Syria

‘Without me there is no Israel’ says Trump warning Tel-Aviv to stop flattening homes

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United States President Donald Trump (L) meets with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (R) in the White House in Washington DC., United States on April 7, 2025 [Avi Ohayon (GPO)/Handout/Anadolu Agency]

US President Donald Trump has delivered a rare public rebuke of Israel’s military conduct in Lebanon, warning that Israel is killing too many civilians in its war with Hezbollah and does not need to destroy entire apartment buildings in pursuit of individual targets.

Speaking to reporters at the G7 summit in France, Trump said: “Israel’s fighting Hezbollah too long, and too many people are being killed. And you don’t have to knock down an apartment house every time you’re looking for somebody. Because there are a lot of people in those apartment houses, and they’re not all Hezbollah, that I can tell you.”

The remarks were seen as an unusually blunt criticism from a US president who has otherwise presented himself as one of Israel’s strongest allies. They also appear to acknowledge what human rights groups and international law experts have long argued: that Israel’s practice of bombing residential buildings in the name of targeting fighters is a violation of international humanitarian law.

Under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, intentionally directing attacks against civilians or civilian objects which are not military objectives constitutes a war crime. The laws of war also prohibit attacks expected to cause civilian harm that would be excessive in relation to the anticipated military advantage.

READ: Israeli analysts call Netanyahu ‘liar,’ ‘humiliated’ by Trump after US-Iran deal

Trump went further, saying he had urged Israel to allow Syria to deal with Hezbollah instead. “I suggested to Israel to let Syria take care of Hezbollah, because to be honest with you, I think they’d do a better job of doing it,” he said. Trump’s comments is widely seen as a display of frustration with Israeli strikes in Lebanon, which he believes risk undermining his wider efforts to strike a deal with Iran.

The comments are a political blow to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has insisted that Israel’s military actions in Lebanon are necessary for security. Trump’s statement suggests that Washington is no longer willing to give Israel unlimited rhetorical cover for attacks that kill civilians and destroy civilian infrastructure.

Trump’s remarks also struck a blow to Israeli propaganda about Iran. Referring to Iranian officials, Trump said: “We are dealing with people that I think are very rational people, and they were nice to deal with. They were strong people, smart people… But they’re not radicalised and they’re looking to help their country.”

For decades, Israeli leaders have portrayed Iran as an irrational and fanatical enemy that only understands force. Trump’s description of Iranian officials as “rational”, “strong” and “smart” undercuts that narrative at a critical moment, as his administration pushes ahead with a US-Iran understanding despite Israeli objections.

The remarks come amid growing signs of strain in US-Israel relations following the Iran deal. Analysts have described Israel and the US as being at a “fork in the road”, with Trump pressing Netanyahu not to derail a ceasefire framework while Israeli officials fear the agreement could restrict their freedom of action in Lebanon and beyond.

Trump’s comments also appear to reinforce Israel’s deepening fear of US abandonment. According to The National, Trump told reporters at the summit: “Without us, without the United States, there would be no Israel. Without me, there would be no Israel.”

READ: US rejects Israeli request to review Iran agreement memorandum, Hebrew media report

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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.
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.
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/
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 Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.
Orcas discuss Genocide-supporting and complicit Zionists. Donald Trump, Keith Starmer, David Lammy, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are acknowledged as evil genocide-complicit and supporting cnuts.

Continue Reading‘Without me there is no Israel’ says Trump warning Tel-Aviv to stop flattening homes

Israeli forces bulldoze land during incursion into Syria’s Quneitra countryside

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A view of Circassian village at the countryside of Quneitra, Syria on March 26, 2026. [Enver Asfur – Anadolu Agency]

An Israeli force entered the village of Al-Rafid in the countryside of Syria’s Quneitra province on Tuesday and conducted bulldozing operations west of the village, according to Syria’s state news agency, SANA, Anadolu reports.

SANA reported that an Israeli military bulldozer advanced toward the village in southern Quneitra before conducting land-clearing operations in areas west of Al-Rafid.

Syrian authorities did not immediately respond to the incident, and the motives for the operations are still unclear.

The incident comes amid continued Israeli violations of Syrian sovereignty, particularly in the south.

Israeli forces have carried out near-daily airstrikes and ground incursions in southern Syria, including setting up checkpoints, searching civilians, raiding homes and detaining residents, among them children and shepherds.

