August 04, 2026

The American Conservative Morning Briefing · Aug 4, 2026 · 4m

Good morning! Today is Tuesday, August 4th 2026, and this is The American Conservative's Morning Brief. Jude Russo argues that Washington's cycle of extravagant threats and equally extravagant walkbacks—most recently over Iran—is corroding American diplomatic credibility and pushing the country toward the costly lever of force. Iran has flatly denied President Trump's claim that negotiations would begin Monday, even as oil markets briefly swung on the news and CENTCOM reportedly asked analysts for "creative and unconventional" ways to pressure Tehran. Fraser Myers examines why Labour's pro-EU…