Al-Shabaab Faces Operational Setbacks in Mogadishu and Inside Kenya
Emerging intelligence from within Al-Shabaab’s senior leadership indicates that the group has acknowledged significant disruptions to its operational networks in the Somali capital, Mogadishu,… pic.twitter.com/yGAFkBix7n
— Abdurahman Sheikh Azhari (@HOA_ANALYST) April 14, 2026
Text:
Al-Shabaab Faces Operational Setbacks in Mogadishu and Inside Kenya
Emerging intelligence from within Al-Shabaab’s senior leadership
Somebody is getting intelligence from within the Al Shabaab inner circle? Is it Mahmoud the Weasel’s fourth cousin 72 times removed or that Shifty Eyed Mohammad who’s been spilling the beans? An infestation of Mossad’s newest generation of programmable fleas, giving a unique definition of bugging the place?
indicates that the group has acknowledged significant disruptions to its operational networks in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, as well as within Kenya. These setbacks follow sustained and coordinated counterterrorism pressure from Somali and Kenyan security agencies.
Israel has longstanding ties with Kenya going back to the early 20th century, and new but tight relations with Somaliland, so Mossad could be getting up to all sorts of shenanigans in aid of that.
The group has reportedly undertaken internal restructuring, particularly within its Amniyat apparatus in the Banaadir region, which is responsible for targeted assassinations and improvised explosive device, IED, operations.
All future Number Fours pass through those portals for vetting and training, donchaknow.
Abdullahi Ali Sheikh has recently been appointed to lead the Banaadir Amniyat unit, replacing previous leadership. He previously headed the Amniyat in the Jubba regions.
More at the link
About Somaliland:
The Republic of Somaliland is seeking international recognition and is offering the United States access to its minerals and military bases. The US is invited to make a deal.pic.twitter.com/ZWVY0Kwp3S
— REPUBLIC OF SOMALILAND (@RepOfSomaliland) April 13, 2026
More oil for the world — that won’t be coming from Iran or Russia — driving prices down and supplies up.
[Breitbart] American multinational energy corporation Chevron on Monday signed asset swap agreements with Venezuela’s state-owned oil company PDVSA to expand oil production in the country’s Orinoco Belt, where the world’s largest accumulation of heavy and extra-heavy crude oil is located.
The agreements were signed on Monday evening during a ceremony hosted by “acting President” Delcy Rodríguez at the Miraflores presidential palace in Caracas. U.S. Ambassador Laura Dogu, who was present at the event, detailed on social media that Kyle Haustveit, Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Energy’s Hydrocarbons and Geothermal Energy Office (HGEO), was also present at the signing ceremony. Haustveit traveled to Caracas to meet with Rodríguez.
“We continue to move forward with President Donald Trump’s three-phase plan and working toward Venezuela’s economic transformation,” Ambassador Dogu wrote.
Chevron detailed in an official press statement that per the terms of the new agreement, the company will receive an additional 13.21 percent working interest of the Petroindependencia, S.A. joint venture, which brings Chevron’s total stake to 49 percent.
Additionally, Petropiar, S.A., a joint venture that Chevron holds a 30 percent interest in, was assigned rights to develop a new “Ayacucho 8” oil area in the Orinoco Belt of Venezuela. In return, Venezuela will receive from Chevron’s subsidiaries its 60 and 100 percent operated interests in the Deltana Block 21 offshore platform and Block 32 gas licenses, as well as its 25.2 percent non-operated interest in the Petroindependencia, S.A. joint venture located in western Venezuela.
Chevron detailed that it has maintained a presence in Venezuela that dates back to 1923 and noted that the Petroindependencia and Petropiar joint ventures operate extra-heavy oil from projects in the Orinoco Oil Belt.
A report published by the BBC last week indicated that Chevron is now importing an average of 250,000 barrels of Venezuelan crude oil per day into the United States following the January 3 U.S. law enforcement operation in Caracas authorized by President Donald Trump that resulted in the successful arrest of socialist dictator Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, both of whom are presently undergoing trial proceedings on multiple drug trafficking charges in New York.
[Breitbart] The U.S. Department of the Treasury has identified two cartel-connected groups in the border state of Tamaulipas, as well as three of their main operators. As part of the move, the U.S. government is freezing any related accounts and prohibiting U.S. citizens from doing business with the sanctioned individuals.
Information released by the Treasury Department revealed that Casino Centenario, located less than two miles south of the Texas border in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, is owned and operated by the Cartel Del Noreste faction of Los Zetas through shell companies. In the backrooms of the casino, cartel gunmen would hold and torture some of their victims. In addition to being used to launder money, the Zetas also use the casino as a stash house to store fentanyl and cocaine, federal authorities revealed.
The shell company behind the casino is Comercializadora y Arrendadora de Mexico SA de CV (CAMSA). The casino is known to draw U.S. tourists. Following the issuance of the sanctions, U.S. citizens are prohibited from doing business there, the Treasury Department stated. CAMSA also operates a second casino in Tamaulipas, Casino Diamante, in the port city of Tampico, located in the southern part of the state. That casino is also a known cartel operation, and U.S. citizens are also prohibited from doing business there.
In their actions, the U.S. Department of the Treasury also identified Eduardo Javier “El Crosty” Islas Valdez, the CDN-Los Zetas leader for human smugglers or Pateros in Nuevo Laredo. In the same action, authorities also identified Juan Pablo Penilla Rodriguez, a defense attorney in Mexico. Authorities claimed that Penilla worked illegally for the CDN-Los Zetas, going beyond his role as attorney and establishing a communications channel between the criminal organization and their then jailed leader, Miguel Angel (Z-40) Trevino Morales. For several years, Morales led his organization from behind bars. As Breitbart Texas reported, soon after the start of the Trump administration, Mexico sent Morales along with several other cartel figures as a way to appease the pressure after the White House claimed that Mexico’s government was protecting drug cartels.
As Breitbart Texas reported, the U.S. Department of the Treasury also singled out Raymundo Ramos, the leader of the Nuevo Laredo Human Rights Commission, who they claim in reality is a cartel operator that handles the criminal organization’s propaganda wing.
#1
You have to be the billfishes idiot to vacation in Mexico at this point. People signing up for Persian Gulf cruises are just as stupid.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
04/15/2026 6:20 Comments ||
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#2
I have a US visitation quadrant. I seldom go anywhere South of Columbus, GA. North and East of Conway, SC. or West of Kansas City, KS. Travel to the UK and the Continent is even more selective.
Actually, I've found the Publix, RaceTrac, and a favorite local cafe are pretty safe. The over 60 crowd generally poses fewer threats. After 7:00 pm I'm usually driving a recliner.
#3
^^^^
Gnats, mosquito's, flying bugs of every stripe, humidity and fore-shortened vista's by tress and kudzu. The interior west offers fresher, dryer air, vast vista's, open spaces, and far fewer demokrats my friend.
Enjoy your little triumph, guys. It may be the last for a while.
