It’s a catastrophe on the way to becoming a cataclysm.
Trump is rapidly going stark-raving mad. He’s a clear and present danger to the United States and the world.
Yesterday he lashed out at The New York Times after its chief White House correspondent questioned his mental health and stability and pointed to his “erratic behavior and extreme comments.”
“HAVE THEY NO SHAME? HAVE THEY NO SENSE OF DECENCY?” Trump posted in CAPITAL LETTERS about the Times, inadvertently echoing the famous words of Joseph Welch when standing up to Joseph McCarthy during the Army-McCarthy hearings of 1954. Trump went on to take issue with the Times’s coverage of his war in Iran rather than his mental state, as if to prove the Times’s point.
He keeps saying he’s “won” the war with Iran, although he’s never said what “winning” means. At one moment his goal is to free Iran’s people. At another, it’s to end Iran’s capacity to produce a nuclear weapon. At another, to destroy Iran’s missiles. At another, to achieve “regime change.” At another, to open the Strait of Hormuz (which was open before Trump started his war). At another, he says he’ll know the U.S. military operation in Iran is over when he feels it “[in] my bones.”
He can’t even stay on the same subject for more than a few minutes. In the middle of a high-level Cabinet meeting about the war, he spends five minutes talking about his preference for Sharpie pens. He interrupts another Iran war update to praise the White House drapes.
He threatens that if Iran doesn’t reopen the strait, “a whole civilization will die tonight.” Then he says America doesn’t need the strait reopened. Then he says: “Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP.”
He calls the Pope “WEAK on Crime, and terrible for Foreign Policy” because the Pope wants peace. He posts an AI-generated picture of himself as Jesus, then says he was only depicting himself as a physician.
He won’t give up on his illegal and dangerous (for the economy) criminal investigation of Fed Chief Jerome Powell, claiming it’s not just about Powell’s renovations at the Fed but also a “probe on incompetence,” adding he’ll fire Powell if he doesn’t resign after his term as chair ends.
After Robert Mueller’s death, he says, “Good, I’m glad he’s dead.” He blames the murders of Rob Reiner and his wife Michelle on “the anger [Rob Reiner] caused others through his massive, unyielding, and incurable affliction with a mind crippling disease known as TRUMP DERANGEMENT SYNDROME.” After Joe Biden is diagnosed with an aggressive form of Stage 4 prostate cancer, Trump says, “I’m surprised that the public wasn’t notified a long time ago because to get to Stage 9, that’s a long time” (there is no Stage 9 cancer).
He’s been losing it for a while now, but in the last few months it’s become far worse.
In 2017, 27 psychiatrists, psychologists, and other mental health professionals concluded in The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump that Trump’s mental condition posed a “clear and present danger” to the nation.
In 2021, members of Trump’s own Cabinet — horrified by the January 6, 2021, violence at the Capitol and Trump’s lack of urgency in stopping it — discussed whether to invoke the 25th Amendment to remove him from office due to mental incompetence.
During his 2024 campaign, he attacked Kamala Harris and then went into the stratosphere of his bonkers mind:
“She destroyed the city of San Francisco, it’s – and I own a big building there – it’s no – I shouldn’t talk about this, but that’s OK, I don’t give a damn because this is what I’m doing. I should say it’s the finest city in the world – sell and get the hell out of there, right? But I can’t do that. I don’t care, you know? I lost billions of dollars, billions of dollars. You know, somebody said, ‘What do you think you lost?’ I said, ‘Probably two, three billion. That’s OK, I don’t care.’ They say, ‘You think you’d do it again?’ And that’s the least of it. Nobody. They always say, I don’t know if you know. Lincoln was horribly treated. Uh, Jefferson was pretty horribly. Andrew Jackson, they say, was the worst of all, that he was treated worse than any other president. I said, ‘Do that study again, because I think there’s nobody close to Trump.’ I even got shot! And who the hell knows where that came from, right?”
It’s no longer possible to overlook his conspiracy-obsessed paranoia, his uncontrolled rage, his emotional volatility, his delusional claims, his vengeful rantings, his foul-mouthed posturing, his increasing detachment from reality.
