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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Iran has several major nuclear program sites, now subject of negotiations with the US
2025-05-25
[AnNahar] 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 Jews Zionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
has multiple major sites associated with its rapidly advancing nuclear program, now the subject of several rounds of negotiations with the United States.

The sites across the country, including one in the heart of Tehran, the capital, show the breadth and history of the program. One in particular, Iran's Natanz enrichment site, has been targeted several times in suspected sabotage attacks by Israel amid tensions between the two Mideast rivals.

Here's a look at some of those major Iranian sites and their importance in Tehran's program.

NATANZ ENRICHMENT FACILITY
Iran's nuclear facility at Natanz, located some 220 kilometers (135 miles) southeast of Tehran, is the country's main enrichment site. Part of the facility on Iran's Central Plateau is underground to defend against potential Arclight airstrike
...KABOOM!...
s. It operates multiple cascades, or groups of centrifuges working together to more quickly enrich uranium. Iran also is burrowing into the Kūh-e Kolang Gaz Lā, or "Pickaxe Mountain," which is just beyond Natanz's southern fencing. Natanz has been targeted by the Stuxnet virus, believed to be an Israeli and American creation, which destroyed Iranian centrifuges. Two separate sabotage attacks, attributed to Israel, also have struck the facility.

FORDO ENRICHMENT FACILITY
Iran's nuclear facility at Fordo is located some 100 kilometers (60 miles) southwest of Tehran. It also hosts centrifuge cascades, but isn't as big a facility as Natanz. Buried under a mountain and protected by anti-aircraft batteries, Fordo appears designed to withstand airstrikes. Its construction began at least in 2007, according to the International Atomic Energy Agency'>ineffective International Atomic Energy Agency, although Iran only informed the U.N. nuclear watchdog about the facility in 2009 after the U.S. and allied Western intelligence agencies became aware of its existence.

BUSHEHR NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
Iran's only commercial nuclear power plant is in Bushehr on the Persian Gulf, some 750 kilometers (465 miles) south of Tehran. Construction on the plant began under Iran's Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi in the mid-1970s. After the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the plant was repeatedly targeted in the Iran-Iraq war. Russia later completed construction of the facility. Iran is building two other reactors like it at the site. Bushehr is fueled by uranium produced in Russia, not Iran, and is monitored by the United Nations
...an organization conceived in the belief that we're just one big happy world, with the sort of results you'd expect from such nonsense...
' International Atomic Energy Agency'>ineffective International Atomic Energy Agency.

ARAK HEAVY WATER REACTOR
The Arak heavy water reactor is 250 kilometers (155 miles) southwest of Tehran. Heavy water helps cool nuclear reactors, but it produces plutonium as a byproduct that can potentially be used in nuclear weapons. That would provide Iran another path to the bomb beyond enriched uranium, should it choose to pursue the weapon. Iran had agreed under its 2015 nuclear deal with world powers to redesign the facility to relieve proliferation concerns.

ISFAHAN NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY CENTER
The facility in Isfahan, some 350 kilometers (215 miles) southeast of Tehran, employs thousands of nuclear scientists. It also is home to three Chinese research reactors and laboratories associated with the country's atomic program.

TEHRAN RESEARCH REACTOR
The Tehran Research Reactor is at the headquarters of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran, the civilian body overseeing the country's atomic program. The U.S. actually provided Iran the reactor in 1967 as part of America's "Atoms for Peace" program during the Cold War. It initially required highly enriched uranium but was later retrofitted to use low-enriched uranium over proliferation concerns.
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Syria-Lebanon-Iran
After 5th round of nuclear talks, Iran says discussions with US ‘complicated’
2025-05-24
[IsraelTimes] Oman’s FM says ‘some but not conclusive progress’ made in negotiations

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday that Tehran’s discussions with the United States over its nuclear program were "complicated," as the fifth round of talks concluded in Rome.

"The negotiations are too complicated to be resolved in two or three meetings," said Araghchi, who leads the Iranian negotiating team in the talks mediated by Oman.

Araghchi said there was potential for progress in nuclear negotiations after Oman made several proposals.

Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi said "some but not conclusive progress" was made. "We hope to clarify the remaining issues in the coming days to allow us to proceed toward the common goal of reaching a sustainable and honorable agreement."

The talks, which began in April, are the highest-level contact between the foes since the United States quit a landmark 2015 nuclear accord during President Donald Trump
...The tack in the backside of the Democratic Party...
’s first term.

Since returning to office, Trump has revived his "maximum pressure" campaign on Iran, backing talks but warning of military action if diplomacy fails.

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 Jews Zionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
wants a new deal that would ease the sanctions, which have battered its economy.

The fourth round of talks, in the Omani capital Muscat, ended with a public spat over enrichment. Witkoff said Washington "could not authorize even one percent" enrichment — a position Tehran called a red line, citing its rights under the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Ahead of Friday’s talks, Araghchi said "fundamental differences" remained with the United States, while adding that Tehran was open to its nuclear sites undergoing more inspections.

"We will not have an agreement at all" if the United States wants to prevent Iran from enriching uranium, he said.

The talks came ahead of a June meeting of the UN nuclear watchdog, the Vienna-based International Atomic Energy Agency'>ineffective International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and the October expiry of the 2015 accord.

The deal, known as the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, aimed to allay Western suspicions that Iran was seeking a nuclear weapons capability, an ambition that Tehran has denied, while enriching uranium to levels that have no civilian application.

In return for curbs on its nuclear program, Iran had received relief from international sanctions. But the accord was torpedoed in 2018 when Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States and reimposed sanctions. Iran responded by ramping up its nuclear activities.

It is now enriching uranium to 60 percent — far above the deal’s 3.67 percent cap but below, though close to, the 90 percent level needed for a nuclear warhead.

Analysts in Tehran said Iran was unlikely to back down.

"It’s quite simple; if the US expects Iran to halt nuclear enrichment, then there can’t be a deal," said Mohammad Marandi, a political scientist who was once an adviser on the nuclear issue.

The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran says the country’s nuclear industry employs 17,000 people, similar to other countries where uranium is enriched for civilian use.

"The Netherlands, Belgium, South Korea, Brazil and Japan enrich without possessing nuclear weapons," its front man Behrouz Kamalvandi said.

Iran’s enmity with Israel, whose main backer is the United States, has been a constant backdrop to the talks.

In a letter to the United Nations
...the Oyster Bay money pit...
, Araghchi wrote: "We believe that in the event of any attack on the nuclear facilities of the Islamic Theocratic Republic of Iran by the Zionist regime, the US government will also be involved and bear legal responsibility."

The warning came after CNN
...formerly the Cable News Network, now who know what it might stand for...
, citing unnamed US officials, reported Israel was making preparations to carry out such a strike.

The White House said Trump had a "productive discussion" with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Thursday about Iran and the fatal shooting of two Israeli embassy staff in Washington.

Friday’s talks took place before an IAEA Board of Governors meeting in Vienna in June, during which Iran’s nuclear activities will be reviewed.

The 2015 deal provides for the possibility of UN sanctions being reimposed through a mechanism called "snapback" if Iran fails to fulfil its commitments.

The agreement’s three European parties — Britannia, La Belle France and Germany — have warned they will trigger the mechanism if the continent’s security is threatened.

Araghchi said such a move would have "consequences — not only the end of Europe’s role in the agreement, but also an escalation of tensions that could become irreversible."

Mosssd
...sees all, knows all, gets 'em all in the end...
 chief David Barnea and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer met US negotiator Steve Witkoff in Rome on Friday on the talks’ sidelines.

