J. Darren Duke

Defense & Near East Security Policy Analyst | US Marine Veteran | RT & Following ≠ endorsement

[J. Darren Duke @JDarrenDuke]

أداء مشرّف جداً. احد لم ينجح التسجيل هدف ضد أرجنتينيا حتى الآن.

[قناة الحرة @alhurranews]

ثلاث هزائم تنهي حلم النشامى.. الأردن يودّع كأس العالم من دور المجموعات.

[Nadim Koteich @NadimKoteich]

نعيم قاسم وبن غفير في خندق واحد… يرجى التواصل للتنسيق

[Institute for the Study of War @TheStudyofWar]

NEW: Iran and Oman pledged this morning to continue talks on their joint administration of the Strait of Hormuz, including potential vessel services and related costs. This suggests that the two parties are discussing charging fees for passage.

Oman’s Foreign Minister, Badr Albusaidi, asserted yesterday after the talks with the Iranians that Oman is committed to a “toll-free safe passage” through the strait. Iran, however, has differentiated between “tolls” and other charges, such as “service fees” or even “insurance” to protect against attacks.

Iranian officials have explicitly argued that Iran should charge service fees to vessels for safe navigation of the strait after the 60-day negotiation period expires. Some officials or entities have also framed the fees as maritime “insurance” in exchange for protection from Iranian attacks.

A reality in which Iran is able to manage traffic through the strait and collect related fees will constitute a significant strategic victory for Iran if it becomes the recognized reality. This would give Iran significant leverage over global commerce.

The regime's explicit intention to charge "fees" over the long term also violates international law. The Strait of Hormuz is an international strait, not territorial waters, and Article 26 of UNCLOS —which permits fees in territorial waters— therefore does not apply.

ISW-CTP will provide additional analysis on the future of the Strait of Hormuz in its June 23 update.

[Hudson Institute @HudsonInstitute]

The IRGC is committed to preserving Hezbollah as both an ideological model and an instrument to attack Israel, @joel_rayburn warns.

Any lasting US–Iran agreement needs to address Tehran's proxy network.

[Elizabeth Hagedorn @ElizHagedorn]

As talks in Switzerland conclude, Treasury issues Iran oil waiver

The 60-day general license authorizes the production, delivery, and sale of Iranian oil through Aug. 21.

[J. Darren Duke @JDarrenDuke]

This belief must be based on a perception of an American capability gap between decisive conventional capacity and thermonuclear war. If this gap is true, then a form of nuclear blackmail is possible. Worth serious consideration in defense planning.

[Hudson Institute @HudsonInstitute]

Russia and China believe that they can use small nuclear weapons to intimidate the US without triggering a nuclear response.

America's adversaries need to know that the US can meet them in a prompt, precise, proportional, and equal way, @NNSAWilliams warns at Hudson.

@NNSANews

[Aaron MacLean @AaronBMacLean]

Brilliant @wrmead this morning on Trump's Iran deal, and on the president's worldview, covering its advantages and shortcomings. Mead is our single best interpreter of the president's unique foreign policy performance.
https://t.co/tfLW6kTfPD

[العربية @AlArabiya]

الكاتب الصحفي طوني بولس: المفاوضات بين بيروت وتل أبيب نجحت في فك ارتباط الملف اللبناني بالمسار الإيراني وتقليص حدة العمليات العسكرية الإسرائيلية في عدة مناطق.. وطهران تسعى لإقحام لبنان ضمن شروط تسويتها المرتقبة مع واشنطن لكن أميركا ترفض هذا الطرح.. وحزب الله يمنح إسرائيل الذرائع للاستمرار في العمليات العسكرية في جنوب لبنان

[J. Darren Duke @JDarrenDuke]

@DCTwining @VandenbergCo @POTUS Why not Pastor Wang Yi, as well? I’m sure there are many others who need to be released.

[Right Angle News Network @Rightanglenews]

US Navy Secretary Hung Cao: “They call me a white supremacist, but I have one request for them when they give me my hood, make sure it’s got the little slits and not the circles so I can see better.”

[Ken Moriyasu @kenmoriyasu]

The Quad is dead.

It is dead because great power competition isn’t centered in the Indo-Pacific anymore. It’s shifting to the Eurasian Heartland, where China and Russia are building a fortress of pipelines, railways, and overland trade routes—beyond the reach of the U.S. Navy.

India may host a BRICS meeting to offset Pakistan’s renewed visibility. But geography is unforgiving: the Himalayas cut India off from China, leaving it peripheral to Beijing’s continental strategy.

That’s the real tragedy—India matters, just not where the game is now being played.

https://t.co/4yzKZcfShB

[U.S. Marines @USMC]

In December 2025, the @USNavy approved a design for the McClung class Medium Landing Ship, a transport vessel solely dedicated to moving #Marines and their equipment to better allow the sea service to support and protect joint fleet and air movements.

Watch the full video on the Marines YouTube channel at the link below 🔗

https://t.co/HMkqeGKC8M

#USMC #MarineCorps #SemperFi

[Hadeel Oueis @hadeelOueiss]

Thanks @dw_arabic for reporting about the ban on @JusoorNews and other networks from reporting in Syria. Authorities claim it’s a licensing issue. I responded by asking them to grant the license they’re talking about. No response so far.
@HmzhMo

[Noam Raydan @NoamRaydan]

The Houthis did not say they are joining the Iran war. Here's a quick summary of the what the Houthis' military spokesperson, Yahya Saree, said in a statement a few mins ago ( statement released at 11:40 pm, Yemen time):

Hands on the trigger to intervene directly and militarily in any of these cases: 

1) If other coalitions join Israel and the US against Iran and the "axis of Jihad and Resistance"
2) If Israel and the US use the Red Sea for operations against Iran or "any Muslim country"
3) If escalation continues against Iran and "the axis of Jihad and resistance" 

Statement in Arabic. I translated it quickly.
#OOTT #IranWar‌ #Houthis

[Hadeel Oueis @hadeelOueiss]

يقول المحلل الايراني هادي دلول أن المحور "سينتصر هذه المرة ايضاَ فالشعب الايراني مستعد أن يقتل حتى اخر طفل، أما الشعب الأميركي فيشتكي من ارتفاع أسعار الوقود."

وكأن الانتصار الذي يأتي بقتل الأطفال وتجهيل الأجيال وافقارها وزجها في ساحات القتال هو "انتصار" بينما خشية ترمب من ارا�� الشعب الأميركي وقدرته على محاسبة الرئيسة "هزيمة".

[Hadeel Oueis @hadeelOueiss]

The Houthis are about to announce their entry into the war in support of Iran.

[ABC News @ABC]

BREAKING: Chuck Norris, the actor and martial artist known for a string of hit action movies and the series "Walker, Texas Ranger," has died, according to his family. He was 86.

Read more: https://t.co/JcibAaNk2o

[Rich Outzen @RichOutzen]

Wow.

[Paul Jacobs @PaulJacobsMedia]

Across the street from our Temple Israel in West Bloomfield is Shenendoah Country Club, the largest Chaldean-owned country club in the US. As the tragedy unfolded, the children were taken there, where the staff fed and supported them in every way.
Neighbors. Partners. Community.