Iran Buying Chinese Missiles and Russian Rockets as U.S. Military Buildup Intensifies

by | Feb 24, 2026 | Aggregate

Iran Buying Chinese Missiles and Russian Rockets as U.S. Military Buildup Intensifies
February 24, 2026

Image of a political leader alongside advanced missile models displayed at a military exhibition, highlighting defense technology and military advancements.
Chinese CM-302 supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles could be a game changer in a U.S.-Iran conflict. Photo of Ayatollah Khamenei courtesy of Wikipedia and CM-302 missile courtesy of Chinese state media.

Reuters reports that Iran is close to finalizing a deal with Beijing to purchase CM-302 supersonic anti-ship cruise missiles, according to six sources familiar with the negotiations. Talks began at least two years ago but accelerated after last June’s 12-day Israel-Iran war.

Senior Iranian military and government officials were involved, including Deputy Defense Minister Massoud Oraei. It remains unclear how many missiles are included, the price of the deal, or whether China will complete the transfer amid rising regional tensions.

The CM-302 is widely considered one of the most capable anti-ship missiles currently available. Supersonic and designed to fly at low altitude to evade naval radar, it has a range of approximately 290 kilometers. Military analysts have described the system as a potential “game-changer,” significantly increasing Iran’s ability to threaten U.S. aircraft carriers and destroyers operating in the Persian Gulf and the Indian Ocean.

Marketed by China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation, the missile can be launched from ships, aircraft, or mobile ground platforms and can strike both maritime and land targets.

Sources say Iran is also discussing additional purchases from China, including surface-to-air missile systems, anti-ballistic weapons, and anti-satellite capabilities. The transfer would represent one of the most advanced Chinese weapons sales to Iran in decades and could violate reimposed U.N. sanctions.

Analysts say the acquisition would help replenish Iran’s arsenal after last year’s war and reflect deepening China-Iran military ties. Without the missiles, Iran faces weakened conventional capacity and remains outmatched militarily. Its regional proxy network has also been degraded by sustained Israeli operations, limiting its ability to quickly reconstitute power.

Lebanon’s government has urged Hezbollah not to become involved if fighting breaks out between the United States and Iran, warning that escalation could trigger severe Israeli retaliation. Foreign Minister Youssef Rajji said Lebanese officials have received indications that Israel would strike civilian infrastructure, including possibly Beirut’s airport, in any renewed conflict. During the 2024 Israel-Hezbollah war, Israel killed much of Hezbollah’s leadership and launched a ground invasion before a U.S.-brokered ceasefire halted major fighting.

The White House did not directly address the reported negotiations but reiterated President Trump’s warning that Iran must reach a nuclear agreement or face serious consequences.

President Trump is reportedly growing frustrated as he weighs whether to order airstrikes after being advised that any military action would not deliver a single decisive blow and could draw the United States into a prolonged Middle East war. His decision is expected to depend in part on the assessment of special envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner regarding whether Tehran is stalling in negotiations over relinquishing its nuclear weapons capability.

Trump has asked advisers for strike options strong enough to pressure Iran into negotiating from a weaker position, but military planners have cautioned there are no guarantees such action would achieve that objective. He has not made a final decision as the administration awaits Iran’s latest proposal ahead of scheduled negotiations in Geneva.

In addition to the reported Chinese missile deal, Iran may have already received advanced Russian shoulder-fired rockets. Reports from February 22–24, 2026 state that Tehran signed a secret $589 million arms agreement with Moscow for thousands of 9K333 Verba man-portable air-defense systems. According to leaked documents first reported by the Financial Times, the agreement was signed in Moscow in December 2025. Russia has reportedly committed to delivering 500 Verba launch units and 2,500 9M336 missiles.

The Verba is Russia’s most modern shoulder-fired air defense system. It uses a three-channel multispectral optical seeker operating in ultraviolet, near-infrared, and mid-infrared bands, making it highly resistant to countermeasures such as flares and laser dazzling systems used by Western aircraft. It is designed to target cruise missiles, drones, helicopters, and low-flying strike aircraft operating below traditional radar coverage.