Following the fall of Bashar al-Assad’s regime on Dec. 8, 2024, Israel declared the collapse of the 1974 Disengagement Agreement between the two sides and occupied the Syrian buffer zone, while Damascus said it remained committed to the agreement.

Despite the new Syrian administration not issuing threats toward Israel, Israeli forces have continued launching airstrikes across Syria since Assad’s removal, killing civilians and destroying military sites, vehicles and ammunition.

READ: Netanyahu says Israel expanding ground offensive in Lebanon despite ceasefire

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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/
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/

Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
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.
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.

Continue ReadingIsraeli forces bulldoze land during incursion into Syria’s Quneitra countryside

Individuals and organisations from 30 countries, including the UK-based Islamic Human Rights Commission, have put their name to a blistering open letter condemning the US/Israeli war on Iran

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U.S. President Donald Trump (R) welcomes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (L) at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida, United States on December 29, 2025. [Amos Ben-Gershom (GPO)/Handout – Anadolu Agency]

Written in response to last month’s military attack on the country, the letter delivers a swingeing critique of US foreign policy and historical conduct, accusing Washington of pursuing a doctrine of absolute predation.

It highlights major US wars of the 20th and 21st centuries, referring to “the genocidal horror of Vietnam,” “the annihilation of Cambodia,” and the “systematic slaughter of Koreans,” as well as the destruction of Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Afghanistan.

The open letter, titled ‘A Declaration to the Conscience of Humanity,’ is signed by over 170 signatories from countries and signatories include former UN officials, retired career diplomats, former ministers, scholars, politicians and former parliamentarians, military and security professionals, artists, lawyers as well as journalists, activists, and anti-war campaigners.

READ: 26 million Iranians volunteer to defend country, including public figures

The public figures describe the current US posture as an expansionist strategy aimed at dominating global resources. The policy is driven by “the demonic creed of ‘everything for us, nothing for others’,” which seeks control of global resources ranging from “the oil of Venezuela” to “the mineral wealth of Greenland” or “the energy reserves of Canada”. US policy now “fixates on Iran” because the country possesses “over seven percent of the world’s mineral and energy wealth.”

The war on Iran is another sign of the “moral collapse” of the US-led West which finds its nadir in the genocide in Gaza and is embodied in the vulgar figure of President Trump. The letter goes on to call for a new international order centred on sovereignty and resistance to Western domination.

Beyond its criticism of US policy, the announcement also sets out several demands that the signatories say are necessary to end the current conflict. These include the immediate dismantling of all US military installations in the region and an end to war on all regional fronts.

The full text of the declaration, along with the complete list of signatories, can be read here.

READ: Israel launches ‘preemptive’ strike on Iran as explosions rock Tehran

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Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
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/
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 how Trump was re-elected and him being an obviously insane, xenophobic Fascist.
Orcas discuss how Trump was re-elected and him being an obviously insane, xenophobic Fascist.
Continue ReadingIndividuals and organisations from 30 countries, including the UK-based Islamic Human Rights Commission, have put their name to a blistering open letter condemning the US/Israeli war on Iran

Another Oil War, Another Perfect Reason to Stop Burning It

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Original article by Kyle Schmidlin republished form Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). 

Explosions erupt following strikes at Tehran Oil Refinery in Tehran on March 7, 2026. (Photo by Atta Kenare/ AFP via Getty Images)

It’s a dirty business that’s ruining the planet and jeopardizing our futures in countless ways, of which this despicable war in Iran is just the latest and highest profile.

On February 28, President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu started a war with Iran. Since then, violence has spread throughout the Middle East. On the first day of bombing, the US bombed an elementary school, killing more than 100 children. Iran struck back, hitting Israel and US bases in the region. Israel expanded into Syria and Lebanon, bombing apartment buildings in Beirut. A few weeks ago Israel bombed oil depots in Tehran, engulfing the sky in flames and raining toxic oil on a population bigger than New York City.

But all Americans can think of, naturally, is the price of gas.

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Oil is both a major driver of this war and, for now at least, the primary way Americans are feeling its effects. The war drives home the grim reality that we are hostage to this toxic ooze that burns dirty, poisons wildlife, causes cancer, and accelerates climate change. The necessity to wean ourselves off of it, as quickly and completely as possible, has never been more apparent.

