Michael A. Horowitz
China is responding to the US decision to exempt some products from recent tariff hikes:

"The #US side has released a memorandum exempting certain products such as computers, smartphones, semiconductor manufacturing equipment and integrated circuits from 'reciprocal tariffs.'

China is assessing the related impact of this move. This is a small step for the U.S. side to correct its wrong practice of unilateral 'reciprocal tariffs'"
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Michael A. Horowitz
RT @AlMajallaEN: Trump and Iran: deal or strike?

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin #Netanyahu wants the second option, while #Trump prefers the first and has employed a carrot-and-stick approach to bring #Iran to the negotiating table. The stakes could not be higher. Therefore, #AlMajalla has chosen "Trump and Iran: deal or strike?" as our May cover story. We outline the possible ramifications of either outcome for Iran and the broader region.

Read more 👇
🔗http://en.majalla.com/node/325455/

♦️ #Trump and #Iran: deal or strike?
@ibrahimhamidi
http://en.majalla.com/node/325451/

♦️ What if the #US-Iran talks fail?
@arash_tehran
http://en.majalla.com/node/325454/

♦️ Trump's Iran strategy is irking Israel
@michaelh992
http://en.majalla.com/node/325453/
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Michael A. Horowitz
RT @KSAmofaEN: 📹 | HRH the Crown Prince and #US President signed the Strategic Economic Partnership Document between the Government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Government of the United States of America. 🇸🇦🇺🇸

#SaudiUSsummit

https://x.com/spagov/status/1922295795228766595/video/1
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Michael A. Horowitz
RT @arabnews: #BREAKING: #US imposes measures on #Sudan for its use of chemical weapons, @StateDept says https://arab.news/mgtyn https://twitter.com/arabnews/status/1925638051457347616/photo/1
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WarMonitor 🇺🇲🇺🇦
RT @MarketsDotNews: Japan's Prime Minister Ishiba confirms that the country will not negotiate on U.S. tariffs. #Japan #US #tariffs #trade
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Michael A. Horowitz
RT @BarzanSadiq: BREAKING
#US forces have shot down three drones near Ain al-Assad base in western #Iraq.
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Michael A. Horowitz
As picked up by many yesterday: #US military moves a large number of refueling tanker aircraft to Europe to provide options to Trump amid Middle East tensions, two US officials tell Reuters.
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Michael A. Horowitz
RT @ibrahimhamidi: A suicide attack using an explosive belt at St. Elias Church in the Douweila area of #Damascus was the first of its kind since the fall of Assad on December 8, 2024.
- #US had passed information to Damascus that thwarted an #ISIS attack in Sayyida Zeinab, south of Damascus. https://twitter.com/ibrahimhamidi/status/1936820906560790987/photo/1
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Michael A. Horowitz
RT @AlMajallaEN: “Love him or hate him, the #US president knows how to knock some heads when needed.”

✍️ Michael Horowitz unpacks the six political, military, and diplomatic forces that finally pushed #Israel and #Hamas toward a ceasefire — and why the peace may still be fragile, in #AlMajalla 👇

🔗https://en.majalla.com/node/327754/
@michaelh992
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Michael A. Horowitz
RT @AlMajallaEN: “Love him or hate him, the #US president knows how to knock some heads when needed.”

✍️ Michael Horowitz unpacks the six political, military, and diplomatic forces that finally pushed #Israel and #Hamas toward a ceasefire — and why the peace may still be fragile, in #AlMajalla 👇

🔗https://en.majalla.com/node/327754/
@michaelh992
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Nuno Felix
RT @alexplitsas: U.S.-Syria Counterterrorism Cooperation: U.S. Special Forces working with the new Syrian government and its security forces to capture an ISIS operative👇🏼

NEW: US special forces launched a helicopter-borne raid into al-Dumayr in the desert 45km NW of #Damascus yesterday, linking up with #Syria gov’t Interior Ministry CT forces to capture #ISIS operative Ahmed Abdullah al-Badri.

That’s the 5th joint #US-#Syria operation since July. https://x.com/Charles_Lister/status/1979646599715561506/photo/1 - Charles Lister
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Nuno Felix
RT @Tom_Antonov: French navy Rafale M fighter jet operate with USS Harry Truman. 2022
#France #US #CATOBAR https://twitter.com/Tom_Antonov/status/1984057276123214284/video/1
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Faytuks News
Spokesperson for Iran MFA tells BBC that he is not in a position to confirm whether Khamenei is eliminated or not

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bjgQzJzCZKs
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OSINTdefender
RT @HM_Int3lligence: Chinese President Xi Jinping met with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov this week, describing the relationship between China and Russia as "precious" and calling for deeper cooperation between the two countries. During the meeting, Lavrov offered to increase Russia's energy supplies to China to help offset disruptions caused by the Iran war, including shipping constraints through the Strait of Hormuz. Russian President Vladimir Putin is also expected to visit China soon.

China has positioned itself as a stabilizing force amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, with several world leaders meeting Xi this week, including Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Abu Dhabi's Crown Prince Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Vietnamese leader To Lam. Gulf countries are reportedly hoping China will use its influence over Iran to reduce attacks on neighboring countries and bring Tehran to the negotiation table. Dylan Loh, an associate professor at Singapore's Nanyang Technological University, noted that China holds leverage over Iran and there are growing expectations that it will use that influence more directly.
Source: AFP, AP, Reuters

So What
The Iran situation is likely highly beneficial for Russia, particularly in terms of energy sales to India and China. While China has attempted to position itself as a stabilizing force in the region, it is highly unlikely to deploy military assets in numbers large enough to deter the United States. A more probable course of action is that China will continue to supply Iran with weapons and equipment, with the intention of drawing the US further into another Middle East conflict. Regardless of China's approach, this is unlikely to have a significant impact on American decision-making.