Trump has repeatedly threatened to unleash Arclight airstrike
...KABOOM!...
s targeting Iran’s program if a deal isn’t reached. Iranian officials increasingly warn they could pursue a nuclear weapon if the nation is threatened.

"Iran almost certainly is not producing nuclear weapons, but Iran has undertaken activities in recent years that better position it to produce them, if it chooses to do so," a new report from the US Defense Intelligence Agency said.

"These actions reduce the time required to produce sufficient weapons-grade uranium for a first nuclear device to probably less than one week."

However,
corruption finds a dozen alibis for its evil deeds...
 it likely still would take Iran months to make a working bomb, experts say.

Asked about the negotiations, US State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said "we believe that we are going to succeed" in the talks and in Washington’s push for no enrichment.

"The Iranians are at that table, so they also understand what our position is, and they continue to go," Bruce said Thursday.

One idea floated so far that might allow Iran to stop enrichment within the country but maintain a supply of uranium could be a consortium in the Mideast backed by regional countries and the US.

There are also multiple countries offering low-enriched uranium that can be used for peaceful purposes by countries.

However,
corruption finds a dozen alibis for its evil deeds...
 Iran’s Foreign Ministry has maintained that enrichment must continue within the country’s borders, and a similar fuel-swap proposal failed to gain traction in negotiations in 2010.
Related:
Negotiations 05/22/2025 Israel said readying to quickly strike Iranian nuclear sites if US-Iran talks collapse
Negotiations 05/22/2025 Israel, Turkey said to agree to prevent clashes in Syria, establish hotline
Negotiations 05/22/2025 Columbia U president backs international students amid protests at commencement

Link


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Trump says he’s not frustrated with Netanyahu: ‘He’s an angry man, and he should be’
2025-05-18
[IsraelTimes] As reports claim there’s a rift between them, US president says Israeli PM has ‘been hurt badly’ by Hamas-led October 7 attack, adds ‘he’s got a tough situation’ on his hands

US President Donald Trump
...They hit him with slander, they impeached him twice. Nancy Pelosi tore up his State of the Union address on national TV. They stole an election and put his adherents in jail. They vilified him. They couldn't crucify him, so they shot him. Still, they can't keep him down...
 said in an interview Saturday that he is not frustrated by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, appearing to downplay claims of a rift between the two leaders, saying that he understands Netanyahu’s anger with Hamas
..the braying voice of Islamic Resistance®,...
Trump visited the Middle East this week, skipping Israel but stopping in Saudi Arabia
...a kingdom taking up the bulk of the Arabian peninsula, largely made up of sand and oil rigs. Its primary economic activity involves exporting oil and soaking Islamic rubes on the annual haj pilgrimage. The country supports a large number of princes in whatcha might call princely splendor. Formerly dictatorial and steeped in Olde Tyme Religion, deferring to Salafist holy men on all issues, it has now done a 180 and is making a serious effort to modernize, so as not to be left in the sand by its Gulf Arab neighbors. The holy men have been shoved to the background and the nation is now still dictatorial but somewhat rational. That doesn't make them trustworthy, but it's a start...
, Qatar
...an emirate on the east coast of the Arabian Peninsula. It sits on some really productive gas and oil deposits, which produces the highest per capita income in the world. They piss it all away on religion, financing the Moslem Brotherhood and several al-Qaeda affiliates. Home of nutbag holy manYusuf al-Qaradawi...
 and the United Arab Emirates, leading government critics to warn Israel was being left out of Washington’s regional diplomatic initiatives as Netanyahu’s government continues 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...
Asked by Fox News if he was frustrated by the prime minister, Trump responded: "No, look, he’s got a tough situation. You have to remember, there was October 7 that everyone forgets. It was one of the most violent mostly peaceful days in the history of the world — not the Middle East, the world, when you look at the tapes."

Trump claimed, as he often has, that the massacre in southern Israel by Hamas-led bully boyz on October 7, 2023, would have never happened under his watch, arguing that 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 Jews Zionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
had been broke under his first administration and would not have been able to fund the Paleostinian terror group’s activities.

That attack, which sparked the ongoing war, killed some 1,200 people in southern Israel and resulted in the capture of 251 hostages who were taken to Gaza. Of them, 57 are still held captive, 34 of whom are confirmed dead by Israel.

"Bibi, he’s an angry man, and he should be because of October 7, and he’s been hurt badly by that, but in another way, he’s been sort of helped because I think he’s fought hard and bravely," Trump added, using Netanyahu’s nickname.

Trump has repeatedly denied reports of a rift between him and Netanyahu, insisting that his choice to not visit Israel during his trip to the region was not a snub, despite making several policy decisions without Israeli input or against Israel’s wishes, such as the ongoing Iran nuclear talks, the decision to restore ties with and lift sanctions from Syria, and the US ceasefire with the Iran's Houthi sock puppets
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews They like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him...
 rebels in Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of...
On Wednesday, Trump said his visits to Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates was "good for Israel," adding that "having a relationship like I have with these countries... I think it’s very good for Israel."

Netanyahu also denied the reported rift, calling his relationship with Trump "excellent."

Despite the denials, Channel 13 reported last week that people in Netanyahu’s inner circle have expressed unusually harsh criticism toward the Trump administration in recent weeks.

"There’s chaos in the Trump administration — the right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing," said a senior figure close to the premier, according to the report.

"It’s not even clear if this has anything to do with us. Everything operates according to the president’s whims. Sometimes that works in our favor, and sometimes it doesn’t," the source said.

Citing unnamed US officials, NBC reported last week that Netanyahu was growing increasingly frustrated with the US approach to Iran amid the nuclear talks, seemingly the largest point of contention between the two leaders.

Speaking to NBC, one US official said Israel was "worried about any deal" that the US could sign with Iran to thwart its nuclear ambitions.

To that end, two US officials said Netanyahu has privately dismissed the negotiations as a waste of time, arguing that even if a deal is forged, Tehran would inevitably break it.

Israel would rather take action and strike Iran’s nuclear facilities, the report said, and believes that the opportunity to do so is shrinking further the longer talks continue.

Jerusalem is reportedly unhappy that the ongoing US-Iran talks are said to be developing into a largely similar framework to the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, which was signed by then-US president Barack Obama
They get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them...
and was panned at the time by Netanyahu as disastrous for Israel. Trump withdrew from that deal in 2018.

Under the terms now being discussed, according to reports, Iran would limit stockpile size and centrifuge types, and dilute, export or seal its 60 percent uranium stock under unprecedented ineffective International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) scrutiny, in exchange for substantial sanctions relief.

This approach has not aligned with Netanyahu’s longtime position, which is that Israel will not allow Iran to attain nuclear weapons and is opposed to any talks that don’t lead Iran to agree to a "Libya-style agreement," under which Tehran’s entire nuclear program — both military and civilian — would be dismantled completely.
Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: April 25, 2025
2025-04-26
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22:45 US President Donald Trump commented on the talks between his special representative Steve Witkoff and Russian dictator Vladimir Putin.

The American leader called the meeting "good." "US Ambassador Whitkoff had a good meeting," Trump said.

The US President did not provide any details regarding the conversation between Whitkoff and Putin.

22.18 Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky must immediately sign the rare earth metals agreement. This was stated by American leader Donald Trump in Truth Social.

"Ukraine, led by Volodymyr Zelensky, has still not signed the final documents regarding a very important agreement with the United States on rare earth metals. The delay is at least three weeks. It remains to be hoped that it will be signed immediately," the US President wrote.

21:50 President Volodymyr Zelensky announced a series of diplomatic meetings that should bring the ceasefire closer.

