A reminder that as the US continues to threaten countries around the world, fedposting is to be very much avoided (even with qualifiers like “in Minecraft”) and comments containing it will be removed.

Image is from this Bloomberg article, depicting world oil inventories plunging towards the operational floor at which pipelines and refineries cease operating, which is expected to occur in September at current rates.


A pretty short preamble below, in spoiler tags.

summary

The conflict continues to be kept at a relatively low level despite Iran’s fiery encounters with US destroyers. I think it’s only becoming increasingly obvious that the US is trying to cobble together some major clandestine operation mixing special forces, the air force, and naval destroyers to either seize Iranian uranium, take control of Iranian seaports, or both. Given a) how the Istafan op went, b) further Iranian preparations around sensitive sites, and c) a seeming strengthening of Iranian air defense around the Persian Gulf (multiple drones and manned aircraft have squawked emergency codes and potentially been shot down over the last few weeks), I find it difficult to imagine this operation fulfilling its objective, and even if did somehow work, why the removal of uranium would necessitate Iran ending the blockade and the war. On that note, I’ve seen reports that Iran is saying that if the US attacks their oil tankers again, they will resume firing on US military bases.

Additionally, Aragchi has stated that not only has Iran’s missile/launcher stockpiles not gone down from pre-conflict, it has actually increased by 20%. This is unsurprising given the total war that Iran is now in; all resources within reason must now be funnelling towards drone and missile production.

Atrocities in Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon are continuing. The toll that FPV drones are taking on the common Zionist soldiery are quickly becoming apparent, as we are receiving ever-increasing amounts of footage of vehicles and gatherings of soldiers being struck by Hezbollah’s drones. The casualty situation is, as expected, being hidden, but any kind of serious occupation of even the border villages of southern Lebanon (let alone up to the Litani) seems unsustainable.


Last week’s thread is here.
The Imperialism Reading Group is here.

Please check out the RedAtlas!

The bulletins site is here. Currently not used.
The RSS feed is here. Also currently not used.

The Zionist Entity's Genocide of Palestine

If you have evidence of Zionist crimes and atrocities that you wish to preserve, there is a thread here in which to do so.

Sources on the fighting in Palestine against the temporary Zionist entity. In general, CW for footage of battles, explosions, dead people, and so on:

UNRWA reports on the Zionists’ destruction and siege of Gaza and the West Bank.

English-language Palestinian Marxist-Leninist twitter account. Alt here.
English-language twitter account that collates news.
Arab-language twitter account with videos and images of fighting.
English-language (with some Arab retweets) Twitter account based in Lebanon. - Telegram is @IbnRiad.
English-language Palestinian Twitter account which reports on news from the Resistance Axis. - Telegram is @EyesOnSouth.
English-language Twitter account in the same group as the previous two. - Telegram here.

Mirrors of Telegram channels that have been erased by Zionist censorship.

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

Examples of Ukrainian Nazis and fascists
Examples of racism/euro-centrism during the Russia-Ukraine conflict

Sources:

Defense Politics Asia’s youtube channel and their map. Their youtube channel has substantially diminished in quality but the map is still useful.
Moon of Alabama, which tends to have interesting analysis. Avoid the comment section.
Understanding War and the Saker: reactionary sources that have occasional insights on the war.
Alexander Mercouris, who does daily videos on the conflict. While he is a reactionary and surrounds himself with likeminded people, his daily update videos are relatively brainworm-free and good if you don’t want to follow Russian telegram channels to get news. He also co-hosts The Duran, which is more explicitly conservative, racist, sexist, transphobic, anti-communist, etc when guests are invited on, but is just about tolerable when it’s just the two of them if you want a little more analysis.
Simplicius, who publishes on Substack. Like others, his political analysis should be soundly ignored, but his knowledge of weaponry and military strategy is generally quite good.
On the ground: Patrick Lancaster, an independent and very good journalist reporting in the warzone on the separatists’ side.

Unedited videos of Russian/Ukrainian press conferences and speeches.

