NewzIntel.com

Category: Trump

  • MIL-OSI USA: LEADER JEFFRIES: “WE NEED TO DEFEND OUR DEMOCRACY, UPLIFT AND CHERISH THE CONSTITUTION AND CREATE A BETTER AMERICA”

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Hakeem Jeffries (8th District of New York)

    This morning, House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries appeared on MSNBC’s The Weekend to discuss the violent attacks against Minnesota lawmakers and the need for leaders that bring America together rather than tear us apart.  

    EUGENE DANIELS: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries joins us now. Leader Jeffries, thank you so much for coming on. The thing that I kind of can’t get around is how we unring this bell. It feels to me, and I think to a lot of Americans, that the normalization of violence in our politics, the normalization of assassination attempts in our politics, something we haven’t seen since maybe the Civil Rights Era of the 60s, when those were happening. How do we, how can we actually unring that bell realistically?

    LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, it’s going to be imperative that everyone, across the political spectrum, demonstrate the type of leadership that actually is designed to bring people together, to lift people up and to appeal to the greater values of the American people, the things that should bind us together, patriotic Americans. We can have spirited debates, but we should never allow those spirited debates to inspire others to engage in behavior that’s unlawful. That’s going to fall on the President. It’s going to fall on the House, the Senate, governors, mayors, people all across the country because the trajectory that we are on right now, the violent culture that exists, is not sustainable.

    JONATHAN CAPEHART: And Leader Jeffries, then, is the President doing enough to lower the temperature? Are Republican leaders in the House and the Senate doing enough to lower the temperature or are they exacerbating the tensions in the country by some of the things they say and some of the things they do?

    LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, that certainly remains to be seen in terms of how the President, how my colleagues in Congress handle this moment moving forward. This should be another wake up call amongst many that have happened over the last several years, including, of course, the violent attack on the Capitol that took place on January 6. But at this particular moment in time, the President is going to have to step forward, as is the case with any President when tragedy strikes the United States of America. Now, of course, it’s complicated at this moment by the fact that there’s an ongoing manhunt. All of us should support our law enforcement officials who are engaged in a dangerous endeavor to try to apprehend this suspect, who is clearly violent and likely very disturbed. And we’re thankful for the effort that is being done—city, state and federal officials—to try to apprehend this suspect who engaged in a political assassination of Speaker Hortman. And that’s shocking. That should shock the conscience of everyone. But we also have to come together, and we’re going to need some executive branch leadership partnering with us in the Congress and the Judiciary to keep people safe. It’s not sustainable that Members of Congress, perhaps members of the Judiciary, are being threatened and targeted simply for doing their jobs.

    ELISE JORDAN: Leader Jeffries, are you going to be pushing for any additional security for your members? One of your members, Congresswoman Morrison, was on the list as a target. What has to be done in terms of concrete steps to make sure that Members of the House and also the Senate here in Washington are safe?

    LEADER JEFFRIES: Yeah, this is going to require additional resources, in all likelihood, so that Members of Congress, Democrats, Republicans, people in the House, people in the Senate, you know, have the ability to actually vigilantly and vigorously represent their constituents, articulate views that are designed to advance the best interests of their constituents and not be targeted in the process. And so I expect to have a conversation with the four corners of leadership across the Congress sooner rather than later, because we’re going to need to speak in one voice on this issue. And of course, early next week, we’ll convene directly with the Sergeant at Arms and the head of the Capitol Police Department to have a conversation with House Democrats about the steps that can be immediately taken to put people in a position where they can be safe and do their jobs actively and aggressively at the same time.

    EUGENE DANIELS: Leader Jeffries, also yesterday we saw these kind of, you know, split screen moment of what was happening in this country with people taking to the streets and protesting and these ‘No Kings’ protests just while President Trump was having his military parade here. There’s a lot of energy, right? We were seeing folks in big cities, small towns and townships. I was driving to a friend’s baby shower yesterday, and I saw one woman just standing out there with a sign by herself on her street corner. How do you, as a leader, how do Democratic leaders take what seems to be an energy that folks are feeling, both Democrats, Republicans and even some Independents, and channel that into something moving forward? What does that look like?

    LEADER JEFFRIES: Well, yes. Well, you know, it was very inspirational to see that across 50 states, you had peaceful demonstrators coming out in community, after community, after community to make a few things clear—primarily that we need to defend our democracy, uplift and cherish the Constitution and create a better America moving forward that’s less divided and more unified. There’s this principle that is an important part of who we are as a country, that we don’t have kings, we don’t have monarchs, we don’t have dictators. We’re a democracy, and in that democracy, you have three separate and co-equal branches of government. And what we need at this moment is to make sure that the legislative branch actually functions in the way that was intended: a check and balance on an out-of-control executive branch. And the way to do that in this current moment is that we just need a handful of Republicans to actually come to the conclusion that they don’t work for Donald Trump, they don’t work for Elon Musk, they don’t work for JD Vance, they work for the American people. Just a handful—four in the House, four in the Senate to do the right thing, to push back against the reckless Republican efforts to jam this GOP Tax Scam down the throats of the American people, the largest cut to Medicaid in American history, on top of the largest cut to nutritional assistance in American history, literally ripping food out of the mouths of children, seniors and veterans. And all of it is being done to give massive tax breaks to GOP billionaire donors. That’s unacceptable. It’s an attack on the American way of life, an attack on the rule of law, an attack on democracy itself. And we need people in the Congress to step up and we need to also support the efforts of the Judiciary branch, which by and large, have been tremendous in upholding the rule of law and pushing back against this administration.

    JONATHAN CAPEHART: Leader Jeffries, as you noted a couple times in that response, you just need a handful of Republicans to step forward and do the right thing. Why won’t they step forward? Is it because they are in fear of going against this President, and what that would mean in terms of their constituents and also some of the folks who maybe might go a little too far? Or is the problem also that you actually have true believers within the Republican Party now, more true believers than the handful you need to step forward to do the right thing for the American people?

    LEADER JEFFRIES: It’s a great question, Jonathan, and I think you have 220 Republicans in the House of Representatives. The overwhelming majority of them are true believers in terms of the far-right extremism the Trump administration is trying to jam down the throats of the American people. There are a handful who are not, but we need them to show, with respect to defending our democracy and the rule of law, what I would call Liz Cheney-like courage. And when it comes to policy issues and the extreme efforts to, you know, end Medicaid as we know it, or wipe away the healthcare of tens of millions of Americans or snatch food out of the mouths of children, we need them to show John McCain-like courage when John McCain, of course, several years ago, was the decisive vote in defeating the Republican effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act. We’re going to continue to work on them every day, every week, every month until a handful of them finally decide to cross over. It’s why we’ve been having town hall meetings in our districts and in Republican districts and rallies and speeches and press conferences and hearings and being very aggressive as Democrats in trying to make sure that you have some Republicans partner with us to do the right thing on behalf of our great country.

    JONATHAN CAPEHART: And that John McCain moment was iconic as he walked to the Senate Floor and did a thumbs down on the effort to overturn the Affordable Care Act. House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, thank you very much for coming to The Weekend.

    The full interview can be watched here. 

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Trump Administration Suspends Immigration Enforcement on Farms, Hotels, Restaurants — Media

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    NEW YORK, June 15 (Xinhua) — U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has ordered immigration agents to stop making arrests at farms, restaurants and hotels, a policy change amid concerns that recent immigration measures could hurt those industries, CBS News reported Saturday.

    These industries rely heavily on immigrants, many of whom are in the United States illegally, the channel reported, citing sources who asked to remain anonymous.

    The move comes as U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has stepped up raids on workplaces across the country to arrest and deport undocumented migrants. Stories of ICE agents detaining migrants in fields and car washes have dominated the news over the past week.

    The crackdown on migrants has sparked protests in cities across the United States, including Los Angeles and New York. Violence during the protests has prompted the Trump administration to send National Guard troops and Marines to the Los Angeles area, despite objections from California Governor Gavin Newsom and other local officials.

    For now, Washington can continue to use troops to protect ICE agents and quell protests. The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an emergency stay of the case just hours after Circuit Judge Charles Breyer ruled Thursday night that Trump illegally deployed the California National Guard and violated the Constitution. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why Israel’s shock and awe has proven its power but lost the war

    COMMENTARY: By Antony Loewenstein

    War is good for business and geopolitical posturing.

    Before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Washington in early February for his first visit to the US following President Donald Trump’s inauguration, he issued a bold statement on the strategic position of Israel.

    “The decisions we made in the war [since 7 October 2023] have already changed the face of the Middle East,” he said.

    “Our decisions and the courage of our soldiers have redrawn the map. But I believe that working closely with President Trump, we can redraw it even further.”

    How should this redrawn map be assessed?

    Hamas is bloodied but undefeated in Gaza. The territory lies in ruins, leaving its remaining population with barely any resources to rebuild. Death and starvation stalk everyone.

    Hezbollah in Lebanon has suffered military defeats, been infiltrated by Israeli intelligence, and now faces few viable options for projecting power in the near future. Political elites speak of disarming Hezbollah, though whether this is realistic is another question.

    Morocco, Bahrain and the UAE accounted for 12 percent of Israel’s record $14.8bn in arms sales in 2024 — up from just 3 percent the year before

    In Yemen, the Houthis continue to attack Israel, but pose no existential threat.

    Meanwhile, since the overthrow of dictator Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, Israel has attacked and threatened Syria, while the new government in Damascus is flirting with Israel in a possible bid for “normalisation“.

    The Gulf states remain friendly with Israel, and little has changed in the last 20 months to alter this relationship.

    According to Israel’s newly released arms sales figures for 2024, which reached a record $14.8bn, Morocco, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates accounted for 12 percent of total weapons sales — up from just 3 percent in 2023.

    It is conceivable that Saudi Arabia will be coerced into signing a deal with Israel in the coming years, in exchange for arms and nuclear technology for the dictatorial kingdom.

    An Israeli and US-assisted war against Iran began on Friday.

    In the West Bank, Israel’s annexation plans are surging ahead with little more than weak European statements of concern. Israel’s plans for Greater Israel — vastly expanding its territorial reach — are well underway in Syria, Lebanon and beyond.

    Shifting alliances
     On paper, Israel appears to be riding high, boasting military victories and vanquished enemies. And yet, many Israelis and pro-war Jews in the diaspora do not feel confident or buoyed by success.

    Instead, there is an air of defeatism and insecurity, stemming from the belief that the war for Western public opinion has been lost — a sentiment reinforced by daily images of Israel’s campaign of deliberate mass destruction across the Gaza Strip.

