Iran says U.S. proposal still under review. President Donald Trumpdiscussesa deal with Iran. Saudi Arabia and KuwaitcutU.S. base access in backlash over Strait of Hormuz plan. U.S.forcesdisable Iranian tanker in Gulf of Oman. IranformalizesStrait of Hormuz control with new maritime authority. Israelistrikeskill seven early Thursday. Attacks on southern Lebanonkill13. Image of Israeli soldierdefacingstatue of the Virgin Mary sparks outrage. Israeli strikes kill eight Palestinians on Wednesday. Israeldestroysvineyards in one of Palestine's main grape-producing regions to expand settler road. Sky Newslooksinto the disappearance of Alakad family in 2023. Hamas Gaza chief sonkilledin Israeli strike, fourth son killed by Israel. MSF: Israel's deliberaterestrictionof aid in Gaza severely impacted pregnant women and newborns. Tuesday’s primary resultssetfall matchups. Homan hints at "ongoing discussions" about legal status for undocumented Americans and dreamers. Adam Hamawygetsan interesting endorsement. Chris Rabbgetsa major ad buy in his Philadelphia congressional race. Rutgerscalls offgraduation speech because speaker had criticized Israel. Federal judgeunsealspurported Epstein suicide note. Commerce Secretary Lutnickadmitsvisiting Epstein’s island to Congress. FBIsearchesVirginia Senate leader's office and cannabis shop. Syriaclaimsit foiled Hezbollah cell which plotted assassinations of its senior officials. North Koreadeclaresitself permanently outside the NPT. Fourkilledin post-election riots in West Bengal. RSFaccusesBurkina Faso of secretly detaining and abusing journalist for nearly two years. MexicoleadsLatin America in journalist murders, report finds. VenezuelarejectsWorld Court jurisdiction in border dispute with Guyana. Iraq’s oil sector infreefall. U.S.escalatesdrug pressure on Mexico, Colombia. Two former Chinese defense ministers sentenced to death in widening purge.
FROM DROP SITE:“We stopped classes and tried to flee”—Pakistan targets Afghan civilians in scorched-earth military campaign
Drop Site’s Jeremy Scahill breaks down the latest in the negotiations and diplomatic activity between the U.S. and Iran.
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Iran says U.S. proposal still under review:Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said that a U.S. proposal to end the war is still under review. “The U.S. plan and proposal is still under review by Iran, and after finalizing its viewpoints, Iran will convey its views to key mediator in Pakistan,” Baghaei told the Iranian Student News Agency (ISNA). “The exchange of messages through the Pakistani mediator is ongoing, and reviews of the exchanged texts continue,” Baghaei later told state broadcaster IRIB. “Iran’s response to the U.S. views regarding our country’s 14-point proposal has not yet been conveyed to the Pakistani side.”
Trump discusses a deal with Iran:Following Wednesday’s news that the U.S. had drafted a memorandum of understanding which it sent to Iran, President Trump spoke with the media about the prospects of a deal. He reportedlytoldFox News’ Bret Baier that he is “optimistic” about this deal and “thinks it’s going to lead to things.” Earlier reporting indicated that Washington had given Tehran 48 hours to decide on the deal. An Iranian official said the proposal, as first reported by Axios, was akin to an “American wish list.”
Saudi Arabia and Kuwait cut U.S. base access in retaliation over Strait of Hormuz plan:Saudi Arabia and Kuwait bothsuspendedAmerican basing and overflight access after President Donald Trump announced Project Freedom without coordinating with Gulf allies, forcing a pause of the operation, according to NBC News and reporting byDrop Site’s Ryan Grim. Saudi Arabia suspended U.S. access to Prince Sultan Air Base and Saudi airspace after being blindsided by the announcement, and a subsequent call between Trump and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman failed to resolve the dispute, NBC News reported. Kuwait similarly cut off access, basing, and overflight rights, a U.S. administration official confirmed to Drop Site. Qatar was contacted only after the operation had already begun, and Oman was not informed until after Trump’s public announcement. Without Saudi and Kuwaiti airspace, U.S. aircraft could not maintain the defensive umbrella required to protect ships transiting the Strait of Hormuz, making the operational pause effectively unavoidable.
Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday praised Trump for pausing his “Project Freedom” operation to guide commercial ships through the Strait of Hormuz barely a day after it began. “I am grateful to President Donald Trump for his courageous leadership and timely announcement regarding the pause in Project Freedom in the Strait of Hormuz,” Sharif said in a social mediapost.
U.S. forces disable Iranian tanker in Gulf of Oman:U.S. Central CommandsaidWednesday that American forces fired on and disabled the rudder of the Iranian-flagged tanker M/T Hasna in the Gulf of Oman after the vessel allegedly attempted to evade Washington’s naval blockade on Iran. A U.S. Navy F/A-18 Super Hornet launched from the USS Abraham Lincoln launched 20mm cannon fire at the crew after it ignored repeated warnings, according to CENTCOM. The tanker was traveling through international waters toward an Iranian port at the time of the strike.
Source: Drop Site News: Drop Site Daily
