[Townhall] Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s mission continues, the deportations are rolling, and the number of gang members the agency has captured has been astounding. At least 10,000 gang members have been taken off our streets (via Deported News):
Federal immigration agents recently marked an enforcement milestone, reporting that 10,000 gang members have been taken off the streets since President Trump’s return to office.
The various agencies under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security are delivering on the Trump administration’s goal of making American communities safer and sealing the border, according to DHS officials.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin described the gang members arrested as "vicious criminals who murdered, assaulted, robbed, and terrorized innocent Americans for sport."
Immigration officers continue to detain and deport illegal migrant criminals despite sanctuary policies and ongoing legal disputes that make their job harder, Mullin said.
[...]
In addition, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement hasn’t let up on targeted raids across the country, announcing another 10,000 arrests in the last week, Fox News Digital reported.
The enforcement surge comes as the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Trump’s executive order ending birthright citizenship, while handing him three other immigration wins.
DHS Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis said in a statement that a majority of arrests in this week’s sweep involve illegal migrants colonists who have previously been charged or convicted of a crime.
"Nearly 70% of ICE arrests are of illegal aliens charged or convicted of a crime in the U.S.," Bis said. "More than 3 million illegal aliens are out of the country and counting. Our message is clear: if you come to our country illegally, we will find you, we will arrest you, and we will deport you."
Fox News' Bill Melugin added that over 350,000 illegals have been deported thus far this year, with ICE hoping to have a daily goal of 2,000 arrests per day.
New ICE data dump reveals the agency has carried out 356,389 deportations so far in Fiscal Year 2026, which began October 1st. That averages out to roughly 1,260 per day. ICE currently has 65,765 people in ICE detention, 39,576 of whom (60%) have criminal convictions or pending criminal charges.
The data also confirms border czar Tom Homan's recent statements that June saw a record setting number of immigration arrests with 43,138 arrests, which is higher than January and February when the surge in Minnesota was in effect. July is on pace to potentially break the June record.
ICE is adjusting its approach, focusing on specific sweeps for illegal aliens rather than the large-scale operations that sparked a public relations disaster in Minneapolis. The arrests of Renee Good and Alex Pretti were conducted smoothly, but the fallout worsened when then-DHS Secretary Kristi Noem criticized Pretti—calling him a domestic terrorist intending to incite chaos—which didn’t help the situation. Still, ICE is reportedly planning a major operation in New York City.
[IsraelTimes] Kozo Okamoto was sentenced to life in prison for attack that killed 26 people, but was freed 13 years later in a prisoner deal and moved to Lebanon, remaining there until his death
Japanese terrorist Kozo Okamoto, who carried out a deadly attack on an Israeli airport on behalf of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Paleostine in 1972, died on Thursday in Beirut aged 78, the terror group said.
In a statement, the PFLP mourned "militant comrade Kozo Okamoto... who passed away today" in Beirut’s southern suburbs, a stronghold of the Iran-backed Hezbollah terror group.
The group lauded his "unwavering support for the Paleostinian cause."
Okamoto was part of a three-man commando from the Japanese Red Army, a far-left krazed killer group, that killed 26 people on May 30, 1972, at Lod airport — now known as Ben Gurion Airport — near Tel Aviv in an attack planned by the PFLP, which is classified as a terror group by Israel, the US, the European Union ...the successor to the Holy Roman Empire, only without the Hapsburgs and the nifty uniforms and the dancing... and Japan.
Okamoto, along with Tsuyoshi Okudaira and Yasuyuki Yasuda, arrived in Israel with fake passports on an Air La Belle France flight.
Prior PFLP hijackings had led to increased passenger screening by airlines, but inspection of check-in luggage was still rare. The bloodbath at the airport later set off a review of global security standards in the aviation industry.
Okamoto and his two accomplices passed through immigration untroubled, picked up their baggage from the carousel, and whipped out assault rifles and grenades.
The three then opened fire and threw grenades at the airport, killing eight Israelis, one Canadian, and 17 US citizens from Puerto Rico who had flown in on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.
Okudaira and Yasuda were killed in the attack, but Okamoto was maimed by Israeli security and captured, and eventually sentenced to life in prison in Israel.
He was released in a huge prisoner exchange deal known as the Jibril Agreement in 1985 and remained in Leb ...an Iranian satrapy until recently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel... under the protection of the PFLP until his death.
He was imprisoned in Lebanon again in 1997, this time on forgery charges, but narrowly avoided extradition to Japan, where he was wanted for terrorism, and in 2000 became the first person to obtain political asylum in Lebanon.
FINAL YEARS SPENT IN SEMI-ISOLATION UNDER PFLP CARE
In May 2022, Okamoto made a rare public appearance at a PFLP event in Beirut marking 50 years since the airport massacre. During the brief wreath-laying ceremony for Okudaira and Yasuda, he smiled at the cameras, flashed a V-sign and was escorted back.
Born the youngest of six children in a middle-class family of southern Japan, Okamoto had no particular connection to the Paleostinian cause growing up.
But "until today, he speaks of Paleostine and refuses the occupier," Abu Yusef, a PFLP official in Beirut who provided for Okamoto’s needs, told AFP in 2022.
According to an AFP account from the same year, Okamoto lived a sedate but isolated life in his final years.
He lived in semi-hiding, with limited knowledge of the outside world, received his meals at set times and was given a daily allowance of cigarettes. He would spend hours watching "Tom and Jerry" or other cartoons on television. Sounds painful enough.
[IsraelTimes] Subpoenas were issued by Manhattan US Attorney Jay Clayton after newspaper’s report that Trump left Turkey on an old plane because jet donated by Qatar lacked defensive features.
The DOJ needs to build a case charging the NYT with Endangering the US President and those (media included) on board and/or Violating the US Secrecy Act.
