The United States is preparing to deploy thousands of additional troops to the Middle East, significantly expanding its military presence as tensions with Iran continue into a fourth week despite signals of possible diplomacy.

READ MORE

A Pentagon official says recent U.S.-backed strikes in Ecuador are “just the beginning” of a wider military campaign across Latin America.

The operation, called “Operation Total Extermination,” began with joint U.S.–Ecuador strikes near the Colombia border and may expand to more land attacks across the region.

Source: The Intercept

Former U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken:

The regime in Iran will be there until it’s not.

No one knows. It could go tomorrow. It could go in five years.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken:

There’s no hierarchy of trauma — the trauma in Israel, the trauma among Palestinians, the same.

Antony Blinken defends the Biden administration’s decision to continue arming Israel during the Gaza War:

Cutting off arms — sure, that was an option. But I don’t actually believe that, at least in the near term, it would have changed things.

I also believe it would have led to an even wider war, as Israel’s enemies — and they were multiple — jumped in, and that only would have extended the war in Gaza, not ended the war in Gaza.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken:

In so many problems we deal with — but maybe more than any other problem, the Middle East — all sides are both entirely right and entirely wrong at the same time.

Trump Approval Falls to 36% Amid Iran War, Fuel Surge

U.S. President Donald Trump’s approval rating has dropped to 36%, the lowest level since returning to office, as rising fuel prices and growing opposition to the Iran war weigh heavily on public opinion, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.

READ MORE

Sudan Accuses Ethiopia of Backing RSF Assault on Kurmuk

A Sudanese government official told Sudan Tribune Monday that Ethiopia is aiding RSF & SPLM-N attacks on Kurmuk town in Blue Nile, as fighting intensifies near border towns.

READ MORE

An Iranian commentator on IRIB, Iranian state TV:

If the U.S. makes a mistake, Iran’s security forces are capable of and prepared to seize the coasts of the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain.

Iran’s Khatam al-Anbiya Central HQ Spokesperson:

The United States is negotiating with itself.

Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez on Iran:

What is all this destruction achieving? What has been the outcome of this first month of war?

Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez on Iran:

Remaining silent in the face of an unjust war is not prudence — it is cowardice.

Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez on Iran:

Iran has spent 40 years preparing for a war like this. We are not facing the same scenario as Iraq — this is much worse.

Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez on Mojtaba Khamenei:

Mojtaba Khamenei is just as dictatorial and even more bloodthirsty than his father.

And on top of that, he supports Iran developing nuclear weapons.

Ghana Accuses U.S. of Normalizing Erasure of Black History

Ghana’s President John Mahama criticized U.S. policies at the UN in New York, warning they normalize erasing Black history, as Ghana pushes a resolution on slavery reparations backed by African & Caribbean states.

READ MORE

Greek Cyprus Seeks New Security Deal for UK Bases

Greek Cyprus has reportedly requested negotiations with the United Kingdom to revise security arrangements for British military bases on the island following recent Iranian drone attacks, according to a report cited by the Telegraph.

READ MORE

Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez on Netanyahu:

Netanyahu wants to repeat in Lebanon the same destruction and suffering as in Gaza.

The New York Times refuses to call Israel’s invasion of Lebanon an “invasion” — and gets Community Noted.

Trump-backed North Carolina Senate leader Phil Berger lost his primary by 23 votes, conceding Tuesday to Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page.

Berger, a dominant figure in state Republican politics for two decades, had promoted Trump’s endorsement throughout the race.

Impact reported in Hadera, Israel, after Iranian missile launches.

An impact was reported near a power station in Hadera, Israel.