Pentagon quietly shut legally required program to prevent civilian deaths by military, watchdog finds

Tuesday, June 16, 2026 75° Today's Paper Today Already a Honolulu Star-Advertiser subscriber? Log in now to continue reading. From as low as $12.95 /mo. A recent comprehensive global survey study of tens of thousands of people in nearly 100 countries found the vast majority see the United States as the biggest threat to the world.

At the same time, more nations say they prefer China over the U.S. China’s approval rating has risen dramatically in the Global South, where support for the U.S. has plummeted. These were the results of the 2026 Democracy Perception Index, an annual study conducted by a group called the Alliance of Democracies.

The survey asked 23,968 respondents in 84 countries which nation they consider to be “the biggest threat to the world.” Most people in 65 out of 84 countries said the United States is the largest danger. Another 10 countries (almost all in Europe) said Russia is the biggest threat.

Seven (in West Asia and North Africa) said Israel. Israel said Iran. Japan said China. Trevor Tyler Halawa Stay in touch with breaking news, as it happens, conveniently in your email inbox. It's FREE! EXPRESS YOURSELF The Honolulu Star-Advertiser welcomes all opinions.

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“We want them [Iran] to behave like a normal country,” said US Vice President JD Vance regarding the US-Iran memorandum of understanding (MoU) during a Monday night interview with CBS News. Vance explained that if Tehran complies with the points outlined in the MoU, including giving up its stockpile of enriched uranium, stopping funding to terrorist organizations, and making the country investible, then “benefits will float to them.

” Uranium stockpile at center of deal The most important thing to focus on, said Vance, is the enriched uranium, which, according to the MoU, would be destroyed by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) and the US. “We want them to have a successful country, but only if they do what's necessary to commit long-term to not building a nuclear weapon,” said Vance.

Vance rejects Obama comparison In a video shown to Vance by the CBS interviewer, former US President Barack Obama is seen saying that any agreement that arises between the US and Iran is “not going to be significantly different, or a significant improvement from the deal that we had in the first place and that we had worked for for a long stretch of time.

” Vance responded that Obama’s claims are “fundamentally not right.” “If you go back to the Obama JCPOA (Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action), what it did was it took an Iranian nuclear program that it accelerated. It basically bribed the Iranians to stop that program.

The JCPOA was an Obama-led multilateral agreement between Iran and the US, UK, France, China, Russia, and Germany to limit Iran’s nuclear development. Vance argued that Trump’s administration is in a different position. “The Iranian nuclear program has been completely destroyed, and what we’re saying is: make the long-term commitment to not rebuild it, and you will get the benefits that come with that.

” Vance addresses Israeli concerns The vice president also noted that the Gulf States, whom he claims have been threatened by the Iranian regime for 47 years, “hated the JCPOA because they felt that it empowered Iran to be a bad regional actor.” The same countries, argued Vance, have called Trump’s plan “amazing because it transforms the Middle East in a way that makes them more peaceful and more prosperous.

” When asked about Israeli involvement in the MoU, Vance responded that it is normal for close allies to have disagreements. “What we know,” he said, “is that this agreement is going to make Israel safer, going to make the entire region safer. We feel quite confident that the Israelis are going to be brought in on this agreement once we get a little further down the road.

On March 2, 2026, Hezbollah fired at Israel two days after US and Israeli strikes on Iran, initiating exchanges in which Israeli forces have targeted Hezbollah infrastructure in southern Lebanon and Hezbollah has struck northern Israel and Israeli positions in Lebanon.

Lebanon's Health Ministry has reported more than 3,213 deaths and over 1 million people displaced after nearly three months of strikes. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Hezbollah's use of explosive drones requires increased operations, while US and Israeli officials have described the Lebanon conflict as separate from negotiations with Iran.

According to Turkmenportal, Uzbekistan dispatched humanitarian aid to Iran via Turkmenistan. No independent confirmation of the shipment or its contents has been reported.