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

[Ravenlocke]

Press TV 🔻

Dr. Mohammad Hossein Mokhtari, Iran’s ambassador to the Vatican, received the highest diplomatic honor from Pope Leo XIV. Established in 1847 under Pope Pius IX, the medal is awarded to ambassadors and notable figures for their efforts to strengthen diplomacy and promote peace.

https://x.com/PressTV/status/2054167202044035483

[Ravenlocke]

GBX

🚨 ITALY JUST SHUT DOWN FOR PALESTINE! 🇮🇹🇵🇸
Nationwide general strike in 75+ cities! Millions flood the streets of Milan, Naples, Florence & Turin.
Country completely paralyzed for 24 hours transport, schools, ports, logistics ALL stopped.
Port workers blocked arms shipments to Israel. Police fired tear gas in Milan after clashing with protesters near the central station.
Why? Meloni refused to recognize Palestine → the people said NO MORE.
Their demands:
1️⃣ Recognize the State of Palestine
2️⃣ Halt ALL arms sales to Israel
3️⃣ Sanctions on Netanyahu’s government
4️⃣ End the genocide in Gaza NOW

https://x.com/GBX_Press/status/2054223450609504263

[Arcturian108]

The following is unrelated to any Italian strike, but is just an individual Italian giving advice to the Iranian people should the current regime fall, and they have a rare chance to change their government. He uses Italian recent history to explain mistakes Italians made when having to choose between monarchy and a republic : Italian man

[shaberon]

Posted by ThePythonicCow (here)
Most large organizations that portend to be world-wide or to unite all nations in global governance seem to be "globalist" in nature. Such organizations are seldom openly and honestly controlled by any particular culture, nation, religion or people, but rather are apparently controlled by the hidden hand(s) of very powerful and wealthy families, who use such "global" institutions as one of their means to colonize humanity and extract this planet's wealth.

So who are these "globalists" really? They don't tells us. They stay hidden. We have no generally and publicly recognized way to determine who "they" are. We are not allowed to have any such clearly reliable and publicly accepted way.

Okay.

I was responding to a section where it represented American military buildup in foreign countries.

Perhaps a better-fitting word is imperialism. That's the term for foreign wealth extraction, whether directly by takeover, or, indirectly, by puppet governments that do the work for you.

The description as given matches American foreign policy exactly. It's the IMF, the petro-dollar and so on.

If a system is given for such wealth extraction and elite control, it is capitalist, whereas if runaway profiteering is curtailed and national development is emphasized, it is generally socialist.

I'm not sure a person can be "hidden". I can understand they may be obscure or distorted, that misleading statements are often a cover for something else, but in general the bigger and more influential something is, the harder it is to hide.

In the current conflict, Zionism is certainly pushing for global rules and money from every corner, whereas the resistance, Iran, is neither militarily nor economically superior to the imperialistic forces -- what is happening is an ideological defeat, for instance, by showing all those weapon systems deployed in West Asia don't work.

It looks to me like a major contention between American and Chinese paradigms, in simple terms. Does it represent early America, or when China was in fact called an Empire...no...not after the twentieth century re-arranging those notions. America is the pusher. That could be changed again in the future, but not by Zionists telling you what to think, or, financialism sucking away our well-being for its own purposes.

Perhaps this is the defeat that cannot be admitted, only witnessed.

[Rizotto]

"The Grayzone reporter Max Blumenthal joins Jimmy to discuss a Wall Street Journal report revealing that Israel built a secret military base in Iraq's western desert—with US knowledge—to support its campaign against Iran, and that when Iraqi troops moved to investigate, Israeli airstrikes killed one soldier and wounded two others to keep the base hidden. He notes that the Israeli Air Force chief hinted at "special missions which could ignite the imagination," and that the two blue lines on the Israeli flag originally represented the Nile and Euphrates rivers, which were the proposed borders for the original "Greater Israel" project under the Jewish National Fund plan.