Yet his Cabinet members and aides keep their heads down. Republican members of Congress pretend not to notice. His billionaire supporters dare not speak of his rapid decline. The media tries to “sanewash” his growing incoherence.
But some voices on the right — people who have long been supporters of Trump — have had enough.
Former Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene says Trump’s threat to destroy Iran’s civilization is “not tough rhetoric, it’s insanity.” Far-right podcaster Candace Owens calls him “a genocidal lunatic.” Conspiracy theorist Alex Jones says Trump “does babble and sounds like the brain’s not doing too hot.” A White House lawyer in Trump’s first term, Ty Cobb, says Trump is “clearly insane.” Former Trump White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham says “he’s clearly not well.”
The public is catching on. Fully 61 percent of Americans think he’s become more erratic with age, while just 45 percent say he is “mentally sharp and able to deal with challenges” (down from 54 percent in 2023).
For the good of the nation and the world, it’s time we face the reality: The most powerful man in the world does not have the mental capacity to do the job. Donald Trump — who has a family history of dementia — is increasingly unhinged.
We are all endangered. What happens if, in a demented rage, he hurls a nuclear bomb? Who is watching the “football” with the nuclear codes? Who’s ready to stop him to save the world?
And global discussions are taking place as our world economy collapses after Trump and Netanyahu’s illegal war on Iran:
Mental health professionals state that Trump exhibits typical behaviors associated with Cluster B personality disorders, which include antisocial personality disorder, borderline personality disorder, and narcissistic personality disorder. Antisocial personality disorder, characterized by a lack of empathy toward others, is commonly referred to as sociopathy. Borderline personality disorder features impulsive behavior and intense emotional reactions, often requiring psychological therapy or medication.
▶ A domestic mental health authority emphasized that Trump distinctly displays traits of narcissistic personality disorder. Diagnosis requires meeting at least five of nine criteria, and Trump reportedly aligns with nearly all of them. Key characteristics of this disorder include an exaggerated sense of self-importance, an excessive need for admiration, and a lack of empathy toward others. The Jesus AI image exemplifies his overestimation of self-importance. His demand for excessive admiration often escalates into anger, as seen in his sudden imposition of tariffs on China at hundreds of percent. Trump has also mocked a Hollywood director couple who lost their son last year, among countless instances of apparent insensitivity to others’ suffering.
Trump’s mental health issues were widely debated during his first term. Ahead of the 2024 election, over 200 U.S. mental health experts warned that Trump exhibits “malignant narcissism, a serious and incurable personality disorder,” marked by deceitfulness, destructiveness, paranoia, and danger. While the Goldwater Rule prohibits psychiatrists from commenting on individuals they have not personally examined, these experts felt compelled to issue warnings.
▶ Another domestic mental health professor noted, “While Trump clearly shows narcissistic personality traits, it is difficult to conclude that he is dysfunctional as a president or individual.” The professor added, “Many of his remarks and actions are reprehensible, but it is unclear whether they stem from a personality disorder or political intent.” There have been no reports of Trump undergoing mental health treatment. The global community may need to endure “this Trump” for a significant period longer.
Terrence Goggin (Substack) suggests it would take 100,000 US troops to take over the free and open running of the Strait of Hormuz, which was open before the illegal war began against Iran.
As of July 2025 to Feb 2026 there were probably 50,000 maximum stationed in the GCC. Since April 1, 2026, between 10 to 20,000 may have been added, though those in Bahrain were evacuated home. Each US aircraft carrier carries around 6,000 troops (there are 3 in the GCC region).
Mapping US troops and military bases in the Middle East
The United States has maintained a military presence in the Middle East for decades, currently stationing between 40,000 and 50,000 troops across at least 19 sites.