"In the coming days, very important meetings may take place that should bring peace closer to Ukraine. An unconditional ceasefire is needed. Real pressure is needed on Russia so that they accept either the American proposal to cease fire and move towards peace, or our proposal - any proposal that can really work and guarantee a reliable, immediate and unconditional ceasefire, and then a decent peace and security guarantees," Zelensky said in an evening video address.

21.37 Ukraine does not have enough weapons to regain control over the temporarily occupied Crimea, but the world has various ways to put pressure on Russia to discuss territorial issues. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

21.20 Ukraine and the European Union responded to US President Donald Trump's "peace plan" by conveying to the States their ideas for ending the war with Russia.

According to Reuters, during a meeting in London on April 23, Ukrainian and European officials conveyed to the Americans their ideas for ending Russia's war against Ukraine. The agency has learned what the common peace plan between Ukraine and the European Union looks like.

20.05 The Ukrainian delegation handed over to the American delegation in London a response to the peace proposals of the Donald Trump administration, including on security guarantees. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky.

According to the head of state, Ukraine, together with its European partners, during a working meeting in London on April 23, proposed "our vision of the proposals made by the United States."

The proposals touch on issues of security guarantees, in particular, alternatives to Ukraine’s membership in NATO.

"There are absolutely constructive proposals there, as I said, both the contingent and the format of the fifth amendment (Article 5 of the NATO Treaty on Collective Defense – ed.). Not the fifth amendment itself, but specifically those forces and the kind of protection that the fifth amendment provides for in NATO countries," the president explained.

19.00 Kremlin Chief Vladimir Putin and US Presidential Special Representative Steve Witkoff held three-hour talks. The Russian dictator's aide Yuri Ushakov spoke about the details of the meeting.

19.00 Kremlin Chief Vladimir Putin and US Presidential Special Representative Steve Witkoff held three-hour talks. The Russian dictator's aide Yuri Ushakov spoke about the details of the meeting.

18:36 In less than four months of the current year, the Russian occupation army has lost more than 1,000 tanks. This was reported by the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Oleksandr Syrsky.

18:25 China is "seriously concerned" that its citizens are participating in the war against Ukraine on Russia's side, so Kiev remains open to dialogue with Beijing to resolve this issue, Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgy Tykhy said.

"We believe that between countries that have an established dialogue, all problematic issues should be resolved only through dialogue. We remain open to dialogue with China," he said.

18.07 American President Donald Trump does not have a single deadline for a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia. He told reporters this before flying to Rome for the funeral of Pope Francis. However, on April 24, Trump announced such a deadline for an agreement - "his own deadline" by which peace must be achieved.

17:36 The North Korean ballistic missile that Russia used to strike Kiev on April 24 contained at least 116 components from around the world. Most of them were produced by American companies, President Volodymyr Zelensky said.

17.18 Russian troops attacked the territory of the Kherson Parks CP in the afternoon of April 25, four utility workers were injured, vehicles were damaged. This was reported by the Kherson GVA. It is noted that three drivers and a cleaner were injured. The injured are in satisfactory condition and all are receiving the necessary medical care.

16:53 The 8th Airborne Assault Corps has been created in the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It includes six combat brigades that fought during the ATO/JFO, as well as those formed after the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine. This was reported on the Facebook page of the new unit. The corps commander is Hero of Ukraine, Colonel Dmytro Voloshin, who has led the 82nd Bukovina Airborne Assault Brigade since 2024.

16.50 Any foreign military personnel who intend to participate in the parade in Moscow on May 9 must realize that they will be marching side by side with people who committed war crimes in Ukraine, said Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhyi.

"I will repeat our general attitude towards the event that Moscow will call the "victory parade" on May 9. We believe that the Russian military who will march on Red Square on May 9 not only have nothing to do with the victory over Nazism, but are also, in all likelihood, participants in war crimes against Ukrainians," he said.

15.49 Ukraine does not change its key positions on the end of the war. While the "peace plans" spread in the media do not correspond to reality. This was stated by the spokesman of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Georgy Tykhy during a briefing.

15.33 Ukrainian law enforcement officers detained and arrested a foreign vessel that was part of Russia's "shadow fleet". The dry cargo ship was transporting agricultural products from the temporarily occupied regions of Ukraine, the SBU reported.

15.10 A meeting between Russian leader Vladimir Putin and US Presidential Special Representative Steve Witkoff is taking place in Moscow. This was announced by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

14.13 Currently, a number of contacts with the US at various levels are in progress. This was stated by the spokesman for the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry, Georgiy Tykhyi, at a briefing in Kiev. He assured that Ukraine had not received official signals from the US about their withdrawal from the peace process.

13:59 The car of a leading Russian designer exploded in the Russian city of Bryansk. The liquidation occurred at the very moment when the Russian got into the car together with his colleague.

13.42 Today's "arrival" in Saki, Crimea, hit the building of the deputy chairman of Chechnya, Ramzan Kadyrov. This was reported by the Atesh partisan movement on its Telegram channel.

12:54 The son of CIA Deputy Director Julian Gloss, 21-year-old Michael Gloss, died at the front in Ukraine, fighting for Russia. He was liquidated on April 4, 2024.

11:30 US Presidential Special Representative Steve Witkoff has arrived in Moscow to meet with Vladimir Putin. This was reported by Russian media. The Bombardier Global 7500 business jet was flying direct from Miami Airport and landed at Moscow's Vnukovo.

11.06 Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Russian troops have killed 622 children in Ukraine. More than 1,924 children have been injured to varying degrees of severity. This was reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General. It is noted that the largest number of children were injured in the Donetsk region - 640, Kharkiv - 490, Kherson - 208, Dnipropetrovsk - 235, Kiev - 136, Zaporizhia - 177, Mykolaiv - 118, Sumy - 134.

10:53 On Friday morning, Russian invaders dropped a FAB-250 guided air bomb on a house in the village of Yarovaya in the Liman community - a father and son were killed. This was reported by the Donetsk Regional Prosecutor's Office.

10.40 A Romanian citizen has been detained in Sochi (Krasnodar Krai, Russian Federation) on suspicion of collecting data on the region's air defense. This was reported by Russian media with reference to the FSB.

10.23 An FSB informant has been detained in Donetsk region. He turned out to be a 55-year-old unemployed man from Slavyansk who was adjusting the attacks of the Russian Federation on the Defense Forces in the Slavyansk and Kramatorsk areas. This was reported by the SBU on April 25.

9.48 Shooting took place at the Zaporizhzhya NPP on April 24. Over the course of a week, constant explosions and shots have been recorded in the area of ​​the facility. This was stated on the website of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) by the agency's Director General Rafael Grossi.

9.29 The Russian army most intensively attacked the Pokrovskoe, Limanskoe, Toretskoe and Kursk directions. Over the past 24 hours, 175 combat clashes occurred on the front. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

9.23 Since the evening of April 24, Russians have attacked Ukraine with 103 attack UAVs and other types of drone imitators, 41 drones were shot down, and another 40 did not reach their target. This was reported by the Ukrainian Air Force.

8.59 The rescue operation at the site of the Russian strike on a residential building in the Svyatoshinsky district of Kyiv has been completed. The search lasted more than a day. This was reported by the State Emergency Service on Telegram.

8.46 The Russian army attacked Pavlograd with drones. As a result of the incident, three people died. This was reported by the head of the Dnipropetrovsk OVA Serhiy Lysak on his Telegram channel.

7.58 Russians have lost 1,170 soldiers at the front over the past 24 hours. This is evidenced by the morning report of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

7.27 The Russian Federation has deployed a missile carrier to the Black Sea, so Ukraine continues to be under threat of shelling from the south. This is evidenced by the morning report of the Ukrainian Navy.