Max warns that Israel is now openly preparing for war on Turkey, a NATO state, and that this base on the Euphrates signals that Israel seeks to "physically conquer an entire region deep into Eurasia." He concludes that the US is legally bound to maintain Israel's "qualitative military edge" over any regional rival, meaning American taxpayers will continue to foot the bill for Israeli expansionism, and that Iraq will be blamed for any blowback."

Israel’s SECRET BASE In Iraq & Plan To Take Over The Middle East Discovered! w/ Max Blumenthal

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

[Ravenlocke]

senore_amore

🇮🇷 🇪🇺 Russian tg channels report that Iran has warned Kallas that if she continues to threaten Iran, it may double transit fees for European vessels and require them to broadcast the message, "We have no affiliation with Kallas," while passing through the strait.
https://x.com/SenoreAmore/status/2054154327741137084

[Rizotto]

"Today (May 12), Dimitri Lascaris gained access to a private conference held in Athens, Greece for the purpose of promoting deeper ties between Israel, Greece and Cyprus.

The speakers included Israel's Deputy Foreign Minister, Israel's Ambassador to Greece, the Chairman of Israel Shipyards, Greece's Minister of Tourism and Greece's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Their speeches left no doubt that the Israeli, Greek and Cypriot governments are strongly committed to the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), and that they view the closure of the Strait of Hormuz as a splendid marketing opportunity for IMEC.

In this report, Dimitri discusses what happened at the conference and highlights the speech of Chen Herzog, the Chief Economist of BDO Consulting Israel. In his speech, Herzog argued that the oil and gas crisis is about to become "unmanageable" and that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz proves how essential IMEC has become."

Why Israel Wants The Strait of Hormuz To Be Closed

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=8oYOg9lCGLw

[Szymon]

One of the largest energy shocks in history shows no signs of abating. We have mapped the impact of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz

[Rizotto]

https://www.facebook.com/PhysiciansforHumanRightsIsrael

PHYSICIANS FOR HUMAN RIGHTS ISRAEL, facebook post, May 12, 2026:

"Yesterday, a lawyer on our behalf visited four physicians from Gaza currently detained at Ktzi’ot Prison: Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, Dr. Muhammad Ubaid, Dr. Murad Alkuka, and Dr. Akram Abu Odeh. All four are being held without charge.
-
Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya has been detained for 500 days.
Dr. Muhammad Ubaid has been detained for 540 days.
Dr. Murad Alkuka has been detained for 780 days.
Dr. Akram Abu Odeh has been detained for 900 days.
-
All four physicians reported that there has been no improvement in either the quality or quantity of the inadequate food provided in prison. One physician reported losing 35 kilograms (77 pounds) over the past two years.
-
In recent months, the physicians have also reported being brought before court hearings during which their detention was extended indefinitely, despite no charges being filed against them. Two described hearings lasting only a few minutes and taking place without legal representation. They further stated that prison guards confiscate their mattresses every morning and return them only in the evening, forcing them to sit all day on the floor or on metal bed frames.
-
Two of the physicians said they need glasses after prison guards confiscated their own, yet repeated requests for replacements have been ignored. Two others reported medical issues that remain untreated. The physicians also described recurring outbreaks of skin diseases among the prison population.
-
Hygiene conditions remain dire. They are held in severe overcrowding, provided with only a single set of clothing that they are not able to wash, and denied access to cleaning supplies.
-
Following our petition to the High Court of Justice demanding the physicians’ release from unlawful detention, the state said it would submit its response within two weeks. PHRI calls for the immediate withdrawal of the arrest warrants against these physicians, and urges local and international organizations to take action to secure their release, so they may return home and resume their life-saving work."

https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid...51533560349682

[Rizotto]

May 2026 report by the Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle-East:

ISRAELI FOREIGN INFLUENCE, INTERFERENCE, AND TRANSNATIONAL REPRESSION IN CANADA

"This report outlines the threat of Israeli foreign influence, interference, and transnational repression in Canada. It reviews documented reports of Israel covertly intervening in Canadians public affairs in various forms, and recommends measures that Canada can take to counter this malicious activity."

