'Mediator' Pakistan Hosted Iranian Military Aircraft To Insulate Them From US Attacks

'Mediator' Pakistan Hosted Iranian Military Aircraft To Insulate Them From US Attacks

TYLER DURDEN

Summary

• CBS reports Pakistan sheltered Iranian military planes, Sen. Graham outraged, calls for 'reevaluation'.

• US President blasts 'piece of garbage' Iran response, says ceasefire on 'life support', reportedly mulls renewed military action; US Treasury imposes yet more sanctions.

• Trump mulls restarting Project Freedom in Hormuz and says forcibly retrieving 'nuclear dust' is still on the table, oil jumps on headline.

• Iran Foreign Ministry: "Everything we proposed in the text was reasonable and generous." However, US officials insist on their "unreasonable demands."

• Saudi Arabia condemns Iran for its latest drone attacks targeting the UAE, Qatar and Kuwait on Sunday.

• Qatari LNG tanker abruptly U-Turns In Hormuz chokepoint after earlier in weekend an initial one made it through - an unprecedented first for a Qatari tanker of the war.

  
  

  There's been some outrage in D.C. and among the pundit class over a late in the day Monday CBS News report alleging that US-ally Pakistan allowed Iran to park military aircraft at its airfields, and thus outside the US-Israeli strike zone during Operation Epic Fury:

  As Pakistan positioned itself as a diplomatic conduit between Tehran and Washington, it quietly allowed Iranian military aircraft to park on its airfields, potentially shielding them from American airstrikes, according to U.S. officials with knowledge of the matter. 

  Iran also sent civilian aircraft to park in neighboring Afghanistan. It was not clear if military aircraft were among those flights, two of the officials told CBS News. 

  President Trump and admin officials have repeatedly declared the utter and total destruction of Iran's air force and navy, but apparently some planes were missed. According to more from CBS: 

  Together, the movements reflected an apparent effort to insulate some of Iran's remaining military and aviation assets from the expanding conflict, even as officials publicly served as brokers for de-escalation. 

  The U.S. officials, who all spoke only under condition of anonymity to discuss national security issues, told CBS News that days after President Trump announced the ceasefire with Iran in early April, Tehran sent multiple aircraft to Pakistan Air Force Base Nur Khan, a strategically important military installation located just outside the Pakistani garrison city of Rawalpindi. 

  Trump Mulls Military Action As Ceasefire On "Life Support"

  President Trump is meeting with his national security team Monday to discuss the way forward in the Iran war, including possibly resuming military action, after negotiations with the country deadlocked on Sunday, three U.S. officials told Axios.

  U.S. officials say Trump wants a deal to end the war, but Iran's rejection of many of his demands and refusal to make meaningful concessions on its nuclear program puts the military option back on the table.

  This sent oil prices back to the highs of the day...

  President Trump also told Fox, that he sees a 1% chance of an Iran deal materializing and succeeding, as even the ceasefire is one of "the weakest, on life support":

  President Donald Trump called out the "piece of garbage" peace proposal from Iran on Monday from the Oval Office, saying only "stupid people" in Iran are questioning his resolve in guaranteeing Iran will never have a nuclear weapon.

  The latest Iranian proposal reneged on a past vow to give up enriched uranium.

  
  

  None of this bodes well for the prospect of the Strait of Hormuz opening up anytime soon. Oil prices have reflected general pessimism at the start of this week.

  
  

  More....
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

  
  

Jet Fuel Shortage Deepens Pressure On Global Airlines

Jet Fuel Shortage Deepens Pressure On Global Airlines

TYLER DURDEN

Via City AM,

• Heathrow’s April passenger numbers fell 5% to 6.7 million, with Middle East traffic down 50%.

• Transfer traffic rose 10% as travellers rerouted through Heathrow to Asia and Oceania.

• Airlines are facing mounting pressure from jet fuel shortages and higher oil prices.

Fewer passengers were heading to Heathrow Airport in April as the war in the Middle East keeps travellers grounded.

Passenger numbers at Europe’s biggest airport fell by five per cent in April to 6.7m with the blame being attributed to the “ongoing impact of the Middle East conflict”.

For those heading to that particular region, Heathrow saw a whopping 50 per cent drop in volumes.

Still, in the year-to-date (Jan–Apr) traffic maintained modest growth at 1.2 per cent.

Transfer demand grew ten per cent in April, as travellers rerouted through Heathrow to reach Asia and Oceania, helping offset losses in direct Middle Eastern travel.

Travel to Asia remained a major growth driver, with a 5.6 per cent increase in April and a 10.6 per cent increase year-to-date.

“We know passengers want certainty when planning their hard-earned summer holidays, so we are supporting Government and airlines as they work through their plans to get passengers on their journeys,” Thomas Woldbye, Heathrow’s top boss, said. 

Growing anxieties around the jet fuel shortage caused by the Iran war have rocked the travel industry.

