Seen in the News

[Stanley]

You are both correct and I have been banging on for years about how the West has always assumed superiority over anything to the East. Start with the crusades......

HERE'S this morning's dose of Trumpism.....
US President Donald Trump's address from the White House on Wednesday evening was - despite some speculation beforehand - largely a rehash of what he has been saying for days about the Iran war. In a 20-minute primetime speech, he said the "core strategic objectives" of the US-Israeli military operation were "nearing completion" after a month of war and projected it would last another two to three weeks. There were the usual threats against Iran, too, including a repeated pledge to bomb the country "back to the Stone Age". If you were to copy and paste his posts on Truth Social over the last week or so, you would not be far off this address to the nation. The president did attempt to persuade Americans of the merits of this war. There is good reason for that, as polls suggest a consistent majority of voters disapprove of the military operation he launched on 28 February. Trump urged Americans to see this war as an "investment" in their future, and suggested it was nothing compared to other conflicts over the past century or more in which the US has ended up being involved for far longer. But there was little here for those hoping for clear answers on where this war is heading or potential exit ramps for the US. There were glaring omissions which leave a plethora of questions unanswered.
I see President Macron suggested that Trump should stop continuously posting statements. The Donald has evidently disregarded him.

[Stanley]

HERE'S the latest update on Iran.
American forces are searching for a missing pilot after a US fighter jet was downed in Iran, US media report. It comes after two sources told the BBC's US partner CBS News that a search-and-rescue effort was under way for a downed US F-15 fighter jet in southern Iran. It's not known what has happened to the missing crew member - a second has reportedly been rescued. Iranian security forces are also searching for the missing pilot, Iranian state media reports. Iran is also claiming to have shot down a second US warplane over the Persian Gulf. US media say the A-10 combat plane was shot at near the Strait of Hormuz during a search-and-rescue mission for the first downed aircraft. The pilot ejected and was rescued. Meanwhile, strikes continue to be heard throughout the region, including in Tehran and in Syria. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israeli strikes have destroyed 70% of Iran's steel production capacity - and says Israel and the US will continue to "crush" the country

[Tripps]

I watched Artemis take off for its circut of the moon. The statistics that I remembered from Pallab Ghosht of the BBC, was that on take off it weighed 250 tonnes, and was using 5,000 litres of fuel per second. Yet to return - on the previous landing mission, they just seem to have popped up and gone into orbit.

This made me smile

Space

[Stanley]

Meanwhile, in another part of the forest....See THIS latest on Iran.
US President Donald Trump has threatened that "all hell would rain down on" Iran if it did not make a deal, prompting Tehran to respond with similar rhetoric. An Iranian military spokesman warned that the entire region would become "hell" if the US and Israel continued to escalate the conflict. On Saturday Iran fired more missiles at the Gulf States, Iraq and Israel, with falling debris from intercepted missiles causing damage. Meanwhile, US and Iranian forces are searching for a missing American crew member after a US F-15 fighter jet was shot down over southern Iran on Friday. The pilot has been rescued, according to US media. Iranian officials are urging citizens to find the missing crew "alive" and are offering rewards for his capture. A US A-10 Warthog aircraft that was part of the search-and-rescue mission for the downed jet was also shot and damaged, but its pilot was rescued. On 27 March Trump announced he was pausing attacks on energy plants for 10 days for Iran to "make a deal". On Saturday he reiterated his threat on Truth Social that "all Hell will reign down on them" if they failed to do this, or to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, within 48 hours. Later Ebrahim Zolfaghari, spokesperson for Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, says: "If hostility escalates, the entire region will turn into hell for you; the illusion of defeating the Islamic Republic of Iran will become a quagmire into which you will sink."
Can anyone detect a hint of an ending? I can't......

[Stanley]

See THIS latest assessment on Iran.....
Updated 1 hour ago
US President Donald Trump was swift to declare victory after the second crew member of a F-15 fighter jet downed over Iran was recovered, claiming that the dramatic and successful rescue in Iranian territory "proves, once again, that we have achieved overwhelming air dominance and superiority". Observers, however, paint a more complicated picture of what this means for the US in Iran. While the mission was a success, the events of the last few days - in which two aircraft were downed and at least one helicopter was hit by gunfire - highlight that threats to US aircraft and personnel remain even after weeks of heavy US and Israeli strikes against Iran's military infrastructure and boasts from the president that Tehran had "no anti-aircraft equipment" left.

