—❗️🇮🇷/🇵🇰/🇺🇸 NEW: Pakistani Field Marshal Assim Muneer’s planned trip to Tehran tonight has been canceled
@Middle_East_Spectator
this post was submitted on 18 May 2026
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❗️Israel’s daily raids threaten to destroy southern Syria’s farming lifeline
Israeli occupation forces intensified attacks on southern Syria on 19 May, shelling farmland near Taranja in northern Quneitra and carrying out repeated incursions into agricultural areas and populated villages in Quneitra and Daraa, The New Arab reported.
Local sources said Israeli operations have become almost daily, spreading panic among residents and farmers who fear a wider Israeli escalation.
The attacks now threaten the agricultural season, the main source of income for many families in the border region.
The latest attacks followed Israeli raids on 18 May in Wadi al-Raqqad near Jomla, where tanks and military vehicles advanced into the area.
Israeli forces also fired shells and machine guns near Tel Ahmar, crossed the Ofania–Khan Arnabah road, and raided several homes in Al-Asha before withdrawing.
❗️Netanyahu coalition moves to dissolve Knesset as Haredi draft crisis pushes Israel toward early elections
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition on 20 May passed a preliminary bill to dissolve the Knesset, opening the door to early elections amid a deepening dispute with ultra-Orthodox (haredi) parties over legislation that would determine whether more haredi men can continue to avoid military service, according to The Jerusalem Post.
The bill passed unanimously, 110–0, and must still clear three additional readings before taking effect. If approved, it would move elections forward from the currently scheduled date of 27 October to as early as September or mid-October, since Israeli law requires at least 90 days between the dissolution of parliament and a national vote.
At the center of the crisis is the highly controversial haredi draft bill. Netanyahu has been trying to preserve his coalition by advancing legislation that would largely satisfy ultra-Orthodox parties, whose communities have long received broad exemptions from compulsory military service. The issue has become increasingly explosive as the Israeli army warns of a severe manpower shortage after more than two years of war.
The ultra-Orthodox Degel Hatorah faction says it no longer trusts Netanyahu and continues to support dissolving the Knesset. By introducing the bill itself rather than allowing the opposition to do so, the coalition retains greater control over the timing of elections and over any final legislative push before a possible collapse of the government.
🇱🇧❌🇮🇱 — Hezbollah unveils an "Ababil" helicopter and claims to carry out 3 operations with it during the day.
@SimurghRes
Lebanon’s new '17 May 1983' situation: US steers Beirut toward a pact with Israel
Direct talks have not stopped Israel’s war on Lebanon; they are testing whether a weakened state can be turned against the resistance under the cover of ‘stability.’
By Tamjid Kobaissy
❗️US escalates pressure campaign on Lebanon with sanctions targeting Hezbollah MPs, security officials, and Iran envoy
The US Department of the Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) imposed sanctions on Thursday against Hezbollah MPs Hassan Fadlallah, Hussein al-Hajj Hassan, and Ibrahim al-Moussawi; former minister Mohammad Fneish; Amal Movement security officials Ahmad Baalbaki and Ali Safawi; Lebanese Army intelligence officer Samer Hamadi; General Security officer Khattar Nassereddine; and Iran’s ambassador-designate to Lebanon Mohammad Reza Sheibani.
Washington accused the sanctioned figures of enabling Hezbollah and obstructing efforts to disarm the Lebanese resistance. The US State Department claimed the individuals were advancing “the Iranian regime’s malicious agenda in Lebanon” and preventing what it described as a path toward “peace, stability, and prosperity.”
The sanctions also targeted Lebanese security and military officials accused by Washington of abusing their positions to benefit Hezbollah, while the US accused Iranian diplomat Sheibani of “violating Lebanon’s sovereignty.”
The State Department reiterated the US-Israeli demands for the full disarmament of Hezbollah and the restoration of the Lebanese government’s “exclusive authority over security matters throughout the country,” amid ongoing US pressure on Beirut.
