The Wall Street Journal has obtained leaked diplomatic cables showing that the US plans to form a “Maritime Freedom Architecture” coalition to restart shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. The plan focuses on intelligence sharing, diplomatic coordination, and simultaneous sanctions.
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USA planen internationale Allianz für Straße von Hormus
Welche Länder teilnehmen sollen und ob etwa Deutschland angefragt wurde, wurde nicht bekannt gegeben.
Nach Informationen des Wall Street Journal handelt es sich nicht um eine militärische Koalition. Die US-Botschaften im Ausland seien jedoch gebeten worden, ihre jeweiligen Ansprechpartner zu fragen, ob sie in der neuen Allianz ein „diplomatischer und/oder militärischer Partner“ sein möchten.
US military: ‚locked and loaded‘ to strike Iran‘s power plants, energy industry if ordered
„We are reloading with more power than ever before, and better intelligence,“ Hegseth said at a Pentagon news briefing. „We are locked and loaded on your critical dual-use infrastructure, on your remaining power generation, and on your energy industry. We‘d rather not have to do it.“
Based on its independent analysis of new satellite imagery and detailed knowledge of the site, the IAEA can confirm recent impacts of military strikes close to Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP), including one just 75 metres from the site perimeter.
The BNPP itself has not been damaged, the IAEA’s analysis of the 5 April imagery shows.
Once again, IAEA Director General @rafaelmgrossi warns that continued military activity near the BNPP – an operating plant with large amounts of nuclear fuel – could cause a severe radiological accident with harmful consequences for people and the environment in Iran and beyond.
Regardless of the nature of the intended targets, DG Grossi says such attacks pose a very real danger to nuclear safety and must stop. DG Grossi reiterates call for all parties to fully respect the 7 indispensable pillars for ensuring nuclear safety and security during a conflict. A nuclear facility and surrounding areas should never be struck, DG Grossi says.
IAEA confirms impact of recent strikes near Iran‘s Bushehr nuclear power plant
The UN atomic watchdog said that the confirmation was based on its independent analysis of new satellite imagery and detailed knowledge of the site, adding that one strike had hit only 75 metres from the site perimeter.
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Navy commander killed, Israeli defense minister claims
“Last night, in a precise and lethal operation, the IDF eliminated the commander of the IRGC Navy, Tangasiri, along with senior naval command officials,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said Thursday. “We will continue operating in Iran with full force to achieve the war’s objectives.”
Larijani‘s Visit To Daughter‘s House Sealed His Fate. How He Was Located
The security chief kept changing his location, constantly moving to new secret hideouts over the last two weeks, the report suggests. That would mean, by the time Israeli intelligence located Larijani‘s hideout, he would have already moved to another.
Larijani was ultimately located when he was visiting his daughter on Tuesday. He was eliminated in a strike on his daughter‘s house in Pardis in Tehran‘s suburbs, reported the Iranian semi-official Fars news agency. His son, a deputy, and several bodyguards were also killed in the attack.
Viral satellite imagery of U.S. military assets around Iran NOT taken by Chinese satellites: Hu Bo
(February 27, 2026)
Hu Bo, Director of SCSPI and Research Professor and Director of the Center for Maritime Strategy Studies, Peking University (and a longtime friend of our newsletters!) tells me he is “100% sure” these recent images released by MizarVision on current US-Iran military posture originated from U.S. and European satellites, not Chinese ones.
Hu says his judgment can be confirmed by the satellite ephemeris, which SCSPI mentioned in its tweet.
How Did Israel Deceive Iran For The Second Time Within A Year?
(February 28, 2026)
Shortly before the attack, the Chinese satellite company MizarVision, which has published imagery of U.S. force buildups in the Middle East, reported that American fighter jets in the region were “all in position” and that there were no signs of large-scale activity. The company also suggested that any Israeli preemptive strike would likely be carried out independently. Both assessments appeared to be incorrect after it became clear the campaign was a coordinated Israeli-U.S. operation.