Pro-Russian Telegram Channels:

Again, CW for anti-LGBT and racist, sexist, etc speech, as well as combat footage.

https://t.me/aleksandr_skif ~ DPR’s former Defense Minister and Colonel in the DPR’s forces. Russian language.
https://t.me/Slavyangrad ~ A few different pro-Russian people gather frequent content for this channel (~100 posts per day), some socialist, but all socially reactionary. If you can only tolerate using one Russian telegram channel, I would recommend this one.
https://t.me/s/levigodman ~ Does daily update posts.
https://t.me/patricklancasternewstoday ~ Patrick Lancaster’s telegram channel.
https://t.me/gonzowarr ~ A big Russian commentator.
https://t.me/rybar ~ One of, if not the, biggest Russian telegram channels focussing on the war out there. Actually quite balanced, maybe even pessimistic about Russia. Produces interesting and useful maps.
https://t.me/epoddubny ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/boris_rozhin ~ Russian language.
https://t.me/mod_russia_en ~ Russian Ministry of Defense. Does daily, if rather bland updates on the number of Ukrainians killed, etc. The figures appear to be approximately accurate; if you want, reduce all numbers by 25% as a ‘propaganda tax’, if you don’t believe them. Does not cover everything, for obvious reasons, and virtually never details Russian losses.
https://t.me/UkraineHumanRightsAbuses ~ Pro-Russian, documents abuses that Ukraine commits.

Pro-Ukraine Telegram Channels:

Almost every Western media outlet.
https://discord.gg/projectowl ~ Pro-Ukrainian OSINT Discord.
https://t.me/ice_inii ~ Alleged Ukrainian account with a rather cynical take on the entire thing.


  • AlHouthi4President@lemmy.ml
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    112
    ·
    8 days ago

    Since the start of the Ramadan war, this amazing Lebanese woman has been gathering car loads of food and supplies to deliver to displaced families in South Lebanon. Yesterday she was targetted by a zionist drone strike. This is what she has to say.

    Other images from her Twitter

    spoiler


  • LeylaLove [she/her, love/loves]@hexbear.net
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    111
    ·
    8 days ago

    Update on my trans friend who planned on joining Ukraine as a combat medic. Lots of text, but the TLDR is that she’s not going to Ukraine.

    I was able to talk to her about it today, and a lot was revealed. One of the commenters was spot on, this was suicidal ideation disguised as self sacrifice. I went a bit more critical on her than normal. I normally hold back a little bit because some of the things I said, I don’t really feel are my place to say normally. I usually hold back because when she’s not on a manic plan, she listens to be a little bit too much. She respects me as being better read and a smarter person when looking at big picture things. Whenever she says stuff like this, I make sure I point out areas that she’s smarter than me in. She’s really big into theology, so she’ll manically switch religions. She’s also really big into language, and not mainstream language either, which really impressed me. Doesn’t know a lick of Spanish, but knows many indigenous languages. While she is right in her assumption that I am generally better at big picture stuff that sounds conceited, but many of y’all saw the arguments she was making about joining Ukraine, it’s very true.

    She came to me this morning crying, saying she was thinking about going to a mental institution. I ask why and she tells me that she’s very suicidal. I comfort her and tell her I kind of assumed, because the Ukraine mission sounded like a suicide disguised as self sacrifice. She admits that this is probably the case. She is often struggling with suicidal thoughts, and while she deals with a lot of mental illness, I don’t think she struggles with clinical depression. I’m not a shrink, but she shares all her thoughts with me, I really think she’s depressed due to a mix of being a disabled trans person in America, having incoherent beliefs from not reading theory, and having essentially been groomed to throw her life away in some sort of combat. In my discussion with her today, I tackled all three.

    First, being a disabled trans person in America. Under the structure of her religious beliefs in Norse Paganism (more on that later) it says something that amounts to “If you can fight, you should fight.” I was very open with her about the fact that I don’t know much about Norse Paganism except what she’s told me, and what I’ve seen the alt righters say. I explained to her that this likely meant defending her own people, and as a disabled (schizophrenic) trans woman, she’s needed in America now more than ever. Her very existence is radical in a country that’s trying to send both schizophrenics and trans people to labor/death camps. Part of her reasoning for wanting to go to Ukraine was to escape America, but if she wants to fight, she should fight for her own people. If she wants to leave America, she shouldn’t be leaving to fight in an American proxy war.