EXCLUSIVE: Hezbollah warns direct talks with Israel 'threaten Lebanese coexistence' MP Ibrahim al-Moussawi slammed authorities for meeting face-to-face with Israeli officials after vowing not to ‘negotiate under fire’
Captagon trade on Syria–Jordan border skyrockets under control of Israel-backed militias: Report
Druze militias opposed to the new authorities in Damascus have been receiving arms and financial support from Israel since the fall of Assad’s government
❗️Hezbollah announced 18 more operations in response to Israeli attacks on Lebanon on Wednesday, 20 May, bringing the total to 20 so far:
• Targeted, at 10:00, Israeli artillery positions in Yaroun with a swarm of attack drones.
• Targeted, at 10:30, Israeli artillery positions in Bint Jbeil with a swarm of attack drones.
• Targeted, at 11:00, a concentration of Israeli troops and military vehicles at the riverbed on the outskirts of Deir Siryan with artillery shells.
• Targeted, at 12:20, a Merkava tank at Baydar al-Faqani in Taybeh with an attack drone, scoring a confirmed hit.
• Targeted, at 12:30, a concentration of Israeli troops and military vehicles in Shamaa with a rocket salvo.
• Engaged, at 14:00, a composite Israeli force advancing toward Haddatha from the Baydar neighborhood; upon reaching the vicinity of the pond, Hezbollah fighters struck it with artillery shells and sustained rocket salvos for half an hour.
• Targeted, at 15:20, a D9 bulldozer with an attack drone and a Merkava tank with rocket weapons in the vicinity of the Haddatha pond, scoring confirmed hits.
• Targeted, at 15:20, a second Merkava tank in the Baydar neighborhood of Haddatha with a guided missile, scoring a confirmed hit; the tank was seen burning, and its accompanying force was then targeted with a rocket salvo.
• Targeted, at 15:25, a second bulldozer brought in to tow the damaged vehicles in Haddatha with an attack drone, scoring a confirmed hit.
• Targeted, at 15:40, a third Merkava tank near the stadium in Haddatha with an attack drone, scoring a confirmed hit, followed by rocket salvos on supporting Israeli forces.
• Engaged, at 16:30, an Israeli infantry force backed by two Merkava tanks advancing toward the Husseiniya in Haddatha with direct fire and light weapons, inflicting confirmed casualties and forcing the force to evacuate its wounded under heavy smoke cover.
• Targeted, between 15:45 and 16:50, three concentrations of Israeli forces on the outskirts of Haddatha with repeated rocket salvos.
• Targeted, at 16:50, a concentration of Israeli troops and military vehicles at Khillet Raj in Deir Siryan with a rocket salvo.
• Targeted, at 17:00, a concentration of Israeli troops and military vehicles at al-Baydar on the outskirts of Haddatha with a swarm of attack drones.
• Targeted, at 17:15, a fourth Merkava tank in the vicinity of the pond in Haddatha with an attack drone, scoring a confirmed hit.
• Targeted, at 17:25, a concentration of Israeli troops and military vehicles in the vicinity of the pond in Haddatha with a swarm of attack drones.
• Targeted, at 17:50, a concentration of Israeli troops and military vehicles in the vicinity of Haddatha with a rocket salvo.
• Engaged, at 19:10, an Israeli Hermes 450 ("Zik") drone over the central sector with a surface-to-air missile.
https://t.me/thecradlemedia/60014
❗️Hezbollah announced 4 more operations in response to Israeli attacks on Lebanon on Wednesday, 20 May, bringing the total to 24:
• Targeted, on Tuesday 20 May, the Hodbat al-Ajl Israeli military site and the Avivim, Ramim (Honin), Ramot Naftali, and Maale Golani barracks with swarms of attack drones.
• Targeted, at 18:30, a Merkava tank in Rshaf with an attack drone, scoring a confirmed hit.
• Targeted, at 19:15, a concentration of Israeli troops and military vehicles in al-Bayyada with an attack drone.
• Targeted, at 20:00, a concentration of Israeli troops and military vehicles in Naqoura with an attack drone.
https://t.me/thecradlemedia/60020
❗️Hezbollah announces 5 operations so far in response to Israeli attacks on Lebanon on Thursday, 21 May:
• Targeted, at 00:00, concentrations of Israeli troops and military vehicles in Debel and Rshaf with rocket barrages.
• Targeted, at 00:10, a concentration of Israeli troops and military vehicles in Bayyada with a rocket barrage.