"Peu après l'annonce du blocus américain, quatre superpétroliers chinois – le *COSCO Everest*, le *Hai Rong Hai*, le *Jin Hai Hua* et le *Jiu Yang Bonansa* – n'ont pas rebroussé chemin ni interrompu leur route malgré le blocage américain, mais ont continué leur route vers la… pic.twitter.com/7XSLE2KC4B
Shortly after the announcement of the American blockade, four Chinese supertankers—the *COSCO Everest*, the *Hai Rong Hai*, the *Jin Hai Hua*, and the *Jiu Yang Bonansa*—did not turn back or interrupt their route despite the American blockade, but continued on toward the exit of the Persian Gulf, in accordance with their original itineraries.
China issued a statement asserting that the passage of its ships through the strait was a legitimate act and that the United States had no reason to interfere.
This assurance was based on the fact that the Type 054A guided-missile frigate *Daqing*, stationed about 500 nautical miles to the west of the strait, in the northern Arabian Sea, had been present there for more than a week. This warship, which had just participated in a joint Sino-Pakistani exercise, did not return with the fleet but instead proceeded independently and anchored at a strategic position near the Strait of Hormuz.
The presence of a Chinese warship proved sufficiently deterrent.
This is exactly what I had anticipated.
The American blockade of the Strait of Hormuz will be violated by naval powers capable of sending warships into the area and unwilling to be intimidated by Uncle Sam.
Only force is respected.
The Chinese Navy boasts more ultra-modern ships than the US Navy.
China produces at a steady pace, adding the equivalent of a medium-sized national navy every two years. Between 2019 and 2023, its four main shipyards produced 39 major warships, bringing the fleet to more than 370 ships and submarines, making it the largest navy in the world.
America definitely needs to quickly upgrade their shipbuilding capabilities in addition to procurement of missiles and such.
Production capacity includes aircraft carriers (three active as of March 16, 2026), destroyers, frigates, and submarines.
China is the world's top shipbuilder in terms of gross tonnage, reaching 39 million tons in 2024.
The Chinese Navy has surpassed the American fleet in number of ships, with the Pentagon confirming more than 370 vessels in 2026.
Russia and China are connected by gas and oil pipelines whose capacities are being expanded through ongoing construction projects.
Iran has built an oil pipeline whose terminal is located in an Indian port.
Maritime traffic through the Strait of Hormuz has dropped by 93% since February 28, 2026.
Posted by: badanov ||
04/15/2026 00:00 ||
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[1768 views]
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#4
Nobody wants the Mad Mullahs to have such dangerous toys. China could have given Iran nukes anytime before the end of February, but did not, so they aren’t going to change that up now.
Compare to China having years ago given their mad dog in North Korea his very own nukes to threaten South Korea and Japan with, and notice how he never used them because he is vicious, not insanely God-drunk.
[IsraelTimes] Serbia plans to jointly produce combat drones with Israel, in a bid to strengthen its defenses and bolster exports of weapons and military equipment, the country’s populist President Aleksandar Vucic says.
Last week, the Belgrade-based BIRN news website reported Serbia’s SDPR weapons manufacturer wanted to open a drone manufacturing plant with Israel’s Elbit Systems. Elbit would have a 51% stake, with Serbia holding the remainder.
Vucic says Serbia, which is seeking to bolster its drone manufacturing, “cannot make drones like Israel.”
“We will be doing it together, it will be half-and-half, 50-50, and… we will have the best drones in this part of the world,” he tells reporters during a visit to a military unit in Belgrade.
He does not name the Israeli manufacturer, specify the value of investment or say how soon the plant would be operational.
[BreakingDefense] With $70.5 billion in the FY27 budget request for munitions, a handful of analysts said they expect the Pentagon to spread the funding over several years and to fuel multiyear buys.
Super Hose, whose manufacturing experience is broader, deeper, and much more recent than mine, said yesterday that increasing production would not be difficult.
The Pentagon’s budget request for fiscal 2027 increases funding for missile procurement by 188 percent — a shocking spike in demand that experts agree completely outstrips the defense industry’s production capacity.
As a result, the experts say, the Pentagon and Congress are likely to provide the ability to spend this year’s funding over multiple years, while sending a signal to industry that munitions are a long-term priority amid global uncertainty.
"I think the Pentagon is viewing this as a generational budget, as something to try and overcome some of the longstanding challenges that existed and to essentially reposition the United States so that it does have the stockpiles it needs in the future," said Becca Wasser, the defense lead for Bloomberg Economics.
That budget request, delivered to Congress earlier this month, calls for $1.5 trillion in defense spending for FY27 with $1.15 trillion in the base budget request and an additional $350 billion from a forthcoming reconciliation bill. (A separate supplemental funding request for operations in the Middle East could be forthcoming too.)
Within that $1.5 trillion plan for FY27, budget documents broadly detail a roadmap for spending approximately $70.5 billion on missiles and other related line items — $36.6 billion for the Army, $22.6 billion for Navy weapons, and $11.3 billion for the Air Force. By comparison, the munitions figures for the three services combined were just under $20 billion in FY25 and $24.4 billion in FY26 — meaning FY27’s request is a 188 percent increase over what was approved for FY26.
"This is a recognition of the fact that there is a munitions gap, that there is a problem with the US not having sufficient levels of some of its higher end munitions and recognition that they would need more, which isn’t something that we always hear from the Pentagon," Wasser said.
"Ultimately, what this request does," Wasser said, "[is] it puts the onus on Congress. It says, ’Here’s what the Pentagon is willing to do. You’ve told us to be more steady in procurement. That’s what we’re going to do. Now you’ve got to fund it.’"
A GAMBLE
For several years Pentagon leaders have been eyeing ways to boost weapons numbers ahead of a potential military contingency with China, and as they watched Ukrainian and Russian forces burn through munition rounds. That sense of urgency has only intensified as US forces draw deep into stockpiles of key weapons like Tomahawk cruise missiles and PAC-3 interceptors for Operation Epic Fury against Iranian forces.
Those pushes have taken several shapes, including gaining congressional approval to sign multiyear buys for certain weapons such as the Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) Missile Segment Enhancement interceptors.
And, more recently, the Pentagon has inked a series of framework deals designed to boost munition production over the next seven years by having companies invest in their manufacturing facilities for programs like PAC-3 interceptors, the Precision Strike Missile (PrSM), and seekers for both Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptors and PAC-3 interceptors. While subsequent production contracts to actually buy more of those weapons have not yet been finalized, the Pentagon on Thursday awarded Lockheed Martin a $4.7 billion undefinitized contract action to begin work associated with the framework deal.
#1
We didn't seem to run out of missiles in Afghanistan and Iraq over 20 years.
Posted by: chris ||
04/15/2026 3:23 Comments ||
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#2
There is nothing to prevent increasing production levels even higher, but once the stockpile is replenished any investment in capacity goes right down the tubes.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
04/15/2026 6:37 Comments ||
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#3
I think the bathtub model projects ending with overstocked obsolescence.
