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

[Ravenlocke]

DD Geopolitics

🇺🇸🇨🇳🇮🇷 A sanctioned, Chinese-linked oil tanker, Rich Starry, has passed through the Strait of Hormuz despite the U.S. blockade, according to shipping data.

And just like that.... the blockade was gone.

https://x.com/DD_Geopolitics/status/2043929778596860306

[Ravenlocke]

Posted by Ravenlocke (here)
Yes MBS went to China to negotiate, yesterday.

Pepe Escobar

Astonishing. MbZ's imbecile son goes to Beijing to LECTURE Xi Jinping on Iran. Got "diplomatically" kicked in the mouth big time.

https://x.com/RealPepeEscobar/status...21792952725813

GBX

Beijing breaks protocol and reprimands Abu Dhabi:

🔴 During Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi Khalid bin Mohammed bin Zayed’s visit to Beijing, the UAE reportedly attempted to entice China with closer economic ties in exchange for a clear request: 🔴 to cut relations with Iran and dismantle the Sino-Iranian partnership.

But the response was decisive, with a reprimand to Abu Dhabi: “We decide our own allies…”

🔴 “Friendship with the UAE has limits, and does not include interference in our relations with Iran.”

https://x.com/GBX_Press/status/2044072340141813797

[Ravenlocke]

Moon of Alabama

New on MoA:
War On Iran: The Stalemate Of Blockading Blockades
https://www.moonofalabama.org/2026/0...blockades.html

https://x.com/MoonofA/status/2044092679613530143

https://www.moonofalabama.org/2026/0...blockades.html

War On Iran: The Stalemate Of Blockading Blockades

April 14, 2026

Following the unprovoked attack by USrael in late February, the Islamic Republic of Iran announced a (virtual) blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. Traffic through the Strait decreased from some 130 ships per day to less than 5 per day.

The lack of oil, gas and fertilizer coming through the Strait is going to cause a global depression.

Six weeks after its attack on Iran had cause the problem the U.S. Central Command responded by blockading all ships going to and coming from ports of Iran:

More than 10,000 U.S. Sailors, Marines, and Airmen along with over a dozen warships and dozens of aircraft are executing the mission to blockade ships entering and departing Iranian ports. During the first 24 hours, no ships made it past the U.S. blockade and 6 merchant vessels complied with direction from U.S. forces to turn around to re-enter an Iranian port on the Gulf of Oman.
The blockade is being enforced impartially against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports and coastal areas, including all Iranian ports on the Arabian Gulf and Gulf of Oman. U.S. forces are supporting freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports.

In response to the blockade of its own ports Iran announced to block all traffic from and to harbors in the wider Persian Gulf region.

Thus the situation is (again) at a stalemate. But the clock is ticking. Iran’s economy is battle hardened. It can sustain itself much longer throughout a blockade than the world can sustain the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the lack of commodities following from it, and the social uproars that will be caused by this.

Something – someone – will have to give in. It is unlikely (archived) that it will be Iran doing that.

[Ravenlocke]

Ryan Rozbiani

🇮🇷🇮🇱: U.S. CENTCOM Commander Brad Cooper is Meeting with IDF Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir in Israel

According to flight data, a Senior UAE military commandar also landed in Israel, coinciding with this meeting. Signaling that the UAE will join Israel and the U.S. in the next wave of attacks.

What the UAE does not know is the U.S. wont protect it. They took HEAVY hits during the 40 days, and Iran was not aiming for them, it was aiming for the U.S. base. Imagine what happens if they enter the war.

This is a bad move by the UAE.

https://x.com/RyanRozbiani/status/2044070052069056880

DD Geopolitics

🇺🇸🇱🇧 Secretary of State Narco Jubio:

The Lebanese people are victims of Iranian aggression, and this needs to stop.

https://x.com/DD_Geopolitics/status/2044082484397387828

https://x.com/DD_Geopolitics/status/2044071769561334165

[Ravenlocke]

SilencedSirs◼️

🚨 𝗔𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗪𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗼𝗻:

Lebanon's ambassador sits 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 Israel's ambassador.
The 𝗨.𝗦. 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 runs the session.
The 𝗟𝗲𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 these negotiations.
The 𝗟𝗲𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 went ahead with them anyway.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲:
Foreigners 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲.
The government 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀.
The people are a 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲.

