British spies hunted a suspected Russian mole for 20 years but dropped the case after finding no proof, according to The Guardian Read Full Article at RT.com
The lengthy operation reportedly failed to yield any proof, and the suspected double agent eventually quit the agency
British intelligence agencies spent two decades hunting a suspected Russian double agent inside MI6, only to drop the case after failing to find evidence, The Guardian has reported, citing unnamed sources. The investigation, dubbed Operation Wedlock, was eventually closed as “inconclusive,” and the suspect left service, the outlet said on Friday.
The probe, which reportedly ran from the mid-1990s to around 2015, was led by MI5, the UK’s domestic counter-intelligence agency. MI6, which is responsible for foreign intelligence, launched the inquiry after a CIA tip-off suggested a senior officer may have been spying for Russia.
“[We were told] the target was a Russian spy… The US believed he was leaking information to the Russians,” a source told The Guardian. “The job was taken more seriously than any other [MI5] was involved in. Wedlock eclipsed them all.”
The operation allegedly involved some 35 officers. MI5 is said to have bugged the suspect’s home, tailed him around London with video surveillance, and even followed him abroad, despite that being outside its legal mandate. MI5 reportedly believed the mole had two accomplices based in London but found no supporting evidence.
“We thought we had another Philby on our hands,” a source told the outlet, referring to Kim Philby, one of the most prominent members of the intelligence group Cambridge Five, which supplied the Soviet Union with information from the UK during World War II and the early stages of the Cold War.
The Wedlock spy saga is believed to have dragged on until at least 2015, by which time the suspect had left MI6. Despite the scope of the operation, MI5 failed to prove any espionage.
“MI5 never got the conclusive proof it was looking for,” one source said, calling Wedlock “highly unusual… the longest in recent memory and probably the most expensive.”
The UK has repeatedly accused Russia of espionage and sabotage in Europe without offering proof. In a high-profile case in 2018, London alleged Moscow tried to poison ex-Russian military intelligence officer turned MI6 asset Sergey Skripal and his daughter. Russia denied involvement.
Tensions between Moscow and London have worsened since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. The UK is one of Kiev’s staunchest backers, imposing sanctions on Russia and supplying weapons to Ukraine. Russian officials believe that British intelligence trains Ukrainian units for sabotage missions inside Russia.
Powerful forces signal that Trump may have peaked the day he took office. The crash is coming. Read Full Article at RT.com
Powerful forces signal that Trump may have peaked the day he took office. The crash is coming.
“The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars,
but in ourselves.”
— William Shakespeare, Julius Caesar
At his Resolute Desk, Trump sits like a force of nature — waging war, bending markets, and crushing dissent with a single gesture. He doesn’t follow rules; he rewrites them.
The world’s on edge, all eyes on him. He doesn’t blink. He dominates. One man. One will. Total disruption.
But step past the drama, and a different picture emerges: beneath the surface, fault lines are running deep, primed to rupture. The final reckoning? Trump’s presidency is headed for failure. These are the Fateful Five: the interconnected weaknesses that spell his likely downfall — a web of vulnerability captured in the Five F-Framework (see Figure 1).
1. Flawed mindset: No escape from “character is destiny”
US President Donald John Trump has often shown the right political instincts – seeking to end conflicts, challenging entrenched ideologies, and pushing back on progressive social agendas. More than once, he has acted with defiant bravado – doing what he believes is right, even in the face of mainstream opposition.
Breaking decades of deadlock, he met North Korea’s leader. Undeterred by fierce criticism, he engaged Russia’s president Putin – isolated in the West over Ukraine and alleged election meddling. Meanwhile, he boldly bulldozed “progressive” diversity policies – which are spiritually, morally, and socially corrosive and truly regressive – braving the shrieking fury of woke inquisitors, their relentless pitchfork brigades, and the ever-aggrieved cancel mob.
Yet Trump’s boldness often slips into hubris – excessive pride that fuels overconfidence, blinds him to acute limits and warnings, and puts ego above the common good. It shows in his underestimation of global conflicts (like in Ukraine and the Middle East), attacks on allies and institutions (notably NATO), and fixation on flashy prestige projects (like the US–Mexico Border Wall). Craving adulation, Trump chases image over substance and, driven by a mercurial temperament, governs by impulse.
Pride, arrogance, narcissism, and impulsiveness can make a leader dangerously vulnerable. The TACO label–Trump Always Chickens Out–may have been floated to bait him into proving his toughness, though this is speculative. Regardless, that jab may well have nudged him toward a radical and fateful choice: striking Iran unprovoked, despite unequivocal CIA and UN evidence that Tehran possessed no nuclear weapons.
Trump’s massive ego makes him easy prey for flattery. Before the 2025 NATO summit, the US commander in chief eagerly circulated a glowing message from the alliance’ secretary general Mark Rutte. The consummate “Trump whisperer” praised Donald’s Iran strike as “truly extraordinary, and something no one else dared to do”, assuring his friend that he “will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done”, and cheering that “Europe is going to pay in a BIG way” – never mind that Rutte, a European himself, would help foot the bill as a taxpayer.
Even the most powerful leaders have typically deemed it necessary to cloak their ambitions in moral reasons to gain legitimacy, unify people, rally support, and ease resistance – like Julius Caesar framing his conquest of Gaul as a civilizing mission.
Fast forward centuries to Napoleon who sold his wars as fights for liberty – even as he built an empire. Consider his famous call urging troops to champion the Italian people: “You will go to fight for the liberty of the peoples of Italy, to free them from the chains of their tyrants.”
Though arguably lacking the stature of a Caesar or Napoleon, President Trump often bypasses morality, propriety, and basic decency – ethically unmoored, he leans instinctively on the logic of “might makes right.” Classic proof: In February 2025, he proposed turning Gaza – a densely populated place he, with striking disregard for human suffering, described as a “demolition site” – into a US-run “Riviera” without Palestinians.
Trump casually shrugged off the unprovoked, US-backed Israeli attack on Iran in June 2025 as just “two kids in a schoolyard.” He cynically reduced a deadly, high-stakes war – one which threatened world peace and risked unravelling the global economy – into a trivial, harmless spat. Remarkably, he cast himself as a neutral referee and peacemaker-in-wait, feigning detachment while watching the roughhousing – never mind that America had handed one kid the stick.
In a 2020 tweet, Trump slammed the International Criminal Court – a body probing genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity – as a “kangaroo court” and “illegitimate.” After the ICC probed Israeli PM Netanyahu for alleged war crimes in Gaza, Trump hit back in 2025 – first slapping harsh sanctions on the ICC Chief Prosecutor, then, in a historic escalation, targeting four sitting judges.
In 2018, Trump refused to visit a war cemetery, reportedly dismissing fallen US soldiers as “losers” and “suckers” – a striking example of disrespect and poor judgment.
By putting power above principle, he sacrifices ethos – the trust derived from perceived moral integrity – which is a crucial tool of persuasion. His blunt style, admired by his base as authentic, fuels opponents’ claims of tyranny, rekindling fears from the days of the American Revolution and eroding America’s soft power. Against this backdrop, Trump’s stunt of circulating an AI image of himself crowned – predictably provoking blistering backlash from democracy advocates – was hardly helpful.
His raw, say-what-you-think style lacks the subtle finesse that refined leadership demands – a finesse that classical Chinese strategists famously, yet controversially, saw in dissimulation and other forms of artful deception. Paradoxically, Trump’s brash candor and outspokenness – often bordering on naïveté – stands in sharp contrast to another of his trademark habits.
Notably, Trump is a historic “outliar”, possessing a rare gift for alternative interpretations of truth, never letting facts stand in the way of a good story. His radical tactic of strategic truth adjustment – aptly called firehosing – bombards audiences with repeated falsehoods to drown out facts. Unlike subtle fake heading, firehosing is blunt and easily exposed. Case in point: The Washington Post tracked 30,573 false or misleading claims made by Trump in his first term – about 21 a day, and climbing.
