“No nuclear weapons. Very simple. Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. Very simple,” Trump said. And if there’s no deal by tomorrow’s deadline? “Then lots of bombs start going off.”

Even though, as of this morning, the Iranian delegation has not shown up in Islamabad, Trump is insisting on social media that everything is going well. “I read the Fake News saying that I am under ‘pressure’ to make a Deal. THIS IS NOT TRUE! I am under no pressure whatsoever, although, it will all happen, relatively quickly!” Trump posted yesterday afternoon.

TRUMP SAYS HE WON’T ‘RUSH’ INTO A DEAL WITH IRAN

TRUMP FEARS HE’S LOSING THE NARRATIVE: A running theme on Trump’s social media posts of the last 24 hours is a push back on the widely expressed analysis that so far Operation Epic Fury has been a stunning military success, but has not resulted in a strategic victory, given that the hard-liners now in charge have yet to give in to U.S. demands.

“I’m winning a War, BY A LOT, things are going very well, our Military has been amazing,” Trump posted yesterday afternoon. “THE BLOCKADE, which we will not take off until there is a ‘DEAL,’ is absolutely destroying Iran. They are losing $500 Million Dollars a day, an unsustainable number, even in the short run.”

“We’re in it, and it will be done RIGHT, and we won’t let the Weak and Pathetic Democrats, TRAITORS ALL, who for years have been talking about the Dangers of Iran, and that something has to be done, but now, since I’m the one doing it, belittle the accomplishments of our Military and the Trump Administration,” Trump wrote. “I am properly and judiciously using our Military to solve problems left to us by others of far less understanding or competence.”

TRUMP SLAMS IRAN WAR MEDIA COVERAGE FROM ‘ANTI-AMERICA FAKE NEWS MEDIA’

TRUMP’S WORRIED ANY DEAL WILL RESEMBLES OBAMA’S: To justify all the blood and treasure sacrificed so far — 13 Americans killed, 402 wounded in a war that is costing $1 billion a day — Trump needs a deal he can boast is significantly better than the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, which was limited to 15 and allow Iran to enrich uranium at very low levels for peaceful purposes.

“The DEAL that we are making with Iran will be FAR BETTER than the JCPOA, commonly referred to as ‘The Iran Nuclear Deal’ … one of the Worst Deals ever made having to do with the Security of our Country,” Trump posted yesterday.

“It was a guaranteed Road to a Nuclear Weapon, which will not, and cannot, happen with the Deal we’re working on,” Trump said. “They actually gave $1.7 Billion Dollars in ‘GREEN’ Cash, loaded into a Boeing 757, and flown to Iran for Iranian leadership to spend anyway they saw fit.”

That money was Iran’s that had been placed in escrow after the Fall of the Shah and returned to Iran with interest as part of the 2015 deal. Trump has reportedly considered giving Iran access to $20 billion in funds currently blocked by sanctions in exchange for its stockpile of highly enriched uranium. And the temporary sanctions relief from the Trump administration has already provided the regime with a windfall of roughly $139 million a day.

“The Fake News … loves to talk about the JCPOA, knowing that it was DANGEROUS, and a Complete Embarrassment to our Country,” Trump said on Truth Social. “If a Deal happens under ‘TRUMP,’ it will guarantee Peace, Security, and Safety, not only for Israel and the Middle East, but for Europe, America, and everywhere else. It will be something that the entire World will be proud of.”

TRUMP DENIES ISRAEL PUSHED US INTO WAR WITH IRAN

Good Tuesday morning and welcome to Jamie McIntyre’s Daily on Defense, written and compiled by Washington Examiner National Security Senior Writer Jamie McIntyre (@jamiejmcintyre) and edited by Christopher Tremoglie. Email here with tips, suggestions, calendar items, and anything else. Sign up or read current and back issues at DailyonDefense.com. 

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HAPPENING TODAY: All eyes are on Islamabad, Pakistan, this morning to see if any Iranian negotiators show up for another try at reaching a framework “memorandum of understanding” that could lead to a final deal to end the war, open the Strait of Hormuz, and secure the enriched uranium that could potentially provide the fuel for up to 11 nuclear bombs.

“No Iranian delegation has departed yet for talks with the US in Pakistan,” Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X this morning.