04.25 Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has criticized US peace proposals after the April 24 attack on Kiev, saying Russian dictator Vladimir Putin is being rewarded for killing Ukrainians. He says that despite the many casualties, recent peace proposals offer Putin the chance to keep the occupied territories, control Ukraine's future by banning it from joining NATO, avoid sanctions, gain an economic partnership with America, and time to rebuild his military strength before further aggression.

03.44 A container train recently arrived in Russian-occupied Crimea for the first time after passing through other occupied territories of Ukraine. The train came from the Sverdlovsk Railway of the Russian Federation and traveled more than 3,000 km in less than five days.

02.22 President Volodymyr Zelensky reported that over the past 24 hours, almost 150 Russian attacks against Ukrainian positions and more than 4,500 shellings, including with the use of heavy weapons, have been recorded. The most tense situation, according to the president, has developed in the Pokrovsky direction, the Russians were trying to develop assault actions "under the cover" of their massive strike.

01.14 Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said that the Kremlin is ready to reach an agreement with the United States on Ukraine. However, he noted that some elements need to be "reworked." Lavrov also spoke about US President Donald Trump and his efforts to end the war in Ukraine.

"The President of the United States believes, and I think it is fair, that we are moving in the right direction," the Russian Foreign Minister said.

Link


International-UN-NGOs
Iran’s Nuclear threat escalates to Extreme Danger, Warns ISIS
2025-04-13
A different judgement than the CIA? How very interesting.
[KhaamaPress] The Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) warns that Iran’s nuclear program has reached an "extremely dangerous" stage.

​The Washington, D.C.-based Institute for Science and International Security (ISIS) has raised alarms about Iran’s nuclear program, labeling it as "extremely dangerous." The institute warns that Iran’s activities could swiftly transition to military applications at any moment.​

In its report titled "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 Jews Zionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
Threat Geiger Counter: Extreme Danger Grows," released on April 12, 2025, ISIS highlights a significant escalation in the perceived threat level since February 2024. This assessment underscores the growing urgency surrounding Iran’s nuclear ambitions.​

The report emphasizes Iran’s lack of transparent cooperation with the International Atomic Energy Agency'>ineffective International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), particularly concerning the production of thousands of advanced centrifuges beyond IAEA oversight. This secrecy fuels suspicions about Iran’s intentions and capabilities.​

Reflecting this heightened concern, ISIS has increased Iran’s nuclear threat rating from 151 to 157 out of a possible 180 points, indicating a state of "severe danger." This marks the second consecutive time the threat level has reached this elevated status.​

The report uses the metaphor of a Geiger counter, a device measuring radioactive decay, to symbolize the escalating nuclear threat. Just as a Geiger counter’s alarm intensifies with increased radiation, the report suggests that the international community should respond with growing alarm to Iran’s nuclear developments.​
Related:
Institute for Science and International Security: 2024-12-21 Report: Young African Women Lured to Work in Russian Drone Factories
Institute for Science and International Security: 2024-11-15 IAF hit secret Iranian nuclear research facility during October operation - report
Institute for Science and International Security: 2024-11-16 IAF hit secret Iranian nuclear research facility during October operation - report
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Top Iranian officials told Khamenei to allow US nuke talks or risk fall of regime – NYT
2025-04-12
[IsraelTimes] In rare coordinated effort, officials said to have warned Iran’s supreme leader that military threats from US and Israel are real, and country faces massive unrest if it goes to war

In a rare intervention, Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei
...the very aged actual dictator of Iran, successor to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini...>
 was urged by his brass hats to allow negotiations with the United States on the regime’s nuclear program or risk the fall of the Islamic Theocratic Republic, The New York Times

...which still proudly claims Walter Duranty's Pulitzer prize...
 reported Friday.

The US and Iran
...a theocratic Shiite state divided among the Medes, the Persians, and the (Arab) Elamites. Formerly a fairly civilized nation ruled by a Shah, it became a victim of Islamic revolution in 1979. The nation is today noted for spontaneously taking over other countries' embassies, maintaining whorehouses run by clergymen, involvement in international drug trafficking, and financing sock puppet militias to extend the regime's influence. The word Iran is a cognate form of Aryan. The abbreviation IRGC is the same idea as Stürmabteilung (or SA). The term Supreme Guide is a the modern version form of either Duce or Führer or maybe both. They hate Jews Zionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
are set to meet in Oman on Saturday for talks over Tehran’s rogue nuclear program.

According to The New York Times report, which cited two senior Iranian officials who are familiar with the details, Khamenei held a meeting last month attended by heads of the judiciary and parliament. Those officials, in what the sources described as an unusual, coordinated effort, pressured Khamenei into accepting talks with Washington, even direct ones.

They told Khamenei that the threat of military action by the US and Israel against its nuclear sites was serious.

"If Iran refused talks or if the negotiations failed, the officials told Mr. Khamenei, military strikes on Iran’s two main nuclear sites, Natanz and Fordow, would be inevitable," the sources said, as reported by the Times.

The country, already in economic shambles, would be forced to respond, but then would also likely be plunged into domestic unrest if it were to go to war, they said.

The combination of such events would amount to an existential threat to the Islamic Theocratic Republic, the officials reportedly told Khamenei.

The sources said that Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, an ex-Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps chief and current conservative head of Parliament, told Khamenei that a war combined with a domestic economic implosion could quickly get out of control.

They also quoted President Masoud Pezeshkian as telling Khamenei that managing the country through its current crises was not tenable. The report points to power cuts that threaten to shutter factories and water shortages in the central city of Yazd, which saw schools and government offices closed this week.

Iran previously rejected talks but has since relented amid US President Donald Trump
...Oh, noze! Not him!...
’s threats.

Hossein Mousavian, a former diplomat who served on Iran’s nuclear negotiating team on a 2015 deal and is now a visiting fellow at Princeton University, told The New York Times that the change illustrated that preserving the regime was Khamenei’s main priority.
Hossein Mousavian, a former diplomat who served on Iran’s nuclear negotiating team on a 2015 deal and is now a visiting fellow at Princeton University?
Signing him on was a real triumph, donchaknow. Their NearEast history and international relations students will be getting the story straight from the horse’s mouth. Wasn’t it Yale who had a former Talib minister matriculate with a full scholarship, despite being illiterate in both Pashto and English? Such an opportunity for his fellow students, wherever he was!
"Mr. Khamenei’s turnaround demonstrates his long-held core principle that ’preserving the regime is the most necessary of the necessities,’" Mousavian said.

While Khamenei relented and agreed to talks, he also imposed his own conditions, the report said.

Citing three Iranian officials, the NYT said that Khamenei agreed to discuss strict monitoring for the nuclear program and a significant reduction of the enrichment of uranium. However,
a hangover is the wrath of grapes...
 he has said that Iran’s missile program is off limits, regarding it as being part of Iran’s defenses. The sources said that was a "deal breaker."

However,
a hangover is the wrath of grapes...
 the report also said that Iran was "open to discussing its regional policies" and support for its terror proxies like Hamas
..not a terrorist organization, even though it kidnaps people, holds hostages, and tries to negotiate by executing them,...
, Hezbollah and the Iran's Houthi sock puppets
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews They like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him...
s in Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of...
More from the Times of Israel:
Then, there are the expectations of the two sides. Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi maintains the negotiations will begin as indirect talks, likely with Omani Foreign Minister Badr bin Hamad al-Busaidi passing messages between Tehran and US Mideast envoy Steve Witkoff. Trump has maintained the talks will be direct. While not a major roadblock, it signals the challenge the negotiations face — particularly after years of indirect talks during the Biden administration went nowhere.

