Iran Nemesis: President Trump speaks about North Korea's Kim Jong Un as his best friend

Kim& Trump 

US President Donald Trump speaks about North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un as his best friend. “Kim Jong Un has always treated me with great respect.

We spent time. I understand him. He understands me.

He didn’t like anybody, but I get along with him very well.

What I'm doing is making things safer.”

According to Donald Trump, US will "substantially reduce" joint military exercises with South Korea, citing his "very good relationship" with North Korea's leader Kim Jong Un.

He also noted on Truth Social that South Korea had recently declined to join the US in the "denuclearisation" of Iran.

"These exercises are not only costly, with much of these costs paid for by the United States of America (as usual!), but send a signal that is totally inappropriate and hostile," Trump posted.

I called the president of South Korea. I said, “Would you help with Iran? If you would like, we don’t need help.” He said, “No thanks.”

I said, “What do you mean? We have 39,000 soldiers over there guarding you from Kim Jong Un, and you are not going to help us with Iran? That’s strange.”

Then why are we involved with helping you? Protecting South Korea is costing us billions of dollars.

Seoul said it was reviewing Trump's comments, adding it hoped a favourable relationship between Washington and Pyongyang could lead to meaningful talks. Pyongyang has not yet commented.

Earlier, South Korea said the drills with the US would proceed "as scheduled".

It comes after North Korea this month conducted ballistic missile tests prohibited by the United States

He also noted on Truth Social that South Korea had recently declined to join the US in the "denuclearisation" of Iran.

Trump on Sunday said it was "too late to cancel", as the US and South Korea were due to start their annual military exercises on Monday. "While somewhat unrelated (?), I recently asked the President of South Korea if they would like to join us in the Denuclearization of the Islamic Republic of Iran, and they said, 'No thanks!'"

Trump's announcement came less than 24 hours after he posted an old photograph of himself and Kim from 2019, writing the two were great friends.

Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office on Monday, Trump explicitly linked his decision to South Korea's refusal to "give us a little hand" with Iran. We have 39,000 soldiers over there guarding you from Kim Jong Un, your next door neighbour, and you're not going to help us on a very easy military operation in Iran," he said. "That's strange".

"All I want is fairness," he later added.

In its statement, South Korea's presidential Blue House said it would continue diplomatic consultations on US-Korea military cooperation related to the Strait of Hormuz, while discussing details on joint military drills with the United States.

According to a BBC report, experts suggest the walking back of joint military exercises could carry a high cost with relatively little benefit.

"US-South Korea combined defence exercises are essential for military forces to be ready and capable of doing their jobs," said Leif-Eric Easley, a professor at Ewha University in Seoul.

Scaling them back can damage alliance coordination, slow the process of South Korea taking on greater responsibility for its own defence, and weaken deterrence against possible conflicts in Asia.

"The cost savings from downsizing drills are marginal, while the diplomatic benefits for relations with North Korea are doubtful."

Last week, US and South Korean military leaders held a joint press conference announcing Ulchi Freedom Shield.

They said the 11-day event would be similar in scale to previous years, with about 18,000 South Korean soldiers participation 

During the news conference, military leaders also mentioned North Korea's deployment of troops to aid Russia's war against Ukraine.

US military spokesperson Ryan Donald said "our training accounts for that threat", referring to North Korean soldiers returning from the battlefield. About 28,500 American military personnel are stationed in South Korea.

On Friday, North Korea's foreign ministry condemned the joint military drills as "a rehearsal for an aggressive war".

The joint exercises come days after South Korea, the US and Japan detected the second North Korean missile test in days

Pyongyang has accelerated efforts to expand its nuclear and missile programmes since the collapse in 2019 of Kim's high-profile diplomacy with Trump during his first term in the White House.

He became the first ever sitting US president to set foot in North Korea when he visited seven years ago.

For Seoul, Trump's post is a mixed message. On the one hand, they have been requesting Trump engage with Pyongyang and the post raises hope that he might bring Kim back to the table

But Trump is also hinting that he is unhappy with South Korea's unwillingness to make direct military or logistical contributions to the US hostilities with Iran.

He has also expressed displeasure with other allies for their hesitance to get involved in the conflict, including Japan, France and the UK.

Trump's move to downsize joint military exercises with South Korea is not without precedent.

He suspended the exercises entirely in 2018, during denuclearisation negotiations with Kim. He said at the time that the annual drills were "provocative" towards North Korea and stopping the "war games" would save the US a "tremendous amount of money."

The exercises were again scaled back in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.

It was predicted that President Trump would suspend or scale down US-SK joint exercise, or even reduce the size of US troops in Korea.