Follow us to join the intelligence community!

#HMIntelligence #HM #Iran #US #China
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Faytuks News
Secretary Hegseth and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Dan Caine is currently speaking

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4OkTpHJO9YY
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Michael A. Horowitz
According to al-Arabiya's report on the recent state of #Iran - #US talks:

1. Iran agreed to a prolonged freeze of its nuclear program rather than its complete dismantlement.
2. One of the the conditions is that its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, estimated at 400 kg, be transferred to Russia rather than the United States.
3. In return, Iran appears to have dropped its demand for compensation and is instead seeking economic concessions.
4. An Iranian source, cited by Tasnim News Agency, claimed that the United States had agreed to grant Tehran relief from oil sanctions for the duration of the negotiations (so fronting some concessions)
5. Washington has so far agreed to release only a quarter of Iran's frozen assets, according to a phased timetable.
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Michael A. Horowitz
Per al-Arabiya, a Pakistani source reported earlier today that his country had submitted the revised Iranian proposal to the US side late Sunday night

According to al-Arabiya's report on the recent state of #Iran - #US talks:

1. Iran agreed to a prolonged freeze of its nuclear program rather than its complete dismantlement.
2. One of the the conditions is that its stockpile of highly enriched uranium, estimated at 400 kg, be transferred to Russia rather than the United States.
3. In return, Iran appears to have dropped its demand for compensation and is instead seeking economic concessions.
4. An Iranian source, cited by Tasnim News Agency, claimed that the United States had agreed to grant Tehran relief from oil sanctions for the duration of the negotiations (so fronting some concessions)
5. Washington has so far agreed to release only a quarter of Iran's frozen assets, according to a phased timetable. - Michael A. Horowitz
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Michael A. Horowitz
RT @Taylor_Luck: As the #US-#Iran War threatens to widen and the region faces a generational shift, @csmonitor is posting its award-winning Middle East coverage, free of charge, via Substack: https://monitoringmiddleeast.substack.com/p/monitoring-the-middle-east

Join today and experience CS Monitor: independent news for independent thinkers.
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Michael A. Horowitz
RT @nmladenov: Today, agreement has been reached on the decommissioning of weapons and civilian transition in Gaza. It took months of very difficult negotiations to get here. There were several points when I did not believe we would make it... What the agreement says matters. What happens next matters even more. Implementation and verification have to be real. Withdrawal must move in lockstep with decommissioning. And the @NCAG and the Palestinian people need the political and practical backing to take charge of their own future. Grateful to @realDonaldTrump for driving this through, and to the #US, #Egypt, #Qatar, #Türkiye, #UAE for their support and for their help in keeping people in the room on the days when walking out would have been far easier. I want to also thank the UN Secuirty Council for staying focused on our work and consistently messaging how important it is to fully implement resolution 2803. Ahead of us is a Gaza rebuilt, governed by Palestinians and at peace with Israel an a political horizon to a meaningful resolution the Israeli Palestinian conflict. That is the work now.
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Nuno Felix
RT @lesiavasylenko: Another interesting number to enquirer about: how much diesel does the #US EXPORT. As far as I know, USA has always been a major diesel exporter, covering its own internal needs and selling the surplus. So what happened now?

I’ll tell you what happened. The BIG BEAUTIFUL DEAL is a BIG BEAUTIFUL SCAM. All to keep #putin happy and bombing.

Since 1950s the USA has almost NEVER imported diesel. America always had more than enough to cover its own consumption. It sold an average of 1.2-1.6 million barrels A DAY of surplus diesel on global markets. And in 2026 the US is still selling abroad. 1.5 million barrels/day to be exact. To Europe and Latin America.

On the rare occasion when the US did have to import, it did so from #Canada. This was a logistically logical historical arrangement benefiting North-Western States. Delivery of Canadian diesel across the border was cheaper than transporting it up all the way from the US Gulf Coast.

BUT in September 2026 the TRUMP TARIFFS come into effect. Suddenly the 50% tariffs added aggressive price premiums to Canadian imports and caused a significant decline in normal cross-border logistical fuel deliveries.

Could this diesel market disturbance been avoided? YES

Would it have saved US from having to import from #russia? YES

Would more Ukrainians have had to die for this? NO

But Trump chose a different route.

Diesel import from #russia is a choice, not a need for the USA.

300K barrels makes no difference for an economy that consumes 5.3 million barrels a day. 500K barrels from russia will be an equally insignificant drop in the ocean of the US market. Even 4 million barrels spread over TWO YEARS will not make the pump prices drop for American truck drivers and farmers.

WHAT difference does the russia diesel import make and for WHOM?

1) putin. He gets extra cash for his war machine to keep going.

Most importantly, he gets the US to send the signal globally that sanctions against russia can be eased. After all the US eased them, so others can now follow suit. This means more cash for russia to be killing more Ukrainians.

2) Trump. He gets to stay friends with putin AND continue making money of daily US diesel exports (especially now that global diesel prices are high). All while talking about saving the American farmer and truck driver.

3) Americans. Will not get lower diesel prices and will not get more diesel (not that they don’t have enough of what is produced in-country).

4) Ukrainians. Will suffer more attacks from russia, who was going to intensifying the bombing campaign anyway, but now will do so even more emboldened by the USA.

5) President @ZelenskyyUa and Ukrainian military will need to carry out more attacks on rusdisn oil sector. Without patriots and US support, it’s the only way for the Ukrainian president to protect the people.
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