Israel vs Palestine/Lebanon/Iran/Yemen/Syria: a New Middle East War

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Posted by Bill Ryan

This coming livestream, linked and embedded below, may be very valuable and interesting. The Duran (which chiefly means Alexander Mercouris) is hosting Brian Berletic. They've not spoken together on air for a long time. They are live in exactly 2 hours.

Some may know that Berletic, who is never anything other than calm and logical, has been highly critical of Trump's foreign policy stance for quite a while, and (I believe) has been accurately predicting the current extremely dangerous situation in the Middle East.

Mercouris has been far more cautious in his appraisal of Trump, but has recently changed his tune. In his 15 June video update on his own channel, two days ago, he said: (at 43:13)

In my opinion, and I speak with a knowledge of history behind me, it is far far better to be dealing with a wicked scoundrel than a fool. I'm afraid to me at the moment Donald Trump looks like a fool.

For Mercouris, this is an extremely strong statement. I've never heard him say anything like that so clearly. What I expect (and hope!) to hear in this coming discussion is a highly intelligent, calm and balanced exchange of analyses of every agreed fact.

Trump on the brink of Iran war w/ Brian Berletic (Live)

https://youtube.com/watch?v=hmvxLZ_jkyc

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Watched this from start to finish. Thanks for the link Bill. One point I picked up on was that, on the one hand Brian Berletic said that this (Iran) has been on the cards for many years during many administrations, and then added that (my words) it was now or never because of BRICS and that the situation had become dangerous because of that urgency. I pointed out in another thread that BRICS must have been aware of a potential challenge from the US and wonder what they have up their sleeve.

Perhaps now would be a good time for China to take Taiwan as the US is focused elsewhere. It would hopefully dilute the Middle East conflict. Pawn takes Queen?

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Posted by Open Minded Dude

Interesting YouTube comments on this video interview with Scott Ritter. People seem disappointed and state that he completely flip-flopped doing a 180-degree turn. Is it so?

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=KbLrAp0z0mY

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I noticed that in a few of his recent videos. Scott Ritter is walking the tight-rope between criticizing Zionism and defending American interests. He's under investigation so he has to tread carefully i suppose.

Gen. Michael Flynn makes his viewpoint clear on Substack:

https://genflynn.substack.com/p/trum...dRedirect=true

https://x.com/MoonofA/status/1934998706190696959

https://www.tradewindsnews.com/casua...ah/2-1-1833747

‘Massive fire’ after collision between Frontline VLCC and dark fleet tanker off Fujairah
One of the tankers believed to be involved is accused of being part of the dark fleet

A Frontline VLCC and a dark fleet suezmax tanker caught fire in the Gulf of Oman off Fujairah in the United Arab Emirates following a collision.

The ships are Frontline’s 300,000-dwt Front Eagle (built 2020) and the 164,500-dwt Adalynn (built 2002), which is managed by Oceanpack Ship Management of India.

Frontline told TradeWinds it was responding to an incident involving the Front Eagle, managed by Anglo-Eastern. It confirmed the collision with the Adalynn.

Tanker sources in Singapore said the VLCC is on charter to Unipec, the trading arm of oil major Sinopec, which could not be reached for comment.

The Adalynn has been accused by Ukraine of being part of the dark fleet.

Diaplous Group was one of the first to uncover the incident.

In a statement on Tuesday, the maritime security company said an Antigua & Barbuda-flagged crude oil tanker collided with a Marshall Islands tanker, “resulting in a massive fire minutes after the collision, potentially caused by residual fuel, engine room, or cargo related ignition”.

The company added: “The Antigua & Barbuda-flagged crude oil tanker sustained a severe structural damage. There are no reports — so far — for any casualties.”

The UAE’s National Guard said in a social media post: “The Coast Guard of the National Guard carried out today, Tuesday, June 17, 2025, an evacuation mission involving 24 crew members of the oil tanker Adalynn, following a collision between two ships in the Gulf of Oman.

“The ship’s crew was evacuated from the incident site, located 24 nautical miles off the country’s coast, to the Port of Khor Fakkan using search and rescue boats.”

Earlier on Tuesday, open source intelligence company OSINT Defender had suggested that the other vessel involved was Frontline’s.


Adalynn and Front Eagle's alleged collision course.Photo: OSINTechnical via Instagram

The Front Eagle, which is Liberia-flagged, last broadcast an AIS position at 04:40 GMT, saying it was “not under command”.

Oslo and New York-listed Frontline has now confirmed the fire on its VLCC has been extinguished.

Ambrey confirmed at 03:45 hours UTC that the cause of the incident was not security-related.