Last week, South Korea's president proposed talks with its northern neighbour on officially ending the war between the two, which is technically still active since an armistice was signed in 1953

Trump has noted multiple times in the past that the US is providing security to South Korea without getting much in return.

He has criticised the number of troops it has stationed in the peninsula and the money spent.

This has complicated Washington's relationship with Seoul, which sees the troops as core to its alliance with the US.

Seoul tried to defuse the tension earlier this year, committing $350bn to investing in the US. And last year President Lee Jae Myung described Trump as a peacemaker.

Osun’s 2026 verdict and what it means for Nigeria’s opposition

BITTER PILLS; THRILLING RECOVERY, DRIZZLING PERFORMANCE

Politics in Nigeria rarely comes without bitterness. In Osun State, the August 15, 2026 governorship election served another dose.

Governor Ademola Adeleke has emerged victorious, weathering what his camp described as political intimidation and the weight of federal might deployed against him. It is a win that feels less like a stroll and more like a trek through thorns — hence the _bitter pills_. But the recovery has been thrilling, and the performance, though uneven in places, has been drizzling steadily enough to convince voters to grant him a second term. 

The Battle Against the Odds

Adeleke’s re-election bid was never framed as business as usual. Running this time on the platform of the Accord Party, after leaving the PDP amid national crisis, he faced the APC’s Bola Oyebamiji and ADC’s Dr. Najeem Salaam in what observers called another highly competitive contest. 

In the run-up, Adeleke himself alleged killings of party members and called on President Bola Tinubu to direct the police to act professionally and impartially. He described 2025 as “a challenging year due to external constraints” and warned against “beating drums of war” ahead of the poll. 

Yet the governor leaned on what he called people-centred governance and visible projects across the state. His campaign council, inaugurated in Osogbo, promised grassroots mobilisation “at the wards and local government level”. The message was simple: performance over propaganda, calculated inauguration of projects in virtually all constituencies to force out his admirers and non admirers particularly amongst the traditional rulers to a reelection campaign laced with an appealing projects

“If this election is free and fair, I will win,” Adeleke said on the campaign trail. With less than 15 days to go, he declared “NO SHAKING, Imole is coming back”. Analysts also noted his long-standing relationship with civil servants, artisans and trade groups as assets. 

Labour Party: The Missed Opportunity

While Adeleke was consolidating, the Labour Party was bleeding internally as a blissful opportunity were being lost in the process

The 2023 and 2024 political realignments created an opening. Several disrupted and evicted incumbent Governors of the PDP, frustrated by internal wrangling at the national level, looked for new platforms. Labour Party, with its post-2023 momentum, should have been the natural refuge. Instead, internal squabbles, factionalism, and lack of structure turned it into a waiting room with no exit.

The result: most of those PDP governors and heavyweights either returned to mend fences, moved to APC, or sat out. Labour Party failed to harvest them. What could have been a national expansion became a period of self-inflicted losses.

In Osun, that void mattered. Without a credible third-force structure, the contest narrowed to Accord, APC and ADC. Labour’s absence meant there was no serious alternative to absorb protest votes or disgruntled PDP structures. Adeleke would have preferred Labour Party at the time he was shopping for a platform and ultimately have added immensely to our structure, unfortunately the harvest slipped out.

Drizzling Performance, Thrilling Recovery

Adeleke’s first term was defined by infrastructure, welfare programs, and a deliberate effort to be seen and felt in the grassroots. Critics argued about concentration of projects around Ede, but supporters point to the “difference that purposeful, people-centred governance can make”. 

He nearly became a politically stagnated orphan at a period in time, it was rumoured that powers that be denied him an appointment for a meeting but communicated him through a first class Yoruba king that he should go and join the ruling party, every attempt made by him to compromise was negated by Baba Kukuru, Esu lehin APC who loudly drum it to his ears that he will have to queue as the ticket will not be offered to him, that's a bitter pill to swallow. He encouraged himself further his search for another platform and landed in ACCORD PARTY, accordingly he became a man to celebrate today.

The recovery is thrilling because it came after 2022, when Adeleke defeated an incumbent with federal backing. To do it again in 2026, this time outside PDP, suggests a personal brand that transcends party lines. If re-elected, he would become only the second governor in Osun’s history to secure a second term. 

But the performance is still “drizzling” — steady, but not yet a downpour. Expectations on jobs, security, and inclusive development remain high, especially with rising insecurity flagged as a factor in 2026. 

*Time to Rethink and Recover Lost Ground*

Two lessons stand out.

1. For incumbents: People will reward delivery, even under pressure. Adeleke’s confidence came from pointing to tangible records, not just party structure. “_This team is heading to victory_,” he told his campaign council.