    What Israel craves and desperately needs is not simply military prowess, but legitimacy in the public domain. And this is sorely lacking across virtually every demographic worldwide.

    It is why Israel is spending at least $150 million this year alone on “public diplomacy”.

    Get ready for an army of influencers, wined and dined in Tel Aviv’s restaurants and bars, to sell the virtues of Israeli democracy. Even pro-Israel journalists are beginning to question how this money is being spent, wishing Israeli PR were more responsive and effective.

    Today, Israeli Jews proudly back ethnic cleansing and genocide in Gaza in astoundingly high numbers. This reflects a Jewish supremacist mindset that is being fed a daily diet of extremist rhetoric in mainstream media.

    There is arguably no other Western country with such a high proportion of racist, genocidal mania permeating public discourse.

    According to a recent poll of Western European populations, Israel is viewed unfavourably in Germany, Denmark, France, Italy and Spain.

    Very few in these countries support Israeli actions. Only between 13 and 21 percent hold a positive view of Israel, compared to 63-70 percent who do not.

    The US-backed Pew Research Centre also released a global survey asking people in 24 countries about their views on Israel and Palestine. In 20 of the 24 nations, at least half of adults expressed a negative opinion of the Jewish state.

    A deeper reckoning
     Beyond Israel’s image problems lies a deeper question: can it ever expect full acceptance in the Middle East?

    Apart from kings, monarchs and elites from Dubai to Riyadh and Manama to Rabat, Israel’s vicious and genocidal actions since 7 October 2023 have rendered “normalisation” impossible with a state intent on building a Jewish theocracy that subjugates millions of Arabs indefinitely.

    While it is true that most states in the region are undemocratic, with gross human rights abuses a daily reality, Israel has long claimed to be different — “the only democracy in the Middle East”.

    But Israel’s entire political system, built with massive Western support and grounded in an unsustainable racial hierarchy, precludes it from ever being fully and formally integrated into the region.

    The American journalist Murtaza Hussain, writing for the US outlet Drop Site News, recently published a perceptive essay on this very subject.

    He argues that Israeli actions have been so vile and historically grave — comparable to other modern holocausts — that they cannot be forgotten or excused, especially as they are publicly carried out with the explicit goal of ethnically cleansing Palestine:

    “This genocide has been a political and cultural turning point beyond which we cannot continue as before. I express that with resignation rather than satisfaction, as it means that many generations of suffering are ahead on all sides.

    “Ultimately, the goal of Israel’s opponents must not be to replicate its crimes in Gaza and the West Bank, nor to indulge in nihilistic hatred for its own sake.

    “People in the region and beyond should work to build connections with those Israelis who are committed opponents of their regime, and who are ready to cooperate in the generational task of building a new political architecture.”

    The issue is not just Netanyahu and his government. All his likely successors hold similarly hardline views on Palestinian rights and self-determination.

    The monumental task ahead lies in crafting an alternative to today’s toxic Jewish theocracy.

    But this rebuilding must also take place in the West. Far too many Jews, conservatives and evangelical Christians continue to cling to the fantasy of eradicating, silencing or expelling Arabs from their land entirely.

    Pushing back against this fascism is one of the most urgent generational tasks of our time.

    Antony Loewenstein is an Australian/German independent, freelance, award-winning, investigative journalist, best-selling author and film-maker. In 2025, he released an award-winning documentary series on Al Jazeera English, The Palestine Laboratory, adapted from his global best-selling book of the same name. It won a major prize at the prestigious Telly Awards. This article is republished from Middle East Eye with permission.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why Israel’s shock and awe has proven its power but lost the war

    COMMENTARY: By Antony Loewenstein

    War is good for business and geopolitical posturing.

    Before Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu arrived in Washington in early February for his first visit to the US following President Donald Trump’s inauguration, he issued a bold statement on the strategic position of Israel.

    “The decisions we made in the war [since 7 October 2023] have already changed the face of the Middle East,” he said.

    “Our decisions and the courage of our soldiers have redrawn the map. But I believe that working closely with President Trump, we can redraw it even further.”

    How should this redrawn map be assessed?

    Hamas is bloodied but undefeated in Gaza. The territory lies in ruins, leaving its remaining population with barely any resources to rebuild. Death and starvation stalk everyone.

    Hezbollah in Lebanon has suffered military defeats, been infiltrated by Israeli intelligence, and now faces few viable options for projecting power in the near future. Political elites speak of disarming Hezbollah, though whether this is realistic is another question.

    Morocco, Bahrain and the UAE accounted for 12 percent of Israel’s record $14.8bn in arms sales in 2024 — up from just 3 percent the year before

    In Yemen, the Houthis continue to attack Israel, but pose no existential threat.

    Meanwhile, since the overthrow of dictator Bashar al-Assad in late 2024, Israel has attacked and threatened Syria, while the new government in Damascus is flirting with Israel in a possible bid for “normalisation“.

    The Gulf states remain friendly with Israel, and little has changed in the last 20 months to alter this relationship.

    According to Israel’s newly released arms sales figures for 2024, which reached a record $14.8bn, Morocco, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates accounted for 12 percent of total weapons sales — up from just 3 percent in 2023.

    It is conceivable that Saudi Arabia will be coerced into signing a deal with Israel in the coming years, in exchange for arms and nuclear technology for the dictatorial kingdom.

    An Israeli and US-assisted war against Iran began on Friday.

    In the West Bank, Israel’s annexation plans are surging ahead with little more than weak European statements of concern. Israel’s plans for Greater Israel — vastly expanding its territorial reach — are well underway in Syria, Lebanon and beyond.

    Shifting alliances
     On paper, Israel appears to be riding high, boasting military victories and vanquished enemies. And yet, many Israelis and pro-war Jews in the diaspora do not feel confident or buoyed by success.

    Instead, there is an air of defeatism and insecurity, stemming from the belief that the war for Western public opinion has been lost — a sentiment reinforced by daily images of Israel’s campaign of deliberate mass destruction across the Gaza Strip.

    What Israel craves and desperately needs is not simply military prowess, but legitimacy in the public domain. And this is sorely lacking across virtually every demographic worldwide.

    It is why Israel is spending at least $150 million this year alone on “public diplomacy”.

    Get ready for an army of influencers, wined and dined in Tel Aviv’s restaurants and bars, to sell the virtues of Israeli democracy. Even pro-Israel journalists are beginning to question how this money is being spent, wishing Israeli PR were more responsive and effective.

    Today, Israeli Jews proudly back ethnic cleansing and genocide in Gaza in astoundingly high numbers. This reflects a Jewish supremacist mindset that is being fed a daily diet of extremist rhetoric in mainstream media.

    There is arguably no other Western country with such a high proportion of racist, genocidal mania permeating public discourse.

    According to a recent poll of Western European populations, Israel is viewed unfavourably in Germany, Denmark, France, Italy and Spain.

    Very few in these countries support Israeli actions. Only between 13 and 21 percent hold a positive view of Israel, compared to 63-70 percent who do not.

    The US-backed Pew Research Centre also released a global survey asking people in 24 countries about their views on Israel and Palestine. In 20 of the 24 nations, at least half of adults expressed a negative opinion of the Jewish state.

    A deeper reckoning
     Beyond Israel’s image problems lies a deeper question: can it ever expect full acceptance in the Middle East?

    Apart from kings, monarchs and elites from Dubai to Riyadh and Manama to Rabat, Israel’s vicious and genocidal actions since 7 October 2023 have rendered “normalisation” impossible with a state intent on building a Jewish theocracy that subjugates millions of Arabs indefinitely.

    While it is true that most states in the region are undemocratic, with gross human rights abuses a daily reality, Israel has long claimed to be different — “the only democracy in the Middle East”.

    But Israel’s entire political system, built with massive Western support and grounded in an unsustainable racial hierarchy, precludes it from ever being fully and formally integrated into the region.

    The American journalist Murtaza Hussain, writing for the US outlet Drop Site News, recently published a perceptive essay on this very subject.

    He argues that Israeli actions have been so vile and historically grave — comparable to other modern holocausts — that they cannot be forgotten or excused, especially as they are publicly carried out with the explicit goal of ethnically cleansing Palestine:

    “This genocide has been a political and cultural turning point beyond which we cannot continue as before. I express that with resignation rather than satisfaction, as it means that many generations of suffering are ahead on all sides.

    “Ultimately, the goal of Israel’s opponents must not be to replicate its crimes in Gaza and the West Bank, nor to indulge in nihilistic hatred for its own sake.

    “People in the region and beyond should work to build connections with those Israelis who are committed opponents of their regime, and who are ready to cooperate in the generational task of building a new political architecture.”

    The issue is not just Netanyahu and his government. All his likely successors hold similarly hardline views on Palestinian rights and self-determination.

    The monumental task ahead lies in crafting an alternative to today’s toxic Jewish theocracy.

    But this rebuilding must also take place in the West. Far too many Jews, conservatives and evangelical Christians continue to cling to the fantasy of eradicating, silencing or expelling Arabs from their land entirely.

    Pushing back against this fascism is one of the most urgent generational tasks of our time.

    Antony Loewenstein is an Australian/German independent, freelance, award-winning, investigative journalist, best-selling author and film-maker. In 2025, he released an award-winning documentary series on Al Jazeera English, The Palestine Laboratory, adapted from his global best-selling book of the same name. It won a major prize at the prestigious Telly Awards. This article is republished from Middle East Eye with permission.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Netanyahu has two war aims: destroying Iran’s nuclear program and regime change. Are either achievable?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Parmeter, Research Scholar, Middle East Studies, Australian National University

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said Israel’s attack on Iran’s nuclear facilities could last for at least two weeks.

    His timing seems precise for a reason. The Israel Defence Forces and the country’s intelligence agencies have clearly devised a methodical, step-by-step campaign.

    Israeli forces initially focused on decapitating the Iranian military and scientific leadership and, just as importantly, destroying virtually all of Iran’s air defences.

    Israeli aircraft can not only operate freely over Iranian air space now, they can refuel and deposit more special forces at key sites to enable precision bombing of targets and attacks on hidden or well-protected nuclear facilities.

    In public statements since the start of the campaign, Netanyahu has highlighted two key aims: to destroy Iran’s nuclear program, and to encourage the Iranian people to overthrow the clerical regime.

    With those two objectives in mind, how might the conflict end? Several broad scenarios are possible.

