Is there a connection between protests in Los Angeles and the war between Israel and Iran?
A review of past and more recent events.
I have been thinking about this for quite some time, especially after Al Mayadeen published an article, just a few days ago, about the lift of the curfew in downtown Los Angeles (California, US), following immigration raids and ensuing protests last week. So, let’s review the timeline of recent and apparently unconnected events (I am using my own articles, with references therein, and this one by NBC as main references), taking into account the inauguration at the end of May of the railway line connecting Urumqi, in China's Xinjiang province, to Tehran, via Central Asia and Turkmenistan (see my latest translation), thus creating an alternative to shipping routes through the Strait of Malacca and other maritime choke points under the aegis of the US Navy (e.g. the Strait of Hormuz):
7th June 2025:
protests start in Paramount, Los Angeles (LA) County, and propagate to downtown LA;
Iranian intelligence announces that they have arrived at a large trove of sensitive strategic documents, data, related to Israel;
8th June 2025:
demonstrations continue, while the National Guard, called by US President Donald J. Trump, arrives in LA to protect federal building;
Iran starts releasing minor details of intelligence gathered from Israel;
9th June 2025:
protests in LA expand, while raids by ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) continue;
the Outlaw US Empire and the E3 (France, Germany and UK) propose an anti-Iran resolution at the IAEA (International Atomic Energy Agency);
Haredi (i.e. ultra-Orthodox) and opposition parties in Israel threaten to bring down Netanyahu’s government;
10th June 2025:
a curfew is introduced in LA, as protest continue, with looting in the downtown area;
Iran starts releasing more details of intelligence gathered from Israel, including information related to IAEA;
11th June 2025:
protest in LA continue, while hundreds of people are arrested;
12th June 2025:
federal judge decides that Donald Trump has overreached and could not take control of California’s National Guard; however, Trump administration appeals and, by the end of the day, is granted a stay, leaving California’s National Guard in the President’s control;
Iran publishes a series of documents revealing collusion between Israeli officials and IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi;
Haredi lawmakers withdraw their support for the motion against Netanyahu’s government, which survives vote at the Knesset.
13th June 2025:
LA Police Department arrests hundreds of people;
Israel attacks Iran.
14th June 2025:
“No Kings” demonstrations across the US, while Trump appears sad at the US Army parade, celebrating its 250th anniversary and Trump’s 79th birthday - was it just because of the dull parade? Or because of unexpected turn of events in the Middle East, forced upon him by other parties (e.g. neo-cons and/or Anglo-Zionists)?
15th June 2025:
Trump states that the Outlaw US Empire would attack Iran directly only if it is attacked first (plus other contradicting statements on US involvement in war between Israel and Iran).
17th July 2025:
Trump participates to the G7 meeting in Canada, but leaves earlier and warns Iranian to evacuate Tehran; he later removes this post on Truth Social, but he asks Iran for “UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER” and threatens to kill Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei. Clearly something must have happened at the G7 meeting: maybe the Brits convinced him that it was high time to enter the war against Iran on the side of Israel.
18th July 2025:
LA protests fading and lift of curfew.
My theory is that Donald Trump was either bypassed or even forced, if not threatened, by neo-cons and Anglo-Zionist warmongers to let Netanyahu start the war against Iran, in order to advance their agenda, stop a dangerous strong link between China and Iran, throw a spanner in the works of BRICS+ and, finally, try to open a new front against Russia in the Caucasus. The protests may have been organized by neo-cons and Brits in order to put pressure on Trump and tell him lour and clear that, if he did not do as “requested”, he would have been toppled. Once the objective was achieved, protests were slowly downsized by their (neo-con and British) organizers until a few days ago, when the curfew in LA was finally lifted.
Enough with speculations, let’s now see what’s happened over the last couple of days.
In my previous original article on Thursday 19th June 2025, I reported Hezbollah’s statement in support of the Iranian Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei. On the same day, Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem gave a televised speech, later summarized by Al Mayadeen in this article. Here are some highlights:
The tyrants and imperialists could not accept Iran’s resilience for 46 years in the face of blockade and aggression.
The tyrannical America and the criminal "Israel" will not be able to subjugate the Iranian people and the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps [IRGC].
Iran’s peaceful uranium enrichment program is a right protected under international law and by the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency]. It causes no harm to anyone. What the aggressors really fear is Iran’s scientific progress and its ability to lead the region independently of foreign domination.