• Targeted, at 00:30, concentrations of Israeli troops and military vehicles in Debel and the outskirts of Haddatha with swarms of attack drones.
• Conducted, between 00:00 and 02:00, a wide-scale fire raid targeting all Israeli military positions in Debel, Rshaf, and the outskirts of Haddatha using attack drones and repeated heavy rocket barrages.
• Targeted, at 09:20, a concentration of Israeli troops near the riverbed on the outskirts of Deir Siryan with artillery shells and a rocket barrage.
• Targeted, at 10:45, a concentration of Israeli troops and military vehicles in Qawzah with artillery shelling.
https://t.me/thecradlemedia/60027
❗️Hezbollah announces 3 more operations in response to Israeli attacks on Lebanon on Thursday, 21 May, bringing the total to 8 so far:
• At 10:45, targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers and military vehicles in Qawzah with artillery shells.
• At 12:00, targeted an Israeli military engineering vehicle at Khillet Raj in Deir Siryan with an attack drone, scoring a direct hit.
• At 12:10, targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers and military vehicles in Rshaf with a swarm of attack drones.
❗️US threatens to revoke Palestinian UN delegation visas over ambassador's bid for UN General Assembly vice presidency
NPR reported on 20 May that a sensitive but unclassified US State Department cable instructed US officials in Jerusalem to pressure Palestinian officials into withdrawing Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour’s candidacy for one of the 21 vice president positions at the UN General Assembly, warning of possible consequences including visa revocations for the Palestinian delegation to the United Nations.
The cable, dated 19 May and obtained by NPR, said Mansour “has a history of accusing Israel of genocide,” and claimed his candidacy “fuels tension” and undermines President Donald Trump’s so-called Gaza peace plan.
The cable warned that “Congress will take it extremely seriously” and stated that “it would be unfortunate to have to revisit any available options,” referring to a previous 2025 decision by the Trump administration to waive visa sanctions on Palestinian officials assigned to the PLO’s UN Observer Mission in New York.
NPR noted that the threat is considered unprecedented, particularly given the 1947 UN Headquarters Agreement, which generally bars the US from blocking UN officials from entering New York.
Former senior State Department official Hady Amr told NPR the move was “extremely rare” outside cases such as espionage or election interference, calling it “counterproductive” because diplomats are needed “to work out problems between countries.”
The State Department told NPR it takes its obligations under the UN Headquarters Agreement seriously but declined to comment on specific visa matters.
The report also noted that Mansour had already withdrawn a previous bid for president of the UN General Assembly earlier this year after US lobbying efforts.
Elections for vice president positions are scheduled for 2 June, with Palestinian representatives remaining on the Asia-Pacific candidate list alongside countries including Afghanistan, Iraq, and Mongolia.
The cable reportedly warned of a “worst-case scenario” in which a Palestinian vice president could preside over high-profile UN sessions.
NPR highlighted Mansour’s increasingly prominent role at the UN, including emotional speeches condemning the killing of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and repeated calls for a ceasefire.
❗️Severe rodent infestation at Haifa Naval Base exposes sanitation scandal, with up to 13 rats seen in a single day
A severe rodent infestation at the Haifa Naval Training Base has exposed "catastrophic" sanitary conditions, with kitchen personnel revealing that up to 13 rats have been spotted in a single day inside the facility. An anonymous worker at the kitchen, which serves approximately 1,200 soldiers, told Israel's N12 News that the animals routinely breach the old, deteriorating building through holes in the walls, air conditioning ducts, and rotten plumbing systems.
The source detailed discovering a rat inside a large cooking pot during lunch preparation and finding food container lids systematically gnawed through by the pests. Kitchen staff reported having to document the daily infestation before starting their shifts, alleging that months of internal appeals went unanswered by military officials.
In response to the growing scandal, workers resorted to purchasing their own traps, describing the military's initial pest control measures as entirely ineffective for the aging facility. The worker emphasized that minor repairs have failed to prevent the rodents from returning, stating that the only real solution is a complete shutdown and overhaul.
The Israeli military responded to the report by claiming that the visual evidence of rats inside food containers dates back several months and that the situation has since been addressed.
Fitting.
