Crooked Bough News Round-up

— Iranian Jewish Association Describe Israel as “Ominous Zionist Regime” After Israeli Strikes Destroy Historic Synagogue on Passover

 

at 4/9/26 2:09pm

A historic synagogue in Tehran, originally built in 1958, was destroyed on the Jewish holiday of Passover by Israeli airstrikes on April 7th. The Rafi-Nia Synagogue, located in central Tehran, was one of the longstanding institutions serving Iran’s Jewish community. Constructed in 1958, it stood as both a place of worship and a symbol of the deep historical roots of Judaism in Iran, which stretch back more than two millennia. “We are Iranian Jews and we are always ready to sacrifice our lives for our homeland,” Bihdad Mikhail, managing director of the Tehran Jewish Association, told MintPress News as he held back his tears while carrying Jewish books that were destroyed by Israeli airstrikes. The Mikhail told MintPress that the Jewish community in Iran is vehemently anti-Zionist and have vowed their loyalty to their Iranian homeland against Israeli attacks. The Mikhail told MintPress that the Jewish community in Iran is vehemently anti-Zionist and have vowed their loyalty to their Iranian homeland against Israeli attacks. Watch Our Video Report   View this post on Instagram   Raw video footage and interviews with the synagogue director however show that the building was completely leveled, with religious materials, including Torah scrolls, buried beneath the rubble. Israel denies deliberately targeting the historic synagogue, with Israeli officials describing the damage as collateral. Raw video footage and interviews with the synagogue director however show that the building was completely leveled, with religious materials, including Torah scrolls, buried beneath the rubble. Israel denies deliberately targeting the historic synagogue, with Israeli officials describing the damage as “collateral”. The strike has been condemned not only by Iranian officials but also by members of Iran’s Jewish community who told MintPress that “Israel is an ominous Zionist regime”. Representatives of the community have emphasized that the synagogue was a purely religious space, with no military function, underscoring the broader implications of the attack. The destruction of the Rafi-Nia Synagogue highlights the often-overlooked reality of Iran’s Jewish population. Contrary to common perceptions, Iran is home to one of the largest Jewish communities in the Middle East outside of Israel, with more than 10,000 Jews and approximately 100 active synagogues across the country. These communities have maintained religious life and cultural traditions for generations. Judaism is one of the main recognized religions by the Iranian government providing religious protection to this community. For many, the attack raises troubling questions about the widening scope of the conflict. Religious and cultural sites have historically been protected under international law, yet recent weeks have seen increasing reports of damage to UNESCO heritage sites across Iran, either directly or through nearby strikes. The timing of the strike has also intensified outrage. Reports indicate that the attack occurred during a period of religious observance, amplifying concerns that places of worship are no longer being treated as protected spaces in the expanding war. Beyond the immediate destruction, the loss of the synagogue represents a deeper cultural blow. Sites like the Rafi-Nia Synagogue are not only places of worship but also repositories of history, identity, and communal memory. Their destruction erases physical links to longstanding minority communities that have coexisted within Iran for centuries. While Israel claims to be a “Jewish State”, this latest attack against an Iranian synagogue shows Israel’s actions are rooted in destruction, genocide and an attempt to sow chaos. The post Iranian Jewish Association Describe Israel as Ominous Zionist Regime” After Israeli Strikes Destroy Historic Synagogue on Passover appeared first on MintPress News.

[Category: Behind The Headlines, Foreign Affairs, Front Page: Foreign Affairs, Investigations, News, Top Story, What's Hot, antisemitism, Iran war, Israel, Rafi-Nia Synagogue]

— US & Israel Bomb 307+ Medical Facilities in Iran Carrying on Long Tradition of Targeting Medical Workers

 

at 4/9/26 1:23pm

The United States and Israel are systematically targeting hospitals in Iran. In one month of bombing, the two countries have hit at least 307 health centers across the country, according to reports from the Iranian Red Crescent. The carefully planned destruction of the Islamic Republic’s medical infrastructure fits into a long history of deliberate U.S. attacks on hospitals. Since the end of World War Two, Washington has targeted medical centers in at least 16 countries, and the 307 Iranian sites hit does not even come close to the record for the number of hospitals in any country destroyed by American bombs and missiles. Iranian Destruction There was no warning. U.S. and Israeli airstrikes hit Gandhi Hotel Hospital in northern Tehran on March 1, and again on March 2. Locals were fasting for Ramadan as missiles tore into the building, shattering glass and wrecking its neo-natal unit and ICU. Completed in 2009 and described as “beacon” of Iranian medicine and one of the most advanced medical centers in West Asia, the 17-storey building was among the country’s most important hospitals. Images of the aftermath show a once proud building in ruins, with floor after floor devastated. Gandhi Hotel Hospital is one of more than 300 medical centers that have been hit by U.S. and Israeli strikes. Nine days afterward, on March 11, the Persian Gulf Martyrs Educational and Medical Center in Bushehr on Iran’s southern coast was targeted and severely damaged. Missile explosions destroyed much of the hospital’s medical equipment. Even as the glass was still falling, authorities made the decision to rush patients to the nearby Nuclear Scientists Martyrs Hospital, despite the fear of a double-tap strike, like the ones often seen in Israeli attacks on Palestine. On March 21, the Imam Ali Hospital in Andimeshk, Khuzestan Province, was targeted. Video footage from the aftermath of the attack shows wards, waiting rooms, and corridors completely devastated, with both walls and roofs collapsing under the strain of U.S./Israeli bombardment. The Imam Ali is Andimeshk’s only hospital, and patients were forced to be bussed to healthcare facilities in other cities, according to Hossein Kermanpour, head of public relations for the Iranian Ministry of Health. I wish [Donald Trump and Benjamin Netanyahu] understood that this is a crime against humanity,” he said. Other medical infrastructure, including a first responders’ center, an Iranian Red Crescent office, and the Pasteur Institute, a medical research laboratory, have also been hit. “What message does attacking hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and the Pasteur Institute as a medical research center in Iran convey?” asked Iranian president Masoud Pezeshkian; “As a specialist physician, I urge WHO, the Red Cross, Doctors Without Borders and physicians worldwide to respond to this crime against humanity.” The attacks have been largely ignored by Western media. Few newspapers or TV news reports have even mentioned the damage to the country’s healthcare system, let alone centered it as a major news story. The U.S.’ Long History of Bombing Hospitals President Trump has a history of targeting medical facilities. Last year, U.S. forces carried out 14 separate airstrikes on the Al Rasool Al-Azam Oncology Hospital in Saada, Yemen, the centerpiece of the country’s healthcare network. For a full investigation into the attack, and the U.S.’ long history of targeting civilian medical infrastructure around the world, see the MintPress News report: “With Yemen Attack, U.S. Continues Long History of Deliberately Bombing Hospitals.” Repeated attacks against hospitals is more of a pattern than an aberration for Trump. In 2017, the U.S. carried out 20 strikes against a hospital in Raqqa, Syria, using white phosphorous munitions to do so, killing at least 30 civilians in the process. Trump’s predecessor, Barack Obama, was not less fond of targeting healthcare facilities. In 2015, his administration ordered a bombing campaign against a Doctors Without Borders hospital in Kunduz, Afghanistan. The building was one of the largest and most recognizable in the city, and an internal inquiry found that the airmen aboard the gunship pushed back against the order, citing its illegality. They were overruled and forced to carry out the strike, killing at least 42 people. Obama’s attack on Doctors Without Borders marked the only time in history that one Nobel Peace Prize winner has attacked another one. During his time in office, Obama bombed seven countries, including Libya, where U.S. planes struck a hospital in Zliten, leveling it completely. At least 11 people were killed in the operation. Perhaps no nation on Earth has felt the impact of American power in the 21st century as badly as Iraq. Successive administrations attacked critical infrastructure there, including in 2003, when President Bush bombed the Red Crescent Maternity Hospital in Baghdad. While many were killed in the strike, the real death toll, as UNICEF noted, was far higher, as with no medical care, maternal mortality spiked after the attack. The 1990s is often remembered in the West as a time of peace. Yet President Clinton used the period to target medical infrastructure in three separate countries. In Yugoslavia, U.S. planes bombed a number of hospitals, including dropping now-banned cluster munitions on a facility in Niš, killing at least 15 people. In Somalia in 1993, U.S. soldiers carried out a mortar attack against the Digfer Hospital in Mogadishu, destroying the building’s main reception area. They then proceeded to bomb the journalists attempting to cover the incident. Meanwhile, in Sudan, Clinton ordered a hit on the Al-Shifa medicine factory in Sudan. Fourteen cruise missiles pounded the plant, turning what had been the largest producer of medicine in the country into a pile of twisted metal. The German Ambassador to Sudan estimated that, without the antibiotics, antimalarials, and other drugs it produced, the true death toll of the strike was in the “tens of thousands.” Few Americans know about this incident. The 1980s were a dangerous time to be a doctor in a country designated for regime change. The U.S. invaded Grenada in 1983, in order to put an end to the socialist revolution on the Caribbean island. In the process, it bombed the Richmond Hill Mental Hospital, killing dozens. In El Salvador, U.S.-backed death squads flying in American aircraft stormed a hospital in San Ildefonso, killing five people. Paratroopers also kidnapped, raped, and tortured the staff, including French nurse Madeleine Lagadec, causing a major diplomatic incident. Between 1981 and 1984, at least 63 health centers in Nicaragua were forced to close, due to attacks from U.S.-backed and trained “Contra” death squads, whom President Reagan labeled “the moral equivalent of our Founding Fathers.” The violence meted out on Asia by the U.S., however, was on another level entirely. Bombing hospitals was official (if unstated) policy. “The bigger the hospital, the better it was,” said former Army intelligence specialist Allan Stevenson, explaining the U.S. military’s position on Vietnam. The most well-documented case of U.S. attacks on Vietnamese medical infrastructure occurred in December 1972, when American planes dropped over 100 bombs on the giant Bach Mai Hospital in Hanoi, killing at least 28 staff and an unconfirmed number of patients. During a Congressional hearing on clandestine activities in Laos and Cambodia, lawmakers were told that bombing of hospitals in those countries was “routine.” To this day, Laos remains the most bombed country in history. North Korea, however, suffered the brunt of American attacks. In the course of the Korean War, the U.S. military destroyed an estimated 1,000 hospitals through bombing, as entire cities were leveled. Professor Bruce Cummings, Americas foremost expert on Korea, estimates that the U.S. killed around 25% of the entire North Korean population between 1950 and 1953. Israeli Crimes and American Dreams Israel, of course, is no stranger to bombing hospitals, either. Virtually every health center in Gaza has been damaged or destroyed. Israeli Defense Forces snipers have targeted healthcare workers inside hospitals, and have kidnapped, and tortured doctors. A particularly noteworthy example is that of Adnan Al-Bursh, head of orthopedics at al-Shifa Hospital. In December 2023, al-Bursh was arrested and detained for months, and was likely raped to death by IDF troops. Israel is now systematically targeting Lebanons health system, as it did with Palestine, shelling hospitals deep inside the country. As a result, at least 57 Lebanese healthcare workers have died. The U.S. attacks on Iranian infrastructure are part of a wider regime change operation aimed at overthrowing the Islamic Republic and installing a U.S.-compliant administration. In recent times, Washington has assassinated the countrys supreme leader, carried out protracted economic warfare that has seriously harmed Iran, and fomented protests aimed at destabilizing and dislodging the government. Trump also confirmed that his administration smuggled arms to Kurdish groups and to protestors leading the recent anti-government demonstrations – a key factor in the violence that erupted. Thus, while systematic U.S./Israeli attacks on Iranian hospitals are shocking acts, they fit into a clear pattern stretching back over 80 years. As cataloged here, the United States has bombed healthcare infrastructure in at least 16 countries since the end of World War Two. Hitting hospitals may be a war crime, but it is as American as apple pie.Alan MacLeod is Senior Staff Writer for MintPress News. He completed his PhD in 2017 and has since authored two acclaimed books: Bad News From Venezuela: Twenty Years of Fake News and Misreporting and Propaganda in the Information Age: Still Manufacturing Consent, as well as a number of academic articles. He has also contributed to FAIR.org, The Guardian, Salon, The Grayzone, Jacobin Magazine, and Common Dreams. Follow Alan on Twitter for more of his work and commentary: @AlanRMacLeod.   The post US & Israel Bomb 307+ Medical Facilities in Iran Carrying on Long Tradition of Targeting Medical Workers appeared first on MintPress News.

[Category: News, Top Story, Gandhi Hotel Hospital, Gaza, Iran, Israel]

— Inside the U.S. F-15E Rescue Cover-Up: Contradictions, Costs, and a Failed Mission in Iran

 

at 4/8/26 12:09pm

Behind The Headlines – The F-15E rescue Iran operation, sold by the Trump administration as a biblical triumph, stands exposed as one of the most costly and contradictory failures in modern military history. Not only did it set back the US taxpayer over $300 million dollars, Iran now claims that they foiled an attempt to seize the nation’s highly enriched uranium – explains geopolitical analyst Robert Inlakesh in this weeks MintPress Livestream. A triumphant success of biblical proportions, was the way US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth described his nation’s mission to evacuate two fighter pilots, whose F-15E fighter jet was downed over Iran’s Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad province. You see, shot down on a Friday —Good Friday — hidden in a cave — a crevice — all of Saturday and rescued on Sunday. Flown out of Iran as the sun was rising on Easter Sunday, a pilot reborn. All home and accounted for. A nation rejoicing. God is good, stated Hegseth. Yet, the narrative presented in Washington appears to be covered in holes. On April 1, US President Donald Trump delivered an address to the nation, during which he claimed that Iran “have no anti-aircraft equipment, their radars 100 percent annihilated, we are unstoppable as a military force”. Only days later, news broke that Iran had downed the F-15 fighter jet. During the first day of the American search and rescue mission, which took place around 30 miles from the Persian Gulf coast, two UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopters were damaged. An A-10 Warthog attack aircraft was also shot down, while another allegedly crash landed earlier around the time the F-15 was brought down. The cost of an A-10 Wartog is said to be around $20 million, yet they are expensive to maintain parts for and some projections put their total estimated cost closer to $120 million. The UH-60 Blackhawk Helicopters usually cost around $20 million, but can range up to $80 million for more advanced versions. After reclaiming the first pilot, the second rescue mission proved even more costly. A total of two C-130 transport aircraft were destroyed, totalling at $100 Million each. It was reported that four MH-6 Little Bird Helicopters were destroyed also, costing around 4.5 million each, in addition to at least one MQ-9 Reaper Drone worth $56.5 million. What makes this more devastating for the US is that it happened at a remote airstrip in the southern Isfahan Province, some 250 miles away from the pilot rescue zone. The location where the mass destruction of US aircraft occurred was a cause for various critical questions. The US President attempted to explain the situation away by declaring that the US landed in seven different locations in order to distract the Iranian military. Trump’s bid to dismiss the inconsistencies in the narrative only worked as a cause for even greater speculation, as he claimed that 155 aircraft were deployed for the second rescue mission. According to the Wall Street Journal, only 21 planes were used during the operation to extract the first pilot. Tehran provided a counter claim that they had indeed foiled a separate plot by American special forces teams, asserting that the aircraft which were destroyed were in fact involved in an attempt to go after nearby nuclear facilities. Iranian State-broadcaster PressTV then released an exclusive report, providing details on what reportedly transpired, stating that “the real objective was to infiltrate and attack one of Irans nuclear facilities in Isfahan” and Iran’s security forces had prepared an ambush for the invading soldiers:   “The Iranian Armed Forces, including the Army, Law Enforcement (Faraja), the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC), and local popular forces, initially did not show a serious reaction to the landing of the first C-130, which was carrying dozens of special forces commandos.”   The report then goes on to claim that “Evidence shows this aircraft veered somewhat off the runway while landing at the abandoned dirt airstrip. Minutes later, a second C-130 aircraft approached, carrying specialized vehicles, several MH-6 Little Bird helicopters, and other support equipment. At that moment, Iranian forces on the scene targeted the second aircraft before it could land, turning its normal landing into an emergency one. Two Black Hawk helicopters also arrived shortly after.” It also details a clash having occurred between both sides, which turned the attempted landing, aimed at infiltrating a nearby nuclear facility, into an evacuation mission to save the special forces soldiers who were coming under Iranian fire. Other inconsistencies appeared, like claims that the second airman was seriously injured, but still managed to trek countless miles through Iran’s mountainous terrain. It is unclear when this serious injury was inflicted and what condition the pilot is in today. The official American account as to why they ended up losing such large transport aircraft in a location far away from the F-15 crash site, was that it was all part of the rescue mission and perhaps a distraction. They also claim that the C-130’s got “stuck in the mud”, thus had to be destroyed in order to prevent them falling into Iranian hands. Robert Inlakesh is a political analyst, journalist and documentary filmmaker currently based in London, UK. He has reported from and lived in the occupied Palestinian territories and hosts the show ‘Palestine Files’. Director of ‘Steal of the Century: Trump’s Palestine-Israel Catastrophe’. Follow him on Twitter @falasteen47 The post Inside the U.S. F-15E Rescue Cover-Up: Contradictions, Costs, and a Failed Mission in Iran appeared first on MintPress News.