2. For the opposition: Labour Party’s failure to organize and accommodate displaced political forces was costly. The window to rethink is now. Without internal discipline, ideology, and structure, it risks remaining a movement of moments rather than a party of government. Many see the party as a transactional platform as many who did not toil in the party had managed to position themselves and political stooges in positions of power, ready for harvest in most states. Should this trend continue, we shall suffer existential threats and consequences 

Osun 2026 reminds us that Nigerian voters are watching. They will swallow bitter pills if the recovery feels real. They will ignore loud noise if the performance is only drizzling.

The question now is not just who won Osun. It is whether other parties — especially our own Labour Party — will learn fast enough to recover the grounds they lost, recreate a bigger platform for ideological opposition and alternatives before 2027 comes calling.

© Apagun Olaolu Samuel 

Chairman, Labour Party Ogun State 

egberunsaamu2206@gmail.com

US-Iran-War: Why U.S. allies in the Gulf frustrated, lost trust in Trump administration

The commander of the US Central Command, Adm. Brad Cooper completed a 10-day trip to the Middle East on Saturday, visiting six countries and the USS Abraham Lincoln aircraft carrier in the Arabian Sea as more than 50,000 US troops operate across the region.

While at sea, Cooper met with Sailors and Marines aboard USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) for the second time this year. He previously visited the aircraft carrier in February with U.S. Special Envoy for Peace Missions Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner,” CENTCOM posted on X.

 According to a report by the Washington Post, U.S. allies in the Gulf have completely lost trust in the Trump administration, growing increasingly frustrated over his inability to end the war with Iran, stating that American actions in the region make them "less safe, not more safe." 

Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Qatar, Kuwait, and Bahrain are all growing dissatisfied with Washington as the conflict drags on. One Arab official said bluntly: "Trump started this war, and we are paying the price for it."

The frustration is now translating into action. The recent defense pact signed between Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Pakistan was described by a senior European official as a direct "signal to the U.S." and an effort to diversify security partnerships. A European official said: "From their perspective, America alone is not enough."

Gulf leaders feel they have been dragged into a war they didn't choose. Firas Maksad of the Eurasia Group said U.S. allies feel they are "unnecessarily trapped in a war that Trump is now struggling to end." Trust in Washington has eroded, with Gulf states believing that American actions in the region make them "less safe, not more safe."

The message from the Gulf is clear: Washington is no longer seen as a reliable guarantor of regional security. Allies are looking for alternatives — and Trump is running out of time to win back their trust.

In recent weeks, pessimism has increased in the White House regarding the possibility of reaching a final nuclear agreement with Iran.

According to a Wall Street Report, President Trump's advisors presented him with data on the damage caused by sanctions and convinced him to prefer intensifying economic pressure over waging a war that could cost much more money and could largely lead to losses that would increase internal criticism within the US administration.

Tehran has repeatedly stated it's not negotiating with the United States until the end of the Donald Trump's administration. The Persians hoped to pressuring Washington into agreeing with Tehran's demands. Both military and threats have failed to bring Iran to hers knees as none of the U.S. pre-war stated objectives have been achieve.

Iran has directly announced a $30,000 reward for any Iranian force that captures or kills an American soldier, per Iran's state media IRIB.

Army Chief Maj. Gen. Amir Hatami said the reward comes "from the Iranian people" and is aimed at U.S. forces in the region. The announcement follows the U.S. Rewards for Justice program, which offered up to $10 million for information on Iran's Supreme Leader and senior IRGC officials.

The U.S. Military has also announced that it is preparing 15,000 intercontinental ballistic missiles to respond to an imminent Iranian attack. Officially, if Israel is attacked, Russian bases and all of Iran's interests across the Middle East—including Tehran—will be destroyed, and the entire world will witness the devastation.

OSUN GOVERNORSHIP ELECTION: LET THE PEOPLE’S MANDATE STAND

Osun voters have spoken; INEC must resist every attempt to manipulate the outcome

Mẹkunnu Kọya,

Osogbo, The Mẹkunnu Kọya movement has commended the largely peaceful conduct of Osun voters during today’s governorship election, despite isolated reports of intimidation, violence, vote-buying and other electoral infractions.

The movement noted that incidents including the reported forceful dispersal of voters, alleged carting away of ballot papers, the attack in Ejigbo, the reported assault on the ADC governorship candidate and the alleged intimidation of Alhaja Sekinat Temilade, an aide to Governor Ademola Adeleke, did not deter the people from exercising their democratic rights.

Mẹkunnu Kọya observed that Osun voters had demonstrated remarkable courage and determination, particularly in the face of reported vote-buying ranging from ₦20,000 to ₦50,000 in some areas.

The movement, however, warned that the relative peace maintained during voting must not be destroyed at the collation stage through manipulation of the electoral process.

