Israel’s pounding of Lebanon is ‘deeply damaging’, says UK foreign minister

FMT:

Israel’s pounding of Lebanon is ‘deeply damaging’, says UK foreign minister

Britain wants Lebanon included in the ceasefire, warning that excluding it could destabilise the entire region

Yvette Cooper said Britain can stay close to Washington while pursuing a different approach in the region. (EPA Images pic)

LONDON: British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said on Thursday that Israel’s pounding of Lebanon was “deeply damaging” and risked destabilising the ceasefire between the United States and Iran.

“We want to see Lebanon included in the ceasefire,” she told Times Radio. “We want it extended to cover Lebanon, because otherwise that will destabilise the whole region.”

“That escalation that we saw from Israel yesterday was deeply damaging, and we want to see an end to hostilities.”


Britain, which has faced heavy criticism from US President Donald Trump for failing to provide more support for Washington’s war on Iran, has sought to help defend its allies in the Gulf and is now working with other countries on ways to reopen the key Strait of Hormuz.

Asked about the strains with its key US ally, Cooper said it was possible for London to remain close to Washington while also taking a different approach in the region. But she said some of Trump’s rhetoric, including when he threatened to destroy Iran’s civilisation, had been dangerous.

“I think that the rhetoric that we’ve seen used has been completely wrong,” she told Sky News. “That sort of escalatory rhetoric can have escalatory consequences.”

On Wednesday, Israel launched a wave of attacks in densely populated areas across Lebanon, drawing criticism from many sides including the Red Cross, which said it was “outraged by the devastating death and destruction”.

Trump suggests renaming Hormuz - 'Strait of Trump' during speech confirming negotiations with Iran

Trump suggests renaming Hormuz - 'Strait of Trump' during speech confirming negotiations with Iran

During a speech at the FII Priority Summit in Miami, Trump said that the US is "negotiating now, and it would be great if we could do something, but they have to open it up."

US President Donald Trump speaks next to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth during a cabinet meeting at the White House in Washington, DC, US, March 26, 2026.(photo credit: EVELYN HOCKSTEIN/REUTERS)

By TOBIAS HOLCMAN

MARCH 28, 2026 01:21

Updated: MARCH 28, 2026 08:34

US President Donald Trump on Friday said that the US is negotiating with Iran over the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.

During a speech at the FII Priority Summit in Miami, Trump said that the US is "negotiating now, and it would be great if we could do something, but they have to open it up."

He then proceeded to joke about renaming the waterway "Strait of Trump" as a condition to end the war.

Trump also said he wanted to restart discussions about new nations signing the Abraham Accords. "It's now time,” Trump said and added that he hopes “all of the countries” will participate.

Additionally, Trump assured that the US is "closer than ever to the rise of the Middle East that is finally free at last from Iranian terror... For 47 years, Iran has been known as the bully of the Middle East, but they are not the bully any longer."

Addressing the largely unknown fate of Iran's new supposed Supreme Leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, Trump said the Iranian leader was either dead by now or in very serious condition, noting that no one has heard from him.

He also referred to the lack of support NATO provided to the US during Operation Epic Fury, saying that now the United States does not "have to be there for NATO."

"We would have always been there for them, but now, based on their actions, I guess we don't have to be, do we?" Trump told the audience.

"That sounds like a breaking story? Yes, sir. Is that breaking news? I think we just have breaking news, but that's the fact. I've been saying that. Why would we be there for them if they're not there for us? They weren't there for us."

Trump: "Cuba is next"

Trump also said that "Cuba is next" during his speech in Miami, after he touted the successes of US military action in Venezuela and Iran.

While the president did not specify what precisely he plans to do with the island nation, he has frequently said he believes the government in Havana, facing a severe economic crisis, is on the verge of collapse.

His administration has opened up negotiations with elements of Cuba's leadership in recent weeks, while Trump himself has hinted that kinetic action could be possible.

"I built this great military. I said, 'You'll never have to use it.' But sometimes you have to use it. And Cuba is next, by the way," Trump told the conference. "But pretend I didn't say that. Pretend I didn't."

Additionally, Trump referred to the operation during his previous mandate, where former Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps chief Qasem Soleimani was killed.

"He was so powerful that I really think that the leadership of Iran was extremely happy when I took him out, but they don't say that, but nobody's going to be asking them anymore because they're not here either," Trump said.

Iran and US already at odds over ceasefire agreement after Israel bombs Lebanon

Iran and US already at odds over ceasefire agreement after Israel bombs Lebanon

By Brad Ryan in Washington DC with wires

8 hours ago



Donald Trump says fraudsters and charlatans are circulating fake versions of Iran's 10-point proposal. (Reuters: Nathan Howard)


In short:

Iran's foreign minister has issued the United States with an ultimatum, after Israel bombed Lebanon in the hours after a ceasefire deal was struck.

Iran says Lebanon was covered by the two-week ceasefire, but Israel and the US say it was not.
What's next?

Negotiations between Iran and the US are due to start in Islamabad, Pakistan, on Saturday, local time.

Less than 24 hours after agreeing to a two-week ceasefire, Iran and the US are publicly at odds over its terms.

Israeli strikes on Lebanon, which killed hundreds of people, quickly threatened to scuttle the ceasefire and to shut down the Strait of Hormuz.

The White House also accused Iran of releasing false versions of the 10-point plan that US President Donald Trump called the "basis for negotiations".

Iran war live updates: For the latest news on the Middle East crisis, read our blog

The US and Israel said Lebanon was never part of the ceasefire, contradicting Pakistan, which was the key mediator in the ceasefire talks.

Iran's foreign minister, Abbas Araghchi, said the "world sees the massacres in Lebanon" and the US "must choose — ceasefire or continued war via Israel".

"It cannot have both," he wrote on X.


US Vice-President JD Vance, who will represent the US in talks with Iran in Pakistan this weekend, blamed a "legitimate misunderstanding".

"I think the Iranians thought that the ceasefire included Lebanon and it just didn't," he said.

"We never made that promise."

But he said he had been told Israel would "check themselves a little bit in Lebanon".

"That's not because that is part of the ceasefire. I think that's the Israelis trying to set us up for success," he said.