#6
#2^ we need a new and more realistic definition of "replenished stockpile."
If there's anything the Russian/Ukrainian war and our Iranian festivities have taught us is our old stockpile levels were inadequate. Bigly
Posted by: Difar Dave ||
04/15/2026 12:15 Comments ||
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#7
We didn't seem to run out of missiles in Afghanistan and Iraq over 20 years.
Didn't have the same burn rate since it was a low intensity war.
As others pointed out, ramping up production can be done. Problem is it is costly and once the order is fulfilled, if there is no more money coming in the excess production is switched over to something that will make money or mothballed and the people laid off.
The only way to make this work long term is to have a open contract for constant production capacity, since that is actually what you are buying, instead of fixed stockpile numbers. But that is costly and congress will kill it the next change of party control.
[NewsBreak] A federal judge must end his "intrusive" contempt investigation of the Trump administration for failing to comply with an order over flights carrying Venezuelan migrants to El Salvador last year, a divided appeals court panel ruled Tuesday.
Chief Judge James Boasberg abused his discretion in forging ahead with criminal contempt proceedings stemming from the March 2025 deportation flights, according to the majority opinion by a three-judge panel from U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit....
Trump’s administration has a “clear and indisputable” right to the termination of the contempt proceedings, Circuit Judge Neomi Rao wrote in the court’s majority opinion.
"The legal error at the heart of these criminal contempt proceedings demonstrates why further investigation by the district court is an abuse of discretion," Rao wrote. "Criminal contempt is available only for the violation of an order that is clear and specific. (Boasberg’s March 2025 order) did not clearly and specifically bar the government from transferring plaintiffs into Salvadoran custody.
Posted by: Lord Garth ||
04/15/2026 00:00 ||
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[1835 views]
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#1
Congress needs to repeat its 1863 act, when it abolished the US District Court for DC, thus rendered all DC district federal judges un-employed. No impeachment was necessary. There was no attempt by other federal courts or judges to block this act, which seldom if ever is mentioned by legal experts and internet commenters alike. Congress then immediately created a new US Federal District Court for DC under a different name, and appointed a new set of judges.
However, as we all know, Congress's actual purpose is to cash every paycheck, collect every benefit of office, and regularly increase the salaries of Congressmen.
#6
Should be charged with abuse of his authority and sedition, stripped of all power, licenses and pensions, jailed and tried and when found guilty hanged in public. Right along with his corrupt and seditious daughter.
This is the next step. See current situation here, prep for next round of war here, VDH on the big picture here, and Iran’s president whining to Macron here.
[Regnum] A new round of talks between Iran and the United States could take place in Geneva or Islamabad. This was reported on April 13 by the Associated Press (AP).
Sure, but unless Iran is ready to permanently give up its uranium and nuclear bomb program, the talks will go nowhere.
According to the agency's sources, the parties are discussing the possibility of holding a second meeting in the Pakistani capital, where the first round of talks took place. Furthermore, US administration officials are citing Geneva as another possible venue for a meeting between US and Iranian representatives.
It is noted that the time and place of the Iranian-American talks have not yet been determined, but there is a possibility that it could take place as early as April 16.
As US Vice President J.D. Vance stated earlier, the White House expects Iran to fully open the Strait of Hormuz to shipping, otherwise it would fundamentally change the course of negotiations between Washington and Tehran. He did not rule out new talks with Iran, but emphasized that the initiative on this issue must come from Tehran.
Vance previously stated that the goals of the US military operation against Iran had been achieved and that the conflict could be wound down. He added that he would prefer to end the military conflict through successful negotiations.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran and the United States made some progress during talks in Islamabad, but failed to reach an agreement because the American side kept changing its demands.
Posted by: badanov ||
04/15/2026 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[1821 views]
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#1
I thought one principal goal of current US military action against the IRI is to have the IRI drop its effort to make nuclear weapons. That has not happened!
#2
They’ll have to dig out from inside those mountains if they want to continue the work, Glurong Choth2372. And grow more nuclear scientists to replace all those Israel assassinated above ground or dead alongside their centrifuges. Just because their current, powerless negotiators have not said the magic words rejecting the project dies not mean that back home anyone is currently doing the work.
Posted by: chris ||
04/15/2026 3:25 Comments ||
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#4
One of Iran's points since the beginning of the war was for the US to pay reparations. That ain't gonna happen. I thought one of the US proposals was off the wall - splitting the toll to transit the Strait with Iran 50/50. Gotta hope that was scuttlebutt.
[Breitbart] Houston could lose critical police, fire, and homeland security funding after state officials ruled that the city’s newly adopted immigration ordinance violates its public safety grant requirements, Mayor John Whitmire said Monday. The city stands to lose approximately $110 million in state grant funding if it does not reverse the newly enacted policy.
FAFO. The play is yours.
Mayor Whitmire said in a written statement that his office was notified by Governor Greg Abbott’s Public Safety Office that Texas will withdraw recently approved grant funding because the recent vote by the city council changing support for immigration enforcement violated the agreement between the city and the state, according to a report by KHOU, CBS11 in Houston.
“This is a crisis situation,” Whitmire said. “The potential loss of state funding poses real challenges for the Houston Police and Fire Departments and will impact public safety services across our city, the 2026 FIFA World Cup preparations, and the Homeland Security Department.”
Fox 26 Houston reported directly from the governor’s letter to Mayor Whitmire, writing:
This letter serves to notify you that this new ordinance, Section 34-41 of the Houston Code of Ordinances, is in breach of your April 15, 2025, certification and imperils all grant agreements between the City and PSO (Public Safety Office) for Fiscal Year 2026. Please respond by April 20, 2026, to confirm that the City will not enforce, and will to repeal, the ordinance. Failure to do so may result in PSO exercising its sole discretion to terminate all such grants. Our records indicate that the City has received roughly $110 million in PSO grants in Fiscal Year 2026. If PSO elects to terminate those grants, the City would be required to repay to PSO the entire amount on or before the 30th day after PSO terminates.
City Council members recently approved a policy that restricts the Houston Police Department from honoring U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) immigration detainers during traffic stops. Council Member Alejandra Salinas claims that honoring immigration detainers in during traffic stops violates the 4th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, a claim frequently made by sanctuary jurisdictions.
[IsraelTimes] Man also admits to setting fire that destroyed office at historic social justice center in Tennessee, where decades’ worth of irreplaceable documents were lost
A man in the United States linked to white supremacist movements pleaded guilty Monday to attempting to give Hezbollah information on Israeli officials.
The charge stems from efforts to provide the Iran-backed terrorist group with "a list of personally identifiable information for individuals purportedly affiliated with the government of Israel," according to criminal information filed in February.
Regan Prater
…fully Regan Darby Prater…
also pleaded guilty to setting a fire that destroyed an office at a historic social justice center in Tennessee, a court document shows.
Sentencing is scheduled for September 9 in Knoxville, Tennessee.
A public defender representing Prater did not immediately respond to an email and phone message requesting comment.