Note, Iranian trust in US peace talks is non existent:
During the recent peace talks between the US and Iran, Iranian officials expressed suspicion that the US was not negotiating in good faith, citing previous instances where military actions occurred while talks were ongoing. This has led to concerns that the US may be using military pressure as a tactic in the negotiations. Axios Wikipedia
And in Lebanon:
Trump says Israeli strikes on Lebanon a ‘separate skirmish’ not part of Iran ceasefire
Smotrich urges Israel to annex southern Lebanon as assault intensifies
Israel’s far-right finance minister says Litani River must be ‘the new Israeli border’, as attacks on Lebanon ramp up.4 mins
The United Nations says more than 1.2 million people have been displaced across Lebanon since early March amid Israel’s intensified attacks [Adri Salido/Getty Images]
Israel’s far-right minister of finance, Bezalel Smotrich, has urged his country to annex southern Lebanon, as the military has destroyed bridges and homes in an intensified assault on the area.
In an Israeli radio interview on Monday, Smotrich said that the bombardment of Lebanon “needs to end with a different reality entirely”, which includes a “change of Israel’s borders”.
A 29-year-old California man has been arrested for allegedly causing $500 million in damage when he set fire to a Kimberly-Clark warehouse to protest the cost of living and the Iran War.
“All you had to do was pay us enough to live,” the Justice Department’s indictment alleges he said in video posted to Instagram. “[T]hey had it coming … fucking eight hours, six days … stuck paying rent on a bullshit ass apartment that I can’t afford to fucking live … pedophiles out here fucking children, profiting off … fucking wars.”
In a press conference, Assistant U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli went out of his way to stress that the defendant had “compared himself to Luigi Mangione” in a comment to a witness.
No one was injured in the early morning fire, but Justice wants to make a point: Chamel Abdulkarim’s target was the system of capitalism itself.
Arson, and admittedly a serious case (if the government is correct); and politically motivated, given the remarks Abdulkarim made.
But Mangione? The FBI and the national security machine is going to jump on this, affirming for them that a “copycat” terrorist points to a bigger trend lurking in society.
That fact is at the very center of NSPM-7 — national security presidential memorandum 7 — signed by President Trump last September, that identifies “anti-capitalism” as a so-called indicator of domestic terrorism. The directive opens with a section that mentions “the 2024 assassination of a senior healthcare executive” — i.e. Luigi Mangione — as indicative of a growing threat.
Take a look at what the federal indictment focuses on, alleging Abdulkarim said:
“[S]hould have paid us enough to fucking live.”
“1% is a fucking joke.”
“If you’re not going to pay us enough to fucking live or afford to live, at least pay us enough not to do this shit.”
“Billionaires profiting off of war …”
[Y]ou know, we may not get paid enough to fucking live, but these bitches dirt cheap”
“All you had to do was pay us enough to live. Pay us more of the value WE bring. Not corporate. Didn’t see the share holders picking up a shift.”
“[T]hey had it coming … fucking eight hours, six days, [unintelligible] stuck paying rent on a bullshit ass apartment that I can’t afford to fucking live … pedophiles out here fucking children, profiting off [unintelligible] fucking wars.”
US Attorney Essayli goes on to cast the arson attack as a sign of anti-capitalist sentiment, promising to “aggressively” pursue anyone who attacks capitalism — or “our way of life,” as he put it:
“Look, America is founded on free enterprise and capitalism. Anyone who attacks our values, our way of life, our system, which provides the best goods and services to the most people, we’re gonna come after aggressively.”
By contrast, state authorities did not portray the crime as some sort of threat to capitalism. In fact, San Bernardino County District Attorney Jason Anderson seemed to not understand it at all.
“Arson, to me, is a real head scratcher; I do not understand that somebody who is suspected of arson does something where they get no value out of it,” Anderson said at the press conference.
They still don’t get it.
While reporting on this, when I tried to figure out what exactly the suspect’s job entailed while working for Kimberly-Clark — the company whose 1.2 million square foot facility he allegedly set on fire — I realized that he didn’t actually work for them, but for a third-party contractor, something called “NFI Industries.”
The dreary name reminds me of reporting on Amazon warehouses and hearing one worker after another bitterly refer to its much-hyped $15 minimum wage as not applying to them because they worked for similar subcontractors. This two-step is also how Amazon can claim it’s not them but rather the contractors responsible for the infamous practice of workers having to pee in bottles to meet their punishing quotas.
