Israeli Nat SEC Minister Says They Won’t Let Trump Sign a ‘Bad Deal’ With Iran

 

Israeli Nat SEC Minister Says They Won’t Let Trump Sign a ‘Bad Deal’ With Iran

GhostofBasedPatrickHenry: The Israelis clearly believe that they are in control and in the driver's seat as far as "Peace in the Middle East" is concerned.

Perhaps that is why they launched yet another major offensive in Lebanon while President Trump is ostensibly in the middle of a high-stakes negotiation with Iran.

There are rumors floating around that the deal has already been finalized and just requires signatures, though none of that has been substantiated. But these rumors do take their toll on those who are highly invested in the outcome of this situation.

One of those people is Lindsey Graham.

Here is what Lindsey Graham had to say about Pakistani Defense Khawaja Asif and the Pakistanis, in general.

(Note that President Trump has had nothing but high praise for the Pakistani leadership, and they have had nothing but love and admiration expressed for President Trump.)

Here is a link to the quote by Asif being referenced in that X quote post.

Make no mistake, when this deal is announced as formally finalized, most of the GOP is going to turn on President Trump like a pack of wild rabid dogs.

That's because those congressmen all are compromised and actually work for the State of Israel, not the American People.

You know it, I know it, and pretty much the whole world knows it.

You know what would be a great way to really take the wind out of the GOP's sails?

Declassifying both COVID and the 2020 Election investigation, specifically any material that implicates the GOP in the coup against President Trump.

I would love to see Tulsi break all of their toys on her way out, and I can't think of a better way to hurt the Uniparty than exposing the traitors in the GOP.

Bersatu risks becoming ‘another Pejuang’ without PAS, say analysts

Bersatu risks becoming ‘another Pejuang’ without PAS, say analysts


12 hours ago
Minderjeet Kaur


UM's Awang Azman Pawi says Bersatu risks being seen by Malay voters as an elite party with no strong grassroots

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang says PAS may contest GE16 without Muhyiddin Yassin’s Bersatu, citing recent disagreements between the two parties.

PETALING JAYA: Bersatu, without access to PAS’s election machinery and grassroots network, risks being relegated to a minor Malay party, analysts warn, as the Islamic party reconsiders ties with its Perikatan Nasional ally.

Syaza Shukri.


Syaza Shukri of the International Islamic University Malaysia said Bersatu’s success in securing 31 parliamentary seats in the 2022 general election (GE15) was largely due to PAS’s organisational strength and voter base.

“Without PAS, Bersatu is really nobody,” she told FMT.


She cautioned that Bersatu could easily slip into irrelevance if the partnership is severed.

“Without PAS, Bersatu could become just another small Malay party, maybe following the path of Pejuang,” she said, referring to the party founded by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad in 2020 and now led by his son, Mukhriz.

Two years later, Pejuang led the Gerakan Tanah Air (GTA) coalition at GE15, contesting for 125 parliamentary seats. However, GTA suffered a crushing defeat, with every one of its candidates, including Mahathir, losing their deposits after failing to secure the minimum vote threshold.

Awang Azman Pawi.

Universiti Malaya’s Awang Azman Pawi said PAS has effectively become the operational backbone of PN, particularly in rural and semi-urban Malay constituencies.

He said Bersatu would struggle to defend its seats without PAS’s vast network of loyal volunteers and grassroots machinery.

Awang Azman said the Islamic party holds a deeper ideological influence among Malay voters compared to Bersatu, having been established long before Bersatu, which broke away from Umno 10 years ago.


“More fundamentally, Bersatu could lose credibility among conservative Malays who increasingly see PAS as the coalition’s ideological anchor rather than Bersatu.

“Without PAS, Bersatu risks being seen as an elite Malay party without strong grassroots presence,” Awang Azman said.

He said the latest dispute between PAS and Bersatu was not merely about personality clashes or short-term tensions, but reflected a deeper shift in PN’s power structure.

“PAS now wants to become the dominant force politically, not just a supporting partner in PN.”