    A return to negotiations

    US President Donald Trump’s special envoy for the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, was to have attended a sixth round of talks with his Iranian counterparts on Sunday aimed at a deal to replace the Iran nuclear agreement negotiated under the Obama administration in 2015. Trump withdrew from that agreement during his first term in 2018, despite Iran’s apparent compliance to that point.

    Netanyahu was opposed to the 2015 agreement and has indicated he does not believe Iran is serious about a replacement.

    So, accepting negotiations as an outcome of the Israeli bombing campaign would be a massive climbdown by Netanyahu. He wants to use the defanging of Iran to reestablish his security credentials after the Hamas attacks of October 2023.

    Even though Trump continues to press Iran to accept a deal, negotiations are off the table for now. Trump won’t be able to persuade Netanyahu to stop the bombing campaign to restart negotiations.

    Complete destruction of Iran’s nuclear program

    Destruction of Iran’s nuclear program would involve destroying all known sites, including the Fordow uranium enrichment facility, about 100 kilometres south of Tehran.

    According to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi, the facility is located about half a mile underground, beneath a mountain. It is probably beyond the reach of even the US’ 2,000-pound deep penetration bombs.

    The entrances and ventilation shafts of the facility could be closed by causing landslides. But that would be a temporary solution.

    Taking out Fordow entirely would require an Israeli special forces attack. This is certainly possible, given Israel’s success in getting operatives into Iran to date. But questions would remain about how extensively the facility could be damaged and then how quickly it could be rebuilt.

    And destruction of Iran’s nuclear centrifuges – used to enrich uranium to create a bomb – would be only one step in dismantling its program.

    Israel would also have to secure or eliminate Iran’s stock of uranium already enriched to 60% purity. This is sufficient for up to ten nuclear bombs if enriched to the weapons-grade 90% purity.

    But does Israeli intelligence know where that stock is?

    Collapse of the Iranian regime

    Collapse of the Iranian regime is certainly possible, particularly given Israel’s removal of Iran’s most senior military leaders since its attacks began on Friday, including the heads of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and the Iranian armed forces.

    And anti-regime demonstrations over the years, most recently the “Women, Life, Freedom” protests after the death in police custody of a young Iranian woman, Mahsa Amini, in 2022, have shown how unpopular the regime is.

    That said, the regime has survived many challenges since coming to power in 1979, including war with Iraq in the 1980s and massive sanctions. It has developed remarkably efficient security systems that have enabled it to remain in place.

    Another uncertainty at this stage is whether Israeli attacks on civilian targets might engender a “rally round the flag” movement among Iranians.

    Netanyahu said in recent days that Israel had indications the remaining senior regime figures were packing their bags in preparation for fleeing the country. But he gave no evidence.

    A major party joins the fight

    Could the US become involved in the fighting?

    This can’t be ruled out. Iran’s UN ambassador directly accused the US of assisting Israel with its strikes.

    That is almost certainly true, given the close intelligence sharing between the US and Israel. Moreover, senior Republicans, such as Senator Lindsey Graham, have called on Trump to order US forces to help Israel “finish the job”.

    Trump would probably be loath to do this, particularly given his criticism of the “forever wars” of previous US administrations. But if Iran or pro-Iranian forces were to strike a US base or military asset in the region, pressure would mount on Trump to retaliate.

    Another factor is that Trump probably wants the war to end as quickly as possible. His administration will be aware the longer a conflict drags on, the more likely unforeseen factors will arise.

    Could Russia become involved on Iran’s side? At this stage that’s probably unlikely. Russia did not intervene in Syria late last year to try to protect the collapsing Assad regime. And Russia has plenty on its plate with the war in Ukraine.

    Russia criticised the Israeli attack when it started, but appears not to have taken any action to help Iran defend itself.

    And could regional powers such as Saudi Arabia or the United Arab Emirates become involved?

    Though they have a substantial arsenal of US military equipment, the two countries have no interest in becoming caught up in the conflict. The Gulf Arab monarchies have engaged in a rapprochement with Iran in recent years after decades of outright hostility. Nobody would want to put this at risk.

    Uncertainties predominate

    We don’t know the extent of Iran’s arsenal of missiles and rockets. In its initial retaliation to Israel’s strikes, Iran has been able to partially overwhelm Israel’s Iron Dome air defence system, causing civilian casualties.

    If it can continue to do this, causing more civilian casualties, Israelis already unhappy with Netanyahu over the Gaza war might start to question his wisdom in starting another conflict.

    But we are nowhere near that point. Though it’s too early for reliable opinion polling, most Israelis almost certainly applaud Netanyahu’s action so far to cripple Iran’s nuclear program. In addition, Netanyahu has threatened to make Tehran “burn” if Iran deliberately targets Israeli civilians.

    We can be confident that Iran does not have any surprises in store. Israel has severely weakened its proxies, Hezbollah and Hamas. They are clearly in no position to assist Iran through diversionary attacks.

    The big question will be what comes after the war. Iran will almost certainly withdraw from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and forbid more inspections by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

    Israel will probably be able to destroy Iran’s existing nuclear facilities, but it’s only a question of when – not if – Iran will reconstitute them.

    This means the likelihood of Iran trying to secure a nuclear bomb in order to deter future Israeli attacks will be much higher. And the region will remain in a precarious place.

    Ian Parmeter does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Netanyahu has two war aims: destroying Iran’s nuclear program and regime change. Are either achievable? – https://theconversation.com/netanyahu-has-two-war-aims-destroying-irans-nuclear-program-and-regime-change-are-either-achievable-259014

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Russian President discusses escalating tensions in Middle East during phone call with US President

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Moscow, June 15 /Xinhua/ — Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the escalation of tensions in the Middle East during a telephone conversation with U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday, presidential aide Yuri Ushakov said. The information was released by the Russian president’s press service on the same day.

    “The conversation between the Russian President and the US President lasted 50 minutes. The exchange of opinions focused on the dangerous escalation of the situation in the Middle East. V. Putin, having condemned Israel’s military operation against Iran, expressed serious concern about the possible escalation of the conflict, which would have unpredictable consequences for the entire situation in the region,” noted Yu. Ushakov.

    According to him, V. Putin informed his American colleague about the telephone contacts he had with the Prime Minister of Israel and the President of Iran. The importance of preventing the escalation of the conflict and the readiness of the Russian side to carry out possible mediation efforts were emphasized.

    “Russia’s fundamental approach and interest in the settlement remain unchanged. And, as V. Putin noted, we will continue to act based on this. D. Trump, for his part, also assessed the situation as very alarming, although he acknowledged the effectiveness of Israel’s strikes on targets in Iran. But it is characteristic that the Russian and American presidents, despite such a complicated situation, do not rule out a return to the negotiating track on the Iranian nuclear program,” emphasized Y. Ushakov.

    He also reported that, as D. Trump noted, the team of American negotiators is ready to resume work with Iranian representatives.

    “In addition, during the conversation, V. Putin informed D. Trump about the implementation of the agreements reached at the meeting of the Russian and Ukrainian delegations in Istanbul on June 2. V. Putin noted that these days, an exchange of prisoners of war is taking place, including seriously wounded, and prisoners of war under 25 years of age. Ukraine also accepted two batches of bodies of the dead. The Russian side expressed its readiness to continue negotiations with the Ukrainians, as agreed, after June 22. D. Trump took note of this information and once again noted his interest in the speedy end of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict,” Y. Ushakov summarized. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • Iran would face US might ‘at levels never seen before’ if it attacks US: Trump

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    President Donald Trump said early on Sunday that if Iran attacks the United States in any way, it would face the might of the U.S. military “at levels never seen before.”

    Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform that the U.S. had nothing to do with an attack on Iran overnight and that “we can easily get a deal done between Iran and Israel, and end this bloody conflict!!!”

    More to follow.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Russia: US and Russian Presidents Agree That “War Between Israel and Iran Must End”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    WASHINGTON, June 14 (Xinhua) — U.S. President Donald Trump on Saturday held a telephone conversation with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on tensions in the Middle East and Russia-Ukraine peace talks. The two sides agreed that “this war between Israel and Iran must end,” Trump said on social media.

    “He believes, as do I, that this war between Israel and Iran must end,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social page, adding that Putin “knows Iran very well.”

    D. Trump said that during the hour-long conversation he also explained to the Russian president that the Russian-Ukrainian conflict “must end too.”

    “We talked at length. Much less time was spent on the situation between Russia and Ukraine. We’ll talk about that next week,” D. Trump said. “He /Vladimir Putin/ is conducting the planned prisoner exchanges – a large number of prisoners are being exchanged on both sides at once.”

    On Saturday, D. Trump celebrated his 79th birthday. According to him, during a telephone conversation, V. Putin congratulated him on his birthday. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • After day of nationwide protests, Trump’s military parade rolls through D.C.

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    President Donald Trump’s long-sought military parade rolled though the streets of downtown Washington on Saturday, but the celebration of the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary was marred by a day of violence and discord.

    In the hours before the parade began, hundreds of thousands of Americans marched and rallied in streets in cities from New York to Chicago to Los Angeles, protesting Trump’s actions while in office, in the largest such actions since his return to power in January.

    Earlier in the day, a gunman assassinated a Democratic lawmaker and wounded another in Minnesota and remained at large.

    Meanwhile, Israel and Iran exchanged further attacks early on Sunday, stoking fears of a mushrooming conflict between the two nations.

    All of it followed a week of tension in Los Angeles, where protests over federal immigration raids resulted in Trump calling in National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to help keep the peace, over the objections of the state’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom.

    The parade, which fell on Trump’s 79th birthday, kicked off earlier than expected with thunderstorms forecast in the Washington area.

    Tanks, armored personnel carriers and artillery rumbled down the parade route along storied Constitution Avenue, an unusual sight in the U.S. where such displays of military might are rare.

    “Every other country celebrates their victories, it’s about time America did too,” Trump told the crowd following the parade.

    Thousands of spectators lined up along the route. Trump watched the proceedings from an elevated viewing stand behind bulletproof glass.

    Some of the president’s opponents also managed to find a spot along the parade route, holding signs in protest. Other demonstrators were kept separate from the parade crowd by local police.

    The U.S. Army has brought nearly 7,000 troops into Washington, along with 150 vehicles, including more than 25 M1 Abrams tanks, 28 Stryker armored vehicles, four Paladin self-propelled artillery vehicles, and artillery pieces including the M777 and M119.

    ARMY’S HISTORY

    The parade traced the history of the Army from its founding during the Revolutionary War through modern day. Trump frequently stood and saluted troops as they marched by.

    Members of Trump’s cabinet including Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio looked on.

