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Tag: crashing his country’s economy

US must fulfill commitments before Iran reopens Strait of Hormuz: Parliament speaker
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Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Baqir Qalibaf in Islamabad, capital of Pakistan, on 11 April, 2026. [Iranian Foreign Ministry/Handout – Anadolu Agency]
Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf said Wednesday that the US must fulfill its commitments under the Islamabad memorandum of understanding before Tehran moves to reopen the Strait of Hormuz.
“The Americans must fulfill their commitments so that we can proceed with reopening the Strait of Hormuz,” Qalibaf said during a meeting in Tehran with Basem Naim, a senior Hamas official responsible for Islamic relations, according to Iran’s ISNA news agency.
Referring to negotiations between Iran and the US, Qalibaf said Tehran does not reject diplomacy but considers negotiations a tool in its broader struggle.
“We do not reject negotiations, but negotiations are a tool for the struggle,” he said, adding that abandoning confrontation with the US and Israel in its various forms would amount to “defeat.”
Qalibaf also referred to the Islamabad memorandum between Tehran and Washington, saying its first provision emphasized an end to the war against Iran and its allies in what Tehran calls the “resistance front.”
He claimed that the US side had initially presented a 15-point proposal seeking a complete halt to Iran’s missile and nuclear activities as well as its support for allied groups in the region.
READ: 4 IRGC Aerospace Force members among 7 killed in US strikes in western, southern Iran
Iran and the US signed a memorandum of understanding in Islamabad on June 18 following mediation by Pakistan and Qatar, setting out provisions related to ending hostilities, navigation through the Strait of Hormuz and further negotiations between Tehran and Washington.
Iranian officials have since accused Washington of failing to implement its commitments and have linked the full reopening of the Strait of Hormuz to US compliance with the agreement.
Tehran has maintained restrictions on navigation through the strategic waterway, which connects the Gulf with the Gulf of Oman and is a major route for global energy shipments.
Iranian officials have said their conditions include sanctions relief, the release of frozen Iranian assets and an end to military operations against Iran and its regional allies.
In late August, Iranian officials said Tehran and Oman were discussing arrangements for maritime transit through the strait, while stressing that the arrangements did not amount to a full reopening of the waterway.
READ: Oil prices rise as European gas climbs to highest level since 2023 after renewed attacks on Iran
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Orcas discuss Donald Trump and the killer apes’ concept of democracy. Front Orca warns that Trump is crashing his country’s economy and that everything he does he does for the fantastically wealthy.
Donald Trump says that he obviously deserves a Peace prize because Obama got one and explains why he established his Bored of Peace
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says he wishes someone would lock him up, small Orca speaks bluntly.
2 September 2026
66 Palestinian villages forcibly expelled by Israel from West Bank since October 2023: Rights group
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An excavator demolishes a Palestinian-owned building as Israeli forces carry out a raid in the Taawun Alawi area of Nablus, West Bank, Palestine on August 31, 2026. [Nedal Eshtayah – Anadolu Agency]
Israel has forcibly displaced residents of Khirbet al-Taban in the southern occupied West Bank, making it the 66th Palestinian village to be completely emptied of its residents since October 2023, Israeli rights group B’Tselem said Wednesday.
The group said in a statement that Israeli forces raided the village, south of Hebron, Wednesday morning and demolished the homes of all its residents within hours.
Khirbet al-Taban is home to 12 families totaling about 70 people, including 28 children, it said.
“The forces did not leave a single home standing,” B’Tselem said.
Israeli forces also demolished sheep pens, water tanks and storage facilities and destroyed caves in the area, according to the group.
B’Tselem said Khirbet al-Taban was the “66th Palestinian village that Israel has forcibly displaced since October 2023,” while residents of 18 other villages have been partially displaced.
The group said the displacement operations have forcibly removed about 4,931 Palestinians from their homes, including approximately 2,339 children and teenagers.
READ: Palestinian commission records 2,030 Israeli army and settler attacks in West Bank in August
B’Tselem Executive Director Yuli Novak said Israel was “continuing to erase Palestinian communities at an accelerating pace as part of the ethnic cleansing it is carrying out in the West Bank.”
Novak said the international community was standing “idly by while Palestinian lives are left exposed to Israeli violence.”
The demolition of Khirbet al-Taban comes amid an escalation in the seizure of Palestinian land across the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, alongside occupiers’ attacks and the establishment of illegal settlement outposts and projects.
In July, Israeli authorities issued 31 orders to seize about 831,000 square meters of Palestinian land in the West Bank, according to The Palestinian Colonization and Wall Resistance Commission.
