Trump vows to hit Iran “very hard”; Tehran says ceasefire is now “meaningless”; Albanians protest Kushner resort
Drop Site Daily: June 11, 2026
President Donald Trump vows to hit Iran “very hard tonight. U.S. launches new strikes on Iran. Iran strikes U.S. bases in response. Iran closes Strait of Hormuz. Iran says ceasefire rendered “meaningless,” will target “American interests” throughout the Gulf. Trump claims U.S. has secretly moved “millions of barrels” of oil through Hormuz. Three Indian seafarers killed after U.S. strikes oil tanker near Strait of Hormuz. U.S. strikes appear to have destroyed drinking water facility in southern Iran serving 20,000 people. Israeli strikes kill four, wound at least 25, including medical staff, across southern Lebanon. Israeli strikes on Gaza kill two, wound three. Two Palestinian Red Crescent medics forcibly disappeared. Trump says “I love the inflation.” House to vote on Section 702 surveillance program. Trump demands Republicans immediately pass $350 billion defense boost and election overhaul. Trump administration blocks Mamdani’s planned meeting with Colombian president, threatening arrest. FBI raids target pro-Palestine activists indicted on actions related to Univ. of Michigan divesting from Israel. State Department launches investigation of political analyst Trita Parsi, may seek to deport green card holder over Iran commentary. Israeli forces raid villages in Syria. Colombian commission head proposes suspending President Gustavo Petro. Mexico to open World Cup against a backdrop of protests. Two Kuki community members killed in dawn attack in India’s Manipur. RSF drone strikes kill five in Sudan’s North Kordofan. Thousands march in Tirana in largest protest yet against Jared Kushner-backed resort near protected Albanian wetland. Keiko Fujimori retakes lead from leftist rival in Peru vote count.
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Iran and Ceasefire
Trump vows to hit Iran “very hard” tonight: President Donald Trump announced the U.S. will attack Iran again tonight following two days of back and forth strikes in the most serious escalation in the war since a ceasefire was declared on April 8. “The United States will be hitting Iran (Whose Navy, Air Force, Radar, Anti Aircraft, and all other forms of Defense, together with most of its offensive capability, are GONE!), VERY HARD TONIGHT,” Trump posted on social media. “At some point in the not too distant future, we will be taking Kharg Island, and other oil infrastructure points, and assume total control of their Oil and Gas Markets, much like we have with Venezuela.”
U.S. launches new strikes on Iran:
The U.S. military launched strikes “against multiple targets in Iran” overnight, claiming the strikes were in “self-defense” in response to “Iran’s unwarranted and continued aggression.”
Iranian media reported attacks in numerous locations, including the port city of Bandar Abbas, Qeshm Island, Sirik and Minab in the south, and Karaj west of Tehran.
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) said sites hit included a manufacturing complex, a military barracks and a local IRGC base outside of Tehran.
Explosions were heard across Hormozgan province, the southern coastal region bordering the Strait of Hormuz, with four blasts occurring in the coastal town of Sirik, according to Tasnim News.
A strike was reported near Minab, roughly 60 miles east of Bandar Abbas, and additional explosions were heard near Korgan Port on the Gulf of Oman Coast. Two people were wounded in the Korgan attack, according to an IRIB reporter in the city. A blast was also reported in Bandar Abbas itself by the Fars Gulf Broadcasting Center.
U.S. Central Command announced the end of the strikes Thursday morning and said they targeted “Iranian military surveillance capabilities, communication systems and air defense sites.”
Strikes were reported in the central Iranian city of Karaj, however, on Wednesday evening, with the Tehran province’s emergency chief announcing that three people had been injured by the attacks on Thursday. Strikes were also reported near Nazarabad, northwest of Tehran, and on an IRGC base in Pishva, southeast of the capital
Iran strikes U.S. bases in response:
Iran launched retaliatory strikes on U.S. forces in the region, including Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan. The IRGC said its Aerospace Force and Navy had struck and destroyed 18 targets at U.S. military bases in the Gulf on Wednesday, including Ali al-Salem and Ahmad al-Jaber air bases in Kuwait and the Sheikh Isa air base in Bahrain.