NFI has been accused of similar practices and was sued in 2015 by New Jersey port and warehouse truckers who said the company systematically misclassified them as “independent contractors” while exercising full employer‑style control. In 2022, a federal judge ruled in the driver’s favor, ordering NFI to pay them over $5 million in a class action settlement.
The obscene price of gasoline as a result of the Iran war (part of our hallowed “way of life,” which allows oil companies to price gouge even in emergencies) has once again thrust the cost of living into the spotlight. Millions of Americans resonate with Mangione and Abdulkarim.
Isn’t anyone in power curious why that is?
As a friend told me today when I brought up the Kimberly-Clark fire: Who that’s worked a shitty job hasn’t fantasized about burning it all down? (This is literally the plot of the cult classic movie Office Space!)
Democrats and Republican politicians alike mouth “affordability” but do nothing. Civil government is also starved, bled of resources by our national security colossus that devises more and more ways to spy on anyone opposed, or drowns out their voices by flooding the media with security-speak.
There are basically two ways the government can respond to things like the Kimberly-Clark fire: (1) treat them as national security threats to be monitored and preempted forever; or (2) address the underlying grievances causing them.
The 1979 Revolution and the Sectarianization of Geopolitics
The catalyst for the contemporary “New Middle East Cold War” was the 1979 Iranian Revolution. Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini overthrew the secular, Western-aligned monarchy and birthed the Islamic Republic, a theocracy built on the doctrine of Velayat-e Faqih (Guardianship of the Islamic Jurist).
Crucially, Khomeini didn’t just want to govern Iran; he wanted to export his pan-Islamic revolution, urging oppressed populations across the region to rise against their rulers. For Saudi Arabia—the global bastion of orthodox Sunni Wahhabism and the guardian of the holy cities of Mecca and Medina—revolutionary Iran was an existential threat. The Saudi monarchy’s legitimacy relies on religious credentials and stability. Iran offered a radical alternative that threatened to incite Saudi Arabia’s own marginalized Shia minority in its oil-rich Eastern Province, as well as destabilize neighboring Gulf monarchies.
The region quickly polarized into two heavily armed camps: the conservative, status quo Sunni bloc (Saudi Arabia) and the revisionist, revolutionary Shia bloc (Iran). The conflict intensified dramatically following the 2003 U.S. invasion of Iraq. By dismantling Saddam Hussein’s Sunni-dominated regime, the U.S. inadvertently handed control to Iraq’s Shia majority. This removed the primary strategic buffer containing Iranian influence, allowing Tehran to project power into the Arab heartland and accelerating Saudi efforts to counter this new “Shia Crescent.”
The Game Theory of Perpetual Conflict
The strategic decisions of Saudi Arabia and Iran aren’t just driven by religious fervor; they perfectly match the economic and mathematical principles of Game Theory, specifically the “Prisoner’s Dilemma.”
In this strategic interaction, both nations have two choices: Cooperate (de-escalate, respect borders, and stop funding militias) or Defect (fund militant groups, build asymmetric weapons, and subvert the other’s stability).
If we assign a “utility score” from 0 (absolute worst outcome) to 4 (the ultimate victory), the mechanics of this rivalry become terrifyingly clear. If both nations cooperate, they achieve a moderate, shared benefit of regional stability and economic growth (a score of 3 for each). However, if one nation cooperates while the other defects, the aggressive defector achieves regional hegemony (a score of 4), while the peaceful cooperator is left severely vulnerable—suffering what theorists call the “sucker’s payoff” (a score of 0).
Because the Middle East lacks an overarching authority to enforce agreements, there is profound ideological mistrust. Neither side can credibly commit to peace (a concept known as Robert Powell’s “commitment problem”). Therefore, the rational choice for both states is to constantly Defect.
If both states defect, the result is a perpetual proxy war (a score of 1 for each). In game theory, this is known as a “Nash Equilibrium”—a degraded, highly costly stalemate. Both states pour billions into proxy wars, locked in a cycle of hostility that neither can abandon without risking total strategic ruin. Furthermore, this rivalry is defined by Thomas Schelling’s concept of brinkmanship. Both states push conflicts to the absolute edge of disaster to extract concessions, using proxy militias to inflict damage while staying just below the threshold of direct state-on-state warfare, which would invite mutually assured destruction. Solving this requires what theorists call “Mechanism Design”—deliberately expanding the options available to create verifiable incentives that make cooperation the rational choice.
