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Iran Holds Mass Funerals After Losing $4 Billion in Nuclear Assets and Top Military Leadership in US-Israeli Strikes

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Funerals held in Tehran for prominent nuclear scientists and high-ranking officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) killed in U.S. and Israeli airstrikes. Photo courtesy of Xinhua.

Despite claims by mainstream media, combined airstrikes by the United States and Israel over the past two weeks were highly successful, inflicting significant damage on Iran’s nuclear program and eliminating key military leaders, including high-ranking officers of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), a U.S.-designated terrorist organization that operates directly under Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

Iran held a massive state funeral in Tehran on Saturday for 60 individuals killed during its 12-day war with Israel, including top military commanders, nuclear scientists, and their family members. State media claimed that over one million people attended, with government offices closed to allow public employees to join the procession. The scale of the turnout underscored the severity of the blow to Iran’s military and scientific leadership during the coordinated U.S.-Israeli strikes.

In total, the combined attacks resulted in over 1,000 deaths, including at least 417 civilians, according to a U.S.-based human rights organization. Iran’s retaliatory campaign involved firing more than 550 ballistic missiles at Israel, killing 28 people before a ceasefire was declared.

Chants of “Death to America” and “Death to Israel” echoed throughout the procession, reflecting the domestic political pressure on Iran’s leadership in the aftermath of its strategic losses.

Among the dead were some of Iran’s most powerful military and scientific figures, representing the most significant loss of senior leadership since the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980s. Intelligence sources confirm that approximately 30 senior commanders were killed, including Major General Hossein Salami, head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), and Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of Iran’s armed forces. Also killed was Major General Gholamali Rashid, commander of the IRGC’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters and former deputy chief of staff of the armed forces.

Amir Ali Hajizadeh, commander of the IRGC Aerospace Force and architect of Iran’s missile program, was among those eliminated. He had overseen Iran’s ballistic missile attacks on Israel in April 2024 and the 2020 missile strike on a U.S. base in Iraq. He also admitted responsibility for the 2020 downing of a Ukrainian passenger plane.

The strikes also targeted Iran’s nuclear apparatus. At least 11 nuclear scientists were confirmed killed, including figures from Iran’s Atomic Energy Organization and top universities. Notable casualties include Fereydoun Abbasi, former head of the Atomic Energy Organization (2011–2013), and Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi, president of Islamic Azad University in Tehran. Other slain scientists include Abdolhamid Manouchehr, Ahmad Reza Zolfaghari, Amirhossein Feghi, and Motalibizadeh.

The campaign also eliminated key regime figures, including Ali Ghanaatkar, the notorious Evin Prison prosecutor known for imprisoning dissidents such as Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi.

Israeli and U.S. strikes extended beyond Tehran, systematically targeting regional IRGC command structures and proxy networks. Saeed Izadi, longtime commander of the Palestine Corps of the Quds Force and a key coordinator between Iran and Hamas, was described by Israeli officials as “one of the main orchestrators of the October 7 massacre.”

Behnam Shahriyari, commander of the Quds Force’s Weapons Transfer Unit, was also killed; he was responsible for weapons shipments to Iran’s proxies across the Middle East. Multiple other intelligence chiefs and field commanders tied to Iran’s proxy network were reportedly eliminated.

According to the Institute for Science and International Security, the coordinated U.S.-Israeli strikes inflicted unprecedented destruction on Iran’s nuclear infrastructure. At Natanz, the “workhorse” of Iran’s enrichment program, underground halls housing over 18,400 centrifuges were severely damaged, rendering them inoperable. The above-ground Pilot Fuel Enrichment Plant, which contained roughly 1,700 advanced IR-4 and IR-6 centrifuges enriching uranium to 60%, was completely destroyed. This facility had served as Iran’s primary site for centrifuge research and development.

Following Israeli strikes, U.S. forces conducted precision “double tap” attacks using GBU-57 Massive Ordnance Penetrator (MOP) bombs, with successive bombs directed through the same penetration points. At Fordow, twelve MOPs targeted deeply buried enrichment halls, collapsing infrastructure around the cascade area. The Israel Atomic Energy Commission assessed the Fordow site as destroyed and inoperable.

The Isfahan nuclear complex was hit in three separate waves. Attacks destroyed the enriched uranium metal conversion plant, caused severe damage to uranium hexafluoride production facilities, and collapsed tunnel entrances to underground storage sites.

