NACHO Trump rejects peace plan; China in the crosshairs; CENTCOM plans to repeat failures; Broken, burnt USS Ford paddles home; Palantir's wars - IRAN WAR NEWS - 30-Apr-2026 (update 2)

UPDATE 2

U.S. DESPERATE TO STRANGLE CHINA WITH IRAN BLOCKADE | Brian Berletic

Report say that while President Trump weighs options for bombing Iran or attempting a ground invasion, he is committed to continuing the U.S. blockade on Iranian ports. But it's not just about hurting Iran.. it's also about attempting to strangle China.

Brian Berletic, a geopolitical analyst and Host of The New Atlas, noted that in the same way the U.S. forced its vassal states in Europe to cut ties with Russia (and its cheap, plentiful energy resources) and to become dependent on U.S. energy, the Trump Admin now aims to do the same with Asia by trying to cut off the flow of energy from the Middle East.

The goal is to make the world energy dependent on the U.S. and to cause chaos and destruction in the growing multipolar world in the process...

Iranian media: Iran's air defence engaging drones over Tehran | Middle East Eye

Iran's air defence, which sounded over some areas of Tehran on Thursday, was reportedly engaging small drones and surveillance UAVs, according to the Tasnim news agency.

Several Israeli soldiers injured in explosive-laden drone - Yemen Press Agency

BEIRUT, April 30 (YPA) - Lebanon's Hezbollah announced on Thursday that it carried out an attack using an explosive-laden drone targeting an Israeli occupation artillery position in the Shumira area.

AIPAC backs candidates who fund and promote Gaza genocide | The Electronic Intifada

Mainstream media are covering cracks in the Democratic Party over Israel and AIPAC, but paying scant attention to AIPAC's open support of over 190 Republican Senate and House candidates who have funded Israel's war crimes and genocide in Gaza. Nor has significant attention been given to those Republicans who have been particularly outspoken in clamoring for even more violence.

Simultaneously, also unsurprisingly, the Israel lobby group is boosting the Senate and House campaigns of nearly 100 Democrats who have provided funding for the Gaza genocide. The jump from funding Israeli apartheid to funding genocide has finally led to outrage from grassroots Democrats.

Democratic Congresswoman Betty McCollum dubbed AIPAC a "hate group" in 2020 and, if anything, the group has since outdone itself in proving the designation. It has denied the Gaza genocide and accuses those concerned by Israel's genocidal actions of "lying" and engaging in a "blood libel."

Such claims are clearly meant to intimidate into silence people of conscience profoundly troubled by what they have witnessed over the past 2.5 years.

New US shipment of 6,500 tons of military aid arrives in Israel - Middle East Monitor

"Two cargo ships carrying thousands of air and ground munitions, military trucks, Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs), and additional military equipment were offloaded at the ports in Ashdod and Haifa," the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

The daily Maariv said the shipments are part of a "central effort to enhance Israel's readiness for developments in the war."

According to the paper, more than 115,600 pieces of military equipment have arrived in Israel via 403 airlifts and 10 maritime shipments since the start of the war with Iran in February.

Disabled Palestinian child assaulted by Israeli forces in occupied East Jerusalem - Middle East Monitor

Israeli forces assaulted a disabled child and his brother during a raid in occupied East Jerusalem, local sources said Thursday, Anadolu reports

A video clip circulated on social media showed Israeli soldiers chasing a child with disabilities through the streets of the Shu'fat refugee camp, northeast of East Jerusalem. The child appeared frightened and disoriented before being cornered and physically assaulted.

In a blatant violation of all international conventions, Mahdi Al-Arabi, a child with special needs from the Shu'afat camp, was detained and assaulted. pic.twitter.com/xfbqZTbouj

[...]

The sources said the child, who was identified as Mahdi Abu Talib, was briefly detained, while his brother was beaten.

Palestinian journalist released from Israeli prison unrecognisable | Israel-Palestine conflict | Al Jazeera

Palestinian journalist Ali al-Samoudi was released from Israeli prison with severe weight loss, showing signs of torture and severe mistreatment. His family says he was held without charge and feared he would die in custody.

UPDATE 1

US CENTCOM's Request for Dark Eagle Missiles Shows Shortage of Weapons and Limited Options

The request for untested hypersonic missiles for the Middle East arena exposes the US' failure to neutralize Iran's launcher network, veteran war correspondent Elijah J. Magnier tells Sputnik.

