Sputnik – 19.06.2026
The US Department of War has asked the US Congress to allocate additional $80 billion to cover expenses related to operation in Iran, as well as other costs, the Wall Street Journal reported, citing people familiar with the discussions.
Deputy Defense Secretary Stephen Feinberg voiced the military’s financial needs during phone conversations with US congressmen this week, the report said late on Thursday.
In addition, the Pentagon leadership has warned that they may start running out of funds for operations this summer if Congress fails to pass a new military spending bill, the newspaper added.
The Pentagon’s budget for the current 2026 fiscal year is about $1 trillion.
Press TV – June 19, 2026
Iran has issued a compulsory online clearance system requiring all vessels intending to transit the Strait of Hormuz to register their passage requests through a new centralized online system, effective immediately, as per a newly-inked Islamabad memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States.
The Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) issued the binding directive on Friday, introducing a 60-day window during which transit fees will be waived by the Iranian government.
Under the new protocols, shipping operators must submit their processing passing requests exclusively via the official PGSA website (PGSA.ir) or through a designated email address (info@PGSA.ir), the PGSA said in a post on its X account.
It added that no other communication channels will be recognized, and that the vessels must provide “valid, accessible” contact details in the submitted request.
The agency mandated an “essential” 48-hour pre-arrival notice for all vessels approaching the strategic waterway aims to “avoid delays at the entrance or exit of the Strait”.
“During the 60-day period, tariffs for security, safety, and environmental services, as well as related Iranian insurances, will not be collected from shipowners and will be borne by the government of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” it said.
The PGSA issued a stern warning given the presence of mine-affected areas and the necessity of ensuring safe passage and preventing collisions.
“Coordination of the designated route and scheduled passage time for each vessel prior to moving toward the strait is mandatory; failure to comply shall be the responsibility of the vessel owner,” it emphasized. … Full article
Al Mayadeen | June 19, 2026
“Israel” and the Lebanese Resistance – Hezbollah have reached an agreement on a ceasefire, set to go into effect at 4:00 pm local time on Friday, a senior US official confirmed to Reuters.
The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that both sides have formally consented to halt hostilities following intense diplomatic negotiations.
“Hezbollah and Israel have agreed to a ceasefire,” the official stated, adding that the deal was brokered jointly by US and Qatari mediators, with significant backing from Iran.
“We understand that after the exchange of fire earlier today, Israel and Hezbollah are now in a ceasefire,” the official asserted.
However, Al Mayadeen’s correspondent in southern Lebanon reported that an Israeli airstrike targeted Nabatieh as the purported ceasefire went into effect. … Full article
By Eric Striker • Unz Review • June 19, 2026
When describing Donald Trump’s new Memorandum of Understanding with Iran, Foreign Policy magazine summarized the seeming end to the war as a “bigger defeat than Vietnam.”
This negation of American militarism has been felt strongest in Israel, where the Jewish state’s executors in Jerusalem and Washington/New York are throwing a fit. JD Vance, thrown in front of the cameras to own the administration’s retreat before their masters, is now openly telling the furious Jewish-American press “Trump is your [Israel] only ally left in the world.”
Has the White House had enough of Jewish domination of its policies? Is the pause in fighting Iran, which through Persian and Shia tenacity has significantly risen the bar for any continuation of hostilities, permanent?
Not so fast. … continue
Al Mayadeen | June 19, 2026
The Israeli occupation expanded its aggression against Lebanon overnight into Friday morning, launching a wide bombing campaign across the South, the Bekaa, and Baalbek that left dozens martyred and wounded, according to Al Mayadeen’s correspondents.
The expanded campaign came directly on the heels of a battlefield failure for the occupation, after the Lebanese Resistance repelled an Israeli incursion toward Ali al-Taher and Kfar Tibnit in Nabatieh, striking three Merkava tanks.
Israeli media described the night as among the most difficult in “Israel’s” history, reporting four soldiers killed, including a battalion commander, and roughly 17 wounded.
Israeli warplanes carried out a sustained series of bombardments beginning shortly after midnight and continuing past midmorning. … Full article
Press TV – June 19, 2026
Iran’s top security body has warned of a predetermined countermeasure in the event of a US violation of the newly signed memorandum of understanding between the two countries.
The Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) issued a message on Friday, two days after Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian and his American counterpart Donald Trump remotely signed the MoU that brings about a permanent end to the illegal US-Israeli war of aggression against the Islamic Republic.
Leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Mojtaba Khamenei hailed Iranian officials’ efforts to reach the agreement, while noting that Trump used various leverage points out of desperation.
The SNSC’s Secretariat assured the Leader and the Iranian nation that it will show no leniency in carrying out Ayatollah Khamenei’s orders in safeguarding the rights of the Iranian people and the Resistance Front, honoring the blood of martyrs, and advancing future talks on the basis of the Islamic Republic’s interests and welfare.
The secretariat also noted that it “will not rest until the full rights of the Iranian people are secured and the pure and sacred blood of our martyrs is avenged.”
“In this regard, with complete distrust of the treacherous and covenant-breaking enemy, and with precise monitoring of the process of negotiations and the implementation of the agreements, should any violation or breach occur on the American side, a reciprocal measure will be taken according to the predetermined plan.” … Full article
Al Mayadeen | June 19, 2026
Talks that had been planned for Friday between the United States and Iran at the Burgenstock mountaintop resort in Switzerland will not take place, according to a Swiss foreign ministry statement.
The announcement came after a White House spokesperson said overnight that US Vice President JD Vance had pulled out of a planned trip to meet Iranian negotiators in Switzerland on Friday to begin talks to implement an agreement struck between Tehran and Washington to end the war.
Vance had been expected to travel to Geneva on Friday to begin technical negotiations on implementing the 14-point agreement reached between Tehran and Washington. However, a White House spokesperson said the visit was called off because arrangements for the talks had not been finalized.
A White House statement detailed that Vance and the US delegation were prepared to depart once arrangements had been finalized. “But the logistics of these negotiations have never been simple or predictable,” the statement added. … continue
By Justin K.P. | The Dissident | June 18, 2026
Donald Trump has officially signed the memorandum of understanding with Iran in the Palace of Versailles in France, and Israel and its American lobbyists are having a meltdown.
This is because the war with Iran, according to Israel and its neoconservative allies in the U.S., was indeed to be the linchpin for the Greater Israel Project, and the final phase of the Clean Break plan drawn up by Israel and the Bush administration. … continue
By Joseph Solis-Mullen | The Libertarian Institute | June 18, 2026
In recent years, critics on both sides of the aisle have taken aim at the longstanding policy of strategic ambiguity toward Taiwan. They argue that Washington should abandon ambiguity and embrace “strategic clarity,” explicitly pledging to fight China over Taiwan. Others, such as Hoover Institute Fellow Eyck Freymann, have offered more sophisticated sounding alternatives like “structured ambiguity,” attempting to codify precisely what America would and would not do in various contingencies, particularly involving gray zone activities.
But abandoning a long-established policy that, whatever its faults, has prevented a major war between great powers for over half a century, in favor of a new policy, would be a serious mistake.
To understand why, let’s start with strategic ambiguity. … continue
RT | June 18, 2026
Finland has lifted a long-standing ban on nuclear weapons, allowing them to be transported through or held on its territory. The Finnish parliament claims the move will “strengthen the security” of the country, but opponents say it makes Finland “a target for nuclear strikes.”
Finland’s parliament voted on Wednesday to amend the country’s Nuclear Energy Act and Criminal Code to allow the import, transit, supply, and storage of nuclear weapons on its soil. The measure passed by 125 votes to 61. … continue
RT | June 18, 2026
Kiev has resorted to the “deliberate and systematic killing” of people employed at the Zaporozhye Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP), Rosatom CEO Aleksey Likhachev has said, warning a potential catastrophe at the facility is bound to spread well beyond Ukraine and Russia.
An attack took place on Wednesday in Energodar, the city adjoining the ZNPP, when a Ukrainian drone strike wounded four civilians. Two of the victims were employees of the facility, one of whom later died from his injuries, Likachev said on Thursday.
“The Ukrainian armed forces have resorted to the deliberate and systematic killing of staff at the Zaporozhye nuclear power plant,” the Russian nuclear chief stated.