𝗟𝗲𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆.
𝗟𝗲𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 — publicly, on camera,
in the handwriting of 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀.

𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁.
𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲.

https://x.com/SilentlySirs/status/2044080521030795415

[Ravenlocke]

Peter Cronau

Now Indonesia too is sliding down the razor blade of future war with China.

“Indonesia's foreign ministry has warned the defence ministry in a letter that an American proposal to give its military "blanket" permission to fly over Indonesian territory ‌risked entangling Jakarta in potential South China Sea conflicts.”

https://x.com/PeterCronau/status/2044071515306766555

[Ravenlocke]

IRI Embassy in Armenia

If we confirm that you have won, if we confirm that you are the greatest and most victorious blocker in the entire world, will you put down the phone for half an hour, just half an hour, and attend to your main duties?

To the 30 million Americans who have no health insurance, to the 800000 Americans who are homeless, to America's infrastructure that is dilapidated. To the 38 trillion dollars of United States national debt....

https://x.com/iraninyerevan/status/2043954332647805029

[Bill Ryan]

Posted by Ravenlocke (here)
Pepe Escobar with Nima

An across the spectrum War Dementia travelogue with Nima. Lots to digest

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=46I3oA-N6bM

Pepe Escober explains how the US, if it loses its attempt to control the Strait of Hormuz, will move its attention to the Strait of Malacca, between Malaysia and Indonesia, critical for Chinese shipping. That perfectly explains the recent overtures of the US towards Indonesia.

Watch for this becoming a new flashpoint between the US and China. The Strait of Malacca is so important for Chinese trade that this could be how a real war starts.

[Ravenlocke]

Yes the Strait of Malacca a good choke point especially if the war expands to China. Although I believe that the strait is controlled by not just Indonesia, but Malaysia and I think Singapore.

Peter Cronau

Choke points to “make the economy scream”.

“Washington is tightening its grip on the sea lanes and straits through which China’s economic lifeblood must flow.”

https://x.com/PeterCronau/status/2044068610398953927

[Arcturian108]

Jesús Enrique Rosas on Twitter @knesix - Twitter Post

"Imagine you're about to fire an employee who's been stealing from you for years. You don't send in the guy from legal with a stack of complaints. Nah, you send in the nicest manager in the building. The one everybody likes. The one who always gives second chances.

And you tell him: "Go sit with them. See if they'll stop."

But you already know they won't stop. Then, why bother? well, because now the entire office watched the nice guy try, and the entire office watched them spit in his face, while pocketing a stapler before ducking out early.

That's what Trump just did with JD Vance.

Vance is the most diplomatic voice in the administration. Iran literally requested him by name. He represents the faction inside the US government that genuinely wanted to exhaust every option before escalation. Democrats, Republicans, and a huge chunk of the American public share that instinct. So Trump sent him. Not because he thought Iran would fold. Because he needed the world to watch Iran refuse the one guy everybody agreed was fair.

And now? Nobody can say the US sent hawks to sabotage peace. Nobody can say Iran wasn't given a real chance. The man who wanted peace the most walked into that room, and Tehran flipped the table with the cameras rolling.

Twenty minutes later Trump announced a full naval blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

And if you still had any doubt about what Iran actually wants... they told you. Out loud. At the negotiating table.

They refused to stop funding Hamas. They refused to stop funding Hezbollah. They refused to stop funding the Houthis.

They refused to stop enriching uranium, and they refused to open the Strait without charging a $2 million toll per ship in crypto, like some dark web scammer.

They didn't just reject peace. They handed the world a signed confession that the regime's real priorities are nukes, terrorism, and extortion. In that order.