[Category: Behind The Headlines, Top Story]

— Iran War Blowback: Iraqi Resistance Targets U.S. Forces in Biggest Escalation Since 2003

 

at 4/2/26 1:59pm

The US-Israeli attack on Iran has revived a 23 year old war front in Iraq, a blowback against the US military that continues over two decades after the US invasion and occupation of Iraq. Unlike in 2003, today’s Iraqi resistance is proving capable of successfully combating American forces and it appears to be adapting tactics used in the Russia-Ukraine war. A force, born out of the disastrous rise of Daesh (ISIS) in Iraq, is now turning its guns on another invading army, reviving bad blood between Washington and Baghdad that spans decades. The Iraqi front in the ongoing regional war could prove to be one of the most decisive, as the Popular Mobilisation Units (PMU/PMF/Hashd al-Sha’abi) could muster up to 250,000 fighters if fully mobilised. Following Iran’s March 1st announcement of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei’s assassination, a series of Iraqi armed factions began launching drone and missile attacks against a broad range of US military targets throughout the country. Most prominent amongst them have been Saraya Awilya al-Dam (Guardians of the Blood Brigades) and an umbrella group called the Islamic Resistance in Iraq. Awliya al-Dam emerged back in 2020 and only began to advertise itself publicly in the months leading up to the US-Israeli assault on Iran; publishing videos of its fighters operating in underground tunnel systems, displaying its arsenal of drones and rockets. It was once described as a “minor facade group” by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy (WINEP) pro-war think tank, but has since debunked this characterisation. The Islamic Resistance in Iraq declared itself on October 17, 2023, before launching attacks on US forces stationed at Ain al-Assad air base in the nation’s Anbar Province, followed by a string of attacks on US and Israeli targets, declaring its operations in support of Gaza. Notably, it claimed responsibility for the downing of a US KC-135 refuelling aircraft, “using appropriate weapons”, that killed 6 American crewmembers. By March 14, when the second successful missile attack against the US embassy in Baghdad had taken place, Washington had officially called upon all Americans to flee Iraq. The remaining military personnel in the country, most of whom appear to be located inside the Baghdad embassy Greenzone and the Victoria base, with the rest concentrated in the northern Iraqi-Kurdistan region, are being hunted by Iraqi armed groups. On March 20, hailed as a major achievement by the Iraqi resistance factions, NATO forces declared a full departure from Iraq due to the ongoing war. Only a week prior, a French soldier had been killed and Italian troops also came under fire, as Iraqi drone strikes targeted NATO-affiliated military sites. Some of the more shocking military developments have been the successful utilisation of drones to penetrate American military bases and effectively take out air defence radars. For example, one of the most powerful groups within the PMU, Kataeb Hezbollah, used FPV Drones to attack a warehouse located at the Victory Base in Baghdad, doing so unchallenged by any air defence fire. FPV drones, which are credited with inflicting a large percentage of battleground casualties during the Russia-Ukraine war, were also used by the Islamic Resistance in Iraq to destroy an American AN/MPQ-64 Sentinel radar, along with a UH-60M Black Hawk helicopter. To make things worse on Washington, following a series of US strikes that killed 15 PMU members, Baghdad’s National Security Council chair, Prime Minister Mohammed al-Sudani, officially authorised the group to act in “self defence”. This was broadly interpreted as a greenlight for Iraqi operations against US forces in the country.  Yet it is not only the Iraqi arena in which the PMU and its affiliates are a factor. For example, this Tuesday the Secretary General of the Sayyed al-Shuhada Brigades in Iraq, Abu Ala’ al-Walai, openly proclaimed that “should American forces use Kuwaiti territory as a launching point for an attack on Iran, the Axis of Resistance, within the framework of the Unity of Fronts, will consider this a breach of regional security borders.” “Reports are circulating regarding Al-Jolanis intention to cross borders and move within Lebanese territory in a manner that serves Zionist forces against Lebanon. Accordingly, if either of these two scenarios materializes, it will inevitably compel the Axis of Resistance to take similar steps, according to the equation of reciprocal response in breaching regional borders”, the Iraqi armed group leader also asserted. Later that same day, Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara’a (otherwise known as Abu Mohammed al-Jolani), stated publicly that he will not interfere in Lebanon, adding the caveat that such action would not take place unless Syria comes under attack first. This announcement also came amidst growing speculation that Damascus would order an assault due to US pressure. The disastrous Iraq War ended up costing the United States around $728 billion between 2003 to 2012, according to Pentagon estimates. Around 4,492 US servicemembers were also killed in Iraq, with another 32,292 having been wounded. In total, around 1 million deaths are often cited to have occurred as a result of the conflict.  As part of the war’s blowback and the rise of Al-Qaeda in Iraq, later came the scourge of Daesh that again justified the US’s direct re-entrance to the nation’s conflict in 2014. It was the expansion of ISIS and its pure brutality that triggered the necessity of an Iraqi ground force capable of confronting it, which is when the PMU was formed with the help of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). It will be 23 years, come May 1, since former US President George Bush Jr. declared “mission accomplished”, yet American soldiers are still coming under fire in Iraq today, all as President Donald Trump insists that his similarly illegal war of aggression has already also “been won”.  The post Iran War Blowback: Iraqi Resistance Targets U.S. Forces in Biggest Escalation Since 2003 appeared first on MintPress News.

[Category: Daily Digest, Foreign Affairs, Nation, National, News, Top Story, Bush Administration, Iran war, Iraq War, Iraqi resistance]

— Global Energy Shock: Iran Turns Hormuz Into A Toll Gate Challenging Petrodollar

 

at 4/2/26 1:43pm

Iran has taken its control over the Strait of Hormuz to the next level, effectively moving toward a “toll booth” system on one of the world’s most critical energy routes. According to Reuters, Iranian officials and lawmakers are actively considering imposing transit fees on ships passing through the strait, with proposals to charge countries for the movement of oil, gas, and even food supplies in Chinese Yuan. Bloomberg has further reported that vessels are increasingly being required to follow Iranian-coordinated routes and protocols, signaling a shift from free navigation to controlled passage. Roughly 20% of global oil flows through Hormuz. By restricting access to Western and Gulf Arab states assisting the US and Israel in the war and attaching conditions to transit, Iran is not just disrupting supply — it is directly challenging the foundation of U.S. global economic dominance: the petrodollar system. This was a major underestimation by the Trump Administration.  For decades, Washington’s power has rested on its ability to control oil flows and ensure that energy is traded in U.S. dollars. This system has guaranteed global demand for the dollar and given the United States immense leverage over international trade. Iran’s move threatens both. If oil passing through Hormuz begins shifting away from dollar-based transactions, it could accelerate the erosion of one of the key pillars of American influence. Even U.S. President Donald Trump appeared caught off guard by the scale of Iran’s response. In recent remarks, he admitted he “didn’t think they would react this strongly,” while also acknowledging that Iran has proven to be “very strong” under pressure. That admission points to a deeper miscalculation. The immediate consequences are already visible. Oil prices have surged sharply – up to $120 per barrel of oil– with markets warning of further increases if disruptions continue. But the ripple effects extend far beyond fuel. Energy is embedded in nearly every sector of the global economy — from transportation and manufacturing to agriculture. As energy costs rise, so do the costs of producing fertilizers, transporting goods, and maintaining supply chains. The result is a cascade effect that ultimately lands on consumers, particularly through rising food prices. Analysts warn that households across Western economies could face significant increases in grocery costs of up 20% as these pressures build. Economist Richard Wolff has described the current moment as part of a broader historical shift away from U.S. dominance. “We are witnessing the decline of an empire,” Wolff has argued, pointing to Washington’s growing inability to dictate global economic outcomes as it once did. That shift is being accelerated by the alignment of major global powers. China and Russia have both deepened their economic and strategic ties with Iran, forming part of a broader bloc of countries seeking alternatives to U.S.-led financial systems. This alignment strengthens the position of BRICS nations and signals a move toward a multipolar world where economic power is more widely distributed. For many countries in the Global South, this represents an opportunity to reduce dependence on the dollar and gain greater control over their own economic policies. But while some stand to gain, others are being exposed. Nowhere is this more evident than in the Gulf Arab states. Countries like Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates have long been portrayed as pillars of wealth and stability. Yet their economic models are deeply dependent on global supply chains, imported food, and security arrangements tied to the United States. Many of these states import the vast majority of their food — in some cases as much as 80 to 90 percent — much of which passes through maritime routes now under threat. Any prolonged disruption to the Strait of Hormuz risks not only rising prices, but potential shortages. At the same time, these countries host U.S. military bases and major Western corporate infrastructure inlcuding Amazon, Cisco, HP, Oracle Intel, META and others – technology platforms that play a central role in global data and surveillance systems. Far from being neutral actors, they are deeply embedded within the architecture of U.S. power and military warfare. What this war is revealing is the fragility beneath that system. Without stable trade flows, secure shipping routes, and external security guarantees, the foundations of these economies begin to show strain. The image of self-sustaining wealth gives way to a reality of structural dependency. This is why the stakes of the conflict extend far beyond Iran. What is unfolding is a contest over who controls the most critical levers of the global economy: energy, trade routes, and currency systems. For decades, the United States has used these levers to maintain its position at the center of the global order. But that position is now being challenged in a coordinated and increasingly effective way. The response from Washington has not been restraint, but escalation — an effort to reassert control over a system that is beginning to shift beyond its grasp. Because what is at stake is not just influence in the Middle East.It is the future of the global economic order itself. And for the first time in decades, that outcome is no longer guaranteed. The post Global Energy Shock: Iran Turns Hormuz Into A Toll Gate Challenging Petrodollar appeared first on MintPress News.

[Category: Daily Digest, Foreign Affairs, News, Top Story]

— How A Fake Iranian Terror Group Was Invented To Proscribe IRGC in Europe – The story of Ashab al-Yamin

 