Short-term gains come at a steep cost. Sidelining logos – logical reasoning based on facts, not fiction – Trump is forced to lean hard on his last remaining persuasion tool: pathos – appealing to the audience’s emotions – stoking fear of unchecked immigration, economic doom, and national decay to fire up his base.
Trump’s relentless wielding of pathos lies at the heart of his cunning, divisive populist playbook: he casts himself as a hero of “the people” battling “the elites,” but banks on hollow promises, sham fixes, and the emotional bait of feigned compassion. True leaders unify; Trump divides – as polarizer-in-chief, he unquestionably backs powerful special interests like the Israel and arms lobby, while routinely vilifying the vulnerable.
3. Flawed leadership: Ambition splits focus and awareness
Trump’s zealous quest for an imperial presidency and American restoration splinters strategic focus and coherence and engenders a chaotic juggling act.
The US president’s scattershot approach spreads him thin across domestic crises and global flashpoints, risking failure everywhere – worsened by the fog of vague, half-baked initiatives, such as “Build the Wall” and “Drain the Swamp”. At times, he goes full shotgun – epitomized in the record-breaking flurry of 26 executive orders on day one of term two: scrapping climate pacts, overhauling immigration, narrowing gender rights, targeting civil servants, and pardoning 1,500 Capitol rioters.
Curiously, Trump pairs this tireless multi-tasking with a cinematic jump-cut style, dropping the ball when challenges mount. Once his brash promise to end the Ukraine war in 24 hours fell flat, the 47th president slammed on the brakes and made a sharp, unexpected pivot – upending global trade and subsequently targeting Iran. His notorious audacity in flouting rules oddly contrasts with unlikely timidity: Think TACO again.
For Trump, leadership is just the art of the deal. His dominant logic is flawed: he treats politics like real estate – centered on bargaining, branding, short-term wins, zero-sum games, and risky bets. Prioritizing transactions over relations, he ignores the complex human stakes at play. Through his peculiar lens, the New York mogul is spotting real estate-style opportunities, remarkably, in the political arena: dreaming not of peace in Gaza but a Riviera, and viewing a North Korean beach not as a geopolitical flashpoint but luxury property in waiting.
Trump did not just see real estate deals in politics – he saw a full-blown business portfolio. To some, he played the role of a Godfather in the White House, deploying extortion tactics straight from the Mafia playbook. Consider this: Trump preyed on Ukraine’s vulnerability and desperation for US military support to seize critical minerals and resources. In a brazen twist, he demanded payment for aid already delivered – like invoicing someone years after giving them a Christmas gift.
Just as a sports coach chasing wins, masters of the political game require a smart, balanced roster. But Trump prizes loyalty over competence – elevating partisan firebrands, such as the political strategist Steve Bannon, while sidelining seasoned pros seen as wavering, such as FBI Director Comey – sacrificing effective governance for personal allegiance.
Such favoritism echoes the infamous tale of Emperor Caligula, who allegedly planned to appoint his prized horse, Incitatus, as consul – rewarding loyalty over competence to mock the Senate and flaunt his absolute power.
By surrounding himself with yes-men and shutting out dissenting voices, Trump traps himself in an echo chamber devoid of the diversity and checks essential for making creative, rational, fact-driven decisions.
To make matters worse, Trump’s outsized ego clashes even with loyalists, leading to public humiliations and bitter fallouts fueled by bruised pride and policy rifts. The casualty list is long: Sessions, Cohen, Bolton, Barr, Musk – all cast out, only to burst back onto the scene as staunch critics armed with insider secrets and thirst for revenge. Sharp minds steer clear, knowing that in Trump’s orbit, loyalty is demanded but never securely returned. The damage from Trump’s weak personal leadership is only compounded by his equally poor performance as an organizational architect.
Unlike epochal leaders who built enduring institutional frameworks – think Napoleon’s Code Civile – Trump’s legacy so far boils down to a bold dismantling act, epitomized by Elon Musk’s chainsaw ripping through the excess of labyrinthine bureaucracy.
Tellingly, Trump seems to have skipped classes in Organizational Behavior – the study of workplace dynamics – to his detriment. Had he mastered it, he could have driven systemic change step-by-step – in a methodic and disciplined manner: sparking urgency, forging vision, and empowering execution.
The US president would also have learned to meticulously calibrate transformation across key dimensions: purpose, substance, scope, scale, speed, style, and sequence. To illustrate: savvy change leaders are timing every single move with precision – fast for quick wins, slow for broad and lasting buy-in – and balance structural reforms with cultural shifts.
In his haste and vaulting ambition, Trump mistook force for foresight – jamming every lever to the limit with no flight plan, no runway, and no brakes. He drove radical change at full throttle on all fronts, ignoring the gauges and redlining the engine – as if raw adrenaline alone could fly the plane.
On his blind mission to the stars, POTUS 47 neglected the intricate immune system of a bureaucracy with its manifold ingenious ways of mounting resistance – from open defiance to slow-rolling to feigned compliance that quietly sabotages reform behind a smile. Need a masterclass in bureaucratic resistance? Just watch Yes, Prime Minister.
Notably, Trump seemed oblivious to the ratchet effect – a dynamic in which actions, like a one-way mechanism, are far easier to take than to undo. It is a cautionary principle: once momentum takes hold – whether in administrative systems or government policies – reversal is rarely simple. This insight sharpens awareness of how hard legacies are to unwind – and advises prudence before locking oneself into moves that resist reversal.
To illustrate the trap: Trump’s tariffs on China, meant to protect US industry, proved politically perilous to undo. Or Iran: once provoked, reconciliation proved far harder than escalation. In both cases, pulling the trigger was easy; climbing down, far harder – true to the adage, “Some paths are easier to blaze than to backtrack.”
4. Flawed politics: Weak grip on realpolitik
Unclouded by ideology, Trump jolts politics with an innovative and results-driven mindset, defying orthodoxy and upending entrenched trends. Wielding power more like a chainsaw than a chisel, his sheer will cuts political noise and rips into the machinery of government with blunt force. The maverick and trickster favors personal engagement over formal channels – witness his direct talks with President Putin on Ukraine. With his seat-of-the-pants style and raw energy, he shatters long-standing barriers, but creates little lasting substance.
Paradoxically, despite his pragmatism, Trump often operates in a vacuum – driven by wishful thinking and blind to the hard and dynamic realities of power: scarce economic resources, military constraints, geographic limitations, and institutional checks. Committing the fallacy of the last move, he gravely underestimates backlash from adversaries, such as tariff retaliation or military counterstrikes. Remember the time-tested truth: “Every battle plan is perfect until first contact with the enemy.”
Trump’s shaky grasp of realpolitik – pragmatic power politics grounded in shifting realities – leaves him ill-equipped for complex global challenges. His radical shifts in strategy, tone, and messaging betray a deafness to the nuance that serious statecraft demands. Trump’s erratic style is laid bare in his wild policy swings and theatrical dealings with friends and foes alike.
Undermining the very structures that long projected America’s power and cemented its political, economic, and military might, Trump voluntarily surrendered key levers of dominance that his adversaries could have only dreamt of prying loose. He rattled NATO by questioning core defense commitments, stunned allies with abrupt troop pullouts from Germany, Syria, and Afghanistan, and treated US forces in Asia as bargaining chips – demanding steep payments from South Korea and Japan.
Wounding a friend marks a stunning break even from the most basic pagan maxim – “help your friends, harm your enemies” – a code long fundamentally transcended by Christian ethics.
Trump’s North Korea approach veered from threats of “fire and fury” and mocking Kim Jong-un as “Little Rocket Man,” to praising him as a “very talented” leader and crossing into North Korea with a smile and handshake. The dime-spinning showmanship grabbed headlines – but yielded nothing: North Korea kept its nukes.