[Stanley]

HERE'S the latest flood of demented rhetoric from Trump......
2 hours ago
US President Donald Trump has threatened to take out Iran "in one night" if it fails to make a deal before the deadline he set for Tehran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, a critical global energy route. Trump's deadline for an "acceptable" deal - one that includes the free flow of energy through the Gulf - is set for 20:00, Washington DC time on Tuesday (00:00 GMT Wednesday). Speaking at the White House, Trump said that he believed "reasonable" leaders in Iran were negotiating in "good faith", but the outcome remained uncertain. Iran has rejected proposals for a temporary ceasefire, instead calling for a permanent end to the conflict and the lifting of sanctions.
Trump's deadline nears - with little indication Iran is on board
Published 1 hour ago

Trump's news conference held alongside General Dan Caine, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and defence secretary Pete Hegseth comes days after US forces successfully recovered two crew members of an F-15 fighter jet that was downed in southern Iran. While much of Trump's remarks highlighted what he described as the "heroic" rescue of the crew, he once again repeated his warning that the US could launch attacks on Iran's energy and transportation infrastructure if the Strait of Hormuz was not reopened by Tuesday's deadline. "The entire country can be taken out in one night – and that night might be tomorrow night," he said on Monday. Once the deadline passes, Trump added, Iran would be sent back to the "Stone Ages". "They're going to have no bridges," he said. "They're going to have no power plants." Despite Iran's earlier rejection of US demands, Trump continued to express optimism that Iran was negotiating in good faith after successive layers of Iranian leadership were killed in US and Israeli strikes.
Comment would be superfluous.

[Stanley]

HERE'S the latest live update on Iran......
Donald Trump says he agrees to a proposed two-week ceasefire between the US and Iran if shipping traffic is allowed to move through the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran's Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi says Iran will agree to the end in fighting "if attacks against Iran are halted". The US president had set a deadline of 20:00 EDT (01:00 GMT) for a deal or else "a whole civilisation will die tonight". Pakistan, which has been acting as a mediator, called on Trump to extend his deadline for two weeks, and has invited both sides for talks in Islamabad on Friday. The Pakistani intervention has given both Trump and Iran a ladder to climb down, writes our State Department correspondent, but are we back to square one?. Earlier, Iranian state media reported two people were killed after a strike on a bridge in Kashan, hours after Israel warned Iranians not to take trains "for the sake of your security"
On the face of it this is good news but only time will tell if it leads to a cessation of hostilities.....We watch and wait.

[Stanley]

HERE'S the latest on Iran.
Israel launches a large wave of strikes in Lebanon, killing at least 182 people and straining a conditional two-week ceasefire struck between the US and Iran. Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) says it will deliver a "regret-inducing response" if Israeli strikes on Lebanon don't stop immediately, state media reports. The US and Israel say Lebanon is not included in the ceasefire deal. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel has delivered "the greatest blow" to Hezbollah since the start of the war. The Israeli attacks on Lebanon raise questions about just how sustainable this wider ceasefire is, our correspondent in Jerusalem writes. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt says Vice-President JD Vance will lead a negotiating team at peace talks in Pakistan on Saturday - here's what we know about the truce. Iran warns ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz without permission will be "targeted and destroyed" - how open is the waterway?. The speaker of Iran's parliament says three ceasefire clauses have already been "openly and clearly violated" - Washington and Tehran appear to disagree about the content of Iran's 10-point plan
Is Netanyahu once more manipulating Trump in Israel's interests?

