News



Shaky Lebanon Ceasefire Reached As Trump Says Iran Talks Back On; Tehran Claims Attack On US Container Ship

ZeroHedge

Trump has announced the "shooting will stop" in Lebanon, after phone calls with both sides. Says Iran talks back on "at rapid pace"; Lebanese presidency confirms Hezbollah agreed to US ceasefire proposal Iran announces halt to all exchanges with US, citing Israeli aggression in Lebanon. Trump says 'haven't heard' this from Tehran, vows to keep US naval blockade in place. Iran overnight initiated fresh attacks on neighboring Kuwait and even released video showing footage of a ballistic missile launch. The US bombed radar & drone sites in Iran in response to the Iranians having shot down a US drone over the weekend. Reports of foreign jets over Iranian airspace.

Taiwan's Opposition Leader Tours US, Fresh Off Xi Meeting, As Trump Nixes Call With Taiwanese President

ZeroHedge

And now, in the wake of Trump's May Bejing visit to meet within Xi Jinping, CBS reports, "President Trump is no longer expected to speak with Taiwanese President Lai Ching-te before Chinese President Xi Jinping's potential trip to the United States this fall, multiple sources familiar with the discussions" stated. Xi had warned Trump that Taiwan could become a "very dangerous situation" if mishandled - and since then the estimated $14 billion weapons package has been put on pause. That a sitting US president is not speaking to Taiwan's elected leader is actually normal based on Washington's policy of strategic ambiguity, and official acknowledgement of 'One China'. Trump is signaling that this will not change for now:

US officials suspect Iran used Chinese missile to bring down F-15E warplane: Report

The Cradle

US President Donald Trump previously said that Chinese President Xi Jinping had personally “promised” him that Beijing would not supply military hardware to Iran, adding, “That’s a beautiful promise. I take him at his word. I appreciated it.” However, reports of Chinese-manufactured man-portable air defense systems, or Manpads, being found on the battlefield have raised questions about those assurances.

Immigrant Hordes Set Paris Ablaze Because Their Soccer Team Won

ZeroHedge

"Only in France does a football club's victory spark riots," lamented conservative leader Marine Le Pen. "Only in France does everyone feel compelled to lock themselves in their homes on the evening of a victory to avoid being confronted with violence. The French can no longer stand these scenes of chaos that multiply at the slightest pretext, and this, despite an extraordinary security apparatus." The destruction was visited upon bakeries, restaurants, retail stores, bus shelters and cars. In perhaps the most disturbing video of the night, rioters were seen shattering the windows of a car occupied by two young women:

Senate GOP Leaders Pull a Bait-and-Switch With Reconciliation 3.0

The Daily Signal

Reconciliation was the needle through which former President Barack Obama and Democrats injected the poison of Obamacare into America’s body politic in 2010. The dangerously cautious Thune had no such ambitions. Rather than a freight train, Reconciliation 2.0 was a rusty caboose. It funded little more than Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Border Patrol salaries.

The White House Ballroom Is A Deep Fortress In Disguise

The War Zone

First off, it is abundantly clear that this will be the most hardened overall structure on the White House grounds by a huge margin. It will feature passive defenses against many forms of attack. From the windows to the walls, the facility will be hardened to a level not seen on legacy structures on the property. It will also have active defenses. Clearly, the drone issue is a massive one and has been for many years. This structure will serve as a secure place to do daily business if needed. Based on Trump’s comments, it will also act as a critical active defense node with its roof hosting air defenses, and apparently ones that are capable of at least a limited degree of area defense, not just highly-localized point defense. This is where drones could come into play.