Tony Fernandes, chief executive of Air Asia, said last week: “I thought I’d seen it all with Covid […] but having seen jet fuel go up almost three times — this is much worse.”

It comes after supplies for jet fuel have tumbled to their lowest level since records began, as the war blocks crucial shipping lanes for fuel.

Spirit Airlines – a US-based low-cost airline – last week collapsed under mounting pressure caused by surging oil prices. The firm had failed to secure a $500m lifeline from the Trump administration, leaving it to go out of business and cancel all flights.

Researchers at Allianz Trade warned the UK is among the most “structurally exposed” to jet fuel shortages.

Meanwhile, transport secretary Heidi Alexander has loosened “use it or lose it” rules in a bid to soften the pressures facing airlines.

Woldbye said: “While we have seen some short-term disruption linked to the Middle East conflict, demand for travel remains strong with current fuel supplies stable.”

Extreme Persecution In Nigeria Escalating

Nigeria: It Is Time For The US Government And The Media To Answer Their Cries

Brad Brandon 

The conditions in northern Nigeria have deteriorated significantly over the past six months. Attacks have increased dramatically — it feels as though massacres have become a daily occurrence. I recently spoke at a burial for eight people who were killed in a single night. The very next day, another 30 people were murdered in a separate attack. A few days later, 20 more lost their lives. It has become almost impossible to keep up with the scale and frequency of the violence.

Boko Haram and other terrorist groups have grown bolder in both their rhetoric and their actions. A few weeks ago, Boko Haram released a video declaring their intent to drive Christians out of the northern region by force. Another video warned that all Christians must “convert to Islam or be killed.” Attacks by radicalized Fulani groups have also escalated, leaving Christian communities paralyzed by fear.

Almost 150 Christians were slaughtered during Holy Week — 34 on Easter Sunday alone — making it one of the deadliest Holy Weeks on record here in Northern Nigeria. This has precipitated the need for a new and important ministry for us at Across Nigeria as we are now serving over 547 widows whose husbands were killed in recent attacks — and the numbers and need are growing rapidly.

We have worked in northern Nigeria for more than a decade, and I have never seen conditions this severe.

One thing that has become increasingly clear to me is that the situation is not improving. In fact, it has grown significantly worse. With now more than 70,000 killed since 2009, it’s time to put an end to the genocide of Christians in northern Nigeria.

The genocide taking place here has been ignored for well over a decade. That’s why, when President Trump spoke out about it, I was encouraged. He was the first president to speak out on the issue, which had been largely overlooked by both the Obama and Biden administrations. Not only did the president speak up about the issue, he put his words into action.

On Christmas Day, President Trump ordered airstrikes in the northwest to target a new and rapidly growing terrorist group known as Lakurawa. Finally, there was a president willing to intervene. I was not the only one encouraged — much of the Christian community in northern Nigeria felt the same way. For the first time, many believed their cries were being heard and that the United States was standing with them.

As encouraged as I was, concern weighed heavy in the back of my mind. I hoped this would not be another case of the U.S. launching airstrikes, then ultimately abandoning the situation. Unfortunately, there is a history of this pattern. We saw it in Libya in 2011 and again in Afghanistan in 2021, to name a few recent examples. My concern with the Christmas Day strikes was — and has always been — that the U.S. would strike and then withdraw, leaving an inevitable vacuum that would make the situation even worse.

Apart from a small company of U.S. troops working counter-terrorism and utilizing some drones, that is exactly what has happened.

Now, the consequences of these actions are becoming a grim reality. The initial action, followed by a lack of sustained engagement, has had a devastating effect. Instead of backing down, radicalized terrorist groups have been emboldened and have intensified their attacks.

We have also seen a shift in the posture of the Nigerian Army and security forces. With the United States appearing disengaged, there is a growing perception that Nigerian Army forces are choosing sides. Whether by order — implicit or explicit — or the need for survival, one speculates, but cannot clearly tell.

One consistent account I hear when visiting communities that have suffered attacks is that security forces almost always arrive only after the violence has already occurred. A Boko Haram informant recently told me that they drive back and forth in front of security forces and Army outposts without ever being stopped or hindered. He said the only time security forces respond to their presence is when they are directly engaged. Otherwise, in his words, “We have free rein.”

I’m not a warmonger. In fact, I have strong isolationist leanings. But after watching an increasing cycle of violence over the past decade, it’s clear that something has to be done.

Will Trump's China Visit Determine The Fate Of The War?

Trump's China visit will determine the fate of the war

Danny Zaken

The US president's visit to China has become the central axis on which the continuation of the war with Iran depends, as a power that proved in the past that it can influence Iran and set limits for it is a key player. After being harmed by the blockade of Hormuz and helping the Iranians with intelligence, China could advance the US terms in negotiations in exchange for demands of its own on Taiwan.

In Israel and the Gulf states, officials believe that the Americans will not resume strikes on Iran at least until after President Donald Trump's meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping.