“Hunting down nuclear power plant workers is an inhumane act by Ukrainian drone operators, who fail to realize the scale of the consequences of their actions. And the scale of those consequences could be such that they affect Ukraine, Russia, and a significant part of Europe,” he added. … continue
RT | June 18, 2026
The pro-establishment, Brussels-based publication Politico Europe, owned by Germany’s Axel Springer SE, has refused to publish an exclusive article written by Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
Lavrov’s article was initially planned for publication in the Brussels-based Politico Europe, but due to a “last-minute decision by the outlet’s editorial team,” the publication was canceled, the Russian Foreign Ministry said on Friday.
In the article, Russia’s highly experienced top diplomat outlined Moscow’s view of the Ukrainian conflict, Europe’s role in escalating the crisis, and the broader implications for global security. Lavrov accused European leaders of using diplomacy as a cover for NATO and EU expansion, while arguing that the West has sought to turn Ukraine into an anti-Russian foothold. He also warned that the EU’s growing militarization, including discussions about nuclear deterrence and “strategic autonomy,” could increase the risk of a direct confrontation between NATO and Russia.
Below is the full text of Lavrov’s article, as published on the Russian Foreign Ministry website… continue
RT | June 17, 2026
The Bavarian Administrative Court of Appeal has given the local office of Germany’s domestic intelligence agency the green light to continue surveilling the state chapter of Alternative for Germany (AfD). The right-wing opposition party has consistently polled ahead of its mainstream rivals nationwide, despite facing pressure on both the federal and regional levels.
Founded in 2013, the AfD advocates tougher immigration laws and also opposes Germany’s support for Ukraine, including sanctions against Russia. In the federal elections last February, it came in second at 20%, winning 152 seats in the 630-seat Bundestag. However, the party was excluded from coalition talks and government formation as part of a policy known as the ‘firewall’ in German politics.
On Wednesday, the court rejected the AfD’s appeal against monitoring by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV). … Full article
By Max Blumenthal | The Grayzone | June 18, 2026
The Charlie Kirk Show is now distributed by a federally registered agent of Israel tasked with seeding American media with Zionist propaganda. It is part of a whopping $46 million dollar annual contract between the Israeli government and Brad Parscale, the former chief of staff for Donald Trump’s 2020 presidential campaign. This may be the largest lobbying contract in the history of foreign influence operations in the US.
On September 10, 2025, Kirk was assassinated during the first stop on his American Comeback Tour at Utah Valley State University. Eight days later, Parscale registered as a foreign agent of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, assuming responsibility for a propaganda blitz “tailored to Gen Z audiences across platforms, including TikTok, Instagram, YouTube, podcasts, and other relevant digital and broadcast outlets.”
The deal meant that the Charlie Kirk Show, which had been distributed by the Salem Media Network since 2020, was placed under the control of a foreign agent for Israel, with Parscale assuming a role as Salem’s Chief Strategy Officer. According to the terms of the contract, Parscale’s Clock Tower would “integrate its pro-Israel messaging into Salem Media Network properties.” … continue
MEMO | June 18, 2026
Israel’s military censor blocked or altered more than 5,700 news reports in 2025, an average of 15 items per day, making it the second-highest year for media censorship in Israel since records began 15 years ago, according to new data published by +972 Magazine.
The figures, obtained through a freedom of information request submitted by +972 and the Movement for Freedom of Information, show that the censor demanded redactions in 4,974 news items in 2025, while completely barring 753 further items from publication. Both totals remain far above the previous annual average of around 2,300 redactions and 320 full bans recorded between 2011 and 2023. The year 2024, the height of Israel’s genocide on Gaza, still holds the record for the highest number of interventions.
The censor, a unit embedded within Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate, received 17,176 article submissions from media outlets in 2025, compared to a pre-2024 annual average of just under 12,000. Israeli law requires media organisations to submit material touching on “security” issues for censor approval before publication, under emergency regulations enacted at the time of Israel’s founding that remain in force today.
According to +972, censorship was most intensive during Israel’s war with Iran. Police, municipal inspectors, and at times civilians enforced severe restrictions on reporting the locations of Iranian missile strikes on Israeli cities, with Arab and foreign journalists disproportionately subjected to obstruction in the field. Television studios regularly hosted a representative of the censorship authority to monitor live broadcasts in real time.
Media outlets are legally barred from informing their audiences that the censor interfered in a published article. … continue
MEMO | June 18, 2026
The Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR) said Israel’s settlement expansion and military restrictions have led to the displacement of 50 Palestinian Bedouin and herding communities since late 2023.
According to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, the findings were contained in a special survey on Bedouin and herding communities in the occupied West Bank conducted by the ICHR in cooperation with the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics.
The survey found that around 300 violations targeting individuals and institutions in these communities were recorded in April 2025 alone. … Full article
Palestinian Information Ceneter – June 18, 2026
GAZA – Three Palestinians were killed and several others injured on Thursday afternoon in an Israeli strike targeting an area near Abu Khadra Mosque in the Al-Rimal neighborhood of western Gaza City.
According to local reports, the attack killed three civilians and wounded several others as Israeli strikes and military actions continued across different parts of the Gaza Strip.
In northern Gaza, a young girl was wounded by Israeli gunfire in the town of Beit Lahia.
Meanwhile, fisherman Mohammad Jalal Al-Abd Al-Qaraan was seriously injured after Israeli naval forces opened fire while he was at sea off the Gaza coast early Thursday morning.
In southern Gaza, a woman was wounded by Israeli gunfire in the Al-Muharrarat area west of Khan Yunis. … Full article
By Ramzy Baroud | MEMO | June 17, 2026
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing perhaps the most precarious moment of his political career. He knows it. His allies know it. And his rivals—both within his coalition and across Israel’s political spectrum—are preparing to capitalize on his growing weakness.
Former Israeli Justice Minister Haim Ramon, who also served as deputy prime minister between 2007 and 2009, is among the latest Israeli political figures to join a growing chorus of criticism directed at Netanyahu.
“In the final result,” Ramon said in an interview with Radio Galey, cited by the Israeli outlet Srugim, “we did not win.” He then broke down that failure in blunt terms: “We did not win in Lebanon, we did not win in Iran, and we did not win against Hamas.” … continue
MEMO | June 18, 2026
Israeli Diaspora Affairs Minister Amichai Chikli threatened Thursday that Israel would wage war on Syria “sooner or later,” claiming that Syria and Turkiye pose a greater challenge to Israel than Iran, Anadolu reports.
“We will wage war on Syria, sooner or later, because it and Turkiye are far more worrying than Iran,” Chikli said in an interview with Israeli radio station 103FM, affiliated with Maariv newspaper.
The remarks by Chikli, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ruling Likud party, came hours after Iran and the US signed a memorandum of understanding aimed at ending war in all fronts, including Lebanon. … continue
Press TV – June 18, 2026
While Israeli military incursions and activities in southern Syria, along with harassment of local citizens under the inaction of the ruling Hay’at Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) regime, have become recurrent over the past year, Syrian sources have detailed a recent ground incursion.
The sources stated that Israeli forces, onboard nine military vehicles, raided the village of al-Asbah on the outskirts of Syria’s southwestern province of Quneitra near the occupied strategic Golan Heights early on Thursday.
Israeli forces on Wednesday carried out a series of raids on residential homes in the southern countryside of Quneitra, including the interrogation of a local journalist.
Local sources said the incursion targeted ten homes in the town of Saida in southern Quneitra countryside.
Among the properties searched was the home of Sanad al-Hindawi, a journalist and employee of the Quneitra Media Directorate. Sources said Israeli soldiers questioned Hindawi inside his residence during the raid. … continue
Damascus is reportedly prepared to reconsider its position if Tel Aviv were to withdraw its occupation troops from Syria
The Cradle | June 17, 2026
Syrian President and former Al-Qaeda chief Ahmad al-Sharaa is “unprepared and unwilling” to launch a military offensive against Lebanon despite growing US pressure, Israel’s Broadcasting Corporation (KAN) reported on 16 June.
KAN cited an informed Syrian source who said that Sharaa is “concerned” that an attack by Damascus against Hezbollah will be seen across the region as “serving” Israel’s interests.
This could negatively impact Damascus’s “legitimacy.”
