Iran-Israel-U.S. developments - the China surprise (4-Jul-2025) (updated)
"Our politicians are nothing but a bunch of whores, bought and paid for with Jewish money." -- Larry C. Johnson, former CIA Analyst, in conversation with Nima R. Alkorshid, Nov. 22, 2024 (source)
12bytes: Sans the idiotic comments about the Jewish holocaust, this is an excellent, information dense interview in which Horton digs deep into the history of Iran.
How did we wind up at war with Iran? Scott Horton explains.
Scott Horton is director of the Libertarian Institute, editorial director of Antiwar.com and author of Enough Already: Time to End the War on Terrorism and Provoked: How Washington Started the New Cold War with Russia and the Catastrophe in Ukraine.
Russia has warned about various Israeli officials' efforts to trigger the resumption of aggression against Iran.
Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov made the remarks during a press conference alongside his visiting Saudi counterpart Faisal bin Farhan in Moscow on Friday.
"We sincerely hope that the so-called 12-day war is indeed over," the Russian top diplomat said.
[...]
Lavrov, however, warned, "We intend to stay vigilant, as the 'war party' remains highly active in the Middle East."
"We keep hearing a variety of statements from some representatives of the Israeli leadership," he added, suggesting that those officials were persistently agitating for the resumption of aggression against the Islamic Republic.
"If a new aggression occurs against Iran, Iran's response will be crushing and we will have no red lines," Brigadier General Ali Mohammad Naeini said in an interview with the al-Mayadeen television news channel on Friday.
He added that the Israeli regime failed to achieve its goals during its 12 days of acts of aggression against Iran.
American lawmakers want to transfer B-2 bombers and GBU-57 bombs to Israel. It is time to just say no. Israel is not a friend you can trust with this technology.
The World Health Organization (WHO) stated on Friday that the Gaza Strip is witnessing intense violence against Palestinians, with an average of 90 people killed and 200 others injured daily.
"A total of 72 soldiers were killed in operational accidents in Gaza, representing 16% of the 440 soldiers killed in ground operations since the offensive began."
The term "operational incidents" refers to a variety of non-combat fatalities, including:
Friendly fire incidents (31 deaths)
Ammunition and weapons accidents (23 deaths)
Armored vehicle runovers (7 deaths)
Shooting incidents (6 deaths)
The radio report also noted that:
Since the resumption of the Gaza offensive on March 18, two Israeli soldiers have died in operational accidents out of a total of 32 deaths in that period - about 6% of those killed.
It added that five soldiers were killed in work-related accidents, including falls from height and mishaps involving engineering equipment - one such incident occurred just last night, though no further details were provided.
According to official figures published on the Israeli army's website:
Total Israeli military deaths since October 7, 2023: 882
Injuries: 6,032
These statistics highlight a significant toll within the ranks of the Israeli military, not only from combat but also due to internal operational failures during the ongoing war in Gaza.
At least one person was killed and several others were injured when two drone missiles hit Al-Sabra Girls' School in Gaza City, Al Jazeera reported on Friday.
It is the second attack on a school on Friday. Earlier in the day, a drone strike killed three Palestinians when it targeted a group of people near Al-Hurriya School in Gaza City's Zeitoun neighbourhood.
Israeli military stormed a remembrance service in Hebron on Friday night and fired stun grenades and used tear gas canisters on mourners, Wafa news agency reported, citing local sources.
The service was being held for Ayman Abu Dawood who had been killed on Thursday in the Gaza Strip during an Israeli airstrike.
The war on Iran, initially expected to be a short, intense conflict backed by overwhelming U.S. firepower, was meant to crush Iran's nuclear ambitions once and for all. But what was predicted to be a quick victory has now turned into a looming, far more dangerous escalation. Iran is standing strong, and their military defenses are stronger than ever. With air defense systems being upgraded and Mossad sleeper cells purged, Tehran is preparing for what could be an extended conflict. But the real game-changer? China has entered the fray in a move that's sending shockwaves through Tel Aviv and Washington. The Chinese have fast-tracked Iran's integration into their BeiDou satellite navigation system, giving Tehran unprecedented accuracy in targeting and defense, while neutralizing Western jamming efforts. But it doesn't stop there - reports are circulating that China is sending over 50 fifth-generation J-20 stealth fighter jets to Iran, a move that could shift the balance of air power in the region and threaten Israel's dominance in the skies.
The photo shows ultra-Orthodox Israelis at the Larnaka International Airport, Cyprus, in June 2025.
Concerns have grown in Cyprus over an increasing wave of immigration by Israeli settlers to the island country, where they are buying real estate and settling in strategic areas.
At a recent congress of AKEL, Cyprus's second-largest party, Secretary General Stefanos Stefanou said the Israelis' buying of land near critical infrastructure and sensitive areas poses a serious national threat.
He also warned of "ghettos" forming in Cyprus due to property sales to Israeli settlers, citing "Zionist schools and synagogues" as part of an expansion strategy.
