Tuesday, June 9, 2026

No Third-Country Meddling in the Strait of Hormuz Allowed — Iranian Supreme Leader’s Adviser


No Third-Country Meddling in the Strait of Hormuz Allowed — Iranian Supreme Leader’s Adviser
Sputnik



Mohsen Rezaei, military adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader, has reflected on the status of the Strait of Hormuz and US attempts to interfere in regional affairs in an exclusive interview with Sputnik.
The Strait of Hormuz is the domain of Iran and Oman alone, and neither the United States nor Europe will be permitted to manage the strategic waterway, Mohsen Rezaei, military adviser to Iran's Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, told Sputnik.

Around 30 vessels currently pass through the Strait of Hormuz each day, and Iran is ready to accommodate higher traffic. 

However, the US is obstructing vessels traveling along the established route.

ISRAEL IRAN WAR - Special Update with Amir Tsarfati


(Video)


In this urgent breaking news update, Amir delivers a compelling analysis of the latest developments in the Middle East, unpacking the escalating tensions, key events, and their far-reaching implications for Israel and the world. With his signature insight, Amir explores the spiritual and prophetic significance of these unfolding events, connecting current headlines to biblical truths, and offering clarity on what it all means for the future!




Watch: Steven Spielberg Says ‘Disclosure Day’ Will Leave Christians Questioning Their Faith in God


Watch: Steven Spielberg Says ‘Disclosure Day’ Will Leave Christians Questioning Their Faith in God


Half a century after Steven Spielberg challenged audiences to think about what lies beyond the starry canopy that defines our universe in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, the director is again challenging accepted precepts of faith and singular belief in a supreme being.

His new film Disclosure Day sees him revisit the possibility of aliens: “I absolutely think that they have been here, and they are here,” he outlined in an interview with CBS News.

First he outlined the themes behind the $115 million creation and the answers it (possibly) posed to questions of life, faith and mortality.

“‘Disclosure Day’ is about how, if somebody had the power and if somebody had possession of the entire archive of visual evidence of what’s been happening for the last 80 years, what would happen if they decided to do a data dump across the entire world all at once?” Spielberg said, adding it is as much a “chase” movie as it is a reflection on our very being.

“And the people who are trying to stop that data dump from happening, that is basically the core of this chase movie.”


Then he dived more deeply into God – any God – which acts as a supreme being above and beyond us all. He mused:

The movie takes the position of the believers, or the curious, the ones that have been deeply affected by this. The Emily Blunt character (Margaret Fairchild), you know, something has happened to her. She has no idea what it is. She has to try to understand why this has upended her life.

And the movie also takes the position of the church. What does this do to the fundamental beliefs that many of us have? Is God our God only on this planet? Or is God a god for every system where there’s civilization and intelligent life, and even developing life?

Spielberg – who directed and co-produced the movie – feels Christians will find themselves asking of their faith and their beliefs as the movie takes the absolute position of the Church.

He says the questions need answers or will Christians simply see the work as a piece of entertainment predicated on Hollywood’s self-serving need to make money while touching on personal fears.




Monday, June 8, 2026

Netanyahu Confirms Israel 'Holding Fire, For Now' - Rejects Iran Red Line To Not Attack Lebanon


Netanyahu Confirms Israel 'Holding Fire, For Now' - Rejects Iran Red Line To Not Attack Lebanon
TYLER DURDEN



The Lebanon crisis remains a tug-of-war flashpoint between Tehran and Tel Aviv. The Iranians want to force a situation where any broader peace deal with the US is linked directly to achieving permanent truce in Lebanon. However, the US and Israel have consistently sought to thwart these attempts. According to Bloomberg:

Israel will strike Hezbollah in Beirut in retaliation for any further cross-border attacks by the Iranian-backed Lebanese faction, Israel’s defense minister says in a statement, rejecting a threat by Tehran to resume missile salvos in solidarity with Lebanon.