And while the US side can offer sanctions relief for Iran’s beleaguered economy, it remains unclear just how much Iran will be willing to concede. Under the 2015 nuclear deal, Iran could only maintain a small stockpile of uranium enriched to 3.67%. Today, Tehran’s stockpile could allow it to build multiple nuclear weapons if it so chooses, and it has some material enriched up to 60%, a short, technical step away from weapons-grade levels. Judging from negotiations since Trump unilaterally withdrew America from the deal in 2018, Iran will likely ask to keep enriching uranium up to at least 20%.

One thing it won’t do is give up its program entirely. That makes Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s proposal of a so-called Libyan solution — “you go in, blow up the facilities, dismantle all the equipment, under American supervision, American execution” — unworkable. Iran routinely threatens Israel with destruction and is the main backer of several proxy terror groups attacking Israel, including Hamas, Hezbollah and the Houthis.

Iranians, including Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, have held up what ultimately happened to the late Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, who was killed with his own gun by rebels in the country’s 2011 Arab Spring uprising, as a warning about what can happen when you trust the United States.

Already, a top adviser for Khamenei, Ali Shamkhani, has warned what could happen if the US continues to threaten Tehran, including Iran expelling inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Agency and ending cooperation with the UN watchdog.

“The transfer of enriched material to a secure location could also be considered,” he added, opening the door again to Iran having secret, undeclared nuclear sites as it did when the crisis over its program began over 20 years ago.

But Majid Takht-e Ravanch, a deputy Iranian foreign minister, offered a more positive note on Friday.

“If the American side refrains from raising unrelated issues and demands — and abandons threats and intimidation — there is a good opportunity to reach an agreement,” Takht-e Ravanch said, according to the state-run IRNA news agency.
Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Trump sends another aircraft carrier to the Middle East after massing stealth bombers at island air base amid mounting fears he is ready to strike Iran
2025-04-03
[Daily Mail, where America gets its news] US president Donald Trump has moved another aircraft carrier to the Middle East after amassing stealth bombers to the nearby Chagos Islands, amid fears he may be gearing up to strike Iran.

The US is moving the USS Carl Vinson from Asia, where it normally patrols the South China Sea, to the Persian Gulf, directly south of Iran, to join its sister carrier USS Harry S. Truman.

Trump appears to be making good on a threat to attack Iran with a 'bombing the likes to which they have never seen before' should its supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, refuse to destroy its nuclear programme and stop supporting proxy wars in the Middle East.

America has already moved six B-2 Spirit stealth bombers to the Chagos Islands, a third of its fleet, with satellite imagery showing them resting at the Diego Garcia military base on the UK-controlled island.

These high-tech planes have the capability of carrying bunker busting bombs across Iran that could destroy its military and nuclear sites.

The B-2 Spirits will likely be supported by a fleet of six Stratotanker in-flight refuelling craft, which were seen at Diego Garcia.

These would give the Spirits the capability to fly to Iran, deliver payloads and fly back to the Chagos Islands in a roughly 5,000-mile round trip.

But Iran appears to be stepping up to the military challenge, with Khamenei adviser Ali Larijani telling local media: 'If America or Israel bomb Iran under the nuclear pretext, Iran will be compelled to move toward producing an atomic bomb.'

Last month, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran had substantially increased its production of nuclear-capable uranium, and had increased its stockpile of near-weapons grade material.

The US is also exerting financial pressureon Iran, with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday meeting in Washington with 16 global banks and federal law enforcement agencies on U.S. sanctions policy on Iran including efforts to cut its oil exports.

Bessent said President Donald Trump's administration is applying economic pressure to the maximum extent possible to disrupt Iran's access to financial resources that help it fund Hamas and other militant groups throughout the Middle East and its efforts to obtain a nuclear weapon.

'This includes the billions of dollars each year that Iran generates via its oil sales, which the regime also uses to finance its dangerous agenda and support its multiple terrorist proxies and partners,' Bessent said, according to a copy of his remarks.

Iran says its nuclear program is for civilian purposes.

Trump restored his policy of maximum pressure on Iran in February that includes efforts to drive its oil exports down to zero.

In March Treasury slapped sanctions on tankers carrying Iranian oil and on a Chinese 'teapot' refinery for processing the oil. Teapots are small, independent refineries in China. China's national oil company refineries have stopped buying Iranian oil over concerns about sanctions.

Bessent mentioned the U.S. sanctioning of Shandong Shouguang Luqing Petrochemical Co., Ltd, the small refinery, and its chief executive officer for purchasing and refining hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of Iranian crude oil, including from vessels linked to the Houthis and the Iranian Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics.

Bessent also warned the banks that Iran conducts its foreign exchange activities through a covert shadow banking network. 'My message to financial institutions worldwide is unequivocal: safeguard your institutions from being exploited by this malign network, so you can continue to serve your legitimate clients with integrity,' Bessent told the banks, according to the Treasury Department.

The department did not immediately respond to a request about which banks and agencies participated.

Bessent said Treasury uses tools such as Wednesday's meeting to bring together financial institutions, regulatory agencies, and law enforcement, to disrupt what it calls Iran's illicit revenue streams.

In an NBC interview over the weekend, Trump also threatened so-called secondary tariffs, which affect buyers of a country's goods, on both Russia and Iran. He signed an executive order in March authorizing such tariffs on buyers of Venezuelan oil.

Last month, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran had substantially increased its production of nuclear-capable uranium, and had increased its stockpile of near-weapons grade material.

The US is also exerting financial pressureon Iran, with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent on Wednesday meeting in Washington with 16 global banks and federal law enforcement agencies on U.S. sanctions policy on Iran including efforts to cut its oil exports.

Bessent said President Donald Trump's administration is applying economic pressure to the maximum extent possible to disrupt Iran's access to financial resources that help it fund Hamas and other militant groups throughout the Middle East and its efforts to obtain a nuclear weapon.

'This includes the billions of dollars each year that Iran generates via its oil sales, which the regime also uses to finance its dangerous agenda and support its multiple terrorist proxies and partners,' Bessent said, according to a copy of his remarks.

Iran says its nuclear program is for civilian purposes.

Trump restored his policy of maximum pressure on Iran in February that includes efforts to drive its oil exports down to zero.

In March Treasury slapped sanctions on tankers carrying Iranian oil and on a Chinese 'teapot' refinery for processing the oil. Teapots are small, independent refineries in China. China's national oil company refineries have stopped buying Iranian oil over concerns about sanctions.

Bessent mentioned the U.S. sanctioning of Shandong Shouguang Luqing Petrochemical Co., Ltd, the small refinery, and its chief executive officer for purchasing and refining hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of Iranian crude oil, including from vessels linked to the Houthis and the Iranian Ministry of Defense and Armed Forces Logistics.

'Teapot refinery purchases of Iranian oil provide the primary economic lifeline for the Iranian regime,' Bessent said.

Bessent also warned the banks that Iran conducts its foreign exchange activities through a covert shadow banking network. 'My message to financial institutions worldwide is unequivocal: safeguard your institutions from being exploited by this malign network, so you can continue to serve your legitimate clients with integrity,' Bessent told the banks, according to the Treasury Department.

The department did not immediately respond to a request about which banks and agencies participated.

Bessent said Treasury uses tools such as Wednesday's meeting to bring together financial institutions, regulatory agencies, and law enforcement, to disrupt what it calls Iran's illicit revenue streams.

In an NBC interview over the weekend, Trump also threatened so-called secondary tariffs, which affect buyers of a country's goods, on both Russia and Iran. He signed an executive order in March authorizing such tariffs on buyers of Venezuelan oil.
Link


Caucasus/Russia/Central Asia
Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: March 28, 2025
2025-03-29
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.

