[NYPost] The federal government plans to automatically register eligible men for the military draft beginning in December, according to a proposed rule published last week.
The Selective Service System (SSS), the government agency that maintains the database of draft-eligible Americans, submitted the “automatic registration” rule change to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs on March 30.
Congress approved automatic registration for the draft last December as part of the 2026 National Defense Authorization Act, must-pass legislation that authorizes funding for military personnel and operations.
“This statutory change transfers responsibility for registration from individual men to SSS through integration with federal data sources,” the agency notes on its website. “SSS will implement the change by December 2026, resulting in a streamlined registration process and corresponding workforce realignment.”
Under federal law, most males between 18 and 25 years old are already required to register with the Selective Service System in case a military draft is authorized.
Men are expected to self-register within 30 days of their 18th birthdays, but the agency accepts late registrations until age 26.
Failing to register with the Selective Service System is a felony.
Non-registrants face a fine up to $250,000 or five years imprisonment and could also be denied student loans, government jobs (including federal, state and local) and US citizenship, if they are immigrants.
Currently, 46 states and territories have laws in place to automatically register eligible men when they apply for drivers licenses or IDs, according to the Selective Service System.
In 2024, the Selective Service System reported to Congress that “registration rates … declined in recent years,” dropping from 84% of eligible men in 2023 to 81%.
Rep. Chrissy Houlahan (D-Pa.), who sponsored automatic draft registration language in the 2026 defense policy bill, argued that it would save taxpayer money.
[IsraelTimes] Amid violent attacks throughout the UK, the acclaimed British author finds antisemitic and anti-Israel sentiment increasingly normalized. He also sees ‘moments of fantastic hope’
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited by Leonid Tsukanov
[REGNUM] A political and diplomatic scandal has erupted in Lebanon, currently locked in a bitter military standoff with Israel. The central government and Hezbollah command attempted to extricate a spy operating under the name Khaled al-Aida from the Ukrainian embassy in Beirut.
The holder of three passports—Syrian, Palestinian, and Ukrainian—lay low in the diplomatic mission after escaping from a field prison, where he had previously been imprisoned for attempting to assassinate a high-ranking Lebanese official. Although the scandal died down as suddenly as it had erupted, many gaps remain in the "al-Aida case" that continue to unsettle the public to this day.
GAPS IN THE BIOGRAPHY
Little is known about Khaled al-Aida's life (real name unknown) before he came into the hands of the Jewish state's intelligence services. Information about his identity is fragmentary and contradictory, and his digital footprint is complex.
According to one version, he comes from a family of Palestinian refugees who settled in Syria. He actively supported the ruling Ba'ath Party. With the outbreak of the civil war in 2011, he fled to Lebanon with his family. Having established himself there in the mid-2010s, he emigrated.
For several years, he studied at a Ukrainian university, where he allegedly even managed to get married and apply for citizenship. In 2022, he returned to Lebanon and found work in a car repair shop.
It is not known exactly when the first contact with Israelis occurred, but investigators are convinced that by the end of 2023, the "professional refugee" was carrying out simple tasks for the local underground.
According to the version insisted on by Lebanese security forces, al-Aida is entirely a project of the Israeli secret services: born in one of the Israeli settlements on the Golan Heights, the man served in the army and became a fighter in the elite Mista'arvim forces,
…sometimes spelt mista‘aravim …
specializing in police and sabotage operations behind enemy lines under the guise of Palestinians, and from there he was recruited into the Mossad.
Al-Aida's acquisition of Ukrainian citizenship is also entirely logical. Ukrainian documents are considered among the cheapest among European ones on the black market. Given the conflict in Ukraine, the prolonged stay of a Ukrainian passport holder far beyond its borders did not arouse the Arabs' suspicions.
Useful information. May none of us here ever need to make use of it.
Moreover, with the outbreak of hostilities in 2022, numerous dealers and arms dealers poured into the Middle East, allowing al-Aida to blend in even more and move in relevant circles as needed.
