US embassies across West Asia have been placed on alert amid growing concerns over a potential direct confrontation with Iran.
CNN reported that the US State Department has instructed its embassies in the region to prepare plans for operating with minimal staff as tensions escalate. Employees who were previously evacuated from their posts have also been offered options to end their diplomatic assignments.
I'm not sure what The Cradle means here by "growing concerns over a potential direct confrontation..." Is it not direct now? Is there no confrontation as it is? Maybe it's just a weird way of phrasing it, maybe they're talking about an escalation. I don't know. Not unexpected if it does happen. As unfortunate as that is.
@americanmajority
CNN reported that the US State Department has instructed its embassies in the region to prepare plans for operating with minimal staff as tensions escalate. Employees who were previously evacuated from their posts have also been offered options to end their diplomatic assignments.
I'm not sure what The Cradle means here by "growing concerns over a potential direct confrontation..." Is it not direct now? Is there no confrontation as it is? Maybe it's just a weird way of phrasing it, maybe they're talking about an escalation. I don't know. Not unexpected if it does happen. As unfortunate as that is.
@americanmajority
😁14
Iran to soon join BRICS New Development Bank
...Iranian Central Bank Governor Abdolnasser Hemmati announced on 12 August that the country will soon be joining the New Development Bank (NDB).
"The most important result of cooperation among BRICS member countries is the establishment of the New Development Bank, and our country will soon become a member of this bank," said Hemmati.
BRICS states have worked to cut their reliance on the dollar by pushing for trade and financial transactions in national currencies.
Hemmati said member states are able to trade with one another in their own currencies, as Iran remains under sweeping western sanctions and seeks to build an alternative economic network around them. "We are seeking to establish bilateral and trilateral monetary cooperation with member states," he said...
@americanmajority
...Iranian Central Bank Governor Abdolnasser Hemmati announced on 12 August that the country will soon be joining the New Development Bank (NDB).
"The most important result of cooperation among BRICS member countries is the establishment of the New Development Bank, and our country will soon become a member of this bank," said Hemmati.
BRICS states have worked to cut their reliance on the dollar by pushing for trade and financial transactions in national currencies.
Hemmati said member states are able to trade with one another in their own currencies, as Iran remains under sweeping western sanctions and seeks to build an alternative economic network around them. "We are seeking to establish bilateral and trilateral monetary cooperation with member states," he said...
@americanmajority
❤15👏9😭1
Yemen targets Saudi assets with ballistic missiles, inflicts "dozens of casualties"
...The Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) announced a series of new missile and drone strikes targeting Saudi troops and assets in southwestern Yemen, detailing the operations in a statement released on its official page late on 11 August.
The Ansarallah led Yemeni army said it "succeeded in targeting Saudi enemy troop concentrations, weapons depots, and command headquarters in Al Mokha area and Tadaween Camp in Marib Governorate."
The military said it used "a large number of ballistic missiles and drones." "The strikes were accurate … and resulted in dozens of deaths and injuries, including Saudis. [We] will continue operations targeting all Saudi troop concentrations through which they seek to escalate the situation and seize control of our dear country," the YAF said...
"No Spirit of Sanaa for us, thank you!"
@americanmajority
...The Yemeni Armed Forces (YAF) announced a series of new missile and drone strikes targeting Saudi troops and assets in southwestern Yemen, detailing the operations in a statement released on its official page late on 11 August.
The Ansarallah led Yemeni army said it "succeeded in targeting Saudi enemy troop concentrations, weapons depots, and command headquarters in Al Mokha area and Tadaween Camp in Marib Governorate."
The military said it used "a large number of ballistic missiles and drones." "The strikes were accurate … and resulted in dozens of deaths and injuries, including Saudis. [We] will continue operations targeting all Saudi troop concentrations through which they seek to escalate the situation and seize control of our dear country," the YAF said...
"No Spirit of Sanaa for us, thank you!"
@americanmajority
👏14🔥4
US intelligence says Iran has shifted focus from nuclear program to Hormuz
A US military intelligence assessment has determined that Iran's strategic focus has shifted from its nuclear program to the Strait of Hormuz, NBC News reported on Tuesday, citing two US officials familiar with the assessment.
The officials said the assessment concluded that Tehran now supposedly considers the strait a more powerful and effective source of leverage than its nuclear program, particularly after earlier strikes targeted Iranian nuclear facilities.