Cuba Is Struggling to Keep Lights On Amid Trump’s Oil Blockade
(January 13, 2026)
Just weeks into a US pressure campaign to halt all oil shipments to the Caribbean island, a Bloomberg News analysis of satellite imagery finds the level of light at night has dropped as much as 50%
Swarm probes weakening of Earth’s magnetic field
(May 20, 2020)
Over the last 200 years, the magnetic field has lost around 9% of its strength on a global average. A large region of reduced magnetic intensity has developed between Africa and South America and is known as the South Atlantic Anomaly.
Flight VA267 – Amazon Leo LE-01
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Launching Your Ambitions in 2026
Ariane 6 began its commercial journey with missions carrying French and European strategic satellites such as CSO-3, MetOp-SG-A1, Sentinel-1D and new Galileo satellites, supporting sovereignty and security, weather forecasting, Earth observation and navigation.
Alongside Ariane 6, Vega C, delivered Biomass, CO3D, MicroCarb and KOMPSAT-7, continuing to enable missions that help understand and protect our planet.
Lincoln Carrier Strike Group Has Arrived In CENTCOM’s Area Of Responsibility
The arrival of the Lincoln CSG to the region follows a U.S. Air Force Central (AFCENT) announcement on Sunday that it will be conducting Agile Spartan, “a multi-day readiness exercise to demonstrate the ability to deploy, disperse, and sustain combat airpower across the U.S. Central Command area of responsibility.” AFCENT told us that Agile Spartan is “part of its regular exercise schedule and not in response to current tensions.” However, the optics of the timing are hard to avoid.
‚Ghost mode activated‘: Why USS Abraham Lincoln has turned off Its transponders as it‘s heading towards Iran?
As of January 26, 2026, the Lincoln is expected to be somewhere between the Bay of Bengal and the Gulf of Oman, but its exact distance from the Iranian coast remains a mystery.
Israel Is Still Demolishing Gaza, Building by Building
More than two months ago, Israel and Hamas signed a cease-fire agreement that offered Palestinians in Gaza a hope of respite after a punishing two-year Israeli bombardment that left much of their enclave in ruins.
The destruction has continued.
Israel has demolished more than 2,500 buildings in Gaza since the cease-fire began, according to a New York Times analysis of satellite imagery from Planet Labs.
Magnetic North Pole shift brings updates to World Magnetic Model 2025
(December 25, 2024)
2 versions of the model are:
WMM2025: Standard model with a spatial resolution of 3 300 km (2 050 miles) at the equator.
WMMHR2025: A high-resolution model with an improved spatial resolution of approximately 300 km (186 miles), offering enhanced directional accuracy.
“We’re delighted to join with NOAA and BGS to publish WMM2025 and WMMHR2025, and we encourage users, where possible, to transition to the higher resolution model,” Mike Paniccia, a geodetic Earth scientist and the program manager for the World Magnetic Model (WMM) at the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), stated.
UK suspends some intelligence sharing with US over boat strike concerns in major break
The United Kingdom is no longer sharing intelligence with the US about suspected drug trafficking vessels in the Caribbean because it does not want to be complicit in US military strikes and believes the attacks are illegal, sources familiar with the matter told CNN.
The UK’s decision marks a significant break from its closest ally and intelligence sharing partner and underscores the growing skepticism over the legality of the US military’s campaign around Latin America.
RSF fighters film themselves massacring Sudanese fleeing el-Fasher
(October 28, 2025)
Middle East Eye has reviewed dozens of video clips and images allegedly taken in el-Fasher since the RSF assault began.
Some were published by the RSF itself; others emerged on social media, particularly Sudanese Telegram groups.
The footage depicts chaotic and bloody scenes, captured by triumphant RSF fighters. Investigations suggest the videos are new.
The Arabic dialect spoken is Sudanese – particularly Darfuri – and the fighters’ dress is consistent with members of the RSF.