Iran Fires 'Warning Shots' On 'Unauthorized' Vessels Trying To Traverse Hormuz Strait

ZeroHedge

Rtrs citing Iran's Fars: Iran's armed forces carries out a missile launch operation from southern regions of the country toward specified targets. Reports of US ships targeted (unconfirmed); also 'warning shots' fired on 'illicit' vessels. Per Axios: "U.S. and Iranian negotiators have reached an agreement on a 60-day memorandum of understanding to extend the ceasefire and launch negotiations on Iran's nuclear program, but President Trump has yet to give it his final approval." Unconfirmed reports of Ayatollah denial of MOU. Saudi state media reports Pakistan is seeking to convince Washington to allow transfer of Iran's highly enriched uranium to China (Al Hadath). Iran launches ballistic missile on US base in Kuwait, which was reportedly intercepted by Kuwaiti forces. Fresh launch is retaliation for prior evening's skirmish involving US intercepting Iranian drones, and targeting coastal launch location. Stalled talks still stuck on nuclear issue: Iran insists it will keep its enriched uranium as a matter of national soveriegnty.

Watch: Hollywood Actress Blows Whistle On Systemic ANTI-WHITE Discrimination In Casting

Modernity

Armstrong explained, “Over the last 6 years, I’ve heard nonstop, ‘They’re not looking for white.’ — ‘They liked you, but you’re white.’ And, you know, I kept that to myself in silence…the pendulum has swung so far, you know, like, ‘We’re gonna fit this transgender character in here now that we’re PC.’ Natural, organic stories stopped being told.” ....underscores a troubling reality: Hollywood isn’t just leaning into diversity — it’s enforcing exclusion.

2nd Worker Dies, 9 More Presumed Dead After Chemical Vat Rupture at Washington State Paper Mill

The Epoch Times

The disaster began early Tuesday morning when a tank holding a million gallons of white liquor—a corrosive mixture central to the paper-making process—imploded at Nippon Dynawave Packaging Co. in Longview, a city along Washington’s southern border with Oregon. At least one death was reported at the time, with nine others unaccounted for, authorities said at the time. The cause remains unclear Wednesday and is under investigation. Federal workplace safety regulators are expected to open a formal inquiry into the cause of the implosion.

Putin Authorizes Debt Relief To Lure New Ukraine War Recruits

ZeroHedge

On Monday President Vladimir Putin signed a law that effectively wipes clean up to 10 million rubles (approximately $140,000) in unpaid debt for new military recruits and their spouses, at a moment Russia needs more manpower to keep up its grinding 'special military operation' in Ukraine.

Iran Vows 'Swift, Decisive' Revenge After Overnight US Port Attack, As Sides Seek Deal Allowing Each To 'Sell Their Narrative'

ZeroHedge

CENTCOM denies that US Navy has officially restarted guiding ships through Hormuz Strait amid fresh tanker explosion and fuel leak incident. IRGC says its military shot down an MQ-9 drone and forced an F-35 jet out of Iranian airspace. Tehran formally accuses Washington of "ceasefire violation" while warning a final deal is not yet imminent, while Pentagon cites "self-defense" strikes in Hormuz overnight. Ayatollah Hajj message: US will "no longer have a safe haven for mischief & the establishment of military bases in the region." Teran is demanding "12 billion released now and 12 billion after MOU 30 days runs out to open Hormuz."

European Gas Storage Can’t Survive 3 More Months of Hormuz

Oil Price.com

Europe risks a major gas storage shortfall if disruptions through the Strait of Hormuz continue for another 1–3 months, with inventories still far below normal seasonal levels. LNG supply disruptions, strong Asian demand, and distorted gas pricing have made refilling storage unusually difficult and expensive across the EU. Equinor warns prolonged disruptions could push Dutch TTF gas prices toward €90/MWh, forcing industrial demand destruction and fuel switching across Europe.

Defending The Fourth Amendment To Protect Gun Owners

Gun Owners of America

... The right of a police officer to conduct a “knock-and-talk” is no greater than a Girl Scout has to approach a house to sell cookies. Since a Girl Scout cannot walk around your house to the back yard to the back door, neither can the police. Since a Girl Scout cannot come to your house in the middle of the night, neither can uninvited police. No peering through windows. No forcible entry. No hanging around without invitation from the occupant. No repeated trips back to harass the occupant. No surveillance devices. And, the occupant must have the right to refuse to talk, and to revoke the “implied license” for the police to remain and talk whenever he chooses. The police have a tough enough job. Fuzzy rules of procedure not only jeopardizes the peoples’ liberties, but also law enforcement safety.