In Bahrain, the Iranian military reportedly targeted communication antennas and radar facilities used by Sheikh Isa’s Patriot air defense system.
Early Thursday, the IRGC announced that it struck the U.S. Al-Azraq air base in Jordan with 12 ballistic missiles. It claimed the strikes destroyed aircraft parking areas, the base’s command center, and “a large number” of American F-35, F-15, and F-16 fighter jets.
Iran closes Strait of Hormuz: Iran’s newly established body overseeing the Strait of Hormuz, the Persian Gulf Strait Authority (PGSA) and the Iranian military announced the complete closure of the strait until further notice. “Due to the tensions caused by the aggression of the American forces in the region and the announcement made last night by the Iranian armed forces, the Strait of Hormuz will be closed until further notice,” the PGSA said in a post on X. “Applicants who have been granted a transit permit are asked to be patient and wait for instructions from the PGSA.” Earlier, Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, warned that “any movement of vessels through the Strait of Hormuz will be targeted.” The command said the closure covered oil tankers and commercial ships alike, citing what it called the “criminal aggressions of the American enemy.” CENTCOM denied the strait was closed, saying in a social media post overnight, “Commercial ships are continuing to transit in and out of the Strait of Hormuz tonight.”
Iran says ceasefire rendered “meaningless,” will target “American interests” throughout the Gulf:
The Iranian foreign ministry condemned the latest U.S. strikes, saying the attacks have rendered the ceasefire “practically meaningless.” In a statement, the ministry said: “The illegal and criminal attacks by the U.S. in recent hours are not only a flagrant violation of the United Nations Charter and the fundamental rules of international law regarding respect for national sovereignty and territorial integrity of states, but have also rendered the ceasefire practically meaningless.”
After Fox News reported on Wednesday evening that Trump had spoken “directly” with Iranian officials who “asked him to stop bombing,” an official denied any such contact to Iran’s IRIB News Agency. The official argued that this “pure falsehood” was employed as a cover by Trump to avoid a full war with Iran.
Before Wednesday’s strikes were announced, an Iranian official told Drop Site’s Jeremy Scahill that if the U.S. resumed the war, Iran would launch attacks targeting U.S. “interests” throughout the region. “We have taken advantage of the ceasefire to restore and strengthen our missile capabilities,” he said.
The official accused Trump of lacking “the ability to make the decision necessary to end his disgraceful war.” He also told Scahill that the basic outlines of a deal were in place and Trump “disrupted” the agreed-upon negotiating framework by making new demands. “From our perspective, there is absolutely no possibility of responding,” to these demands, the official said, as they fall “outside the framework of negotiations.”
Trump claims U.S. has secretly moved “millions of barrels” of oil through Hormuz: President Donald Trump claimed Wednesday that U.S. forces have been covertly moving “millions of barrels of oil” through the Strait of Hormuz each night to stabilize global energy markets amid the war with Iran, offering no evidence for a claim that is also not corroborated by any maritime traffic monitors. “Did you know we’ve been taking out millions of barrels of oil?” he asked a press gaggle at the White House. “Nobody knows it,” Trump said. He credited these alleged shipments, which were also able to evade Iranian radar detection, with holding oil prices to the current $85–95 per barrel range, arguing they would otherwise have surged to $250.
Three Indian seafarers killed after U.S. strikes oil tanker near Strait of Hormuz: Three Indian sailors were killed by a U.S. strike on the Palau-flagged oil tanker Settebello off the coast of Oman on Wednesday, India’s shipping minister Sarbananda Sonowal confirmed. The three were initially reported missing before their bodies were recovered; 21 of the 24 Indian crew members were rescued. CENTCOM said a U.S. aircraft fired precision munitions into the ship’s engine room late June 9 after the crew “repeatedly failed to comply” with American instructions, claiming the tanker was carrying Iranian oil in violation of its blockade. India condemned the strike and summoned the U.S. chargé d’affaires in New Delhi.
