August 06, 2026

Good morning! Today is Thursday, August 6th 2026, and this is The American Conservative's Morning Brief. Andrew Day argues that Israel is effectively vetoing President Trump's Middle East agenda, from the terms of Hamas disarmament in Gaza to a Saudi civilian nuclear deal, stalled Iran talks, and a possible F-35 sale to Turkey. On day 159 of the Iran War, new reporting indicates the U.S. has burned through nearly 80 percent of its THAAD interceptors and half its Patriots, even as Oman, Iran, and Washington inch toward an interim deal on the Strait of Hormuz. W. James Antle III warns that Wisconsin's Francesca Hong and a new wave of socialist Democrats may squander their opening by embracing peak-woke cultural politics, but cautions that MAGA's chances to answer them are not unlimited. and now for the details. Our lead story this morning concerns the limits of American sovereignty in the Middle East. President Trump announced last Thursday on social media what he called a historic agreement for the complete disarmament of Hamas and all other armed groups in Gaza, adding that as disarmament proceeded, Israeli forces would withdraw. But on Monday, following a meeting between top officials of Trump's Board of Peace and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem, the Board issued a statement saying, contrary to what it called inaccurate reports, that Israeli forces would only withdraw after Hamas handed over all its weapons. That was not what Trump had described, and not what Hamas had understood. Writing for The American Conservative, Andrew Day argues this is part of a pattern. In late July, the administration announced a civilian nuclear deal with Saudi Arabia, only for Trump to declare the next day on Truth Social that the agreement was, in his words, totally subject to Saudi Arabia joining the Abraham Accords—a condition Day says was designed to sink a deal Israel opposed. Day also points to the collapse of nuclear talks with Iran last year. He cites Joe Kent, who resigned this March from a senior counterterrorism post, telling TAC that Israel and its American supporters pressed the White House to demand zero uranium enrichment in order to, quote, break up the agreement. Day notes a fourth possible episode now emerging. After Trump said in July he would consider selling the F-35 to Turkey, Fox News reported that Israel has pressed the administration against the sale to preserve what is called Israel's qualitative military edge—a policy codified in the 2008 Naval Vessel Transfer Act, which obliges the president to uphold Israel's ability to defeat any credible military threat in its region. Day argues that requirement runs contrary to traditional realist balance-of-power thinking and, in his view, complicates any America First foreign policy. The Iran War entered its 159th day Wednesday, and new reporting sheds light on the strain the conflict is placing on American arsenals. CNN, citing anonymous sources familiar with Pentagon inventories, reported Tuesday that the U.S. military has expended nearly 80 percent of its THAAD interceptors and roughly 50 percent of its Patriot interceptors. One source told the network that virtually all Army Tactical Missile Systems and Precision Strike Missiles have been fired. As Harrison Berger reports for TAC, diplomatic activity is continuing around the Strait of Hormuz. Axios says Oman, Iran, and the United States are closing in on an interim agreement to reopen the strait, though Iranian officials, including comments carried by state broadcaster IRIB on Wednesday, insist the talks have, quote, nothing to do with the United States. One Iranian official blamed U.S. interference and the threat of a military attack for delaying an agreement. President Trump told Fox News the U.S. is having very good discussions with Tehran and warned he would hit the Iranians really hard if they back out again. Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian wrote on X Sunday that the June 17 memorandum of understanding between Washington and Tehran should serve as the cornerstone of future relations. In the Red Sea, an Indian-flagged tanker reportedly carrying Saudi oil sank after being struck by ballistic missiles, with the Houthis claiming responsibility. Kpler's maritime tracker recorded eight crossings in the Strait of Hormuz on August 4th, down from ten Sunday, while Bab el-Mandeb traffic rose to 34 vessels. Brent Crude was trading below 80 dollars a barrel Wednesday. AAA put the national average price of regular gasoline at 4 dollars and 8 cents per gallon. Those are today's highlights. For the full stories and more, visit theamericanconservative.com. Thank you for starting your morning with us.