Intensified Strikes Hammer Iran & Cuba’s Final Chapter? | 3.11.26

0:00Spring is here, and the shopping list is long. Time to make a lows run. Buy three bags, get three free of stay-green, one cubic foot garden soil. Plus, right now, members can earn four times the points on an eligible purchase. Start spring off strong with these deals and more. Our best lineup is here at Loves. Balance the $3.25, while supplies last. Soil offer excludes a last-can-who-wide, low-wantee program subject to terms and conditions. See Loves.com slash terms for details. Subject to change, point booster subject to exclusions, and more terms apply. One time we'll only offer. Today will be yet again our most intense day of strikes inside Iran. The most fighters, the most bombers, the most strikes, intelligence, more refined and better than ever. The Pentagon is cranking up the volume on Iran, while the regime, once again, threatens President Trump. I'm daily wire executive editor John Bickley with Georgia Howe. It's Wednesday, March 11th. This is Morning Wire.

1:06As missiles fly in the Middle East, another crisis is brewing just 90 miles off the coast of the US. How will President Trump take care of Cuba? They want freedom. They want to be reintegrated into the global system. They don't want to live in a cold war at artifact. And after gender identity disputes lead to custody issues across the country, the Trump administration looks to change federal law. Surely we can all agree no state can be allowed to rip children from their parents' arms and transition them to a new gender against the parents will. Thanks for waking up with Morning Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know. This episode is sponsored by Balance of Nature. Does anyone else feel like nutrition is getting way too complicated? We used to just eat food. Now you need a PhD to read the back of a cereal box. Here's the reality. We've all been told since we were kids to eat our fruits and vegetables. But nobody really explained that what you're actually after in those foods are the phytonutrients. Those natural compounds your body uses to adjust, repair, and respond every single day.

2:09The more we've tried to improve food in factories, the further we've gotten from what your body actually recognizes as food. That's why I like Balance of Nature. They take real produce and run it through a tailored vacuum-cold process that stabilizes its phytonutrition. Instead of nuking it with heat and chemicals, their whole health system bundle includes their fruits and vegetables and fiber and spice supplements, giving you 47 ingredients of whole food and their phytonutrients in a simple, consistent routine. They even rolled out brand new freeze-dried snacks that go through a similar process, so you're not trading convenience for quality. Our producer Brandon loves Balance of Nature, that convenience can't be topped. And getting the actual real food ingredients makes a real difference in your body. He raves about it. Go to balanceandnature.com to subscribe and save today. Join hundreds of thousands of customers in one simple routine that's changing the world. The United States hammered Iran on Tuesday with its most intense strikes yet, as President Trump says Operation Epic Fury could soon come to a close. Why are it in live host Cabot Phillips is here with more Hey Cabot, so a flurry of activity

3:11in Iran of the last 24 hours, lots to monitor to say the least. So what is the latest in the operation? Yeah, on Tuesday, Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth, the U.S. military would unleash its most intense strikes on Iran yet, and he followed through. Over the last 24 hours, the U.S. deployed more fighters, bombers, and strikes than at any point since the conflict began, while the Iranians responded with fewer missiles than ever. Hegseth joined by General Dan Cain at the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, reiterated the top three priorities for the U.S., destroying Iran's missile and drone capabilities, taking out their navy to protect shipping lanes, and weakening the country's military industrial base, including nuclear research sites and related infrastructure. On day 10 of Operation Epic Fury, we are winning, with an overwhelming and unrelenting focus on our objectives. No hesitation, no half measures. We will not relent until the enemy is totally and decisively defeated.

4:11For more on the U.S. urgency to achieve those three goals, and also what it means for the U.S. is standing in the Middle East, I spoke with a tired Brigadier General, Mark Kimett. Have a listen. Well, in the middle of the war, it's hard to get a tape measure out in terms of U.S. standing. Most of the countries in the region just want this over. They understand the benefits to their countries by the United States actions. If in fact, Iran is neutered with its ballistic missiles, with its proxies, and with its nuclear program. I think the greatest fear of the Middle East is if we stop this war before those three goals are achieved. And I think at that point, the countries in the region would question why the United States want to war if it did not achieve its core objectives in that fight. Despite those massive strikes Tuesday, there appeared to be growing optimism that an end of the conflict is in sight.

5:13That was certainly reflected in markets worldwide, which enjoyed a nice rebound after plummeting on Monday. So investors are clearly betting that this operation is entering its final stage. Certainly a lot of Americans hoping they're right on that front. Now, there was reports earlier this week that Russia is sharing intelligence with the Iranians. Have we learned more about those reports? Right. They were allegedly disclosing to the Iranians sensitive locations satellite imagery showing where U.S. military assets in the region were. But on Tuesday, the Kremlin denied those allegations directly to the White House, with Trump's Middle East envoy Steve Whitkopf saying, quote, we can take them at their word. But according to General Kimit, there's plenty of reason to believe the Russians are not telling the truth. Have a listen. We have given a significant amount of intelligence over the last four years to Ukraine about the targeting of Russian positions. So the fact that the Russians are returning that favor, quid pro quo, does not surprise me. I think we need to make it very clear to Vladimir Putin that that's unacceptable and should

