Forwarded from Middle East Spectator — MES
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— 🇺🇸/🇮🇱/🇮🇷 NEW: Iran has rebuilt Yahyabad railway bridge in Kashan, after it was bombed by Israel on April 7th, just three days ago
Reconstruction efforts around the country, especially of vital infrastructure, are progressing at a rapid pace.
@Middle_East_Spectator
Reconstruction efforts around the country, especially of vital infrastructure, are progressing at a rapid pace.
@Middle_East_Spectator
Forwarded from Middle East Spectator — MES
—❗️🇮🇱/🇵🇸 NEW: The Board of Peace’s deadline for the disarmament of Hamas ends today
If Hamas does not agree to disarmament, Israel will resume the war in Gaza to ‘completely and utterly destroy’ Hamas.
@Middle_East_Spectator
If Hamas does not agree to disarmament, Israel will resume the war in Gaza to ‘completely and utterly destroy’ Hamas.
@Middle_East_Spectator
Forwarded from Middle East Spectator — MES
—❗️🇺🇸/🇮🇷 Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araqchi: ‘It’s very simple; America must abide by its commitments, or we’re done.’
@Middle_East_Spectator
@Middle_East_Spectator
📢 🇺🇸 🇮🇷 Trump says the results of talks with Iran will be clear "in about 24 hours. We’re going to know soon."
Trump added, "We have a reset going. We’re loading up the ships with the best ammunition... even at a higher level than we use to do a complete decimation." — NYP
📎 Disclosetv
Trump added, "We have a reset going. We’re loading up the ships with the best ammunition... even at a higher level than we use to do a complete decimation." — NYP
📎 Disclosetv
🛢 🇯🇵 🇮🇷 Japan to Release More State Oil Reserves
Japan will start releasing additional state oil reserves equivalent to about 20 days of domestic consumption as early as the beginning of May, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Friday.
"We will ensure stable crude oil supplies," Takaichi said at a meeting of relevant cabinet ministers to discuss how to cope with the fallout from the ongoing Middle Eastern crisis.
The decision comes as it remains uncertain whether oil tankers can safely pass through the Strait of Hormuz even after the United States and Iran agreed on a ceasefire.
Since March 16, the Japanese government has released in step 15 days' worth of oil from private reserves, 30 days' worth from national reserves and roughly six days' worth from oil producer countries' joint reserves. The country had 228 days' worth of oil reserves in total as of Tuesday, down 13 days' worth from the start of the release.
https://www.nippon.com/en/news/yjj2026041000284/
Japan will start releasing additional state oil reserves equivalent to about 20 days of domestic consumption as early as the beginning of May, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi said Friday.
"We will ensure stable crude oil supplies," Takaichi said at a meeting of relevant cabinet ministers to discuss how to cope with the fallout from the ongoing Middle Eastern crisis.
The decision comes as it remains uncertain whether oil tankers can safely pass through the Strait of Hormuz even after the United States and Iran agreed on a ceasefire.
Since March 16, the Japanese government has released in step 15 days' worth of oil from private reserves, 30 days' worth from national reserves and roughly six days' worth from oil producer countries' joint reserves. The country had 228 days' worth of oil reserves in total as of Tuesday, down 13 days' worth from the start of the release.
https://www.nippon.com/en/news/yjj2026041000284/
🏭 🇨🇳 🌏 Eric Yeung: I was speaking with one of my mainland China factory contacts today.
Apparently, a number of factories that relocated to Southeast Asia in recent years are now rapidly moving large parts of their production back to China. The main reason is that China has the energy capacity to keep factories running, whereas Southeast Asia is struggling with power shortages and skyrocketing energy costs.
This is happening especially among factories that maintained some production in China or still have good contacts there who can take on the manufacturing.
📎 Eric Yeung
Apparently, a number of factories that relocated to Southeast Asia in recent years are now rapidly moving large parts of their production back to China. The main reason is that China has the energy capacity to keep factories running, whereas Southeast Asia is struggling with power shortages and skyrocketing energy costs.
This is happening especially among factories that maintained some production in China or still have good contacts there who can take on the manufacturing.
📎 Eric Yeung
🇺🇸 🌏 🇨🇳 "The U.S. Is Pushing Southeast Asia Toward China. The Iran War Made It Worse." by Joshua Kurlantzick
https://www.cfr.org/experts/joshua-kurlantzick
📎 Geoff Wade
https://www.cfr.org/experts/joshua-kurlantzick
📎 Geoff Wade
Forwarded from Rerum Novarum // Intel, Breaking News, and Alerts 🇺🇸
🇪🇨🇨🇴⚡️- The Ecuadorian government has announced it will put a 100% tariff on all imported products from Colombia, due to Colombia's failure to address drug trafficking and border security.