Analysts at the Institute for the Study of War say the purchase reflects a shift in Iranian military doctrine following the June 2025 Twelve-Day War. After large, fixed radar systems such as the S-300 and S-400 were destroyed in U.S. and Israeli strikes, Iran appears to be moving toward a distributed air defense model using small, mobile teams. Unlike larger radar-based systems, the Verba can operate without emitting a detectable radar signature, allowing concealed units to engage aircraft with little warning.

The sale is also viewed as a means for Moscow to repair ties with Tehran after Russia did not intervene directly on Iran’s behalf during the 2025 conflict. Although official delivery schedules reportedly run from 2027 to 2029, intelligence reports indicate that some emergency units may already have arrived via Russian Il-76TD cargo aircraft observed landing in Karaj earlier this month. Leaked pricing suggests the missiles are being sold for approximately $200,000 per unit and launchers for about $47,000 each.

Both China and Russia risk additional sanctions if these transfers proceed. Russia is already heavily sanctioned, and the United States imports very little from Russia, limiting Washington’s remaining economic leverage. China, however, would be far more exposed to secondary sanctions and tariff penalties given the scale of its trade relationship with the United States.

On February 6, 2026, President Trump signed an executive order designed to penalize countries that materially support Iran. The order authorizes targeted tariffs of up to 25 percent on any country that “directly or indirectly” acquires goods or services from Iran and expands secondary sanctions aimed at foreign entities, including state-owned firms such as the China Aerospace Science and Industry Corporation.

President Trump confirmed that he discussed Iran during a February 4 phone call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping. According to reports, Trump warned that Chinese military support for Iran, particularly the transfer of advanced weapons systems, would jeopardize the relationship between the two leaders and could affect ongoing trade discussions ahead of his planned visit to Beijing in April.

The United States has positioned itself for what former senior Pentagon official Dana Stroul described as a “highly kinetic” campaign against Iran, following one of the largest recent U.S. military buildups in the Middle East. She said the U.S. military is prepared for sustained offensive operations if ordered by President Trump and can rapidly reposition assets globally to deploy overwhelming force in a single theater.

The buildup includes expanded naval and air capabilities beyond those used in the June 2025 strikes on Iranian-linked nuclear targets. Two aircraft carriers, USS Gerald R. Ford and USS Abraham Lincoln, are operating in or moving toward the CENTCOM theater, potentially positioned between the eastern Mediterranean and the Arabian Gulf.

Additional guided-missile destroyers, fighter aircraft, refueling planes, and air defense systems have been deployed. The presence of the Ford enhances U.S. offensive capability and signals deterrence, reflecting broader and more sustained readiness than prior limited strikes.

 

The post Iran Buying Chinese Missiles and Russian Rockets as U.S. Military Buildup Intensifies appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Author: Antonio Graceffo

AOC Crashes Out On IG While Fiancé Snores Through It All | Drew Hernandez

AOC Crashes Out On IG While Fiancé Snores Through It All | Drew Hernandez

by | Feb 24, 2026 | Aggregate

AOC Crashes Out On IG While Fiancé Snores Through It All | Drew Hernandez
February 24, 2026

A woman passionately taking a selfie while yelling, contrasted with a man sitting and appearing tired or disinterested, capturing a humorous juxtaposition of emotions.

Woke Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is facing intensified criticism after a halting answer on whether the United States should commit troops to defend Taiwan at the Munich Security Conference and a subsequent late‑night Instagram Live rant defending her foreign policy record.

In Munich, when asked directly if the U.S. “would and should” deploy troops to protect Taiwan from a Chinese attack, she delivered a botched response that characterized Taiwan policy as a long‑standing U.S. position and emphasized using economic and diplomatic tools to avoid ever reaching that scenario, without giving a clear yes‑or‑no.
​
Clips of the exchange, highlighting her repeated pauses and filler phrases, spread quickly across social media and conservative outlets, where commentators roasted the remarks as a “word salad” and questioned her readiness for the global stage and possible 2028 presidential ambitions.