An Oil Crisis of Trump’s Own Making

Even Trump is subservient to the whims and demands of the oil economy. Since he started the war, he’s tried desperately to control the chaotic effect his bombing campaign has had on global oil markets. Trump may not be bright, but he understands one very basic political reality: He can cover up the Epstein files, get away with all manner of fraud and graft, and even commit war crimes—but he cannot let the price of gas get too high.

Oil makes all our lives dirtier and less safe. Fighting wars so we can dig it up until it’s all gone—or until we are—is as stupid, reckless, and self-destructive a thing as any animal has ever done.

From a strategic perspective, then, the focal point of the war quickly became the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow passageway out of the Persian Gulf that pinches down between southern Iran and the Omani Musandam Peninsula. The strait is an essential shipping lane for 20% of the world’s liquefied natural gas (LNG), as well as a third of the global fertilizer trade. With essentially uncontested control of the strait, Iran has closed it to “enemy-linked” ships. Iran insists that non-hostile ships pay a toll in Chinese yuan, which is an attempt to undermine the supremacy of the petrodollar.

The crisis at the Strait of Hormuz is entirely of Trump’s own making, and has triggered an erratic series of threats, pleas, lies, and bargaining from him as he tries to keep his stupid war from grinding the global economy to a halt. Trump has even threatened to deploy the US Navy to escort ships through the strait. One has to wonder how sailors feel about being offered up as bodyguards for Qatari tankers, thrown into a situation where they would be wide open for Iranian drone and missile attacks.

Trump the Oil Imperialist

Trump sees this war almost entirely through the lens of oil. As part of alleged ceasefire negotiations, Trump claimed Iran “gave us a present… worth a tremendous amount of money… it was oil-and-gas related.” That turned out to be Iran allowing 10 oil ships through the Strait of Hormuz. Trump also implied that those high gas prices causing so many people pain at the pump are actually good for the country. Because the US is a net exporter of oil, Trump said, “When oil prices go up, we make a lot of money”—perhaps forgetting that most Americans do not own oil companies.

Compare Trump’s constant talk of oil with the Bush administration’s 2003 invasion of Iraq. In 2003-06, calling Iraq a war for oil was considered a conspiracy theory. Dissidents and war critics were driven out of polite conversations for even bringing it up. Insinuating that the troops would ever be deployed for such an ignoble purpose was treated as beyond the pale, if not treasonous, by Fox News and the Bush White House.

This time, there’s next to no pretense of nobility in Trump’s war. While lots of motivations, with varying degrees of believability and logic, have been given—ranging from halting Iran’s nuclear capabilities to ushering in Armageddon—the Trump administration is perfectly open about the centrality of oil to their war mission. In a way, it’s almost refreshing to hear a politician speak so forwardly about their imperialist intent, even if it does lay bare the villainy of the US empire.

In addition to the Strait of Hormuz, Trump is focused on Kharg Island, a small island in the Persian Gulf that handles up to 90% of Iran’s crude oil exports. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who is among the most bloodthirsty war hawks on the planet, encouraged Trump to seize Kharg Island (and compared such an operation to Iwo Jima, in which 7,000 Marines died—no skin off Lindsey Graham’s back). Trump himself then said, while discussing his military options, “My favorite thing is to take the oil in Iran.”

Trump has long openly fantasized about using the military to conquer oil fields. In 2013, before his political career really started, he tweeted, “I still can’t believe we left Iraq without the oil,” and he repeated this urge to plunder Iraq’s oil during the 2016 election. To Trump, this is just how the world works: If your guns and bombs make bigger holes and explosions, you get to just take whatever you want, anywhere in the world. There is no right, no wrong, no law.

This also tracks with how Trump has handled the oil industry in Venezuela. Last year, Trump started claiming that Venezuela had stolen, or “unilaterally seized and sold American oil.” This claim was a reference to Venezuela nationalizing their oil industry and evicting American oil companies. Then, in January, the US military abducted Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, an astonishing breach of international norms. With Maduro gone, Trump began shadily directing Venezuelan oil revenue into an offshore Qatari account.