Lavrov Warns Rubio: Get Diplomats & Americans Out Of Kiev Ahead Of 'Systematic Strikes'

ZeroHedge

It is further and more broadly warning all foreign persons to exit the Ukrainian capital, which has already been getting pounded at various intervals, stretching back days. Russia's foreign ministry slammed the college dorm attack, which killed and wounded dozens - the "last straw" and that the military will initiate "systematic strikes" on assorted targets across the Ukrainian capital from now on.

NYC Mayor Mamdani's Housing Plan Sparks Property-Rights Alarm Over Forced Transfers To Nonprofits

ZeroHedge

Mamdani told the crowd: When necessary, we will take aggressive legal action to remove negligent owners and property managers. And for buildings that have suffered chronic neglect, we work to transfer ownership to responsible stewards. Stewards include community land trusts, nonprofits, or even the tenants themselves. IT BEGINS… NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani unveils plan to "transfer ownership" from landlords to "the community"

The timing of the impending crude crisis

Brookings Institute

The bottom line is that the supply shortfall will build in coming months as temporary buffers are depleted. And if markets grow increasingly pessimistic over an eventual resolution to the impasse in the strait, oil prices may rise materially higher.

Thomas Massie Files To Run In 2028 After Losing Primary

ZeroHedge

Massie said the move allows him to keep raising money for his political operation while he decides what comes next. "This allows me to raise funds to continue my political operations supporting my position as a current office holder and as a potential candidate for federal office," Massie wrote in a post on X. "I haven't made a final decision about which office to seek, if I run."

In Rare Phone Call, Macron Warns Belarus' Lukashenko Against Directly Joining Ukraine War

ZeroHedge

"[Macron] highlighted the risks Belarus will face if dragged into the war in Ukraine. He also called on Lukashenko to take necessary measures to improve relations between Belarus and Europe," a source told AFP. Lukashenko let Russia use Belarus as a staging area for the 2022 invasion, and has continued to let Russia launch missile and drone strikes from Belarus over the more than three years of war.

Israel Unleashes New Gaza Strikes Soon After Trump Says Iran Peace Deal 'Largely Negotiated,' Hormuz To Reopen As Final Terms Discussed

ZeroHedge

Israel launches significant new attacks on the Gaza Strip just as word of a tentative US-Iran peace deal is driving international headlines. Trump says an Iran peace agreement has been “largely negotiated” and will be announced “shortly,” with the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz included among the deal’s key elements. Mediators believe they are edging closer to a deal to extend the US ceasefire with Iran by 60 days Waiting game in Tehran, via Iran Foreign Ministry: "We need to wait and see what happens over the next three to four days." Trump, officials have canceled prior travel plans: Trump says "Circumstances pertaining to Government" are keeping him from attending his son Donald Trump Jr.'s wedding this weekend.

Another Detransitioner Wins A Huge Settlement

ZeroHedge

"I didn't want what happened to me to happen to other vulnerable girls and women," she said. Her lawsuit alleged professional malpractice, intentional infliction of emotional distress, and fraud, each rooted in the same core allegation: that she was neither properly evaluated nor genuinely informed before she consented to an irreversible procedure. "And I wasn't given true informed consent. And that's something that everyone deserves to have for any medical procedure," she said.

Ukraine Uses High-Altitude Balloons To Extend Suicide Drone Strike Range

ZeroHedge

Ukrainian forces have borrowed a page from China's hypersonic glide-weapon testing and applied it to the Eastern European theater, using one-way attack drones against Russia. Instead of launching the Hornet strike drone from a ground-based catapult, Ukrainian operators tethered it to a high-altitude balloon, extending its range.

CEO Saves His Failing Company By Firing Entire HR Department

ZeroHedge

HR departments were originally created as a means of monitoring compliance with state and federal laws to avoid liability. In many cases this revolved around "sexual harassment" or "discrimination" in the workplace, but it ended up becoming a progressive crusade to make women, LGBT and minority groups a protected class of workers that are difficult to fire because HR is more concerned with lawsuits.