For now, the self-appointed Syrian president is ruling out an attack against Lebanon and its resistance forces unless Israel decides to pull its forces out of Syria, the report states.
Israel has rejected withdrawal from both Syria and Lebanon. … continue
Al Mayadeen | June 18, 2026
The Islamic Resistance in Lebanon – Hezbollah released a detailed statement regarding confrontations along the Kfar Tebnit-Ali al-Taher axis in South Lebanon, after four days of failed Israeli attempts to advance toward the area via multiple axes under the cover of aerial surveillance, heavy artillery, and smoke screens.
The Operations Room stated that its fighters have consistently engaged all Israeli advance attempts by targeting troop movements and concentrations with rockets, drones, and FPVs, inflicting significant losses in personnel and equipment among Israeli officers, soldiers, and armored vehicles.
It added that, as a result of these engagements, Israeli occupation forces were compelled to withdraw and conduct nighttime helicopter evacuations under smoke cover and artillery fire to recover casualties. … continue
By Robert Inlakesh | Al Mayadeen | June 18, 2026
The Israeli-US plot to inflict “regime change” upon Iran has been turned into a strategic failure of historic proportions – in the end, Washington and Tel Aviv were forced to confront the reality. The newly signed Memorandum of Understanding is either a gateway to a final deal or simply another strategy to buy time. … continue
Trump owns this failed war, but if the Democrats help torpedo the MOU and war resumes, then they will co-own the next war.
By Trita Parsi | June 17, 2026
… Rather than attacking the terms of the MOU, Democrats should pressure the administration to protect it from those who are determined to see it fail. The main external threat is the Israeli government and Benjamin Netanyahu’s obsession with sabotaging any opportunity for Iran and the United States to bury the hatchet.
Instead of relying solely on angry phone calls and public rebukes of Netanyahu, supporters of ending the war should press Trump to act now: suspend military aid to Israel and curtail military and intelligence cooperation. Such measures would limit Israel’s ability to reignite the conflict and dispel any notion in Tel Aviv that Washington will automatically follow Israel into another war. If Israeli leaders understand that the United States will not be drawn into a future conflict on their behalf, their incentive to start one in the first place will be significantly reduced. … Full article
RT | June 18, 2026
Iranian officials have portrayed the newly signed memorandum of understanding with the US as a diplomatic victory achieved through strength and as evidence that Washington failed to achieve any of its objectives militarily.
The 14-point document was signed remotely by President Donald Trump and his Iranian counterpart, Masoud Pezeshkian, late Wednesday and immediately entered force, according to the Pakistani mediators.
The US side has been unusually muted in its public response. The White House has also yet to publish the final text of the memorandum, although an unnamed senior US official read out the 14-point document to journalists after days of criticism over the secrecy surrounding the deal.
Meanwhile, Iran’s parliament speaker and chief negotiator in the talks, Mohammad Ghalibaf, described the memorandum as proof of US surrender. … continue
Al Mayadeen | June 18, 2026
Iran and the United States have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) aimed at launching expanded negotiations and ending the war across all fronts in the region.
The text of the agreement, published by Tasnim News Agency, outlines a framework for a permanent cessation of hostilities, sanctions relief, maritime security arrangements, nuclear negotiations, and a roadmap toward a final agreement to be concluded within 60 days. … continue
RT | June 17, 2026
… Parents who attempted to intervene were stonewalled. One mother who told police that her daughter had been abused by “Asian men” was supposedly told “You can’t describe them as Asian men because that’s racist. You should just be glad your child is being taught a different culture” (In the UK, ‘Asian’ typically refers to people of South Asian descent, such as those of Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, or Sri Lankan heritage). […]
At least four Labour councillors and MPs have been convicted of child abuse, while others “either failed to crack down on rape gangs or obstructed efforts to do so.” Among them were:
- Labour councillor Shaun Wright, who remained in charge of children’s services in Rotherham despite knowing about the activities of rape gangs in the city
- London Mayor Sadiq Khan, of Pakistani descent, who denied the existence of grooming gangs in the British capital, despite having evidence proving otherwise
- Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who as director of public prosecutions between 2008 and 2013, let 13,000 pedophiles off with warning letters instead of prosecuting them
Read full article
RT | June 17, 2026
A Ukrainian drone attack has struck a bus carrying a children’s soccer team from Belarus to a Russian seaside resort, according to acting Bryansk Region Governor Egor Kovalchuk.
The attack killed an adult woman who was accompanying the underage passengers to the resort town of Gelendzhik in Krasnodar Region and injured six others, including four children, the official said.
One young victim has been rushed to hospital in serious condition, while the injuries of the others are considered moderate, Deputy Health Minister Aleksey Kuznetsov told the media. He said seven people in total were injured.
Meanwhile Belarusian Deputy Health Minister Aleksandr Khodzhaev said eight victims were being treated following the incident, including six minors.
The bus was carrying 44 passengers, including 28 young athletes from a school sports team based in the town of Rechytsa in Belarus, according to Russia’s Investigative Committee.
The incident has been designated a terrorist attack, the agency added. … continue
Western allies are using the diplomatic progress from a possible Iran peace deal to intensify an economic blockade against Russia
The Cradle | June 17, 2026
On 17 June, G7 leaders announced that US and EU arms makers will start manufacturing advanced long-range weaponry “under license” in Ukraine, as western stockpiles dwindle, aiming to industrialize the frontline and sustain pressure on Russia.
A diplomatic source at the summit in Evian-les-Bains clarified that the push involves “not just air defense systems, but deep strike capabilities,” allowing Ukraine to threaten targets much deeper into Russian territory, Le Parisien reported.
The official noted that local production is essential as Ukrainian forces currently deploy approximately 20 Patriot missiles to counter every massive Russian offensive, straining global stocks.
The move effectively entrenches a permanent industrial infrastructure for offensive warfare capabilities within Ukrainian territory.
In a joint statement, G7 leaders from Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, the US, and the EU expressed their “readiness to grant Ukraine licenses enabling it to increase its military production.”
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz explained that US firms will grant these licenses to European and Ukrainian manufacturers to address current industrial shortages.
Merz stated he was “grateful to [US] President [Donald] Trump for this great willingness to cooperate,” adding, “We are all currently producing too little, and this can be compensated for by granting licenses to companies that have these production capacities, including European and Ukrainian companies.”
This military support coincides with a G7 agreement to escalate economic pressure on Moscow by tightening sanctions on the Russian oil and gas sectors, with leaders citing the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz following the Iran–US memorandum of understanding (MoU) as the catalyst for these measures. … continue
By Pete Gregson | MEMO | June 17, 2026
In the years of Pro-Palestine demonstrations I’ve attended since 7th October 2023, there is rarely a mention of the group at the core of the whole issue: Hamas. For people are fearful to talk about them. But whilst calling for support for Hamas may be illegal, seeking its de-proscription is not. The UK Government’s 2000 Terrorism act permits requesting the de-proscription of any “terrorist” group. You can’t be penalised for calling for de-proscription. Citizens have the right to appeal against proscription if you give a reason as to why its proscription affects you.
Following the events of 7th October 2023, I did exactly that and launched a petition to the Home Secretary. Initially I tried to get the petition before Parliament using the UK Government portal but was told it was beyond Parliament’s remit! So, I launched it online on Go-Petition, promoted it using 20,000 flyers – which I took to all the demonstrations around London and Scotland – and started getting signatures. … continue
MEMO | June 17, 2026
Israeli occupiers on Wednesday set fire to parts of two mosques in the villages of Jiljilya and Mazra’a al-Nubani, north of the central occupied West Bank city of Ramallah, and sprayed Hebrew slogans on their walls, while Israeli forces demolished an inhabited Palestinian home east of Yatta, Anadolu Agency reports.
A group of occupiers stormed Jiljilya at dawn and set fire to the village mosque, burning the women’s prayer hall and damaging the mosque’s exterior walls, local sources told Anadolu Agency.
The village has recently witnessed an escalation in occupier attacks, the sources said.
Last month, occupiers attacked the village and stole a flock of sheep.
In a separate incident, occupiers attacked Mazra’a al-Nubani and set fire to a mosque there, causing material damage. … Full article
The Cradle | June 17, 2026
US President Donald Trump is seeking to leverage severe Palestinian financial hardship to coerce a “normalization” agreement that would require the Palestinian Authority (PA) to drop all international legal challenges against Israel, the Times of Israel reported on 17 June.