Last Friday, Hadi said PAS may contest the next general election (GE16) without Bersatu following a series of actions that his party disagreed with.

He cited several issues that strained ties between the two parties, including the move to unseat the Perlis chief minister, alleged interference in appointments involving Kedah and Kelantan, and Bersatu’s opposition to admitting new Malay-Muslim parties into PN.

Hadi also criticised Bersatu for demanding a disproportionate share of seats despite its weak grassroots machinery, pointing out that much of the groundwork in previous elections had been carried out by PAS volunteers.

In response, Bersatu expressed regret over Hadi’s remarks, saying all major PN decisions should be decided via consensus by the coalition’s Supreme Council.

Bersatu co-founded PN with PAS in 2020 and led the coalition until Jan 1, when Muhyiddin Yassin stepped down as chairman. The role was later assumed by PAS vice-president Ahmad Samsuri Mokhtar on Feb 22.


A turning point, a relationship beyond repair?

Azmi Hassan.

Azmi Hassan of Akademi Nusantara said Hadi’s recent statement marked a turning point in PN, with criticism previously circulating only within PAS’s rank and file now being voiced openly by the party president himself.

“It will be very difficult to repair the relationship,” he said.

Azmi said GE16 will expose just how dependent Bersatu has been on PAS, noting that the Islamic party’s machinery had been central to Bersatu’s previous electoral successes .

“Without PAS, Bersatu candidates whether, incumbents or newcomers, will face a very hard time in GE16.”

Bersatu lost its lustre after Muhyiddin-Dr M split, says Puad

Bersatu lost its lustre after Muhyiddin-Dr M split, says Puad


The Umno leader says Bersatu has been heavily dependent on PAS since then and now faces a bleaker future due to its conflict with the Islamic party

Bersatu co-founder Dr Mahathir Mohamad was sacked from the party in May 2020 after refusing to support Muhyiddin Yassin’s government in the Dewan Rakyat. (EPA Images pic)

PETALING JAYA: Umno Supreme Council member Puad Zarkashi has rejected claims that Bersatu remains important to Perikatan Nasional in attracting voters.

Puad said Bersatu had already lost its attraction, especially after its president Muhyiddin Yassin had rifts with Bersatu’s founding chairman, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Mahathir and Muhyiddin co-founded Bersatu in 2016 to challenge Umno. Mahathir was sacked from the party in May 2020 after refusing to back Muhyiddin’s government in the Dewan Rakyat and choosing to sit on the opposition bench.


Muhyiddin became prime minister after the Sheraton Move in February 2020, which resulted in Mahathir — then Bersatu chairman — resigning from the top post and the collapse of the Pakatan Harapan government.

“Ever since then, Bersatu has been heavily dependent on PAS. But because of their worsening conflict, Bersatu’s level of attraction will only diminish further,” Puad said in a Facebook post.



He said if Bersatu is truly still an attractive party, its former deputy president Hamzah Zainudin and several others aligned with him would not have turned against the party’s leadership.

Puad was responding to Terengganu Bersatu chief Razali Idris, who said that his party and PAS still complemented each other’s strengths and needed to continue their cooperation.

Razali said Bersatu could attract fence-sitters, professionals and young voters, which would complement PAS’s formidable election machinery and extensive election campaign experience.

His statement comes as PAS reviews its relationship with Bersatu, with a view to possibly contesting in the next general election without Muhyiddin’s party.

Iran war: Israel kills 31 in Lebanon; Tehran blasts US truce violation

By Stephen Quillen and Alex Milan Durie

Published On 27 May 202627 May 2026

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• Israeli attacks in southern Lebanon killed 31 people and injured 40 others on Tuesday as Israel’s forces intensified their strikes and issued dozens of forced displacement orders for towns and villages in Lebanon’s south and east.
• Panic has been reported in southern Lebanon as people flee the intensifying onslaught by Israeli ground forces pushing deeper into Lebanese territory.
• Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Tehran says Iranian officials have denounced the “blatant violations” of the ceasefire by the United States, and there is “zero trust” after US attacks on southern Iran on Monday, which have shaken ongoing diplomatic efforts to end the conflict.
• A senior spokesman for Iran’s armed forces has warned that a resumption of the US-Israel war on Iran will be met with a “much heavier and stronger” response and “will extend beyond regional borders”, according to the semi-official Fars news agency.