Iran Says 35 Ships Exited Strait Of Hormuz As Rubio Condemns Tolls

ZeroHedge

The US blockade of the Iranian blockade is looking increasingly more porous. Iran said 35 ships passed through the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours in coordination with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, the Iranian state broadcaster reported on Friday. The navy had already reported on Wednesday that 26 ships had passed through the strait within 24 hours. On Friday, the data provider Kpler confirmed only 10 passages on Wednesday. This represented an increase from the four passages recorded the previous day.

FDA Ousts Another Top Official: Who’s Behind the Shakeup — and Why?

The FDA fired Tracy Beth Høeg, the agency’s top drug regulator and a staunch advocate for vaccine safety. It’s the latest in a string of high-profile exits from the agency, many of which followed the appointment of Chris Klomp as HHS’ No. 2 official, Reuters reported. TrialSite News suggested the departures were “associated” with the “COVID-era dissent class” — and that Klomp may have directed the changes on behalf of the White House. The Defender could not verify that claim.

US Supreme Court Turns Down Virginia Gerrymander

The Daily Signal

Virginia currently has an independent redistricting committee that drew a congressional map with a Democrat advantage of 6-5. However, voters in April approved a change to the state constitution to allow the partisan redistricting in a narrow referendum last month. The state’s high court determined the state legislature violated the Virginia Constitution in bypassing normal procedures to pass a constitutional amendment.

Iran's Chief Negotiator Claims US Seeking To 'Start A New War' - As Trump Curiously Teases 'Final Stages' Of Talks

ZeroHedge

Iran's parliament speaker and chief negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf says that Tehran sees signs that the United States is seeking to restart the war Oil tumbles after Pakistan again touts final deal draft text imminent, followed by Trump claiming US in 'final stages' of peace talks with Iran, though Tehran hasn't budged on nuclear issue. Tehran (IRGC) warns next round of war could spread conflict 'beyond the region' - which was cast as a threat. Iran's IRGC Navy says 26 vessels, including oil tankers, container ships and other commercial vessels, transited in the prior 24 hours "in coordination" with Iranian authorities.

Global Rush For "Non-Red" Suicide Drones Begins As Taiwan Sees Booming Orders

ZeroHedge

Four years of war in Ukraine have rewritten how warfare is fought, accelerating the urgent need for low-cost aerial unmanned systems and ground robots. It has also prompted Taiwan to emerge as a supplier of low-cost suicide drones. Taiwan's national news agency, the Central News Agency, reported that a Taichung-based Taiwanese drone manufacturer is now focused on producing a domestically made variant of Iran's Shahed one-way attack drone.

Massie Out: Gallrein Wins Kentucky Republican Primary

ZeroHedge

With 58% of the vote counted, Gallrein had about 54% to Massie’s 46%, DDHQ reported. Gallrein, 68, is a relative newcomer to politics. He ran a low-key campaign by refusing to debate Massie and generally avoiding the press. His chief selling points were his military service, his endorsement by Trump and his promise to be a reliable vote for the president’s policies.

Shooters And Motives Revealed In San Diego Mosque Shooting That Killed Three

ZeroHedge

The two young alleged gunmen who descended upon a San Diego Islamic facility on Monday -- killing three men and themselves -- have been identified, along with early indications of their motives. Police sources have told multiple outlets that 17-year-old Cain Clark and 18-year-old Caleb Velasquez -- driven by hate -- scrawled racist themes on their weapons and carried a gas can emblazoned with a Nazi SS sticker. One of them left a suicide note emphasizing "racial pride."

Trump Endorses Paxton in Texas GOP Senate Race

The Epoch Times

In a May 19 post on Truth Social, Trump wrote that Paxton has been loyal to him and is a “MAGA Warrior.” The president said that Cornyn “is a good man,” but was not supportive of him “when times were tough” such as being late in endorsing him for president in 2024.

