🇧🇫Cette vidéo a été supprimée de YouTube parce que des personnes sont enlevées par IB pour avoir participé à sa réalisation. Elle a été faite par la journaliste soudanaise Yousra Elbagir @YousraElbagir , correspondante Afrique de la chaine britannique Sky News. Elbagir était dans… pic.twitter.com/nNm0R0rKZs
🇧🇫This video has been removed from YouTube because people are being kidnapped by IB for having participated in its production. It was made by the Sudanese journalist Yousra Elbagir, Africa correspondent for the British channel Sky News. Elbagir was in the panel of journalists invited by Ibrahim Traoré last Friday, April 3, and who asked what he intends to do to recover the 60% of the territory in the hands of jihadists, prompting laughter from IB and him asking her which town is taken. As if the jihadists were setting up shop in city halls.
He was dealing with a pro, and doesn't really know what that means after surrounding himself with influencers for so long. Ms. Elbagir had time during her short stay to do her job. Revealing a country in decay, terrorized by the brutality of the regime and the jihadists, sinking into poverty and having only the cult of personality to cling to for survival.
It's in English, but we've managed to create subtitles (it's more visible from a computer). For history, for memory, for the truth. Obviously, anyone asking to talk about a different subject will be blocked.
Posted by: badanov ||
04/13/2026 00:00 ||
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[IsraelTimes] Tehran put 4 to 5 people to death daily throughout last year, data shows; if regime survives war, IHR says ‘serious risk that executions will be used even more extensively’
Iranian authorities executed at least 1,639 people in 2025, the highest number since 1989, two NGOs said Monday, warning it risked using capital punishment even more extensively after protests in January and the war against Israel and the US.
The number of executions represented an increase of 68 percent on the 975 people Iran put to death in 2024, and also included 48 women who were hanged, Norway-based Iran Human Rights (IHR) and Paris-based Together Against the Death Penalty (ECPM) said in their joint annual report.
If the Islamic Republic “survives the current crisis, there is a serious risk that executions will be used even more extensively as a tool of oppression and repression,” the report said.
IHR — which requires two sources to confirm an execution, the majority of which are not reported in Iranian official media — said that the figure represented an “absolute minimum” for the number of hangings in 2025.
The figure amounted to an average of more than four executions per day.
The report said the number of executions was by far the highest since IHR began tracking it in 2008, and was the most reported since 1989, in the earlier years of the Islamic revolution.
The NGOs also warned that “hundreds of detained protesters remain at risk of death sentences and execution” after being charged with capital crimes over January 2026 protests against the authorities — quashed by a crackdown that rights groups say left thousands dead and tens of thousands arrested.
“By creating fear through an average of four to five executions per day in 2025, authorities tried to prevent new protests and prolong their crumbling rule,” said IHR director Mahmood Amiry-Moghaddam.
[Jpost] “Whether these trades reflect unlawful insider activity or sophisticated speculation, the appearance of potential market abuse at this scale demands immediate transparency,” said Rep. Richie Torres.
The White House warned its staff against using their insider knowledge to place well-timed bets on sites such as Polymarket in a March 24 staff-wide email, the Wall Street Journal reported last week.
Polymarket is the world’s largest decentralized prediction market, allowing users to trade shares by betting on the outcomes of real-world events, such as politics, economics, and sports, with prices reflecting real-time, crowd-sourced probabilities.
It serves as a forecasting tool and often provides faster, more accurate information than traditional polls.
Calls are coming from Congress for investigations into the prediction market after the latest instance in which groups of traders placed bets on major geopolitical events in the hours before they happened.
On Tuesday, April 7, several significant bets were placed on a US-Iran ceasefire by new accounts, shortly before President Trump announced the ceasefire, the Associated Press reported.
This is not the first instance of accounts placing large bets in the hours leading up to major geopolitical events, at the outbreak of the Iran war one Polymarket user won almost $200,000, having bet on February 28 as the date of the Israeli-US attack on Iran.