❗️Covert UN mission successfully rescues millions of historical Palestinian refugee documents from Gaza
A highly sensitive, ten-month clandestine operation by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) successfully evacuated millions of historical archival documents from the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem, safeguarding generations of Palestinian records. The Guardian reported on 14 May that the complex mission involved dozens of UN staff members across four countries racing against intense bombardment, cyberattacks, and shifting frontlines to prevent the permanent destruction of the files.
The rescued documents, many dating back to 1948, include original refugee registration cards, birth certificates, and land records that provide the sole legal and historical evidence of displacement for hundreds of thousands of stateless Palestinians.
The first phase of the 10-month operation began under heavy fire after Israeli forces ordered the evacuation of UNRWA's Gaza City headquarters in 2024. Turning down appeals to leave the files behind, a small team utilized rented pickup trucks to smuggle the paper archives south to Rafah over three dangerous trips, eventually moving them into Egypt using international staff who hand-carried the records past border checkpoints.
Concurrently, as hostile protests and arson attacks targeted UNRWA’s East Jerusalem compound ahead of new Israeli legislation banning the agency, staff members secretly moved a parallel set of historic archives across the border into Jordan.
The entire collection has since been compiled in Amman, where an extensive digitization project funded by Luxembourg is currently underway in a secure facility. More than 50 personnel are working to scan roughly 30 million individual documents by hand, a meticulous process that experts estimate will take another two years to fully complete.
According to historians cited by The Guardian, the preservation of this national archive is critical for any future legal resolutions to the conflict, ensuring that Palestinians retain access to their verified family lineages and documented histories despite the total destruction of physical infrastructure inside the Palestinian territories.
We need more UNRWA like people in the UN.
🥺 Incredible work on their part. Thank you for sharing about it.
This is actually incredible news. Given their effort to erase every aspect of Palestinian history, heritage, and culture, having these records slip through their fingers is a setback for 'Israel'. Well done to the UNRWA staff involved, they pulled this off under genuine threat of violence and persecution by the zionist entity. This way, these documents remain a potential legal threat-in-being to the apartheid colony.
For every bit of fecklessness displayed by the UN as a whole, it's important to recognize many of the workers with organizations like UNRWA are genuinely committed to their mission statement and willing to put their lives on the line for those ideals. Very noble people indeed, and they should be commended at every opportunity.
Syria's self-appointed president receives invite to attend G7 summit in France: Report
Damascus is in the midst of an economic crisis that has seen prices of fuel and electricity skyrocket, even as 90 percent of the population lives in poverty
Egypt pressures world's leading Sunni Islam authority to ‘back UAE’ against Iran: Report The Al-Azhar institution has released multiple statements condemning Iran’s strikes on the UAE
https://t.me/thecradlemedia/60065
Fitnah according to Arab Sunnis
Common Sunni Arab behavior. Yo speak so passionately about the "state of the Ummah" and how the Muslim world needs to be united together along with other pan-islamist platitudes. But the moment it comes time for action and unite with Shias in Iran, silence persists. The "Ummah" only extends as far as the border with Persia.
Ahhh, as a Shiite I gotta say, with "brothers" like these who needs enemies?
💠 Passage of 31 vessels including oil tankers, container ships, and other commercial ships coordinated by the IRGC Navy through the Strait of Hormuz
🔹 According to the Public Relations of the IRGC Navy, in the past 24 hours, 31 vessels including oil tankers, container ships, and other commercial ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz with coordination and security provided by the IRGC Navy.
🔹 The IRGC Navy announced: Despite the aggression of the terrorist US military and the unprecedented insecurity created throughout the Persian Gulf, especially in the Strait of Hormuz, the IRGC Navy endeavored to establish a clear and safe route for passage and the continuation of global trade.
💠 Note / Yadollah Rabiei
"Iranian Doctrine"; Power from the heart of the night, deterrence against the enemy
🔹 We are passing the eighty-second night of the "Third Imposed War." The skies of Tehran, Tabriz, Isfahan, and hundreds of other cities and villages witness every night a scene that does not fit into any of the usual rules of modern wars.
🔹 Streets full of people who are not there for celebration or protest, but to "pledge allegiance to the leadership" and "support the armed forces." This scene is not an ordinary "march"; this is the formation of the "Iranian Doctrine."
