Bolton: The US military did sink all Iranian mine-laying ships. But Iran is using fast boats, each carrying one mine and able to swarm tankers with man-portable rockets.
Trump has said for weeks the Iranian navy was destroyed. Except for these boats. 1/
Bolton: I wouldn't have entered into this ceasefire — it purely benefits Iran. They were getting pounded for six weeks.
When the bombing stops, they regroup and reorganize. Military pressure is what moved Iran at all. When you relent — they see American weakness. 2/
Bolton, on Trump's claim of regime change in Iran: It obviously hasn't happened. The Revolutionary Guard holds what they call purification campaigns to ensure no deviations from what the ayatollahs dictated.
Von der Leyen: Europe doubles down on support for Ukraine, while Russia doubles down on aggression.
We also adopted the 20th sanctions package. The sanctions are biting so hard that the Kremlin is restricting internet and free communication, creating a digital iron curtain. 1/
Von der Leyen: This is Europe’s second energy crisis in four years. In just 60 days of conflict, our fossil-fuel import bill rose by more than €27 billion without one extra molecule of energy.
The answer is obvious: cut imported fossil-fuel dependence and electrify Europe. 2/
Von der Leyen: Any peace agreement will have to restore full and permanent freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz without tolls.
It will also have to address Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile program. The consequences of this conflict may echo for months or years. 3/
Rubio: It’s unclear whether new Ayatollah has authority.
The key questions are his credibility versus his father, whether succession should be hereditary, if he has the clerical credentials, and whether he’s actually making decisions or someone else is.
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Rubio: Iran is run by radical Shia clerics and is deeply fractured. Talk of “moderates vs hardliners” is misleading — they’re all hardliners.
Some focus on running the state, others are driven by ideology, including the supreme leader and his circle.
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Rubio: Iran’s nuclear program is the core issue. The regime seeks to export its revolution and dominate the region through proxies like Hezbollah and Hamas.
Even now it uses Hormuz as economic leverage—imagine that power with nuclear weapons.
China is rebuilding how occupied Ukrainian territories function — step by step.
It installs 6,000 Huawei base stations, replaces dollars with yuan, and keeps factories running with Chinese engineers. no ownership, no formal role, but everything depends on Chinese tech, Babel. 1/
Telecom comes first. Huawei supplies servers, antennas, routers.
Russia cuts Ukrainian networks when it captures a city. Miranda-Media reconnects it using Chinese infrastructure — across cities, villages, and roads. 2/
Industry: Karansky quarry in Donetsk operates on Chinese equipment. Chinese engineers maintain it. Without them, production stops. Russia uses the output to build roads and housing. 3/
Iran offered the US a new deal: reopen the Strait of Hormuz and end the war, bur nuclear negotiations postponed for a later stage.
The White House received the proposal but has not said whether it will explore it, — Axios.
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The problem for Trump: accepting the deal removes his leverage.
Ending the war and lifting the blockade before nuclear talks means Iran keeps its enriched uranium stockpile and faces no pressure to suspend enrichment — two primary US war objectives.
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Trump on the naval blockade: When you have vast amounts of oil pouring through your system — if for any reason this line is closed — that line explodes from within.
They say they only have about three days before that happens.
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Petraeus: Ukraine is stopping Russia almost cold on the front lines. Its drone warfare keeps improving, with a 35 km “death zone” under constant surveillance.
Production is surging: Ukraine may make 7 million drones this year, versus about 300,000 in the US last year.
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Petraeus: Ukraine is ahead of the world in drones — more capable and cheaper than others can make.
But others are racing to catch up, with the Pentagon planning $50bn+ on unmanned systems. Ukraine now has a brief window to secure its lead and protect its technology.
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Petraeus: Ukraine’s growing strike arsenal is impressive, with the Flamingo cruise missile still scaling up.
Its operations are also highly innovative — even launching aerial drones from sea drones. Russia’s Black Sea Fleet, after losing nearly 40%, has been pushed back and tied up in port.