ترفض جبهة تحرير أزواد أي مفاوضات مع قادة الانقلاب في باماكو 🇲🇱
وفي مقابلة مع وكالة أنباء @aa_arabic 🇹🇷 صرّح المتحدث باسم جبهة تحرير أزواد، محمد المولود رمضان، بأنه "لا توجد أي مبادرة للحوار أو السلام أو المصالحة" مع المجلس العسكري في باماكو.
rejects any negotiations with the coup leaders in Bamako 🇲🇱
In an interview with the news agency @aa_arabic 🇹🇷, the spokesperson for the Azawad Liberation Front, Mohamed Lamine Ramadan, stated that "there is no initiative for dialogue, peace, or reconciliation" with the military council in Bamako.
He added: "We are in a state of war, and we did not start it. We will decide when and where it will end."
The spokesperson for the Azawad Liberation Front believes that the war was ignited by the Malian military council following the collapse of the Algiers Agreement 🇩🇿, their rapprochement with Russia 🇷🇺, and the use of Russian forces.
Regarding the recent rapprochement between Algeria and Bamako, he stated that the Azawad Liberation Front's conflict with the Malian authorities is an "internal matter," and that the resumption of relations between Algeria and Mali will not affect their struggle.
He added: "No one can speak on behalf of the Azawad Liberation Front regarding any peace initiative or dialogue
Les médias des séparatistes de l'Azawad ont publié une nouvelle vidéo triomphante, dans laquelle ils font état des pertes colossales subies par l'armée malienne.
Pour plus de crédibilité, chaque cadavre apparaissant dans la vidéo a été soigneusement numéroté, jusqu'au numéro 82.… pic.twitter.com/jGxgYPQltj
The separatist media of the Azawad have released a new triumphant video in which they report the colossal losses suffered by the Malian army.
For greater credibility, every corpse appearing in the video has been carefully numbered, up to number 82.
In reality, the Azawadians have inflated the number of victims by playing with camera angles. The actual number of distinct corpses across all the shots is 20 to 25 people. These are the same close-ups that loop endlessly, simply changing the overlay with the number.
Thus, corpse No. 1 becomes No. 41, No. 2 becomes No. 42, and No. 3 becomes No. 43.
The cameraman films a field strewn with bodies and numbers them from 16 to 31. Then he steps back a bit, films the same clearing, and cheerfully assigns new numbers to those same bodies: from 44 to 54.
This of course takes nothing away from the tragedy that occurred in the Anefis region, but the actual number of victims is far lower than that reported by the French media and announced by the fighters themselves on social media.
But apparently, the backers have already bought into the initially presented figures, which forces them to stage a "victory" with the help of young creators.
[IsraelTimes] Between 10 and 21 IRGC personnel, including senior commanders, said to have flown to Houthi-controlled Hodeida, days before the rebel group announced a blockade of Saudi Arabia
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... flew Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) commanders, military advisers and missile- and drone-related equipment into Yemen ...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of... this month, according to four sources, in a move that suggests Tehran is seeking to strengthen the ability of its Iran's Houthi sock puppets ...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews They like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him... allies to threaten Red Sea shipping.
Four sources familiar with the matter, including two Iranian sources, Yemen’s information minister and a regional security analyst, said Iran transferred the IRGC personnel and military-related equipment on a flight from Tehran to Yemen on July 13, a development that has not been previously reported. Cratering the runway seems easy enough.
Prob the fuel depot too.
The two Iranian sources told Rooters that between 10 and 21 IRGC personnel, including senior commanders, were on the Mahan Air flight.
The plane was originally bound for the Houthi-controlled capital Sanaa, but diverted to the Red Sea port city of Hodeida after the airport came under attack by the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.
"The IRGC commanders traveled there to support Houthi operations and provide training on new missile systems," one of the sources said, adding that Iran also sent gold on the aircraft to fund Houthi activities.
The two Iranian sources spoke on condition of anonymity because of security concerns.
The deployment offers fresh evidence of Iran’s efforts to bolster the Houthis, who have been in a civil war against the Saudi-backed, internationally recognized Yemeni government for more than a decade and have attacked Gulf neighbors and Israel with missiles and drones.
Iran’s foreign ministry was not immediately available to comment. Tehran has repeatedly denied providing the Houthi movement in Yemen with missile capabilities.
Abdel Rahman al-Ahnomi, a Houthi media official who said he was aboard the plane, described the allegations that Iran sent military experts to Yemen as "lies and fabrications," claiming that all passengers aboard the plane were civilians.
The group has previously denied being an Iranian proxy and has said it develops its own weapons.
HOUTHIS LAUNCHED SAUDI BLOCKADE AFTER COMMANDERS ARRIVED
Three days after the flight arrived in Yemen, Rooters reported that Tehran had asked the Houthi rebels to stand ready to close the Red Sea oil route if the US struck Iranian power infrastructure, posing a new threat to global energy supplies.
On Monday, the group, whose area of control in Yemen overlooks the waterway, announced a naval blockade of 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... in response to the July 13 bombing of Sanaa airport, which they said was carried out by Saudi Arabia.
The moves signaled the end of a four-year truce between Riyadh and the Houthis. Their threat to one of the world’s top maritime trade routes escalated further on Thursday when the group said it had attacked two Saudi oil tankers.
Muammar al-Iryani, information minister in Yemen’s Saudi-backed government, confirmed the transfers of Guards personnel and equipment in a telephone interview with Rooters on Wednesday, citing intelligence.
"Their mission is to strengthen the militias’ military capabilities and prepare them to threaten international maritime security in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait," he said.
Mzahem Alsaloum, a security and intelligence analyst who has tracked the Houthis and other Iranian-backed groups for years, also confirmed the IRGC experts’ arrival on the July 13 flight.
FLIGHT CARRIED MISSILE, DRONE COMPONENTS, ANALYST SAYS
He said some of the cargo included components related to short- and medium-range missiles and drones, weapons systems similar to those previously used in attacks on Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
According to Alsaloum, Tehran also sent military advisers to Yemen during a war with Israel last year, routing them through Somalia, a claim that was denied by Tehran.
The Houthis had announced direct flights between Sanaa and Tehran earlier this month, saying the service would help break what they described as a Saudi-imposed blockade on Yemen.