“Any Iranian attempt to link Lebanon to Iran in attacking Israel will be met with a forcible response, as happened yesterday,” Defense Minister Israel Katz says, referring to an air strike in the Lebanese capital which prompted Iranian missile fire against Israeli targets. If Hezbollah attacks Israel’s northern communities “it will lead to an attack on the Dahieh,” he says, referring to a Beirut suburb where support for Hezbollah is strong.

Still, Israel has by late Monday (local) made clear it is halting attacks on Iran and Lebanon 'for now' after President Trump called for immediate restraint.

Israel Halts Iran Attacks 'For Now'

"After Iran attacked Israel, I instructed the IDF to strike military and economic targets throughout Iran," Netanyahu said in a fresh Monday statement. "For now, the fire has been contained, because after we struck the terrorist regime in Tehran, it ceased attacking us. If the terrorist regime in Iran makes the mistake of attacking us again, we will respond with force." The key lines from Netanyahu:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Monday that Israel had stopped its attacks on both Iran and Hezbollah in Lebanon, after the Iranian military announced it was halting operations.

In a brief statement Monday, Netanyahu said "Iran and Hezbollah are weaker than ever, and we are stronger than ever - but our struggle with them is not over yet."

Having bombarded both adversaries, he added, "right now, the fire has been halted."

Iran's military headquarters responds: "Should aggression and hostile actions continue—including in southern Lebanon—far more severe and forceful measures than before will follow," it said, according to Iranian state media.


And in a clear sign of the exchange of strikes having ceased:

Iran says flight restrictions have been lifted with airspace returning to normal conditions: state media


Israel's N12 News is reporting that Israel is halting strike on Iran at President Trump's request. There are widespread initial reports that Israeli forces are indeed pausing the attacks, which persisted overnight through Monday morning, and included attack on a major petrochemical complex. However, the latest Israeli messaging has included a warning on the Lebanon front, per Bloomberg:

Senior Israeli official says Israel is stopping strikes in Iran at Donald Trump’s request, but confirms operations in southern Lebanon will continue at full intensity in the coming days. The official also warns that Dahieh in Beirut could be targeted if attacks on Israeli settlements and civilians continue.

There are also emerging reports (via CBS) that Trump did not order any US defensive efforts to protect Israel from the latest Iranian ballistic missile attacks - which were the first against Israel since the early April ceasefire.

Meanwhile, in a fresh message from Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baqaei, Iran says "Without a doubt ... the actions of the Zionist regime in the region cannot be separated from U.S. policies." Tehran is rejecting the attempts of the Trump administration to distance the US from Israeli actions: "No one believes that the Zionist regime would carry out any action without prior coordination and cooperation with the United States," Baqaei added.


A big question remains is if this flare-up in major fighting, which has featured the first direct attacks between Iran and Israel since the April ceasefire took effect, will be short-lived or whether it will endure and escalate into sustained war.

So far the situation is showing signs it could be short-lived, after early Monday morning President Trump urged Israel and Iran to immediately stop "shooting" in a Truth Social post. He also expressed that this musts be done "quickly" and is still talking up a "final" peace deal - which at this moment looks as distant as ever. Iran is signaling it is ready to get back to ceasefire, but Israel is again threatening the Beirut suburbs.








Strong earthquake off northwest Cuba felt in South Florida


Strong earthquake off northwest Cuba felt in South Florida


A strong earthquake in the southern Gulf off Cuba was felt in parts of South Florida and the rest of the state on Monday.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the 6.1 magnitude quake happened about 65 miles west-northwest of Mantua, on the northwest side of Cuba, just after 2 p.m.

The earthquake was reportedly felt in parts of Miami, Tampa and other areas of Florida.

Multiple buildings in Miami were apparently evacuated due to shaking, including Miami-Dade's Stephen P. Clark Government Center and the Dadeland Metrorail Station.