The U.S. attacked another ship overnight, according to a statement by CENTCOM, making it the third vessel attacked by the U.S. in the Gulf this week. The attack on the Guinea-Bissau-flagged and Indian-crewed Jalveer, prompted the Indian foreign ministry to call for U.S. operations against Gulf shipping vessels to “cease.” The spokesperson added that the ongoing attacks on “shipping in the region are deeply worrisome and are a direct consequence of the ongoing conflict there”.
Israeli military confirms Iranian strikes caused damage at Ramat David Airbase: The Israeli military confirmed Thursday that this week’s Iranian missile barrage caused damage at the Israel Air Force’s Ramat David Airbase, though it claimed that the damage resulted from intercepted ballistic missile debris rather than a direct hit, according to the Times of Israel. Satellite imagery published Tuesday appeared to show damage to a warehouse on the base. The military said no equipment was damaged, no injuries were reported, and the airbase remained fully operational.
Energy Secretary Wright claims Hormuz traffic rising: Energy Secretary Chris Wright told Congress Wednesday that ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz is rising “very meaningfully,” though he acknowledged that he could not quantify the characterization. Kpler recorded just eight monitored commercial and non-commercial transits between June 5 and 7, and while Lloyd’s List and Windward found average daily “dark” transits have risen from two to six over the past week, that figure remains a small fraction of the roughly 135 ships per day that passed through Hormuz before the war.
U.S. Treasury sanctions China- and Hong Kong-based networks over Iranian weapons: The U.S. Treasury Department sanctioned nine individuals and entities Wednesday, accused of facilitating weapons procurement for Iran’s military. Most targets are based in China and Hong Kong, including a Hong Kong firm the U.S. accuses of operating within Iran’s covert banking network; the State Department concurrently sanctioned two entities and two individuals in Iran and Belarus over arms activities.
U.S. strikes appear to have destroyed drinking water facility in southern Iran serving 20,000 people: U.S. airstrikes early Wednesday appear to have destroyed a drinking water facility in the village of Bemani on Iran’s southern coast near the Strait of Hormuz, cutting off water to more than 20,000 people, a New York Times analysis of satellite imagery and verified footage found. Weapon fragments recovered from the site were identified by researchers as remnants of a GBU-39 precision-guided glide bomb, consistent with a clean hole punched through a roof of the facility. Both buildings stood outside the village with no other infrastructure in the immediate vicinity, the report noted, and striking the center of a roof with a precision munition is considered an indicator of an intentional strike. Deliberately striking civilian water facilities could constitute a war crime under international law.
Downed Apache helicopter was part of mission to escort ships through Strait of Hormuz, official says: The U.S. Army Apache helicopter that went down over the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday was participating in a previously undisclosed mission to protect commercial shipping through the waterway, a senior U.S. official told The Wall Street Journal. The covert operation, which Trump acknowledged during a press gaggle on Wednesday, has relied on U.S. fighter jets and helicopters escorting oil tankers and merchant vessels through the strait, the Journal reported. The official said the Apache was defending ships from Iranian drones and missiles when it went down.
Lebanon
Killed and wounded: At least 3,711 people have been killed, and 11,483 wounded, in Israeli attacks on Lebanon since March 2, according to the Lebanese Health Ministry.
Israeli strikes kill four, wound at least 25, including medical staff, across southern Lebanon:
Strike near hospital: An Israeli airstrike on a residential building near Hiram Hospital in the southern city of Tyre killed one person and wounded 17 others, including 10 nurses and hospital staff, according to the state’s National News Agency (NNA). The strike caused extensive damage to parts of the hospital, including patient rooms and the emergency department, while shattering windows and damaging vehicles belonging to doctors and employees.
One person was killed and seven wounded in Israeli strikes on the town of Abbasiya in the Tyre district, the NNA reported.
An Israeli drone strike on a motorcycle on the Habboush highway killed its rider, while another strike killed one person in Sahmar and wounded another in the Mashghara plain.