This is not just about Iran. The American threats target the entire region and all the free peoples around the world.
What America will ultimately gain is nothing but disgrace and failure.
America is leading the region into chaos and instability and dragging the world into open crises.
We can never be neutral when it comes to Iran's legitimate rights and independence vs. the falsehood of America and its aggression.
We stand with Iran, its leadership, and its people, and we will act as we see fit in confronting this aggression.
Free people, the oppressed, Resistance fighters, scholars, and principled thinkers must rise in support of the Iranian leadership and people.
[We stand] with Iran in confronting this global injustice because we support our independence, the liberation of our land, and our free decisions and choices.
I think that there are two possible reasons why Hezbollah has not entered the fray yet:
they are waiting for the right moment - either further escalations or when Israel has been weakened to the point of exhaustion, so that they can give the final blow;
Hezbollah is too weak or its cadre is compromised with the (Anglo-)Zionists (meaning that they are just pronouncing empty words in their statements!).
I remember that once I even speculated, in response to a comment of one of my readers, that Hezbollah Secretary-General Sheikh Naim Qassem may be a puppet of (Anglo-)Zionists, since he is one of the few high-ranking Hezbollah officials (if not the only!) to have survived the relentless Israeli bombing of Lebanon and Beirut, in particular - maybe he was the mole that allowed Zionist to locate Nasrallah and the Hezbollah cadres for the decapitation strikes.
Unfortunately I do not have enough information to say which of the two options is valid, so… we have to wait and see.
Also Sayyed Abdul-Malik al-Houthi, leader of Yemen’s Ansar Allah movement, gave a televised speech, warning that the Israeli strikes on Iran could escalate into a wider regional war, as reported by Al Mayadeen (see also this article by Yemen News Agency Saba for a longer summary). Here are some highlights:
The West has used the nuclear issue as a pretense for its attack, although many states, including the United States, possess nuclear weapons and have, in fact, used them.
Iran is not a submissive state under Western control; it is an independent, sovereign nation building an Islamic renaissance rooted in self-determination.
[Referring to Trump’s ultimatum to Iran] It’s nonsense and buffoonery. Iran is a powerful and deeply rooted nation, unlike the illegitimate Zionist entity.
Arab and Islamic countries must not submit to the United States, as it seeks to sway their position in favor of the Israeli stance.
Some countries claim they do not want to be part of this conflict, but when their airspace is open to Israeli aircraft, then they have not upheld the neutrality they profess.
The Israeli enemy is reeling from the consequences and is now attempting to distort the truth.
The battle from Gaza to Iran is one, the cause is one, and the nation is one.
The enemy has turned aid centres into execution sites and death traps.
[Referring to Israeli provocations at al-Aqsa Mosque] These are extremely dangerous moves aimed at advancing their aggressive objectives while the world is distracted.
Our military operations against the Israeli enemy are ongoing, and the blockade on its maritime navigation continues and is fully controlled within the operational theatre.
Compared to Hezbollah, Ansar Allah’s case is different, as they have been attacking Israel and the US navy to the point of forcing the latter to retreat. Houthis are truly the backbone of the Axis of Resistance after Iran and can deal a lot of damage with further strikes on Israel and with the blockade of the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait: its closure, together with Iranian closure of the Strait of Hormuz, would stop oil flow from Arab countries and could bring Western economy to its knees!
Similarly, other groups of the Axis of Resistance, such as Kata’i’b Hezbollah in Iraq, could attack oil fields and US bases in the region, should the Outlaw US Empire enter the fray.
Let’s move now to Iran, where Mohsen Rezaei, a member of Iran’s Expediency Discernment Council, stated that his country “has deployed less than 30% of its actual capabilities and under 5% of its latent capacity”, adding (all emphasis mine):
No one imagined that Iranian missiles would penetrate four layers of reinforced concrete in Israeli military command centers — but they did.
Under the leadership of the Leader of the Revolution [Sayyed Ali Khamenei], actions [have] continued with strength, and we proceeded with determination and resolve.
They [the Israelis] are now deeply entangled in a severe crisis. We have severely punished them in recent days — and this response is not over yet.
