White House envoy Steve Witkoff met secretly over the weekend with the exiled former crown prince of Iran, Reza Pahlavi, to discuss the protests raging in Iran, according to a senior U.S. official.
Archiv: Taktiken / tactics
„Hilfe ist auf dem Weg“: Trump ruft indirekt zu Umsturz im Iran auf
Trump schrieb in Großbuchstaben auch, dass Hilfe „auf dem Weg“ sei. Was er damit meinte, blieb unbeantwortet. Wegen der schweren Gewalt gegen Demonstrierende hatte Trump der iranischen Führung bereits zuvor mit militärischen Mitteln gedroht. Die USA nähmen die Lage im Iran sehr ernst, so Trump am Sonntag. „Das Militär befasst sich damit, und wir prüfen einige sehr drastische Optionen. Wir werden eine Entscheidung treffen.“
Iran’s FM says protests became ‘bloody’ to give Trump intervention excuse
He said Trump’s warning of military action against Tehran should protests turn violent motivated “terrorists” to target protesters and security forces to invite foreign intervention. “We are ready for war but also for dialogue,” he added.
Araghchi also said Iran has footage of weapons being distributed to protesters, adding authorities will soon release confessions of detainees.
UAE says it will withdraw its remaining forces in Yemen after Saudi Arabia struck port city
Saudi Arabia accused the UAE, its close ally, of “highly dangerous” actions in Yemen that threatened its national security. It said it had launched “limited” airstrikes on Mukalla on Tuesday morning and backed a call for UAE forces to leave Yemen within 24 hours.
The UAE initially rejected the accusations and expressed surprise at the strikes, but the country’s defense ministry later announced that, “in view of recent developments,” it would voluntarily withdraw the remaining “counterterrorism” units it had in Yemen.
Saudi Arabia bombs Yemen port city over weapons shipment from UAE for separatists
The bombing followed tensions over the advance of Emirates-backed separatist forces known as the Southern Transitional Council. The council and its allies issued a statement supporting the UAE’s presence, even as others allied with Saudi Arabia demanded that Emirati forces withdraw from Yemen in 24 hours’ time.
The UAE called for “restraint and wisdom” and disputed Riyadh’s allegations. But shortly after that, it said it would withdraw its remaining troops in Yemen.
Exclusive: US preparing to seize more tankers off Venezuela‘s coast after first ship taken, sources say
The U.S. is preparing to intercept more ships transporting Venezuelan oil following the seizure of a tanker this week, as it increases pressure on Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, six sources familiar with the matter said on Thursday.
The seizure was the first interdiction of an oil cargo or tanker from Venezuela, which has been under U.S. sanctions since 2019. It came as the U.S. executes a large-scale military buildup in the southern Caribbean and as U.S. President Donald Trump pushes for Maduro‘s ouster.
Litauen meldet Eindringen von russischen Flugzeugen
Die Maschinen seien von der russischen Exklave Kaliningrad aus für etwa 18 Sekunden über litauischem Gebiet gewesen, teilt das Militär mit. Als Reaktion seien spanische Eurofighter der NATO-Luftraumüberwachung für das Baltikum aufgestiegen und patrouillierten nun in dem Gebiet.
How Israel is using robots, exploding vehicles and paratroopers to erase Gaza City
Operation Gideon’s Chariots II, as the new offensive is known, is a calculated campaign of territorial reconfiguration coordinated with the United States.
Ahead of the United Nations General Assembly summit that begins on Monday, Israel is preparing to bring the north fully under its control.
According to the Israeli officers, behind the scenes there is a belief that, if the Gaza City operation goes according to plan, Netanyahu plans to declare victory at the UN on 26 September.
‘Israel killed Anas al-Sharif simply because he was a journalist’
Israeli journalist Yuval Abraham has alleged that Israel’s military intelligence created a special unit to help justify attacks in Gaza, including the killing of journalists.
“After October 7, a team called the ‘Legitimization Cell’ was established in AMAN,” Abraham said in a post on X.
“Intelligence personnel searched for information to provide ‘legitimisation’ for the army’s actions in Gaza, failed Hamas launches, use of human shields, exploitation of the civilian population.
REPORT via Channel 13: Leaked Israeli Records Show Government Pursued Starvation Strategy to Force Hamas Surrender
Channel 13 has published internal Israeli government transcripts from March 2025 revealing that Israel’s war cabinet knowingly restricted all humanitarian aid to Gaza in hopes it would break Hamas—a strategy that inflicted mass suffering but failed to deliver desired results. The records also show that Israel was not met with resistance or bad faith in negotiations with Hamas — yet it broke the ceasefire and escalated anyway.