The incident happened at 01:50 UTC, it said.

Fearnley Securities said spoofing of GPS signals has made the area more prone to accidents lately.

“We don’t see this accident having a large impact on rates, as oil continues to flow relatively undisturbed,” the investment bank said.

“Pressure on rates is more related to owners demanding higher risk premiums and some opting to stay out of the Middle East Gulf.”

Fearnley Securities also noted a thin fixture list and owners demanding higher rates to fix in the region.

Mumbai-based Oceanpack has no listed phone numbers. TradeWinds has emailed the company.

The Antigua & Barbuda-flagged Adalynn was shown on the MarineTraffic site as lying in close proximity to the Front Eagle, and last put out an AIS broadcast at 01:50 GMT.

The Ukrainian government has accused the Adalynn of being involved in the export of Russian oil/oil products from the Baltic Sea port of Ust-Luga, as well as using deceptive practices such as disabling its AIS and conducting “shady activities” in the Kola Bay area in 2023 and 2024.

Kpler tracking data showed that the suezmax’s last laden voyage was from Ust-Luga in September 2024.

It delivered 855,000 barrels of Urals crude to the Vadinar refinery on the west coast of India the following month.

Since then, it has remained off the coast of the UAE and spent several months at the port of Duqm in Oman.

The Front Eagle has protection and indemnity cover with Steamship Mutual, according to databases. The Adalynn does not have cover from any of the 12 clubs that make up the International Group of P&I Clubs.

The area of the collision is designated a high-risk area where shipowners require additional cover from specialist war insurers, which take on responsibility for hull and P&I claims.

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=F4dWc9JD6Uo

🇵🇰🚨 Pakistan Seals Iran Border Amid Escalating Conflict

As regional tensions spiral, Pakistan has fully closed its border with Iran across Balochistan, citing serious security threats.

Border Closures:
• Crossings shut indefinitely in Turbat, Panjgur, Gwadar
• All fuel transport & foot traffic banned
• Movement along the border tightly restricted

Evacuation Operations:
• 450 Pakistani pilgrims extracted from Iran
• First batch of 154 students now being airlifted out

Diplomatic Response:
• FM Dar and Turkish FM condemn “Israeli strikes”
• Pakistan to attend TBD OIC emergency summit in Istanbul

This is the most severe Pakistani response to a regional crisis since 2020.

https://x.com/DD_Geopolitics/status/1934835348015866195

Scanning some of the mainstream news outlets about what is happening to happening in Israel regarding the cancellation of all flights in and out Israel as the air space has been closed down. As usual, you can read the stories "they" want you to know about and through logical induction, discover what is really happening:

• There are lots of articles about people trying to get into Israel and almost nothing about people trying to get out of Israel. Normally, one would expect that there would be just about as many people leaving the country, but you wouldn't know it from the news media. Under the current conditions, one would expect the in addition to the people who planned to leave Israel for planned vacations, business trips and family visits, there would be more people trying to leave to avoid the bombings that are occurring there. Conversely, there are probably more people who are extending their stay outside of the country to avoid going back to Israel, but if you believe the news media, the only people being inconvenienced are the ones that want to go home while Iran is sending missiles and drones there at night.
  
  
• Well, there is one person stuck in Israel the media did talk about, but she claims she is very happy to be there: Caitlin Jenner. The Olympic athlete formerly known as Bruce Jenner, was set to be featured in Tel Aviv's GLBT Pride Parade, however, the parade was cancelled when the attack was launched against Iran. She stated "There is not a place I’d rather be, than with the brave people of Israel. God, please continue to shield and protect us.” After she made the rounds in the news cycle and did her part to pinkwash Israeli genocide, she left the country via Jordan.
  
  
• Per an article in Haaretz, Israel is planning to bring people back, BUT, there are telling the airlines that they do not want them to leave!!! The official pretext is that there will be too many people incoming in the airports which would not be able to also handle those who are leaving. This seems like utter rubbish to me, since there will be the same number of planes leaving the airport, whether they are full or not, and airports have separate areas for arrivals and departures. The only thing that might be slightly overextended are the parking areas.

Reading the mainstream stories and then applying some reasoning, it seems pretty clear: Israel is holding it's own people hostage in a war zone. In every war in history, innocent civilians are warned to leave areas that are being bombed, but that reasoning has been thrown into the wind. Israel has always claimed that one reason it need to come into existence was to provide a safe place for Jews to live - it is now pretty clear that living in Israel is the most dangerous place on the planet to be a Jew. Israel turned Gaza into a concentration camp for Palestinians, is it turning Israel into a death camp for Jews too?

