Don't know if this was reported anywhere, but as part of the blockade of Saudi Arabia, Ansarallah forces attempted a landing on Zuqar island ca. July 19th.

The island sits on chain along the middle of the Bab el Mandeb strait, so is strategically significant to any attempts to assert authority over the red sea. Mainstream news picked up on reports of an airstrip being constructed last year, likely supporting an aerial campaign against Houthi shipping.

Pro-Hadi "National Resistance Forces" troops supposedly repelled the attack.

Need more crank maps such as this

Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi gave a 1.5 hr interview with filmmaker Javad Mogouei and he gives a detailed account of the entire war from his unique perspective including how he was sitting in a meeting room when the cheeseburger empire bombed the building he was in. He explains the entire chain of events and the Iranian government's thought process at each step. On the one hand it's quite remarkable to hear him explain everything and on the other hand I wish he would stop giving away so much information to the enemy. I'm afraid Iran still seems to think they are dealing with a rational people.

Iran believed war was coming before negotiations ended.

Araghchi said Iranian political and military officials were “certain” an attack was coming. Tehran nevertheless entered three rounds of negotiations because there remained some chance of avoiding war and so no one could later claim Iran had refused diplomacy.

The central dispute remained enrichment. Washington demanded zero enrichment and later a multi-year suspension. Iran refused, Araghchi said, “even at the cost of war.”

He said that by Friday, after the final round of talks in Geneva, he had concluded war was certain. Oman’s foreign minister, Badr al-Busaidi, traveled to Washington and warned Araghchi that the atmosphere there had become “completely” oriented toward war, even as he sought a meeting with JD Vance amid concerns that Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner had not accurately conveyed the negotiations.

Iran had preplanned its response if the leadership was killed.

Araghchi said the Supreme National Security Council had prepared written plans for scenarios ranging from a U.S.-only attack to joint U.S.-Israeli strikes, attacks on infrastructure, and the killing of Iran’s leader.

The last scenario was reportedly assigned a code because officials did not want to say it aloud: “Code 110.”

Araghchi said the plan included immediately closing the Strait of Hormuz if the leader was targeted and activating a broader regional military response.

Araghchi says he survived the opening attack himself.

At around 9 a.m., he was inside the leadership compound warning a senior official that an attack was imminent when multiple buildings were struck.

He described three explosions, ceilings and walls collapsing, wounded people screaming, and himself and Mohammad Hejazi climbing through steel beams and rubble to escape. A stranger eventually drove the dust-covered foreign minister back to his ministry.

Araghchi said simultaneous attacks targeted meetings involving military commanders, intelligence officials and senior leadership, exposing a major “security breach.” He suggested the breach may extend beyond espionage to attempts to influence Iranian decision-making and the country’s psychological environment

The summary is here at Drop Site (xcancel)

The full interview is here on Youtube

UKMTO is reporting another ship on fire in the SoH. Three in 24 hours is a record, I think.

U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order that will impose tariffs of 50 per cent on a wide range of Canadian exports, a dramatic ramping up of his trade war against his northern neighbour.

The 50 per cent rate is being imposed in response to what a senior administration official described as Canada's retaliation against U.S. trade policy and its discrimination against U.S. motor vehicles, dairy and alcohol. "This is not a trade war with Canada, these are defensive measures," the official said in a conference call with reporters Monday afternoon. The new rate is set to take effect in 30 days. While energy, potash, critical minerals and fish would be exempt, other products that until now have been allowed into the U.S. tariff-free under terms of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) would be hit.

The 50 per cent tariff is five times higher than the current duty imposed on the small portion of Canada's exports to the U.S. that don't comply with CUSMA's rules of origin regulations. The new rate would apply to a variety of Canadian imports, "ranging from wine to hockey sticks to cement," the official said, adding that the White House will publish a full list of the affected products.

I very much like how they are just blatantly ignoring NAFTA (CUSMA). If Canada wasn't such a US vassal, they could respond with export tariffs on energy, especially crude oil.

on the supposed increasing accuracy of Iranian missiles https://xcancel.com/policytensor/status/2079292015691333865, https://x.com/ripplebrain/status/2079295926909239666 (privated account so you may not be able to open it)

::: spoiler more

I keep seeing this idea. There is no evidence to suggest that the performance of specific missiles has improved. Rather what we are seeing is Iran bringing out its advanced missiles. No need to evoke nefarious Russians. There is nothing to explain.

And is there really any evidence the Iranians are using more advanced missiles? We already saw hypersonic, maneuvering, quasi-ballistic, terminal phase boost, and cluster models used in the previous phases of the war. Is there really a difference in the interception rate? If there is, it's just as easy to explain with depleted interceptor magazines and the degradation of the American radar network in the region. If search was working properly I'd tried to put together a compilation of Iranian missiles demonstrating advanced capabilities. Is there any footage from the past few weeks showing an Iranian missile doing something we've never seen an Iranian missile do before?

...

I can't even count the number of Iranian MRBMs I've seen on video penetrating US/Israeli/GCC AD. It's not new. The MSM is pushing this idea for a reason.

https://xcancel.com/kickerofrocks/status/2079303307420700963

Serves 2 purposes imo:

1. cope on why we seem to be getting hit harder; actually due to more sat imagery releases and I believe more efforts in field by media to get info
2. positions Russia and China as the problem; implying or stating they’re doing or aiding the targeting

https://xcancel.com/JIMMYBOBBYX/status/2079303870899994695

"They were obliterated but then Russia/China came in with military aid"

I feel like, beyond the propaganda angle, there is something genuine here, more so about the ratio of the kinds of missiles used - during the 40-day war, the Iranians were simply primarily targeting the Gulf states, and using less fancy munitions since it's just closer by - from what I remember, it was precisely in strikes in Israel that we did in fact see the fancier missile behavior like terminal maneuvering, although I'm not fully certain, there were a lot of strikes to try to remember . So with more strikes at further-away targets, there's indeed a proportionally more of the fancier missiles being used, but not any new models being brought out necessarily, just more of what had already been used on prior strikes against Israel

Additionally, the censorship around the earlier strikes (pre-"Epic Fury" ) has likely twisted people's perceptions of actual Iranian accuracy - evidence has since emerged that there were likely a whole lot more hits than were initially believed at the time.