Prater was arrested last April in connection with the arson at the Highlander Research and Education Center in New Market. The arrest came six years after the March 2019 blaze, which caused more than $1.2 million in damage, prosecutors say.
An affidavit filed in federal court in East Tennessee last year said Prater’s posts in several group chats affiliated with white supremacist organizations connected him to the crime. In one private message, a witness who sent screenshots to the FBI asked a person authorities believe was Prater whether he set the fire.
"I’m not admitting anything," the person using the screen name "Rooster" wrote. But he later went on to describe exactly how the fire was set with "a sparkler bomb and some Napalm."
Apparently that’s a napalm bomb set off by a sparkler firecracker.
A white-power symbol was spray-painted on the pavement near the site of the fire. The affidavit describes it as a "triple cross" and says it was also found on one of the firearms used by a shooter who killed 51 people at mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand, on March 15, 2019, about two weeks before the Highlander fire.
Prater was initially charged in 2025 with one count of arson.
On Monday, the previous indictment was dismissed in favor of the criminal information filed in February, which included the charge related to the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah. In a plea agreement filed the following day in February, the government agreed that a sentence of no more than 20 years was appropriate.
Prater was previously sentenced to five years in federal prison for setting a fire in June 2019 at an adult video and novelty store in East Tennessee. He pleaded guilty and was ordered to pay $106,000 in restitution in that case. At the scene of that fire, Sherlocks found a cellphone they later determined belonged to Prater. The phone included a short video showing a person inside the store lighting an accelerant, according to the affidavit.
Highlander is known as a place where civil rights figures, including Rosa Parks and John Lewis, received training. Parks attended a workshop there on integration in 1955, about six months before she famously refused to move to the back of a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. She always credited Highlander with helping her become a more determined activist.
The blaze at Highlander broke out in the early morning of March 29, 2019. No one was injured, but decades’ worth of irreplaceable documents were lost. They included artifacts, speeches, and other materials from different eras, including from the Civil Rights Movement.
A report published Monday by Tel Aviv University said that 2025 saw an alarming surge in violent mostly peaceful attacks against Jews in a year when more Diaspora Jews were murdered in antisemitic incidents than in any other year in the previous three decades.
While total counts of antisemitic activity, including vandalism, verbal threats, and harassment, fell in many countries during 2025 compared to 2024, violent mostly peaceful incidents, such as beatings or stone-throwing, became more commonplace, according to the annual report on antisemitism in the world published by TAU’s Center for the Study of Contemporary European Jewry and the Irwin Cotler Institute for Democracy, Human Rights and Justice.
In every Western country, the total number of antisemitic incidents remained dozens of percentage points higher than in 2022, the year preceding the October 7, 2023, massacre that sparked the war in Gazoo
...Hellhole adjunct to Israel and Egypt's Sinai Peninsula, inhabited by Gazooks. The place was acquired in the wake of the 1967 War and then presented to Paleostinian control in 2006 by Ariel Sharon, who had entered his dotage. It is currently ruled with a rusty iron fist by Hamas with about the living conditions you'd expect. It periodically attacks the Hated Zionist Entity whenever Iran needs a ruckus created or the hard boyz get bored, getting thumped by the IDF in return. The ruling turbans then wave the bloody shirt and holler loudly about oppression and disproportionate response... , the report noted.
The worst attacks of 2025 in the US included the May 21 killing of two Israeli Embassy staff members, Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, DC, and the killing of Karen Diamond on June 1 in Boulder, Colorado, after a man shouting "Free Paleostine" threw incendiary devices at participants in a pro-Israel march.
A Tullahoma man faces sentencing Sept. 9 for burning a social activist center's administrative building and trying to provide material support to Hezbollah.
Regan D. Prater, 28, previously had signed a plea agreement with the government. He carried through with that agreement on Monday by pleading guilty in the U.S. District Court in Knoxville.
Prater, who bombed the administrative offices of the Highlander Center in New Market, faces up to 20 years in prison for his crimes. He's in custody, where he'll stay until his September sentencing.
As part of his 2026 plea agreement, Prater is also admitting to trying to help Hezbollah, records show. That occurred in October 2019. According to the plea agreement, Prater turned over a list of personally identifiable information for individuals purportedly affiliated with the Israeli government to Hezbollah. Prater got a PDF containing information for over 35,000 people purportedly affiliated with the Israeli government. He gave it to someone he thought was affiliated with Hezbollah.
"In connection with providing the PDF, (Prater) stated, "As I promised, enjoy. And for the Hezbollah or other pals living in the zone; Start the hunt." He added he hoped what he was providing would help "you guys against Israel."
[IsraelTimes] Educational activities allowed in bomb shelters only along Lebanese border; cap of 5,000 at gatherings reintroduced in Jerusalem area and south
The IDF Home Front Command on Monday adjusted its wartime guidelines, conditionally permitting educational activities in parts of northern Israel while limiting gatherings in the Jerusalem area and the south, amid the ongoing fighting against Hezbollah 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?... and the shaky ceasefire in Iran.
In communities on the Lebanon border, educational activities will be allowed only inside bomb shelters, and in the northern Golan Heights and Upper Galilee, educational activities will be permitted, provided an adequate bomb shelter can be reached in time.
Speaking to Army Radio on Monday night, Metula Mayor David Azoulay said, "They don’t update us on why the rules were eased. Maybe they know something we don’t."
Meanwhile,
...back at the wrecked scow, a single surviver held tightly to the smashed prow... gatherings are now restricted to 5,000 people in the southern Golan, Beit She’an Valley, Jordan Valley, Dead Sea, Jerusalem, Judea (southern West Bank), Judean Foothills, Lachish, 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... border communities, the Negev, Arava, and Eilat. The limit on restrictions in these areas had previously been lifted.
In the rest of the country, no changes were made to the guidelines, the military said. Nearly all restrictions were lifted last week in the rest of the country, allowing schools and workplaces to operate as usual.
The guidelines remain in effect until Tuesday at 8 p.m. By then, the Home Front Command will have conducted a fresh assessment.
A full list of guidelines per locale can be found on the Home Front Command’s website.
Though the US-Israeli military campaign in 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 been paused since Wednesday, in accordance with a two-week ceasefire agreement, the truce remains fragile and is set to expire on Independence Day, which begins the evening of Tuesday, April 21, immediately following Memorial Day.
Should the truce expire or collapse ahead of time, Israel could face a resumption of ballistic missile attacks from Iran, driving millions into bomb shelters at minutes’ notice.
Several cities have canceled their Independence Day events in light of the security situation.
Moreover, despite protestations from Iran and mediator Pakistain, the United States and Israel have insisted that the ceasefire does not apply to ongoing fighting between Israel and Hezbollah, and both Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... s and IDF ground operations continue against the Iran-backed terror group in Lebanon, which has continued to fire rockets and drones at both Israeli troops and civilians in Israel.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
04/15/2026 00:00 ||
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[1811 views]
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Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) suffered unprecedented losses during military operations in Lebanon, Military Watch Magazine (MWM) reported on April 14.
