- The MOU was virtually signed Sunday by both Trump and Vance, as well as Iran's Ghalibaf, per a US official
- A signing ceremony is set for Friday; Vance will attend along with others, Trump is signaling he won't attend
- Stocks surged today while the price of oil dropped
- It’s not fully clear what is in the MOU and therefore is not clear what is yet to be settled
- There are mixed US signals on when the MOU text will be published, ranging from as soon as Tuesday (per a US official) to after Friday (per Trump himself)
- The US says it won't be "paying" Iran anything (the words of a US official) but is open to 1) unfreezing assets, 2) lifting sanctions and 3) "corralling other countries to make investments" (?)
- The Strait of Hormuz will "open" with Friday's signing followed by some sort of lifting or easing of the American blockade
- A US official warned it would take time for ship traffic to return to at or near pre-war levels, but said it could get near there within two weeks
- Tankers are being given some sort of priority (this is unclear)
- 60 days of talks will follow, directly between sides, with Ghalibaf and Araghchi leading Iran's side, per the US
- A lot of details seem to have been left to those talks, including on the details by which Iran would denuclearize, what oversight might be imposed (the US is open to the IAEA being involved) and how and where any enriched uranium would be diluted and destroyed
- There are no tolls on the Strait during that period, but one US official said it's not clear what happens on day 61 in terms of tolls / the Strait and teased that "other options that people in the region may like better" could replace the pre-war status quo. Another official said the US position is no tolls.
- The US will lift sanctions and unfreeze assets in conjunction with Iranian compliance
- They emphasized this repeatedly by way of saying the deal is structured to incentivize compliance on both sides
- There's no requirement for Israel to pull out of Lebanon during the 60 days
- The US military won't change its force posture in the region during that 60-day period
NEW: After listening to senior administration officials brief press on Iran today, the clearest takeaway is that this is NOT a final nuclear deal.
What has been signed is a memorandum of understanding that creates a 60-day negotiation framework. The hardest technical issues remain unresolved.
Details 👇🧵
The White House’s 2026 Counterterrorism Strategy calls for more counter-propaganda, yet Voice of America (VOA) has been largely dismantled.
🧵👇Let’s take a look into the vacuum being left in the global information space.
https://t.co/XFA9wKjhfk
BREAKING: Israel won't withdraw from land seized in Lebanon, Syria and Gaza, its defense minister says, hours after an interim Iran-U.S. deal was announced. Israel Katz's remarks are the first official Israeli comments since the announcement. https://t.co/KdVpD2iaxq
“But even before we have the details, it is clear that Trump has failed to achieve every one of the goals he put forward for this war of choice, and now he is determined to sign, seal, and deliver America’s capitulation as quickly as possible” https://t.co/pCukqG35Gn
Former MI6 Chief Richard Moore: Without China, Russia would have lost war in Ukraine.
North Korean troops and Iranian drones grab headlines. But what keeps Putin in Ukraine is China — chemicals for artillery shells, components for drones and missiles.
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BREAKING US will release $12 billion in frozen assets to Iran before the start of negotiations, Iran's Mehr news agency reports, quoting a 14-point memorandum of understanding between the two nations
Sen. Jack Reed: "Reuters is reporting that part of the deal is $24 billion in sanctions relief for the Iranians. So this is not a 'we win and you do what we say.' This is, 'how can we open up the straits? What will it cost us?'"
IRAN'S MEHR SAYS THE 14-ARTICLE DRAFT MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN IRAN AND THE U.S. INCLUDES:
* COMPLETE LIFTING OF U.S. NAVAL BLOCKADE WITHIN 30 DAYS
*WOULD SUSPEND SANCTIONS ON IRANIAN OIL AND PETROCHEMICAL SALES
* IMMEDIATE, PERMANENT HALT TO WAR ON ALL FRONTS, INCLUDING LEBANON
* REOPENING STRAIT OF HORMUZ WITHIN 30 DAYS UNDER IRANIAN ARRANGEMENTS
* NECESSITY FOR U.S. AND ALLIES TO PRESENT RECONSTRUCTION PLANS FOR IRAN AMOUNTING TO AT LEAST $300 BILLION
*ENVISAGES 60 DAYS OF TALKS ON NUCLEAR ISSUES AND FULL SANCTIONS LIFTING
*DRAFT EXCLUDES IRAN'S MISSILE PROGRAM AND SUPPORT FOR RESISTANCE GROUPS FROM FINAL TALKS
*CALLS FOR RELEASE OF $24 BLN IN IRANIAN BLOCKED FUNDS DURING TALKS
*HALF OF IRAN'S $24 BLN BLOCKED FUNDS MUST BE AVAILABLE BEFORE FINAL TALKS START
*FINAL IRAN-U.S. AGREEMENT WOULD BE ENDORSED BY U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION
Plans for the US military to try and capture Kharg Island have been drawn up for months but continuously shelved because the operation was considered too risky, a senior Pentagon official and two administration officials told @alaynatreene@NatashaBertrand
https://t.co/09STWDvMJg
The U.S. Army Apache crew members were rescued by an unmanned surface vehicle (USV), CENTCOM spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins confirmed to Fox News.
"This was an operational first for the U.S. military," Hawkins said.