The Israeli army and occupiers also carried out 2,256 attacks against Palestinians, their land and property during the month, including 1,458 by the army and 798 by occupiers, according to the commission.
Since Israel began its genocide on the Gaza Strip on Oct. 8, 2023, Israeli forces and occupiers have intensified attacks in the West Bank, including occupied East Jerusalem, through killings, arrests, forced displacement, home demolitions and illegal settlement expansion.
READ: Settler fire attacks damage 11 mosques in West Bank in 2026
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Orcas discuss Donald Trump and the killer apes’ concept of democracy. Front Orca warns that Trump is crashing his country’s economy and that everything he does he does for the fantastically wealthy.
Donald Trump says that he obviously deserves a Peace prize because Obama got one and explains why he established his Bored of Peace
Orcas discuss rotting brain, front Orca says he wishes someone would lock him up, small Orca speaks bluntly.
2 September 2026
Israel floods US phones with AI messages in campaign to manipulate public opinion
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Artificial Intelligence, AI [Wikipedia]
Israel is using AI-generated text messages, conservative media and online influencers in an expanding campaign to stem the collapse in US public support, according to an investigation by The Wall Street Journal.
The effort reaches from millions of Americans having their mobile phones flooded with pro-Israel content, evangelical churches to university campuses, social-media feeds and even the online material used by AI chatbots.
According to the Journal, the Israeli government has retained at least six firms to conduct influence operations in the US, while around three dozen marketing and communications professionals have registered as foreign agents working on its behalf.
The campaign comes amid growing American opposition to Israel following its genocide in Gaza and war with Iran. A Pew Research Center survey conducted in March found that 60 per cent of US adults held an unfavourable view of Israel, compared with 42 per cent in 2022.
The campaign involves millions of AI-assisted text messages sent to American mobile phones. To pass of as a real campaign, senders are said to identify themselves as Emma, Sarah or John and claim to represent an organisation called Friends for Peace. They begin by asking recipients for their views about Israel, Iran or the US-Israel relationship before directing the conversation towards arguments supporting Israel.
However, the Journal found no evidence that Friends for Peace exists as a registered non-profit organisation or company. Recipients could not find a website identifying who runs or finances the group.
When people asked how it had obtained their numbers, the system replied that the information came from publicly available sources.
The text operation is run by Sparkfire, a company specialising in AI-assisted political outreach. It had received $6.5 million by mid-May, although the company maintained that human employees supervise the conversations and sometimes communicate directly with recipients.
Sparkfire’s work forms part of a broader Israeli contract with Brad Parscale, a former adviser to US President Donald Trump who worked on his 2016 and 2020 election campaigns. The agreement, worth more than $45 million, covers digital advertising, AI messaging, websites and mass text campaigns.
Read: Israel to spend $730m on propaganda as global image collapses over Gaza genocide
Parscale also serves as chief strategy officer at Salem Media, a major conservative radio and podcast company carrying presenters including Hugh Hewitt, Scott Jennings and Lara Trump, the president’s daughter-in-law.
Parscale’s original contract with Israel proposed integrating campaign narratives into Salem’s media properties and associated distribution channels. More than $500,000 was subsequently spent on advertising through the network.
Israel has also sought to reinforce support among evangelical Christians, who remain one of its most dependable political constituencies in the US.
Show Faith by Works, a recently created US advocacy group contracted as part of Israel’s influence campaign, proposed using geofencing technology to target around four million people attending megachurches and Christian colleges in the south-western US.
Geofencing allows advertisers to send material to mobile devices detected within specified locations, including churches, campuses and religious gatherings.
Documents said the campaign would seek to create “positive associations” with Israel while linking Palestinians to extremist organisations. Its proposed budget exceeded $3 million.
Actor Chris Pratt and basketball player Stephen Curry were named as examples of celebrities who could serve as influential advocates.
Other parts of the campaign seek to reach younger and more socially liberal audiences through online personalities. Companies belonging to smaller online personalities have received payments as well.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has met conservative influencers during recent visits to the US as his government seeks to counter the rise in support for Palestine in US.
The campaign is also attempting to influence the information Americans receive from AI chatbots. Parscale’s team has created websites, articles and links containing pro-Israel material designed to appear in search results and become sources for systems such as ChatGPT and Claude.
One example is Allyvia.org, a website promoting the US-Israel alliance which AI chatbots have reportedly cited when answering questions.
The campaign has provoked criticism within the Trump administration. US Vice President JD Vance accused Israeli officials of trying to manipulate American opinion to prolong the war with Iran and undermine negotiations.