According to the publication, the Lebanese group Hezbollah has significantly increased the frequency of FPV drone strikes against heavily armed IDF units. Videos have been widely circulated online showing Lebanese drones striking Merkava IV tanks, Caterpillar D9 armored bulldozers, and Namer armored personnel carriers.
According to the source, the Israeli army has not recorded such a level of losses for decades.
"Israeli sources widely indicate that the recent ground force losses are unprecedented since at least the 1980s, when they confronted the Syrian Arab Army and local militia groups in Lebanon in a previous war," the publication clarified.
Sure. And those losses are now in the very low double digits — 13 dead, to be precise.
#2
In '83, Raphael readies
The Mind for revision. Its eddies
Swell Uris's Haj,
His defense of the Raj
Israel, and the thin blue line steadies.
Love one and respect the other, but isn't it a tiny bit funny that on this one subject we're suddenly happy to squawk "The [Social] Science!" like a couple of cocksure Canettis? :)
Posted by: Pearl Untervehr1398 ||
04/15/2026 21:22 Comments ||
Top||
BREAKING: ISRAEL’S REPORTED TERMS FOR LEBANON: DE FACTO PARTITION
Reported diplomatic leaks outline a three-zone plan:
✅ Zone 1:
• 8 km buffer zone in southern Lebanon
• Permanent
• No return for displaced civilians
✅ Zone 2:
• South of the Litani River
• Israeli military operations zone
• Goal: dismantle and disarm Hezbollah
• IDF stays until it decides the mission is complete
✅ Zone 3:
• North of the Litani and the rest of Lebanon
• Lebanese Army must dismantle Hezbollah independently
Key condition:
❗ No full Israeli withdrawal until Hezbollah is eliminated
Reality check:
• Hezbollah has been embedded in Lebanon for 40 years
• Expecting the Lebanese Army to dismantle it alone is near impossible
Tension point:
• U.S. says Israel is at war with Hezbollah, not Lebanon
• These terms effectively place large parts of Lebanon under Israeli control
[REGNUM] Israel and Lebanon have agreed to begin direct negotiations following trilateral discussions. The US State Department announced this in a document released on April 14.
"All parties have agreed to begin direct talks at a time and location," US State Department spokesman Tommy Pigott said in a statement.
The meeting marked the first high-level interaction between Lebanon and Israel since 1993. US officials congratulated both sides on this important event and expressed hope that the diplomatic process that had begun would lead to a comprehensive peace agreement.
It was previously reported that ceasefire talks between Lebanon and Israel, scheduled for April 14, would take place at the ambassadorial level. The agreement to meet was reached during a telephone conversation between Lebanese Ambassador to Washington Nada Hammadeh-Mouawwad and his Israeli counterpart Yechiel Laiter on April 10. According to the Lebanese leader's office, the two sides agreed to hold the first meeting at the US State Department headquarters.
On February 28, Israel and the United States launched military operations against Iran. On April 8, US President Donald Trump announced an agreement with Tehran on a two-week ceasefire, while Israel announced the continuation of its operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon.
The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the ceasefire must extend to all conflict zones, including Lebanon. Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, expressed concern about the attacks on the country and pointed to the situation developing along Palestinian lines.
On April 11, the online portal Axios reported that Lebanese and American authorities, led by Trump, had asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to temporarily halt attacks on Hezbollah before the start of direct talks between Tel Aviv and Beirut next week. According to the portal, some officials agree with the White House chief's proposal, as a pause in strikes would be "in the interests" of Israel.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said on April 11 that the Iranian side stressed the importance of a ceasefire in Lebanon during talks in Islamabad.
Face to face like normal countries, no less, though the Lebanese ambassadress refused to shake hands. The Times of Israel adds:
Hezbollah bombarded Israel as two-hour meeting began; joint statement recognizes ‘urgent need’ to restore Nov. 2024 ceasefire, as Israel commits to working for ‘durable peace’
Israel and Leb ...The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. Only one of those statements is an exaggeration.... held a historic summit on Tuesday in Washington, DC, as envoys for the two nations met with the hopes of reaching a peace deal that would end decades of conflict.
The roughly two-hour meeting between Israel’s Ambassador to the US Yechiel Leiter and his Lebanese counterpart Nada Hamadeh Moawad marked the highest-level meeting to date between Israeli and Lebanese officials, and the first direct talks between the two neighboring countries in decades.
The talks were mediated by US Secretary of State Marco Rubio ...The diminutive 13-year-old Republican U.S. Senator from Florida, Secretary of State in the second Trump administration... and other American diplomats.
No date for a follow-up meeting had been set as of Tuesday evening, although Leiter described the talks as having gone as well as they could have done, and said he expected them to pick back up in the coming weeks.
Beirut and Jerusalem have been in a state of war since Israel’s establishment in 1948. More recently, Israel has repeatedly fought terror groups in Lebanon, including an ongoing fight against Hezbollah that began last month, shortly after the start of the 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... war. Amid that conflict, Israel has floated the reestablishment of a buffer zone in southern Lebanon, a policy first employed several decades ago as a means of deterring terror attacks.
Tuesday’s summit took place against the backdrop of that conflict. It came as the Lebanese government has distanced itself from Hezbollah and made efforts to disarm the Iran-backed terror group, though Israel is skeptical of its ability to do so.
In the wake of the historic trilateral meeting, the US, Israel and Lebanon issued a joint statement saying that they had held "productive discussions toward launching direct negotiations" between Beirut and Jerusalem.
The characterization suggested that today’s meeting was not the actual start of peace talks, but rather a preparatory step toward that end.
"The United States congratulated the two countries on this historic milestone and expressed its support for further talks, and for the government of Lebanon’s plans to restore the monopoly of force and to end Iran’s overbearing influence," the joint statement said.
Washington "expressed its hope that talks can exceed the scope of the 2024 agreement and bring about a comprehensive peace deal," the statement says, referring to the previous Lebanon ceasefire brokered by the Biden administration, which required Hezbollah to disarm and withdraw its forces from southern Lebanon — goals thon the lamly went unmet.
Hezbollah staunchly opposes the peace talks and responded on Tuesday by bombarding Israel as the summit began, triggering warning sirens across the Galilee. Previously, the Israel Defense Forces had warned that "increased fire from Lebanese territory is possible, likely focused on the northern region."
The US in the statement also expressed its support for Israel’s right to defend itself from the continued Hezbollah attacks and stressed that any ceasefire in Lebanon must be the result of talks between Jerusalem and Beirut, rather than being connected to any other tracks.
Iran, over the weekend, demanded that a halt to Israeli attacks on Hezbollah be included as part of any agreement with the US.
Israel and the US rejected this possibility, and Lebanon’s Foreign Minister Youssef Raggi said on Monday that Beirut was seeking "direct negotiations" with Israel to reinforce "the separation between the Lebanese file and the Iranian track."
