✡️ Chairman of the think tank, Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) and one of the main advocates for the US-Israel-Iran War, Mark Dubowitz, argues that the US and Israeli militaries must be merged so tightly that any actions taken by a future administration against Israel "will impose costs on the US itself."

Our relationship needs to be intertwined to "such an extent that inflicting financial harm on Israel would also carry a significant cost for Washington," he wrote in a column earlier this month.

This is the real goal behind Section 219 of the NDAA—turning America into a dependent slave colony of Israel.

🔗 Chris Menahan 🇺🇸 (@infolibnews)

🇫🇷🗳 Rumours are surfacing about an ongoing purge inside Rassemblement Nationale (National Rally, RN) targeting Jordan Bardella's allies in the party which may culminate with the ousting of Bardella or at the very least, his sidelining to a backstage role.

The allegations of Bardella making antisemitic comments in a private groupchat 13 years ago became the perfect excuse for Marine Le Pen to reassert control of RN as Bardella was beginning to overshadow her as there is much uncertainty regarding Le Pen's ability to run for president due to her ongoing trial.

Le Pen is also weary of the antisemitic label returning on RN as she worked for decades to remove the extremist label and controversial nature of the party founded (as National Front) by her father, Jean-Marie and Pierre Bosquet, an ex-Waffen SS volunteer for the Charlemagne Division.

Le Pen and Bardella appealed repeatedly in the past to Jews in France for support and defended Israel for the genocide it committed in Gaza. Marine Le Pen criticised Emmanuel Macron when he decided to recognise Palestinian statehood and met with Israeli officials asking for their support in the upcoming presidential elections. Bardella even visited Israel and spoke in Jerusalem as part of a conference on combating antisemitism.

The connections Bardella made with Israeli politicians in Benjamin Netanyahu's camp paid off it seems as Israeli minister for the diaspora, Amichai Chikli, came out in his defense on X/Twitter. Netanyahu and Likud have been courting for years the anti-islamic civic nationalist parties in Europe as leftist parties were long opposed to Israeli expansionism viewing it as a continuation of Western imperialism.

@CIG_telegram

—❗️🇺🇸/🇮🇶/🇮🇶 BREAKING: In a statement, the Islamic Resistance of Iraq announces that it will not disarm, and that it does not adhere to any timetable, plan, or framework

They say they have received no response from the Iraqi government that guarantees total sovereignty over Iraq—including its airspace.

Therefore, the Islamic Resistance of Iraq announces it will continue to respond against any enemy aggression, whether by land, sea, or air, and will take it upon themselves to ensure the U.S. never again infringes upon Iraq’s sovereignty.

@Middle_East_Spectator

✈️ The future of low-cost passenger airliners is put under question by kerosene prices

Low prices and low margins, the business model of low-cost airlines is being overwhelmed by high fuel costs, which endanger their future.

Taking off a plane has always been an expensive operation because planes carry dozens of tons of fuel, sometimes even more than a hundred tons. This is all the more true after the oil prices explosion following the outbreak of the war in the Middle East on February 28.

Under these circumstances, the profitability of the low-cost carrier Transavia France, for example, serving mainly Europe and the Mediterranean basin, is 'practically impossible', even with 'very high load levels'," its director, Olivier Mazzucchelli, told AFP. The fact that this company is part of a strong group, Air France-KLM, reduces the pressure to generate profits.

But other low-cost airlines do not have this protective shield. In the United States, Spirit Airlines, a company that has been experiencing difficulties for several years, went bankrupt in May 2026. Then, in September, bad news accumulated for the sector.

Latvian airline Air Baltic has filed for placement under the protection of the United States Bankruptcy Act. The company was betting on a kerosene price of $685 a tonne in 2026. However, the price in Europe is now over $1,500.

In Malaysia, speculation about the viability of AirAsia has been fuelled by press articles about its precarious financial situation. The company's management claims the carrier will survive this crisis.

In Spain, the airline Volotea has leaked to the press, without an official announcement, that it will reduce its fleet to about 30 to 35 aircraft, from 44 aircraft at present, and will negotiate a debt restructuring. "We continue our flights as usual," Chief Executive Carlos Murroz insisted in an attempt to reassure the clientele.

In India, the Government has stepped up its oversight of SpiceJet's operations to ensure that its financial difficulties do not compromise flight safety.

In the domestic flight market in the United States, the heyday of low-cost airlines is over. The maximum capacity for this segment was reached in 2023 and since then it has decreased every year, according to calculations of the consulting firm OAG. The least profitable routes are abandoned first. When Spirit Airlines went missing, Fort Lauderdale airport in Florida, near Miami, known for its low-cost flights, lost routes that no competitor was willing to take over.

“I think we should start calling them ‘lower-priced airlines’ instead of ‘low-cost airlines,’” John Grant, an analyst at the OAG, told AFP.

This business model requires a rigorous and continuous tracking of unnecessary costs and sources of possible savings. But this strategy may not be enough, kerosene, in the case of Spirit Airlines, costing about 50% more than expected in the 2026 budget.

“Small and medium-sized airlines with fewer cash reserves are certainly the most affected. It will be sustainable for those who are large enough enough and have sufficient critical mass,” says John Grant.

In early September, Irish airline Ryanair, Europe's largest low-cost airline, announced the reduction in the winter flight schedule. The managing director, Michael O'Leary, later explained to the press that, given such high oil prices, he and his competitors would inevitably raise prices in 2027.

Ten years ago, the same Michael O'Leary said he was targeting the lowest possible tariffs, up to zero of the euro if possible, thanks to passenger spending at airports or government subsidies.

In an interview with the Financial Times, Michael O'Leary now says that if oil prices hold around $140 a barrel for a prolonged period, a catastrophic scenario for the aviation industry, the average price of a Ryanair ticket would rise to €80 or €90, up from €50 at the moment.

🔗 https://agerpres.ro/economic-extern/2026/09/30/scumpirea-kerosenului-pune-sub-semnul-intrebarii-viitorul-companiilor-aeriene-low-cost--1598248

🛢 🇸🇦 🇾🇪 First ground-level image shows smoke rising from Saudi Aramco's North Ghawar production facility in eastern Saudi Arabia, taken earlier today. Measurement of the satellite plume puts its origin roughly 45 km west of Abqaiq, at Ghawar rather than the Abqaiq stabilization plant.

Ghawar is the world’s largest oilfield and the source of the crude oil Abqaiq processes.

📎 The Hormuz Letter