This proposed memorandum of understanding (MoU), negotiated by US officials Aryeh Lightstone and Scott Leith, demands the Palestinian Authority (PA) “halt efforts to internationalize the conflict with Israel.” … continue
By Freddie Ponton | 21st Century Wire | June 17, 2026
… Our analysis shows that the new legislation is not inventing access from scratch. Instead, it is widening, modernizing, and hardening a channel that already exists. Therefore, the practical question is not whether the United States and Israel can share classified material. They already can. The question is how much further that exchange is being normalized, how many systems are already inside the orbit, and how much discretion is being removed from future reversals. … Read full article
Press TV – June 17, 2026
US President Donald Trump has acknowledged that global oil reserves were on the verge of exhaustion, a development that pressured Washington to accept Iran’s terms for a framework agreement to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
Speaking at the G7 summit in France on Wednesday, Trump warned that without the deal with Iran, the world would have faced “bedlam” as oil reserves were set to run out in approximately four weeks.
“We run out of reserves at about four weeks,” he told reporters. “You know, there are reserves all over the world, and we would really run out, and there’ll be a time when you wouldn’t be able to get it.”
The US president acknowledged that continued military strikes would have kept the strait closed.
“If we keep bombing, those ships won’t be going,” he said, referring to the impact of the agreement with Tehran.
Trump’s admission underscores the effectiveness of Iran’s strategy in placing restrictions on the strategic waterway, through which approximately one-fifth of the world’s oil consumption normally passes. … Full article
Press TV – June 17, 2026
Eleven Iranian ships have so far successfully broken through the US naval blockade, an informed source tells Press TV.
According to the source, 8 vessels have managed to sail through international waters from Iran’s territorial waters, and 3 others managed to enter Iranian waters after the US blockade was lifted under an agreement between Tehran and Washington. … Full article
Al Mayadeen | June 17, 2026
US President Donald Trump said Washington will eventually have to return Iran’s frozen assets, arguing that permanently withholding the funds would undermine international confidence in the US dollar.
Speaking during a press conference in Evian, France, on Wednesday, Trump acknowledged that the assets belong to Iran and suggested their eventual return is necessary to preserve trust in the global financial system.
“It’s not our money, it’s their money, and we froze it at a certain point in time,” Trump said. “I guess we’re going to have to give it back. If we didn’t give it back, nobody would ever invest in the dollar again.” … Full article
By Jamal Kanj | MEMO | June 17, 2026
There are many lessons to be learned from the latest made-for-Israel war on Iran. The first and most damning is that the war resolved the very crisis it created. Donald Trump celebrated the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the lifting of the blockade against Iran. Two conditions that were fully in place before Benjamin Netanyahu dog walked Trump into this war. The agreement that concluded the war took us back to exactly where we stood before America spent $200 billion, and where Americans continue to pay Israeli surcharge tax at the pump and grocery stores.
As for Iran’s nuclear program, the arithmetic does not lie. The 400 kilograms of 60-percent enriched uranium that Iran possessed were zero before Trump — pressured by his largest Israel-first donors — tore up the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) in May 2018.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran had fully complied not only with the IAEA non-proliferation agreement, which Israel has never signed nor accepted, but with the additional protocols governing verification and monitoring of its civilian nuclear program.
Trump canceled the deal anyway, not because it failed America, but because it did not satisfy Israel’s veto.
The deepest irony is that Iran’s nuclear knowledge and capabilities are more advanced today than when Trump discarded the JCPOA. Any new agreement — even one stricter in structure than the original — is therefore being negotiated from a fundamentally weaker position than the one that existed in 2018. No treaty can unlearn what Iran already knows. … continue
Lebanon is now central to Iran’s deterrence strategy, with pressure on allies treated as pressure on Tehran itself.
By Peiman Salehi | The Cradle | June 17, 2026
“We are consolidating an Iranian equation in the region, one in which Iran will no longer exercise restraint in the face of any aggression or disorder. It will cost the Americans some pain and expense, but they will get used to it.” – Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesman for Iran’s parliamentary National Security Commission
Ebrahim Rezaei, spokesman for Iran’s parliamentary National Security Commission, was describing a policy already underway rather than offering a warning.
Lebanon is where that policy is now being tested, and where much of what western analysts thought they understood about Iranian strategic behavior is being quietly dismantled. … continue
MEMO | June 17, 2026
Israel cannot stop home demolitions in southern Lebanon, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Wednesday, following statements by US Vice President JD Vance that a draft agreement with Iran includes Lebanon, Anadolu reports.
“Israel cannot stop the demolition of houses in southern Lebanon. We simply cannot stop, that’s all,” Ben-Gvir said in comments carried by the Knesset’s channel.
“We cannot allow the residents of southern Lebanon to return. We must continue to control the territory even if we disagree with (US President Donald) Trump, we are an independent state,” he added.
In statements early Wednesday, Vance described the agreement with Iran as “regional peace,” saying it “will include the Gulf states, Israel, and it will include Lebanon.”
“The basic idea is that this is a genuine regional peace agreement,” he added. … Full article
Press TV – June 17, 2026
Israel’s Channel 14 has called on the occupying regime to maintain its attacks on Lebanon in order to sabotage the peace agreement between Iran and the United States.
The channel claimed that Israel must continue its strikes on Lebanon to derail the recent Iran-US memorandum of understanding. […]
Israel has reportedly informed the US that it does not consider itself bound by the agreement, which includes an immediate and permanent end to military operations on all fronts, including Lebanon. … Full article
Al Mayadeen | June 17, 2026
Israeli occupation forces launched a series of attacks on several areas in southern Lebanon on Wednesday, shattering the newly announced agreement between Washington and Tehran that was intended to end all hostilities, including at the Lebanese front.
According to Lebanon’s National News Agency (NNA), Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes targeting the town of al-Nabatieh al-Fawqa, near the city of Nabatieh, one of the largest urban centers in southern Lebanon, as well as the eastern outskirts of the neighboring town of Kfar Tibnit. In a separate attack, an Israeli drone struck the town of Ansariyeh in the Zahrani district.
The NNA further reported that Israeli warplanes conducted mock raids and flew aggressively over the Nabatieh and Iqlim al-Tuffah regions.
Artillery shelling also targeted the Ali al-Taher hill, on the outskirts of al-Nabatieh al-Fawqa, as well as the vicinity of Beit al-Moaalem near the Nabatieh–al-Nabatieh al-Fawqa junction. The town of Majdal Zoun was also hit by artillery fire.
Concurrently, hostile reconnaissance drones were observed flying over Beirut’s Southern Suburb.
Overnight and into the morning hours, occupation artillery subjected the Ali al-Taher hill to intense and concentrated shelling. Multiple rounds landed near the government-run Nabih Berri Hospital, as well as in the al-Maidan neighborhood and the Convent Quarter in Nabatieh city. … Full article
The Cradle | June 17, 2026
The Iranian army has warned that it will strike Israel in response to continued attacks and violations in south Lebanon, as Hebrew media indicates Tel Aviv is preparing for a collapse of the understanding between Tehran and Washington.
The Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters of the Iranian military said in a statement on the evening of 16 June that Israel violated the Lebanon clause of the US–Iran understanding at least 84 times since the agreement was announced.
The Israeli “terrorist army” continues “its crimes and killings against the oppressed people of Lebanon,” the Iranian army statement said.
“If the child-killing army of the Zionist regime does not end its aggression in southern Lebanon, it should expect a severe response from the powerful armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran,” it added.
The statement came after deadly airstrikes and attacks on south Lebanon, including multiple drone strikes on Mayfadoun and artillery shelling across Nabatieh al-Fawqa and elsewhere.
At least four people have been killed in Lebanon in the last 48 hours, and attacks have persisted.
In response to continued attacks and the occupation of dozens of villages, Hezbollah has continued to resist the presence of Israeli troops inside Lebanon, but has halted cross-border strikes against Israeli targets in an effort to give the ceasefire a chance.