    Trump had first expressed interest in a military parade in Washington early in his first 2017-2021 term in office.

    In 1991, tanks and thousands of troops paraded through Washington to celebrate the ousting of Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s forces from Kuwait in the Gulf War.

    The celebrations were expected to cost the U.S. Army between $25 million and $45 million, U.S. officials have told Reuters. That includes the parade itself as well as the cost of moving equipment and housing and feeding the troops.

    Critics have called the parade an authoritarian display of power that is wasteful, especially given Trump has said he wants to slash costs throughout the federal government.

    Bryan Henrie, a Trump supporter, flew in from Texas to celebrate the Army’s anniversary and did not see any issues with tanks rolling down the streets of Washington.

    “I don’t see a controversy. I will celebrate safety and stability any day over anarchy,” 61-year-old Henrie said.

    ‘SHAME! SHAME!’

    Earlier in the day, thousands marched in Washington and other cities in protest of Trump’s policies. The demonstrations were largely peaceful, and marked the largest outpouring of opposition to Trump’s presidency since he returned to power in January.

    In Los Angeles, however, the situation remained tense. About an hour before a downtown curfew, police officers mounted on horses were aggressively pushing back demonstrators, using gas, flash bangs and other less lethal munitions, causing large groups to panic and flee.

    Protesters were firing what police called commercial-grade fireworks against officers, along with rocks and bottles. Some demonstrators wore gas masks and helmets and vowed to stay in the area for many more hours.

    A crowd earlier had confronted soldiers guarding a federal building, yelling “Shame! Shame!” and “Marines, get out of LA!”

    Anti-Trump groups planned nearly 2,000 demonstrations across the country to coincide with the parade. Many took place under the theme “No Kings,” asserting that no individual is above the law.

    Thousands of people of all ages turned out in and around Bryant Park in Midtown Manhattan, many carrying homemade signs that played off the “No Kings” theme. “No crown for a clown,” said one. Actor Mark Ruffalo was among the demonstrators, wearing a hat that read “immigrant.”

    “We’re seeing dehumanizing language towards LGBT people, towards people with autism, towards people with other disabilities, racial minorities, undocumented people,” said Cooper Smith, 20, from upstate New York. “Somebody’s got to show that most Americans are against this.”

    Protesters in downtown Chicago stood off against police on Saturday, with some waving upside-down American flags and chanting: “Who do you protect? Who do you serve?” and “No justice, no peace.”

    Members of the far-right Proud Boys, ardent Trump supporters, appeared at an Atlanta “No Kings” protest, wearing the group’s distinctive black and yellow colors.

    About 400 protesters, organized by a group called RefuseFascism.org, marched through Washington and gathered for a rally in a park opposite the White House. Trump had warned people against protesting at the parade itself, saying that “they’re going to be met with very big force.”

    Sunsara Taylor, a founder of RefuseFascism, told the crowd, “Today we refuse to accept Donald Trump unleashing the military against the people of this country and in the streets of this country. We say, ‘Hell no.’”

    (Reuters)

  • Israel and Iran strike at each other in new wave of attacks

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Israel and Iran launched fresh attacks on each other overnight into Sunday, stoking fears of a wider conflict after Israel expanded its surprise campaign against its main rival with a strike on the world’s biggest gas field.

    Tehran called off nuclear talks that Washington had said were the only way to halt Israel’s bombing, while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the attacks were nothing compared with what Iran would see in the coming days.

    The latest wave of Iranian attacks began shortly after 11:00 p.m. on Saturday (2000 GMT), when air raid sirens blared in Jerusalem and Haifa, sending around a million people into bomb shelters.

    Around 2:30 a.m. local time (2330 GMT Saturday), the Israeli military warned of another incoming missile barrage and urged residents to seek shelter. Explosions echoed through Tel Aviv and Jerusalem as missiles streaked across the skies as interceptor rockets were launched in response. The military lifted its shelter-in-place advisory nearly an hour after issuing the warning.

    The ambulance service said at least seven people were killed overnight, including a 10-year-old boy and a woman in her 20s, and more than 140 injured in multiple attacks.

    Search and rescue worked combed through the rubble of residential buildings destroyed in multiple strikes, using flashlights and dogs to look for survivors.

    Israeli media said at least 35 people were missing after a strike hit Bat Yam, a city south of Tel Aviv. A spokesperson for the emergency services said a missile hit an 8-storey building there and while many people were rescued, there were fatalities.

    It was unclear how many buildings were hit overnight.

    So far, at least nine people in Israel have been killed and over 300 others injured since Iran launched its retaliatory attacks on Friday.

    Iran has said 78 people were killed there on the first day of Israel’s campaign, and scores more on the second, including 60 when a missile brought down a 14-storey apartment block in Tehran, where 29 of the dead were children.

    The Shahran oil depot in Tehran was targeted in an Israeli attack, Iran said, but added the situation was under control. A fire had erupted after an Israeli attack on an oil refinery near the capital while Israeli strikes also targeted Iran’s defence ministry building, causing minor damage, the semi-official Tasnim news agency said on Sunday.

    U.S. President Donald Trump had warned Iran of worse to come, but said it was not too late to halt the Israeli campaign if Tehran accepted a sharp downgrading of its nuclear programme.

    A round of U.S.-Iran nuclear talks that was due to be held in Oman on Sunday was cancelled, with Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi saying the discussions could not take place while Iran was being subjected to Israel’s “barbarous” attacks.

    GAS FIELD ATTACK

    In the first apparent attack to hit Iran’s energy infrastructure, Tasnim news agency said Iran partially suspended production at South Pars, the world’s biggest gas field, after an Israeli strike caused a fire there on Saturday.

    The South Pars field, offshore in Iran’s southern Bushehr province, is the source of most of the gas produced in Iran.

    Fears about potential disruption to the region’s oil exports had already driven up oil prices 9% on Friday even though Israel spared Iran’s oil and gas on the first day of its attacks.

    An Iranian general, Esmail Kosari, said on Saturday that Tehran was reviewing whether to close the Strait of Hormuz controlling access to the Gulf for tankers.

    With Israel saying its operation could last weeks, and Netanyahu urging Iran’s people to rise up against their Islamic clerical rulers, fears have grown of a regional conflagration dragging in outside powers.

    B’Tselem, a leading Israeli human rights organization, said on Saturday that instead of exhausting all possibilities for a diplomatic resolution, Israel’s government had chosen to start a war that puts the entire region in danger.

    Tehran has warned Israel’s allies that their military bases in the region would come under fire too if they helped shoot down Iranian missiles.

    However, 20 months of war in Gaza and a conflict in Lebanon last year have decimated Tehran’s strongest regional proxies, Hamas in Gaza and Hezbollah in Lebanon, reducing its options for retaliation.

    Israel sees Iran’s nuclear programme as a threat to its existence, and said the bombardment was designed to avert the last steps to production of a nuclear weapon.

    Tehran insists the programme is entirely civilian and that it does not seek an atomic bomb. The U.N. nuclear watchdog, however, reported Iran this week as violating obligations under the global non-proliferation treaty.

    (Reuters)

  • PM Modi embarks on 3-nation tour, says opportunity to galvanise global understanding on tackling terrorism

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday released an official statement before embarking on the three-nation tour of Cyprus, Canada and Croatia. He said this is an opportunity to galvanise global understanding on tackling terrorism in all its forms and manifestations.

    PM Modi shared on X: “Today, I will embark on a three-nation tour to the Republic of Cyprus, Canada and Croatia. On June 15-16, I will visit the Republic of Cyprus at the invitation of President Nikos Christodoulides. Cyprus is a close friend and an important partner in the Mediterranean region and the EU. The visit provides an opportunity to build upon the historical bonds and expand our ties in the areas of trade, investment, security, technology and promote people-to-people exchanges.”

    “From Cyprus, I will travel to Kananaskis, Canada, to attend the G7 Summit at the invitation of Prime Minister Mark Carney,” said the PM.

    PM Modi said that the Summit will provide space for exchange of views on pressing global issues and the priorities of the Global South and he is also looking forward to engaging with leaders from partner countries.

    “On June 18, I look forward to my visit to the Republic of Croatia and meetings with President Zoran Milanovic and Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic. Both our countries enjoy centuries-old close cultural links. As the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Croatia, it will open new avenues for bilateral cooperation in areas of mutual interest. This three-nation tour is also an opportunity to thank partner countries for their steadfast support to India in our fight against cross-border terrorism, and to galvanise global understanding on tackling terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” PM Modi said.

    PM Modi’s visit to Cyprus will be the first by an Indian Prime Minister in more than two decades.

    “I will be attending the G7 Summit in Canada, which will give a great platform to exchange perspectives on various global issues and elaborate on the priorities of the Global South,” PM Modi said earlier on X.

    “My visit to Croatia, which will be the first ever by an Indian Prime Minister, presents a historical opportunity to boost linkages with a valued partner country,” added PM Modi.

    Manish, High Commissioner of India to Cyprus, said, “The visit is going to be a historic visit for several reasons. It is after over two decades that a Prime Minister from our country is coming, and this would be the first visit of the Prime Minister (Modi) to this country… I think the most significant outcomes will be in trade, technology, tourism and investment. We will also discuss defence and security cooperation, business and people-to-people contact as well as global and regional discussions…”

    In Nicosia, PM Modi will hold talks with Cyprus President Nikos Christodoulides and address business leaders in Limassol.

    Cyprus had condemned the Pahalgam terror attack and indicated that it would raise the issue of cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan at the EU-level discussions.

    The visit will be timely as Cyprus is set to take over the Presidency of the Council of the EU in the first half of 2026.

    The visit will reaffirm the shared commitment of the two countries to deepen bilateral ties and strengthen India’s engagement with the Mediterranean region and the European Union, as per the MEA.

    The visit to Cyprus is significant also as it comes in the middle of India’s tensions with Turkey over the latter’s support to Pakistan.

    Ankara’s recognition of the so-called Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus in the northern region that was seized by Turkish forces in 1974 and differences over gas exploration rights in the Eastern Mediterranean remain a constant source of tensions between Turkey and Cyprus.

    PM Modi will participate in the G7 Summit in Canada’s Kananaskis on June 16 to 17, and conclude the five-day visit with an official visit to Croatia on June 18.

    At the G7 summit, PM Modi will come face-to-face with US President Donald Trump for the first time since their meeting in February 2025.

    “At the summit, the PM will exchange views with leaders of G7 countries, other invited outreach countries and heads of international organisations on crucial global issues, including energy security, technology and innovation, particularly the AI-energy nexus and Quantum-related issues,” said the government in its announcement.