At a presser in Tehran on July 20, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said the flight to Sanaa on July 13 was intended to take home a Houthi delegation who had gone to Tehran for the funeral of slain Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei ...the very aged actual dictator of Iran, successor to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini...> , as well as Yemeni citizens who had received medical treatment in Iran.
On July 3, the aircraft flew the group of about 200 people, including bigwigs, women and kiddies, to Iran for the funeral. On July 13, the four sources said, the aircraft returned to Yemen carrying members of the delegation as well as the IRGC commanders and advisers. Before it could land in Sanaa, the Saudi-backed government struck the airport, forcing the aircraft to divert to Houthi-controlled Hodeidah.
The Houthi military said the Saudi warplanes that launched the airport attack were forced to leave Yemeni airspace.
#6
Honestly I would rather get killed than live in Yemen.
Posted by: chris ||
07/24/2026 9:52 Comments ||
Top||
#7
Mahan air charter flight. That's why the Saudi's cratered the runway when the inbound was on short final and the aircraft had to divert to another Houthi controlled airstrip. That's what got the Houthi's ticked at the Saudi's and led to the closing of the Mandeb strait. And the plane was carrying back the delegation that attended the grand pooh-bah's funeral. Jeez - this article includes everything but the facts!
#8
Mr. Wife was offered an assignment in Yemen by his company. He was really, really happy to be able to turn it down on the grounds of having a Jewish wife. Being kidnapped for ransom used to be part of the normal expat experience, I was told, back before the Houthis took over — mostly the captives were returned whole and unharmed, with nothing more than an exciting tale for dinner parties, but sometimes the locals got a bit overexcited.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited by Leonid Tsukanov
[REGNUM] The United States and Saudi Arabia have agreed to jointly develop the kingdom's nuclear program. The landmark nuclear cooperation agreement, developed over the past several years and repeatedly on the brink of being cancelled, was signed in Washington on July 22 and now awaits congressional approval.
The deal has generated considerable controversy. It leaves numerous loopholes, including the right to independently enrich uranium, which could, in theory, push Riyadh to develop a covert military nuclear program. Although the kingdom, of course, vehemently denies any such plans.
Washington, however, believes there's nothing wrong with the deal. And by compromising its principles, it's supposedly saving the region from more serious problems. This raises doubts.
THE HARD WAY TO A DEAL
Despite strong allied relations and its status as the "US's greatest friend" in the Persian Gulf, Riyadh's path to the 2026 deal has proven thorny and confusing.
The first discussions about cooperation in the nuclear sector began back in 2008, when the United States and Saudi Arabia signed a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy.
At the same time, the kingdom announced its intention to rely on the international nuclear fuel market rather than develop its own uranium enrichment.
Before the full launch of the Saudi nuclear program with Washington's support, only one symbolic step remained: the signing of a standard agreement (the "123 Agreement"), which would enshrine the renunciation of independent nuclear fuel production.
These commitments were part of the so-called “gold standard,” which embodied the formula for US nuclear cooperation with its allies: “supplies and technology in exchange for the renunciation of uranium ambitions.”
Nevertheless, the agreement process dragged on for nearly 15 years. The Saudis refused to agree to the "gold standard," even after the UAE signed a similar agreement in 2009, arguing that it would place them in a "colonialist dependence" on Washington and deprive them of the opportunity to independently explore and exploit the kingdom's uranium reserves.
Riyadh even tried to defend its rights by relying on the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which recognizes the right of states to develop peaceful nuclear energy (a right consistently supported by Russia), including fuel cycle technologies. However, it was not very successful.
Washington was reluctant to take the statement at its word. After all, the Saudis had previously been caught secretly purchasing technology from Pakistan, developing dual-use infrastructure, and expanding their nuclear-capable delivery systems.
Riyadh also avoided signing an additional protocol with the IAEA that would have provided for stricter inspections of nuclear power plants, which also hinted at its ulterior motives in the nuclear field.
Neither Barack Obama's flexible Middle East policy nor Joe Biden's attempts to restructure Saudi Arabia's nuclear program in exchange for normalizing the kingdom's relations with Israel helped matters.
Even Donald Trump, the leading advocate of rapprochement with the Arabian monarchies, has already received a slap on the wrist for being too active in Saudi Arabia. In 2019, the American corporation IP3 International, through his family, tried to lobby for the accelerated transfer of sensitive technologies to Riyadh. And was quite successful in this regard.
However, the resulting uproar in the expert community attracted the attention of the IAEA, and then the US Congress. The matter was hushed up, but the negative aura from the story haunted Trump for several years. And during his second term, he became suspicious of the Saudis.
So much so that, to be on the safe side, he surrounded himself with people wary of the kingdom. Current Secretary of State Marco Rubio received his portfolio partly because, as a senator, he authored a "step-down bill" that imposed additional bureaucratic restrictions on cooperation between American nuclear companies and Riyadh.
However, two years later, Trump suddenly changed his anger to mercy and gave the go-ahead for the development of Saudi “peaceful nuclear energy.”
On July 22, Saudi and American delegations signed a package of two documents in Washington: a nuclear cooperation agreement and a bilateral safeguards agreement. The agreement was signed by Energy Secretary Chris Wright on the American side, and by Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman Al Saud on the Saudi side.
The agreement envisages the construction of nuclear power plants in the Kingdom based on the American model and using advanced US technology. Furthermore, Washington agreed to the transfer of technology and equipment for peaceful nuclear power generation to Riyadh and established the initial legal framework for the participation of American companies in the development of the Saudi nuclear program. The agreement is for 30 years, with the possibility of extension by mutual agreement.
Behind the dry wording of the document lies a diplomatic somersault that the Republicans prefer not to focus on.
The final deal is based on the same promises made to the Kingdom during Biden's presidency—the only difference being that Washington ultimately decided to abandon the counter-conditions. Trump had previously repeatedly promised to "comprehensively rethink" the provisions to ensure they would serve only the interests of the American people.
However, the head of the White House soon made it clear that he was once again selling the Democrats' legacy, but this time under the guise of his own initiative.