Israeli security cabinet chose starvation policy in Gaza over deal to free captives: Report
Hebrew media cited leaked documents showing that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu actively pursued a policy of starvation in a bid to bring about Hamas’s surrender.
The documents also show that Netanyahu refused to move forward with Phase 2 of the last ceasefire deal – despite internal warnings urging him to secure a release of captives before returning to fighting.
The documents confirmed that Netanyahu and the war cabinet “instructed the [army] to stop all humanitarian aid and close the Rafah crossing” in early March.
Netanyahu, Trump discuss forced transfer of Palestinians out of Gaza
“If people want to stay, they can stay, but if they want to leave, they should be able to leave. It shouldn’t be a prison. It should be an open place and give people a free choice,” Netanyahu said.
“We’re working with the United States very closely about finding countries that will seek to realise what they always say, that they wanted to give the Palestinians a better future. I think we’re getting close to finding several countries.”
Aid group planned massive camps for Gazans in bid to advance Trump’s ‘vision’ – report
The GHF later denounced Reuters for publishing the article, insisting in a post on X that it had nothing to do with the document.
“When we asked to review the document, they refused to share it. We told them clearly: GHF has no involvement in HTAs, no plans for HTAs, and this presentation is NOT ours. They ran the story anyway. This isn’t journalism. It’s agenda-driven clickbait, propped up by bad-faith sources and designed to stir controversy, not uncover truth,” the foundation wrote.
Israel’s latest vision for Gaza has a name: Concentration camp
(April 1, 2025)
Connecting all these dots leads to a fairly clear conclusion: Israel is preparing to forcibly displace the entire population of Gaza — through a combination of evacuation orders and intense bombardment — into an enclosed and possibly fenced-off area. Anyone caught outside its boundaries would be killed, and buildings throughout the rest of the enclave would likely be razed to the ground.
Without mincing words, this “humanitarian zone,” as Magal so kindly put it, in which the army intends to corral Gaza’s 2 million residents, can be summed up in just two words: concentration camp. This is not hyperbole; it is simply the most precise definition to help us better understand what we are facing.
Gaza: Evidence points to Israel’s continued use of starvation to inflict genocide against Palestinians
(July 3, 2025)
The World Food Programme and local organizations were for the first time permitted to distribute flour in Gaza City on 26 June 2025. The relatively smooth distribution that took place with thousands waiting their turn and no reported injuries is a damning indictment of Israel’s militarized GHF scheme. All the evidence gathered, including testimonies which Amnesty International is receiving from victims and witnesses, suggest that the GHF was designed so as to placate international concerns while constituting another tool of Israel’s genocide.
“Not only has the international community failed to stop this genocide, but it has also allowed Israel to constantly reinvent new ways to destroy Palestinian lives in Gaza and trample on their human dignity,” said Agnès Callamard.
Hebron locals denounce sheikhs‘ plan to declare independence and recognise Israel
Palestinian residents of the occupied West Bank city of Hebron have disavowed a proposal by five purported local „sheikhs“ to sever ties with the Palestinian Authority (PA) and establish an „emirate of Hebron“ which would recognise the state of Israel.
Legacy of South African Bantustans hangs over Trump deal
(February 9, 2020)
South Africa‘s Bantustans were designed to weaken and fragment the black population. Under Trump‘s plan, Palestine could face a similar fate.
A New Palestinian Offer for Peace With Israel
Hebron’s sheikhs propose to leave the Palestinian Authority and join the Abraham Accords.
Who are the ‘ISIS-linked, aid-stealing’ Gaza militia supported by Israel?
Haaretz also reported that Lieberman directly linked the group to IS, saying: „The Hamasha clan are in essence lawless criminals who in recent years wanted to give themselves an ideological angle or spin, so they became Salafi [jihadists] and began identifying with ISIS.“
Though the group now brands itself as an „anti-terror“ force, locals see little distinction between their behaviour and that of organised crime syndicates. Al-Araby Al-Jadeed also reported that the group rebranded from the Anti-Terrorism Unit to The Popular Forces in May 2025 – possibly to obscure its affiliations.
WATCH: Israeli PM says he is backing ‘clans’ opposing Hamas
Israel’s prime minister says he’s using what he called clans to fight Hamas in Gaza.