Fighting between Israel and Hezbollah has accordingly continued in the week since the Iran truce came into place.
Officials have sought to tamp down optimism regarding the talks, given the significant gaps that exist between the two countries. But ahead of the summit, Rubio, Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, Lebanon’s president and other countries’ top diplomats took a hopeful tone.
Before the meeting, Rubio, US State Department Counselor Mike Needham, US Ambassador to Lebanon Michel Issa and US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz posed with Hamadeh Moawad and Leiter before entering a private room to begin the talks. The Israeli and Lebanese envoys did not publicly shake hands, avoiding a gesture that a US official had predicted ahead of the talks would take place.
Israel is aiming to use the meeting to discuss the disarmament of Hezbollah along with an eventual peace treaty with Lebanon, while Beirut’s top priority is to secure a ceasefire in Lebanon to facilitate further negotiations — something Jerusalem has ruled out.
Lebanon expelled Iran’s ambassador late last month, but he refused to leave, underlining Hezbollah’s outsized power within the country.
Aoun said he would welcome the presence of Italia and other nations contributing to UNIFIL, the UN peacekeeping force in Lebanon, after the mission’s mandate ends at the end of 2026.
UNITED ON RIDDING HEZBOLLAH ’OCCUPATION’ OF LEBANON
Following the meeting with his Lebanese counterpart, Leiter told news hounds that the meeting went about as well as it could have, as they "discovered today that we’re on the same side of the equation, and that’s the most positive thing we could have come away with."
"We are both united in liberating Lebanon from an occupation power dominated by Iran called Hezbollah," he said.
The talks focused on crafting a "long-term vision," Leiter said, "where there will be a clearly delineated border between our countries, and where the only reason we’ll need to cross each other’s territory will be in business suits to conduct business or in bathing suits to go on vacation."
Praising the Lebanese government for bucking Hezbollah’s call to withdraw from the talks, Leiter declared the meeting to be "the beginning of a very strong, fortified and consistent battle against Hezbollah."
Asked what he heard from Hamadeh that has him so optimistic, Leiter responded, "They expressed a strong will to this time disarm Hezbollah."
BEASTMODE: Israel's ambassador to the U.S. addresses France's exclusion from peace talks with Lebanon.
"We'd like to keep the French as far away as possible from pretty much everything, but particularly when it comes to peace negotiations. They're not needed." pic.twitter.com/KapFbhZAY4
[IsraelTimes] Russia repeatedly warned Israel in recent weeks that it was risking a “major nuclear disaster” with its ongoing air strikes in close proximity to Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, Israel’s Channel 12 reports.
Moscow officials also told Israel that its attacks were endangering Russian experts and civilians at the civilian power plant, which Russia partly constructed and helps operate, and said the attacks were threatening bilateral relations. I thought they already withdrew their staff?
Heeding the warnings, the IDF changed its operating procedures in that area, clarified that it was unaware of the dangers, and said it had no intention of harming any Russian personnel, the report says. Uh huh.
The Russian Foreign Ministry and the Russian embassy in Israel repeatedly warned Israeli officials of the dangers of the strikes, the report says. One strike in particular reportedly hit “very close” to Russian personnel.
“You are placing our people in danger,” a Kremlin official stressed in a message sent to an Israeli official, the report says. “This is a dangerous game that is likely to cause a major nuclear disaster, with grave implications for the Middle East. We call on you to stop.”
Israel reportedly responded that it was unaware of the dangers, and that it had changed its procedures. "Sure, Jan"
Israel and the US have both reportedly carried out airstrikes on Iranian targets in the area.
An April 4 strike near the plant reportedly killed an Iranian guard. Rafael Grossi, head of the International Atomic Energy Agency, wrote on X that no increase in radiation levels had been reported at the site, but voiced “deep concern” at the strike, which he said was the fourth such incident in recent weeks.
Earlier today, the chief of Russia’s state nuclear corporation said it was pulling nearly all of its personnel from Bushehr, which is situated some 750 miles (1,207 kilometers) south of Tehran.
Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev said only 20 workers would stay behind to keep watch on the equipment at the plant, where Russia is building two more nuclear reactors.
Since the start of the US-Israeli war with Iran, Russia has repeatedly voiced concern about projectiles hitting the territory of the plant, some of them landing near the nuclear reactor.
Russia had planned the near-complete evacuation long before the ceasefire, removing about 600 personnel in several waves in March and earlier this month.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited
[Regnum] US President Donald Trump announced the end of the military operation against Iran. This was reported by Fox News journalist Maria Bartiromo on April 14 after an interview with the White House chief.
“He said, ‘It’s over,’” Bartiromo said following her interview with the American leader.
The journalist did not provide any additional details of the conversation with the politician.
Earlier, US Vice President J.D. Vance stated that the White House believes the goals of the military operation against Iran have been achieved and that it is possible to move towards winding down the conflict.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Iran and the United States made some progress during talks in Islamabad, but failed to reach an agreement because the American side kept changing its demands.
US-Iranian talks took place on April 11. Following their conclusion, US President Donald Trump stated that the parties had agreed on most issues but had not reached an agreement on nuclear development.
According to Cetiner Cetin, a correspondent for the Turkish publication Habertürk, a fight nearly broke out between Araghchi and US Special Presidential Envoy Steven Witkoff during talks in Islamabad. The journalist stated that tensions reached a breaking point during a discussion of mechanisms for controlling shipping in the Strait of Hormuz.
The Russian Foreign Ministry stated that the ceasefire must extend to all conflict zones, including Lebanon. Russia's Permanent Representative to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, expressed concern about the attacks on the country and pointed to the situation developing along Palestinian lines.
On April 11, the online portal Axios reported that Lebanese and American authorities, led by Trump, had asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to temporarily halt attacks on Hezbollah before the start of direct talks between Tel Aviv and Beirut next week. According to the portal, some officials agree with the White House chief's proposal, as a pause in strikes would be "in the interests" of Israel.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said on April 11 that the Iranian side stressed the importance of a ceasefire in Lebanon during talks in Islamabad.
US president gives contradictory accounts about speed of progress in negotiations; Barnea says Israel planned for campaign aimed at regime change ‘to continue even after strikes end’.
Trump, in an interview with the New York Post, said that the outlet’s foreign policy correspondent, who is currently in Islamabad, "should stay there, really, because something could be happening over the next two days."
He told the newspaper that Pakistain’s Army chief, Field Marshal Asim Munir, was doing a "great job" on the talks.
"He’s fantastic, and therefore it’s more likely that we go back there," Trump said.
Less than an hour earlier, however, Trump had given the Post a more pessimistic estimation, telling it that dealings with Iran ...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate JewsZionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol... were progressing slowly and that if a meeting were to happen, it would likely not be in Pakistain.
"Things are happening, but a little bit slow... I don’t think it’ll be [in Pakistain] that we have our meeting," he said. "We’ll probably go to another location. We have another location in mind."
