Posted by: Fred ||
06/25/2026 ||
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#1
Ode to a Chair
Oh chair - what a great tool to use
You eliminate mindless standing, replace it with sitting
You’re at the high chair of furniture, but carry a burden,
Sitting above all, oh how great, though you must bear the weight of all.
Supporting thousands is no easy task,
But you are built sturdy, I believe
You will stand strong when others sit
Chairing the comfort-ability of furniture
So don’t take a sick leave,
Pave the land for all, right the wrong.
#4
If you’d written it, it would not be vanity. Effective communication, if not elevated poetical forms. How on earth did you come across such a thing? Because it never would have occurred to me to look for such a fitting piece of verbiage.
Mali | 🇲🇱 Les Forces armées maliennes (FAMa) 🇲🇱 et l’Africa Corps🇷🇺 ont mené plusieurs opérations dans le centre et le nord du Mali pour contrer la dynamique du JNIM/FLA.
🔸 Le 15/06, les FAMa ont frappé un rassemblement présumé de combattants du JNIM à Kirnya.
Mali | 🇲🇱 The Malian Armed Forces (FAMa) 🇲🇱 and the Africa Corps🇷🇺 conducted several operations in central and northern Mali to counter the momentum of JNIM/FLA.
🔸 On 06/15, the FAMa struck a suspected gathering of JNIM fighters in Kirnya.
🔸 06/22: reconnaissance and sweep operation in the Ségou and Tombouctou regions, during which clashes reportedly pitted Malian forces against the FLA and JNIM.
🔹 On 06/23, JNIM claimed the attack carried out against a convoy of FAMa and Africa Corps forces on the axis linking Soribougou to Sibikoro, in the Kayes region.
🔴 Meanwhile, a serious atrocity reportedly took place in the village of Zarhou, east of Tombouctou.
❗A patrol of the Malian army 🇲🇱 and the Africa Corps 🇷🇺 reportedly stopped two young men traveling by motorcycle before executing them. The perpetrators then allegedly mutilated the bodies, going so far as to sever the limbs of one of the victims and arrange the remains to form a Nazi symbol.
❗2 Songhai herders traveling by motorcycle were also killed by a drone strike in Abakoïra, a few kilometers from Zarhou.
🇲🇱Mali : L'aviation militaire du Corps africain des forces armées russes et des spécialistes médicaux ont effectué l'évacuation rapide d'un soldat malien blessé. Les terroristes ont fait exploser un engin explosif improvisé. Le blessé a reçu tous les soins médicaux nécessaires et… pic.twitter.com/0m3x6JoBdk
Une drone de reconnaissance et de surveillance, présumée appartenir à des éléments de l’Africa Corps russe, a été retrouvée ce mercredi 24 juin 2026. Selon les informations disponibles, une carte mémoire récupérée à l’intérieur de l’appareil contenait… pic.twitter.com/aR35ASiDvh
A reconnaissance and surveillance drone, presumed to belong to elements of the Russian Africa Corps, was recovered this Wednesday, June 24, 2026.
According to available information, a memory card retrieved from inside the device contained several videos, including one showing elements of the Malian army and the Russian Africa Corps in the act of slitting the throat of a stolen camel belonging to the local population.
[IsraelTimes] A former Australian resident living in Iraq directed the attack on MelbourneAdass Israel Synagogue in December 2024, the head of ASIO Mike Burgess reveals.
Burgess says Iran, which was behind the attack, recruited the man through a “complex web of Iraqi-based militia groups.”
“Valuing his high wealth and criminal connections, the IRGC [The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps] protected him and supported his illegal enterprises.
“That changed dramatically after ASIO publicly named Iran’s involvement in the arsons.
“This person’s Iranian backers lost their enthusiasm, and after further pressure from Australian and local law enforcement, they threw him in prison.”
Burgess gives the details while delivering his Annual Threat Assessment speech. He also says an Iran-based Australian citizen orchestrated the firebombing of the Lewis Continental Kitchen in Bondi in October 2024, which was the “the first major attack in the summer of antisemitism.”
“This person is a senior agent of the IRGC Quds Force, running its networks around the world.
“We know more about him than he realizes, including the name of his superior in Iran and the department he works for. Department eleven-thousand, a covert unit within the IRGC Qods Force, is responsible for coordinating operations in the West.”
Burgess says he can’t name the individuals because of the need to protect continuing investigations and related prosecutions.
“But I want them to understand this: We know who you are, we know what you’ve done and we know who you work for.”