Iran didn't lose a negotiation. Iran lost the argument."

[Ravenlocke]

Brian Berletic

🇺🇸🇨🇳 As US Destroys Middle East, It Continues Preparing Wider War with China

As the US prepares to cut oil to China from the Middle East, it continues setting up the Philippines to become Southeast Asia's "Ukraine" versus China.

Rather than build desperately needed modern infrastructure in the Philippines, the US will be building arms factories there.

This is to reduce the "tyranny of distance" involved in waging war on China on the other side of the planet and at the same time, turns the Philippines into a target amid any future war.

The Philippines has little say as its political and information space is completely controlled by the US, the Philippines having been literally a US colony from 1898-1946 and having maintained unwarranted influence over the island nation since achieving its nominal "independence."

https://x.com/BrianJBerletic/status/2043992401463914750

[Ravenlocke]

Brian argues that the US objective is aimed at destroying the Multipolar world economy but will they succeed? Multipolararity means using currency that is not the US dollar.

Brian Berletic

🇺🇸/IRAN - What if the US Plan is actually to Destroy the Multipolar World Economy?

▪️The war on Iran is part of a larger war on multipolarism, including against Venezuela, Russia, and especially China;

▪️The US cannot compete directly with multipolar world's rise so must drag down its rise relative to its own unipolar strength;

▪️By attacking and degrading Iran the US is reducing a partner and pillar of multipolarism and specifically of Russia and China;

▪️By attacking Iran and compromising the flow of energy from the region, the US is also reducing the multipolar world altogether;

▪️An economic recession across Eurasia and other regions dependent on Middle East energy will crater demand for Chinese manufactured exports and thus hurt China directly in addition to the damaged done by blocking energy exports to China;

▪️Look beyond the political theater designed specifically to distract us all from the big picture, and see what the US is actually doing and why

🇺🇸/IRAN/🇨🇳 As I've said for years, China is aware of US plans and that they're all ultimately aimed at them and the multipolar world they seek to build (this is what drove the Belt and Road Initiative for years)...

They understand the implications of the US blockade of Hormuz and the US war on Iran in the first place.

China has been preparing its military, economy, infrastructure, information space, and population for all of this for decades.

And because China is not the US - the US essentially maniacal and threatening the world daily - China does not openly declare its intentions.

We will have to wait and see China's actual plans as this escalates.

For now, China has stated it will continue trading with Iran and expects no interference from the US.

https://x.com/BrianJBerletic/status/2043936518428078121

[Ravenlocke]

How is the Iran war affecting Turkey?

NewRulesGeopolitics

Apr 13
🚨🇮🇷🇹🇷Is the Iran War Accidentally Rebuilding the Ottoman Empire?

The Ottomans didn't dominate the world through conquest alone. They dominated by controlling Eurasian land trade routes and large swathes of the Mediterranean. The Iran war may be positioning Turkey to rebuild that same combination.

For decades, the Strait of Hormuz carried nearly 20% of global oil and LNG supply. The Iran war has created an opening for alternative routes — and Turkey sits at the intersection of several plausible ones:

🔸 Turkmen gas via Trans-Caspian into the TANAP network — through Turkey to Europe, bypassing the Gulf entirely.

🔸 The Iraq-Turkey pipeline extended to Basra — up to 1.5 million barrels daily to Mediterranean markets, outside Iranian reach.

🔸 Qatar gas via Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria, and Turkey — directly to European LNG terminals, entirely overland.

For 400 years, the Ottoman Empire sat at the crossroads of East and West not because it conquered everything, but because everything valuable traveled through it. If these three routes are built, a significant share of energy moving from the Gulf to Europe would pass through Turkish territory.

The Ottomans understood this formula: control the routes, control the trade. And they backed it with a navy that, at its height, dominated the Mediterranean. Turkey is now rebuilding that same combination.