Worth noting, korrespondent.net has compiled its Invasion of Ukraine series into separate months, beginning May 9th, 2023. Linked in the title.
[Korrespondent] 22.23 Russian war criminals attacked Dnepr with drones. As a result of the raid, several fires occurred in the city. This was reported by the head of the Dnepropetrovsk regional military administration Serhiy Lysak on his Telegram channel.

21.26 On March 27, the Ukrainian Air Force carried out an airstrike on the Pogar border checkpoint in the Sluchovsk region of the Bryansk region of the Russian Federation, from where Russian UAVs were periodically launched. This was reported on the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces' Facebook page.

20.58 The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry condemned the awarding of a photo of a Russian occupier next to a photo of a Ukrainian child traumatized by war at the World Press Photo competition. This was stated by the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgiy Tykhyi on the social network X.

20.27 The number of confirmed Russian losses in the war against Ukraine as of March 28, 2025 is 100,001 people. Of the liquidated invaders, 4,842 are Russian officers. The corresponding list is compiled by the Mediazona publication and the BBC Russian Service.

19.23 UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said that Ukraine has "legitimate power that demands respect." This was reported by Reuters journalist Michelle Nichols on the platform of H.

Washington has already rejected the Kremlin's proposal to establish external governance in Ukraine under the auspices of the UN, and now the head of the organization has done the same.

19:01 During the summit in Paris, the Ukrainian side reached an agreement with partners of some countries to expand access to their intelligence data. This was stated by President Volodymyr Zelensky at a briefing .

18.57 Ukrainians will be able to apply for 35 types of deferment in the Reserve+ application without leaving their homes during 2025. Deputy Defense Minister Kateryna Chernogorenko spoke about this on the air of Unified News.

18.13 President Volodymyr Zelenskyy issued a decree introducing Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Andriy Gnatov into the personnel of the Supreme Commander-in-Chief's Headquarters. The same decree removed Anatoliy Bargilevich, who had previously been Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, from the Headquarters.

17.31 Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgy Tikhyi commented on Russian dictator Vladimir Putin's statement about establishing a "temporary government" in Ukraine to hold elections. He advised extending this practice to Russia.

16.59 Since the beginning of the current day, 116 combat clashes have occurred along the entire front line. The General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine reported the details in an operational summary as of 16:00.

16:45 The Czech Republic, as part of its initiative, will be able to provide Ukraine with the same amount of ammunition this year as in 2024. We are talking about a quantity of 1.5 million units. This was stated by the Prime Minister of the Czech Republic Petr Fiala.

16.24 The timeframe for completing the negotiations and concluding a peace agreement between Ukraine and Russia has not yet been determined. This was stated by US Secretary of State Mark Rubio. At the current stage of the negotiations, "more progress needs to be made on a technical level," he explained.

15.57 Since the beginning of Russia's military aggression in 2014, the total damage inflicted on Ukraine could reach $1 trillion. This was stated by Deputy Head of the Presidential Office Irina Mudraya on Igor Dolgov's program on Ukrinform .

15:38 The Danish government has announced the provision of 300 million Danish kroner (40 million euros) to create an innovation fund that will be used for the technological development of Ukraine on the battlefield, the press service of the Danish Ministry of Defense reported.

15.13 In the area of ​​responsibility of the Seversk OTG , the situation is under the control of the Ukrainian Defense Forces. At the same time, the enemy has concentrated more forces near the border with Sumy region, where the intensity of shelling from the aggressor is extremely high. This was reported by the spokesman for the operational-tactical group, Colonel of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Vadym Mysnyk.

15.00 The bodies of 909 fallen defenders have been returned to Ukraine as a result of repatriation activities. This was reported by the Coordination Headquarters for the Treatment of Prisoners of War. The Ukrainian defenders died in battles in the Donetsk and Luhansk regions, as well as in the Zaporizhia region.

14.49 Russia continues to produce fakes about Ukraine's pseudo-defeat of energy facilities. This was reported by the General Staff of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. It is noted that the Ukrainian army is carrying out fire strikes exclusively on military targets of the Russian occupation army.

14.43 Russian troops attacked Antonovka and Belozerka in the Kherson region using drones. This was reported by the Kherson OVA. As a result of the explosives being dropped in Antonovka, a 75-year-old man received an explosion injury and amputation of his arms. In Belozerka, a 37-year-old man received an explosion injury, concussion and concussion.

14.28 On March 27, Russian troops attacked civilian infrastructure in the village of Banychi, Glukhiv United Territorial Community. As a result of the shelling, the religious site was completely destroyed. There were no casualties. This was reported by the police of Sumy Oblast.

14.13 The aggressor country Russia may withdraw from the so-called "energy truce" because Ukraine allegedly does not comply with the moratorium. This was stated by Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov.

13:50 A man injured by Russian shelling has died in a hospital in Kropyvnytskyi. This was reported on March 28 by the head of the Kirovohrad OVA, Andriy Raikovich.

13:44 In Ukraine, a Russian GRU agent who was preparing to kill soldiers in Chernihiv region was convicted. He received 15 years in prison with confiscation of property. This was reported by the press service of the SBU.

He planned to use improvised explosive devices (IEDs) or kamikaze drones for the assassination attempt.

13:03 The first burials at the National Military Memorial Cemetery (NMMC) are planned to begin in May 2025. This was announced by the Minister of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine Natalia Kalmykova during the "Government Question Hour" in the Verkhovna Rada.

12:50 The Cabinet of Ministers allocated UAH 83.3 million to complete the construction of fortifications in the Zaporizhia region. This was reported by the government representative in the Verkhovna Rada Taras Melnychuk.

12.47 As of 2025, the damage to the environment of Ukraine as a result of Russian aggression exceeded 85 billion euros. This was stated by the Minister of Environmental Protection and Natural Resources Svitlana Grinchuk at a meeting of the Environment Council of the EU Member States.

More than 8,000 cases of environmental damage due to military actions have been recorded. More than 230 million tons of carbon have been released into the air, and a quarter of Ukraine's territory remains mined and contaminated with ammunition. 850 thousand hectares of forests are under occupation and in the combat zone.

12.31 Russian troops attacked Kupyansk in the Kharkiv region on March 28. As a result of enemy strikes, residential and utility buildings were destroyed, and three people were injured. This was reported by the head of the Kharkiv OVA Oleg Sinegubov.

12.26 Russian aggressors attacked Naftogaz facilities and damaged gas production capacities. This is the eighteenth combined attack on gas infrastructure since the start of the full-scale war and the eighth this year.

11:35 The location of ships of the Russian FSB border service has been discovered in the temporarily occupied Crimea. The Russian invaders have set up a base in Sevastopol, the Telegram channel Krymsky Veter reports.

Project 22460 Okhotnik patrol ship with anti-aircraft weapons is moored in Inkerman Bay. In addition, another ship of the same project is moored at berth No. 56 at the entrance to Inkerman Bay.

With the help of the anti-aircraft weapons on board, these ships can cover the nearby oil depot of the Russian Black Sea Fleet. For the same purpose, the Pantsir-S1 anti-aircraft missile and gun system is probably located on Zelenaya Gorka above the bay.

11.26 Explosions and a large fire have occurred again at the Sudzha gas metering station in the Kursk region of the Russian Federation. The Russian Defense Ministry blamed the Ukrainian Armed Forces for this attack. And the Central Control Center stated that the Russian military had again attacked its own gas transportation system.

10:25 In the first quarter of this year, almost 12.3 billion hryvnias were allocated to support combat brigades of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. This was reported by the Ministry of Defense. The money was used to purchase drones, electronic warfare systems, transport and other equipment to improve the effectiveness of units on the front lines.