See full report by the ‘Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle-East’ (CJPME)'s website at this link:
www.cjpme.org/israeli_foreign_influence?

[Rizotto]

This is very hard to even think about. But it must be said.
____________________________________________________

Robert Rosenthal - May 12, 2026:

"Last year, a UN report described sexual violence against Palestinians in Israeli detention as one of Israel’s “standard operating procedures.”
This is why Israel is spending $730 million on propaganda. Massive “hasbara” isn’t going to significantly change how that genocidal apartheid state is perceived around the world.
Israel doesn’t have a “public image” problem. It has a settler‑colonialism problem built on exclusive rights for one group and an “other” that many Zionists treat as less than fully human. It’s a deeply troubled nation organized around the use of violence to maintain Jewish supremacy.
It needs to be totally reimagined as a real democracy with equal rights for every human being, regardless of religion, ethnicity, or race.
See below to view the New York Times piece by Nicholas Kristof."

https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=...a.460386856560

"The Silence that Meets the Rape of Palestinians
Male and female Palestinians describe brutal sexual abuse at the hands of Israel's prison guards, soldiers, settlers and interrogators."
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/11/o...-violence.html

(I don't subscribe to the New York Times, so I'm not able to reproduce Kristoff's piece here.)

[Raskolnikov]

Posted by Rizotto (here)
"The Silence that Meets the Rape of Palestinians
Male and female Palestinians describe brutal sexual abuse at the hands of Israel's prison guards, soldiers, settlers and interrogators."
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/11/o...-violence.html

Seems that NYT article has put the propaganda machine into high gear:

The Times of Israel headline: Sexual violence was ‘systematic, integral’ to Hamas-led October 7 terror assault, study finds

https://www.timesofisrael.com/sexual...t-study-finds/

The Jewish Chronicle headline: Israel accuses New York Times of ‘blood libel’ over article alleging use of dogs to rape Palestinian detainees

https://www.thejc.com/news/world/isr...inees-r6bxahac

And CNN: First on CNN: New report details ‘systematic’ rape and sexual violence during Hamas’ Oct 7 attack on Israel

https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/12/m...+International

All predictable and expected in their desperate effort to keep the Israel-is-always-the-victim narrative going. But Harrison Smith highlighted a broadcast from Israeli television that shows the real picture. This man, when referring to the rape of Hamas prisoners by Israeli soldiers, says, "The only thing that is a problem for me here is that it's not a regulated policy of the state to abuse the detainees. Because, first of all, they deserve it, and it's great revenge, that we need to give them. And secondly, maybe it will also serve us a little more as a deterrent...So, first of all, they deserve it, it's a very appropriate revenge. It's just a shame that we don't do it in an institutionalized way, as part of regulations for torture of prisoners."

Source: https://www.brighteon.com/embed/cec080e9-5322-4b6e-92db-3a5aeef9248a

[Ravenlocke]

Pepe Escobar reporting from Shanghai,

The Emperor Has No Clothes and No Cards.

The full column - before the summit:

https://sovereignista.com/2026/05/13...-and-no-cards/

After that, the Chinese will soothe him, pack him home and at best say, "relax, we'll talk to the Persians

https://x.com/RealPepeEscobar/status...27272859591003

https://sovereignista.com/2026/05/13...-and-no-cards/

The Emperor has no clothes and no cards
thuren

Pepe Escobar at Strategic Culture

Business Shanghai is not exactly impressed by the arrival of the Emperor of Barbaria.

SHANGHAI – China’s powerhouse moves on like a speed-breaking EV. The atmosphere is electric. At a business dinner in a landmark Cantonese restaurant, Trump’s visit to China at least propels the conversation towards something more tangible: the conflicting paths for future generations from the West down to the East.

Business Shanghai is not exactly impressed by the arrival of the Emperor of Barbaria. Even if every possible geopolitical variable may be at stake in what is arguably the most important diplomatic meeting of the Year of War 2026, with possible trade and security decisions bound to affect the whole Global South.