41 warships are under simultaneous construction, and 120 ships with 15,000 personnel recently completed the Blue Homeland-2026 exercises across three seas. This growing fleet allows Turkey to project power across the Eastern Mediterranean — a region already crowded with competing energy interests.

Why does that matter?

The Eastern Mediterranean is becoming a gas hub in its own right.

🔸Major discoveries (Leviathan, Tamar, Aphrodite, Zohr) have turned Israel, Egypt, and Cyprus into potential suppliers for Europe.

🔸Those countries are developing offshore LNG terminals and subsea pipelines.

🔸98% of Israeli foreign trade depends on Mediterranean navigation — including its ability to export gas.

Turkey now actively contests this sea. By positioning itself as both an energy corridor and a naval power in the Eastern Mediterranean, Ankara could in the long run influence who ships what, where, and under what terms

https://x.com/NewRulesGeo/status/2043691036665598120

[bojancan]

There are so many good analyzes from different point of views.. in different channels we know them... I always love to listen from Brian point of view too... here is the latest one...

Apr, 13

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=KmHYS8oK-pg

The US has announced a blockade of all maritime traffic in the Strait of Hormuz originating from Iran or having agreed with Iran for passage;

This is the full implementation of Washington’s initial objective for waging war with Iran, an oil blockade of not only China but also much of the multipolar world;

The US’ primary geopolitical objective is global hegemony and the only way it can achieve this objective is by dragging the rest of the rising multipolar world down relative to US power and wealth;

The primary means to do this is by targeting the life blood of modern civilization which is energy;

The US has been sabotaging and creating energy crises deliberately around the world including through the invasion of Venezuela, the destruction of the Nordstream pipelines, its own blockade on the so-called “shadow fleet,” and the US CIA and military targeting Russian energy production, storage, and export facilities within Russia itself;

[Ravenlocke]

Posted by Ravenlocke (here)
SilencedSirs◼️

🚨 𝗔𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗪𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘁𝗼𝗻:

Lebanon's ambassador sits 𝗮𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 Israel's ambassador.
The 𝗨.𝗦. 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 runs the session.
The 𝗟𝗲𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 these negotiations.
The 𝗟𝗲𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 went ahead with them anyway.

𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲:
Foreigners 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗱𝗲.
The government 𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝘀.
The people are a 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲.

𝗟𝗲𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗶𝗱 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗴𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆.
𝗟𝗲𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 — publicly, on camera,
in the handwriting of 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝘀𝗼𝗻𝘀.

𝗛𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘁.
𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗼𝘂𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗶𝘃𝗲.

https://x.com/SilentlySirs/status/2044080521030795415

Ibrahim Majed

𝗟𝗘𝗕𝗔𝗡𝗢𝗡–𝗜𝗦𝗥𝗔𝗘𝗟 𝗗𝗜𝗥𝗘𝗖𝗧 𝗧𝗔𝗟𝗞𝗦: 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗘𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗬𝗔𝗟 𝗢𝗙 𝗔 𝗡𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡

After years of struggle, resistance, blood, and martyrs, Lebanon now stands under a leadership imposed by the United States and Saudi Arabia, one that operates in alignment with Israel’s interests inside the country.
The image emerging from the direct contacts and negotiations between Lebanon and “Israel”, conducted through ambassadors in Washington, does not reflect diplomacy, it reflects submission.

A government and leadership that trade away rights, land, and dignity, offering concession after concession with nothing in return, only deeper losses carved into Lebanese sovereignty and paid for with the blood of its people.
Such a government is not worthy of speaking on behalf of the majority of Lebanese, many of whom reject any form of negotiations or normalization with Israel.

History will not be kind.
President Joseph Aoun and Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, in this view, will be remembered not as statesmen, but as figures who presided over the erosion of what generations fought and died to protect.
These are not political compromises, they are seen as transactions made at the expense of a nation’s sacrifices.

