Steve Witkoff’s Iran mission holds seamless possibilities
By M. K. BHADRAKUMAR | Indian Punchline | April 11, 2025
The rubric of the US-Iranian talks slated for Saturday in Muscat turned into a vanity fair of sorts — whether the talks should be called ‘indirect’ or ‘direct’. The US President Donald Trump sought direct talks and claimed that Iranians conveyed through back channel that they had no objection to it. Furthermore, Trump disclosed that indirect talks already started. While maintaining publicly that the talks will be ‘indirect’, Iranians didn’t call out Trump.
Accordingly, Trump nominated his trusted aide and longstanding friend Steve Witkoff to represent him at the talks. Tehran reciprocated with Abbas Araqchi, a veteran nuclear negotiator and brilliant diplomat, and currently the foreign minister.
Trump noted with satisfaction that Tehran has fielded a negotiator at the highest possible level. Interestingly, Trump made the announcement on the talks from the Oval Office in the presence of Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Such hyper activism on the optics may create a surreal impression. After all, there is also a military build-up going on in the US base in Diego Garcia, including B-52 heavy bombers with a range of 10000 kms. But the Russian assessment is that the US’ mobilisation of military assets falls way short of the level of force strength required to start a war with Iran.
The presence of Araqchi and Witkoff at the talks in Muscat underscores that both sides are approaching the talks in all seriousness conscious of the real risk of a dangerous escalation of the present precarious situation around the Iran nuclear issue if concrete progress is not achieved in the negotiations by mid-2025.
The clock starts ticking for the E3 (France, Germany, and Britain) to move to restore the UN Security Council sanctions on Iran by invoking the JCPOA’s veto-proof ‘snapback’ mechanism for which the cutoff date is the month of October. Snapback also restores Security Council ban on uranium enrichment, further reactor development, and ballistic missile activities.
Tehran has warned that if the UN sanctions are restored, it may withdraw from the NPT in response and if that happens, it is no longer obligated to retain IAEA safeguards. But there is a gestation period of 3 months before Iran’s exit from NPT gets formalised.
Enter Russia. According to the 1992 nuclear cooperation agreement between Moscow and Tehran, “nuclear material, equipment, special non-nuclear-material, and related technology” as well as nuclear materials produced by the result of transferred technology “shall be under the International Atomic Energy Agency safeguards” during their “entire period” of stay in Iran.
The agreement further stipulates that these materials “shall be used only for declared purposes that are not connected with activities of manufacturing nuclear explosive devices” and “shall not be used to carry out activities in the field of nuclear fuel cycle” that are not under IAEA safeguards.
Suffice to say, at the very least, Iran’s nuclear cooperation agreement with Russia may obligate Tehran to retain some IAEA presence. Russia’s economic interests in nuclear cooperation with Iran will also play a part. Besides, the recent Russian-Iranian treaty on strategic cooperation explicitly affirms Tehran’s commitment to nuclear non-proliferation. Russia also tends to prioritise a constructive engagement of the US in its foreign policies and its moderating influence on Iran lest it goes the North Korean way will be a significant factor in the US-Iranian negotiations. The situation around Iran has already figured more than once in the recent US-Russia exchanges since February including at the highest level between Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.
During this week, against the backdrop of the talks in Muscat, President Masoud Pezeshkian made certain significant remarks. It is entirely conceivable that he was speaking for Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
First, Pezeshkian said Khamenei is “not opposed to US entities investing capital” in the Iranian economy. Succinctly put, this is a radical departure from Iran’s traditional stance.
Second, Pezeshkian said, “We are open to dialogue, but with dignity and pride, we will not compromise on our achievements and we will not make deals (on them).” In effect, Pezeshkian has notified that any suggestions that the only acceptable deal with Iran must include complete dismantlement of the country’s nuclear program will be a non-starter.
Third, Pezeshkian not only reiterated Iran’s rejection of nuclear weapons but stated its willingness to be subject to robust safeguards. As he put it, “We are not looking for an atomic bomb. Who is setting policy above the Leader of the Islamic Revolution who has officially announced that we are not looking for a nuclear bomb? Check it a thousand times. You can verify a thousand times that we don’t have atomic bombs, but we need nuclear science and nuclear energy.”
Fourth, Pezeshkian also had a message of sorts for Israel. He said, “We are not looking for war, but we will stand strong against any aggression with the knowledge and power that our scientists have created. The more they harm us, the more powerful we will become, and the stronger we will stand against any threat they pose to us.”
Taken together, these remarks by Pezeshkian would give a fair idea of what the contours of a possible settlement of the nuclear issue could be as the talks proceed.
Most importantly, Iran seeks an economic partnership with the US and implicit in it is the unspoken readiness for political and diplomatic ties. Iran’s approach bears an uncanny resemblance to what Russia has adopted in its nascent dialogue with the Trump administration. Trump’s choice of Witkoff as the negotiator for Iran can be seen as a signal that the US is open to explore opportunities of economic cooperation with Iran as an underpinning to the normalisation process. (By the way, the Washington Post has reported that Witkoff is willing to travel to Tehran, if invited.) Certainly, Tehran pins hopes on Witkoff bringing new thinking into the paradigm. Do not be surprised if he travels to Tehran in the near future.
That said, the Trump administration must appreciate that Iran lives in a tough security environment and is attempting to use its nuclear threshold status as a deterrent. Therefore, what is possible is a combination of limits and monitoring that can adequately reduce proliferation risks.
The onus is on Witkoff to articulate behind closed doors realistic US objectives for a nuclear deal, bearing in mind that politics is the art of the possible. This involves refraining from calls for the complete dismantlement of the Iranian nuclear program, and, equally, the projection of ideas as to how Tehran will benefit from an agreement with the United States.
When I visited Tehran last June to observe the presidential election, a topic that came up in almost all conversations and TV interviews was: What to expect from a Trump administration? What I could sense was that contrary to what Israeli media management strives to project to muddy waters, Tehran has no revenge mentality and instead senses that Trump’s priorities in a second term are not about projection of power but the regeneration of America. As a civilisational state that was never colonised through millennia, Iranian culture is highly pragmatic but it will never surrender its legitimate interests or compromise under pressure. In this respect, it is a unique country in the region. (See an outstanding policy brief by Washington-based Arms Control Association titled The Art of a New Iranian Nuclear Deal in 2025.)
Iran’s relevance to the regeneration of the American economy (MAGA) is self-evident. Apart from vast mineral resources, Iran’s human resources can give a solid underpinning to economic and technological partnership with American business and industry. An enduring nuclear deal with Iran is best achieved through an overarching relationship to reengage with Iran as a partner after over four decades.