Let’s start with pedestrian American concerns. A master in the Art of No Empathy, Trump at least may have vociferated the whole game away: “I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation. I don’t think about anybody.”

And yet he does. He’s terrified of becoming a fat lame duck after the mid-terms. So he will pressure Beijing to buy more soybeans – to appease his Midwest base – and more Boeings. He will pressure Beijing to export rare earths – to appease the industrial-military complex.

And of course he will exercize maximum pressure on Xi to press Tehran to open the Strait of Hormuz, so oil prices will come down, inflation will be reduced, and the Fed will cut rates.

He holds zero cards to achieve this agenda. On the tech war, his maximum pressure only led to China spectacularly bypassing U.S. suppliers, over and over again. On the trade war, China amply diversified exports and even got a record trade surplus.

Iran of course is the key – not least by showing for all the planet to see the glaring structural mega-holes of the “indispensable nation”. What will Trump do? Threaten Xi because Iran is using the Chinese BeiDou satellite system, which de facto reduced the whole of West Asia to a glass house for Iranian ballistic missiles?

Iran never lost its oil connectivity corridor to China when the Emperor of Barbaria came up with the “blockade”. The flow is on, via the shadow tanker network navigating close to Iranian and Pakistani territorial waters, ship-to-ship transfers, disguised cargoes, and now Chinese refiners told by Beijing to absorb the sanctions risk.

That’s not a fight in effect only in thalossacratic terms, but also in Eurasia overland terms – via the Eurasian rail corridor, those trains running from Xian to Tehran and vice-versa. Railways may still not match the volume of maritime exports, but strategically that’s abolutely key, driving the point that maritime pressure is completely different from overland economic strangulation.

The “brilliant” American idea of suffocating China’s oil supply chain – from Venezuela to Hormuz – plus sanctioning Chinese ‘teapot’ refineries only led to China emerging as one of the key real mediators during the (non-stop broken) ceasefire, alongside Russia.

The whole Hormuz game, played to perfection by Iran, has had very little impact on Chinese imports, as much as restricting exports of Nvidia H100 and H200 to “control” Chinese AI had next to zero impact. After all, China de facto ignores Nvidia. The DeepSeek V4 model uses local chips. And the H200 is not sold in China.

Xi won’t even need to tell Trump face-to-face that if he insists on deploying financial war by shutting down the financial institutions behind the teapot refineries, Beijing will have no trouble into deploying full-scale economic war.

Taiwan is not the only remaining card. Taiwan is not even a card. Taiwan is an internal security matter for Beijing. Everything else is just spin. Beijing may invest in persuading Trump about nullifying the $11 billion weapons sale to Taiwan, including Aegis-equipped destroyers, F-35s, (inefficient) Patriot missiles and E-2D Hawkeye aircraft for early warning signs. But even that is peripheral.

So what’s left after all the (reduced) pomp and circumstance? At best the current, quite precarious status quo.

The Chinese tech war plan

In a nutshell, Trump’s game is to force Xi to apply diplomatic pressure on Iran into accepting Barbaria’s terms on ending the war. That’s a major non-starter on every aspect.

Even if that happened, in exchange Trump might offer “stable” U.S.-China trade relations; extensions to trade truces; and concessions on tech controls. Xi is not impressed by any of it – as much as he knows, following Lavrov’s maxim, that the U.S. is “non-agreement capable”.

The badly burnt BRICS brand may not even feature in the discussions. China will address its serious internal challenges separately, in the meeting of Foreign Ministers in India nearly simultaneous to Trump-Xi in Beijing.

Xi also may suspect that Trump’s real handlers – Tech Feudalism, Big Banking and assorted scions of Zionism Inc. – have concocted a sequenced, systemic world war that is already being waged, from now to roughly 2040, targeting essential global infrastructure, trade and energy, designed to collapse the old order and install a real Great Reset, in way more profitable terms.