"I felt the ground shaking and felt the monitor moving back and forth, and I wasn’t sure I’m like is this my imagination or is this really happening," said Elisabell Gamboa, one of the evacuees. “But then that’s when I heard everyone needs to evacuate. It happened twice but I felt it once."

"Minor tremors from an earthquake in the Gulf, SW of Cuba have been felt in South Florida. There is no cause for alarm," the Miami Beach Fire Department posted on X.

Officials with the City of Miami said seismic activity was reportedly felt in several areas throughout the city, prompting multiple calls for service.

"Miami Fire-Rescue has responded to each reported incident. At this time, no significant injuries or major property damage have been reported, and all calls have been handled without further issue," city officials said in a statement. "The situation remains stable, and the City will continue coordinating with appropriate agencies while monitoring for any additional impacts."

Miami-Dade Fire Rescue officials said they received four calls possibly related to high-rise buildings shaking that were investigated, but there were no reported injuries and the calls were cleared.




Netanyahu said to have resisted far-right pressure to defy Trump on Iran strikes


‘Why should we pick a fight with him?’: Netanyahu said to have resisted far-right pressure to defy Trump on Iran strikes


Discussions held today exposed disagreements between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and far-right security cabinet ministers over how Israel should respond to US President Donald Trump’s demand that Israel halt its strikes in Iran, and over whether it should prioritize confronting Iran directly or intensifying pressure on Hezbollah in Lebanon, Channel 12 reports.

The exchanges happened during a series of limited security consultations between Netanyahu, Defense Minister Israel Katz and senior security officials at the Kirya headquarters today, according to the report.

Netanyahu reportedly defended coordination with Washington, arguing that Trump remains aligned with Israel’s broader objectives regarding Iran: “We are on the same page as Trump. He is not releasing Iran’s frozen funds, he is determined to secure the nuclear material, and he is maintaining the pressure. Why should we pick a fight with him?”

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir reportedly argued that Israel should resist US pressure, saying: “We need to stand our ground against Trump. We need to fight tooth and nail and make it clear that we have red lines.”

Netanyahu reportedly responded by suggesting Ben Gvir’s position was influenced by the approaching election campaign, a charge the minister rejected.

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich reportedly argued that Israel should continue focusing its military response on Hezbollah targets in Beirut, seeming to suggest this would both weaken Hezbollah and reinforce Israel’s rejection of Iranian demands that Lebanon be included in any ceasefire.

“The right course of action is to stick with the Beirut model… Strike hard in Beirut. That will cause Hezbollah to beg for it to stop, and it could help further separate the [Iranian and Lebanese] fronts… Action in Iran carries diplomatic costs and is complicated. We can flip the equation. We should take advantage of the separation of the fronts and turn the tables,” Smotrich reportedly said.

The report also says that after Trump urged him against further attacks on Iran this afternoon, Netanyahu told senior security officials that Israel will strike Hezbollah targets in Beirut if the terror group attacks northern Israeli communities, even at the risk of triggering another round of confrontation with Iran, the report adds. Katz openly stated as much earlier today.

Trump says he warned Netanyahu Israel could be left alone if it escalated Iran fight, claims US got last-minute notice of strikes

Lebanese president appeals to Israel to pursue talks, not war; says he won’t meet Netanyahu until deal signed

Bennett slams Netanyahu for ‘normalizing’ periodical attacks from Iran

Iran removes all flight restrictions in country as Israel says it has halted fire


Trump Urges 'Stop Shooting' After Israel-Iran Trade Strikes Again, Major Iranian Petrochemical Complex Bombed


Trump Urges 'Stop Shooting' After Israel-Iran Trade Strikes Again, Major Iranian Petrochemical Complex Bombed
 TYLER DURDEN


A big question remains is if this flare-up in major fighting, which has featured the first direct attacks between Iran and Israel since the April ceasefire took effect, will be short-lived or whether it will endure and escalate into sustained war.