MASTER OF COMMUNICATION
Whether al-Aida was a career Israeli intelligence officer or a timely recruited "sympathizer," he managed to rise through the ranks relatively quickly.
An inconspicuous auto repair shop worker, he knew how to make connections and exploit these connections, which allowed him to gain traction among Hezbollah supporters. Al-Aida was friends with Mohammed Hadi Saleh, a famous Shiite singer and, as was later revealed, an Israeli double agent involved in organizing the assassination attempt on Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah.
This connection proved fatal for al-Aid. Saleh was exposed in the spring of 2025, and a few months later, acting on his tip, the artist's former colleague was arrested. Al-Aid was caught red-handed, along with his accomplices, while plotting an assassination attempt on senior Lebanese government officials en route to Beirut Airport.
Despite the detainee's attempt to impersonate a Shiite activist and frame the incident as revenge by Hezbollah fighters dissatisfied with the disarmament, Lebanese intelligence agencies already had all the cards in their hands. They knew for certain both his identity and his alleged contacts with the Mossad. The trial was expectedly swift: the captured criminal was accused of working for Israeli intelligence and sent to serve time separately from the other defendants in the case until a final verdict was issued.
However, he only spent a few months in prison. After the Israeli operation in southern Lebanon began in early March 2026, Israel Defense Forces (IDF) aircraft carried out targeted strikes near the agent's detention center, and the prisoner fled to an unknown location.
DIFFICULTIES OF EVACUATION
After escaping from a field prison, al-Aida found himself caught between two fires. On one hand, Lebanese security forces were hot on his trail with a warrant for his re-arrest. On the other, Hezbollah counterintelligence, which had its own score to settle with the fugitive, was pursuing him.
Both operated independently of each other, even competing to be the first to reach the valuable prisoner, but this only complicated the situation for the wanted man. Remaining in Lebanon was too dangerous.
Al-Aida initially planned to move to Syria, where anti-Iranian sentiment had increased exponentially since the overthrow of Bashar al-Assad's regime in 2024, and to blend in for a time among the local tribes. Most likely, al-Aida intended to leave the Syrian wilderness for Jordan, which maintained diplomatic relations with Israel and, more importantly, intelligence contacts, and from there, quietly evacuate to the Jewish state.
The plan had every chance of success: the Lebanese-Syrian land border is nearly 400 kilometers long, and some areas are poorly controlled by border forces. Moreover, with the outbreak of the conflict with Israel, Hezbollah was forced to lift some of its cordons in order to redeploy forces south.
But at the last moment, the guides the fugitive had hired from among local smugglers backed out of their previous promises, fearing that they would fall into a trap set by Hezbollah, whose informants still abound in the border villages, and become unwitting accomplices in the rescue of the Israeli spy.
Escaping to southern Lebanon and surrendering to advancing Israeli forces was out of the question: the risk of falling victim to IDF "friendly fire" was too great. Moreover, the Mossad was reluctant to share much information about Lebanese agents with the army, fearing leaks. Furthermore, the risk of encountering reinforced Hezbollah units with targeting information in the border area was too great.
As a result, the holder of several passports found himself, at first glance, in a hopeless situation.
UNEXPECTED RESCUE
Ukrainian diplomats suddenly came to al-Aida's aid. It's unclear whether this was due to a Ukrainian passport or a non-public request from Israel to Kyiv. Either way, by mid-March, the fugitive had found temporary refuge on the grounds of a diplomatic facility in the Lebanese capital.
This quickly became known to the pursuers. Less than 24 hours later, Lebanese protesters—including those disloyal to Hezbollah—were holding pickets outside the embassy demanding "the traitor be handed over to the authorities," and the central government formally requested the diplomatic corps to hand over al-Aida to the police.
Ukraine has attempted several times to obtain permission for its disgraced client to leave the country in a diplomatic vehicle, citing the suspect's lack of Lebanese citizenship.
The United States also joined in defending al-Aida. Through Sherry Baker, the head of the CIA's local office, they sent a dispatch to the Lebanese president, claiming that the case was becoming politically charged and could seriously damage official Beirut's relations with its partners.