• 9m ago

  (09:50 GMT)

  

  Israeli air raids hit southern Lebanon’s Dibbin and Shebaa towns

  Lebanon’s National News Agency reports several new attacks on southern Lebanon targeting the towns of Dibbin and Shebaa.

  The agency also reported a drone flying over Beirut’s southern suburbs where Hezbollah has a significant presence.

  About 1.6 million people have been displaced across Lebanon as the death toll continues to rise after fighting restarted on March 2. According to Lebanon’s Health Ministry on Tuesday, at least 3,213 people have been killed and 9,737 others have been wounded in Israeli attacks.
• 19m ago

  (09:40 GMT)

  

  Israeli army issues forced displacement order for Nabatieh

  Israel has issued a new forced displacement threat to residents of Nabatieh in southern Lebanon.

  In a post on X, the army’s Arabic language spokesperson told residents, “you must evacuate your homes immediately and move north of the Zahrani River”.

  Despite a “ceasefire” currently in effect in Lebanon, fighting continues to intensify between Israeli forces and Hezbollah, as Israel continues to forcibly displace hundreds of thousands of residents of southern Lebanon.

  Israeli soldiers are now expanding the ground invasion beyond its “yellow line”, displacing residents of southern Lebanon beyond the Zahrani River, much further north than Israel’s “security buffer zone” near the established border.

• Humanitarian crisis deepens in southern Lebanon as Israel invades

  

  By Obaida Hitto

  Reporting from Tyre, Lebanon

  Israel has issued about 50 forced displacement orders for Lebanese towns and villages over the past 24 hours, as well as a blanket displacement order for the entire city of Nabatieh.

  This, combined with the recent attacks, is causing a huge humanitarian crisis that is only continuing to grow, putting pressure on the Lebanese government to find a fast end to this conflict.

  But as Israel says, it is going to continue expanding its military “operations”. It’s not clear how that’s going to end, but this is going to have a huge impact on civilian life as the attacks continue to intensify and the death toll continues to go up.

  

Penangites show diversity can be unifying factor, says governor

Penangites show diversity can be unifying factor, says governor


5 hours ago
Predeep Nambiar


Ramli Ngah Talib says one of the clearest lessons from his first year in office is that Penangites still value kindness, tolerance and mutual respect

Ramli Ngah Talib has a simple message for Penangites: cherish harmony, for once fractured, it is not easily restored. (Governor’s office pic)

GEORGE TOWN: After a year in office as Penang governor, Ramli Ngah Talib says his biggest takeaway is how the Pearl of the Orient’s diversity is lived out by Penangites daily.

The former four-term Perak menteri besar recalled attending a mass circumcision ceremony for orphans and underprivileged children organised by a non-Muslim elected representative, describing it as one of the most memorable moments in the past year.

To Ramli, this showcased one of Penang’s best qualities: people from different backgrounds still coming together to help one another.


That was why, after a year in office, his message to Penangites is a simple one: “cherish harmony, for once fractured, it is not easily restored”.

In a recent interview with FMT, Ramli described the past year as an honour and a humbling experience, noting that the different communities in Penang have managed to hold on to their respective traditions and values while still living together with tolerance and mutual respect.


He said Penangites have been warm and welcoming towards him, and that what stood out was not just the state’s diversity, but how naturally people lived in it.

“Penang is a mixed society, but it’s not a mixed-up society,” he added.

For many outsiders, Penang may be known mainly for its food, heritage and tourism appeal, but Ramli said the state’s strength runs deeper.

The governor said Penangites value what is real and familiar in everyday life — from food and culture to their way of life — and seem to have a stronger attachment to their state than many others.


That, he said, could be seen in the way they care for old buildings, historical sites and other aspects of Penang’s heritage, which he described as “living testaments of the journey that has shaped who we are today”.

