U.S. strikes back hard against Iran

• IRGC announced: Strait of Hormoz fully closed until US ceases its interference in this region. No vessel will be permitted to pass through. Following this Iranian move, the US is now carrying out on-going attacks throughout southern and southwestern areas of Iran, by firing surface-to-surface HIMARS ballistic missiles from Bahrain & Kuwait. Explosions reported in: Bandar Abbas, Asaluyeh, Bushehr, Sirik, Minab, Ahvaz. Axios reports that in response Iran targeted US bases in Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, Oman, Kuwait and Jordan.

• Secretary of War, Pete Hegseth: 'Iran made a poor choice. Now, they will pay.' CENTCOM confirms the US is currently attacking Iran in retaliation for blocking ships from crossing the Strait of Hormuz on Trump’s orders. 
• Iran published images of an intercepted American Tomahawk cruise missile launched from a US navy destroyer in the Gulf of Oman toward Iran. The missile was shot down by the Iranian air defenses in Khorramabad, Lorestan province, yesterday. 

• Iran’s MFA Spokesperson: We did not make any request to negotiate with the US, however, we did not reject a request from one of the regional mediators to visit Iran. This meeting took place in Mashhad, and we conveyed our views to the Qatari side.
• Iranian Ministry of Health: 17 Iranians, including a woman, killed and 115 others injured in US recent attacks.
• Close-up footage of the Israeli strikes on Gaza City. 

• More than 1,100 Israeli military and settler violations were recorded across the occupied West Bank in just one week, according to the Moata Centre. The documented violations include raids, attacks on Palestinian communities, property destruction, assaults on civilians, and other violations carried out across different areas of the occupied territory. 

• Middle East Eye: Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has said US envoy Steve Witkoff described Gaza’s entire population as “two million Nazis” during a private meeting last year.  According to Smotrich Witkoff told him: “Bezalel, I will not let two million Nazis live next to your children along the border fence.” Smotrich also quoted Witkoff as saying that “There is only one thing that hurts the enemy: land.” The meeting was also attended by then‑Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer. Smotrich’s remarks came just days before Trump publicly unveiled his plan to “take over” the Gaza Strip and relocate its population. The initiative proposes so‑called “voluntary relocation packages” for Palestinians, offering $5,000 per person. Developed without any Palestinian involvement, the plan effectively formalized a foreign presence in the Gaza Strip. 
• Trump ready for mid-terms: The Donald is trying out his new talking points in time for the November Congressional elections. His two latest are the 'Commies are coming' and 'They want to kill me'. His supporters are now likely arming up for a possible civil war.

• Tens of thousands of children born in Gaza during the genocide have only known war. But even though they’re still living in tents under near-daily bombardment, they still find moments of joy. 

• Israeli occupation forces opened fire on homes in the town of Mansouri, continued to demolish houses in the city of Bint Jbeil, and carried out a bombing operation this morning in Majd al-Zoun, southern Lebanon.
• Zionist settlers have attacked a CNN crew and detained a US congressman. Imagine what they do to Palestinians. California Democratic lawmaker Ro Khanna said he was detained by Israeli settlers armed with US-made rifles during a West Bank visit this week that he cast as an unfiltered look at the human toll of Israeli occupation. 

• Black Agenda Report: The war in Sudan between government forces and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) backed Rapid Support Force (RSF) continues, and so does what experts call the worst humanitarian crisis in the world. The city of El Obeid is under siege, and there are fears of another massacre, such as in El Fasher.

• Evacuation of Konstantynivka: In a tense environment near the front lines, Russian troops carried out a complex and carefully planned evacuation of civilians from Konstantynivka.  Over three days, combatants from the 4th Independent Mechanized Brigade "South" evacuated several groups of civilians from the city. In total, approximately 20 people, including children, were evacuated. Special and secure routes were developed for the evacuation of the people. During different stages of the evacuation, drones, light and fast all-terrain vehicles, motorcycles, and ground robotic systems were used to ensure the safety of the people. "The bad things are already forgotten," said one of the rescued women. [Ukraine has occupied this region generally since 2014 using it as a launch pad for attacks against the Russian-ethnic Donbass population and into Russia itself. Zelensky's Nazi led forces are now on the run.] 

• Sovereignista: "German Embassy suggests we should stop what it called an ‘aggressive war’ and informs us about fuel shortages," says Russian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova. "We agree it’s time for Berlin to stop waging an aggressive war through the Kiev regime. In the meantime, the concerned German diplomats can take public transport."

• South Carolina Sen. Lindsey Graham unexpectedly died last night and is now on his way to meet his Devil. Graham was a long-time major promoter of the US-NATO war on Russia using Ukraine as the hammer. He's also a Netanyahu lover and has fought hard to fund Israel's wars against Palestine, Lebanon and now Iran.