Forwarded from Rerum Novarum // Intel, Breaking News, and Alerts 🇺🇸
🇮🇱🇧🇪⚡️- Israel has been using at least one civilian cargo airline to move military equipment across the world.
Belgian media RTL revealed today that Belgian authorities uncovered military equipment from the United Kingdom that was supposed to be loaded as the cargo of a Challenge Airlines aircraft in Liège's airport in late March. Belgium had banned the transit of military equipment destined to Israel several weeks prior to this discovery.
Challenge Airlines is an Israeli civilian company specialized in non-standard air cargo but has never mentioned military equipment on their website nor on their registered cargo. This airline has been operating numerous flights between Tel-Aviv, the U.S. and Belgium for months.
Belgian media RTL revealed today that Belgian authorities uncovered military equipment from the United Kingdom that was supposed to be loaded as the cargo of a Challenge Airlines aircraft in Liège's airport in late March. Belgium had banned the transit of military equipment destined to Israel several weeks prior to this discovery.
Challenge Airlines is an Israeli civilian company specialized in non-standard air cargo but has never mentioned military equipment on their website nor on their registered cargo. This airline has been operating numerous flights between Tel-Aviv, the U.S. and Belgium for months.
📢 🇺🇸 🇮🇷 President Trump tells Iran that they "have no cards" other than the Strait of Hormuz.
📎 KobeissiLetter
📎 KobeissiLetter
🛢 🇺🇸 📈 US crude oil exports are skyrocketing:
US Gulf Coast crude exports are on track to average a record 4.90 million barrels a day in April based on current loadings.
That would be up +23%, or +930,000 barrels per day since March, and up +30%, or +1.12 million barrels per day since February.
At the current pace, May exports will exceed 5.0 million barrels a day for the first time in history.
This comes as Asian buyers are securing US cargoes to offset the loss of Middle Eastern supply while flows from the Strait of Hormuz remain significantly limited.
For May alone, 28 supertankers are already lined up to carry US crude, compared to 5 typically booked at this point in a month.
Global demand for American oil has never been higher.
📎 KobeissiLetter
US Gulf Coast crude exports are on track to average a record 4.90 million barrels a day in April based on current loadings.
That would be up +23%, or +930,000 barrels per day since March, and up +30%, or +1.12 million barrels per day since February.
At the current pace, May exports will exceed 5.0 million barrels a day for the first time in history.
This comes as Asian buyers are securing US cargoes to offset the loss of Middle Eastern supply while flows from the Strait of Hormuz remain significantly limited.
For May alone, 28 supertankers are already lined up to carry US crude, compared to 5 typically booked at this point in a month.
Global demand for American oil has never been higher.
📎 KobeissiLetter
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🌾 🇺🇸 🏜 With wheat barely a foot tall, the flag leaf is already emerging—a sign the crop is rushing to reproduce under stress, leaving too little structure to support a harvest. Less than 10% may be harvested in West Texas.
https://www.agweb.com/news/crops/wheat/harvest-hopes-fade-winter-wheat-withers-west-texas-fields
📎 AgWeb Editors
https://www.agweb.com/news/crops/wheat/harvest-hopes-fade-winter-wheat-withers-west-texas-fields
📎 AgWeb Editors
AgWeb
Harvest Hopes Fade as Winter Wheat Withers in West Texas Fields
With wheat barely a foot tall, the flag leaf is already emerging—a sign the crop is rushing to reproduce under stress, leaving too little structure to support a harvest. Less than 10% may be harvested in West Texas.
⛰️ 🇺🇸 🏞 Colorado’s worst snowpack year on record
The latest forecasts for Colorado River water supply are strikingly poor, and the impacts of a dry winter on the region are starting to come into sharp, upsetting focus.
Wide swaths of the Rocky Mountains saw meager snowfall, setting the region on course for the driest conditions in recorded history.
That shortage could threaten major reservoirs, dams and the water supply for central Arizona. About 85% of the Colorado River starts as mountain snow, largely in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming.
“The notion that a wet April, May, June, might save us is quickly leaving the building,” said Nels Bjarke, a research scientist with the Western Water Assessment. “There is a possibility that we could experience the driest or historical low flows on record.”
Dave DuBois, the New Mexico state climatologist, said those dry conditions would have widespread consequences such as enhanced wildfire risk. He said ranchers may be forced to cut their herds because of limited ability to grow cattle feed.
https://www.kjzz.org/science/2026-04-07/dismal-depressing-and-seriously-dry-low-snow-threatens-colorado-river-water-supply
The latest forecasts for Colorado River water supply are strikingly poor, and the impacts of a dry winter on the region are starting to come into sharp, upsetting focus.