Prof. John Mearsheimer: Trump, Netanyahu, and Iran.
Judge Napolitano – Judging Freedom | April 10, 2025
Israel’s hawkish minister, husband accused of sexual abuse by daughter
Shoshana’s mother, Orit Strook — the minister of settlements — is a staunch supporter of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Press TV – April 10, 2025
A hawkish Israeli minister known for her extreme right-wing politics and support for illegal settlements is facing serious allegations of sexual abuse by her daughter.
Shoshana Strook, the daughter of Israeli Minister Orit Strook, filed a police complaint in Italy alleging sexual assault by both of her parents and a brother.
She stated that resurfacing memories prompted her decision to report the abuse, which she hopes will help her heal from emotional trauma.
She made the allegations in a statement posted on social media, revealing that she had filed a formal complaint and was seeking justice and relief.
“I’m currently in Italy and recently filed a report with the police,” she said. “I hope to find a place where I can get some relief.”
“After a long period of doubt, extreme emotional states, and a lot of guilt, I wanted to share that I experienced sexual abuse by both of my parents and one of my brothers,” Shoshana wrote.
She also said that her parents physically harmed her three younger brothers, stating: “After years of beatings and guilt, I finally spoke out. The memories are overwhelming, but I need justice.”
Shoshana also said that the memories coming up to her lately are “becoming too overwhelming”, recalling one in which she hit three of her younger brothers.
She didn’t reveal which brother sexually assaulted her. However, one of her brothers, Zviki Strook, has been reportedly charged with kidnapping and torturing a Palestinian boy in 2007.
Shoshana’s mother, Orit Strook, is a staunch supporter of Israel’s settlements in the occupied West Bank.
Ironically, Orit relentlessly pushed prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s baseless narratives and unsubstantiated claims that Palestinian resistance group Hamas committed sexual assault on October 7, 2023.
She now faces grave allegations of having abused her own children.
The Strook family has been in the spotlight before. In 2007, Orit’s son, Zviki Strook, was reportedly charged with kidnapping and torturing a Palestinian minor.
The Palestinian boy was found severely beaten and bleeding after escaping an alleged torture session.
Orit was born into a Jewish family of Hungarian lawyers. She married Avraham Strook and the couple chose to live in illegal settlements on Palestinian land.
Their first home was in the settlement of Yamit in the Sinai Peninsula. However, following the 1982 evacuation of Yamit after the Sinai was returned to Egypt in 1979, the Strook family relocated to the occupied West Bank city of al-Khalil—again, settling illegally.
Since 2013, she has continued to live in the Avraham Avinu settlement in al-Khalil.
In 2024, Orit stated that Israel should maintain a “long-term military presence in Gaza and annex the occupied West Bank”. She also argued that there should be no exit strategy from Gaza.
Orit made headlines after posting a video to her X account from a Knesset session in which she argued that a Palestinian state would be an “existential threat” to Israel.”
In May 2024, she opposed a proposed ceasefire agreement in Israel’s war on Gaza. Orit also criticized the United States for its efforts to broker a ceasefire deal, stating that the US “doesn’t deserve to be called a friend of Israel.”
Hamas launches legal case in Britain to remove ‘terror’ label
Press TV – April 9, 2025
The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has filed a legal appeal in the United Kingdom in an unprecedented move, challenging the British government’s decision to designate the group as a “proscribed terrorist organization.”
The case, submitted on Wednesday, seeks to overturn the classification, with Hamas asserting that it is a legitimate movement advocating for Palestinian self-determination and liberation, not a “terrorist entity.”
Mousa Abu Marzouk, a prominent leader of the group and its head of international relations, is spearheading the appeal.
He has vehemently rejected the UK’s characterization of Hamas in those terms, reminding that the group’s goal is to liberate Palestine from Israeli occupation, not to target Western nations.
Marzouk has stressed that the resistance movement’s struggle was against Zionism, a colonial project targeting Palestine, while underlining that the group has never harbored any plans to harm Jewish people.
“We are not fighting against Jews, we are fighting against the Zionist regime, which is an illegitimate entity in Palestine,” he stated.
He also denounced the UK for rendering support for Zionism and the establishment of the Israeli regime in 1948, and regretted that the regime continues the legacy of colonialism in the region.
Drawing comparisons to global liberation struggles, Marzouk likened Hamas to South Africa’s African National Congress (ANC) and Ireland’s Sinn Féin, stressing that like these movements, Hamas represents a legitimate resistance force against foreign occupation.
Legal team: Hamas sole effective force resisting genocide
Hamas’ legal team, led by two British barristers from Riverway Law, a law firm based in South London, underscores that the proscription not only misrepresents the group, but also obstructs freedom of speech and stifles open dialogue.
The lawyers also contend that by labeling Hamas as a “terrorist group,” the British government violates international obligations related to the prevention of genocide and crimes against humanity — which the Israeli regime has been indulging in across the Gaza Strip, where the movement is headquartered.
They assert that Hamas is the sole effective force resisting the ongoing genocide being committed by the Israeli regime in Gaza.
The British government first proscribed Hamas’ military wing, the Ezzedine al-Qassam Brigades, as a “terrorist organization” in 2001.
In 2021, the political wing of Hamas was also added to the proscription list. The Home Office tried to defend its decision, claiming that Hamas operated as a “unified terrorist entity.”
However, Hamas’ lawyers strongly contest this characterization, clarifying that the group functions as a broad-based resistance movement with political and social dimensions.
In his witness statement, Marzouk has provided a personal perspective on the issue of the Israeli regime’s Western-backed occupation of Palestine and aggression towards Palestinians.
He rejected the so-called legitimacy of the regime and reaffirmed Hamas’ commitment to full liberation of Palestine, with the holy occupied city of al-Quds as its capital, and establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state along its borders before 1967, when the regime went on to grab more Palestinian land with more Western support.
The case’s potential
The UK Home Secretary, Yvette Cooper, has 90 days to respond to the petition. If the case is rejected, it will proceed to a tribunal for further legal proceedings.
If successful, it could lead to a reevaluation of Hamas’ designation.
Addressing the issue, observers say the case could have a far-reaching impact on how resistance movements are viewed in the political and legal arenas amid growing international opposition against the Israeli regime’s genocidal, expansionist, and other criminal efforts.
London’s likely reversal of the designation, they further note, could potentially shift the international discourse surrounding Palestinian liberation efforts.
Marzouk, meanwhile, commented on Hamas’ members and their fellow Gaza-based resistance fighters’ historic Operation al-Aqsa Storm against the occupied Palestinian territories. The operation saw the fighters venture deep into the territories, encircle strategic Israeli bases, and ensnare 240 Zionists.
