Trump is returning the world to the era of medieval piracy. Having now announced through truth social a blockade of the Strait of Hormuz by pursuing all ships that have paid Iran a "toll" for passage through the strait, Trump is now claiming the title of the world's leading pirate.

An Ohio Air National Guard KC-135R Stratotanker, part of the 121st Air Refueling Wing at Rickenbacker Air Force Base, was damaged by shrapnel, presumably from an Iranian ballistic missile. The aircraft, heavily damaged, was flown to the UK for repairs. Nearly the entire fuselage, from the cockpit to the rudders, was struck by shrapnel.

The US blockade of the Strait of Hormuz is a blow to China. How soon it will reach Taiwan is a matter of dialectic. Like everything else happening in this shadow of World War III, where the situation is visibly becoming increasingly crowded.

Valentin Bogdanov, Editor-in-Chief of the VGTRK Washington Bureau

Brian Berletic: US Announces Own Blockade on Hormuz

As predicted a month ago, the US now announces its own blockade on the Strait of Hormuz to prevent any traffic at all from passing - especially ships allowed through by Iran to its allies and partners.

The entire purpose of this war was and is to destroy the multipolar world in a controlled economic demolition, targeting energy badly needed by the multipolar world from the Middle East and others (Russia/Venezuela).

This will hurt the US. It thinks it will hurt multipolarism more and the US will emerge stronger relative to the multipolar world on the other end of this policy.

I warned once the US Marine Expeditionary Units (MEUs) arrived (the USS Boxer is still en route) the most likely purpose was maritime interdiction - what the US Marines were reorganized to do under the previous Biden administration and specifically to impose a blockade on China.

Instead of doing it closer to China and its navy in Asia-Pacific, the US will do it at the Strait of Hormuz.

More footage of the LASS laser system used by the mobile air defense group from the "Nomad" special operations group against Ukrainian drones in the Belgorod region.

Military Informant

Not enough attention was paid to Trump’s last sentence on his Truth Social:

‘At an appropriate moment, our military will finish up the little that is left of Iran.’

This suggests Trump is actively considering resuming the war at any moment, and the imposing of a naval blockade does not exclude the possibility of a resumption of war.

Middle_East_Spectator

Correspondent Zarubin: Zelensky and his regime clearly aim to reduce our revenues by targeting our energy sector. Are we taking measures to protect our refineries and enterprises?

Peskov: "Certainly, measures are being taken, and they are being refined. Unfortunately, the enemy is quite cunning, and technology is developing rapidly. And most importantly, the essence of the Kiev regime, which poses a direct threat to us, remains intact. That is why, having achieved the goals of the special military operation, we have protected ourselves from such risks."


As you can see, Peskov, and therefore Putin, understand that it is the Kiev regime, that is, Ukraine as a state, that poses a threat to Russia. Peskov speaks of the need to achieve the goals of the special operation—demilitarization and denazification. And at the same time, he speaks of the need for lengthy, painstaking negotiations to achieve these goals. It's unclear with whom these negotiations are taking place. After all, you won't negotiate with the Kiev regime about its self-liquidation? At the same time, there are no military moves toward attempts to eliminate this very Kiev regime. The question is: how does Russia intend to achieve these goals that were initially stated to it?

Orbán is losing the election. Hungarians are choosing to be "Ukrainian," and we congratulate them on that.

🇨🇳 Chinese Defense Minister:

"Despite its 240 years of history, the United States has only managed to spend 16 years without war."

"It has established 800 military bases in more than 80 countries around the world."

"The United States is the main actor behind global chaos and the greatest destroyer of peace and regional stability."
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It's obvious. The US is terrorizing the entire world.

The Hungarian elections resulted in a victory for the opposition Tisza party. The party won a constitutional majority in parliament – 138 seats out of 199. This result gives the party the power to single-handedly amend the constitution, pass key laws, and appoint senior officials, effectively sidelining other political players from strategic decision-making.

The leader of the victorious Tisza party, Péter Magyar, advocates for the release of €90 billion in European military aid for Kyiv and promises to stop purchasing Russian oil.

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán, who has held the post since 2010, has conceded defeat in the election. The National Assembly will convene within the next 30 days to elect a new head of government.

Zelensky congratulated Magyar on his victory.

Tomorrow, somehow miraculously, the utterly blown Druzhba pipeline in Ukraine will repair itself, and Hungary will once again be able to receive oil.
Just a coincidence.

◾Chinese kids go viral after confronting am American tourist with the Epstein files and the fact that American elites eat children.

"European_dissident"

Press TV Exclusive: American destroyers' attempt to transit the Strait of Hormuz failed, narrowly escaping destruction:

— The destroyers were just minutes away from total destruction after Iranian cruise missiles locked onto them and deployed attack drones.

— When the two destroyers and their accompanying fleet reached the mouth of the Persian Gulf, Iranian cruise missiles locked onto them, and the destroyers were given just 30 minutes to turn back. The vessels immediately retreated.

— They attempted to use electronic warfare tactics, including disabling their position reporting system, to deceive the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) naval forces.