US military officials have also warned US President Donald Trump that any attempt to seize the strait would be lengthy, costly and deadly, with no guarantee of success, according to the report...
HurmuzMAXXXING.
@americanmajority
A US military intelligence assessment has determined that Iran's strategic focus has shifted from its nuclear program to the Strait of Hormuz, NBC News reported on Tuesday, citing two US officials familiar with the assessment.
The officials said the assessment concluded that Tehran now supposedly considers the strait a more powerful and effective source of leverage than its nuclear program, particularly after earlier strikes targeted Iranian nuclear facilities.
US military officials have also warned US President Donald Trump that any attempt to seize the strait would be lengthy, costly and deadly, with no guarantee of success, according to the report...
HurmuzMAXXXING.
@americanmajority
🔥11🤣8👍3❤2👏1
Gulf stocks edge higher as war on Iran tensions weigh on sentiment
Major stock markets edged higher in early trading on Wednesday, though geopolitical tensions continued to weigh on investor risk appetite. Saudi Arabia's benchmark index rose 0.1%, supported by a 0.5% gain in Saudi Arabian Mining Co and a 0.2% increase in oil giant Saudi Aramco.
Dubai's main share index gained 0.2%, led by a 2.5% rise in Mashreqbank, while Abu Dhabi's index also advanced 0.2%. Qatar's index was little changed in choppy trading.
@americanmajority
Major stock markets edged higher in early trading on Wednesday, though geopolitical tensions continued to weigh on investor risk appetite. Saudi Arabia's benchmark index rose 0.1%, supported by a 0.5% gain in Saudi Arabian Mining Co and a 0.2% increase in oil giant Saudi Aramco.
Dubai's main share index gained 0.2%, led by a 2.5% rise in Mashreqbank, while Abu Dhabi's index also advanced 0.2%. Qatar's index was little changed in choppy trading.
@americanmajority
❤7👎2👏1
New Ebola variant linked to unknown animal source
Genetic analysis shows the 2026 Bundibugyo outbreak is distinct from previous epidemics in Uganda and DR Congo.
Scientists have identified a new variant of the Ebola causing Bundibugyo virus behind the 2026 outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) and Uganda, according to a study published in Nature Medicine on Monday.
Bundibugyo strain is not new: variants of the pathogen caused outbreaks in Uganda in 2007-2008 and the DR Congo in 2012. However, researchers found that the strain circulating in 2026 began with a new transmission of the virus from an animal to humans, rather than the re-emergence of strains responsible for previous epidemics in the region. The animal source remains unknown...
Rolling me eyes so hard they're about to explode.
@americanmajority
Genetic analysis shows the 2026 Bundibugyo outbreak is distinct from previous epidemics in Uganda and DR Congo.
Scientists have identified a new variant of the Ebola causing Bundibugyo virus behind the 2026 outbreak in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DR Congo) and Uganda, according to a study published in Nature Medicine on Monday.
Bundibugyo strain is not new: variants of the pathogen caused outbreaks in Uganda in 2007-2008 and the DR Congo in 2012. However, researchers found that the strain circulating in 2026 began with a new transmission of the virus from an animal to humans, rather than the re-emergence of strains responsible for previous epidemics in the region. The animal source remains unknown...
Rolling me eyes so hard they're about to explode.
@americanmajority
💩10🤡5🤬3❤1
The US is facing a new red menace - from within
...Moderate Democrats are damaging their brand by campaigning alongside crazy leftist radicals who openly call for the destruction of the West, White people, and the United States.
Democrats are quietly expressing concern that the entire Democratic Party is about to go up in flames as increasingly radical voices are going mainstream. As ZeroHedge put it: "Radical leftists and Islamist activists are increasingly converging inside the Democratic Party as Democratic Socialists of America, forming what can only be described as a 'red green alliance...'"
Oh no, the communists are coming! Again! Communism! COMMUNISM! REEEEE!
@americanmajority
...Moderate Democrats are damaging their brand by campaigning alongside crazy leftist radicals who openly call for the destruction of the West, White people, and the United States.
Democrats are quietly expressing concern that the entire Democratic Party is about to go up in flames as increasingly radical voices are going mainstream. As ZeroHedge put it: "Radical leftists and Islamist activists are increasingly converging inside the Democratic Party as Democratic Socialists of America, forming what can only be described as a 'red green alliance...'"
Oh no, the communists are coming! Again! Communism! COMMUNISM! REEEEE!