Since late March, the "al-Aida case" has suddenly disappeared from the agenda. Everyone involved in the investigation—from Hezbollah to the CIA—seemed to have forgotten about this figure. Meanwhile, the whereabouts of the mysterious spy remain unknown: the Lebanese central government denies his departure from the country, and the Ukrainian embassy refuses to confirm his presence on its territory. Israel is also being stingy with details and has shown no sign of the agent's return to his homeland.
However, it's too early to draw a line under al-Aida's story. It's quite possible that after American intervention, he was secretly spirited out of the Ukrainian embassy but remained in Lebanon.
And while the central government of the Arab Republic might have reluctantly agreed to hush up the story, Hezbollah's silence should be interpreted more as an attempt to independently figure out where its enemy might be hiding this time.
[AsiaNikkei] Taiwan chip industry calls for helium, LNG reserves amid Iran war risks. Alliance voices support for nuclear power for first time as conflict raises uncertainties.
Paywalled. But we have the BLUF.
Posted by: Clem+Elmish4239 ||
04/09/2026 08:58 ||
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Is it intel to say, “Wudn’t us. Dunno who dunnit”? And did it really matter? Israel was and is legitimately proud of their little project, which was so effective — twice! — and successfully kept secret for so many years.
[IsraelTimes] Transcript of call two weeks after 2024 operation in Lebanon prompts concern among Western officials over Budapest’s ties to Islamic Republic, despite outward pro-Israel stance
Hungary reportedly offered to share intelligence with Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... about Israel’s deadly 2024 pager attack targeting Hezbollah operatives, raising questions regarding Budapest’s geopolitical standing.
The Washington Post said Wednesday that it obtained a Hungarian government transcript of a September 30, 2024, call between Hungarian Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto and his Iranian counterpart Abbas Araghchi during which Szijjarto told Araghchi that Budapest’s intelligence services had already reached out and would share all information gathered in their investigation into the incident. The Post said the transcript was also verified by a Western intelligence agency.
The outreach from Szijjarto to Araghchi came shortly after thousands of pagers used by Hezbollah members went kaboom! in Leb ...The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else?... , killing at least 12 people and wounding nearly 3,000 on September 17.
At the time, Hungary was drawn into the spotlight after a Taiwanese company whose branding appeared on the devices said they had been manufactured by a Hungarian firm under license.
Szijjarto sought to distance Hungary from the attack, with the transcript quoting him as having told Araghchi during the call that the pagers "are not produced in Hungary, they have never been to Hungary and no Hungarian company has never been related with these pagers physically. So we don’t have anything to do with it!"
Araghchi, in turn, expressed gratitude for Hungary’s efforts, telling Szijjarto that he was "very grateful for you doing all of this."
Hungary’s willingness to cooperate with Iran — Hezbollah’s main backer — appears to sit uneasily with Hungary’s official stance as one of Israel’s most reliable supporters within Europe. Budapest has frequently backed Israel in international forums and maintains close ties with both Israeli and American leadership.
Just last month, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu effectively endorsed Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán in the country’s elections next week, saying the strongman leader "has been like a rock."
During a visit to Hungary, US Vice President JD Vance similarly showed support for Orbán’s election campaign on Tuesday, saying at a pro-Orbán rally that he was in Budapest "to help him in this campaign cycle."
A former White House official told the Post that while Hungary may have been attempting to ease tensions with Tehran following the attack, the move runs counter to its publicly stated pro-Israel policy.
"Hungary is one of the most supportive of Israel in its official policy. They are one of the only countries that consistently vote with the US when the rest of Europa ...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum... abstains," the official said.
The report noted that the communication has prompted concern among Western officials, particularly given Hungary’s broader positioning, which has included maintaining ties with Russia, a key Iranian ally.
Mullin: I believe sanctuary cities is not lawful. Some of these cities have international airports. If they are a sanctuary city, should they really be processing customs into their city? We need to have a really hard look at that.
#7
I'd guess the couriers get on a certain list and when checking in, get pinged for special treatment a la 'personal staff of member of congress' or something and get into the 'shortcut' route. Decently dressed yet not attractive would walk right on by people without them looking twice, especially if looking once is der raycicst.