Australia is among US allies calling for Lebanon's inclusion in the ceasefire.

French President Emmanuel Macron criticised Israel's "indiscriminate strikes" in Lebanon and said Lebanon must be "fully covered" by the ceasefire.

"We condemn these strikes in the strongest possible terms," Mr Macron said.

Israel said its strikes targeted militant group Hezbollah. But it bombed densely populated residential areas not known to be Hezbollah strongholds, without warning residents, including in central Beirut.

Israel had already killed more than 1,500 people in Lebanon, including more than 130 children, since the start of the Iran war, according to Lebanon's health ministry.

Ships warned not to use strait

Iranian state media reported the Strait of Hormuz had been closed after the latest strikes on Lebanon. The White House described the reports as "unacceptable" and suggested they were incorrect.

"This is a case of what they're saying publicly is different privately," White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

"We have seen an uptick of traffic in the strait today. And I will reiterate the president's expectation and demand that the Strait of Hormuz is reopened, immediately, quickly and safely."

Emergency responders work at the site of an Israeli strike in Al-Mazraa in Beirut. (Reuters: Yara Nardi)

Shipping companies said they had been warned by Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) not to attempt to cross the strait without permission.

UK ship-broker SSY confirmed to the BBC that ships in the Gulf had received a message, purportedly from the IRGC navy station, that said:

"Transiting the Strait of Hormuz remains closed and you need permission from the IRGC before sailing through the strait. Any vessel trying to travel into the sea will be targeted and destroyed."

The broader conditions around the strait's reopening were also unclear.

After the ceasefire announcement, Iran's Supreme National Security Council said passage through the strait would require "coordination with Iran's armed forces".

The Financial Times later reported that Iran would force tankers to pay tolls in cryptocurrency to transport oil through the strait. The Times cited Hamid Hosseini, from Iran's Oil, Gas and Petrochemical Products Exporters' Union.

Ms Leavitt said Mr Trump had been clear that the strait must reopen "without limitation, including tolls".

But Mr Trump reportedly told America's ABC News that he was open to placing tolls on the strait as a "joint venture" with Iran.

"We're thinking of doing it as a joint venture," Mr Trump was quoted as saying.

"It's a way of securing it — also securing it from lots of other people."


Ceasefire: How we got here

Sunday March 22

Deadline set
US President Donald Trump issues a 48-hour deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, threatening to "obliterate" Iranian power plants if it does not comply. Iran responds by saying critical infrastructure and energy facilities in the Middle East may be "irreversibly destroyed".

Monday March 23

Deadline extended
Strikes on Iran are postponed for five days. Trump says there are "productive talks" with Iran about ending the war. Iran says it has received messages through "friendly countries" about a request from the US for talks, but it denies any negotiations are taking place.

Tuesday March 24

Ceasefire plan
Pakistan delivers a 15-point ceasefire plan to Iran. US President Donald Trump says the US is "in negotiations right now" for a peace deal. The US deploys more troops to the region.

Wednesday March 25

Deal rejected
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi says his team has received a copy of the 15-point plan, but he dismisses the ceasefire proposal. An Iranian military spokesman says there are no peace talks taking place. Iran puts forward a five-point plan to end fighting. Mediators continue passing messages between the US and Iran.

Thursday March 26

New extension
Trump says Iran is "desperate" to make a ceasefire deal. Trump again extends the deadline for Iran to reopen the Strait of Hormuz, this time to April 6.

Sunday March 29

Troops arrive
Iran's parliament speaker warns the US against a ground invasion as 2,500 US marines arrive in the Middle East. Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf threatens to set the American troops "on fire" and step up attacks on US allies.

Sunday March 29

Regional leaders meet
Foreign ministers of Pakistan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Türkiye meet in Pakistan to discuss how to end the war and ease regional tensions.

Monday March 30

Threat renewed
Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei says the meeting is “commendable,” but says Iran is not involved. He describes Trump's 15-point peace plan as "unrealistic". Trump says America will blow up Kharg Island and obliterate oil and energy sites if Iran refuses to make a deal. The deadline remains April 6.

Tuesday March 31

End in sight?
Trump says the US will leave Iran within two to three weeks — even if no ceasefire deal has been reached. He says if other countries want oil or gas they will have to "go right up the Hormuz Strait and they'll be able to fend for themselves". He reiterates both points in a prime-time address on Wednesday April 1.

Sunday April 5

Deadline extended again
Trump pushes his deadline back by one day to Tuesday April 7. He threatens to blow up power plants and bridges in a post on Truth Social. Iran accuses the United Nations of remaining silent in the fact of Trump's war-mongering.

Tuesday April 7

Last-minute suspension
Ninety minutes before the April 7 deadline, Trump agrees to suspend attacks on Iran for two weeks. Israel also agrees to the ceasefire. Iran's foreign minister, Seyed Abbas Araghchi, agrees to stop defensive operations and promises safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz for two weeks. Iran, the US and Pakistan will begin peace deal talks on April 10.



1 / of11
Points of confusion

The White House has not confirmed the details of Iran's 10-point proposal, which will now form the starting point for peace talks.

Iranian sources — including social media accounts for its embassies and consulates — have released differing versions of the plan, which have appeared in US, Iranian and international media outlets.


Some purported versions of the plan contain conditions known to be unacceptable to the US, Israel and Gulf states. They include the withdrawal of American troops from the region, ongoing Iranian control of the Strait of Hormuz, and permission for Iran to enrich uranium.

Mr Trump said "fraudsters, charlatans and worse" were circulating fake versions of the 10-point plan.

"There is only one group of meaningful 'POINTS' that are acceptable to the United States, and we will be discussing them behind closed doors during these Negotiations," he wrote on Truth Social.

Ms Leavitt said an earlier 10-point proposal from Iran "was literally thrown in the garbage" and Iran's retention of nuclear capabilities was a red line for Mr Trump.

"What Iran says publicly or feeds to all of you in the press is much different than what they communicate to the United States," she told a media briefing.