at 4/2/26 12:30pm

Investigative Analysis – A series of arson attacks and alleged incidents targeting alleged Jewish-linked sites across Europe have been attributed to a little-known group called Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI), or Ashab al-Yamin. The group has been widely described in media and security circles as an Iran-backed network, allegedly linked to the IRGC. Since March 9, HAYI has been credited with what some analysts describe as “hybrid warfare” style operations spanning multiple countries from Greece and Belgium to France, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Among the most high-profile incidents was the burning of four ambulances in Golders Green, North London, on March 22. The emergence of this group coincides with the escalation of the US-Israeli war against Iran. In parallel, media outlets and pro-war commentators have warned that Tehran could expand the conflict by carrying out attacks across Europe. But a closer examination raises serious questions about its actual existence and the pro-Israel groups pushing this narrative.  Several of the incidents attributed to HAYI do not appear to have directly targeted Jewish communities. Others remain murky, with limited verified information about the perpetrators. And beyond scattered claims and online statements, there is little concrete evidence that this group as described actually exists. In the fog of war, narratives can move faster than facts.  At the same time, governments across Europe and the UK are moving to formally designate the IRGC as a terrorist organization — a policy long pushed by pro-war, pro-Israel lobbying networks. Many of the same actors amplifying the HAYI narrative are also leading that campaign within Western media to manufacture consent for war and accelerate this political objective of proscription. While raising the possibility that unverified claims of an Iran-linked threat are being leveraged to shape public fear and justify sweeping new security measures tied to the widening war. This investigation examines each reported attack, the sources promoting the HAYI narrative, and how claims of a coordinated campaign may be shaping public perception — fueling fears of rising antisemitism, calls for expanded security measures and proscribing the IRGC as a terrorist organisation amid an illegal war.  But what is Ashab al-Yamin? Where did it come from and does it exist at all? This investigation reveals that there is no such group. It appears to be a fictional cut out. Half of its reported activities simply did not occur. The other half were so amateurish, and inconsequential with not a single injury   One theory is that they may have been messily undertaken by hired gig criminals and/or incompetent Sayanim, the name given to Mossad’s network of little helpers in countries all over the world. This investigative analysis shows that even the Zionist regime and its assets in establishment think tanks acknowledge that so-called “gig criminals” have been involved in this series of events, in a striking parallel with similar events in Australia (fourteen of them between October 2024 and January 2025) which were similarly low impact with no casualties, declared to be “fake” by Australian police in March 2025.   What happened? There have been ten incidents attributed to Ashab al-Yamin between March 9 March 23rd. Of these ten incidents, as we will show, five did not happen.  Three of these were entirely fictional (Greece, 11/12 March; France, 23 March; Haarlem, Netherlands, 23 March).  One was not associated with the alleged terror group nor was it an attack on “the Jews”.(Antwerp, Belgium, 23 March). The fifth was only ever alleged to have been “planned” but nothing actually happened (Chabad Hebrew School, Heemstede, Netherlands, 23 March) The other five events, or “attacks” if you will, did occur.  Four involved a small “explosion”, accompanied in one, or perhaps more, cases by a fire (Liège, Belgium, 9 March, Rotterdam, Netherlands, 13 March, Bank branch, Amsterdam, Netherlands, 15 March) and the final one involved the burning of four ambulances (Golders Green, London, 22 March).    Disinformation Fake attacks Even the establishment think tank the International Centre for Counter Terrorism in the Hague was sceptical of several of the attacks. It reported on 23 March that “HAYI has claimed attacks against an unspecified site in Greece on 11 March, as well as in France and another in the Netherlands both on 23 March, which all likely constitute disinformation.”  The ICCT analysis “of the ‘Greek attack video’ indicates that it depicts an explosion at a residential building in Rotterdam on 3 March.” Even the Zionist regime’s  Ministry of Diaspora Affairs said  the Greek incident “may constitute disinformation”. Of course, what the ICCT and the Ministry mean is that the disinformation was produced by the alleged terror group, on behalf of Iran. But if it is not, then who produced the disinformation? The fourth of the fake attacks was an incident involving what was claimed by the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs to be “An arson attack targeting a vehicle in a Jewish neighborhood in Antwerp, Belgium (March 23).”  However, as the Dutch newspaper HLN reported, the owner of the car was Moroccan and not Jewish: The cars owner, Fatia M., was also full of praise for the emergency services and the police. “These vandals must be severely punished. I believe they first smashed the window to search the car. There were jewels inside that I received from my late father. They were stolen. After that, the perpetrators set the car on fire. Why? This is a 2005 Ford Fiesta. What a senseless act that is?” Antwerp, 25 March. The car fire being put out with fire extinguishers. Most mainstream media reports in English stated that the car was in the Jewish quarter.  While some accounts said that the car was “on the edge” of the Jewish district, Nieuwsblad reported the car was located just outside the Jewish quarter (net buiten de Joodse wijk). Two “minors” were arrested in relation to the alleged crime.  The last non-attack was reported to be a possible plan to attack a Chabad school in Heemstede. The Dutch police arrested two teenagers, aged 14 and 17 on Monday 23 March “on suspicion of preparing a terrorist attack”.  A Fourteen year old?  The two were allegedly in possession of “fireworks”. The police and the Public Prosecution Service “are taking into account the possibility that a synagogue near Adriaan Pauwlaan, where the two were arrested, was the target of an impending explosion.” Other reports claimed the target might have been a local Chabad Hebrew School. Chabad is, of course, an ultra genocidal Jewish supremacist cult. Even the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs was reticent about claiming this one.  The arrests they said: “may have been linked to Ashab al-Yamin; however, no confirmed connection to the group has been established at this time.”  They did however, falsely claim that the police had “foiled a planned bombing attack”. Real events Of the five “real” events four involved a small “explosion” with what was referred to as an “improvised Explosive Device” or IED, resulting in one, or possibly more, cases in a short lived fire. The similarity in the first four suggests one group was possibly responsible for all of them.  In Liege a synagogue was targeted with a small incendiary device which reportedly “damaged the door and windows on the front façade.” Liege, 9 March where an ‘explosion’ seems to have caused little damage. Rotterdam, 13 March not even a cracked pane of glass. Amsterdam, 14 March an alleged explosion outside a Jewish school. There was reportedly an alleged explosion at a synagogue in Rotterdam on 13 March, which caused scorching to the door. Four men aged 17-19 were arrested in relation to the Rotterdam incident.  A fifth (age 19) was picked up later and then two more (ages 20 and 23) were arrested on 27 March. In the 14 March alleged explosion outside a Jewish school, there are hardly any images of the damage done, since it was so minimal.  Here is the best image I have found, captured from video news footage. As you can see in small print at the top, the report says that the alleged explosion reportedly “damaged a drainage pipe and charred an outer wall”. Amsterdam Zuidas, Atrium office complex, Netherlands, 15 March. A photographer tries to get a good shot of the damage from the alleged explosion reportedly from an alleged IED. The alleged explosion at the Atrium reportedly “targeted the Bank of New York Mellon”. In the video released by the alleged terror group  the Bank correctly noted that its office is on the fourth floor of the South Tower of the building. The homemade IED was, however, thrown at the outside door of the building on the ground floor, as can be seen in the image above.The Golders Green arson attack on the four Hatzola ambulances appears to have been carried out by three men, who can be seen in the CCTV footage supplied to news organisations. While suspects in the less serious incidents in the Netherlands are still in custody, the Metropolitan Police promptly bailed two suspects that they picked up in London, and refused to say any more than that they were UK nationals, leading to speculation about the motivations of the attack. Golders Green, London, 22 March, reported by British media as by far the most serious of the attacks. The communique on Golders Green from the alleged Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI) group Here is the the English language version of a communique from the alleged new terror group: The Machzike Hadath Synagogue in London is one of the important centers of Orthodox Judaism, and its deepest connection to Israel is through Rabbi Abraham Isaac HaCohen Kook, the first Chief Rabbi of Israel and one of the most influential thinkers of Religious Zionism, who served at this synagogue before immigrating to the Land of Israel. This historical bond continues to this day, and the synagogue has become one of the main bastions of support for Israel in Britain, so much so that in June 2024, Rishi Sunak, the former British Prime Minister, visited this site amidst the Gaza war to affirm, alongside his expression of solidarity with the Jewish community, his country’s unwavering support for Israel. This is oddly written. First of all, the attack was on four ambulances belonging to Hatzola Northwest, not on the synagogue beside which the ambulances were parked. Did the crack team dispatched by the IRGC confuse the ambulances with the synagogue? Note also the use of the term “land of Israel” a decidedly zionist turn of phrase. The Machzike Hadath Synagogue is hardly an “important center” of Orthodox Judaism (note the US/Israeli spelling of “centre”).  Rabbi Kook, though an important figure in the history of Religious Zionism, is hardly a top target of Palestinians  (or Iranians), given he has been dead for over ninety years. His association with the Synagogue is something likely known only to very few, including, most obviously, congregants of the Synagogue itself.  The Synagogue is not one of the main bastions” of support for “Israel” in Britain.  There are hundreds of Zionist organisations that are more important. While the Synagogue is a Jewish supremacist institution, it is not explicitly Zionist, especially by comparison with hundreds of other synagogues, Jewish schools, youth groups and indeed formal affiliates of the Zionist movement.  Its origins are in the so-called Litvac or ‘Misnagdim’ community from Lithuania.   It is a member of the Federation of Synagogues which gathers together both Hasidic and Central-orthodox synagogues.  While several synagogues from the genocidal ultra-Zionist Chabad cult are members, the Z word is nowhere mentioned on the website of the synagogue. This is a contrast to the many others affiliated with the largest and avowedly Zionist United Synagogue movement. At best this claim is an unconvincing statement either written with AI or possibly by someone with close knowledge of the synagogue. On the “real” attacks The first thing to say about the “real” events is how low impact they have been.  There were no casualties and barely a smashed window (with the exception of the ambulance arson). The Islamic Republic of Iran is currently defending itself against US-Israeli strikes with the most sophisticated missiles and a stockpile of underground cities as the Islamic Republic destroys US military bases and radar systems worth billions of dollars in the region. At the same time, the European and British public are asked to believe that Iran sent sloppy individuals, some of them children/teenagers, to set small fires at or near Jewish venues (or in some cases venues with no Jewish or Zionist connection) some of which were put out by a fire extinguisher? It looks like Ashab al-Yamin is not all it is claimed to be and what the media would us to believe.  So, lets look at the sources of data used to convince us that an IRGC cut out was in play.  That alleged evidence were claims that Telegram channels allegedly associated with the Axis of Resistance and then with the alleged group HAYI itself had issued claims of responsibility for the attacks.    The three sources of data on alleged Telegram posts. It is widely reported in the mainstream media that these incidents were (mostly) claimed by the new group via Telegram groups aligned to the Axis of Resistance and from its own Telegram channel.  This tale falters a little when one learns that the groups alleged Telegram channels only became operational after five of the “attacks” had taken place.  It is alleged there were two Telegram Channels  one created in 2023 but not active until the 16 March or thereabouts, after five of the alleged attacks had taken place. The other was created only on 21 March just before the other five alleged attacks took place.  Claim videos were posted there, so it is claimed,  only after they had already circulated on pro-Iran/axis-of-resistance Telegram channels. These claims first appeared on Telegram on 11 March for example on Sabereen News which posted the video showing an incendiary device being placed on the front step of the synagogue in Liege on 9 March. It is also claimed that it had a few dozen followers at the time of activation. Referred to generically as an allegedly official Telegram account of HAYI or the Telegram channel that HAYI uses to claim its attacks. No specific Arabic/English username was published and nor were any links given. Second HAYI Telegram Channel A second Telegram account was reportedly created on 21 March 2026, two days before the Golders Green Hatzola ambulance arson on 23 March. It, reportedly, became immediately operational upon creation and was used for the London attack claim, which included a QR code in the video linking directly to this channel. The Telegram accounts are only described generically by the ICCT as another Telegram account, likewise posing as an official mouthpiece of HAYI or a second HAYI-affiliated channel. No t.me handle or exact name is disclosed, though the Ministry of Diaspora affairs published a screenshot of one of the alleged channels. That channel has now been deleted. It is claimed that the first organisation to amplify the claims made on this second Telegram channel from 21 March was the SITE Intelligence Group. SITE is a well known Zionist intel cut out run by the daughter of a Zionist spy executed in Iraq in 1969, Rita Katz. It’s involvement rather late in the day following the previous interventions of the FDD and the Zionist regime itself. So, who is it that has made these claims about Telegram channels and messages?  There are only three sources.     Foundation for Defense of Democracies The first source was on 12 March, when Joe Truzman wrote a short article posted both on the site of the Long War Journal, which he edits and on the site of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies where he works and which publishes the journal.  He was the first to claim the possibility of an Iran link: “The claimed attacks could signal that Iran or Iran-aligned actors are executing acts of terrorism in Europe”. FDD is a Likudnik cut out, and as we famously admitted by the then Director General of the Ministry of Strategic Affairs, Sima Vaknin-Gil, FDD is used by the regime to gather information:  ‘we have FDD. We have others working on this.’ The FDD’s intervention though, saw limited traction. It was cited by the regimes Ministry of Foreign Affairs on X and some pro-Israel accounts, and niche sites. But there was no major mainstream media pickup. Social media mentions were low-volume. Clearly bigger guns were needed. The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs The second source, on 16 March was none other than the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs based in Apartheid Israel.  Almost all of the coverage in English and in other languages took its cue from this intervention.  The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs has absorbed international hasbara operations from the downgraded Ministry of Strategic Affairs, now funding overseas cutouts and churning out propaganda materials to shape narratives abroad. The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs assumed responsibility for Israels international propaganda efforts when the Ministry of Strategic Affairs was downgraded. Minister Amichai Chiklis department rebooted the former Concert project as Voices of Israel post-October 2023, directing it to go on the offensive against critics. The ministry funds overseas cutouts to evade foreign-agent scrutiny while producing propaganda content. It allocated $2 million to STOIC for covert social-media campaigns targeting US lawmakers and spent millions on campus operations and media kits. It also issues calls for proposals that channel shekels into settler outreach and struggle against delegitimisation videos. Israels hasbara machine now operates under one roof, quietly scaling influence operations worldwide. The Ministry for Diaspora Affairs report on Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia (HAYI), or Ashab al-Yamin, 24 March version The International Centre for Counter Terrorism The third source claiming a link to Iran was an establishment think tank in the Hague. It published a piece on its website on 23 March the same day as the London attack. It was only after this that big mainstream media like the BBC (24 March) started to mention Iran links, though it appears not to have ever been mentioned on CNN.   But what is the International Centre for Counter Terrorism?  It is  based in the Hague receives a ‘core subsidy’ from the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. It also advertises the following partners all of which are affiliated with the Western imperial complex and have presumably provided funding of some sort: NATO, Global Counterterrorism Forum, RUSI Europe, Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs and USAID. One of its Junior Research Fellows, Julian Lanchès, authored the ICCT briefing on Harakat Ashab al-Yamin al-Islamia. Lanchès previously worked at the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) a well known asset of Apartheid Israel and is well networked with Zionist and groups It was created Lord Weidenfeld, the publishing magnate, and former adviser to Chaim Weizmann when he was the first president of the entity in 1949. The ISD is overseen by a board and a team of advisors. The board is stuffed with figures from the financial sector. These include some who have other connections such as the former chief of staff of the British Army Charles Guthrie, who has also had advisory roles with neoconservative think tanks and pro-Zionist groups such as the Jewish National Fund. Guthrie also, is an advisor to the haute neocon lobby group United Against a Nuclear Iran.178 A wide range of western government departments has funded the ISD including from Denmark, Finland, Norway, Sweden, Germany, Canada, Australia as well as the UK Home Office (parent of propaganda group RICU) and Foreign Office, the US State Department and the EU itself. Also of note is the International Centre for the Study of Radicalisation at Kings College. The Eranda Rothschild Foundation, one of the the family foundations of the UK branch of the Rothschild family, has also supported it, as well as funding neoconservative think tanks such as the Henry Jackson Society and the Jerusalem Foundation, which is engaged in illegal occupation activities in East Jerusalem. Lanchès also studied at the King’s College in War Studies which is run by the International Centre for Study of Radicalisation (ICSR). The ICSR was created as a result of attempts by pro-Israel figures to combat Boycott Divestment and Sanctions in relation to Israel/Palestine and is financially supported by foundations that also fund pro-Israel, indeed pro-settler activities, including from foundations created by the following Zionist families: Atkin, Wolfson, Sacher, Clore, Ronson, Pears and Sieff. When the terrorism experts at the ICCT do talk about Israel or Zionism, it is clear that it is Israel centric talking points that they spout.  The image above shows Bibi van Ginkel appearing on Dutch TV to spout lies about the Jewish supremacist thugs who spread terror throughout Amsterdam when they arrived for a Maccabi Tel Aviv game in November 2024.  The ICCT reported that she: “spoke on the possible qualification of the attack as terrorism or vigilant terrorism.” Incredibly she was not referring to the Maccabi Tel Aviv fans but to the brave Muslims who fought back.  Back in December 2023 she perjured herself by saying on NPO, the Dutch public broadcasting organisation, that “Hamas itself now also has a network here, that had planned attacks against Jewish institutions. And that really is a new development.” The ICCT is, therefore, one step down the food chain from its masters in the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs.   History of False Flags Of course this would not be the first time that the Zionists have indulged in False Flag operations.  Such operations go way back, as anyone familiar with the Lavon Affair (Code named Operation Susannah)  knows. Israeli Defense Minister Pinchas Lavon organised a plan to use Egyptian Jews and undercover Zionist agents to bomb American, British, and Egyptian buildings in Cairo. Lavon’s goal was to blame the bombings on Arabs, creating the impression of an anti-Western atmosphere and helping convince the British and Americans of the need to have the British stay in the Suez Canal zone.  Instead there was a public trial and conviction of eight Egyptian Jews who carried out the covert operation, two of whom were subsequently executed; this led to a chaim of events culminating in the Suez invasion and then, as Leonard Weiss writes:  “France expanded and accelerated its ongoing nuclear cooperation with Israel, which eventually enabled the Jewish state to build nuclear weapons.” As this cautionary tale indicates false flags can be effective motors of human history. It’s also known that the Zionists created a fake terror group in Lebanon: The Front for the Liberation of Lebanon from Foreigners (FLLF).  It operated in Lebanon between 1980 and 1983. While it claimed to be a Lebanese resistance movement, it was actually a covert terrorist organisation run by the Zionist regime. It was established on the orders of Rafael Eitan, then Chief of Staff of the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), and was overseen by Israeli General Avigdor Ben-Gal and Meir Dagan, who later became the director of Mossad. Its primary goal was to cause chaos among the Palestinians and Syrians in Lebanon without leaving an Israeli fingerprint. The group engaged in car bombings and other terrorist activities targeting Palestinian and Syrian interests, often under the guise of Lebanese sectarian infighting.  But have they operated false flags in Europe?  As is widely known an MI5 whistleblower, Annie Machon, has claimed that MI5 concluded that the Zionists bombed their own embassy in London in 1994. It’s also known that Zionists executed the famous Palestinian cartoonist Naji El Ali in Knightsbridge in London in 1987 using Palestinians to carry out the act to cover their tracks. In 1988  Margaret Thatcher yes Margaret Thatcher expelled the whole Mossad station from the country as a result.  More recently an apparent rash of “antisemitic” attacks in Australia was revealed by the New South Wales Police to have been a hoax in March 2025.  The alleged attacks were reportedly undertaken by an organised crime network.  Zionist regime sources pushed this line in Australia: Peter Wertheim Executive Council of Australian Jewry “low-level local criminals paid to provide crime as a service… a web of local and off-shore criminal intermediaries.” (27 August 2025) Mossad (official statement released via Israeli Prime Minister’s Office) “terror without Iranian fingerprints, high compartmentalization, recruitment of foreigners, use of criminals, and covert communications,” (26 October 2025).   NSW Police say that antisemtic terror plots were fake; Mossad says: It was the IRGC.   This alleged use of criminal networks was a key element in the saga of Ashab al-Amin, the ones that actually happened at least. The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs  claimed that the attacks might involve “Contracted operatives – local criminals or youth recruited and paid through intermediaries, similar to models previously used by Iranian networks in Europe.”  The ICCT ludicrously tried to explain away the anomalies by claiming (links in original):  Another relevant development is the emergence of a new crime–terror nexus, whereby hostile state actors increasingly cultivate ties with criminal networks, ranging from organised crime groups to local petty criminals, and leverage them for hybrid activities. Iran, for instance, has reportedly commissioned criminal gangs such as Foxtrot and Rumba in Sweden, including for the aforementioned grenade attack against the Israeli embassy, as well as groups such as the Hells Angels for attacks against synagogues in Germany. Is this a new Mossad Modus Operandi? Employing “gig criminals” to carry out fake terror plots to pursue particular foreign policy objectives?  If so, as millions have now discovered: when it comes to Zionism every accusation could be a confession. The post How A Fake Iranian Terror Group Was Invented To Proscribe IRGC in Europe The story of Ashab al-Yamin appeared first on MintPress News.