…and revealing that new missile capabilities will be unveiled soon, as quoted in this article by Al Mayadeen, which in another one reported on the foiling by Iranian intelligence services of an Israeli plot to assassinate Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi in Tehran. This demonstrate how “interested” the (Anglo-)Zionists are in negotiations, if they attempt at killing not just Iranian military officials, but even the top Iranian diplomat!
Araghchi did not comment on the thwarted terrorist attempt to his life, but, speaking ahead of a diplomatic meeting with E3 (France, Germany and UK) in Geneva yesterday (Friday 20th June 2025), he clarified Iranian position regarding negotiations:
We have never had any contact with the Americans. The United States requested negotiations through mediators, but we refused.
We are not prepared to hold talks with anyone under these conditions [i.e. while Israeli attacks continue].
After our resistance to Israel, I believe that countries will distance themselves from this aggression.
We never target civilian areas, especially hospitals, unlike Israel, which targeted hospitals in Gaza.
…as quoted in this article by Al Mayadeen. After the meeting, Araghchi was quoted by Tasnim as saying:
The (Israeli) attack on Iran’s peaceful nuclear facilities amounts to a grave crime and a stark violation of the peremptory norms and international law.
In case the (Israeli) aggression comes to a halt and the aggressor is held accountable for committing crimes, Iran will be ready to consider diplomacy. In this regard, I announced explicitly and clearly that Iran’s defense capabilities are not negotiable.
In another article Al Mayadeen reported the following statements by Araghchi at the UN Human Rights Council yesterday (click here for the full text of Araghchi’s speech):
These attacks are unjustifiable under any circumstances and any effort to justify them amounts to complicity in the aggression.
We remain fully committed to defending our territorial integrity and national sovereignty with all necessary force.
Araghchi was also quoted by Tasnim News Agency as saying (all emphasis mine):
Let’s make it clear. We do not seek to negotiate with anybody in the current circumstances while the Zionist regime’s aggression is in progress.
As long as this (Israeli) invasion and aggression is not brough to a halt, there is basically no room for dialogue and diplomacy.
We’d not hold any talks with the US which is complicit in the (Israeli) crimes. We have had no dialogue or contact with the Americans and will not do so in the current circumstances either.
In additional statements in Istanbul today for the 51st session of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) and other sideline meetings, Araghchi said:
In accordance with our legitimate right to self-defense, the Islamic Republic will stand resolutely against the Israeli aggression and will respond to it as it sees fit.
This act has dangerous implications not only for regional stability but for the very credibility of the IAEA and the global non-proliferation framework.
We demanded this urgent session to discuss the Zionist regime's aggression against our nation, and it was rightly approved.
We are here to raise the voice of truth, to present the just defense of the Iranian people to the world.
…as reported in this Al Mayadeen article.
At the OIC meeting Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan called for Muslim nations to unite against Israel, stating (source: Al Mayadeen):
We will not allow the establishment of a new Sykes-Picot order in our region with borders to be drawn in blood.
Two million of our sisters and brothers in Gaza have been struggling to survive under these conditions.
We must show greater solidarity to stop Israel's acts of banditry not only in Palestine but also in Syria, Lebanon, and Iran.
We have no doubt that the Iranian people, with their solidarity in the face of difficulties and strong state experience, will hopefully overcome these days.
Syria needs the support of all of us to protect its territorial integrity and achieve lasting stability. [Quite funny considering that he is occupying part of northern Syria via proxies]
…though he stopped short of providing support to Iran. Instead, he offered to mediate between Iran and the Outlaw US Empire on the nuclear issue, according to a statement released by his office and quoted by Al Mayadeen:
The president said that Turkiye was ready to make its contribution, including through facilitation, and that steps that will lead to diplomacy should be taken as soon as possible through technical and top-level talks between Iran and the US. Turkiye will continue to support initiatives in this regard.
Iran’d better ignore Erdogan, considering that he has been all talk and no walk on the Israeli genocide of Palestinians in Gaza!
In any case, the OIC meeting concluded with a joint declaration, condemning the Israeli aggression against Iran and calling for de-escalation (see this other Al Mayadeen article).