"The Dark Eagle has reportedly not been declared fully operational in the past," Magnier says. "So when the US decided to deploy it, it signaled urgency, escalation pressure. And above all, shortage of suitable conventional weapons."

The request also shows that earlier Pentagon statements that Iran's launchers were fully destroyed did not match reality, the pundit continues.

US military equipment worth billions of dollars destroyed in Iran war | US-Israel war on Iran News | Al Jazeera

Speaking at a televised Cabinet meeting on March 26, the US secretary of defense boasted of US military successes against Iran in the ongoing war. "Never in recorded history has a nation's military been so quickly and so effectively neutralised," he said, seated next to US President Donald Trump.

The very next day, Iran fired missiles and drones that struck a US base in Saudi Arabia, wounding several US soldiers and destroying a radar surveillance plane that cost $700m.

It was no one-off hit. Iran's missiles and drones, and one devastating instance of so-called friendly fire, have destroyed US military equipment worth between $2.3bn and $2.8bn, the Washington, DC-based Center for Strategic and International Studies has calculated.

Hezbollah Drones Hit Tanks, Artillery Post Leaving 14 Israeli Causalities (Video)

An Israeli soldier was killed, and another was wounded in a Hezbollah drone strike in southern Lebanon on April 30, while another drone strike by the group hit an artillery post on the border, wounding twelve other troops.

Lebanese Army reports soldier killed with family members in Israeli raid - Yemen Press Agency

BEIRUT, April 30 (YPA) - The Lebanese Army announced on Thursday the killing of one of its soldiers, along with several members of his family, following an Israeli occupation's airstrike that targeted their home in the town of Kafarman in Nabatieh, southern Lebanon.

Lebanese girl mourns paramedic father killed in Israeli strike | Crime | Al Jazeera

A young girl in southern Lebanon joined hundreds mourning her father, one of three paramedics killed in an Israeli "double-tap" strike during the US-brokered ceasefire. At least 95 emergency responders have been killed in Lebanon, a pattern the UN says may amount to a war crime.

Trump's Shady Insider Trading - Global ResearchGlobal Research - Centre for Research on Globalization

In any case, the British broadcaster BBC raised serious suspicions in a recent television documentary that Trump may be providing his inner circle with the perfect opportunity for criminal insider trading[1]. Insider trading means: people in Trump's inner circle know exactly what the president will publicly announce in the very near future. And these insiders then buy or sell securities on the betting exchange or the commodities futures market. Following Trump's surprise announcement of one of his famous 180-degree turns, the insiders were then able to realize massive profits.

IN OTHER NEWS...

FISA 2.0: Trump Regime Wants Continuity of Government to Spy on the US Population - Global Research

Trump once called on the US Congress to cancel FISA because it targeted him,

"Kill FISA, It was illegally used against me, and many others, they spied on my campaign."

Now, Trump wants congress to reauthorize 'FISA section 702' (Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act) which allows the CIA, NSA, FBI and other agencies to spy on overseas communications involving US citizens without a warrant, but Trump changed his tune when he recently wrote on his Truth Social that

"I am willing to risk the giving up of my Rights and Privileges as a Citizen for our Great Military and Country!" and that "We need to stick together when this Bill comes before the House Rules Committee today to keep it CLEAN!"

END UPDATES

'Piracy': Israel raids Gaza-bound aid flotilla off Greek coast | Middle East Eye

Israeli naval forces raided Gaza-bound aid vessels in international waters hundreds of nautical miles from the besieged enclave late on Wednesday.

According to the Global Sumud Flotilla aid mission, at least 15 boats were raided, with those on board "abducted" by Israeli forces and unaccounted for.

Israel's foreign ministry said approximately 175 activists from more than 20 boats were in Israeli custody.

The Global Sumud Flotilla said various vessels were "systematically disabled" after being raided, leaving activists stranded at sea.

"After smashing engines and destroying navigation arrays, the military retreated - intentionally leaving hundreds of civilians stranded on powerless, broken vessels directly in the path of a massive approaching storm," it said.

Gaza-bound flotilla says hundreds stranded at sea following Israeli interception | Middle East Eye

The Global Sumud Flotilla indicated in a post on X that hundreds of participants are stranded onboard "powerless, broken" vessels as a result of the Israeli navy's interception.

They warned that amid jammed communications with some boats, an approaching storm further threatens the lives of participants.

Trump Faces High-Stakes Iran Briefing Including Attack Scenarios - Report

A presentation to be delivered by CENTCOM Commander Adm. Brad Cooper is expected to outline a range of Iran options for Donald Trump, Axios cites sources as saying.

