Nick Turse | An analysis by The Intercept reveals that the “peace” president has embroiled the U.S. in more than 20 military interventions, armed conflicts, and wars. | President Donald Trump talks endlessly of “peace.” He ran for office promising to keep the United States out of conflicts, claims to be a “peacemaker,” has campaigned for a Nobel Peace Prize, and founded a so-called Board of Peace. “Under Trump we will have no more wars,” he said on the campaign trail in 2024. Yet Trump has immersed the U.S. in constant conflict, outpacing even other presidential warmongers like Richard Nixon, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama. ■ The White House and Pentagon won’t tell the American people where the U.S. is at war, and Trump has never gone to Congress for war authorization. But an analysis by The Intercept reveals that Trump has embroiled the U.S. in more than 20 military interventions, armed conflicts, and wars during his five-plus years in the White House. Due to a lack of government transparency, obscure security cooperation, and carveouts baked into the U.S. Code — like the 127e authority enacted in the wake of the September 11 attacks, and the covert action statute that enables the CIA to conduct secret wars — the actual number could be markedly higher.

Peter Haenseler | War with Iran: The Outcome is Predictable—but It Remains to be Seen just How Deep the Blood Will be Through Which the World Will Be Wading | The consequences of the war with Iran will break Western hegemony and place significant resources and power into the hands of the Global South much more quickly than would have been the case under peaceful scenarios. Trump is merely deciding how deeply the world will be drenched in blood along the way. ■ It is truly staggering to realize that the Western media still have not recognized that this war against Iran—which Israel and the United States are waging in a manner that defies every legal and moral standard—is already lost, and that the consequences are already written in bold letters on the wall: Western hegemony is a thing of the past; the fate of the EU and NATO hangs by a thread; West Asia will have new masters; and Iran, as one of the oldest civilizations on Earth, will once again assume its rightful role in the future. ■ In this article, I will first examine the final outcome, which is already foreseeable, since the balance of power and the parties’ sustainability are obvious, and the fanatical aggressors’ capacity for escalation is far more limited than it appears at first glance. The war may come to an end in various ways, but the result will be the same in any scenario. The question is “only” how deep President Trump is willing to wade through blood. The death toll is directly proportional to the duration of the conflict.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has launched a scathing critique of the military strikes conducted by the United States and Israel against Iran, describing the offensive as an “absolute disaster” during a session of the Spanish Congress. | Defending his government’s “No to War” stance, Sánchez detailed the staggering toll of the conflict since February 28. He reported nearly 2,000 confirmed deaths and over four million people displaced across Iran and Lebanon. The Prime Minister noted that approximately €12 billion in public funds has already been spent on military operations, leading to a sharp decline in global tourism and maritime trade, while causing a dramatic spike in the prices of hydrocarbons and essential raw materials. ‘Worse Than the Iraq War’ -- Sánchez questioned the legitimacy of the “illegal and unjustifiable” aggression, arguing that the strikes serve only to undermine international law and destabilize the Middle East. He warned that the current crisis is “far worse” than the 2003 Iraq War, with a deeper and more extensive global impact. “All this for what?” Sánchez asked. “To destabilize the Middle East, reignite conflicts in Iraq and Lebanon, and bury Gaza under the rubble of oblivion and indifference.”

■ Spain's Sánchez urges Europe to 'dream big' and end 'Israel' alliance (04/12/26)

The assistance comes as the South Asian nation faces pressure to repay $3.5 billion to the UAE | Saudi Arabia has pledged $3 billion in financial aid to Pakistan, the South Asian country’s finance minister has said. ● Pakistani Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb announced on Tuesday that Saudi Arabia has committed $3 billion in additional deposits, with disbursement expected in the coming week. He is currently in Washington attending the World Bank–IMF Spring Meetings 2026. ● Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will head to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday for an official visit.

✅ Saudi Arabia Didn’t Bail Pakistan Out For Nothing This Time (Andrew Korybko)
■ Leaked Documents Reveal Details of the Secret Saudi Arabia–Pakistan Mutual Defense Pact (04/14/26)