Conservative estimates place immediate Iranian losses from these nuclear strikes at $2–4 billion in direct damage, with potential reconstruction costs reaching $5–10 billion. This includes $200–500 million in lost centrifuge hardware, $1–2 billion for underground facility reconstruction, and $500 million to $1 billion in lost enrichment capacity and delays. Recovery will be further hindered by inflation, heightened security needs, and international procurement restrictions.

Beyond the nuclear program, the campaign devastated Iran’s broader military infrastructure. Multiple ballistic missile production facilities, storage sites, radar stations, air defense systems, and Quds Force command centers were destroyed. Intelligence assessments confirm that dozens of missile launchers and underground silos across Kermanshah, Tabriz, Isfahan, Tehran, and western Iran were eliminated. IRGC-run ammunition depots, radar installations, and key power infrastructure, including substations and backup generators, were also taken offline.

The Institute concluded that the strikes “effectively destroyed Iran’s centrifuge enrichment program,” estimating that it will be a long time before Iran can recover its previous capability. IDF Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Eyal Zamir echoed this, stating: “We significantly damaged the nuclear program, and I can also say that we set it back by years—I repeat, years.”

The post Iran Holds Mass Funerals After Losing $4 Billion in Nuclear Assets and Top Military Leadership in US-Israeli Strikes appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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GOP Senator John Thune Quietly BLOCKS Trump Recess Appointments with Sneaky Procedural Maneuver — Launches Series of Pro Forma Sessions to Keep Senate in Fake “Session” During August Recess

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August 3, 2025

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Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R‑SD) has unveiled a procedural scheme to block President Donald Trump from making any critical appointments during the August recess, effectively aiding the Democrats’ obstructionist agenda.

Under the U.S. Constitution, the president can make “recess appointments,” temporary appointments to federal positions, if the Senate is in recess and not conducting business. These appointments don’t require immediate Senate confirmation and can last until the end of the next session of Congress.

But there’s a loophole: if the Senate holds pro forma sessions, very short, symbolic meetings where no actual business is conducted, then technically, the Senate is still in session. That means the president cannot legally make recess appointments during that time.

John Thune has quietly secured unanimous‑consent for a paper‑thin Senate schedule through the Trump appointee confirmation deadline, ensuring only pro forma sessions on five key dates in early August.

Under the agreement, the chamber will adjourn after today’s business and reconvene without conducting any votes or business on:

  • Tue, Aug 5 – 1:00 p.m.
  • Fri, Aug 8 – 1:05 p.m.
  • Tue, Aug 12 – 8:00 a.m.
  • Fri, Aug 15 – 10:15 a.m.
  • Tue, Aug 19 – 10:00 a.m.
  • Fri, Aug 22 – 9:00 a.m.
  • Tue, Aug 26 – 12:00 p.m.
  • Fri, Aug 29 – 7:00 a.m.

WATCH:

Thune’s pro forma blueprint comes amid mounting pressure from Donald Trump, who has demanded the Senate remain open until all 150+ administration nominees are confirmed.

Under the Recess Appointments Clause, a president may only install nominees without Senate approval if both chambers are in formal recess for at least 10 days. By convening the Senate just long enough every few days, Thune blocks the possibility of Trump making unilateral appointees.

The Senate went into its August recess without confirming all of Trump’s pending judicial and district‑level appointments.

By the time lawmakers left town on Saturday evening, no deal had been reached to move dozens of Trump’s nominees, including U.S. district court picks, through final floor votes.

Only a small handful of nominees (such as Jeanine Pirro to be U.S. Attorney in D.C.) had advanced. Otherwise, nominees remained stalled in committees or waiting for cloture roll‑calls on the executive calendar.

Roughly 150–160 executive and judicial nominations, including over a dozen district court judges and U.S. attorney nominations, remained scheduled but unconfirmed.

The post GOP Senator John Thune Quietly BLOCKS Trump Recess Appointments with Sneaky Procedural Maneuver — Launches Series of Pro Forma Sessions to Keep Senate in Fake “Session” During August Recess appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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‘That’s What I Call Results!’: Trump Admin Saves Jobs, Kicks 1500 Non-English-Speaking Truckers Off the Road

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August 3, 2025

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Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy revealed that there have been about 1,500 truck drivers who do not speak English taken off the roads as part of a push to ensure foreign truck drivers are not causing accidents.