Malaysia sounds alarm over Israel attacks on Lebanon, cites risk to global peace

Malaysia sounds alarm over Israel attacks on Lebanon, cites risk to global peace



A rescue worker stands next to the rubble at the site of an Israeli strike in Tyre, Lebanon, April 8, 2026. — Reuters pic

Thursday, 09 Apr 2026 9:47 AM MYT


KUALA LUMPUR, April 9 — Malaysia strongly condemns the continued military attacks by the Zionist Israel regime against Lebanon, which could risk global peace and security, according to the Foreign Ministry on Thursday.

The ministry, widely known as Wisma Putra, in a statement, said these repeated acts of aggression constitute a blatant violation of Lebanon’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as a direct defiance of international law and United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolutions.

“These escalations also severely jeopardise the two-week ceasefire agreement reached between the United States of America and Iran, and threaten to bring the region into a wider, more catastrophic conflict,” the statement read.

According to Wisma Putra, such actions not only undermine current diplomatic efforts but also risk the total destabilisation of West Asia, with grave implications for global peace and security.

Malaysia has urged the international community, including the UNSC, to take immediate, decisive action to hold the Zionist Israeli regime accountable for its continued violations of international law, it said.

The Foreign Ministry said, culture of impunity must end to prevent further loss of innocent lives and to protect the sanctity of sovereign borders.

Wisma Putra also reiterated Malaysia’s steadfast support for the government and people of Lebanon.

Malaysia remains firm in its position that a sustainable peace can only be achieved through the cessation of all hostilities and a genuine commitment to a peaceful, diplomatic resolution, the statement added. — Bernama

Macron tells Trump, Iran president to extend ceasefire to Lebanon

Macron tells Trump, Iran president to extend ceasefire to Lebanon



French President Emmanuel Macron walks before welcoming French Nationals freed by Iran after three and a half years in detention, at the Elysee Palace in Paris, on April 8, 2026. — AFP pic

Thursday, 09 Apr 2026 10:36 AM MYT


PARIS, April 9 — French President Emmanuel Macron said Wednesday that he urged his US and Iranian counterparts, Donald Trump and Masoud Pezeshkian, to include Lebanon in the ceasefire reached with Iran.

Israel announced Wednesday it did not consider Lebanon covered by the Iran-US truce announced overnight.


Its strikes on Lebanon Wednesday killed 182 people and wounded 890, according to an initial government toll, with the capital Beirut hit by the most violent bombardment since the start of the Israel-Hezbollah war last month.

“I expressed my hope that the ceasefire will be fully respected by each of the belligerents, across all areas of confrontation, including in Lebanon,” Macron wrote on X after speaking with both leaders.


He said it was a “necessary condition for the ceasefire to be credible and lasting”.


Macron is the first Western leader to have spoken with the Iranian president since the announcement of the ceasefire.

He added it must pave the way for comprehensive negotiations to ensure “security for all in the Middle East”.


“Any agreement will have to address the concerns raised by Iran’s nuclear and ballistic missile programmes, as well as its regional policy and its actions obstructing navigation through the Strait of Hormuz.”

Macron said France would “play its full part, in close coordination with its partners” in the region. — AFP

Lebanon violence threatens US-Iran ceasefire

Lebanon violence threatens US-Iran ceasefire



Lebanese security officials and first responders assess damage at the site of an Israeli airstrike that targeted Beirut's Ain al-Mreisseh neighbourhood on April 8, 2026. Israel launched a series of strikes in Beirut, causing panic among residents in the most violent attack on the capital since the start of the war with Hezbollah. Israel also hit Beirut's southern suburbs and southern Lebanon, where Hezbollah holds sway, in parallel with strikes on the east. Israel has insisted the two-week truce in its war with Iran does not apply to Lebanon. — AFP pic

Thursday, 09 Apr 2026 9:02 AM MYT


TEHRAN, April 9 — The fragile two-week truce between Iran and the United States was hanging in the balance on Wednesday, with Tehran threatening to resume hostilities as Israel launched a major bombardment of Lebanon.

Washington and Tehran both claimed victory after agreeing to a two-week ceasefire and negotiations aimed at ending a war that has killed thousands across the Middle East and sparked global economic upheaval.


But the deal’s fractures emerged quickly as Israel carried out its heaviest strikes on its neighbour — including in densely packed central Beirut — since the Iran-backed group Hezbollah joined the war in early March.

At least 182 people were killed and nearly 900 wounded on Wednesday, the Lebanese Health Ministry said.


Israel said its battle against Hezbollah was not part of the US-Iran truce agreed late Tuesday, an argument echoed by US Vice President JD Vance, days before he is due to lead talks with Tehran in Pakistan.


“If Iran wants to let this negotiation fall apart… over Lebanon, which has nothing to do with them, and which the United States never once said was part of the ceasefire, that’s ultimately their choice,” he said.

But Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf appeared to threaten the ceasefire, posting on X that the “workable basis on which to negotiate” had already been violated, making further talks “unreasonable”.


Adding to the fragility of the truce — agreed hours before a deadline set by US President Donald Trump — a senior US official said Iran’s 10-point plan was not the same set of conditions the White House had agreed to in order to pause the war.

In Lebanon, where UN rights chief Volker Turk called the scale of killing “horrific”, strikes across the capital Beirut without warning triggered scenes of horror and panic.

“People started running left and right, and smoke was billowing,” said Ali Younes, who was waiting for his wife near Corniche al-Mazraa, one of the areas targeted.

More than 1,700 people have been killed in Lebanon since Israel launched airstrikes and a ground invasion last month, local officials said.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned they would “fulfil our duty and deliver a response” if Israel did not cease its strikes there, while Hezbollah said it had a “right” to respond.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the country remained prepared to confront Iran if necessary, as it still had “objectives to complete”, with the military saying it continued to pursue the goal of “disarming” Hezbollah in Lebanon.

Pentagon chief Pete Hegseth also vowed that American forces remained at the ready if the conflict flared up again.

High-stakes talks

The belligerent rhetoric came ahead of high-stakes talks in Pakistan expected on Friday, after Iran temporarily agreed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz under threat of annihilation by Trump, with ships passing through the strategic waterway on Wednesday.