Israel Tells Airlines Not to Let Israeli Citizens Leave, Even Once Repatriation Flights Start
The directive is meant to prevent overcrowding at Ben-Gurion Airport ■ Estimates suggest rescue flights for Israelis stranded abroad won't begin before Thursday – and even then, only two flights per hour will be allowed during daylight hours ■ Arkia CEO: The plan doesn't match the scale of the crisis
https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/...f-7cd4b67d0000

The Israeli government has instructed domestic airlines not to allow Israeli citizens to leave the country on planes designated for the repatriation of Israelis stranded abroad. The decision stems from security officials' concerns about overcrowding at Ben-Gurion Airport and the risk of mass casualties among passengers waiting to depart.

Estimates suggest that between 100,000 and 200,000 Israelis are currently abroad and in need of rescue flights. Given the heavy rocket fire on the Tel Aviv metropolitan area in recent days, such flights are not expected to begin before this Thursday

El Al announced on Sunday that, in line with decisions made by the relevant security and aviation authorities, all of its flights – including those of its subsidiary Sun d'Or – are canceled until Thursday. As of now, no rescue flights to or from Israel have been authorized.

Under the proposed rescue flight plan, no more than two flights per hour will be permitted, to minimize the security risk. This would enable approximately 8,640 to return each day, assuming the flights are allowed to operate 24 hours a day.

However, given Iran's pattern so far of intensifying rocket fire during nighttime hours, rescue flights will likely be limited to daylight hours – reducing the number of return passengers to about 5,000 per day. Consequently, even under the conservative estimate of 100,000 Israelis stranded abroad, the entire operation would take no less than three weeks to complete.

Arkia Airlines CEO Oz Berlowitz warned that the current plan doesn't match the scale of the crisis. On Sunday evening, he called on the prime minister, the heads of the security establishment and the transportation minister to personally intervene in the aviation crisis, in which thousands of Israelis – including doctors and medical teams, reservists under emergency call-up orders, patients and parents of young children – are stranded abroad without a solution.

"The current plan being formulated – permitting only two landings per hour and only during daylight – falls far short of offering a real solution," Berlowitz said. "At this pace, it could take weeks – possibly even longer – to bring all Israelis home. Arkia and other Israeli airlines are fully prepared – our planes and crews are waiting in nearby countries, ready to take off as soon as authorization is given. But as of now, no actual policy has been put in place to begin the repatriation of citizens."

"I get hundreds of calls each day – from individuals, from reservists under emergency orders, from hospitals, organized groups, and major companies. There are small children separated from their parents, patients waiting for treatment, and people who are running out of money due to prolonged hotel stays.

"The government must understand that the current aviation crisis is a national crisis and respond accordingly. The current plan does not suit the reality on the ground. I urge decision-makers to revise it immediately and authorize a broad, effective airlift back to Israel."

Israir: Repatriation flights may begin this weekend

Due to the closure of Israeli airspace, Israir CEO Uri Sirkis said Sunday evening that "the operation to return Israeli citizens currently abroad may begin toward the end of the week – or possibly only at the start of next week."

"The current plan allows only two flights per hour, operating around the clock, depending on the security situation," Sirkis said.

He added that the plan would allow "either two flights per hour of a narrow-body aircraft, or one flight per hour of a wide-body aircraft, operating throughout the day," emphasizing that even this is an optimistic scenario, as the actual mechanism for flight operation has not yet been finalized.

"We're still studying the enemy and their patterns to understand the rhythm of the threats," Sirkis said. "But if all goes well, we could start toward the end of this week or early next week.".

Sirkis also noted that flights would be limited to returning Israeli citizens, while Israeli citizens would not be permitted to depart the country at this stage "Everything is subject to the security authorities' decisions, and operating flights under these conditions requires careful planning, full coordination, and patience."

Meanwhile, Yossi Fattal, director of the Israel Incoming Tour Operators Association, has sent an urgent request to Shmuel Zakai, head of the Civil Aviation Authority, for assistance in evacuating tourists from Israel. According to Fattal, there are currently 35,000 tourists in the country, estimating that 50 percent of them wish to leave immediately.

Fattal said that according to media reports, the government, via the Civil Aviation Authority, plans to organize rescue flights for stranded Israelis abroad – but does not intend to allow outbound flights from Israel as part of these rescue operations. He urged Zakai to seriously consider allowing foreign tourists currently in Israel and wishing to leave due to the circumstances to do so.

He stressed that accommodating this request is important for the State of Israel – both from a humanitarian perspective and in terms of its international reputation – and pledged that his organization would supply the Civil Aviation Authority with a list of tourists who wish to leave the country.