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC IN Depth article.....
Jeremy Bowen,International editor.
One hour ago.
The best hope for the ceasefire talks in Pakistan is that both the United States and Iran have strong reasons to call a halt to the war. The biggest obstacle to their success is a total absence of trust, no discernible common ground and the fact that Israel, America's full partner in the war, has hugely escalated its onslaught on Lebanon.
US President Donald Trump is already speaking about the war in the past tense. He has declared victory and needs an exit. Not only does he have a state visit from King Charles in the diary for later this month, followed by a summit with China's President Xi Jinping in May, there are midterm elections in November. With America's summer holiday season looming, Trump also needs petrol prices to fall back to where they were before he went to war. Royal visits, summits and elections do not mix well with wars.
Iran's regime has its own reasons to end the war. It is as defiant as ever, still able to launch missiles and drones, with its social media warriors pouring out AI videos lampooning Donald Trump. But Iran has suffered massive damage. Cities have come to an economic standstill and the regime needs time to regroup and will try to use the talks in Pakistan to strengthen its position. The Pakistani intermediaries who will be shuttling between the two delegations have a tough job on their hands. The declared positions of the two sides are as far apart as it is possible to be. Trump has a 15-point plan that has not been published but leaked versions make it sound more like a surrender document than a basis for negotiation. Iran's 10-point plan contains a list of demands that America has consistently rejected in the past. Creating a more durable ceasefire will require some kind of agreement to at least keep talking about the two sides' contradictory lists of intractable issues. It would be hard enough to work through them in peacetime. In wartime, without any kind of mutual trust, even a form of words that keeps the ceasefire going irrespective of there being no agreement on wider issues will look positive. No agreement at all points towards the road back to war.
There is more and as usual Jeremy Bowen is worth listening to.

[Stanley]

HERE'S the current live update on Iran....
Iranian negotiators have arrived in Pakistan ahead of peace talks with the US due to take place this weekend, says Iran state media. Their arrival comes after US President Donald Trump says he wished Vice President JD Vance luck as the US delegation heads to the region. Vance tells reporters that he is "looking forward to negotiations" and but cautions if Iran doesn't act in "good faith" and attempts to "try to play us" the US won't be receptive. Earlier, Iran's parliament speaker says a ceasefire in Lebanon must happen "before negotiations begin", throwing uncertainty over the status of the talks and displaying their complexities, our diplomatic correspondent writes. Meanwhile, Lebanese officials say negotiators will meet with an Israeli delegation in Washington on Tuesday to discuss a ceasefire and the potential for opening wider talks but Israel says those talks won't include a ceasefire with the militant group Hezbollah, which operates in the country. There has been confusion over whether the US and Iran's two-week ceasefire includes Lebanon - here's everything we know
There is no expectation of success. Israel is still forcing the pace with their actions in Lebanon.

[Tizer]

This is bad news for the humanitarian organisations and the millions of civilian children, women and men who depend on them...
`Concerns after satellite provider restricts Iran images following US pressure' LINK
Humanitarian organisations and journalists have expressed concerns after a leading satellite imagery company told its users it was restricting access to images of Iran and large parts of the Middle East following a request from the US government. California-based Planet Labs initially introduced a 14-day delay on providing new imagery from the region in March. It has since moved to an "indefinite" restriction. The decision has limited how journalists, humanitarian groups and analysts can use satellite images to assess the impact of the US-Israel war with Iran, including damage to military targets and civilian infrastructure...

[Stanley]

Is there anything other than bad news coming out of the area?

[Stanley]

HERE'S the latest live update on the Iran talks....
High-stakes peace talks between US and Iranian officials to bring an end to conflict in the Middle East are continuing into the night in Islamabad. It's a breakthrough only possible because of the high level of both delegations, their authority to negotiate, and what seems to be a commitment by both Washington and Tehran to talk, our chief international correspondent writes. But US President Donald Trump says it "makes no difference" to him whether a deal is reached and "regardless what happens, we win". Those involved include Vice President JD Vance on one side, and Iran's speaker of parliament Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf on the other, with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif brokering talks. Our diplomatic correspondent outlines the key sticking points in negotiations. US Central Command says two of its navy destroyers sailed through the Strait of Hormuz as it starts to clear sea mines, but Iran has denied the claim. As Israel continues to strike Hezbollah targets, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says he wants a peace deal with Lebanon that "will last"
I see no grounds for optimism and become more and more convinced that Netanyahu is the 'eminence grise' behind the continuing attacks.Has he been playing Trump all along to bolster his expansionist plans for Israel?