Israeli soldier wounded in Hezbollah drone attack in southern Lebanon: An Israeli soldier was wounded on Thursday after an explosive-laden drone targeted Israeli forces operating in southern Lebanon, according to the Times of Israel. Earlier in the day, Hezbollah said in a series of statements that it had targeted Israeli military vehicles and troop gatherings in the southern Lebanese towns of Tayr Harfa, Deir Siryan, and Adaisseh with drones and rockets, as a “response to Israeli violations of the ceasefire and ongoing attacks.” At least 29 Israeli soldiers have been killed in southern Lebanon, according to the Israeli military.
Saudi Arabia lifts years-long ban on Lebanese exports: Saudi Arabia will resume receiving Lebanese exports, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman announced Wednesday, ending a ban imposed in April 2021, stemming from concerns over drug-smuggling and Hezbollah’s influence over the Lebanese state. The decision was communicated in a call between Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam, with Riyadh citing “positive steps” by Beirut, including rebuilding state institutions. Lebanese President Joseph Aoun, whose outreach to Prince Salman prompted the move, called it a “tangible contribution to reviving the national economy”; Salam said it reflected Saudi “confidence in Lebanon.” Saudi Arabia was Lebanon’s top agricultural export recipient as recently as 2019, accounting for 22 percent of Lebanese agricultural exports that year.
Palestine
Killed and wounded: Over the last 24 hours, seven Palestinians were injured in Israeli attacks across Gaza. The total recorded death toll since October 7, 2023 is at 72,991 killed, with 173,219 injured. Since October 11, the first full day of the so-called ceasefire, Israel has killed at least 981 Palestinians in Gaza and wounded 3,111, while 783 bodies have been recovered from under the rubble, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health.
Israeli strikes on Gaza kill two, wound three: Israeli shelling and airstrikes on Gaza killed two Palestinians and wounded at least three others, Wafa reported. A man was killed and several others were injured when Israeli aircraft bombed a house south of Gaza City on Thursday. Israeli forces also bombed a residential apartment north of the Nuseirat camp in central Gaza, killing one, and a drone struck the Zeitoun neighborhood southeast of Gaza City, wounding two. Israeli gunfire also seriously injured a woman in the al-Salatin area of Beit Lahiya in northern Gaza.
Two Palestinian Red Crescent medics forcibly disappeared: The Palestine Red Crescent Society said Thursday that two of its medics remain missing after armed militias intercepted two PRCS ambulances on Salah al-Din Street in southern Gaza while the crews were responding to a humanitarian call. Most crew members were released following field interrogation, but the two medics’ whereabouts remain unknown. PRCS held the Israeli occupation authorities fully responsible, and called for their immediate and unconditional release.
Israeli court cuts video feed of detained Gaza doctor Abu Safiya: Video from a Jerusalem court hearing on Wednesday showed Dr. Hussam Abu Safiya, director of Kamal Adwan Hospital, appearing by video link before Israeli court security blocked the screen and severed the connection, preventing his attorney from communicating with him; the court reportedly cut his feed to prevent journalists from filming. The incident deepened concerns over the detained physician’s treatment after he appeared emaciated at the hearing and bore apparent signs of physical abuse.
Two Israeli soldiers wounded by explosive in Jenin: The Israeli army said Thursday that two soldiers were wounded by an explosive device during operational activity in Jenin in the occupied West Bank.
U.S. News
By Julian Andreone, with Ryan Grim. Have a tip on Capitol Hill? Email Andreone at Julian@dropsitenews.com.
Trump says “I love the inflation”: President Donald Trump told reporters, “I love the inflation” in response to new data showing the annual inflation rate hit 4.2% in May—the highest since early 2023 and the second consecutive month in which inflation outpaced wage growth. Trump framed the figures as a temporary byproduct of the Iran war, predicting prices would “come down like a rock” once hostilities end and saying he believed current levels represent the war’s peak. He later told the New York Post his words were taken out of context, saying what he loved was that inflation was not higher than anticipated.