Meanwhile, in the early morning of Friday, Israel and Iran exchanged fire, with the former targeting “the areas of Lavizan, Parchin, and Damavand in eastern Tehran, as well as District 3 in the north of the capital” (source: Al Mayadeen), though Iranian air defense systems managed to shoot down an Israeli drone in southern Tehran and another in Kahrizak. The latter arrested 16 people working for Mossad in Lorestan Province and launched missiles against Israel, striking Be’er Sheva (source: Tasnim) and Beer al-Sabe', in the south of the country, with one rocket landing near a Microsoft building, but probably targeting one of the several key Israeli military installations are located in the area, such as the Military Computer Communications Unit, the Israeli army’s Communications and Intelligence City, and branches of companies such as Rafael Advanced Defense System, as per Al Mayadeen and Tasnim. Not that Microsoft is exempt from guilt; in fact, as reported by the Lebanese news media outlet (1 and 2), a GrayZone investigation last month (May 2025) revealed extensive ties between Israeli intelligence and Microsoft, which also admitted providing technological support, AI (Artificial Intelligence) and cloud computing services to the IDF (Israel “Defense” Forces) during its war on Gaza.
Speaking of IT (Information Technology), it is worth reporting that Iran is not just attacking Israel with rocket barrages, but also with cyber-attacks, including distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, attempts to breach critical infrastructure, data exfiltration efforts, and coordinated malware distribution. For instance, Iranian hackers have tried to connect to Israeli security and private surveillance cameras across Israel to “gain real-time intelligence on missile strike impacts and military activity”, “monitor the aftermath of missile strikes and refine targeting precision”, as reported by Al Mayadeen, citing a Bloomberg report (paywalled). Refael Franco, former deputy director general of the Israel National Cyber Directorate, was quoted as saying:
We know that in the past two or three days, the Iranians have been trying to connect to cameras to understand what happened and where their missiles hit.
Israeli Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is also cracking down on foreign media outlets violating miliary censorship orders by airing live footage from strike zones. He wrote a letter to the acting head of the Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency, saying:
These broadcasts often reveal the exact locations of missile impacts, the extent of the damage, and in some cases, sensitive visual material from the incident sites.
Similarly, Communications Minister Shlomo Karni accused the media of breaching established censorship protocols, while opposition leader Yair Lapid criticized the ministers’ crackdown:
The decision to put into place a sweeping embargo on coverage is unenforceable when everyone has a cell phone with a camera. It pointlessly undermines the global support Israel has received this past week.
…as reported here by Al Mayadeen.
Two days ago Tasnim also quoted the following statement from the Al-Isnad al-Sibarania Front, composed of cyber experts from several Arabic countries:
In line with the blessed Al-Aqsa Flood Operation and to support the resistance front, a new cyber front has been opened to confront the Zionist regime.
A cyber siege against the Zionists will begin, therefore, all vital infrastructures related to the occupying regime will be the legitimate target of the Cyber Support Front.
…and yesterday the same group of hackers reported on the results of their first operation against the Zionist entity (source: Tasnim):
In this multi-dimensional operation, the backbone of the communication network tied to the criminal Zionist army was shattered.
During this attack, after gaining control, all internal communication infrastructure linked to the occupying regime was destroyed, including:
Satellite communications (Gilat, Spacecom), along with control and monitoring stations tied to satellites such as Amos, Dror-1, and Ofek.
Communication networks of offensive and defensive military systems tied to the army.
Espionage and surveillance communication networks.
Communication networks linked to companies such as Elbit, Rafael, and IAI (Israel Aerospace Industries)
Communication networks and control and monitoring stations tied to critical infrastructure, such as water, gas, and electricity
National network infrastructure and government communications.
Today, you will understand why the “David’s Sling” and “Arrow” systems failed and could not stop missiles and drones from reaching you. From now on, you can no longer rely on your systems—worth millions of dollars—as the world has seen that Israel is weaker than a “spider’s web”.
These cyber-attacks may explain why the Israeli and Western air defense systems fail to intercept several Iranian missiles, with senior Israeli military sources acknowledging “a sharp rise in accuracy of Iranian missile strikes, with recent operations achieving three times the hit rate compared to the previous attacks” (Operation True Promise 1 and 2), as reported by Tasnim.