According to two diplomatic sources, the Americans have made clear to their allies in the region that the high level of military readiness is ungoing, the US Navy is maintaining its blockade on Iranian ships, and the accumulation of additional equipment, including interceptors, is also continuing. But, Trump is giving the diplomatic channel a chance.

"The president will not come to China against the backdrop of a war, since he wants to enlist the Chinese president in moves that will bring the war to an end through a deal," one of the sources told Israel Hayom.

According to the source, the Chinese are the most significant international actor capable of pressuring the Revolutionary Guards, and they are also the ones that have been badly harmed by the blockade of Hormuz. On the other hand, he added, they will not help Trump for free, and will try as much as possible to prevent an agreement that would lead to US involvement in Iran's oil sector. The compensation they demand may be connected to Taiwan.

In Israel Hayom, we reported that China had already intervened about a month ago by exerting pressure on the regime in an effort to bring about, at the very least, a ceasefire. That pressure, together with the military blows, did indeed lead to a halt in military actions, even though Iran withdrew from its agreement to open Hormuz unconditionally. 

Beijing warned Tehran at the time that if the blockade of the Strait of Hormuz continued, it would turn to alternative oil sources and consider suspending the strategic cooperation agreement between the two countries.

Israel Hayom has learned that, at the request of the Arab Gulf states, the Chinese demanded that Iran refrain from bombing them. Iran complied only partially, and in the latest flare-up over the weekend it attacked the United Arab Emirates, but did not expand the strikes to Saudi Arabia and the other Gulf states.

On the other hand, according to the Americans, China assisted Iran with intelligence information. As a result, the US Treasury Department announced that it was imposing sanctions on three Chinese companies accused of helping Iran's military carry out attacks on US forces during the war. According to the report from the US State Department, the Chinese companies provided satellite images that enabled Iranian military attacks against US forces in the region. The reference is apparently to attacks on US bases in Saudi Arabia, Bahrain and Qatar.

At the same time, against the backdrop of energy distress caused by the blockade of Hormuz, the European Union is beginning to show signs of involvement, even if only minimal. European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the EU would expand its sanctions against Iran to include those responsible for disrupting freedom of navigation. She accused Iran of responsibility for the escalation in the strait, but clarified that the EU sought to help renew negotiations with Iran in order to end the conflict.

Kallas also said that EU foreign ministers had agreed to strengthen cooperation with the countries on the shores of the Persian Gulf after the Iran war and to accelerate work on strategic partnership agreements with all six countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council.

Data center caught using 30 million gallons of ‘unbilled’ water as Georgia residents’ taps drizzle

Data center caught using 30 million gallons of ‘unbilled’ water as Georgia residents’ taps drizzle

Via MSN

Georgia residents were left outraged when they discovered a massive data center had been guzzling up nearly 30 million gallons of water without paying for it.

The issue began last year when residents in the affluent subdivision of Annelise Park in Fayetteville noticed their water pressure was unusually low, Politico reports.

When the county utility then investigated the problem, officials discovered that developer Quality Technology Services (QTS) had installed two industrial-scale water hookups to the approximately 6.2 million square foot data center campus – located about 20 miles south of downtown Atlanta.

One of the water connections appeared to have been installed without anyone at the water utility knowing, while the other was not linked to the company’s account – and it therefore was not being billed.

By May 15, 2025, the Fayette County Water System sent a letter to QTS, saying it owed nearly $150,000 for using more than 29 million gallons of water – the equivalent of 44 Olympic-size swimming pools, far exceeding the limit agreed to during the planning process.

QTS, which is owned by private equity firm Blackstone, eventually paid off the $147,474 debt and was not charged any extra fines.

But the company’s massive water usage only came to light last week when resident James Clifton obtained the 2025 letter to QTS from a public records request, and posted it to Facebook.

Meanwhile, the entire state of Georgia is experiencing moderate to high levels of drought. Governor Brian Kemp has even declared a state of emergency in response to one of the state’sworst wildfire outbreaks in years.

Developer Quality Technology Services installed two industrial-scale water hookups without officials at the Fayette County water authority’s knowledge.

In May 2025, the Fayette County Water System sent a letter to QTS, saying it owed nearly $150,000 for using more than 29 million gallons of water at its data center (pictured) – the equivalent of 44 Olympic-size swimming pools

When residents were then told to scale back their own water usage, their frustrations with the data center reached a boiling point.

‘We get this notification from Fayette County water system saying you need to stop watering your lawns to help conserve water,’ said Clifton, a local attorney who is now running for county office.

‘So the first thing they do is lean on the individuals and the citizens to stop water consumption, when we have QTS that’s just absolutely draining us – most months it’s the number one consumer of water in the county.

‘It’s just frustrating to see them come into our community and run all over us, like the citizens don’t matter, and then they’re above the law when they do break it,’ Clifton added as he railed against the fact that the water utility did not penalize or fine the data center.

He also shared on Facebook on Sunday that the data center – one of the largest in the country – has been watering its landscape ‘nearly continuously’ for four days.

More...