Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[RFI] On Friday, September 4, Mauritanian authorities arrested 17 people and recovered two vehicles containing weapons in Bassiknou, in the Hodh Ech Chargui region, bordering Mali. A well-known figure in the Malian jihadist group Ansar Dine, now part of JNIM, was among those arrested. All the suspects were transferred to Néma for questioning as part of the ongoing investigation.
Members of the Mauritanian National Guard stand in formation during a training exercise with members of the National Guard's "Mehariste" unit, in the Hodh Ech Chargui region, on April 7, 2025. (Illustrative image)
Members of the Mauritanian National Guard stand in formation during a training exercise with members of the National Guard's "Mehariste" unit in the Hodh Ech Chargui region, April 7, 2025.
Among those arrested on Friday, September 4, 2026, in Bassiknou, Mauritania, was a figure known by his nom de guerre: Sanda Ould Bouamama, former spokesperson for the Malian jihadist group Ansar Dine – now part of JNIM, linked to al-Qaeda. His real name is Sidi Mohamed Ould Bouamama.
He is a figure linked to the Malian crisis of 2012-2013. He was then the spokesperson for the Islamist group Ansar Dine, led by Iyad Ag Ghaly in northern Mali.
WANTED IN 2013 FOR CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY
Holding dual Malian and Mauritanian nationality, Sanda Ould Bouamama surrendered to Mauritanian authorities in the spring of 2013 to escape Malian justice, which had issued an international arrest warrant against him for crimes against humanity, war crimes, genocide, murder and terrorism.
Mauritania finally released him in 2015. A decision that sparked outrage from many human rights organizations.
Security forces also seized two pickup trucks that were carrying weapons and ammunition.
According to our security sources, these weapons originated in northern Mali and are linked to rebel groups active in the region. Investigators are seeking to determine the exact quantity of weapons seized, their final destination, and the potential reach of the network.
The Mauritanian authorities have not officially commented on this matter yet.
….destroyed so thoroughly US may not return. US bases in allies like Bahrain also destroyed. Israeli locations untouched. Go Israel!
Russia Today is very excited. So is the CNN report on which it is based. I’m not sure where Israel comes into it.
Our troll is typing one-handed, he's soooo excited
Global GeoPolitics
1d
@globalgeopolitic
CIA HQ in RIYADH DESTROYED
NEW:
The United States Government has decided to begin permanently withdrawing from many of the positions it has maintained in the Middle East. The war against #Iran caused such extensive damage to American infrastructure that the reconstruction of many facilities is no longer considered feasible.
Some structures, such as the CIA headquarters in Riyadh, were completely destroyed. Discussions are now focusing on abandoning historic strategic positions and reducing personnel because of the vulnerabilities to which these facilities have been exposed and the significant damage they have sustained. U.S. officials are aware that if they seek to restore these positions, the cost calculations no longer add up—particularly given that they have now become easy targets for Tehran.
There are even proposals within sections of the Armed Forces to conduct exercises without maintaining permanent bases. Taken together, these developments confirm that the United States is bringing an end to the cycle of expansion of its military bases in the region that began after 9/11, entering instead a phase of complete withdrawal and reconfiguration.
For their part, the Iranians have achieved their objective and are beginning to consolidate themselves as the main power in the Middle East while securing what is being described as a humiliating victory over U.S. hegemony within their sphere of influence.
What can be said with great certainty is that it was a huge mistake to underestimate a people as ancient as the Persian people. This represents one of the biggest defeats for the United States in decades.
Posted by: Jack Guelph2611 ||
09/10/2026 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[411 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
Some might also wonder if the _ _ _ just wanted a new base and solved its own problem? 😎
#2
Attacks on US bases are attacks on US territory, they're extraterritorial, whether they be in Germany, Bahrain, Japan or Israel.
We should be furious and hitting Iran with everything we've got until they break. They still have nuclear weapons which is why we started this war.
