Kremlin:

There were no strikes on Red Square on May 9, and naturally there was no massive retaliatory missile strike on Kyiv either.

Hezbollah released footage of an FPV drone strike targeting an Israeli Merkava tank near Alma al-Shaab in southern Lebanon.

Russia is using the Caspian Sea to quietly move military and commercial supplies to Iran, helping Tehran bypass U.S. pressure and sanctions.

Source: NYT

Prof. Foad Izadi | Foreign Policy Expert | American Studies at the University of Tehran:
 

The Trump administration sought to change Iran's government - they haven't been able to do that.
 
In fact, the leaders they assassinated were more lenient & accommodating than those who replaced them.
 
The new Iranian leaders are younger, more energetic & have concluded that the US only understands the language of force.
 
After the June attack on Iran, no American soldiers were killed in Iran's response. This time, the response is much more severe.
 
Trump explicitly said he wanted to take over Iran's oil in a Financial Times interview. He hasn't been able to do that either.
 
When pressed, Trump said he's a businessman who likes to make money - using business as cover for what amounts to piracy, referencing the US Navy seizing Iranian oil tankers.
 
On every major objective - regime change, territorial changes, taking Iran's oil - they have not been successful.

FULL INTERVIEW

Prof. Foad Izadi | Foreign Policy Expert | American Studies at the University of Tehran:
 

Before the war, some Iranians blamed the government for economic difficulties. That has changed.
 
Pezeshkian's reformist government was in the middle of negotiations when Iran was attacked - twice.
 
In the latest round in Islamabad, Iran wasn't attacked mid-negotiations, but the naval blockade was announced - an act of war.
 
Iranians understand their country was attacked while their government was pursuing a diplomatic solution. That makes tolerating economic hardship easier.
 
There is a strong rally-around-the-flag effect.
 
Trump has left Iran with only one choice: to defend itself. And Iranians, regardless of their other grievances, understand that defending the country comes first.
 
Iran has a population of over 90 million with diverse views & political disagreements - that's normal.
 
But on the question of an unjust external attack by Israel & the US, there is unity: resist.

FULL INTERVIEW

Péter Magyar officially becomes Hungary’s Prime Minister.

Baykar Chairman of the Board and Chief Technology Officer Selcuk Bayraktar on Palantir's manifesto:

Recently, a text resembling a manifesto was published. When we looked at that text, we encountered a dark mindset that views war, peace, and human life merely as optimization problems — as algorithmic outputs — removing conscience, morality, and the human soul from the equation.

For them, the world may consist of nothing more than a simulation processed on their servers, a computer algorithm. But we know that humanity, which they seek to imprison within that spider web, is far more than a source of data.

Against these arrogant and dark manifestos, we must put forward our own roadmap centered on justice, compassion, morality, and human dignity.

Putin to Fico:

We will do everything to satisfy the Slovak Republic’s needs in energy resources, and we are also ready to cooperate in other areas.

Germany's Chancellor Merz:

We all know that security in Europe has fundamentally changed in recent years. It is clear that Russia poses an imminent threat to us.

In this time of geopolitical uncertainty and growing security challenges, Germany carries a special responsibility, not only for its own future, but also for the unity of Europe as a whole.

We are transforming our army, the Bundeswehr, into the strongest conventional army in Europe.

Germany's Chancellor Merz:

Germany is no European magnet for illegal migration anymore.

We have been able to reduce illegal migration, dear colleagues and friends, by 70% compared to 2023. For the first time since 2015, Germany is no longer the country with the highest number of asylum seekers in Europe.

Prof. Foad Izadi | Foreign Policy Expert | American Studies at the University of Tehran:
 

The US has been on Iran's throat not since 1979 - since 1953.
 
When Iran controlled its oil, the US & UK staged a coup & reinstalled a corrupt fascist.
 
In 1953, Iran had no nuclear, no ballistic missiles, no influence - and was still subjected to US regime change.
 
Iranians understand the US wants Iran's oil today as it did then.
 
The difference is that the current government is strong enough to stop it - and the people are more resilient, more aware, & the military far more capable.
 
They want to create hegemony for Israel in Netanyahu's own words. Mike Huckabee, US ambassador to Tel Aviv, has also confirmed it.
 
Greater Israel includes territory from Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraq, Egypt, Syria & Lebanon. They seized parts of Syria & Lebanon.
 