A full year of inflation-adjusted wage growth has been erased in four months, leaving American workers effectively no better off than when President Donald Trump took office, Axios reported Wednesday. Real hourly earnings for all private-sector workers are flat since January 2025, while production and nonsupervisory workers—a widely used proxy for working-class employees—have seen nominal pay rise 4.9% over that period, only to have those gains fully offset by equivalent Consumer Price Index increases.
House to vote on Section 702 surveillance program: The House will vote Thursday on a three-week extension of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, one day before its expiration, Speaker Mike Johnson announced Wednesday—but leaders of both parties expect the measure to fail, risking the first-ever lapse of the warrantless foreign surveillance program. The extension requires a two-thirds majority in favor to pass, a threshold Democrats say they will not help meet as long as President Donald Trump stands by his plan to install housing official Bill Pulte—a close political ally with no national security experience—as acting director of national intelligence. A small bloc of Republican holdouts adds further uncertainty.
Trump demands Republicans immediately pass $350 billion defense boost and election overhaul: President Donald Trump called on congressional Republicans Wednesday night to pass a new party-line reconciliation bill “IMMEDIATELY,” demanding $350 billion in additional Pentagon spending on top of the administration’s pending fiscal 2027 budget request, along with the stalled SAVE America Act election overhaul. “No games, no delays, and no weak compromises!” Trump wrote on Truth Social. The push would be Republicans’ third reconciliation bill this Congress, following last year’s tax-focused “big, beautiful bill” and the $70 billion immigration enforcement funding measure Trump signed Wednesday morning.
Trump administration blocks Mamdani’s planned meeting with Colombian president, threatening arrest: The Trump administration quietly blocked New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani from holding his first meeting with a foreign leader this week, intervening behind the scenes to prevent a planned bilateral meeting with Colombian President Gustavo Petro, the Washington Post reported. State Department officials traveling to Bogotá made clear the meeting was unacceptable, in a move Colombian officials interpreted as a threat to arrest Petro if he proceeded. Colombia subsequently shortened Petro’s New York itinerary, cutting off the possibility of the encounter. A State Department official cited visa restrictions imposed on Petro last year following public comments in opposition to U.S. support of Israel’s genocide in Gaza, arguing that visas are “a privilege” and that the President can revoke them at any time.
Trump to press defense industry leaders on weapons production as missile stockpiles shrink amid Iran war: Leaders of roughly seven defense companies are expected to meet with President Donald Trump at the White House later this week, as the administration confronts growing alarm over thinning U.S. munitions stockpiles, NBC News reported. Trump has expressed anger to aides over the depleted arsenal as he weighs continued major combat operations against Iran. The Pentagon has yet to sign any new multiyear contracts to replenish munitions since Trump took office, NBC reported in May, having entered only non-binding framework agreements. The U.S. has been drawing down weapons stockpiles from Europe and Asia to sustain the Iran campaign; a Center for Strategic and International Studies study found particular shortfalls in long-range precision weapons, including Tomahawks, Patriot missiles, and THAAD interceptors.
Platner responds to questions about Epstein: Graham Platner, who won yesterday’s Democratic Senate primary in Maine, was asked by Mika Brzezinski on Morning Joe if he would have the ability “call for the release of the Epstein files” given recent reporting about his infidelity. “Yes, of course,” he responded. “I engaged in consensual romantic activities with adults at an earlier part of my life. That seems like a fairly normal thing most people do. Going to an island with billionaires to possibly assault children is a vastly, vastly different thing.”
Separately on Wednesday, President Trump called Platner a “thug” and “worse than any human being that has ever run for office, probably.” Trump, who has extensive connections to Epstein, also has a history of marital infidelity, his first marriage having dissolved after a highly publicized affair with Marla Maples, and having falsified business records to hide his affair with Stormy Daniels during his current marriage.