But reports suggested the waterway was shut again later in the day despite the ceasefire, prompting the White House to call on Iran to reopen it “immediately, quickly and safely”.

Any closure “is completely unacceptable,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, whose country mediated the ceasefire, urged all parties on X to “exercise restraint and respect the ceasefire for two weeks” to allow diplomacy to take hold.

Further casting doubt on the truce’s durability, Iranian state media announced fresh “missile and drone attacks” on Wednesday against US-allied Gulf states in retaliation for airstrikes on its oil facilities.

Kuwait said its oil facilities and power and desalination plants were damaged in “an intense wave” of strikes that lasted hours.

The UAE said it had been targeted with 17 Iranian missiles and 35 drones since the ceasefire took effect, Saudi Arabia intercepted nine drones, and Bahrain said its capital Manama came under attack.

‘Real hope’

On Wednesday, the leaders of several European nations, Canada and the United Kingdom said “a swift and lasting end to the war” must be negotiated, as Pope Leo hailed a moment of “real hope”.

But Tehran’s demands over uranium enrichment, economic sanctions and future control of the Strait of Hormuz — a narrow waterway through which one-fifth of the world’s oil passes — remain deeply at odds with those of the United States.

The United States and Israel said they attacked Iran to degrade its military capacity.

After weeks of economic turmoil, the ceasefire announcement sent oil prices plunging 15 percent, while European natural gas dropped 20 percent.

Trump said the United States was “very far along” in negotiating a long-term agreement with Iran, which had submitted a 10-point plan he called “workable”.

But Ghalibaf listed three alleged US violations of the proposal: the continued attacks in Lebanon, a drone entering Iranian airspace, and a denial of the country’s right to enrichment — leaving the longevity of the truce uncertain.

In Tehran, streets were quieter than usual on Wednesday, with many shops closed after a long and anxious night for residents fearing a massive US attack.

“Everyone is at ease now,” said Sakineh Mohammadi, a 50-year-old housewife, adding she was “proud” of her country.

“We are more relaxed.” — AFP

Israeli strikes kill 250 in Lebanon amid fragile ceasefire

Israeli strikes kill 250 in Lebanon amid fragile ceasefire



Smoke rises from the site of an Israeli strike that targeted an area in Beirut on April 8, 2026. — AFP pic

Thursday, 09 Apr 2026 10:28 AM MYT


BEIRUT, April 9 — Israel carried out its heaviest attacks on Lebanon since the conflict with Hezbollah began last month, killing more than 250 people and wounding over 1,100 on Wednesday, while the Iran-aligned group launched rockets into northern Israel following a brief pause under the US-Iran two-week ceasefire.


According to Reuters, Lebanon’s civil defence reported 254 fatalities, with 91 in the capital, Beirut. The Lebanese health ministry recorded 182 deaths nationwide, noting the figures were preliminary.


The strikes, described by the Israeli military as the largest coordinated assault of the war, targeted over 100 Hezbollah command centres and military sites across Beirut, the Bekaa Valley, and southern Lebanon within ten minutes. Residents said some areas were hit without the usual civilian warnings.

Hezbollah responded early Thursday with rocket fire on northern Israel, calling it retaliation for what it described as Israeli violations of the ceasefire.


“This response will continue until the Israeli-American aggression against our country and our people ceases,” the group said.


The attacks mark the deadliest day since fighting escalated on March 2, after Hezbollah fired into Israel in support of Tehran following a US-Israeli strike on Iran. Israel has since launched an extensive air and ground campaign.

Civil defence teams in Beirut were seen evacuating residents from partially destroyed buildings, while hospitals struggled to manage the influx of wounded. One major medical centre appealed for donations of all blood types.


United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk condemned the killings, calling the scale of death and destruction “horrific” and warning that the attacks, occurring just hours after a ceasefire agreement with Iran, placed enormous pressure on fragile peace.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed that Lebanon was not part of the ceasefire, with the military continuing operations against Hezbollah. US officials echoed that Lebanon remained outside the truce.

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards warned of a “regret-inducing response” if attacks did not stop, while Lebanese President Joseph Aoun said French President Emmanuel Macron was ready to mediate to include Lebanon in any ceasefire.

Thousands of civilians in southern Lebanon have been displaced, with Israel issuing evacuation orders covering roughly 15 per cent of Lebanese territory. Essential infrastructure, including hospitals, bridges, and power stations, has been hit, leaving many residents without food, medicine, or shelter.

Ahmed Harm, a 54-year-old displaced from Beirut’s southern suburbs, said: “Hopefully a ceasefire will be reached. Lebanon can’t take it anymore.”

IRAN RECEIVES 500 HWASONG -18 ICBMs from North Korea

Murray Hunter
Apr 08, 2026


IRAN RECEIVES 500 HWASONG -18 ICBMs from North Korea

Its now understandable why Trump wanted an urgent ceasefire





While hopes are rising for a two-week ceasefire brokered by Pakistan, Iran has just received 500 Hwasong-18 ICBMs from North Korea.

It is claimed (according to sources close to the North Korean leadership) the Hwasong-18 ICBM, a solid fueled three stage intercontinental ballistic missile has the range of 15,000 kms with a warhead payload of 1,000-1,500 Kgs. This is an ICBM large enough to reach the United States from an altitude of 6,648 km.

The Hwasong-18 has been designed for a single nuclear warhead. The ICBM has been well tested in North Korea so is potentially fully operational.

This changes all US military calculations that continental United States is safe during a war with Iran.

Until this morning US President Donald Trump had been talking about eliminating the whole Persian culture off the Earth in a manner that it could not return. Trump was hinting at a nuclear option against Iran.

With the latest intelligence that Iran now possesses the Hwasong-18 from North Korea, Iran would now be capable of retaliating to any US apocalyptic strategy. These have been shipped in parts and were assembled in Iran in underground facilities.

Continuing the war is now placing Israel under existentialist threat.

Hwasong-18 is launched from a mobile unit.

It is now not unsurprising that Trump is urgently seeking an ‘off ramp’ for the conflict. Some of the terms like allowing Iran (and Oman) to continue collecting tolls from ships in the Strait of Hormuz would have been unthinkable just a day ago.

