Al Shabaab militants are using at least nine companies to import drones, VHF radios, military camouflage and other terror-related cargo from China through Kenya.
Security sources on Thursday said the militia uses the cargo companies’ employees to ship the consignments to Dhobley…
Al Shabaab militants are using at least nine companies to import drones, VHF radios, military camouflage and other terror-related cargo from China through Kenya.
Security sources on Thursday said the militia uses the cargo companies’ employees to ship the consignments to Dhobley in Somalia and finally to Buale, Jilib, the de facto capital of the Islamic Emirate of Somalia controlled by the terror group.
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[Economist] Burkina Faso’s government is committing war crimes while fighting jihadism, it has killed more civilians than the jihadists themselves
It’s a rough part of the world, and there may be no good guys at all.
The order given in December 2023 was “to enter the hive and eat the warriors’ honey”. The previous month jihadists had attacked a military base in northern Burkina Faso. In response, the national army and civilian members of the volunteer defence forces (known as VDPs, from their French acronym) rampaged through at least 16 nearby villages and hamlets. Hundreds of civilians were killed; many were simply rounded up and gunned down. Survivors spoke of “butchery”. The Burkinabè government hailed it as a success.
[TurkiyeToday] Pakistani Air Force fighter jets and support units arrived at King Abdulaziz Air Base in Saudi Arabia's Eastern Sector on Saturday under the joint strategic defense agreement signed between the two countries last September.
Meanwhile, the Saudi Finance Minister Mohammed al-Jadaan is visiting Islamabad in what a source cited by Agence France-Presse (AFP) described as a "show of economic support" for Pakistan, which is simultaneously hosting U.S.-Iran peace talks.
Saudi Arabia's Defense Ministry confirmed the arrival of the Pakistani force, which consists of fighter jets, support aircraft, technical teams, and operational personnel.
"The Ministry of Defense announces the arrival of a military force from the Islamic Republic of Pakistan at King Abdulaziz Air Base in the Eastern Sector, under the Joint Strategic Defense Agreement signed between the two brotherly countries," the ministry said.
The deployment aims to enhance joint military coordination, raise operational readiness, and support "security and stability at both regional and international levels," the ministry added.
There was no immediate comment from Pakistan on the deployment.
The defense pact was signed last September by Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.
It commits both countries to treating any act of aggression against either as an act against both, a provision that took on added significance after Iran targeted Saudi Arabia's Eastern Province with missiles and drones during the conflict.
Posted by: Skidmark ||
04/11/2026 08:55 ||
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#1
And one support aircraft from what I saw on "The Cradle". No other description. If it was a cargo bird that could have been a 3 aircraft escort for precious cargo o/b. I don't think the Saudi's are exercising their option (yet) but this is a very dynamic timeframe.
[Telegraph] In which the British navy demonstrates that it has become fundamentally unserious in the most absurd way possible short of actually installing a Minister of Funny Walks.
Personnel from the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA), the civilian support arm of the Royal Navy, will stage industrial action on Thursday after rejecting a 4.5 per cent pay offer from the Ministry of Defence.
The RMT union, which represents the workers, said its members had seen their wages fall by around 30 per cent in real terms over the past decade.
Civilian sailors work shifts of up to 12 hours a day in some of the most demanding conditions at sea.
Eddie Dempsey, the RMT's general secretary, said the MoD needed to come forward with a serious long-term commitment to improving pay and conditions if it wanted to retain staff.
He said: "Our members play a vital role in supporting the Navy, often in some of the most demanding and dangerous working conditions. But they have faced years of below-par pay and unresolved concerns about conditions."
Mr Dempsey warned that workers would not accept what he described as a substandard offer and were prepared to take further action if necessary, the Telegraph reports.
He also called on the MoD to ensure it was complying with national minimum wage legislation as part of any future settlement.
The timing of the walkout raises questions about Britain's ability to monitor Russian naval activity in the Channel should Vladimir Putin dispatch further vessels through British waters while the strike is ongoing.
As the Royal Navy has shrunk to its smallest size in living memory, the RFA’s role has grown considerably in recent years.
[Reuters] Reuters) - The Federal Aviation Administration and Pentagon said on Friday they had signed an agreement allowing the government's use of a high-energy laser counter-drone system along the southern U.S. border with Mexico.