#6
Clyde dear, Iran does not have nuclear weapons. They would have had nukes twenty years ago, were it not for Mossad interference — virus upset the centrifuge controllers, several rounds of James Bond-worthy assassinations of key scientists, stealing the entire warehouse archive containg all the records of their development program — escaping just ahead of iran security — and of course the coup de gras that Mossad was running the IRGC’s counter-Mossad security until recently.
If Iran ever managed to achieve nuclear bombs, Tel Aviv, NEW york City, Mecca, Qom, and Tehran would all be radioactive, smoking holes.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited by Leonid Tsukanov
[REGNUM] In recent days, large-scale fighting involving armored vehicles and artillery has begun in several Yemeni provinces.
Opponents of the Ansar Allah movement (also known as the Houthis), ignoring previous gentlemen's agreements, are rushing towards the sea, and in their advance they are being assisted by the Saudis, whose air force dominates the skies of their neighbor.
Riyadh sees the current escalation of Yemen's civil war as a good chance to resolve long-standing problems – but also risks new troubles.
THE END OF THE "ETERNAL TRUCE"
The current round of escalation, which began in early September, has put an end to the “permanent ceasefire” agreement reached by key Yemeni factions in 2022, brokered by Oman and UN institutions.
Despite the fact that the agreement was de jure valid only until October 2022 and was not subsequently extended, the parties complied with it for several more years.
For example, in 2025, Saudi Arabia refused to participate in Israeli-American air raids on Ansar Allah's maritime communications and even forced the IDF Air Force to make a detour through UAE airspace.
The Houthis, however, did not take advantage of the southern rebellion staged in Yemen by the UAE's protégé at the end of that year, giving the Saudis the opportunity to establish sole control over the territories of their former ally.
However, over time, friction intensified, and after the Houthis resumed a limited blockade of the Red Sea in the spring of 2026, the continued peaceful coexistence of Riyadh and Sana'a was called into question.
The Saudis tried for a while to contain Ansar Allah's advance by activating loyalists (while remaining above the fray), but ultimately made matters worse. By summer, the Yemeni rebels had only expanded the geography of their attacks, making them more impactful.
For example, on August 14, Houthi forces crossed the line for the first time and launched a missile attack on the strategically important port of Mocha on the Red Sea, completely shutting down the facility.
A week later, rebel rockets damaged a loyalist oil refinery and fuel depot, and destroyed barracks housing security forces. Meanwhile, the ceasefire remained in effect, and the sides did not engage in large-scale fighting.
The last high-profile action took place at the very beginning of autumn, when a large convoy of armored vehicles and wheeled tractors, intended for units of the central government, was blown up.
According to some reports, the Saudi military adviser responsible for escorting the shipment was also killed along with the technicians. After this, Riyadh's patience finally snapped, and the House of Saud ordered the Houthi problem to be resolved on the ground.
NEW MODEL OF WAR
The September campaign launched by pro-Saudi factions is very different in nature from previous military actions.
Forces loyal to the central government decided not to limit themselves to a single direction, as they had during previous flare-ups, and launched a large-scale offensive in the provinces of Al-Jawf, Al-Bayda, Marib, Taiz, and Hodeidah. Effectively, they created uniform pressure along most of the line of contact.
And judging by the pace of loyalist advances in the first days of the campaign, the Houthis were unprepared for the attack in some provinces. For example, in Al-Jawf, pro-Iranian forces were forced to abandon the Al-Labanat military complex in the Marib area and retreat deeper into the mountains.
In Al-Bayda, the Houthis also lost control of commanding heights in the Az-Zahir region, in Taiz they lost a number of strongholds, and in Hodeida they lost a couple of bypass roads.
The Saudi air force is actively supporting the offensive. According to Ansar Allah spokesman Yahya Sari, over the past three days (at an average interval of 1.5 to 2 hours), the Saudis have carried out over a hundred strikes on their positions and facilities.
