Dementia Don attempts to rewire oil trade, prepares Iran attack; Dems vote to block Israel arms - IRAN WAR NEWS - 16-Apr-2026 (update 2)

UPDATE 2

Trump Imposes Ceasefire In Lebanon On Israel

United States President Donald Trump announced on April 16 that a ten-day ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah will take effect at 5 p.m. Eastern Time.

Israeli shelling continues in Lebanon after ceasefire takes effect | Middle East Eye

Lebanon's National News Agency reports that Israeli artillery has continued to strike southern areas despite the ceasefire coming into force less than an hour ago.

Shelling has hit the towns of Khiam and Dibbine, accompanied by sweeping operations involving machine-gun fire, according to the report.

April 16: Hezbollah's operations against Zionist regime in response to truce breach

Hours after Iran and the United States announced a ceasefire ending 40 days of aggression against the Islamic Republic, the Israeli regime violated the truce last Wednesday by launching devastating strikes on civilian areas across Lebanon.

The cessation of attacks on all fronts, including in Lebanon, was one of the key points of the Iranian proposal that was initially accepted by the American side.

In response, the Hezbollah resistance movement launched a series of retaliatory strikes a day after, targeting multiple Israeli military and strategic installations.

The retaliatory operations continued with full intensity on Thursday, April 16, as the Israeli regime continued to target civilian areas in Lebanon, particularly in South Lebanon.

[...]

Below is a list of operations carried out by the resistance movement in Lebanon against the Zionist regime on Thursday, April 16:

Hezbollah operations:

