CIA Director John Ratcliffe says that the War Department’s operations have been “hostage to flawless intelligence” on the part of his agency, stating that this was demonstrated during operations in Iran last June and today.

“This was a no-fail mission. That was the spirit in which the president put us to work,” Ratcliffe says.

“At the president’s direction, we deployed both human assets and exquisite technologies that no other intelligence service in the world possesses, to a daunting challenge comparable to hunting for a single grain of sand in the middle of a desert,” he adds.

Opinion

Editorial

Hardening lines
Updated 22 May, 2026

Hardening lines

Iranian suspicions about Pakistan’s close ties with Washington and Gulf states persist, while Pakistan remains uneasy over Tehran’s growing engagement with India.
Unliveable city
22 May, 2026

Unliveable city

IN Karachi, when it comes to water, it is every man and woman for themselves. A persistent shortage in available...
Glof alert
22 May, 2026

Glof alert

FOR many communities in northern Pakistan, the sound of heavy rain now carries a different meaning. It is no longer...
External woes
Updated 21 May, 2026

External woes

Relying indefinitely on remittances to offset structural economic weaknesses is not sustainable.
Political activity
21 May, 2026

Political activity

THE opposition is astir. There is talk of widespread protests this Friday over a list of dissatisfactions with the...
Seizing hope
21 May, 2026

Seizing hope

ISRAEL’S tyranny knows no bounds. After intercepting the Global Sumud Flotilla that set sail last week, disturbing...