Pressed on whether the US was considering The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the decaying remnant of the Ottoman Empire... as the next host, Trump responded: "No, somebody more central. Europe, maybe."
It was unclear whether there was an actual development in the contacts in the time between his two interviews.
Sources also told Rooters that negotiating teams from the US and Iran could return to Islamabad this week to resume talks to end the war.
Later in the day, Fox Business Network host Maria Bartiromo said US President Donald Trump ...His ancestors didn't own any slaves... told her the US-Israel war with Iran is over during an interview set to air in full on Wednesday, appearing to undermine his threats to resume the war if Tehran doesn’t agree to his terms for a permanent ceasefire.
But in excerpts of the interview, Trump was not that definitive, saying, "I think it’s close to over, yeah. I mean, I view it as very close to over."
He added, "If I pulled up stakes right now, it would take them 20 years to rebuild that country. And we’re not finished. We’ll see what happens. I think they want to make a deal very badly."
Vice President JD Vance meanwhile stressed that Trump "doesn’t want to make, like, a small deal. He wants to make the grand bargain."
"That’s the trade that he’s offering," Vance said of Trump, who is telling Iran that "if you guys commit to not having a nuclear weapon, we are going to make Iran thrive."
"We’re going to make it economically prosperous, and we’re going to invite the Iranian people into the world economy in a way they haven’t been in my entire life," added Vance, who was addressing a Turning Point USA event in Georgia.
Vance acknowledged there was a lot of mistrust between Washington and Tehran that cannot be resolved overnight but said Iranian negotiators wanted to make a deal and that he felt "very good about where we are."
While the Trump administration focused on negotiating with Iran’s leadership amid the shaky ceasefire, Mosssd ...sees all, knows all, gets 'em all in the end... Chief David Barnea indicated that Israel wouldn’t consider its campaign over until that same leadership is replaced.
"Our mission has yet to be completed," Barnea said at a Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony. "We didn’t think that this mission would be completed immediately with the end of the battles. But we planned intensively for our campaign to continue and achieve results even in the period after the strikes in Tehran."
Mossad’s responsibility in the matter, he said, will end "only when this radical regime is replaced."
"The regime that wants to destroy us must disappear from the world," he said of Iran’s leadership, which is avowed to destroying Israel.
Regime change in Iran, said the spy chief, "is our mission. We will not stand by, watching, in the face of another existential threat."
Barnea’s remarks hinted at a reported dispute with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the likelihood of the latest military campaign bringing down the Iranian regime. Netanyahu has reportedly expressed frustration with the Mossad for the failure of its ostensible plan to spark a popular uprising at the start of the Iran war. For its part, the Mossad has reportedly countered that its assessment was that the regime could indeed fall and the Iranian public could be encouraged to rise up, but only at the end of the war, and that the process could take months or even a year.
Barnea also revealed on Tuesday that the Mossad operated "in the heart of Tehran" during the campaign against Iran.
"We brought precise intelligence to the Air Force, and we hit missiles that threatened Israel," he said.
While the US blockade drew angry rhetoric from Tehran, signs that diplomatic engagement might continue helped calm oil markets, pushing benchmark prices below $100 on Tuesday.
HORMUZ STRAIT BLOCKADE
Trump said Iran had been in touch on Monday and wanted to make a deal, adding that he would not sanction any agreement that allowed Tehran to possess a nuclear weapon.
Since the United States and Israel began the war, Iran effectively shut the Strait of Hormuz to nearly all vessels except its own, saying passage would be permitted only under Iranian control and subject to a fee. The fallout has been widespread, as nearly a fifth of the world’s oil and gas previously flowed through the narrow waterway.
In a countermeasure, the US military said it began blocking shipping traffic in and out of Iran’s ports on Monday. Tehran has threatened to hit naval ships going through the strait and to retaliate against its Gulf neighbors’ ports.
The US military’s Central Command (CENTCOM) said the blockade would be enforced against vessels entering or leaving Iranian ports in the Gulf and Gulf of Oman. It would not impede neutral transit passage through the Strait of Hormuz to or from non-Iranian destinations, it said in a note to seafarers seen by Rooters.
CENTCOM said Tuesday that no ships had made it past the blockade, and six merchant ships followed orders to turn back.
"During the first 24 hours, no ships made it past the US blockade and six merchant vessels complied with direction from US forces to turn around to re-enter an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman," the statement read.
More than 10,000 US military personnel, more than a dozen warships and dozens of aircraft were enforcing the blockade, it said.
The Bloomberg outlet cited a source familiar with the developments as saying that Iran was weighing a short pause in shipment through the strait to avoid a clash with the US over the blockade that might derail further talks.
The United States’ NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A cautionary tale of cost-benefit analysis.... allies, including Britannia and La Belle France, said they would not be drawn into the conflict by taking part in the blockade, although they have offered to help safeguard the strait when an agreement is in place.
French President Emmanuel Macron and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer will chair a video conference on Friday for countries willing to contribute to a defensive multilateral mission to restore freedom of navigation in the strait when security conditions permit, Macron’s office said.
La Belle France and Britannia have been working in recent weeks to set up an operation to escort oil tankers and container ships to help ensure safe passage through the strait.
British Finance Minister Rachel Reeves said on Tuesday she was "very frustrated and angry" over what she said was the United States’ failure to have a clear exit plan or objectives for the war in Iran, according to The Mirror newspaper.
"This is a war that we did not start. It was a war that we did not want. I feel very frustrated and angry that the US went into this war without a clear exit plan, without a clear idea of what they were trying to achieve," Reeves, who is struggling to fire up Britannia’s anemic economy, told the newspaper.
"And as a result, the Strait of Hormuz is now blocked," she added.
The Strait of Hormuz has been under blockade, and Trump said on Monday morning that "any Iranian ship that approaches the blockade will be destroyed immediately." He added that "the Iranian Navy lies at the bottom of the sea, completely destroyed - 158 ships. If a 'fast boat' approaches us, we will use the same system we used against drug traffickers at sea. It's fast and brutal." Later in the day, Trump posted that "34 ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz yesterday, which is by far the highest number since this stupid blockade started."
The blockade has already gotten some needed attention from the Iranian leadership. Despite their threats of a blockade being considered an act of war and that they would retaliate militarily, the one reaction that was reported was when Trump announced from the White House that "they called from the other side and they want a deal very much, but they didn't agree to give up the nuclear program. We will get back the nuclear material."
This is in sync with JD Vance's multiple statements on Monday, in which he stressed that the U.S. team in Pakistan quickly realized that the Iranian negotiators did not have the authority to make any deal. Vance stated that the U.S. was clear about nuclear enrichment and weapons, and that the Iranians were unable to really negotiate about anything. Nonetheless, Reuters is reporting as of Tuesday morning that both the Iranian and American delegations will be returning to Pakistan for more talks later this week.