• One proposal centers on a "short, powerful" wave of strikes targeting critical Iranian infrastructure, including bridges, power plants, and refineries, aimed at forcing Iran back to negotiations under pressure.
• Another scenario involves securing parts of the Strait of Hormuz to reopen vital shipping lanes, a move that could require deploying US ground forces.
• A further option under consideration would task US special operations forces with seizing Iran's stockpile of highly enriched uranium.

Trump reportedly sees the blockade as his main pressure point - but if Iran doesn't bend, military action is on the table.

12bytes: Option 1: Already tried, failed. Option 2: LMAO. Option 3: Already tried, failed, lost a bunch of aircraft in the process. I wonder ... given that the bigger goal is to starve Asia, particularly China, is it possible CENTCOM is suggesting these completely idiotic options to Trump expecting that he'll decline them and instead keep the so-called 'blockade' in place?

DEEP DIVE: US Senate Hearing Reveals US Foreign Policy, Continued Confrontation with China (1/3) - YouTube

12bytes: All 3 parts of this series are about 4 hrs. combined. Brain said he'll be releasing a shorter video for those that don't have the time to watch this.

Part 1 of 3

• Part 1: • DEEP DIVE: US Senate Hearing Reveals US Fo...
• Part 2: • DEEP DIVE: US Senate Hearing Reveals US Fo...
• Part 3: • DEEP DIVE: US Senate Hearing Reveals US Fo...

US foreign policy is driven by US corporate interests but often buried by public political theater and daily headlines designed specifically to distract away from the true nature and purpose of US foreign policy objectives.

However, during US Senate and House hearings, there are relatively unfiltered discussions about these policies made public with a fair degree of confidence most Americans will NOT watch them.

I provide a breakdown of one of these hearings (April 21, 2026) focused on encircling, containing, and confronting China within the Asia-Pacific region - contradicting many of the misconceptions created by Western media using the words of US Senators and their witnesses themselves to do so.

Iran war: What's happening on day 62 as Trump asks Iran to 'give up'? | US-Israel war on Iran News | Al Jazeera

United States President Donald Trump says Washington's blockade of Iranian ports has been a success, urging Tehran to "just give up" as pressure mounts in a deepening standoff over the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran has pushed back strongly, with Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf dismissing the US campaign as ineffective, while the military says its restraint so far has been "intended to give diplomacy a chance".

Meanwhile, tensions in the Strait of Hormuz are rippling through global markets, sending oil prices above $120 a barrel and driving US petrol prices to a four-year high.

Here is what we know as the conflict enters day 62:

In Iran

• Iran speaker dismisses blockade's impact on oil: Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf said no oil wells have "exploded" under the US blockade, arguing the measures have only driven up global prices. He added Iran's storage has not reached capacity and accused US officials, including Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, of acting on "junk advice" over the policy.
• Can the blockade force a production halt? The US says cutting off exports will eventually push Iran's storage to capacity, forcing output to stop, but analysts say remaining storage may cover only about 20 days of output. As Muyu Xu, a senior crude oil analyst at Kpler, notes, any cuts are likely to be gradual, with a higher chance of acceleration into May.
• 'Inappropriate behaviour': Top Iranian football officials left World Cup cohosts Canada before the start of the FIFA Congress because of "inappropriate behaviour" by immigration officials at Toronto airport, Iranian media said.

War diplomacy

• Putin-Trump talks: Russian President Vladimir Putin warned his US counterpart Donald Trump not to resume attacks on Iran. In a phone call between the two leaders, Putin said Trump's decision to extend the ceasefire was "the right one", Kremlin aide Yury Ushakov told reporters, including from the AFP news agency.
• Sticking points in US-Iran negotiations: The two sides remain divided over Iran's nuclear programme and uranium stockpile, the US blockade, the release of $20bn in Iranian assets, and Tehran's demand for $270bn in war reparations.
• Geopolitical ripple effects: OPEC is reportedly in "crisis mode" amid the energy shock and the UAE's plan to exit the group. Trump is also weighing a reduction of US troops in Germany after tensions with Berlin.

In the Gulf

• Iran condemns Bahrain citizenship revocations: Tehran says Manama violated the rights of 69 people stripped of citizenship for allegedly supporting Iranian attacks. Bahrain's Ministry of Interior accused them of "colluding with foreign entities", while Iran's Ministry of Foreign Affairs called the move "discriminatory" and an attempt to deflect from support for US-Israeli actions.