The agreement came after the FAA conducted testing in New Mexico on the laser system used by the Pentagon and Homeland Security Department and validated that proper safety controls are in place and do not pose undue risks to passenger aircraft.
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Two earlier incidents posed serious concerns.
The U.S. military errantly shot down a government drone with the laser-based system on February 25, leading the FAA to expand an area in which flights are barred around Fort Hancock, Texas.
The incident followed the February 18 decision by the FAA to halt all flights for 10 days at the nearby El Paso airport because of the use of the Pentagon laser system by a Homeland Security agency without completion of an FAA safety review. The El Paso shutdown order was lifted by the FAA after about eight hours following the White House's intervention.
Late Friday, the FAA issued a notice to pilots warning them to use ADS-B OUT, or automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast, which transmits an aircraft's location when flying within five nautical miles of the U.S.-Mexico border or "be impacted" by U.S. counter-drone technology.
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The notice also urges U.S. drone operators to use caution when operating in the area, saying drones posing a threat could be destroyed.
"Following a thorough, data-informed Safety Risk Assessment, we determined that these systems do not present an increased risk to the flying public," FAA Administrator Bryan Bedford said on Friday.
The Pentagon has said there are more than 1,000 drone incursions along the U.S.-Mexico border each month. U.S. security officials have increasingly expressed alarm about the use of drones by Mexican cartels to drop drug packages or surveil trafficking routes.
U.S. Army Brigadier General Matt Ross said the "successful test showcases the significant advancements we’re making in counter-drone technology to ensure that our warfighters have the most advanced tools to defend the homeland."
Several media outlets reported last month drones were seen over Fort McNair in Washington where Secretary of State Marco Rubio and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth live.
There is no indication the Pentagon plans to deploy the laser at the base, which is close to Reagan Washington National Airport.
[TurkiyeToday] Türkiye will take command of NATO's Allied Reaction Force, the alliance's most critical military structure, from 2028, Defense Minister Yasar Guler confirmed at a conference organized by the Presidency of Communications and SETA.
The development that one of Türkiye's leading defense columnists described as "not a diplomatic expression but a definition of power," marking a fundamental shift in NATO's command architecture toward Istanbul.
The Allied Reaction Force is NATO's only fully comprehensive rapid-response corps capable of deploying to any threat area within four to five days.
It encompasses land, air, naval, special forces, cyber and space dimensions, and fields a high-readiness force of 10,000–15,000 personnel.
It is NATO's most heavily contributed force structure and the only body capable of both rapid intervention and crisis management operations.
When activated, all 32 NATO member states align their force allocations under this single command. With approval from all alliance members, it can deploy not only across Europe but also to crises outside NATO's geographic boundaries.
Posted by: Skidmark ||
04/11/2026 09:16 ||
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#2
Leadership gets passed around the various members who have officers of sufficient rank and experience to command a force of that size. Probably can't do any worse than some of the other NATO countries and whoever it is isn't like to be a DEI candidate.
[IsraelTimes] As his VP Vance heads to Islamabad negotiations, Trump claims ‘the Iranians don’t seem to realize they have no cards,’ insists Strait of Hormuz to soon reopen ‘with or without them’
An Iranian negotiating delegation led by Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqher Ghalibaf arrived in Islamabad Friday ahead of Saturday’s peace talks with the United States, which Ghalibaf demanded accept Iran’s "preconditions" before talks could begin.
Speaking from Islamabad, Ghalibaf claimed 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... had goodwill toward negotiations but no trust in the United States, adding that the Islamic Theocratic Republic was ready to reach a deal if Washington offered what he described as a genuine agreement and granted Iran its rights, Iranian state media reported.
Ghalibaf stated earlier that Tehran’s demands include a ceasefire in Leb ...The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else?... , which Iran and mediating Pakistain have stated was supposed to be part of the ceasefire with the US to begin with. The US and Israel have said otherwise. Ghalibaf has also called for the release of billions of dollars in frozen assets belonging to Iran.
Ghalibaf’s delegation includes senior political, military and economic officials, including the Iranian foreign minister, defense council secretary, central bank governor and several members of parliament.