He called the development a military operation targeting the Israeli regime’s Southern Command rather than a deliberate assault on civilians as Tel Aviv and its backers have claimed.
Gulf-backed genocide: How Arab monarchies fuel Israel’s war machine
By Mawadda Iskandar | The Cradle | April 10, 2025
The Persian Gulf states’ silence – and in many cases, complicity – during Israel’s ongoing war on Gaza has not come as a shock. These governments, long detached from the Palestinian struggle, have for years cultivated warm, if discreet, ties with Tel Aviv.
While Bahrain and the UAE made normalization of ties with Tel Aviv official through the US-brokered 2020 Abraham Accords, other states like Saudi Arabia and Qatar have played quieter but equally pivotal roles. Riyadh, often described as the architect behind normalization, and Doha, hiding behind its “mediator” label, have each aided the occupation state in crucial ways.
Though much of this assistance remains behind the scenes, it has been repeatedly acknowledged by US and Israeli officials. During his first term, US President Donald Trump once warned that “Israel would be in big trouble without Saudi Arabia,” while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said that Arab leaders now view Israel “not as their enemy, but their greatest ally,” adding that they “want to see us defeat Hamas.”
Such statements offer a glimpse into the vast, opaque network of regional cooperation propping up the occupation state’s war machine.
Economic complicity
Despite overwhelming popular support throughout the Arab world for Palestine, and growing calls for grassroots boycotts, Persian Gulf–Israeli trade has only surged. The UAE now ranks as Israel’s top Arab trade partner, while Bahrain’s commerce with Tel Aviv spiked by a staggering 950 percent during the first 10 months of the Gaza war.
Even amid war and boycott efforts, “kosher-certified” goods from Arab countries continue to enter Israeli markets. UAE-based brands like Al Barakah Dates and Hunter Foods, along with Saudi Arabia’s Durra (a sugar supplier), have maintained trade channels.
Qatar has exported crude materials for plastics used in Israeli industries. Bahrain went so far as to officially recognize goods produced in illegal West Bank settlements as Israeli in origin.
More insidiously, Persian Gulf investments are directly fueling Israeli settlement expansion. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Qatar have funneled money into Avenue Partners, a firm chaired by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, who remains involved in advising the Trump administration from afar.
That money flows into Phoenix Holdings, which finances key banks involved in settlement construction – Leumi, Hapoalim, and Discount Bank – as well as telecom firms like Cellcom and Partner, and construction companies like Electra and Shapir, all of which operate inside occupied Palestinian territory.
When Yemen’s blockade disrupted shipping lanes for Israeli-linked cargo in the Red Sea, cutting off 70 percent of Tel Aviv’s food imports, it was the Persian Gulf states that rushed to patch the breach. The UAE created an overland logistics corridor from Dubai to Tel Aviv via Saudi Arabia and Jordan, and Bahrain repurposed its ports to serve as alternate shipping hubs for Israeli goods arriving from India and China.
Military ties beneath the surface
From the earliest days of Israel’s onslaught on Gaza, the UAE has doubled down on its strategic military relationship with the occupation state. In 2024, Balkan Insight revealed that a UAE-linked firm, Yugoimport-SDPR, exported $17.1 million worth of weapons to Israel via military aircraft directly involved in bombing Gaza.
But the arms trade is only part of this treacherous picture. The UAE’s state-owned defense giant EDGE holds shares in Israeli military contractors like Rafael and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), companies that retrofit Emirati planes into military freighters. Abu Dhabi has also welcomed offices from Israeli weapons manufacturers like Bayt Systems and Third Eye Systems, and proudly hosted 34 Israeli defense firms at IDEX 2025 – a major arms expo used to secure deals with the occupation army.
Though not formally normalized, Saudi Arabia is militarizing its ties with Israel through indirect channels. One method: purchasing Israeli systems like the TOW missile through US-based subsidiaries of Elbit Systems. Another: acquiring surveillance drones from South Africa, which are disassembled and reassembled in the kingdom to mask their Israeli origins.
A recent anti-drone system – suspected to be designed by Israeli firm RADA – was spotted at the Royal Saudi Air Defense base in Tabuk, near King Faisal Air Base.
Meanwhile, Qatar has quietly boosted its military coordination with Tel Aviv. Doha continues to source spare parts for tanks, armored vehicles, and aerial tankers from Israeli suppliers, and its military has participated in joint drills involving Israel and other Persian Gulf states – including exercises in Greece held just over a week ago.
Logistical lifelines to Tel Aviv
Beyond military and economic ties, Persian Gulf states have facilitated the flow of weapons to Israel through logistical support channels. As the US ramped up its “unprecedented airlift” of tens of thousands of missiles, munitions, and Iron Dome components, the Gulf’s airspace and bases became critical.
US arms shipments passed through Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Jordan, and especially Qatar, where the Al-Udeid Air Base – home to US Central Command – served as a hub for at least 18 documented transfers. Several were routed through Cyprus to avoid direct flight tracking.
In the UAE, Dubai International Airport became a waypoint for Israeli reservists flying in from Asia. Coordinated through the Israeli consulate in Dubai, these flights funneled soldiers into the war in Gaza. Emirati authorities also arranged leisure retreats for Israeli troops between deployments and allowed Jewish organizations in Dubai to send care packages to the occupation military.
Pipeline diplomacy and energy normalization
Earlier this month, as Trump prepared to visit Saudi Arabia seeking investment in US infrastructure, Israeli Energy Minister Eli Cohen unveiled plans for a regional oil pipeline stretching from Ashkelon to Saudi Arabia via Eilat.
The project falls under the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC), a US-backed alternative to China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), with links running through the UAE, Jordan, and occupied Palestinian lands.
In a related move, Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa – son of the Bahraini king and chair of Bapco Energy – announced the sale of a pipeline stake to BlackRock, the US investment giant notorious for its financial ties to Israeli settlements. This deal cannot be separated from the broader normalization agenda.
Spycraft and surveillance
In one of the clearest signs of deepening security cooperation, Axios revealed a secret 2024 meeting in Bahrain between Israeli army chief Herzi Halevi and senior military officials from Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Jordan, and Egypt.
Overseen by US Central Command, the summit focused on countering Iranian retaliation and disrupting weapons flows to Gaza from resistance forces in Iraq and Yemen – operations that often transit through Persian Gulf-controlled airspace.
Bahrain’s role was particularly overt: Nasser bin Hamad openly declared his country’s commitment to disrupting Iranian response operations in coordination with the US Fifth Fleet stationed in Manama. Analysts now speculate that Tel Aviv could be granted permanent naval access to strategic Gulf waters.