On antisemitism generally, Burgess says it is often seen through a narrow lens. But it could come from “diverse sources simultaneously, challenging traditional definitions, assumptions, and approaches.”
[TURKISHMINUTE.COM] Police killed a man suspected of ties to Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) militants during a raid in a district near Ankara, security sources told Turkish media Wednesday.
The incident occurred during police raids early Tuesday, two weeks before the July 7-8 NATO summit in Ankara that world leaders from 32 nations, among them US President Donald Trump, will attend.
The shooting took place in Sazağası, about 100 kilometers (60 miles) south of the capital, during a simultaneous operation that saw police arresting more than 200 people, the DHA and IHA news agencies reported.
All ISIS? Goodness!
The suspect, M.K., was shot dead when a police special force unit raided a location where he was staying with his wife N.K.
Presumably she was ISIS, too…
The IHA news agency said the pair had opened fire first on the police, prompting a shootout.
Was there a spot and Mahmoud the Weasel leading up to an encounter, too? A meeting of miscreants at Oh dark thirty, Spidey Senses tingling? We’ve missed those.
More at the link
Posted by: badanov ||
06/25/2026 00:00 ||
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[Rudaw] Iraq's interior ministry on Monday announced the dismantling of 48 local and international human trafficking networks over the past six months, saying dozens of people were rescued before they could be trafficked.
"Monitoring and surveillance operations led to the dismantling of 48 human trafficking networks and the arrest of 1,012 suspects for committing these crimes," Interior Ministry spokesperson Mohammed al-Hassoun told the state-run Iraqi News Agency (INA).
The ministry, through its Anti-Human Trafficking Directorate, "contributed to liberating and rescuing 94 victims before the crime of trafficking them occurred," he added.
Hassoun said the ministry recorded 1,344 human trafficking cases so far this year, noting that investigations had uncovered local and transnational networks operating through digital platforms, leading to arrests and coordination with international security agencies.
Iraq remains both a source and destination country for human trafficking, with women, children, minorities, displaced people, and other vulnerable groups at heightened risk. The International Organization for Migration reported in November 2024 that modern slavery affects an estimated 221,000 people in the country.
The United States, in its 2025 Trafficking in Persons report, said Iraq does not fully meet the "minimum standards" for the elimination of trafficking but is making "significant efforts" to do so.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
06/25/2026 00:00 ||
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[Rudaw] The Iraqi Joint Operations Command (JOC) announced on Sunday that its forces carried out two coordinated airstrikes targeting an Islamic State (ISIS) hideout deep in the Anbar desert, in an operation based on intelligence tracking and field surveillance.
According to a statement issued by the command, the strikes were conducted in the afternoon against what it described as “a safehouse belonging to terrorist ISIS gangs in remote areas deep within the Anbar desert.”
The JOC said the operation was executed “through a distinguished operation and field follow-up by the military intelligence directorate, and under the optimal planning and supervision of the targeting cell at the Joint Operations Command.”
“We pledge to our proud people that our heroic security forces, in all their branches and formations, will continue to pursue the remaining remnants of the terrorist ISIS gangs—pounding their strongholds and cleansing the land of the prophets and saints of their filth,” read the statement
ISIS seized large parts of Iraq in 2014 before its territorial defeat in 2017, though its remnants continue to operate through sporadic attacks, ambushes, and kidnappings in several provinces.
Areas in northern Iraq, particularly parts of Kirkuk, Diyala, and Salahaddin, remain active zones for the group.
The latest strikes come a week after Iraqi forces carried out similar operations in Diyala province targeting an ISIS leader, killing two militants following months of intelligence tracking.
The operation was part of ongoing efforts to dismantle remaining ISIS networks across the country.
The June campaign against ISIS also coincides with Iraq’s annual commemoration of the Speicher massacre, in which more than 1,700 military cadets were executed by ISIS in 2014.
[IsraelTimes] A Palestinian arms dealer involved in an attack on troops was killed by Israeli commandos in the West Bank town of Yamun earlier today, the IDF says.
Soldiers of the Duvdevan Unit attempted to detain Mohamed Zayed, who was hiding in Yamun.
“During the attempt to apprehend him, he attempted to attack the soldiers and was eliminated on the scene,” the military says.
According to the IDF, Zayed was an arms dealer, and he provided the weapon used in an attack last year in which two soldiers were severely wounded.
[IsraelTimes] The Civil Administration halted construction work and confiscated an excavator belonging to Palestinians in the Jericho area of the West Bank, in Area A, as part of an expansion of the Israel Antiquities Authority’s powers.