Iran’s chief negotiator, Parliament speaker Mohammed Bagher Ghalibaf, posted last night that “We do not accept negotiations under the shadow of threats, and in the past two weeks, we have prepared to reveal new cards on the battlefield.”

“Trump, by imposing a siege and violating the ceasefire, seeks to turn this negotiating table — in his own imagination — into a table of surrender or to justify renewed warmongering,” Ghakibaf said.

Iran will not negotiate under pressure. As long as the blockade remains, talks are off,” said military spokesman Ebrahim Zolfaghari, who speaks for the IRGC. “We have strengthened our defenses, secured Hormuz, and any threat against us will be answered decisively. Our sovereignty is non-negotiable.”

One of the challenges, it appears, is the internal divisions within Iran. “Ghalibaf appears to be engaged in a serious intra-regime debate with Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps Commander Major General Ahmad Vahidi and other senior regime officials opposed to negotiations with the United States,” the Institute for the Study of War said in an update last night. “Vahidi appears to have the upper hand over Ghalibaf at the moment. Vahidi is reportedly the only Iranian official with direct access to Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei,” the ISW said. 

IRAN HAS PREPARED ‘NEW CARDS’ AGAINST US DURING CEASEFIRE, PARLIAMENT SPEAKER SAYS

HAPPENING THIS MORNING: TRUMP ON SQUAWK BOX: Well aware that every one of his utterances about the war and the state of play of the peace talks drives the U.S. stock market and global oil markets, President Trump will attempt to reassure investors when he appears this morning on CNBC’s financial show “Squawk Box.” 

Trump is scheduled to call in at 8:30 a.m. for a live interview with CNBC’s Joe Kernen. 

“I think we’re understanding what’s going on. The President is going on CNBC before the markets open,” Wendy Sherman, former deputy secretary of state in the Biden administration, said on CNN last night. “I’m sure we’ll hear the vice president is on his way. We’re going to get a good deal. We have won. We are winning to make sure that tomorrow’s a better day than today — when in fact everything looks rather bleak.”

Sherman, who negotiated the Obama deal, said Vance has his work cut out for him. “This is a very, very complicated negotiation, even more so than when we did the 2015 deal, because the President is trying to negotiate on several very tough issues with the additional issue of the Strait of Hormuz, which was open before the war began and now is closed.”

“We have touched every piece of the global economy, every piece of America’s day-to-day pocketbook —  our alliances, our partnerships, our weapons inventory, the future of our military, our relationship with China,” Sheman said. “So much is on the table in this negotiation. So, it would be tough for anyone to be able to think you could get any of this done beyond very, very broad top lines in a day’s worth of negotiation, not possible.”

TRUMP ADMINISTRATION PUSHES FOR SECOND CEASEFIRE DEAL WITH IRAN AS GAS PRICES WEIGH ON THE PUBLIC

BUDGET DAY AT THE PENTAGON: In return to what in the past has been the normal course of business, the Pentagon will hold a series of briefings today on President Trump’s $1.5 trillion defense budget request for the fiscal year that begins in October.

The briefings, which will be livestreamed on the Pentagon webpage, begin with an overview from Pentagon Comptroller Jay Hurst and Lt. Gen. Steven Whitney, director, force structure, resources, and assessment, and are followed by briefings from the Navy, Air Force, and Army.

The 11:00 a.m. Navy briefer will be Rear Adm. Ben Reynolds, deputy assistant secretary of the Navy for budget.

The 12:00 p.m. Air Force briefer will be Maj. Gen. Frank Verdugo, deputy assistant secretary for budget, Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Financial Management. 

The 2:00 p.m. Army briefers will be Maj. Gen. Rebecca McElwain, Army budget director;  Kirsten Taylor, deputy assistant secretary of the Army for plans, programs, and resources; Robert Steinrauf, director, plans and resources; Brig. Gen. David Zinn, acting assistant DCS G 3/5/7; and Maj. Gen. Thomas O’Connor, director, Capabilities Directorate.

PATEL SUES THE ATLANTIC: FBI Director Kash Patel has, as promised, filed a $250 million defamation lawsuit against the Atlantic over an article that portrayed him as “erratic, suspicious of others, and prone to jumping to conclusions,” who had frequent “unexplained absences,” and an “excessive drinking” problem that was “a recurring source of concern.”