RESPONSES FROM US OFFICIALS
Congressman Richie Torres sent a letter to Michael Selig, Chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, calling for an immediate investigation into suspicious trading activity on Polymarket in the hours before President Trump announced a US-Iran ceasefire.
“This pattern raises serious concerns that certain market participants may have had access to material nonpublic information regarding a market-moving geopolitical event. The use of newly created wallets, combined with the precision and timing of these trades, raises serious red flags,” explained Torres.
He added that “Whether these trades reflect unlawful insider activity or sophisticated speculation, the appearance of potential market abuse at this scale demands immediate transparency.”
“Failure to act risks undermining confidence in both emerging financial technologies and the broader integrity of US markets.”
On Thursday, April 9, Senator Richard Blumenthal sent a letter to Polymarket, demanding an explanation of why the company allows trades on war and violence, and whether it is making any efforts to minimize insider trading.
“These repeated, illicit bets raise significant concerns about the mishandling of confidential information on Polymarket, and call into question whether it is taking adequate steps to prevent, deter, and report national security leaks and gambling over matters of life and death,” said Blumenthal.
There are at least two bills calling for bans on these sorts of bets pending in Congress, in both the House and the Senate.
Is anything likely to come of this, or is it just posturing for the rubes?
[BBC] Australia, like many countries around the world, is in the grip of a fuel crisis.
The nation has experienced some of its biggest ever spikes in petrol and diesel prices - and the lorry industry has been among the hardest hit.
Operators are reliant on diesel, often to power heavy long-haul road trains, and many say costs have more than doubled since war broke out in Iran, sending oil prices to record highs across the globe.
In a rare national address, Australia's prime minister recently made a three-and-a-half minute plea about the country's fuel supplies.
"These are uncertain times," Anthony Albanese said during the prime-time televised address.
"But I am absolutely certain of this: we will deal with these global challenges, the Australian way."
He asked everyone to "think of others" when using fuel and opt for public transport where possible, so that supplies could be saved for "people who have no choice but to drive".
Posted by: Skidmark ||
04/13/2026 01:01 ||
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#1
Just got back 2 hours ago from a 10 day road trip from the North Coast of NSW on the M1 - the main highway around the country- Sydney, Katoomba and return. I have never seen so few semi trucks, or so few cars in general, ever. Our local town, Grafton, would have about 50% of its usual traffic, but this trip showed way less than that. Fuel is available everywhere, expensive but not unaffordable, but people aren’t driving. It’s eerie.
#4
"But I am absolutely certain of this: we will deal with these global challenges, the Australian way."
"God help us all!", said Tiny Tim.
Speaking as your Economic Advisor, I recommend you implement wage and price controls. While these have not worked in the history of ever and are pretty much guaranteed to make things worse, you must be seen as doing something, no matter how ineffective or useless.
[Reuters] U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that the price of oil and gasoline may remain high through November's midterm elections, a rare acknowledgement of the potential political fallout from his decision to attack Iran six weeks ago.
"It could be, or the same, or maybe a little bit higher, but it should be around the same," Trump, who is in Miami for the weekend, told Fox News' "Sunday Morning Futures With Maria Bartiromo" when asked whether the cost of oil and gas would be lower by the fall.
The average price for regular gas at U.S. service stations has exceeded $4 per gallon for most of April, according to data from GasBuddy. Average U.S. gas prices in February hovered just below $3 per gallon, and over the past year never exceeded $3.25 per gallon, according to GasBuddy.
Trump's comments on Sunday came after weeks of asserting that the spike in prices is a short-term phenomenon, though his top advisers are cognizant of the war's economic impacts, officials have said.
Earlier on Sunday, Trump announced on social media that the U.S. Navy would blockade the Strait of Hormuz and intercept any ship that paid a crossing fee to Iran, after marathon talks between the U.S. and Iran in Pakistan over the weekend did not yield a peace deal.
"No one who pays an illegal toll will have safe passage on the high seas," he wrote on Truth Social media platform.
Several hours after Trump's post, U.S. Central Command said the blockade would be limited to ships going to and from Iranian ports. Ships entering and exiting non-Iranian ports will not be stopped by U.S. forces, CENTCOM said.