As you may know, one of the main objectives of the (Anglo-)Zionist aggression on Iran is the overthrowing of the Ayatollahs and the balkanization of the country; however, they miscalculated and, instead of diving the country and its population, the war has united the Iranian people, as Iranian Vice President Mohammad Ali Abtahi told The New York Times during a phone interview cited by Al Mayadeen. What you see above is a photo taken yesterday of mass demonstrations across the country under the banner “Friday of Rage and Victory” - others can be found in this Tasnim article. On the occasion, Iran’s Expediency Discernment Council issued a statement, quoted by Al Mayadeen, saying:
Trump and the delusional supporters of the Zionist entity should know that the surrender of our people or the imposition of peace are illusions that will not come true.
President Trump has failed to grasp the resilience of the Iranian people and the central role of the Shiite religious authority.
Similarly, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf was quoted by Tasnim as saying (all emphasis mine):
Our noble nation witnessed that, after the enemy’s initial move, our armed forces swiftly took control of the field. Today, we proved that the so-called “Iron Dome”, which they had boasted about for years—would not withstand us. In Haifa, Tel Aviv, and other areas, we showed that wherever we decide to strike, we will.
Today, all ethnicities, religions, and political factions in Iran stand united and defend the country. This unity and solidarity hold greater value than any military move.
If the Zionist regime were left on its own, rest assured it would not survive these attacks (by Iran).
We have shown restraint, but they must know that our nation is not like Western nations that can be controlled by threats.
[Iran] will tolerate neither an imposed war nor an imposed peace. We have demonstrated this throughout history, and we were victorious in the past war as well.
Another proof of the unity of the Iranian people, rallying rallying around their leader, Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei, came earlier today with the following joint statement by prominent leaders from Iran’s Christian, Jewish, Zoroastrian, and Mandaean minorities (source: Al Mayadeen):
Divine leaders and religious scholars are the perfect mirror of the identity of the followers of divine religions… attacking them is considered an attack on the beliefs and emotions of hundreds of millions of people.
The world's religious and interfaith leaders, the United Nations Security Council, and other international institutions and legal authorities are expected to respond decisively, publicly, and effectively.
Similarly, Iranian Sunni leaders (Iran has a Shia majority) stated that the Zionist regime and its supporters…
will not escape the grasp of Iran's armed forces.
[Any attempt to attack Khamenei] will be met with a fierce and devastating response from the Iranian people, all believers, and freedom-seeking people across the world.
On the other hand, Israel is facing social and economic collapse, as reported by Tasnim and Al Mayadeen, citing Western media outlets, such as The Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and Deutsche Welle (DW), the latter of which says:
War is extremely costly. Beyond the destruction, loss of life, and human tragedy, vast resources must be spent on mobilizing forces and acquiring equipment.
…quoting Itay Eter, an Israeli economist from Tel Aviv University, as saying (all emphasis mine):
War is very expensive, and there is massive uncertainty regarding the short- and long-term future.
The costs of both defensive and offensive operations are enormous. This will certainly have negative effects on the budget deficit, GDP, and Israel’s debt levels.
Many people haven’t returned to work since the strikes.
Short-term risks for investors have risen, but much depends on how long this conflict lasts and how it ends.
If we enter a prolonged war with Iran - which is a real possibility - it’s unlikely the Israeli economy will recover.
Security is a major long-term challenge for Israel’s economy. And the internal social divide is a reality we can no longer ignore.
Similarly, Karnit Flug, former Bank of Israel governor, was quoted by the WSJ and Al Mayadeen, as saying:
The main factor which will really determine the cost of the war will be the duration. If it is a week, it is one thing. If it is two weeks or a month, it is a very different story.
Let’s have a look at some numbers reported in the articles in the links above:
In 2024, Israel’s defense budget soared by 65%, reaching $46 billion - equivalent to 8.8% of its GDP - ranking it second in global military spending only after Ukraine.
The 2025 budget has also jumped by 21% to a record $215 billion, with $38 billion allocated for defense.
Preliminary figures place the cost of reconstruction at no less than $400 million.
Daily price of launching interceptors alone may reach up to $200 million.
Each interception using the David's Sling system costs around $700,000.
The Arrow 3, meant to intercept ballistic missiles in space, runs up to $4 million per launch.
Older Arrow 2 interceptors cost roughly $3 million.
Keeping advanced F-35 jets in the air for long-distance missions, targeting Iranian territory over 1,600 km away, costs about $10,000 per hour per jet, without taking into account fuel, precision bombs, and support operations.
More than 5,000 Israelis have been evacuated from missile-damaged neighborhoods and are now temporarily housed in state-funded hotels.