While Penang remains economically vibrant, socially cohesive and politically stable, Ramli warned that such strengths should not be taken for granted.

“There is acceptance towards others and a balance. A give and take … we should preserve that,” he said.

Ramli also said his first year in office has strengthened his view that the governor must go beyond ceremony and be close to the people.

“You cannot occupy an exalted position like that, only to sign proclamations,” he said, in explaining why he went out of his way to meet Penangites throughout the year.

Ramli, who had also served as Dewan Rakyat speaker, was appointed the ninth governor of Penang on May 1, 2025.

Hamzah Zainudin to launch new political party in mid-June, source reveals

Hamzah Zainudin to launch new political party in mid-June, source reveals



Then Bersatu deputy president Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin and Bersatu president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin attend the party’s annual general meeting at Ideal Convention Centre (IDCC) in Shah Alam September 6, 2025. — Picture by Firdaus Latif

Wednesday, 27 May 2026 12:59 PM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, May 7 — A new political party led by Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin is expected to be unveiled in the middle of next month, according to a source aligned with the former Bersatu deputy president.

The source, who was also sacked from Bersatu, said preparations for the launch in Kuala Lumpur were “almost complete”, Free Malaysia Today reported.

“Yes, Hamzah will announce his new party in mid-June. All his supporters will attend,” the source said.

Utusan Malaysia separately reported that the launch will be held at a “Reset convention” prior to the start of the next Dewan Rakyat meeting on June 22.


Hamzah was sacked by Bersatu on Feb 13 at the height of a leadership tussle with party president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. The former opposition leader launched his Reset movement the following day.

The Larut MP has since been linked to plans to take over a new party along with several other sacked Bersatu leaders, including Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah (Indera Mahkota), Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal (Machang) and Datuk Wan Saiful Wan Jan (Tasek Gelugor).

Among Hamzah’s close allies still in Bersatu are vice-president Datuk Seri Ronald Kiandee and Wanita chief Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsuddin, who have both been suspended by the party.


On Monday, former Melaka chief minister Tan Sri Rahim Thamby Chik claimed that more than 200,000 Bersatu members, including those who had left or remained in the party, were backing Hamzah’s Reset movement.

‘Let Cuba live in peace’: Under US pressure, Havana appeals for international help

‘Let Cuba live in peace’: Under US pressure, Havana appeals for international help



A woman holds a photograph of former Cuban president Raul Castro and a Cuban flag during a rally in support of Castro, 94, who has been indicted by a US court, outside the US Embassy in Havana May 22, 2026. — AFP pic

Wednesday, 27 May 2026 11:52 AM MYT


NEW YORK, May 27 — Cuban Foreign Minister Bruno Rodriguez Parrilla asked the international community for urgent help to prevent disaster in his country, which is under a US energy blockade, in a speech to the UN Security Council yesterday.


“I call on the international community to mobilize to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe that could be imposed through arms or the fuel blockade,” Rodriguez said.


He added, “now should be the time for solidarity with Cuba.”

US President Donald Trump has openly mused about taking over communist Cuba, saying that after the US attack in January that ousted Nicolas Maduro in Venezuela, Havana could be his next target for military action and big change.


Due in part to a US trade embargo imposed after Fidel Castro came to power in 1959, Cubans have suffered dire economic conditions for years, with shortages of food, medicine and other basics. Nationwide power blackouts are common.


Things got worse when Trump cut off the supply of oil from Havana’s ally Venezuela after the ouster of Maduro.

The Trump administration tightened the screws last week by indicting Raul Castro over the downing of two small US-based planes in 1996, fuelling fears the United States was seeking a pretext to overthrow the government in Havana.


The day after the Castro indictment was announced, Secretary of State Marco Rubio warned Cuba that the United States was laser-focused on changing the communist system.

Yesterday, Rodriguez called the indictment politically motivated and denied US allegations that Cuba poses a national security threat to the United States.