In February, the security cabinet approved broad enforcement powers for the Antiquities Authority, including measures ostensibly aimed at preventing damage to archaeological sites in Areas A and B. Under the Oslo Accords, responsibility for archaeology in those areas lies with the Palestinian Authority.
Monday’s incident appears to be the first time such action has been taken since the decision was approved four months ago.
A local resident, Iyad Makhalis, tells The Times of Israel that work began on Monday to open an additional road in the area, which he said was needed because of difficulties reaching the Palestinian village of Ein ad-Duyuk, north of Jericho.
The Times of Israel has learned that the work was part of an organized Palestinian Authority plan to replace the existing road with a safer one.
Archaeological remains are located in the area, and excavations have previously been carried out there.
According to Makhalis, the civilian security coordinator of one of the nearby settlements arrived at the location on Monday morning and confiscated the excavator’s keys. Later that day, IDF forces arrived and confiscated the excavator itself on behalf of the Civil Administration.
In response to a query from The Times of Israel, the Civil Administration says it received a report regarding an excavator operating near the outskirts of Jericho, in Area A, “to open a route in the vicinity of an archaeological site containing a Jewish cemetery and numerous historical artifacts.”
“Upon receiving the report, officers from the Jordan Valley District Coordination and Liaison Headquarters, together with the inspection unit, acted to confiscate the excavator in accordance with authorities and procedures aimed at protecting archaeological sites throughout Judea and Samaria,” the administration says, using the biblical name for the West Bank.
[IsraelTimes] Military also detains suspected Hamas operative who approached Gaza crossing, hits four rocket launchers installed after ceasefire; Hamas says Israel’s demands set back talks
A Hamas ..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,... terrorist who invaded Israel during the October 7, 2023, onslaught was killed in an Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... this week, the Israel Defense Forces announced on Wednesday. Akram Abu Madi, a member of Hamas’s military wing, recently acted to restore the terror group’s capabilities and advance attacks against IDF troops and Israeli civilians, the military said. He was therefore targeted in a strike on Sunday in southern 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... , according to the IDF.
The army also publishes a photo of Abu Madi during the October 7 onslaught.
The IDF in recent months has been ramping up strikes on terror operatives in Gaza, including several October 7 terrorists, saying they posed a threat to Israeli forces.
Have to get through the list before the world’s fussing gets too annoyingly heavy, blaming Israel on the one hand for being too mean to those poor Hamas terrorists and on the other hand for taking too long to get the job done.
Also on Wednesday, an unarmed suspected Hamas operative was detained by Israeli soldiers after approaching the Kerem Shalom border crossing in the southern Gaza Strip, the military said. Troops were dispatched to the area "following suspicion of the presence of a Hamas terrorist on the Gaza side of the crossing," the IDF said. The soldiers detained the suspect and took him for further questioning.
Testing reactions yet again. Strip his devices, get all his biometrics, and trace all his connections to inform future jihadi hunts.
"The details and identity of the suspect are currently under review," the army said, and emphasized "that there was no infiltration into Israeli territory" during the incident.
Additionally, overnight, the IDF struck four rocket launchers across the Gaza Strip that were installed by terror groups during the ceasefire, the military said.
"The launch posts that were destroyed were set up by the terror organizations in the Gaza Strip in the recent period, after the ceasefire came into effect," the military stated, adding that they were armed for attacks on IDF troops and Israel, "and therefore posed an immediate threat."
More than 1,000 Paleostinians have been killed in Gaza since the ceasefire took effect on October 10 last year, according to the territory’s Hamas-run health ministry, whose figures do not differentiate between civilians and combatants. The IDF has reported five deaths in its ranks during the same period.
HAMAS OFFICIAL: ISRAELI DEMANDS SENT NEGOTIATIONS BACK TO SQUARE ONE
Senior Hamas official Taher al-Nunu said in an interview Wednesday that Israel has sent negotiations over the future of Gaza back to square one through its demands regarding the continuation of the ceasefire and advancing to the second phase under Trump’s plan. According to al-Nunu, Israel is unwilling to commit to implementing all the provisions of the first phase of the ceasefire — including, he said, allowing sufficient aid into Gaza — and seeks to dismantle the "Paleostinian factions" (the terrorist organizations in the Strip, led by Hamas).
Hamas has not disarmed, nor stepped away from governance. Until that happens, as originally agreed, Israel cannot move to the next step.