A US delegation led by Vice President JD Vance also departed Friday, with Vance warning Tehran not to "play" the US during the negotiations.
Ahead of the talks, Pak Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif called the negotiations being hosted in his country’s capital "make or break."
"In response to my sincere invitation, the leaderships of both countries are coming to Islamabad. There, negotiations will be held for the establishment of peace," Sharif said in an address to the nation.
Pakistain added that it hopes the parties would engage constructively, and reiterated its desire to "continue facilitating the parties towards reaching lasting and durable solution to the conflict."
TRUMP: STRAIT OF HORMUZ TO REOPEN SOON ’ONE WAY OR THE OTHER’
As his vice president was on his way to Pakistain, US President Donald Trump ...Never got invited to a P.Diddy party... comment several times on the upcoming talks.
"The Iranians don’t seem to realize they have no cards, other than a short-term extortion of the world by using international waterways," he wrote on social media.
"The only reason they are alive today is to negotiate!" he claimed in another post about the Iran conflict on his Truth Social platform.
"The Iranians are better at handling the fake news media and public relations than they are at fighting!" he said.
In an interview with the New York Post published Friday, Trump said US warships were being reloaded with weaponry to strike Iran if the Pakistain talks fail to produce a deal.
"We have a reset going. We’re loading up the ships with the best ammunition, the best weapons ever made — even better than what we did previously and we blew them apart," Trump was quoted as saying.
"And if we don’t have a deal, we will be using them, and we will be using them very effectively," he said.
In a brief and cryptic message on his Truth Social network earlier, Trump had spoken of the "WORLD’S MOST POWERFUL RESET!!!"
Later, talking with news hounds, Trump expressed his confidence that the Strait of Hormuz will soon reopen to uninhibited ship flow.
"We’re going to open up the (strait) with or without them, but that’ll be open," Trump said. "I think it’s going to [be opened] pretty quickly, and if it doesn’t, we’ll be able to finish it off one way or the other."
The US has claimed that the strait was opened up already on Wednesday, denying reports that Iran was holding up much of the traffic and charging toll. In the past day, Trump appeared to acknowledge that Iran was in fact blocking ships from using the channel, with the president issuing a series of Truth Social posts threatening Iran.
Asked Friday if he would allow Iran to charge tolls for ships in Hormuz, Trump said he would not. "It’s international water."
He then clarified that he has not verified Iran is actually charging tolls.
Asked what he was looking for in a deal with Iran ahead of Saturday’s talks. Trump responded, "No nuclear weapon."
As for a backup plan if Iran refuses to reopen Hormuz, Trump insisted that he did not need one and claimed Iran already was "militarily defeated."
Posted by: trailing wife ||
04/11/2026 00:00 ||
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[1829 views]
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#1
Tell them to go fuck themselves, then turn around and tell the paki POS to fuck themselves also.
Posted by: chris ||
04/11/2026 2:41 Comments ||
Top||
#5
Based on what happened to the Iranian negotiators the last time they tried to talk with the US, they had best have their life insurance policies paid up
#7
I absolutely agree with Crusader. But given the pace of action, flight to maintenance ratios, flight deck and bomber operations maybe it amounts to Trump's hudna. I only pray it be so.
#8
Just part of the game, Trump has to at least try to give the Iranians a chance for a diplomatic solution. If the Iranians are too stupid to accept it, sucks to be them.
[France24] In October last year, French customs agents paid a surprise visit to the headquarters of Sermat, an electronics firm based on the edge of Paris. Its purpose was to investigate the company’s dealings with Israeli defence contractor Elbit Systems, the country’s leading arms manufacturer.
A day earlier, customs at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, France’s main hub, had blocked an Israeli-bound shipment of Sermat’s alternators – electric generators used by Elbit Systems to equip drones that have been widely deployed by the Israeli army in Gaza.
The rare move came just days after investigative website Disclose revealed that Sermat had also supplied Elbit Systems with electric motors fitted onto Israeli drones – including the Hermes 450 unmanned aircraft that was involved in the fatal killing of humanitarian workers for the NGO World Central Kitchen in April 2024.