🔹 1. A doctrine that does not fear "infiltration"
In classical deterrence theories, power was summarized in three components: "military capability," "resilient economy," and "strategic alliance with allies." But what is seen on Iran's war nights is a fourth component that has disrupted the equations: "the voluntary and repeated presence of the people at the heart of the threat." This presence, unlike daily political gatherings, occurs in the dead of night and at hours when the enemy's psychological warfare to convey the "loneliness of the regime" peaks.
🔹 2. Producing "collective power" at minimal cost
Every gathering and nightly march multiplies the enemy's operational costs.
For Western analysts, calculating the "cost-benefit ratio" of aggression against Iran is no longer based solely on air defense and missiles. The new question is: "Can a territory be occupied where every night at least 10 million people take to the streets as a sign of allegiance to the leadership and the Commander-in-Chief?" This is the "people's deterrence" that has no place in conventional asymmetric warfare theories.
🔹 3. Defeat of the "narrative war" in the first hours.
In the first weeks of the war,
The think tanks of the Zionist regime had designed three scenarios:
"Gap between leadership and people"
"Erosion of armed forces' morale due to casualties"
"Wave of economic protests simultaneous with attacks"
But what happened was the complete opposite of these scenarios. The nightly gatherings turned allegiance to the leadership into a "national shout."
🔹 4. From the "Third Imposed War" to the "Enemy's Forced Peace"
The enemy entered the war to "impose its will"; but faced the "Iranian Doctrine." Historical experience has shown that whenever Iran has been able to tie the "people" to the "national security zone," the equations have shifted in its favor.
🔹 The Third Imposed War, with "nightly presence," has displayed a new depth of this doctrine.
This doctrine sends a clear message to the White House and Kiryat: "No longer can you bring the Islamic Republic to its knees with sanctions, military threats, or psychological operations."
🌐 Read the full text here (https://sepahnews.ir/00099w)
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Intelligence:
After the unsuccessful attacks of June 13 and March 23, and the collapse of the blockade on April 13, the White House's assumptions regarding the ease and speed of operations against the Islamic Republic of Iran proved to be incorrect.
- US intelligence agencies concluded: "Time is not on our side, and to escape this multi-layered predicament, Iran's initiative and threat must be taken seriously."
@SimurghRes
🇮🇷❌️🇺🇸🇧🇭🇦🇪 — Ali Akbar Velayati, Advisor to the Supreme Leader for International Affairs:
－Washington will have no foothold left in the West Asia region.
－The UAE and Bahrain have taken the worst stances regarding the American-Israeli aggression against Iran.
@SimurghRes
— 🇮🇷 NEW: The Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) has published an official map of Iran’s area of supervision over the Strait of Hormuz
@Middle_East_Spectator
https://t.me/Middle_East_Spectator/32252
🇮🇷| Iran’s IRGC warns the US/Israel following threats:
“Let the American-Zionist enemy, which has not learned from its repeated major & strategic defeats to Iran while once again opened its mouth to threats, know this:
Although they attacked us with the full capability of 2 armies, among the most expensive armies in the world, we did not bring all of our capacities into action against them.
But now, if aggression against Iran is repeated, the regional war that had been promised will this time be extended beyond the region (❗️). Our crushing blows, in places you cannot even imagine, will bring you to ruin.
We are men of war, and you will see our power on the battlefield… not in hollow statements and on social media pages (diss on Trump).
@FotrosResistancee
🇮🇷🇺🇸| Iran’s MFA spokesman to IRNA:
None of the speculations raised in recent days regarding various aspects of the negotiations are confirmed.
At this stage, the focus of the negotiations is on ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon, and the claims made in the media about nuclear issues, including HEU materials or enrichment discussions, are merely media speculations and lack credibility.
@FotrosResistancee
⭐️Reuters:
Some ships pay Iran more than $150,000 to guarantee passage through the Strait of Hormuz.
The fees for ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz are not imposed on all countries.
The new Iranian mechanism in the Strait of Hormuz gives priority to ships associated with Russia and China.
"The affiliation document" that ships are required to provide in exchange for passing through Hormuz confirms their lack of ties with America or Tel Aviv.