A U.S. blockade may add more uncertainty to the eventual resolution of the conflict, which is currently subject to a tenuous two-week ceasefire. The new tactic is in response to Iran's own closure of the strait's critical shipping lanes, which has caused global oil prices to skyrocket about 50%.
Later on Sunday, Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf, who led Iran's delegation in the talks, posted on social media that a blockade would lead to higher U.S. gas prices. "Enjoy the current pump figures," he wrote on X, alongside a map showing gas prices in Washington. "With the so-called 'blockade', Soon you'll be nostalgic for $4–$5 gas."
Posted by: Skidmark ||
04/13/2026 08:40 ||
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#1
There's a Rooters paywall, so I assume the conclude Trump will be swept away in November. I hope he has some more cards to play.
Posted by: Bobby ||
04/13/2026 9:17 Comments ||
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#2
No pay or registration required.
Just bot intervention.
Trump's political standing at home has suffered, with polls showing the war is unpopular among most Americans, who are frustrated by rising gasoline prices.
In business, unlike government, a good strategy is to under-promise and over-perform. Trump is a business guy. I predict the future will be interesting.
Now it seems the President has gotten himself into a pissing match with the Pope. Trump makes some good points in his rant about some of things the Pope has been saying but the meme at the link might be a bit over the top.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
04/13/2026 12:20 Comments ||
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#8
The Vatican has just started to enrich uranium in its catacombs...
Posted by: European Conservative ||
04/13/2026 12:26 Comments ||
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Posted by: chris ||
04/13/2026 14:02 Comments ||
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#11
European Conservative definitely wins the thread. :-)
There's a Rooters paywall,
Clicking on the Show Reader setting reveals all, Bobby. In my browser it’s the first item in the drop-down menu in the rectangular box on the left side of the URL bar. In the meantime, I’ve added the first section of the article to the post — the rest, as shown by the quote SteveS shared, is just political bellyaching by cherrypicked NeverTrumpers of various types.
#12
Touche, EC. While I usually agree with Trump's incendiary rants, and I don't believe the Pope is above reproach, I think the POTUS should know better than to piss off all the Catholics in the world. And that meme was so stupid that at first I thought some Democrat must have posted it just to make fun of him.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
04/13/2026 15:31 Comments ||
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[IsraelTimes] Leaving Barcelona, Global Sumud Flotilla says it ‘aims to open a humanitarian corridor’ to the Strip; last several attempts have all been intercepted by Israel
A new flotilla carrying humanitarian aid to Paleostinians in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... was due to set sail on Sunday from the Spanish port of Barcelona, aiming to try to break the Israeli blockade on the coastal Paleostinian enclave.
Thirty-nine boats were due to leave the Mediterranean port city, a spokesperson for the flotilla said, and more vessels also laden with medical aid and other supplies are expected to join along the route towards the Gaza Strip.
Rough seas mean the flotilla will sail to another port then head out to international waters later in the week, Thiago Avila, a member of the Global Sumud Flotilla’s organizing committee, told a presser on Sunday.
The campaigners, who last year organized a similar flotilla carrying a symbolic amount of humanitarian aid, have described the upcoming mission as the biggest civilian-led mobilization against Israel’s actions in Gaza. Israeli officials repeatedly denounced last year’s mission, and previous smaller-scale attempts to reach Gaza by sea, as publicity stunts.
The flotilla seeks to break Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza and unload aid in the war-torn territory to help the civilian population. Israel has said previous flotillas have brought insignificant amounts of aid, insisting that it allows sufficient amounts of aid to enter the Strip, though humanitarian organizations have said the amount entering is still insufficient.
The boats are expected to sail from Spain, Tunisia, and Italia toward Gaza.
The Israeli military halted a previous flotilla assembled by the same organization last October as the boats attempted to reach Gaza, detaining and deporting Swedish activist Greta "Pippi" Thunberg ...an autistic sixteen year old Swedish expert on climate change, though I guess she's older now... and hundreds more participants.
The mission mobilized about 500 activists and 50 vessels, all of which were intercepted by Israeli forces before they reached the Strip.