    The Prime Minister’s Croatia visit on June 18 will be the first ever visit by an Indian PM, marking an important milestone in the bilateral relationship.

    “The visit to Croatia will also underscore India’s commitment to further strengthening its engagement with partners in the European Union,” said the government.

    (With inputs from IANS)

  • MIL-Evening Report: Caitlin Johnstone: We are, of course, being lied to about Iran

    Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. –

    COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone

    Iran and Israel are at war, with the US already intimately involved and likely to become more so. Which of course means we’ll be spending the foreseeable future getting bashed in the face with lies from the most powerful people in the world.

    The most immediately obvious of these is the Netanyahu-promoted narrative that Israel initiated this conflict because Iran was on the brink of developing a nuclear weapon.

    With absolutely no self-consciousness or sense of irony, the Israeli prime minister followed the attacks with a statement accusing Iran of “genocidal rhetoric” which it has backed up “with a programme to develop nuclear weapons.”


    We are, of course, being lied to about Iran           Video: Caitlin Johnstone

    Israel, as we all know, has an unacknowledged nuclear arsenal, and its leaders are presently committing genocide in Gaza while spouting genocidal rhetoric.

    “And if not stopped, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time,” Netanyahu claimed. “It could be a year. It could be within a few months  —  less than a year. This is a clear and present danger to Israel’s very survival.”

    The Western political/media class have been dutifully promoting this line and uncritically parroting Israel’s claim that its unprovoked attack on Iran was “pre-emptive”, but there is absolutely no evidence that any of this is true.

    Benjamin Netanyahu has spent literally decades falsely claiming that Iran was a year or two away from developing a nuke, only to have the calendar prove him wrong with the passage of time over and over again.

    Iran and Israel (and the US) at war.         Video: Anti-war News

    US intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard testified just weeks ago that “The IC [Intelligence Community] continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Khamenei has not authorised the nuclear weapons programme he suspended in 2003.”

    As journalist Séamus Malekafzali recently noted on Twitter, one of the strongest arguments that Iran had not reversed its decision to refrain from obtaining nuclear weapons is that Iranian nuclear scientists have been publicly expressing frustration about the fact that their government won’t allow them to construct a nuke.

    They want to do it, but Tehran won’t let them.

    US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth helped pave the way for Netanyahu’s claims this past Wednesday when he told the Senate that “there have been plenty of indications” Iran has been “moving their way toward something that would look a lot like a nuclear weapon.”

    This claim by Hegseth was swiftly scooped up and promoted by warmongers like Tom Cotton who said that Hegseth had “confirmed that Iran’s terrorist regime is actively working towards a nuclear weapon”.

    Cotton’s claim was then picked up by war pundit Mark Levin, who has been personally lobbying Trump to green light an attack on Iran, sarcastically quipping on Twitter, “So, SecDef Hegseth must by lying, too. Everyone’s lying except the isolationists, Koch-heads, Islamists, Chatsworth Qatarlson and their media propagandists.”

    But let’s back up and look at what Hegseth actually said. He did not say “Iran is building a nuclear weapon.” He said “there have been plenty of indications” Iran has been “moving their way toward something that would look a lot like a nuclear weapon”.

    If the US had intelligence that Iran was building a nuke, Hegseth would have just said so. But instead he performed this freakish verbal gymnastics stunt muttering about indications of something that might kinda sorta look like a nuclear weapon, which his fellow Iran hawks then falsely took and ran with as a positive assertion that Iran was building a nuke.

    There are other lies being circulated to help market this war as well. As Moon of Alabama notes, the Washington Post’s odious war propagandist David Ignatius is pushing the narrative that Iran has been cultivating a relationship with de-facto al-Qaeda leader Saif al-Adel. The lie that Saddam Hussein was in league with al-Qaeda was used two decades ago to sell the invasion of Iraq.

    At the same time, Trumpian pundits are currently circulating the narrative that the United States is full of Iranian “sleeper cells” who could activate at any moment and begin attacking Americans.

    The most egregious of these is Laura Loomer’s repeated claims that there are “millions” of such cells awaiting Iran’s orders to strike  — possibly the single most bat shit insane claim I have ever seen anyone with any major platform make, since it would mean a very sizable percentage of the US population is actually a secret Iranian proxy army.

    The fountain of lies is just getting started. There will be more. Believe nothing unless it is substantiated by mountains of evidence. These freaks have been caught lying to sell wars to the public far too many times for any of their claims to be taken on faith.

    Caitlin Johnstone is an Australian independent journalist and poet. Her articles include The UN Torture Report On Assange Is An Indictment Of Our Entire Society. She publishes a website and Caitlin’s Newsletter. This article is republished with permission.

    This article was first published on Café Pacific.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Caitlin Johnstone: We are, of course, being lied to about Iran

    Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. –

    COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone

    Iran and Israel are at war, with the US already intimately involved and likely to become more so. Which of course means we’ll be spending the foreseeable future getting bashed in the face with lies from the most powerful people in the world.

    The most immediately obvious of these is the Netanyahu-promoted narrative that Israel initiated this conflict because Iran was on the brink of developing a nuclear weapon.

    With absolutely no self-consciousness or sense of irony, the Israeli prime minister followed the attacks with a statement accusing Iran of “genocidal rhetoric” which it has backed up “with a programme to develop nuclear weapons.”


    We are, of course, being lied to about Iran           Video: Caitlin Johnstone

    Israel, as we all know, has an unacknowledged nuclear arsenal, and its leaders are presently committing genocide in Gaza while spouting genocidal rhetoric.

    “And if not stopped, Iran could produce a nuclear weapon in a very short time,” Netanyahu claimed. “It could be a year. It could be within a few months  —  less than a year. This is a clear and present danger to Israel’s very survival.”

    The Western political/media class have been dutifully promoting this line and uncritically parroting Israel’s claim that its unprovoked attack on Iran was “pre-emptive”, but there is absolutely no evidence that any of this is true.

    Benjamin Netanyahu has spent literally decades falsely claiming that Iran was a year or two away from developing a nuke, only to have the calendar prove him wrong with the passage of time over and over again.

    Iran and Israel (and the US) at war.         Video: Anti-war News

    US intelligence chief Tulsi Gabbard testified just weeks ago that “The IC [Intelligence Community] continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Khamenei has not authorised the nuclear weapons programme he suspended in 2003.”

    As journalist Séamus Malekafzali recently noted on Twitter, one of the strongest arguments that Iran had not reversed its decision to refrain from obtaining nuclear weapons is that Iranian nuclear scientists have been publicly expressing frustration about the fact that their government won’t allow them to construct a nuke.

    They want to do it, but Tehran won’t let them.

    US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth helped pave the way for Netanyahu’s claims this past Wednesday when he told the Senate that “there have been plenty of indications” Iran has been “moving their way toward something that would look a lot like a nuclear weapon.”

    This claim by Hegseth was swiftly scooped up and promoted by warmongers like Tom Cotton who said that Hegseth had “confirmed that Iran’s terrorist regime is actively working towards a nuclear weapon”.

    Cotton’s claim was then picked up by war pundit Mark Levin, who has been personally lobbying Trump to green light an attack on Iran, sarcastically quipping on Twitter, “So, SecDef Hegseth must by lying, too. Everyone’s lying except the isolationists, Koch-heads, Islamists, Chatsworth Qatarlson and their media propagandists.”

    But let’s back up and look at what Hegseth actually said. He did not say “Iran is building a nuclear weapon.” He said “there have been plenty of indications” Iran has been “moving their way toward something that would look a lot like a nuclear weapon”.

    If the US had intelligence that Iran was building a nuke, Hegseth would have just said so. But instead he performed this freakish verbal gymnastics stunt muttering about indications of something that might kinda sorta look like a nuclear weapon, which his fellow Iran hawks then falsely took and ran with as a positive assertion that Iran was building a nuke.

    There are other lies being circulated to help market this war as well. As Moon of Alabama notes, the Washington Post’s odious war propagandist David Ignatius is pushing the narrative that Iran has been cultivating a relationship with de-facto al-Qaeda leader Saif al-Adel. The lie that Saddam Hussein was in league with al-Qaeda was used two decades ago to sell the invasion of Iraq.

    At the same time, Trumpian pundits are currently circulating the narrative that the United States is full of Iranian “sleeper cells” who could activate at any moment and begin attacking Americans.

    The most egregious of these is Laura Loomer’s repeated claims that there are “millions” of such cells awaiting Iran’s orders to strike  — possibly the single most bat shit insane claim I have ever seen anyone with any major platform make, since it would mean a very sizable percentage of the US population is actually a secret Iranian proxy army.

    The fountain of lies is just getting started. There will be more. Believe nothing unless it is substantiated by mountains of evidence. These freaks have been caught lying to sell wars to the public far too many times for any of their claims to be taken on faith.

    Caitlin Johnstone is an Australian independent journalist and poet. Her articles include The UN Torture Report On Assange Is An Indictment Of Our Entire Society. She publishes a website and Caitlin’s Newsletter. This article is republished with permission.

    This article was first published on Café Pacific.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump says he, Putin agree ‘war in Israel-Iran should end’

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    U.S. President Donald Trump said he had a phone call with his Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin on Saturday over the tensions in the Middle East and Russia-Ukraine peace talks, and both of them agreed that “this war in Israel-Iran should end.”

    “He feels, as do I, this war in Israel-Iran should end,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social, adding that Putin knows Iran “very well.”

    Trump said he also explained to the Russian president that the Russia-Ukraine conflict “should also end” during the one-hour call.

    “We talked at length. Much less time was spent talking about Russia/Ukraine, but that will be for next week,” said Trump. “He (Putin) is doing the planned prisoner swaps — large numbers of prisoners are being exchanged, immediately, from both sides.”

    Saturday was Trump’s 79th birthday. Trump said that Putin wished him a happy birthday during the phone call. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall: God Bless the United States Army, and God Bless President Trump

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Senator Marshall Joins Fox and Friends to Discuss the Celebrations for the 250th Birthday of the United States Army
    Washington – On Saturday morning, live from the site of the U.S Army’s 250th Birthday Parade, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas) joined Joey Jones on Fox and Friends to discuss the ongoing conflict between Iran and Israel, the importance of celebrating the Army’s rich history of service, and his family ties to the Army.