(also, about the hypersonic mention above, I'm not sure if we've necessarily seen true hypersonics used, this may be a conflation with a different type of weapon that happens pretty often, I'll link this comment from the other day since I mentioned it there)

:::

After "Political Terrorism" Event, U.S. Names 43 Americans + Groups

The implication is clear: Secretary of State Marco Rubio thinks there should be a modern-day blacklist of the political left in America. In fact, the report explicitly mentions the “blacklists, McCarthy-era investigations and prosecutions” of the 1950s and their effectiveness at dismembering the Communist Party USA.

Amy Goodman, Code Pink, the DSA, Mamdani, Amazon Labour Union, and many more. ~~The PSL is notably absent although they did list Claudia.~~ PSL definitely in there as well.

Link to /c/news thread

Probably a solid fuel Sejil seen flying over Iraq.

it is july 20 and stalin saved the world from fascism

REPORT | State Department casts US peace activists as tools of Havana in report critics call ‘McCarthyite’

::: spoiler Drop Site summary A new 99-page State Department report on Cuba is drawing accusations of McCarthyism from peace groups and civil liberties advocates for naming private American citizens, including a member of Congress’s daughter, over their opposition to U.S. policy.

The report, titled “Cuba: The Capital of 21st Century Communism,” casts the island as a decades-long covert threat that has “infiltrated the highest reaches of the U.S. government” and “cultivated generations of American activists.” In a section on “revolutionary tourism,” it names streamer Hasan Piker (@hasanthehun), Amazon Labor Union founder Christian Smalls, the Democratic Socialists of America, former UK Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, and Isra Hirsi, a campus activist and the daughter of Rep. Ilhan Omar, over their participation in a March 2026 aid convoy to Cuba. It goes on to note that Hirsi was suspended from Barnard in 2024 for organizing Gaza solidarity encampments.

“Why is the State Department naming American citizens in their Cuba report where they seemingly complain about our opinions on US sanctions policy?” Piker wrote. “This is absolutely protected by the 1st Amendment. They are trying to chill speech through intimidation.”

@MedeaBenjamin of @codepink, whose group is also named, called the report “McCarthyism, plain and simple.” She told Drop Site that CODEPINK is now under Treasury Department investigation for bringing medical supplies to Cuban children’s hospitals. “The people delivering medicine are under investigation, not the officials enforcing policies that deprive Cubans of medicine, food, fuel, and electricity,” she said.

The group Cuban Americans for Cuba called the report “an act of instigation and warmongering,” saying it “reads like a document assembled to confirm a predetermined conclusion.” It said the blockade the report exists to justify has left Cuba with shortages of medicine, a healthcare system starved of supplies, and a collapsing power grid. “Cuba poses no threat to the American people,” the group said.

The report makes no mention of the U.S. energy embargo imposed in January, which the groups note has caused nationwide blackouts and devastating collective punishment across the island.

This month, 136 countries at the UN voted to condemn the suffocating economic sanctions on Cuba, with the U.S. and Israel among the handful opposed. :::

State Department Xcancel link

Cuba’s assault on the United States was never, at root, a quarrel over economic policy or sovereignty or even ownership of a particular territory. It was a revolution against Western civilization itself

we're so back

US SPR (Strategic Petroleum Reserve) is down another 5MMbbl, to 311MMbbl total capacity.

::: spoiler spoiler :::

[edit] Brent short positioning is basically record high while oil inventories are nearing record lows

::: spoiler spoiler :::

Protests in India

Many groups are protesting in Delhi and other cities. Modi and his friends appointed incompetent people to conduct public examinations. There were many problems, like question papers leaking and answer sheets not scanning correctly. So students and young people are angry. Another protest is about the arrest of Sonam Wangchuk. There is also a new political party called Cockroach Janata Party ("Cockroach People's Party", mocking the Bharatiya Janata Party and a comment made by the Supreme Court Chief Justice).

C-17 Globemaster III strategic aircraft/cargo aircraft are now flying from Fort Campbell (KHOP), Kentucky, United States to Ramstein Air Force Base (ETAR), Germany, where their cargo will be transferred to the Middle East.

Fort Campbell hosts the 101st Airborne Division, 5th Special Forces Group (Airborne), and the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment (SOAR), the latter were responsible for the kidnapping of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. (Not suggesting anything like that, just information). So more Special Operations Forces on their way to the Middle East.

The 5th Special Forces Group specialises in unconventional warfare, foreign internal defense, direct action, counter-insurgency, special reconnaissance, counter-terrorism, information operations, counterproliferation of weapon of mass destruction, and security force assistance, and increased activity towards the Middle East front was already present months ago, and they have been deployed to "fight ISIS" for close to a decade now.

Iranian ballistic missile accuracy over long distances (targeting Jordan+ Israel) has also improved dramatically since 2024, 2025, and early 2026, along with targeting. Individual hangars getting pinpricked for the first time ever by Iran over such long distances (targeting Jordan). MQ-9s hit on the ground. While some hangars appear empty, others have oil or chemical spills in front.

Source for satellite images

2

3

President Ortega reiterates support for the people of Cuba and Venezuela on the anniversary of the Sandinista Revolution - Telesur English

::: spoiler Article

During the massive commemoration of the end of the Somoza dictatorship, President Daniel Ortega proposed a constitutional reform to consolidate the "people's president" and reaffirmed his absolute support for Venezuela and Cuba in the face of colonial aggression.

The people of Nicaragua commemorated the 47th anniversary of the triumph of the Sandinista Popular Revolution this Sunday, July 19, with massive demonstrations, caravans, and a review of the social programs implemented in the country. This historic event recalls the victorious entry of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN) forces into Managua in 1979, a milestone that overthrew the Somoza dictatorship.