Forged in the high-stakes world of real estate, Trump brings a gambler’s instinct to politics – gutsy, fearless, and drawn to spectacular all-in bets that others would avoid. But he often chases outsized rewards while ignoring long-term risks.
Trump’s 2018 unilateral withdrawal from the Iran nuclear deal alienated allies and fueled tensions – bringing Iran closer to the bomb. His sweeping trade war with China that year backfired, straining global supply chains and hurting American farmers without a clear victory. The 2025 US attack on Iran escalated diplomatic failure into open conflict.
Trump’s move to relocate the US embassy to Jerusalem epitomizes short-term brinkmanship over long-term stra
In a 51-49 vote, the US Senate has decided to begin discussing the legislation
Billionaire Elon Musk launched a renewed attack on US President Donald Trump’s budget bill on Saturday, calling it “utterly insane” and warning that it would hurl America into “debt slavery” and destroy millions of jobs. The dispute between the two men who were once close allies turned ugly earlier in June over Trump’s “big, beautiful” tax and spending bill.
The Tesla and SpaceX CEO’s outburst came hours before Senate Republicans narrowly advanced the bill in a 51-49 procedural vote, with Vice President J.D. Vance on standby to break a potential tie.
Musk took to X to condemn the legislation, writing, “The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country!”
The latest Senate draft bill will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country!
Utterly insane and destructive. It gives handouts to industries of the past while severely damaging industries of the future. https://t.co/TZ9w1g7zHF
In a series of posts, he accused the bill of favoring “industries of the past” – likely a jab at fossil fuel subsidies – while undermining future-focused sectors like renewable energy and tech.
Musk claimed that the bill’s $5 trillion debt ceiling hike would put the US in the “fast lane to debt slavery,” citing polling data that suggests GOP voters oppose the bill over fiscal concerns.
After leaving the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), Musk criticized the bill’s deficit impact, calling it a “disgusting abomination.”
Trump retaliated by accusing Musk of having sour grapes over lost electric vehicle subsidies – a reference to federal incentives that had benefited Tesla. Musk escalated by insinuating that Trump had ties to late financier and convicted pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, while Trump considered cutting SpaceX contracts. Later, Musk apologized, and Trump suggested that he could forgive him.
“You cannot disinvent” Tehran’s technical and industrial capabilities, Rafael Grossi has said Read Full Article at RT.com
“You cannot disinvent” Tehran’s technical and industrial capabilities, Rafael Grossi has said
Iran could resume uranium enrichment within months, despite recent US and Israeli airstrikes on its nuclear facilities, International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Rafael Grossi has stated.
In an interview with CBS News released on Sunday, Grossi said the strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan, inflicted “a very serious level of damage,” but some of the assets are “still standing.”
“The capacities they [Iran] have are there. They can have, in a matter of months, I would say, a few cascades of centrifuges spinning and producing enriched uranium, or less than that,” he added, while acknowledging that even the Iranians likely do not yet know the extent of the damage.
According to the IAEA chief, Iran maintains a significant industrial capacity. “Iran is a very sophisticated country in terms of nuclear technology, as is obvious. So you cannot disinvent this. You cannot undo the knowledge that you have or the capacities that you have.”
Grossi went on to say that concerns about Iran’s nuclear program cannot be put to rest through a military solution. “I think this should be the incentive that we all must have to understand that… you are not going to solve this in a definitive way militarily. You are going to have an agreement,” he said, expressing hope that IAEA inspectors would soon have access to the country’s nuclear sites again.
Iran has barred the inspectors from its nuclear facilities, accusing the agency of distorting facts in a recent report, which Tehran claims served as justification for the Israeli and US strikes. Grossi responded by saying: “Really, who can believe that this conflict happened because of a report of the IAEA? And, by the way, what was in that report was not new.”
The comments come after a 12-day conflict between Israel and Iran, during which the US and Israel conducted airstrikes on Iranian nuclear sites.
US President Donald Trump claimed the strikes “completely obliterated” Iran’s nuclear facilities and warned of further attacks if Iran pursues nuclear weapons. Several US media outlets have suggested, however, that the damage to Iran’s nuclear infrastructure was limited.
Tehran has denied that it has plans to produce a nuclear weapon and maintains that its nuclear program is for peaceful purposes, stressing that it wants to reserve the right to enrich uranium for civilian use.
Ana Brnabic has claimed that the organizers of an anti-government demonstration want to destroy the country Read Full Article at RT.com
Ana Brnabic has claimed that the organizers of an anti-government demonstration want to destroy the country
Speaker of the Serbian Parliament Ana Brnabic has accused anti-government protesters in Belgrade of calling for a civil war, after a student-led rally escalated into clashes with police.
The latest unrest erupted on Saturday, after the authorities rejected an ultimatum from demonstrators demanding the dissolution of parliament and early elections. The protest coincided with Vidovdan, a national holiday marking Serbia’s 1389 battle against the Ottoman Empire at Kosovo Field.
In a post on X, Brnabic – who served as prime minister from 2017 to 2024 – shared a video from the protest’s closing moments, in which an organizer tells the crowd to “take freedom into your own hands.”
“They didn’t end their gathering by shouting ‘Long live Serbia.’ They ended it with a chilling call to murder Serbia – a monstrous and open call for civil war,” Brnabic wrote.
In a separate post, she accused neighboring Croatia of backing the unrest in an effort to unseat President Aleksandar Vucic.
A wave of protests has gripped Serbia since the deadly collapse of a concrete canopy at a railway station in Novi Sad last November, which killed 16 people and triggered widespread public outrage and calls for accountability.
Saturday’s demonstration began peacefully but turned violent in the evening when some protesters began throwing eggs, bottles, and other objects at police near a downtown park where government supporters were holding a vigil. Officers responded with pepper spray and riot shields to disperse the crowd.
Interior Minister Ivica Dacic said six officers and two civilians were injured, and dozens of “hooligans” were arrested.
Speaking earlier at a Vidovdan ceremony, Vucic – who has repeatedly claimed that the protests are being instigated by foreign actors – called for national unity and urged restraint. “Serbia always wins in the end,” he wrote on social media.
Calls in Iran for the execution of the UN nuclear watchdog chief are unacceptable, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has said Read Full Article at RT.com
Secretary of State Marco Rubio slams reported threats against Rafael Grossi in Iranian media
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio has condemned reported calls in Iran to execute Rafael Grossi, the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
Rubio’s comments came after Iran’s Kayhan newspaper reportedly accused Grossi of spying for Israel and suggested that, if he enters the country, he should be tried and executed.
“Calls in Iran for the arrest and execution of IAEA Director General Grossi are unacceptable and should be condemned,” Rubio wrote on X on Saturday.
“We support the IAEA’s critical verification and monitoring efforts in Iran and commend the Director General and the IAEA for their dedication and professionalism. We call on Iran to ensure the safety and security of IAEA personnel,” he added.
Earlier this week, Iran’s parliament voted to suspend cooperation with the UN watchdog. Following the vote, Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi announced that Grossi would be barred from entering the country.
Speaking to RT on Saturday, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei said the Iranian public is “angry” at the IAEA for failing to strongly condemn recent Israeli and US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities.
Israel has claimed the strikes were necessary to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Baghaei reiterated that Iran’s nuclear program remains peaceful, adding that there has been no weapons-grade enrichment of uranium.
Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi underlines the Iranian nation’s unwavering strength to resist those trying to impose on it and fight in defense of its homeland.
The IAEA chief’s claim that enriched uranium is hidden at an ancient site in Isfahan hands the US a pretext to target what terrifies them most – Iran’s culture and civilization.