6:18be halted immediately, primarily because that will only extend the war and raise the costs of the war between the United States and Iran. And that certainly will have second order effects on his country. Now last week, there were rumors that the U.S. was working with rebel groups in the region to potentially mount an offensive against Iran. What is the latest on that front? Right. So according to numerous reports, the CIA had been in talks with Kurdish leaders in Iraq and other anti-Iranian groups with the aim of fomenting and uprising against the regime. That arrangement included potentially supplying them U.S. weapons. But this week President Trump shot down the idea saying, quote, they are willing to go in, but I've told them I don't want them to go in. And one more thing to monitor here, according to a CNN report Tuesday, U.S. intelligence indicates that Iran has begun laying underwater mines in the strait of Hormuz. President Trump initially said Tuesday, quote, we have no reports of them doing so. But in our later announced on Truth Social, quote, I'm pleased to report that within

7:19last few hours we have hit and completely destroyed 10 inactive mine laying boats and or ships with more to follow. Remember, the U.S. is intent on opening up the strait to allow oil and gas to flow back through. So this is a crucial angle to keep an eye on. Very complex operation going on. Cabot, thanks so much for reporting. Absolutely. No, it's not your imagination. Risk and regulation are ramping up and customers now expect tangible proof of security just to do business with you. That's why our sponsor, Vanta, is a game changer. Vanta automates your compliance process and brings compliance, risk and customer trust together on one AI-powered platform. So whether you're just starting out and prepping for your first SOC 2 audit or you're running a full enterprise GRC program with multiple frameworks, Vanta keeps you secure and keeps your deals moving forward. The platform handles the heavy lifting, continuous monitoring, evidence collection, all the tedious stuff that usually eats up your team's time. Companies like RAMP and Ryder spend 82% less time on audits with Vanta, which means more time to focus on what really matters, growing your business, shipping features and delighting

8:22customers. Instead of scrambling to gather evidence or wondering if you're actually compliant, you get real-time visibility into your security posture and a clear path to staying audit-ready, year-round. Why wait? Get started. Vanta.com slash morning wire. That's Vanta.com slash morning wire. While the war in Iran has consumed the headlines, the growing crisis in Cuba has largely gone under the radar. Its communist regime is teetering as the population there faces extreme fuel and food shortages. And the near total collapse of its power grid. Joining us now to discuss is Andres Martinez Fernandez, senior policy analyst for Latin America at the Heritage Foundation. Andres, thanks for coming on. Thanks for having me. So President Trump has said he will take care of Cuba. That's his language there. What exactly does that mean? Well, I think that it means that President Trump is going to be looking very seriously at the security threat and the human rights threat that the Cuban dictatorship has posed.

9:27And it has acted as a landing pad, essentially, for extra hemispheric actors, like China and Russia. And all that means that ignoring it as too often has been the case in Washington is no longer compatible with U.S. national security. Now, there's news of an economic deal in the works with Cuba that provides an off ramp for the Castro's potentially. That's what we're reading. What do we know about that potential deal? A lot of the reporting has been very unspecific. We are aware, generally based on reporting of talks that have been going on between the Secretary of State, Margarubio and individuals within Cuba. Generally, the view is that there are at least some people on the island within the regime that recognize that, essentially, what time it is. That's a time that's pointing towards the sunset of this regime. What would be the goals for America of a deal with Cuba on a political level or on an economic

10:30level? It's really difficult to separate the economic realities in Cuba from the political realities from Cuba. The part of the economic and humanitarian crisis in Cuba comes from the regime's own control of every aspect of the economy and life, essentially, on the island. That has developed the complete devastation of the once-functional economy there and has left the people on Cuba really suffering to access even basic goods. Leaving that kind of model, or even a lot of those actors in place to any significant degree, is really going to be a challenge to cure a more prosperous, more free, and more integrated economy in Cuba. I think, certainly, Secretary Rubio, will be well aware of some of the pitfalls that the United States has fallen into in the past, for example, under Barack Obama with the Cuban

11:36dictatorship, opened broadly U.S. economic engagement, tourism, normalized political relations, with the regime, with seeking really nothing in exchange. That's a model that is not one for success in Cuba, and certainly, this administration is keenly aware of that. How primed is Cuba for a complete transformation of its governmental system to a more democratic capitalist program? I think there are going to be a lot of challenges in a broader transformation of the island. There are a lot of factors that are going to facilitate the transformation positively of the economy and the political system in Cuba. The fact that this is an island that's 90 miles off of the shores of the United States, and has a substantial ongoing connections between the United States and the island.