But on the point, is the question here about why are customs being handled locally in any aspect at all, and federalizing that procedure - therefore they (the local politicians) might lose their customs (access)?
#8
@6 Customs (and agents) are for people entering the US, not leaving. In theory TSA should be identifying the people leaving the country with, IIRC, more than $10,000. In practice I don't think TSA is expected or trained to handle people leaving the country with larges sums of money.
#9
My Georgia hunting license is no good in Germany or France. Seems to me that there should be a method to making the USD 'no good' in foreign lands unless approved in advance or electronically certified at an airport currency exchange. Perhaps some sort or algorithm of bar code.
#11
...Correct me if I'm wrong, but I seem to remember a few years ago a European country had their customs guys go on strike (Greece, maybe) and airline flights into said country STOPPED dead for a few days due to some international agreement.
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/09/2026 21:14 Comments ||
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#14
Bigtime Ozymandias moment imagining LA evenings without the reverse-tracer-slomo stacks of inbound planes twinkling in the east. Gave me quite a frosty chill... quickly banished -- not to go all Turtle Island -- by Cortezian thrill.
[Al-Rooters via Yahoo] A Washington, D.C. federal appeals court on Wednesday declined to block the Pentagon's national security blacklisting of Anthropic for now, a win for the Trump administration that comes after another appeals court came to the opposite conclusion in a separate legal challenge by Anthropic.
Anthropic, developer of the popular Claude AI assistant, alleges that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth overstepped his authority when he designated the company a national security supply-chain risk, a label that blocks Anthropic from Pentagon contracts and could trigger a government-wide blacklisting.
Anthropic executives have said the designation could cost the company billions of dollars in lost business and reputational harm.
A panel of judges of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit denied Anthropic's bid to pause the designation while the case plays out. The decision is not a final ruling.
The lawsuit is one of two Anthropic filed over Hegseth’s unprecedented move, which came after Anthropic refused to allow the military to use AI chatbot Claude for U.S. surveillance or autonomous weapons due to safety and ethics concerns.
Hegseth issued orders designating Anthropic under two different laws, and Anthropic is challenging each of them separately.
A California federal judge blocked one of the orders on March 26, saying the Pentagon appeared to have unlawfully retaliated against Anthropic for its views on AI safety.
Anthropic's designation was the first time a U.S. company has been publicly designated a supply-chain risk under obscure government-procurement statutes aimed at protecting military systems from enemy sabotage or infiltration.
In its lawsuits, Anthropic says the government violated its right to free speech under the First Amendment of the Constitution by retaliating against its views on AI safety. The company said it was not given a chance to dispute its designation, in violation of its Fifth Amendment right to due process.
The lawsuits say the designations were unlawful, unsupported by facts and inconsistent with the military’s past praise of Claude.
The Justice Department says that Anthropic’s refusal to lift the restrictions could cause uncertainty in the Pentagon over how it could use Claude and risk disabling military systems during operations, according to a court filing.
The government said its decision stemmed from Anthropic’s refusal to accept contractual terms, not its views on AI safety.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] The United States opposes Iran's nuclear weapons capability, so during negotiations, Washington will demand that Tehran surrender all nuclear materials. US Vice President J.D. Vance announced this on April 8.
"What the President (US Donald Trump – Ed.) said: We don't want Iran to have the ability to create nuclear weapons, we don't want Iran to enrich for nuclear weapons. And we want Iran to hand over its nuclear fuel. These will be our demands during the negotiations," he told reporters in Budapest.
Vance also stated that there was a misunderstanding between the US and Iran, as the American side did not give the go-ahead for Lebanon to be included in the ceasefire.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated that the United States has already violated three points out of Iran's ten proposals for a Middle East ceasefire. This makes a bilateral ceasefire or negotiations impractical. These three points include armed attacks on Lebanon, the penetration of a drone into Iranian airspace, and the denial of Tehran's right to enrich uranium.