The New York Times is reporting that during negotiations in Pakistan, the U.S. asked Iran to halt uranium enrichment for 20 years. The Iranians, in a response delivered on Sunday night, agreed to suspend enrichment for a period of up to five years. According to the report, Trump rejected the offer. The Times also said that the U.S. asked Iran to remove highly enriched uranium from the Islamic Republic, and Iran proposed to dilute the material "significantly" so it could not be used to produce nuclear weapons.
Within 10 to 14 days, Iran could reach a breaking point. Its oil storage capacity will fill, forcing wells to shut down. Once production stops, restarting becomes harder and long-term damage begins to set in.
Within 10 to 14 days, Iran could reach a breaking point. Its oil storage capacity will fill, forcing wells to shut down. Once production stops, restarting becomes harder and long-term damage begins to set in.
At the same time, this is not just about exports. Iran may be an oil producer, but it lacks sufficient refining capacity. It relies on imports for gasoline and diesel to keep its economy moving.
So as exports are choked off, Iran faces a second problem internally. Fuel shortages begin to emerge across the country, affecting transportation, industry, and daily life.
This is no longer just economic pressure. It is a narrowing window with compounding consequences.
Text taken from the Telegram channel of: 1924286585
Commentary by Russian military journalist Boris Rozhin is in italics.
[ColonelCassad] The US is preparing for a second round of war with Iran. Are the US preparing for a second round against Iran? China's MizarVision has released new footage of Western naval forces forming a common position to continue strikes against Iran.
The French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle and the American USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78) are currently in the Eastern Mediterranean. Meanwhile, another US aircraft carrier, the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), along with its support vessels, is extending this network further east, toward Iran, and the USS George HW Bush is expected to arrive soon. This configuration no longer resembles a simple standoff of individual ships. It looks like a sophisticated, multi-layered defense before the main strike. It includes air power, general logistics, and the ability to continuously monitor a vast territory—from Israel and the Red Sea to the Persian Gulf. So the hypothesis that the US only needed the talks to build up its strike force appears to be confirmed.
At the same time, there are reports from both sides about another round of talks, which could take place this week. If nothing is agreed upon there, the chaos will continue. Iran is also preparing for this scenario.
More from Rozhin: Damage to Iran is estimated at $270 billion. Text taken from the Telegram channel of Pars Today Russian
Iran has estimated its damage from the war with the US and Israel at $270 billion. Therefore, Iran intends to seek reparations from the US and also intends to levy duties on tankers passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
Iran also yesterday demanded compensation from the Persian Gulf monarchies that aided the US attack on Iran. A member of the Iranian Parliament's National Security Committee stated that if the US does not pay Iran war reparations, Iran will detain hostile vessels in the Persian Gulf and sell them.
As we can see, Iran is placing a strong emphasis on the aggressors covering the damages themselves. The US refuses to pay directly, but interestingly, it is willing to agree to Iran collecting duties in the Strait of Hormuz, but only if Iran shares a portion of the collected funds with the US.
Seyed Mahmoud Nabvian, Member of Parliament and member of the expert group of the Iranian negotiating delegation in Islamabad, Pakistan:
Dear citizens of Iran, The reasons for the excessive demands and the lack of an agreement with the United States:
1. The demand for a share with Iran in the revenues from the Strait of Hormuz!!!!!
2. The demand for the removal from Iran of uranium enriched to 60%
3. The demand to deprive Iran of the right to enrich uranium for a period of 20 years. Fortunately, Iranian representatives in the negotiating team firmly defended the country's national interests.
Actually, as was said, Trump wanted to receive a portion of the tribute from the Gulf states, which Iran wants entirely for itself, and Trump wants a share of it.
Again, regarding the unscrupulousness of the current White House administration. Amid talk that the US will not allow changes to the rules in the Strait of Hormuz, the US was ready to participate if the Iranians gave them a share of the money. This is "international politics" these days.
From "Tehran in 3 days" to "give us the uranium and give us a rollback on reparations duties."
The formal injury count, provided by Capt. Tim Hawkins, spokesman for US Central Command, says three service members have been seriously wounded.
Central Command said two weeks ago in a previous update that 348 troops were wounded, six of them seriously. However, the military command does not provide any further details about the wounded, so it’s unclear whether anyone’s status improves or worsens.
Hawkins says of the total wounded to date, 354 service members have returned to duty.
Since the Iran war began, 13 US service members have been killed in combat.
Indeed. But neither Iran nor President Macron will be imposing them.
[Breitbart] Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian threatened “widespread consequences” for the U.S. blockade of Iran’s ports in a phone call with French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday.
Pezeshkian complained to Macron that “excessive” U.S. demands led to the failure of last weekend’s talks for an extended ceasefire, and claimed Iran would “continue negotiations only within the framework of international law.”
“Threatening the Strait of Hormuz will have widespread consequences for the world,” he said, gliding past the fact that Iran was the party “threatening” the Strait of Hormuz and the U.S. has now forcibly reopened it.
“Iran has always sought to ensure lasting security for the passage of ships through the Strait of Hormuz, and any threat to the security of this region will have widespread consequences for global trade,” Pezeshkian risibly claimed.
“At the same time, Iran is fully prepared to confront any scenario within the framework of its national interests,” he added.
For his part, Macron said he “urged the resumption of the negotiations suspended in Islamabad, the clearing up of misunderstandings, and the avoidance of any further escalation.”
Posted by: Skidmark ||
04/15/2026 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[1821 views]
Top|| File under: Tin Hat Dictators, Presidents for Life, & Kleptocrats
#4
Blow their ports up, kill the infrastruture on Kharg Island. That should take out all the money they can't replace the money the big eared spook that sent them all the money.
Posted by: chris ||
04/15/2026 3:28 Comments ||
Top||
#5
Blow their ports up, kill the infrastruture on Kharg Island. That should take out all the money they can't replace the money the big eared spook that sent them all the money.
Posted by: chris ||
04/15/2026 3:28 Comments ||
Top||
#6
Blow their ports up, kill the infrastruture on Kharg Island. That should take out all the money they can't replace the money the big eared spook that sent them all the money.
Posted by: chris ||
04/15/2026 3:28 Comments ||
Top||
#7
Options 4, 5, and 6 are approved for immediate implementation.
#8
Their threats lack true creativity. I miss the days when NK was threatening us on a regular basis. More variety in the violent imagery. Each threat crafted with sweaty temple arteries bulging and spittle spewing. Those were the days.
Posted by: Super Hose ||
04/15/2026 6:28 Comments ||
Top||
Posted by: Frank G ||
04/15/2026 9:15 Comments ||
Top||
#11
Spokeswoman: "Mohammedan midgets" --
Big-turbanned Iranian fidgets --
"Are ultra-advanced!"
Here two sailormen danced
On her upturned Mohammedan digits.
Posted by: Pearl Untervehr1398 ||
04/15/2026 21:52 Comments ||
Top||
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?...
...The Leb civil war, between 1975 and 1990, lasted a little over 145 years and produced 120,000 fatalities. The average length of a ceasefire was measured in seconds. Only one of those statements is an exaggeration....
...sees all, knows all, gets 'em all in the end...