Slovenian PM Robert Golob says EU member states will take punitive measures against Israel individually in case the bloc fails to take a hard line on the ongoing genocide in Gaza.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman has told RT that the nation’s nuclear program remains peaceful despite recent Israeli and US strikes Read Full Article at RT.com
Israeli claims that Iran has been secretly developing nuclear weapons are false, Esmail Baghaei says
Iran has no plans to obtain nuclear weapons but reserves the right to enrich uranium for civilian use, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei told RT on Saturday. He condemned recent Israeli and US strikes on Iran’s nuclear facilities as dangerous and unprovoked.
Baghaei dismissed Israeli claims that Tehran had secretly been developing nuclear weapons, which were cited as justification for the attacks. Reports from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) support Iran’s position, he added.“I think Iran has made it clear for the past two or three decades that it is not seeking nuclear weapons,” Baghaei said. “There has never been weapons-grade enrichment in Iran. Please, you can go through the reports by the IAEA and show me one single clue or evidence of Iran’s nuclear program deviating from peaceful purposes.”
“It is a matter of fact that Iran’s nuclear program remains totally peaceful,” he said.
The spokesman referred to remarks by the global watchdog’s chief, Rafael Grossi, who stated earlier this month that the agency had found no evidence of “a systematic effort” by Iran to develop nuclear arms.
Baghaei also voiced frustration with the IAEA for not strongly condemning the strikes. “What is expected from the IAEA and its Board of Governors is to remain loyal to their responsibilities and mandates by condemning, unambiguously, the US and Israeli regime’s attacks on our nuclear facilities,” he said.
He further defended Iran’s right to enrich uranium under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
“The US is offering a very dangerous interpretation of the NPT – that developing states have no right to use nuclear energy for peaceful purposes. It is not acceptable for any responsible, decent member of the NPT,” Baghaei said.
Earlier this week, Iran’s parliament passed a bill to suspend cooperation with the IAEA, accusing the agency of providing “a pretext” for the attacks.
White House Pressures Syria To Normalize Ties with Israel Amid 'Quiet Talks'
President Trump believes Syria may soon join the Abraham Accords, based on comments given to reporters by White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Friday. The reasoning seems to be that with Assad out, this provides an opportunity to control the outcome and force Damascus to make peace with Israel.
After all, Syria under the Assad family was the single fiercest, longtime enemy of Israel, with a de facto state of war on for half-a-century, centered on the occupied Golan Heights.
Leavitt told reporters that Trump remains optimistic about expanding the peace agreement. She confirmed that the president brought up the issue directly with Syria’s new de facto leader, Ahmad al-Sharaa (aka. US-terror designated Jolani) during this Riyadh visit and Gulf tour.
"One of President Trump’s main requests during his meeting with President Sharaa was for Syria to join the Abraham Accords," Leavitt said. "Achieving a lasting peace in the Middle East is a core objective for this administration."
Sharaa had reportedly told US Representative Cory Mills during a visit in April that Syria was open to joining the accords under the "right conditions."
US Special Envoy to Syria Thomas Barrack has also been bringing the pressure. He has recently referenced quiet discussions with Damascus underway, amid the reopening of the ambassador's residence in Damascus - a first since 2012.
Barrack encouraged the international community to give Syria's new leadership "an opportunity to prove its new direction."
However, so far the government stacked with Jolani's Hayat Tahrir al-Sham members has turned a blind eye to massacres targeting Alawites, Christians, and Druze - along the coast and in Damascus and elsewhere.
Sadly, this whole ugly reality seems to be missing from White House statements. Why didn't Trump name as a firm condition the protection of churches, for example, as a basis for dropping sanctions on Syria?
Just last week Mar Elias Orthodox Church in Damascus was attacked by a suicide bomber, resulting in the deaths of 25 people and scores more wounded.
Following the church bombing in Damascus, unknown individuals wrote "You're next" on the walls of Mar Elias Church in Kfarboum, Hama countryside. pic.twitter.com/XSAoO3gIQW
What government is looking out for Syria's religious minorities? Certainly Washington appears to have shrugged as Damascus' new hardline Sunni masters engage in deal-making, and a blind eye is turned to their ISIS and Al-Qaeda past.
The UK culture secretary and Israeli embassy have condemned anti-IDF chants during a Glastonbury performance as incitement Read Full Article at RT.com
The Israeli embassy has condemned the incident as “advocacy of ethnic cleansing”
UK police have launched an investigation after anti-Israel slogans were chanted by performers and audience members at the Glastonbury music festival. Both the Israeli embassy and UK government officials have condemned the incident, calling it inflammatory and potentially criminal.
On Friday, a member of the punk-rap duo Bob Vylan shouted “Death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces]” and other pro-Palestinian slogans during a live performance broadcast by the BBC. Videos shared on social media show the crowd – some waving Palestinian flags – echoing the chants.
Avon and Somerset Police said in a post on X that officers are reviewing video footage “to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation.”
The UK Regime & Police Launch A Crackdown Over “Death To The IDF” Chants
The BBC has been reprimanded by the British government for airing the live performance of duo Bob Vylan at Glastonbury.
A police probe was also launched into the incident. This comes after Kneecap was… pic.twitter.com/IDq21jUlM1
The Israeli embassy in London said it was “deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage,” describing it as “advocacy of ethnic cleansing.”
“Chants such as ‘Death to the IDF’ and ‘From the river to the sea’ are slogans that advocate for the dismantling of the State of Israel and implicitly call for the elimination of Jewish self-determination,” the embassy wrote on Saturday.
The statement also warned that public applause for such chants “raises serious concerns about the normalization of extremist language and the glorification of violence.”
A UK government spokesperson said Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy had spoken with BBC Director General Tim Davie and demanded an “urgent explanation.” The BBC has condemned the remarks made during Bob Vylan’s set as “deeply offensive” and stated the segment would not remain available on BBC iPlayer.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrations and a rise in anti-Semitic incidents have been reported in many countries since the start of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, where more than 56,000 Palestinians have been killed since 2023. The conflict was triggered by the October 7 Hamas attack that left around 1,200 Israelis dead and over 200 taken hostage.
The UK culture secretary and Israeli Embassy have condemned anti-IDF chants during the Glastonbury Festival as incitement Read Full Article at RT.com
The Israeli Embassy has condemned the incident as “advocacy of ethnic cleansing”
UK police have launched an investigation after anti-Israel slogans were chanted by performers and audience members at the Glastonbury music festival. The Israeli Embassy and UK government officials have condemned the incident, calling it inflammatory and potentially criminal.
On Friday, a member of the punk-rap duo Bob Vylan shouted, “Death to the IDF [Israel Defense Forces]” and other pro-Palestinian slogans during a live performance broadcast by the BBC. Videos shared on social media show the crowd – some waving Palestinian flags – echoing the chants.
Avon and Somerset Police said in a post on X that officers are reviewing video footage “to determine whether any offences may have been committed that would require a criminal investigation.”
The UK Regime & Police Launch A Crackdown Over “Death To The IDF” Chants
The BBC has been reprimanded by the British government for airing the live performance of duo Bob Vylan at Glastonbury.
A police probe was also launched into the incident. This comes after Kneecap was… pic.twitter.com/IDq21jUlM1
The Israeli Embassy in London said it was “deeply disturbed by the inflammatory and hateful rhetoric expressed on stage,” describing it as “advocacy of ethnic cleansing.”
“Chants such as ‘Death to the IDF’ and ‘From the river to the sea’ are slogans that advocate for the dismantling of the State of Israel and implicitly call for the elimination of Jewish self-determination,” the embassy wrote on Saturday.
The statement also warned that public applause for these chants “raises serious concerns about the normalization of extremist language and the glorification of violence.”
A UK government spokesperson said Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy had spoken with BBC Director General Tim Davie and demanded an “urgent explanation.” The BBC has condemned the remarks made during Bob Vylan’s set as “deeply offensive,” and stated that the segment would not remain available on BBC iPlayer.
