Top World News
‘High’ likelihood Trump gearing up for drastic — and imminent — escalation: Fox News
Oct 12, 2026 - World 
The chances that President Donald Trump authorizes a significant military escalation in the Middle East — and soon — are “relatively high,” Fox News’ Trey Yingst said Monday as the White House weighs its response to a recent strike on a major U.S. ally.On Saturday, Yemen’s Houthi militants carried out a deadly attack on Saudi Arabia, striking the King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh and killing at least 12 people and injuring more than 300. Trump told reporters he was considering joining Saudi Arabia in retaliating against the Houthis, and despite skepticism from one expert, Yingst said he expected Trump to follow through.“The question now is how Saudi Arabia will respond and if the United States could be involved,” Yingst said, reporting from Tel Aviv, Israel. “The chances [that the United States gets involved militarily] are relatively high just given recent history. The Saudis are asking for support, and that support is going to come in a variety of different ways: one has to do with intelligence, and the other, military action.”Yingst went on to list the variety of ways the U.S. military could directly strike Houthi militants, who have made significant territorial gains in recent weeks and have strengthened their hold on the Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a critical global shipping chokepoint in the Red Sea, much like the Strait of Hormuz.Fox News’ Rachel Campos-Duffy questioned whether the deep unpopularity of Trump’s war against Iran would factor into the White House’s response.“We're in a political season, and the war is not very popular among a lot of people,” Campos-Duffy said. “Do you think that will impact how — and to what scale — the American military gets involved?”Yingst suggested that, despite Trump’s claims that the midterms had no bearing on his decisions regarding his war in the Middle East, it was impossible to know for sure.“It certainly would be a question for the president as he will be the person who decides, ultimately, if U.S. strikes move forward,” Yingst said.
Trump sparks new ‘catastrophe’ trying to fix ‘biggest single mistake’ of career: analysts
Oct 12, 2026 - World 
In a bid to navigate the “biggest single mistake” of President Donald Trump’s two terms in office, the president has sparked a new “complete catastrophe,” a panel of journalists argued Monday on MS NOW.“This war with Iran is going to prove to be the biggest single mistake of Donald Trump's two terms in office,” said David Rohde, MS NOW senior national security reporter. “The Saudi Arabian government could fall there — it's a disaster for this country and it's extraordinary what's happening, just the stakes here every day.”A cascade of attacks has erupted across the Middle East in recent days amid Trump’s deeply unpopular war against Iran, a conflict that has kept U.S. fuel prices elevated. However, Trump has increasingly blamed the Russo-Ukrainian war for elevated fuel prices.On Sunday, reports emerged that the Trump administration was threatening to cut Ukraine off from U.S. intelligence to compel the country to stop attacking Russian energy infrastructure. That threat, argued The Insider’s Michael Weiss, would only make the Trump administration’s problems worse.“Ukraine has been striking Russian oil refineries with U.S. intelligence. We have been encouraging them to do it as one of the cards that they can play,” Weiss said. “All of a sudden, a grinding halt to this policy, and now we threaten to take the one thing away that we continue to give them, so it's a complete catastrophe.”Weiss also argued that the move to cut Ukraine off from U.S. intelligence flew in the face of recent Trump administration claims.“And by the way, it was only about a week or two ago I was hearing a lot of triumphalism: 'We have opened the Strait of Hormuz, everything has stabilized!'” Weiss said. “Yeah, the Strait of Hormuz is open as long as our naval blockade is in place.”