Trump had previously threatened to "destroy" Iran if the country did not accept the terms of the peace agreement. On April 8, just hours before his "ultimatum" expired, Trump announced an agreement with Iran on a two-week ceasefire. The Islamic Republic's Supreme National Security Council declared Iran victorious in the conflict with the United States. A final agreement is planned based on Tehran's proposals.
Posted by: badanov ||
04/09/2026 00:00 ||
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#1
BUT!!!
I seem to remember reading the DOD or IDF stating that the Nuke materials are buried so deep under a collapsed mountain and underground that it would take years to recover??????
[IsraelTimes] Full text of PM’s address after Trump announced ceasefire; says move was coordinated, campaign not over, he insisted fight against Hezbollah continue, Iran battered and weaker than ever
The following is the full text of a televised video statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, delivered a day after US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire in the war against Iran.
Citizens of Israel, I want to thank you, our wonderful people.
While you demonstrated resilience sitting in safe rooms and shelters, together we achieved tremendous things. Our fighters were on the front lines — and you were on the home front.
My brothers and sisters, the State of Israel has achieved tremendous accomplishments — accomplishments that, until recently, would have seemed completely unimaginable.
Iran is weaker than ever, and Israel is stronger than ever. That is the bottom line of this campaign, as of this moment.
And I want to make this clear: We still have goals to complete, and we will achieve them either by agreement or by resuming the fighting.
We are prepared to return to combat at any moment required. Our finger is on the trigger.
As you know, a temporary two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran went into effect overnight, in full coordination with Israel. No, they did not surprise us at the last minute.
Now, I want to emphasize: this is not the end of the campaign. It is a milestone on the path to achieving all our goals.
Iran is entering negotiations battered and weaker than ever. It has committed to reopening the Strait of Hormuz after relinquishing all its preconditions. It gave up its demands for the lifting of sanctions, receiving compensation, a final end to the war, and a ceasefire in Lebanon.
At a time when Iran is weaker than ever, Israel is stronger than it has ever been.
Six weeks ago, for the first time in history, we went to war shoulder-to-shoulder with my friend, President Trump, and our great ally, the United States.
We embarked on a historic operation, the greatest military operation the Middle East has ever known. Nothing like this has ever happened in the history of Israel.
Such a partnership between Israel and the United States against our greatest enemy has also never existed in the history of Israel. And yes, I can reassure anyone who is worried about the relationship between me and President Trump. As he said… “You are great.” We speak every day, and we smile when we hear these assessments.
In any case, anyone who chooses to ignore the strength of this partnership is simply ignoring the truth.
As US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said today, the respect for Israel as an ally on the battlefield — respect for our heroism, our courage, our skill — is soaring.
President Trump, my friend Donald, I want to thank you for your leadership and your friendship. The profound friendship between us, the deep friendship between the United States and Israel, is changing the face of the Middle East.
Together, we set out to remove an existential threat from the State of Israel and from the entire free world — and that is the mission we are carrying out. We are carrying it out step by step. Target by target.
If we had not launched ‘Rising Lion,’ and subsequently launched ‘Lion’s Roar,’ Iran would have acquired nuclear weapons long ago, and Iran would have possessed many thousands of missiles with which to destroy Israel and threaten the existence of us all. We have lifted this dual existential threat from over our heads.
We have set the terror regime in Iran back many years. We have shaken its foundations. We have crushed it.
Here is what we have achieved up to this moment:
We have smashed Iran’s missile production machine. Not only did we destroy existing missiles, but we also destroyed the factories that produce them. The Iranians are firing what remains in their arsenal, and that arsenal is steadily emptying. But they are not producing new missiles.
We have dealt a severe blow to Iran’s nuclear program. We destroyed extensive nuclear infrastructure, centrifuge factories, and another thing—we eliminated additional nuclear scientists, adding to those we eliminated during ‘Rising Lion.’
And regarding the enriched material that still remains in Iran: As senior Trump administration officials stated today, all of the enriched material will be removed from Iran. It will be removed either by agreement or through resumed fighting. And we see eye to eye on this matter.