Israel has come under huge international pressure over the war, which started on October 7, 2023, when thousands of Hamas ..always the voice of sweet reason... -led Lions of Islam invaded Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.
The Hamas-run Gaza health ministry says more than 72,000 people in the Strip have been killed during the war — including over 600 since the October 2025 ceasefire — though the toll does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
The Israeli military believes that Hamas’s overall toll is largely accurate, with IDF officials estimating that two to three non-combatants were killed for every dead terror operative.
#3
Egypt has a serious barrier along the entire length of their Gaza border, alanc. Steel and barbed wire above, dug down deep enough to cut through tunnels below. They really, really don’t want Gazans sneaking through or smuggling where they can’t control the flow of foods and people in both directions… and ensure the al-Sisi family gets its rake-off.
[IsraelTimes] During the 40-day campaign, Israel incurred an estimated NIS 22 billion in defense costs, according to an initial estimate
The war 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... has cost Israel about NIS 35 billion ($11.5 billion) in budgetary expenses, according to an initial estimate released by the Finance Ministry on Sunday.
The ministry cautioned that the Israeli-American 40-day campaign against the Islamic Theocratic Republic incurred high economic costs, including the loss of GDP to the economy and an increase in state spending, some of which will only become fully clear in the future.
The bulk of the cost comes from an estimated NIS 22 billion in defense and military spending for the IDF, Defense Ministry, National Security Ministry, and other security organizations. It includes expenditures for military equipment, with another significant component being the expansion of the mobilization of reserve forces beyond what was planned. The amount was already added to the Defense Ministry budget as part of the state budget for 2026, the Finance Ministry said.
"The functioning of the Finance Ministry and responsible management of the country’s economy were a critical factor in the great operational success," said Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. "The employees of the Finance Ministry are full partners in the great successes on the front and in our tremendous achievements against Iran."
The joint offensive launched on February 28, aiming to degrade the Iranian regime’s military capabilities, including its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, prompted continuous retaliatory missile fire from the Islamic Theocratic Republic. US President Donald Trump ...Never got invited to a P.Diddy party... ’s announcement of a two-week ceasefire, taking effect early Wednesday morning, brought the fighting to a halt.
During the fighting, the Israeli Air Force dropped over 18,000 bombs in Iran, in over 1,000 waves of strikes. According to the IDF, over 10,800 separate strikes were carried out on over 4,000 targets, including air defense systems, ballistic missile launchers, weapon production sites, nuclear facilities, various headquarters, and military commanders and leaders.
In the initial days of the war with Iran, the IDF’s Home Front Command issued nationwide guidelines that prohibited all gatherings, shutting down the economy and educational activities, except for essential businesses. Although workplace guidelines were eased after about a week, schools remained closed, forcing employees to work from home, while many stayed close to bomb shelters given the frequent Iranian missile fire.
Iran, during the fighting, launched some 650 ballistic missiles at Israel. Overall, at least 16 missiles carrying conventional warheads — with hundreds of kilograms of explosives — struck populated areas in Israel, causing extensive damage and loss of life.
The Finance Ministry said it budgeted NIS 12 billion for government compensation plans, including direct missile damage, a framework to provide partial financial relief to businesses with revenues hurt by the ongoing war with Iran, and furloughed employees.
Another NIS 1 billion is estimated to have been spent on civilian costs, including adjustments to hospital operations, emergency response, treatment of victims, and war-related expenses for the Social Affairs Ministry.
[IsraelTimes] Meir and Yosef Nahum named in case after Supreme Court lifts gag order; brothers knowingly gave Iranian agents AI-generated fake army information in exchange for over $32,000
Meir and Yosef Nahum were named on Sunday as two brothers from the Jerusalem area who were indicted last month for handing fake, AI-generated information to Iranian agents in exchange for over NIS 100,000 ($32,000).
Their names were initially kept under a gag order until Sunday, when Supreme Court Justice Alex Stein accepted a request by the Walla news site and the Kan public broadcaster to allow their identities to be made public.