This growing security convergence has also opened the door for Israeli tech to penetrate Persian Gulf infrastructure. Bahrain now relies on Israeli firms for anti-drone systems, satellite surveillance, and cybersecurity. One notable collaboration involves Bahraini company Crescent Technologies and Israeli cyber defense powerhouse CyberArk.
The UAE is pushing the envelope even further. Emirati firms have signed deals with XM Cyber – co-founded by a former Mossad chief – to secure national energy infrastructure. XM Cyber works in tandem with Rafael and other elite Israeli military firms as part of a consortium targeting sensitive Gulf markets, including oil, energy, and data. Meanwhile, Orpak Systems, another Israeli company, has quietly entered Arab oil sectors under nondescript branding to avoid detection.
Despite their public posturing and periodic statements of support for Palestine, the Persian Gulf states have quietly entrenched themselves in Tel Aviv’s war effort. Through investment flows, arms deals, intelligence cooperation, and energy infrastructure, they have become vital enablers of the genocide in Gaza.
This alliance – crafted in backrooms and sealed with economic interests – has allowed Israel to prosecute its war on Gaza with Gulf assistance at every logistical and financial juncture.
Far from being passive actors, these states are now active partners in a conflict that has devastated an entire people.
Hamas says statements and condemnations are no longer acceptable from Arab and Islamic countries
MEMO | April 10, 2025
The Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement has said that it is “no longer acceptable” for Arab and Islamic countries simply to make “timid statements and condemnations”, at a time when Israel is intensifying its killing in Gaza before the eyes and ears of the world.
“It is also inconceivable that our Palestinian people are being left alone in this fateful confrontation, without real support that rises to the challenge and the magnitude of the crime,” added Hamas in a press statement on Wednesday. The movement pointed out that the Israeli occupation army committed another massacre — described as “one of the most heinous crimes of the genocide” — by bombing a residential area crowded with civilians and displaced persons in the Shujaya district east of Gaza City.
By giving the occupation state its full support, said Hamas, the US is regarded as being complicit as a partner in the aggression against the Palestinians. “This is a stain on the international community, which stands helpless and silent in the face of the most heinous acts of mass murder and genocide. These brutal crimes, committed in full view of the world against innocent, defenceless civilians, with the aim of genocide and sadistic revenge, will not go unpunished, nor will they be forgotten with the passage of time.”
History, said the resistance movement, will hold accountable all of those who remained silent and colluded with the Zionist war criminals. It called on the leaders of Arab and Islamic countries to perform their historical and humanitarian responsibilities and to put every possible pressure on the occupation state and its supporters in Washington to immediately halt the aggression, lift the siege and hold the “war criminals” accountable for their crimes.
Furthermore, Hamas called on countries that still maintain relations with the Zionist occupation state to sever ties and close the embassies of the “Nazi entity” in solidarity with the Palestinian people, who are being subjected to a “brutal Zionist war of annihilation”.
The movement also called on the masses in the Arab and Islamic nations and the free people of the world to continue their support for Gaza, and even escalate and intensify it until the Gaza Genocide ends.
Max Blumenthal: Banning Protests Against Israel
Glenn Diesen | April 9, 2025
The editor-in-chief of The Grayzone, Max Blumenthal is an award-winning journalist and the author of several books, including best-selling Republican Gomorrah, Goliath, The Fifty One Day War, and The Management of Savagery. He has produced print articles for an array of publications, many video reports, and several documentaries, including Killing Gaza.
Follow Prof. Glenn Diesen: Substack: https://glenndiesen.substack.com/
AIPAC leader boasts of special ‘access’ to top Trump natsec officials in leaked audio
By Max Blumenthal | The Grayzone | April 9, 2025
During an off-the-record panel, AIPAC’s CEO detailed his organization’s grooming of Trump’s top national security officials, and how his group’s “access” ensures they continue to follow Israel’s agenda.
The Grayzone has obtained audio of an off-the-record session from the 2025 Congressional Summit of AIPAC, the main US lobbying arm of the state of Israel. Recorded by an attendee of the panel discussion, the audio features AIPAC’s new CEO, Elliott Brandt, describing how his organization has cultivated influence with three top national security officials in the Trump administration – Secretary of State Marco Rubio, National Security Director Mike Waltz, and CIA Director John Ratcliffe – and how it believes it can gain “access” to their internal discussions.
Joining Brandt on the panel was Dana Stroul, formerly the highest ranking civilian overseeing Middle East issues in the Biden administration’s Department of Defense. Stroul made it clear that defending Israel’s strategic imperatives from within the US government was a top priority, arguing that Washington should deepen its “mutually beneficial” special relationship with its “strong partner” in Tel Aviv.
Stroul dismissed the bloodbath in Gaza as the result of supposed Hamas tactics which supposedly aim to maximize the amount of children killed by Israel. At the same time, she and her fellow Israel lobbyists fretted about the impact of the post-October 7 war on public support for the self-proclaimed Jewish state. She was particularly troubled by Sen. Bernie Sanders’ attempts to force votes on military aid packages to Israel which, in her view, should never be debated in the open. Another unidentified AIPAC panelist worried that pro-Palestinian academics could eventually influence AI knowledge systems, leading to a dangerous shift in national security policy unless they were decisively suppressed.
The Congressional Summit was permeated with anxiety, as AIPAC leaders told rank-and-file members to hide their badges when they left the Marriott Hotel for fear they would be confronted by anti-genocide protesters. Other than a handful of sessions, such as a keynote address by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, the conference was strictly off-the-record.
With the cameras off, AIPAC leadership provided unusually candid details of their activities. In one revealing admission, Brandt explained how he and his lobbying organization groomed the future CIA director and other top Trump officials as pro-Israel assets.
AIPAC’s “lifelines” on the Trump national security team
Elliot Brandt was promoted to Executive Director of AIPAC in 2024, making him one of the most powerful lobbyists in Washington. Though he is largely unknown to the American public, Brandt has spent around three decades building relationships on Capitol Hill. This was the key, he suggested, to cultivating the future leaders of America’s national security state as loyal servants of Israel.
Referring to Trump’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio, his National Security Director Mike Waltz, and Elise Stefanik, whose nomination to serve as the US ambassador to the United Nations was suddenly withdrawn to preserve the GOP’s majority in the House of Representatives, Brandt explained to AIPAC members, “Those three people have something in common: they all served in Congress.”
After relying heavily on pro-Israel donors to fuel their campaigns for office, “they all have relationships with key AIPAC leaders from their communities,” said the AIPAC CEO. “So the lines of communication are good should there be something questionable or curious, and we need access on the conversation.”
Brandt’s comments corroborate Representative Thomas Massie’s claim that each member of Congress is expected to answer to an “AIPAC person.”