The Need to Wean Ourselves off of Oil

Such oil imperialism long predates Trump. Just ask other offenders of the US oil monopoly, like Muammar Gaddafi or Saddam Hussein. Oil is the locus of US foreign policy. The US military itself is the single largest institutional polluter and user of fossil fuels. It’s a dirty business that’s ruining the planet and jeopardizing our futures in countless ways, of which this despicable war in Iran is just the latest and highest profile.

The simple answer to all this madness is to wean ourselves off of oil. It won’t be easy, and we’ll probably never be fully rid of it, but we aren’t even trying. There are a million ways we could start cutting back, a million investments we could make toward a future that is as oil free as possible. But Trump is doing everything he can to keep us addicted to it, including starting an unpopular and illegal war.

Trump has always been particularly pro-fossil fuel. He loves the nonsensical phrase “beautiful clean coal.” He calls green energy a “scam” and has repeatedly made the utterly deranged claim that windmills cause cancer. His administration displays a psychotic obsession with destroying green energy initiatives, most recently paying a French energy company $1 billion to cancel a wind farm and instead invest in oil and gas.

Oil makes all our lives dirtier and less safe. Fighting wars so we can dig it up until it’s all gone—or until we are—is as stupid, reckless, and self-destructive a thing as any animal has ever done. With a little bit of will and some leadership, we could control our greed and addiction. If we were able to do that, we might not find ourselves charging into the Middle East on such a regular basis, burning through American lives and treasure, killing countless men and women and children, and making the rest of the world hate us.

Original article by Kyle Schmidlin republished form Common Dreams under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). 

Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Donald Trump urges you to be a Climate Science denier like him. He says that he makes millions and millions for destroying the planet, Burn, Baby, Burn and Flood, Baby, Flood.
Donald Trump urges you to be a Climate Science denier like him. He says that he makes millions and millions for destroying the planet, Burn, Baby, Burn and Flood, Baby, Flood.
Orcas comment on killer apes destroying the planet by continuing to burn fossil fuels.
Orcas comment on killer apes destroying the planet by continuing to burn fossil fuels.

Continue ReadingAnother Oil War, Another Perfect Reason to Stop Burning It

Israel shocked by Hezbollah capabilities amid fears of prolonged war

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Firefighters work where rockets fired by Hezbollah reportedly struck several locations in Nahariya, Israel’s northern Galilee region, on March 16, 2026. [Samir Abdalhade – Anadolu Agency]

Signs of growing shock within Israeli political and military circles are emerging over Hezbollah’s military capabilities, with officials acknowledging that previous intelligence assessments may have significantly underestimated the group’s strength.

The reassessment follows Hezbollah’s forceful entry into the confrontation alongside the ongoing regional war involving Iran, prompting concerns in Israel about the prospect of a prolonged war of attrition.

According to Hebrew media reports and analysis, earlier Israeli evaluations suggested that Hezbollah’s capabilities had weakened, particularly after disruptions to supply lines linked to developments in Syria.

However, recent battlefield developments appear to have contradicted those assumptions.

READ: Houthi- and Hezbollah-linked group threatens to target Barakah nuclear facility in Abu Dhabi

Momen Miqdad, a researcher specialising in Israeli affairs, said a state of surprise now prevails within the Israeli establishment, particularly given Hezbollah’s military performance after months of relative silence.

“Hezbollah maintained silence despite Israeli strikes and assassinations targeting its members in southern Lebanon, which gave the occupation the false impression that its capabilities had declined,” he said.

Miqdad added that Israeli media outlets, including Channel 12, had previously reported intelligence assessments indicating that Hezbollah had become weaker than in previous years.

“These assessments have now been proven inaccurate by developments on the ground,” he said.

The shift in perception has raised concerns within Israel about the scale of Hezbollah’s preparedness and the potential for an extended and costly confrontation along the northern front.

READ: Hezbollah says it struck Israeli military communications station in Ella Valley

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Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it's fun to kill everyone ...
Donald Trump sings and dances, says that it’s fun to kill everyone … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aSUp-NdHd88
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying only 9 days ago that they don't need people to join wars after they've already won.
Donald Trump calls for help from NATO allies in securing the Straight of Hormuz despite saying only 9 days ago that they don’t need people to join wars after they’ve already won. https://youtu.be/KIKaT7rMClY
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.

Continue ReadingIsrael shocked by Hezbollah capabilities amid fears of prolonged war