[Category: Daily Digest, Investigations, News, Opinion & Analysis, Top Story, antisemitism, Iran, IRGC, terrorism]

— Trump’s Iran Gamble Is Spiraling Out of Control: From Shock & Awe to Strategic Failure

 

at 3/27/26 12:40pm

In this week’s episode of the MintCast podcast hosted by MintPress director Mnar Adley, we are joined by Iranian political analyst Ali Alizadeh to talk about Trump’s miscalculation in the U.S.-Israeli war against Iran. Twenty-seven days into the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran, what was expected to be a swift and decisive campaign is instead spiraling into a far more dangerous and unpredictable confrontation. Early assumptions that Iran’s leadership could be “decapitated” through targeted airstrikes—triggering internal collapse—have proven dramatically misplaced. The human toll has already been severe. Nearly 2,000 people in Iran have reportedly been killed, with more than 24,000 injured from U.S. and Israeli strikes.  Yet rather than capitulate, Iran has responded with force—downing U.S. aircraft, striking American bases across the region, and launching attacks on Israeli military infrastructure. Most consequentially, Tehran has moved to close the Strait of Hormuz, a critical artery for global energy and trade. The closure of the strait represents a potential economic shock of historic proportions. While Iran has allowed select allied nations to continue limited passage, the broader disruption has sent panic through Western and Gulf economies heavily dependent on uninterrupted oil flows. At the same time, Tehran’s decision to conduct oil transactions in Chinese yuan signals a deeper geopolitical shift—one that could accelerate the erosion of dollar dominance in global energy markets. The war is also exposing fractures in long-standing assumptions about security in the Gulf. For decades, regional states believed that hosting U.S. military forces guaranteed protection. Now, those same bases appear to function as liabilities, drawing retaliatory strikes and placing critical infrastructure—from desalination plants to airports—within immediate range of Iranian missiles. The notion that proximity to U.S. power ensures safety is being fundamentally challenged. Meanwhile, contradictory messaging from Washington underscores the uncertainty surrounding the conflict. While U.S. officials have at times claimed success in achieving regime change, reports also indicate growing concern within the administration, including signals from Donald Trump himself calling for de-escalation. Despite this, discussions of a potential ground invasion—an operation that would dwarf the scale of Iraq—remain on the table. Analysts warn that such a move would be extraordinarily risky. Iran’s geography, military capabilities, and regional alliances present a far more formidable challenge than previous U.S. wars in the Middle East. Over the past weeks, Tehran has demonstrated not only resilience but also an ability to project power across multiple fronts. At the same time, emerging alignments with global powers such as China and Russia point toward a broader transformation in the international order. The conflict is no longer confined to a regional struggle—it is increasingly tied to the rise of a multipolar world. What began as a calculated show of force is now raising a far more uncomfortable question: has Washington fundamentally misjudged both Iran’s strength and the consequences of this war?   The post Trumps Iran Gamble Is Spiraling Out of Control: From Shock Awe to Strategic Failure appeared first on MintPress News.

[Category: Behind The Headlines, Daily Digest, Editors Picks, Foreign Affairs, Podcasts, Top Story]

— Failing to Defeat Hezbollah, Israel & US Pressure Syria’s Ahmed al-Sharaa to Join War

 

at 3/27/26 12:37pm

 Openly declaring its intent to illegally occupy southern Lebanon, Israel finds itself in a costly ground battle with Hezbollah, from which there are indications Syria may soon be roped in. This is born from the understanding that in order to successfully weaken the Lebanese resistance, the Israeli military must penetrate the Bekaa Valley area. Understanding the costly price of attempting to physically take all of south Lebanon militarily, both Washington and Tel Aviv have been attempting to devise strategies that would help achieve Israel’s war goals of weakening Hezbollah.  One possible option that has been placed on the table is the use of Syria’s military to invade Lebanons border and attack Hezbollah, aiming to go after what is labelled critical infrastructure belonging to the Lebanese group. According to reports, the US Trump administration has directly put pressure on Syrian leader Ahmed al-Shara’a to do just that. In the event of such an assault, the Beka’a Valley would be the target territory. The Beka’a is what Israel’s Alma Research and Education think-tank calls “Hezbollah’s strategic depth”, which it argues is the groups “operational and logistical center of gravity”. If Tel Aviv truly seeks to degrade Hezbollah’s capabilities, a ground incursion into this region is the only way to truly achieve such a goal. Another plausible option is that Israel itself will use Syrian territory in order to invade Lebanon’s eastern border. This would appear possible, as the current Hayat Tahrir al-Sham administration in Damascus has allowed Israel to use Lebanese territory on two occasions so far.  Although al-Shara’a doesn’t grant direct permission, he refuses to deploy his forces to prevent the Israelis from violating Syria’s sovereignty. Earlier this year, the leadership in Damascus agreed to setting up a soft normalisation understanding with the Israelis. According to US State Department press release, the following was agreed upon: “Both Sides have decided to establish a joint fusion mechanism—a dedicated communication cell—to facilitate immediate and ongoing coordination on their intelligence sharing, military de-escalation, diplomatic engagement, and commercial opportunities under the supervision of the United States.” It suffices to say that Syria’s current leader, who once spoke of conquering occupied Jerusalem, has clearly aligned himself with the United States and now openly states he will pose no threat to Israel. Instead of fighting back against Israel’s ever growing occupation of more Syrian lands, or responding to civilian massacres inside his territory, he has instead sought to disarm those Syrians who are threatened by the belligerent occupying force in the south.  Despite this, Israel has continually attacked Syrian territory, including bombing the ministry of defence in Damascus. Recently, it also attacked Syrian military positions in the Damascus countryside, citing renewed sectarian clashes between Israeli-aligned Druze separatists and HTS allied forces. In December of last year, parades were held in Damascus and other Syrian cities, where armed factions making up the country’s new armed forces held marches in the streets to mark the fall of Bashar al-Assad. Notably, these soldiers chanted in solidarity with Gaza and issued threats to Israel. Some groups belonging to the new Syrian security forces, also burned Israeli flags and expressed solidarity with the village of Beit Jinn, where a group of locals had organised an ambush against Israeli invading forces. Israel then bombarded the village, which is home to both Palestinians and Syrians, murdering at least 13 civilians. A series of Syrian Resistance groups have also popped up in the country’s south, occasionally carrying out rocket attacks or opening fire on Israeli soldiers with light weapons. The most prominent group has been ‘Jabhat al-Moqowameh al-Islammiya Fe Souriya’ [The Islamic Resistance Front In Syria]. The newest group to emerge is called ‘Kataeb Jund al-Karrar Fe Balad as-Sham’ [Soldiers of  the Karrar Brigades in the Levant] also emerged on March 8, publishing a video of themselves firing rockets at US military positions in Syria’s Palmyra. The group has additionally claimed attacks on Israel.  If Syrian President Ahmed al-Shara’a orders an attack on Lebanon, this could immediately trigger an incursion into Syria by the powerful Iraqi groups aligned with Hezbollah. An official statement issued by The Islamic Resistance Coordination Committee in Iraq explicitly threatened that: “We see the treachery of the new authority in Syria and are monitoring its coordination with the enemy. We say clearly: if you dare violate the sovereignty of Lebanon and its patient, resisting people, we will turn your land into an open arena of fire. He who warns has given fair notice.” On the other hand, due to the fragile security situation inside Syria, if the Israeli military does attempt to launch an offensive from inside Syrian territory, there is always a chance that they will come under attack from a whole myriad of forces. It is possible that what currently constitutes the Syrian Army, may even break ranks and refuse to listen to the leadership in Damascus. On March 6, a botched Israeli special forces raid targeted the Lebanese village of Nabi Cheet, located east of Beirut. In order to conduct this infiltration operation which was successfully repelled due to a joint effort from Hezbollah, local militias and the Lebanese Army it used Syrian territory. Notably, it launched its assault from an area located north-west of Damascus. Israel has so far displaced over a million people in Lebanon, openly declaring its intent to expand what it calls a military “buffer zone”. Israeli defence minister Israel Katz doesn’t mince his words however, openly declaring that he is seeking to occupy southern Lebanon up to the Litani River. To this effect, the Israeli military has not only ordered the entire population of southern Lebanon to evacuate the territory, but also bombed five primary bridges connecting the south to the rest of the country. And yet, on the ground, the Israeli army is having a difficult time simply passing the border villages, where Hezbollah has damaged or destroyed around 70 Merkava tanks so far. If the Israelis come under attack from forces inside Syria itself, they could be dragged into a painful quagmire there. This could also come about in the event that Syria’s al-Shara’a decides to seize the opportunity of Israel being distracted in Lebanon, to launch an offensive against the Druze separatist militias in Sweida. In order to save their Druze militia allies from suffering a major defeat, the Israeli army itself could get roped into direct clashes with Syrian forces. Therefore, if the Israeli leadership makes the decision to escalate the Lebanon conflict by making a move towards the Bekaa Valley, they could very easily find themselves dealing with a totally new reality inside Syria too.  The post Failing to Defeat Hezbollah, Israel US Pressure Syrias Ahmed al-Sharaa to Join War appeared first on MintPress News.

[Category: Daily Digest, Foreign Affairs, Top Story, Hezbollah, Israel, Syria, Syrian Army]

— Hezbollah Destroys 50 Israeli Merkava Tanks in Three Weeks As Israel Fails to Occupy South Lebanon

 

at 3/26/26 3:24pm

On this weeks MintCast podcast, MintPress director Mnar Adley is joined by Robert Inlakesh, a staff writer at MintPress and political analyst specializing in Middle East geopolitics they discuss Hezbollas military wins against Israel. As Israel intensifies its military campaign in Lebanon, the gap between its strategic ambitions and battlefield realities is becoming increasingly apparent. While Israeli officials speak openly of creating a long-term “buffer zone” in southern Lebanon—effectively reviving a decades-long occupation—the operation is facing fierce resistance from Hezbollah forces on the ground.  Israeli airstrikes have pounded civilian areas across the country, following a familiar pattern seen in Gaza: widespread destruction of infrastructure and residential neighborhoods under the justification of targeting militant positions.  Critics argue that this approach is designed not only to weaken Hezbollah but to depopulate large parts of southern Lebanon, fundamentally altering the region’s demographics. Yet despite the intensity of the bombardment, Hezbollah has not collapsed. On the contrary, the group continues to demonstrate significant military capability. Reports indicate that just in the last three weeks, 50 Israeli tanks have been destroyed, and Hezbollah units remain active across multiple fronts. Far from being diminished, the organization is widely believed to retain a force numbering in the tens of thousands—potentially exceeding the size of the Lebanese army itself. This resilience has complicated Israel’s ground invasion plans. What was expected to be a rapid advance into southern Lebanon is now shaping up to be a prolonged and costly confrontation. Hezbollah’s entrenched positions, combined with its experience from previous conflicts, have turned the battlefield into a war of attrition. The broader regional context has only added to the complexity. The removal of the Syrian government in late 2024 disrupted long-standing supply lines and alliances that once supported Hezbollah. However, rather than collapsing, the group appears to have adapted, maintaining operational capacity even as regional dynamics shift. Meanwhile, political tensions inside Lebanon are rising. The country’s leadership—widely seen as aligned with U.S. interests—is under increasing pressure to confront Hezbollah internally. Washington has pushed for the group’s disarmament, raising fears that Lebanon could be drawn into internal conflict at the very moment it faces external invasion. The possibility of a renewed civil war is no longer unthinkable. Israel, for its part, faces mounting questions about sustainability. Over the past year, it has engaged in military actions across multiple countries, stretching its resources and testing its economic limits. While U.S. support continues to provide critical backing, the long-term viability of sustaining simultaneous conflicts remains uncertain. At the heart of the crisis is a fundamental miscalculation that has defined much of the region’s recent history: the belief that overwhelming force can quickly neutralize deeply rooted resistance movements. In Lebanon, as in other theaters, that assumption is being tested once again. As the war grinds on, one reality is becoming clear—what was intended as a decisive campaign risks evolving into another protracted conflict with no easy exit.   The post Hezbollah Destroys 50 Israeli Merkava Tanks in Three Weeks As Israel Fails to Occupy South Lebanon appeared first on MintPress News.

[Category: Behind The Headlines, Daily Digest, Editors Picks, Foreign Affairs, Top Story, Hezbollah, Israel, Lebanon]

— Terror Alarm: Inside the Shady Israeli Group Crowdfunding the Kidnapping of Dr. Marandi

 