Getting back to exchange of fire between Israel and Iran, yesterday afternoon the latter launched a massive wave of missiles towards the former, “with impacts reported across central and southern areas, including Tel Aviv and Haifa”, as per Al Mayadeen, which cited Israeli reports according to which missile strikes resulted “in impacts across at least six different locations”. One of the targets hit by Iran was the Israeli Ministry of Interior complex in Haifa, as confirmed by its mayor, Yona Yahav, quoted by Al Mayadeen - this was probably done in retaliation for the Israeli bombing of police stations in Iran. Israeli media cited by Al Mayadeen reported also that “one of the Iranian missiles that landed in Beer al-Sabe in southern occupied Palestine carried a cluster warhead, causing extensive damage across a radius spanning several hundred meters”. A statement issued by the Israeli government yesterday and quoted by Al Mayadeen reported that…
Since the beginning of the armed conflict, 1,217 people have been injured in Israel due to attacks by Iran: 12 people are in serious condition, 49 people were seriously injured, and 1,156 people were slightly injured.
More missile waves were launched from Iran this morning at dawn, with impacts reported in Tel Aviv and Holon, as the IRGC announced the targeting of Israeli military sites and operational support centers with “a large barrage of Shahed-136 suicide and attack drones, along with precision-guided missiles”, as reported by Al Mayadeen and Tasnim (1 and 2). Holon is significant because it hosts factories and warehouses operated by Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), defense-related research facilities, key command centers, field police headquarters and technology control centers. A missile strike was reported in Haifa too, with Al Mayadeen citing a report by Israeli newspaper Davar describing the target as “a highly sensitive zone housing multiple government buildings and the Swiss Embassy's premises”, whereas drone strikes were recorded in Baysan, also known as Beit She'an, and in Araba (source: Al Mayadeen).
At the same time the Israeli Air Force (IAF) conducted airstrikes targeting missile storage and launching infrastructure sites in central Iran, according to an IDF statement quoted by Al Mayadeen, which however reported on the killing of two people in a strike on a residential building in the Salarieh district of Qom, south of Tehran, with two other people injured.
Another IAF raid this morning targeted Tehran and Isfahan, though Iranian air defense systems successfully repelled the aggression, according to Al Mayadeen, which reported also on “the arrest of 22 individuals suspected of collaborating with Israeli intelligence services” and eight spies “apprehended while attempting to flee across Iran's western border”. However, recent Israeli strikes on three hospital and six emergency vehicles resulted in the deaths of two female doctors and a child, plus several medical staff injured, as per Al Mayadeen. Another Israeli airstrike destroyed the Emergency Station 115 located in Ahvaz’s Hoveyzeh district (source: Al Mayadeen). Among the Israeli targets there was also a centrifuge manufacturing workshop in Isfahan, which was also acknowledged by the IAEA, whose Director General Rafael Grossi said:
A centrifuge manufacturing workshop has been hit in Isfahan, the third such facility that has been targeted in Israel’s attacks on Iran’s nuclear-related sites over the past week.
We know this facility well. There was no nuclear material at this site, and therefore, the attack on it will have no radiological consequences.
…as quoted by Al Mayadeen, which also reported on the filing of a complaint against the IAEA chief by Iran's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Amir Saeed Iravani for “his conspicuous failure to explicitly condemn ‘Israel's’ strike on Iran's nuclear facility”.
In the meantime, multiple US B-2 stealth bombers, capable of carrying GBU-57 "bunker-buster" bombs and nuclear weapons, and aerial refueling tankers departed from Whiteman US Air Force base in Missouri and flew towards the Pacific Ocean, as per Al Mayadeen and The Guardian, the latter of which reported that the final destination is Guam. This does not bode well for Iran… and for all of us! Let’s hope that it is just a show of force and nothing else, though I have negative feelings. After all, the ongoing war between Iran and Israel is existential for both of them.
Nevertheless, tonight the Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) have issued the following statement warning that they will target US commercial ships and warships if the Outlaw US Empire gets involved in the aggression against Iran, as reported by Al Mayadeen and Yemen News Agency Saba (all emphasis mine):
As stated in previous statements, reaffirming Yemen's principled and firm position in rejecting the Zionist aggression against our brothers in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria, and any Arab or Islamic country subjected to Zionist aggression.
