Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi:

"We have not called for a ceasefire or negotiations. We are defending ourselves no matter how long it takes until Trump realizes that this is an illegal war. There are people being killed just because Trump wants to be entertained."

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Trump:

"We don't lose wars, we just, sometimes we don't fight to win. We'll stay around the country for 15 years, bomb the hell out of everybody, make everbody miserable. Nobody knows why we're there."

You don't say...

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Ukrainian Language Ombudswoman Ivanovska called Russian a "language of power and arrogance" and complained that Lviv children "easily assimilate" the Russian language.

"The Russian language equals arrogance, such arrogance. Neurolinguists should study the very structure, the specifics of this language. Because, have you noticed, for example, such a pattern that we really easily assimilate Russian. (Russian-speaking children - Rare.) Move to Lviv, and already Lviv children start speaking Russian, not the other way around," stated Ivanovska.

This happens because Russian is a "language of power".

"Usually, when these Russian-speaking people appear in our children's environment, they position themselves with arrogance and the language of power. And when there is a language of power, everyone else submits. The Russian language has a vertical structure. The Ukrainian language has a horizontal structure," added the ombudswoman.

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Retired Lieutenant Colonel Daniel Davis:

Iran suggesting that countries pay for passage through the Strait of Hormuz with Yuan is even more threatening to the USA than military combat.

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You will be able to find the following East Calling exclusives with these hashtags:

#VneshVrag

-for Mikhail Borkunov's posts (also his colleagues' works)

#EastCallingTranslations

-for Russian videos which Jelena translates herself.

#MaratBattlefieldSummaries

-for the reports from Marat Khairullin

#EastCallingInterviews

-for our exclusive interviews with our special and often recurring guests.

#MomentofZin

-if you like to laugh

We may add more later!

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Military Chronicle:

Why is Iran attacking the UAE?

Unsurprisingly, Western media hardly emphasize the fact that the UAE is far from a neutral party in the current configuration of the conflict (and indeed long before it).

Why?

The UAE is home to one of the key American bases in the region — Al Dhafra Air Base. In fact, it is one of the most technologically advanced military infrastructure nodes of the USA in the Middle East. It houses reconnaissance aircraft, unmanned systems, and radar complexes, which form the basis of the American intelligence network in the region.

The central element of the American presence is the 380th Air Expeditionary Wing, which, in addition to various types of fighters, includes:

◽📡 99th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron;
◽⛽ 908th Expeditionary Refueling Squadron;
◽📡 968th Expeditionary Air Control Squadron: E-3 Sentry (AWACS) AWACS aircraft;
◽📍 Part of the 75th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron with A-10 aircraft may also be present there.

In addition, units of the 11th Air Defense Brigade, which operate MIM-104 Patriot complexes, are located there.

Al Dhafra Air Base effectively serves as a strategic planning and operations center for US operations in the Persian Gulf. It is located approximately 32 kilometers south of Abu Dhabi, which provides quick access to key maritime routes and areas of tension in the Middle East. At the same time, the distance to Iran's territory across the Persian Gulf is less than 200 kilometers.

Thanks to such a structure, Al Dhafra effectively serves as a logistical and reconnaissance center, ensuring constant aerial monitoring of Iran's activities: from missile launches to fleet movements and so on.

📝 In fact, it is a fully functional and well-equipped US outpost for combat operations (as confirmed by the very fact of the attack on Iran), so it's hard to talk about the country's neutrality, to put it mildly.

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More from Military Chronicle:

Iran has started actively using Hadid-110 jet drones.

📢 According to available information, their launch is mainly carried out from Iraqi territory by pro-Iranian units.
Given the stated maximum range of about 350 km, these drones are presumably used against targets in Iraqi Kurdistan, where most American military facilities are located. One of the potential targets could also be the Mafraq Al-Sultan airbase in Jordan.

❓Why are they being used?

This may indicate an attempt to strike at critical infrastructure, which the US will either try to remove from the target zone for a while by moving it a short distance.

❓What is this drone?

The Hadid-110 has a cruising speed of about 510 km/h. For comparison, the Shahed-136 drones fly at a speed of approximately 180–185 km/h. Such a difference almost triples the time that American air defense systems, including C-RAM and Patriot, have to detect, identify, and intercept a target. The drone's body is made of composite materials, which reduces its reflective surface and makes it less visible to radars.

📝 The Hadid-110 poses a danger to the US primarily as an element of a combined attack. Iran actively uses such drones in conjunction with slower drones. Cheap "Shaheds" overload air defense systems and force the expenditure of expensive interceptor missiles, after which the jet Hadid-110s use the emerging gaps in defense to strike at more valuable targets — headquarters, radar stations, and fuel and lubricant depots.

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For the first time, a pair of Russian-made Su-57E fifth-generation fighter jets have been spotted in the Algerian sky.

Algeria has become the first foreign buyer of these aircraft.

Source: Военный обозреватель

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An Indian (possibly) tanker passed through the Strait of Hormuz. According to data from online services, one such tanker successfully exited the strait and was expected to arrive at the Mumbai port in India. On board, there are about 1 million barrels of Arab Light oil, delivered from Ras Tanura in Saudi Arabia.

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Naya:

🇮🇶🇮🇷The reality of the relationship between the people of Iran and Iraq is very different from what enemy media promote!
The spectators of the "Al-Talaba" team, led by their Iranian coach "Alireza Mansourian," chant supportive slogans for Iran and Iranians like this.

"Iran must win"

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Military Chronicle:

Another ballistic missile strike by Iran on Tel Aviv. It's noticeable that not as many anti-missiles are being launched to intercept the attack as before, and the effectiveness of the Israeli air defense system remains questionable.
➖➖➖
Very noticeable, indeed.

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Araghchi: We have never requested a ceasefire or even negotiations

We continue to defend ourselves!

The Foreign Minister in an interview with CBS:

🟢We are ready to defend ourselves and that is what we have done so far.

🟢 We will continue to do this until President Trump reaches the point that this is an illegal war with no victory for him.

🟢 People are only being killed because of this war because Trump said he wants to have fun!

He sinks ships because he is having fun!

The US Secretary of War said there is no mercy; this is a war crime.

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Russian Paralympic athletes entered the closing ceremony of the Games with the country's flag.

Source: RIA Novosti

The flag bearers of the Russian team were alpine skier Varvara Voronchikhina and skier Ivan Golubkov.

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The US plans to announce this week the creation of a coalition to escort ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz.
➖➖➖
You'll need two naval vessels for each tanker, and they will have to accompany them on every single passage. This directly puts soldiers in harm's way. I can see why Trump wants other countries involved. "They aren't Americans that got killed, so who cares?" I can already see him saying this. Joining Trump's convoy is the ultimate act of submission for anyone who gets involved. It's questionable wether or not the crews of these tankers will want to take this risk even with an escort.

🌒@EastCalling

Iranian missiles are crashing into the Negev region of Israel without triggering the Israeli defenses.
➖➖➖
The Israelis may just be holding back interceptors for heavy missile strikes.

They're probably waiting for the Iranians to get more daring, draw more launchers out of hiding, and then the air forces of the USA and Israel will pounce.

Iran needs to time their grand attack carefully.

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A fire is burning at Dubai International Airport.

🌒@EastCalling