at 3/26/26 2:57pm

Shadowy pro-Israel group Terror Alarm is crowdfunding a $1 million bounty for the capture of a well-known Iranian academic and media personality – and Twitter is refusing to remove it. But who are Terror Alarm? MintPress traces the company back to its source and exposes its role as a private security firm.  Last week, the official Terror Alarm Twitter account posted a direct threat to Professor Seyed Mohammad Marandi, writing:  “We are crowdfunding $1 million for a bounty for the capture of Mohammad Marandi, advisor to Irans Supreme Leader and frequent IRGC [Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps]-aligned propagandist. We want him alive.” Not only was it not taken down, despite hundreds of users attempting to alert Twitter to the post, it was also promoted as “paid partnership,” meaning that the platform itself was profiting from the incitement.   A Shady, Contradictory Company Founded in 2016, Terror Alarm publishes low-quality, A.I.-generated news across social media. It has built up a significant global following, including over a quarter of a million followers on Twitter (where it has changed its name four times already), and a Telegram channel with 36,000 subscribers.  Its dealings, including its funding, are kept shrouded in secrecy. However, it has previously advertised in-house software jobs based in Denmark, Romania, and Spain, which, they note, require a degree from a European technical university, fluency in English, and to have lived in a NATO member state for the past seven years.  Another posting on Telegram noted that, “TV Studio jobs available in Romania, Ukraine, Denmark, Sweden and Lithuania.” To qualify, it states, “You need to be Pro-Israel, Zionist, and speak fluent English.” Although at first glance, the group appears to be simply another low-quality content farm, searching through archived versions of the company’s (now offline) website via the Internet Wayback Machine reveals that Terror Alarm is far more than that.  The company has gone through a number of facelifts. It began as a supposedly anti-terror app, before rebranding as a private security firm, and then, finally, becoming an E.U.-registered NGO.  Describing itself as a “highly accredited private security firm that not only alerted authorities about terrorist attacks as they happened but also helped thwart many acts of terror at the height of the 2014-2017 ISIS attacks in Europe,” it offers a variety of security services, including private bodyguarding, background checks, legal service, brand protection, and evidence compilation. Terror Alarm has removed its website from the Internet. But according to a previous version accessed via the Wayback Machine, the group has three core missions:   Intelligence sharing with Free World governments, Combating antisemitism through A.I.-driven monitoring and response, Preventing terrorist attacks through predictive A.I. analysis.   The third of these missions is particularly controversial, and amounts to a Minority Report-style judgment on pre-crimes. As the company itself explains, its technology scours the internet and “continuously scans digital activity using predictive A.I. to detect early signs of radicalization or extremist association.” It then alerts authorities and initiates a “pre-configured ‘digital lockdown’” to “enable proactive counter-radicalization.” In short, Terror Alarm promotes itself as a service that can predict who will carry out attacks, based on their social media posts, and can share that information with governments and police forces. However, its own source code, netizens have exposed, dictates which groups are considered worthy of support and which are “opposed entities.” While the UAE, Turkey, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Israel and “Jews and Zionists worldwide” are considered positive groups, Hamas, Hezbollah, Iran, the Chinese Communist Party are all placed on their own private terrorist list.    Defending and Supporting Israel, From Denmark As the list suggests, Terror Alarm is a fundamentally pro-Israel organization, and it clearly has strong ties to the Ethno-Jewish state. To begin with, the contact details displayed on an archived version of its website includes a +972 (Israeli) phone number. It also used to post an inordinate amount of content relevant only to Israelis, such as articles titled “Israeli tourists detained indefinitely in Turkey for photographing the city!” and “Hanukkah 2021 and what it means for the IDF.” Indeed, in one Archive.org capture, the company’s strapline was “Counter-Terrorism and Breaking News from Jerusalem, Israel.” Moreover, the company only allows Jews to be appointed to its board.  However, the organization is not registered in Israel, but in Denmark. Journalist Freddie Ponton found that local records list businessman René Rønneberg as Terror Alarm’s official representative. Rønneberg has been a director of a number of small Danish businesses, including BEZH Denmark ApS, a company partially owned by Avi Simonsen, a man who, despite his name, was born in Iran in 1977, just before the Islamic Revolution.  Little is known about either of these characters, who both keep an extremely low profile online. Yet their political outlook can be guessed at from looking at Terror Alarm’s output.  Strangely, for such an overtly political organization, it insists that it is entirely neutral. “We have no agenda except to prevent acts of terror. Most of the tweets on our @Terror_Alarm Twitter feed are AI-generated and as such, they are technically mostly agenda-free tweets,” it writes, as if A.I. is a purely neutral tool, adding that: “We report only the facts and not a personal attitude toward the facts. We do use our connections to get the news but we will not be on either side of any argument and we normally do not disclose the sources.” And yet, it openly announced its enthusiastic support for the ethnic cleansing of Palestine, or what it called Israel’s mission to “transform Gaza from a war-torn region into a place of peace and prosperity.” It also calls for the United States to “deploy troops to assist in the humanitarian mission of relocating Palestinians to countries willing to offer refuge (Most Palestinians are originally from Jordan and Egypt).”   Media Blackouts and Propaganda Wars  The public response to Terror Alarm’s attempts to kidnap a well-known Iranian-American academic was overwhelmingly one of outrage.  “This is a reprehensible post for X to allow, targeting Marandi and putting a bounty on him. It is also a ‘Paid partnership.’ Imagine the outcry if a pro-Palestinian or pro-Iranian group did this with Israelis or Americans. Criminal charges would be filed,” wrote Drop Site News’ Jeremy Scahill. “Try to do one of these about an Israeli or American professor tied to the war and see how long it takes before your post or even account is banned,” reacted journalist Glenn Greenwald. Hundreds of people attempted to contact Twitter, but the company has not responded.  Despite the incident going viral, it has been entirely ignored by corporate media. A search for “Marandi” or “Terror Alarm” into the Dow Jones Factiva news database elicited zero relevant results in The New York Times, CNN, Fox News, CBS News, The Washington Post, or any American news outlet. As of March 26, only The Canary and 21st Century Wire – two small independent online sites – have covered the story.  This cannot be because Professor Marandi is not known to journalists at big networks. Born in the United States and rising to become professor of English Literature and Orientalism at Tehran University, Marandi’s excellent command of the English language and his sharp debating skills have made him a regular guest on big networks such as the BBC or CNN.  A military veteran and an advisor to the Iranian government’s nuclear negotiation team, he has become the go-to face on television espousing Iran’s point of view in English. This has earned him widespread notoriety, with supporters enjoying his wit and his ability to dress down oppositional interviewers, and detractors seeing him as the spokesperson for a dictatorship. Marandi has become a particularly common face on TV news across the world since the most recent U.S./Israeli attack on Iran. On February 28, coordinated American and Israeli attacks hit Iran and assassinated its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Western missiles pounded the country, hitting government and military installations, as well as schools and hospitals.  Iran fired back, targeting American bases across the region, and closed the Strait of Hormuz, effectively crippling the global economy. The result was chaos. Much of the world’s oil and gas supply has been halted, leading to fears of electricity and food shortages, as well as a prolonged global depression.  President Trump appeared blindsighted by the response, and immediately called on his NATO allies to join the U.S. in a mission to reopen the narrow sea passage between Iran and Arabia. Their response, however, was far from enthusiastic. And with Washington’s Gulf allies sounding the alarm about the dire economic and social consequences of a prolonged engagement, it appears Trump might be forced into a humiliating climb down.  Washington can still rely on support from big social media platforms such as Twitter, however. The company was bought in 2022 by Elon Musk, a tech mogul and Pentagon contractor who made his money partnering with the U.S. national security state. Musk’s companies have secured billions in contracts with the C.I.A. and U.S. military. In 2023, he signalled his full support for Israel in its campaign against its neighbors, flying there to meet Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and tour kibbutzim hit by Hamas during the October 7 attacks.  In January, he changed the Iranian flag emoji on Twitter to feature the lion and the sun, a design associated with the dictatorship of the shah. As such, this represented a clear statement of intent to use his platform as a tool to overthrow the current government, as it has been used before under previous ownership.  Twitter has also partnered with AU10TIX, forcing all users who wish to use the site’s premium services to hand over their identities, including their passports and face scans, to the company. AU10TIX is an Israeli company founded and staffed by former spies from elite IDF surveillance group, Unit 8200.  Thus, while many expressed outrage that the platform was not only allowing Terror Alarm to place a bounty on the head of a prominent academic, but was also promoting it as a paid partnership, a closer inspection of Twitter’s close ties to Israeli intelligence makes this revelation much easier to believe.  Marandi himself was far from shocked by the decision to allow the Terror Alarm paid partnership to continue. “Elon Musk and his employees support terrorism, but no one should be surprised. After all, they support the slaughter of women and children across West Asia,” he said.  The post Terror Alarm: Inside the Shady Israeli Group Crowdfunding the Kidnapping of Dr. Marandi appeared first on MintPress News.

[Category: Daily Digest, Foreign Affairs, Front Page: Inside Stories, Investigations, Top Story, antisemitism, Israel, Seyed Mohammad Marandi]

— US May Sieze Three Iranian Islands, Including Kharg, Targeting Critical Oil Routes & Military in Hormuz

 

at 3/25/26 12:41pm

While a significant amount of attention has been placed upon the Iranian island of Kharg, as a likely target for a US ground invasion, there are three other islands that may be in Washington’s scope. Although this has flown under the medias radar, the signs have been clear. On March 13, US President Donald Trump officially announced the bombing of Kharg Island, Iran’s most critical oil export terminal. Only a day prior, the idea of invading the island was advocated by Jesse Watters, one of the American leaders favourite Fox News hosts.  This week Axios News would go on to cite four anonymous sources, who told them the US was considering a land invasion of the island. This Tuesday, another sign came that the deployment of ground troops to fight on Iranian territory could be afoot, as the Wall Street Journal revealed that the Pentagon was preparing to order 3,000 82nd Airborne service members to the Middle East. From the sources of the New York Times, the soldiers chosen to embark upon such a mission would be the 82nd Airborne Division’s “Immediate Response Force”, capable of being deployed anywhere within 18 hours. These forces could hypothetically be deployed alongside the some 2,500 additional US Marines who were recently deployed to the region, along with amphibious assault ships like the USS Boxer or USS Tripoli. A potential assault on Kharg Island could prove costly to Iran’s ability to ship oil, however, an American military takeover of its territory is highly unlikely to impact Tehran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz. Instead, there are three other islands that may be viewed as more viable options to attack and seize. These are the islands of Greater Tunb and Lesser Tunb, as well as Abu Musa. Geographically, these islands are both further away from mainland Iran than Kharg Island, located adjacent to the Emirati Province of Ras al-Khaimah. A simple look at a map of the region reveals that while Kharg Island is in the north of the Persian Gulf, with the closest major city to it being Bushehr, the three islands are actually located right next to the Strait of Hormuz. The islands are also considered by the United Arab Emirates to belong to them, but have been controlled by Iran since 1971- prior to the birth of the Islamic Republic in 1979. Since 2018, the UAE has been escalating its rhetoric surrounding its claims to the islands, even lobbying for international intervention to end what it calls the “Iranian occupation” of the disputed territories. Great strategic importance has been attached to the islands, with Iran deciding to develop their military capabilities there since at least 2008. In particular, Abu Musa, the largest of the three islands, is home to a broad range of Iranian military capabilities. Former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Major General Mohammad Ali Jafari, credited as one of the architects of Tehran’s “Mosaic Defence” strategy, even labelled Abu Musa Island as “Iran’s beating heart” in the Persian Gulf at the beginning of 2019.  Since the beginning of the US-Israeli attack on Iran on February 28, a number of developments have also occurred that culminated in direct threats against the United Arab Emirates and the use of its territory to fire upon Iran. On March 7, a significant escalation occurred when an Iranian water desalination plant was bombed on Qeshm Island, located along the Strait of Hormuz, an attack suspected to have originated from UAE territory. Things then began coming to a head on March 21, after the Three Islands came under direct attack, triggering major announcements from Iranian officials. Ebrahim Zolfaghari, the spokesperson for Khatam Al-Anbiya Central Command [Iran’s unified military command], who stated: We warn the United Arab Emirates if any further aggression originates from its territory against the Iranian islands of Abu Musa and Greater Tunb in the Persian Gulf, Irans powerful armed forces will subject Ras Al Khaimah in the UAE to heavy strikes These threats were paired with an Iranian warning to the residents of Ras al-Khaimah, urging them to evacuate the city, due to military actions that would be taken against the area in the near future. All indications point towards Tehran anticipating some kind of future military action against these islands, which are smaller than Kharg Island and are likely more simple to seize in a ground operation. The appetite for a ground invasion is certainly there amongst personalities with known influence over President Trump. So much so that Republican Senator Lindsey Graham made an appearance on Fox News, where he referenced the WW2 battle to take Iowa Jima from Imperial Japan. This was the bloodiest battle in US Marine Corps history, resulting in around 26,000 casualties amongst American forces. Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, a former Trump administration official, also took to the President’s favourite news channel to advocate for boots on the ground, labeling himself a “big believer” in a ground strategy. “The fact is, over time, over history, the only way you solve a solution is to put boots on the ground and control the environment. You can do certain things from the air, you can do certain things from the sea, but there’s a time you have to occupy land,” argued Kellogg. If the ground operation is to either include or solely target the Three Islands, there is a high likelihood that the Emiratis may directly become involved in the war. It is also of note that the UAE has escalated its rhetoric against Iran over the past days, with its foreign ministry even branding the Iranian leadership in Tehran as “terrorists”. No ground operation will render guaranteed results and is likely to escalate the conflict, rather than secure the passage of ships through the Gulf of Hormuz. Last year, Yemen’s Ansarallah managed to successfully uphold its blockade of the Red Sea, defeating a US military operation aimed at breaking the siege. The Red Sea is notably a much vaster area than the Strait of Hormuz and Yemen’s military capabilities are considerably less than those of Iran.   The post US May Sieze Three Iranian Islands, Including Kharg, Targeting Critical Oil Routes Military in Hormuz appeared first on MintPress News.

[Category: Daily Digest, Foreign Affairs, Top Story]

— Embarrassing Pivot: US Considers Dropping Iran Oil Sanctions Amid War

 

at 3/21/26 11:17pm

Forced into a humiliating U-turn amid a potential global economic meltdown, the Trump administration announced today that it may remove sanctions on Iranian oil already at sea.  Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Fox News that the move to free up 140 million barrels of oil was aimed at preventing China gaining from the situation. “That’s about 10 days to two weeks of supply that the Iranians had been pushing out that would have all gone to China,” he said. “In essence, we will be using the Iranian barrels against the Iranians to keep the price down for the next 10 or 14 days as we continue this campaign.” He also noted that the U.S. government was considering a unilateral release of its oil reserves, in order to calm the market, which has seen prices almost double from $53 per barrel in January to $97 today.  “When we go through, as we plan, to unsanction the Iranian oil, that oil will go up to a market price, and it will end up in places other than China. It can flow into Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Japan, India, who have been good actors in this,” Bessent added. No matter how the Trump administration spins their move, there is no doubt that this represents an embarrassing climb down – one which drew mockery on social media. “This is literally the dumbest war in human history. No hyperbole,” said Aaron Bastani of Novara Media. “Next up: US asks Iran to join anti-Iran coalition,” joked satirist Karl Sharro.  In response to U.S. and Israeli attacks that killed its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran closed the Strait of Hormuz on March 2. The narrow sea passage between the Islamic Republic and Arabia is a major choke point of global trade, through which around one-fifth of the world’s oil and gas supply flows.  The result has been economic and political pandemonium, which Trump administration officials appeared not to have anticipated. “Iran War Will Lower Energy Prices” ran the headline of a March 12 Wall Street Journal article penned by Peter Navarro, Trump’s Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing.  Trump appears to have believed that his Iran attack could be completed within hours, and with little blowback or fallout. Instead, the Islamic Republic has been able to hit American bases across the region, spread panic throughout the Gulf States, and create shockwaves in the global economy.  In response, Trump demanded his NATO and Asian allies come to his aid, and send their armed forces to the region to forcibly open the strait. Declaring it a “very small endeavor,” he stated:  “I really am demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory because it is the place from where they get their energy. And they should come and they should protect it. You could make the case that maybe we shouldn’t be here at all, because we don’t need it.”  Instead, however, his allies responded with a resounding “no.” “Canada is not participating in the offensive operations of Israel and the United States, and will not, ever,” Prime Minister Mark Carney said. German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius was equally adamant; “This is not our war. We have ⁠not started it. What does Donald Trump expect a handful or two handfuls of European frigates to do in the Strait of Hormuz that the powerful U.S. Navy cannot do?” he asked.  Most alarmingly for Trump, however, was the reaction from Belgian prime minister, Bart De Wever. In an interview with local newspaper, L’Echo, he stated that Washington’s Iran attacks will force Europe to come to a quick and independent agreement with Russia, in order to avoid financial ruin amid an impending energy crisis.  “We must normalize relations with Russia and regain access to cheap energy. That is common sense,” he said, adding, “In private, European leaders agree with me, but no one dares to say it out loud. We must end the conflict in the interest of Europe, without being naïve towards Putin.” Trump has said that he is not worried that this war will turn into another Vietnam. Yet, with oil prices surging, public resentment mounting, a global economy potentially on the brink, and key allies openly rebelling against his dictates, it is quite possible that this conflict could spiral out of Washington’s control and do similar damage to the American empire.  The post Embarrassing Pivot: US Considers Dropping Iran Oil Sanctions Amid War appeared first on MintPress News.

[Category: Daily Digest, Foreign Affairs, Front Page: National, National, News, Top Story, #HandsOffIran, CIA Iran]

— Hasan Piker, Greta Thunberg Head Massive Cuba Convoy Aimed At Breaking US Blockade

 

at 3/21/26 11:11pm

Amid a crushing (and illegal) U.S. blockade, dozens of public figures, including Hasan Piker, Greta Thunberg, Jeremy Corbyn, and Kneecap are traveling to Cuba to deliver aid to the island. Traveling by land, sea, and air, this internationalist brigade, known as the Nuestra América Convoy to Cuba, is converging on Havana on Saturday in order to defy the Trump administration’s regime change attempts, and show solidarity with the Cuban people. “Right now, the United States is tightening its siege on Cuba,” said political streamer Hasan Piker, explaining his decision to join the convoy, adding: “Fuel shipments are blocked. Flights grounded, critical supplies cut off. Donald Trump has even threatened a ‘friendly takeover’ of the island. For Washington, the message is simple: submit – or suffer.” Climate activist Greta Thunberg is also traveling to Havana, in order to stand up for what she calls “the right of the Cuban people to build their own society, free from siege and economic sabotage.” “The Trump administration is waging illegitimate wars across the world, killing countless people, deliberately, openly and methodically. The pedophile Trump himself bragged about it, saying there’s an embargo, there’s no oil, there’s no money. There is no anything,” she added.  The Swedish organizer, who was once a media darling but has fallen from favor due to her support for Palestinian liberation, also referenced Cuba’s long history of solidarity with the Global South and with oppressed peoples across the planet. “Cuba did not stay silent when the world needed it,” she said, noting how the country sends its doctors far and wide to help with pandemics and natural disasters.  She also explained how Cuba stood up to Apartheid South Africa, even when rich countries tacitly supported the racist project. Cuba sent troops to Africa to fight the white nationalist armies, dealing them a crushing military and ideological blow from which they never recovered. “When liberation movements were fighting for independence from colonial rule across Africa… Cuba stood in solidarity. Not just in words, but in actions, with real material support. Cuba stood up for the world, and now, it is time for the world to stand up for Cuba,” she said.    Sensing an opportunity, the Trump administration is attempting to crush the Cuban Revolution once and for all. On January 29, President Trump declared the island an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to U.S. national security, and declared that any nation selling it oil would receive giant tariffs.  The result has been an energy blackout in the Caribbean nation. With no oil, both public and private transport has ground to a halt. With little electricity, businesses have shuttered and public services have been suspended. Even Cuba’s famous healthcare system is sputtering, starved of the medicines, products, and machines it needs to function.  “I think something will happen with Cuba pretty quickly,” Trump predicted. Luis De Jesus Reyes, a Havana-based journalist, was not so sure, however, telling MintPress that, although there are sporadic protests across the country, they are not counter-revolutionary in nature, and are more of an expression of popular frustration. The Cuban people, he said, are well-educated, and know exactly why they are suffering. But, he said, for Cubans, surrendering is simply not an option.  “The US is suffocating the Cuban people with its criminal and inhumane blockade,” former U.K. Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn, who is also joining the convoy, said. “We cannot sit idly by. That’s why we are mobilizing to Cuba, bringing critical humanitarian aid for its people.” The humanitarian aid in question consists of tens of tons of urgently-needed drugs, medical supplies, generators, and other essential items.  Other prominent figures traveling to Cuba with the Nuestra America Convoy include Irish hip-hop band, Kneecap, union organizer Chris Smalls, Spanish political leader, Pablo Iglesias, and journalists such as Katie Halper, Owen Jones, and Nathan Robinson.  Washington’s obsession with destroying Cuba began immediately after the 1959 Cuban Revolution, which saw Fidel Castro and Che Guevara overthrowing the U.S.-backed dictator, Fulgencio Batista.  Since then, despite extraordinary hardships, and a 66-year U.S. blockade that the State Department itself described as an attempt to bring about “hunger, desperation and overthrow of government,” Cuba has achieved remarkable successes, including full literacy, a world-class healthcare system, sustainable agriculture, and perhaps the highest standard of living in a poor country anywhere in the world.  Part of the country’s Communist ideology is to help others. Cuban doctors have Ebola in West Africa, battled the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe and Latin America, and restored the sight of some two million people in 35 countries for free. They have also trained tens of thousands of foreign doctors for free, on the proviso that they return to their home countries and care for underprivileged communities. This includes dozens of Americans, many of whom spoke to MintPress News for a 2020 article on the country’s famous medical system.  For many around the world, despite the hardships it endures, Cuba stands as a ray of light, an example of what a better world could look like. For the U.S. government, the island is a threat for the same reason; a dangerous idea that must be stamped out. While it is unclear if Trump will get his wish, or merely be able to make the Cuban people suffer unnecessarily, what is evident is that Cuba is not alone in its struggle. The post Hasan Piker, Greta Thunberg Head Massive Cuba Convoy Aimed At Breaking US Blockade appeared first on MintPress News.