During the main event, which was attended by the leadership of the Nicaraguan Army, the National Police and representatives of the powers of the State, the co-president of Nicaragua, Daniel Ortega, proposed institutional reforms for the country.

"The principle that the people are president must be formally established in the Constitution. The people as president, the youth as president, the workers as president, the peasants as president," the president declared after recalling the cost in lives and the bloodshed to reach this anniversary . "How much pain, how much blood has it cost the people of Nicaragua to reach this 47th anniversary! " he exclaimed.

Nicaragua's co-president, Rosario Murillo, greeted the popular demonstration from Juan Pablo II Plaza, where she affirmed: "We confirm that our battle is in the blue and white of our sky, of our glorious flag, and in the immortal red and black that unites us when it arrives. Our victory is peace . "

The commemorative day mobilized thousands of citizens in cultural, political, and community activities focused on peace, unity, and national sovereignty . Official celebrations began in the early morning with motorized parades and caravans escorted by the National Police and the United Firefighters.

In the department of Rivas, the militants gathered at the FSLN Municipal House to celebrate recreational events and caravans along the main avenues, a dynamic replicated in the neighborhoods of District V of the capital.

Murillo emphasized that sovereignty is an inalienable national patrimony and that the country is progressing in accordance with the mandate of the general of free men and women. "We are advancing in dignity and national decorum as Sandino wished, as Sandino mandated," she asserted.

The Sandinista leader warned the youth about the enduring threat of imperial domination. "The beasts, the diabolical beasts, are always looking for ways to dominate peoples, to steal their wealth, " Ortega said, reviewing the history of U.S. intervention and reminding them that "the imperialists of the earth cannot be trusted even a little bit."

In his historical account, Daniel Ortega recalled that General Augusto C. Sandino could not be defeated on the battlefield , so he was invited to sign a peace agreement. Sandino came down from the mountains after more than two weeks of negotiations and was invited to a dinner in Managua, where the president was present , the president recounted.

He added that, upon leaving the presidency, he was arrested and assassinated in an operation directed by the U.S. ambassador. Ortega emphasized that the Sandinista National Liberation Front followed Sandino's example and was not willing to fall into a similar trap.

He highlighted the role of Tomás Borge, who fought alongside Sandino , in consolidating the FSLN until they defeated the Somoza dictatorship. He recalled that the dictatorship was financed and supported by the United States government , which he described as the true power behind those who called themselves "liberals."

The head of state dedicated a central part of his speech to denouncing the aggressions against the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , recalling the legacy of Commander Hugo Chávez Frías. "There we have a very clear example: the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, where Chávez, who was here with us, did not die, and the president of Venezuela, another president, continued the relations with Nicaragua and Latin America, Mr. President Nicolás ," he pointed out.

The Nicaraguan leader denounced Washington's actions against the Bolivarian government. " And what did they do? With all their power, they went, stormed the Presidential Palace... and took him to the United States to imprison him. Look, it's monstrous. Who are the ones capable of carrying out such monstrosities? Those who, in the service of the powerful nations, ask the powerful nations to do the same , " he declared, reaffirming our "respect, our embrace, our greetings," and "our solidarity" with the people of Bolívar.

The Nicaraguan president also denounced that "there are no international organizations that are concerned at this time" about sovereign peoples , accusing the existence of "traitorous" factions aligned with foreign interests.

Ortega reiterated his support for Cuba in the face of the more than 60-year-long economic blockade. "They have been blockaded for more than 60 years and they have resisted, but there are Cubans living in the United States who are asking the U.S. government to militarily invade Cuba and arrest Army General Raúl Castro, as they did with Nicolás Maduro," he said.

"Our embrace, our greetings to the people of Cuba, to Raúl and to Miguel Díaz-Canel , " he reaffirmed.

Rosario Murillo reaffirmed that the country will not abandon its path of self-determination . "We continue to move forward, consolidating our unity, liberation, and a growing consciousness that is both soul and heart. We proclaim that we are the same people of peace ," the leader concluded, during a day dedicated to defending the values ​​of social justice through the active participation of Nicaragua's popular sectors. :::

The story of parties installed by Gringos returning to government in Nicaragua is over - El 19

::: spoiler Article

The Co-President of the Republic, Commander Daniel Ortega Saavedra, assured during the official ceremony celebrating the 47th anniversary of the Sandinista Popular Revolution, that the history of political parties imposed by Yankee imperialism returning to government is over.

The Sandinista leader stressed that those who desire chaos continue to conspire to create instability, therefore he reaffirmed the commitment to defend the peace and well-being of Nicaragua and those who intend to take away that tranquility will be prosecuted with the full force of the law.

“Don’t think that just because there’s no war we’re at peace. They’re always plotting, organizing, trying to figure out how to form parties so that in an election, which they’re supposed to be in, those parties will win,” he added.

" The story of parties put in place by the Yankees, put in place by the Somoza regime, never, never, never comes back to power is over here ," said the Sandinista leader.

Put up a wall against the coup plotters

In that regard, he indicated that the National Assembly “will work on the corresponding laws, because we have to make laws that put a wall, a blockade against the coup plotters, the traitors, and that no matter how much money the Yankees give them, they will not be able to, they will not be able to, they will not be able to.”

He mentioned that the FSLN with the Sandinista Government will continue working and promoting welfare projects and even if the devil wants to interfere with this purpose "we will continue developing, even if the devil gets in front of us we will, we will cross the devil."

He added that the country has been making enormous efforts to achieve peace and recalled that in 2018, despite having agreements with the business sector to bring stability, the latter conspired with foreign interests to create instability, death, and attempt a failed coup.

“Let us remember how in 2018, when we were in agreements with the businessmen, with the Somoza supporters who were businessmen, we had a great agreement there for peace and the agreement was progressing and suddenly the stab in the back, they organized the coup, they used funds from the United States to take young people and adults, to prepare them, train them, arm them and overthrow the legitimate government of the Sandinista Front , ” said Daniel.