No matter how far these negotiations go, they do not decide the outcome. That is written elsewhere.
On the ground, in the field, where the balance has always been shaped.
There the decisive force remains the resistance, still standing, still fighting, still bearing the cost, refusing to surrender, refusing to abandon its people, and determined to prevent the enemy from ever imposing its will on Lebanese soil.

https://x.com/IbrahimMajed/status/2044115741385830532

[Vicus]

IRANIANS HAVE PUBLISHED SOME OF THE NAMES OF US SOLDIERS ( DELTA FORCE) WHO ARE CAPTURED AS PRISONERS OF WAR DURING THEIR FAILED RESCUE MISSION BUT THE US HAS DENIED AND DON'T WANT ANY PRO WESTERN MEDIA TO PUBLISH THEIR NAMES OR WRITE STORY ABOUT THE FAILED RESCUE MISSION

50 Delta force currently in the custody of Iran IRGC.

https://x.com/Cool_Ustaz/status/2043656359766290701

[Ravenlocke]

DD Geopolitics

The Lebanese Amal Movement has rejected any form of direct negotiation with Israel, stating that the mechanism committee remains the practical and executive framework for halting hostilities and returning to full implementation of the October 2024 ceasefire terms, which Israel has not adhered to in any of its clauses.

🔸 Amal's executive committee reaffirms opposition to direct talks with the Israeli enemy
🔸 Mechanism committee remains the sole framework for ceasefire implementation
🔸 Israel has violated every clause of the October 2024 ceasefire agreement

https://x.com/DD_Geopolitics/status/2044130511686381842

[Bill Ryan]

Many podcasts, interviews and articles have referenced the long and detailed New York Times piece, published on 7 April, about exactly what happened in the White House in February when Donald Trump took the decision to launch a war with Iran despite almost everyone in his Cabinet telling him this was a really bad idea.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/04/07/u...-iran-war.html

The article is behind a login wall, but I was able to open the page and grab a full PDF before the page closed again. It's now here in the Avalon Library.

https://avalonlibrary.net/Bill/How_T...York_Times.pdf

[Szymon]

Posted by Ravenlocke (here)
Yes the Strait of Malacca a good choke point especially if the war expands to China. Although I believe that the strait is controlled by not just Indonesia, but Malaysia and I think Singapore.

Peter Cronau

Choke points to “make the economy scream”.

“Washington is tightening its grip on the sea lanes and straits through which China’s economic lifeblood must flow.”

https://x.com/PeterCronau/status/2044068610398953927

Krzysztof mentioned another blockade around Asia. This must be it.

[Ravenlocke]

Ryan Rozbiani

Update on Prisoner Marwan Barghouti directly from his lawyer, Ben Marmarelli

He was subjected to three violent attacks, one was with a DOG, and then denied medical care and treatment.

Legal representation, which is a basic right for prisoners, is pretty much denied and made almost impossible.


بن مرمريلي בן מרמרלי Ben Marmarelli

April 12, 2026, I visited Marwan Barghouti in my capacity as his lawyer.

What I confirmed through this visit is deeply alarming. In recent weeks, Marwan Barghouti has been subjected to three violent assaults. On April 8 in Ganot Prison, he was severely beaten and left bleeding for more than two hours. He requested medical care and was denied treatment. On March 25, he was assaulted during his transfer from Megiddo to Ganot. On March 24, in Megiddo Prison, guards entered his cell with a dog, forced him to the ground, and the dog repeatedly attacked him. 

These are not isolated incidents. They form a clear pattern of escalating abuse: violence, medical neglect, and treatment that places him at immediate risk.

He had a great deal to say. Above all, he wanted to know more about his family and the Palestinian people, What is happening in Palestinian and Israeli scene I tried to tell him everything I know.

But even that conversation took place under absurd conditions: the phones did not work, so we had to shout through the glass just to hear each other.

For five hours, I sat there without food or water, trying to make sure this visit meant something.

This is what a legal visit looks like today: basic conditions denied, communication obstructed, and even the most elementary human and professional standards ignored.

And still, despite all of that, his mind was sharp, focused, and deeply engaged with everything happening outside those prison walls.

https://x.com/RyanRozbiani/status/2044127502075863448