Claire Valdez defends land-sale protests: At a congressional debate on Wednesday, New York Assemblymember Claire Valdez (D), who is running to represent the state’s 7th district, defended recent protests against land sales in the West Bank in New York City synagogues. “We also have to be clear about what these protesters are protesting,” Valdez said. “They’re protesting the illegal sale of land in the West Bank that’s in violation of international law.” Valdez also said protesters need to be “protected” when explaining why she opposed a law that would create “buffer zones” around protests at synagogues and houses of worship, a law which was proposed in Congress in April in response to these New York City protests.
Senior aide to GOP Sen. Husted collected $22,000 from Ohio lobbying firm while serving in his office: Sean Dunn, senior adviser and counsel to Republican Sen. Jon Husted of Ohio, maintained a paid consulting relationship with Columbus-based lobbying firm Statehouse Impact Group while simultaneously serving in Husted’s Senate office, collecting $22,652 from the firm during 2025, according to a financial disclosure filing reported by NOTUS. A formal ethics complaint filed May 29 with the Senate Select Committee on Ethics argues the arrangement violates Senate Rule 37, which bars staffers from holding outside consulting roles that create a duty to an external client and prohibits using official positions for personal gain; the complaint also implicates Husted directly, arguing he bore responsibility for preventing staff conflicts of interest.
FBI raids target pro-Palestine activists indicted on actions related to Univ. of Michigan divesting from Israel: The FBI arrested seven pro-Palestine activists in a series of raids Wednesday morning who have been indicted on federal charges for “a coordinated campaign of violent, criminal acts seeking to pressure University of Michigan leaders and other businesses in the Eastern District of Michigan to cut off all ties with Israel,” according to FBI Director Kash Patel. The eight defendants named in the 63-page grand jury indictment, whom Patel identified as “a group of college-aged adults” are accused of using encrypted messages, social media, and collaboration with overseas partners. Amy V. Doukoure, lead staff attorney for CAIR-Michigan, which is not representing the defendants, said in a statement that the indictment “appears to include extensive references to broader political events, protected viewpoints, and students’ lawful participation in peaceful protests calling for divestment and the recognition of Palestinian human rights. Criminal prosecutions should be based on alleged criminal acts—not on protected speech or association.”
State Department launches investigation of political analyst Trita Parsi: The State Department has launched an investigation of Trita Parsi, co-founder of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft and the National Iranian-American Council (NIAC), and could seek to deport him, according to U.S. officials and documents reviewed by The Free Press. Parsi, who holds a green card, is one of the most prominent U.S.-based critics of the war with Iran. He was born in Iran, grew up in Sweden, has lived in the United States for over 25 years. A Trump administration official said Secretary of State Marco Rubio was taking “a hard look” at anyone whose work “furthers” the agenda of U.S. adversaries, invoking a provision of federal immigration law allowing the secretary of state to personally determine that a noncitizen’s presence compromises a “compelling U.S. foreign policy interest”—the same authority Rubio used in the ongoing effort to deport Columbia University protest leader Mahmoud Khalil. Quincy’s CEO told staff and donors in April that the think tank was retaining an immigration lawyer and preparing a writ of habeas corpus “to have at the ready” if Parsi were suddenly detained.
Other International News
Israeli forces raid villages in Syria: Israeli forces stormed the towns of Ma’ariya and al-Arda in the Yarmouk Basin area in southern Syria at dawn on Thursday, establishing checkpoints and obstructing civilian movement, Syria’s official SANA news agency reported, citing a local official. Israeli military vehicles reportedly entered the area and positioned themselves near Ma’ariya’s water well, conducting extensive searches of public and private vehicles until 7 a.m. before moving to Ma’ariya and Abidin to establish additional temporary checkpoints. Syria has repeatedly called for Israeli forces to withdraw from its territory.
Colombian commission head proposes suspending President Petro: The president of Colombia’s Commission of Investigation and Accusation, Gloria Arizabaleta, on Wednesday proposed suspending President Gustavo Petro from his duties until June 21, Reuters reported, citing a published document. Petro’s opponents have alleged that he interfered to help the campaign of leftist candidate Iván Cepeda, who faces right-wing lawyer Abelardo De La Espriella in the second round of the presidential election. The proposal requires approval from all 16 commission members and then the Senate to take effect. Interior Minister Armando Benedetti rejected the move’s legality, arguing only the country’s Senate holds the authority to suspend a sitting president. Petro remains in office.