Countries wishing to have their ships pass through the Strait of Hormuz must contact the Iranian Foreign Minister.
🇺🇸The US Central Command claims:
Earlier today in the Gulf of Oman, US Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit seized the commercial oil ship M/T Celestial Sea, which was flying the Iranian flag, and which was suspected of attempting to violate the US blockade by heading towards an Iranian port.
The US forces released the ship after inspecting it and ordering the ship's crew to change its course.
I guess they realized that seizing ships means they have to actually take them somewhere.
🏴☠️A senior Israeli official: The resumption of the attack on Iran seems to be just a matter of time.
https://t.me/naya_foriraq/75769
🇺🇸🏴☠️As part of the military preparations against the Zionist-American enemy... Scenes showing numerous American refueling aircraft at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel.
Video in https://t.me/naya_foriraq/75759
⭐️On behalf of the honorable people of the world.. An activist spits on an Israeli soldier during the abduction and mistreatment of the peaceful activists of the Freedom Flotilla.
Video in https://t.me/naya_foriraq/75770
💠 IRGC Navy: Passage through the Strait of Hormuz is being conducted with permission and coordination with the IRGC Navy
🔹 According to the IRGC Navy Public Relations, in the past 24 hours, 26 vessels including oil tankers, container ships, and other commercial ships have passed through the Strait of Hormuz with coordination and security provided by the IRGC Navy.
🔹 The IRGC Navy announced: Passage through the Strait of Hormuz is being conducted with permission and coordination with the IRGC Navy.
💠 Speaker of the Parliament: We will make the enemy regret any renewed aggression against Iran
Dr. Qalibaf:
🔹 The enemy's overt and covert movements show that they are seeking a new round of war.
🔹 The people can be assured that our military forces have used the ceasefire opportunity in the best way to rebuild their capabilities.
🔹 We will make the enemy regret any renewed aggression against Iran.
🔹 Ensuring the stable supply of essential goods must be the top priority of all officials.
🔹 With jihadi management and maintaining cohesion and unity under the guidance of the dear Leader of the Revolution, these conditions can turn into an opportunity to further strengthen national solidarity.
🔹 By the blessing of the blood of our martyred Leader and other martyrs, and with the support of the appointed nation, it is the people of Iran who, by winning this war, will gift a independent, united, powerful, and advanced Iran to their future generations.
💠 Message from Hezbollah fighters addressed to Sheikh Naim Qassem: We will continue the battle until the end of the occupation
🔹 The fighters of the Islamic Resistance of Lebanon, in a message addressed to Sheikh Naim Qassem, Secretary-General of Hezbollah, reaffirmed their allegiance and emphasized the continuation of operations until the end of the occupation by the Zionist regime.
🔹 The resistance fighters in this message expressed gratitude for Sheikh Naim Qassem's letter and described it as a sign of his fatherly care and exemplary leadership towards the frontline forces.
🔹 The letter states that the resistance fighters target the Zionist army's weapons, vehicles, and tanks daily, giving the regime's soldiers "lasting lessons."
🔹 The authors of this message stressed that the resistance will not allow the occupiers to stabilize in southern Lebanon and that operations will continue until Israel withdraws from Lebanese territory.
🇮🇷| IRGC forces in Hormozgan have so far neutralized 850+ unexploded items left from the Ramadan war, including:
• 600+ bomblets from cluster bombs.
• Cruise missiles such as JASSM & Tomahawk.
• Air-launched bombs/missiles like GBU and BLU.
• 125+ one-way attack drones, incl Orbiter, Harop, and Lucas (Shahed-136 copy)
• Various electronic equipment left on land and at sea.
🇺🇸🇮🇷 On the Next US Attack on Iran...
A US war of aggression is like a rocket launch. It depends on a multitude of factors being ready or "go" for launch.
If any critical system is not ready at a particular time, then the launch is scrubbed and rescheduled for the next available window.
Trump isn't in charge of anything and makes zero decisions - except (maybe) the color tie he wears. He is not setting dates or conditions for attacks. He simply sells these decisions to the public.
US war against Iran has been planned and prepared for over decades and will "launch" when the unelected corporate interests actually driving US policy say it is "go," based on conditions within material reality - not on an "elected" politician's whims.
