The Editors: Monday Executive News Summary

Khamenei and Ahmadinejad are dead: Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei is dead. He was killed in Operation Epic Fury, the U.S.-Israel joint operation against the Iranian regime. Khamenei had ruled Iran since 1989, directing that country in its decades of global terrorism, primarily targeting Israel and the U.S. He was responsible for thousands of American deaths and infamously led chants of “Death to Israel” and “Death to America.” At least 40 of the regime’s leadership were also killed in the strikes, including former hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who pushed hard for Iran’s nuclear weapons program. A Holocaust denier, Ahmadinejad focused much of his ire on Israel, mirroring the language of Khamenei.

Four U.S. service members killed in action: After the U.S. announced military action against Iran, retaliatory missiles from the Iranian government struck the surrounding nations haphazardly. Unfortunately, one missile managed to impact a U.S. tactical operations center in Kuwait, killing three and seriously wounding five more. One of those wounded later succumbed to injuries. President Donald Trump proclaimed, “As one nation, we grieve for the true American patriots who have made the ultimate sacrifice.” Details on the strike and the identities of the four fallen service members are being withheld until 24 hours after notification of next-of-kin.

Islamic terrorism in Austin: A Senegalize naturalized American citizen carried out a terror attack in Austin, Texas, in the wee hours of Sunday morning. Ndiaga Diagne parked his truck outside the Buford’s Backyard Beer Garden and opened fire on patrons before turning his weapon on pedestrians walking down the street. Two victims are dead, and 14 wounded were rushed to the hospital, with three in critical condition. Police responded within 60 seconds of the first gunshot and heroically ended the threat, killing the assailant. Diagne had a lengthy rap sheet, and the attack seems to have been revenge for U.S. strikes on Iran. He was wearing a “Property of Allah” shirt and a Quran was found in his vehicle.

Congress will tackle war powers: The U.S. Congress is attempting to exercise its constitutionally mandated authority over declaration of war in the face of Operation Epic Fury. A bipartisan group led by Democrats is attempting to force a vote on the president’s war powers. Senators Tim Kaine (D-VA) and Rand Paul (R-KY), along with House members Thomas Massie (R-KY) and Ro Khanna (D-CA), are expected to bring forward war powers resolutions for a vote this week. Kaine explicitly stated his goal of ending Operation Epic Fury. Currently, the 1973 War Powers Resolution requires the president to report to Congress within 48 hours of deployment and caps any engagement not authorized by Congress at 60 days. Both chambers will be briefed by top administration officials today, and the president has said that he expects the operation to conclude within four weeks.

Pahlavi incoming? Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi, son of the late Shah, has been living outside of Iran since the 1979 Islamic Revolution. Now, Pahlavi believes the regime could fall. He also believes there can be peace with Israel and agrees that Iran’s nuclear program should be completely dismantled. He laid out the core principles for rebuilding Iran: “Number one is Iran’s territorial integrity. Number two is a clear separation of religion from state, which is a prerequisite to democracy.” The prince highlighted the importance of “equality of all citizens under the law and individual liberties” as the third pillar, and concluded that the democratic process of allowing “the people to elect and decide what the future system of governance should be” was of utmost importance. Pahlavi said he’s not running for office but wants to be the “bridge” to a free Iran.

Oil prices rise: Following Operation Epic Fury, stock markets across the globe have initially slumped. Meanwhile, oil prices have jumped by roughly 7%. In the U.S., the price of a barrel of oil rose 8% to $72.70. The last time oil prices jumped was last summer during the U.S.-Israel strike against Iran’s nuclear facilities. President Trump has said this operation will last several weeks, which means oil prices may continue rising. This will likely lead to higher pump prices across the country. Natural gas prices also rose by 6%.

Pakistan and Afghanistan go to war: On Friday, growing tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan ignited into war, as Pakistan bombed Kabul and other areas across Afghanistan. The bombing was in retaliation for Taliban-controlled Afghanistan’s launching of a border offensive into Pakistan targeting military bases. No casualty numbers are yet known. While border skirmishes have repeatedly occurred over the last few years, this scale of attack has not been seen. The UN has called for a ceasefire, as has China, which is on friendly terms with both countries. Pakistan has accused the Taliban of supporting anti-Pakistan terrorists following a number of suicide attacks within Pakistan, including one within a mosque in Islamabad.

Medal of Honor ceremony: President Trump awarded the Medal of Honor to three U.S. Army Soldiers today: Master Sergeant Roderick (Roddie) W. Edmonds (posthumous), Staff Sergeant Michael H. Ollis (posthumous), and Command Sergeant Major Terry P. Richardson (Retired). Edmonds received the Medal for his courageous and sacrificial acts as a prisoner of war from January 27, 1945, to March 30, 1945, actions which spared the lives of American POWs. Ollis was awarded for going above and beyond the call of duty as an Infantryman with Company B, 2d Battalion, 22d Infantry Regiment at Forward Operating Base Ghazni, Afghanistan, by, among other brave actions, inserting himself between a suicide bomber and an officer. Richardson demonstrated his mettle while serving as the Lima Platoon Leader with Company A, 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment, 1st Infantry Division in the vicinity of Loc Ninh, Republic of Vietnam, where his selfless actions saved 85 soldiers’ lives.

Republican DAs are better: “We find that narrow election of a Republican prosecutor reduces all-cause mortality rates among young men ages 20-29 by 6.6%.” So says a study published by Panka Benecsik of Vanderbilt University and Tyler Giles of Wellesley College. The study explains that electing a Republican DA leads to a large reduction in firearm homicide in black men and a smaller reduction in firearm suicide in white men. Conservatives may not be surprised that electing Soros-backed district attorneys who routinely downgrade charges and release violent criminals back onto the streets leads to more violence and death. This study is another example confirming the obvious: stopping crime can be as simple as putting criminals in jail.

DOJ charges 30 more in MN church disruption: On Friday, Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that the Justice Department has charged an additional 30 individuals in connection with the Minneapolis church disruption by anti-ICE activists in January. More than two dozen have been arrested, Bondi noted, with more to come. Thus far, nine charged defendants have pleaded not guilty, including Don Lemon. The indictment states, “Forced to terminate the church’s worship service, congregants fled the church building out of fear for their safety, other congregants took steps to implement an emergency plan, and young children were left to wonder, as one child put it, if their parents were going to die.” If found guilty, defendants face up to a year in prison and up to a $10,000 fine.