So far the situation is showing signs it could be short-lived, after early Monday morning President Trump urged Israel and Iran to immediately stop "shooting" in a Truth Social post. He also expressed that this musts be done "quickly" and is still talking up a "final" peace deal - which at this moment looks as distant as ever. Iran is signaling it is ready to get back to ceasefire, but Israel is again threatening the Beirut suburbs.


Here's what Trump wrote in a couple of brief Monday posts:

Israel and Iran must immediately stop “shooting.” ...and:

Both sides, Israel and Iran, are looking to do an immediate CEASEFIRE! Final negotiations on “Peace” are proceeding, subject to ignorance or stupidity getting in its way. The Blockade will remain in place, and in full force and effect, until a “Final Deal” is reached. Things should move quickly. Thank you for your attention to this matter!

Videos of Israel's further daytime attacks on sites across Iran have emerged, after Iran sent ballistic missile waves on Israel on Sunday, in response for the IDF renewing airstrikes on Beirut.

For now, Tehran is claiming the current round is over, with Iran's armed forces having announced the end of military operations against Israel while warning of "harsher" attacks if Israel resumes strikes on Lebanon, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.


The Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters spelled out the Islamic Republic's latest justification: "Following the aggressions and acts of mischief by the brutal Zionist regime in southern Lebanon and the Dahieh area, carried out with the support of criminal America, the powerful armed forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran, in support of the oppressed people of Lebanon, delivered a painful response to this regime." And there's a new message from Iranian President Pezeshkian, saying:

"Diplomacy and defense are the two wings of national power; we have neither left the field nor the negotiating table... We will defend the rights of the nation with authority and will not retreat in the face of any threat."

Israel, however, made sure to leave a massive mark before any cooling off. The Israeli military confirmed it attacked Iran's sprawling Mahshahr petrochemical complex on Monday, marking its first strike on the critical asset since the April 7 ceasefire agreement.

The Bandar Imam Petrochemical Complex, as it is formally known, is widely seen as one of the crown jewels of Iran's energy sector. Tucked near the southern city of Mahshahr and Bandar Imam Khomeini - a vital industrial port on the Persian Gulf - the sprawling complex consists of more than 50 separate petrochemical plants producing roughly 72 million tons of products annually, according to Iran’s oil ministry.

Iranian state media reported that one specific installation, the Karun petrochemical plant, was hit twice Monday morning. While a local official told Fars that no casualties were reported, the facility sustained notable structural damage.

The response from Iran's elite military branch was immediate and ominous. The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps condemned the precise strike as a "dangerous game" - openly threatening to expand the scope of how it retaliates against Israel, explicitly noting that future targets will include energy-related sites.

Israel already compiled a visual strike map showing targets it hit in Iran overnight into Monday:

With both sides testing the absolute limits of the April truce, the macro risk to regional energy infrastructure has officially rocketed back to the forefront, as Trump desperately tries - or is at least appearing to - walk the two sides back from the ledge.


More...



IDF footage shows strike on Iranian air defenses


IDF footage shows strike on Iranian air defenses


The IDF publishes footage of its strikes on Iranian air defense systems earlier.

Overnight and this morning, dozens of Israeli Air Force fighter jets struck nine Iranian air defense systems in western and central Iran, according to the IDF.

The footage published by the military shows a strike on one of the systems, which the IDF says was armed with anti-aircraft missiles.

“The destruction of the systems further expands the Israeli Air Force’s aerial superiority in the skies over Iran, with the goal of continuing to remove threats to the citizens of the State of Israel,” the military adds.

More...


IDF says it targeted missile manufacturing materials in strike on petrochemical site


The IDF says its strike on a petrochemical complex in southwest Iran this morning aimed to destroy infrastructure used by Iran to produce raw materials for the manufacture of missiles.