He also said that, according to a draft proposal submitted by Israel via the Board of Peace, Jerusalem wants the future government of the Gaza Strip to "promote an Israeli agenda."
Jerusalem wants a neighbour willing to live peacefully next door instead of plotting the next 10/7. They will accept no less, while Hamas will not give up their need to conquer for the glory of Allah, being the Gazan branch of the Muslim Brotherhood and all.
In an interview on Tuesday with Hamas’s al-Aqsa channel, al-Nunu said that since April 14, Hamas has received three different proposals from US President Donald Trump ...dictatorial for repealing some (but not all) of the diktats of his predecessor, misogynistic because he likes pretty girls, homophobic because he doesn't think gender bending should be mandatory, truly a man for all seasons... ’s Board of Peace regarding the continuation of the ceasefire, and that the latest proposal, received on June 12, was completely different from previous understandings.
The comments came as members of the Board of Peace are set to convene in Cyprus next week, seeking to recalibrate after showing little success in the first six months of the Board’s existence.
Trump’s plan for Gaza, endorsed by the United Nations ...the Oyster Bay money pit... Security Council, led to the establishment of a ceasefire that took effect in October, halting the fighting that began on October 7, 2023.
“Ceasefire” anyway. Hamas has not stopped plotting, and from frequently attacking the IDF and shooting rockets at civilian Israel. But because it is a “ceasefire”, the world yells at Irael when they notice her responding.
In mid-January, Washington announced the launch of the second phase of Trump’s plan for Gaza aimed at bringing a definitive end to the war triggered by the Hamas terror group’s October 7, 2023, massacre in southern Israel. However,
some people cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go... little tangible progress has been made in actually implementing the phase and deploying the planned International Stabilization Force to Gaza.
Possibly because Hamas has not yet completed Phase 1.
The second phase provides for a gradual Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, the disarmament of Hamas and the deployment of the ISF,
…the ISF not yet being staffed nor supplied, so deploying is a tad problematic…
a project that has been the subject of repeated announcements and discussions but has yet to materialize.
In late February, Hamas said it was open to the presence of such a force in the Gaza Strip, provided it did not interfere in the territory’s internal affairs.
Meaning Hamas continuing to run things as they have been since 2006…
Furthermore, the terror group has so far refused to disarm.
Israel now says it controls at least 60 percent of the Gaza Strip, compared with just over half following its pullback on the first day of the truce. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last month he had ordered the military to seize 70 percent of the territory.
Or Hamas could preempt IDF action by disarming and stepping away, preparatory to leaving the Strip altogether, as agreed.
Israel and Hamas accuse each other almost daily of violating the ceasefire amid stalled efforts toward a lasting end to the war.
[IsraelTimes] Police assess 1,000 cars joined anti-draft demonstration; video shows some members of public reacting violently to protesters; pregnant woman reportedly hurt in car accident caused by convoy.
Ultra-Orthodox anti-conscription convoys set out from around the country to protest the detention of draft-evading yeshiva students, leading to scattered festivities and car accidents while causing widespread traffic across the country on Wednesday afternoon and evening.
The protest convoys, Haredi politicians among them, turned around and headed home after four hours. Most of the demonstrators did not appear to reach their destination, the Neve Tzedek (Beit Lid) military prison in Kfar Yona, where police turned away anyone who showed up. Some local residents gathered at the town’s entrance in a bid to block demonstrators from entering the neighborhood around the jail.
While no violence was reported in Kfar Yona itself, the protest sparked anger among the non-Haredi public that saw several festivities with protesters, particularly among agitated motorists who were stuck in the traffic caused by the demonstration.
The head of a Haredi yeshiva nevertheless managed to set up a truck near the Beit Lid prison, from which he blasted messages of encouragement to incarcerated draft evaders through a megaphone.
Organizers of the rally claimed that approximately 10,000 vehicles departed from 19 gathering points around the country on their way to the Beit Lid facility, though police assessed that the number was 1,000.
A skeptical evaluation almost never seen in reports about the leftwing, anti-Bibi/Likud protests from this source…
The Times of Israel was unable to independently verify the number of cars participating in the convoy.
In one of the incidents caught on camera, counter-protesters appeared to clash with Haredi demonstrators in the southern city of Arad.
Police said that forces operating in the city "rushed to the scene" and were "working to restore public order and prevent further acts of violence."
Other encounters caught on camera showed a man running up to and shoving a protester, leading to a fistfight on the side of a highway, and a secular motorist tearing protest signs off a car and throwing them at the driver while yelling at him to enlist.