• In defense of Lebanon and its people, and in the framework of confronting the Israeli army's attempt to penetrate the city of Bint Jbeil, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a Merkava tank on the northeastern outskirts of the city of Bint Jbeil with a guided missile, achieving a confirmed hit.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the enemy's breach of the ceasefire agreement and its repeated attacks on the villages of the south, and after the Resistance adhered to the ceasefire while the enemy did not, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted the 146th Division headquarters in the "Ga'aton" settlement with a swarm of attack drones.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the enemy's violation of the ceasefire agreement and its repeated attacks on the villages of the south, and after the resistance committed to the ceasefire and the enemy did not, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a communications radar at the "Katsavia" barracks in the occupied Syrian Golan with a rocket barrage.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the enemy's violation of the ceasefire agreement and its repeated attacks on the villages of the south, and after the resistance adhered to the ceasefire while the enemy did not, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a logistics base of the 146th Division of the "israeli" enemy army (north of the town of Sheikh Dannun) east of the city of "Nahariya" with a swarm of attack drones.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the enemy's violation of the ceasefire agreement and its repeated attacks on the villages of the south, and after the resistance committed to the ceasefire while the enemy did not, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted the "Liman" barracks north of the "Nahariya" settlement with a swarm of attack drones.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, in response to the enemy's violation of the ceasefire agreement and its repeated attacks on the villages of the south, and after the resistance committed to the ceasefire while the enemy did not, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted the Hadabat Al-Ajal site north of the "Kfar Yuval" settlement with a rocket barrage.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, in response to the enemy's violation of the ceasefire agreement and its repeated attacks on the villages of the south, and after the Resistance committed to the ceasefire while the enemy did not, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted the "Hanita" site with a swarm of attack drones.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, the Islamic Resistance fighters confronted an Israeli military force that attempted to advance from the direction of the town of Al-Taybeh towards the reservoir area in the town of Al-Qantara. The fighters engaged in fierce clashes with the enemy force and targeted it with guided weapons, which led to the destruction of 4 tanks and 2 armored personnel carriers.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the enemy's breach of the ceasefire agreement and its repeated attacks on the villages and cities of the South, and after the Resistance committed to the ceasefire and the enemy did not, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted the "Karmiel" and Peki'in settlements with rocket barrages.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the enemy's violation of the ceasefire agreement and its repeated aggressions on the villages and cities of the south, and after the resistance adhered to the ceasefire while the enemy did not, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted the "Kiryat Shmona", "Kfar Giladi", "Misgav Am", and "Margaliot" settlements with rocket barrages.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the enemy's breach of the ceasefire agreement and its repeated attacks on the villages and cities of the south, and after the Resistance committed to the ceasefire while the enemy did not, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted the Ras Al-Naqoura site with a swarm of attack drones.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, in response to the enemy's violation of the ceasefire agreement, its repeated attacks on the villages and cities of the south, and after the Resistance committed to the ceasefire while the enemy did not, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted the "Kfar Giladi" artillery position with a rocket barrage.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the enemy's violation of the ceasefire agreement and its repeated attacks on the villages and cities of the south, and after the Resistance committed to the ceasefire while the enemy did not, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers and their vehicles in the city of Khiam with a rocket barrage.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, in response to the enemy's breach of the ceasefire agreement and its repeated attacks on the villages and cities of the south, and after the resistance committed to the ceasefire while the enemy did not, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers of at Tel Al-Hamames south of the city of Khiam with a rocket barrage.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, in response to the enemy's breach of the ceasefire agreement and its repeated attacks on the villages and cities of the south, and after the resistance committed to the ceasefire while the enemy did not, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted the "Kfar Giladi" settlement with a rocket barrage.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, in response to the enemy's breach of the ceasefire agreement, its repeated attacks on the villages and cities of the south, and after the resistance committed to the ceasefire while the enemy did not, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers and their vehicles east of the town of Rab Thalathine with a rocket barrage.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the enemy's breach of the ceasefire agreement and its repeated aggressions against the villages and cities of the south, and after the Resistance committed to the ceasefire while the enemy did not, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted gatherings of Israeli soldiers and their vehicles in the town of Al-Qantara with rocket barrages in waves.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the enemy's violation of the ceasefire agreement and its repeated attacks on the villages and cities of the south, and after the Resistance adhered to the ceasefire while the enemy did not, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers and their vehicles in the town of Taybeh with a rocket barrage.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, in response to the enemy's breach of the ceasefire agreement and its repeated attacks on the villages and cities of the south, and after the Resistance committed to the ceasefire while the enemy did not, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted the enemy's newly established artillery positions between the towns of Odeissah and Rab Thalathine with a rocket barrage.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the enemy's violation of the ceasefire agreement and its repeated attacks on the villages and cities of the south, and after the resistance committed to the ceasefire while the enemy did not, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers and their vehicles at the Janijel heights in the town of Al-Qantara with a rocket barrage.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, in response to the enemy's breach of the ceasefire agreement, and its repeated attacks on the villages and cities of the south, and after the Resistance committed to the ceasefire while the enemy did not, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted the "Nahariya" settlement with a rocket barrage.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, in response to the enemy's breach of the ceasefire agreement and its repeated aggressions on the villages and cities of the south, and after the resistance adhered to the ceasefire while the enemy did not, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted two "Merkava" tanks at the Al-Sal'a heights in the town of Al-Qantara with guided missiles.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the enemy's violation of the ceasefire agreement and its repeated attacks on the villages and cities of the south, and after the Resistance committed to the ceasefire while the enemy did not, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a "Namera" vehicle in the town of Al-Qantara with a guided missile.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of vehicles and soldiers of the Israeli army in the city of Bint Jbeil with large rocket barrages.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers and their vehicles in the Taybeh project with a large rocket barrage.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers and their vehicles at Al-Sal'a Heights in the town of Al-Qantara with artillery shells.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers and their vehicles in the town of Al-Qantara with a rocket barrage.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers and their vehicles near the Khiam detention center with a rocket barrage.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted the enemy's newly established artillery emplacements in the town of Al-Bayyada with a rocket barrage.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the enemy's breach of the ceasefire agreement and its repeated attacks on the villages and cities of the South, and after the Resistance committed to the ceasefire while the enemy did not, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted the "Shraga" base (the administrative headquarters of the Golani Brigade command) north of the occupied city of Akka with a swarm of attack drones.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the enemy's violation of the ceasefire agreement and its repeated attacks on the villages and cities of the south, and after the resistance committed to the ceasefire while the enemy did not, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted the "Shlomi" settlement with a rocket barrage.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the enemy's breach of the ceasefire agreement and its repeated attacks on the villages and cities of the south, and after the Resistance committed to the ceasefire while the enemy did not, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted the "Kiryat Shmona" settlement with a rocket barrage.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, in response to the enemy's violation of the ceasefire agreement and its repeated attacks on the villages and towns of the south, and after the Resistance committed to the ceasefire while the enemy did not, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted the "Ya'ara" settlement with a rocket barrage.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, in response to the enemy's breach of the ceasefire agreement and its repeated attacks on the villages and cities of the south, and after the Resistance committed to the ceasefire while the enemy did not, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted the Naval Officers' School in the bay of Akka with a rocket barrage.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the enemy's violation of the ceasefire agreement and its repeated attacks on the villages and cities of the south, and after the resistance committed to the ceasefire while the enemy did not, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted the "Liman" barracks north of the "Nahariya" settlement with a rocket barrage and a swarm of attack drones.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a Merkava tank in the town of Al-Bayyada with a guided missile.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, the Islamic Resistance fighters shot down an Israeli army drone of the type "Hermes 450 - Zik" opposite the town of Adloun in southern Lebanon with a surface-to-air missile.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, and within the framework of countering the Israeli army's attempt to infiltrate the city of Bint Jbeil, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a Merkava tank in the vicinity of the Bint Jbeil city market with a guided missile.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, in response to the enemy's violation of the ceasefire agreement and its repeated aggressions against the villages and cities of the south, and after the Resistance committed to the ceasefire while the enemy did not, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers at the "Al-Malikiyah" site with a swarm of attack drones.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, in response to the enemy's violation of the ceasefire agreement and its repeated aggressions against the villages and cities of the south, and after the Resistance committed to the ceasefire while the enemy did not, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted a gathering of Israeli soldiers at the "Al-Malikiyah" site with a swarm of attack drones.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, in response to the enemy's breach of the ceasefire agreement and its repeated aggressions against the villages and cities of the south, and after the resistance adhered to the ceasefire while the enemy did not, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted an "Iron Dome" platform and personnel positions in the "Al-Aliqa" barracks in the occupied Syrian Golan with a swarm of attack drones.
• In defense of Lebanon and its people, in response to the enemy's violation of the ceasefire agreement and its repeated attacks on the villages and cities of the south, and after the resistance adhered to the ceasefire while the enemy did not, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted the "Nahariya" settlement with a rocket barrage.