The brothers were arrested in January and were charged in the Jerusalem District Court with contact with a foreign agent, passing intelligence to the enemy, and impersonating an individual.
According to the indictment, the brothers received more than NIS 100,000 ($32,000) from several Iranian operatives while fully aware they were interacting with hostile actors.
They made extensive use of artificial intelligence to create fake maps and military reports, and even posed as an IDF intelligence officer in Unit 8200, prosecutors wrote.
West Bank District police Sherlocks worked with the Shin Bet to probe the suspicions and completed the joint investigation last month.
"While some of the information that was transferred was not necessarily credible, it still had the potential to be used by the hostile actor," police said.
The Supreme Court said that "imposing a publication ban on the name of a defendant after an indictment is filed is an exception within exceptions, reserved for extreme cases in which publication, with a high degree of probability, could lead to very serious harm."
Ariel Atari, the pair’s defense attorney, decried the indictment last month as "outrageous" and claimed the investigation material proves the brothers are "Zionist patriots who sought to ’sting’ the Iranians."
The lawyer said his clients should not be indicted but rather awarded the Israel Prize for their "contribution to the security of the state" through what he insists were successful efforts to "harm the Iranian enemy."
Police have, over the past two years, arrested more than 50 suspected spies for 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... in roughly 38 cases that have been made public.
[TurkiyeToday] Turkish missile producer Roketsan unveiled a previously unknown large ballistic missile at a ceremony attended by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on April 7.
The company simultaneously opened three new production facilities worth $1 billion, laid the foundation for a fourth, and delivered approximately 20 weapons systems to the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF).
Roketsan CEO Murat Ikinci called it "the largest defense industry investments in the history of the Republic."
UNIDENTIFIED LARGE BALLISTIC MISSILE DISPLAYED ALONGSIDE TAYFUN
A large-sized ballistic missile not previously publicly identified was displayed at the ceremony alongside Tayfun ballistic missile launchers.
The missile, transported on a trailer towed by a Koluman DERMAN 8x8 truck, the same platform used for Tayfun and the Atmaca-UM land attack cruise missile, is visibly larger than the Tayfun in both length and diameter.
No technical specifications or official name were provided.
Roketsan is known to be working on two large ballistic missile projects: CENK and Tayfun Block 4.
CENK is a large ballistic missile carried in a truck-and-trailer configuration, with indications of a maneuverable re-entry vehicle based on fins observed at the front, a feature that would contribute to accuracy and the ability to evade interceptors.
Tayfun Block 4, first unveiled at IDEF 2025, features a diameter of 938 millimeters, a length of 10 meters and a mass of 7.2 tonnes, with hypersonic speed capability designed to defeat existing air and missile defense systems.
NEARLY 20 SYSTEMS DELIVERED TO TURKISH ARMED FORCES
Deliveries made to the Turkish Armed Forces at the ceremony included:
Tayfun ballistic missile
Siper long-range air and missile defense system
Atmaca anti-ship missile
Hisar-A low-altitude air defense missile
Hisar-O medium-altitude RF air defense missile
Sungur air defense missile system
Kara Atmaca land-attack cruise missile
Cakir cruise missile
SOM cruise missile
T-107/122 multiple-launch rocket system
MAM-L, MAM-C and MAM-T smart munitions
TEBER guidance kit
L-OMTAS laser-guided medium-range anti-tank system
#2
I visited the Rocketsan booth at SOFIC in Amman and they had an impressive range of equipment. And lots of folks interested in talking to them across three days.
#3
Agh - SOFEX - I always get SOFIC and SOFEX confused. There was a Bulgarian naval mine manufacturer just across the aisle from our booth and they had steady traffic across all three days as well. Interesting.
#4
International gun runner eh? Your Rantburg assignment, should you choose to accept it, is to provide intelligent commentary on all weapons system postings. We all have our niche. Please do not disappoint us.
#6
Victor currently holds a seat in the assembly for the Ulyanovsk Oblast (Liberal Democratic Party). Presumably he finally figured out you make more money with less repercussions as a politician than as a gun runner.