[IsraelTimes] The mosque on the Temple Mount had been largely closed to the public, along with other Muslim, Christian and Jewish holy sites, due to safety restrictions amid Iran missile fire
More than 100,000 Moslem worshipers performed Friday prayers at the al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, the holy site’s Islamic authority reported, after it reopened the previous day following a truce agreed between the United States and Iran.
Jerusalem’s Old City is home to major holy sites for all three Abrahamic religions, which had been shuttered since the start of the war sparked by the US-Israeli attack on Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... on February 28, amid safety restrictions as Iran fired hundreds of missiles at Israel, including at least two that landed in and around the Old City.
Restrictions had been in place prohibiting gatherings of more than 50 people at all of the Old City’s holy sites, including Al‑Aqsa, the Western Wall and the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
The sites reopened to worshipers on Thursday, a day after Washington and Tehran declared a two-week ceasefire in the Middle East war.
Moslem worshipers had been unable to access al-Aqsa, Islam’s third-holiest site, even during the holy month of Ramadan this year, and the Western Wall plaza below the Mount, the holiest place where Jews can pray, remained almost empty during the weeklong Jewish Passover festival.
On Friday, more than 100,000 Moslems performed the weekly Friday prayer at al-Aqsa, according to the Islamic Waqf, the Jordanian body that administers the site.
Footage showed the compound packed with worshipers.
"Hopefully they will not close al-Aqsa again, and everyone will be able to come to this holy place —whether residents of Jerusalem or from the West Bank," said 30-year-old Mohammad Saaedeh.
Paleostinians from the West Bank remain subject to strict Israeli restrictions based on age and permit quotas, largely in place since the October 7, 2023, Hamas ..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",... massacre.
"Friday prayer is an obligation for us, but performing it at al-Aqsa is something entirely different," said Sharif Mohammad, 39.
"It’s an indescribable feeling," added Ahmad Ammar, 55.
The Temple Mount is revered by Jews as the historic location of the two Jewish Temples, making it Judaism’s holiest site. It is also the third-holiest for Moslems, who refer to it as the al-Aqsa Mosque compound or the Noble Sanctuary. The site has been a frequent flashpoint for violence in the region.
Israel is also preparing for the Holy Fire ceremony slated for Saturday — an annual event observed by Orthodox Christians a day before Easter, which often attracts massive crowds to the Church of the Holy Sepulchre.
Police said that they held meetings in recent weeks with Jerusalem’s Christian leaders, which "strengthened coordination with the various denominations" ahead of the event. They said they set a maximum capacity limit, but did not elaborate on how many people.
During hostilities with Iran, the Old City served as a focal point of controversy for Jews, Moslems and Christians, raising questions about the freedom to worship during times of war.
Earlier this week, before the ceasefire was called, Jewish religious leaders filed a petition in the High Court demanding that restrictions be eased on public gatherings at the Western Wall and Temple Mount. Judges subsequently boosted the number of people permitted at the sites from 50 to 100.
In March, police sparked an international outcry after barring the Latin Patriarch from entering the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday. Police later reached an agreement with the Latin Patriarchate allowing for limited Christian prayer at the site.
Trying to protect them from missiles from Iran and Hezbollah, but nobody mentions that, for some reason.
During the latter half of Ramadan, law enforcement shut al-Aqsa Mosque due to the war, leading Moslems to pray en masse outside the Old City walls on Friday mornings. Police violent mostly peacefully dispersed several of these gatherings, citing Home Front Command regulations.
Beyond the reopening of the holy sites in Jerusalem, the Israeli authorities have lifted most of the restrictions linked to the state of emergency over the war with Iran.
This excludes the country’s northern border area near Leb ...The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else?... , where the war against Iran-backed Hezbollah continues.
[TurkiyeToday] Türkiye is in talks with Italy to purchase and co-produce the European SAMP/T missile defense system following the interception of four Iranian missiles fired toward Turkish territory since the start of the war, Bloomberg reported, citing people familiar with the matter.
Meanwhile, NATO deployed two U.S.-made Patriot systems to Türkiye as Ankara simultaneously inaugurated a $3 billion Roketsan production facility to build its own layered air defense architecture.
4 IRANIAN MISSILES INTERCEPTED OVER TÜRKIYE SINCE WAR BEGAN
NATO forces have intercepted four missiles fired from Iran toward Türkiye since the outbreak of the war, people familiar with the matter told Bloomberg.
