Hanging chads: Lebanon ceasefire, leave Iran alone, US arrogance, Israeli domination of America

• Israeli media outlet i24 reported that what Iran has achieved is imposing a ceasefire in Lebanon through its agreement with the United States. The far-right journalist Yinon Magal said: “Trump surrendered to Iran.” The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation, citing a source, reported that the army may seek to carry out strategic strikes before the ceasefire takes effect. Lebanese MP from Hezbollah, Hassan Fadlallah, told Reuters that the Iranian ambassador informed them the agreement will begin tonight. Regarding Hezbollah’s commitment to the truce, Fadlallah said that everything is linked to Israel’s adherence to a full cessation of all military operations.
• Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov in Beijing, after two days of talks with Wang Yi, laid out what he calls the real American project: "dominating global energy markets" -- pursued through whatever pretext is handy. Venezuela: "First they announced Maduro had to be dealt with as the main drug lord. Now nobody mentions drugs anymore. Now they say drugs come from Mexico. We took Maduro -- the oil is ours." Iran: "They planned exactly the same thing. President Trump said more than once he was ready to take Iranian oil. Now the Strait of Hormuz is blocked -- never blocked in 45 years before the US and Israel attacked."  The motives: "For Israel, the unwavering conviction that Iran must be destroyed. The second task is, again, the oil markets." Russia: "The Trump administration is extending every Biden sanction. Lukoil and Rosneft have been pushed out of every international project. We have no illusions. This goal is being actively pursued -- Venezuelan oil, Iranian oil, Russian oil."

• Greenpeace has announced that its ship, the Arctic Sunrise, will join the upcoming Global Sumud Flotilla. Sailing alongside more than seventy vessels and over a thousand participants who seek to directly challenge Israel’s ongoing blockade of aid to Gaza. The Arctic Sunrise’s role is to provide technical and operational maritime support so that the vessels safely transit across the Mediterranean before they complete the last 200 nautical miles onto Gaza’s shores. 

•  A bloody epic in Bint Jbeil — Israeli media: Direct engagement with our soldiers in the neighborhoods of Bint Jbeil. Hezbollah fighters are emerging from everywhere and attacking our soldiers who are trying to reach the stadium. The clashes are taking place face to face. An unexpected attack with such heavy firepower from Hezbollah in Bint Jbeil… our soldiers are at their mercy. Helicopters are trying to land to evacuate the dead and wounded, but they are being met with heavy bursts of fire from the resistance.
• USA Today: The Pentagon is quietly intensifying contingency planning for a potential military operation in Cuba, but no orders have been issued so far.  
• Israel Hayom — owned by Miriam Adelson, one of the biggest Republican megadonors in America, just openly published: 'Israel has no choice but to re-establish a security zone, this time devoid of a civilian population.' Let that sink in. A major Israeli newspaper is straight-up calling for the ethnic cleansing of southern Lebanon. How deranged and sick do these Zionists have to be to publish this genocidal article like it's normal policy???

• Tasnim: Iran – Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs: Talks continue through Pakistan. Scattered and phased understandings are not acceptable. The long history of the US in changing positions and contradicting has made it a serious challenge to ensure the stability of any agreement with this country. We are now negotiating in a very difficult situation and it must be emphasized that the components of this understanding are joined to each other; Therefore, it is not possible to accept a part and postpone the rest to the future.
• The Armed Forces of Ukraine have started sending women on bicycles to carry out assaults. An FPV-watcher from the "Center" group noticed enemy movement. The target turned out to be a female soldier of the Armed Forces of Ukraine on a bicycle.

• The Hebrew newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported: Around 11,000 residents of Kiryat Shmona have requested evacuation from the city to escape sirens and prolonged stays in shelters. However, more than half of these requests were rejected due to budget shortages. The Israeli government does not want to finance the evacuation of residents from Kiryat Shmona in order not to give an image of victory to Hezbollah, even though the residents themselves want to leave.
• Israel Hayom (Hebrew) – Lilach Shoval: The Israeli army is preparing for a possible renewal of fighting with Iran. In this context, during the ceasefire period, Iran is working to relocate its missile platforms from areas that were targeted and is dispersing them across wider مناطق, which could lead to an increase in missile launch rates if the confrontation resumes.

• Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian has emphasized China's support for Iran's sovereignty, security, and legal rights in the Strait of Hormuz, urging that they be respected and protected as a critical window for peace opens in the region. 
• Director of the Pentagon's missile defense agency, General Heath Collins: 'the United States will need years to restore stocks of ammunition used in the war against Iran'.

• AP reports: If the U.S. and Iran aren’t able to soon come to a deal to end the war or extend the ceasefire that expires next week, the Trump administration is setting the stage to shift its war campaign toward a more economic-focused effort aimed at choking Tehran into submission rather than relying on bombs alone says Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. 'We have told countries that if you are buying Iranian oil, that if Iranian money is sitting in your banks, we are now willing to apply secondary sanctions, which is a very stern measure. And the Iranians should know that this is going to be the financial equivalent of what we saw in the kinetic activities'.

• At the Center on Conscience and War, [they] are already working with several soldiers who called in the wake of Pope Leo’s statements, specifically citing his intervention as their motivation to file as a Conscientious Objector–the only legal option soldiers have to refuse participation. 
• There’s been another fire! Someone set fire to the Raytheon building in Warner Robins, Georgia. Raytheon is one of the world’s biggest arms manufacturers and supplies the US & Israel with their bombs, guidance systems and satellite intel. The fire is being investigated & no one has yet been caught.
• Amichai Stein: Trump says a ceasefire in Lebanon starting tonight has been agreed – ten days and the IDF will remain in their positions. Lebanon’s Prime Minister, Nawaf Salam, praises the efforts of literally every single nation in reaching a ceasefire in Lebanon, except Iran of course. While the Lebanese and Israeli governments desperately frame this ceasefire as a result of direct negotiations, it is very clearly a result of Iranian pressure ahead of a second round of talks in Islamabad. The ceasefire in Lebanon was announced by Trump without Israel’s security cabinet approval. Sources say Pakistani Field Marshal Assim Muneer called President Trump on behalf of Iran and forced him to declare a ceasefire ahead of a new round of talks in Islamabad.
• Zionist raid between the towns of Ghaziyeh and Qanarit in Lebanon.