The AIPAC director’s reference to his organization’s “access” to presumably internal national security discussions contains ominous echoes of past espionage scandals in which AIPAC employees were accused of forking classified information over to Israeli intelligence. In 2004, for example, the FBI arrested a Pentagon researcher named Larry Franklin, who had provided classified documents related to Iran to two AIPAC staffers, Keith Weissman and Steve Rosen, who then delivered the information to Israeli intelligence. That December, the FBI raided AIPAC’s offices and seized a computer belonging to Brandt’s predecessor, Howard Kohr. (In the end, Franklin received a slap on the wrist from the government while Weissman and Rosen were fired by AIPAC.)
In his remarks to the AIPAC Congressional Summit, Brandt also pointed to CIA Director John Ratcliffe as an important point of contact. “You know that one of the first candidates I ever met with as an AIPAC professional in my job when he was a candidate for Congress was a guy named John Ratcliffe,” he recalled. “He was challenging a long time member of Congress in Dallas. I said, this guy looks like he could win the race, and, we go talk to him. He had a good understanding of issues, and a couple of weeks ago, he took the oath as the CIA director, for crying out loud. This is a guy that we had a chance to speak to, so there are, there are a lot – I wouldn’t call them lifelines, but there are lifelines in there.”
Top Pentagon veteran comes out as Israel lobbyist
Dana Stroul works as director of research at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a neoconservative think tank that was originally founded as the research arm of AIPAC. Stroul previously served as deputy assistant secretary of defense for the Middle East in the Biden administration’s Pentagon, presiding over policy toward Iran, Syria and virtually every other issue of importance to Israel.
In a closed session at the Marriott hotel, seated before an audience of AIPAC members, Stroul sounded more like a veteran Israel lobbyist than a US national security expert, arguing at length that any and all US military aid packages to Israel provided a net benefit to American empire, while dismissing well-documented Israeli atrocities in the besieged Gaza Strip as the result of “clever” Hamas human shield tactics.
According to an attendee of the AIPAC Congressional Summit, Stroul began her remarks by recalling the frantic hours after she received word of the October 7, 2023 attacks. Personally summoned to work by then-Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Stroul described how she rushed her child to the Pentagon’s in-house daycare center so she could get to the work of surging munitions to the Israeli military. She said she worked continuously for the next 48 hours, helping the Pentagon transfer weapons from its own stockpiles to Israeli bases. (The AIPAC attendee was unable to capture audio of these comments by Stroul).
Even as she worked to ensure that Israel had all it needed to transform Gaza into a moonscape, Stroul privately acknowledged that the Israeli military might be committing war crimes, according to a series of emails leaked to Reuters. On October 13, 2023, Stroul fired off an email to top White House, State Department, and Pentagon officials about a phone call she had just held with the International Red Cross Committee’s (ICRC) Middle East director, Fabrizio Carboni. “ICRC is not ready to say this in public, but is raising private alarm that Israel is close to committing war crimes,” Stroul wrote. “Their main line is that it is impossible for one million civilians to move this fast.”
Since recognizing the likelihood of Israeli atrocities, Stroul has apparently kept her conscience clear by blaming Hamas for the over 50,000 civilians Israel has killed in Gaza. “I think if you’re in Iran, or you are the Houthis or any of these other proxy terrorist groups, and frankly, probably the Russians and the Chinese,” she told AIPAC members at the 2025 congressional summit, “you’re looking at the ways in which the international community so quickly moved on from October 7 and what happened to Israel and why Israel is at war, and you’re probably taking away that a great tactic in wars to put as many civilians on the front lines as possible so that they can just get killed. And so, the Hamas tactic had strategic effects, because Israel finds itself isolated on the international stage. And it’s a tactic by Hamas to both terrorize on the global stage, and number two, [for] propaganda and disinformation.“
Stroul went on to suggest that the Israeli military was superior in ways to the US military. “This is a mutually beneficial relationship. This is not just about what the United States gives Israel,” the former Pentagon official declared. “This is a partner that has flipped the script on what can be accomplished with military force in a way the United States military never conceived of doing against Iran and Iran’s proxies across the Middle East. We get as much intelligence from Israel, as we give to Israel. They are using our F-35 more than we are using it…”
In her view, Israel also served as an important proxy of the US by applying violence and taking casualties against its supposed enemies: “One thing that you hear that I think is common on the far right and the far left is that they don’t want young men, American men and women, service members going to war in the Middle East, or anywhere. So the way to not have young Americans on the line anywhere is to actually invest in strong partners who can defend themselves. That’s Israel.”
One month after Stroul delivered her comments to AIPAC, President Donald Trump restarted the US military assault on Yemen’s Ansarullah movement in order to protect Israeli shipping from its blockade of the Red Sea. The war has by now cost US taxpayers at least one billion dollars, but has failed to achieve freedom of navigation.
Like the other AIPAC panelists, Stroul was consumed with anxiety about Israel’s image among the American public. She singled out Sen. Bernie Sanders’ efforts to suspend military aid to Israel as a particular source of concern, though not necessarily because she believed they would be successful.
“What do I worry about? I think everyone who’s a supporter of this relationship needs to be wary of the manner in which sometimes it’s not going to be about – Israel is going to be about congressional versus legislative tussling, but Israel is going to be caught in the crosshairs. And I’m worried about that with these executive holds,” Stroul proclaimed.
I’m worried about it with things like the [Bernie] Sanders joint resolutions of disapproval, even if he doesn’t force a vote this time, we’re not getting through four years without him forcing a vote. And it is not good for Israel and for this relationship to make members constantly have to vote on it, even if they pass. That’s not the point. The point is to not have to debate every time.”
Fear of a pro-Palestine AI system
Asked about his greatest concern, an AIPAC panelist whom The Grayzone has not been able to identify pointed to academia and social media. According to the clearly seasoned Israel lobbyist, Israel was losing “the war of ideas” to a collection of professors and influencers with outsized influence among the future generation of America’s intelligentsia.
“Imagine five years from now, a staff, a congressional staffer, types into AI Claude, GBT, at that one. GBT, 14, whatever says, ‘Is supporting Israel bad for American national security?’ The answer that they get back is going to be informed by the information that’s on the internet today, which is why punching back in the information sphere becomes so important,” the Israel lobbyist urged.
“When you disengage, you leave an open playing field for precisely that sort of information that’s going to inform national security decisions five years from now. And by the way, Congress is not immune, because if a member of Congress, if his or her elector, is increasingly being read that type of information, it will skew how they pressure him or her to vote, or even to throw him or her out of office and pick somebody else. Right?… I mean, it starts in academia, but it doesn’t end there, right?”