    Second, incoherent beliefs. She is a Norse Pagan who isn’t a Nazi. She rejected all community with Norse Pagans because she understands that they’re all Nazis, so she’s essentially isolated in her beliefs there. I normally don’t go after her religious beliefs, she changes them when she’s manic but typically goes for religions that seem to lead to reactionary conclusions. Like you know, fighting for Nazis in Ukraine. I told her she should consider building her own spiritual beliefs, but she has a problem where she just has to be told what to believe. Hence why I typically avoid criticizing her religions, I don’t feel like I should determine what religious beliefs she has. I know if I more thoroughly explained mine, she’d probably go with mine. Not because mine are the best and truest, but because she generally follows whatever I say. The first book of theory I gave her to read isn’t leftist theory, it’s really disability liberation. She feels worthless because she was raised in America, by a bootlicker. She hates herself for being disabled, and I think that’s really where she needs to start.

  • Awoo [she/her]@hexbear.net
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    110
    ·
    7 days ago

    This was the total mobilisation of all far-right forces in the UK that Tommy Robinson claims was “millions”.

    That’s it, that’s the current total forces of the far right that they’re able to actually mobilise with a year of planning and mossad’s money to put it up on Nakba day as a distraction from the pro-palestine protests.

    They’ve got fucking nothing. The rest of the UK hogs are just disillusioned reactionaries that want a better life and are successfully being manipulated, they’re not true believers and I don’t believe it’s possible to mobilise them.

        • InexplicableLunchFiend [he/him]@hexbear.net
          link
          fedilink
          English
          arrow-up
          47
          ·
          13 days ago

          Tying budgets to taxes is still one of the stupidest ideas of the capitalist west and has resulted in crippling their own states and economies on ideological grounds in much the same way that goldbugs cripple an economy with their stupid ideas if implemented.

          You can simply spend as much as is required to complete a task from a single planned budget. Not everything needs to be a direct net positive in revenue in isolation. Keynesians knew this and built the post-war Empire that dominated the globe, then neoliberal ideologues got in and started ripping the copper wiring out of the walls. Now look at the “empire” it’s pathetic, it can’t even make ships without contracting out its vassals in occupied Korea when it used to be the shipbuilding capital of the world.

  • Tervell [he/him]@hexbear.net
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    105
    ·
    11 days ago

    https://xcancel.com/TheIranianzg3z/status/2054500094393590208

    One of Iran’s underground missile bases near Esfahan was reportedly struck nearly 20 times during the war, averaging one attack every two days, using bunker-busting munitions and precision strikes from B-2 and B-52 aircraft, according to regional reporting. Despite the intensity of the bombardment, the site is said to have resumed operations within hours each time, with reports indicating it rarely remained inactive for more than half a day. A resident in Esfahan described repeated night strikes on the surrounding mountains, saying missiles were still seen launching from the same area the following morning.

  • Tervell [he/him]@hexbear.net
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    102
    ·
    8 days ago

    https://xcancel.com/YuriPodolyaka/status/2055673508458381733

    Another “Russian propaganda” turned out to be true.

    Tulsi Gabbard, the head of the US National Intelligence Agency, announced (https://nypost.com/2026/05/11/us-news/dni-tulsi-gabbard-probes-us-funding-to-more-than-120-biolabs-abroad/) the start of an unprecedented audit of the activities of over 120 biolaboratories scattered across more than 30 countries and funded by American taxpayers. The key goal of the investigation is to determine the exact location of these facilities, identify the pathogens stored there, and understand the nature of the research being conducted. It suddenly turned out that hundreds of Pentagon-funded facilities around the world have been operating for decades without congressional oversight and with full accountability to the CIA. And this is not a Russian narrative, but a brutal reality! Particular attention is focused on Ukraine, where, according to Gabbard, over 40 such laboratories are concentrated (more than 1/3!). The situation is exacerbated by the fact that, due to the ongoing military conflict, these facilities, in the opinion of ODNI officials, may be “compromised”, which creates additional risks of leaks of dangerous pathogens. This level of recognition makes several scenarios plausible.