“The targeted infrastructure produced unique materials that serve as critical components for the development of ballistic missiles, which pose a threat to the State of Israel and its citizens,” the military says.

“These are critical components of the production infrastructure supporting the Iranian terror regime’s missile program,” the IDF adds.



Iran says it’s ended attacks on Israel, warns of harsher action if strikes on Lebanon persist


Iran says it’s ended attacks on Israel, warns of harsher action if strikes on Lebanon persist



Iran announces that it is halting attacks on Israel, but threatens a further response if the Israeli military continues “aggression” in Lebanon.

“The cessation of armed forces operations is announced,” Khatam al-Anbiya, Iran’s emergency military command, says in a statement carried by Iranian media.

“However, it is emphasized that if the aggression and acts of malice continue, including in southern Lebanon, much more severe and crushing measures than before will be forthcoming,” the statement adds.


Turkey Strutting Its Prophesied Power


Turkey Strutting Its Prophesied Power
Terry James


There is growing worry, especially among Israeli news sources, about Israel’s future. 

One primary reason for the angst is Turkey’s dramatically growing desire and efforts to establish hegemony over the entire region. This, they fear is happening while America’s desire to withdraw from the region as “sheriff” threatens to leave Israel to defend itself without US military help.

Turkey, of course, is included, we believe, within the prophesied Gog-Magog assault given by the prophet Ezekiel.

Here is God’s Word on the initiation of that future assault on God’s chosen nation, Israel.

And the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against Gog, the land of Magog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal, and prophesy against him, And say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and put hooks into thy jaws, and I will bring thee forth, and all thine army, horses and horsemen, all of them clothed with all sorts of armour, even a great company with bucklers and shields, all of them handling swords: Persia, Ethiopia, and Libya with them; all of them with shield and helmet: Gomer, and all his bands; the house of Togarmah of the north quarters, and all his bands: and many people with thee. (Ezekiel 38:1–7)

The term “the house of Togarmah of the north quarters” speaks of the ancient geographical region now occupied by modern-day Turkey.

That nation today is often front and center in news from the Middle East. Under the leadership of a man considered by many to be a voracious dictator, Turkey is indeed seen as flexing its military and hegemonic muscles while strutting upon the end-times stage.

One story frames the situation well, I think:


Israel is closely monitoring a series of regional military and geopolitical developments this week that analysts say could reshape the balance of power in the Middle East, particularly as Turkey expands its influence and the United States signals growing fatigue with military involvement in the region.

The long-standing goal of Turkish President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan to establish his country as the leading Islamist political, cultural and military power in the Middle East as a stepping stone toward resurrecting the Ottoman Empire has been well documented.

This week, some progress appeared to be made toward that goal when the EFES-2026 Combined Joint Live-Fire Field Exercise took place along the Aegean coast near İzmir, involving large land, naval and air forces from the Turkish military alongside contingents from 50 other countries, including Syria and Libya…

Ankara’s growing influence, not only in the Middle East but also in Europe and Africa, is viewed in Israel as an increasingly worrying development.

Students of Biblical prophecy have also noted the prominent mention of ancient regions corresponding to modern-day Turkey, Persia (modern-day Iran) and Libya in the coalition of nations that come against Israel, described in the prophecies of Ezekiel chapters 38-39…

”The U.S. doesn’t want to be in the Middle East anymore, while Iran and Turkey both want to be the new sheriff in town,” said a U.S. CENTCOM intelligence analyst who spoke to ALL ISRAEL NEWS on condition of anonymity.

“They might be willing to share it, or they might compete with each other, while Egypt, Saudi and the rest make a deal with one or the other. Israel might be all alone soon. You better figure something out real fast!” (“Israel Watching Regional Military Shifts with Growing Concern,” All Israel News Staff, May 24, 2026)


Turkey’s President Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan exhibits all the attributes given most dictators of the world throughout history. He is an avid anti-Israel Muslim and will easily fit within the Gog-Magog coalition if he is the one to lead Togarmah in the deadly assault on God’s chosen nation and people.