We have smashed the Revolutionary Guards’ financial machine and weapons production machine. We destroyed steel plants, petrochemical plants, weapons factories, bridges, and railway lines used for transporting forces and weapons. We destroyed military infrastructure — the Iranian navy, dozens of aircraft, missile bases, and headquarters.
We dealt a severe blow to the regime’s apparatus of repression, eliminated thousands of its operatives, and proved that we can hunt them anywhere. They have nowhere to hide.
We eliminated the regime’s senior leadership, from the dictator Khamenei to the top ranks of the Revolutionary Guards and the Basij.
As a result of Israel’s strength and determination — strength and determination visible to everyone in the Middle East — we are forging new alliances with countries in the region.
I insisted that the temporary ceasefire with Iran would not include Hezbollah. And we continue to strike them with force. Today we dealt Hezbollah the hardest blow it has suffered since the pagers. We struck 100 targets in 10 minutes, in places Hezbollah was sure were immune.
To the wonderful residents of the north — we are committed to restoring your security.
We have created deep security zones well beyond our borders — in Lebanon, in Syria, and in Gaza — where we control more than half of the Strip and are squeezing Hamas from all sides.
Citizens of Israel, anyone who tries to ignore these tremendous achievements, the tremendous achievements of the State of Israel and the soldiers of the IDF, anyone who tries to belittle them, either does not know what they are talking about, or is speaking out of ulterior motives.
Because the truth is simple: As I promised you at the very start of the War of Revival, we have dramatically changed the face of the Middle East in Israel’s favor, and we will continue to do so.
For we are the side that initiates, we are the side that fights, and, with God’s help, we are the side that wins.
Happy Mimouna, citizens of Israel, a holiday of Israel’s unity. Tirbahu v’tisadu (May you prosper and have success).
#3
That might be the reason for the brigade from the 82nd airborne. Drop the infantry and attached combat engineers near the site of the Iranian uranium to create a perimeter & airstrip for the NEST teams to retrieve the uranium, everybody gets back on the planes and fly away. At the same time CAS is destroying anyone stupid enough to try and interfere.
A holiday originating in the Jewish community of Morocco.
A lot of the passover foods that have not yet been eaten, plus some others, are put out for everyone (Observant Jews, non observant jews and non Jews) to enjoy with music and dancing.
This holiday has now been embraced by much of Sephardi Jewry and some of Ashkenazim Jewry and some of secular Israelis.
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
04/09/2026 16:24 Comments ||
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Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[RIA] Israel has violated the ceasefire reached between Tehran and Washington several times this day, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said.
"The President condemned several ceasefire violations, including the attacks on the islands of Lavan and Sirri," his press service said.
They added that the Islamic Republic intends to respond decisively to any attacks.
Earlier on Wednesday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi discussed the ceasefire violation with Pakistan, which acted as a mediator between Tehran and Washington.
On Wednesday night, the two countries agreed to a two-week ceasefire. The Israeli army also announced a pause in attacks, but continued its operation against the Shiite Hezbollah movement. Airstrikes and artillery struck more than ten towns in southern Lebanon.
Meanwhile, according to media reports, Israel, in conjunction with the Americans, launched strikes on an oil refinery in southern Iran. The IRGC reported downing a Hermes 900 drone over the southern province of Fars. According to the Iranian Fars news agency, simultaneously with the Israeli attacks on Lebanon, tanker transit through the Strait of Hormuz was also halted.
Under the terms of the ceasefire with Washington, Tehran pledged to ensure safe navigation in the Strait of Hormuz. Currently, only friendly countries are allowed to pass through. According to the Tasnim news agency, these include Russia, China, India, Iraq, and Pakistan.
Iran's ten-point plan could form the basis of a future agreement. According to it, Iran retains control of Hormuz, is exempt from sanctions, receives compensation, and continues to enrich uranium. US President Donald Trump called this proposal acceptable for the beginning of dialogue. The first round of talks will take place on April 10 in Islamabad.