The missiles were believed to be targeting NATO assets, including an advanced early-warning radar system at Kurecik in eastern Türkiye and Incirlik Air Base near the Syrian border, where hundreds of U.S. personnel are stationed.
The threat gave Ankara's longstanding pursuit of the SAMP/T renewed urgency.
TALKS WITH ITALY UNDERWAY
Türkiye's negotiators believe France may be more receptive to the acquisition than in previous rounds, the Bloomberg sources said.
Ankara has long sought the SAMP/T batteries produced by the Franco-Italian firm Eurosam, a joint venture between MBDA France, MBDA Italy, and Thales, but France rejected previous requests.
Türkiye and Eurosam signed an accord on co-producing a missile-defense system in 2018, but subsequent French objections prevented further movement.
The negotiations with Italy were reported earlier by the Turkish media outlet, Türkiye daily's Yesim Eraslan.
Turkish Defense Minister Yasar Guler met with his Italian counterpart Guido Crosetto in Rome last month, where SAMP/T and similar systems, co-production, and technology sharing were discussed, according to a report by the Türkiye daily published March 21.
Italian Defense Minister Crosetto also said last month that Italy plans to send air, drone, and missile defenses to Arab Gulf nations.
CO-PRODUCTION, TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER, A 'BRIDGE SOLUTION'
Türkiye's priority is not simply purchasing a ready-made system but building a long-term business model that strengthens domestic capacity, the report noted.
The SAMP/T is of interest to Ankara because of its NATO compatibility, ballistic missile defense capability, openness to co-production and technology transfer, and its potential to serve as a "bridge solution" until domestic systems come fully online.
Ankara has been developing its layered air defense architecture, branded the "steel dome" concept, incorporating its domestically produced Hisar-A, Hisar-O, and Siper-1 systems.
The SAMP/T is seen as filling the long-range upper-tier gap in that architecture.
WHAT IS SAMP/T?
The SAMP/T is a mobile surface-to-air missile defense system capable of simultaneously engaging aircraft, cruise missiles, and tactical ballistic missiles.
Its next-generation version, the SAMP/T NG, is being developed through Franco-Italian collaboration under Eurosam and is set to enter service in 2026.
The system fires ASTER missiles with an operational range exceeding 150 kilometers, operates at altitudes up to approximately 25 kilometers (15.5 miles), and features radar capable of surveilling targets at ranges up to 400 kilometers while tracking over 1,000 simultaneous targets.
Denmark selected the SAMP/T NG in September 2025 for its long-range air and missile defense needs.
Posted by: Skidmark ||
04/11/2026 09:01 ||
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[TurkiyeToday] The United States is planning to deploy between 1,500 and 2,000 additional troops to the Middle East despite expected talks with Iran in Islamabad, according to a report.
Citing a source familiar with the matter, The Wall Street Journal reported that Washington is continuing its military buildup in the region despite planned U.S.-Iran negotiations in Pakistan’s capital.
The report said the U.S. has recently sent additional warplanes to the Middle East and is preparing to deploy 1,500 to 2,000 troops from the 82nd Airborne Division.
A U.S. Navy official also told the newspaper that thousands of Marines are en route to the region.
The deployment plans come as U.S. Vice President JD Vance arrived in Islamabad on Saturday for high-stakes talks with Iran aimed at ending the Middle East conflict during an ongoing two-week ceasefire.
Vance’s plane landed at the Pakistan Air Force’s Nur Khan Airbase near Islamabad at 10:29 a.m. local time (0529 GMT).
The U.S. delegation was received by Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar, Army Chief Asim Munir, and Interior Minister Mohsin Naqvi, along with U.S. officials.
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf also arrived early Saturday with his delegation, including Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and senior security official Ali Bagheri Kani.
Posted by: Skidmark ||
04/11/2026 08:59 ||
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[FreeBeacon] Secretary of War Pete Hegseth told reporters Wednesday that the United States completed the engagement using 'less than 10 percent of America's total combat power'
Operation Epic Fury eliminated 90 percent of Iran’s weapons factories, 80 percent of its air defense systems, 90 percent of its naval fleet, and nearly 80 percent of its nuclear infrastructure, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Gen. Dan Caine told reporters a day after President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire.