Turkey has joined with the other Gog-Magog coalition members in several ways over recent years. Russia (Rosh) and Iran (Persia), along with Turkey, seem to be the three prime movers and shakers that will lead the deadly attack.

Only it won’t be deadly for Israel. It will be extremely deadly to that Gog-Magog force!

Here is God’s description of that evil coalition’s fate:

Therefore, thou son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I am against thee, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: And I will turn thee back, and leave but the sixth part of thee, and will cause thee to come up from the north parts, and will bring thee upon the mountains of Israel: And I will smite thy bow out of thy left hand, and will cause thine arrows to fall out of thy right hand. Thou shalt fall upon the mountains of Israel, thou, and all thy bands, and the people that is with thee: I will give thee unto the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. Thou shalt fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, saith the Lord GOD. (Ezekiel 39:1–5)


This assault will be world-rending because God Himself will unleash supreme power and authority over Satan’s wickedness. All but one-sixth of the forces will be destroyed.

Because this will be an event, probably with nuclear fire, falling upon many nations and their coastlands, I believe this Gog-Magog attack will take place after the Rapture, not before.

Jesus, as I’ve written many times, promises that things will be business as usual at the moment He next catastrophically intervenes (in the Rapture of the Church; see Luke 17:28–30). Therefore, things will not “be business as usual” when God deals with those who would destroy His nation and people.

Again, even as chaotic as our world is now, things are still “business as usual,” with people buying, selling, planting, building, and moving through all the other activities of life. There has been no truly world-rending catastrophe.

But that catastrophe is coming…for believer in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, however, it will not be catastrophe, but the most glorious moment possible when the Rapture occurs.

Here is how to go to be with Jesus when He shouts, “Come up here!”:

That if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and will believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9–10)


The Spy with Limitless Eyes


The Spy with Limitless Eyes
Tom Gilbreath


In the 1940s, an unlikely group of espionage agents helped America win the Second World War. 
Historian Elyse Graham’s volume, Books and Dagger, details how the newly formed OSS — forerunner to the CIA — recruited hundreds of librarians, literature professors, historians, and other scholars to find and correlate data to be used against Germany and Japan. They conducted this espionage against foreign enemies without leaving their school campuses. University libraries hold not only thousands of books on every imaginable subject, but also more periodicals from around the world than even the best newsstands. World War II became the age of the scholar-spy.
 
At its peak, the program employed about 900 of these stay-at-home scholar-spies. They made a major contribution toward winning the war. But what those 900 scholars accomplished is primitive compared to the completeness with which Artificial Intelligence models can now scour the world for information. We now live in the age of the AI-spy. It’s interesting that AI models are often referred to as AI agents. 
 
These agents are flawed and can reach wrong conclusions. Their isolation from each other limits their power. But taken together, they already have libraries’ worth of data on each one of us. Many people have their DNA in the system somewhere. Your DNA, present in almost every cell of your body, contains roughly three gigabytes of data about you — equal to about 3,000 books. AI agents have access to digitized dental records. Do you floss? Somewhere, an AI probably knows. Your car quietly reports how often you speed, how much fuel you use, where you go — and how long you stay there. Other AIs know the topics you find interesting and the ones that bore you — along with your age, political leanings, and countless other details.
 
This trove of data is spread among many different companies in many different countries. Some of it is bought and sold like oil, wheat, or gold. Some of it is proprietary to individual companies. Governments have the biggest databases around, and they are also known to nationalize companies’ assets in times of crisis. It’s not hard to imagine governments seizing these knowledge assets. 
 
There is evidence that China already taps into private databases — not only regarding its own citizens, but citizens of other nations as well. They can potentially obtain data from any digital device made in China — even if the final product is not owned by a Chinese company.
 