Pro-Palestinian demonstrations and a rise in anti-Semitic incidents have been reported in many countries since the start of Israel’s military operation in Gaza, where more than 56,000 Palestinians have been killed since 2023. The conflict was triggered by the October 7 Hamas attack that left around 1,200 Israelis dead, with over 200 taken hostage.
A new study from JAMA Pediatrics should stop us in our tracks: early adolescents who report addictive use of screens—not just frequent use—are more than twice as likely to consider suicide within two years.
Not because they’re online too much, but because they can’t stop.
At the same time, a young woman named Caroline Koziol, once a top athlete and student, is suing TikTok and Instagram after their algorithms flooded her feed with eating disorder content. What began as a search for fitness tips spiraled into full-blown anorexia. Hers is just one of over 1,800 similar cases being filed.
This isn’t a glitch in the system. It is the system.
Social media platforms aren’t just reflecting our insecurities—they’re cultivating them. Why? Because insecurity is profitable. When a teen feels like they’re not enough—too fat, too plain, too quiet—they stay online longer. They scroll, they compare, they engage. And every second they spend chasing validation, someone else cashes in.
What we’re seeing is the weaponization of low self-worth, scaled by algorithm and monetized by design.
That may sound harsh. But let’s be honest: this is not new. For decades, the beauty industry, fashion, even wellness trends have profited from telling people—especially women and girls—that they’re not quite good enough as they are. Social media just industrialized the tactic.
Now, platforms optimize for compulsive behavior, not joy or creativity. Addictive engagement is rewarded; mental health is collateral damage.
The truth is, many industries benefit when people doubt themselves: advertisers profit from the fear of not measuring up, influencers and online gurus sell the illusion of “fixing” your flaws, and even parts of the pharmaceutical and therapy world expand when anxiety and depression rise.
And those are just the commercial beneficiaries. Politically, a public that lacks confidence is easier to sway. Easier to divide. Easier to control.
The erosion of self-worth isn’t just a personal struggle—it’s a public vulnerability. And in the digital age, it’s becoming systemic.
We need to call this what it is: a cultural emergency. The lawsuits against Meta and other platforms are a start, but they won’t be enough on their own. If we want meaningful change, we need three things:
First, legal and design accountability. Platforms must be held responsible for the psychological effects of the algorithms they deploy. That means transparency in how recommendation systems work and consequences when they clearly lead to harm.
Second, parental and educational empowerment. We must teach young people not only how to use tech—but how to resist it. To spot manipulation. To value themselves beyond a like count.
And third, we need a cultural shift. Self-worth cannot be treated as a niche concern or a private battle. It’s a foundation for freedom, resilience, and public health. When people believe they matter, they’re less likely to be controlled—and more likely to create.
Because the real danger isn’t just that tech platforms make people feel worthless. It’s that people don’t even realize it’s happening.
And when you don’t believe in your own worth, you’re willing to trade it—for anything that promises to give it back.
Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times or ZeroHedge.
Russian Military Instructs China How To Beat US & NATO Weapons
One key trend to have emerged over the course of the Russia-Ukraine war is that China, Iran, and Russia are increasingly and very openly cooperating militarily and technologically, including Moscow sharing experience gained in the course of its Ukraine ground operations.
Newsweekreports that "Russia plans to train hundreds of Chinese military personnel this year on lessons learned from its ongoing invasion of Ukraine," based on regional sources. Some of what has been 'learned' is how to defend against US-made and NATO-supplied weaponry - something which Beijing is surely interested in amid the long-running Taiwan standoff with Washington.
"Instructors will cover methods for countering weapons systems used by Ukrainian forces that were produced by the United States and its NATO allies, a source in Ukraine's top intelligence agency told the outlet," the Newsweek report continues.
Specifically 'lessons for a Taiwan conflict' would be gleaned:
This training would further strengthen security ties between Russia and its "no limits" ally China, which in recent years has stepped up joint military exercises. Battlefield insights into U.S. weaponry could offer an advantage as China seeks to surpass the U.S. as the leading military power in the Indo-Pacific.
And Ukraine's Defense Intelligence Directorate has told local media, the Kyiv Post, that "The Kremlin has decided to allow Chinese military personnel to study and adopt the combat experience Russia has gained in its war against Ukraine."
Not only have Russian forces destroyed and disabled possibly dozens of Western-supplied main battle tanks, including M1 Abrams, UK Challengers, and French Leopard 2's - but F16s have also been shot down.
American troop carriers have additionally been destroyed, and in some places Western armored vehicles have been put on display in the capital of Moscow, as trophies recovered from the battlefield.
Meanwhile, China this week hosted defense ministers from Iran and Russia for a meeting in its eastern seaside city of Qingdao.
The meeting happened Thursday, and importantly Qingdao is home to a major Chinese naval base, with the country's defense minister Dong Jun calling the PLA Navy and its bases a counterweight to a world in "chaos and instability."
"As momentous changes of the century accelerate, unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise," Dong said. Alongside defense chiefs from Russia and Iran, the military leaders of Pakistan and Belarus were also present.
He was further quoted in news agency Xinhua as decrying "Hegemonic, domineering and bullying acts" which "severely undermine the international order." The comments were clearly aimed at the Western alliance, and Washington in particular.
'The US will very likely fight a 3-front war against Russia, China and Iran, Palantir’s Alex Karp says'
CIA funded data mining company Palantir is supplying Israel's military & intel agencies with AI systems which generate targets at an unprecedented rate https://t.co/NNCa2Wj6kIpic.twitter.com/0faINK9HOu
China over the course of this month's Israeli and US bombings of Iran has condemned what it sees as blatant aggression against a non-nuclear power which was engaged in good faith negotiations. Beijing has also in the past issued statements calling out NATO for its constant expansion, and activity which has even been lately introduced in the Pacific region, and growing ties to Japan.
The strength of the dollar is used often synonymously with American strength, however, America and most other countries would benefit with the return of the classical gold standard as the basis of international trade.
America’s primary benefit from this change would be through the increased range of strategic possibilities.
While the dollar’s rule has made buying goods easier, it has often proved to be more of a source of worry than an asset. We must act more predictably and responsibly in the eyes of the world than we would otherwise because we cannot let the dollar lose value through a loss of trust. We feel the need to promote a strong picture of the ever-diminishing dollar in order to let it maintain its reserve currency status.
All our striving to prop up the dollar could very easily damage the economy almost irreparably.
We put ourselves at risk of massive inflation if for some reason, many of the countries that use dollars for hoarding wealth or exchange currency switched to BRICS. The dollar value is not a reflection of the strength of American industry, rather it is a reflection of the world’s perception coupled with a geopolitically dominant past that no longer exists.
A smooth transition to gold pegged international transactions could protect us from this strategic pain point and potential for high inflation. While the adjustment would be difficult, once we had adopted some gold-pegged system for trading with other countries, our ability to trade would remain constant regardless of the rest of the world’s valuation of our currency.
That sort of controversial and value-based decision could be replaced with the age old and painfully simple choice to hold onto gold. Smaller countries would make a huge step towards financial independence by achieving stability of trade with no strings attached.
Gold as the backbone of international trade would get rid of many of the market distortions that are possible through international currency.
Gold’s universally accepted value and stability would only grow as the volume traded of it increased. Once a more stable equilibrium price for gold had been found with the new international trade system, the value of gold would primarily change only as demand for liquidity increased. This new ordering of trade would beautifully use the price system to signal to countries when they should think twice about trade or seeking wealth outside of the country. Regardless of whether gold went up or down, it would signal the true state of the world rather than the manipulated monetary mixed message from every country with a currency and agenda.