Footage also showed a police officer lifting his gun at a Haredi man before pushing him, as demonstrators blocked a tunnel that appeared to be near Jerusalem.
Similarly, a video from the convoy posted on X by a Kan news hound showed a motorist appearing to flash a gun at protesters as he passed.
Organizers also claimed, without corroborating footage, that a truck driver attacked the car of a demonstrator who set out in a convoy from Bnei Brak with a knife and sticks.
"The attacker did not stop at threats; he began brutally striking the vehicle and smashing violent mostly peacefully on the windows in front of the terrified passengers, who felt immediate danger but exercised restraint in accordance with instructions," the statement added.
A front man for the protest told The Times of Israel that those involved "didn’t have time to document [the incident] clearly."
In a separate incident, the Shlomei Emunim movement, a block within the Hasidic Agudat Yisrael faction of United Torah Judaism, claimed that Beitar Illit Deputy Mayor Gedalyahu Eisenstein "was severely and violent mostly peacefully attacked during a protest convoy leaving Beitar Illit" when an angry member of the public "crashed into his vehicle and then began violent mostly peacefully choking" him.
Asked for comment, a front man for Eisenstein told The Times of Israel that he underwent medical checks and is fine. "One of the people who was angry about the signs got out, blocked him, and tried to pull him out of the vehicle by force. He went for medical checks and afterward returned to participate in the protest," the front man said.
In a video, Eisenstein stated that the assailant "blocked my car, forcibly took me out and started beating and strangling me. There were other people there who helped me and rescued me."
In another incident, Pargod reported that a member of the Gur Hasidic sect participating in the protest convoy was injured in a crash near Safed in northern Israel.
Separately, organizers of the protest shared images of the smashed window of a participant’s car near Ashdod, claiming in a blurb that "an incited and violent mostly peaceful individual blocked and damaged a vehicle participating in a car convoy on Route 7, smashed the vehicle’s window, and even threatened to harm the passengers." Organizers added that there was footage of the incident that would be handed over to the police.
United Torah Judaism chairman Yitzhak Goldknopf, a major backer of the protest, was himself filmed driving slowly and holding up traffic while using emergency lights on his car, leading police to insist he stay in the proper lane.
Israel Police accused the demonstrators of failing to "comply with the agreements previously made with the protest organizers," as several highways became clogged up by the convoys.
In a statement, organizers of the protest claimed that they were "receiving reports from drivers regarding police attempts to infringe upon the right to protest, including the issuing of fines."
"This is a severe attempt to violate a fundamental right in a democratic state, and we will not remain silent. The committee’s legal team will use every available avenue to fight this severe infringement on freedom of expression and protest," the organizers said.
Meanwhile,
...back at the shootout, Butch shot Black Bart's gun out of his hand...... a pregnant woman was injured in a car accident with slow-driving members of the convoy, Channel 12 reported. In a statement, Magen David Adom said that it had received a report of a traffic accident on Route 1 near the Shaar Hagay Interchange," adding, "MDA medics and paramedics are providing medical treatment and evacuating a 29-year-old woman in moderate condition with an abdominal injury to Shaare Zedek Medical Center."
The protest, organizers said, sent a "resounding message: Enough! There is no path forward without the path of Torah! The Haredi public has ceased to remain silent in the face of the trampling of the Torah world and the imposition of sanctions, and will stand firmly for its rights."
They called for authorities to "immediately release" placed in durance vile Drop the rosco, Muggsy, or you're one with the ages! draft evaders and "cancel all decrees" against yeshiva students.
The IDF has sent out tens of thousands of enlistment orders to ultra-Orthodox men over the past two years, after the blanket exemptions enjoyed by the community were revoked by the High Court in 2024. Most have ignored the draft notices and are thus classified as draft evaders, subject to arrest or other sanctions.
While the military has made no move to arrest all 80,000 ultra-Orthodox men aged 18-24 believed to be eligible for service, the detainment of even a small fraction has ignited anger.
In addition to issuing threats against the attorney general, ultra-Orthodox politicians have, in recent weeks, threatened a tax revolt; called on police to disobey orders; demanded local authorities halt cooperation with law enforcement; and announced that they would seek to dissolve the Knesset and trigger early elections.
Their rhetoric has trickled down through the communities they represent, where demonstrators, particularly those affiliated with the holy warrior Jerusalem Faction, have taken to the streets in an effort to block the arrests of military-aged men.
Some of these protests have turned violent mostly peaceful, including one outside the central Israel city of Bnei Brak last week, where police used stun grenades and batons to disperse protesters who were blocking traffic.
