This is a thread specifically for the war, not a general megathread (use the pinned /c/genzedong thread for that).
Please keep related news in this thread rather than making separate posts. Remember to include sources and avoid spreading rumours.
🇮🇷| According to an Air Defense military source, following air defense activity on Qeshm Island, a hostile US/Israeli drone was hit by Iranian air defenses.
🇷🇺🇧🇾🇰🇿🇰🇬🇦🇲 The Kremlin has published a joint statement by the leaders of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan on the situation surrounding Armenia’s desire to join the EU.
➡️The leaders support holding a referendum in Armenia on whether to join the EU or remain in the EAEU
➡️A report on the possible consequences of Armenia’s withdrawal from the EAEU will be presented in December 2026
➡️Armenia’s preparations for EU accession pose significant risks to the economic security of EAEU member states.
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🇷🇺🇦🇲 Russia will raise energy prices for Armenia if it withdraws from the EAEU - Putin
An increase in energy prices will result in a loss of at least 14% of its GDP for Armenia
…
Europe promises to invest 2.5 billion euros in Armenia someday, and Russia has already invested significant funds in the country
- Putin
Putin recalled the advantages of cooperation in the EAEU - a common market, duty-free trade, simplified logistics, low energy prices. The accumulated investments in Armenia are about 4.9 billion dollars, 86% of which are of Russian origin, he emphasized.
The transition to the EU will lead to the full restoration of customs control and customs duties, a reduction in trade and tourism.
“We will have to restore the permissive order for Armenian carriers. This is inevitable. And we will have to increase tariff levels for railways,”
added the President of Russia.
According to Putin, Pashinyan said that he considered it right to hold a referendum, and the EAEU asked that this be done as soon as possible.
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Importance of Armenia’s future
Armenia has little to actually gain from joining the EU, not even considering how impractical a suggestion it is. All this would do is give the West the ability to set up military architecture right next to Iran and much closer to Russia (as well as Türkiye, which I think the west will turn on in the coming years). It only serves western political interests over Armenian economic ones, isolates Armenia from regional partnerships, and actively puts Armenia in danger, by making them a target by putting them in Iran and Russia’s firing line if the EU decides to push a redline.
Pashinyan winning the Armenian elections is basically a death sentence for Armenia as a sovereign project of any regard. Securing security from Iran/Russia is a significantly more effective strategy, especially with Azerbaijan breathing down Armenia’s neck. The biggest threats to Armenia is Azerbaijan and Türkiye. It’s not Russia, it’s not Iran, and it’s not the Armenian church. Yet Pashinyan and his supporters seem to only speak on dangers of the latter 3, and underplay the severity of the former 2.
(🇮🇷) Reza Pahlavi lost 200 thousand followers on Instagram when restrictions on international Internet in Iran was lifted.
Looks like Pahlavi is increasingly becoming unfamous and more hated, even among its own supporters from Iran.
@FotrosResistancee
https://t.me/FotrosResistancee/21756
Pahlavist bots
I’m personally convinced this guys account is botted to shit. The pahlavist bot farms are probably some of the largest in the world, as can be proven by the Zan, Zendagi, Azadi (Women Life Freedom) uprising a few years ago being one if if not the largest online mobilizations cooked up by the west. After the start of the Ramadan War, I’m trying to determine just how much of diaspora is actually deranged, because it’s obviously way less then is represented online and in western media.
Trita Parsi spoke of this a while back. iirc he said around 10% of Iranians in the US supported some form of actions against Iran back in 2010 - and that now at the start of this conflict it had increased to around 25-30% (from good polling). So this is still a minority - and that is only the Iranian diaspora in the US. So it is definitely NOT a majority position even outside of Iran, but of course it is elevated in the propaganda as if it is 99% of all Iranians inside and outside of the country lol.
❗️Israel assassinates Qassam commander Imad Hussein Aslim in Gaza
Palestinians in Gaza have confirmed the assassination of senior Qassam Brigades commander Imad Hassan Hussein Aslim, who served as both commander of the Al-Zaytoun Battalion and deputy commander of Hamas’ Gaza Brigade.