@americanmajority
🥱20🤪10🤡6😱2❤1💯1🤣1🫡1
UK fears naval escalation with Russia - Times
The British newspaper claims Moscow has shunned military dialogue with London, contrary to Russian public statements.
...According to the newspaper, former British chief of the defense staff Tony Radakin and his successor, Richard Knighton, have repeatedly sought contact with Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov but have been unable to speak with him for four years. Their last reported conversation took place in 2022. There has likewise been no direct contact between the two countries’ defense ministers since October of that year...
Oi! 'ere's an idea, yea? 'ow about, you DON'T escalate then?
@americanmajority
The British newspaper claims Moscow has shunned military dialogue with London, contrary to Russian public statements.
...According to the newspaper, former British chief of the defense staff Tony Radakin and his successor, Richard Knighton, have repeatedly sought contact with Russian Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov but have been unable to speak with him for four years. Their last reported conversation took place in 2022. There has likewise been no direct contact between the two countries’ defense ministers since October of that year...
Oi! 'ere's an idea, yea? 'ow about, you DON'T escalate then?
@americanmajority
🤣21💩7❤1👍1
Putin backed BRICS grain exchange expected to exceed $1 trillion turnover
Russia told the group's trade ministers in India that the exchange will be a digital trading platform and remove external intermediaries.
...Russia presented the framework of the BRICS Grain Exchange at a meeting last week of the bloc's economy and trade ministers in Jaipur, India, touting it as a "unified digital trading platform where producers and buyers of agricultural crops could deal with one another directly."
Russia's Union of Grain Exporters and Producers, which first proposed the establishment of the exchange in 2023, has estimated that trading of agricultural and related products could eventually exceed $1 trillion. Putin backed the initiative in 2024 and said it could eventually evolve into a full fledged commodity exchange...
@americanmajority
Russia told the group's trade ministers in India that the exchange will be a digital trading platform and remove external intermediaries.
...Russia presented the framework of the BRICS Grain Exchange at a meeting last week of the bloc's economy and trade ministers in Jaipur, India, touting it as a "unified digital trading platform where producers and buyers of agricultural crops could deal with one another directly."
Russia's Union of Grain Exporters and Producers, which first proposed the establishment of the exchange in 2023, has estimated that trading of agricultural and related products could eventually exceed $1 trillion. Putin backed the initiative in 2024 and said it could eventually evolve into a full fledged commodity exchange...
@americanmajority
❤7👍7
Russia has right to attack any ships carrying cargo for enemy
"...The vast majority of Western European ships also sail under flags of convenience. So what does that mean? It means that, guided by a fair, symmetrical approach, Russia has the right to attack any merchant vessel of an enemy country in our waters or neutral waters if there are sufficient grounds to suspect that it is carrying cargo for the enemy. That is, any cargo! There are many such vessels," the politician wrote on his Telegram channel, commenting on Western statements about the so-called Russian shadow fleet...
Hm yeah, sure. Thing is, you won't. No one cares about these statements anymore.
@americanmajority
"...The vast majority of Western European ships also sail under flags of convenience. So what does that mean? It means that, guided by a fair, symmetrical approach, Russia has the right to attack any merchant vessel of an enemy country in our waters or neutral waters if there are sufficient grounds to suspect that it is carrying cargo for the enemy. That is, any cargo! There are many such vessels," the politician wrote on his Telegram channel, commenting on Western statements about the so-called Russian shadow fleet...
Hm yeah, sure. Thing is, you won't. No one cares about these statements anymore.
@americanmajority
💯36❤2👍1🔥1
Trump approval falls to record low 33% amid war on Iran & affordability concerns
US President Donald Trump's approval rating fell further this week, continuing a broader decline in support as the US Israeli war on Iran persists and concerns over the cost of living grow ahead of November's midterm elections.
A new Economist/YouGov poll published Monday found that 33% of respondents approve of Trump's performance as president, while 62% disapprove.
The survey showed a sharp partisan divide, with 79% of Republican respondents approving of Trump's job performance compared with just 4% of Democrats.
The latest figures follow a wider deterioration in Trump's approval ratings. The Economist's polling tracker, based on YouGov surveys, reported in June that Trump had reached a net approval rating of minus 25 percentage points, making him the most unpopular president recorded in the poll at the time.
79% of "Republicans" approve... It's okay if "out team" does it.
@americanmajority
US President Donald Trump's approval rating fell further this week, continuing a broader decline in support as the US Israeli war on Iran persists and concerns over the cost of living grow ahead of November's midterm elections.