The US calamity in losing two US Air Force MC-130 Commando II special operations aircraft in the South of Isfahan Province in Iran has shown the US military just how formidable Iran forces are.

With Israel as a lose cannon it will be highly questionable how long the integrity of a ceasefire can last.

It has now become very clear what any non-nuclear nation must do when attacked or threatened by a nuclear power. This will change strategic thinking around the world.

Ab Rauf rejects Akmal Saleh's resignation as Melaka Exco

Ab Rauf rejects Akmal Saleh's resignation as Melaka Exco


Akmal at the UMNO Youth General Assembly at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL) on January 15 announced his decision to resign as the Melaka Exco

Ab Rauf said Akmal will continue his responsibilities as a State Government Exco as usual. - April 8, 2026

MELAKA Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh, has rejected Datuk Dr Mohamad Akmal Saleh's resignation letter as the state Rural Development, Agriculture and Food Security Committee Exco, which was sent in January.


Ab Rauf said Akmal will continue his responsibilities as a State Government Exco as usual.

"I want to inform you that he submitted his resignation letter immediately after making the announcement.

"But I have decided to reject the resignation so that he can continue his duties as a State Government Exco," he said when commenting on the status of the resignation of the Merlimau assemblyman and UMNO Youth Chief.

He stressed that the power to accept or reject the resignation lies with the Chief Minister.

“So, the right to accept or reject is the right of the Chief Minister. I have spoken to the Chief Minister, and the Chief Minister has decided to reject,” he joked.

Akmal at the UMNO Youth General Assembly at the World Trade Centre Kuala Lumpur (WTCKL) on January 15 announced his decision to resign as the Melaka Exco.

He, however, explained that he would remain as the UMNO Youth Chief.

The decision was made in response to DAP leaders who previously demanded that he take such a stance, following calls for UMNO to withdraw from the Unity Government. – April 8, 2026

Driving under the influence: the difference between drugs and alcohol

FMT:

Driving under the influence: the difference between drugs and alcohol

13 HOURS AGO
Letter to the Editor

The persistence of the alcohol-versus-drugs debate reflects gaps in knowledge, enforcement asymmetries and cultural attitudes

From P Sundramoorthy


The belief that driving under the influence of alcohol is inherently “worse” than drug-impaired driving is widespread in Malaysia but from a criminological perspective, this hierarchy is neither straightforward nor particularly useful.


It reflects more about social perceptions, enforcement patterns and cultural narratives than the actual risks posed by different substances.

Recent high-profile vehicular manslaughter cases have intensified public anger, often accompanied by calls for harsher punishments, including the death penalty. Such reactions risk oversimplifying a complex issue.


At its core, impairment regardless of substance is the central concern. Alcohol has long dominated road safety campaigns and enforcement strategies. Alcohol-impaired driving is highly visible and heavily stigmatised. However, this visibility can create a cognitive bias; what is more frequently detected is often assumed to be more dangerous.

Drug-impaired driving by contrast, remains less visible and under-examined. Unlike alcohol, which typically produces predictable depressant effects, drugs have diverse and sometimes contradictory impacts.

The number of drug users in Malaysia is significant. A larger population of drug users increases the likelihood that some individuals will drive while impaired.

In certain contexts, this probability may exceed that of alcohol-impaired driving especially since alcohol consumption is often episodic, whereas some forms of drug use are habitual or integrated into daily routines.


While alcohol-impaired driving is more visible and frequently detected, drug-impaired driving may be more prevalent but under-recognised.

This reflects the “dark figure” of crime – behaviours that occur but are not fully captured in official statistics. The relative invisibility of drug-impaired driving should not be mistaken for lower risk but rather seen as an indicator of enforcement and surveillance gaps.

Legal and cultural factors also shape perceptions. Alcohol though regulated, is socially accepted in many contexts, whereas most drugs are criminalised and heavily stigmatised. Paradoxically, this can lead to an underestimation of drug-related risks in road safety discourse.

Detecting alcohol impairment is relatively straightforward but identifying drug impairment often requires more complex testing methods. This gap reinforces the perception that drug-impaired driving is less prevalent or less dangerous.


Alcohol impairment can be broadly measured through blood alcohol concentration, allowing for standardised legal thresholds. Drug impairment, however, is far less uniform. The same quantity of a drug can affect individuals differently depending on tolerance, metabolism and context. This complicates enforcement, prosecution and public messaging, reinforcing ambiguity around drug-impaired driving.

In response to tragic cases, there have been renewed calls to impose the death penalty for vehicular manslaughter involving impairment.

However, evidence consistently shows that the certainty of detection and punishment not the severity of punishment is the more effective deterrent.

The death penalty, in particular, has not been shown to produce a meaningful deterrent effect in cases involving impulsive or risk-laden behaviours such as impaired driving.

A more effective approach would focus on increasing the certainty and consistency of enforcement. This includes expanding roadside drug testing capabilities, improving forensic toxicology capacity, enhancing data collection and ensuring that enforcement is applied uniformly without regard to status or background.

When the public perceives that laws are enforced consistently and fairly, confidence in the justice system is strengthened, reducing the impulse to call for excessively punitive measures.

Both alcohol- and drug-impaired driving pose serious threats to public safety and require evidence-based responses.

Public education should emphasize that impairment is impairment, regardless of the substance and that driving under such conditions reflects broader issues of risk perception, accountability and social responsibility.

In a context where drug use is significant and often under-detected, drug-impaired driving may represent a more pervasive, if less visible, threat.

At the same time, calls for extreme punitive measures such as the death penalty risk diverting attention from more effective, evidence-based interventions.

A balanced and rational approach must recognise that crime is colourblind, deterrence depends on certainty rather than severity, and all forms of impaired driving must be addressed with equal seriousness and strategic clarity.



P Sundramoorthy is a criminologist at the Centre for Policy Research at Universiti Sains Malaysia and an FMT reader.