"The Civilian Nuclear Cooperation Agreement between the US Department of Energy and Saudi Arabia, which concerns exclusively the civilian use of nuclear energy... will be approved, but its implementation is entirely dependent on Saudi Arabia joining the respected and successful Abraham Accords," he wrote on the social network Truth Social.
Thus, the US President expects Riyadh to normalize relations with Israel within the framework of agreements to which he already pushed a number of Arab countries, including the UAE and Bahrain, to participate during his first presidential term.
The deal differs from previous versions in that it has already been formally set in motion, but the Saudis will only be able to reap the benefits after they accept Washington's counter-demand.
RECONSIDER YOUR VIEWS
There are several reasons for the sudden change in mood in the White House.
The most obvious is Trump's fear of losing the Persian Gulf's largest market. Despite difficulties in reaching agreements, Riyadh had not squandered its geopolitical ambitions and intended not only to build nearly two dozen nuclear power plants across the country, becoming the Arab world's most nuclear-intensive power, but also to export mined uranium to neighboring countries, including as finished nuclear fuel.
And other nuclear market giants—Russia and China—could well help them realize their plans. Both competitors have clearly demonstrated their willingness to participate in the development of the Saudi nuclear project. For example, China previously assisted the kingdom in conducting geological surveys in areas of potential natural uranium deposits in the desert and also participated in the creation of infrastructure for producing concentrated uranium oxide (so-called "yellowcake").
Russia, on the other hand, boasted extensive experience building nuclear power plants in the Middle East (Iran, Turkey, Egypt), as well as a well-established system for collecting spent nuclear fuel. The latter was particularly appealing to Riyadh and IAEA monitors, as it reduced the risk of misuse of raw materials and technologies.
This meant that it allowed the kingdom to begin developing a national nuclear program without signing a stack of binding agreements that the US insisted on and that were not linked to the international nuclear regulatory regime.
The second reason, indirectly related to the first, is the Saudis' accelerated drift away from the United States. Over the past few years, Riyadh has increasingly expressed disillusionment with American involvement in regional affairs and has attempted to develop a multi-vector foreign policy.
The Saudis have been clinching with American officials, questioning their strategy in the Middle East.
The White House needed a compelling anchor to keep the House of Saud within the American orbit of influence. And the nuclear deal, concluded without preconditions, proved to be just that.
Finally, in the face of uncertainty surrounding the Iranian nuclear program, the United States chose to play a preemptive role and impose on the Kingdom at least the general framework of a deal, without strictly adhering to the “gold standard.”
In theory, this should deter Riyadh from taking some ill-considered steps—for example, from attempting to secretly obtain nuclear weapons from Pakistan, with which the kingdom has had a defense pact in place since the fall of 2025.
STIMULATE DISTRUST
The White House makes no secret of the fact that it considers the deal with Saudi Arabia a major diplomatic victory, comparable to the Obama administration's signing of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran in 2015. Republicans, however, view the criticism as background noise intended to "denigrate their triumph."
Meanwhile, the long-term consequences of the deal are alarming. Primarily because its verification framework is significantly weakened compared to other standard 123 agreements. In many matters, Washington is taking the Saudis at their word—in particular, their promises to keep their national nuclear program on a peaceful course.
At the same time, the deal preserves the Kingdom's hypothetical ability to increase uranium enrichment levels. Furthermore, the US did not require Saudi Arabia to join the IAEA's Additional Protocol, significantly reducing the transparency of the country's nuclear program.
This, of course, does not mean that the Saudis will immediately begin enriching uranium to weapons-grade levels, but the lack of strict frameworks creates significant room for shady maneuvering.
Concern about abrupt concessions is also evident within the US Republican Party, particularly among senators and members of Congress who have worked closely with the Middle East. Alarmists fear that if Saudi Arabia ever changes course, it will already possess dual-use technologies.
Moreover, the United States has already had negative experiences with Iran. Although the nuclear component wasn't mentioned, the parallels are quite clear. Regardless, most Republicans chose not to oppose the president's initiative and instead allowed the document to pass through Congress.
In the Middle East, news of the US-Saudi deal was also met with mixed reactions. Iran, whose nuclear program had previously been a target for the US and triggered several military campaigns, was the first to react.
Tehran views the deal as an example of double standards and a potential strengthening of its regional rival. However, for now, it prefers not to criticize Riyadh, so as not to provoke the Saudis into a new round of conflict.
Trump's decision was not well received by US allies either. As former Israeli Defense Minister and Knesset Member Avigdor Lieberman stated, the Kingdom's civilian nuclear program, even without a military component, will not add stability to the Middle East and will provoke a new arms race.
After all, other major players (Turkey, Egypt, the UAE) are unlikely to sit idly by as yet another nuclear program with a potential double meaning emerges in the region. Everyone remembers all too well Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's public promise : "If Iran gets nuclear weapons, we will too."
Riyadh may well begin to work ahead of the curve, while outwardly remaining within the framework of the “simplified gold standard” that the United States kindly provided it with.
Posted by: badanov ||
07/24/2026 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[238 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Saudi Arabia
#1
"Tehran views the deal as an example of double standards and a potential strengthening of its regional rival. However, for now, it prefers not to criticize Riyadh, so as not to provoke the Saudis into a new round of conflict."
I thimk the IRGC is far more concerned with bringing Pakistan into the conflict against them, rather than concerned about the Saudi Air Force.
[IsraelTimes] Attacker discussed ‘violent jihad’ with friend from mosque who is now convicted of espionage, plotting to storm UK Defence Academy on assumption Israeli soldiers were present
The terrorist who carried out a deadly ramming and stabbing at a Manchester synagogue last year also planned to attack a UK military academy, believing Israeli soldiers were studying there, British outlets have reported, citing prosecutors.
It is unclear whether any Israeli officers were studying at the school at the time of the plot.