Back in 2016, the Obama administration stopped enforcing English proficiency requirements for truckers, according to a report from The Daily Signal.

But in May, Duffy issued a guidance making clear that truck drivers who cannot demonstrate a proficiency in English cannot drive.

The 1,500 drivers were taken off the roads within the first 3o days of the rules once more being enforced, according to The Daily Signal.

“Since I took action to enforce language proficiency requirements for truckers, our state partners have put roughly 1,500 unqualified drivers out of service. That’s what I call results!” Duffy posted on X.

“If you can’t read or speak our national language — ENGLISH — we won’t let your truck endanger the driving public.”

He added, “America First = Safety First.”

Duffy’s concerns were far from unfounded.

In January, there was a truck driver involved in a fatal crash that had to use a language interpreter for the post-crash investigation, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Another incident from 2019 involved a truck driver who could not proficiently speak English speeding through signs that warned of steep grades and dangerous curves, all at more than 100 miles per hour.

Four people died in that crash, per the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

President Donald Trump had likewise insisted with an April executive order that the move centered on public safety.

“They should be able to read and understand traffic signs, communicate with traffic safety, border patrol, agricultural checkpoints, and cargo weight-limit station officers,” the order said of truck drivers.

They also “need to provide feedback to their employers and customers and receive related directions in English,” a position the order called “common sense.”

“It is the policy of my Administration to support America’s truckers and safeguard our roadways by enforcing the commonsense English-language requirement for commercial motor vehicle drivers and removing needless regulatory burdens that undermine the working conditions of America’s truck drivers,” the notice added.

“This order will help ensure a safe, secure, and efficient motor carrier industry.”

This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.

The post ‘That’s What I Call Results!’: Trump Admin Saves Jobs, Kicks 1500 Non-English-Speaking Truckers Off the Road appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Slovenia Imposes Arms Embargo on Israel, Citing Gaza Conflict

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9 hours ago

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August 3, 2025

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via Wikimedia Commons

Slovenia has imposed an arms embargo on Israel, banning the export, import, and transit of weapons to and from the country.

This decision was announced by Prime Minister Robert Golob following a government session on July 31, 2025.

Slovenia claims to be the first European Union member to take such a step, citing the EU’s inability to act due to internal disagreements.

The government stated that no permits for military exports to Israel have been issued since October 2023, when the conflict in Gaza began.

Officials emphasized that the embargo is an independent measure to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Slovenia has repeatedly called for a ceasefire and increased aid deliveries to the region.

In early July 2025, Slovenia declared two Israeli ministers, Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir, persona non grata, barring them from entry.

This action was based on their public statements regarding the conflict. Earlier, in June 2024, Slovenia recognized Palestinian statehood, joining countries like Ireland, Norway, and Spain in this move.

The conflict in Gaza started after the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas on Israeli territory, which resulted in over 1,200 deaths and the taking of hostages.

Israel responded with a military operation aimed at dismantling Hamas infrastructure. Reports from Gaza’s health ministry indicate significant casualties, with ongoing international efforts to negotiate truces and provide aid.

Several other nations have taken similar diplomatic steps, including France, Britain, and Canada announcing potential recognition of a Palestinian state. Australia has also indicated that recognizing Palestinian statehood is under consideration.

Israel has criticized these declarations, arguing they could reward Hamas for its actions.

Israeli officials dismissed Slovenia’s embargo as insignificant, noting that Israel does not procure any defense materials from Slovenia.

An unnamed official stated that the country buys nothing from Slovenia, not even minor items.

Within the EU, there is growing pressure for measures against Israel, with Sweden and the Netherlands advocating for suspending parts of the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

The European Commission has proposed limiting Israel’s participation in the Horizon research program, though Germany opposes such steps.

German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul expressed concerns about Israel’s potential diplomatic isolation during a visit to Jerusalem.

The United States remains a key ally to Israel, with President Donald Trump warning that recognizing Palestinian statehood might benefit Hamas.

U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff recently met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to advance Gaza truce talks. These efforts aim to address the humanitarian crisis and secure a ceasefire.

The post Slovenia Imposes Arms Embargo on Israel, Citing Gaza Conflict appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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