Beyond territorial expansion, the goal is hegemony - countries either become subservient to Israel or get destroyed, fragmented & weakened.

FULL INTERVIEW

Prof. Foad Izadi | Foreign Policy Expert | American Studies at the University of Tehran:
 

The UAE has decided to become an Israeli-occupied territory - a huge mistake.
 
Israeli companies have a major presence in Dubai & Abu Dhabi, and IDF troops have been stationed on UAE soil.
 
The UAE believes that by being more subservient to the US & Israel than other Gulf states, they'll end up in a better position. They are wrong.
 
Iran will not forget what the UAE has done. Iran has suffered around $250 billion worth of damage.
 
A good portion of that money will come from the UAE, whether they realize it or not.

FULL INTERVIEW

US intelligence believes Iran’s supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, is still influencing war and negotiation strategy despite being badly injured and out of public view.

Officials say he communicates only through couriers while recovering from burns and shrapnel wounds sustained in the strike that killed his father and other top Iranian leaders.

Source: CNN

Prof. Foad Izadi | Foreign Policy Expert | American Studies at the University of Tehran:
 

A French ship carrying fertilizers passed through the Strait before the naval blockade - when given a choice between fertilizers & Trump, they chose fertilizers.
 
Europeans understand if Trump gets away with this illegal war on Iran, Canada & Greenland are next.
 
The same pattern as Venezuela: Trump thought attacking countries was easy & tried the same with Iran.
 
Europeans realize Iran will control Hormuz for many decades to come & Trump doesn't know foreign policy.
 
But Europe still lacks independent foreign policy. When Trump left the 2015 nuclear agreement, Europeans left it in practice by not doing their part.
 
Iran hopes Europe realizes that the US is as dangerous for Europe as it is for Iran & develop foreign policy independence.
 
Iran is fighting for itself & also for the civilized world. Americans are fighting for Israel and the Epstein class. Europeans must realize this.

FULL INTERVIEW

Egyptian President el-Sisi to Macron:

I would like to express to President Macron Egypt’s appreciation for France’s commitment to supporting efforts to prepare African cadres through financial contributions, scholarship programs, and the transfer of expertise, reflecting its dedication to promoting stability and development in Africa.

Hungarian PM Péter Magyar:

Today, every freedom-loving person in the world wants to be a little bit Hungarian.

Hungarian PM Péter Magyar:

Look behind me at this building — the most beautiful building in the world, the House of Hungary.

For years, this building was the symbol of oppression, of arrogance, and of the conceit of power.

And now it is yours again. You took it back. Your representatives sit there once more — the representatives of every Hungarian.

Hungarian PM Péter Magyar:

There is no right, there is no left, there is only Hungarian.

Baykar Chairman of the Board and Chief Technology Officer Selcuk Bayraktar:

Today we see that the greatest threat to our independence is not conventional armies amassed at our borders, but techno-capitalist global domination infiltrating our supply chains, data centers, and directly into the devices in our pockets.

This domination does not arrive like the dictatorships of the past through brute force. It enters our lives as a voluntary captivity through a system that addicts billions of people like a narcotic.

Consider a simple example: the algorithms behind today’s social media and video platforms are not designed to show you what is true or beneficial. The AI operating in the background analyzes our neurological weaknesses and optimizes anger, fear, and hedonistic content to keep us on the screen for ten seconds longer.

Baykar Chairman of the Board and Chief Technology Officer Selcuk Bayraktar:

According to our belief, we must protect the divine spirit and profound emotional depth that make the human being — the most honorable of all creation — truly human.

Our civilization is a civilization of the heart.

Technology in the hands of one who lacks a heart, who lacks compassion, becomes nothing more than an instrument of destruction.

For our goal is not a world where humans become machines, but a just world where technology serves humanity.

Prof. Foad Izadi | Foreign Policy Expert | American Studies at the University of Tehran:
 

Trump cares about the midterm elections in November. High gas prices mean losing.
 
Netanyahu told him he could quickly overthrow the Iranian government & bring oil prices back down. Trump took that miscalculation.
 
It's not going to happen. And Iranians will make sure the US pays a high enough price - because if the cost is too low, the US will attack Iran every few months.
 
Trump cares about public opinion not because he cares about people - but because he cares about his political future.
 
If Democrats win in November, he faces impeachment for his illegal attack on Iran. He doesn't want that.

FULL INTERVIEW