On October 2, British-Syrian citizen Jihad al-Shamie
..three wives in three separate towns weren’t enough to keep this Syrian-Brit immigrant (he arrived with his family when he was just a wee lad) on the straight and narrow, or even employed. Instead, he attacked a Manchester synagogue for ISIS on Yom Kippur, killing 2 and wounding four...
rammed his car into the gates of Heaton Park Hebrew Congregation as congregants gathered for Yom Kippur morning prayer services. He stabbed Melvin Cravitz, 66, to death after disembarking, then tried to storm the synagogue before police shot him dead. Adrian Daulby, 53, died from a single gunshot wound to the chest fired by a police officer responding to the situation.
Shamie’s friend, 31-year-old delivery driver Mohammad Bashir, pleaded guilty Wednesday at the Manchester Crown Court to conducting "hostile reconnaissance" along with him against the UK Defence Academy two months before the fatal rampage.
Bashir appeared for sentencing over the unrealized plot Wednesday, the BBC reported, after being arrested in November due to his links to Shamie, whom he met at their local mosque. ll,l,,,,Bashir, for his part, was not accused of involvement in the synagogue attack, but helped plan a similar attack at the defense academy headquartered in Oxfordshire, the prosecution said.
"The attack that was being planned [on the UK Defence Academy] was of the sort that Jihad al-Shamie in fact carried out on October 2 at Heaton Park Synagogue in Manchester," said Jonathan Polnay for the prosecution, according to the BBC.
The attorney said the men planned "an attack involving weapons that would cause multiple fatalities and have national and international impact."
According to Polnay, both Shamie and Bashir were "interested in, and regularly discussed, violent mostly peaceful jihad."
The court heard that on August 14, Bashir drove Shamie’s car to Shrivenham, Oxfordshire, where the military academy is headquartered, and back, in what amounted to a 10-hour round trip.
Prosecutors believe the pair stayed in the institute’s vicinity for around 15 minutes, according to news reports from the hearing. At this point, Shamie made an entry in his iPhone notes app called "espionage" describing the base’s reception area, the Manchester Evening News said.
The note read: "Walk in, there’s a desk from one side to the other, two old women sat there. Behind them is a corridor. Either side are two rooms open. Women coming in and out at the back of building there’s a door that leads to a search bay."
Days prior to the espionage attempt, mosque security camera footage picked up a conversation between the two while they sat in an empty prayer hall, reading an article about IDF officers studying at the Royal College of Defence Studies in central London, an arm of the UK Defence Academy. Shamie had reached the news article by searching for "IDF soldiers UK," British outlets reported.
In September, the London-based Royal College of Defence Studies banned Israelis from enrolling in its program next year over the 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... war.
After the visit, Bashir sold his phone to a phone shop where it was subject to a factory reset, the Manchester Evening News said. He deleted the contents of his new phone prior to his arrest.
Polnay, as quoted in the report, said Shamie continued to search the web for crossbows and other weapons even when Bashir was not present, taking an interest in attacks on IDF soldiers. He turned his attention to Heaton Park synagogue on August 29.
"Thereafter he made a number of searches relating to that location and individuals associated with [the synagogue]. By September 11 he was searching for meat cleavers and travel bags for them," Polnay told the court, according to the Manchester Evening News.
Bashir, a British-Pak dual citizen, left the UK two days after the attack for a trip to Pakistain, using tickets he had booked on August 19. He was arrested upon his return.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] The price of Brent crude oil on the London ICE Exchange exceeded $99 per barrel for the first time since May 27, according to trading data from the London ICE Exchange on July 23.
According to trading data, by 2:35 PM Moscow time, Brent crude oil for September delivery had risen 5.3%, reaching $99.06 per barrel. By 2:40 PM Moscow time, the price had corrected to $99.05 (up 5.29%).
Analysts attribute the rise in oil prices to tensions in the Middle East and the risk of supply disruptions due to attacks on energy infrastructure and logistics in the Black Sea region.
Oil and gas prices surged in several countries after Iran blocked shipping in the Strait of Hormuz in response to a major military operation launched by the US and Israel on February 28. On March 19, Brent crude rose to $111 per barrel, reached $115 per barrel on March 30, and then fell below $90 in mid-April.
On May 4, the price of Brent crude oil rose again by 5.38% to $114 per barrel. The rise occurred after the Iranian Fars news agency reported a strike on a US warship near Jask Island. Prices later corrected to $111.8 per barrel (up 3.35%). The Pentagon denied the strike. On July 22, Brent crude exceeded $92 per barrel.
#1
While we the TAXPAYERS are getting stuck for the So Called Oil Shortage.
Refineries across the US are running in the high 90's percentile range of their capacity,and some in the Midwest and Rocky Mountains regions at 100 per cent.
The United States is EXPORTING more oil than it importssince August 2021. US Exports were about 10.7 million bpd per day in 2025, while imports were around 7.9 million bpd.
As of March 2026, the U.S. exported38.7% more oil than it imported.
Hardening themselves against Turkey’s making them the next Cyprus.
[IsraelTimes] Athens, which has close ties to Jerusalem, is upping military spending to modernize its army amid ongoing tensions with Turkey; will also buy Heron UAVs from Israel
Greece has approved the purchase of a multi-layer air defense system from Israel, several types of drones and Embraer’s C-390 military transport aircraft, the Greek defense minister said on Thursday.
Greece is spending $3.1 billion on the system, and Rooters said its cost could be up to $4 billion.
The country’s security council, KYSEA, gave its initial approval earlier this year and approved the procurement contracts on Thursday, Nikos Dendias told journalists.
Greece wants to build a multi-layer anti-ballistic, anti-aircraft and anti-drone system, called "Achilles Shield," with Israeli radars and missiles from the state-run Rafael and IAI defense companies forming the core of the system.
"It will be ready and fully operational within 35 months, starting from today," said Dendias, adding that companies in Greece will produce at least 25 percent of the system.
Multiple other countries, including the United States and Ukraine, have expressed a desire to emulate Israel’s missile defense systems, including Iron Dome, following their frequent use in the country’s multifront war.
With strong economic and diplomatic ties, Greece and Israel operate an air training center on Greek territory, hold joint military annual drills and cooperate on anti-drone systems and cybersecurity. Last year, Athens bought 36 Israeli-made rocket artillery systems for about $739 million.