Scott Ritter (1st part): IRAN HITS HERZLIYA AND TEL AVIV – Daylight War Begins! | June 17, 2025

Source: Dialogue Works youtube

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=EZHYWi1sejQ

Scott Ritter (2nd part) | IRAN HITS HERZLIYA AND TEL AVIV – Daylight War Begins! | June 17, 2025

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=CWQvknj0CuA

Reminds me of Ukraine:

❕ Israel’s Transport Minister: Israelis Banned from Leaving the Country

Miri Regev, Israel’s Minister of Transport, announced:

“For the sake of national security, we are not allowing Israeli citizens to leave the country for now. Only foreign nationals — tourists, businesspeople, or diplomats who arrived in Israel and are now returning home — will be allowed to depart.”

She emphasized this is a temporary measure due to the current situation.

We can already see yesterday’s “relocants” frantically searching for the Tisza River and Upper Lars on the map of Israel.
- UARU

https://x.com/Zlatti_71/status/1934924836196798719

🇺🇸🇮🇷 In March, Tulsi Gabbard — Director of National Intelligence — testified that Iran wasn’t building a nuclear weapon.

Today, Trump replied: “I don’t care what she said. I think they were very close to having one.”

So now the U.S. administration is openly contradicting its own intelligence community. Just another reminder that the very “deep state” Trump once promised to dismantle is alive, well, and stronger than ever.

To all the Trump-voting Ameribros who genuinely believed he’d "drain the swamp" — you got played.

https://x.com/DD_Geopolitics/status/1934943806597509496

Text:

Do Russia and North Korea help Iran?

-I haven't seen it. I don't think anyone wants to interfere.
- SK

https://x.com/Zlatti_71/status/1934927670271205711

MenchOsint
@MenchOsint
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6h
🚨✈️ U.S. Reinforcements arrive in the region:

A total of 20 Tankers confirmed accompanying squadrons of F-35s & F-16s are now en route to the Middle East.

Destination: Prince Sultan Air Base, Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦

https://x.com/MenchOsint/status/1934939215613059455

🇺🇸🇮🇷 KC-135s and F-35s spotted over the UK this morning en route to the Middle East.

A dozen F-35s are reportedly split into three flights of four jets.

Photo:
@TheAviationist


https://x.com/DD_Geopolitics/status/1934968144789119273

🇩🇪🇮🇷 German Chancellor Merz:

If Iran does not surrender, the complete destruction of its nuclear program will be on the table. This is something Israel will not be able to achieve alone.

What is Iran surrendering to or for? He made it pretty clear that Gerany is willing

https://x.com/DD_Geopolitics/status/1934995152336269369

🇮🇷 BREAKING — An Israeli Hermes-900 drone has reportedly been spotted over Kermanshah, Iran.

The Hermes-900 is a long-endurance Israeli surveillance and strike UAV, capable of carrying multiple payloads.

During the 2023–2024 conflict, Hezbullah successfully downed several Hermes-450 and Hermes-900 drones, using Iranian-made 358 air defense missiles and other systems.

This may indicate either a deep Israeli ISR operation.

https://x.com/DD_Geopolitics/status/1935000037647642756

For some unknown turn of event, Trump declares air supremacy over Iran and demands unconditional surrender from Iran's Supreme Leader - and threatens to eliminate the Supreme Leader if he do not surrender

https://x.com/DefensePolitics/status...13149020999951

It's almost impossible to believe the President of the United States wrote those words...

https://x.com/georgegalloway/status/1935013491187892685

"We"

https://x.com/The_Real_Fly/status/1935009641437794350

He keeps waffling between "we had no idea Israel would do this" to "WE have control of Iranian skies due to American weapons" like any crazy person would do

https://x.com/The_Real_Fly/status/1935011297835573640

🇮🇷 BREAKING! U.S. officials said Trump is seriously considering joining the war and launching a U.S. strike against Iran's nuclear facilities, especially its underground uranium enrichment facility in Fordow.
— AXIOS

https://x.com/DD_Geopolitics/status/1935021176855883930

White House officials confirm the "we" does refer to the United States and will not share "additional operational details" yet.

Do these people ever stick to one storyline?!?!

https://x.com/DD_Geopolitics/status/1935016625805345044

According to the BBC, the bus depot targeted in today’s strike was part of a military installation.

The area is now under IDF military censorship, and Israeli media are not allowed to report on what exactly was hit.

When the press can’t say what was destroyed, that usually means it was something important.

https://x.com/DD_Geopolitics/status/1935014915666071968