The battle with the Israeli enemy, the aggressor against Iran, with what it has committed before that of crimes against the Palestinian people and genocide, and the ongoing attacks on the Lebanese and Syrian peoples, and the aggression against Yemen, then it turned to a comprehensive aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran, under the title of changing the face of the Middle East, that the Israeli enemy seeks complete control over the region, and implement the Zionist plan with open American support and American partnership, and is trying to remove the Islamic Republic of Iran, because it considers it the greatest obstacle to achieving its plan.
Therefore, any American attack and aggression that supports the Israeli enemy against Iran within the framework of the same objective, aiming to enable the Israeli enemy to control the entire region, this is something that cannot be ignored. Because it means confiscating the freedom, independence, and dignity of our nation, enslaving it, humiliating it, distorting its identity, occupying its homelands, plundering its wealth, and establishing a system of permissible shedding of blood, honor, land, and holy sites.
Therefore, the battle is the battle of the entire nation, and salvation, glory, and victory for the nation lie in mobilization, in jihad for the sake of Allah Almighty. As Allah Almighty says: {And fight in the cause of Allah and know that God is Hearing and Knowing.}
Allah Almighty said: {O you who have believed, if you support Allah, He will support you and plant firmly your feet.} Allah's words are true.
Accordingly, if the US involves in an attack and aggression against Iran with the Israeli enemy, the armed forces will target its ships and warships in the Red Sea.
The armed forces are monitoring and observing all movements in the region, including hostile movements against our country, and they will take the necessary legitimate procedures to defend our beloved country and its proud people.
Dear Yemen, with its beloved people, faithful leadership, and mujahid army, will stand by any Arab or Islamic country subjected to Zionist aggression or that decides to confront this aggression in self-defense or in support of the mujahideen in the Palestinian resistance.
We will not abandon our brothers in the Gaza Strip, and we will not allow this American-backed criminal entity to implement its plans in the region.
Sana'a:
Dhu al-Hijjah 25, 1446 AH
June 21, 2025 AD
On a final note, it is worth reporting the breach of the British RAF (Royal Air Force) Brize Norton base in Oxfordshire last night by two activists of Palestine Action, who “sprayed red paint into the engines of two Voyager aircraft and used crowbars to disable components” (source: Al Mayadeen). Watch their stunt in the video below:
Palestine Action released a statement saying:
Despite publicly condemning the Israeli government, Britain continues to send military cargo, fly spy planes over Gaza, and refuel US/Israeli fighter jets.
Britain isn't just complicit, it's an active participant in the Gaza genocide and war crimes across the Middle East.
Such a breach is incredible, if you think that it was performed by two activists. Imagine what ill-intentioned foreign actors could do! Yet, despite the damage is still being assessed and no major operational disruptions are expected, the British government labelled the protest as “disgraceful” and is now preparing to ban Palestine Action by classifying it as a terrorist organization, according to Al Mayadeen! That’s crazy, considering the British government is enabling a genocide in Palestine and terrorist attacks in Russia and Iran. Richard Medhurst commented on it with the following post on X:
Spraying red paint or reporting the news isn't terrorism.
Blowing up civilians is.
A government of hypocrites.
Finally, I encourage you to read the moving letter that Ali Shamkhani, senior advisor to the Iranian Supreme Leader, Sayyed Ali Khamenei, addressed to the latter and to all Iranian people, after surviving an assassination attempt by the Zionists. You can find it in this Al Mayadeen article.
P.S.: Just before publishing, I have read the following statement by Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian on Al Mayadeen (emphasis mine):
We are ready for dialogue and cooperation in order to build confidence and guarantee the peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear activities. At the same time, we do not accept the zeroing of nuclear activities under any circumstances.
If the aggression of the Israeli regime continues, Tehran will give a more crushing and decisive response.
Thanks for this unavailable-elsewhere summary. Well done.
Complementary to it is Pepe Escobar's excellent appraisal setting out the Big Picture context:
https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/escobar-iran-now-first-line-defense-brics-global-south
Thank you for this excellent, detailed summation of so many reports that inform us what's going on behind the scenes or under the blinkered radar of mainstream media.
For those interested, I just posted a June 18th interview with Max Blumenthal, who was in Iran right before Israel's surprise attack and is, as always, incredibly informative: https://penelopepnortney183670.substack.com/p/max-blumenthal-discusses-the-war