    Click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full interview.
    Highlights from the interview include:
    On the current state of the Israel and Iran conflict:
    “Israel is our greatest ally in the Middle East – we need to stand beside them. At the same time, I want all the listeners to understand that the Iranian regime was just a week away from having nuclear warheads. President Trump gave them a 60-day warning. On day 61, Israel took things into their own hands. We pray for peace, we pray for the Iranian people, but we cannot tolerate a terrorist group having a nuclear warhead.”
    On what should happen next for the United States regarding the conflict:
    “Being from Kansas, I’m a big Eisenhower fan, and President Eisenhower said, “I hate war as only a soldier who’s lived it can, with all its brutality and futility.” Joey, you’ve seen what that war is like as well. I think when you’ve served, you hate war more than anybody else. I want to project peace through strength, that was another President Eisenhower saying as well, so let’s project peace through strength. Pray for peace every day, and I’m just so grateful for all the military people willing to fight for our freedoms to keep the peace, but make us safe as well. And a big shout-out to all those soldiers in harm’s way right now in the Middle East.”
    On the planned counterprotests around the country for June 14:
    “Certainly, their obsession has become psychosis. I would just come and invite some of the people to meet some of the people that I had the privilege of giving a Capitol tour to last night. Soldiers from the Big Red One, the First Infantry Division – this division had 12,000 people who made the ultimate sacrifice, 12,000 people from one division. 1.3 million people from the army have made the ultimate sacrifice, another 1.5 million people injured in war, so just come and tell them thanks for that right to get out here and protest. God bless all of them, God bless President Trump. Let’s celebrate the Army’s birthday today.”
    On the penalties for those who burn American flags:
    “I’m all for it. Unfortunately, I grew up during the Vietnam era, and that’s when the flag burning started. Again, my dad served, my brother served, someone from every generation of my family since the Civil War, and to see them burn the flag, it’s just a kick in the gut to all of us who served.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla Leads Entire Senate Democratic Caucus in Demanding Trump Remove Military Forces From Los Angeles

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla Leads Entire Senate Democratic Caucus in Demanding Trump Remove Military Forces From Los Angeles

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) led the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in demanding that President Trump immediately withdraw all military forces from Los Angeles and cease all threats to deploy the National Guard or active-duty servicemembers to American cities.

    The letter comes after Trump’s unprecedented move to federalize and deploy the California National Guard without the consent of the California Governor and mobilize U.S. Marine Corps elements, deploying approximately 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 active-duty Marines to Los Angeles amid unrest created by the President’s indiscriminate and intentionally inflammatory immigration enforcement raids across the region. The first 200 Marines arrived at the Los Angeles Federal Building yesterday, marking the first time in over 30 years that the Marines have been deployed in the United States.

    Trump deployed these military personnel without the request or support of Governor Newsom, manufacturing a crisis and repeatedly escalating the conflict in order to create a spectacle. The federalizing of California’s National Guard marked the first time the Guard had been deployed without a Governor’s consent since 1965.

    “We write to express deep concern over your decision to deploy the National Guard and United States Marine Corps to Los Angeles without consultation or coordination with the Governor and local leaders,” wrote Padilla and the entire Democratic Senate Caucus. “This unilateral action represents an alarming abuse of executive authority, continues to inflame the situation on the ground, and undermines the constitutional balance of power between the federal government and the states. We urge you to immediately withdraw all military personnel that have been deployed to Los Angeles unless their presence is explicitly requested by the Governor and local leaders.”

    The Senators slammed the deployment of military personnel as an abuse of power that undermines state and local leadership, interferes with critical law enforcement operations, and wastes military resources and taxpayer dollars. They also expressed concern for the dangerous precedent Trump’s misguided deployment of military forces could set for mobilizing military personnel to other cities across the country.

    “For the federal government to deploy military forces into American cities without consulting the Governor and local leaders is a dangerous misuse of federal power that has actively disrupted local law enforcement efforts to maintain peace and order,” continued the Senators. “Deploying military personnel should always be a last resort – not a first step – and should only occur when local law enforcement makes a specific request for such federal resources. The decision to use military personnel to create a spectacle has escalated tensions on the ground and created confusion among local law enforcement. Significantly, it also pulls military assets away from other critical missions and is a waste of taxpayer dollars.”

    “We urge you to immediately withdraw all military personnel that have been deployed to Los Angeles in recent days and to cease any further threats of deploying National Guard or active-duty military personnel into American cities absent a request from the Governor,” concluded the Senators. “Respect for our Constitution and for our civilian law enforcement demands nothing less.”

    The Trump Administration has consistently utilized excessive force and aggressive tactics in its immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles and across the country. This pattern of unnecessary violence was evident on Thursday when Senator Padilla was forcibly removed from Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem’s press conference, thrown to the ground and handcuffed after simply trying to ask a question.

    The legality of Trump’s federalizing of California’s National Guard without the Governor’s consent is currently being disputed in federal court. The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals recently issued a stay to pause a lower court’s ruling, which had returned command of the California National Guard to Governor Newsom.

    The district court ruled that the President did not follow the statutorily mandated procedure necessary to deploy the National Guard and ordered him to return control of the Guard to California. The Court ruled that Trump violated the 10th Amendment and 10 USC 12406, the provision that authorizes the President to federalize the Guard in the event of insurrection or rebellion. The court held that California was also likely to prevail on the merits of its suit — there was no rebellion or insurrection, and local, county, and state law enforcement were fully capable of enforcing the law.

    “At this early stage of the proceedings, the Court must determine whether the President followed the congressionally mandated procedure for his actions. He did not. His actions were illegal—both exceeding the scope of his statutory authority and violating the Tenth Amendment to the United States Constitution. He must therefore return control of the California National Guard to the Governor of the State of California forthwith,” wrote the court.

    “We’re talking about the president exercising his authority, and the president is, of course, limited to his authority,” the court continued. “That’s the difference between a constitutional government and King George. It’s not that a leader can simply say something, and it becomes it.”

    In addition to Senator Padilla, the letter to President Trump was signed by the entire Senate Democratic Caucus, including Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).

    Full text of the letter is available here and below:

    Dear President Trump,

    We write to express deep concern over your decision to deploy the National Guard and United States Marine Corps to Los Angeles without consultation or coordination with the Governor and local leaders. This unilateral action represents an alarming abuse of executive authority, continues to inflame the situation on the ground, and undermines the constitutional balance of power between the federal government and the states. We urge you to immediately withdraw all military personnel that have been deployed to Los Angeles unless their presence is explicitly requested by the Governor and local leaders.

    For the federal government to deploy military forces into American cities without consulting the Governor and local leaders is a dangerous misuse of federal power that has actively disrupted local law enforcement efforts to maintain peace and order. Deploying military personnel should always be a last resort – not a first step – and should only occur when local law enforcement makes a specific request for such federal resources. The decision to use military personnel to create a spectacle has escalated tensions on the ground and created confusion among local law enforcement. Significantly, it also pulls military assets away from other critical missions and is a waste of taxpayer dollars.

    We are particularly concerned by the precedent that this ill-conceived deployment of military personnel to Los Angeles sets for other cities and states. Governors are the Commanders in Chief of their National Guards when operating within state borders. As Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said last year when serving as Governor of South Dakota, “If Joe Biden federalizes the National Guard, that would be a direct attack on states’ rights.”

    We urge you to immediately withdraw all military personnel that have been deployed to Los Angeles in recent days and to cease any further threats of deploying National Guard or active-duty military personnel into American cities absent a request from the Governor. Respect for our Constitution and for our civilian law enforcement demands nothing less.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Welch Statement on Escalation of Conflict in the Middle East 

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Peter Welch (D-Vermont)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Peter Welch (D-Vt.) today released the following statement in response to the escalation of armed conflict in the Middle East: 
    “Like many around the world, I am alarmed by the latest escalation of armed conflict in the Middle East. Israel’s attack on Iran, and the subsequent counterattacks against Israel by the Iranian regime, risk destroying the nuclear negotiations led by the Trump Administration which offer the best hope for a lasting solution to Iran’s nuclear program. This escalation could ignite a regional war, which would be catastrophic for the people of the Middle East, as well as the United States.   
    “We must continue to lead with diplomacy. We must avoid getting dragged into this conflict and work across nations to prevent Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon. President Trump said he wanted to end wars in the Middle East. I urge him to stand up for the safety of American troops and American interests and use his influence as president to stop this from escalating further.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Larsen Releases Statement on Today’s Peaceful Demonstrations Against the Trump Administration

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Rick Larsen (2nd Congressional District Washington)

    Today Representative Rick Larsen released the following statement to those demonstrating peacefully against the Trump administration:

    “Today, people all across Northwest Washington state are gathering to demonstrate peacefully against the excesses and corruption of the Trump administration.

    “Excesses like the President spending more than 20 days golfing just so far this year, costing taxpayers millions in security and travel expenses. Corruption like the President accepting a $400 million luxury jet as a gift from a foreign country.

    “And, most recently, the President has hijacked a parade to celebrate the Army’s 250th birthday and turned it into a self-indulgent boondoggle. The Army estimates that the parade will cost $45 million.

    “At the same time, Republicans in Congress are trying to pass huge funding cuts to programs that help families afford groceries. The Republican Rip-Off budget puts 14,000 people in Northwest Washington state at risk of losing food assistance.

    “The food assistance program costs $6 per day per person. I did the math so you don’t have too – for the cost of the parade, Trump and Republicans could help more than 20,000 people access affordable groceries every day for a year.

    “This Administration is also trying to cut 80,000 jobs at the Department of Veteran Affairs. If Republicans really cared about celebrating the Army, then they wouldn’t be attacking the system that millions of veterans rely on for health care and other essential services.

    “I’m not able to attend the demonstrations of patriotism in Northwest Washington state today, but I want to thank every person who is showing up to make their voice heard. By rallying, by speaking up, by advocating for your communities, you are holding this administration accountable.

    “I am standing with you, and I will continue alongside all of you to fight the excesses and corruption of this administration.”

    Watch Rep. Larsen’s full statement here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: U.S. marines move into Los Angeles amid protests over immigration raids

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    About 200 U.S. marines have been deployed to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States, to protect a federal building there, the military said on Friday, after a week of protests over the current administration’s immigration raids in the city.

    U.S. Army Major General Scott Sherman, commander of the Task Force 51, which includes more than 4,000 California Army National Guard soldiers and about 700 marines, said at a press briefing that those marines had completed civil disturbance training.

    But Sherman said the marines will not participate in law enforcement activities.

    Some of the marines were seen standing guard outside the Wilshire Federal Building in Los Angeles area. The 17-story federal building on Wilshire Boulevard is home to many of Los Angeles’ federal offices, including the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Los Angeles field office.