Democrats join Republicans to block limits on US arms sales to Israel | Middle East Eye

Several pro-Israel Democrats have joined Republicans to block efforts to halt US weapons sales to Israel, voting down measures that critics say would have limited arms used in attacks on Palestinians.

Germany exports $7.8 million worth of weapons to Israeli occupation in March - Yemen Press Agency

BERLIN, April 16 (YPA) - German government data has revealed the approval of military export licenses to "Israel" totaling €6.6 million ($7.8 million) between February 28 and March 27, 2026, coinciding with the onset of military confrontations with Iran.

Iran Is Digging Up Missiles, Launchers

Trucks and heavy machinery were seen arriving at the ruins of missile bases near Khomeyn and Tabriz on April 10, according to the news outlet, which said that Iranian crews were seen to be clearing the debris from the underground tunnels, scooping the rubble and loading up nearby trucks that hulled it away.

The work appeared concentrated at the entrances to the bases that were hit and sealed off during the war, preventing Iran from gaining access to missiles and launchers stored there.

Around a week earlier, The Wall Street Journal reported, citing a U.S. intelligence assessment, that Iran still has thousands of ballistic missiles in its arsenal that it could use by retrieving launchers from underground tunnels. This goes directly against the claims made by the U.S. and Israel shortly after the start of the war, which suggested that most of the Islamic Republic's missile arsenal was wiped out.

UPDATE 1

Senate Democrats vote to block arms for Israel as base turns pro-Palestine - Middle East Monitor

An overwhelming majority of Senate Democrats voted yesterday to block new US arms sales to Israel, in a significant sign of how far the party has moved away from its once near-unquestioned support for arming Israel.

Two resolutions introduced by Senator Bernie Sanders seeking to halt the sale of bulldozers and 1,000-pound bombs were defeated, but they won the backing of most Democrats in the chamber. The Senate voted 40-59 against blocking the bulldozer sale and 36-63 against blocking the sale of bombs.

Individuals and organisations from 30 countries, including the UK-based Islamic Human Rights Commission, have put their name to a blistering open letter condemning the US/Israeli war on Iran - Middle East Monitor

Written in response to last month's military attack on the country, the letter delivers a swingeing critique of US foreign policy and historical conduct, accusing Washington of pursuing a doctrine of absolute predation.