It expressed concern over reports that some duly accredited party agents and returning officers were allegedly prevented from accessing collation centres, stressing that such actions could create unnecessary tension and suspicion.

Mẹkunnu Kọya therefore strongly condemned any attempt to manufacture an inconclusive election as a political strategy to alter the outcome or impose an unpopular candidate rejected by the electorate.

The movement called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to resist every form of political pressure and complete the collation and declaration process transparently, impartially and in accordance with the law.

It stressed that there must be “no midnight abracadabra, no manufactured inconclusiveness, no selective cancellation of results and no manipulation designed to favour an anointed candidate.”

Mẹkunnu Kọya also appealed to security agencies, political parties and all electoral stakeholders to exercise restraint and responsibility, while urging Osun voters to remain peaceful but vigilant until the final result is declared.

The movement emphasized that voters must protect their mandate through lawful and democratic means, declaring: “Osun voters have spoken with their votes. Let their votes be counted. Let their votes be heard. Let their mandate stand.”

According to Mẹkunnu Kọya, Osun people know whom they voted for, while Nigerians and the international community are watching the collation and declaration process.

It warned that any declaration that fails to reflect the genuine mandate expressed at the polling units would further undermine public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process and should be challenged through all lawful democratic means.

The movement concluded with a direct appeal to INEC: “INEC must not disappoint the people of Osun. The electoral umpire must allow the people’s will, not political pressure, to determine the outcome of this election.”

OSUN HAS SPOKEN. LET THE PEOPLE’S VOICE BE RESPECTED.

Mẹkunnu Kọya Blog

15 August 2026

#OsunDecide: Mẹkunnu Kọya Raises Alarm Over Intimidation, Vote-Buying in Osogbo

Osogbo, August 15, 2026

The Mẹkunnu Kọya movement has raised the alarm over alleged voter intimidation, vote-buying and illegal voting in parts of Osogbo and Olorunda as the Osun governorship election continues.

Reports reaching the movement indicate that individuals are moving around with registers of names written in exercise books, allegedly as part of a new method of coordinating vote-buying. One of the reported locations is Polling Unit 025, Ataoja E, Registration Area Code EC30(A).

There are also reports that suspected political thugs have chased away voters believed to be supporters of the ADC and Accord parties at Ward 5, Unit 20, Freedom Park, as well as around Central Mosque, Kaka Isale Aro, Osogbo.

Mẹkunnu Kọya said similar incidents are being reported across several wards in Osogbo and Olorunda, with allegations that some known and unknown security operatives are either conniving with the perpetrators or failing to prevent the intimidation.

The movement also alleged that political mercenaries imported from neighbouring states are being deployed around polling units, with some allegedly using codes to gain access to voting despite not being legitimate voters. It further alleged that opposition party agents attempting to challenge such irregularities are being intimidated or driven away.

According to Mẹkunnu Kọya, the unfolding developments reinforce its earlier warning that the electoral process could be manipulated to produce a predetermined outcome in favour of a particular candidate.

The movement has called on INEC, security agencies, accredited observers and all stakeholders to act immediately to protect voters, enforce the electoral rules and prevent illegal voting and intimidation.

Mẹkunnu Kọya insists that the people of Osun must be allowed to freely exercise their franchise and that the final result must reflect the genuine will of the electorate.

Iran Unveils a large collection of US & Israeli aircraft & UAV wreckage recovered during recent war

For many decades, the United States built up something as powerful as aircraft carriers and squadrons of F-35s and many other sophisticated fighter jets and drones. The Iran war has been a master class in how to squander it. 

The Islamic Republic of Iran has unveiled a large collection of US & Israeli aircraft & UAV wreckage recovered during the recent war, displayed inside an underground IRGC Aerospace Force air-defense base.

Among them are wreckage from MQ-9 Reapers, Hermes 900s, Hermes 450s, alongside an MQ-9 identified with serial number 261. 

Tehran says some UAVs were also recovered largely intact despite multiple methods to evade air-defense detection and interception.

Iran also displayed the remains of a US F-15 shot down on April 3. According to the IRGC, the aircraft was shot down using a new domestically produced air-defense system and missile combined with unconventional tactics, leaving its crew only seconds to react before impact.

The IRGC says more than 85% of its air-defense production infrastructure survived the war, allowing production and deliveries to continue without significant interruption. Production rates for several missiles and systems that proved effective during the fighting have reportedly since risen above pre-war levels.

Also displayed are Starlink terminals, which Iran says were associated with communications involving U.S. and Israeli UAV operations and networks inside Iran.

171 aircrafts (majority drones) were hit during the war, including 10 crewed aircraft, alongside numerous UAVs and cruise missiles. 

Iran says the wreckage displayed at the underground facility represents only a portion of the aircraft and drones it has brought down