Speaking to podcaster Joe Rogan, Vance alleged that officials were “manipulating and trying to change American public opinion to keep the war going on indefinitely”.
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Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel. Will I be replacing Andy Burnham for Starmer behind this speech bubble?
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Orcas discuss Donald Trump and the killer apes’ concept of democracy. Front Orca warns that Trump is crashing his country’s economy and that everything he does he does for the fantastically wealthy.
20 July 2026
US strikes target military, civilian, and nuclear sites in Iran as Tehran expands attacks across the region
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A bridge connecting Bandar Abbas and Roudan regions, rendered unusable after a US strike, is seen in Iran’s Hormozgan province, where Iranian authorities said the United States carried out attacks on 95 locations across 12 cities over the past 10 days, on July 19, 2026. [Amir Hossein Khorgooei – Anadolu Agency]
The United States launched a new wave of strikes against targets in Iran, including military and civilian sites as well as a nuclear facility under construction, according to Iranian authorities, as Iran expanded its missile and drone attacks to include Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan.
The escalation has brought hostilities to levels approaching those seen during the peak of the conflict.
The Israeli military said that Israeli and Jordanian forces intercepted an Iranian missile heading toward the southern Jordanian port city of Aqaba, near Israel’s border. According to the military, this was the first time since the latest round of fighting began that Iranian missiles had reached the area.
Meanwhile, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said it conducted strikes early Sunday, marking the eighth consecutive night of US operations against targets in Iran.
According to CENTCOM, the strikes targeted Iranian coastal surveillance and air defense facilities, naval assets, and sites used to store missiles and drones. The command said the operation was intended to reduce Iran’s military capabilities and to respond to attacks by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) against US service members in Jordan on Friday.
On Saturday, the US military announced that two US soldiers had been killed and a third remained missing following Iranian strikes on a US site in Jordan the previous day.
Iranian authorities have reported that the US strikes hit military installations, civilian locations, and a nuclear plant under construction. The extent of the damage and casualty figures have not been independently verified.
READ: Araghchi says security breach behind Khamenei assassination remains and affects decision-making
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel. Will I be replacing Andy Burnham for Starmer behind this speech bubble?
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Orcas discuss Donald Trump and the killer apes’ concept of democracy. Front Orca warns that Trump is crashing his country’s economy and that everything he does he does for the fantastically wealthy.
20 July 2026
Clashes resume between Yemeni Government forces and Houthis in Hudaydah
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Security forces stand guard as Houthis gather at Sabeen Square to hold a demonstration in support of Houthi leader in Yemen Abdul Malik al-Houthi’s statements in Sanaa, Yemen on July 17, 2026. [Mohammed Hamoud – Anadolu Agency]
Clashes resumed on Sunday between forces aligned with the internationally recognised Yemeni government and the Houthi movement in Hudaydah Governorate, western Yemen, according to a statement from the National Resistance Forces.
The military media office of the National Resistance Forces, led by Tariq Saleh, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, said its forces detected what it described as Houthi troop movements near the 14^thInfantry Brigade sector in Jabal Dhubas and responded to them.
According to the statement, the National Resistance Forces engaged in fighting after Houthi forces advanced toward Jabal Dhubas, south of Hudaydah.
The statement further claimed that troops from the 14^thInfantry Brigade forced Houthi fighters to retreat after inflicting casualties. It did not provide figures for the reported losses, and the claims could not be independently verified.
There was no immediate comment from the Houthi movement regarding the reported clashes.
Earlier this month, on 5^th July, the Yemeni government said that 15 of its soldiers and 50 Houthi fighters were killed in clashes south of Hudaydah, describing them as the most intense fighting between the two sides since 2022.
The renewed fighting comes amid heightened tensions between the Yemeni government and the Houthis, with both sides continuing to exchange statements over the future of the conflict.
READ: Yemeni government prevents Iranian plane from landing at Sanaa airport
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Keir Starmer objects to criticism of the IDF. He asks how could anyone object to them starving people to death, forced marches like the Nazis did, bombing Gaza’s hospitals and universities, mass-murdering journalists, healthworkers and starving people queuing for food, killing and raping prisoners and murdering children. He calls for people to stop obstructing his genocide for Israel. Will I be replacing Andy Burnham for Starmer behind this speech bubble?
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Orcas discuss Donald Trump and the killer apes’ concept of democracy. Front Orca warns that Trump is crashing his country’s economy and that everything he does he does for the fantastically wealthy.
20 July 2026