He emphasized that they attempted a coup d'état , "blood was shed here, the blood of young people, adults, women, and children, blood was spilled and in the end there was no other way but to respond with the force of the people's anger."

He recalled that "when they had the country paralyzed, they had roadblocks everywhere, so there was no other way than for the Police, with the Volunteer Police, with the young people to go and destroy those roadblocks and not a single roadblock remained, and then there are the complaints, crying, after they had murdered, after they had destroyed schools, after they had burned schools."

Daniel expressed the willingness of the Government of Reconciliation and National Unity, the FSLN , and the people to continue working for peace and for the development of the nation.

"Here we have to keep working to continue developing activities that benefit the poor: housing for the poor, land for the farmers, free schools. Here, after our victory following the coup, we decreed by law that education was free, that it couldn't be charged for—not primary, secondary, or university education—and we are building more schools with all the latest technology. But they are lying in wait over there; they would love to win elections so they can make real money from the schools," he stated.

He greeted the diplomatic corps accredited in the country and the rest of the guests who work for the patriotic work of peace.

He added that "tonight we want to reaffirm once again our commitment to peace. Let us not be provoked, because then they want to provoke us so that we fall into the trap, and from there comes violence. If there is provocation, immediately go to the authorities, to the police, so that those who are trying to provoke violence, destruction, and death are captured and then prosecuted, as has been done for several months."

He pointed out that the traitors complain to the United States and pretend to be poor innocents, but they are criminals and murderers.

“When they are shameless, when they are truly criminals, when they are murderers, and even with the proof of the murders they still don't understand, that is why defending peace is a fundamental task to guarantee the continuity of the works, the hospitals, the universities, the housing and all the projects that we are developing and will continue to develop, even if the devil stands in front of us , we will, we will make the crosses for the devil, we will make the crosses and he will run away,” the revolutionary leader pointed out. :::

Hamas elects Khalil al-Hayya as head of political bureau

::: spoiler summary Hamas announced Monday that it has elected Khalil al-Hayya as head of its political bureau, formally filling the post left vacant since Israel killed Yahya Sinwar in October 2024.

Al-Hayya, 65, born in Gaza City, has been Hamas’s lead negotiator in the indirect ceasefire talks with Israel. He helped negotiate the truces to end the 2014 war as well as the October 2025 deal backed by the US. Al-Hayya was elected to the Palestinian Legislative Council in 2006 and since Sinwar’s killing, has led Hamas in Gaza from exile.

He defeated Khaled Meshaal, the veteran former Hamas chief, and is expected to formally assume the role next week. A senior Hamas official told AFP the political bureau will meet in Istanbul within days to form committees and restructure the movement’s leadership bodies, dissolving the five-member council that has run Hamas since Sinwar’s killing.

Israel has killed four of al-Hayya’s seven sons: two in strikes targeting him in Gaza in 2008 and 2014, one in the September 2025 strike on the Hamas negotiating delegation in Doha, and Azzam al-Hayya, 23, in a Gaza City strike this May. Two of his grandchildren, aged eight and two, were killed in an April 2025 strike on a school sheltering displaced families. :::

::: spoiler additional announcement 🟢 In its official statement announcing Khalil al-Hayya’s election as chairman of the movement, Hamas also said:

🔺The movement pays homage to our people in the Gaza Strip, who faced the war of genocide with their lives, bodies, homes, and resources, transforming their tragedies into a beacon for the free, and teaching humanity once again the meaning of resilience and dignity.

🔺The movement is focused on its central priority at this stage, which is to stop the ongoing aggression against our Palestinian people, and to work to alleviate the suffering of our people in the Gaza Strip, in addition to standing with our people in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and abroad, and with our prisoners in Israeli prisons.

:::

Amidst videos of Jordanians celebrating the bombing of US military bases, it seems like a good time to remind some facts.

From Colonial Effects: The Making of National Identity in Jordan by Joseph Massad

The country of Jordan is a fake country designed for the purpose of propping up the zionist project.

::: spoiler spoiler :::

Most "Jordanians" are actually Palestinian.

::: spoiler spoiler

:::

Advocate: Hunter Biden calls out 'closeted gay mafia' of D.C. Republicans

someone give him some rock ffs, MFs looking presidential

Variety of sources reporting that Ansar Allah has announced a blockade of the Red Sea against any Saudi shipping.

-https://www.dropsitenews.com/p/us-iran-strikes-ansarallah-saudi-blockade-israel-house-military

-https://xcancel.com/clashreport/status/2079176282365899079

-https://www.commondreams.org/news/houthis-saudi-maritime-embargo

First Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, of Ewa Beach, Hawaii, was identified as one of the soldiers eliminated in Jordan on Saturday.

Private Isabella Gonzales, aged 19 from Texas, is identified as one of the soldiers that was eliminated in an Iranian strike on Jordan three days ago

Gonzales was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, 52nd Air Defense Artillery Brigade, 10th Army Air Missile Defense Command.

Trump is sending young men and women to die in foreign countries for the interests of Israel.

• Middle East Spectator

On VHF radio, Yemen’s Naval Forces announce to Saudi vessels to proceed through the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, and not to dock at Saudi ports—or become legitimate targets of the Armed Forces.

• Middle East Spectator

Iran is transferring military equipment near the border with Kuwait. The video above from Khuzestan is circulating, I cannot confirm if it’s new.

NOTE: I am not implying Iran will invade Kuwait. This is likely being done as a precaution to prevent any U.S.-led ground invasion through Al-Faw.

• Middle East Spectator

Venezuela quake death toll tops 5,000 as IMF releases emergency aid - Al Jazeera

::: spoiler Article

IMF releases $346m in emergency funds as new details emerge about the disaster response.

The death toll from the twin earthquakes that tore through Venezuela’s Caribbean coast last month has surpassed 5,000, as authorities continue recovering bodies from the rubble.