    U.S. President Donald Trump has made decisions to dispatch over 4,000 National Guard members and about 700 active-duty marines to the Los Angeles area despite the objection of California Governor Gavin Newsom and other local officials.

    About 2,800 service members, including 2,100 National Guard soldiers and 700 Marines, were deployed to the greater Los Angeles area, said U.S. Northern Command in a news release on Wednesday, adding that the Marines had completed required training and would be serving alongside National Guard soldiers within the next 48 hours.

    The Marines were reportedly undergoing civil disturbance training at Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach in Orange County, located south of Los Angeles.

    The Trump administration won a swift legal victory on Thursday night when a federal appeals court blocked a lower court’s order issued just hours earlier that would have returned 4,000 California National Guard troops to state control, allowing the military deployment in Los Angeles to continue.

    The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals issued an emergency stay just hours after U.S. District Judge Charles Breyer ruled Thursday evening that Trump had illegally federalized California’s National Guard and violated the Constitution.

    The appellate court’s new order not only allows the National Guard troops to continue operating under federal command but also indicates that the legal battle between Washington and the Golden State will continue.

    The dramatic legal reversal capped a day of courtroom confrontation between the Trump administration and California over the unprecedented federal takeover of state military forces.

    Hundreds of people have been arrested in Southern California since the protests over federal immigration enforcement started a week ago, with more protests planned in the coming weekend across the region and the country. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: As war breaks out with Israel, Iran has run out of good options

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ali Mamouri, Research Fellow, Middle East Studies, Deakin University

    The scale of Israel’s strikes on multiple, sensitive Iranian military and nuclear sites on Friday was unprecedented. It was the biggest attack on Iran since the Iran–Iraq War in the 1980s.

    As expected, Iran responded swiftly, even as Israeli attacks on its territory continued. The unfolding conflict is reshaping regional dynamics, and Iran now finds itself with no easy path forward.

    Strikes come at a delicate time

    The timing of the Israeli strikes was highly significant. They came at a critical point in the high-stakes negotiations between Iran and the United States over Tehran’s nuclear program that began earlier this year.

    Last week, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) issued a report accusing Tehran of stockpiling highly enriched uranium at levels dangerously close to weaponisation.

    According to the report, Iran has accumulated around 400 kilograms of uranium enriched to 60% purity. If this uranium is further enriched to 90% purity, it would be enough to build nine to ten bombs.

    The day before Israel’s attack, the IAEA board of governors also declared Iran to be in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in two decades.

    The nuclear talks recently hit a stumbling block over a major issue – the US refusal to allow Iran to enrich any uranium at all for a civilian nuclear program.

    Iran has previously agreed to cap its enrichment at 3.67% under the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, a nuclear deal between Iran, the US and other global powers agreed to in 2015 (and abandoned by the first Trump administration in 2018). But it has refused to relinquish its right to enrichment altogether.

    US President Donald Trump reportedly urged Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu not to attack Iran last week, believing he was close to a deal.

    But after the attack, Trump ramped up his threats on Iran again, urging it to agree to a deal “before there is nothing left”. He called the Israeli strikes “excellent” and suggested there was “more to come”.

    Given this context, it is understandable why Iran does not view the US as an impartial mediator. In response, Iran suspended its negotiations with the US, announcing it would skip the sixth round of talks scheduled for Sunday.

    Rather than compelling Iran to agree to a deal, the excessive pressure could risk pushing Iran towards a more extreme stance instead.

    While Iranian officials have denied any intention to develop a military nuclear program, they have warned that continued Israeli attacks and US pressure might force Tehran to reconsider as a deterrence mechanism.



    Read more:
    As its conflict with Israel escalates, could Iran now acquire a nuclear bomb?

    Why surrender could spell the regime’s end

    On several occasions, Trump has insisted he is not seeking “regime change” in Iran. He has repeatedly claimed he wants to see Iran be “successful” – the only requirement is for it to accept a US deal.

    However, in Iran’s view, the US proposal is not viewed as a peace offer, but as a blueprint for surrender. And the fear is this would ultimately pave the way for regime change under the guise of diplomacy.

    Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei responded to the latest US proposal by insisting that uranium enrichment remains a “red line” for Iran. Abandoning this right from the Iranian perspective would only embolden its adversaries to escalate their pressure on the regime and make further demands – such as dismantling Iran’s missile program.

    The fear in Tehran is this could push the country into a defenceless state without a way to deter future Israeli strikes.

    Furthermore, capitulating to the US terms could ignite domestic backlash on two fronts: from an already growing opposition movement, and from the regime’s base of loyal supporters, who would see any retreat as a betrayal.

    In this context, many in Iran’s leadership believe that giving in to Trump’s terms would not avert regime change – it would hasten it.

    What options remain for Iran now?

    Caught between escalating pressure and existential threats, Iran finds itself with few viable options other than to project strength. It has already begun to pursue this strategy by launching retaliatory missile strikes at Israeli cities.

    This response has been much stronger than the relatively contained tit-for-tat strikes Israel and Iran engaged in last year. Iran’s strikes have caused considerable damage to government and residential areas in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.

    Iran sees no alternative but to push forward, having already been drawn into open confrontation. Any sign of weakness would severely undermine the regime’s legitimacy at home and embolden its adversaries abroad.

    Moreover, Tehran is betting on Trump’s aversion to foreign wars. Iranian leaders believe the US is neither prepared nor willing to enter another costly conflict in the region – one that could disrupt global trade and jeopardise Trump’s recent economic partnerships with Persian Gulf states.

    Therefore, Iran’s leadership likely believes that by standing firm now, the conflict will be limited, so long as the US stays on the sidelines. And then, Iran’s leaders would try to return to the negotiating table, in their view, from a position of strength.

    Ali Mamouri does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. As war breaks out with Israel, Iran has run out of good options – https://theconversation.com/as-war-breaks-out-with-israel-iran-has-run-out-of-good-options-258916

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • UN Security Council meets as Iran launches missiles at Israel

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The United Nations Security Council convened an emergency session on Friday as Iran fired a barrage of missiles at Israel in retaliation for attacks on its nuclear facilities, prompting the UN nuclear watchdog chief to warn of “grave consequences” from military strikes on atomic sites.

    IAEA Director General Rafael Mariano Grossi stated, “Any military action that jeopardises the safety and security of nuclear facilities risks grave consequences for the people of Iran, the region, and beyond.”

    He added that the IAEA’s General Conference had declared military attacks on nuclear facilities to be in violation of the UN Charter and international law.

    UN Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo, addressing the emergency session requested by Iran, said, “We must at all costs avoid a growing conflagration which would have enormous global consequences.”

    She noted that Israel launched the attack on Iran at a time when “significant diplomatic developments” were underway, including scheduled talks between Washington and Tehran in Oman on Sunday. Iran has since withdrawn from those negotiations.

    “A peaceful resolution through negotiations remains the best means to ensure the peaceful nature of Iran’s nuclear programme,” she emphasised.

    A senior US State Department official, McCoy Pitt, told the Council that the United States remained open to diplomacy.

    “We seek a secure peace,” Pitt said. “As President Trump stated, the violence must come to an end, and Iran should make a deal so there is ‘no more death, no more destruction’. The United States will continue to seek a diplomatic resolution that ensures Iran will never acquire a nuclear weapon or pose a threat to stability in the Middle East.”

    “Iran’s leadership would be wise to negotiate at this time,” he added.

    During his first term, President Trump withdrew from an international agreement that aimed to limit Iran’s nuclear programme in exchange for easing sanctions. However, in recent months, he had been pursuing a new agreement with Tehran—efforts that now appear to have been derailed by Israel’s strike.

    Iran’s Permanent Representative, Amir Saeid Iravani, said the Israeli attack was intended “to kill diplomacy, sabotage negotiations, and drag the region into a wider conflict.”

    He also accused Washington of complicity in the attack.

    Pitt denied that the US was involved, though he acknowledged that Washington had been informed in advance.

    Israel’s Permanent Representative, Danny Danon, defended the operation as “an act of national preservation.” He presented a photo of a countdown clock in Tehran, allegedly tied to a plan to annihilate Israel.

    Israel’s mission, he said, was to “neutralise the Iranian regime’s ability to follow through on its repeated public promise to destroy the State of Israel.”

    Danon claimed the strikes were precise and specifically targeted nuclear facilities.

    IANS

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boyle Statement on Iran’s Threat to Israel and Global Stability

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Brendan Boyle (13th District of Pennsylvania)

    WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Brendan F. Boyle (PA-02) released the following statement regarding the Iranian regime’s continued aggression:

    “The Iranian regime has spent decades threatening Israel’s existence and fueling terror across the Middle East and the world. Its deepening military ties with Russia also underscore the growing global threat Iran poses.

    Tehran has never been serious about peace, only about buying time to advance its nuclear ambitions. That’s why I voted against the Iran nuclear deal in 2015.

    We must remain clear-eyed about the danger Iran presents and stand firmly with Israel and our allies around the world. It is deeply unfortunate, but not surprising, that President Trump refused to back Israel in this important moment.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cole Votes in Favor of Rescinding Wasteful Spending

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04)

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | CONTACT: Olivia Porcaro 202-225-6165

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) released the following statement after co-sponsoring and voting in favor of the Recissions Act of 2025, which rescinds $9.4 billion of wasteful spending identified by President Trump and the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE):

    “Responsible governance means prioritizing fiscal sanity and holding Washington accountable. Just as everyday Americans make tough choices and cut costs, so should the government,” said Congressman Cole. 

    “This rescissions package is part of that objective, as it will advance accountability and save hard-earned tax-payer dollars. It is another step in fulfilling the promise President Trump and House Republicans made to the American people – to change the trajectory of our fiscal glide path and restore discipline across federal agencies,” said Congressman Cole.

    “I commend Majority Leader Scalise’s work and willingness to hear various perspectives on this proposal. Taken as a whole, this effort reflects a shared understanding that the status quo cannot remain, and I am steadfast in my support of advancing that comprehensive mission. This is just the start, as we will continue to reevaluate federal spending and target investments where they are needed most,” said Congressman Cole.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cole Secures $1.45 Billion in Disaster Recovery for American Communities

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04)

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | CONTACT: Olivia Porcaro 202-225-6165

    Washington, D.C. – Through his legislation, The American Relief Act, Congressman Tom Cole (OK-04) secured about $1.45 billion for the Economic Development Administration’s (EDA) Fiscal Year 2025 Disaster Supplemental Grant Program. This disaster recovery funding will be used by American communities that received major disaster declarations due to hurricanes, wildfires, severe storms and flooding, tornadoes, and other natural disasters occurring in 2023 or 2024. After the EDA money was announced, Congressman Cole released the following statement:

    “As a lifelong Oklahoman, I know just how much destruction natural disasters, like tornadoes, can cause. In fact, just last year, the towns of Sulphur and Marietta in Oklahoma’s Fourth District were devastated by tornadoes. Now, with this EDA grant funding, communities will be able to not only rebuild but also plan for long-term recovery and future resiliency,” said Congressman Cole.“I look forward to seeing this funding being put to good use and I thank President Trump and Secretary Lutnick for their commitment to helping Americans.”