“It is an idea that goes against logic and common sense,” he told the council. “Let Cuba live in peace.” — AFP

***

Wankee bullies Cuba for donkey years - whether GOP or Democrats, all have been S-Wholes

Pandan run? Tengku Zafrul says will contest in any seat PKR picks

Pandan run? Tengku Zafrul says will contest in any seat PKR picks



Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz speaks at the Malaysia-Kenya High-Level Business Forum held in conjunction with the official visit of the Prime Minister of Malaysia to the Republic of Kenya in Nairobi on November 24, 2025. — Bernama pic

Wednesday, 27 May 2026 2:33 PM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, May 27 —Datuk Seri Tengku Zafrul Abdul Aziz has declared his readiness to contest in any constituency, including Pandan, in the upcoming elections following the resignation of Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli.

However, the prime minister’s senior political adviser said he would defer the final decision to the PKR leadership, while maintaining active coordination with various groups, including PKR Youth (AMK) and other grassroots organisations in the constituency, NST reported.

“I am ready to contest anywhere if given the opportunity. However, I will leave the final decisions to the party leadership,” he told reporters after the Pandan PKR Youth Korban Perdana ceremony today.

Earlier, PKR Vice-President Datuk Seri Amirudin Shari announced that Tengku Zafrul has been appointed as the party’s monitoring officer for the constituency.

This appointment comes after the constituency was “adopted” by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim following Rafizi’s resignation.

Also present at the event were Selangor Infrastructure and Agriculture Committee Chairman Datuk Izham Hashim and Pandan PKR Youth Chief Mohd Ifwat Amir Hamirudin.

Kim Jong Un touts ‘great technical progress’ after new North Korea missile tests

Kim Jong Un touts ‘great technical progress’ after new North Korea missile tests



A woman watches a television screen showing a news broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile test, at a train station in Seoul May 26, 2026. — AFP pic

Wednesday, 27 May 2026 9:29 AM MYT


SEOUL, May 27 — North Korea said today it had tested a new lightweight multi-purpose missile launching system and a multiple tactical cruise missile weapon system the previous day.


The tests, previously reported by South Korea’s military, were overseen by the North’s leader, Kim Jong Un, the state-run Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) said.


South Korea said yesterday the North fired several projectiles, including a ballistic missile, off its west coast, the latest in a flurry of tests this year. Seoul said the missiles flew about 80km.

Analysts have said that by conducting a series of missile tests in recent months, Pyongyang may be trying to take advantage of eroding international norms to cement its nuclear status.


Yesterday’s launch “analysed and estimated the power of special mission warhead of tactical ballistic missile, the reliability of 240mm controlled artillery rocket with expanded firing range which employed an ultra-precision autonomous navigation system,” KCNA said in an English dispatch.


North Korean leader Kim noted that the “major weapon systems are a clear signal of upgrading of our military force and an event of showing great technical progress”, KCNA quoted him as saying.

“It is essential condition for our army’s operations to have such destructive power as enough to make any encountering force impossible to survive theoretically, apart from fortune,” he added, according to the report.


Satisfied with the test results, he said “important ultra-high defence science and technologies were introduced into the practical weapon tests.”

One photo released by KCNA shows a missile blasting off from a mobile launcher, with a bright exhaust flame and a cloud of smoke billowing around the vehicle.

Another photo shows Kim standing next to a mobile launcher flanked by military officials.

North Korea is subject to multiple United Nations sanctions banning its nuclear weapons development and use of ballistic missile technology, restrictions it has repeatedly flouted.

Conventional firepower

Yesterday’s launches were North Korea’s first in 37 days and its eighth test this year.

In April, Pyongyang conducted a ballistic missile test to “verify the characteristics and power of a cluster bomb warhead,” its state media said at the time.

With the latest launch, Pyongyang is indicating that it intends to deploy such a weapon system in the event of war, said analyst Hong Min of the Korea Institute for National Unification in Seoul.

The weapon system is “a precision-strike complex that integrates tactical cruise missiles, guided multiple-launch rocket systems, and tactical ballistic missiles”, he said.

“It highlights precise, long-range, automated conventional firepower capable of overwhelming the South even below the nuclear threshold,” Hong added.