It highlights major US wars of the 20th and 21st centuries, referring to "the genocidal horror of Vietnam," "the annihilation of Cambodia," and the "systematic slaughter of Koreans," as well as the destruction of Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Afghanistan.

The open letter, titled 'A Declaration to the Conscience of Humanity,' is signed by over 170 signatories from countries and signatories include former UN officials, retired career diplomats, former ministers, scholars, politicians and former parliamentarians, military and security professionals, artists, lawyers as well as journalists, activists, and anti-war campaigners.

Iran has 'high' incentive to maintain ceasefire, US forces remain 'postured': US defense chief - Middle East Monitor

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said Thursday that Iran's "motivation" to maintain the ceasefire is "very high," while warning that US forces remain "maximally postured" to resume war if Tehran rejects a deal, Anadolu reports.

"Our forces are maximally postured to restart combat operations, should this new Iranian regime choose poorly and not agree to a deal," Hegseth said during a Pentagon briefing.

He urged Iran to "choose wisely," warning its military leadership that Washington is closely "watching" their actions.

Hegseth said Iran's command and control capabilities are "highly degraded," limiting its ability to coordinate operations, but noted that its "motivation to want to stay in the ceasefire is very high."

12bytes: Just more bullshit from HegMeth. Iran didn't call for a ceasefire, the US did, and if this child killing clown thinks Iran's ability to defend itself is degraded, then what's stopping him from entering the Hormuz Strait?

US: Hegseth reads fake Bible verse from Pulp Fiction during Pentagon sermon | Middle East Eye

US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth read a fake Bible verse from Quentin Tarantino's 1994 cult classic film Pulp Fiction on Wednesday, during a Christian prayer and worship service at the Pentagon.

Addressing a large Christian congregation at the Pentagon's headquarters, Hegseth, who is facing multiple impeachment charges tabled by House Democrats, claimed the prayer was passed to him by a lead mission planner involved in the rescue operation for two US Air Force crew members who were recently shot down in Iran.

Top US General Says Navy Blockading Iranian Coastline, Not Strait of Hormuz

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - The US Navy is enforcing a blockade of Iran's coastline and ports rather than of the Strait of Hormuz, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Gen. Dan Caine said on Thursday.

"Let me be clear. This blockade applies to all ships, regardless of nationality, heading into or from Iranian ports. The US action is a blockade of Iran's ports and coastline, not a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz," Caine said during a press briefing.

The top general said the action will extend both to the Islamic Republic's territorial seas and international waters in other areas of responsibility, such as the Pacific Ocean.

12bytes: Yeah, they're blocking alright ... from, what, 500 miles away, out of reach of Iran. Meanwhile, ships are simply sticking to Iran's coastline and it doesn't seem any have been stopped.

Iran supreme leader's adviser threatens to sink US ships in Strait of Hormuz - Middle East Monitor

A military adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader has warned that Iranian forces would sink US ships in the Strait of Hormuz if Washington acts as a "policeman" in the strategic waterway.

Iran offers free passage through the Strait of Oman - Reuters

As part of the proposals put forward by Iran in negotiations with the United States, Tehran may allow ships to pass through the Omani part of the Strait of Hormuz. This was reported in Reuters.

Why US Imposed Blockade Of Hormuz Strait?

After launching its aggression against Iran, the United States insisted it was Tehran's "fault" that the Strait of Hormuz was blocked. Washington DC claimed this was disrupting global oil and natural gas trade, conveniently "forgetting" to mention that if it weren't for its war of aggression, none of this would've happened. After the hostilities subsided (for the time being, at least), Iran and the US engaged in peace talks in Islamabad. However, this initiative accomplished little, despite Pakistan's effort to mediate a lasting ceasefire and a potential peace agreement. Namely, the Trump administration decided to not only reject most ceasefire proposals, but also went on to impose its own naval blockade.

[...]

America's blockade is an attempt to prevent the Iranian oil trade, as sanctions no longer work because Tehran has switched to using the yuan and other non-dollar payment methods. The new crisis once again exposes deep flaws of the US-dominated energy architecture based on the petrodollar, the main tool of Western neocolonialism.

