Americans hate the idea of US ground troops in a foreign war. Trump definitely knows it.

That’s why this Kurdish ground incursion plan is getting framed as 200IQ:

But historically, these “easy workarounds” have a habit of going sideways. 👇🏼

TLDR: Iraqi-based Iranian Kurdish groups are reportedly prepping fighters for a possible incursion into Iran, and the US is still deciding what it actually wants to green-light. The CIA has already slipped small weapons through a covert program that started before this war. The bet is that a push on the ground could crank up pressure on Iran's leadership and spark wider unrest.

Coalition. Five dissident Kurdish Iranian groups sheltering in Iraq say they formed a new coalition to fight Iran, and they’ve got thousands of fighters positioned along the Iran Iraq border.

Support. US and Israeli officials told the story this way:

Politics. Secretary of State Marco Rubio told lawmakers in a closed briefing, "We're not arming the Kurds. But you never know with the Israelis."

Pressure. Iraq's central government has told officials in Iraqi Kurdistan not to let Iranian Kurdish militants cross the border, while Iran pushes hard to keep that border shut.

Math. Trump has reportedly been been talking with Kurdish power brokers in Iraq, including Massoud Barzani and Bafel Talabani, and one Kurdish leader, Mustafa Hijri.

TLDR: A US submarine fired a torpedo that sank Iran's warship, IRIS Dena, in international waters off Sri Lanka, and Sri Lanka's navy says it has recovered 87 bodies and rescued 32 people. The ship had 180 people on board when it sent a distress signal.

Rescue. Sri Lanka's navy got the distress call and sent ships and planes, but by the time they reached the spot they only saw oil patches, life rafts, and people floating in the water. Survivors were taken to a hospital in Galle on the southern coast.

Rarity. US War Secretary Pete Hegseth called the IRIS Dena Iran's "prize ship" and said it was hit in international waters. It was one of the few instances of a submarine sinking a ship since World War II.

Aftermath. Sri Lankan officials said one rescued person was in critical condition, seven needed emergency treatment, and others had minor injuries.

Warship. The Dena was described as one of Iran's newest warships, armed with heavy guns, surface to air missiles, anti ship missiles, and torpedoes, and it carried a helicopter.

TLDR: Iran's ballistic-missile fire toward the UAE has hit a stall, and US and Israeli officials are framing it as their air campaign chewing up launchers and stockpiles. The UAE's own counts show the drop was steep within days.

Numbers. The UAE says 189 ballistic missiles have been fired toward it since the war began.

Claims. Gen Dan Caine, the chair of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said Iran's ballistic-missile firing rate is down 86% since the start of the war and down 23% over the past 24 hours.

Thoughts. Here’s what analysts say:

Shift. As missiles tail off, the UAE reports Iran leaning harder on Shahed one-way drones.

Targets. The UAE says drones have struck sites including a US navy base in Manama, Bahrain, a US radar installation in Qatar, and the US Embassy in Riyadh.

TLDR: The White House says Spain has finally agreed to help with strikes on Iran, but Spain's foreign minister is calling that fiction in public. This is happening less than a day after US President Trump threatened to cut off trade relations with Spain over its refusal to allow the US to use its military bases for strikes against Iran.

Claim. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said Spain had "agreed to cooperate with the US military" and that Madrid had heard Trump's message "loud and clear."

Denial. However, Spain's Foreign Minister Jose Luis Albares flatly rejected that in a radio interview, saying Spain's position on the war and the use of its bases "has not changed."