Earlier this month, Kim called on top military officials to turn the country’s southern border with South Korea into an “impregnable fortress”. — AFP

***

Survival-smart to have nukes, to deny the wanks from bullying her. Once the wanks had an 80-nuke destruction-attack plan to frigg N Korea up but it also feared wild frenzied 'retaliation'.

The Appearance Of 'Action': Britain's Navy Docked At Gateway To Mediterranean For Hormuz Mission

The Appearance Of 'Action': Britain's Navy Docked At Gateway To Mediterranean For Hormuz Mission

by Tyler Durden
Tuesday, May 26, 2026 - 06:15 PM


Is Washington's ally the United Kingdom making preparations to 'do more' related to the Iran crisis at the behest of President Trump?

New reporting in The Associated Press suggests so. But the new Monday report also points to the UK possibly just making an appearance of action: "Aboard the RFA Lyme Bay docked off the coast of Gibraltar, hundreds of British sailors are waiting to be deployed for a mine-clearing mission to the Strait of Hormuz that is still in doubt," the report says.

The AP continues, "On the southern tip of the Iberian Peninsula, in the British Overseas Territory of Gibraltar, the U.K.’s Royal Navy is preparing to do that — but only once a peace agreement is reached."

So indeed this potential mine-clearing mission by the Royal Navy is heavily dependent on a series of conditions and caveats being met. Currently Washington has been teasing that a final deal with Tehran is nearing the goal-line.

And yet the latest words from Tehran have voiced caution, and have warned against any premature assessments.

Back in March Trump had told NATO allies to "go get your own oil" and secure the strait themselves amid a series of reprimands for not joining a US-led coalition in the Persian Gulf.

For now, the UK Royal Navy mission is in a holding pattern:


Britain’s Armed Forces Minister Al Carns took a small group of reporters to visit the RFA Lyme Bay as it prepares for a possible international operation, led by the U.K. and France, to secure the strait. As Carns spoke, the amphibious landing vessel, docked at the gateway to the Mediterranean, was being loaded with ammunition and mine-hunting sea drones equipped with sonar.

With a crew of several hundred sailors, the RFA Lyme Bay will soon depart Gibraltar to link up with the U.K. destroyer HMS Dragon and allied ships for air support before sailing through the Suez Canal to the Persian Gulf.

Again, all this seems merely London's way of signaling to Trump that it is preparing to take action in support of the US but without actually pulling the trigger.

Other European nations have made similarly symbolic displays, such as pledging support for a post-war navigation mission, but not actually signing on to a regional deployment while the conflict is still in an active phase.

via Encyclopedia Britannica

Weeks ago, Iran allegedly fired off more drones on Gulf states, which highlighted how fragile the current ceasefire remains, and even amid continued Qatar-led diplomatic mediation efforts.

Singlish use rising in Singapore, even at work, study finds

Singlish use rising in Singapore, even at work, study finds



A recent study by the Institute of Policy found that the proportion of Singaporeans who identified most with English or Singlish rose to 47.6 per cent in 2024, up from about one in three in 2013. — Unsplash pic

Tuesday, 26 May 2026 11:45 AM MYT


SINGAPORE, May 26 — Singlish is increasingly shaping everyday communication in Singapore, including in workplaces, according to a new study by the Institute of Policy Studies.

The study found that more young Singaporeans say they speak Singlish well and use it frequently, The Straits Times reported today.

According to the news report, about 80 per cent of those aged 18 to 35 said they could speak Singlish at least well, far higher than older age groups.

The proportion of respondents who identified most with English or Singlish rose to 47.6 per cent in 2024, up from about one in three in 2013.


More than half of respondents said Singlish is an important part of culture that should not be lost.

The Sinngapore newspaper also cited several researchers saying that Singlish reflects a sense of national identity in Singapore and captures everyday life from hawker centres to workplaces.

Singlish proficiency has also risen, with 57.8 per cent of respondents in 2024 saying they could speak it well or very well.


However, Standard English proficiency has also hit a decade high, with about eight in 10 respondents saying they speak it well.

The study found that Singaporeans increasingly switch between informal Singlish and formal English depending on context.