US International Military Bases Under Threat After War In Iran And Tensions In Greenland

The United States has 128 military bases, most of them for its exclusive use, located in 51 countries across five continents, according to the latest survey by the US Congress. Of this total, almost half are concentrated in Europe and the Middle East, regions that have been the focus of expansionist moves by the White House in recent months.

U.S. Forces Withdrew From Key Base In Syria After Iranian Attacks (Videos, Photos)

United States forces withdrew from Qasrak base in the governorate of al-Hasakah in Syria's northeastern region on April 16.

In a statement published by the state-run SANA, the Syrian Defense Ministry said that its forces assumed control of the base - located between the towns of Tell Tamr and Tell Baidar in the northwestern countryside of al-Hasakah. It was later reported that the military's 60th Division moved into the base.

Beyond Oil: Global Food Crisis Emerging From Hormuz - Why Brazil And BRICS Matter

The Strait of Hormuz has long been treated as the world's ultimate energy chokepoint. Yet the current crisis, triggered by President Donald Trump's disastrous war in Iran, is exposing yet another vulnerability. While the spotlight is on oil tankers and energy price spikes, a global food emergency is now haunting the planet.

JD Vance's Gaza 'Miracle' Is a Statistical Lie - 21st Century Wire

JD Vance claimed that more aid is entering Gaza now than at any point in the last five years. The public documentary record from the UN and frontline humanitarian agencies, as reflected in the updates of the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) for the occupied Palestinian territory) points in the opposite direction. JD Vance said Gaza aid is better than ever. The record says otherwise.

12bytes: It isn't the amount of aid that enters Gaza, rather it's how much of it is actually distributed and what it consists of. For example, in typical Jewish-Zionist fashion, they'll distribute dried foods, like rice, but no water or gas to cook it and, prior to that, they may have poisoned Palestinian water wells. The Zionist vermin have also been caught mixing drugs in with the food. These sick satanic parasites need to be exterminated, for real this time.

IN OTHER (AMAZING) NEWS...

The Apollo Nuclear Affair: How Israel Stole America's Uranium - YouTube

A national security scandal from the 1960s involved the disappearance of nearly 400 pounds of highly enriched uranium from the Nuclear Materials and Equipment Corporation (NUMEC) in Apollo, Pennsylvania. Investigations by the CIA, AEC, and FBI centered on NUMEC's founder, Zalman Shapiro, who had documented contacts with Israeli intelligence and hosted Mossad agent Rafael Eitan at the plant. In a 1976 meeting, officials like Brent Scowcroft were told the CIA concluded the uranium ended up in Israel's nuclear weapons program, a finding supported by a 1968 environmental sample from Israel.

12bytes: Those wanting to know more about the subject:

• NUMEC - How Israel Stole the Bomb - 12bytes.org
• Israel, JFK and the bomb: The rest of the story on the assassination of John F. Kennedy - 12bytes.org

Zionist militia frequently contacted Nazi Germany, Israeli documents reveal | Middle East Eye

Recently declassified Israeli archive documents have shed further light on attempts by a Zionist militia to forge a relationship with Nazi Germany in the 1930s and 40s.

The documents, reported by Haaretz, reveal that Avraham Stern and other members of his Stern Gang made several attempts to forge a partnership with Nazi Germany, based in part on shared opposition to the British, who were then occupying Palestine, where the Zionist movement hoped to create a Jewish state.

Naftali Lubenchik, a Stern Gang member, was sent to meet with German representatives. A document written in 1951 stated that he believed Nazi Germany and its allies did not seek "the physical destruction of the Jewish people, but rather their expulsion from Europe and their concentration in one place..."

[...]

One of the documents reported by Haaretz describes Stern as believing that Britain had "betrayed the Jewish people and will never allow the establishment of a Jewish state".

"On the other hand, Germany has no special interest in Palestine, and since the Nazis want to cleanse Europe of Jews, nothing is simpler than transferring them to their own state," it said of Stern's ideology.

The document also stated that Stern believed "it is possible to reach a practical agreement with the Germans... negotiations should be opened, and Jews of Europe should be recruited into a special army that would fight its way to Palestine and conquer it from the British".

12bytes: The Zionists would not have to fight the British. The land would be given to the Jews, facilitated in part by the Haavara Agreement, but primarily by the Balfour Declaration. The impossible gas chamber and 6 million nonsense was nothing more than manufactured bullshit designed to gain sympathy for the Jews and we can all see how effective it was and continues to be, though its edge is wearing thin.