[Stanley]

HERE'S the latest Live report on Iran....
he US military says it will begin a blockade of Iranian ports from 10:00 ET (14:00 GMT) on Monday. The US "will not impede" vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to or from other countries - oil prices climb above $100 again over the tensions. It follows a Truth Social post from President Donald Trump saying the US Navy will "blockade any and all ships" trying to enter or leave the strait. Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps says any military vessels that approach the shipping route will be "dealt with severely". Iranian parliamentary speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf says the country will not "surrender under threats". In a separate post, Trump adds direct talks with Iran in Pakistan failed because "Iran is unwilling to give up its nuclear ambitions". Iran says the two sides were "inches away" from a deal but Tehran was met with "maximalism" and "shifting goalposts". Trump's posts pose a number of new challenges for the US, writes our North America correspondent
No signs of anything other than increasing escalation. I find it very depressing.....

[Stanley]

HERE'S the latest on Iran...
A US blockade of Iran's ports takes effect - Donald Trump said it would begin at 10:00 ET (14:00 GMT/15:00 BST). Speaking at the White House, the US president says Iran wants a deal "very badly" and he was called this morning "by the appropriate people" seeking an agreement. US Vice-President JD Vance accuses the Iranian government of engaging in an "act of economic terrorism" by blocking traffic through the Strait of Hormuz. In a social media post, Trump warned any Iranian "fast attack ships" caught trying to approach the blockade "will be immediately ELIMINATED". Earlier, Iran's parliament speaker said the country would not "surrender under threats" - there has been no response to Trump's latest remarks. The UK Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) issues an advisory, saying ships in the area may encounter a "military presence" and "right-of-visit procedures during passage". Meanwhile, the Pope responds to criticism levelled at him by Trump, saying he has "no intention to debate" the war with the US president - Trump had accused the pontiff of being "terrible for foreign policy"
I think the Pope shows good sense..... Debating with Trump is useless, where there is no sense there is no reason.......

[Stanley]

HERE'S the latest on Iran.
1 hour ago
President Donald Trump has suggested talks aimed at ending the war in Iran could resume this week, after negotiations collapsed at the weekend, prompting the US to blockade Iranian ports. "You should stay there [Islamabad], really, because something could be happening over the next two days, and we're more inclined to go there," Trump was quoted as saying in an interview with the New York Post. His remarks came as the American military said no ships had passed through the US-enforced blockade of Iranian ports and coastal areas in the first 24 hours of the operation. The stand-off has raised doubts over the prospects for a two-week ceasefire that is due to expire next week. The Iranian side has not yet responded to Trump's remarks, but United Nations Secretary General António Guterres said it was "highly probable" that talks would restart. Gulf, Pakistani and Iranian officials also said negotiating teams from Washington and Tehran could return to Pakistan later this week, with no date yet agreed, Reuters news agency reports. Hopes that diplomacy might continue helped soothe oil markets, pushing benchmark prices below $100 on Tuesday.
It looks suspiciously like stalemate to me but what do I know about these matters.....

[Stanley]

HERE'S this morning's Iran news....
Lyse Doucet, Chief International Correspondent, Reporting from Iran. Published 3 hours ago.

On the plains of northwestern Iran, edged by snow-ribboned ridges, spring nudges almond trees into frothy bloom and a fragile ceasefire brings more traffic onto highways, and more Iranians back to their homeland. "I stayed with my son in Turkey for a month," a grey-haired banker says as we stand waiting in the departures hall at a Turkish crossing where a late winter's snow has sent temperatures plunging on that side of the border. "In my city in the north the Israeli and American airstrikes mainly hit military targets, not homes and civilian infrastructure," was his personal summary of five weeks of grievous war, paused by a two-week truce whose end falls in a week's time. "I'm a bit scared," an elderly woman in a headscarf confessed, her face wrinkling into worry. She spoke mournfully of the suffering of young Iranians – from the shells which crashed into crowded residential neighbourhoods, to the threats from Iran's Basij paramilitary forces who prowl the streets. "It's all in God's hands," she murmured, lifting her eyes upward. Others focused on more temporal pressure. "Of course, the ceasefire won't hold," declared a young woman in a bright red puffer jacket and a knitted hat. "Iran will never give up its control of the Strait of Hormuz.''. Later, as we clear Turkish customs and enter the Islamic Republic of Iran, one man next to us exclaims when I ask about this current calm, "Trump will never leave Iran alone; he wants to swallow us!"