In the US

• '$25bn' cost of the war so far: US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth was asked during a fiery exchange in Congress about the cost of 60 days of conflict, and replied that it was estimated at less than $25bn so far.
• Long blockade: Trump has told national security officials to prepare for a long blockade of Iran's ports to compel Tehran to give up its nuclear programme, according to the Wall Street Journal.
• 'No more Mr. Nice Guy': "Iran can't get their act together. They don't know how to sign a nonnuclear deal. They better get smart soon!" Trump posted on his Truth Social platform, alongside an illustration of himself holding an assault rifle, with the caption "NO MORE MR. NICE GUY!"
• Economic toll of the blockade: Washington says it has seized nearly $500m in Iranian crypto assets under "Operation Economic Fury" to ramp up pressure. Meanwhile, US Democrats are criticising the war's $25bn cost, citing higher fuel and food prices for Americans.

In Lebanon and Gaza

• Lebanon ceasefire: Lebanon's President Joseph Aoun urged Israel to fully implement a ceasefire before beginning direct talks, after Israeli attacks killed more than 20 people in the last two days.
• Gaza crisis deepens: Israeli forces have intercepted a Gaza-bound civilian aid convoy in what a press officer described as a possible "kidnapping on the high seas", while Palestinians continue to be killed in the Gaza Strip despite a fragile "ceasefire".

Global economy

• Oil jumps: Global crude prices soared following reports of a possible extended blockade, with Brent jumping above $119 a barrel to its highest level since 2022 and US benchmark WTI above $105.
• Record profits: French fossil fuel giant TotalEnergies said net profit rose 51 percent in the first quarter to $5.8bn, boosted by higher oil prices linked to the war in Iran.
• Asia hit hard by rising oil prices: The Asia Pacific region, heavily reliant on Middle East oil, is feeling the strain as Brent crude nears $120 a barrel. The Asian Development Bank has cut growth forecasts and raised inflation projections, with higher fuel and food prices hitting millions.

Triggering War. A Manufactured "Catalytic Event" (False Flag) Which Will Initiate an All Out War? Are We Going to Let This Happen Again? - Global Research

As we watch Western governments testing their opponents - today Iran, the next day the DPRK, and then Russia and China - we hold our breaths. We are waiting with a sense of dread for the occurrence of a catalytic event that will initiate war. Now is the time to reflect on such catalytic events, to understand them, to prepare for them.

"Not A Chance Hormuz Opens!" NACHO Trump is Now Trapped in Iran and he knows it | Redacted News

Putin issued an extreme warning to Trump during a two-hour call as the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz drives oil to new highs, crushes global food supply, and fractures alliances. Colonels Douglas McGregor and Daniel Davis break down whether America has already lost its strategic goals in Iran and what comes next.

The US Air Force has requested the deployment of a hypersonic missile to the Middle East - Bloomberg

The US Central Command has requested the deployment of the Dark Eagle hypersonic missile to the Middle East for a potential strike against Iran. This was reported by Bloomberg.

The Dark Eagle is a surface-to-surface missile. Its range is estimated to be at least 2,500 kilometres.

"In the request for troop deployment, this move is justified by the fact that Iran has moved its launchers beyond the range of the Precision Strike Missile - a weapon capable of striking targets at a distance of over 300 miles," the report states.

According to Bloomberg, a decision on this matter has not yet been taken. If the request is approved, this will mark the first deployment of the American hypersonic missile, despite the fact that it is not yet fully ready for combat use.

Iran oil revenues surge despite sanctions - Yemen Press Agency

The Fars News Agency reported that Iranian oil sales have seen steady growth, with current export rates reportedly more than double those recorded in January, indicating increased demand and stable external export channels.

Sources added that Iran has exported around 15 million barrels of oil during the sanction period, underscoring the resilience of its energy sector and its ability to secure oil flows to international markets despite ongoing efforts by external powers to restrict exports.

Former Iranian diplomat warns US naval blockade on Iran could soon backfire, Trump miscalculated - YouTube

Former Iranian diplomat Sayyed Hadi Afghahi told Al Mayadeen during Iran's Grand National Capability Displays rally that rising US pressure at sea is not going unanswered, but rather pushing the situation into a more dangerous phase.

Referring to media reports, including Press TV leaks citing an official Iranian source, he said, "As time passes, the level of readiness continues to increase along with preparedness, to deliver effective, painful, and devastating strikes against US naval forces that allege they are besieging our ports."

Sayyed Afghahi sent a direct message, in which he affirmed, "Trump should understand that if he believes he can subdue the Iranian people by blockading Iranian ports, then he is gravely mistaken."

