US Loses War Games to Ukraine, Israel Behind Iran Threat Intel on Trump, Kalshi Humiliated in Wisconsin Elections

Breaking Points with Krystal and Saagar — August 13, 2026

The hosts open with a clip from their recent appearance on Jon Stewart's show, where Stewart praised Breaking Points for conducting "good faith" conversation that "never feels cynical, never feels manipulated, and never feels performative." Krystal and Saagar then move through a dense set of developments: the protracted naval blockade of Iran, newly revealed Israeli-sourced intelligence that spooked Trump into a secret flight, war game results showing US forces losing to Ukrainian tactics, and the spectacular failure of prediction markets in the Wisconsin Democratic primary.

The Strait of Hormuz Blockade: A Long War of Attrition

President Trump declared this week that the US has "total control over the Strait of Hormuz," calling the naval blockade a "wall of steel" and claiming Iran has "no Navy, no air force" and that the IRGC is "decimated, fleeing." Saagar frames this rhetoric as indicative of a "no war, no peace" strategy: a permanent blockade designed to economically pressure Iran into reopening the strait.