A Starving Lion Doesn’t Eat Grass: Why Iran Won’t Bow to Donald Trump

Malaysia's #1 Content Aggregator


OPINION | A Starving Lion Doesn’t Eat Grass: Why Iran Won’t Bow to Donald Trump


8 Apr 2026 • 12:00 PM MYT

TheRealNehruism
An award-winning Newswav creator, Bebas News columnist & ex-FMT columnist

Image generated by ChatGPT


It was never realistic to expect Iran to accept a ceasefire on American terms—and its latest response only confirms that.


According to state media, Tehran has rejected the proposal outright, offering instead its own : an end to wider regional conflicts, reconstruction commitments, sanctions relief, and formal guarantees for safe passage through the Strait of Hormuz. That is not the language of a country looking for an exit. It is the language of a country asserting standing.



To understand why, you have to look beyond missiles and sanctions, and into something less tangible but far more powerful: identity.


Iran does not see itself as just another state in the international system. It sees itself as a civilizational power—an heir to empires, a custodian of history, a nation that has been shaping its region long before the modern West existed. Whether that self-image aligns with present realities is beside the point. What matters is that it believes it.


There is a Tamil proverb that captures this perfectly: a starving lion does not eat grass.


A nation that has defined itself, for centuries, as a dominant force—not just a participant but a central player—does not easily accept being reduced to compliance. And when that identity comes under pressure, it does not soften. It hardens.


That is why Iran’s posture today feels less like desperation and more like defiance. Even under economic strain, even under military threat, it refuses to negotiate from a position that looks like submission. Because to do so would be to concede something deeper than territory or policy—it would be to concede identity.



Which brings us to Donald Trump.


It is tempting to interpret Trump’s rhetoric—his threats, his harsh language, his willingness to publicly humiliate adversaries—as impulsive or even reckless. But that reading misses something important. Trump understands power in psychological terms as much as strategic ones. He knows how pride works. He knows how ego reacts.


And that raises a more uncomfortable possibility: what if the humiliation is the point?


Ask yourself this, if Trump was truly interested in a ceasefire with Iran, would he have posted on his Truth Social website: “Tuesday will be Power Plant Day, and Bridge Day, all wrapped up in one, in Iran. There will be nothing like it!!! Open the Fuckin’ Strait, you crazy bastards, or you’ll be living in Hell – JUST WATCH! Praise be to Allah. President DONALD J. TRUMP.”


Of course not.


Because if your goal were genuinely to secure a ceasefire with a country like Iran, you would not frame your offer in a way that guarantees rejection. You would leave room for face-saving. You would construct an off-ramp.



Trump has done the opposite. By tying peace to demands that strike at Iran’s sovereignty—especially over something as strategically vital as the Strait of Hormuz—he has made acceptance politically and psychologically impossible for Tehran.


That does not look like diplomacy aimed at de-escalation.


It looks like positioning for escalation.


Why?


There are a few plausible answers.


One is because it is only if he destroys Iran, Trump will look like the boss of all bosses.


Two because Israel might want him to - Israel is only going to feel safe if Iran is decapitated.


Three is because Trump, as the president of america and the leader of the western civilisation, might want to boost the waning fortune of the western civilisation, by expanding its influence to the middle east, and Iran is the chief nation in the middle east that stands in his way.


But whatever the mix of motives, the pattern is clear: a ceasefire is being discussed in form, but undermined in substance.



And Iran, for its part, is not exactly searching for peace either.


A state that sees itself as historically destined to lead does not easily accept a subordinate role in a system defined by others. Even when circumstances change, self-perception lags behind reality. Sometimes, it resists reality altogether.


So what you have is not one side pushing for peace and the other resisting. You have two sides, each operating from a position of asserted authority, each unwilling to concede the symbolic ground that compromise requires.


That is not a recipe for resolution.


It is a recipe for prolongation.


The current war—now stretching well beyond a month, fueled by strikes, counterstrikes, and regional spillover—is not an anomaly. It is the result of decades of unresolved tension. These kinds of conflicts do not end with a single agreement or a sudden breakthrough. They persist, evolve, and, more often than not, intensify.



So expecting a near-term peace between Iran and the United States may not just be optimistic.


It may be fundamentally misguided.


Because when both sides see themselves as the lion, neither is willing to eat grass.


And when neither yields, the conflict does not fade.


It stretches—year after year—until it becomes not just a war, but an era.

MIC caught between PN gambit and need for relevance

FMT:

MIC caught between PN gambit and need for relevance

With the two state elections expected before GE16, Perikatan Nasional's wooing of MIC is not out of love but from a need to gauge Indian support in states with mixed voters

MIC’s dithering over whether to commit to Perikatan Nasional, while PN pushes its line that MIC is already a member of the opposition coalition, puts the focus squarely on whether the Indian-based party continues to hold relevance in national politics.

Party leaders are aware that PN’s fervent efforts at wooing MIC stem out of the opposition coalition’s hope of broadening its appeal to non-Malay voters, and not out of passion.


For now, the party has declared it will remain with Barisan Nasional, sticking to its short-term interests which are the state elections in Malacca and Johor, widely expected to be held before the next general election in two years.

At stake for MIC are its precarious hold of six legislative seats: three in Johor and one in Melaka as well as one seat in Pahang, and the sole parliamentary constituency of Tapah, Perak, won in the 2022 general election (GE15).

Given that BN formed an alliance with Pakatan Harapan after GE15, one source said “there is no chance DAP, PKR and Amanah will be generous enough to allow MIC to contest any of the seats that they won from MIC”. The two coalitions were rivals then, and contested against each other.

“In the present circumstances those parties will be hard-pressed as well to try and retain their seats at the coming elections,” the source says.

Melaka will hold its state election this year, as confirmed by chief minister Ab Rauf Yusoh while the Johor election is not expected to be held early as the current government’s term ends only in April 2027.

A look at the voting trend at the previous elections shows that MIC won mainly on the strength of BN’s Malay vote bank and its strong machinery. If MIC is to have any change at retaining those seats, the party will again be forced to depend largely on BN and its machinery, even if BN may have suffered some erosion of Malay support as some believe.


Too much of a risk

For MIC to suddenly switch to PN now will be too risky a move, robbing the party of support from its traditional Indian voter base and from the BN’s Chinese and Malay supporters.

