🇮🇹 🇨🇳 🇱🇾 Italian authorities seize Chinese drones bound for Libya

🔶️ Labelled as parts for wind turbines, the Wing Loong unmanned aircraft were reportedly due to be loaded on a ship bound for Benghazi in Libya and delivered to General Khalifa Haftar, the strongman running the east of the country.

🔶️ Italy intercepted the drones after a tip off from the US, which is increasingly alarmed by Haftar’s growing ties to Russia as Moscow continues pouring weapons and troops through the port of Tobruk to support its military presence in Africa.

🔶️ He was backed in his campaign by the UAE, which allegedly operated Wing Loong drones over western Libya and was accused of using one to fire a missile at a Tripoli military academy, killing 26 cadets.

🔶️ “The academy attack was a disaster for the UAE, with such loss of young life, and it stands to reason it took a step back at that point,” said Alia Brahimi, an academic with the Atlantic Council.

🔶️ “It is also likely that either they or the Chinese are training Libyans to fly the drones, meaning Haftar will have personnel to use them as he tries to buy more,” she said.

🔶️ “The plan was to sell millions of drums of crude oil to China without anyone knowing about it,” said a Canadian official at the time of arrests.

🔶️ “If oil is being used to buy drones by Haftar it means the natural resources of Libyans are being diverted to buy weapons that could then be used to kill them,” said Brahimi.

https://www.thetimes.com/world/europe/article/italian-authorities-seize-chinese-drones-bound-for-libya-xpqqxvxqg

https://archive.ph/ONLbJ

🇺🇸🦁⚡️- President Trumps criminal sentencing in New York has been postponed until September 18th.

— 🇮🇷 NEW: Iran announced sanctions on a list of American police and security officials

1. William Hitchens, Director of the Georgia Department of Public Safety
2. Eddie Greer, Georgia State Field Operations Commander
3. University of Florida Police Chief, Linda J. Stump Cornick
4. Pamela Smith, Washington DC Police Chief
5. Jeffrey Carroll, Executive Assistant to the Washington DC Police Chief
6. New Haven Police Chief, Carl Jacobsen
7. University of Texas Assistant Police Chief, Shane Streepy
8. Boston Police Chief, Michael Cox
9. Scott Dunning, Indiana University Central Police Department Chief
10. University of Arizona Police Chief, Michael Thompson
11. John Brocki, University of California Long Beach police chief

The persons were sanctioned for their violent suppression of the pro-Palestine protests on American University Campuses.

According to Article 5 of the Iranian Law 'Combating Human Rights Violations, Adventurous and Terrorist Actions of the United States of America in the Region', the persons are banned from entering Iran, from obtaining visas, and from any financial dealings inside Iran.

@Middle_East_Spectator

🇱🇧🇮🇱⚡️- Israel's air force carried out an airstrike against the commander of Hezbollah's Regional "Aziz" Division, located in the Bekaa Valley, Hajj Nasser, in the city of Tyre in southern Lebanon, assassinating him.