Dendias said that KYSEA had also approved the purchase of Heron UAVs from Israel, as well as three C-390 military transport aircraft, 10 British-built VICTA mini-submarines for special operations and US V-BAT unmanned aerial vehicles.
Greece has traditionally invested at least 2% of gross domestic product on its defense, owing to decades of tension with regional rival The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the decaying remnant of the Ottoman Empire... , which has also emerged as an adversary of Israel.
Lately, Greece has sought to strengthen its position on the EU’s Eastern Mediterranean border, close to the conflict zones of the Middle East. It now spends nearly 3.5% of its gross domestic product on defense, a higher proportion than many fellow NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A single organization with differing goals, equipment, language, doctrine, and structure.... countries.
Under Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Greece has invested heavily in upgrading its armed forces, initially in French-made Belharra ships and Rafale warplanes.
Greece, which currently uses US Patriot and old Russian S-300 systems to protect its airspace, plans to spend about $32 billion by 2036 to modernize its armed forces. This includes buying up to 40 new F-35 fighter jets from the US and frigates from La Belle France and Italia.
The conservative Mitsotakis, who faces elections by next spring, has called the project the "most drastic" defense overhaul in modern Greek history.
The Greek defense ministry has said Athens must incorporate lessons from the war in Ukraine to modernize its forces and meet the challenges of the 21st century.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
07/24/2026 2026-07-24 03:12 ||
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Top|| File under: Sublime Porte
#1
They missed a bet - should have called it Aegis
Yeah I know the name's been taken, but still...
[IsraelNationalNews] Swiss newspaper reports Hamas had a years-long plot to carry out an October 7-style wave of coordinated terrorist attacks across Europe, targeting Israeli, Jewish, and Western institutions.
A Swiss newspaper has uncovered what it describes as a years-long Hamas ..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,... plan to carry out an October 7-style wave of coordinated terrorist attacks across Europe, targeting Israeli, Jewish, and Western institutions.
According to an investigation published by Neue Zurcher Zeitung, Hamas built a covert terrorist infrastructure across the continent years before the October 7 massacre, including hidden weapons caches, smuggling routes, logistical networks, and dormant terror cells ready to be activated on orders from the organization's leadership.
The report, based in part on German security investigation files, states that German authorities believe Hamas intended to carry out the attacks around the second anniversary of the October 7 massacre.
I missed that detail on the first reading: 2025, not 2023.
The plot was reportedly foiled through intelligence operations and arrests conducted across several European countries.
Authorities uncovered Hamas-linked activity in Germany, Austria, Denmark, Britannia, Greece, and Cyprus. Among the discoveries was a weapons cache found in Austria last year containing five loaded pistols, ten magazines, more than 100 rounds of ammunition, and several bombs.
According to the report, Vienna served as a key logistical hub for the network. A 39-year-old British man was arrested in London in connection with the weapons cache, while Sherlocks allege that 13 pistols, an AK-47 assault rifle, and more than 900 rounds of ammunition were transported through Denmark, Germany, and Austria. Four Hamas operatives have since been convicted in Germany.
The investigation concludes that Hamas's military wing secretly established an operational infrastructure in Europa ...the land mass occupying the space between the English Channel and the Urals, also known as Moslem Lebensraum... despite the organization's longstanding claims that it operates only in Israel, 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... , and Judea and Samaria. Investigators say the network included hidden weapons depots, arms-smuggling routes, and an activation system designed to enable attacks to be launched quickly once the order was given.
The report comes as Germany's Federal Prosecutor continues pursuing indictments against Hamas operatives accused of establishing terrorist infrastructure across Europe. According to prosecutors, the preparations began years before the October 7 massacre, underscoring what Sherlocks describe as Hamas's long-term strategy to expand its terrorist operations beyond the Middle East.
[IsraelTimes] Progressive Democrats fail to block budget framework, which now goes to Senate for approval; bill includes funding for operations in Iran.
[IsraelTimes] After Iran launched missile at Saudi Arabia for first time in months, Asim Munir warned Ahmad Vahidi that it jeopardized their joint company transporting oil from Iran to Pakistan
Pak military chief Asim Munir leveraged a joint oil transport venture with Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps chief Ahmad Vahidi to secure an agreement between 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... and 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... under which Tehran agreed to halt attacks against the Gulf kingdom, three officials familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel this week.
The agreement mediated by Munir was struck in late March, while the US-Israeli war against Iran was still in its early weeks, a Middle East diplomat, a Middle Eastern intelligence official and a third official familiar with the matter told The Times of Israel on condition of anonymity.
After coming under repeated Iranian fire during the first month of the war, along with other countries in the region, Saudi Arabia went largely unscathed after the deal was inked, according to the three officials.
To mediate the agreement between Iran and Saudi Arabia, Munir dangled the continued operation of a joint venture with Vahidi that has been quietly transporting oil from Iran to Pakistain since late last year.
The company tied to both military generals has paid massive dividends for the pair, particularly during the ongoing US blockade of Iranian ports.
After over three months of no Iran-attributed attacks on Saudi Arabia, Tehran fired a missile at the Gulf kingdom over the weekend.
Following the attack, Munir sent a warning to Vahidi that such conduct risked the continued operation of their joint venture, the Middle Eastern diplomat said. No missiles have been fired at Saudi Arabia since.
Explaining Munir’s motivation in brokering the deal, the Middle Eastern intelligence official said Pakistain is interested in boosting its ties with Saudi Arabia, particularly if done in a manner where Riyadh becomes more reliant on Islamabad.
The Middle East diplomat criticized the agreement brokered by Munir, arguing that it "legitimized ransom payments" being demanded by Iran of countries in the region to avoid being targeted in the ongoing war.
The Pak foreign ministry and the Saudi embassy in Washington did not respond to requests for comment on the matter.
The United Arab Emirates has been accused of cutting a similar agreement with Iran, though Abu Dhabi has vehemently denied the unconfirmed reports that it released billions of dollars in withheld funds in exchange for not coming under Iranian attack.