Protesters have also, in recent weeks, tried to break into the home of Sohlberg, forced their way into a police compound in Beit Shemesh, and broken into the home of the Military Police chief while his family was inside.
#6
I came here to see if the news had broken re: the ship yet.
From Grok:
"Today (June 25, 2026), Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) attacked the Singapore-flagged container ship Ever Lovely in the Strait of Hormuz.
wsj.com
Key details from multiple reports (WSJ, Reuters/BBC, UKMTO, etc.):The ship was struck on its starboard side by an "unknown projectile" (possibly a drone, per some sources) around 5:40 p.m. local time (roughly 10-11 a.m. ET), causing damage to the bridge.
scmp.com
No casualties or major environmental impact were reported; the vessel continued through the strait after the incident.
bbc.com
Location: Near the Omani coast (about 7.5 nautical miles southeast of Oman’s port of Dahit), while using a southern route.
nypost.com
Context This occurred hours after Iran warned ships to use only Tehran-approved routes and rejected a new southern corridor announced by Oman and the IMO. The Ever Lovely (owned by Evergreen Marine Asia Pte Ltd in Singapore) had been stuck in the Gulf for over 100 days and was heading to Singapore after loading cargo in Iraq.
wsj.com
It tests a fragile recent U.S.-Iran deal aimed at ending fighting and reopening the strait (a critical chokepoint for ~20% of global oil). The UN’s IMO paused a plan to evacuate thousands of stranded seafarers as a result.
reuters.com
Iran has not publicly commented on this specific incident yet. Oil prices rose on the news amid renewed maritime risks.
finance.yahoo.com
This is the most recent confirmed event matching your query; earlier 2026 incidents involved other vessels (e.g., South Korean, Thai-flagged), but this one specifically targets a Singapore-flagged ship today. Information is still developing, with U.S. officials confirming IRGC involvement."
[IsraelTimes] The US military conducted an airstrike in northwestern Syria last week that killed a senior Islamic State leader, US Central Command says.
The strike, carried out on Friday, was part “of ongoing US efforts to disrupt and eliminate terrorists seeking to attack Americans abroad or the US homeland,” and killed Ali Husayn al-Ulaywi, it says in a statement on X.
Islamic State has declared a new phase of operations in Syria against the government of President Ahmed al-Sharaa, carrying out a spate of attacks since February. Last year, Sharaa’s government joined the US-led coalition fighting Islamic State.
On Saturday, the militant group claimed responsibility for an attack near the city of Manbij in Syria’s northeastern Aleppo province.
Islamic State controlled around a quarter or more of Syria at the peak of its power during the Syrian civil war a decade ago, before being driven out of the territory by a US-led coalition and other foes.
An Islamic State (ISIS) senior leader was killed by a US airstrike in northwestern Syria, said the US Central Command (CENTCOM) on Wednesday, amid a resurgence in recent ISIS attacks in the region.
CENTCOM said that its forces “conducted an airstrike in northwest Syria, June 19, that resulted in the death of a senior ISIS leader.” They stated that the precision strike that killed Ali Husayn al-Ulaywi is part of “ongoing U.S. efforts to disrupt and eliminate terrorists seeking to attack Americans abroad or the U.S. homeland.”
Posted by: trailing wife ||
06/25/2026 00:00 ||
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[Rudaw] A senior officer in Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has died from wounds he sustained during the US—Israeli bombing campaign in Paveh, Kermanshah province, earlier this year, local reports say.
Colonel Javad Bahrami, a Sunni Kurd, slipped into a coma after being seriously injured when an IRGC base outside Paveh was struck in early March. He departed this vale of tears after months of treatment.
Paveh and nearby towns endured at least ten strikes during the six‑week bombing campaign that began on 28 February and ended with a cease‑fire on 8 April. Western Iranian provinces with large Kurdish populations saw some of the heaviest bombardment, with attacks focused on IRGC facilities.
The IRGC has long recruited tens of thousands of Sunni Kurds from western Iran, a region that has suffered from minimal economic investment by the central government. Many senior commanders started their careers fighting Kurdish Peshmerga groups in the 1980s and later created Kurdish units within the Guards to divide the local population.
Residents of Paveh reported that only one civilian was killed during the bombings, a man hit by flying debris. Throughout the conflict, the IRGC reinforced its bases and deployed additional troops to Kurdish areas, fearing opposition fighters might cross from Iraq under the cover of US and Israeli air power.