Aslim was killed in an Israeli strike on Gaza after surviving at least six previous assassination attempts, a detail confirmed by his brother.
His sister told Palestine Today that all of his sons, who participated in the resistance, had been “martyred in their struggle against the Israeli occupation.”
According to Asharq Al-Awsat, Aslim, 51, was a veteran member of Hamas and part of the generation of Qassam commanders that emerged during the Second Intifada. A resident of Gaza City’s Al-Zaytoun neighborhood, he participated in operations against Israeli incursions into eastern Gaza, later rising through the military ranks to command the Eastern Battalion before taking charge of the unified Al-Zaytoun Battalion.
He also oversaw training within the Gaza Brigade and headed its Combat Support Battalion before returning to lead Al-Zaytoun after 2019.
Aslim played key roles in several major military campaigns, including during the Second Intifada and the 2014 war on Gaza.
He was reportedly responsible for the tunnel used in the well-known Nahal Oz operation and later became deputy commander of the Gaza Brigade under Muhannad Rajab after Izz al-Din al-Haddad was elevated to military chief of the Qassam Brigades.
He sustained injuries in at least one of the assassination attempts against him.
The Israeli military and Shin Bet issued a joint statement announcing the assassination, which marks the third assassination of a senior Qassam Brigades official in Gaza in less than two weeks, amid an evident escalation in Israeli strikes targeting both resistance figures and civilians across the Strip.
https://t.me/thecradlemedia/60659
❗️Russia signs military & technical cooperation agreement with Taliban
Russia and the Taliban have reached an agreement on military and technical cooperation.
Russian news agency Interfax reported on 27 May that the deal was concluded during the “International Security Forum” held in Moscow.
According to the report, Taliban Defense Minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob held talks with Secretary of Russia’s Security Council Sergei Shoigu on the sidelines of the event.
During the meeting, Yaqoob said that engagement with Russia is important for the Taliban and that both sides have been expanding their bilateral relations.
He added that Afghanistan and Russia share historic ties and that the Taliban aims to maintain and strengthen those relations.
Shoigu, in turn, urged Western countries to release Afghanistan’s frozen assets and take responsibility for the country’s reconstruction.
One day later on 28 May, Russia’s Deputy Defense Minister Vasily Osmakov met with Yaqoob in Moscow to discuss regional security and potential bilateral military cooperation.
According to the ministry, the two sides addressed security issues in Central and South Asia, as well as the outlook for cooperation between their armed forces, including areas of military collaboration.
https://t.me/thecradlemedia/60653
Russia, Afghanistan sign military cooperation deal in Moscow
—❗️🇺🇸/🇮🇷 BREAKING: President Trump announces the end of the U.S. naval blockade on Iran
In return, he asks Iran to do a bunch of things — many of which have not been agreed to, including handing over the enriched uranium stockpile.
@Middle_East_Spectator
https://t.me/FotrosResistancee/21761
🇮🇷🇺🇸| Fars says, citing informed sources, that Trump is exaggerating or misrepresenting a possible Iran–US agreement.
According to the source, Iran has not yet finalized the deal.
Trump’s claims about Iran opening Hormoz for free and destroying nuclear material are rejected as false.
The alleged agreement is based on “commitment for commitment.” Iran’s key demands include an immediate $12 billion release of blocked funds and a full Lebanon ceasefire aligned with Hezbollah’s position.
Only after those are resolved would Iran discuss sanctions removal and the nuclear file.
Fars says Trump is trying to present the deal as a US victory, while Iran insists it will only proceed under its own red lines and with immediate retaliation if the US breaks commitments.
@FotrosResistancee
❗️Israeli forces shut down Hebron’s Ibrahimi Mosque indefinitely
Israeli soldiers have closed the historic Ibrahimi Mosque in the occupied West Bank city of Hebron until further notice, forcing worshipers, employees, and custodians to evacuate the site immediately. Following the sudden eviction, occupation forces sealed the holy site and shut down all surrounding military checkpoints and access gates leading to the compound.
The Palestinian Ministry of Awqaf and Religious Affairs condemned the closure, calling it a flagrant violation of freedom of worship and a deliberate attempt to alter the long-standing status quo. Palestinian officials speaking with WAFA News Agency stated that the measure is part of a broader Israeli policy aimed at cementing colonial control over the occupied West Bank and accelerating the annexation of Hebron’s Old City.