    • Firstly, the results of military-applied research (including on enhancing the effects of pathogens) conducted without congressional oversight and with full accountability to the CIA in the immediate vicinity of Russia’s borders for decades may be made public.
    • Secondly, the intelligence findings could directly point to specific officials and contractors who have been profiting from concealing the truth for years. In the long run, this could undermine trust in US commitments in the field of biosafety worldwide.

    The situation, in which Washington denied the existence of the laboratories for years, was made possible by the mechanisms of the “deep state”. It turned out that the 2022 denials were part of an “information resilience” strategy designed to manipulate public opinion and conceal the US’s connection to dangerous biological research. Tulsi Gabbard directly stated that officials “lied to the American people”, once again confirming that the US intelligence community places itself above the law. Another “conspiracy theory” has turned into an official investigation, and hiding the truth will no longer be possible.

  • Lovely_sombrero [he/him]@hexbear.net
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    101
    ·
    12 days ago

    Greater Israel pilled and Cool Zone maxxing

    “When you’re negotiating with Iran, Mr. President, to what extent are Americans’ financial situations motivating you to make a deal?” a reporter asked.

    “Not even a little bit,” Trump said firmly. “The only thing that matters when I’m talking about Iran, they can’t have a nuclear weapon. I don’t think about Americans’ financial situation, I don’t think about anybody.”.

  • newmou [he/him]@hexbear.net
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    100
    ·
    11 days ago

    Utah approves datacenter twice the size of Manhattan

    • Called “Stratos AI Datacenter”
    • Will cover 40,000 acres / 62 sq miles
    • Will need 9GW of electricity, more than Utah currently consumes
    • Will need god-levels of water, pulling from Great Salt Lake and other sources already in severe drought, and would produce toxic dry-bed dust clouds as the lake disappears
    • Will raise Utah’s pollution by 50%
    • County commissioners approved project despite thousands of resident objections
    • Is backed by Mr. Shark Tank himself Kevin fucking O’Leary
    • “I don’t think there’s a bigger site in the world than this,” O’Leary told Fox News. “It shows the Chinese and the rest of the world we are not messing around, we are going to get this done, move it forward and provide the compute power to our AI companies that defend the country.”
    • O’Leary claims people mad about this are professional protestors getting bused in lol
    • “The network of industrial-scale fans needed to cool the datacenter’s hot pipes will result in so much waste heat that it could raise daytime temperatures in the surrounding Hansel valley by 2F to 5F (1.1C to 2.7C) and night-time temperatures by 8F to 12F (4.4C to 6.6C), according to an analysis by Rob Davies, a physics professor at Utah State University.”
    • I just started reading BLAME!, here we go!
  • AltMaarri [they/them]@hexbear.net
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    99
    ·
    13 days ago

    Do you remember that military-dolphins-in-the-strait story, the one that was even addressed in a press conference by Hegseth ?

    Well here is a very funny follow-up. This is apparently the level of competence one can expect from Iran’s “experts” in the US media:

    Remember the “Iran Expert” on WSJ Claiming Iran Is Using DOLPHINS with Mines in the Hormuz?

    🇮🇷 WSJ’s “Iran Expert” Thought Iranian Submarines Nicknamed Dolphins Were Real Dolphins

    The Iranian Navy has MINI SUBMARINES nicknamed “Persian Gulf Dolphins” by their own officers. Admiral Shahram Irani confirmed they sit on the seabed in the Strait of Hormuz and track hostile vessels.

    That is a documented submarine program with a nickname. A metaphor. Basic military terminology.

    WSJ put this story out warning America about actual dolphins with explosives because they saw one word and stopped reading.

    The people who cannot read a military dispatch are the same ones explaining this war to 300 million Americans.

    That Tocqueville quote comes to mind.