Gold used as the primary medium of international trade would bolster industry, independence, and make the real state of the financial world much more observable. American companies would be able to trade as they wished without having to eat the tax of a falsely high-valued currency. Other countries would be freer, more financially stable, and able to disconnect themselves more convincingly from the power struggles of the rest of the world. Gold as the exchange currency of the world would cut through the noise created by financial and geopolitical engineering and allow real productivity
Bibi Fumes After IDF Soldiers Confirm Lethal Weapons Routinely Used On Crowds At Gaza Aid Sites
Soon after the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF) began distributing aid to war-torn Gaza in May, disturbing reports emerged of Israeli soldiers killing unarmed Palestinians approaching aid points for food. As the world's eyes turned from Gaza to Israel attack on Iran, the pace of these reported killings increased -- with multiple incidents claiming more than 50 lives each. Now, Israel's oldest daily newspaper has dropped a bombshell report, withIsraeli soldiers and officers confirming the routine use of deadly force on unarmed Palestinians as a barbaric form of crowd control -- with the practice carried out under orders from superior officers.
This morning in Gaza, Palestinians went to receive American aid from the GHF. Israeli forces opened fire on them, turning a humanitarian moment into a massacre. pic.twitter.com/92Qr4qLENk
Employing a rhetorical device frequently used when Israel is accused of lethal wrongdoing, Netanyahu dismissed the newspaper's report as a "blood libel" against the IDF
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) called the soldiers' and officers' accounts "vicious lies designed to discredit...the most moral army in the world."
However, perhaps bowing to the sheer breadth of the report by Haaretz, the IDF says it's investigating the allegations.
According to the enlisted soldiers and officers who spoke to Haaretz, a variety of deadly weapons have been routinely used as a means of communicating whether Palestinians have permission to approach the aid stations.
The distribution centers typically open for just one hour each morning. According to officers and soldiers who served in their areas, the IDF fires at people who arrive before opening hoursto prevent them from approaching, or again after the centers close, to disperse them. Since some of the shooting incidents occurred at night – ahead of the opening – it's possible that some civilians couldn't see the boundaries of the designated area. -- Haaretz
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Follow The Money: Where Buffett's $6 Billion Donation Could Really End Up
Bloomberg reports Warren Buffett has donated roughly $6 billion in Berkshire Hathaway shares to five foundations, continuing his long-standing philanthropic commitment. However, the financial outlet conveniently overlooks any scrutiny of where that money may ultimately be going. A closer examination of these nonprofits reveals some highly questionable connections.
A Berkshire Hathaway press release stated that Buffett converted 8,239 Class A shares into 12,358,500 Class B shares in order to donate those B shares to five foundations:
9,433,839 to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust,
943,384 shares to the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation
and 660,366 shares to each of the Sherwood Foundation, Howard G. Buffett Foundation, and NoVo Foundation.
"The mathematics of the lifetime commitments to the five foundations are interesting," Buffett wrote in a statement, adding, "99½% of my estate is destined for philanthropic usage."
The bulk of the shares—9,433,839 in total—are headed to the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Trust, a cornerstone funder of Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, which leads global vaccination efforts. Over the years, Gavi has received at least $1 billion from USAID, amplifying Gates' private contributions (and others) through public funding. Gates was angered when the Trump administration dismantled USAID, in which the billionaire went on a legacy media outlet to bash Elon Musk's DOGE.
Bill Gates says Donald Trump & Elon Musk spending USAID could lead to millions of deaths pic.twitter.com/SaAW6SN8js
The remaining 2.92 million shares will be donated to his children's foundations — Sherwood Foundation, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and NoVo Foundation — as well as the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation, named after the billionaire's late wife.
Using publicly available data, we mapped the leadership and affiliations of each of these nonprofits to gain a better understanding of where these funds could potentially flow through the complex web of nonprofits.
Sherwood Foundation
Howard G. Buffett Foundation
NoVo Foundation
Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation
One notable connection we uncovered involving the Susan Thompson Buffett Foundation is its link to the Sunshine Lady Foundation, which is further connected to the Here to Help Foundation—an organization tied to United Way, a group that has faced allegations of using federal grant money to provide free services to undocumented immigrants.
Mapping out the connections, the Here to Help Foundation is also linked to the McGregor Fund...
Let's say the McGregor Fund President Kate Levin Markel is no fan of 'Make America Great Again'...
Markel praised New York Federal Reserve Visiting Scholar Clara Miller, who recently opined:
This is a moment for all such institutions, including foundations, to stand up and be counted together. Whatever our personal views, we must call out and resist this unprecedented and intolerable intrusion by the government into our fundamental rights as Americans. Trump's deep state intruders will simply be emboldened unchecked if we take no action and insist on silence.
Miller's current and past experiences, as listed on her LinkedIn account...
While there are more questions than answers, one thing is clear: Buffett's $6 billion donation in Berkshire shares is set to flow into a network of nonprofits that appear aligned with left-leaning causes, some of which have been tied to very questionable progressive agendas.
In a recent New York Times opinion article, Amos Yadlin, a former chief of Israel’s military intelligence, attempted to defend Israel’s recent decision to start a war with Iran, in which Israel was briefly joined by the U.S. government under the administration of President Donald Trump.
Under the headline “Why Israel Had to Act,” Yadlin’s opening sentence states, “Forty-four years ago this June, I sat in the cockpit on the Israeli air force mission that destroyed Iraq’s Osirak nuclear reactor. In one daring operation, we eliminated Saddam Hussein’s nuclear ambitions.”
The parallels between that event and the current war on Iran are indeed remarkable—but the real lesson to be learned from it is precisely the opposite of the one Yadlin draws.
The claim that Israel’s bombing of Iraq’s Osirak reactor in 1981 halted or set back Saddam Hussein’s efforts to acquire a nuclear weapons capability is a popular myth.
In fact, Iraq had been a party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) since it came into force in 1970, and its nuclear program was under the safeguards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which had reported that the program was in compliance with Iraq’s legal obligations under the treaty.
Israel, by contrast, is known to possess nuclear weapons and “has not adhered to” the NPT, as the United Nations Security Council observed in Resolution 487. Unanimously adopted on June 19, 1981, that resolution strongly condemned Israel’s act of aggression.
The Security Council recognized:
“…the inalienable sovereign right of Iraq and all other States, especially the developing countries, to establish programmes of technological and nuclear development to develop their economy and industry for peaceful purposes in accordance with their present and future needs and consistent with the internationally accepted objectives of preventing nuclear-weapons proliferation…”
The Council described Israel’s attack as “a serious threat to the entire safeguards regime of the International Atomic Energy Agency” and called on Israel “urgently to place its nuclear facilities under the safeguards” of the IAEA.
It warrants emphasis that the US government neither abstained from the vote nor used its veto power to block that resolution. The most parsimonious explanation for this is that there was no evidence Iraq had a nuclear weapons program, and Israel’s bombing was instead likely to push Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in that direction and otherwise undermine the goal of nuclear non-proliferation.
In an interagency intelligence assessment titled “Implications of Israeli Attack on Iraq,” dated July 1, 1981, the U.S. intelligence community provided its assessment, stating that
“The US-Israeli relationship once more is a central issue in regional politics, and new strains have been added to US-Arab relations. Washington’s ability to promote Arab cooperation against a Soviet threat or to bring the Arabs and Israelis to the bargaining table has been struck a hard blow. Arab leaders far from the frontlines in the Levant have been shown that their military and economic facilities are not beyond the reach of Israel’s striking power. Rather than drawing them into a negotiating process, Israel’s demonstrated prowess will only speed the arms race.”
Further, Saddam Hussein responded to the attack “by suggesting that world governments provide the Arabs with a nuclear deterrent to Israel’s formidable nuclear capabilities. His message to other Arabs is that they can have no security as long as Israel alone commands the nuclear threat.”
The attack also caused “damage to the Non-Proliferation Treat (NPT) and to the IAEA safeguards system,” with Israel having justified its attack “on the grounds that the IAEA safeguards system is a sham.” The assessment was that this “probably will have a detrimental impact.”