10.22 Two more Russian agents have been detained in Donetsk Oblast, who were adjusting Russian air strikes on Defense Forces locations in the frontline areas of the oblast. This was reported by the SBU on March 28.

9:50 Russian troops shelled communities in the Sinelnyky, Nikopol and Dnipro districts. This was reported by the head of the Dnipropetrovsk OVA Serhiy Lysak. According to him, the Russians struck the Vasilkivska community of the Sinelnyky district with drones. There is damage on the territory of an agricultural enterprise. The Russian army targeted the Nikopol region with artillery and Grad MLRS, and used kamikaze drones. Nikopol, Marganets and Pokrovsk communities suffered. Infrastructure was damaged. In the Petrykivska community of the Dnipro district, an infrastructure facility was damaged as a result of a UAV attack.

9.38 The fire caused by the Russian attack on the industrial zone in Poltava region has been extinguished. This was reported by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine. It is noted that as a result of the shelling, damage was caused at six locations in the Poltava community: warehouses, administrative buildings and a backup transformer were burning. The total area of ​​the fires was 2,500 square meters.

9:30 At night, Russian troops attacked Ukraine with 163 Shahed-type attack UAVs and drone imitators of various types. Air defense forces shot down 89 drones, and another 51 enemy drone imitators of location losses without negative consequences.

As a result of the Russian attack, Kharkiv, Sumy, Poltava, Dnepropetrovsk, Odessa, Nikolaev and Zaporozhye regions suffered.

9.20 The International Atomic Energy Agency has requested access to the fuel tanks of the temporarily Russian-occupied Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant to verify information about a fuel spill.

8.57 A man was injured as a result of the Russian attack in the Odessa region at night. Garages and an outbuilding were on fire, and private houses were damaged. This was reported by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine.

8.42 There were 209 combat clashes on the front over the past 24 hours. The Ukrainian Armed Forces stopped 68 enemy attacks in the Pokrovsk direction. This was reported by the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces on March 28.

7.48 The Ukrainian Armed Forces destroyed 1,860 Russian occupiers in one day. The enemy's total combat losses from 24.02.22 to 28.03.25 were approximately 910,750 people. This was reported by the General Staff of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.

04.28 Several explosions were heard at night in the city of Engels in the Saratov region of Russia. Social networks reported that UAVs were apparently flying near a local oil refinery.

03.56 Russian occupiers have advanced near Katerynivka and Panteleimonivka in the Donetsk region and Orlyanskoye in the Kharkiv region, Deep State reported.

00.20 Late in the evening, the Russians attacked Poltava and Zaporizhia. Poltava reported a hit, and power went out in some areas of the city. In Zaporizhia and its suburbs, the attack caused fires, and one person was injured. Houses were also damaged.

Link


Syria-Lebanon-Iran
Trump and Bibi Issue an Ultimatum. Iran and Hamas Should Heed It.
2025-03-24
[WashingtonFreeBeacon] After more than two weeks of fruitless negotiations for further hostage releases, Israel’s patience ran out. On Tuesday, the Israeli military bombarded Hamas
..the well-beloved offspring of the Moslem Brotherhood,...
 leaders and positions 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...
, and ground forces soon reentered the Hamas-ruled enclave.

Renewed fighting caused consternation for many. The remaining hostages’ friends and family fear for the safety of their loved ones. Israelis of all stripes want their countrymen free from the horrors described by some of the recently released captives. And Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s political opponents accuse him of restarting the war to wriggle his way out of the most recent scandal to rock Israeli politics.

Focusing too narrowly on Gaza and Hamas, however, obscures the greater forces at play in the region. Jerusalem is acting like it is gearing up for the final confrontation with Iran, and it is taking Tehran’s pieces off the table in conjunction with the Trump administration.
Focusing too narrowly on Gaza and Hamas, however, obscures the greater forces at play in the region. Jerusalem is acting like it is gearing up for the final confrontation with Iran, and it is taking Tehran’s pieces off the table in conjunction with the Trump administration.

Last week, a letter from President Trump reportedly reached Iranian supreme leader Ali Khamenei
...the very aged actual dictator of Iran, successor to Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini...>
. The message: 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 Jews Zionists Jews. Their economy is based on the production of oil and vitriol...
has two months to come to terms with Washington. As National Security Adviser Mike Waltz said this weekend, "Iran has been offered a way out of this." It can either hand over its missile, uranium enrichment, and weaponization programs "in a way that is verifiable, or they can face a whole series of other consequences."

So far, Iran is sticking with its usual tactic—defiance. After Trump announced the letter, Khamenei retorted, "They constantly say, ’We won’t allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapons.’ If we had wanted to build nuclear weapons, the U.S. wouldn’t have been able to stop us." Starting in December, Iran massively sped up its uranium enrichment program, and according to the International Atomic Energy Agency'>ineffective International Atomic Energy Agency, by February, it had a stockpile of nearly weapons-grade uranium that could yield six bombs.

Iran can now get weapons-grade uranium at any time, and it is researching how to speed up the rest of its nuclear program. Toward the end of last year, the intelligence community assessed that the Iranians are working on shortcuts to shrink the time for making a bomb from about a year to only a few months.

The mullahs have crept right up to the edge of nuclear capability before, and previously they have traded parts of their program for diplomatic concessions, such as Obama’s misbegotten 2015 deal. Tehran has retained its enrichment program and its cadres of nuclear scientists so it can create new pawns to sacrifice as needed while moving toward its greater goals.

But over the past year, it has lost a lot of other pieces. Hezbollah, which had functioned as Iran’s strategic reserve in the region, is a shell of itself after Israel annihilated its leadership last fall. Syria used to be one of the Lebanese terrorist group’s primary supply routes, but the new regime in Damascus is clashing with it. Hezbollah rocketed Israel the day after Hamas began the war, but it is issuing only condemnations, not even threats, as the fighting resumes.

The Trump administration is pummeling another of Iran’s proxies, Yemen
...an area of the Arabian Peninsula sometimes mistaken for a country. It is populated by more antagonistic tribes and factions than you can keep track of...
’s Iran's Houthi sock puppets
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the Believing Youth. Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi is said to be the spiritual leader of the group and most of the military leaders are his relatives. The legitimate Yemeni government has accused the them of having ties to the Iranian government. Honest they did. The group has managed to gain control over all of Saada Governorate and parts of Amran, Al Jawf and Hajjah Governorates. Its slogan is God is Great, Death to America™, Death to Israel, a curse on the Jews They like shooting off... ummm... missiles that they would have us believe they make at home in their basements. On the plus side, they did murder Ali Abdullah Saleh, which was the only way the country was ever going to be rid of him...
s. The Houthis began attacking international shipping in the Red Sea in November 2023, and the Biden administration responded with only pinprick attacks. But last weekend, Trump began a much more damaging bombing campaign. The Houthis have been notoriously hard to dislodge, but if the U.S. military can pin them down and restrict their access to advanced weapons, they will be much weaker.

Hamas is one of the last Iran-backed groups that can seriously threaten Israel, and Netanyahu is hitting it again. This is controversial in Israel. Most of his countrymen seem to want to enact stage two of the ceasefire plan, which would trade all of the remaining hostages for a permanent end to fighting, and then finish off Hamas.

This is highly unrealistic. Hamas's leaders are not very interested "martyring" themselves—in their view, that’s what Gaza’s children are for—and the remaining hostages are their best human shields. Returning the captives would remove the greatest obstacle to Israel finishing off the terrorists. They are not going to do that unless they believe that the only other choice is annihilation. That is the choice Bibi is offering them.