Researchers said this reflects “a mature public instinct for code-switching”.

At the same time, the share of people identifying most with their mother tongue or dialects has fallen over the past decade.

The researchers concluded that Singapore’s language landscape is one of “negotiated coexistence” rather than replacement.

Middle East ceasefire hangs by a thread after new US strikes on Iran

Middle East ceasefire hangs by a thread after new US strikes on Iran



A photograph taken from the Tyre region of southern Lebanon shows smoke rising from the site of Israeli airstrikes that targeted the village of Rmadiyeh in the Tyre district of southern Lebanon on May 26, 2026. — AFP pic

Wednesday, 27 May 2026 9:52 AM MYT


TEHRAN, May 27 — Tehran yesterday accused Washington of breaching their ceasefire and warned it was ready to retaliate after overnight US strikes, while Israeli bombardment in Lebanon left dozens dead, threatening an increasingly fragile truce there.

The Brent benchmark oil price jumped up by more than 3 per cent after US Central Command (Centcom) announced the new wave of bombings targeting Iranian missile sites and mine-laying boats, while China urged both sides to respect the truce and to resolve their dispute peacefully.


Iranian state media reported overnight blasts in the southern port city of Bandar Abbas, near the Strait of Hormuz, and the country’s Revolutionary Guards said its forces had downed a US drone entering its airspace and had fired at an F-35 fighter jet.

“The US terrorist army, continuing its illegal and unjustified actions since the ceasefire...has, in the past 48 hours, committed a gross violation of the ceasefire in the Hormozgan region,” the Iranian foreign ministry said.


It added that Tehran “will not leave any evil unanswered and will not hesitate to defend the Iranian nation,” without elaborating.


‘Self-defence strikes’

Centcom spokesman Captain Tim Hawkins had announced the new American strikes on Iran overnight.


“US forces conducted self-defence strikes in southern Iran today to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces”, Hawkins said.

He gave few details of the attacks and said only that the targets included missile launch sites and boats trying to “emplace mines.”

In a statement marking the start of the Eid al-Adha holiday, Tehran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei declared Washington was losing its influence in the Middle East and warned countries in the region to stop hosting bases from which the US could launch attacks.

The United States, he said in a written statement, “in addition to no longer having any safe haven in the region for aggression and the establishment of military bases, is moving further and further away from its former position with each passing day”.

Despite the new US strikes, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said yesterday that a peace deal remained within reach, while insisting that the Strait of Hormuz, a key oil and gas shipping route which Iran is seeking to control, would reopen “one way or the other”.

The strikes threatened the ceasefire between the United States and Iran that began on April 8, prompting China to express concern.

“We urge the parties concerned to fulfil their ceasefire commitments, resolve disputes through peaceful means...and promote the early restoration of peace,” foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning told reporters.

Dozens dead in Lebanon

In south Lebanon, Israel carried out strikes yesterday that Beirut’s health ministry said killed 31 people, including at least four children.

Iran has demanded that any peace accord apply to Lebanon, where an April 17 truce has failed to stop fighting that began when militant group Hezbollah attacked Israel in early March.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday vowed to “crush” Hezbollah, and an Israeli military official told AFP the following day that the country’s forces were expanding their ground operations deeper inside Lebanon.

Work on a peace deal between Washington and Tehran is still ongoing, with Iranian state broadcaster IRIB saying a top delegation returned from a two-day visit to Qatar yesterday while Iran said it was finalising a 14-point framework for a deal on ending the war.

In a telephone conversation with Qatari ruler Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani yesterday, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said his country was “ready to reach a respectful framework to end the war,” according to IRIB.

Internet partially restored

Tasnim news agency said Tehran’s negotiators are seeking the release of frozen assets, with half to be made available once an initial memorandum of understanding is signed.

“Iran’s frozen assets are to be released during the course of the negotiations, and this amount is estimated at US$24 billion (RM95 billion) in accordance with the 14-point memorandum of understanding,” Tasnim said.

After nearly three months of blackout in Iran, internet connectivity saw a “partial restoration”, monitor NetBlocks said yesterday, calling it the “longest nationwide internet shutdown in modern history”.