[Category: Daily Digest, Foreign Affairs, News]

— Maximum Pressure, Maximum Blackouts: The Gazafication of Cuba

 

at 3/21/26 11:05pm

Havana is unusually quiet. A city normally buzzing with traffic and nightlife lies still, dark, and silent. The Trump administration’s economic strangulation of the island has led to frequent and extended blackouts across the country, creating an economic crisis and uncertainty about the future.  “I can do anything I want with Cuba,” President Trump said recently. “I think something will happen with Cuba pretty quickly,” he added. The country’s electrical grid, public transportation systems, hospitals, schools, and stores run on imported fuel. And now that Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have threatened the world into complying with their agenda, including ending fuel shipments, Cuba is suffering.  Many stores and markets are empty, not because the island does not produce food, but because there is no way to transport it from the countryside to the cities. The United Nations has warned of a possible “humanitarian collapse,” due to the economic war. Havana-based journalist Luis de Jesus Reyes labeled it an attempted genocide in the making.    The Cruelty is the Point Successive administrations have attempted to crush Cuba’s Communist Revolution through embargoes and blockades. A declassified Eisenhower-era State Department memo describes the goal of these unilateral coercive measures as “denying money and supplies” to the island, in order to bring about “hunger, desperation and overthrow of government.” Trump, however, has made this policy a matter of urgency. On January 29, he declared Cuba an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to U.S. national security, and declared that any nation selling it oil would receive giant tariffs.  Cuban-American Secretary of State Marco Rubio, meanwhile, has long dreamed of overthrowing the government in Havana, and has made it a central goal of his political platform to do so.  The ratcheting up of pressure has included intimidating more than a dozen poor nations into suspending medical ties with Cuba, which will see Cuban doctors treating poor and underserved communities across Latin America and the Caribbean forcibly repatriated to their own country.  Trump and Rubio have found allies in right-wing governments throughout the region, including those led by Javier Milei in Argentina, Daniel Noboa in Ecuador, and Nayib Bukele in El Salvador. Their intention is to take Cuba back to where it was in 1958: a U.S. client state where American corporations ran free and the local population was docile, downtrodden, and hyper-exploited like its neighbors, not unlike Haiti and the Dominican Republic are today.  Moreover, the plan to crush Cuba fits into a wider U.S. dream of dominating the Americas. This wish that goes back to the 1820s and the famous Monroe Doctrine, which stated that the entire hemisphere was effectively a U.S. domain. Following his attack on Venezuela and his kidnapping of President Nicolás Maduro, Trump stated plainly: “Under our new national security strategy, American dominance in the Western Hemisphere will never be questioned again.”    Turning The Screw The result is the slow asphyxiation of Cuba, as economic life grinds to a halt. A stronger, hyper-militarized power forcing an entire people to live under intensely difficult conditions has led many to draw comparisons to other international events. “The Gaza-ification of Cuba, in order to starve millions of people, is unfolding before our very eyes,” wrote Argentinian analyst, Bruno Sgarzini. Trump, with characteristic confidence, predicts an imminent victory. Earlier this week, he stated: “Cuba is a failed nation. And I think that pretty soon we will make a deal or do whatever we have to do. We have a lot of great people who happened to vote for Trump (not that that matters) but we have a lot of great people from Cuba who were violently and viciously thrown out of that country, and worse, their families were killed. So, we are talking to Cuba, but we are going to do Iran before Cuba.” Nevertheless, there are rays of optimism for the revolutionaries on the island. For one, Cuba has already endured worse. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Washington tightened its economic noose, leading to a protracted decade of stagnation and suffering locals call the Special Period. Oil was extremely scarce, and calorific intake islandwide fell by a third. The era only came to an end with the assistance of Venezuela and Russia.  Despite much encouragement from the U.S. and from corporate media, there have so far only been sporadic anti-government protests.  Moreover, Trump’s actions have triggered a massive, worldwide solidarity network attempting to break the embargo and bring much needed supplies into Cuba. One of those figures traveling to Cuba is climate activist Greta Thunberg, who, explaining her decision to take part, said:  “As the Trump administration is waging illegitimate wars across the world, killing countless people, deliberately, openly and methodically. The pedophile Trump himself bragged about it, saying there’s an embargo, there’s no oil, there’s no money. There is no anything.” “This is not an accident, or an unfortunate side effect of some policy disagreement. This is the intended outcome,” she added.  Cuba has built up enormous amounts of global public goodwill, thanks to its medical humanitarianism. Its doctors have traveled to over 160 countries, and performed lifesaving procedures across the world. Cuban doctors fought Ebola in West Africa, battled the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe and Latin America, and restored the sight of some two million people in 35 countries for free. Thus, some say, while the United States exports death, Cuba exports life. “We cannot stay silent about this. Cuba did not stay silent when the world needed it… Cuba stood up for the world, and now it is time or the world to stand up for Cuba,” Thunberg said.  Therefore, considering what is in store for them if they do, for so many in Cuba, no matter how hard life gets, surrendering to Washington is simply not an option.  The post Maximum Pressure, Maximum Blackouts: The Gazafication of Cuba appeared first on MintPress News.

[Category: Daily Digest, Foreign Affairs, Front Page: Foreign Affairs, Investigations, Top Story, Cuba, Havana, Sanctions, siege]

— Top US Counterterror Chief Joe Kent Resigns Over Iran War, Blames Israel Lobby Pressure

 

at 3/17/26 11:06am

Joe Kent’s resignation is not an anomaly but an alarm: elite dissent is surfacing early because this war is built on deception. Joe Kent’s resignation is shocking, but not for the obvious reason. It is not shocking simply because it comes from within the Trump administration. Any administration of that size, stretching across thousands of officials, operatives and career personnel, will contain people who, despite the surrounding culture, still draw moral lines of their own. Even an administration defined by blunt militarism, racialized rhetoric and an unapologetic embrace of force is not morally monolithic. There is always room, however narrow, for someone to say: enough. What makes Kent’s resignation important is something else entirely: the language, the timing, and the political location from which it emerged. When other officials resigned over Gaza, they established a standard of ethical clarity that still matters. Former UN human rights official Craig Mokhiber resigned on October 28, 2023, warning that “we are seeing a genocide unfolding before our eyes” and describing Gaza as “a textbook case of genocide.” Former State Department official Stacy Gilbert, who resigned in May 2024 over a government report on Israeli obstruction of aid, put it just as bluntly: “There is so clearly a right and wrong, and what is in that report is wrong.” These were not carefully lawyered exits. They were moral positions. Kent belongs in a different political universe than Mokhiber or Gilbert. That is precisely why his resignation carries such force. He was not some liberal holdout inside a hawkish administration. He was the director of the National Counterterrorism Center, confirmed in July 2025, a former Green Beret, a former CIA paramilitary officer, and by every normal measure a deeply embedded figure within the national security state. He was also a Trump-aligned Republican whose confirmation battle was shaped by ties to far-right figures and conspiracy politics, according to AP. In other words, this was not an outsider recoiling from empire. This was a man from within that machinery saying he could no longer justify this war. And he did not mince words: “I cannot in good conscience support the ongoing war in Iran,” Kent wrote. “Iran posed no imminent threat to our nation, and it is clear that we started this war due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.” That sentence alone is politically explosive. It does not merely criticize tactics. It indicts the rationale of the war itself. Then Kent went further. “Early in this administration, high-ranking Israeli officials and influential members of the American media deployed a misinformation campaign that wholly undermined your America First platform and sowed pro-war sentiments to encourage a war with Iran,” he wrote. And then the bluntest line of all: “This was a lie and is the same tactic the Israelis used to draw us into the disastrous Iraq war.” This is not bureaucratic dissent. This is a direct accusation of manipulation, deception, and foreign-policy capture. That is what makes this resignation different. Officials often leave in silence. They retreat into euphemism. They invoke family reasons, timing, institutional fatigue, or the tired fiction of “policy differences.” Kent did none of that. He drew a line between right and wrong in the language of his own political tradition, and then crossed it. The significance of that act cannot be measured only by whether one agrees with his worldview. It must be measured by what it reveals: that the moral and strategic contradictions of this war are now so visible that even loyalists are beginning to break. Kent also anchored his decision in personal history. “As a veteran who deployed to combat 11 times and as a Gold Star husband who lost my beloved wife Shannon in a war manufactured by Israel, I cannot support sending the next generation off to fight and die in a war that serves no benefit to the American people nor justifies the cost of American lives.” His wife, Navy Senior Chief Petty Officer Shannon Kent, was killed in Syria in 2019 as part of Operation Inherent Resolve. That does not sanctify Joe Kent’s politics, but it does explain the moral register of his letter. He was not speaking abstractly about sacrifice. He was speaking from inside its wreckage. This matters for another reason. We do not know what Kent knows and chose not to say. Someone in his position had access to intelligence, internal deliberations, threat assessments and strategic discussions that the public will never see in full. When such a figure concludes that there was “no imminent threat,” that judgment is not casual. It does not prove everything, but it gives weight to the suspicion that the public case for war was not merely weak, but manufactured. There is also a wider lesson here, and it may be the most important one. Unlike earlier US wars, this one is generating meaningful dissent with unusual speed. Iraq took time. Afghanistan took time. Even when elite opposition emerged, it often arrived only after the strategic disaster had fully matured. This time, less than three weeks into the US-Israeli war on Iran, anti-war protests are already visible, internal unease is already surfacing, and a senior counterterrorism chief has already resigned in public protest. That does not mean the war is near its end. It means the political architecture sustaining it is less stable than Washington wants to admit. Kent’s resignation should also sharpen a debate that Washington has spent decades trying to blur: the role of Israel in shaping US foreign policy. Kent did not hide behind coded language. He called this war what he believes it is: a war launched “due to pressure from Israel and its powerful American lobby.” Whether more officials will say the same remains to be seen. But one of them already has, and from a post that matters. None of this requires romanticizing Joe Kent. One may object, strongly and rightly, to his past politics, to the role he played inside the national security establishment, and to the wider machinery of empire that made his career possible. But that is not the point. The point is that, within his own framework, he reached a conclusion and acted on it. He did the rare thing: he left power and named the corruption plainly. This story is not ending. It is starting. Because once one insider says the war was built on lies, others are forced into a choice. They can continue to perform loyalty to a collapsing narrative, or they can speak. And the longer this war drags on, the more difficult silence will become.  Dr. Ramzy Baroud is a journalist, author and the Editor of The Palestine Chronicle. He is the author of six books. His latest, ‘Before the Flood,’ was published by Seven Stories Press. His other books include ‘Our Vision for Liberation’, ‘My Father was a Freedom Fighter’ and ‘The Last Earth’. Baroud is a Non-resident Senior Research Fellow at the Center for Islam and Global Affairs (CIGA). His website is www.ramzybaroud.net The post Top US Counterterror Chief Joe Kent Resigns Over Iran War, Blames Israel Lobby Pressure appeared first on MintPress News.

[Category: Daily Digest, Editors Picks, National, Opinion & Analysis, Top Story]

— Failing To Destroy Hezbollah, Israel Seeks To Spark A Lebanese Civil War

 

at 3/17/26 10:38am

Surprised by the intensity of Hezbollah’s retaliatory attacks against it, Israel appears to be pivoting to sow internal chaos within Lebanon’s borders in a bid to trigger a catastrophic civil war. An attempted coup against the Lebanese military’s leadership may be the catalyst. At the beginning of May, the extent of the rocket and drone fire from Hezbollah at Israeli military targets struck Tel Aviv by surprise. However, the corporate media quickly constructed a narrative aimed at undermining the capabilities of the Lebanese resistance group and blaming it for the renewed hostilities, with the BBC running a headline entitled “Battered and isolated, Hezbollah drags Lebanon into another war”. Despite this, the Israeli media quickly began to pull apart the concept that Hezbollah had been defeated, as the intensity of the groups attacks appeared more intense than they were in past confrontations. “They’re selling illusions to the public,” an Israeli senior former security told Yediot Aharanot, regarding the narrative of Hezbollah’s defeat. One of Israel’s leading think-tanks, ‘The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center’ (ITIC), has also admitted that “since the ceasefire at the end of November 2024, Hezbollah has taken steps to enable it to recover from the blows of the previous war”. “Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel Katz, and Eyal Zamir promised that the Hezbollah threat would be completely removed, that it would be disarmed. As you may recall, Israel failed to disarm Hamas, which is weaker, for two years”, wrote Haaretz’s Ravid Drucker, criticising the government’s failure to sufficiently weaken Hezbollah. Instead, he argued that the best off-ramp is to take the Lebanese government’s offer to normalise ties as the smart strategic option.   Manufacturing A Lebanese Civil War Following the Lebanon-Israeli ceasefire of November 27, 2024, a major shift occurred in Lebanese politics. Joseph Aoun was selected to be its President, while Nawaf Salam took over as the nation’s Prime Minister; both the favoured picks of the United States. Over the course of the following 15 months, Israel would go on to commit 15,400 violations of the ceasefire agreement, killing hundreds of Lebanese and even expanding their military occupation of the nation’s territory. During this time, PM Salam focused his efforts on pursuing a US plan to disarm Hezbollah, which was even passed by the Lebanese Cabinet in August of 2025. In response, Hezbollah’s Secretary General, Naim Qassem, rejected the notion of handing over their weapons, arguing that doing so would rob Lebanon of its ability to resist Israeli expansionism and its threats to achieve “Greater Israel”. Instead, the Hezbollah leader called upon the government to carry out its duty to expel the foreign occupiers. Upon announcement of its entry into war earlier this month, Hezbollah expressed that it had given the government 15 months to address the daily Israeli attacks on their lands, but that their patience had worn thin. Provoking further criticism from the Lebanese public, Salam told CNN that “peace will lead to normalisation” with Israel and that he hoped it would come “tomorrow, not the day after”. Despite his attempts to address the backlash, by claiming his words were taken out of context, a Lebanese leader expressing his desire to see normalisation at a time of conflict was what drew scrutiny, not his abandonment of the need for a “Two-State solution” in Palestine. During the ceasefire period, Trump administration officials consistently gloated over their power wielded regionally, triggering waves of backlash. During an interview, released in September of last year, US envoy Tom Barrack had smirked at the idea of the Lebanese Army being permitted to defend its territory from Israel and instead said Washington was arming them to “fight their own people.” The Catalyst When Hezbollah fired on Israel earlier this month, Lebanon’s Prime Minister immediately went on the offensive against the Party, labelling its attacks on Israeli targets as “illegal”. Under the PM’s authority and as Lebanon’s Capital was under fire, the government approved a ban on all Hezbollah military activity. Standing in the government’s way of ordering a violent crackdown, has been the current Commander of the Lebanese Armed Forces, Rudolphe Haykal, who has resisted pressure to crack down on the forces resisting Israeli aggression. According to reports, Commander Haykal does not seek to crack down on Hezbollah’s weapons until the war is concluded. The Lebanese Army even announced that they had participated in the foiling of an Israeli attempt to infiltrate the Bekaa Valley through a helicopter landing, leading to the summoning of the militarys leader. Pressure then began to mount from the US, France and Saudi Arabia to sack Commander Haykal. This has been resisted from within the leadership of the army, who have warned that the consequences could destabilise the country. Prime Minister Salam and President Aoun have also reached out to initiate unprecedented direct talks with Israel, while France has proposed a plan that will involve Beirut’s recognition of Israel. US Senator Lindsey Graham, who exercises influence over the American President, has also since argued for the removal of the Lebanese Army’s top commander. If such a coup against the leadership of the Lebanese Army does occur, then this could lead to another civil war inside the country and a possible fragmenting of Lebanon’s Armed Forces. Since the initiation of the latest war between Israel and Lebanon, over 800,000 civilians have already been displaced, as Israel has recently launched a ground invasion of the country. Hezbollah’s ground forces are said to consist of 100,000 fighters, while the Lebanese Army is only around 80,000 strong. However, Lebanon’s Armed Forces aren’t allowed to possess strategic weapons and function as more of a domestic police force, due to US imposed restrictions.  It is unlikely that the Lebanese Army would remain intact if they were ordered to attack Hezbollah, as a large component of its fighters are speculated to sympathise with the Party that is resisting Israeli aggression. Although there is no census allowed, it is speculated that the Lebanese Army itself could be composed of between 25% to 50% Shia Muslims, the same sect as Hezbollah. Another factor at play are the loyalties of tribal forces, especially in the Bekaa Valley area, who have historically fought alongside both Hezbollah and the Lebanese Army in protecting the nations borders. Despite all of the factors at play, Tel Aviv is eager to use the current pro-US Lebanese government to fight Hezbollah on their behalf, seemingly without considering the possible outcomes.   The post Failing To Destroy Hezbollah, Israel Seeks To Spark A Lebanese Civil War appeared first on MintPress News.