Among other things, the prison in the city of Hazm, where arrested central government loyalists were held, was hit. Bombs damaged the gates and some of the buildings, causing some of the surviving prisoners to flee into the surrounding area.
At the same time, official Riyadh insists that its army is not directly involved in the war, but is only “providing support” to allied forces as part of the defense of its own borders.
Unsurprisingly, amid these tactical successes, pro-Saudi forces are gradually becoming euphoric and attaching almost sacred significance to the offensive. For example, Colonel Majid al-Nuzayli, a spokesman for forces allied with the Yemeni government, stated that the goal of the current campaign is to "liberate the country from Houthi control" and restore central government control over the capital, Sana'a.
That’s been their plan for years. Unfortunately, despite all their expensive equipment and training, they haven’t been able to actually win until now.
Given that Yemen's capital has been under Ansar Allah's control for almost 12 years, such promises are taken as a hint that a new separate peace is not to be expected.
However, the ambitious attack on the capital announced by the central government of Yemen with the promise to “expel the rebels” should be considered more of a secondary political step.
It's far more important for the Houthi opponents to cut off the coastal provinces under their control and deprive them of normal access to the Red Sea, thereby reducing the threat to civilian shipping.
Moreover, attempts by the US and its allies to clear the Strait of Hormuz or create alternative "green routes" in the region have not produced sustainable results, and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait remains the only more or less reliable energy artery in the Middle East.
This is precisely Saudi Arabia's strategic calculation: it appears to want to use local forces to clear the shipping route without directly involving its own army, with the exception of its air force, which the Houthis have no counter-attack against. And at the same time, it wants to force Ansar Allah's leadership to withdraw from the regional conflict in exchange for personal security guarantees.
DANGEROUS DELUSIONS
On the other hand, despite the overall ambition of the counteroffensive plan, Saudi strategists were clearly counting on a different outcome.
For example, they could use air strikes to provoke a collapse of the front and the flight of Ansar Allah units, turning the loyalists' advance into a triumphal march. However, this did not happen, even in difficult areas.
For example, in Al-Jawf and Taiz, despite the Houthis losing a number of areas, the situation remains under control, and in some areas, pro-Iranian forces were even able to launch a counteroffensive.
Furthermore, the Houthis have significantly intensified their assault on the port city of Mocha, located north of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. According to Yemeni sources, the front line has come close to the city's neighborhoods for the first time in several years, and Ansar Allah has deployed its best forces to storm the port.
If the Houthis succeed in driving the loyalists out of Mocha, they will be able to more effectively control local shipping and launch more precise strikes on passing Saudi tankers.
Moreover, the war in Yemen quickly spread beyond its geographic borders. On the night of September 8, Ansar Allah forces struck Saudi Arabia with ballistic missiles and suicide drones.
The provinces hardest hit were Asir, where oil and gas storage facilities were hit, and Jizan, where local oil refineries and the airport were temporarily shut down.
Interestingly, the Saudi-American air defense system was unable to counter Yemeni ballistics—in addition to extensive destruction and fires on the ground, local residents suffered damage.
According to the Saudi Ministry of Health, at least 73 people sought medical attention after the overnight attacks.
"If you attack us in Yemen, we will make Saudi Arabia pay for it directly on its own soil," Sari commented succinctly, hinting that the Houthis have the ability to further escalate the scale of their attacks and expand their reach.
As a result, Riyadh finds itself in a dilemma: royal strategists are clearly unwilling to roll back the loyalist offensive, fearing that the Houthis will not accept the new "gentleman's truce" and will continue to pressure their demoralized opponents.
At the same time, there is a growing understanding in the Arabian kingdom that the Yemeni central government's resources are clearly insufficient to confidently operate within its zone of control, much less to assert its authority in areas that have been in the gray zone for a decade.
This means that if the conflict drags on, the Saudis will have to support their protégé with additional ground forces. This risks Riyadh repeating the same mistakes it made a decade ago.