"They are taking the country away from us," he said, warning that the influx of Israeli buyers mirrors patterns seen in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Stephanou described the purchases as part of a "broad plan" that could lead to the establishment of settlements, religious institutions, and increased Israeli economic control.
[...]
Official figures estimate that around 2,500 Israelis live permanently in Cyprus, but some experts believe the real number could be between 12,000 and 15,000 due to entry using European passports.
A drone was intercepted late on July 3 near Erbil Airport, which houses United States troops in Iraq's semi-autonomous Kurdistan region, according to Kurdish security forces.
[...]
Photos posted to social networks later showed what appears to be the wreckage of an Iranian-made Shahed-101 suicide drone. The Shahed-101, which is known to be in service with Iran-backed armed factions in Iraq, is said to have a range of 900 kilometers and a cruising speed of 120 kilometers per hour with a warhead weighing eight kilograms.
[...]
There has been no claim of responsibility for the drone attack, which was the second such attack on a facility in Kurdistan where U.S. troops are known to be deployed.
[...]
A series of brazen attacks with drones and rockets have targeted different parts of Iraq since the end of the 12-day Iran-Israel war on June 24.
While the last two attacks appear to be directed against U.S. forces in Kurdistan, the previous ones targeted Iraqi military bases where Iran-backed factions are present, with the first reported attack destroying two radar systems in the capital, Baghdad, and southern Iraq.
The earlier attacks may have been the work of Israeli intelligence. However, the last two were most likely a response by Iran-back factions.
12bytes: From what i've learned about Iran, i think it's highly unlikely these attacks were sanctioned by the state. This has the stench of Israel all over it.
On July 2, Iran's President Masoud Pezeshkian gave the final approval to a resolution that suspends cooperation with the IAEA.
The rationale for the move was the UN atomic agency's politically-motivated resolution which paved the way for the US-Israeli acts of aggression against the Islamic Republic.
The resolution was approved during the public session of Iran's Parliament on June 25.
According to the resolution, IAEA inspectors will not be permitted to enter Iran unless the security of the country's nuclear facilities and that of peaceful nuclear activities is guaranteed, which is subject to the approval of Iran's Supreme National Security Council.
Iran is also considering an entry ban on the IAEA chief, Rafael Grossi, who has come under fire for his politically motivated reports against Iran.
In an unprovoked, brazen act of aggression on June 13, Israel targeted Iranian military commanders and nuclear scientists who had previously been placed on sanctions lists based on IAEA reports. Israel also killed civilians.
On June 22, the US military bombed Natanz, Fordow, and Isfahan nuclear sites in violation of the United Nations Charter, international law and the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Grossi remained silent. He did not condemn the acts of aggression, drawing criticisms from Iranian officials.
12bytes: If you think the title is a contradiction, as i did, read on.
Hezbollah has begun a major strategic review that includes considering scaling back its role as an armed movement without disarming completely, Reuters reported on July 4, citing three sources familiar with the deliberations.
"They've seen already for weeks, daily injuries ... and (the) majority coming from the so-called safe non-UN food distribution sites. The hospital is now operating as one massive trauma ward," Rik Peeperkorn told reporters in Geneva.
A new report published by the Associated Press on Thursday showed a leaked video of American contractors guarding aid distribution sites using live ammunition, stun grenades, and pepper spray against starving Palestinians seeking food. The video of US contractors cheering after firing at Gaza civilians has sparked fierce criticism online.
As the humanitarian crisis deepens in the besieged Gaza Strip, Israeli airstrikes on Friday killed at least 37 Palestinians-including civilians seeking food at aid distribution centers-according to medical sources.
In one of the most lethal events of the day, 15 individuals lost their lives and 90 others sustained injuries while waiting for humanitarian aid near the al-Tahlia roundabout in eastern Khan Younis, southern Gaza.
The United Nations human rights office said on Friday that it had recorded at least 613 killings both at aid points run by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) and near humanitarian convoys.
Israel is cooperating with three Gaza-based armed groups, including two Fatah-affiliated armed groups in Gaza City and Khan Yunis, which receive the regime's support and funding from the Palestinian Authority, according to Ynet.
The new groups are led by Rami Khalas in Gaza City and Yasser Khanidek in Khan Yunis. Khalas is active in the Shejaiya neighborhood, while Khanidek's group operates in southern Gaza-both areas where Israeli forces are deployed under "Operation Gideon's Chariots."
Former EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, stated that "American mercenaries" killed 550 Palestinians in Gaza within a single month, accusing the Council of Europe and the European Commission of remaining silent in the face of these events.
Thirty families were displaced from the Al Malihat community, northwest of Jericho, due to escalating Israeli settler attacks against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, Wafa news agency reported this morning.
Friday's wave of displacement comes after twenty families from the same community were forced to leave their homes as a result of attacks from armed settlers protected by Israeli forces, the same report revealed.
The BBB passed amidst carping from every conceivable corner of the political spectrum. Senior citizens welcomed the income tax exemptions for social security benefits, and service workers are cheering the exclusions of tips. But few spotted, or cared about, the Trojan Horse that just snuck in with a ginormous payload for Technocracy, AI, and biometric surveillance.