“Many leaders at division levels have expressed their discomfort if they are forced to work with PAS during any future election. BN is MIC’s comfort zone at the moment. That’s why a majority of the CEC members felt remaining in the coalition is the best option for now.

“Despite the flaws of the Madani government in the way it has handled controversial issues, especially the contentious temple debate, Indian voters are not expected to drop BN or PH in droves for a PAS-led PN,” another source said.


The recent “takeover” of PN by PAS leaders in a questionable manner has also made MIC jittery.

The recent controversy over so-called “illegal” temples saw some PAS leaders openly supporting the campaign, with one PAS rising star, information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari making an open statement encouraging members to take part in the protest gathering.

Taking into account the hardline PAS has taken on religious rights in the past, some non-Muslims have been privately saying, rightly or wrongly, that PAS may resort to amending the Federal Constitution to curtail certain rights if it obtains a parliamentary majority one day.

This may not be wholly true but it’s the perception, unfortunately.

Such fears among non-Malay voters would make it a strong possibility that MIC will be annihilated in Johor and Malacca if the party stands under the PN flag. That was apparently the main consideration when the MIC central working committee took a step back from committing to PN, saying it is studying the sentiments of the Indian community on the recent PAS “takeover” of PN.

For PAS, however, its hopes of an association with MIC stems from the possibility of using the party to further make inroads in Johor, where Indian voters form an estimated 16% of the electorate. Its pact with MIC in Johor and Malacca could become a yardstick to draw up strategies for the next general election, and for the future.

This looks to be the only reason for PN’s ultimatum for MIC to make an official decision as soon as possible — the hope that pulling away MIC will weaken PH and BN in one way or the other.

It’s obviously not out of love for MIC but just another step in the PN/PAS journey to eventually capturing federal power.

‘Unity banquet’ to replace barred temple association’s Hari Raya open house

FMT:

‘Unity banquet’ to replace barred temple association’s Hari Raya open house

Penang deputy chief minister Mohamad Abdul Hamid says the Zhao Zi Long Cultural and Arts Association will co-host the event with Bagan Ajam residents on April 11

Penang deputy chief minister Mohamad Abdul Hamid said the state national unity and integration department will help coordinate the April 11 unity banquet. (Bernama pic)

GEORGE TOWN: A “unity banquet” will be held in Butterworth to replace a temple association’s Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house that was barred by the Penang Islamic religious department.

Deputy chief minister Mohamad Abdul Hamid said the Zhao Zi Long Cultural and Arts Association of Penang will co-organise the banquet with Bagan Ajam residents at Dewan Panorama Bagan Ajam in Butterworth on April 11.

“Following advice from the Penang national unity and integration department, the state Islamic religious department and council will leave coordination of this event to the unity department, under whose jurisdiction all unity-related activities fall,” Mohamad said in a statement today.

The department had prohibited the Butterworth-based Tean Hock Keong Association from hosting its Hari Raya Aidilfitri open house on grounds that the celebration is a Muslim religious activity.

The department’s director, Marzuki Hassan, said in a March 31 letter to the association that all Islamic religious activities, including celebrations related to Hari Raya Aidilfitri, required permission from the Penang Islamic religious council.

The association had explained in an April 5 letter that the open house aimed to “foster unity, strengthen ties of friendship, and reinforce harmony in the local community”.

Bangi MP censures former S'pore lawmaker over 'callous remarks' on Iran

Bangi MP censures former S'pore lawmaker over 'callous remarks' on Iran

Published: Apr 8, 2026 4:49 PM
Updated: 8:14 PM


DAP lawmaker Syahredzan Johan has slammed a former Singapore nominated MP for making a veiled jab at Malaysia regarding its foreign policy.

This came after Calvin Cheng criticised countries that negotiate with Iran for safe passage for their oil tankers and claimed that Singapore did not adopt such an approach because it “doesn’t negotiate with terrorists”.

In a Facebook post today, Syahredzan said Malaysians do not appreciate “outsiders” like Cheng (above, right) making such comments.

“... his remark about countries that have ‘negotiated safe passage’ but ‘running out of oil next month’ is to me a clear reference to Malaysia, even if he does not mention us by name.

“Let me make this clear: we respect Singapore’s position in this conflict. Each country has different energy needs and uses different ways to overcome the crisis.

“Malaysia, too, will chart its own path for its people. Our government will do what is needed to protect the people of Malaysia, including negotiating for passage through the Strait of Hormuz,” the Bangi MP said.

“Go ahead and support your country’s position. That is your right. But leave us out of it,” he added.

Yesterday, Cheng, who served as a lawmaker in Singapore between 2009 and 2011, shared on Facebook a screenshot of a news article about Singapore refusing to negotiate with Iran for safe passage through the strait.

He accompanied the post with a statement supporting the decision while condemning Iran and other countries that decided to negotiate with the West Asian nation.

‘Iran not a terrorist organisation’

Syahredzan claimed Cheng’s remark had also misrepresented Singapore’s position on the issue.

According to the DAP leader, Singaporean Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan - who was quoted in the article - did not say that the republic refused to negotiate because Singapore doesn’t negotiate with terrorists.

“Iran is a sovereign state, not a terrorist organisation.

“All countries that negotiated for safe passage through the strait do so with the Islamic Republic of Iran, the state, and this, of course, includes Malaysia. Not some organisation or body, but the state itself.

“With this sort of callous remarks and his previous statements, it is no wonder he has been accused of Islamophobia,” said Syahredzan, referring to a controversy last year following a remark that Cheng made about the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Trump: China prompted Iran to negotiate ceasefire, AFP reports

Trump: China prompted Iran to negotiate ceasefire, AFP reports



US President Donald Trump mimics firing a gun as he speaks about the conflict in Iran in the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House on April 6, 2026, in Washington, DC. — AFP pic

Wednesday, 08 Apr 2026 6:09 PM MYT


WASHINGTON, April 8 — US President Donald Trump told AFP on Thursday that he believes China got Iran to negotiate a ceasefire in the war against Israel and the United States.

The Chinese foreign ministry said on Wednesday that it welcomed the ceasefire, adding that China had made its own efforts towards realising lasting peace in the Middle East.