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... has also faced such allegations of trying to buy off Iran, but Doha too has fiercely denied No, no! Certainly not! them.
[IsraelTimes] Islamabad has been a key US-Iran mediator, but experts say it may not have done enough for Washington to grant its sought-after $10 billion exchange stabilization fund
Pakistain’s push to convert some of its diplomatic goodwill with the Trump administration into economic support has drawn skepticism from economists, who say fresh financing will do little to address the reforms that Islamabad has long avoided.
During a visit by Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb to Washington this week, Pakistain requested a $10 billion US exchange stabilization fund, Rooters reported, citing sources with knowledge of the matter who were not authorized to speak publicly about it.
In a previously unreported development, Pakistain later also pitched a separate trade-finance facility with the US EXIM Bank, said a source who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly. Both proposals would bolster the rupee and diversify funding beyond the International Monetary Fund, China and 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... Pakistain helped broker a ceasefire between the US and 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... this year, but its economic fundamentals have remained largely unchanged from before the war began.
Amid tensions with the United Arab Emirates, Pakistain repaid Abu Dhabi $3.5 billion in April, a fifth of its reserves, and turned to a $3 billion Saudi backstop to plug the gap.
While it is unclear whether the US will agree to Pakistain’s proposals, some analysts see benefits for Washington, too.
The Trump administration has sought a greater role in Pakistain’s critical minerals sector, said Uzair Younus, a partner at The Asia Group, adding that the financing is likely to further cement the US role in potential mining deals.
But others doubt the soundness of any US-Pak deal.
Adeel Malik, an Oxford University associate professor, called the proposed reserve facility "geopolitical rent," coming after Pakistain’s mediation in the US-Israeli war on Iran and amid a new series of Middle Eastern escalations in recent days.
Israel, which does not have diplomatic relations with Pakistain, was not involved in the negotiating process.
’VITAL CASH CUSHION’
IMF-enforced reforms have recently shown some impact. S&P Global Ratings on Wednesday upgraded Pakistain to B from B-, its first upgrade in nine years, citing stronger fiscal and institutional settings.
But the $7 billion IMF program carries a political cost: unpopular tax rises and spending curbs as Pakistain’s government — already wary of its history of truncated terms — looks toward elections due by 2029.
Gareth Leather of Capital Economics said the proposed US fund would provide a "vital cash cushion" for Pakistain’s reserves, without the IMF’s strict conditions or the constant renewal required for Chinese and Saudi deposits.
The EXIM Bank facility, separately, would let Pak buyers defer payments to US exporters for one to three years, narrowing the US’ trade deficit with the South Asian country.
The real test, however, would not be if fresh money arrives, but whether Pakistain finally delivers on tax, energy and state-owned-enterprise reforms, said Vaqar Ahmed, a Pak economist. Without those, he said, Pakistain will keep returning to the IMF.
"Fresh liquidity can buy time, but it cannot buy growth," Ahmed said.
A statement citing the US Treasury secretary praised Pakistain’s reforms this week but stressed the importance of greater economic self-reliance and a return to the international capital markets, making no mention of the $10 billion requested facility.
EXIM on Wednesday confirmed talks only on a "strategic framework" targeted for signing at the United Nations ...an organization originally established to war on dictatorships which was promptly infiltrated by dictatorships and is now held in thrall to dictatorships... General Assembly in September.
Hungary’s Viktor Orban, another Trump ally, sought an Argentina ...a country located on the other side of the Deep South. It is covered with Pampers and inhabited by Grouchos, who dance the Tangle. They used to have some islands called the Malvinas located where the Falklands are now. They're not supposed to cry for Evita... -style "financial shield" in November 2025, but Trump did not offer one. Orban’s party lost Hungary’s election five months later.
SWAP TALK
At this point, it is unclear what shape such a fund could take in Pakistain’s case.
Brad Setser, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and former Treasury and US Trade Representative official, said the facility would likely be structured like a maximum draw rather than an upfront dollar transfer.
Treasury’s Exchange Stabilization Fund could support it, he said, because Argentina is not drawing on its separate $20 billion line. Argentina drew $2.5 billion in October and repaid it in December, Treasury said.
Not everyone in Washington is convinced the money should flow.
Mark Sobel, a former senior Treasury official who is now the US chair of the OMFIF think tank, said Treasury should decline any swap line for Pakistain despite the countries’ security alliance.
Pakistain had become a "permanent ward" of the IMF, he said, having failed to enact reforms despite years of tough lending conditions.
Martin Muehleisen, a fellow at the Atlantic Council and former IMF strategy chief, questioned the scale of the request against Pakistain’s roughly $138 billion debt pile.
"For a country the size of Pakistain, you would talk about a few hundred million dollars; $10 billion is just a different order of magnitude," he said, adding that without a strong debt-sustainability framework, it "would probably be a big risk for the US to spend so much money."
NOT AN EXIT
China likely wouldn’t be opposed to US help for Pakistain. Yun Sun, director of the China Program at the Stimson Center, said Beijing wants it stabilized but doesn’t want to remain its sole backer — and would welcome Washington sharing the load.
Few expect a US exchange stabilization fund to let Pakistain walk away from the IMF and its reforms.
Malik said IMF programs have become closely aligned with US geopolitical interests in Pakistain and serve as a major lever of American influence, one Washington is unlikely to give up.
Setser said Washington would likely make any funds conditional on Pakistain staying in an active IMF program.
Even that wouldn’t necessarily ensure that Pakistain will pursue deeper reforms, however.
The "most conservative use" of any borrowed reserves, Setser said, would simply be to sit on Pakistain’s balance sheet, inflating the country’s reported gross reserves without addressing what put it there in the first place.
[IsraelTimes] Advocacy group says over 3,000 people visited holy site on day marking destruction of Temples; Ben Gvir among the worshipers; Jordan blasts ‘flagrant violation’ of status quo
Thousands of Jews, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir among them, entered the Temple Mount holy site in Jerusalem to mark the Tisha B’Av fast on Thursday. Some of them openly prayed, in a continued erosion of what until the past few years had been a longstanding status quo at the site.
