Good morning! Today is Monday, May 25th 2026, and this is The American Conservative's Morning Brief. As the Iran War ceasefire reaches day 47, President Trump says a deal to formally end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz has been largely negotiated, though an Iranian demand to extend the truce to Lebanon is meeting fierce resistance from Israel. Ann Coulter sits down with Andrew Day to explain why she's "Never Rubio" and all-in on J.D. Vance, arguing that out-of-touch donors are pushing the GOP toward a candidate who flatters their globalist instincts. Peter Van Buren reflects on Trump's China trip, the American media's reflexive mockery, and what his own Ohio high school bully taught him about the violence quietly tolerated in American schools. and now for the details. We begin with the Iran War, now in its 47th day of ceasefire. President Trump announced over the weekend that a deal to formally end the conflict and reopen the Strait of Hormuz has, in his words, "largely been negotiated" and will be announced shortly. Writing on Truth Social, the president said an agreement is being finalized between the United States, Iran, and other regional countries, though he cautioned his negotiators not to rush, saying time is on America's side. The U.S. naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz will remain in force until a deal is secured. As Harrison Berger reports for The American Conservative, the contours of the agreement are coming into focus. Iran's Tasnim News agency says the first phase would involve the U.S. lifting its blockade and waiving sanctions on Iranian oil during negotiations, while Iran would allow vessels to transit Hormuz at pre-war levels — though Tehran insists it will retain regulatory control of the waterway. Iran has also submitted a sequenced framework through Pakistani mediators that would defer nuclear talks until after hostilities formally end, with Tehran offering to suspend enrichment above 3.6 percent for ten years and dilute existing higher-enriched uranium under international supervision. Iran is also demanding an end to hostilities on all fronts, including Lebanon. Berger notes that this Lebanon provision is generating sharp resistance in Israel. Prime Minister Netanyahu spoke with Trump on Saturday evening, and an Israeli official said the prime minister emphasized Israel's intention to preserve "freedom of action" in all arenas, including Lebanon. Former Defense Minister Benny Gantz went further, saying Israel must tell the United States "no" if the deal includes a Lebanon ceasefire. Meanwhile a senior Iranian official accused Israel of mounting a final pressure campaign to disrupt the agreement, urging Washington to decide independently. On the ground, Israeli strikes killed another paramedic in southern Lebanon on Sunday, bringing the number of medical workers killed by the IDF this week to ten. Turning to the 2028 Republican field, a debate is breaking out on the right over whether Vice President J.D. Vance or Secretary of State Marco Rubio represents the future of the party. The Atlantic recently reported that Trump voters are warming to Rubio while cooling on Vance, and Trump himself has been polling donors about the matter. Andrew Day of The American Conservative sat down with commentator Ann Coulter, who has written a scathing "Never Rubio" piece for The Spectator. In her conversation with Day, Coulter argued that donors have, in her view, the worst political judgment in American politics, and that they are drawn to Rubio precisely because he speaks the language of global strategy — terms like "the Caliphate" and "the Sunni" — that flatters their distance from ordinary Americans. She said every time this class rearranges the world, the result is what she called an unmitigated disaster. Coulter also weighed in on the recent Republican primary defeat of Kentucky Congressman Thomas Massie, whom Trump campaigned against. She described the effort to unseat Massie as evidence of what she called a Trump "cult" forming on parts of the right, noting that Massie was, in fact, the author of the bill forcing the release of the Epstein files — a bill ultimately signed by Trump himself. As for Vance, Coulter told Day she trusts his conversion from Never Trumper to populist because, she said, his life's concern has been the forgotten working people of Appalachia, and because the party needs intellectually serious figures at the top. Those are today's highlights. For the full stories and more, visit theamericanconservative.com. Thank you for starting your morning with us.