Posted by: badanov ||
04/09/2026 00:00 ||
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#1
Cobra hisses, IRGC's bumboy talks - what's the difference?
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] If Israel's bombing of Lebanon continues, Iran will respond with force. This was stated in a statement by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on April 8, as cited by the local Tasnim news agency.
The statement also said that it is Tehran's duty to repel aggressors in the region.
Earlier, the Lebanese Red Cross reported that more than 80 civilians were killed and another 200 were injured as a result of the Israeli rocket attack on Beirut.
This occurred the day after the ceasefire with Iran announced by US President Donald Trump. On the night of April 8, he announced an agreement with Iran on a two-week ceasefire. The politician also assured that the ceasefire would be bilateral. The US side, the head of the White House explained, received a 10-point proposal from Tehran, which will serve as the basis for the final agreement. One of these points concerns the full opening of the Strait of Hormuz.
Following this strike, the Iranian news agency Fars reported that the Islamic Republic was considering launching a new military operation against Israel due to its ceasefire violations. Meanwhile, Iran views the ongoing attacks on Lebanon as either a direct order to Israel from the US or an example of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's unruliness.
Posted by: badanov ||
04/09/2026 00:00 ||
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[YouTube] Pretty well explains the Iranian nuclear program.
Every single American needs to see this video from Sec. of State Marco Rubio. This definitively answers the "why now" question
BLUF: Iran wants nuclear weapons, was close to having a shield of conventional missiles such that nobody could do anything about it. This was our last chance to so anything about it
Posted by: Besoeker ||
04/09/2026 10:21 ||
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#1
Clear and to the point. Well said.
Posted by: Whiskey Mike ||
04/09/2026 10:40 Comments ||
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#2
Rubio has a way of being clear and to the point.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
04/09/2026 11:51 Comments ||
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[IsraelTimes] Vance warns Iran that Trump is ‘not one to mess around;’ IRGC says no trust in US promises, has ‘finger on trigger’
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards also warned that they had "no trust" in promises from the United States, adding that their "finger was on the trigger."
"The Iranian nation’s dedicated guards are listening to the orders of the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, His Holiness Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei, and their finger is on the trigger," read a statement on their Telegram channel.
Calling on Gulf countries to end their "cooperation" with the United States, the Guards added: "The enemy has always been deceitful, and we have no trust in its promises, and we will respond to every aggression at a greater level."
FRAGILE TRUCE
Amid the continuing violence, US Vice President JD Vance on Wednesday acknowledged the truce was "fragile" and urged Tehran to negotiate in "good faith" to reach a long-term deal, warning that US President Donald Trump ...His ancestors didn't own any slaves... was "not one to mess around."
Tehran has warned that the war is not over until formal terms are negotiated.
"If the Iranians are willing in good faith to work with us, I think we can make an agreement," Vance said during a visit to Budapest.
He added, if the Iranians don’t come to the negotiating table, "they’re going to find out that the President of the United States is not one to mess around. He’s impatient. He’s impatient to make progress."
Vance said Trump had shown "that we still have clear military, diplomatic and maybe most importantly, we have extraordinary economic leverage."
"If they’re going to lie, if they’re going to cheat, if they’re trying to prevent even the fragile truce that we’ve set up from taking place, then they’re not going to be happy," he added.
In a sign that parts of the truce were being implemented, two ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz since Iran agreed to reopen the waterway, maritime monitor Marine Traffic said Wednesday.
"The Greek-owned bulk carrier NJ Earth crossed the Strait at 08:44 UTC, while the Liberia-flagged Daytona Beach transited earlier at 06:59 UTC, shortly after departing Bandar Abbas at 05:28 UTC", MarineTraffic said on X.
The United States and Iran agreed overnight from Tuesday to Wednesday to a two-week ceasefire, during which passage through the Strait of Hormuz "will be possible via coordination with Iran’s Armed Forces," Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said on X.
"NJ Earth’s transit may be an early sign of movement, but it is still too soon to tell whether this reflects a broader ceasefire-driven reopening or a previously approved exception," Ana Subasic, analyst at MarineTraffic owner Kpler, told AFP.