These conditions likely include available stockpiles, rates of replaced munitions, force postures (both US and Iranian), economic factors, etc.
Iran and its allies are even able to change these considerations by introducing additional means of deterrence that complicate US objectives necessitating additional preparations by the US to overcome such deterrence.
Many of these factors are secretive - all we can say for certain is that the US does not seek peace and will eventually restart hostilities, it is only a matter of "when."
The purpose of further US attacks would be to provoke further degradation of regional energy exports (not just Iranian energy exports) to further cut off China and the rest of Asia, and enhance the ongoing US blockade of Iran.
Yes, the ultimate goal is toppling Iran's government but there are many more immediate objectives and wider global objectives the US is pursuing as it targets any one single nation for eventual regime change.
Again, US policy is not dictated by figureheads like Trump or Hegseth.
It is directed by continuity of agenda and the interests behind it - the same interests behind Iraq, Libya, Syria, Venezuela, and Iran, spanning multiple US presidential administrations...
A new report from the UN Human Rights office today said Israel has imposed “on Palestinians conditions of life increasingly incompatible with their continued existence in Gaza as a group.”
It got no media attention.
— 🇺🇸/🇮🇷/⚽️ NEW: FIFA has banned the monarchist Lion and Sun flag at the 2026 World Cup – NYT
Just like in 2022, fans will not be permitted entry into stadiums carrying any flag other the official flag of the Islamic Republic of Iran.
@Middle_East_Spectator
https://t.me/Middle_East_Spectator/32215
Pahlavists get fucked.
🇺🇸- After eight attempts, the U.S. Senate has finally advanced a War Powers Resolution limiting military activities in Iran, passing it by a vote of 50-47. Four Republicans voted in favor: Susan Collins, Bill Cassidy, Lisa Murkowski, and Rand Paul, while Democrat John Fetterman broke with his party to vote against.
@GeoPWatch
https://t.me/Middle_East_Spectator/32216
🇺🇸- The resolution will now proceed to a full Senate vote. If it passes there, it moves to the House of Representatives, where it would need to pass as well.
➡️ If both chambers pass it, it then goes to Donald Trump, who would almost certainly veto it given his position on the Iran conflict.
➡️ To override a presidential veto, both the Senate and the House would need a two-thirds majority, a very high bar that would require a significant number of Republicans to break with Trump, which is considered unlikely given the current political climate.
@GeoPWatch
https://t.me/Middle_East_Spectator/32217
US democracy in action.
It's hilarious because even if it got through, through some miracle, the Trump administration would just ignore it anyway. lmao
Garbage democracy at work. All useless theater, but the imperialist machine will carry on.
🇺🇸🇮🇷 Watch Admiral Cooper dodge answering questions about the double tap strike on the school in Minab.
🔴 @DDGeopolitics | Socials | Donate | Advertising
Video: https://t.me/DDGeopolitics/184476
Disgusting genocidal pig.
Iran's MFA had this to say:
🇺🇸Trump: Everyone tells me that a war against Iran is unpopular, but I think it's very popular. When they hear that it's about nuclear weapons capable of destroying Los Angeles, when we explain it to people - I don't have enough time to explain it to them.
Video in https://t.me/naya_foriraq/75691
"People tell me raping kids is unpopular, but I think they'd find it very popular, if I tell them that if we don't rape these kids, the Earth will explode. I just don't have time to explain to them that not raping kids will destroy the planet."
The Congressional Research Service just listed the 42 US aircraft lost or damaged so far during the war with Iran.
- 4 x F-15E Strike Eagles destroyed
- 1 x F-35A damaged by Iranian ground fire
- 1 x A-10 destroyed
- 7 x KC-135 Stratotankers (2 destroyed, 5 damaged)
- 1 x E-3 Sentry AWACS damaged
- 2 x MC-130J destroyed
- 1 x HH-60W helicopter damaged by small arms fire
- 24 x MQ-9 Reapers destroyed
- 1 x MQ-4C Triton destroyed
https://t.me/FotrosResistancee/21666
This is the "damaged" AWACS
Is the definition of destroyed different nowadaysm
https://t.me/FotrosResistancee/21667
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