AIPAC did not respond to The Grayzone’s request for comment about statements made during the off-the-record panel.
Israel orders closure of UNRWA schools in Jerusalem’s Shuafat camp
MEMO | April 9, 2025
The Israeli occupation state’s police have informed all school principals working for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) in the Shuafat refugee camp, in occupied East Jerusalem, of official orders to close their schools within 30 days, Quds Press reported.
According to Palestinian sources, the Israeli authorities have instructed UNRWA’s school administration in Shuafat to transfer all students to schools run by the Israeli municipality in Jerusalem.
This decision follows repeated incidents targeting UNRWA’s operations in occupied East Jerusalem. Just a week ago, UNRWA reported that its headquarters in the area was deliberately set on fire once again, amid what it described as a sustained and systematic campaign of incitement against the agency.
UNRWA stated that “this condemnable act is part of ongoing and systematic incitement against the agency for months,” warning that UN staff and facilities across the West Bank are facing escalating threats.
The agency also recalled that, in January 2025, its staff were “forced to evacuate” its East Jerusalem premises as Israeli laws aimed at restricting UNRWA’s work came into effect after the Israeli Knesset voted to ban UNRWA’s operations within Israel in October 2024, labelling it a “terrorist group”.
Israel beats drums of war in run-up to Iran-US talks
Press TV – April 9, 2025
Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has revisited threats of deployment of military force against Iran’s nuclear facilities, demanding physical destruction of the nuclear sites, a few days before the Islamic Republic and the United States are slated to engage in indirect talks.
The Israeli official made the call in a video address on Tuesday, alleging that the prospect of using military force was the only means of ensuring, what he called, Tehran’s non-pursuance of “nuclear weapons.”
He asserted that any agreement between the United States and Iran could only succeed if Iran’s nuclear facilities were “blown up” and “dismantled” under American supervision.
“We agree that Iran will not have nuclear weapons,” Netanyahu said, referring to his discussions with US President Donald Trump. However, he dismissed the prospect of a purely diplomatic path, saying things would only work if the United States took direct military action to eliminate Iran’s nuclear capabilities.
“If we go in, blow up the [nuclear] facilities, dismantle all the equipment, under American supervision and American execution — that is good,” he claimed.
“If that doesn’t happen,” he added, Iran could “drag out talks.” “Then the option is military,” Netanyahu alleged.
The Israeli premier also said he and Trump had discussed that scenario “at length.”
The remarks flew directly in the face of the Islamic Republic’s repeated assertions that it would neither pursue nor possess any such unconventional weapons as per clear moral and religious imperatives.
Netanyahu’s comments followed a tense meeting at the White House, where he appeared publicly out of step with Trump on several major issues, including Iran, regional diplomacy, and trade.
During the meeting, he found out from Trump firsthand that Iran and the US were to engage in indirect talks.
Several major Israeli media outlets later said the Israeli delegation had “shock written all over their faces” after the announcement, saying Netanyahu had returned from the meeting “empty-handed” and “humiliated.” One outlet even described the meeting as the “most failed” one to ever take place between an Israeli premier and a US president.
Nonetheless, Netanyahu tried to frame the visit positively, describing it as “very warm” and suggesting further announcements would be made in due time.
More international students face deportation amid Trump’s crackdown on pro-Palestine activism
An encampment in support of Palestinians at the University of Minnesota’s campus in Minneapolis, on Tuesday, April 30, 2024.
By Alireza Akbari | Press TV | April 8, 2025
On Friday, Fordham University President Tania Tetlow confirmed the revocation of an undergraduate student’s visa—marking the school’s first known case amid the Trump administration’s mass deportation campaign targeting international students.
In a campus-wide email, Tetlow described the move as a source of “growing distress and anxiety,” admitting she had no power to reassure students affected by the Trump administration’s campaign.
She noted that it came as part of a broader pattern of student visas being canceled without “explanation or notice” to either the university administration or to the students themselves.
University spokesperson Bob Howe also stated that Fordham was not informed of the reason behind the revocation by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
“The university does not believe that the student is connected to the protests at Fordham,” he said.
Following confirmation of the revocation, student organizations at Fordham, such as Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP), under the name Fordham SJP, called on the university to “publicly refuse cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the DHS in all forms.”
“We reject these attempts to suppress political expression and collaboration with state violence,” read the statement published on social media.
The group framed the visa revocation as “part of a broader campaign to criminalize dissent,” particularly targeting those who speak out against US imperialism and in support of Palestine.
The Fordham student’s visa revocation came just a month after the detention of Mahmoud Khalil, a green card holder and graduate student at Columbia University, who was arrested by ICE agents on March 8 at his New York City apartment.
Following Khalil’s detention, the Trump administration expanded its crackdown, resulting in the revocation of over 300 international student visas at universities across the country.
Among them, the University of California system reported nearly twenty visa cancellations, including cases at UCLA, UC San Diego, and UC Berkeley.
In many cases, students have been accused—without evidence—of supporting the Hamas resistance movement or posing vague “foreign policy” risks.
UC San Diego Chancellor Pradeep Khosla publicly criticized the visa cancellations, saying federal authorities provided no specific allegations and that students were given no opportunity to respond.
Harvard’s International Office similarly reported that affected students received no explanation for the revocations, which were carried out suddenly and without transparency or consistent legal justification.
Civil rights organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the Middle East Studies Association, have condemned the visa cancellations as a violation of free speech and academic freedom, warning of the dangers in conflating peaceful political expression with extremism.
At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, at least 13 international students — including six current students and seven alumni on work extensions — have had their Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) records terminated, the university confirmed.
A SEVIS termination typically requires affected individuals to leave the US immediately.
UW-Madison stated that it had no role in the federal decision and has not observed any related law enforcement activity on campus.
The university also stated it has no reason to believe the terminations are linked to political engagement or free speech, though the exact reasons remain unknown.
At least 50 international students at Arizona State University (ASU) have also had their visas revoked, and at least three are reported to have been detained.
According to Arizona Luminaria, the number of affected students has grown quickly from an initial report pf eight cases.
Senior attorney Ami Hutchinson of the Tucson-based law firm Green Evans-Schroeder, which is representing the students, said many are bewildered by the sudden and shocking action.
“They still seem to think that someone made a mistake. That it shouldn’t have happened and this was just all a misunderstanding,” Hutchinson said.“They’re really, really afraid,” she added.
One student has reportedly been held in immigration detention for about 10 days. While ASU declined to confirm the total number of students impacted, Hutchinson estimates that around 1,000 international student visas have been revoked across the country, based on information from immigration attorneys.
Initially, ASU officials said that the cancellations were related to “various legal infractions” and emphasized that they were not connected to campus protests. The identities of the affected students have not been made public.