Pro-Israel Forces Throw Kitchen Sink At Massie Ahead Of Tuesday Primary

ZeroHedge

In just the past few days, various anti-Massie PACs have filed disclosures indicating another huge load of cash showering down on the race. The Republican Jewish Coalition is spending another $470,000. The misleadingly-named United Democracy Project, which is a PAC affiliated with the formidable American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), revealed more than $950,000 in additional spending. The MAGA Kentucky PAC -- which was created solely to oust Massie and funded by non-Kentuckian Jewish billionaires Miriam Adelson, Paul Singer and John Paulsen -- disclosed more than $1.6 million since May 7.

Net Zero Fearmongering In Tatters After Climate Report 'Implausibility' Ruling

Daily Skeptic

The fallout from the recent Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) ruling that computer model high emissions pathway RCP8.5 is “implausible” is only just beginning. Most mainstream media fearmongering stories over the last 15 years need to be moved into the junk file, as do the increasingly shrill sandwich-board pronouncements of King Charles and Sir David Attenborough.

By Targeting Dairy Farmers, ESG Wants to Decide Your Milk

Real Clear Wire

The letter calls it voluntary but if you don't comply, the plant can't take your milk. And if the plant can't take your milk, you're out of business. That's Pathways to Dairy Net Zero in practice. Pathways to Dairy Net Zero (P2DNZ) is presented as a voluntary, science-based initiative to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from dairy producers. In practice, however, it functions as yet another sector-specific implementation of global ESG and net-zero governance.

Trump: Holding Off 'Planned' Attack On Iran At Request Of Gulf Allies, 'Deal Will Be Made'

ZeroHedge

Trump says holding off on 'planned' Tuesday attack upon request of Gulf states. US denies earlier Tasnim report of agreeing to lift oil sanctions during talks; Trump tells NYP 'not open' to Iran concessions. Trump calls for Iran's total military surrender in Monday morning Truth Social post. Oil rebounds on Tasnim reporting Iranian denial: Tehran "under no circumstances" will negotiate nuclear issue as part of an end to the war. A flurry of (the somewhat typically-timed) Monday opener headlines have pushed oil prices lower, erasing weekend gains, including Al Arabia reporting that Iran is ready to accept a long-term nuclear freeze, instead of full dismantling. Iran has submitted its latest proposal comprising 14-points through Pakistan, amid reports that the US has offered to lift sanctions on Iranian oil during the interim negotiating period.

Pentagon 'Blindsided' As Hegseth Pulls Plug On 4,000-Troop Deployment To Poland

ZeroHedge

President Trump's earlier previewed controversial troop cuts for the European continent may already be in progress, and could happen more rapidly than previously thought. The US Army has canceled the deployment of the 2nd Armored Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division to Poland, NBC reports this week. The deployment would have involved over 4,000 soldiers as well as military equipment.

Beijing Showcased Future War Machines While Trump Was In Town

ZeroHedge

The 11th China Military Intelligent Technology Expo opened Thursday at the China National Convention Center in Beijing, showcasing a lineup of drones, robotic war dogs, grenade launchers, wheeled unmanned systems, artificial intelligence, and other modern battlefield technologies. The key takeaway is that many of these once-futuristic war machines have moved well beyond the conceptual stage and are already being tested, fielded, or deployed across multiple Eurasian conflict zones.

US And China Agree To Establish Trade And Investment Boards As Trump-Xi Summit Delivers Modest Wins

ZeroHedge

U.S. and Chinese leaders agreed to establish a new "Board of Trade" and a parallel "Board of Investment" during President Donald Trump’s two-day visit to Beijing - a summit that ended much as it began: with significant pageantry, warm personal rapport between the leaders, and modest, incremental progress on trade. The new boards aim to oversee bilateral purchases, manage trade differences, facilitate deals in non-sensitive sectors (with roughly $30 billion in goods identified), and provide a standing channel to prevent future escalations without constant high-level intervention.

"Send Us A Tip": U.S. Dangles $15 Million Reward For New Intel On Iran's Drone Network

ZeroHedge

There is little doubt that Iran's Shahed drone threat has become a major concern, menacing surrounding Gulf states, commercial tanker traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, and U.S. bases across the region. This backdrop helps explain why the State Department's Rewards for Justice program has now put up to $15 million for new information in connection with an already sanctioned Iranian drone-production network linked to the IRGC-Qods Force.