[Category: Daily Digest, Foreign Affairs, News, Top Story, Civilian casualties in Lebanon, Hezbollah, Iran war, Israel, Lebanon]

— Straight of Hormuz Closure Pushes Europe Toward Russia, Undermining Trump’s Iran War

 

at 3/17/26 10:26am

While it may have been able to take out Ayatollah Khamenei, the U.S.’ plans for regime change in Iran are not going as smoothly as they expected. With the Strait of Hormuz closed, the global economy is facing meltdown, and Washington’s allies are rapidly distancing themselves from the U.S. Meanwhile, facing an energy crisis, European leaders, openly refusing to participate in President Trump’s war, are already discussing normalizing relations with Russia and ending their participation in the Ukraine War. Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz appears to have caught the Americans off guard. Already, the prices of energy, metals, fertilizer, and other key goods is spiraling out of control, and any prolonged closure threatens to doom the world economy. Around one-fifth of the planet’s entire oil and gas supply travels through the narrow sea passage between Iran and Arabia, making it one of the most important choke points in the world.    Major Miscalculation Trump himself appeared panicked at the prospect. Speaking with reporters, he insisted that reopening the strait by force was a “very small endeavor.” Yet, in the same breath, he beseeched both his NATO and Asian allies, as well as China, to come to America’s aid to do it, stating:  “I really am demanding that these countries come in and protect their own territory because it is the place from where they get their energy. And they should come and they should protect it. You could make the case that maybe we shouldn’t be here at all, because we don’t need it.”  He added that, “We’re doing it [bombing Iran] for some pretty good allies we have in the Middle East,” a statement that could be read as an allusion to Israel.  Yet no major allied nation has announced it will take part in the operation. Indeed, most have categorically refused to do so. Prime Minister Mark Carney, for example, was adamant when he stated that, “Canada is not participating in the offensive operations of Israel and the United States, and will not, ever.” Likewise, there has been a similar lack of appetite for destruction in Europe. “This is not NATO’s war,” a spokesperson for German chancellor Friedrich Merz said. “NATO is an alliance to defend the alliance area. The United States did not consult us before this war, and so we believe this is not a matter for NATO or the German government.”  German Defense Minister Boris Pistorius was equally dismissive, saying: “This is not our war. We have ⁠not started it. What does Donald Trump expect a handful or two handfuls of European frigates to do in the Strait of Hormuz that the powerful US navy cannot do?” The United Kingdom has generally been the United States’ closest European ally. Yet Prime Minister Keir Starmer categorically stated that his country “will not be drawn into the wider war.” Italy, meanwhile, has refused to send its powerful navy to help Washington with its Iran problem. Not only did Prime Minister Georgia Meloni insist that Italy “does not take part and does not intend to take part,” but she also ordered the evacuation of hundreds of Italian troops from the region, backing up her words with actions.  Spain, though, has offered the most resistance to Trump. Pedro Sanchez’s government publicly criticized the U.S./Israeli attack on Iran, and recalled its ambassador in Tel Aviv. Moreover, it refused to allow U.S. forces stationed in its country to be used in any attack, forcing them to relocate to Germany. In retaliation, Trump has threatened an all-out trade war with Spain, threatening to do to it what it has already done to North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, and Iran.  Perhaps most alarmingly for war planners in Washington, though, were the comments of Belgian prime minister, Bart De Wever. In an interview with local newspaper, L’Echo, De Wever stated that Trump’s Iran attacks will force Europe to come to a quick and independent agreement with Russia, in order to avoid financial ruin amid an impending energy crisis. “We must normalize relations with Russia and regain access to cheap energy. That is common sense,” he said, adding, “In private, European leaders agree with me, but no one dares to say it out loud. We must end the conflict in the interest of Europe, without being naïve towards Putin.” Thus, even as Trump threatens Europe, stating his administration is watching very closely and noting their actions, European leaders could be moving towards a rupture in the transatlantic alliance.    How America Threatens Europe Some argue that they have good reason to. At U.S. insistence, NATO countries have agreed to more than their defense spending to 5% of GDP. As the United States is by far and away the leader in weapons production, this agreement amounts to an enormous cash payment into the U.S. economy.  U.S. actions in Ukraine have also led to European nations transferring billions to Washington. Previously dependent on Russian energy, after it blew up the Nord Stream II pipeline, Europe began importing far more expensive liquified natural gas from America to make up the shortfall.  The Trump administration is also openly plotting to seize Greenland from fellow NATO member, Denmark, and European leaders are offering only muted opposition to the plan.  Nevertheless, Trump’s extremely aggressive foreign policy, which has included bombing seven countries in the past 12 months, kidnapping a foreign head of state, and supporting a genocide in Palestine, is increasingly seen as a threat to the safety and prosperity of Europe. And with Trump already suggesting he will bomb Iran again “for fun,” and promising more regime change operations after this one, the prospects for stability of the world look increasingly bleak.  The post Straight of Hormuz Closure Pushes Europe Toward Russia, Undermining Trump’s Iran War appeared first on MintPress News.

[Category: Daily Digest, Foreign Affairs, Investigations, News, Top Story, Iran, Russia, straight of hormuz, Ukraine]

— The Return of ‘Havana Syndrome’ as Cuba Faces Renewed US Pressure Campaign

 

at 3/17/26 9:29am

As the Trump administration turns the screw on Cuba in an attempt at regime change, media are showing renewed interest in Havana Syndrome, the discredited theory that U.S. officials and secret agents are being targeted by a heretofore unknown directed energy weapon, making them sick.  CBS News’ flagship political affairs show, “60 Minutes” aired another special on Havana Syndrome Sunday. The episode concentrated on profiling supposed victims of the mystery ailment, and claimed that the U.S. government had purchased a directed-energy weapon from a “Russian criminal network,” and that they had begun testing this weapon on animals.  The show claimed that hundreds of American officials have been targeted by U.S. adversaries, yet the government remains reluctant to even look into the matter properly.  CBS’ claims were picked up and amplified across the press, including by The Hill, MSN, The New York Post, Newsmax, AOL, and The Daily Telegraph.  The first reported illness happened in Havana in 2016, and since has spread all over the world. U.S. officials – few of whom are willing to go on the record – report a wide variety of symptoms, including headaches, dizziness, and nausea. Many believe they have been targeted by a futuristic microwave ray or sound cannon.  Successive official and academic studies have cast doubt on the validity of these claims. And when the Associated Press published recordings of the “sonic weapon” American servicemen stationed in Havana gave them, a far more mundane culprit was identified: crickets. The sound was unmistakably the high-pitched, screeching mating call of the short-tailed cricket.  The incident provoked uproars of laughter in Cuba. The Cuban Academy of Sciences later concluded that the idea of a microwave attack was “not scientifically acceptable in any of its components,” and has survived largely because of “sensationalist media coverage” and a “biased use of science.”   Bay of Pigs 2.0  Nevertheless, corporate media is once again reviving the idea of Havana Syndrome, and at a highly opportune time in U.S.-Cuba relations. The Trump administration has launched an all-out campaign against Cuba, aiming for regime change on the Caribbean island.  On February 25, a Florida-registered boat full of armed Cuban-Americans entered Cuban waters. Their intent was to land and carry out attacks on the island. When they were intercepted by the Cuban Coast Guard, they fired upon the boat, but were overpowered. Four of their number died in the failed operation, and six more were wounded. Cuban authorities published images of assault rifles, explosive devices, bulletproof vests, telescopic sites, and camouflage uniforms they seized.  At the same time, President Trump has significantly tightened the blockade around the island, cutting off international trade and punishing entities continuing to do business with Havana. He announced that any country sending oil to Cuba would be punished with a 10% increase in tariffs.  As a result, the Cuban economy has floundered. The country is highly dependent on oil imports for electricity production, and prolonged blackouts are now an everyday occurrence. Cuba is facing a critical shortage of fuel and necessary goods, such as medical supplies. Solidarity activists from around the world are rushing to attempt to make up the shortfall.  U.S. sanctions, official documents admit, are designed to “bring about hunger, desperation, and overthrow of government”, through “economic dissatisfaction and hardship.” “Cuba is going to fall soon,” Trump told CNN last week.  Trump has also forced countries around the region to cut off their healthcare partnerships with Cuba. Cuban doctors have been told to leave a dozen Caribbean and Central American nations, much to the detriment of their local populations, who rely on them for medical treatment. More than 605,000 Cuban healthcare professionals have provided free healthcare in 165 countries, performing around 17 million surgeries and saving an estimated 12 million lives.  The U.S. has sought to overthrow the Cuban government since the Revolution of 1959, which brought Fidel Castro and the Communist movement to power. Local authorities have documented at least 5,780 separate U.S.-backed terrorist attacks against their country, killing more than 3,400 people and leaving thousands more injured or disabled.  Perhaps the most notable of these was the 1981 Dengue Fever epidemic, where the U.S. introduced the deadly disease to the island as a form of biological warfare. 158 people were killed, including 101 children.    Don’t Believe The Hype? Thus, the return of the Havana Syndrome story comes at a highly convenient time for war planners in Washington, busy as they are attempting to foment regime change on the island 90 miles south of Miami.  Another reason to be skeptical of this particular narrative is that it is based upon testimonies of U.S. officials working in organizations whose job it is to plant false information into the public domain. Moreover, many of the national security state mandarins who provide the backbone of the allegations insist on remaining anonymous, despite the lack of danger to themselves.  No weapon has ever been found, no perpetrators identified, and it is difficult to see why America’s adversaries would go to such great trouble to mildly to moderately inconvenience its agents.  Moreover, some experts question the plausibility of the science behind the claims. “Nobody has detected microwaves, acoustic waves, etc. that could cause the symptoms. The issue is not resolved nor is it likely to be unless more information is forthcoming,” Kenneth Foster, Professor Emeritus of Bioengineering at the University of Pennsylvania, told MintPress in 2021, adding: “I have been unable to come up with a plausible exposure scenario where pulsed microwaves could produce the reported effects. So far more than 300 people around the world have reported ‘symptoms’ and it is beyond belief that someone could be beaming microwaves at them at sufficient intensity to produce effects without it being noticed.” Some have drawn parallels between Havana Syndrome and the Yellow Rain phenomenon of the 1980s. While patrolling in the area, U.S. forces in Southeast Asia noticed a yellow substance on leaves. Immediately fearing the worst, they suspected they had been attacked by chemical weapons, even though no casualties were recorded. State Department officials promoted the idea, formally accusing the Soviet Union of supplying weapons of mass destruction to Communist forces in the region. The story became a national scandal lasting for much of the early 1980s, only for the U.S. to admit, years later, that the yellow substance on the leaves was actually honey bee feces.   National Security State Media  CBS News’ own ties with the national security state should also not be ignored. Last year, the Ellison family took over the network, in what would be the first piece of a major media empire that now includes CNN and TikTok.  Larry Ellison, currently the world’s sixth-richest individual, made his fortune by founding tech giant Oracle. He got his start in the tech industry as a contractor for the CIA. Indeed, Oracle itself is named after Project Oracle, a CIA endeavor Ellison worked on in the 1970s. For some time, the CIA was Oracle’s only customer, until it began branching out and winning contracts with other departments of the national security state.  Since its very beginning, Oracle has acted as the privatized face of the CIA, allowing Langley to outsource its work to an officially private company. This relationship continues until the present day. In 2020, the CIA awarded Oracle a slice of a multibillion-dollar cloud computing contract. Two years later, it won a $9 billion contract with the Department of Defense to provide hi-tech weapons systems to the military. Ellison is a vocal supporter, top political funder, and close confident of President Trump, who personally approved his takeover of TikTok. “I like Larry Ellison,” Trump said, calling him a “great guy.” Indeed, he has so much influence over the White House, that one Trump insider described him as the “shadow President of the United States.” As expected, Ellison quickly turned CBS News into an overtly pro-Trump outlet, installing prominent “anti-woke” crusader Bari Weiss at the network’s editor-in-chief. It should hardly surprise those watching carefully, then, that it is now resurrecting dubious narratives about Havana Syndrome that could serve as a casus belli. In war, they say, truth is always the first casualty.  The post The Return of Havana Syndrome as Cuba Faces Renewed US Pressure Campaign appeared first on MintPress News.