END UPDATES

Trump and Congress Continue Iran War as International Opponents Condemn Israel - Global Research

Trump's use of the term blockade is considered an act of war sealing off a location to prevent goods or people from entering or leaving, where one party prevents the entry or exit from or to a defined areas. Blockades are regulated by international law and require advance warning to neutral states. It is not considered a flippant term to be used in an offhand manner.

Spokesman for Iran Foreign Minister Esmail Baghaei cited

"Iran cannot be besieged. The US blockade is contrary to fundamentals and principles of international law as Iran is monitoring and will respond appropriately."

The failure of the US-Iran ceasefire meeting in Islamabad has not stopped President Trump from suggesting another go-round in Islamabad.

While Trump appears eager to seek a way out of the conflict he initiated, the President remains genetically unable to bring the conflict to a conclusion just as he failed to end the Ukraine war as repeatedly promised.

While Trump's favored negotiators (Kushner/Witkoff) are pathetically uninformed with no diplomatic experience, no familiarity with the NPT as both are closely identified with the Zionist cause.

In other words, any further 'negotiation' would represent a waste of time since Israel has already determined the outcome in its best interest is to continue the conflict.

Israel does not allow Trump to escape from Iran

The less willing Trump is to fight, the more optimism grows in Iran. Its leadership is not going to back down and is already talking about closing another "bottleneck" in world trade - the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait. This could lead to the cessation of navigation through the Red Sea and the Suez Canal and a new round of crisis with unpredictable consequences.

Meanwhile, three major Israeli television companies reported that the Israel Defense Forces is preparing to resume the conflict with Iran. According to The Times of Israel, this information was "leaked" to the network on the instructions of representatives of the defense department. Probably in order to prepare public opinion for the continuation of the military campaign.

[...]

If the war continues, Trump will have to overcome his apathy and rejoin his ally, who holds him in his iron grip.

Watch What Trump Does, Ignore What He Says... More War on the Agenda

Trump is going to attack Iran again - perhaps as early as this weekend - as a prelude to declaring victory and withdrawing US forces from the Persian Gulf area. I say this because Trump, via Secretary of War Hegseth, has dispatched 10,000 more US military personnel to the Persian Gulf region, along with the USS George H.W. Bush carrier strike group. In addition, there has been a sizeable fleet of C-17s flowing into Jordan and Saudi Arabia. In other words, while Trump is telling interviewers that the war is over, he is busy prepping for another strike.

In preparation for that strike, the Trump team if pushing a frantic information operation that insists that the US has blocked dozen of ships from entering and leaving the Persian Gulf on the first full day of the US embargo. This is a lie. The Pentagon is cooperating with this disinformation campaign... Certainly not the first time that the Department of War and a theater commander have issued false reports in order to persuade the citizens of the US that the war is going our way. The reality is that the US still does not have enough ships in place, along with helicopters, to carryout an effective blockade. Moreover, the US is keeping its ships at least 500 miles from the Iranian coast out of fear of being struck by a Close-Range Ballistic Missile (CRMB) or a Coastal Defense Cruise Missile (CDCM).

The fact that the US has failed to crush Iran's ballistic and cruise missile threats is highlighted by the voyage of the USS George H.W. Bush, which shunned the risk of sailing though the Suez canal and the Red Sea, and chose instead to sail around Africa.

I had the privilege of interviewing Robert Barnes this morning - hopefully the video will be posted on Counter Currents by Friday at the latest - and he provided shocking details of what is going on behind the scene at the White House. Donald Trump began exhibiting signs of early dementia in September 2025... He frequently confabulates, he routinely loses his temper and unleashes screaming rants, and he is incapable of doing critical thinking. According to Barnes, Trump's senior White House staff are behaving like children with an abusive, drug-addled father... i.e., they walk on egg shells fearful of saying anything that might ignite Trump's rage.

Trump genuinely believes that the US has vanquished Iran and he does not comprehend the massive economic damage that the closure of the Strait of Hormuz is doing to the global economy. His declining mental state is dangerous because he is prone to make rash decisions based solely on his emotional state at the time.