Hezbollah resistance fighters targeted gatherings of Israeli occupation forces on the outskirts of the southern Lebanese village of Kfar Tebnit on 17 June, according to local reports. … Full article
By Raphael Machado | Strategic Culture Foundation | June 17, 2026
Anyone would be skeptical about the sustainability of the “peace” taking shape in the Middle East from the Memorandum of Understanding to be signed between Iran and the United States in a few days. It is plausible that it may not even be signed. And even if it is signed, considering that it involves a gradual, phased unfolding of a peace process that would last at least two months, it is hard to believe that everything will go as intended by the parties and the Pakistani mediators.
Nevertheless, in the terms that this “peace” is presented and which have been accepted by the U.S., we are facing an overwhelming victory for Iran. Even if the diplomatic process is derailed, nothing will change the fact that the U.S. accepted peace with Iran on terms unilaterally favorable to the Persians, leaving Tehran in a much stronger position than before the war began.
First of all, the U.S. failure should be seen as obvious and rests on a very simple assessment: Washington failed to achieve any strategic objective in the conflict with Iran: the “regime” was not overthrown, the nuclear program was not destroyed, military capabilities were not eliminated, support for the Axis of Resistance was not liquidated, and finally, it was not possible to reopen the Strait of Hormuz by force.
The U.S. committed the most basic error of any conflict: misjudging the balance of power. And in this, naturally, the U.S. was led into error by Israel and its allies within the U.S.. From the start, reports indicate that the Pentagon opposed military action against Iran, for good reasons. … continue
The Cradle | June 17, 2026
Iran is planning to connect its electricity grid with Qatar and announced on 16 June that work on the matter is in its “final stage,” reviving a years-old agreement with the Gulf state in the aftermath of the brutal US-Israeli war against the Islamic Republic.
Iranian Energy Minister Abbas Aliabadi said on Tuesday that “the connection between Iran and Qatar will begin soon.”
He added that “studies are in the final stage, and we are beginning the implementation phase.”
Aliabadi also said Tehran was “studying” power grid connection with other Gulf countries, according to Tasnim News Agency. … continue
Press TV – June 17, 2026
Anti-government demonstrators gathered in Albania’s capital for the 17th consecutive day on Tuesday, protesting a planned tourism development project linked to Ivanka Trump and Jared Kushner, the daughter and son-in-law of US President Donald Trump.
A large crowd assembled in Tirana’s Skanderbeg Square, chanting “Albania is not for sale” in opposition to the proposed sale of a beach in the Zvernec area of southwestern Vlora County. The project is reportedly valued at approximately $4 billion.
Over the ensuing years, the couple’s trip evolved into plans to build a luxury resort along a stretch of Albanian coastline directly across from the island. Albania’s government has given the project preliminary approval, prompting daily protests outside Prime Minister Edi Rama’s office in the capital Tirana.
Carrying banners and Albanian flags, protesters marched to the Prime Minister’s Office on Martyrs of the Nation Boulevard, where they gathered outside the government building and chanted slogans demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Edi Rama.
“Edi Rama, you traitor, resign as soon as possible!” protesters shouted.
Now in its third week, the protest movement has shown no signs of losing momentum, with organizers vowing to continue demonstrations until their demands are met. … Full article
Al Mayadeen | June 17, 2026
Israeli Minister of War Israel Katz disclosed on Wednesday that “Israel” and the breakaway region of Somaliland have maintained extensive security ties for years, including cooperation that had remained undisclosed until now.
The remarks came during a meeting in occupied al-Quds with the visiting regional president of the breakaway region of Somaliland, Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi, and senior officials from the self-declared region.
According to Katz, the relationship between the two sides extends well beyond recent diplomatic developments.
“For many years, we have cooperated under the radar in a series of operations that will remain classified. Now, we are determined to take our security cooperation to new horizons,” he said. … Full article
An Essay on Why Your Doctor’s Recommendation May Have Nothing to Do with You
Lies are Unbekoming | June 15, 2026
A prospective study at a Level I trauma center in the United States examined 1,097 consecutive CT scans and asked the ordering physicians to identify, for each scan, the reason it was performed. Four hundred and sixteen of those scans (38 percent) were ordered primarily to protect the physician from a possible lawsuit, not because the clinical situation required imaging. The defensively ordered scans exposed patients to an average of 8.8 millisieverts of ionizing radiation per person. Of those defensive scans, 2.2 percent changed how the patient was managed. The remaining 97.8 percent produced no clinical benefit. What they did produce was radiation exposure to patients, charges to insurance, and legal cover for the ordering physicians.¹
The 2.2 percent represents roughly nine patients out of the 416 defensively scanned whose course of care shifted because of the scan. Those nine exist. They are the cases on which defensive practice rests its moral claim. The trade their existence requires, however, is one no consenting patient would knowingly accept: irradiating roughly forty-five people to alter the management of one, with the population-level cancer burden falling on the forty-four whose management did not change. “Management change” is also not a synonym for benefit; it includes precautionary medication, further imaging, and surveillance protocols that themselves produce iatrogenic harm. The defense of the 2.2 percent does not survive contact with the math.
Extrapolated nationally, defensive CT imaging alone is estimated to add approximately $501 million annually to American healthcare expenditure, a figure that covers only CT scans and only in the United States.¹ A 2025 paper in JAMA Internal Medicine projects that the 93 million CT scans performed in the United States in 2023 will eventually produce approximately 103,000 cancers across the lifetimes of the people who received them, accounting for roughly 5 percent of all new annual cancer diagnoses in the country.²
A subset of those cancers will arise from scans ordered to protect not the patient but the physician. The patient will never know they were exposed for that reason. By the time the cancer arrives, decades after the scan, the link between the encounter and the disease is no longer recoverable.
Defensive medicine is the operating principle that produces this arrangement. The practice is documented in peer-reviewed literature, in physician self-reports, and across the cost-accounting of the institutions that profit from it. The patient sitting across the desk from the doctor is rarely aware the principle exists. The doctor knows. What this essay describes is what happens in the consulting room as a result of that asymmetry of awareness. … continue
By Henrick Karoliszyn, DSW | The Defender | June 12, 2026
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) recent decision to award Pfizer $1.24 billion for COVID-19 vaccines has renewed debate over the government’s continued investment in mRNA technology.
The contracts, awarded on June 1, include about $735.7 million for pediatric COVID-19 vaccines and nearly $505.3 million for adult doses for fiscal year 2026-2027.
Critics say the funding reflects a continued commitment to vaccines associated with high rates of serious injuries and deaths, and a lack of adequate safety testing and monitoring.
Public health experts argue the investment is necessary to protect vulnerable populations and prepare for future outbreaks.
The latest contracts come as mRNA technology expands beyond COVID-19. … continue
RT | June 16, 2026
A Russian vessel fired warning shots near a British yacht sailing on a dangerous trajectory in the English Channel, the Russian Defense Ministry has said, adding that the shots were fired when all other options had been exhausted.
The Admiral Grigorovich was sailing in international waters between the Isle of Wight and Normandy shortly before midday on Tuesday when its crew spotted the civilian yacht, the ‘Bright Future’ sailing “on a dangerous course that would bring it into close proximity with the warship,” the ministry said.
The Russian crew tried and failed to reach the yacht by radio, before firing signal flares and sounding a siren, neither of which succeeded in changing its course. When the yacht came within 150 meters, the commander of the Admiral Grigorovich decided to fire warning shots across its bow with small arms.
“Following this, the British-flagged yacht immediately altered course and moved away from the Russian warship,” the ministry said, adding that the Russian crew “acted in strict compliance with international navigation rules and took all necessary measures to prevent an incident.”
The incident was first reported by the British press, which made no mention of the yacht sailing toward the warship. … continue
“Military Intervention in Politics Will No Longer Be Possible”
By Erkin Oncan | Strategic Culture Foundation | June 15, 2026
The aftermath of the December 2024 coup attempt in South Korea, led by former President Yoon Suk-yeol, continues to reverberate. … continue
By Patrick Pillow | The Libertarian Institute | June 16, 2026
“Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty were critically important weapons in the free world’s competition with Soviet totalitarianism—and without them the Soviet bloc might even have not disintegrated.”
This was the assessment of Zbigniew Brzezinski, former national security advisor to President Jimmy Carter and one of the most influential foreign policy strategists of the Cold War era.