Days later, Ocasio-Cortez used Instagram Live to argue that pausing before answering “one of the most sensitive geopolitical issues on earth” showed seriousness rather than ignorance, insisting critics were ignoring hours of her discussions on international affairs in Munich.
​
She contended that those assuming she lacks foreign‑policy knowledge because she hesitated on Taiwan have “gotten used to a president who never thinks before he speaks,” a pointed attack on President Donald Trump’s off‑the‑cuff style.

The Instagram video itself went viral in part because her fiancé could be heard audibly snoring in the background, prompting a wave of viewer comments joking that his sleep noises drowned out her defense and symbolized public boredom with her explanation.

Right‑leaning television hosts and influencers replayed the clip with the snoring on loop, mocking what they described as a raspy, rambling monologue and using it as fresh evidence that the congresswoman is out of her depth on national security matters.

Some Republicans, including Vice President J.D. Vance, seized on her original Taiwan answer as “embarrassing” and argued that it showed Democrats are unprepared to confront an increasingly assertive China and to make hard commitments in the Taiwan Strait.

President Trump has also taken “sharp jabs” at Ocasio-Cortez over her Munich appearance, contrasting her performance with his own improvisational approach and using the episode to galvanize supporters who see her as a symbol of progressive overreach.

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The post AOC Crashes Out On IG While Fiancé Snores Through It All | Drew Hernandez appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Author: Drew Hernandez

TDS-Suffering Author Stephen King Gets LIT UP After Making This Unbelievably Moronic Comment About President Trump

TDS-Suffering Author Stephen King Gets LIT UP After Making This Unbelievably Moronic Comment About President Trump

by | Feb 24, 2026 | Aggregate

TDS-Suffering Author Stephen King Gets LIT UP After Making This Unbelievably Moronic Comment About President Trump
February 24, 2026

Author Stephen King at the Toronto Music Festival. Credit: Wikimedia Commons

Infamous liberal author Stephen King sent the internet into a frenzy after making perhaps the dumbest post of the year so far on X/Twitter.

As TGP readers know, King used be known America’s top horror writer, responsible for books such as The Shining, It, and Pet Sematary. But he has turned into miserable, Trump-hating troll in recent years as his fanbase has dwindled.

On Sunday, he was in a foul mood after seeing a post from a conservative mocking his beloved AOC for her lack of qualifications.

A triggered King then tried to use the tweet to taunt Trump and things went wrong in a hurry.

Notice the first thing he claims to be a fact about Trump before continuing to insult him: the sitting president has never had a child.

Trump having no children would certainly come as news to the likes of Don Jr, Eric, Tiffany, Ivanka, and Barron.

X users immediately lit up King for not only actually writing that Trump does not have any children but also for copying another person’s post. Two doubly inexcusable errors by a writer.

It would best for all of America if King actually fulfilled his original promise and nuked his account.

The post TDS-Suffering Author Stephen King Gets LIT UP After Making This Unbelievably Moronic Comment About President Trump appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Author: Cullen Linebarger

CLASSLESS: Newsom’s Comms Team Tells RealClearPolitics Reporter to ‘F**k Off’ After Request for Proof of Governor’s Claimed Dyslexia Diagnosis

by | Feb 24, 2026 | Aggregate

CLASSLESS: Newsom’s Comms Team Tells RealClearPolitics Reporter to ‘F**k Off’ After Request for Proof of Governor’s Claimed Dyslexia Diagnosis
February 24, 2026

In yet another humiliating blow to Cringe California Governor Gavin Newsom, his foul-mouthed communications team has been caught red-handed telling a respected journalist to “f**k off” when pressed for any shred of evidence proving his so-called “lifelong dyslexia” diagnosis.

RealClearPolitics national correspondent Susan Crabtree, a California resident, revealed on X that when she asked the governor’s office for documentation related to Newsom’s claimed dyslexia diagnosis, she received a vulgar response from his communications director.

Crabtree posted on X:

“What about that @GavinNewsom dyslexia diagnosis — can the gov. provide any paperwork related to his dyslexia diagnosis at any time of his life? Newsom’s comms team just now tells me to ‘fuck off.’”

According to Crabtree, she emailed Newsom’s Director of Communications, Izzy Gardon, with a series of straightforward questions.