In response, student organizations—including Students for Justice in Palestine at ASU—organized protests calling for greater protection and support for international students.
Dr. Rasha Alawieh, a 34-year-old assistant professor and kidney transplant specialist at Brown University, was detained upon her return from a trip to Lebanon and deported—despite holding a valid H-1B visa and a federal judge’s order temporarily halting her removal.
US authorities allege that Dr. Alawieh attended the funeral of Hezbollah’s late leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah in Beirut and had photos on her phone showing sympathy toward Hezbollah figures.
Dr. Alawieh maintains that her attendance was for religious reasons and not politically motivated.
Following her deportation, Brown University issued a travel advisory urging international students, faculty, and staff to reconsider or delay international travel due to uncertainty around reentry risks.
Khalil, who has been detained, now faces deportation proceedings. His arrest followed allegations related to his campus activism, though no criminal charges have been made public.
Ranjani Srinivasan, a 37-year-old doctoral student from India, left the US after her F-1 visa was revoked on March 5, reportedly due to her participation in pro-Palestinian demonstrations on campus.
Recent federal actions have led to the revocation of F-1 visas for 10 international students across Colorado State University (CSU) and the University of Colorado (CU) system.
At CSU, six students have been affected, including five Kuwaiti nationals and one Saudi graduate student employed on campus. University officials have reportedly advised the impacted students to contact their respective embassies for assistance.
The University of Colorado reported four affected students across its Boulder and Colorado Springs campuses but declined to release additional details, citing privacy concerns.
At Cornell University, international students have also been caught in the wave of federal visa enforcement. Among them is Momodou Taal, a British-Gambian Ph.D. student in Africana Studies who was forced to leave the US after his visa was revoked in March 2025.
The US government cited his participation in “disruptive protests” and alleged that he had contributed to a hostile environment for Jewish students.
Taal, however, denied these allegations and said he chose to leave due to fears for his safety and the “lawlessness” of the Trump administration.
In response, Cornell University advised students who receive any communication regarding visa revocation to contact the Office of Global Learning’s International Services immediately for support.
At Georgetown University, the recent detention of Dr. Badar Khan Suri, an Indian national and postdoctoral fellow, also raised significant concerns.
He was detained by ICE agents after his J-1 visa was revoked. The DHS accused him of disseminating “Hamas propaganda” and fostering antisemitism on social media—claims for which no evidence has yet been presented.
Dr. Suri, who is married to a Palestinian woman, is currently being held in a Texas detention facility under overcrowded conditions, and his academic work has been indefinitely suspended.
Following his arrest, his legal team filed a writ of habeas corpus challenging the legality of his detention.
On March 20, US District Judge Patricia Tolliver Giles issued an order temporarily blocking his deportation pending further court proceedings.
Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service expressed deep concern over his detention and emphasized the potential chilling effect on freedom of expression within academic institutions.
At NC State, two Saudi graduate students—including Saleh Al Gurad, who was studying engineering management and working on campus—had their visas abruptly revoked on March 25, without explanation or prior notification to the university.
According to his roommate, Al Gurad was apolitical and had no involvement in campus protests.
Both students chose to leave the US voluntarily to avoid possible detention. The university offered assistance to help them complete their semester remotely.
NC State officials expressed deep concern over the lack of communication from federal agencies and the sudden impact these actions have had on its international student community.
At Southern Illinois University, an international student’s visa was revoked on March 28, as confirmed by university officials.
The federal government did not provide a reason for the action, and the student’s identity and country of origin have not been disclosed.
In response, SIU’s administration issued a memo to its international students, advising them to carry photocopies of immigration documents, maintain proof of enrollment and US residence, and exercise discretion on social media and during political demonstrations.
The incident has sparked anxiety across SIU’s international community, with university officials stressing the potential immigration risks tied to protest participation and online activity.
At Temple University, an unnamed international student had their visa revoked by the US Department of State for unspecified reasons.
The student learned of the revocation only after being notified by Temple’s Office of Global Engagement and chose to return to their home country voluntarily.
Although no evidence or formal allegations were disclosed, advocacy groups like CAIR-Philadelphia have voiced concern that the action may be linked to anti-genocide or pro-Palestinian activism—mirroring a broader Trump administration’s pattern of targeting pro-Palestinian activism.
Temple’s Office of Global Engagement provided the student with legal counsel and facilitated communication with officials from the student’s home country.
In a campus-wide message, University President John Fry reaffirmed Temple’s commitment to its international student community and noted that no other student records had been altered at that time.
At Tufts University, Rumeysa Öztürk, a Turkish Ph.D. student and Fulbright Scholar, was also detained by ICE on March 25 while leaving her apartment to attend an Iftar dinner.
Öztürk’s visa was revoked shortly afterward, reportedly in connection with an Op-Ed she co-authored in The Tufts Daily, in which she criticized the Israeli regime and called for divestment from companies linked to Israeli acts of aggression in Gaza.
The DHS further claimed her visa was revoked due to support for Hamas. However, Öztürk has not been formally charged with any crime and remains in a Louisiana detention center.
Tufts University publicly condemned her detention, describing her as a valued member of the community who was in good academic and immigration standing at the time of her arrest.
University President Sunil Kumar stated that Tufts had no prior knowledge of her visa cancellation and reaffirmed the institution’s support for her and other international students.
At the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), recent federal actions led to the revocation of several student visas, causing widespread concern across campus.
At least six international students had their visas revoked under unclear circumstances, reportedly linked to arrests or minor convictions, according to campus sources.
Chancellor Julio Frenk confirmed that the Trump administration revoked the F-1 visas of six current students and six former students who were participating in the Optional Practical Training (OPT) program—a federal initiative that allows international graduates to gain work experience in their field of study.
Frenk acknowledged the uncertainty these actions have created within the UCLA community and emphasized the university’s commitment to supporting its international students.
Faculty groups have also raised alarm over the lack of transparency and the possibility that students are being targeted based on racial or political profiling.
Similar cases across the country have involved accusations tied to activism-related visa violations.
At the University of Alabama, the March 25 detention of Alireza Doroudi, an Iranian doctoral student in mechanical engineering, has sparked outrage.
Doroudi was arrested by ICE agents at his home early in the morning and later transferred to the Jena-LaSalle Detention Facility in Louisiana, a site previously criticized for human rights violations.
According to the DHS, Doroudi poses “significant national security concerns,” though no formal charges or evidence have been presented.
His attorney, David Rozas, stated that Doroudi has not been involved in any criminal activity or political protests. Doroudi first entered the US on a valid student visa in January 2023. Reports suggest that his visa was revoked six months later.