The U.S. military hit more than 13,000 targets inside Iran during 38 days of combat, Caine said alongside Hegseth during a Wednesday morning press conference at the Pentagon. The United States destroyed more than 1,500 Iranian air defense targets, 2,000 command and control nodes, 450 ballistic missile storage facilities, and some 800 one-way attack drone storage centers, including "every factory" that produced the notorious Shahed attack drone.
"All of these systems are gone," Caine said. "It is, and we know this, incredibly frustrating right now to be a lower-level Iranian commander trying to fight your fight."
Operation Epic Fury included more than 50,000 U.S. troops stateside and in theater. The United States flew more than 10,000 missions in total, including 62 bomber runs. Eighteen of those sorties "flew round trip from the United States to deliver bombs on military targets," Caine said. The United States, along with its Gulf region partners, successfully intercepted 1,700 Iranian ballistic missiles and one-way attack drones.
"Along the way," Caine said, "we consumed more than 6 million meals, and by my estimate, more than 950,000 gallons of coffee, 2 million energy drinks, and a lot of nicotine, but I am not saying that we have a problem."
The United States completed combat operations using "less than 10 percent of America’s total combat power," Hegseth said, adding that the U.S. military "untied just a fraction of our strength, and Iran suffered a devastating military defeat."
In just over a month, "America's military achieved every single objective on plan, on schedule, exactly as laid out from day one," Hegseth said. "We own their skies, their missile program is functionally destroyed, launchers, production facilities and existing stockpiles depleted and decimated and almost completely ineffective."
The Islamic Republic's defeat, Hegseth told reporters, "is America's retribution for every American lost to Iranian terror, especially those brave troops killed by Iranian-made roadside bombs in Iraq."
In the hours before President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire, the United States completed more than 800 strikes alone, "completely destroying Iran's defense industrial base," he told reporters.
The secretary of war said that, as diplomatic talks between the United States and Iranian leaders play out over the next two weeks, the U.S. military will remain in the region to ensure Tehran makes good on its promise to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
"We'll be hanging around," Hegseth said. "We're not going anywhere. We're going to make sure Iran complies with this ceasefire, and then ultimately comes to the table and makes a dealHegseth added that the "agreement means that they will never, ever possess a nuclear weapon."
The U.S. intelligence community has eyes on Iran’s stockpiles of enriched uranium "24/7," he said. Hegseth stated that Tehran will "give it to us voluntarily" or Trump will decide "we have to do something else ourselves."
Trump said in a Truth Social post earlier Wednesday that the United States "will work closely with Iran" to "dig up and remove all of the deeply buried (B-2 Bombers) Nuclear 'Dust,'" a reference to the country's stockpile of enriched uranium.
"It is now, and has been, under very exacting Satellite Surveillance (Space Force!). Nothing has been touched from the date of attack," Trump wrote, adding that Iran will receive some amount of sanctions relief now that it has agreed to "many of the 15 points" included in the president's peace proposal.
The Pentagon is also monitoring the Islamic Republic’s compliance with the ceasefire after it spent most of Tuesday evening shooting missiles at Israel and other Arab countries in the region. The United Arab Emirates downed 17 ballistic missiles and 35 drones overnight, while Kuwait intercepted 28 drones.
Hegseth warned that Iran "would be wise to find a way to get the carrier pigeon to their troops out in remote locations to know not to shoot, not to shoot any longer one-way attacks or missiles."
In the coming days, Trump posted Wednesday morning, the United States will help spur the flow of commercial vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.
"Big money will be made," he wrote. "Iran can start the reconstruction process. We’ll be loading up with supplies of all kinds, and just 'hangin' around' in order to make sure that everything goes well. I feel confident that it will. Just like we are experiencing in the U.S., this could be the Golden Age of the Middle East!!!"
In just over a month, "America's military achieved every single objective on plan, on schedule, exactly as laid out from day one," Hegseth said. "We own their skies, their missile program is functionally destroyed, launchers, production facilities and existing stockpiles depleted and decimated and almost completely ineffective."