Citing anonymous sources, the Atlantic’s Sarah Fitzpatrick wrote that Patel “is known to drink to the point of obvious intoxication, in many cases at the private club Ned’s in Washington, D.C. … and at the Poodle Room, in Las Vegas, where he frequently spends parts of his weekends.”

When asked for a comment on 19 specific allegations in the article — including an account that his security detail had to request “breaching equipment” because Patel was unreachable behind locked doors —  the FBI responded to the Atlantic with a statement, attributed to Patel: “Print it, all false, I’ll see you in court — bring your checkbook.”

In a statement posted to X yesterday, The Atlantic said, “We stand by our reporting on Kash Patel, and we will vigorously defend The Atlantic and our journalists against this meritless lawsuit.”

Read the Atlantic article here: The FBI Director Is MIA (Gift Link) 

Read the lawsuit here: Patel v The Atlantic

KASH PATEL FILES $250 MILLION DEFAMATION LAWSUIT AGAINST THE ATLANTIC OVER DRINKING ALLEGATIONS

THE RUNDOWN: 

Washington Examiner: Trump slams Iran war media coverage from ‘Anti-America Fake News Media’

Washington Examiner: Trump says he won’t ‘rush’ into a deal with Iran

Washington Examiner: Trump denies Israel pushed US into war with Iran

Washington Examiner: Iran has prepared ‘new cards’ against US during ceasefire, parliament speaker says

Washington Examiner: US to host next round of Israel-Lebanon negotiations on Thursday

Washington Examiner: Navy warns sailors against ‘adversary cyber actors’ on social media during Iran war

Washington Examiner: Trump signs orders to boost domestic energy production via Defense Production Act

Washington Examiner: MPs ejected for calling Starmer a ‘liar’ as he admits Mandelson vetting mistake ‘beggars belief’

Washington Examiner: Trump agrees with Keir Starmer: Mandelson was ‘really bad pick’ for ambassador job

Washington Examiner: Carney says Canada needs to ‘take back control’ with US relations fraught

Washington Examiner: Kash Patel files $250 million defamation lawsuit against the Atlantic over drinking allegations

Washington Examiner: Organizers cancel Chicago’s Cinco de Mayo parade over immigration enforcement concerns

Washington Examiner: Opinion: Trump’s bid to win influence in Africa hits great wall of entrenched China

Bloomberg: Trump Aims to Seal Iran Deal, Says Truce Extension Unlikely

PBS News: Trump: ’Lots of Bombs Start Going Off’ if Iran Ceasefire Expires

Washington Post: Iran Talks on Shaky Footing After US Seizure of Ship in Strait of Hormuz

Wall Street Journal: Removing Iran’s Enriched Uranium Would Be Difficult—But It Has Been Done Before

AP: Driven by the pressures of war, Iran gives its field commanders more power over militias in Iraq

Wall Street Journal: Saudi Arabia and Iraq Are Caught in a Hidden War Within the War

AP: Iranian extradited to US to face 2014 smuggling indictment over export of military sonar gear

Air & Space Forces Magazine: Air Force Delays A-10 Retirement Until 2030

ISNI News: Navy’s Next Generation F/A-XX Downselect Expected in August

Air & Space Forces Magazine: Pentagon Cancels $6B GPS Ground System Contract

Defense One: Army’s HADES Spy Plane on Track for First Delivery Later This Year

Air & Space Forces Magazine: AMC Head Looks to Pair B-21 With ‘Capable, Modern Tanker’

SpaceNews: Latvia Joins the Artemis Accords

Air & Space Forces Magazine: Space Command Laying Foundation for Maneuver Warfare

Air & Space Forces Magazine:  F-16 Tests ‘Rusty Dagger’ Extended-Range Missile

Air & Space Forces Magazine: Opinion: Iran War Highlights the Value of Unmanned Aircraft 

THE CALENDAR: 

TUESDAY | APRIL 21 

9 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW — Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion: “Space and the Future of Warfare,” with House Armed Services Chairman Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL); and Gen. Stephen Whiting, commander, U.S. Space Command, delivers remarks https://www.csis.org/events/space-strategic-dialogue-space-and-future-warfare

