🚨🇷🇺🇮🇷 Russia sent its foreign minister to Iran with a clear message: Moscow is NOT abandoning Tehran. Lavrov says Russia is prepared to help navigate its confrontation with Washington. He described the U.S.-Israeli campaign against Iran as unlawful “aggression,” while defending his own country's record in Ukraine, claiming Moscow doesn't deliberately strike civilian infrastructure. He also said Russia will honor its agreements with Iran regardless of outside pressure, and blamed Western countries for undermining global energy stability. That's one version of events... Writer: Samuel

🇺🇸🇮🇷 Tehran reportedly refused a "fireworks" strike on Pickaxe Mountain with no retaliation attached... which means the next American bomb may not come with a script The claim comes from IRIB, Iran's state broadcaster, and no Western outlet has confirmed it: Washington asked Tehran to sit still while the US hit the Pickaxe Mountain enrichment site as a symbolic, one-off strike, and Tehran said no while warning it could go after approaching carrier groups. Take that with the skepticism Iranian state media has earned. What is confirmed is the shape of the plan. CNN reported last week that the Pentagon's options include dropping the 21,600-pound MOAB on energy and nuclear sites including Pickaxe, that planners concede it can't punch through the granite, and that at least some inside the building call it a "fireworks show" meant as an off-ramp. Trump then went on Newsmax to remind everyone the MOAB "is not nuclear," without denying it's on the table. Put those two pieces together and the IRIB story stops sounding absurd. A strike that is designed to look big and change nothing only works if the other side agrees to play along, and every exchange since June has followed that pattern: a limited US hit, a measured Iranian answer, both capitals claiming a win. Iran has rebuilt its air defenses, it just claimed its 54th Reaper, it's expanding tanker attacks past the strait and its officials told Reuters the goal is pressure through the midterms. A regime that believes it's winning the slow war has no reason to absorb a free punch. That leaves Washington with the worst version of the choice. Short wars stay short because both sides want them to, and right now only one side does. Source: IRIB / CNN / Newsmax / Writer: Daniel

🇮🇱🇵🇰🇹🇷 Smotrich just named Pakistan as part of the camp lined up against Israel. “We can and should strengthen the Hellenic alliance against the alliance of Pakistan, Türkiye and the countries that oppose us.” A nuclear-armed Pakistan just made Smotrich’s list, bold move. Writer: Daniyal

🚨🇮🇷 Iran is now threatening Gulf governments and investors over their ties to AI and data companies... Ghalibaf warned governments, investment funds and companies across the region not to provide financing, equity, land or energy to AI and data firms Iran accuses of assisting military operations or attacks on children. His message ended with an explicit warning: “Assist them and face our enforcement.” Source: @mb_ghalibaf / Writer: Samuel

🇺🇸🇮🇷 ANOTHER U.S. AIRCRAFT CARRIER is heading toward the Middle East as tensions with Iran remain dangerously high. The USS Theodore Roosevelt is expected to enter CENTCOM's area of operations after its stop in Japan, bringing its strike group, fighter jets, and an unmanned warship called Seahawk. The U.S. already has TWO carrier strike groups operating in the region while enforcing its naval blockade against Iran. Washington is preparing to bring even MORE naval firepower into an already explosive situation. Writer: Sol