Palestinian residents of the area are routinely subjected to arbitrary closures, movement restrictions, and systemic harassment by Israeli soldiers and illegal settlers. Local authorities emphasize that these coercive tactics are designed to drive the native Palestinian population out of the area and establish exclusive Israeli control over the sacred site.
⭕️ 3,324 people have been killed and 10,027 injured in US-backed Israeli attacks on Lebanon since 2 March, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health.
❗️Berri rejects direct Lebanon–Israel talks: ‘We have nothing to negotiate with’
Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri has reiterated his firm opposition to both the direct Lebanon–Israel negotiations and the newly launched security track, ahead of the first meeting of the security committee on Friday.
Berri said he is neither interested in nor informed about the talks, stressing that his only priority is securing a ceasefire and addressing the growing displacement crisis caused by Israel’s escalating attacks across south Lebanon.
Berri argued that direct negotiations with Israel are a mistake because Lebanon enters them without leverage or bargaining power.
Drawing comparisons to the 2022 maritime border agreement and the 2024 ceasefire negotiations, he said both were achieved through indirect mediation, allowing Lebanon to extract concessions through a third-party intermediary.
“What do we bring to the table today? Not a single card,” he said, warning that direct talks under current conditions cannot produce meaningful gains for Lebanon.
The speaker also said that rhetoric about bringing down the government through popular or street pressure is unnecessary, noting that the issue was quickly addressed in meetings held between the leaderships of the Amal Movement and Hezbollah.
Despite his opposition to the negotiations, Berri said he remains focused on preventing internal instability and continues to place hope in Iranian efforts to make a ceasefire in Lebanon a key condition of any future agreement with the United States.
(Asas Media)
https://t.me/thecradlemedia/60636
Malkhodr@lemmygrad.ml Fact
I’ve actually met a close relative of Berri before. We were peers during our Islamic schooling, and quite frequently got into brawls during lunch period. We’ve interacted multiple other times obviously but that’s the most fun fact. This is to say, I’m technically not many degrees of separation removed from the speaker of the Lebanese Parliament. Small world.
US lawmakers seek to ‘fuse’ Israeli, US militaries under 2027 defense authorization act
The legislation calls for nearly $1.4 trillion in defense spending and would expand Israeli influence over the US Congress and military
🇾🇪🇺🇸| An image of the landing gear of the downed drone by Yemen, which is clearly a MQ-9.
Confirmed: Yemen shot down a MQ-9 drone, this morning.
🇮🇷| Iran’s Parliament Speaker, Ghalibaf:
-
We gain concessions not through dialogue, but through missiles. In negotiations, we only make them understand those concessions.
-
We have no trust in guarantees or words, only actions are the measure. No step will be taken before the other side acts first.
-
The winner of any agreement is the one who, from the day after it, becomes better prepared for war.
-
🇮🇷 Mossad/CIA-backed armed seditionists are posting videos of themselves doing drive-by shootings in Iran
Which narrative will they choose? Are they pure, innocent, peaceful, unarmed lambs being slaughtered by the regime? Or are they brave armed insurgents engaging in acts of terrorism?
Since they aren’t really pure innocent peaceful protestors, then they shouldn’t cry when these heavily armed seditionist terrorists get eliminated by Iranian security forces.
This is glorified on X by treasonous accounts (such as this one) yet they never get flagged by X’s so-called “community standards.”
[2026-05-29] PressTV – Iran strongly condemns US threat of sanctions against Oman
Say the line bart!! What’s that? You are announcing new unilateral sanctions??? Wypipos so good at maths!! More sanctions = fix everything 🤩🤩👍 Please sanction everyone and invent more viruses that make you stupider tbqh🙏
Expand article
The Foreign Ministry has strongly condemned the United States’ threat of targeting Oman with sanctions after Washington warned it would attack the country if it cooperated with Iran towards exercising control over the Strait of Hormuz.
Spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei made the remarks on Thursday after US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent issued the threat.