She acknowledged that learning disabilities are sensitive matters but noted that Newsom himself had invoked dyslexia publicly to defend controversial remarks made during his Atlanta book tour stop.

Crabtree asked whether the governor could provide documentation to substantiate his claim that he was diagnosed with dyslexia as a child, reportedly in 1972 when he was five or six years old. Newsom has previously stated that he rediscovered paperwork confirming the diagnosis after his father’s death in 2018.

If that documentation exists, Crabtree asked, why not provide it?

She also inquired whether, if childhood records were unavailable, any more recent medical confirmation could be shared to counter critics questioning the claim.

Crabtree asked Gardon:

Hi there,

I know any type of learning disability is very sensitive. But I also see that Gov.

Newsom and his press team have been using the diagnosis to hit back at Sean Hannity and other critics in the wake of Newsom’s comments over the weekend that he had his 960 so “I’m like you,” which he said t to a black moderator.

Gov. Newsom has claimed that he found the paperwork from his childhood about his dyslexia after his father died in 2018. If that’s the case, does he have

it so he can demonstrate that he was in 2018. If that’s the case, does he have it so he can demonstrate that he was given a dyslexia diagnosis early on in his childhood?

Newsom also has said he was diagnosed with dyslexia in 1972 -that would be when he was five or six. Is there anything the governor can point to as proof of this?

If the early paperwork is not available, is there any evidence of a more recent dyslexia diagnosis he can provide?

I have a deadline of tomorrow, Tuesday, at 5 p.m., but any information you provide, I can distribute it immediately on X to combat critics who are doubting the diagnosis.

The response from Newsom’s California taxpayer-funded spokesperson to a California resident and a journalist was nothing short of unhinged:

“Hey, Susan – thanks for reaching out. Respectfully, fuck off. — Izzy”

No class, no transparency, just pure Democrat arrogance.

Critics online immediately blasted the dismissive, profanity-laced response from Newsom’s Director of Communications, Izzy Gardon.

The post CLASSLESS: Newsom’s Comms Team Tells RealClearPolitics Reporter to ‘F**k Off’ After Request for Proof of Governor’s Claimed Dyslexia Diagnosis appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Author: Jim Hᴏft

More Christians Killed in Nigeria as Media and Democrats Deny Genocide

More Christians Killed in Nigeria as Media and Democrats Deny Genocide

by | Feb 24, 2026 | Aggregate

More Christians Killed in Nigeria as Media and Democrats Deny Genocide
February 24, 2026

A group of individuals lying on the ground in a dimly lit environment, possibly at night, with visible clothing details.
Nigerian Christians are being massacred and abducted in large numbers by Islamists, but mainstream media are framing it as a dispute over grazing land. Photo courtesy of Christians on the ground.

If mainstream media and American Democrats and liberals are correct that the mass killing of Christians in Nigeria is merely a conflict over grazing land rather than a genocide, then why are so many Christians not only being killed but also abducted? Abduction has never been a defining feature of disputes between herders and farmers in other countries.

In the past twenty-four hours, more reports of the slaughter of Christians in Nigeria have emerged. Priests and laypeople on the ground are posting videos and impassioned cries for help on social media.

Al Jazeera has said Christian genocide is a myth, while mainstream U.S. media have described it as a Republican conspiracy theory and lies made up by President Trump.

Apparently, people in Nigeria have fallen so deeply for Republican lies that they mistakenly believe their own families and parishioners are being killed.

On Thursday, February 19, an armed group invaded the Tungan Duste community in Anka Local Government Area. Although the attack occurred late last week, casualty figures were officially confirmed by police on Monday, February 23.

Thirty-eight people were killed, and numerous residents, primarily women and children, were abducted. Police stated they had prior intelligence about the attack, but were unable to reach the area in time due to poor road access.

Simultaneous attacks also took place late last week in Kebbi State, with official reports and statements from the African Union released over the last 48 hours, February 22–23. Thirty-three people were killed in those raids.

In Taraba State, particularly in Mchia and Donga, reports emerging as of February 23 describe a worsening crisis in the southern region. Ten people were killed in a recent massacre in the village of Mchia.