Brzezinski’s description is notable not only because of who said it, but because of how he described the organization. He did not characterize Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty as merely a U.S.-funded news organization but instead, referred to it as a “weapon” in a geopolitical struggle between the United States and the Soviet Union.
More than three decades after the Cold War ended, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty remains in operation—and Congress is now considering a major increase in its funding.
As Americans continue to grapple with rising prices and persistent inflation, Washington DC’s attention has increasingly shifted toward foreign policy priorities rather than domestic economic concerns. When foreign spending does enter the public conversation, it is often through provisions buried deep within legislative text and only briefly summarized in committee reports, with limited public attention.
One recent example is the Ukraine Support Act, sponsored by Representative Gregory Meeks (D-NY). The bill continues ongoing U.S. funding for Ukraine as the war with Russia enters its fourth year, and like most large foreign aid packages, it contains a wide range of provisions.
Among them is Section 108, which authorizes $250 million in funding for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) for 2026 alone. The language describes this funding as necessary to bring the organization to its “full capacity” in combating “conspiracy theories” and “Russian disinformation.” To understand this framing, it helps to look at the organization’s origins. … continue
The historic Ibrahimi Mosque and surrounding neighborhoods now fall under exclusive Israeli control
The Cradle | June 16, 2026
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, on 15 June, formally revoked the 1997 Hebron Protocol, stripping Hebron Municipality and Islamic endowments of planning and construction rights in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron.
Finalized Monday night by Israel’s Higher Planning Council following a security cabinet vote, the move transfers jurisdiction over development, infrastructure, and preservation in the Old City and the historic Ibrahimi Mosque to Israeli authorities, with Israeli officials framing the change as a “historic correction.” … Full article
MEMO | June 16, 2026
Israeli settlers on Monday damaged the only water pipeline supplying the village of Umm Safa in the central occupied West Bank.
Local sources told Anadolu Agency that settlers destroyed the village’s main and only water pipeline while bulldozing Palestinian-owned land and constructing a settlement road near the village, northwest of Ramallah.
The sources said the damage to the pipeline caused a complete water outage in the village.
The village of Umm Safa is witnessing an escalation in settler attacks launched from surrounding settlements and outposts in all directions, preventing Palestinians from accessing their lands.
Palestinian Information Center – June 16, 2026
GAZA – Two Palestinians were killed on Tuesday in an Israeli drone strike in central Gaza as ceasefire violations continued.
Local sources reported that an Israeli drone targeted an area near Al-Nouri Tower, north of the Nuseirat refugee camp, killing two people.
Israeli forces also continued ceasefire violations across the Gaza Strip through gunfire, artillery shelling, and demolition operations.
Residents reported heavy gunfire from Israeli military vehicles east of Khan Yunis in southern Gaza, accompanied by artillery shelling and low-flying drones. Israeli forces also fired smoke grenades and live ammunition near Salah al-Din Road at the Bani Suheila roundabout east of the city.
In Gaza City, Israeli helicopters flew at low altitude over both the eastern and western parts of the city, heightening tensions among residents.
Furthermore, Israeli military vehicles opened fire toward areas surrounding the Wadi Gaza bridge north of the Bureij refugee camp in central Gaza, though no injuries were reported. … Full article
Al Mayadeen | June 16, 2026
Israeli occupation forces killed four people and wounded several others in a series of attacks on the town of Mayfadoun in south Lebanon on Tuesday afternoon, including a deliberate second strike on residents who had gathered at the scene of an earlier attack.
According to Al Mayadeen’s correspondent in South Lebanon, IOF first bombed a car in Mayfadoun before attacking the same area again after residents had gathered.
A second car in the town was then bombed, followed by a third car in the nearby town of Shoukin, bringing the total to three vehicles struck and one gathering of civilians hit.
Civil Defense teams from the Islamic Health Authority worked to evacuate the casualties in coordination with other ambulance associations.
The attacks on Mayfadoun were the latest in a series of Israeli attacks that began shortly after midnight. Al Mayadeen’s correspondent reported Israeli artillery shelling on Jabal al-Rafee shortly after midnight on Tuesday, followed by an artillery attack on the outskirts of al-Aishiyah in the Jezzine district in the morning, and a drone attack on Nabatieh al-Fawqa in the afternoon. … Full article
Press TV – June 16, 2026
The United Nations has reported ongoing Israeli military offensives in southern Lebanon, including projectile launches and repeated violations of airspace, though it recorded a decrease in overall violence following a memorandum of understanding between Iran and the United States.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said during a news conference on Monday that the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) had “observed a decrease in violence and exchanges of fire” from midnight until 4 p.m. local time.
UNIFIL also documented “133 trajectories of projectiles and 2 airstrikes” conducted by Israeli forces, while noting “no trajectories from Hezbollah or non-state actors.”
Dujarric further explained that peacekeepers had recorded 25 violations of Lebanese airspace by Israeli forces, with a cumulative overflight duration of “approximately 40 hours.”
“Prior to the announcement of the agreement yesterday between the US and Iran, our UNIFIL peacekeepers noted 135 violations of Lebanese airspace by the [Israeli military], with a total overflight time exceeding 222 hours,” he stated, adding that the peacekeeping mission had recorded a total of “1,374 trajectories of projectiles over the weekend, with 1,328 attributed” to Israeli forces. … continue
Press TV – June 16, 2026
Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters on Monday warned the Israeli regime to halt repeated ceasefire violations in southern Lebanon or face a “harsh response” from Iran’s armed forces.
In a statement on Tuesday, the headquarters said the “terrorist army of the Zionist regime” had violated the ceasefire 84 times over the past two days, despite the US president’s announcement declaring an end to the war.
It noted that the occupation regime has been continuing “crimes and the killing of the oppressed people of Lebanon,” even after the ceasefire was meant to take effect. … Full article
Al Mayadeen | June 16, 2026
In a televised statement, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi affirmed that, from Iran’s perspective, the two parties to the Memorandum of Understanding are the United States and “Israel” on one side, and Iran and Hezbollah on the other.
He also said, contrary to Trump’s overnight statement, that the MoU would be signed on Friday.
Speaking at the opening of a meeting with ambassadors, chargés d’affaires, and heads of foreign and international missions in Tehran on Tuesday, Araghchi stressed that the end of the war in Lebanon is an inseparable part of the complete end of the war, noting that ending the war on Lebanon also includes ending the occupation of Lebanese territory.
Araghchi said that, from now on, any military attack by “Israel” on Lebanon, as well as the continuation of the occupation of Lebanese territories, will be considered a violation of the MoU. … continue
By Larry C. Johnson | SONAR21 | June 16, 2026
Let’s give Donald Trump credit for one thing… He kept his word and lifted the US blockade on Iranian ships and Iran is going to town with its oil tankers moving in and out of the Persian Gulf through the Strait of Hormuz.
This does not mean that the MOU with Iran, which is supposed to be signed in Geneva on Friday, will hold, but it is a step in the direction of de-escalation. So the question we ought to ask is why did Donald Trump blink and accept the proposal that Iran proffered way back in April?
I think there are several reasons, but the principal one is that the US is running out of oil, which means Trump will not be able to artificially suppress the price of gasoline. US strategic oil reserves have fallen to their lowest level since 1983, reports CNN. The decline comes amid continued drawdowns to mitigate the impact of the conflict with Iran. Reserves have dropped to 340.3 million barrels, last seen during the Reagan administration, which was still building the stockpile. … continue
The Cradle | June 15, 2026
Israeli Prime Minister and wanted war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu declared during a news conference on 15 June that Tel Aviv has its “own interests,” stressing that his “struggle” against Iran is “not over.”
“The agreement with Iran was made by Trump, and this is his decision; we have our own interests,” Netanyahu said.
He also claimed he was “not sure about the details of the agreement between Washington and Tehran,” while at the same time telling reporters that the framework aligns with the war goals defined by the Israeli cabinet.
“I did not say that one of the objectives of the operation was to overthrow the Iranian regime,” he claimed, contradicting comments made early in the war.
“It did not go wrong at all. I defined the goals — and the cabinet defined the goals — differently from what you said,” he told a reporter.
“Many times, we see eye to eye, and there are also cases in which we see less eye to eye. I am responsible for Israel’s security interests. I stand up for them,” Netanyahu added in response to a question on his relationship with Trump.
“When necessary, I stand firm on our security interests.”