Iran’s vice president later confirmed the “first step” had been taken towards restoring the internet for Iranians, adding that the demands of the country’s people “will be fulfilled”.

“Since a few minutes ago I could open international websites using my home internet provider,” said a 22-year-old woman from the western city of Kermanshah who declined to be named, but she said she still needed VPNs for social media. — AFP

Et Tu O Motherland

US, India, Japan and Australia revive ‘Quad’ push amid unease over China and Iran

Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong, India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, Japan’s Foreign minister Toshimitsu Motegi and US Secretary of State Marco Rubio pose for a group photo after the Quad Foreign Ministers meeting at the Hyderabad House in New Delhi May 26, 2026. — AFP pic

Wednesday, 27 May 2026 10:47 AM MYT


NEW DELHI, May 27 — The United States, India, Australia and Japan announced new maritime and critical minerals cooperation yesterday, reviving a forum viewed suspiciously by China following questions over the US commitment and disagreement on Iran.


US Secretary of State Marco Rubio took part in the meeting in New Delhi, 10 days after President Donald Trump paid a friendly state visit to China and spoke glowingly of the two powers working together as a “G2” — a concept that the US partners, which view Beijing’s rise warily, fear could shut them out.


Meeting his counterparts in the Indian capital, Rubio said the Quad comprised countries “who share strong values — strong, vibrant democracies” and have “many aligned interests”.

The Quad said in a joint statement members would together mobilise $20 billion in government and private money to strengthen critical mineral supply chains, including by identifying projects in the four countries. It was unclear if that would be entirely new funding.

Critical minerals mark a rare area in which the Trump administration has turned to the more traditional diplomacy of building networks with allies, alarmed at the dominance of China in resources central to the high-end technology sector.


The four powers said they would also work together on two maritime initiatives — one that combines their surveillance capabilities, and another that will provide enhanced real-time information to commercial traffic at sea.

In a first, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the Quad was cooperating on assisting port development in Fiji — a key island nation in the South Pacific, where China has made a concerted push for greater influence.


“We recognise our obligation — our responsibility — to provide real choices, particularly as strategic circumstances in our region are deteriorating,” Wong said.

The Quad in a statement also set a goal of connecting South Pacific islands through undersea cables by the end of the year, integrating them economically to the four democracies rather than China.

Reacting to the meeting, Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said that cooperation “should not be directed against any third party”.

“We also do not support exclusive cliques or bloc confrontations,” she told reporters.

Trump has been dismissive of major allies, repeatedly saying they unfairly burden the United States financially.

While Rubio held two Quad meetings last year, including one hours after taking office, Trump declined to commit to a four-way leaders’ summit.

It marked a contrast to his predecessor Joe Biden, who put a priority on alliances and vowed that Quad summits were “here to stay”.

Rubio said the Trump administration wanted the Quad to focus more on deliverables than meetings, and said cooperation was progressing “pretty aggressively”.


Disagreement on Iran

Freedom of navigation has long been Washington’s codeword for opposing China’s assertiveness at sea, a particular concern for Japan.

The Quad ministers said in a joint statement they were “seriously concerned” about the South China Sea and East China Sea and opposed “destabilising or unilateral actions” — a clear reference to Beijing.

The United States has recently pointed to the principle of freedom of navigation as it tries to rally allies to counter Iran, which has exerted control over the strategic Strait of Hormuz in response to the US-Israeli war launched on February 28 and which sent global oil prices spiralling.

No US ally other than Israel has robustly supportedORDERED 😂😂😂 the decision to attack Iran, enraging Trump, who has questioned the reliability of US partners he had not consulted beforehand.

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is one of the few world leaders who has voiced some understanding for the Iran war, citing concerns about Tehran’s disputed nuclear programme, but he has not assisted the war effort and Trump said he was “not happy with Australia”.

Japan and India have historically both maintained cordial relations with Iran, although they grudgingly complied with US sanctions on Iranian oil. — AFP

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Motherland has chosen QUAD over BRICS, Fatherland over Iran.