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Latest / The American Conservative Morning Briefing

May 31, 2026

Good morning! Today is Sunday, May 31st 2026, and this is The American Conservative's Morning Brief. Anik Joshi argues the Gulf states made a costly miscalculation in quietly backing the war with Iran, expecting American protection but instead discovering their true place in the pecking order — with damaged oil infrastructure, threatened desalination plants, and fleeing Western capital revealing the steep price of an ill-advised adventure. On day fifty-three of the ceasefire, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth says President Trump will be "patient" in pursuing a deal to formally end the…

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