9:30 a.m. G-50 Dirksen — Senate Armed Services Committee hearing: “The Posture of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command and U.S. Forces Korea in review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2027 and the Future Years Defense Program,” with testimony from Adm. Samuel Paparo Jr., commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command; and Army Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander, U.N. Command/Combined Forces Command/U.S. Forces Korea http://www.armed-services.senate.gov

10:30 a.m. 192 Dirksen — Senate Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing: “A Review of the President’s FY2027 Budget Request for the National Guard and Reserves Forces,” with testimony from Gen. Steven Nordhaus, chief, National Guard Bureau; Lt. Gen. Robert Harter, chief, Army Reserve; Rear Adm. Richard Lofgren, acting chief of the Navy Reserve; Lt. Gen. Len “Loni” Anderson, commander, Marine Forces Reserve; and Lt. Gen. John Healy, chief of the Air Force Reserve http://appropriations.senate.gov

10:30 a.m. Mitchell Institute for Aerospace Studies virtual discussion: “The U.S. Space Force Operational Test and Training Infrastructure and their critical mission,” with Col. Corey Klopstein, program executive officer, Space Systems Command Operational Test and Training Infrastructure Program and commander, Space System Command System Delta 81 Unit; Col. Craig Hackbarth, director of capability for the Space Systems Command Operational Test and Training Infrastructure Program; and Charles Galbreath, director and senior resident fellow for spacepower studies at the Mitchell Institute Spacepower Advantage Center of Excellence https://www.mitchellaerospacepower.org/events/col-corey-j-klopstein-col-craig-j-hackbarth/

2:30 p.m. 222 Russell — Senate Armed Services Seapower Subcommittee hearing: “Maritime Unmanned Surface Vessels,” with testimony from Rebecca J. Gassler, portfolio acquisition executive for Robotics and Autonomous Systems; and Rear Adm. Derek A. Trinque, director, Surface Warfare Division, Office of the Chief of Naval Operations http://www.armed-services.senate.gov

3:30 p.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Cyber, Information Technology, and Innovation Subcommittee hearing on “Cyber Posture of the Department of Defense,” with testimony from Army Gen. Joshua Rudd, commander, U.S. Cyber Command, director, National Security Agency and chief, Central Security Service; and Katherine Sutton, assistant Defense secretary for cyber policy and principal cyber advisor to the Defense Secretary http://www.armedservices.house.gov

WEDNESDAY | APRIL 22 

8 a.m. 7920 Jones Branch Dr., McLean, Va. — Potomac Officers Club 2026 Digital Transformation Summit, with Defense Department Chief Information Office Kirsten Davies https://www.potomacofficersclub.com/events

8 a.m. 2799 Richmond Hwy., Arlington, Va. — Defense Logistics Agency Energy Worldwide event, “Strategic Energy for Global Advantage,” with Rebecca Isacowitz, deputy assistant secretary of defense for energy, resilience and optimization; and Deputy Assistant Navy Secretary for Energy Christopher Grisafe https://usea.org/event/our-friends-defense-logistics-agency-dla-energy-worldwide

10 a.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Committee hearing: “U.S. Military Posture and National Security Challenges in the Indo-Pacific Region,” with testimony from Assistant Secretary of Defense for Indo-Pacific Security Affairs John Noh; Adm. Samuel Paparo, commander, U.S. Indo-Pacific Command; and Gen. Xavier Brunson, commander, U.N. Command/Combined Forces Command/U.S. Forces Korea http://www.armedservices.house.gov

10 a.m. — Center for a New American Security virtual discussion: “Commanding the Air: the Future of Airborne Battle Management,” with retired Lt. Gen. S. Clinton Hinote, former Air Force deputy chief of staff for strategy, integration, and requirements; Kari Bingen, director, Aerospace Security Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies; and Philip Sheers, associate fellow with the CNAS Defense Program https://events.cnas.org/commandingtheairthefutureofair

10 a.m. 1616 Rhode Island Ave. NW, — Center for Strategic and International Studies discussion: “Powering Maritime Dominance,” with Adm. William Houston, director, Navy Department and Energy Department Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program; Seth Jones, president of the CSIS defense and security department; and retired Rear Adm. Raymond Spicer, CEO and publisher, U.S. Naval Institute https://www.csis.org/events/powering-maritime-dominance