Iraq had received “the support of most IAEA members because of general acceptance that international and bilateral safeguards over Iraq’s program were sufficient to guard against the diversion of fissile material for a nuclear device.”
In sum, the attack did not halt an Iraqi nuclear weapons program but was the impetus that drove Saddam Hussein to subsequently attempt to acquire a nuclear deterrent to Israel’s aggression. Beyond that, the destruction of the Osirak reactor threatened to undermine the IAEA safeguards framework, thus heightening rather than mitigating the threat of nuclear weapons proliferation.
In 2003, the United States waged an illegal war of aggression against Iraq on a pretext of lies to overthrow the regime of Saddam Hussein—who had waged war against Iran throughout most of the 1980s with American support.
In 2007, the U.S. intelligence community produced a National Intelligence Estimate (NIE) about Iran’s nuclear program, which has been similarly operating under the IAEA safeguards regime. The assessment was that Iran had been working toward a weapons capability until the United States took out Iran’s enemy Saddam Hussein in 2003, at which time the program was halted and never resumed.
That remained the US intelligence community’s assessment with another NIE issued in 2011. That same year, former Mossad chief Meir Dagan said, “An aerial attack against Iran’s nuclear reactors would be foolish.” He warned that it could start a regional war with unforeseeable consequences.
Notwithstanding the fearmongering proclamations from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that Iran was working to build nukes, documents leaked to Al Jazeera in 2015 revealed that the assessment of Israel’s infamous intelligence organization the Mossad was that Iran was not pursuing a nuclear weapon.
In January of this year, the outgoing director of the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), William Burns, reiterated the US intelligence community’s longstanding assessment in an interview with NPR, saying that there was no sign that Iran had decided to move forward with nuclear weapons development.
On March 25, Trump’s Director of National Intelligence (DNI), Tulsi Gabbard, testified to the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence that the intelligence community “continues to assess that Iran is not building a nuclear weapon and Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has not authorized the nuclear weapons program he suspended in 2003.”
The decision by the American and Israeli governments to bomb Iran’s nuclear facilities illustrates how the lessons of the past remain unlearned. Rather than preventing Iran from developing nuclear weapons, this action will only cause Iran to reconsider the need for a nuclear deterrent against American and Israeli aggression and otherwise undermine the international nuclear non-proliferation safeguards framework.
As observed by the Libertarian Institute’s Bill Buppert, host of Chasing Ghosts: An Irregular Warfare Podcast, one option for Iran is to withdraw from the NPT—their parliament has just voted to suspend cooperation with the IAEA—and state that it will rejoin the treaty and accept the IAEA safeguards framework once Israel does the same.
Iran would also be acting within reason to insist that the United States formally acknowledge its right to enrich uranium for nuclear energy as a condition for rejoining the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, especially since the whole current disaster is a consequence of the US government persistent rejection of Iran’s recognized rights under the NPT.
If Washington would like to deter threats to peace by getting other countries to comply with international law, it should start by ending its own criminal violence—including the Trump administration’s continued support for Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza.
The Yemeni people across the capital Sana’a and other provinces took to the streets in powerful Friday demonstrations to express their solidarity with Iran.
People in Indian-administered Kashmir have expressed their solidarity with the Iranian nation following the recent 12-day of Israeli war of aggression against the Islamic Republic.
An Iranian diplomat says initial findings suggest that the occupying Tel Aviv regime smuggled scores of micro air vehicles (MAVs) into Iran via neighboring countries in the run-up to its recent war of aggression.
Senior commander underlines that Iran only engaged less than five percent of its defensive might against the Israeli regime during the latter’s recent unprovoked war.
Iran’s ambassador and permanent representative to the United Nations has affirmed the Islamic Republic’s determination to continue its enrichment activities within its borders.
Iran’s ambassador to the United Nations strongly condemns the US and Israeli regime officials’ “terror-inciting” remarks against the Leader of the Islamic Revolution Seyyed Ali Khamenei.
Venezuela has awarded the 2025 Simon Bolívar National Journalism Award to Iranian news anchor Sahar Emami for her courage during the Israeli regime's attack on IRIB’s news studio building.
Israeli terrorist attack on June 24 devastated a family home in northern Iran, killing 15, including a nuclear scientist, exposing the brutal civilian targeting.
Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei has compared the 1987 Sardasht chemical attack to the ongoing Gaza genocide, criticizing self-proclaimed human rights defenders for their continued silence in the face of blatant human rights violations.
Millions of Iranians flooded the streets nationwide in a historic show of unity, defiance, bidding farewell to the victims of the Israeli regime’s brutal attacks on Iran.
Iran Holds Huge Public Funeral For Slain Military Commanders & Scientists
Hundreds of thousands of people are in the streets of Tehran on Saturday for a funeral procession honoring military commanders, nuclear scientists, as well as civilians killed in Israeli strikes earlier this month.
State television broadcast scenes of mourners dressed in black, waving Iranian flags, and holding photos of the deceased during the ceremony. It further involved Iranian flag-draped coffins and large displays of portraits depicting slain uniformed commanders in central Tehran.
Both the Israeli and Iranian sides have been declaring 'victory' following the 12-days of airstrikes and also ballistic and hypersonic missile fire on Israel.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has charged that President Trump is "grossly exaggerating" when he says that Iran's nuclear program was obliterated - though Iranian officials have publicly conceded that there was serious damage at key facilities.
Among the prominent figures mourned in the events were General Hossein Salami, the commander of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, and General Amir Ali Hajizadeh, head of the Guard’s ballistic missile program.
Both were said to be killed on the opening day of the surprise attack. Also honored was the slain Major General Mohammad Bagheri of the Revolutionary Guard, and the leading nuclear scientist Mohammad Mehdi Tehranchi.
There are reports that car bombs and drones guided from within the country (via Israeli spy assets on the ground) also assisted in targeted assassinations.
Thousands of mourners lined the streets of Tehran for the state funeral service for around 60 Iranians, including military commanders, killed during the recent Israel-Iran war. Of the 60 people who are to be laid to rest after the ceremony, four are children and four are women. pic.twitter.com/9lyAYTjCRQ
Heard from the large funeral processions were at times chants of "Death to America" and "Death to Israel" as their coffins were driven along Azadi Street.
At least 60 burials for civilians, including four women and four children, also took place according to state media. According to details from CNN:
Hundreds of thousands filled the streets of Tehran on Saturday to commemorate the senior military commanders, nuclear scientists and civilians killed during Iran’s 12-day conflict with Israel.
As mourners clad in all black chanted death to Israel and America, Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi acknowledged the loss of lives was “hard and painful” but pledged the nation would return to “new glory.”
Plenty of banners were seen in the processions proclaimed 'victory' for Iran...
Banners reading “Boom Boom Tel Aviv” are carried at the funeral procession for the “Martyrs of Might" in Tehran.
“Boom Boom Tel Aviv” is a song by American artist Lukas Gage in support of Iran’s Armed Forces. It trended on YouTube with 577 million views in less than 24 hours. pic.twitter.com/Tqc1XjudnJ
Iran's state-run Press TV has called the event the "funeral procession of the Martyrs of Power" and in total involved the burial and memorials for at least 16 scientists and ten senior commanders.
President Donald Trump said on Friday that he may appoint someone who is more inclined to lower interest rates to succeed Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell.
“If I think somebody’s going to keep the rates where they are or whatever, I’m not going to put them in. I’m going to put somebody that wants to cut rates,” Trump told reporters at the Oval Office.
Trump criticized Powell for not lowering interest rates and said that he would “love” the head of the U.S. Federal Reserve to step down if Powell chooses to do so.
The president suggested lowering rates to 1 percent, although he believes cutting interest rates by two percentage points would save the country “more than $600 billion” annually.