“China has consistently advocated for an immediate ceasefire and cessation of hostilities, as well as the resolution of disputes through political and diplomatic channels,” ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said.


She did not detail what China’s efforts were when asked at a regular news briefing. — Reuters

Hedges Report: Ground War With Iran?

Consortium News
Volume 31, Number 96 — Tuesday, April 7, 2026


Hedges Report: Ground War With Iran?


More than a month into the conflict, Army Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson’s central warning is blunt: if Washington commits troops on Iranian soil, the result could be a military disaster on a scale policymakers appear unwilling to acknowledge

By ScheerPost Staff
ScheerPost

In a stark and unsettling conversation on The Chris Hedges Report, journalist Chris Hedges sits down with retired Army Colonel Lawrence Wilkerson to confront a question now hanging over Washington’s war planning: Is the United States preparing to send ground forces into Iran?

The interview arrives at a moment when the American-Israeli war on Iran has already burned through massive military resources, destabilized global markets and failed to produce anything resembling a clear strategic victory. More than a month into the conflict, the central warning from Wilkerson is blunt: if Washington commits troops on Iranian soil, the result could be a military disaster on a scale policymakers appear unwilling to acknowledge.

Rather than describing the conflict as an isolated confrontation, Wilkerson places it inside a much larger geopolitical struggle — one tied to declining American economic leverage and the attempt to preserve dominance over global trade routes increasingly shaped by China. In his view, the war cannot be understood simply through the language of retaliation or deterrence; it reflects deeper anxieties inside an empire confronting limits it no longer knows how to manage.

That argument gives the interview its sharpest edge: the possibility that military escalation is being driven less by coherent strategy than by a collapsing political imagination in Washington.

Wilkerson, whose long military career included service under Colin Powell, argues that planners inside the Pentagon have historically understood the risks of a direct ground confrontation with Iran. Unlike previous wars launched under assumptions of rapid dominance, Iran presents terrain, manpower, regional alliances and retaliatory capacity that could quickly turn invasion into prolonged attrition.

The concern is not only battlefield cost. The interview points repeatedly to how the war is already redrawing global alignments. Iranian retaliation, regional uncertainty and threats to energy routes through the Persian Gulf have intensified fears of wider economic shock, with Wilkerson warning that continued escalation could accelerate conditions for a global depression.

One of the most alarming moments in the discussion centers on Israel. Both Hedges and Wilkerson raise concern that if Israeli leadership sees conventional military objectives slipping away, pressure could mount for far more extreme measures — including actions that would permanently transform the conflict and likely push Iran toward openly pursuing nuclear weapons.

That possibility exposes a contradiction running through Western war rhetoric: a campaign supposedly justified in the name of preventing escalation may instead be creating exactly the conditions for irreversible escalation.

Wilkerson’s proposed exit is politically simple but strategically difficult: declare victory and withdraw. Frame retreat as success before the conflict hardens into another generational war.

But he openly doubts whether the current administration possesses either the discipline or independence to do that. His most cutting remark suggests that many driving policy are not fully directing events themselves, but acting under pressures they neither control nor clearly explain.

The interview leaves viewers with a grim historical echo. From Vietnam War to Iraq War, American military history is crowded with conflicts entered under promises of control and exited under the weight of miscalculation.

What makes this moment especially dangerous is that many of those lessons appear visible — and ignored.

The central force of the discussion is not prediction but warning: once a ground war begins, political leaders often lose the ability to shape where it ends.

Chris Hedges is a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist who was a foreign correspondent for 15 years for The New York Times, where he served as the Middle East bureau chief and Balkan bureau chief for the paper. He previously worked overseas for The Dallas Morning News, The Christian Science Monitor and NPR. He is the host of show “The Chris Hedges Report.”

This article is from ScheerPost.

12 TYPES OF @$$E$ YOU SHUD NOT VOTE FOR IN GE 16

 

OutSyed The Box

Saturday, April 4, 2026

12 TYPES OF @$$E$ YOU SHUD NOT VOTE FOR IN GE 16

 

Military Watch:

U.S. Military Leaders Purged as Invasion of Iran Faces Major Brass Opposition

North America, Western Europe and Oceania , Ground

Military Watch Magazine Editorial Staff

April-4th-2026

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Dismissed Generals Randy George and David Hodne

U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has led an extensive purge of the U.S. Armed Forces leadership with few precedents in recent history, dismissing U.S. Army Chief of Staff General Randy George, and multiple other senior generals including David Hodne and William Green. Hegseth commented that George’s position needed to be filled by someone better able to "implement President Trump's vision,” fuelling considerable speculation that opposition from the military leadership to plans for a ground invasion of Iran were a primary factor in the decision to replace them. General George was responsible for preparing and equipping the Army for large-scale combat operations, and is reported to have expressed serious concerns about the high risks, extreme costs, and high potential for heavy casualties should a full-scale ground invasion be launched.

U.S. Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth

The removal of top commanders in wartime is rare, and has raised concerns about continuity and readiness in the campaign. The decision has faced particular criticism due to Hegseth’s own almost total lack of experience, having himself been a political appointee with an activist agenda inside the Pentagon, rather than a traditional defence bureaucrat. There has been no single official explanation for the purges, and the removal of multiple other senior military leaders have been reported but not confirmed. Multiple sources describe a broader pattern of dismissals and replacements across senior ranks, raising concerns regarding the politicisation of the military and a shift toward loyalist leadership.

U.S. Marines Conduct Amphibious Landing During Exercises

War-game style simulations conducted by the U.S. Armed Forces and various U.S. think tanks have not only cautioned against launching a war against Iran, but also pointed to a potential ground invasion as having particularly disastrous outcomes. The Iranian Armed Forces’ ability to sustain missile and drone attacks, as demonstrated since February 28, are likely to leave landing ships and U.S. ground units highly vulnerable to targeting, providing more ludicrous targets than U.S. forces based in the Gulf and elsewhere in the region. With multiple sources indicating that the U.S. has already suffered major casualties in its campaign due to the targeting of bases, hotels and compounds hosting them, this is likely to have further increased the controversy of escalating to deploy ground forces on Iranian soil.