Action movie star Chuck Norris has passed away, his family revealed online Friday. The 86-year-old burst onto the film scene in the late 1970s and had a major influence on the boom in martial arts movies of the 1980s and 1990s. The family added, "He lived his life with faith, purpose, and an unwavering commitment to the people he loved. Through his work, discipline, and kindness, he inspired millions around the world and left a lasting impact on so many lives." https://www.theblaze.com/align/chuck-norris-dies-at-86 The Western Alliance was already fraying long before the joint U.S.-Israeli strikes on Iran began earlier this month. But the collective refusal of European leaders to even entertain the idea of assisting the U.S. in keeping the Strait of Hormuz open – and their personal insults against President Donald Trump – may have fractured the relationship beyond repair. As Iranian forces continue to attack shipping in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical chokepoint through which 20-30 percent of all global crude oil flows, President Trump has called on European nations to form an international coalition to help reopen the strait. But the response from European leaders has been silence in some cases and outright defiance in others. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has refused to send warships to the region and stated that Britain will not be drawn into a “wider war,” along with refusing to allow U.S. forces to use British bases for offensive strikes. Germany also refused any military involvement, stating, “this is not our war, we have not started it.” French President Emmanuel Macron likewise declined to send assistance to help reopen the strait. Even Italy, under the leadership of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni – widely considered a Trump ally – has stated that it will not get involved. “I think NATO is making a very foolish mistake,” Trump said. “And I’ve long said that I wonder whether or not NATO would ever be there for us. So, this was a great test, because we don’t need them, but they should have been there.” Once again, Europe is smugly pretending as if it has no dog in this fight. Once again, European governments are acting as if their very existence is not built upon American tax dollars, safeguarded by the American military, and propped up by the American economy. America is energy independent, and we produce all the fuel we need here at home. The same cannot be said for Europe, which relies on oil from the Middle East. U.S. efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz are thus ultimately benefitting European nations the most. What the world is now witnessing may not be just another tiff between longtime allies. It may be the beginning of a permanent breakup of the Western Alliance. If it is indeed the case that we are witnessing the decline of the alliance that won World War II, defeated the Soviet Union, and built the modern world, it would be bad for the United States, but even worse for Europe. Whatever the outcome, Europeans will have no one to blame but themselves. More than 20 nations spanning from Asia to Europe to the Gulf have expressed a “readiness to contribute” to the effort of opening up the Strait of Hormuz amid threats to ships by the Islamist regime in Iran. In a joint statement released on Saturday morning, the nations of Australia, Bahrain, Canada, Czechia, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Republic of Korea, Romania, Slovenia, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom condemned in the “strongest terms” the recent attacks by Iran against unarmed, civilian shipping vessels, its attacks on oil and gas infrastructure throughout the Gulf, and its move to shut down traffic in the Strait of Hormuz. Iran attempted to strike Diego Garcia, the Indian Ocean island base critically enabling U.S. strikes, with a pair of ballistic missiles. Tehran launched what is believed to be an Intermediate Range Ballistic Missile (IRBM) for the first time in an apparent bid to take out the runway at Diego Garcia. The joint British-American base in the Indian Ocean is a critical fulcrum for Western power projection in the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific region, supporting the largest and heaviest bomber missions as well as warships. Broadcaster CNN claims to have been told by a U.S. defence source that the attempted attack took place on Friday, but that both missiles failed to find their targets and there was no damage or injuries. Britain’s Daily Telegraph states that one of the missiles spontaneously failed mid-flight, and the second was brought down by an interceptor missile fired by a warship. Until this point, it was not known that Iran had IRBM capabilities, raising the possibility that the nation’s space programme was hiding another weapons system, or that other missiles may have had their true capabilities underplayed. On Friday, heavy rainfall triggered severe flooding on Oahu, Hawaii’s most populous island. The flood has resulted in 230 rescues within the first 24 hours and is the largest flood on Oahu in the last 20 years. The Department of Emergency Management has warned that the Wahiawa Dam, located in northern Oahu, is in danger of “imminent failure,” prompting authorities to order the evacuation of 5,500 residents.
European Cowardice on Iran Puts the Western Alliance on Life Support:
Over 20 Nations Announce Readiness to Help Open Strait of Hormuz:
Iran Launches Ballistic Missiles at Critical UK-U.S. Strategic Airbase Diego Garcia:
230 Rescued as Severe Flooding Strikes Hawaii, 5,500 Ordered to Evacuate as Dam Faces “Imminent Failure”