[Category: Daily Digest, Foreign Affairs, Investigations, National, Top Story, Bay Of Pigs, Cuba, Donal Trump, Havana Syndrome]

— Iranian Official Claims Israel Used Arab ‘Contractor’ in Alleged Oman False-Flag Operation

 

at 3/12/26 10:08am

Iranian source claims Israel staged Oman attack to damage Tehran–Muscat ties and destabilize Gulf diplomacy amid widening war. Key Developments An Iranian security official told Al-Mayadeen that Israel orchestrated a “false flag” attack targeting fuel storage facilities in Oman. The source alleged the operation was carried out through an unnamed Arab country closely aligned with Israel. Fuel storage tanks at Salalah Port in Oman were struck on Wednesday, triggering fires and infrastructure damage. Oman had played a key role in mediating Iran-US negotiations before the war erupted. Separate public claims about alleged Mossad plots in Gulf countries have fueled debate about possible regional false-flag operations. ‘False Flag’ Attack on Oman Fuel Tanks? A senior Iranian security official has accused Israel of orchestrating a “false flag” operation in Oman, claiming the attack was designed to inflame tensions between Tehran and Gulf states and undermine regional diplomacy. In remarks to Al-Mayadeen, the official said recent attacks targeting fuel storage facilities in the Omani port city of Salalah were carried out as part of a broader Israeli strategy to destabilize the region. The source said Iran had obtained “accurate intelligence information” indicating that Israel was responsible for the operation. According to the official, the attack was conducted through an Arab country that maintains extremely close ties with Israel and acts as a “contractor” for Israeli expansionist projects in the region.   Drones have struck oil storage facilities in Oman’s ⁠Salalah port, as local authorities respond to a huge blaze. The strikes come amid Iranian attacks on energy production, storage sites throughout the Gulf in response to ongoing US-Israeli attacks. pic.twitter.com/wtlQAJM7wc — Al Jazeera Breaking News (@AJENews) March 11, 2026 Attack on Salalah Fuel Facilities Fuel storage tanks at Salalah Port, one of Oman’s most important maritime hubs, were targeted in an attack Wednesday that triggered fires and damage to infrastructure. Iran denied any involvement in the incident. The Iranian official told Al-Mayadeen that the attack was designed to make it appear as though Tehran was responsible. “The attacks targeting Oman fall within a ‘false flag’ scenario managed by the Israeli entity,” the official said, according to the report. The source added that regional intelligence services had previously warned that the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could attempt to exploit the current regional turmoil to retaliate against certain Gulf countries. “Oman is among the most prominent countries targeted by this plan,” the official said. According to the report, the attack on Salalah was carried out by agents linked to the unnamed Arab country and occurred hours after Muscat announced a firm new position opposing Israeli regional projects. Oman’s Role as a Mediator The allegation is particularly sensitive because Oman has long served as a key diplomatic bridge between Iran and the United States. Muscat hosted several rounds of indirect negotiations between Tehran and Washington in the months leading up to the war. Following the outbreak of hostilities, Oman publicly expressed alarm at the escalation. Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi said that diplomatic efforts had been making progress before the war derailed them, writing that “Talks in Geneva made genuine progress towards an unprecedented agreement between Iran and the United States.” He added that “war should not mean that the hope of peace is extinguished,” emphasizing that diplomacy remained the only viable path to resolving the crisis. Earlier, Oman’s Foreign Ministry also expressed “deep regret” over the military escalation, warning that the attacks carried “grave risks of expanding the conflict and causing severe consequences for the region.” Oman has historically maintained a neutral foreign policy and has frequently acted as a mediator in disputes involving Iran, the United States, and other regional powers. Allegations of a Wider Strategy The Iranian official told Al-Mayadeen that the alleged operation in Oman fits into a broader Israeli strategy aimed at widening the war. According to the source, Israel may seek to carry out attacks in Gulf countries and blame them on Iran, thereby driving a wedge between Tehran and neighboring states. Similar allegations have circulated in recent political debates outside the region. On March 3, American commentator Tucker Carlson claimed during his program that authorities in Qatar and Saudi Arabia had arrested Israeli Mossad agents allegedly planning bombings in Gulf countries. “Why would the Israelis be committing bombings in Gulf countries, which are also being attacked by Iran?” Carlson asked, according to reporting by Anadolu Agency. However, the claims remain disputed. Nevertheless, the incident underscores growing fears that attacks on infrastructure in Gulf states could deepen mistrust and widen the regional conflict as the war continues. This article originally appeared on the Palestine Chronicle, an EU based nonprofit.  The post Iranian Official Claims Israel Used Arab ‘Contractor’ in Alleged Oman False-Flag Operation appeared first on MintPress News.

[Category: Daily Digest, Foreign Affairs, Investigations, News, Top Story]

— US Ground Invasion of Iran Could Launch From Turkmenistan

 

at 3/12/26 9:22am

While speculation rages on over the potential use of American boots on the ground in Iran, one of Tehran’s neighbours from which there are serious indicators that action could be taken by the US military to launch a ground invasion from Turkmenistan.  Often excluded from analyses of regional conflicts, due to it being perceived as neutral, Turkmenistan may be the entry point of choice for US special forces missions. This Tuesday, Democratic Party Senator Richard Blumenthal issued a furious and stark warning to the nation, following a classified briefing on the Iran war. “We seem to be on a path toward deploying American troops on the ground in Iran to accomplish any of the potential objectives here”, he asserted. Indeed, US President Donald Trump himself has refused to rule out this possibility. Commonplace arguments against the viability of an American ground invasion of Iran generally consist of pointing out the nation’s topography, noting that its mountainous terrain acts as a natural shield against invading armies. Therefore, land invasions are generally considered militarily unwise. However, there have been arguments made to support the viability of special forces operations, which is where Iran’s north-eastern border with Turkmenistan comes into play. It should be noted that the last empire to successfully conquer Iran, the Mongols during the 1200s, used this very same route. In early February, Turkmen media reported on a development tracked by FlightRadar24, noting that US Air Force transport aircraft C-17A Globemaster III and MC-130 Super Hercules had landed at an undisclosed location inside Turkmenistan. Of particular concern was the arrival of the MC-130 Super Hercules, which is used for transporting special forces units, as well as performing night operations. Another worrisome indicator is the growing relationship between Tel Aviv and Ashgabat over the past years. In 2023, Israel even inaugurated an embassy in Turkmenistan, located only 10 miles from the Iranian border, announcing a new era in relations. Although the central Asian nation is known for its wealth of gas resources, Israel didn’t exactly indicate any interest in this, which makes sense considering Tel Aviv already receives around 60% of its energy needs from Azerbaijan. Instead, the Israeli media were fixated on how this diplomatic landmark aided their posture against Iran. The Times of Israel even wrote that “Turkmenistan’s border with Iran stretches for 713 miles (1,148 kilometers), offering Israel an enticing possible means of entry into the Islamic Republic as it tries to stop Tehran’s nuclear program.”   Neutrality In A World Of “Us Versus Them” Turkmenistan has maintained diplomatic relations with Israel since 1993, however, these ties have greatly strengthened over recent years. Their cooperation has recently tightened in the areas of border protection and cyber security. The two also now work closely in the sphere of intelligence sharing and considering that embassies often work as intelligence operations hubs, it has to be assumed that the Mossad’s influence has increased as of 2023. Since the 2010s, Ashgabat has been purchasing Israeli military technology and has an arsenal of drones, consisting of the Aeronautics Orbiter-1K and Israeli Aerospace Industries (IAI) Harop. A newer addition to this arsenal has also been the Israeli SkyStriker drone, designed by Elbit Systems. While there are no official Israeli bases on Turkmen soil, reports have emerged speculating the presence of an Israeli drone base. Although Turkmenistan vows an oath of neutrality when it comes to conflicts involving their neighbours, its history indicates that the lines can often become blurred as to how far that neutrality truly extends. Before being granted neutral status by the United Nations in 1995, the year prior it was Ashgabat that had become the first country to join NATO’s Partnership for Peace (PfP) program. Then came the early 2000s and the US’s era of endless wars, which began to unravel the myth of pure neutrality. Playing a balancing game between East and West, Turkmenistan originally resisted aiding the US war effort against Afghanistan, before it later caved, permitting its airspace to be used for refuelling and transport.  In 2004, Moscow even protested over reported US construction work at the Mary-2 air base in Turkmenistan, sparking further allegations that the US had “gained access to use almost all the military airfields of Turkmenistan, including the airport in Nebit-Dag near the Iranian border.” Another detail revealed in the midst of the US war on Afghanistan was that a small number of US special forces officers had been operating in Ashgabat. While there is no way to confirm the presence of US bases inside Turkmenistan, every so often there are reports that speculate the existence of unmarked American air bases in the countrys vast desert lands.  The Turkmen government denies that such bases exist, however, the recent landing of a US aircraft that is designed to transport special forces units, is another indication that arrangements do take place between the US and Turkmenistan. It would also make sense, given the fact that the country has historically had US refuelling and supply operations, that there have been undisclosed bases there. This could work to explain why a MC-130 Super Hercules landed in the country. Logistically speaking, if the US was to pursue the option of boots on the ground through Iran’s north-eastern border, the closest targets would likely be near the city of Mashhad. The Iranian city even shares the Mary-Mashhad power line. Injecting special forces into Iran in this way would likely prove much easier than traversing the terrain of Iran’s rugged mountainous north and west. It could be argued that a great hindrance to such a strategy would be the deterioration of Iran-Turkmenistan ties, as the Central Asian country depends upon the Islamic Republic for a large portion of its food supply. As of the beginning of the current war, Tehran has cut off all such projects, like its gas for food exchange.  This is putting neighbouring Turkmenistan under strain, forcing it to turn to Russia as its chief food supplier. The US has been onto this, exploring alternate options to prevent the country from falling further into the Russian-Chinese sphere of influence. Historically, Ashgabat’s denial of collaboration with US forces has been in line with its policy of neutrality. For example, in 2015, then US Central Command chief Lloyd Austin remarked that “The Turkmens recently expressed a desire to acquire U.S. military equipment and technology to address threats to their security along their southern border with Afghanistan.” Even this triggered a public denial. Given the fact that President Trump has privately shown “serious interest” in the use of ground forces in Iran, paired with the way his offensive against the Islamic Republic has put allied nations at risk, upsetting Turkmenistan would be in character with the administration’s actions. The lack of consultation with the Persian Gulf Arab States even managed to trigger both private and public complaints, especially emanating from Saudi Arabia.   The post US Ground Invasion of Iran Could Launch From Turkmenistan appeared first on MintPress News.

[Category: Behind The Headlines, Daily Digest, Foreign Affairs, News, Top Story, Iran war, Pentagon, Turkmenistan]

— Iran Strikes US Fifth Fleet Base – Bahrain Erupts in Uprising & Saudi Forces Move to Crush Dissent

 

at 3/12/26 9:02am

Since February 28, following the Israeli-US war of aggression against Iran, the Islamic Republic has targeted vital US military infrastructure bases in Persian Gulf nations, the worst hit being Bahrain. Simultaneously, the assassination of Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has revived the predominantly Shia island’s 2011 revolutionary fervor. With round the clock missile and drone strikes, civil unrest, damage to vital infrastructure and even rumors that its leader has fled, chaos has characterized the state of affairs in Bahrain. According to reports, the sudden devastation inflicted on Gulf economies have led to contestations from their leaderships, who claim to have not been sufficiently notified of the US-Israeli assault. The first wave of Iranian retaliatory strikes targeted the Naval Support Activity (NSA) Bahrain base, striking it directly and inflicting damage to the headquarters for the US Naval Forces Central Command (NAVCENT). Locations belonging to the 5th Fleet were specifically targeted, resulting in large fires burning for hours. Around twenty-four hours following the initiation of the conflict, the Islamic Republic of Iran officially announced the death of its leader, Ayatollah Khamenei. This development would subsequently impact Bahrain over any other Gulf nation, as its citizenry are predominantly Shia Muslims, who are ruled by the Sunni King, Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa, who was installed by the British. For many Shia Muslims, Ayatollah Khamenei was their equivalent to what the Pope represents to Catholic Christians. The Bahraini Royal family, having normalized ties with Israel and who have relied on neighboring Gulf nations to violently put down protests and revolts, were immediately put in hot water by the use of their country to aid in the war effort against Iran.  As a result, Bahrainis began staging protests across the country for around four days.  This was until neighboring Saudi Arabia began deploying the Unified Military Command [formerly called the Peninsula Shield Forces] to crack down upon the brewing uprising. The details concerning potential further protests have since been scarce.    #BREAKING Exclusive: Peninsula Shield Forces seen in Bahrain. They just entered from Saudi. pic.twitter.com/LhQ7KBqW6e — War Monitor (@WarMonitors) March 2, 2026   Alongside the crackdown on protesters has also come a wave of arrests against individuals sharing videos of Iranian munitions impacting sites across the country. Washington-based pro-war think tank, the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD), said that the identities of those celebrating Iran’s strikes on US facilities have been reported to the Saudi-led security forces. The deployment of the Unified Military Command was viewed as a historic development, not seen since the 2011 Bahraini Revolution, when the Saudi-led forces violently suppressed the revolt.  Amidst what appears to be a media blackout in regard to the protests over the past days, conflicting reports have emerged as to whether they are still ongoing or were quelled. Despite King Khalifa delivering a speech on March 8, speculation has continued to spread online that he may have departed the country for Saudi Arabia.  A source from the Bahraini diaspora, describing himself as a member of the opposition and who chose not to be named, told MintPress News that there was a campaign to paint dissent as disloyalty to the country in a bid to justify a broad crackdown: “They want to portray us as traitors when we are the ones who have been advocating for the removal of the US navy from our country for the very reason we all see today. Look at what has happened now. Are we safer or has our nation’s security increased because of this collaboration? No.” Tensions over the presence of US bases in Bahrain dates back to 1975 when the Royal Family disbanded the country’s Legislative Assembly, partly due to its opposition to the US Navy’s presence on the island. The move led to 25-years of rule by decree.  In 1981, the Islamic Front for the Liberation of Bahrain would attempt a military coup to transform the nation into an Islamic Republic. Then, between 1994 and 2000, Bahraini forces belonging primarily to Left wing factions led revolts and were critical of US presence inside the Kingdom. As recently as 2024, sizable protests continued to be held against the US Fifth Fleet.   Iran Dismantles US Military Bases In a desperate bid to censor further documentation of the damage inflicted by Iranian missiles and drones, the Bahraini authorities are pursuing a legal campaign targeting what they call “high betrayal” for filming the ongoing retaliatory strikes. Bahrain’s Public Prosecution seeks to implement the “death penalty” and are operating on the basis that they will pursue violators “without the slightest mercy”. Manama claims, without evidence, to have intercepted hundreds of Iranian drones and missiles. An announcement that appears to be contested by the video and satellite imagery, confirming the devastating accuracy of Iran’s attacks, particularly on US military facilities, but also on hotels that Tehran claims are hosting US service members.\ Two sources speaking to the Military Times, stated that Trump administration officials had even conceded during a private meeting on Capitol Hill that Iran’s drones were proving more difficult to counter than the Pentagon had anticipated. “They were ill-prepared,” one of the sources stated. By March 4 alone, satellite imagery released by Planet Labs, revealed extensive damage to the US’s Fifth Fleet headquarters in Manama, the destruction of several large buildings and complexes, in addition to the obliteration of two satellite communications terminals. According to reports, the Juffair base has been to a great extent put out of service and the area was evacuated early on during the conflict. Iran also claimed to have destroyed much of a US airbase in the Sheikh Issa area, including through strikes on fuel tankers at the base.  The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) also reportedly targeted the Israeli Embassy in Bahrain. In retaliation to later US strikes from Bahraini territory, which destroyed a water desalination facility on Iran’s Qeshm Island, the Iranian military announced it had struck back at the US base in Juffair from which it came. The IRGC claims to have destroyed the US’s radars in Bahrain and degraded its surveillance systems. Following an Iranian drone attack on US forces in Bahrain, a BAPCO oil refinery was additionally struck and damaged, leading to the company declaring majeure, a measure taken to release a company from contractual obligations. During an Iranian wave of attacks on US military facilities and personnel in Bahrain, civilian homes were struck by a munition that injured around 30 people. Initially, Manama blamed an Iranian drone strike, however, footage later emerged showing a misfired air defense munition striking civilian infrastructure, contesting the Kingdom’s official account.  https://x.com/MintPressNews/status/2031080658676674804    A video circulating from Bahrain appears to contradict claims from U.S. Central Command, which denied that a Patriot interceptor malfunctioned during an attempted interception earlier today. CENTCOM says reports from Russian and Iranian media suggesting a U.S. Patriot missile… pic.twitter.com/ZKjwCxhrtH — MintPress News (@MintPressNews) March 9, 2026 As satellite imagery has made it impossible to cover up the extent of the damage caused to US military facilities, a leading commercial satellite imaging company, Planet Labs, has even put a pause on its release of images of the region. The reasons cited were that it could aid in Iranian “battle damage assessment”. These attempts to censor the extent of the damage caused by Iran’s ballistic missiles and loitering munitions, is not likely to succeed however, as Chinese satellite imaging companies have also been releasing evidence and are not likely to bow to external pressure.  There is also evidence that US forces have had to rely more heavily on sub-bases outside its main military facilities due to the attacks, which appear to also have come under fire. US service members are also known to have sought refuge in hotels, which have additionally come under fire, likely as an attempt to force military personnel to withdraw from the country. Although the destruction has undoubtedly been overwhelming, in order to put military bases out of service, sustained attacks are necessary, which is why there are no indications that the Iranian military’s waves of attacks will cease. The post Iran Strikes US Fifth Fleet Base – Bahrain Erupts in Uprising Saudi Forces Move to Crush Dissent appeared first on MintPress News.

[Category: Daily Digest, Foreign Affairs, News, Top Story, Bahrain, Iran war, US fifth fleet]

As of 4/12/26 5:42am. Last new 4/9/26 4:09pm.