National Assembly President Jorge Rodriguez said on Friday that 5,119 people have now been confirmed dead, most of them in the coastal state of La Guaira, where the earthquakes caused the worst destruction. Another 16,740 people were injured, though Rodriguez said most have since been discharged from hospital.

The toll has continued to climb as rescue crews clear collapsed buildings and reach areas that were difficult to access in the chaotic days after the disaster.

The magnitude 7.2 and 7.5 earthquakes, which struck within a minute of each other on June 24, devastated La Guaira, north of Caracas. The coastal state is home to Venezuela’s main international airport, a major seaport and hundreds of apartment towers, many of which partially or completely collapsed.

More than 1,300 aftershocks have been recorded since then, authorities say. Approximately 20,000 people remain displaced, many living in overcrowded shelters without reliable access to clean water or sanitation.

The grim milestone comes as Interim President Delcy Rodriguez announced on Friday that Venezuela had secured $346m in emergency financing from the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

IMF Managing Director Kristalina Georgieva confirmed the money was being released from Venezuela’s reserve tranche at the fund to meet urgent humanitarian needs.

It was only in April that the IMF and World Bank restored relations with Venezuela, following the United States forcibly removing former President Nicolas Maduro from power in January. The institutions had suspended ties with the country in 2019 after refusing to recognise Maduro’s government.

Public outrage over the government’s handling of the earthquakes has continued to grow in the weeks since they struck, with survivors and critics accusing authorities of responding too slowly as people remained trapped beneath collapsed buildings.

New details uncovered by the news agency Reuters have added to those questions. In an investigation published on Saturday, the news agency found the crucial first days of the rescue effort were hampered by delayed military deployment orders, shortages of basic rescue equipment and confusion caused by overlapping chains of command, according to military and diplomatic sources.

Rodriguez has repeatedly rejected accusations that authorities were slow to act, dismissing claims of chaos as a narrative manufactured by “media laboratories” and insisting the government responded swiftly. :::

Nicaragua celebrates 47 years of the Sandinista Revolution - Prensa Latina

::: spoiler Article

Managua, July 19 (Prensa Latina) Nicaragua celebrates today the 47th anniversary of the triumph of the Sandinista Popular Revolution, a political project focused on the restoration of the people's rights and the fight against poverty.

Historical accounts highlight that on July 19, 1979, there was immense popular joy, and a change in institutional structures began. It was the last armed revolution in Latin America and the Caribbean after the Mexican (1910) and Cuban (1959) revolutions, whose main objective was to empower the people and eradicate poverty at its root. After the July victory came complex days, but the basic banner of the Sandinista struggle for the defense of sovereignty, independence and self-determination remained.

Before 1979 in Nicaragua, more than 50 percent of the population was illiterate, while almost 60 percent were peasants without the right to land or credit. Economic growth was concentrated in very limited groups, but the Revolution broke that pattern and today it seeks to grow equitably, sharing growth and distributing wealth, which is reflected in access to free education and health, social security, streets and housing for the people.

"If I could choose the greatest attribute we have in Nicaragua today, after the triumph of popular power on July 19, 1979, I would say that Nicaraguans live in peace," said analyst Xavier Díaz-Lacayo in an interview with Prensa Latina. He believed that the Sandinista Revolution broke mental paradigms of a society conditioned to poverty and misery, by incorporating identity, history and dignity as fundamental elements of national transformation.

The country's progress is undeniable. Electricity coverage nationwide reaches almost 100 percent of the population, while the country's road infrastructure has experienced unprecedented growth. According to official data, thanks to the impetus of the Sandinista Government, the nation currently has 5,270 kilometers of paved roads, a figure that represents a growth of 932 percent. Also noteworthy is the development of healthcare infrastructure with the construction of modern medical centers, positioning the country as one of the nations with the largest hospital network in the region.

The coordinator of the Secretariat for Caribbean Coast Affairs, Commander Lumberto Campbell, in statements to the En Vivo Magazine of Channel 4 television, summarized that the transformations that the country is experiencing have been possible thanks to the Revolution, the unity of the Nicaraguan people and peace.

The most recent public opinion study by the polling firm M&R Consultores revealed that 88.5 percent of the Nicaraguan population approves of the administration led by co-president Daniel Ortega. The survey highlighted that 86.7 percent of respondents rated the work of co-president Rosario Murillo as positive. He also addressed the issue of Nicaraguans' political predisposition index, highlighting that 85.5 percent favor the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN), while only 10.5 percent support the opposition.

“The FSLN has reached the highest level of political readiness in the last five years, and this is due to the loyalty that the co-presidents have shown in leading a country in revolution,” said Díaz-Lacayo. :::

Colombia surpasses four gigawatts of solar and wind energy - Prensa Latina

::: spoiler Article

Bogotá, July 20 (Prensa Latina) The installed capacity of solar and wind energy sources in Colombia has already reached 4.63 gigawatts (GW), as highlighted today by the Ministry of Mines and Energy.

According to the entity, the figure represents an unprecedented growth that contrasts with the lag inherited in 2022, when the country had only about 200 megawatts (MW) of these non-conventional renewable energies.

The agency also explained how currently 74.16 percent of the installed capacity of the National Interconnected System corresponds to clean sources, distributed between hydroelectric generation (54.92 percent), solar and wind (19.23 percent), while thermal technologies represent 25.84 percent.

The ministry emphasized that during this administration, the installed capacity in non-conventional renewable energies has increased more than twentyfold, which positions the country in one of the fastest growing energy transition markets in Latin America.

The Minister of Mines and Energy, Edwin Palma, considered that such progress demonstrates that the energy transition has ceased to be a promise and has become a reality.

“We inherited a country with barely 200 MW of installed solar and wind power. Today, we have surpassed 4,600 MW thanks to decisions that unlocked projects, expedited permits, modernized regulations, and set the energy transition in motion. This is the most significant growth recorded in Colombia's energy history,” he stated.