[IsraelTimes] Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Qatar urge Hezbollah-allied parliament speaker to halt unrest, as demonstrations fail to sway PM Nawaf Salam against Washington negotiations
Hezbollah supporters poured out into the streets of Leb ...The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. Only one of those statements is an exaggeration.... over the weekend in demonstrations against the first in-person negotiations between Israel and Lebanon on Tuesday in Washington, Israeli and Lebanese media reported on Sunday.
However,
man does not live by words alone, despite the fact that sometimes he has to eat them... pressure from Arab states, especially from Egypt, Saudi Arabia ...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start... , and Qatar ...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi... , was placed on Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Knobby Berri
...perennial Speaker of the Lebanese parliament, head of the Amal Shiite party aligned with Hezbollah, a not very subtle sock puppet of the Medes and Persians... , who heads the Hezbollah-allied Amal Movement, to quell the demonstrations, the Lebanese newspaper Nidaa al Watan reported.
The pressure placed on Berri was meant to prevent anything that could promote civil unrest or destabilize the Lebanese government, and street protests constituted a red line.
The newspaper also reported that the demonstrations failed to reach the level the organizers had intended to pressure Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam against moving forward with the negotiations.
Hezbollah and Amal issued a joint statement Saturday evening, calling on their supporters to refrain from continuing the demonstrations.
Last week, Lebanon’s cabinet instructed security forces to restrict weapons in Beirut exclusively to state institutions, a move that fell short of full demilitarization of the capital.
"The army and security forces are requested to immediately begin reinforcing the full imposition of state authority over Beirut Governorate and to monopolize weapons in the hands of legitimate authorities alone," Salam said at the end of a cabinet meeting.
Meanwhile,
...back at the argument, Jane reached into her purse for her .38... Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said in a statement that "the only solution to the situation Lebanon is facing is a ceasefire with Israel that would lead to direct negotiations between the two countries."
At a meeting held earlier Thursday with representatives of Lebanon’s Maronite community, Aoun said the Lebanese proposal for a ceasefire and negotiations was beginning to receive positive responses in international circles, adding that Lebanon continued to hold international talks on the matter.
Lebanese Ambassador to Washington Nada Hamadeh-Moawad, Israeli Ambassador to Washington Yechiel Leiter, and US Ambassador to Beirut Michel Issa — respectively leading the Lebanese, Israeli, and US delegations in Washington — will be in attendance at Tuesday’s planned talks, a US official familiar with the details told The Times of Israel.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last week that Israel would begin negotiations with Lebanon "as soon as possible," aimed at disarming Hezbollah and reaching a full peace agreement between the countries.
Jerusalem and Beirut seemed to be at odds over the conditions under which the talks would take place, with Lebanon demanding a ceasefire first, while Israel insisted that they be held under fire.
Hezbollah, for its part, has strongly rejected any direct negotiations between Lebanon and Israel.
The move is "a blatant violation of the (national) pact, the constitution, and Lebanese laws... and it exacerbates domestic divisions at a time when Lebanon most needs solidarity and internal unity to face Israel’s aggression," Hezbollah politician Hassan Fadlallah said on Saturday.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited by Leonid Tsukanov
[REGNUM] Over the past 24 hours, the international community has been tensely watching the progress of US-Iranian negotiations in Pakistan.
The meeting was preceded by a long and high-intensity armed conflict, and therefore many hoped that Washington and Tehran would reach at least a preliminary compromise – if only to avoid a return to unpredictable escalation.
However, these hopes were never realized: the delegations left Islamabad empty-handed.
ON THE EVE OF THE NEGOTIATIONS
A day before the talks began, the Pakistani capital was filled with unprecedented tension. For the first time in a long time, the country was hosting such a large-scale and historically significant diplomatic event, and any mistake, even the most minor, in preparation could have been fatal.
Moreover, both sides expected a trick from their counterparts and would have postponed the meeting at the first sign of concern, which would have harmed Pakistan's position as mediator. Therefore, Islamabad took a highly responsible approach to ensuring the security of future negotiations.