However, the university’s International Student and Scholar Services office had previously advised him that he could legally remain in the US as long as he maintained his academic status.
At the University of Cincinnati, several international students had their F-1 visas revoked by the DHS.
In a statement, UC President Neville G. Pinto confirmed that a “small number” of international students were affected.
While specific reasons for the revocations were not provided, President Pinto emphasized the university’s support for its international community and encouraged any impacted students to contact International Services for assistance.
At the University of Oregon, an international student had their F-1 visa revoked by the DHS on March 28 due to “unspecified criminal charges.”
The university confirmed it was not notified in advance and has no information about the charges. The student was given 15 days to leave the US unless they could find a legal pathway to remain.
UO expressed concern over the situation, emphasizing its commitment to the student’s privacy.
At the University of Texas at Austin (UT Austin), two international students had their legal status revoked following federal actions.
University staff discovered through routine checks of the federal Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) that the students’ statuses had been terminated.
One student from India lost his status on April 3, 2025, while another from Lebanon faced termination on March 28.
Both were graduate students participating in Optional Practical Training (OPT), and both students chose to leave the country voluntarily to avoid detention.
Later, UT Austin voiced concern over the cancellations and is actively seeking more information from federal agencies.
Across University of California (UC) campuses, several international students have had their visas revoked due to federal actions.
At UCLA, Chancellor Julio Frenk reported that visas were revoked for six current students and six former students in the OPT program. At UC Davis, officials confirmed visa terminations for seven students and five recent graduates.
“These numbers may change. Federal agents have not entered our campus, and no community members have been taken into custody,” the university said in a statement on Saturday.
At UC San Diego (UCSD), five students lost their F-1 visas without notice. A sixth student was detained at the border and deported. No explanation has been provided.
At UC Irvine, five international students were affected by visa revocations, though details remain unclear. At UC Berkeley, at least six individuals—two undergraduates, two graduate students, and two recent alumni—had their visas revoked. No reasons were given, but advocacy groups believe activism may be a factor.
At UC Santa Barbara, three cases of visa revocations were reported, though no further details have been released.
At Stanford University in California, four students and two recent graduates had their visas revoked. The revocations were discovered during a routine check of the SEVIS database.
Stanford officials stated they were unaware of the reasons behind the actions and confirmed that no immigration authorities had entered the campus.
The affected individuals were notified, and the university is offering external legal assistance. No specific allegations have been disclosed.
At Minnesota State University, Mankato (MSU Mankato), federal actions have affected several international students.
In early April 2025, President Edward Inch informed the campus community that the DHS had revoked the SEVIS records of five students.
Inch called the situation “unprecedented and troubling,” urging the community to handle it with sensitivity due to privacy protections.
Neither the students nor the university had received advance notice of the terminations.
At Texas A&M University (TAMU), officials reported that three international students had their legal residency status terminated by DHS.
The university’s International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS) has been providing guidance on immigration policy and connecting the affected students with legal resources.
At the University of Minnesota, a mass deportation effort under the Trump administration led to the detention and visa revocation of an international graduate student.
On March 27, Dogukan Gunaydin, a Turkish citizen and graduate student, was detained by ICE agents near his residence as he was leaving for class.
He reported that the agents did not initially identify themselves, leaving him to fear he was being kidnapped.
The DHS later claimed his visa had been revoked due to a prior DUI conviction. However, his legal team argues that the revocation took place roughly seven hours after his arrest.
Gunaydin has filed a lawsuit challenging his detention, alleging violations of his constitutional rights and seeking immediate release.
The suit contends that the retroactive visa revocation and subsequent detention are unlawful and infringe on his rights to free speech and due process.
At Kent State University in Ohio, four individuals affiliated with the university had their visas revoked.
KSU President Todd Diacon announced that the DHS revoked the visas of one current international student and three recent graduates who were on OPT work permits.
The reasons behind the revocations remain undisclosed. The university expressed concern over the lack of transparency and absence of prior notice.
At the University of Akron, visas for two international students were revoked.
On April 4, 2025, UA confirmed the actions by DHS and stated that the affected students were now working with immigration attorneys to navigate the situation.
The university also reaffirmed its commitment to supporting the students during this difficult time.
At Ohio State University, at least five international students had their F-1 visas revoked, according to university spokesperson Ben Johnson.
The reasons for the revocations remain unclear. The students are currently in the US and are working with attorneys and university officials to determine their next steps.
At the University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst), five international students had their visas revoked and student statuses terminated by the federal government this past week.
Chancellor Javier Reyes shared the news on April 4, explaining that the university was not notified in advance and only discovered the revocations through proactive SEVIS database checks.
While the reasons are still unclear, similar cases nationwide have been linked to minor infractions or student activism.
UMass stated it is actively supporting the affected students, providing both on-campus and off-campus resources, including legal assistance.
At Central Michigan University, the DHS abruptly terminated the visa records of several current and former international students without prior notice.
The university discovered the terminations during routine checks of the SEVIS. Neither CMU nor the affected students were informed in advance, and no explanation has been provided.
CMU President Neil MacKinnon called the situation “alarming” and noted that the university has no authority to reverse the decisions or offer legal representation.
Students have been advised to consult immigration attorneys. In response, the university has designated certain campus spaces where ICE agents must present judicial warrants to enter.
Several institutions across Minnesota have reported an increasing number of visa revocations involving international students. The reasons for the revocations remain undisclosed, and federal authorities have not commented. Here’s what has been confirmed so far:
Ridgewater College (Hutchinson and Willmar campuses): One international student recently had their visa revoked. College officials have not released further information regarding the timing or cause.
St. Cloud State University: A “handful” of international students had their SEVIS records terminated by DHS. The university has stated it is working directly with affected students to provide support.
Metropolitan State University (St. Paul): One international student’s SEVIS record was terminated. It remains unclear whether their visa was also revoked, and no additional details have been disclosed by the university.
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From the Archives
Alarmist climate science as a textbook example of groupthink
By Paul MacRae | May 1, 2012
A while ago, I received an email from a friend who asked:
How can many, many respected, competitive, independent science folks be so wrong about [global warming] (if your [skeptical] premise is correct). I don’t think it could be a conspiracy, or incompetence. … Has there ever been another case when so many ‘leading’ scientific minds got it so wrong?
The answer to the second part of my friend’s question—“Has there ever been another case where so many ‘leading’ scientific minds got it so wrong?”—is easy. Yes, there are many such cases, both within and outside climate science. In fact, the graveyard of science is littered with the bones of theories that were once thought “certain” (e.g., that the continents can’t “drift,” that Newton’s laws were immutable, and hundreds if not thousands of others).
Science progresses by the overturning of theories once thought “certain.” … continue
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