12:39Big part of that is the Cuban diaspora, which is very active within U.S. politics and has many leaders within the United States and within the Cuban diaspora, have really been looking towards a day where there's a reopening of the democratic and prosperous Cuba that they once knew and want to be a part of that solution. Well, it's a precarious kind of moment, but it's also a very exciting prospect. The idea of seeing real change in Cuba for the Cuban people who have been suffering for a very long time as you've laid out. Thank you so much for joining us. Thank you so much for having me. Eczema is unpredictable, but you can flare less with Eczema. A once-monthly treatment for moderate to severe eczema. After an initial four-month or longer dosing phase, about four and ten people taking Eczema, achieved itch relief and glare are almost glare skin at 16 weeks, and most of those people maintain skin that's still more glare at one year with monthly dosing.

13:42Eczema, library kizumap, LBKZ, a 250-mg per 2-mL injection is a prescription medicine used to treat adults and children 12 years of age and older who weigh at least 88 pounds or 40 kilograms with moderate to severe eczema, also called atopic dermatitis that is not well controlled with prescription therapies used on the skin, or topicals, or who cannot use topical therapies. Eczema can be used with or without topical corticosteroids. Don't use if you're allergic to Eczema. Allergic reactions can occur that can be severe. Eye problems can occur. Tell your doctor if you have new or worsening eye problems. You should not receive a live vaccine when treated with Eczema. Before starting Eczema, tell your doctor if you have a parasitic infection. Ask a doctor about Eczema. And visit Eczema.ly.com or call 1-800-LilyRX or 1-800-545-5979. During his state of the union address, President Trump highlighted the story of a virginia teen whose parents were denied custody of her for not affirming her trans identity. The move highlighted the administration's focus on ending harmful gender identity policies. Here with more on that effort is investigative reporter Meg Brock. Meg, thanks for coming on. Thanks for having me.

14:43So a lot going on with this battle that you've been reporting on here at Daily Wire, including the Trump administration's latest action on this policy. So let's start there. What exactly has the president done with regards to the parental rights in custody issue? Yeah, as the morning wire has previously reported, during his campaign, President Trump vowed to eradicate gender ideology from the federal government. And so this is a him again, taking action to keep that promise. Now, as John mentioned during the state of the union address, Trump shared the story of Sage Blair, who was a teen that was secretly transitioned to another sex at school. And then her parents lost custody of her because they would not affirm her identity as a boy. After she was found in a horrific situation in Maryland, a left-wing judge refused to return sage to her parents because they did not immediately state that their daughter was their son. Sage was thrown into an old boy's state home and suffered terribly for a long time.

15:47But today, all of that is behind them because sage is a proud and wonderful young woman. The administration for children and families has now alerted all 50 states that affirming biological reality does not constitute child abuse or neglect under federal law. Here's Assistant Secretary for Health, Brian Christine, explaining the administration's position. Our president exposed the reality of what is taking place in some of our schools across the country. And in response, HHS is sending a clear and unequivocal message to all 50 states about cases like that of sage Blair, acknowledging biological reality and exercising sincerely held religious beliefs should not constitute child abuse or neglect under federal law. First, it's worth noting the stark contrast of messaging between Admiral Christine and his predecessor, Admiral Rachel Levine, who pushed gender transitions at every turn. Right, so a complete 180 there. Now, is this actually enough for those parents calling for federal action? Will this actually prevent these things from happening in family courts now? Advocates would definitely like to see more

16:51permanent protections. Parental rights activists I spoke into would love to see federal legislation passed, affirming that you can't name parents as abusers for affirming their child's sex. Several states have already taken steps to legally clarify that affirming a child's sex is not abuse, including Indiana, North Carolina and Texas. Now, speaking of Texas, attorney general Ken Paxton has been taking a lot of action on this in his state. Can you tell us what exactly he's done? Yeah, so just a couple of weeks ago, he announced that he filed a lawsuit against a major pediatric health system and a radical gender activist doctor for violating state law banning children. For some background here, the state of Texas passed a law back in 2023, SB 14, that outlawed so-called gender affirming care for kids. This includes both hormone treatments and surgeries. The law allowed for a weaning period for children currently under hormone therapy, so they wouldn't have to stop cold turkey. However, at least one clinic seems to have found a loophole in this provision. The children's health system of Texas partnered with the University of Texas

17:54Southwestern to open a gender clinic in 2015. Now, it was publicly closed in March 2022, but the same team involved in the clinic apparently continued seeing patients and conducting these same procedures without the gender clinic branding. Now, the clinic allegedly exploited the weaning provision to keep patients functioning transition until they turned 18 and could legally resume hormone treatment, so not weaning them at all. Yeah, exactly. And totally separate from this lawsuit, Paxton also closed a loophole that could have allowed therapists to get around SB 14. He said that psychologist, counselors, and social workers in Texas can be penalized just like doctors for helping facilitate children's sex changes under the state's ban on sex rejecting interventions, going straight to the source there. Meg, thanks for reporting. Anytime.

18:54$9 or less, no matter how complicated, so if you're a delivery driver, slash handyman, slash wedding DJ, you pay only $149 or less. We're talking to you, waitress. Chuck, please. Slash pet sitter, slash influencer, just $149 or less. Want your refund to work as hard as you? Hurry, don't wait. File with Jackson U at today. Let it time offer for new clients on federal returns, participating locations only terms at JacksonU at dot com slash 149.