The most modern and secure government compounds were selected, and defensive rings several hundred meters in diameter were created around them. In total, Pakistani authorities deployed over 5,000 troops and up to half of the local security forces to secure the perimeter. Aircraft and UAVs were deployed for patrols.
The painstaking preparations finally paid off: high-ranking officials from both countries arrived in Pakistan by midday on April 11.
The US dispatched approximately 30 people to the negotiations. The group included US Presidential Special Envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner, Admiral Brad Cooper, head of US Central Command, and several high-ranking officials from the State Department, Pentagon, and CIA. The key figure was Vice President J.D. Vance, who received Trump's personal blessing.
Iran sent a larger delegation (approximately 70 people). In addition to Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi, representatives of the defense establishment, the IRGC command, and delegates from the Central Bank, parliament, and the clerical bloc arrived in Islamabad. The Iranian negotiating team was led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, one of the country's most influential conservative politicians.
All the Iranian Big Turbans who remain alive and uninjured?
It's worth noting that Washington and Tehran were keen to emphasize their "commonality of intentions," and therefore ostentatiously authorized the heads of their delegations to sign "historic deals." This raised some hopes.
A DIFFICULT CONVERSATION
However, the mutual desire of the US and Iran to conclude a long-term peace appears to have remained only at the level of public declarations. Delegates arrived in Islamabad determined to dictate their terms to their counterparts without question.
The depth of mutual disagreements was reflected in the very approach to shaping the future peace framework. The United States insisted on an agreement "here and now," and for now only in the form of an extension of the ceasefire, which could be used as the basis for a future settlement.
At the same time, Washington sought to impose on Tehran a format for further negotiations similar to the discussion of a new “nuclear deal”: periodic meetings to discuss individual aspects of a future agreement under guarantees from third countries.
Not so much impose as present their nonnegotiable requirements, though when the Mullahcracy team refused to accept the restrictions VP JD Vance and his teqm got up, walked away, and the US Navy closed the Strait.
The White House followed a simple logic: if Iran could not be decisively defeated by a rapid onslaught on the battlefield, then it needed to be tied down by negotiations and forced to make additional concessions.
The Mullahs’ category error was in seeing the transaction as a negotiation rather than a surrender.
In contrast, Iran lobbied for a more detailed and comprehensive mechanism, including one that takes into account its national interests and realities on the ground. This included not only guarantees of non-aggression from the US and its allies, but also recognition of the Iranians' right to independently control shipping through the Strait of Hormuz, which is already protected by the Iranian Armed Forces
Not any more…
At the same time, Tehran conveyed the message that it no longer intended to take the US at its word and demanded that its peaceful commitment be backed by unwavering legal guarantees. Although this point wasn't directly stated by Iranian diplomats, leaked reports suggest it was implied throughout all rounds of negotiations.
It seems that each side was convinced that it was their responsibility to dictate the terms at the meeting in Islamabad, and therefore no one showed flexibility either at the expert level or at the senior representatives level.
Yeah. About that…
In total, the delegations negotiated for 21 hours, a record in the history of interaction between the two countries, but were unable to make progress on any of the contentious issues.
The United States rejected Tehran's proposals to guarantee the security of its peaceful nuclear program and "whitewash" it internationally. Iran, meanwhile, categorically refused the United States' request for joint management of the Strait of Hormuz.
And so it isn’t. Jointly managed, I mean.
However, the key stumbling block was not the future of the Iranian nuclear program, or even the Strait of Hormuz, but Lebanon.
American negotiators refused to pressure Israel to halt its offensive against Hezbollah and withdraw its troops from the security zone it had established along the northern border, a move that Benjamin Netanyahu's government had previously called "impossible a priori."
Instead, the US insisted on a limited approach, calling for a ceasefire only in Beirut, with the ceasefire then expanding to other areas. This would create a favorable backdrop for the talks between Israel and Lebanon scheduled for April 14.
There was also a clever diplomatic ploy hidden in this way of posing the question: Beirut and its environs accounted for no more than a quarter of the Israeli strikes, while the main point of focus for the Israelis remained the south of the country.