That’s the exact, blunt, brute opposite of the official Chinese policy, which seeks to form a community for a shared future for mankind. Xi won’t deviate one milimeter from this policy, actually his policy, to appease the outsized ego of a pathologic, psychopathic Narcissist.

Xi is already concentrated on the 141-page Five-Year Plan, unveiled in March, which refers to AI over 50 times; targets 70% AI penetration across the Chinese economy by 2027; and commits to space-Earth quantum communication networks, nuclear fusion timelines, and brain-computer interfaces.

The Five-Year Plan also declares “extraordinary measures” for rare earths and semiconductor self-reliance – tightening a supply chain without which the U.S. military simply perishes.

The Chinese plan foresees AI implemented all across the economy; robotics as the industrial backbone; space infrastructure; quantum computing; and total strengthening of rare earth processing dominance.

Call it a de facto Chinese war plan – to the level of national security priority – in a direct confrontation with the U.S. To believe that Trump would be able to alter any of it with a stack of empty promises is beyond naïve.

The historic record shall be written. What is already certain is that the idiocy of trying to retain global dominance by strangulating emerging superpower China via a “blockade” of Iranian ports and the Strait of Hormuz, and setting the whole of West Asia to go up in flames while bankrupting their own economy in the process, must feature in the Top Three of the long series of idiocies produced by the deeply deluded U.S. Deep State.

[Ravenlocke]

Pepe Escobar reposted

فواد ایزدی Foad Izadi

Translated from Persian
After the death of Henry Kissinger, the author of the following article is known in America as the contemporary Henry Kissinger. Key points from Robert Kagan's recent article in The Atlantic:

1- Iran will not only be able to demand tolls for passage through the Strait of Hormuz, but it can also restrict passage. If a country behaves in a way that Iran's rulers dislike, they can punish that country simply by slowing down—or even threatening to slow down—the flow of that country's cargo ships.

2- The leverage of the Strait of Hormuz allows Tehran's leaders to force countries to lift sanctions and normalize relations, or else face punishment in the Strait of Hormuz.

3- The new situation in the Strait of Hormuz will also cause a significant shift in relative power and influence, both regionally and globally. In the region, the United States has shown itself to be a paper tiger, and the Gulf states and other Arab countries have no choice but to accept Iran's power. The economies of the Gulf Arab countries were built under the umbrella of American hegemony. If you take that power—and the freedom of navigation that comes with it—away from them, the Gulf countries will have no choice but to beg Tehran.

4- The rest of the countries that depend on Gulf energy will also have to adjust their relations with Iran. And what real choice will they have? If the United States, with its powerful navy, cannot or will not open the Strait of Hormuz, no coalition of forces with a fraction of America's capability will be able to do so either.

5- The British and French initiative to monitor the Strait of Hormuz after the ceasefire is also a bit like a joke. Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, has clearly stated that this "coalition" will only operate in the Strait under peaceful conditions: meaning it will escort ships, but only if they don't need an escort.

6- With control of the Strait of Hormuz, Iran will emerge as a key regional player and one of the key players in the world. The role of China and Russia, as Iran's allies, will be strengthened, and the role of the United States will be significantly diminished.

7- In the event of another U.S. attack, just a few successful Iranian strikes could paralyze the region's oil and gas infrastructure for years, if not decades, dragging the world and the United States into a prolonged economic crisis.

8- Iran will have control of the Strait of Hormuz. The common assumption that the Strait will somehow reopen after the crisis ends is baseless. Iran has no interest in returning to the status quo ante. Some talk of the gap between hardliners and moderates in Tehran, but even the moderates understand that Iran cannot let go of the Strait, even if they think they can strike a good deal with Trump. They know Trump is not a reliable person.

9- They also know that the Israelis might attack again, because the Israelis never restrain themselves when their interests are threatened.

10- Of course, Israel will find itself more isolated than ever, as Iran becomes richer, more armed, and preserves its options for going nuclear in the future. Israel may even find itself unable to pursue Iran's proxies: in a world where Iran has leverage over the energy supply of many countries, Israel could face enormous international pressure not to provoke Tehran in Lebanon, Gaza, or anywhere else.