Separately, Petro addressed the UN Security Council on Wednesday—where Colombia holds the monthly presidency—attributing the violence in Gaza and the broader Middle East to greed and what he called a resurgence of “Nazi ideology.” He said the “fight for hydrocarbons, the fight for oil; that’s what makes missiles rain down on peoples, on babies.”
Mexico to open World Cup against a backdrop of protests: Mexico City is set to host the opening match of the 2026 World Cup amid protests that have cast a shadow over the global sporting event. Teachers demanding pension reforms and higher pay, families searching for missing relatives, and other activist groups have used the global spotlight to pressure the government, arguing that authorities have prioritized World Cup investments over unresolved social and security problems. Officials have pledged a safe and successful tournament, deploying thousands of police, while President Claudia Sheinbaum has assured there will be no repeat of the sort of the repression that characterized the 1968 Olympics, where soldiers opened fire on protesting students.
Two Kuki community members killed in dawn attack in India’s Manipur: Two members of the Kuki community were killed and two others were wounded when armed men attacked at daybreak Thursday in India’s northeastern state of Manipur, a day after authorities recovered the bodies of six Naga men believed to have been taken hostage, two senior police officers told Reuters. Seven houses were torched in the attack. Police have not identified the perpetrators and described the situation as “tense and volatile.”
RSF drone strikes kill five in Sudan’s North Kordofan: Rapid Support Forces drone attacks killed five people and wounded 12 others in El Obeid, the capital of Sudan’s North Kordofan State, on Wednesday, Sudan Tribune reported. One drone struck the Dalil cemetery during a funeral procession, killing four people and injuring seven; a second struck a fuel station inside the city, leaving five people critically wounded.
In a separate incident, a truck driver was killed when his vehicle carrying food supplies was targeted in the Jebel Kordofan area. The Sudan Doctors Network condemned what it called the RSF’s “systematic shelling” of civilians, warning that casualties could rise given the sustained targeting of populated areas.
Thousands march in Tirana in largest protest yet against Kushner-backed resort near protected Albanian wetland: Thousands of Albanians demonstrated in Tirana on Wednesday in the largest protest yet against a roughly €5 billion luxury resort development backed by Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump, Reuters reported. Protests stretched half a mile down one of the capital’s main boulevards outside Prime Minister Edi Rama’s office. Protesters held signs reading “Albania is not for sale” and carried inflatable flamingos in what has been dubbed the Flamingo Revolution, a reference to the protected wetland near the southern coastal village of Zvernec where the resort is planned—a migratory habitat for flamingos, seals, and sea turtle nesting sites.
Keiko Fujimori retakes lead from leftist rival in Peru vote count: Conservative candidate Keiko Fujimori regained a razor-thin lead over her leftist opponent Roberto Sánchez as overseas ballots that favored her were tabulated. With more than 98% of votes tallied, Fujimori led by only a few hundred votes out of roughly 18 million cast, while hundreds of thousands of ballots could be contested in a judicial review. Sánchez has raised the prospect of contesting the vote, and election authorities have warned that a final result could still take weeks to emerge.
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Trita Parsi is one of America's finest human beings. He has dedicated his career to literally nothing other than peaceful resolution to absolutely unnecessary conflicts. He is as nonpartisan a person as we could ever hope to emulate. Trita is kind, brilliant, and forever at the very front of thought on diplomatic resolution. America is **better** - by far - for his presence.
And the Establishment tells on itself, once again, by targeting this exact type of "threat". Would not be hard to find FDD's fingerprints on this particular crime against diplomacy.
“State Department launches investigation of political analyst Trita Parsi, may seek to deport green card holder over Iran commentary.”
Wow, they really don’t want us to know what’s really going on.