He says it’s a way of saving Israeli soldiers’ lives.
Al Jazeera’s Dmitry Medvedenko reports:
Former Israeli minister accuses Netanyahu of arming jihadists in Gaza
In response, Netanyahu‘s office said: „Israel is working to defeat Hamas in various ways, on the recommendation of all heads of the security establishment.“
In recent months there have been several reports that Israel is suspected of supporting, or turning a blind eye to, armed gangs that loot aid and food depots in Gaza.
Several Israeli news websites reported on Thursday that the armed gang is led by Yasser Abu Shabab, a member of a large clan in southern Gaza.
Israel opposition leader says Netanyahu arming ‚equivalent of Isis‘ gangs in Gaza
„Israel has provided assault rifles and light weapons to crime families in Gaza, on Netanyahu‘s orders,“ Lieberman, the head of the Yisrael Beiteinu party and a former finance minister and deputy prime minister, told Israeli public broadcaster Kan on Thursday.
„The weapons are being transferred to criminals and offenders and are being directed at Israel.
„In my opinion, it did not pass cabinet approval. The head of the Shin Bet knows, I‘m not sure the chief of staff knows. We‘re talking about the equivalent of Isis in Gaza,“ he added, referencing the Islamic State group.
Dramatic days ahead? Israel‘s Knesset abuzz with speculation
Despite a crisis that makes an early election seem more likely, Likud members remain confident that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu see things unfold differently. The speculation includes scenarios ranging from a partial hostage deal to a significant security event.
War on Gaza: How Israel is replicating Nazi starvation tactics
In the weeks leading to Germany’s 1941 invasion of the Soviet Union, Reich Minister of Food Richard Darre and his state secretary, Herbert Backe, developed the Hunger Plan, a strategy of deliberate starvation to exterminate Soviet civilians and Jews while feeding German troops.
It killed at least seven million people, not as collateral, but by design.
The Nazi regime’s food ration system reflected a racial hierarchy: 100 percent for Germans, 70 percent for Poles, 30 percent for Greeks and 20 percent for Jews.
In the Jewish ghettos, food was weaponised. Access to meat or bread was controlled. Shops were empty. Hunger was not a failure – it was policy.
“That we sentence 1.2 million Jews to die of hunger should be noted only marginally,” Hans Frank, the Nazi governor of occupied Poland, wrote in a diary entry.
New Gaza Aid Plan, Bypassing U.N. and Billed as Neutral, Originated in Israel
The New York Times found that the broad contours of the plan were first discussed in late 2023, at private meetings of like-minded officials, military officers and business people with close ties to the Israeli government.
The group called itself the Mikveh Yisrael Forum, after a college where members convened in December 2023. Its leading figures gradually settled on the idea of hiring private contractors to distribute food in Gaza, circumventing the United Nations.
Sweeping overhaul of Gaza aid raises questions of morality and workability
The planning documents anticipated public skepticism and preemptively prepared talking points in case the GHF encountered allegations likening its food distribution hubs and residential compounds to “‘concentration camps’ with biometrics” or comparing the organization to Blackwater, a former U.S. mercenary firm implicated in violence against civilians in Iraq.
(…)
In mid-2024, Israeli officials shared their plans with a group of private-sector American consultants led by Phil Reilly, a retired CIA paramilitary officer and former agency station chief in Afghanistan. Reilly’s group, said five of the Israeli and American individuals, took over the planning and determined that a new company led by Reilly, named Safe Reach Solutions, would be the future subcontractor that would provide security and logistics for the hubs.
Erdoğan’s fourth term, brought to you courtesy of Turkey’s Kurds?
(February 13, 2025)
When Turkey’s Recep Tayyip Erdoğan ran for re-election in 2023, he told voters, it would be the last time. Under current provisions, Turkey’s President can only hold office for two five-year terms, but it now appears that Erdoğan will seek a (constitutionally prohibited) fourth term. To achieve this, he will need to find a way to change the constitution, but this can only happen if he succeeds in gaining the support of Turkey’s main pro-Kurdish party.
What’s behind Erdoğan’s calculated shift on Kurds and its potential consequences
(March 5, 2025)
Drawing Kurdish political support away from the opposition and securing Kurdish backing for constitutional reforms would allow him to seek another presidential term.
With 57 parliamentary seats, DEM holds significant sway and can make all the difference if Erdoğan initiates a constitutional amendment process.