Baghaei described the menacing rhetoric as “an attempt to blackmail an independent UN member state and yet another sign of the moral bankruptcy of the American system of governance and policymaking.”
Threatening to impose sanctions on Oman under a baseless pretext is an absolutely unlawful act and contrary to the fundamental principles of the UN Charter and international law, he asserted.
The official added that the international community had to respond responsibly to such conduct in order to prevent the growing normalization of violations of international legal norms.
On Wednesday, US President Donald Trump had said he would “blow up” Oman if it agreed to work with Iran to share control of the Strait of Hormuz.
Reacting to those remarks, Baghaei had expressed solidarity with the friendly and brotherly country of Oman, noting how the threat had been issued against a state, “which has always played a constructive, effective, and responsible role in regional peace and security, spent many years as a mediator in diplomatic processes, and made endeavors to serve regional peace and stability.”
Such threat, the spokesman noted, "not only violates the principle on the prohibition of threat or use of force, but is another dangerous sign of the normalization of lawlessness and bullying in international relations.”
Iran and Oman are negotiating a new framework for maritime transit through the Strait of Hormuz.
Remarking on the negotiations on Wednesday, Deputy Secretary of Iran’s Supreme National Security Council (SNSC), Ali Bagheri Kani said passage through the strategic waterway would no longer follow previous arrangements.
Iran shut down the strait to enemies and their allies following the launch on February 28 of the United States’ and the Israeli regime’s latest bout of unprovoked aggression targeting the Islamic Republic.
It began exercising far stricter controls after Trump announced an illegal blockade of Iranian vessels and ports in continuation of the aggression and in violation of the terms of a ceasefire the US president, himself, had declared earlier.
On May 20, the Iranian authority controlling the Strait of Hormuz in the Persian Gulf defined the supervisory management zone of the waterway.
So far, the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC)'s Navy has issued passage permits for scores of vessels for transit through the waterway in line with the Islamic Republic’s instructions.
[2026-05-29] Al-Manar – Hezbollah Warns Israeli Claims Over Qaraoun Dam Could Prelude New Aggression
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Hezbollah on Thursday dismissed Israeli claims regarding the Qaraoun Dam as false allegations and “fabricated pretexts aimed at justifying a dangerous escalation near one of Lebanon’s most vital strategic facilities.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Hezbollah warned that the Israeli accusations could serve as groundwork for a new attack targeting the Qaraoun Dam, its surroundings, or other civilian and critical infrastructure across Lebanon.
The group stressed that the Qaraoun Dam represents one of Lebanon’s most important water and infrastructure facilities, supplying water, irrigation, and electricity to dozens of regions across the country and directly impacting the security and daily lives of the Lebanese population.
Smoke rises after an Israeli strike on Qaraoun Dam (May 26, 2026.
Hezbollah said Israeli claims of concern for Lebanon’s infrastructure, water resources, agriculture, electricity sector, and economy “will deceive no one,” affirming that the Israeli enemy pursues a long-standing policy of “lies and misinformation” to justify its ongoing attacks on Lebanon and its violations against civilians, children, paramedics, and journalists.
The statement further highlighted that the Israeli occupation is attempting to blame the resistance for crises caused by its continuous aggression backed openly and directly by the United States, while portraying the resistance as acting against Lebanon’s national interest in a bid to fuel internal tensions and divisions among the Lebanese people.
Hezbollah added the Israeli enemy, which has repeatedly destroyed bridges, roads, power stations, water facilities, ports, homes, and civilian infrastructure during its wars and attacks on Lebanon, cannot present itself as a protector of Lebanon’s infrastructure or stability.
“The Israeli enemy is a real and permanent threat to Lebanon’s security, infrastructure, economy, and national sovereignty,” the statement underscored.
Hezbollah also placed what it called Israeli threats “before the international community and human rights and humanitarian organizations,” urging them to end their silence regarding repeated Israeli attacks on Lebanon and its infrastructure.
The movement concluded by calling on the Lebanese state and all its institutions to move beyond “mere observation” and launch immediate diplomatic, legal, and media action, including filing an urgent complaint before relevant international bodies to hold “Israel” accountable for its ongoing aggression against Lebanon and its people.
Source: Al-Manar Website