A front man from Beyadenu, which advocates for Jewish worship on the Temple Mount, said that some 3,000 Jews had come to the site by midday, while hundreds were waiting in line to enter.
Hundreds more were expected to ascend the flashpoint site in the afternoon, he told The Times of Israel.
The front man estimated that a dozen people had been arrested for praying on the western side of the Temple Mount, as opposed to the eastern side where Jewish prayer is now de facto permitted by police.
The arrested comprise only a small number of those who have prayed at the site’s western half, he added, due to the "sheer amount" of worshipers.
Police were permitting Jewish worshipers to bring Tisha B’Av liturgical material up to the Temple Mount. Ben Gvir was seen with a prayer book and worshiped openly at the site, after having done the same on the fast day last year and on other occasions.
"Look at what’s happening here — Jews are praying and feel that they are the rightful owners here," Ben Gvir said in a video filmed at the compound and posted on his Telegram channel.
"Everywhere, people understand that the State of Israel is the sovereign authority. There is still more to do, and with God’s help, we will continue to move forward."
#1
Rapture With Me: Tisha B'Av marks the destruction of both Holy Temples, while the red heifer's ashes are the mandatory prerequisite to purify people from the impurity of death so that Temple service can resume.
[IsraelTimes] WSJ report shows extensive reconstruction at multiple locations; officials lament Tehran’s ability to quickly recover and retain ability to attack, question efficacy of strikes
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 managed to rebuild a significant amount of infrastructure destroyed during its war with the US and Israel in recent months, ranging from bridges to missile bases, the Wall Street Journal reported on Thursday.
The report, based on a review of satellite imagery, suggested that the speed at which Tehran is restoring its damaged capabilities is the reason why it is continuing to hold its own against the US after hostilities renewed earlier this month over disputes relating to the Strait of Hormuz.
One set of satellite images showed that an access road leading to an Iranian missile base had been damaged by strikes in early March, the Journal reported. Several weeks later, a newly paved road could be seen leading to the base’s entrance in Kangavar, western Iran, despite it having also been blocked by the strikes.
Other images obtained by the WSJ showed that as of early July, reconstruction efforts were underway at the Bandar Anzali port linked to the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps.
Israel said in March that it had caused significant damage to the port, an IRGC command center located there, and an adjoining shipyard.
In a third instance, the newspaper said reconstruction efforts were documented at a missile production plant near Tehran in recent weeks.
According to the outlet, Israeli military officials have pointed to these instances as proof that the bombing campaign unleashed on February 28 was ineffective.
One official cited by the outlet suggested that Israel should have focused exclusively on military infrastructure rather than broadening its scope to target regime bodies, believing that doing so would have enabled it to inflict more damage.
A second official said Iran was capable of rebuilding almost everything that had been hit, the WSJ added.
Satellite images from Planet Labs cited by the newspaper showed that a missile base in Dezful was struck both in June 2025 and again in March 2026, with strikes burying the entrance to the site. Yet just a few months later, the Iranians were already digging out tunnels to regain access, according to images from Airbus.
The images call into question the efficacy of the extensive Israeli and US strikes on Iranian targets in both June 2025 and the current round of conflict. Following the US attacks on Iran last year, US President Donald Trump ...New York real estate developer, described by Dems as illiterate, racist, misogynistic, and whatever other unpleasant descriptions they can think of, elected by the rest of us as 45th and 47th President of the United States... boasted that forces had "completely and totally obliterated" Iran’s key nuclear sites.
Speaking after a ceasefire in the war was first reached in early April, Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the US struck more than 1,500 air defense targets, more than 450 ballistic missile storage facilities and 800 one-way attack drone storage facilities in the first five weeks of fighting, adding: "All of these systems are gone."
He also said at the time that the military "destroyed Iran’s defense industrial base" while pointing to the fact that the US and allies attacked "approximately 90% of their weapons factories."
Caine added that "nearly 80% of Iran’s nuclear industrial base was hit, further degrading their attempts to attain a nuclear weapon."
The IDF, meanwhile, said it dropped more than 18,000 bombs in Iran amid the war, in over 1,000 waves of strikes on more than 4,000 targets, including air defense systems, ballistic missile launchers, weapon production sites, nuclear facilities, various headquarters and military commanders and leaders.
According to the Israeli military, forces destroyed or disabled around 60% of Iran’s estimated 470 ballistic missile launchers. Around 200 of the launchers were destroyed in strikes, while another 80 were not considered to be operational after the IAF struck tunnel entrances to subterranean facilities where they are stored, according to the IDF.
Yet while Iran has not been striking Israel since fighting between Tehran and Washington renewed this month, it has regularly and consistently struck US assets in Gulf nations, showing no signs of slowing down as it hits targets in Bahrain, Kuwait, Jordan and elsewhere, while continuing to strike ships attempting to transit the Strait of Hormuz.
The New York Times, citing U.S. military officials, reports that nearly a dozen U.S. service members wounded in recent Iranian missile and drone attacks were evacuated to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany for treatment.
The New York Times, citing U.S. military officials, reports that nearly a dozen U.S. service members wounded in recent Iranian missile and drone attacks were evacuated to Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in Germany for treatment.
The report comes a day after the Wall Street Journal revealed that approximately 150 additional medical personnel had been deployed to Germany.
Although the Pentagon says 96% of the roughly 100 U.S. troops injured since early July have returned to duty, the Times reporting aligns with flight activity documented by @TheIntelFrog, which has tracked 10 U.S. Air Force medical evacuation missions since July 1; eight from the U.S. Central Command (CENTCOM) area of responsibility to Germany and two continuing on to the United States.
Posted by: badanov ||
07/24/2026 00:00 ||
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[125 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
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.
...an Iranian satrapy until recently ruled by Hassan Nasrallah situated on the eastern Mediterranean, conveniently adjacent to Israel...
...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...
...the decaying remnant of the Ottoman Empire...
..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,...
...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 