HUMAN SECURITY EMERGENCY El-Fasher has fallen to RSF. HRL finds evidence of mass killings including door-to-door clearance operations and objects consistent with reported bodies on berm entrapping El-Fasher.#KeepEyesOnSudan
(October 28, 2025)
UNOSAT Gaza Strip Comprehensive Damage Assessment
(August 5, 2025)
According to satellite imagery analysis, UNOSAT identified 102,067 destroyed structures, 17,421 severely damaged structures, 41,895 moderately damaged structures, and 31,429 possibly damaged structures for a total of 192,812 structures. These correspond to around 78% of the total structures in the Gaza Strip and a total of 282,904 estimated damaged housing units.
2 years into the war, these figures illustrate the scale of Israel‘s destruction of Gaza
(October 7, 2025)
As of Oct. 2, roughly 60 per cent of buildings in the Gaza Strip have been destroyed or damaged since Oct. 12, 2023, according to an analysis of satellite imagery by researchers at Oregon State University.
The figure marks a significant increase from nearly 13 per cent in November 2023, a month after Israel launched its offensive in Gaza.
Satellite images reveal wide destruction in Gaza City as Israel steps up assault
Between August 9 and August 17, the Israeli military also demolished parts of Al-Tuffah neighborhood in eastern Gaza City, where thousands of displaced Palestinians have been sheltering.
Just north of Gaza City in Jabalya, the Israeli military has also leveled more than 750 buildings, according to CNN’s analysis.
A half-dozen satellite images taken between August 9 and September 5 also show that a vast majority of the destruction has been caused not by airstrikes or combat, but by the Israeli military slowly carrying out block by block demolitions with excavators and bulldozers.
Gaza: US Forces Can Be Liable for Assisting Israeli War Crimes
“The direct US participation in military operations with Israeli forces means that as a matter of international law, the United States has been and currently is a party to the armed conflict in Gaza,” said Sarah Yager, Washington director at Human Rights Watch. “US military and intelligence personnel and contractors assisting Israeli forces who commit war crimes may at some point find themselves facing criminal prosecution for atrocities in Gaza.”
Under international humanitarian law, the ongoing hostilities between Israel and Palestinian armed groups in Gaza is a non-international armed conflict. International law does not set out specific criteria for determining when a country assisting another country in a non-international armed conflict itself becomes a party to that conflict, though direct participation in combat operations is a clear example.
Satellite images show Israel building up forces for a possible ground invasion of Gaza, sources say
Commercial satellite images show the Israeli military building up troops and equipment near the border with Gaza that would support a possible new ground invasion of the Palestinian enclave, according to three U.S. officials and a former official who viewed the imagery.
The images show troop movements and formations that the four sources recognized as signs of an imminent major ground operation.
A World of Misery, From 200 Miles Up
(July 29, 2025)
On Saturday, a satellite passing over the Gaza Strip captured an image of hundreds of people converging on a convoy of aid trucks as they threaded through mounds of rubble in the southern part of the territory.
Telekom, Netcologne, Stellar, Cetel und IABG betroffen: NSA und GCHQ haben internen Zugang zu deutschen Netzen
(September 14, 2014)
Konkret gehe es um undatierte grafische Ansichten, die mit dem NSA-Programm “Treasure Map” (Schatzkarte) erstellt worden seien. Darin seien die Telekom und Netcologne namentlich aufgeführt und alle fünf genannten Firmen mit einem roten Punkt markiert, was nach der Bildlegende bedeute, dass es “innerhalb” dieser Netze “Zugangspunkte” für die technische Überwachung gebe. Zu dem Programm schreibt das Magazin, jenseits der großen Glasfaserkabel-Verbindungen könnten die Geheimdienstanalysten in “nahezu Echtzeit” auch wichtige Netzverbindungsstellen wie einzelne Router visualisieren – und sogar mit dem Internet verbundene Endgeräte wie Rechner, Smartphones und Tablets. Ziel sei es, “jedes Gerät, überall, jederzeit” sichtbar zu machen, zitiert der “Spiegel” aus einer Präsentation.