Bibi and Trump both prefer to intimidate with threats rather than risk war, which Carl von Clausewitz called "the province of chance." But they are shrewd judges of power, and with Iran’s empire so weakened, Iran’s most advanced air defenses destroyed in an earlier Israeli air raid, and hard-earned Israeli expertise in tunnel fighting against Iran’s proxies, this is the best chance in decades to take out Iran's bomb.

If Hamas and Iran are wise, they’ll take the deal.
Link


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Qatar Ramps Up Pressure On Israel, Warns Against Attacking Iranian Nuclear Sites
2025-03-10
[MSN-Jpost] Qatar has been increasingly vocal in its critique of Israel. Its foreign minister warned against attacks on Iran in an interview with Tucker Carlson in the US on Friday.

Qatar said the “Persian Gulf states will run out of drinking water in three days if Iran’s nuclear sites are attacked,” according to Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), Iran’s official news agency.

This seems to be a talking point aimed at getting the Trump administration to enter a new deal with Iran, rather than pressure the Iranians in a way that could lead to Iran-Israel military clashes.

This appears to be part of Doha’s strategy, which is connected to a string of recent comments. In early March, for instance, Qatar slammed the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) for issuing a report about the October 7 massacre that said financial payments from Doha to Gaza had empowered Hamas.

In a statement from Qatar’s International Media Office, Doha cited “false accusations made by the Shin Bet security agency linking Qatari aid to the October 7 attack… yet another example of deflection driven by self-interest and self-preservation in Israeli politics.”

This also comes as media outlets and protesters have expressed concern about Doha’s role in influencing Israel.

PRESSURE ON ISRAEL
Over the weekend, Doha appeared to ratchet up pressure on Israel. Qatar said Israeli nuclear facilities should be brought under the regulation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), and it called for Israel to sign the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons Treaty (NPT) at a session of the IAEA in Vienna on Saturday.

This happened as Doha was continuing to host talks on a ceasefire in Gaza, Ynet reported. So far, Israel appears to have been outplayed in those talks, as Doha and Hamas hold most of the cards. The US is also having direct talks with Hamas now.

The foreign minister’s comments to Carlson are of particular interest in the region, and Iranian media outlets appeared to be pleased by them.

“[Qatar’s Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al Thani] says Persian Gulf countries will run out of drinking water within three days if Iran’s nuclear facilities are attacked,” IRNA reported.

“[He] has strongly warned that any attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities will have catastrophic consequences for the entire region,” the report said.

The comments were made about the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant because of its proximity to the sea, which is close to the other Persian Gulf countries.

The water supply “would basically be entirely contaminated... the whole country would run out of water in three days… This is not only applied for Qatar, it is applied for Kuwait, for the UAE, for all of us in that part… We are physically close to Iran, about 120 miles away, right across the water,” the report said. “You can get there by a 90-minute boat ride.”

“Al Thani also expressed hope for a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear issue,” the report said.

“We do not support any military action in this region in any way, and we will not stop trying until a diplomatic solution is found between the United States and Iran,” IRNA quoted him as saying.

This is important, and it illustrates how Qatar is now playing its cards. Doha is pressuring Israel while also hosting talks. It is also more openly critiquing Israel while seeking to gets its message to more Right-leaning media and media personalities who are followed by some people in the pro-Trump orbit.

It remains to be seen whether the Trump team and envoy Steve Witkoff can achieve a new hostage deal.

Trump has been very vocal about support for the hostages and bringing them home. He hosted several of the freed hostages at the White House in early March.

Witkoff also said he hoped Hamas would show goodwill and release American citizen Edan Alexander, one of the hostages in Gaza.
Related:
Qatar: 2025-03-09 UN Accuses Israel of War Crimes in Gaza
Qatar: 2025-03-07 Assad remnants launch deadly attacks on Damascus forces in western Syria, 16 HTS turbans toes up UPDATE: Vicious HTS response
Qatar: 2025-03-07 Clashes between Assad supporters and police in Latakia
Link


Israel-Palestine-Jordan
Qatar Says All Israeli Nuclear Sites Must Come Under IAEA Oversight
2025-03-10
No.
[IRNA] Qatar has called for increased international efforts to place all Israeli nuclear facilities under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).

In a statement on Sunday, the Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged the UN nuclear watchdog to bring all of Israel’s nuclear facilities under its supervision.

The statement followed a meeting of IAEA governors in Vienna attended by Jassim Yacoub Al-Hammadi, Qatar’s ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations Office and International Organizations in Vienna. It also called on Israel to join the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).

During the meeting, Al-Hammadi stressed the need for the international community and its institutions to uphold their commitments under UN Security Council resolutions.

He called for increased international efforts to make Israel join the NPT, noting that all Middle Eastern countries are parties to the treaty and have established effective safeguard agreements with the IAEA.
Like Iran, you mean? How is that working out for you?
The official further condemned Israel’s aggressive policies toward Palestinians, including calls for the forced displacement of residents of Gaza, blocking humanitarian aid, and intensifying military raids in the occupied West Bank.
War by other means…
Related:
Qatar: 2025-03-09 UN Accuses Israel of War Crimes in Gaza
Qatar: 2025-03-07 Assad remnants launch deadly attacks on Damascus forces in western Syria, 16 HTS turbans toes up UPDATE: Vicious HTS response
Qatar: 2025-03-07 Clashes between Assad supporters and police in Latakia
Related:
IAEA: 2025-03-09 UN nuclear watchdog’s ability to monitor Iran’s nuclear program hindered by US aid cuts — report
IAEA: 2025-03-01 Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: February 28, 2025
IAEA: 2025-02-27 Iran’s enriched uranium stock jumped since December, UN watchdog warns
Related:
Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons: 2025-02-18 Iran claims Israel, US can’t ‘do a damn thing’ against Tehran after threats on nuclear sites
Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons: 2024-11-21 NATO Will Not Hide. Russia Introduces the Principle of Collective Nuclear Responsibility
Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons: 2024-06-16 Iran informed the IAEA, one week after anti-Tehran resolution, it’s expanding nuclear program
Link


International-UN-NGOs
UN nuclear watchdog’s ability to monitor Iran’s nuclear program hindered by US aid cuts — report
2025-03-09
First freeze everything, then restart those worth doing.
[IsraelTimes] The UN nuclear watchdog’s ability to monitor Iran’s nuclear program has been disrupted after US President Donald Trump suspended two programs that provide aid to international nuclear inspectors, the New York Times reports, citing current and former US government nuclear experts.

The two programs were suspended by a sweeping executive order signed by Trump on the first day of his presidency that froze all US foreign aid programs for 90 days.

Citing unnamed sources, the Times says that the two programs are intended to support the International Atomic Energy Agency by recruiting and training atomic inspectors, and supplying it with the equipment and sophisticated lab devices needed for examining samples.

According to the Times, one of the programs has since been restored, although the other remains frozen.

While the IAEA declines to comment on the reported aid cuts, the US State Department, which is supposed to fund the programs, tells the Times that US national security is a top priority, and that “certain US assistance to programs that support International Atomic Energy Agency efforts and capabilities to inspect nuclear facilities worldwide, including in Iran, are continuing.”

The State Department does not say, however, whether any of the programs have been frozen or cut.
Related:
IAEA: 2025-03-01 Ukrainian Perspective: Invasion of Ukraine: February 28, 2025
IAEA: 2025-02-27 Iran’s enriched uranium stock jumped since December, UN watchdog warns
IAEA: 2025-02-18 Sa’ar tells US delegation Turkey cooperating with Iran to smuggle money to Hezbollah
Link



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