Bessent's "Suffocating" Iranian Regime Strategy Materializes In Kharg Island Satellite Imagery

ZeroHedge

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's description of "suffocating" the Iranian regime through economic and financial pressure, whether via sanctions or the US military blockade of the world's most critical maritime chokepoint, now appears to be showing up in the data. New geospatial intelligence indicates that Iran's main crude export terminal has gone quiet, while a separate report suggests seaborne oil exports have effectively been halted for the past month.

FDA Commissioner Marty Makary Resigns

The Epoch Times

Makary wrote in a text to Trump that he was resigning, effective Tuesday. Makary did not provide a reason for the resignation. Makary “was having some difficulty, but he’s going to go on, and he’s going to do well,” Trump told reporters outside the White House in Washington. “So much was accomplished under his leadership. He was a hard worker, who was respected by all, and will go on to have an outstanding career in Medicine,” the president added in another social media post. Kyle Diamantas, the FDA’s deputy commissioner for food, will be the acting FDA commissioner, according to Trump. Trump declined to say whether Makary resigned or was fired.

Iran Specifies 5 Demands To Restart Peace Talks With US

ZeroHedge

Al Jazeera correspondent Ali Hashem has listed the following five conditions that it sees as the basis for reentering talks: Ending the war on all fronts, including Lebanon Lifting all sanctions Releasing frozen Iranian assets Compensation for war damages and losses Recognition of Iran’s sovereign rights over the Strait of Hormuz

Trump Mulls Renewed Military Action As Ceasefire "On Life Support"; Treasury Again Targets Iran's Oil To China

ZeroHedge

US President blasts 'piece of garbage' Iran response, says ceasefire on 'life support', reportedly mulls renewed military action; US Treasury imposes yet more sanctions. Trump mulls restarting Project Freedom in Hormuz and says forcibly retrieving 'nuclear dust' is still on the table, oil jumps on headline. Iran Foreign Ministry: "Everything we proposed in the text was reasonable and generous." However, US officials insist on their "unreasonable demands." Saudi Arabia condemns Iran for its latest drone attacks targeting the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait on Sunday. Qatari LNG tanker abruptly U-Turns In Hormuz chokepoint after earlier in weekend an initial one made it through - an unprecedented first for a Qatari tanker of the war. Israeli reservist killed in Hezbollah drone attack on northern Israel as Lebanon war intensifies.

Hegseth: Senator Mark Kelly Revealed Classified Information on US Munitions Stockpiles

American Greatness

“I think it’s fair to say it’s shocking how deep we have gone into these magazines,” Kelly said, arguing that the United States had exhausted significant amounts of military hardware without a clearly defined strategy. “Because of that, we’ve expended a lot of munitions, and that means the American people are less safe.” Kelly also warned that diminished stockpiles could affect America’s ability to respond to future conflicts, including a potential confrontation involving China in the Pacific region.

Nick Shirley Shares More About His 24 Hours in Cuba

PJ Media

"... Your salary is only enough to buy a bottle of cooking oil. How do you think you can live like that? How can you live with a ration book that only gives you one or three pounds of sugar and one pound of salt? And there, every fifteen, every four, six months, seven years, they give you a chicken breast or an egg. The egg hasn't come for a year. It's been a year since we last had eggs. Imagine that."

Hantavirus: Stop the Spread Is Back

Brownstone

Let’s remember how this began last year, with of course, a hantavirus death in the family of one of America’s most beloved Hollywood actors. It was Betsy Arakawa, Gene Hackman’s wife, who died February 12, 2025, from apparent hantavirus infection from rodents in the home. Terrifying image. At that point, no regular person had ever heard of such a disease. There is a reason. It’s rare and human-to-human spread is nearly unknown.