The Islamic Republic's defeat, Hegseth told reporters, "is America's retribution for every American lost to Iranian terror, especially those brave troops killed by Iranian-made roadside bombs in Iraq."
In the hours before President Donald Trump announced a two-week ceasefire, the United States completed more than 800 strikes alone, "completely destroying Iran's defense industrial base," he told reporters.
Hegseth added that the "agreement means that they will never, ever possess a nuclear weapon."
The U.S. intelligence community has eyes on Iran’s stockpiles of enriched uranium "24/7," he said. Hegseth stated that Tehran will "give it to us voluntarily" or Trump will decide "we have to do something else ourselves."
Trump said in a Truth Social post earlier Wednesday that the United States "will work closely with Iran" to "dig up and remove all of the deeply buried (B-2 Bombers) Nuclear 'Dust,'" a reference to the country's stockpile of enriched uranium.
"It is now, and has been, under very exacting Satellite Surveillance (Space Force!). Nothing has been touched from the date of attack," Trump wrote, adding that Iran will receive some amount of sanctions relief now that it has agreed to "many of the 15 points" included in the president's peace proposal.
The Pentagon is also monitoring the Islamic Republic’s compliance with the ceasefire after it spent most of Tuesday evening shooting missiles at Israel and other Arab countries in the region. The United Arab Emirates downed 17 ballistic missiles and 35 drones overnight, while Kuwait intercepted 28 drones.
Hegseth warned that Iran "would be wise to find a way to get the carrier pigeon to their troops out in remote locations to know not to shoot, not to shoot any longer one-way attacks or missiles."
[AnNahar] Israel and Leb ...Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects.... will hold talks next week in Washington after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu ordered direct talks, a U.S. official said Thursday.
"We can confirm that the Department will host a meeting next week to discuss ongoing ceasefire negotiations with Israel and Lebanon," a State Department official said, confirming an earlier account from a source familiar with the diplomatic efforts.
Israel has said that the Lebanon invasion, in which it is targeting Iranian-backed Hezbollah, is not affected by a two-week ceasefire between the United States and Iran.
The first in-person meeting in the expected negotiations between Israel and Lebanon will take place on Tuesday in Washington,
…does that mean they’ll actually meet face to face instead of the usual separate rooms with the intermediary walking up and down the hall to tell each what the other said, lest the Moslem party be polluted by having to see and hear a real, live Israeli?
a US official familiar with the details told The Times of Israel on Friday, following reported pressure on Jerusalem from the Trump administration to start peace talks and scale back strikes against Hezbollah.
They always report that President Trump is putting heavy pressure on Bibi, or is mad about Bibi’s recalcitrance, but repeatedly it has turned out that the two of them had together carefully plotted their approach, probably giggling madly at the thought of how they were fooling everyone.
The talks, which will be hosted at the US State Department, come amid reports of alarm from the White House over the scale of Israel’s massive wave of strikes in Lebanon following the ceasefire announcement between the US and Iran on Wednesday.
Ahead of next week’s meeting, which both countries later confirmed, Washington and Beirut are pushing Israel to agree to a ceasefire in Lebanon as a demonstration of Jerusalem’s seriousness about reaching an agreement, according to a Friday report, though Israel has insisted that talks take place under fire.
Lebanese Ambassador to Washington Nada Hamadeh, Israeli Ambassador to Washington Yechiel Leiter and US Ambassador to Beirut Michel Issa – respectively leading the Lebanese, Israeli and US delegations – will be in attendance.
A preparatory phone meeting between the three officials was held later Friday, marking the first ever call between the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors.
A statement from Lebanon’s presidency on the call said it was part of diplomatic efforts aimed at securing a ceasefire and launching negotiations, adding that the two sides agreed to hold the first meeting on Tuesday at the US State Department under Washington’s mediation.
Leiter meanwhile said he told his Lebanese counterpart that Israel is not prepared to cease fighting against Hezbollah, which continued to fire rockets at northern Israeli communities into earlier Saturday morning, setting off sirens but resulting in no injuries.
“In the conversation earlier today in Washington between the Israeli and Lebanese ambassadors to Washington, together with US ambassador to Lebanon, and under the auspices of the US State Department, Israel agreed to begin formal peace negotiations this coming Tuesday,” Leiter said in a statement.