11- In recent days, reports indicate that Trump has asked the U.S. intelligence community to assess the consequences of declaring victory and withdrawing from the war. One can't blame him. The hope for regime collapse, especially when the regime has survived repeated military and economic blows, is not much of a strategy. Trump doesn't have much time to wait, as oil prices will rise to $150 or even $200 per barrel, inflation will spike, and global shortages of food and other goods will begin. He needs a faster solution. Those who want Trump to "finish the job" aren't paying attention to the costs.

https://theatlantic.com/internationa...losing/687094/

Implications for Iran:
1- The Strait of Hormuz must remain closed for at least another two months.
2- After limited reopening, serious tolls must not be forgotten—at least 10 percent of the ship's cargo value.
3- Alternative routes to the Strait of Hormuz must be the top priority targets for Iran's missiles.

https://x.com/IzadiFoad/status/2054859015205671215

[Ravenlocke]

Pepe Escobar

https://youtube.com/live/0Pat322Q1T0...uEG1zn5w7dVcRT

Straight outta Shanghai: talkin' to The Judge 'bout Xi offering Trump a civilization masterclass.


https://x.com/RealPepeEscobar/status...65558677045663

[Vicus]

U.S. lawmakers says Washington lost 39 aircraft in Iran war,citing defense report

Pentagon official declines to confirm losses during Senate hearing

Vicus note:

I cant not "copied and paste" don't know why...whatever, you can reed this link: https://www.aa.com.tr/en/americas/us...report/3935793

[Ravenlocke]

What did Trump bring to Beijing, Pepe Escobar


Pepe Escobar

This is the first segment of my long interview with Thinkers Forum yesterday in Shanghai, focused on the Emperor of Barbaria's visit to Xi Dada.

https://x.com/RealPepeEscobar/status...35320219799863

Source: https://youtube.com/watch?v=h7shQ3E_R9Q

[Ravenlocke]

Hamidreza Azizi


Trump-Xi meeting and #Iran’s new maneuver in Hormuz

🔹As Trump meets Xi in Beijing – with reopening the Strait of Hormuz being a major topic on his agenda – Iran’s Fars News Agency reports that Tehran has begun allowing Chinese ships through the strait under Iranian-managed protocols, following lobbying by China’s foreign minister and ambassador. The timing is quite important.

🔹One of Washington’s key demands of Beijing is that China pressure Tehran to reopen Hormuz. Iran seems to have just made that demand structurally irrelevant. The message from Tehran is that the strait isn’t closed to partners, and it never was. In fact, Iran has been operating a selective access regime since the start of the conflict.

🔹But here, the protocol matters as much as the passage. Ships transit under Iranian management and on Iranian terms. Tehran is not “reopening” Hormuz completely; instead, it is demonstrating sovereign governance over it. This is something Iranian leaders have been emphasizing.

🔹For Beijing, the move is a diplomatic gift. Xi can tell Trump the strait is accessible to Chinese vessels – which is now verifiably true – without having applied a single day of pressure on Iran. Washington wanted Chinese leverage over Tehran, but Tehran has effectively removed the pretext for invoking it.

🔹In this sense, Iran keeps the strait instrumentalized, i.e., open enough to service partners, but closed enough to impose costs on adversaries, while retaining the ability to tighten or ease access as the diplomatic environment shifts.

🔹The development once again shows that a war designed in part to strip Iran of its instruments of regional leverage may instead have consolidated Hormuz as a permanently managed chokepoint, through which Tehran now exercises something closer to port authority than naval harassment

https://x.com/HamidRezaAz/status/2054903249598136330

[Vicus]

BRICS nations must shatter US 'sense of impunity' - Iranian FM-today

RT
Thu, 14 May 2026


Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi.

"Declining imperialist powers" are desperately trying to reverse the shift toward multipolarity, Seyed Abbas Araghchi has said.

