U.S. floatsmemoto end the war in Iran. Secretary of State Marco Rubio declares conclusion of Operation Epic Fury. UAEsaysit faces Iranian attacks for the second day. Cargo vesselshitin the Gulf. RubiodefendsU.S. blockade of Iran, sidesteps question on Kurdish arms transfer. U.S. and Gulf alliesintroduceUN Security Council resolution threatening sanctions over Hormuz blockade. Iran’s judiciary chieforderseconomic stabilization measures amid what he calls foreign “economic terrorism.” Iranian foreign ministervisitsBeijing. Israeli strikeskilleight across Lebanon on Wednesday. Rubiocallspeace in Lebanon “imminently achievable.” Two Palestinianskilledon Wednesday in Gaza. Israel ordersdemolitionof 50 Palestinians shops and facilities as part of settlement project. Board of PeacetoldGaza officials ceasefire would become “null and void” if Hamas refuses disarmament. U.S. militarykillsthree in latest vessel strike in the Pacific. Senate Republicansslip$1 billion for White House East Wing renovation into $70 billion immigration enforcement bill. FDAblockedpublication of multiple vaccine safety studies. U.S. gas pricesspiketo $4.48 a gallon, up 50% since Iran war began. Trump’s border czarthreatensto “flood the zone” with ICE agents if New York passes sanctuary measures. ChinademandsU.S. immediately lift Cuba embargo. Four pro-Palestinian activistsconvictedof criminal damage in raid on Elbit factory. RSF dronestrikesin Sudan; Ethiopian ambassadorrecalled. Russian strikeskill27 in Ukraine before ceasefire takes effect. Boko Haramkills23 Chadian soldiers. Pakistan attack in Afghanistancondemnedas “war crime.” West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjeerefusesto resign. Ethiopia’s TPLFreassertspolitical control in Tigray. U.S. set to liftsanctionson Eritrea. U.S.firesTyphon missile from the Philippines for the first time.
FROM DROP SITE:Israeli government secretly funded $700,000 of Christian Zionist lobbying push on Capitol Hill, documents show.
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U.S. floats memo to end the war:The U.S. has put forward a one-page memorandum of understanding to end the war,accordingto Axios. The document would formally mark an end to hostilities and launch a 30-day window for more detailed negotiations. Ebrahim Rezaei, the spokesperson of the Iranian parliament’s national security and foreign policy commission said in a social mediapostthat the Axios article represented “the Americans’ wish list.” He added, “Americans will not gain in a lost war what they failed to achieve in face-to-face negotiations. Iran has its finger on the trigger and is ready.” According to Axios, a frequent recipient of Trump administration leaks, the deal would involve Iran committing to a moratorium on nuclear enrichment, the U.S. agreeing to lift its sanctions and release billions in frozen Iranian funds, and both sides allowing transit through the Strait of Hormuz. Washington reportedly expects Iran to respond to several key points within the next 48 hours. The news follows President Donald Trump’sannouncementon Tuesday that the U.S. has paused its short lived “Project Freedom” operation to guide commercial vessels out of the Strait of Hormuz.
Rubio declares Operation Epic Fury concluded:Secretary of State Marco Rubio told reporters at a White House news conference that the U.S. military campaign in Iran had ended. “The Operation Epic Fury is concluded,” Rubio said. “We achieved the objective of that operation.” In a social mediaposton Wednesday, Trump said, “Assuming Iran agrees to give what has been agreed to, which is, perhaps, a big assumption, the already legendary Epic Fury will be at an end, and the highly effective Blockade will allow the Hormuz Strait to be OPEN TO ALL, including Iran. If they don’t agree, the bombing starts, and it will be, sadly, at a much higher level and intensity than it was before.” Iranian sourcestoldDrop Site’s Jeremy Scahill that they do not trust Washington and remain skeptical of the entire diplomatic process. “They also say that much of the U.S. media reporting on this is based on Trump admin spin. Iran is engaging in diplomacy, but also preparing for a resumption of the war,” Scahill reported.
UAE says it faces Iranian attacks for second day:The Defense Ministry of the United Arab Emiratesclaimedon Tuesday that it had come under attack from Iranian missiles and drones for the second day in a row, attacks which the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps denied. Iran, it said, had “not carried out any missile or drone operations against the UAE in recent days,” though in the same statement, Iran’s Foreign Ministrywarnedthe Emirates of the “dangerous consequences” of cooperation with “illegal and provocative actions of the American terrorist.” Monday saw 15 missiles launched from Iran towards the UAE, all of which the UAE claimed it intercepted, and a fire reportedly sparked by a drone attack at the Fujairah oil facility in the country’s east.
Cargo vessels hit in the Gulf:After the United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations Centrereportedno incidents across the Persian Gulf and the Gulf of Oman in the 24-hour period ending at 1600 UTC, a French cargo ship wasreportedlystruck by an unknown projectile in the Strait of Hormuz on Tuesday evening.The attack resulted in several injuries to crew members and damaged the vessel, the company said in its confirmation of the attack.
Washington Post: Iran struck significantly more U.S. military assets than previously reported:Iranian airstrikes damaged or destroyed at least 228 structures or pieces of equipment at 15 U.S. military sites across the region since the beginning of the war on February 28,accordingto a Washington Post analysis of satellite imagery. U.S. hangars, barracks, fuel depots, aircraft and key radar, communications and air defense equipment have all been hit. More than half of the damage reviewed by the Washington Post occurred at the 5th Fleet headquarters, and three bases in Kuwait—Ali al-Salem Air Base, Camp Arifjan and Camp Buehring. Camp Arifjan is the U.S. Army’s regional headquarters.
Rubio defends U.S. blockade of Iran, sidesteps question on Kurdish arms transfer:Rubiorejectedthe characterization that the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports constitutes an act of war, calling it instead “a defensive measure” and framing Iran’s control over the Strait of Hormuz as the real act of war. Heavoideda question about whether U.S. weapons were transferred to Kurdish intermediaries for delivery to anti-regime demonstrators inside Iran, though Trump has explicitly confirmed the arrangement, saying the Kurds kept the weapons and would “pay a big price.”
Source: Drop Site News: Drop Site Daily