10:15 a.m. 216 Hart — Senate Judiciary Committee hearing: “Stealth Stealing: China’s Ongoing Theft of U.S. Innovation.” http://judiciary.senate.gov

11 a.m. — Foreign Policy webinar: “What’s Next for Iran?” with Karim Sadjadpour, senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and advisor to the Aspen Institute Congressional Program on the Middle East https://foreignpolicy.com/live/karim-sadjadpour-cease-fire-next-for-iran/

3 p.m. 2212 Rayburn — House Armed Services Strategic Forces Subcommittee hearing: “FY2027 Budget Request for Nuclear Forces and Atomic Energy Defense Activities,” with testimony from Brandon Williams, Energy undersecretary for nuclear security; Robert Kadlec, assistant secretary of defense for nuclear deterrence, chemical, and biological defense policy and programs; Gen. Dale White, direct report portfolio manager for critical major weapon systems in the Office of the secretary of defense; Vice Adm. Johnny Wolfe Jr., director of strategic systems programs for the U.S. Navy; Lt. Gen. Andrew Gebara, deputy chief of staff for strategic deterrence and nuclear integration for the U.S. Air Force http://www.armedservices.house.gov

3:30 p.m. 2118 Rayburn — House Armed Services Seapower and Projection Forces Subcommittee and House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Subcommittee joint hearing: “Revitalizing Shipbuilding and the Maritime Industrial Base,” with testimony from Jason Potter, performing the duties of assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development, and acquisition; Stephen Carmel, administrator, U.S. Maritime Administration; Rear Adm. Mike E. Campbell, director of systems integration and chief acquisitions officer for the U.S. Coast Guard; Eric Labs, senior analyst for naval forces and weapons in the Congressional Budget Office; and Shelby Oakley, director of contracting and national security acquisitions in the Government Accountability Office http://www.armedservices.house.gov

THURSDAY | APRIL 23

9:30 a.m. G-50 Dirksen — Senate Armed Services Committee hearing: “The posture of the U.S. Central Command and U.S. Africa Command in review of the Defense Authorization Request for FY2027 and the Future Years Defense Program,” with testimony from Adm. Brad Cooper, commander, U.S. Central Command; and Air Force Gen. Dagvin R.M. Anderson, commander, U.S. Africa Command http://www.armed-services.senate.gov

9:30 a.m. — Defense Security Cooperation Agency and Defense Security Cooperation University “Defense Security Cooperation Agency Industry Day” https://dscuevaluations.gov1.qualtrics.com

10 a.m. — Center for a New American Security launches a new report: “Hit It With Your Best Shot: An American Doctrine of Economic Pressure,” with author Emily Kilcrease, senior fellow and CNAS program director; Eva Dou, author of House of Huawei; Richard Nephew, senior research scholar at Columbia University Center on Global Energy Policy; and Air Force Lt. Col. Mary Hossier, CNAS senior military fellow https://events.cnas.org/hititwithyourbestshotvirtual

10 a.m. — Forecast International virtual discussion: “AI on the Battlefield: From Data to Decision Superiority,” with Roy Ionas, founder, LeadSpotting; Andrew Dardine, lead analyst for military electronics, Forecast International; Vincent Carchidi, industry analyst at Forecast International https://www.linkedin.com/events/aiindefense-wartime-special

4 p.m. 1957 E St. NW — George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs Institute for Korean Studies discussion: “The U.S.-ROK Alliance in a Multipolar Era: The Role of Congress,” with Sen. Andy Kim (D-NJ) https://calendar.gwu.edu/event/the-us-rok-alliance

FRIDAY | APRIL 24 

8 a.m. — George Washington University Elliott School of International Affairs virtual conference: “Global Turmoil and Wartime in Ukraine” https://calendar.gwu.edu/event/global-turmoil-and-wartime-ukraine

10 a.m. — National Institute for Deterrence Studies virtual seminar: “Nuclear Deterrence Without Full Scale Nuclear Testing: Stockpile Stewardship, Confidence, and Risk,” with George Miller, director emeritus at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory https://thinkdeterrence.com/events/nuclear-deterrence-without-full-scale-nuclear-testing