[Rudaw] Iraqi airstrikes targeted alleged Islamic State (ISIS) remnants in Salahaddin province on Wednesday, the Security Media Cell (SMC) said, amid a surge in strikes following early July clashes that killed an Iraqi military officer.
“Following the tracking and surveillance of the movements of elements of the ISIS terrorist gangs, the Falcons of the Air Force carried out four precise airstrikes using F-16 fighter jets,” the SMC announced, noting that “the strikes targeted terrorist safe houses and hideouts in Wadi al-Shai within the Salahaddin Operations Command sector, resulting in the complete destruction of the designated targets.”
The Wednesday operation was carried out based on intelligence from the federal Counter-Terrorism Service and was coordinated with the Armed Forces Commander-in-Chief’s targeting cell, according to the statement.
ISIS seized large swathes of territory in Iraq and Syria in 2014 before being territorially defeated in Iraq in 2017 after three years of intense fighting. Despite its territorial defeat, the group continues to pose a security threat, particularly in disputed areas between Erbil and Baghdad spanning the provinces of Diyala, Kirkuk, Nineveh and Salahaddin.
More at the link
Posted by: badanov ||
09/10/2026 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[206 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State
#1
For about the last 2 months Rantburg does not seem to like Nord VPN. Other than pausing my VPN to read the Burg, any suggestions for a fairly computer illiterate Burgophile?
#2
#1 For about the last 2 months Rantburg does not seem to like Nord VPN. Other than pausing my VPN to read the Burg, any suggestions for a fairly computer illiterate Burgophile?
My firewall policy is to block all server netblocks. One of your VPNs got caught, and for that I am sorry.
If you can tell me a specific new block you connect to/from, I can make arrangements to allow that through
[Rudaw] An oil tanker was hit by “an unknown projectile” near Iraq’s key southern port, the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said Wednesday. The incident marks the fourth notable maritime drone and projectile attack recorded in Iraqi territorial waters since the outbreak of the Iran war in late February.
UKMTO said it “received a report of an incident” southeast of Iraq’s Grand al-Faw Port, located off the coast of the southern Basra province, at the northern end of the Gulf.
“The Master of a tanker has reported being struck by an unknown projectile,” UKMTO added, noting that the “crew are reported safe and there is no environmental impact reported at this time.” The monitor further advised vessels to “transit with caution and report any suspicious activity to UKMTO whilst authorities are investigating.”
Later on Wednesday, Baghdad's transport ministry confirmed that “a tanker designated for transporting fuel oil, flying the flag of the Republic of Panama, was struck by an unknown source while present inside Iraqi territorial waters, causing physical damage to the vessel's hull.”
“The incident resulted in no casualties or injuries among the ship's crew, nor did it cause any leakage of its cargo into the water,” the ministry statement added, noting that the relevant authorities “began implementing necessary precautionary measures” and that field monitoring of the surrounding area was underway “to ensure there is no fuel leak, additional damage, or indicators that could pose a risk to navigation safety and the marine environment."
The attack “resulted in no casualties or injuries among the ship's crew, nor did it cause any leakage of its cargo into the water,” the ministry statement added, noting that the relevant authorities are “following up on the circumstances of the incident and working to verify the source and causes of the strike.”
في أنحاء قطاع غزة: جيش الدفاع والشاباك دمّرا ثلاثة مخازن وسائل قتالية وحفرة إطلاق أُطلقت منها قذائف صاروخية باتجاه دولة إسرائيل خلال الحرب
⭕️هاجم جيش الدفاع والشاباك امس (الثلاثاء) بشكل دقيق في عدة مناطق في أنحاء قطاع غزة، ودمّرا ثلاثة مخازن وسائل قتالية تابعة لحركتي حماس… pic.twitter.com/oe9lN8i1Ph
— Lieutenant Colonel Ella Waweya | إيلا واوية (@CaptainElla1) September 9, 2026
Translated Text:
In various areas of the Gaza Strip: The IDF and Shin Bet destroyed three weapons storage facilities and a launch pit from which rockets were fired toward the State of Israel during the war
⭕️The IDF and Shin Bet conducted a precise operation yesterday (Tuesday) in several areas across the Gaza Strip, destroying three weapons storage facilities belonging to the terrorist organizations Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad. In addition, a launch pit was destroyed from which, during the war, rockets were fired toward the territory of the State of Israel.