Wide swaths of the Rocky Mountains saw meager snowfall, setting the region on course for the driest conditions in recorded history.
That shortage could threaten major reservoirs, dams and the water supply for central Arizona. About 85% of the Colorado River starts as mountain snow, largely in Colorado, Utah and Wyoming.
“The notion that a wet April, May, June, might save us is quickly leaving the building,” said Nels Bjarke, a research scientist with the Western Water Assessment. “There is a possibility that we could experience the driest or historical low flows on record.”
Dave DuBois, the New Mexico state climatologist, said those dry conditions would have widespread consequences such as enhanced wildfire risk. He said ranchers may be forced to cut their herds because of limited ability to grow cattle feed.
https://www.kjzz.org/science/2026-04-07/dismal-depressing-and-seriously-dry-low-snow-threatens-colorado-river-water-supply
⛰️ 🇺🇸 🏞 A century ago when the Colorado River Compact was agreed upon, the Colorado River Basin had a population of about 200,000. Today that figure is 40,000,000. But do go on blaming climate change: “Water conservation works, but climate change is outpacing it: Phoenix, Denver and Las Vegas offer a glimpse of the future.”
Water conservation the like of what we have never seen is not a 'nice to have', it is inevitable.
https://theconversation.com/water-conservation-works-but-climate-change-is-outpacing-it-phoenix-denver-and-las-vegas-offer-a-glimpse-of-the-future-279837
📎 Wrath of Gnon
Water conservation the like of what we have never seen is not a 'nice to have', it is inevitable.
https://theconversation.com/water-conservation-works-but-climate-change-is-outpacing-it-phoenix-denver-and-las-vegas-offer-a-glimpse-of-the-future-279837
📎 Wrath of Gnon
📖 🇺🇸 🌡 California just had its hottest and driest March ever recorded.
It was warmer than any April on record since 1895.
Warmer than the average May. And as dry as a typical July.
https://www.aol.com/news/march-record-warmest-dozens-us-161000745.html
📎 Colin McCarthy
It was warmer than any April on record since 1895.
Warmer than the average May. And as dry as a typical July.
https://www.aol.com/news/march-record-warmest-dozens-us-161000745.html
📎 Colin McCarthy
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👨🌾 🇮🇷 🌡 From war to weather: A 'super El Niño' event poses fresh risks to global food costs
Meteorologists say an unusually powerful El Niño could take shape later this year, exacerbating global food security fears.
The prospect of a “super El Niño” event comes at a time when many have raised the alarm over surging fuel and fertilizer costs amid the Iran war.
"Food prices are being squeezed from both sides: by climate extremes disrupting production in major growing regions, and by a food system still hooked on fossil fuels and therefore exposed to spikes in gas, fertiliser, transport and packaging costs," Jaccarini told CNBC by email.
Roughly one-third of the world's seaborne fertilizer trade typically passes through the Strait of Hormuz, although shipping traffic has virtually ground to a halt since the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on Feb. 28.
The price spikes for fuel and fertilizer come as the U.S. planting season begins in earnest, ramping up fears among U.S. farmers of elevated food prices and lower crop yields.
Asked about the prospect of a powerful El Niño event developing in the wake of the sprawling Middle East crisis, Heyl said: "If you get two negative factors like that combining then it could really be tough going."
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/09/el-nino-food-risks-iran-war-fertilizer-weather.html
Meteorologists say an unusually powerful El Niño could take shape later this year, exacerbating global food security fears.
The prospect of a “super El Niño” event comes at a time when many have raised the alarm over surging fuel and fertilizer costs amid the Iran war.
"Food prices are being squeezed from both sides: by climate extremes disrupting production in major growing regions, and by a food system still hooked on fossil fuels and therefore exposed to spikes in gas, fertiliser, transport and packaging costs," Jaccarini told CNBC by email.
Roughly one-third of the world's seaborne fertilizer trade typically passes through the Strait of Hormuz, although shipping traffic has virtually ground to a halt since the U.S. and Israel launched airstrikes on Iran on Feb. 28.
The price spikes for fuel and fertilizer come as the U.S. planting season begins in earnest, ramping up fears among U.S. farmers of elevated food prices and lower crop yields.
Asked about the prospect of a powerful El Niño event developing in the wake of the sprawling Middle East crisis, Heyl said: "If you get two negative factors like that combining then it could really be tough going."
https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/09/el-nino-food-risks-iran-war-fertilizer-weather.html
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CNBC
From war to weather: A 'super El Niño' event poses fresh risks to global food costs
An unusually powerful El Niño weather event could take shape later this year, exacerbating global food security fears.