October 02, 2026

The American Conservative Morning Briefing · Oct 2, 2026 · 4m

Good morning! Today is Friday, October 2nd 2026, and this is The American Conservative's Morning Brief. Ethiopia has slid back into open civil war as seven armed groups unite against Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, with Brad Pearce arguing the timing is disastrous for American interests in a Red Sea region where Washington has precious few friends left to lose. Jude Russo examines the tentative good news that oil flows through the Strait of Hormuz have returned to pre-war levels, weighing whether Iran has been degraded, is angling for a diplomatic breakthrough, or is simply waiting for an…