The official added that Colombia is moving towards a cleaner, safer and more competitive energy mix, and that this growth means more investment, more jobs, greater energy sovereignty and a reduction in dependence on fossil fuels. :::

Argentine trade union federations take to the streets again to protest - Prensa Latina

::: spoiler Article

Buenos Aires, July 19 (Prensa Latina) The General Confederation of Labor (CGT), the two Workers' Central Unions of Argentina (CTA) and the Union of Workers of the Popular Economy (UTEP) confirmed today that they will hold a joint march next Wednesday against the government.

The three federations agreed on a phased action plan against the policies of Javier Milei's administration, which will begin on Wednesday the 22nd, joining the retirees who have been going out every week on that day since the beginning of last year to demand better pensions, the removal of medications, and improved medical care.

As the main union organization of the CTA Autónoma, the State Workers' Association (ATE) will also be present at the protest, bringing its National Center for Retirees along with hundreds of members from its various unions. "This Wednesday there will surely be a very good mobilization," union leader Oscar Verón told Prensa Latina.

The schedule of union action includes several demonstrations and the possible realization of a general strike towards the end of the year.

The call, publicized under the slogan "Social security is a right: we march together with the retirees," set the gathering for 3:00 p.m. local time, at Avenida Rivadavia and Rodríguez Peña, in front of Plaza del Congreso.

From there, the organizations will demand the protection of pension benefits, the maintenance of income, and dignified conditions for senior citizens.

This demonstration is not an isolated act, but rather part of a schedule of actions agreed upon between the trade unions and social movements, following a series of meetings in which they resolved to act in a unified manner in response to the economic direction of the national government.

This rapprochement is consolidated after the UTEP anticipated a new stage of protests against the decision of the Casa Rosada to cancel the job promotion program "Back to Work".

As part of the union's plan of action, the federations also plan to march alongside social movements on August 7 for Land, Housing and Work, on Saint Cajetan's Day, and when the next meeting of the Minimum, Vital and Mobile Wage Council takes place.

They also plan to call for a mobilization at the Ministry of Economy during the third week of August, to denounce Milei's economic plan and the debt policy that this Government maintains, demanding urgent measures that provide answers to the millions of indebted people in our country.

The protest will also be against the Private Property Inviolability Bill, as the libertarian executive calls the reform of the Land Law that will allow the free sale of land to foreigners.

They will also demonstrate for atomic sovereignty, which the Milei government is trying to privatize. :::

Cuban Embassy strengthens ties with friends and businesspeople in Mexico - Prensa Latina

::: spoiler Article

Mexico City, July 19 (Prensa Latina) The visit of a delegation from the Cuban Embassy to the Mexican state of Puebla brought consular services closer to citizens of the island residing there and strengthened ties with friends and businessmen, diplomatic sources reported today.

Through a message on its social media account, the Embassy of Havana here referred to the participation of the second head of Mission, Ambassador Johana Tablada; the consul in Mexico City, Mabel Arteaga; the Tourism Counselor, Aleinor Zerquera, and other officials.

As part of the day, a Mobile Consulate was held at the Salvador Allende Institute, "with the purpose of bringing consular services closer to Cubans residing in Puebla and nearby states, preventing them from having to travel to the capital."

There was also “a fraternal meeting between the Cuban delegation and representatives of solidarity organizations, political forces, businesspeople and members of the Cuban community residing in Puebla,” the diplomatic mission added.

The activity was inaugurated by the general director of the Salvador Allende Institute, Fausto Hernández.

In addition, it featured the participation of Carlos Hernández, Secretary of Social Movements of the ruling Morena party in the state; Federal Deputy Clemente Castells, of the Labor Party (PT); and Luis Ángel León, of the Association of Cubans Residing in Puebla.

Also in attendance were members of the Mexican Movement of Solidarity with Cuba, the militant collective Va por Cuba, representatives of the Morena youth, the PT, about twenty businessmen from Puebla and friends of the Revolution.

During the exchange, Tablada offered an update on the economic and social transformations approved in the largest of the Antilles.

He pointed out examples of the impact on the Cuban population of the intensification of the United States' economic warfare measures and energy blockade, such as the impact on productive activity, public services and the ability to generate income and sustenance.

He thanked Mexico for its continued solidarity with the Caribbean nation and called for continued vigilance and mobilization in the face of the growing irresponsible and unjustifiable threats of military intervention against Cuba, which do not even have the support of the American people.

According to the Embassy's message, several participants reiterated their solidarity with the Cuban people, their support for the Revolution, and conveyed messages of encouragement and confidence in the resilience and ability of the Caribbean nation to move forward.

As part of the work program, Councilor Zerquera held a meeting with businessmen from Puebla interested in the tourist destination of Cuba, in which they exchanged ideas about the potential for cooperation and opportunities to strengthen economic and tourism ties. :::

SoH update:

(edit)

Two tankers managed by Greece’s Dynacom Tankers were struck by projectiles of unknown origin Monday off Oman as renewed U.S.-Iran fighting again threatens shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards separately said on Monday that two tankers “exploded” and were immobilized after taking what it called an unsafe “accident-prone” southern route, though Reuters said it was unclear whether the incidents were connected.

https://x.com/DropSiteNews/status/2079233791697068130

Sorry I couldn't follow up in my post yesterday. Mes admitted the hangars were actually hit, after initial false report of interceptions https://t.me/Middle_East_Spectator/35219?single

Crude oil has 43 days of supply left in the US - the lowest inventory in 45 years.

Oil cushion thins as US crude supply falls to 45-year low - msn.com

The U.S. crude oil supply fell to its lowest level in 45 years relative to demand, highlighting a thinner cushion against potential supply disruptions as the Middle East conflict continued to escalate. In a post on X, Barchart shared a Bank of America Global Research chart showing the U.S. had about 43 days of crude oil supply, including the Strategic Petroleum Reserve, compared with a long-term average of around 65 days.

Based on Bloomberg data, the chart showed the measure falling to its lowest level since the early 1980s. The decline came as markets feared tightening crude supplies as intensifying U.S.-Iran hostilities raised concerns over shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a key transit route for global oil exports. Any disruption to flows through the waterway could further tighten the global oil market at a time when U.S. inventories were already near multi-decade lows.