The premier went on to repeat what his war minister and other officials said earlier on Monday, vowing to continue the occupation in south Lebanon. … Full article
Press TV – June 16, 2026
Fighters from the Lebanese Hezbollah resistance movement have confronted an Israeli military convoy as it was attempting to infiltrate into southern Lebanon despite an Iran-US agreement that includes complete cessation of Israeli assaults on Lebanon.
Hezbollah said in a statement on Monday that its fighters, employing rockets and drones, obstructed an Israeli unit comprising an excavator and two Merkava tanks that was moving forward near the town of Kfar Tebnit, close to the southern city of Nabatieh.
In a subsequent statement later in the day, Hezbollah said, “The enemy army has reorganized its forces in the vicinity of the crossing area by deploying an armored contingent consisting of five Merkava tanks and four vehicles.”
“The combatants of the Islamic Resistance have targeted them with rocket barrages and artillery shells, and clashes are continuing.”
It came after an Israeli drone struck a vehicle in the same region, killing its driver. The air raid marked the first fatal strike since the announcement of the agreement. … continue
- Lebanon Accuses Israel Of Violating The Chemical Weapons Convention By Spraying Toxic Herbicide Over Farmland
- Ukrainian media exposes drone plant at film studio hit by Russia
- Three killed in Ukrainian drone strike on Tula Region, Russia – governor
- ‘Jewish lobby’ deceived Putin – Lukashenko
- The UK Joins the Pirates
- Israel’s Illegal Settlement Economy Behind the London Real Estate Fair
- Israeli settlers burn Palestinian cars, target mosque in fresh West Bank attacks
- Israeli government plans to fund extremist occupier group in occupied West Bank with $1.89M
- Three Palestinians killed, one injured in Israeli attacks in Gaza
- Iran receives first $3 billion asset tranche as part of understanding with UAE: Report
- Press TV reporter wounded in Israeli drone strike on southern Lebanon
- Time for Trump to Tell Benjamin Netanyahu to Go Away!
- Israeli officials: ‘Security zones’ to remain in Lebanon, Syria, Gaza
- Israel continues to raid southern Lebanon in open defiance of Iran-US deal
- Araghchi: US Responsible for Implementing MoU with Iran
- US must cut military, intelligence assistance to Israel to protect Iran deal: Ex-Trump official
- Israel Fails to Sabotage Islamabad Accord… At Least for Now
- The 12 Screenings That Manufacture the Patients They Claim to Find
- Satellite imagery proves destruction at Sheikh Isa Air Base in Bahrain
- Iran deputy FM says MoU with US finalized, to be signed in Geneva on Friday
- Fake Gaza charity, donation scam traced to Israeli influence firm
- Israeli Army Demolishes Homes, Structures in Jenin and Jerusalem
- Colonizers Attack Farmers and Bulldoze Farmland
- Israeli aggression kills 13-year-old child in Gaza
- Hezbollah fighters successfully ambush Israeli occupation forces in southern Lebanon
- Three people killed, others wounded in Israeli strikes in Lebanon
- With one strike, Netanyahu tries to kill two peace deals
- Deal at risk? Diplomat says ‘Israel’ seeks to sabotage US-Iran MoU
- Iran warns ‘no point’ in deal with US if Israel remains unrestrained
- Iranian missiles are more effective, precise: former Pentagon official
- Ukraine as a laboratory of ‘techno-fascism’
- Desperate Starmer choosing piracy as distraction over UK crime crisis – Putin envoy
- Albanian villagers say Jared Kushner’s projects developed on disputed land
- Exposing The Great Acid Reflux Scam
- The Dutch Covid Inquiry Is Not Looking for the Truth
- ‘Vigilante Science’: How Anonymous Critics Are Trying to Silence Peer-Reviewed Vaccine Research
- DHS docs: Govt bracing for nationwide anti-AI riots, preparing to crack down on dissent
- UK judge sentences Palestine Action activists to over 20 years in prison
- Palestinian Football Association chief denied US visa to attend World Cup 2026
- Colonizers Invade Homes, Target Service Crews Across West Bank
- Sick Palestinian American university student detained without charge
- Israeli army kills Palestinian municipality worker in central Gaza
- India signals rethink over West Asia
- Trump agreed to release $24B in frozen Iranian assets without formal announcement: Report
- Israeli Ex-Navy Chief admits massive damage from Iran missiles
- The strategic arsenal US lost in war against Iran – and why replenishment will take years
- No return to pre-war status for Strait of Hormuz – Iran’s top diplomat
- Ex-South Korean President sentenced for trying to provoke conflict with Pyongyang
- Documents Suggest Fauci Knew COVID Was Created in Wuhan Lab, and mRNA Vaccines Wouldn’t Work
- US publishes docs on ‘dangerous’ Ukrainian biolabs
- Trump’s ERAM cruise missiles for Ukraine blow up his peace overtures to Russia
- Four civilians killed by Ukrainian attacks on Russia
- EU state lifts arms embargo on Israel after spy scandal
- French watchdog reveals Israeli propaganda firm meddled in New York, Scottish, African elections
- Trump State Department Moves to Deport Trita Parsi
- UK judge brands Palestine Action activists ‘terrorists’ for storming Israeli weapons company
- Israel killed more Palestinians in occupied West Bank since 2023 than prior 17 years combined: Report
- Report: US military building new base near Gaza border to support post-war plan
- Hamas: Israeli shift of Gaza’s “Yellow Line” constitutes blatant ceasefire violation
- Text of Iran-US deal ‘reached’, Pakistan working to ‘finalize next steps’: PM Sharif
- Former Israeli minister warns US–Iran deal is ‘bad for Israel’
- The Kharg gamble could backfire on America
- Israel launches fresh aggression on southern Lebanon, violating April ceasefire
- Syria’s al-Sharaa pours cold water on US claims of willingness to ‘enter’ Lebanon
- Iran is not the one using Lebanon as its bargaining chip
- Egypt and Turkey launch joint air force exercises
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- Iranian media reveal details of potential Iran-US draft MoU
- Iranian Media Publishes 14-Point Iran-US Deal Draft, Revealing Tehran’s Key Conditions
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- London’s ‘Kosher’ Property Fair: Or How to Sell a War Crime with Canapés
- Israel deports French journalist over criticism of Gaza genocide
- 88 attacks against Palestinian Christians recorded since start of year
- Palestinian killed, others wounded in Israeli attacks in Gaza
- Palestinian factions submit response to mediators, reject disarmament proposal
- Secretary of War Crimes
- Iran files war crimes case over US strike on water reservoirs
- US ‘limited war’ strategy against Iran deepens its strategic quagmire as Tehran’s deterrence grows
- Arab Powers Mull Regional Security Alliance – Jordan’s Ex-Minister
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- Israeli occupation troops abduct two Lebanese municipal workers
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- UK court grants Allianz permission to sue pro-Palestine activists for nearly $400,000
- Eight Killed in Gaza as Israeli Forces Intensify Attacks
- Israeli police demolish home in Beit Hanina, displacing ten Palestinian family members
- B’Tselem releases video showing Israeli soldier shooting Palestinian baby in West Bank
- 18 year old Palestinian shepherd Hussein Bsharat abducted by occupation forces
- Army Injures Two Palestinians in Nablus and Jenin
- Settlers, sanctions and impunity
- Christian village in occupied West Bank goes up in flames after large-scale attack by Israeli settlers
- Christian leaders in Lebanon’s Tyre urge international intervention after Israeli evacuation warning
- India summons US diplomat, lodges ‘strong protest’ after tanker strike off Oman leaves crewmembers missing
- Iran, Russia, China reject IAEA resolution as politically driven
- Nuking Iran: Why Israel and the US gain nothing from crossing the ultimate red line
- Trump’s renewed threats against Iran reek of desperation as his political clock rapidly runs out
- Iranian missiles pierced US defense systems, hit 70% of targets: Fars
- US strikes cut drinking water to 20,000 in Iran’s Hormozgan province
- Pakistan says Israel derailed US–Iran peace deal described as ‘inches away’: Report
- Why Iran’s Retaliation for Israel’s Attack on Beirut is a Regional Game Changer
- Araghchi warns Washington: Iran will not leave any attack unanswered
- Iran launches concerted retaliatory strikes against American military targets after fresh US aggression
- Ukraine must compensate Germany for blowing up Nord Stream – AfD co-leader
- Bulgaria to stop supplying arms to Ukraine
- France-Germany fighter jet project collapses amid disputes
- US Leads Nuclear Spending Surge as Global Arsenal Costs Hit Record $119 Billion
- The Possibility Of Bari Weiss Being Installed As Head Of CNN Is Part Of Israel’s Information War
- Israel Hires Hollywood Producers To Propagandize Americans
- Congress Moves to Institutionalize US-Israeli Relationship
- Israeli army assaults 4 children after new incursion in Syria’s Quneitra countryside
- Gaza and its people may not survive this phase of ceasefire
- Israeli forces kidnap Red Crescent paramedics in Gaza
- Hamas: Iran seeking end to war on all fronts, including Gaza
- Israel’s Ben-Gvir calls for abduction of Lebanese women to pressure Hezbollah
- Israeli attacks on Tyre kill 9, injure dozens of others
- Lebanese Parliament speaker demands full Israeli withdrawal as Hezbollah exposes Trump’s false claims
- Israel used Jordanian airspace to bomb Iran: Report
- How Successful Were Iran’s Retaliatory Strikes on Israel? Israeli Military Censors Don’t Want You To Know.