BRICS member states must join forces to counter the US´ growing "sense of superiority and impunity," Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said on Thursday.

Speaking at the BRICS foreign ministers' meeting in New Delhi, Araghchi said that while Iran has twice come under US-Israeli aggression over the past year, many other member countries of the economic group have also faced "hateful pressure and coercion" from Washington.

"We cannot ignore the common and dangerous threat we all face," he said.

The group "should become one of the main pillars in shaping" a fairer global order, in which the Global South plays a more prominent role, Araghchi argued.

He warned that "declining imperialist powers seek to turn back time and, in their fall, act aggressively" as they desperately attempt to reverse the trend toward multipolarity and preserve their hegemony. The Iranian official cited the increasingly unabashed engagement of Western powers in "horrific genocides [and] shocking violations of national sovereignty."

While BRICS has to date largely positioned itself as an economic partnership, certain suggestions have been floated in recent months that point to potential security cooperation within the bloc.

Soon after the start of the US-Israeli aggression against Iran, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva called on fellow BRICS member South Africa to boost defense cooperation and reduce their reliance on foreign arms. During a meeting with South African President Cyril Ramaphosa in March, Lula warned that both countries could become vulnerable to "invasion."

https://www.sott.net/article/506304-...ity-Iranian-FM

Vicus comment.

From horse mouth:

Quote of the Day

"We have about 50% of the world's wealth but only 6.3% of its population. This disparity is particularly great as between ourselves and the peoples of Asia. In this situation, we cannot fail to be the object of envy and resentment. Our real task in the coming period is to devise a pattern of relationships which will permit us to maintain this position of disparity without positive detriment to our national security. To do so, we will have to dispense with all sentimentality and day-dreaming; and our attention will have to be concentrated everywhere on our immediate national objectives. We need not deceive ourselves that we can afford today the luxury of altruism and world-benefaction."

~ US State Department, 1948

- George Kennan

Well, now its OVER...

[Vicus]

They Killed the Shepherd – Iraqi Man Who Reported Secret Israeli Base Found Dead -today


Iraqi shepherd Awad Hadi al-Shummari was found dead in his car. (Photos: social media, screen grab. Design: Palestine Chronicle)

An Iraqi shepherd who reported suspicious military activity in the Najaf desert was later found dead after exposing a covert Israeli base.

Key Takeaways

The Wall Street Journal confirmed Israel operated a secret military base in Iraq used during the war on Iran.
Iraqi shepherd Awad Hadi al-Shummari was found dead after reporting suspicious military activity and alleged Israeli presence.
Iraqi authorities deny that foreign bases exist in the country despite growing public outrage and calls for an independent investigation.

A Shepherd’s Warning

“Now, these are the American military bases. This is one base, about a kilometer away, and here is the other military base.”

This was the commentary by Iraqi shepherd Awad Hadi al-Shummari, who was describing a video he took of military bases in his country.

What al-Shummari assumed were American military bases were, in fact, a secret Israeli military base in Iraq.

The story went viral days ago after the Wall Street Journal reported that the covert site was nearly exposed in early March when a shepherd alerted Iraqi authorities to unusual helicopter activity and armed men operating in the area.

What remains less known, however, is that al-Shummari was later found dead inside his car soon after contacting authorities to report that he suspected one of the facilities was an Israeli military base.

According to Al-Araby TV, the Iraqi shepherd was discovered dead inside his burned vehicle in the same Najaf desert where he had reported the sighting.

Many have pointed the finger at Israeli intelligence for the killing of al-Shummari, though the Iraqi government continues to insist that no such military bases exist in the country. Yet the Wall Street Journal confirmed that al-Shummari’s suspicions were correct in a May 9 report titled Israel Built and Defended a Secret Iran War Base in Iraq.

The newspaper said the base was constructed “just before the war started with the knowledge of the US” and served as a logistical hub for Israeli military operations targeting Iran.

continue: https://www.palestinechronicle.com/t...se-found-dead/