[Stanley]

HERE'S the latest on the Middle East......
3 hours ago....

The leaders of Israel and Lebanon have agreed a 10-day ceasefire, US President Donald Trump has said, starting from 17:00 EST (21:00 GMT; midnight local time) on Thursday. For the past six weeks, Israel and Hezbollah - an Iran-backed armed group - have been fighting in southern Lebanon. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed Israel's participation in the truce, but said troops would maintain a 10km-deep (6.2 mile) "security zone" in the country's south, adding: "We are there, and we are not leaving." Hezbollah appeared willing to participate in the ceasefire, but said it must include "a comprehensive halt to attacks" across Lebanon and "no freedom of movement for Israeli forces". Iran's foreign ministry also welcomed the ceasefire. Tehran had insisted that its own two-week ceasefire with the US should include Lebanon while the US and Israel said it did not. The US and Iran have been discussing a second round of peace talks in Pakistan and, speaking to reporters in Washington, Trump said the US and Iran had already agreed on a lot, including that Tehran would not have nuclear weapons "beyond 20 years" - but warned that "if there is no deal, fighting resumes".
Is Israel really stopping extending its territory?

[Stanley]

HERE'S the Iran news....
Iran's foreign minister has said the Strait of Hormuz has reopened for commercial vessels, but added that ships should use designated safe lanes. Tehran has effectively blocked the key oil shipping channel since the US and Israel attacked the country on 28 February. A ceasefire between the US and Iran is due to expire on 22 April. US President Donald Trump said a naval blockade of Iranian ports would continue until a peace deal was agreed between the two countries but that it was "a great and brilliant day for the world". Maritime groups say they are still verifying whether it is safe for vessels to travel through the strait, and tracking shows minimal ship movement. The announcement by Abbas Araghchi, Iran's foreign minister, came on Friday - the first full day of a 10-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon. "In line with the ceasefire in Lebanon, the passage for all commercial vessels through Strait of Hormuz is declared completely open for the remaining period of ceasefire on the coordinated route as already announced by Ports and Maritime Organisation of the Islamic Rep of Iran," he wrote on X. Iranian state TV later quoted a "senior military official" as saying that the passage of these vessels would be through a "designated route" and that the passage of military vessels through the Strait would still be "prohibited." This is likely referring to a map and two routes designated by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and widely reported by Iranian media last week.

[Stanley]

HERE'S the latest on the Iran situation.....
Published 3 hours ago
Iran says it is closing the Strait of Hormuz again to commercial vessels and that any ship that approaches it will be targeted. The closure came as reports emerged of vessels in or near the strait, including a tanker, were targeted by Tehran on Saturday. The Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) blamed a continuing US blockade for its decision, which comes a day after Iran's foreign minister announced the key global shipping channel had been temporarily reopened. US President Donald Trump said Iran cannot "blackmail" the US with threats regarding the waterway, which Tehran has effectively blocked for nearly two months - causing global energy prices to soar. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) Navy warned in a statement on Saturday that "no vessel is to move from its anchorage in the Persian Gulf or the Sea of Oman". It said a number of vessels had passed through the strait under its management since Friday night, but that it would shut again until the US stopped its blockade of Iranian ports. "Approaching the Strait of Hormuz will be considered co-operation with the enemy, and the offending vessel will be targeted," the IRGC added. Trump said on Friday that a naval blockade of Iranian ports would continue until a peace deal was agreed between the two countries. A two-week ceasefire currently in effect is due to expire on 22 April. The US said it had turned away 23 ships since it began enforcing the blockade on 13 April. Iran's Supreme National Security Council (SNSC) said this was a violation of the ceasefire agreement and that it would stop the reopening of the strait while it was still in place.
This is not good news..... I don't understand why the US is blocking the Straits before the Iranians renewed their blockade. It looks to me like a classic case of shooting yourself in the foot!

[PanBiker]

At the end pf the day Trump could side step all of this nonsense and stop the war wit Iran by a simple signature on an Executive Order, he's good at them. He can show it on the TV and his "Truth Social" channel if he wishes. It's not rocket science, totally unlike a chemical booster on a rocket which you cant turn off once activated. It's simple just stop!