From the Trenches World Report
Enforce our Bill of Rights
An Iranian official said on Sunday that nearly half of the Iranians killed by the US-Israeli bombing campaign that lasted from February 28 to April 8 were civilians, as strikes pounded civilian targets throughout the war. Continue reading “Iran Says Nearly Half of Iranians Killed by US-Israeli Bombing Campaign Were Civilians”
By Jeremy Scahill – Drop Site News
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi has been on a strategic tour to prepare for two dramatically different paths that could unfold in the coming days: a return to diplomacy or a resumption of the war with the U.S. and Israel. While President Donald Trump has claimed that the Iranian government is in a state of internal chaos and his administration is waiting for Iran to capitulate, a senior Iranian official told Drop Site that Tehran is establishing the conditions under which a new round of direct talks could take place. Continue reading “As Trump’s Narrative on Negotiations Flails, Iran Is Setting Its Own Terms for Ending the War”
Israeli attacks in Gaza killed at least 19 Palestinians and wounded 43 over the past three days, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, as the IDF continues its constant violations of the US-backed ceasefire. Continue reading “Israeli Attacks in Gaza Kill 19 Palestinians in Three Days as IDF Continues Constant Ceasefire Violations”
The State Department said in a statement last week that the US is in conflict with Iran “at the request” of Israel, an acknowledgment of Israel’s role in steering the US into the war, which the US has dubbed “Operation Epic Fury.” Continue reading “State Department Says US Is in Conflict With Iran ‘At the Request’ of Israel”
BEIRUT, Lebanon—Ali Murad knew his hometown of Aitaroun in southern Lebanon near the border with Israel was under heavy assault by the Israeli military. Since it was impossible for anyone to go there to check on his family house, he turned to satellite imagery to try and find out. Continue reading “Displaced Lebanese Pool Money to Buy Satellite Images to See What Remains of their Homes”
President Trump on Thursday shared a post calling for the killing of Iranian leaders who won’t accept US demands, ramping up his threats against the country amid a very fragile ceasefire.
The post Trump amplified was written by Marc Thiessen, who served as a speechwriter for the George W. Bush administration. “If there are two factions in Iran, one that wants a deal and one that doesn’t, let’s kill the ones who don’t want a deal,” Thiessen said in a post on X where he was quoting himself from an appearance on Fox News. Continue reading “Trump Shares Post Calling for the Killing of Iranian Leaders Who Won’t Accept US Demands”
South of the newly-established Yellow Line, Israel has established de facto military occupation of over 50 Lebanese municipalities, and has been demolishing homes and preventing the return to displaced locals. The destruction goes deeper than that, however. Continue reading “Israeli Troops Say Mass Looting of Occupied Southern Lebanon ‘Routine’”
House Republicans on Thursday unveiled legislation to extend for three years a surveillance authority that permits the collection of communications from non-U.S. persons located abroad without a warrant.
Continue reading “House GOP Unveils Bill To Extend Key Surveillance Power Until 2029”
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) on Wednesday seized two ships in the Strait of Hormuz, a move that comes after the US military seized an Iranian cargo ship in the Gulf of Oman and a tanker carrying Iranian oil in the Indian Ocean. Continue reading “Iran’s IRGC Seizes Two Ships in the Strait of Hormuz”
By Jeremy Loffredo – The Gray Zone
Prominent Lebanese journalist Amal Khalil was killed on Wednesday in what appeared to be a targeted attack by the Israeli military in the town of Tyre in southern Lebanon. Her employer, Al-Akhbar, confirmed the death of their correspondent Wednesday evening. Continue reading “Lebanese Journalist Amal Khalil Bombed and Left to Die by Israel”
As demolitions continue at scale south of the new “Yellow Line” Israel established in Lebanon’s south, their operations have been more limited north of that area, given the present ceasefire. They have not, however, actually ceased. Continue reading “Israel Reports Killing ‘Militants’ in Lebanon Despite Ceasefire as Troops Continues Demolitions”
By Jeremy Scahill – Drop Site News
The future of U.S.-Iran negotiations remains in doubt after President Donald Trump and Tehran’s leaders staked out opposing positions on the Strait of Hormuz. “Diplomacy is a tool to secure national interests and security,” said Esmail Baghaei, Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman, in a briefing in Tehran on Wednesday. “Whenever we conclude that the necessary and logical grounds for using this tool to realize national interests and consolidate the achievements of the Iranian nation in thwarting the enemies from reaching their evil goals are prepared, we will act.” Continue reading “Trump Blinks First, Extending Ceasefire with Iran as Hormuz Deadlock Continues”
While the Israel-Lebanon ceasefire is holding across most of the country, the far south area of Lebanon occupied by Israel continues to see some limited fighting, and a massive amount of destruction as the systematic destruction of towns and villages by Israeli forces continues. Continue reading “Displaced Lebanese Again Warned Not to Return to Israeli-Occupied South”
By Chris Menahan – Information Liberation
An Israeli soldier has been photographed smashing a statue of Jesus with a sledgehammer during operations in southern Lebanon. Continue reading “IDF Soldier Takes Sledgehammer to Jesus Statue During Operations in Lebanon”
DHL Group CEO Tobias Meyer warned Bloomberg TV earlier this morning that a persistent Gulf energy shock could morph into broader trouble for the global economy.
“Well we have seen this before, that you have recognized by consumers as having an impact that sparks broader discussion, the real economic implications for people. Now, this hasn’t happened yet. We’re trying to prevent that from happening. The 10, 12 million barrels of crude oil per day, it will come to that tipping point. Solutions are needed and political momentum is building up to resolve the situation in the Strait of Hormuz,” Meyer said. Continue reading “DHL CEO Warns Prolonged Energy Shock Could Push Global Economy To “Tipping Point””
Iran on Saturday denied US claims that it agreed to transfer its enriched uranium abroad and signalled that the Strait of Hormuz has been closed again due to Washington’s ongoing naval blockade.
On Friday, President Donald Trump said the US would maintain a naval blockade on Iranian ports, imposed earlier this week, until a final agreement between the two countries is reached.
The blockade was imposed in response to Iran’s effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, which Tehran ended on Thursday following a US-brokered 10-day ceasefire to halt Israel’s war in Lebanon. Continue reading “Iran signals re-closure of Hormuz as it rejects uranium transfer abroad”
Ukraine is pushing Israel to seize a grain shipment it says was looted from Russian-occupied territory as the war persists in the east.
At the moment it does not appear that Israel complied with any interdict of the vessel, also as reports say the cargo is already offloaded and gone.
Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Tuesday that her government has halted the automatic renewal of a military Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Israel, as Italy has become increasingly critical of Israel’s wars and killing of civilians. Continue reading “Italy’s Meloni Halts Renewal of Military MoU With Israel”