“I think we should be paying 1 percent right now,” he said.
The Fed decided last week to keep its benchmark policy rate unchanged at 4.25 to 4.50 percent.
Powell, whose term is set to expire in May next year, has held off on cutting interest rates, citing the need for more clarity on the possible course of the economy following the administration’s policy changes.
During his semi-annual monetary policy report to Congress on June 24, he told lawmakers that the central bank is waiting to determine if Trump’s global tariffs will result in consumer inflation.
While data over the last three months indicate that price pressures have yet to materialize, Powell said that any tariff-related inflation could appear in the June or July data.
“As we go through the summer, we should start seeing this,” he said. “If we don’t, I think we’re perfectly open to the idea that the pass-through will be less than we think.”
Powell stated that the central bank may begin cutting interest rates if it observes that inflation pressures remain contained.
Trump said on Friday that lowering interest rates now could save the country “hundreds of billions of dollars.” He suggested that the Fed could raise rates later if inflation begins to increase.
“If you were there, you’d say ... the United States is doing well, there is no inflation. And if they do get inflation in a year or two, we’ll start raising the rates,” he stated.
Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One earlier this month that he would decide on Powell’s successor “very soon.”
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said in a CNBC interview on June 27 that there is a possibility that someone could be nominated to succeed Powell between October and November.
When asked if he might become the next Fed chair, Bessent said he “will do what the president wants,” but indicated that he would prefer to stay in his current role.
The former Liverpool boss has criticized the tournament’s potential impact on the health of players Read Full Article at RT.com
The former Liverpool boss has criticized the tournament’s potential impact on the health of players
FIFA’s newly expanded Club World Cup is “the worst idea ever implemented in football,” according to former Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp.
In an interview with the German newspaper Die Welt on Friday, Klopp criticized the 32-team tournament, which is held every four years, for overburdening players in what is already a packed calendar.
The 2025 Club World Cup, currently underway in the US, began on June 14, just two weeks after the Champions League final, and runs until July 13. Unlike previous editions that included only a handful of teams, this revamped version mirrors the format of the FIFA World Cup, with eight groups of four teams each.
Klopp argued that the competition is “pointless” and “whoever wins it will be the worst winner of all time because they’ll have played all summer and then gone straight back into the league.”
Klopp also criticized the decision-makers behind the tournament, stating “people who have never been involved in the day-to-day business of football and are now coming up with ideas.”
The German coach, who led Liverpool to its first Premier League title in the 2019–2020 season, warned that the expanded FIFA tournament would entail minimal recovery time for players, potentially increasing the risk of injuries and mental exhaustion. “It’s too many games. I fear that next season we will see injuries like never before. If not then, they’ll come during or after the Club World Cup,” Klopp said.
Klopp, now serving as head of global soccer for Red Bull, which owns the clubs RB Leipzig and the New York Red Bulls, is widely regarded as one of the world’s best football managers.
Tehran has accused the nuclear watchdog of issuing a “biased report” that was used to justify the Israeli and US attacks Read Full Article at RT.com
Tehran has accused the nuclear watchdog of issuing a “biased report” that was used to justify the Israeli and US attacks
Iran has barred the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) from visiting its nuclear facilities. Tehran has accused the agency of distorting facts in a recent report, thereby providing justification for the recent Israeli and US strikes against the Islamic Republic.
The vice speaker of the Iranian Parliament, Hamid Reza Haji Babaei, announced on Saturday that Tehran would no longer allow IAEA personnel, including chief Rafael Grossi personally, to inspect its nuclear sites, as quoted by the local media outlet Mehr. The agency’s surveillance cameras will cease operating at the facilities, he added.
Earlier this week, Iran's constitutional watchdog, the Guardian Council, approved a legislation to suspend cooperation with the IAEA until Iran is given security guarantees for its nuclear facilities. The bill is currently awaiting ratification.
Israel, which has for years has claimed that Tehran is secretly developing a nuclear weapon program, launched massive airstrikes against Iran on June 13, targeting several nuclear sites and a number of senior military commanders and scientists believed to be involved in the nuclear program. Last Sunday, the US joined the Israeli military campaign, striking the Natanz, Isfahan and Fordow nuclear facilities. Shortly thereafter, a ceasefire was reached between Israel and Iran.
Iran has maintained that its nuclear program is strictly peaceful in nature.
In a post on X last week, Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baqaei accused the IAEA of issuing a “biased report” that “obscured this truth” and was “instrumentalized… to craft a resolution” that was later used by Israel to justify “an unlawful attack” on Iran’s nuclear facilities. He also suggested that the agency had handed over “sensitive facility data” to Israel.
The document released earlier this month stated that “Iran is the only non-nuclear-weapon state in the world that is producing and accumulating uranium enriched to 60%.”
The UN nuclear watchdog’s board then declared Iran in breach of its non-proliferation duties for the first time in 20 years, with 19 out of 35 IAEA member states backing the motion, including the US, UK, France, and Germany.
Appearing on CNN last Thursday, Grossi insisted that the watchdog’s report “could hardly be a basis for military action.” He added that the agency did not “have any indication that there is a systematic program in Iran to manufacture, to produce a nuclear weapon.”
On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov stated that the “Europeans… were actively preparing Grossi so that he would put the most ambiguously negative formulations into his report.” Weeks before the Israeli and US airstrikes against Iran, Reuters cited anonymous diplomats as making allegations to the same effect.
Scuffles between protesters and police have been reported at a major anti-government demonstration in Belgrade Read Full Article at RT.com
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic previously warned that violent unrest would not be tolerated
Scuffles between protesters and police have been reported at a large anti-government demonstration on Saturday in Belgrade, Serbia.
The new round of protests comes as the Serbian government refused to heed an ultimatum previously issued by protesters demanding the dissolution of the parliament and new elections. A deadline of 9pm on Saturday evening had been set for the government to take action.
Footage from the scene shows rowdy protesters, many of whom have their faces covered, pelting law enforcement with various projectiles, including stones and flares.
The police have deployed armored vehicles to the streets of Belgrade and were seen charging the violent crowd.
Riot police armed with shields and batons were seen pushing the protesters away from the government quarter, securing the area around the parliament building.
Earlier in the day, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic vowed to “defend the country” against the unrest, reiterating the government’s position that the protests have been instigated by “foreign powers.” The president warned the protesters against violence, stating that would be a life-changing mistake on their part.
The latest demonstration follows months of recurring, student-led unrest, sparked by the deadly collapse of a concrete canopy at a railway station in Novy Sad last November. The protesters have demanded criminal and political accountability over the incident, which left 16 people dead.
Clashes between protesters and police have been reported at a major anti-government demonstration in Belgrade Read Full Article at RT.com
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic previously warned that riots would not be tolerated
Protesters clashed with police during a large anti-government demonstration in Belgrade, Serbia on Saturday.
The latest unrest erupted after the Serbian government rejected an ultimatum from demonstrators demanding the dissolution of parliament and the scheduling of new elections. The deadline set by the activists expired at 9pm.
Footage from the scene shows masked protesters hurling stones, flares, and other projectiles at law enforcement officers.
The police have deployed armored vehicles to the streets of Belgrade and were seen charging the violent crowd.
Riot police armed with shields and batons were seen pushing the protesters away from the government quarter, securing the area around the parliament building.
Police chief Dragan Vasiljevic said the officers had “acted very professionally” and used only “minimal force” to prevent rioting. He reported that six officers and two civilians were injured, and that several people had been detained.
Earlier in the day, Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic vowed to “defend the country,” reiterating the government’s claim that the protests were instigated by “foreign powers.” He warned activists against resorting to violence.
The latest demonstration follows months of recurring, student-led protests sparked by the collapse of a concrete canopy at a railway station in Novi Sad last November, which killed 16 people. The incident triggered nationwide outrage and demands for accountability.
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