Iran Publicly Discloses Supreme Leader's Status For First Time: 'Marginally Injured'

ZeroHedge

The Iranian government has for the first time officially weighed in on the health of new supreme leader, Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei, who was injured in the opening strikes of Trump's Operation Epic Fury, which killed the younger Khamenei's father and wife. "A government official claimed Khamenei, who hasn't been seen in public since that attack, is now in good health,"

North Korea’s Nuclear Arsenal Nearing Point Where It Could Overwhelm US Missile Defenses

Defense News

April 29, 2026 : North Korea’s continued expansion of its nuclear weapons program and long-range missile capabilities is approaching a level that could challenge the operational limits of the United States’ homeland missile defense system, according to a recent analysis published by Bloomberg. The assessment indicates that a combination of increasing warhead production, a growing inventory of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), and technological advancements in delivery systems is shifting Pyongyang’s posture from a minimal deterrent toward a more scalable strike capability.

Rubio Declares Offensive Stage Of Iran Conflict 'Over' - Just As New Cargo Vessel Under Attack In Hormuz

ZeroHedge

Rubio declares 'offensive' actions of Operation Epic Fury are over, and now Project Freedom is in swing. Another vessel comes under attack in Hormuz. UAE under attack again, confirmed in state sources - however which Iran denies doing - instead saying its actions were directed at the United States. White House still hasn't declared end of ceasefire. Pentagon addresses whether ceasefire over or violated: Caine says Iran's Monday operations were "all below the threshold of restarting major combat operations at this point." Contradictory statements out of Tehran on UAE attack, amid reports of division between IRGC & civilian leaders. Two US Navy destroyers transited the Strait of Hormuz and entered the Persian Gulf. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi travels to Beijing to discuss crisis with Chinese counterpart.

Ceasefire Over? Trump Downplays 'Mini-War' After US & Iranians Trade Shots, Missiles Target UAE

ZeroHedge

Trump employs interesting new term: "We’re in, I call it a mini-war." Fujairah says 3 injured in Iranian attack on Oil Industry Zone, UAE confirms "air defenses are now dealing with a missile threat", we have gotten reports of explosions in Dubai, which has sent oil higher and Emini futures into the red. UAE threatens retaliation. CENTCOM hails two US merchant ships exiting Hormuz Strait safely in "first step". Bessent issues remarks warning the US "will fire if fired upon." Iran insists Hormuz is under its control & says it targeted & struck a US Navy vessel, which the Pentagon/Central Command has denied. Trump announced Sunday US will 'help free up' ships stuck in Hormuz Strait through Project Freedom. Iran has in response issued a "redefined the control zone" in Strait of Hormuz.

DC Judge APOLOGISES To Alleged Trump ASSASSIN`

Modernity

A federal magistrate judge in Washington, D.C., has come under fire after expressing deep concern – described by multiple outlets as an apology – over the custody conditions of Cole Tomas Allen, the 31-year-old accused of attempting to assassinate President Trump at the White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner on April 25.

Trump Disapproval Rate Hits Career-High - War And Rising Costs Take Toll

ZeroHedge

In a survey of US adults taken in the last week of April, 62% said they disapprove of his general performance in the Oval Office. A whopping 76% disapprove of his handling of the cost of living and 66% disapprove of what he's done with Iran. A majority of Americans surveyed expressed disapproval of his handling of every issue covered by the survey.

Trump says US is to "guide" ships through the Strait, though Iran threatens attacks on those attempting to enter

Newsquawk

US President Trump posted on Sunday that the US will guide neutral ships safely out of the Strait of Hormuz under “Project Freedom”, beginning Monday morning Middle East time. An Iranian official said any American interference in the new maritime regime of the Strait of Hormuz will be considered a violation of the ceasefire. Iranian Major Abdullahi said any foreign armed forces, particularly the US, would be attacked if they approach and enter the Strait of Hormuz.

Russia’s Oil Revenues Surge as the World Scrambles for Supply

Oil Price.com

Asian economies are dramatically increasing imports of discounted Russian crude amid global supply disruptions. A temporary U.S. sanctions waiver is enabling more Russian oil to flow into global markets. The shift risks boosting Moscow’s war revenues while exposing the limits of Western energy sanctions.