Israel is no longer willing to accept being pummeled by Hezbollah rockets and missiles, or even the attempt by Hezbollah to pummel them with rockets and missiles, while Hezbollah is willing to promise to give them up while insisting on their right to continue shooting them at Israel. They insist they have the inalienable right to kill Jews…and anyone else who is within reach on the Israeli side of the border.
Moreover, the central Lebanese government does not have tender feelings towards Tehran and is looking for ways to disarm Hezbollah, including under the pretext of a peaceful settlement and concentrating Israeli strikes only on the Shiite movement's military activity zone.
Not actually disarm Hezbollah, as it turns out, but certainly to talk about disarming Hezbollah.
It is therefore not surprising that Iranian diplomats rejected the American proposal with its double meaning.
This was the last straw: on the night of April 12, the negotiations ended without a clear final decision.
THE MOMENT FOR AN INJECTION
The delegations left Islamabad without clear plans for the future. Official Tehran denied rumors of a new round of talks in the coming days, criticizing the United States for its "unwillingness to negotiate."
At the same time, Iranian diplomats continue to declare their readiness to seek a peaceful solution to the current crisis, including with the new mediation of Pakistan.
The US is reacting to the diplomatic setback more harshly and contradictorily. Even before the talks in Islamabad began, Trump issued threats against Iranian elites, promising them "introduction to the latest weapons" if Tehran continues to resist and refuses to reach a deal.
However, after the failure of the "Islamabad track," American elites have so far preferred to refrain from harsh comments, as if giving their opponents a chance to come to their senses.
At the same time, the accelerated pace of concentration of US strike forces around Iran suggests that they are once again considering escalation.
In any case, new clashes are unlikely to resolve the Strait of Hormuz issue. In Islamabad, Ghalibaf and his associates hinted to the Americans that they "don't know" where the haphazardly placed mines are drifting, and that Washington should remove them itself.
This greatly angered the Republicans, in part because the Iranians chose their moment of attack so carefully. The fact is that the US has only four minesweepers left (based at Sasebo on the Japanese island of Kyushu), and even those are scheduled for disposal by the end of 2027.
Or not — we’ll have to see. On the other hand, anything that floats can be a minesweeper once…
At the same time, the multi-purpose coastal defense combat ships with metal hulls that the naval department has placed its bets on in the "war of the future" are not suitable for clearing the Strait of Hormuz.
This means that Washington won't be able to clear the strait on its own without the help of its allies.
Minesweeping is already underway, so we'll see how far they get.
Another issue is that they're reluctant to get involved in someone else's conflict, especially if there's a risk of escalation.
Posted by: badanov ||
04/13/2026 00:00 ||
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[1762 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
I think they found common ground. Both sides agreed that we should continue to beat the snot out of them.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
04/13/2026 6:16 Comments ||
Top||
🚨 “Tehran has turned into a barracks for foreign militias under IRGC command.”
Here is a first-hand account of what’s happening right now inside Tehran. What follows describes a city that is no longer functioning normally, but operating under heavy militarization and systemic… https://t.co/fSVYDzctGdpic.twitter.com/YxafmGCcK6
🚨 “Tehran has turned into a barracks for foreign militias under IRGC command.”
Here is a first-hand account of what’s happening right now inside Tehran. What follows describes a city that is no longer functioning normally, but operating under heavy militarization and systemic breakdown.
⚪️ Streets filled with Toyota Hilux pickups mounted with DShK machine guns, turning the city into a militarized zone
⚪️ Checkpoints across highways and intersections with IRGC, Zainebiyoun, Fatemiyoun, and Hashd al-Shaabi flags, creating traffic paralysis and harassing civilians
⚪️ Parks, schools, and mosques occupied by security forces, with suppression units deployed across major junctions
⚪️ Government offices barely functioning, staff absent, services abandoned mid-day, and phone response near zero
⚪️ Public transport reduced drastically, with buses repurposed for Basij and special units
More at the link
Posted by: badanov ||
04/13/2026 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1778 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran Proxies
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.
..always the voice of sweet reason...
...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 
...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 
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start...