Another good read on Substack (Rydro Abbas) about historic Shia and Sunni beliefs of Palestinians:
The long history of Palestinian Shias, what the Wahhabis, Salafis and British Shias won’t tell you
A Muslim nation of millions and not having a single Shia is an absurd, illogical and unrealistic claim, especially when you consider the history and the shared borders with southern Lebanon
Today, when we speak about Shiaism, some people quickly link it to the Islamic Republic of Iran and its “expanding influence”, completely disregarding the actual history of Shiaism in the West Asian region, as in reality, it originates from the Arab nations, not as they like to claim and pretend.
When the mention of Shiaism is brought up about an Arab nation, especially when it is a Sunni majority nation, the matter completely differs as the Salafis and Wahhabis’ sensitivity increases and they become defensive, pretending like Shiaism belongs to Islamic Republic of Iran and it is all due to their influence and them promoting such belief.
The matter reaches its most extreme case with most ignorant denial and rejection of Shiaism in Palestine, where they claim that Palestine has no Shias, and in rare occasions when they acknowledge the Shia presence, they make it like it is due to them being influenced by Iran, rather than Shiaism being found organically, to paint the image that Shias and or Shiaism are not indigenous, as they are completely foreign.
This frustration and delusion stem from their collective failure as a nation for letting the Palestinians down in their struggle, so they fear the tiniest thing for the nation to have in common with the Shia world far more than the disappointment their entire leadership are responsible of.
A Muslim nation of millions and not having a single Shia is an absurd, illogical and unrealistic claim, especially when you consider the history and the shared open borders with southern Lebanon in the past—and even today’s factors.
Before the israeli occupation, the borders were open between northern Palestine and southern Lebanon, making that the mixing of people much easier, as they travel back and forth, social links were common as some Palestinians would marry from the Lebanese and vise versa, especially the Palestinians of Galilee, eventually this leads to adaption of some beliefs, including religious ones, Sunni or Shia. And this was even before the establishment of the Islamic Republic of Iran, before the occupation.
And Pakistan?
The majority of Muslims in Pakistan are Sunni, comprising about 85-90% of the population, while Shia Muslims make up approximately 10-15%. Both sects have significant cultural and religious influence in the country. SBS Wikipedia
IMO reports 3,000 vessels and 20,000 seafarers trapped in the Persian Gulf after Iran shut the Strait of Hormuz. 16 ships attacked, 15,000 cruise passengers stranded.
Ships floating in the Persian Gulf off the coast of Dubai near the Strait of Hormuz on March 28, 2026. (Supplied: Sentinel Hub)
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Interviews and first-hand accounts from sailors stranded in the Persian Gulf — under threat of drone attacks, missiles, and exploding boats — reveal an increasingly dire humanitarian crisis unfolding.
Iran’s blockade of one of the world’s most critical shipping lanes, the Strait of Hormuz, has unleashed pain on global markets.
The normally busy strait has been mostly empty since the start of the war. But inside the Persian Gulf, some 2,000 ships remain.
And while the US-Israel war with Iran rages on, the crews on those stranded ships are facing their own battle of attrition.
And now the blockade along Iranian ports to deny them sales of oil:
IMF Portwatch
Strait of Hormuz reopens under Ceasefire, but 800+ ships remain stranded amid uncertainty
Shipowners are rushing to understand the fine print of a US-Iran ceasefire that could temporarily unblock the Strait of Hormuz and open an exit for more than 800 vessels trapped in the Persian Gulf.
At least 2 ships exit Gulf from Iran despite US blockade: Tracking data
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A container ship (top C) sails past oil tankers anchored along Singapore straits in Singapore on April 14, 2026.
[Editor’s Note: Follow Khaleej Times live blog amid US-Israel-Iran war for the latest regional developments.]
At least two ships sailing from Iranian ports crossed the Hormuz Strait on Monday despite a US military blockade, maritime tracking data indicated Tuesday.