Human intelligence agents read newspapers from certain cities to learn about ship deployments, military promotions, and other military-related activities in those cities. The same information can be assimilated and assessed by AI within microseconds. AIs still make mistakes, but the technology is improving so fast that humanity can barely keep pace. Despite what it already does, AI is still in its infancy. We don’t know what capabilities it may eventually gain — especially as it increasingly rewrites its own programming. 
 
AI agents don’t just hold knowledge but correlate it. For instance, it could one day correlate psychological knowledge with social media posts. In war, every kind of knowledge comes into play. AI is already a spymaster with unprecedented capabilities. And unlike human spies, these digital agents never sleep, never forget, and never stop watching.
 
Now imagine a global dictator commanding a worldwide network of AI systems. Imagine him constructing a digital police state using every camera already on earth — plus billions more. Imagine autonomous drone probes watching and listening through walls and over vast distances. And in the future, some of those autonomous AI spies won’t merely watch. They will be armed to the teeth — and capable of acting without human hesitation.
 
I’m only scratching the surface of a massive topic, but believe me when I say that you will not want to live in the Antichrist’s world. Come to Jesus now — before the world enters tribulation and its darkest hour.

China launches ‘special maritime operation’ off Taiwan


China launches ‘special maritime operation’ off Taiwan
RT


China has launched a ‘special maritime law enforcement operation’ east of Taiwan in response to the announcement of maritime border talks in the area by Japan and the Philippines. China – which views the self-ruled island as its own sovereign territory – protested the negotiations, saying they infringe on its sovereignty.

The effort was launched on Saturday by China’s Ministry of Transport in coordination with the local authorities, according to Xinhua. The operation is aimed at fully exercising China’s maritime administrative law enforcement jurisdiction and safeguarding national rights and interests, the report said.

The operation follows a May 28 summit in Tokyo in which Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi and Philippines President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. issued a joint statement announcing the start of maritime delimitation talks on their respective exclusive economic zones and continental shelves.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning denounced the announcement, saying the waters Japan and the Philippines intend to delimit lie east of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as an exclusive economic zone.

“Any negotiations involving maritime delimitation in waters east of Taiwan must involve China,”Mao said, adding that Japan and the Philippines violated international law by bypassing Beijing.

Taiwan has also sounded the alarm over the imminent talks, urging Tokyo and Manila to consult with it, as the area likely to be subject to negotiations overlaps with waters in which the island claims “rights and interests.”

Japanese Chief Cabinet Secretary Minoru Kihara said, however, that any agreement reached between Japan and the Philippines “would not be legally binding on any third party.”

Taiwan’s coast guard said it deployed at least five vessels “to respond appropriately” to the Chinese operation, which it said violates international law, and monitored four Chinese government vessels departing from the Port of Xiamen on the mainland.

China regards Taiwan as its own territory, and President Xi Jinping has refused to rule out the use of force to achieve reunification.

Tensions between China and Japan over Taiwan have simmered since November 2025, when Prime Minister Takaichi warned that a Chinese attempt to take over the island could be grounds for a military intervention. China subsequently accused Takaichi of being the first Japanese prime minister to explicitly frame a Taiwan scenario as a “survival-threatening situation,” adding that the narrative has historically served as “a go-to tactic for Japanese militarism to launch aggression.”




Sunday, June 7, 2026

Philippines Has 138 Quakes Of Magnitudes Up To 7.8 Over 24 Hour Period


Latest quakes in the Philippines: past 24 hours


In the past 24 hours, Philippines has had 138 quakes of magnitudes up to 7.8:
  • 1 quake above magnitude 7
  • 3 quakes between magnitude 6 and 7
  • 6 quakes between magnitude 5 and 6
  • 14 quakes between magnitude 4 and 5
  • 22 quakes between magnitude 3 and 4
  • 62 quakes between magnitude 2 and 3
  • 30 quakes below magnitude 2 that people normally don't feel.