The Guards also mobilized thousands of retired Kurdish members to defend the region and launched hundreds of missiles and drones at Kurdish opposition bases in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, killing several Peshmerga fighters and civilians.
The first major confrontation between Iran’s central government and Kurdish peshmerga fighters erupted in Paveh in 1979, where dozens of Revolutionary Guards were killed. Confronted with stiff resistance, the revolution’s founder Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini issued a fatwa ordering all security forces to rush to Paveh and recapture it from Kurdish forces.
The town has since taken on symbolic significance for the Islamic Theocratic Republic. 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... even named a long‑range cruise missile "Paveh"; the missile, unveiled in 2023, has a reported range of about 1,650 kilometres and Iranian officials say it can reach targets as far as Israel.
🚨 The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, affiliated with Hezbollah, presents, according to its sources, the 4 demands presented by Israel in the fifth round of negotiations with Lebanon that opened yesterday in Washington:
1. The Lebanese army will take control of the Ali al-Tahr…
🚨 The Lebanese newspaper Al-Akhbar, affiliated with Hezbollah, presents, according to its sources, the 4 demands presented by Israel in the fifth round of negotiations with Lebanon that opened yesterday in Washington:
1. The Lebanese army will take control of the Ali al-Tahr Ridge area, remove Hezbollah operatives from there, and destroy Hezbollah's infrastructure there, under American supervision. Once this is completed, the IDF will withdraw from the village of Tabit and the village of Zutar.
2. The body of IDF navigator Ron Arad, who has been MIA since 1986, in exchange for Hezbollah prisoners imprisoned in Israel.
3. Israel will remain in the "security zone" - all Lebanese access to this area will be prevented, both by civilians and Lebanese military personnel.
4. Communication between the IDF and the Lebanese army will be direct - "without intermediaries"
Lebanon: Porous ceasefire holds mostly peaceful
[IsraelTimes] The second day of talks between Israel and 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 took place at the Pentagon and focused exclusively on security issues, ended on Wednesday evening without any public statement.
Thursday’s session will take place back at the State Department and focus only on political issues, with the US pushing the sides to make enough progress to be able to issue a public statement reporting as much, the source familiar with the matter said.
But even as the talks proceeded on Wednesday, Israel and Hezbollah exchanged fire in southern Lebanon, with the IDF saying it carried out a strike on a vehicle that crossed into Israel’s self-described security zone in the Ali Taher ridge area.
Lebanese media reported two dead in the strike. Separately, the IDF said a soldier was moderately injured in an "operational accident" in southern Lebanon earlier Wednesday.
The soldier was taken to a hospital, his family was notified and the circumstances of the incident are under further investigation, the army said.
JERUSALEM AND BEIRUT FRUSTRATED WITH TRUMP, HAMPERING US PLAN TO PHASE IDF OUT OF LEBANON
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... confirmed on Wednesday that Israel and Lebanon were discussing a potential scale-back of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon as part of the negotiations mediated by President Donald Trump ...The Hero of Butler, Pennsylvania... ’s administration in Washington this week.
"One of the issues that’s been discussed in these negotiations is the creation of pilot zones — specific, defined areas where the Lebanese Armed Forces can go in, take control, and secure that territory, and then move on to the next pilot zone," Rubio told news hounds in Kuwait.
Rubio defended the current Israeli military buffer zone in southern Lebanon, saying the only reason that it exists is because Hezbollah was using the area to launch rockets and drones at Israel.
"The more of that area that the Lebanese armed forces is able to secure, the less of it is in Hezbollah’s control, the less Israel will be in Lebanon. But that’s the process we’re working on right now with these talks," Rubio said.
That effort did not appear to be going well though, with a government official and a second source familiar with the matter telling The Times of Israel later Wednesday that this week’s round of talks between Israel and Lebanon have been the least productive to date.
The two sources cited mutual frustration with the Trump administration’s decision to make a ceasefire in Lebanon part of the memorandum of understanding it inked last week with Iran.
Both Israel and Lebanon were opposed to the idea, arguing that it undermines the purpose of the channel between their two countries that Washington established in April, specifically to prevent 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... from maintaining its influence over Hezbollah and Lebanon, the two sources said.
The Israeli anger at Washington has led it to be less inclined to accept US requests that it begin pulling back some troops from southern Lebanon, the government official said.
Lebanon, meanwhile, feels that it must take a harder line in negotiations with Israel to counter the notion that Iran wields greater influence over affairs in Lebanese territory than it does, the source familiar with the matter explained.