A new Economist/YouGov poll published Monday found that 33% of respondents approve of Trump's performance as president, while 62% disapprove.
The survey showed a sharp partisan divide, with 79% of Republican respondents approving of Trump's job performance compared with just 4% of Democrats.
The latest figures follow a wider deterioration in Trump's approval ratings. The Economist's polling tracker, based on YouGov surveys, reported in June that Trump had reached a net approval rating of minus 25 percentage points, making him the most unpopular president recorded in the poll at the time.
79% of "Republicans" approve... It's okay if "out team" does it.
@americanmajority
😁11🤪9🤣3❤2
Israel deliberately starts fires that devastate south Lebanon's woodlands
Firefighters, residents and environmental groups in south Lebanon have accused Israel of deliberately sparking wildfires through bombing, drones and flares, with large areas of woodland and agricultural land reportedly burned in recent weeks.
Nabatieh civil defense chief Hussein Fakih said fires have become a major part of their workload, estimating that 30-40% of land near the frontline has been affected. Firefighters also said Israeli strikes have at times forced them to withdraw or restricted their access to burning areas.
Environmental groups described the fires as part of a broader pattern of environmental destruction, warning of damage to forests, biodiversity and agricultural livelihoods.
The "allegations" are not new. ...The Lebanese army has also published photographs that showed Israeli drones equipped with hoses used to spray flammable materials onto forests.
@americanmajority
Firefighters, residents and environmental groups in south Lebanon have accused Israel of deliberately sparking wildfires through bombing, drones and flares, with large areas of woodland and agricultural land reportedly burned in recent weeks.
Nabatieh civil defense chief Hussein Fakih said fires have become a major part of their workload, estimating that 30-40% of land near the frontline has been affected. Firefighters also said Israeli strikes have at times forced them to withdraw or restricted their access to burning areas.
Environmental groups described the fires as part of a broader pattern of environmental destruction, warning of damage to forests, biodiversity and agricultural livelihoods.
The "allegations" are not new. ...The Lebanese army has also published photographs that showed Israeli drones equipped with hoses used to spray flammable materials onto forests.
@americanmajority
🤬29💩7
Iran rejects reports of "ceasefire extension" with Washington
Iran has rejected claims and reports that it has agreed to a 60 day "ceasefire extension" with Washington, sources told British news agency Reuters on 12 August.
The report came as Turkish media claimed an extension agreement has been made. "There were no discussions between Iran and the US to extend their ceasefire," Reuters reported, citing "Iranian sources."
"From Tehran's perspective, the [initial] deal had no start date and therefore had nothing to extend," the sources added.
A 60 day de-escalation period involving a gradual reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and lifting of the now reimposed US blockade was meant to commence after the Islamabad memorandum of understanding (MoU) was announced...
@americanmajority
Iran has rejected claims and reports that it has agreed to a 60 day "ceasefire extension" with Washington, sources told British news agency Reuters on 12 August.
The report came as Turkish media claimed an extension agreement has been made. "There were no discussions between Iran and the US to extend their ceasefire," Reuters reported, citing "Iranian sources."
"From Tehran's perspective, the [initial] deal had no start date and therefore had nothing to extend," the sources added.
A 60 day de-escalation period involving a gradual reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and lifting of the now reimposed US blockade was meant to commence after the Islamabad memorandum of understanding (MoU) was announced...
@americanmajority
👏15❤1
Settler hordes besiege Palestinian families near occupied West Bank's Nablus
...The families have been stuck in their homes and surrounded by the settlers since Sunday, in the town of Qusra - where Israelis have been uprooting locals and establishing illegal outposts.
Israeli troops briefly clashed with the settlers in Qusra on 12 August, but ended up pulling out of the town and leaving settlers to continue their siege of the Palestinian home...
...Earlier, the Israeli army had claimed it was "evacuating" a settler outpost in Qusra. In general, Israeli government backed settler violence continues to escalate, and the numerous pogroms and settler attacks on Palestinian communities recently are - as is usually the case - facilitated and overseen by occupation forces.
Despite condemning the establishment of illegal outposts in a statement on Wednesday, the Israeli military did nothing to prevent the siege or continued daily settler attacks across the occupied West Bank...
@americanmajority
...The families have been stuck in their homes and surrounded by the settlers since Sunday, in the town of Qusra - where Israelis have been uprooting locals and establishing illegal outposts.