Sparks fly after Darline Graham's latest debate gaffe: 'So stunningly unqualified'
Oct 12, 2026 - World 
Sparks flew Sunday after Darline Graham's latest gaffe during the South Carolina Senate debate. Graham faced off against Democratic challenger Annie Andrews, during which she was asked about President Donald Trump's decision to start the war against Iran. One of the answers Graham gave caused a stir on social media. "They're being strangled economically, and no one will trade with them," Graham said. "I am proud that I helped get the Lindsey O. Graham Sanctioning Russia and Iran Act of 2026 over the finish line in the Senate with overwhelming bipartisan support ... it gives [the president] the tools to end the war through economic sanctions. And, why in the world would we stop now when they are still dangerous and we are close to ending the war?"Graham's comments seem to fly in the face of President Donald Trump's assertions that the Iranian military had been "completely decimated" after recent U.S. strikes. Political analysts reacted to Graham's claim on social media. "So stunningly unqualified. What [are] we doing, people?" Marc Polymeropoulos, an MS NOW analyst, posted on X. "21 American lives lost should be enough. This war needs to end," Andrews posted on her personal X account. "Hey, look. It's another Graham who loves forever wars," Hemant Mehta, political commentator and "Jeopardy!" champion, posted on X. "I saw gas at $5 a gallon the other day. That’s one reason," Liz Mair, a political communications expert, posted on X. "Well, Dips--- Darlene, because Trump is losing his war with Iran and we shouldn’t have to sacrifice more US service members just to save Trump’s pride," Polly Sigh, a writer and political commentator, posted on X. Darline Graham on Iran War: Why in the world would we stop now? https://t.co/0DcIrvXpU5— Acyn (@Acyn) October 11, 2026
'Dead in the water': Analyst sounds 'dire' alarm as cracks appear in Trump's oil ceasefire
Oct 11, 2026 - World 
President Donald Trump's announced ceasefire between Ukraine and Russia on Sunday carries some significant risks and shows that the president's efforts to make lasting peace between the two countries may be "dead in the water," according to one political analyst. Trump wrote on Truth Social that "there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE (sic) in the War between Russia and Ukraine" and that "both parties have agreed." Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy described the announcement as a surprise to him, and told Ukrainian citizens in a nightly address that Russian attacks on Ukraine's energy infrastructure were ongoing despite Trump's announcement. Jill Dougherty, a journalist and expert on Russia, sounded that alarm about the announced ceasefire during an interview with CNN's Frederika Whitfield on "CNN Newsroom." "So this situation is quite dire, and it's very delicate for Zelenskyy to be diplomatic and yet stand up for his own country," Dougherty said. "It's very, very difficult right now."Dougherty noted that the international community is not taking the announced ceasefire seriously. It was announced at a time when Trump and Russian president Vladimir Putin had agreed for Russia to sell diesel fuel to the U.S. in an effort to reduce costs ahead of the consequential midterms. Zelenskyy blasted the diesel deal during an interview on Sunday, saying it would give Putin more money that he can use to escalate Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine. Dougherty added that the ceasefire announcement also revealed how Trump's efforts to make peace between the two countries have failed. "Remember, Mr. Trump, years ago at the beginning, said, 'I will solve this in 24 hours.' And so now it's been a very long time. He hasn't solved it, and he has to begin to show that there is some progress," Dougherty said. "But right now, those talks that have been taking place ... just a couple of days ago in Miami, seem truly dead in the water. And so to say there's a ceasefire, maybe that sounds good domestically, but nobody seems to be taking it at all as the truth."
Disbelief as Trump’s ceasefire crumbles within hours: ‘What can you even say’
Oct 11, 2026 - World 
President Donald Trump was ridiculed en masse Sunday after the purported ceasefire he claimed had been brokered between Russia and Ukraine fell apart within hours.“What can you even say,” wrote investigative journalist and writer Ilya Lozovsky in a social media post on X.Sunday morning, Trump took to social media to claim that an agreement had been reached between Russia and Ukraine to halt attacks on energy infrastructure.“Effective immediately, there is an ENERGY CEASEFIRE in the War between Russia and Ukraine,” he wrote. “Both parties have agreed. Do not break it!”Moments later, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said of the purported agreement, “the ceasefire was news to me,” but said he would agree to halt attacks on Russian energy targets if Moscow followed suit.Hours later, Zelenskyy said that Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy sites had continued despite Trump’s claim.“There were strikes, unfortunately, with aerial bombs,” Zelenskyy said during his nightly video address, according to Reuters. “There were strikes on our energy infrastructure. Just now, there was a strike on the joint power and heating plant in the city of Kharkiv — hitting Kharkiv’s energy system.”Former Republican congressman Adam Kinzinger sarcastically expressed shock that Trump’s purported agreement had proven to be false.“What??? Trump lied???” Kinzinger wrote.And Anne Applebaum, Pulitzer Prize-winning historian and journalist, issued Trump an especially harsh condemnation.“Trump announces an energy ceasefire. Ukrainians learn about it from social media. Immediately, there are more Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure,” Applebaum wrote. “The president lives in a fantasy world of his own construction.”Trump announces an energy ceasefire. Ukrainians learn about it from social media. Immediately, there are more Russian strikes on Ukrainian energy infrastructure.The president lives in a fantasy world of his own construction— Anne Applebaum (@anneapplebaum) October 11, 2026