While lower inventories did not necessarily indicate an immediate shortage, they left the market with a smaller buffer against unexpected supply disruptions, making oil prices potentially more sensitive to geopolitical developments. Brent crude jumped over 2% to clear the $90-per-barrel mark in early Asian trading. While the U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude stood at $84.48/bbl, rising 2.4% to touch its highest since June 12. ​

NYT - A Houthi maritime blockade on Saudi Arabia in the Red Sea could affect more than 3 percent of the global oil market. The Bab al-Mandeb Strait, a waterway at the southern end of the Red Sea, is not usually a critical chokepoint for oil. But Saudi Arabia has been leaning on it since the start of the war with Iran because it is an alternative to the Strait of Hormuz.

The country has been exporting more than 3.6 million barrels of oil and related fuels a day via the Bab al-Mandeb in recent months, most of it to Asia, according to the maritime data firm Kpler. Top destinations include South Korea, Japan and China.

The straits are alright.

YAF: We declare the following:

First: The Yemeni Armed Forces declare a maritime embargo against the criminal Saudi enemy, based on the equation of "an eye for an eye," effective immediately upon the issuance of this statement.

Second: We affirm the right of our great people to respond to the blockade with a blockade, and to respond to all escalation with all escalation, thus solidifying this equation.

Third: The Yemeni Armed Forces affirm their complete readiness for all options, and any foolish act committed by the reckless Saudi enemy through all escalation will be met with a comprehensive and decisive escalation, by Allah's will and power.

Fourth: We call upon the people of our great nation to continue the general mobilization and general call to arms, and to be fully prepared for all scenarios and developments, and to support the fronts with fighters.

Fifth: We extend our greetings with pride and reverence to our great Yemeni people who turned out in an unprecedented million-man March of Warning and Mobilization. We assure them that we will spare no effort in restoring their plundered rights and ending the unjust siege imposed upon them, whatever the consequences and repercussions, relying on Allah and placing our trust in Allah.

Every Monday without fail I go to post a zinger in the replies of a comment and I get hit with [locked]

another day another Osprey banger https://xcancel.com/KiwaSpotter/status/2079015003919994895

A MV-22B Ospery from VMM-266 had a engine fire on startup at KIWA [code of Phoenix–Mesa Gateway Airport in Arizona]. Fire is out and all crew are Ok. Photo is from that97greenbean on Instagram.

Nationwide USA Gas Prices: 7/20

Oh yeah, we're back

Gasoline has reached $4.00 nationwide

::: spoiler Gasoline $4.003

February 26 (Pre War) $ $2.983

Current Gas Record: $5.016 on 6/14/22

:::

::: spoiler Diesel $5.108

February 26 (Pre War) $3.720

Current Diesel Record: $5.816 on 6/19/22

:::

The previous wartime high was gasoline $4.558 and diesel $5.674 on 5/7

https://archive.ph/Q30is

Debasification

Iranian air war strategy

Over the past few days, the US/Israeli/GCC (“US Axis” from here on) war against Iran has reached a pace not seen since the opening hours of the conflict. Waves of Iranian missiles and drones have been striking targets across the region, with an apparent shift in target selection concentrating unprecedented amounts of Iranian firepower against Kuwait and Jordan. The war between the US Axis and Iran can be arbitrarily divided into several theaters. There’s the war for control over the Strait of Hormuz, countervalue strikes against infrastructure, Iran’s campaign against Kurdish proxies staging for ground operations on its western flank, and so on. Today we’ll be focusing on a narrow slice of the conflict: the air war, with IRGC missile and drone forces (IRGCASF) on one side and the USAF, IAF, and GCC air forces on the other. As we’ll see, this theater of the war has profound implications that cut across all other areas of the conflict.

::: spoiler more

The broad picture of the Iranian air war in this phase has been a steady wave of concentrated missile and drone strikes sweeping its way across the region. In contrast to the previous hot phase of the war, in which Iran targeted bases across the entire theater simultaneously, this wave started with the targets close to Iranian shores, and has progressed steadily to the Israeli border. After destroying much of the radar network protecting regional US Axis bases in the previous hot phase of the war, Iranian planners have prioritized targeting fuel storage, drone hangers, refueling tankers, and barracks. The American response has been to pull assets back ever further from Iran, to bases in Israel and Jordan. We’ll call this process debasification. Iran’s debasification strategy takes advantage of the inherent asymmetry between the vastly different force structure and capabilities of Iranian rocket forces and US Axis air forces.

The first asymmetry we’ll cover is the American need for casualty avoidance. Political support for the war is low, and US narratives to shore it up hinge on overwhelming American superiority and a perception of the war presenting minimal risk. Casualties and the loss of major assets fly in the face of this narrative and erode support for the war. The Department of War clearly takes this seriously, as evidenced by their decision to evacuate the most vulnerable bases (moving personnel to hotels) before the war began. When the US force in the region has taken major risks by leaving valuable assets in the open at bases subject to Iranian targeting, the results have been disastrous, with the loss of near-irreplaceable assets like the E-3 Sentry destroyed on the tarmac at Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia. Iranian military sources claimed to have damaged refueling tankers on the ground at Al Udeid in Qatar, Al Kharj in Saudi Arabia, and Muwaffaq Salti in Jordan in a single wave of attacks on Friday. Multiple US personnel were killed and as many as dozens injured two days ago in an Iranian missile attack on Muwaffaq Salti Air Base in Jordan. Subsequent disclosures from the New York Times revealed that this was the fourth Iranian attack on Jordan to result in casualties and major losses of air assets in the previous week. A strike on King Faisal Air Base days prior wounded five, and another attack on a base—unidentified by the NYT but confirmed by mappers to be Prince Hassan Air Base—damaged multiple Black Hawk helicopters on the ground. Then, 20 personnel were wounded in an attack on Muwaffaq Salti on the 16th. The attack that killed at least two US personnel occurred the next day. The Iranians have thus forced American planners into an uncomfortable choice. Jordan was the clear fallback point for assets that previously operated out of bases closer to Iran in Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the UAE. But Jordanian bases are not safe, with the US taking dozens of casualties and losing an unknown number of air assets in the span of just five days. Footage of Iranian MRBM strikes within Jordan reveals an appallingly low interception rate for US and Jordanian air defenses, even when interceptors are expended in 3:1 ratios and above against incoming projectiles. Official Jordanian attempts to cover this up by claiming 100% interception rates have been conclusively disproven by such a mountain of visual evidence and reporting they can be dismissed out of hand.