They were among at least four Iran-linked vessels that used the route after Washington’s blockade came into effect at 1400 GMT on Monday, according to maritime data provider Kpler.
The Liberia-flagged bulk carrier Christianna crossed after unloading 74,000 tonnes of corn at the Iranian port of Bandar Imam Khomeini, passing Iran’s Larak Island in the strait around 1600 GMT on Monday, Kpler data showed.
Iran war latest: US-sanctioned ships pass through Strait of Hormuz as Trump blockade begins
Iran has been accused of “economic terrorism” in the Strait of Hormuz. Ships have been warned they could face now capture by the US. But two tankers made it through as Trump’s blockade of the crucial route began.
Operating like an Uber taxi in the Strait of Hormuz?:
Meanwhile, as the world watches how the US will enforce its blockade in the Strait of Hormuz, Malawi-flagged, Chinese-owned tanker Rich Starry passed through the waterway.
A Chinese tanker under US sanctions, which passed through the Strait of Hormuz earlier on Tuesday after the US imposed a blockade on the waterway, was seen turning back late afternoon.
Rich Starry, a medium-range tanker, initially appeared to have made the journey, becoming the first to sail through the strait since the US began its operation on Monday evening, data from MarineTraffic and VesselFinder showed. However, it was seen heading back towards Hormuz around 5.30pm UAE time. US President Donald Trump imposed the blockade after US-Iran talks in Islamabad on Saturday failed to end the war and reopen the channel.
Rich Starry, known previously as Full Star, is carrying about 250,000 barrels of methanol and the tanker and its owner, Shanghai Xuanrun Shipping, were placed under US sanctions for dealing with Iran, Reuters reported. Two more tankers under US sanctions, the Murlikishan, which has carried Russian and Iranian oil, and Panama-flagged Peace Gulf, are also attempting to pass through the strait on Tuesday, Reuters said.None of the three ships transiting the strait were heading to Iranian ports.
The article goes on to explain:
The waterway, through which about 20 per cent of the world’s oil and gas normally passes, was effectively closed by Iran during its 40-day war with the US and Israel, leading to a surge in oil and gas prices and affecting global supply chains.
Before the war began on February 28, about 140 ships passed through the waterway each day. A maximum of 14 a day have travelled through since the two-week ceasefire was agreed to by the US and Iran on April 8. An estimated 230 vessels loaded with oil are stuck in the Arabian Gulf.
Mr Trump on Monday said 34 ships had sailed through the strait the previous day, without providing further details.
Twenty-eight commercial vessels crossed through the strait during the weekend, according to Kpler. “Traffic stayed weak on Monday, with just six commercial vessel transits versus 14 on Sunday, indicating continued subdued activity rather than any meaningful rebound,” Ana Subasic, trade risk analyst at the market intelligence firm, told The National.
The US blockade may support some incremental movement while the ceasefire holds, “particularly if owners interpret the enforcement posture as more targeted than initially feared”, Ms Subasic said.
“That said, we would stop short of describing this as a meaningful normalisation of traffic at this stage. There remains enough uncertainty around enforcement, counterparty exposure, insurance and overall operating risk from both sides that many market participants are likely to remain cautious and in a wait-and-see mode for the near term,” she added.
The US naval blockade of the strait moves the situation “from a price shock to a structural disruption of global trade”, said Raj Abrol, chief executive of risk platform Galytix.
“The impact goes well beyond energy prices – it ripples through shipping routes, insurance premiums, supply chains and input costs across every sector. This blockade only confirms that we should expect protracted volatility across all of these indicators, not a return to stability.”
Meanwhile, China’s Foreign Ministry on Tuesday called the US blockade of Iranian ports “dangerous and irresponsible”.
The move by the US to increase military deployments and impose a targeted blockade will deepen the conflict and further jeopardise the safety of navigation through the strait, media reports cited ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun as saying.
China urges all parties to respect the current ceasefire and remain committed to dialogue and peace talks, the official added.
During the war, Iran earned about $9 billion from crude exports, which exceeds it daily profits before the start of the conflict, energy intelligence company Kpler found. The US blockade is expected to cut about $150 million a day in oil revenue for Tehran.