The US has proposed forming a coalition to ensure passage through the Strait of Hormuz - WSJ

The administration of US President Donald Trump has proposed that certain countries form a maritime coalition to ensure freedom of navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. This was reported in The Wall Street Journal (WSJ).

"This initiative, dubbed the Maritime Freedom Construct, was set out in detail in an internal State Department cable sent on Tuesday [28 April - ed.] to US embassies, which urged American diplomats to persuade foreign governments to join it [the alliance - ed.]", the publication states.

According to The Wall Street Journal, coalition members will exchange information, coordinate their actions and monitor compliance with sanctions.

The newspaper reported that the initiative will be launched jointly by the State Department and US Central Command.

Earlier, the Chief of the Royal Navy, Gwyn Jenkins, announced plans to create a joint naval force with nine other countries and deploy it in northern Europe.

US Aircraft Carrier Leaves Middle East for Repair

The USS Gerald R. Ford is heading home after 10 months at sea - the longest deployment of any modern US carrier - worn down by a laundry room fire, toilet failures, and the strain of nonstop operations.

12bytes: Yeah, that toilet thing still has me wondering. I think that was an act of mutiny.

Israeli air strikes, shelling pummel southern Lebanon | Middle East Eye

Israeli attacks continue on several towns and villages located in southern Lebanon, causing damage to infrstructure and residential buildings.

Warplanes reportedly launched assaults on Beit Yahoun and Jmaijmeh, the state-owned National News Agency (NNA) reported.

Three separate air strikes also targeted several residential buildings and roads across Bint Jbeil.

[Cover Up]: Major Hezbollah VICTORIES Over Israeli Forces in Lebanon - YouTube

The Western media won't say it. Western politicians won't admit it. But the numbers don't lie: Hezbollah's cheap, low-tech FPV drones are shredding Israel's most advanced military hardware - and the cover-up is total.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• How FPV drones costing as little as a few hundred dollars are destroying Israeli Merkava tanks - with 21 tanks wiped out in a single 24-hour period on March 26.
• Why Israel's billion-dollar air defence systems are powerless against kamikaze quadcopters flying 6 feet above the ground.
• Hezbollah's game-changing fiber-optic wire-guided drone technology - and why Israel's electronic warfare units cannot jam or intercept it.
• How Hezbollah studied the Ukraine war and built a low-cost, high-lethality drone doctrine that has stalled the IDF's entire ground operation in Southern Lebanon.
• Why defence analysts are calling FPV drone warfare the "biggest military revolution in a century"
• How Iranian drones forced the US aircraft carrier to retreat from the Persian Gulf - ending the era of the supercarrier.
• China's response: its prototype drone carrier Mothership - the first warship on Earth built primarily to launch unmanned aircraft swarms.
• Why Israel's ambition to permanently occupy Southern Lebanon is a distant fantasy - and what $3.8 billion in US military aid per year actually buys.

Israel warns US: Deterrence against Hezbollah is eroding - Middle East Monitor

Channel 12 reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu discussed the issue with US President Donald Trump in a phone call. It said Netanyahu warned that relying only on reactive responses, without taking the initiative, gives Hezbollah an opportunity to recover and strengthen its ideological position, while exposing Israeli forces on the ground to growing risks.

According to the Israeli position, the continued use of limited operations is gradually eroding deterrence and negatively affecting the security of residents in the north, as well as the army's operational readiness.

No oil well exploded: Qalibaf warns US 'junk advice' pushing oil to $140

Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf mocked US President's warnings that Iran's oil wells could explode, calling it "junk advice" and warning that Washington's blockade threats are instead driving global oil prices toward $140 per barrel.

"3 days in, no well exploded. We could extend to 30 and live stream the well here," Qalibaf said in a post on his X account on Thursday.

He mocked the claim that Iranian oil lines could explode due to excess production with no use, saying such a remark was the result of "junk" advice from individuals such as US Secretary of Treasury Scott Bessent.

Pentagon's $25 billion claim masks true cost of war on Iran as US losses mount: US media

The Pentagon's $25 billion estimate for the illegal war on Iran is increasingly seen as misleading, with new details pointing to far greater financial costs and significant US military damage inflicted by Iran's defensive strikes, a report says.

[...]

According to the sources, the $25 billion figure excludes the extensive damage inflicted on US military bases across the region.

One of the sources noted that when reconstruction and replacement of destroyed assets are taken into account, the real cost likely ranges between $40 billion and $50 billion.