Church leaders from the Wukari Diocese held a press briefing on February 18, calling for an end to the ongoing attacks on Christians by Fulani militias.

They also released a separate statement detailing that more than 100 people have been killed in the region since early February and that over 200 communities and churches have been destroyed.

The Berom Youths Movement (BYM) is primarily a defense and advocacy group for the Christians of Plateau State, which has been the epicenter of the attacks on Christians, largely by Fulani militias, many of which have links to terrorist organizations such as ISIS.

The BYM acts as a frontline voice for its communities. Members often organize local vigilante groups to patrol Berom villages against attacks from militant herders.

They are outspoken in criticizing the Nigerian government, accusing the military of failing to protect Christian farmers or even being complicit in the violence.

The BYM views the conflict as both a land grab and a religious war. They believe militant groups are attempting to displace them from their ancestral lands to establish Islamic dominance in the Middle Belt between the Muslim north and the Christian south.

In a video posted by the BYM, the speaker said, “This is another round of terrorism, and we want security to have it on record that our lives are not to be taken by so-called Fulani, whom, as far as we are concerned… these are terrorists… and it must be admitted that the Fulani killing us are terrorists.”

Paul, a local journalist who helps cover the massacres of Christians in Nigeria, sent this message: “Last night, alarms were raised on social media alerting the police to an impending and later ongoing attack. They never showed up to protect the community.”

He continued, “This is the report filtering in this morning: 7 persons and counting. Location: Doruwa in Barkin Ladi Local Government of Plateau State. More details of what happened are still coming in.”

He also spoke about a previous massacre. “Just last weekend, the Fulani national tribal association (MIYETTI ALLAH) connived with the media and framed a report that their cattle were poisoned by Christians… an attempt to justify retaliation. Anytime they frame such reports in the media, it is followed by killings of Christian villagers. They want to play the media game and change the narrative.”

This is the angle mainstream media are pushing: they are slow to report the killings and abductions, and when they do, they frame them as a conflict between herders and farmers over grazing rights, while First Lady Oluremi Tinubu, a Pentecostal pastor, has told reporters there is no Christian genocide in Nigeria.

“Another disturbing detail of what happened is that the community that was attacked yesterday night, is very close to a military station.” Said Paul “And the military imposed a curfew on the villagers yesterday before the attack commenced.”

While mainstream media, Democrats, and American liberals describe these conflicts as “farmer-herder clashes” driven by land and climate pressures, many human rights organizations and local religious leaders point to a clear sectarian pattern.

Groups such as ISWAP, Boko Haram, and militant Fulani factions have increasingly targeted Christian villages, leading some organizations to issue formal “genocide” warnings.

For those who deny this slaughter is happening, it would be wise to examine what the affected communities are posting on social media and to speak with them directly. Those on the ground are clear about what they are experiencing and witnessing.

A local Christian posted on social media:

“Even before the onset of extremist Islamic militants in the Muslim-dominated far North, we Christians in the Middle Belt have been the targets of violent attacks from Fulani herdsmen, targeting entire Christian villages and wiping them out. They openly mock us and say we must leave, convert, or die. In the far North, which is predominantly Muslim, the small pockets of Christian communities were the primary targets of these extremists when the insurgency was in its early stages.

They only recently resorted to indiscriminate killings of both Christian and Muslim populations due to pressure from the army. But for us in the Middle Belt, we are entirely facing religious persecution.”

The U.S. White House received a formal report yesterday, February 23, from House Republicans outlining the need for intervention to stop the targeting of these communities.

The United States is currently considering withholding certain funds from the Nigerian government until more effective measures are taken to protect vulnerable populations.

Following a series of U.S. airstrikes in late 2025 and January 2026 against ISIS affiliates in northwest Nigeria, U.S. military advisors have recently arrived in Bauchi to assist Nigerian forces with counterterrorism expertise.

Further policy action is expected now that the president has received the report. Until then, Christians around the world are asked to pray for the safety of their Nigerian brothers and sisters in Christ.

The post More Christians Killed in Nigeria as Media and Democrats Deny Genocide appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

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Author: Antonio Graceffo