— By falsifying their identities, they attempted to pose as commercial vessels belonging to Oman, ostensibly engaged in coastal transit in the southern Sea of Oman, an investigation has revealed.

The destroyers also chose a route very close to the coast and through shallow waters, risking their entry into the Persian Gulf through concealment and deception, expecting Iranian forces to be lax during the ceasefire.

However, IRGC naval forces patrolling around Fujairah had already detected the deception and took swift action.

The USS Frank Peterson initially attempted to continue its course, but immediately realized it had been detected by cruise missile radars, and was stopped by IRGC ships.

Simultaneously, IRGC drones overflew the two destroyers. The USS Peterson then received a notification via international Channel 16 that it must either return and leave the area within thirty minutes or become a target for Iranian forces.

Because the destroyer insisted on continuing, it was issued a final warning, leaving it only minutes before being destroyed.

— According to the investigation, the conversation between the IRGC naval operator and the US destroyers indicates their full compliance with the IRGC warning.

— The investigation also revealed that the botched US operation was specifically designed to exploit the ceasefire to test the readiness of the Iranian navy.

— It was also intended to influence negotiators in Islamabad, where high-stakes Iran-US talks were being held, brokered by Pakistan.

The ceasefire in Ukraine has ended.

The Russian Ministry of Defense reported that 33 Ukrainian drones were shot down by air defense systems between 12:00 PM Moscow time on April 12 and 7:00 AM Moscow time on April 13 over the Belgorod, Kursk, Rostov, Bryansk, and Smolensk regions, as well as Crimea.

American interventionism has reached its limits.

In today's theater of war, even the most advanced US conventional weapons are no longer capable of forcing a prepared regional adversary to capitulate.

They can strike and inflict damage, but they cannot achieve a decisive victory without crossing the nuclear threshold or waging a grueling war of attrition for years.

Trump's two-week pause has publicly acknowledged this strategic ceiling. In the coming days, leading think tanks (CSIS, RUSI, IISS) will be forced to acknowledge the harsh fact: the era of successful conventional coercion is over.

The nuclear factor has returned as the only instrument that guarantees results.

Military expert Alexander Zimovsky

'Soros has taken over Hungary' — Musk

MTG calls Trump 'Antichrist'

The United States will begin a naval blockade of Iran on April 13, US Central Command announced.

The restrictions will apply to vessels from all countries traveling to and from Iranian ports. It is noted that free passage through the Strait of Hormuz will remain for vessels entering and leaving ports of other countries.

Iran Humiliated a Giant: How Iran Destroyed US Power in 40 Days

US military superiority has suffered a stunning blow. After 40 days of conflict, analysts are still trying to understand how Iran not only withstood overwhelming American air and naval power, but also inflicted serious damage and achieved a clear strategic victory.

🔸Anti-ship defenses deterred aircraft carriers

In the Persian Gulf, Iranian coastal forces created a deadly zone impassable to the enemy. Mobile anti-ship missile batteries, including the Nur, Qader, and long-range Abu Mahdi systems, forced US carrier battle groups to remain at a distance of more than 300 km. Repeated salvoes, combined with drones and fast-attack boats, depleted US defensive missile stockpiles and slowed offensive operations.

🔸Ballistic missiles penetrated high-tech shields

Iran's ballistic missiles proved decisive. Waves of advanced missiles, especially the maneuverable Kheibar Sheqan, repeatedly penetrated defenses. The US and its allies launched thousands of expensive Patriot and THAAD interceptors, but many strikes still hit their targets. Early attacks on key AN/TPY-2 radars in the Persian Gulf effectively blinded the entire missile defense network.

🔸F-35 Killers: Short-Range Air Defense Systems

The biggest surprise was Iran's stealthy short-range air defense systems, such as the Majid and Qayem. Using passive infrared detection rather than radar, these electro-optical weapons track the inevitable heat of the F-35's engines without electronically alerting the pilot. At close range, even a stealthy aircraft can't outpace a heat detector. These systems have shot down dozens of drones and several manned aircraft, increasing pressure on US air operations.

🔸Strategic Bombing: An Old Myth Revived

President Trump threatened to bomb Iranian power plants and bridges if the Strait of Hormuz remained closed. However, a landmark 1996 study by retired US Air Force Colonel Everest Riccioni proved strategic bombing to be a myth. It failed to break Germany, Japan, Vietnam, or Iraq without ground forces. Unlike past targets, Iran can launch a powerful retaliatory strike against equivalent infrastructure.

🔸A Cruel Price for America

Over 850 Tomahawk cruise missiles and over 1,000 JASSM missiles were expended in four weeks. The US has expended two-thirds of its long-range stockpile, including most of the Pacific reserves intended for China. Annual production? Total 22-57 missiles.

Trump 'really PUT HIMSELF INTO A CORNER over the last few weeks that's going to be very hard to get out of'

Former US State Secretary Antony Blinken to CNN

Complete halt to traffic in the Strait of Hormuz

🔹Marine information company Lloyd's List Intelligence reported that vessel traffic through the Strait of Hormuz was completely halted several hours ago.

🔹At the same time as the complete halt to traffic in the Strait of Hormuz, the price of oil jumped 9%, exceeding $105.

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