In the early phase of the war, Iranian strikes across the Persian Gulf caused substantial damage to at least nine US military installations within just 48 hours, targeting sites in Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), and Qatar, CNN said.

U.S. Admits Triton Drone Worth Several Hundred Millions Was Damaged

The United States Navy has confirmed a second incident involving an MQ-4C Triton high-altitude surveillance drone, with some reports indicating that the event took place in the Middle East.

A mishap summary report by the U.S. Naval Safety Command (NAVSAFECOM) released on April 28 mentions the incident. It says that an MQ-4C was damaged the day before.

The drone completed its mission and landed safely despite sustaining damage during flight, according to the report, which classified the event as an damaged-in-flight incident with the location withheld under security restrictions.

This comes after an April 9 incident involving an MQ-4C that was lost during a flight over the Persian Gulf.

Pakistan opens up road trade routes into Iran amid Hormuz blockade | US-Israel war on Iran News | Al Jazeera

Islamabad, Pakistan - Pakistan has opened six overland transit routes for goods destined for Iran, formalising a road corridor through its territory as thousands of containers remain stranded at Karachi port because of the United States blockade of Iranian ports and ships trying to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

IN OTHER NEWS...

MTG on the Neocons' Hatred for America and What's Truly Going on Behind the Scenes in Washington

Why do neocons consistently act against the interests of the United States? It's more than neglect. It's hate. Marjorie Taylor Greene saw it firsthand.

Former Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is a Christian Mother of three Gen Z children, who spent two decades owning and operating a family construction business where she took her successful business experience to congress. Marjorie Taylor Greene proudly served in congress for five years representing Georgia's 14th district with an America First agenda and a 100% conservative voting record.

Legal Child Trafficking in the U.S. Through Adoption and Teenage Group Homes Exposed by Explosive AP Report

The Associated Press has just published an explosive new investigative report about adopted teenage children being confined in for-profit residential treatment centers where they routinely suffer from sexual abuse and psychological manipulation, often ending in suicide.

12bytes: Long ago i got involved in researching these teenager 'behavior modification' programs to which i've given the title, The Child Torture for Fun and Profit Industry. This goes way back and involves organizations such as Straight, Inc. and the World Wide Association of Specialty Programs and Schools (WWASPS).

Palantir's New Manifesto Dehumanizing, Insisting US Must Act By Force, Not Soft Power

The new so-called manifesto of the technology company Palantir proposes a governance model that dehumanizes people and validates the new US National Security doctrine. The scope of the manifesto went far beyond the usual corporate goal of pursuing defense contracts, proposing the introduction of a mandatory US national service, suggesting a more muscular role for tech companies in fighting "violent crime," and denouncing the "ruthless exposure of the private lives of public figures."

'Next Iran'?: Turkey accelerates 60,000-tonne aircraft carrier amid Israel tensions | Middle East Eye

While the world's attention is fixed on the US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz, Turkish shipyards are busy constructing the country's first national aircraft carrier, the Mugem.

Trump renews pressure on Israel's Herzog to pardon Netanyahu: Report - Middle East Monitor

Trump told Axios on Wednesday that Netanyahu had raised his corruption trial when they spoke Tuesday night and told him he'd be back in court on Wednesday, instead of focusing on Iran. "In the middle of a war? Give me a break," Trump said.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu cut short a court session in his corruption trial on Wednesday to hold security consultations related to an aid flotilla heading to the Gaza Strip.

Before the trial session began in Tel Aviv, Netanyahu asked to shorten Wednesday's hearing to three hours, but judges rejected the request. He then asked to leave the courtroom for one hour to hold security consultations at the Defense Ministry and then return later, which the judges approved.

Netanyahu faces charges of corruption, bribery and breach of trust in three cases that could lead to imprisonment if convicted. An indictment was filed by the attorney general in November 2019.

Telegraph and Politico owner says journalists must support Israel or resign | Middle East Eye

Tensions inside Politico were laid bare this week after Axel Springer CEO Mathias Dopfner told staff that backing Israel forms a core value of working at the outlet. Axel Springer acquired the political news site in 2021.

The remarks came during a tense internal meeting on Monday, convened after Politico journalists sent a letter to incoming editor-in-chief Jonathan Greenberger accusing the media mogul Dopfner of using the publication "to promote his political agenda".

The Pentagon has allocated $400 million to Ukraine - Hegseth

During a hearing before the Armed Services Committee, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth stated that the Pentagon had allocated $400 million to Ukraine, which had been authorised by the US Congress.