“Israel refused to discuss a ceasefire with the Hezbollah terrorist organization, which continues to attack Israel and is the main obstacle to peace between the two countries,” he added.
There was no direct comment on the meeting from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, though the premier said a day earlier that Israel would begin negotiations with Lebanon “as soon as possible,” aimed at disarming Hezbollah and reaching a full peace agreement between the countries.
According to Channel 12, the US is continuing its pressure on Israel to agree to a truce ahead of the negotiations, arguing that the ceasefire would be framed as an achievement by the Lebanese government, as opposed to a win for Iran, which has been demanding its truce with the US cover Lebanon, to no avail.
Israel hasn’t yet made a decision on the matter, but there are some senior officials in Jerusalem arguing in favor of agreeing to a ceasefire, as it would merely return the sides to the terms of the previous truce from November 2024, under which the IDF is allowed to carry out attacks against Hezbollah threats deemed imminent.
Such strikes have taken place in southern Lebanon over the past year and a half on a very regular basis.
For its part, Hezbollah urged Beirut to stand firm, with terror group chief Naim Qassem telling the Lebanese government to stop giving “free concessions” to Israel.
“We will not accept a return to the previous situation, and we call on officials to stop offering free concessions,” Qassem said in a written message broadcast on the party’s Al-Manar TV, in which he also denounced the “bloody criminality on Wednesday,” referring to Israel’s major strikes.
Dozens of supporters of the Iran-backed group protested outside the Lebanese prime minister’s office in central Beirut on Friday, calling the move towards talks a surrender to Israel.
“Our blood has been spilled on this land, and our state is conspiring against us,” said protester Hassan Shuaib. “Our state wants to kill us; our state wants to strip us of our weapons.”
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[RUSVESNA] The US President is waiting to see if the negotiations will be successful, he said in an interview with the New York Post.
"We'll know in about 24 hours. We'll know soon," the American leader said in response to a question about whether he believed the meeting would be successful.
Trump added that the United States is loading ships with new ammunition in case the negotiations fail.
"We're rebooting. We're loading the ships with the best ammunition, the best weapons ever created—even better than what we used before," he emphasized.
Posted by: badanov ||
04/11/2026 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[RUSVESNA] US-Iran talks will begin in Islamabad on Saturday, Pakistan's prime minister confirmed.
“Tomorrow, Saturday, a delegation from the United States and Iran will be in Pakistan, and we will do everything possible to ensure that the negotiations are successful,” Mr. Sharif said.
Shahbaz Sharif called them "decisive" towards achieving a permanent ceasefire.
Earlier, the speaker of the Iranian parliament wrote that negotiations would only take place if there was a ceasefire in Lebanon and Iranian assets were unfrozen.
Talks between Washington and Tehran to resolve the situation around Iran will take place on April 11. Pakistani Prime Minister Shahbaz Sharif announced this on April 10.
"The US and Iranian delegations will hold talks on Saturday, April 11, in Islamabad," Al Khaleej newspaper quoted Sharif as saying.
The Pakistani Prime Minister added that the country's authorities will do everything possible to ensure the negotiations are successful. He noted that the upcoming dialogue is of crucial importance.
The Iranian side previously stated that negotiations were scheduled for April 10.
Earlier that day, US Vice President J.D. Vance stated that Washington eagerly anticipates the start of negotiations with Tehran. He asserted that the US is ready to extend a hand to Iran if it sees a good-faith approach to negotiations.
In turn, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf stated that the US must fulfill two conditions to begin negotiations : achieve a ceasefire in Lebanon, which is currently being violated by Israel, and unblock Iranian assets.
US President Donald Trump also threatened that the country's armed forces would attack Iran again if negotiations between Washington and Tehran were unsuccessful. He added that the US was already arming warships in case the deal fell through.
Posted by: badanov ||
04/11/2026 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...The Lebs maintain a precarious sectarian balance among Shiites, Sunnis, and about a dozen flavors of Christians, plus Armenians, Georgians, and who knows what else?...
..a contraction of the Arabic words for "frothing at the mouth",...
...Formerly inhabited by hardy Phoenecian traders, its official language is now Arabic, with the usual unpleasant side effects....