About 190 million barrels of Iranian crude are at sea, with an estimated 50 million barrels west of Singapore and 140 million east of it, and most of it is destined for China, Homayoun Falakshahi, head of oil analytics at Kpler, told The National.
Did JD Vance cost Viktor Orban his premiership? Trump ally’s polling plunged after supportive visit by US Vice President… before he suffered crushing election defeat
Netanyahu Coalition Figures Publicly Back Viktor Orbán Ahead of Hungary Vote
Israeli politicians praised Orban for his support of Israel and tough stance on antisemitism. The election tests the future of Hungary’s far-right populism and holds significant implications for Israel’s diplomatic standing in Europe
(Brussels) – Hungary’s withdrawal from the International Criminal Court (ICC) is an insult to victims and survivors of the world’s worst crimes, Human Rights Watch said today.
Hungarian authorities formally notified the United Nations secretary-general on June 2, 2025, that Hungary is withdrawing from the Rome Statute, the ICC’s founding treaty, following a May 20 decision by the parliament. Prime Minister Viktor Orbán announced his government’s intention to leave the ICC on April 3, during Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s visit to Budapest despite an ICC warrant against him for serious crimes in Gaza.
“After refusing to arrest Netanyahu, an ICC fugitive, when he visited the country, Hungary is now doubling down on impunity by leaving the court altogether,” said Liz Evenson, international justice director at Human Rights Watch. “The European Union and ICC members should press Hungary to reconsider this decision given the court’s critical work across the globe.”
Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant are wanted by the ICC for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza, including starving civilians, intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population, murder, and persecution. Human Rights Watch has documented war crimes, crimes against humanity, and acts of genocide by Israeli authorities in Gaza since October 7, 2023.
ICC member countries have a legal obligation to arrest and surrender anyone sought by the court who is in their territory. ICC judges are currently assessing Hungary’s failure to arrest Netanyahu to make a legal determination on whether Hungary breached its obligation to cooperate with the court. Such a determination could then be transmitted to the ICC Assembly of States Parties for further action.
Hungary’s withdrawal will take effect one year after the notification to the UN secretary-general. Until then, Hungary remains bound by its ICC obligations, including executing the court’s arrest warrants. If Hungary’s withdrawal takes effect, it will become the third ICC member to leave the court. Burundi and the Philippines withdrew from the ICC in 2017 and 2019, respectively. It will also be the only non-ICC member state in the European Union.
The European Union and its member states have long been strong supporters of the ICC and have pledged to support the court’s independence and to ensure cooperation. Adherence to the values of the Rome Statute and its ratification are conditions to be fulfilled for new members to join the EU. Hungary’s withdrawal contradicts common EU objectives and values, Human Rights Watch said.
President Donald Trump has suggested the United States will destroy Iranian “civilisation” if Tehran does not open the Strait of Hormuz and submit to his terms.
About 12 hours before the Tuesday night deadline he set for Iranian authorities, Trump shared a social media post threatening to irreversibly obliterate Iran.
“A whole civilisation will die tonight, never to be brought back again. I don’t want that to happen, but it probably will,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.
Iran is the heir to the millennia-old Persian civilisation, one of the most influential in human history.
For more than two weeks, the US president has been warning that he would order the destruction of Iran’s civilian infrastructure, including bridges and power stations, if his demands are not met.
His latest post on Tuesday reflected the escalating and angry rhetoric he has deployed since the US and Israel launched the war on Iran on February 28.
Legal experts said targeting civilian infrastructure is a war crime.
“It’s horrific. It’s pure evil. It’s disqualifying,” Yasmine Taeb, legislative and political director for the advocacy group MPower Change Action Fund, said of Trump’s threats.
“It’s the words of a deranged, unstable madman.”
Taeb called for a “stronger reaction” from US lawmakers and the international community against Trump’s rhetoric and policies.
Democrats call for ending war
Several Democratic members of the US Congress on Tuesday condemned Trump’s threats and called for ending the war.
Chuck Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate, called Trump an “extremely sick person” after the president’s post on Tuesday.
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“Each Republican who refuses to join us in voting against this wanton war of choice owns every consequence of whatever the hell this is,” the senator wrote on X.