Larry Johnson: Trump's Naval Blockade & Ceasefire Collapse - YouTube

Trump imposes naval blockade on Iran as ceasefire begins to break down. Johnson is a former CIA intelligence analyst who also worked at the U.S. State Department's Office of Counterterrorism.

Reuters: sanctioned tankers entered the Persian Gulf despite the US blockade

The RHN sub-sanctioned supertanker entered the gulf on Wednesday, April 15, and the day before the Alicia ship crossed the Strait, bound for Iraq.

The journalists added that both ships have been used in recent years to transport Iranian oil.

Earlier, CNBC, citing the Central Command of the American Armed Forces (CENTCOM), reported that during the first day of the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by the United States, not a single vessel passed through the water corridor.

At the same time, The Wall Street Journal wrote that during the first day of the American blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, more than 20 merchant ships passed through it.

Iran halts petrochemical exports until further notice | Middle East Eye

Iran halted all petrochemical exports to prioritise domestic supply and prevent shortages of raw materials, the economic newspaper Donya-e-Eqtesad reported on Thursday, due to disrupted production after Israel struck several petrochemical hubs.

Trump wants to 'rewire' global oil away from Hormuz - expert (VIDEO) - RT World News

12bytes: Well, if proof of the inability of the US Navy to open the strait was ever needed, here it is. I'm betting the GCC states aren't going to go along with Dementia Don's master plan, but who knows.

US President Donald Trump is making "a big move towards controlling the marginal barrel of oil," attempting to shift the world's energy focus from the Persian Gulf region to the Gulf of Mexico, "where oil tankers are now lining up," geopolitical analyst Tom Luongo told RT in an interview on Wednesday.

A sharp drop in OPEC oil production is an expected result of US strategy to reshape global energy flows away from the Strait of Hormuz, he said. Luongo, publisher of the Gold Goats 'n Guns newsletter, warned the fallout would hit countries reliant on Middle East crude the hardest, with Europe being the biggest loser.

According to him, Trump is trying to "rewire the world in some fundamental way" by challenging the reliance on the Hormuz choke point.

26 million Iranians volunteer to defend country, including public figures - Middle East Monitor

IRIB said the surge comes as part of a campaign titled "Sacrifice Your Life", noting that volunteers are expected to be deployed alongside the Revolutionary Guard and the regular army. Plans also include forming human chains to protect potential targets.

According to the broadcaster, the list of volunteers includes President Masoud Pezeshkian, most of his ministers, as well as a large number of officials, athletes and artists.

Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf has also registered his name among the volunteers.

Iran rejects UAE proposal on 'maritime corridor' in Strait of Hormuz

Iran has vehemently rejected a UAE-backed proposal adopted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO) on establishing a so-called "safe maritime corridor" in the Strait of Hormuz, slamming it as legally-groundless and politically-motivated.

At the 113th meeting of the IMO Legal Committee on Tuesday, Deputy Permanent Representative of the Ports and Maritime Organization of Iran to the IMO Pouria Kolivand categorically rejected an Emirati proposal on a "safe maritime corridor" through the strategic waterway.

He firmly rejected claims by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and its proposal on the status que of the Strait of Hormuz, describing the paper as based on an arbitrary narrative full of groundless claims and legally invalid conclusions.

Iran increased production rate of attack drones tenfold since June war: Army

Speaking in a television interview published on Thursday, Brigadier General Alireza Sheikh said Iran has succeeded in making a significant increase in its drone capabilities.

Hackers break into Israels Holocaust museum, expose Mossad spies posing as visitors

A hacking group announces breaking into the Israeli regime's "Holocaust museum," gleaning personal data of all visitors, including undercover agents belonging to the regime's Mossad spy agency.

In a statement on Tuesday, Handala, a pro-resistance hacktivist group, said it now possessed personal data of all visitors, financial donors, covert delegations, and even Mossad agents, who had visited the facility using false identities.

It identified the target as the "Yad Vashem Museum" in the holy occupied city of al-Quds, which Tel Aviv calls the largest "Holocaust memorial institution" in the occupied territories.

The operation, the group said, once again challenged the regime's fragile cybersecurity.

The group has a proven track record of targeting high-level Israeli figures, exposing their secrets and contributing to the psychological and information warfare against the regime.