- The Disappearing Aid Check: The Future of US–Israel Defense Support
- Six killed, others injured in Israeli attacks in Gaza
- ‘Instead of trying to control the whole world’, pro-Israel advocates can control AI, AJC told
- Election observers pressured during controversial Armenia vote – official
- OSCE Mission Calls Out Pashinyan for Threats Against Opposition Ahead of Armenia’s Elections
- Russia warns against US push to pass anti-Iran resolution at IAEA
- New IAEA draft resolution recycles Iran ‘non-compliance’ myth while ignoring two imposed wars
- Next 72 hrs will tell us whether Israel plans to kill Trump peace
- ‘Israel’ fails to achieve any strategic objective in Lebanon: Haaretz
- Massie Takes To House Floor To Call For The Truth About The USS Liberty
- Inside the Lamerd carnage: How new US PrSM missiles were tested on children during 40-day war
- Iran denies attacking Saudi Arabia, warns of Israeli false-flag
- Abraham Accords: Why Trump’s “mandatory” deal collapsed
- Iran halts retaliation against ‘Israel’, warns against aggression
- IRGC hits Haifa industrial sites after Mahshahr petrochemical plant attacked
- Israel Crosses Iran’s Redline in a Mission to Prevent Trump from Signing a Peace Deal with Iran
- French jets down mystery drone over Latvia
- Ukrainian drone hits Moscow-Crimea passenger train – governor
- Quit Lying WPLN, Evidence Proves Black Bears Are Thriving, Not Threatened by Climate Change
- Iran says defensive strikes on Israeli targets were legitimate self-defense under UN Charter
- The profound geopolitical implications of Iran’s strikes on Israel
- Ramat David airbase, origin of Israeli attacks on Lebanon, hit by ballistic missiles: IRGC
- Iran fires missiles at Israel, Trump pleads for restraint
- Iraqi resistance warns US: Any intervention on behalf of Israel will set your bases ablaze
- After Israel strikes Beirut, Iran strikes Israel. What’s Trump’s next move?
- Whose Flag is Flying? Lebanon’s Leaders Side with Israel against Their Own People
- Thomas Massie Won’t Back Down
- Israeli court sentences Jerusalemite journalist Bayan al‑Ja’bah to 20 months
- Israeli forces abduct Palestinian professor of political science in West Bank raid
- Eight Palestinians killed, many others wounded in Israeli attacks in Gaza
- Israel bombs Lebanese capital’s Dahiyeh despite US objections
- Israeli airstrikes continue despite ‘ceasefire’ in southern Lebanon
- Visual data reveals extent of systematic Israeli white phosphorus attacks on south Lebanon
- Mossad Deputy Chief Ousted after “Iran Regime Change” Failure
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- French Intel Helps Armenia Detect Anti-Pashinyan Online Rhetoric – Report
- Armenia arrests six opposition candidates on the eve of key elections
- FDA Misses Deadline to Ban Electric Shock Devices for Children With Autism
- UK Wants Message Scanning on Phones, Jail CEOs Who Refuse
- South Wales Police Log Non-Criminal Islam Criticism
- Kuwaiti TV presenter handed down jail term for supporting Iran amid US-Israeli onslaught
- “Welcome to hell”: How executioner Ben-Gvir and his Washington backers are finishing off international law
- Israeli Soldiers Kill Infant, Injure Parents In Hebron
- Over 20,000 Gaza patients face death due to Israeli siege and travel ban
- Israeli strike on tent sheltering displaced Palestinians kills 6 in Gaza City
- Child Shot by Israeli Drone as Gaza Faces Ongoing Israeli Violations
- Israel expands use of AI-controlled drones to gather intel, strike targets: Report
- Israel kills Lebanese army officers days after declaring ‘no hostile intent’ against Beirut
- Israeli forces advance into Syria’s Quneitra countryside, detain civilian
- Iran says IAEA report ignores strikes on nuclear sites, deflects blame
- Iraqi football player questioned for 7 hours after arriving in US: Reports
- US denies visas to Iranian football staff despite hosting duties
- Soros’ OSF helped stir Indonesian rebellion, leaks reveal
- Large-scale drone attack hits St. Petersburg
- Disliking Israel, a Popular Opinion across the World
- At which point will we begin to call Bibi president of the U.S.?
- Two Palestinians injured, one critically, in IOF raid and settler attacks west of al-Khalil
- Colonizers Assault Two Palestinians, Sabotage Well in Atouf
- Israeli Violations Kill Palestinians Across Gaza
- Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya moved to solitary confinement after appealing his detention extension
- Israel Kidnaps, Tortures, and Rapes Humanitarian Activists
- Trump and Netanyahu: The odd couple
- Netanyahu’s Ethnostate and the Greater Israel: A Biblical Mythology or a Geopolitical Project?
- Iran demands ‘zero-tolerance’ on nuclear strikes, cites 17 US-Israeli attacks against its facilities
- Zakharova to Al Mayadeen: IOF violations of Lebanon ceasefire systemic
- Ukrainian drone attack on grain ships kills five
- ‘Biden’s war’ has become Trump’s – Lavrov
- US House Approves New Anti-Russia Sanctions and Billions in Ukraine Aid
- Suspected Ukrainian drone explodes in Romanian port
- Ukraine Violates Ceasefire at Zaporozhye NPP
- ‘Let That Sink In’: Feds Charge Two NIH Researchers With Smuggling Mpox Into U.S.
- Thousands protest in Albania over Kushner tourism project
- Gitmo and Torture Revisited
- Digital kill chain: Starlink anonymity compromised
- Report: Starlink was core component of US-Israeli war on Iran
- The Quiet Coup That Put Israel Inside Americas Intelligence Core
- Bahrain arrests 20 figures, including 5 Shia scholars, in widening repression
- Revealed: How Britain weaponised terrorism laws against activists
- University of Vienna Student Assembly votes for academic boycott of Israeli universities
- Germany loses bid for UNSC seat in ‘bitter defeat’ over Israel support
- Pro-Israel voices win out, kill bill to stop US-Israel military integration
- Israeli strikes kill 9 Palestinians as Tel Aviv erects new bases in Gaza
- Jared Kushner’s Controversial Island Resort Reveals Scheme To Expand Israel’s Sphere Of Influence
- Khamenei: US-Israeli System of Domination Has Been Defeated
- Iran to deepen ties with ‘principal strategic partner’ China: Ghalibaf
- House Votes to Terminate Iran War, While Preparing to Vote to Ramp Up the Ukraine War
- IRGC: No peace without Israel’s withdrawal from occupied Lebanese territories
- Israeli war chief vows continued strikes on Lebanon as part of ‘conditional’ truce
- UNIFIL peacekeeper killed after shells strike position near Marjayoun
- US says Lebanon, Israel reach new ceasefire deal, Hezbollah vows resistance, rejects disarmament
- Hours after reiterating ‘ceasefire’, ‘Israel’ targets car in South Lebanon
- Trump’s call to Bibi probably didn’t happen
Aletho News 