Hakeem Jeffries, the top Democrat in the House of Representatives, called on legislators from Trump’s Republican Party to “put patriotic duty over party and stop the madness.”
“Congress must immediately end this reckless war of choice in Iran before Donald Trump plunges us into World War III,” Jeffries said in a social media post.
Last month, Congress failed to pass a resolution to curb Trump’s powers to attack Iran.
The US president has not obtained authorisation from lawmakers to launch the military campaign against Iran in what critics said is a violation of the US Constitution, which grants Congress the power to declare war.
On Tuesday, Congresswoman Rashida Tlaib said the 25th Amendment of the constitution should be invoked to remove Trump from office because he is unfit to serve.
“After bombing a school and massacring young girls, the war criminal in the White House is threatening genocide,” Tlaib wrote in a social media post, referring to the Minab school attack in southern Iran that killed more than 170 people.
Congressman Jim McGovern stressed that the US military is required to disobey “illegal orders”.
“This is evil. The President of the United States’ genocidal threat to commit war crimes is illegal under federal & international law,” McGovern said (on X).
Despite the intensifying opposition to the war on the Democratic side, dissent against Trump has remained faint among Republicans.
On Tuesday, Congressman Mike Lawler played down Trump’s threat to kill off Iran’s civilisation, saying the president would target only the country’s civilian infrastructure.
“It is their energy infrastructure and their civilian infrastructure, including roads and bridges. That will cripple the Iranian regime and certainly their economy,” Lawler told CNN.
The Republican lawmaker said Trump is acting “within his legal authorities to conduct this war” as commander-in-chief of the US armed forces.
The deadline
The US president set 8pm in Washington, DC, (00:00 GMT) on Tuesday as the “final” deadline for Iran.
On the first day of the war, the US and Israel killed Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and several other top officials.
The attacks have killed more than 2,000 people and hit schools, residential buildings and medical facilities.
Despite the losses, the governing system in Tehran appears to have held together with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps – a wing of the Iranian military that is designated as a “terrorist” group in the US – spearheading the war effort.
There have been no major defections or antigovernment protests in Iran since the start of the war, and Khamenei was replaced by his son Mojtaba.
Iran has retaliated with rocket and drone attacks against Israel and US assets across the entire Middle East.
Iranian forces have also targeted civilian and energy infrastructure in the Gulf region and blocked the Strait of Hormuz to most shipping, sending energy prices soaring.
Still, Trump has insisted that he achieved “regime change” in Iran and the US has “won” the war.
On Tuesday, Trump left the door open for a diplomatic resolution despite his dramatic threat, saying “maybe something revolutionarily wonderful can happen.”
“We will find out tonight, one of the most important moments in the long and complex history of the World. 47 years of extortion, corruption, and death will finally end. God Bless the Great People of Iran!” Trump wrote.
Iranian officials have remained defiant, threatening to meet any US escalation with similar military measures in the region and beyond.
Later on Tuesday, US Vice President JD Vance also issued a warning to Iran, saying that the US wants oil and gas to flow “freely”.
“They’ve got to know, we’ve got tools in our toolkit that we so far haven’t decided to use,” he said during a speech in Hungary. “The president of the United States can decide to use them, and he will decide to use them if the Iranians do not change their course of conduct.”
The Pentagon is defending its invitation to have Doug Wilson, a pastor whose views on issues including women voters and slavery have been deemed by some as radical, partake in a Christian prayer service on Tuesday.
Wilson, 72, joined U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during what has become a monthly staple under the Secretary’s leadership, starting in May 2025 with Hegseth’s pastor in Tennessee, Brooks Potteiger, and continuing as recently as this week. Wilson and Hegseth exchanged words of gratitude and appreciation towards one another and of their faith during the afternoon event.
Sweeping the strait: US destroyers transit Hormuz for 1st time since Iran war began
US destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz for the first time since the war began, as Washington initiated mine-clearing operations to reopen the critical shipping route.
A child’s instant shock and horror, caught on social media, as she chats playfully with friends but Israeli bombs interrupt her, destroying a neighboring block of flats:
borderslynn 
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