Most recently, the group announced on April 9 that it had successfully breached the personal phone of Herzi Halevi, former chief of staff of the Israeli army, extracting thousands of confidential images, videos, documents, and files.

Iran war and the new world order

Trump's war on Iran hasn't just redrawn battle lines; it has fractured the very architecture of the post-Second World War global order: a transatlantic alliance pushed beyond limits and internally too fractured to be repaired, a rapidly remade Middle East, shifting rules of global oil transit, and a stark exposure of the limits of US power, leaving strategic space that China and Russia will be keen to fill in both geopolitical and geoeconomic ways.

Collapsing Empire: Hezbollah Neutralises 'Greater Israel'? - Global Research

With Hezbollah supposedly dismantled, and Syria at last transformed into a doting Anglo-American puppet state, "Greater Israel" could be advanced without hindrance - or so Netanyahu thought. In reality, the "great opportunity" about which he boasted from the Golan Heights following Bashar al-Assad's fall has become a dangerous trap. While al-Sharaa's contempt for Hezbollah makes for a marriage of convenience, relying on Syria to deal with the group would inevitably boomerang on both parties spectacularly.

As history old and new amply shows, the Empire and its Zionist proxy underestimate Ansar Allah, Hezbollah, Iran, and the wider Resistance at their immense peril - but persist in doing so. Over and again across decades, the same failed strategies have been applied without success, and aren't subsequently revised. The Empire's crushing past defeats by the Resistance are spun as victories, and/or promptly forgotten about. All along though, in the real world, the Zionist-American military machine is ever-weakened, and Palestine's long-overdue liberation grows irresistibly closer.

Despite Temporary "Ceasefire" Aggression Continues Against Iran, Lebanon and Palestine - Global Research

A two-week cessation of hostilities has not ended the military threats and actions which are targeting civilians and infrastructure as journalists are killed in Gaza and neighborhoods leveled in Lebanon

"Israel" destroys the last bridge connecting South Lebanon with the rest of the country - YouTube

After striking it multiple times in previous attacks, the IOF targeted the al-Qasmiyeh Bridge again today.

The bridge was the last remaining link connecting South Lebanon to the rest of the country.

Israeli soldiers suspected of raping Palestinian detainee allowed to return to service | Middle East Eye

Army chief Eyal Zamir authorised the move for members of Unit 100, Haaretz reported on Thursday.

Five soldiers from the unit, tasked with guarding prisoners, were implicated in the abuse of a Palestinian detainee at the notorious Sde Teiman detention centre in 2024.

Last month, the charges against the soldiers were dropped. No internal military investigation into the incident has been carried out.

The abuse was captured on surveillance cameras and leaked to Israeli media in August 2024, a month after a far-right mob rioted over the questioning of the soldiers by military police.

378 crimes in 40 days: Surge in West Bank settler attacks occurring under government cover - Middle East Monitor

An Israeli rights group has reported a sharp rise in settler violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, saying attacks are taking place under clear government cover.

The organisation Yesh Din said it had documented 378 violent incidents carried out by settlers over just 40 days during the war with Iran- an average of ten incidents of settler violence took place per day. The attacks targeted Palestinians and their property across the territory.

IN OTHER NEWS...

Pam Bondi may face contempt of Congress charges, after skipping Epstein hearing

Officials argued the subpoena, which was issued during her tenure as attorney general, was no longer applicable now that she has left her official capacity. Robert Garcia a California Democrat called Bondi "the mastermind of this White House cover-up".

Pro-Epstein officials are trying to argue that because the subpoena was issued while she was the A.G. that it no longer applies because she is no longer the attorney general. She has only a few day to reschedule and if she does not do so the House will begin contempt proceedings. There are those in the GOP resisting this. Reps. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.), Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) and Rep. Michael Cloud (R-Texas). Yes it was sad to see Boebert on that list.

It gets better. Dems may also move to subpoena Todd Blanche, Bondi's replacement, the guy who said Epstein had no foreign intelligence ties. This whole thing smells like 'Oswald was the lone gunmen we promise but there are tens of thousands of redacted files'. People will mislead and say 99% of JFK files were "released" but not mention that some of those released files are also 99% redacted. That's not a real release.

Likewise half of the Epstein files were "released" but many are so heavily redacted that it doesn't matter. And of course Bondi backtracked and is now saying all the files were released.

No they weren't and what was, was a farce.