Accordingly, the Lebanese government has presented maps for a proposed withdrawal that are much more expansive than what Israel is willing to accept at this stage — which was already very little due to the political pressures Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government is facing, the source added.
The US was hoping that the three-day talks set to wrap up on Thursday would conclude with an announcement of a pilot program whereby the Israel Defense Forces would withdraw from small areas of southern Lebanon cleared of Hezbollah military infrastructure and be replaced by the Lebanese military.
However,
denial ain't just a river in Egypt... such a development currently appears less likely, the two sources told The Times of Israel.
A State Department spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
RUBIO DEFENDS US LIFT OF IRAN SANCTIONS AS PART OF ’GIVE AND TAKE’ NEGOTIATIONS
The frustration with the US extended beyond Israel and Lebanon and appeared to be the reason that Rubio jetted to the region this week. He made in the UAE, Kuwait and Bahrain as part of a tour aimed at assuring Gulf allies of Washington’s commitment to their security after the war Trump started left them significantly more exposed to Iranian threats.
While in Kuwait, Rubio defended the Trump administration’s decision to lift sanctions on Iran earlier this week, insisting Washington has to make some concessions as part of the negotiation process.
"Anytime you enter into a negotiation, it’s a process of give and take. This is a temporary measure. It’s for 60 days. As a result, we expect them to live up to the commitments they made in Switzerland ...home of the Helvetians, famous for cheese, watches, yodeling, and William Tell... . If they don’t... the president has a lot of options at his disposal," Rubio told news hounds.
The US first asserted that any sanctions relief that Iran would enjoy would only commence after Tehran made concessions in the 60 days of talks that kicked off over the weekend, following the signing of a memorandum of understanding last week to end the war between the two countries.
But then the US went on to acknowledge that some relief would be up-front, in the form of a waiver on the sanctions against Iranian oil exports.
Then on Monday, the US lifted major sanctions to allow Iran to trade oil in US dollars and delisted blacklisted shipping vessels under a 60-day temporary waiver.
Given the US insistence that sanctions relief would be based on performance, those more sweeping steps apparently came in response to Iran’s decision to allow UN nuclear inspectors back in the country. That was the only concession that the US has said Iran agreed to make in last weekend’s talks, although Tehran denies having done so.
Rubio also confirmed that the next round of technical talks between the US and Iran will begin early next week in Switzerland. He said those taking part in the talks will be beneath his post, so he will not be there, though more senior meetings have been led by US Vice President JD Vance, not Rubio.
“We all support President Trump’s vision of ensuring that Iran no longer has nuclear capabilities, ballistic missiles or the ability to funnel money to its proxies to threaten its neighbors and maintain its regional hegemony,” Leiter says in a statement.
Trump notably last week rejected calls to bar Iran from having any ballistic missiles, arguing that it should be allowed to have some if other countries in the region do, in comments that sparked further alarm in Jerusalem.
That concern peaked yesterday when the US announced a new deconfliction cell as part of its negotiations with Iran that will be tasked with preventing further escalations in Lebanon. The deconfliction cell is said to curb Israel’s ability to operate against Hezbollah, and would replace an already-existing mechanism in which Jerusalem has a more active role.
“I fear that the concept of ‘deconfliction’ is misplaced,” Leiter says, in reference to the new cell.
“Israel is not in conflict with Lebanon. Therefore, deconfliction is not the issue. All that is needed is coordination with Lebanon,” the ambassador says.”The only issue is Hezbollah. Hezbollah must be defeated and removed from the equation. Instead, there is a danger that Hezbollah has received a boost. It certainly feels stronger and bolder.”
Leiter goes on in his statement to pose questions, which he doesn’t say who they’re for, but appears to be directing them to the Americans.
He notes that the previous meeting resulted in a joint statement from the US, Israel and Lebanon regarding the need to disarm Hezbollah and asks whether that is still the basis of talks in DC.
“For us, it must remain so,” he says. “We agreed to a ceasefire that was conditional on Hezbollah withdrawing north. Is this agreement still binding?” Leiter asks.
“We cannot afford commitments that fade away. And it is important to be clear: Israel will act against immediate and evolving threats to its citizens and soldiers,” he adds.
“Iran is expected to benefit from a flow of funds under the MOU. How do we ensure that these funds do not find their way to Hezbollah?” Leiter continues.
“If we cannot guarantee that, then all the words we agree to here will make no difference, because Hezbollah will simply rebuild itself,” he warns.
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.
..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,...
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for 
...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?...