⭕️The terrorist organizations stored dozens of combat means of various types inside these storage facilities, including rockets, “Kalashnikov”-type weapons, and additional combat equipment.
⭕️The IDF also observed that operatives of the terrorist organization Hamas have recently been arriving at these storage facilities and using the weapons stored inside them to carry out guard duties and consolidate control in the Gaza Strip.
⭕️The IDF will continue to operate resolutely to strike the capabilities of the terrorist organizations in the Gaza Strip and to thwart any attempt to rebuild these capabilities or acquire combat means with the aim of targeting our forces.
⭕️IDF forces in the Southern Regional Command are deployed in the area in accordance with the agreement and will continue to operate to remove any immediate threat.
[AeroTime] Multiple US Air Force aircraft were damaged in an Iranian ballistic missile attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan overnight on September 8 and 9, 2026.
CBS News correspondent Jennifer Jacobs said on September 9, 2026, that one A-10 Thunderbolt II was struck and left with a missing wing, and that roughly eight F-15s sustained light damage and were returned to service.
Air & Space Forces Magazine reported that people familiar with the matter described an A-10 with a severely damaged wing and around eight F-15E Strike Eagles that remained serviceable.
Posted by: Bobby ||
09/10/2026 09:40 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[304 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#2
Israel is protecting itself and its troops with deadly effect. It is not clear to me why America is having problems — they shouldn’t be, so perhaps the issue is with host country defenses.
#3
Though now that I read the article, it sounds like minor damage caused by falling bits of a destroyed attack that massive destruction intended when shooting off missiles.
#6
Good instinct TW. Even if all the missiles were intercepted there is still a literal ton of debris falling down at supersonic speeds. Some of that will hit stuff on the ground and cause minor problems.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] Iran will permanently close passage through the Strait of Hormuz to vessels entering the waters Tehran has declared exclusion zone. This was announced on September 9 by Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps spokesman Hossein Mohebi. A bold idea. But can they make it happen?
The area east of the Strait of Hormuz, including the Chabahar port area and parts of the Oman and Arabian Seas, will be declared a no-go zone.
"If any vessel passes through the restricted area of the Strait of Hormuz, the exact coordinates of which will be announced later, the provision of any maritime, insurance, or logistics services to that vessel will be terminated," Fars news agency quotes Mohebi as saying.
Before the US and Israeli attacks on Iran in February 2026, approximately 20% of global energy exports passed through the Strait of Hormuz. Both US and Iranian officials claim to be in control of the waters. However, after a series of incidents involving tankers and other vessels that were struck by mines or struck by nuclear weapons, shipping in the Strait of Hormuz has been reduced to a minimum. Tehran stated that the conditions for opening the strait include an end to attacks on Iran, military actions in Lebanon and the Gaza Strip, and the unfreezing of Iranian assets.
Posted by: badanov ||
09/10/2026 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[230 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
[North Press] Israeli forces entered al-Muallaqa village in southern Quneitra countryside on Wednesday with five armored vehicles and set up a temporary checkpoint to search passers-by.
North Press correspondent reported that the Israeli patrol maintained the checkpoint inside the village for about an hour, during which it conducted limited searches of the surrounding area and temporarily closed several side roads.
The deployment prompted concern among residents, but no arrests were reported.
The forces later withdrew toward al-Hiran village, passing through al-Rafidah town before turning north toward the Tal al-Ahmar West base.
The base is considered one of the key strategic positions in the area where Israeli forces established a presence following the fall of the former Syrian government.
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.