Israeli troops briefly clashed with the settlers in Qusra on 12 August, but ended up pulling out of the town and leaving settlers to continue their siege of the Palestinian home...
...Earlier, the Israeli army had claimed it was "evacuating" a settler outpost in Qusra. In general, Israeli government backed settler violence continues to escalate, and the numerous pogroms and settler attacks on Palestinian communities recently are - as is usually the case - facilitated and overseen by occupation forces.
Despite condemning the establishment of illegal outposts in a statement on Wednesday, the Israeli military did nothing to prevent the siege or continued daily settler attacks across the occupied West Bank...
@americanmajority
🤬22👎2
Oil prices slip as demand concerns, rising US stocks weigh on market
Oil prices fell on Thursday as investors weighed expectations of weaker global demand this year and rising US crude inventories. Losses were limited, however, by the lack of progress in negotiations over the blocked Strait of Hormuz and ongoing supply disruptions.
Brent crude futures fell 91 cents, or 1%, to $88.07 a barrel by 08:00 GMT, giving up some of the gains recorded over the previous six sessions. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude dropped 96 cents, or 1.2%, to $82.31 a barrel after rising for five consecutive sessions.
@americanmajority
Oil prices fell on Thursday as investors weighed expectations of weaker global demand this year and rising US crude inventories. Losses were limited, however, by the lack of progress in negotiations over the blocked Strait of Hormuz and ongoing supply disruptions.
Brent crude futures fell 91 cents, or 1%, to $88.07 a barrel by 08:00 GMT, giving up some of the gains recorded over the previous six sessions. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude dropped 96 cents, or 1.2%, to $82.31 a barrel after rising for five consecutive sessions.
@americanmajority
😁6🤔1
Rights groups sue Trump over sanctions shielding Israel from ICC
Four US rights groups have sued US President Donald Trump and his senior officials on 11 August over a sanctions regime that exposes anyone in the US to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $1 million for assisting the International Criminal Court (ICC), including its prosecution of Israeli officials over crimes in Gaza.
The plaintiffs are the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), the Center for Constitutional Rights, Human Rights Watch (HRW), and the Open Society Institute.
The groups are demanding that the US District Court for the Southern District of New York declare the entire sanctions regime unlawful, block the administration from enforcing the designations already issued or making any new ones, and bar it from pursuing the civil and criminal penalties attached to violations of the order...
20 years in prison for what is essentially helping prosecute jews for their crimes.
@americanmajority
Four US rights groups have sued US President Donald Trump and his senior officials on 11 August over a sanctions regime that exposes anyone in the US to 20 years in prison and fines of up to $1 million for assisting the International Criminal Court (ICC), including its prosecution of Israeli officials over crimes in Gaza.
The plaintiffs are the American Friends Service Committee (AFSC), the Center for Constitutional Rights, Human Rights Watch (HRW), and the Open Society Institute.
The groups are demanding that the US District Court for the Southern District of New York declare the entire sanctions regime unlawful, block the administration from enforcing the designations already issued or making any new ones, and bar it from pursuing the civil and criminal penalties attached to violations of the order...
20 years in prison for what is essentially helping prosecute jews for their crimes.
@americanmajority
💯16❤11👍3
Hegseth travels to Panama, calls narcoterrorists and traffickers "the ISIS and al Qaeda of the Western Hemisphere" at conference
...During his speech on Wednesday, Hegseth reiterated that the Trump administration remains committed to defending against such criminal enterprises in the Western Hemisphere. "And yesterday, and today, and going forward, we are gathered to take the next step in our shared fight against narco terrorists, gang members, and drug and human traffickers designated terrorist organizations, the ISIS and al Aqaeda of the Western Hemisphere, no different, and they should be treated as such," he said...
By that he means the CIA pays them as well, LOL. Hegseth is such an obnoxious cretin. The perfect slave.
@americanmajority
...During his speech on Wednesday, Hegseth reiterated that the Trump administration remains committed to defending against such criminal enterprises in the Western Hemisphere. "And yesterday, and today, and going forward, we are gathered to take the next step in our shared fight against narco terrorists, gang members, and drug and human traffickers designated terrorist organizations, the ISIS and al Aqaeda of the Western Hemisphere, no different, and they should be treated as such," he said...
By that he means the CIA pays them as well, LOL. Hegseth is such an obnoxious cretin. The perfect slave.
@americanmajority
🤡20💯7🤬4❤1