    How to apply for assistance:

    If you are a state, local or tribal government, an economic development district, a higher education institution, an economic development organization, a public or private non-profit working with local government, or a public-private partnership for public infrastructure you are an eligible applicant for this disaster supplemental grant program.

    Additionally, projects must be located in, primarily serve, or demonstrably benefit one or more communities in areas that received a major disaster designation occurring in calendar years 2023 and 2024. You can check eligibility here.

    Readiness and implementation grant applications will be accepted and reviewed on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted or a Notice of Funding Opportunity is canceled.

    Industry Transformation grant applications are due Tuesday, March 3, 2026 at 5:00 pm Eastern Time.

    Applications must be submitted online through the EDA’s portal. You can find the portal here. The required materials are detailed in Section D.2 of the Notice of Funding Opportunity.

    Please stay tuned for future announcements as additional disaster assistance is released and available to Oklahomans.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wagner Statement on Israeli Preemptive Strikes on Iran

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO-02)

    Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Ann Wagner (R-MO) released the following statement in response to Israel’s preemptive strikes on Iran:

    “I wholeheartedly support Israel defending its people and nation. The United States must unequivocally stand with the Israeli people as they fight for their right to exist. Our alliance is resolute, and will never waver. 

    “It is the stated goal of Iran to wipe Israel off the face of the earth, and they continued to enrich uranium to construct and use nuclear weapons on the Jewish people and the Western world.  Iranian leaders who operated in defiance of the United States, the International Atomic Energy Agency, and the entire international community have now been permanently removed from power due to the success of this Israeli operation.  This should serve as a warning to the Ayatollah.  Agree to the Trump Administration’s terms, or suffer the most severe consequences. I look forward to working with my colleagues in Congress and the House Intelligence Committee to support Israel in their fight for lasting peace throughout the region.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Krishnamoorthi Defends Illinois, Confronts Trump Medicaid Cuts, and Sets the Record Straight on Immigration at House Oversight Hearing with Governors

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (8th District of Illinois)

    WASHINGTON — This morning, during a Committee on Oversight and Government Reform hearing, Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL) defended Illinois, exposed the devastating consequences of President Donald Trump’s proposed Medicaid cuts, and set the record straight on the state’s immigration policies.

    Congressman Krishnamoorthi used his time to call out the Trump administration for using the recent deployment of National Guard troops to Los Angeles as cover to avoid coverage of the House Republican budget plan, which the congressman refers to as the Large Lousy Law. In response to Congressman Krishnamoorthi’s questioning, Governor Pritzker confirmed that the proposed cuts would throw at least 700,000 Illinoisans off their health insurance and would lead to Illinoisans dying without access to health care. The proposed bill would also add trillions to the national debt, potentially triggering $500 billion in automatic cuts to Medicare, a program that every American senior depends on.

    “What Trump doesn’t want to discuss is that his Large Lousy Law cuts $625 billion in Medicaid, a program that insures millions of Americans,” Congressman Krishnamoorthi said. “Trump’s Large Lousy Law adds trillions to the national debt as well, which could force $500 billion in automatic cuts to Medicare. And of course, Medicare is a program every senior relies on.”

    Congressman Krishnamoorthi also pushed back on President Trump’s repeated attacks on Illinois, including the assertion from the president that Illinois is a “poorly run state.”

    “Illinois has a $1.1 trillion economy,” Congressman Krishnamoorthi said. “We produce the most soybeans in America, and we’re the number two producer of corn. We’re the number two manufacturing state in the country, and the number two destination for corporate expansions and relocations. We have the world’s first quantum and microelectronics park, and we’re ranked tops in the Midwest for workforce development and startups. Illinois is the heart and soul of America. I’m proud to be from Peoria, and I’ll always stand up for Illinois, loud and proud.”

    The Congressman’s full question line is available here, and his introduction of Governor Pritzker here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Norton Says Trump Parade Will Shut Down the Nation’s Capital and Waste Taxpayer Dollars to Feed the President’s Ego

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (District of Columbia)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today released a statement regarding President Trump’s military parade in the District of Columbia, scheduled for tomorrow. Each year, Norton secures a federal payment to the District to cover emergency planning and security costs of large-scale events and demonstrations, including the presidential inauguration.

    “President Trump’s longstanding wish to waste millions of taxpayer dollars for a performative military parade in the style of authoritarian leaders is finally coming true on his birthday,” Norton said. “Granting his wish comes at D.C.’s expense, which will be forced to shoulder the cost of repairing the damage that dozens of military vehicles will do to local D.C. roads with an uncertain timeline for reimbursement from the federal government, if any. D.C. will also have to cope with their roads being shut down for up to four days, creating obstacles for D.C. residents seeking to go about their daily lives.

    “Although this parade will feed President Trump’s ego and perhaps his base, it will not serve any legitimate purpose. It’s all the more objectionable for its timing, coming after President Trump authorized the firing, buyout, or early retirement of roughly 260,000 federal workers in the name of cutting waste. 

    “The world knows that the American military is the most powerful in the world. Unlike less powerful nations, the United States has no need to show off by strutting our soldiers and equipment to prove our strength and leadership. Instead of wasting precious taxpayer resources, we should celebrate the military by using the estimated tens of millions of dollars devoted to the parade to rehire the federal workers who performed valuable services for American taxpayers, including service members and veterans.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sánchez: Trump’s authoritarian tactics won’t intimidate California

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (38th District of CA)

    WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Linda T. Sánchez (D-Calif.) released the following statement in response to the Trump administration’s ongoing, aggressive ICE raids in her district and the violent removal of Senator Padilla from a DHS press conference:

    “What we’re witnessing is the weaponization of the federal government against immigrant communities and anyone who dares to speak out. These authoritarian tactics, including violently removing and handcuffing Senator Padilla at a press conference, are a clear attempt to intimidate California. But we won’t be silent.

    “Instead of targeting violent criminals, this administration is indiscriminately snatching people off the street in my district and throughout Los Angeles. Arresting them at work, at church and even at their immigration hearings – while trampling on their civil rights and without due process.

    “President Trump’s ongoing ICE raids and deploying federal troops is not making our communities safer. He is wasting $134 million while deploying more U.S. forces in an American city than are currently stationed in Iraq and Syria. Their presence is fanning the flames by sowing fear and chaos in our neighborhoods.

    “The past few days have been horrifying for all of us, and I commend our community for standing with our immigrant neighbors. But it’s critical that we continue to do so peacefully to prevent further escalation from this administration.”

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Velázquez Introduces Bill to Prohibit ICE Agents from Concealing Identity During Enforcement

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Nydia M Velázquez (D-NY)

    WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) introduced the No Masks for ICE Act to bar Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents from wearing facial coverings during enforcement actions and requiring them to wear clothing displaying their name and affiliation with ICE.  
     
    The bill comes in response to increasing reports of masked federal agents conducting immigration raids in neighborhoods, workplaces, and sensitive locations like schools and courthouses. Advocates say mirror the tactics of secret police and undermine public trust.
     
    “When ICE agents hide their faces and badges, it spreads fear and removes any accountability. It makes it harder to report abuse, harder to hold agents responsible, and more likely that arrests spiral into chaos,” said Velázquez. “That’s not how law enforcement should operate in a democracy. The No Masks for ICE Act is about bringing basic transparency and accountability to immigration enforcement.”
     
    The No Masks for ICE Act would bolster Department of Homeland Security rules by:

    • Prohibiting ICE agents from wearing facial coverings during enforcement actions, except in cases where masks are needed for health or safety;
    • Requiring agents to wear clothing that shows their name and ICE affiliation during arrests.

    “Masked raids are terrifying and make it impossible to hold agents accountable,” Velázquez added. “It’s also dangerous. We’ve seen cases where people thought they were witnessing a kidnapping, not an immigration arrest. That kind of confusion puts everyone at risk.”
     
    Since Trump returned to office, ICE has arrested more than 100,000 immigrants, asylum seekers, and undocumented people often through aggressive raids in neighborhoods, courthouses, schools, and worksites. Often these arrests are carried out by agents in plain clothes and facial coverings.
     
    Read a full copy of the bill here.

     
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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: House Foreign Affairs Committee Ranking Member Meeks, Frankel, Shaheen, Schatz Statement on Recissions Package Cuts to Foreign Assistance

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Gregory W Meeks (5th District of New York)

    Washington, D.C. – Today, Representatives Gregory W. Meeks (D-NY), Ranking Member of the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Lois Frankel (D-FL), Ranking Member of the U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on National Security, Department of State and Related Programs, and U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs, released the following statement concerning the rescissions package sent to Congress by the Trump administration, which would cut $8.3 billion in foreign assistance, including $900 million in cuts to global health programs, as well as cuts to democracy assistance, economic and development assistance, and economic and energy support for Ukraine and other states affected by Russia’s illegal invasion.

    “The cuts to U.S. foreign assistance in the White House’s rescissions package undercut key American national security interests and risk our country’s safety and prosperity. Our soft power toolkit helps prevent conflict and promote democracy and stability. The draconian DOGE cuts that President Trump and Elon Musk have put in place have been justified through misleading claims that ignore the harm to America and global death toll that have resulted from their actions. Their claims about fiscal responsibility are laughable in the context of President Trump’s push at all costs to pass a budget that adds $2.4 trillion in deficits while stripping millions of Americans of their health care.

    “When America retreats from the world, China and Russia advance. And when our adversaries take our place, America is weaker and more vulnerable. Our manufacturers and workers get boxed out of export markets by unfair economic competition from China. And vulnerable populations around the world, suffer from severely restricting access to HIV treatment and prevention services to forcing food ration cuts in refugee camps.

    “That is the legacy of DOGE’s impact on America’s foreign policy infrastructure and soft power. Our country in retreat in the face of great power adversaries. Our global influence diminished. And the poorest of the poor globally being left to die because of slipshod cuts by tech dilettantes.”

    MIL OSI USA News –