The next line of bases for US air forces to fall back to is within Israel itself. While falling back to Israel will bring US assets within the protective range of Israeli air defenses, it isn’t clear that the Israelis want any part in this phase of the war. There’s also little reason to think they’ve been able to replenish their own interceptor stocks in the brief pause in the fighting, and the IDF was facing a crisis in that area before the pause. Even when interceptors were more plentiful, the Israelis were unable to fully protect their own airbases. The US force in the region losing access to both the first and second lines of airbases available to it at the start of the conflict is a development with profound strategic and operational consequences. Depending on how you slice it, the number of airbases from which the US would likely conduct operations against Iran prewar was around 20. Without access to bases in Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, the UAE, KSA, and Jordan, that number will be cut to around five. This will compress hundreds of airframes into just a handful of tarmacs and runways, making it impossible to get those assets into the air in the time between early warning radars detecting an Iranian MRBM launch and that missile impacting its target in Israel. With more assets on the tarmac, the Iranians are much more likely to score hits. As the Pentagon moves more assets into the region to stage for a potential ramp-up in attacks on Iran, this issue will compound.

Enter a second asymmetry: the US Axis depends on aerial refueling to generate combat power, and the distance that makes Israeli bases safer to conduct operations from undercuts refueling missions. Tankers that could have met attack aircraft for refueling missions directly over their takeoff point at Al Udeid in Qatar, for example, will now have to fly over a thousand miles to reach the southern border of Iran, and even farther if they want to avoid dangerous airspace over Iraq. This puts stress on airframes, sucks up fuel, and reduces the number of refueling missions that can be flown. These distances become extreme when considering that tankers may have to meet attack aircraft launched from carriers operating as much as 1,700 miles away from Israel in the Arabian Sea. The retreat to Israel effectively divides the US forces in the region in two, splitting USAF assets in Israel from USN assets off the coast of Oman. The key to the American air campaign has always been to degrade Iranian air defenses to the point that cheap and plentiful glide or even gravity bombs can be used against targets in Iran. Dwindling stocks of long-range cruise missiles make this a necessity. To accomplish this, American air forces have to conduct Suppression/Destruction of Enemy Air Defenses (S/DEAD) operations, which require long loiter times with aircraft remaining in the air to respond to ISR and emissions from air defense radars. These missions are exceptionally dependent on tanker support, so any degradation of US tanker operations in turn degrades American S/DEAD capabilities.

By all available evidence, the Iranian debasification campaign appears to be working. The US force in the region is likely incapable of generating the same combat power in its air operations against Iran as it could when the war started, and things are trending ever further in a negative direction. Even worse, there’s no clear solution on the horizon. The most obvious lever for American planners to pull is to accept more casualties and losses of personnel and airframes, but this is an unprecedented step the modern incarnation of the US military has never faced.

:::

https://xcancel.com/Soureh_design2/status/2078963145104937333

Iranian TV: What's Iran doing strategically in this phase of the war? The objective of Nasr 2 phase is sweeping terrorists from different parts of the region to the occupied lands. So the next phase we will have only one target, !srael. All our offensive power will focus on one place. Unlike the True Promise 4, when we used 70% of our offensive power against American bases all around the region and only 30% against the regime. And this process has been ongoing, layer by layer we have sent the terrorist colonies back. Today's attack to Aqaba port was part of this strategy. And shows how they have moved back closer to the Zionist regime

before this thread gets started, let me say:

death to amerikkka and its external zionist tumor

liberation to all peoples for all time

https://xcancel.com/AMK_Mapping_/status/2079168614972985731

As Ukraine's manpower shortages get worse, forced mobilisation continues to be increased, as men get dragged off the streets to be sent to the frontline. Another way men are mobilised is when they are caught at the border trying to escape. Recently, one man was caught while trying to cross the border undetected, and has since been sent to a training ground, from which he will later be sent to the frontline. Here is a direct quote from him, that I have been given permission to post:

I tried to cross the border through the swamp bushes and got caught at the river. Too many drones patrolling the border now. It was [date redacted]. Border guards initiated administrative case what will end up as [redacted] hryvnia penalty. What is worse is that they passed me to military police who kept me 4 days in a kind of jail. Yesterday late night they transferred me and 45 other service eludes to the reserve battalion in Vinnytsa region. Some guys here said they are 4 month here with no salary. No uniform. 3 rations per day. Conditions here are fair, not as in jail - it is a kind of camp in the forest where officers are kept finally separated from drug addicts, alcoholics and all kinds of human waste who feel from their units...

https://xcancel.com/AMK_Mapping_/status/2079096894715040028

In a recent image posted by the National Police of Ukraine showing the aftermath of Russian Geran-2 drone strikes on "civilian infrastructure" in Sumy, a pile of boxes is visible in the background, with the logo of the "VYRIY" military tech company on them. "VYRIY" specialises in the production of FPV drones, fixed-wing drones, ground robotic complexes, and other components and control systems for FPV drones, supplying to over 200 units of the Ukrainian military. The post was then hastily deleted by the National Police of Ukraine after they realised what was showing.

https://xcancel.com/kremenko34/status/2079104925607358668

@FuckyWucky@hexbear.net

Is the CJP really that important at all in the protest movement, or is it just an internet trend the bourgeois media is centering? The inclusion of CPI-ML cadre near the visible center of the movement definitely makes me willing to take it more seriously.