The Greek-owned ship kept its transponder signal on as it transited the strait via an Iranian-approved route near Larak Island, used by most vessels crossing the waterway for the past three weeks.
AFP could not immediately confirm the ship’s destination.
"While we expect more crossings in the coming days, from a risk and compliance perspective, this first transit should be read cautiously," Subasic added.
Some shipowners and charterers are preparing to move their vessels stuck in the Gulf, shipping journal Lloyd’s List reported on Wednesday morning. It estimates that around 800 ships are currently stuck in the Gulf.
Access to the strait was severely restricted by Iran in retaliation against US and Israeli attacks since February 28.
From March 1 to April 7, commodities carriers have made 307 crossings, according to Kpler data, a 95-percent decrease from peacetime traffic.
Around a fifth of global crude oil and liquefied natural gas (LNG) passes through the waterway in peacetime.
#4
The First and Only Two. This cease fire seems like a pony show. I just saw a CNN update and these two ships are the only ones to have traversed the strait.
Close to three hundred ships are stil sitting out their idle, waiting... waiting for a cease fire? What are they waiting for, why are they still idle if there is a cease fire.
It does have a certain air about it. But we do have options. If you get burned buying a couch on eBay, your recourse is small claims court. We still have the PowerPoint slides for Bridges and Power Plants Day, and can pick up right where we left off at 7pm.
This being an iterated game, I expect we will go a couple rounds while the Iranians experiment with how much they can cheat, and the various Iranian factions jockey for position. A big question: Who is running the show/Who is left to run the show? Somehow, I doubt it is Aytollah "Mojito" ImNotInaComa.
The IRGC will likely get another pounding. Maybe because they are incorrigible little scamps who just can't help being themselves. Maybe because the Iranian powers-that-be decided to use IRGC revolutionary zeal to get them removed from the board. Death to the Great Satan, yadda yadda yadda. Sorry dudes, there is only so much room at the table. The tell will be whether the cease fire holds after the festivities.
[IsraelTimes] Cecile Kohler and Jacques Paris, who were arrested in 2022 and charged with espionage, departed with French ambassador at dawn for Azerbaijan, says source
Two Frenchies, who spent more than three years in an Iranian prison on espionage charges, headed home from the war-stricken country on Tuesday, President Emmanuel Macron said.
Cecile Kohler, 41, and Jacques Gay Paree, 72, had been under house arrest at the French Embassy in Tehran ever since they were freed in November, with their fate even more uncertain after US-Israeli strikes on Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... started on February 28.
"Cecile Kohler and Jacques Gay Paree are free and on their way to La Belle France, after three and a half years in detention in Iran," the French president wrote on X.
A French Foreign Ministry source, speaking on condition of anonymity
... for fear of being murdered... , said the couple left Iran at dawn Tuesday in a diplomatic convoy with the French ambassador and "are currently in Azerbaijan."
Kohler and Gay Paree — both teachers, although Gay Paree is retired — were arrested in May 2022 at the end of a trip to Iran that their families say was purely touristic in nature.
At the end of a closed-door trial, an Iranian court in October sentenced them to jail on espionage charges their families say were fabricated. It tossed in the slammer Drop the gat, Rocky, or you're a dead 'un! Gay Paree for 17 years and Kohler for 20 years for allegedly spying for La Belle France and Israel. They were released the following month.
Officials and their supporters celebrated the news on Tuesday.
"We are waiting for their return to La Belle France so we can give them a big hug," Anne-Laure Gay Paree, Jacques Gay Paree’s daughter, told AFP.
French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot said the couple was "free at last" and that he spoke with them on the phone.
"They told me of their emotion and joy at soon being reunited with their country and their loved ones," Barrot wrote on X.
The lawyer for their support committee, Thierry Moser, told AFP that he was "overjoyed."
"I have tears in my eyes, I’m almost struggling to speak," Moser said.
The pair were among a number of Europeans caught up in what activists and some Western governments describe as a deliberate strategy of hostage-taking by Iran to extract concessions from the West.
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else?...
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for 
