Tag: perpetual war

“Nuclear Bombs On Rent”? Has Saudi Arabia Just Rented Pakistan’s Nukes By Signing Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement?

In the grand halls of Riyadh’s royal palaces, where the air carries the smell of incense and strong purpose, two leaders came together on September 17, 2025. Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif signed a deal that feels like a big shake-up in the Middle East.

This Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement, or SMDA, says that if one country is attacked, it’s like attacking both.

This sounds a lot like NATO’s famous Article 5, where members promise to defend each other. But this agreement is different—it’s between just two countries, and it hints at Pakistan’s nuclear weapons, about 170 of them, which Saudi Arabia has wanted for years.

Has the Kingdom, which guards the sentiments of millions, basically rented a nuclear shield from its friend without building its own? Has Pakistan opened up a shop selling protection to other countries?

This isn’t just a simple agreement; it’s a smart move that could bring Islamic nations closer or start a big worry about nuclear spread from Iran to Israel. Pakistan has started a trend of ‘RENT THE BOMB’.

The signing event was full of symbols—green and white flags waving like proud banners, the two men in traditional robes and suits shaking hands under high ceilings. But behind the pictures lies a deeper story.

For more than 50 years, Saudi Arabia and Pakistan have been close allies. The Saudis have sent billions of dollars—over $30 billion since the 1980s—to help Pakistan with its military and economy.

In return, Pakistan has sent soldiers to protect Mecca and Medina, like during the 1979 takeover of the Grand Mosque, and trained Saudi troops to fight rebels. It was a fair trade:

Pakistan, stuck between big India and troubled Afghanistan, needed money to build its nuclear program after losing half its country in 1971. Saudi Arabia, surrounded by enemies like revolutionary Iran and Iraq, wanted a strong Sunni partner.

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US introduces bill to transfer frozen Russian assets to Kyiv

According to a document published by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, several amendments must be made to laws signed by former President Joe Biden in 2024. These laws allow the US government to confiscate Russia’s frozen assets and provide military assistance to Ukraine. According to lawmakers from both parties, the Washington administration, in particular, should begin transferring the aforementioned funds to Kiev “every 90 days.” It is assumed that the top US diplomat would allocate at least $250 million to Ukraine during this period.

According to the bill, the Washington administration should “implement a robust, sustained diplomatic campaign to persuade US allies” to also start using at least 5% of frozen Russian assets in Ukraine’s interests. US lawmakers estimate that this would initially amount to approximately $15 billion. Senators believe that other countries should transfer funds to Kiev at least once every 90 days, according to a report by TASS.

In addition, senators want to require the Washington administration to report on the amount of Russian sovereign assets, including frozen assets, held outside the United States.

Since the start of the special military operation, the EU, Canada, the US, and Japan have frozen approximately $300 billion in Russian assets. Of these, about $5-6 billion are in the US, with most in Europe, including $210 billion held at the Euroclear international platform in Belgium. As the Russian Foreign Ministry has warned, Moscow will take immediate action in response to the possible confiscation of its assets in the West.

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Taliban Rejects Trump’s Call to Return Afghan Air Base to US Control

The Taliban regime on Sept. 21 rejected President Donald Trump’s call for the United States to regain control of the Bagram Air Base, the main base for U.S. forces in Afghanistan before their 2021 withdrawal.

In a statement, the Taliban emphasized that “Afghanistan’s independence and territorial integrity are of the utmost importance” and urged the United States to abide by the pledge it made under the 2020 Doha Agreement.

“It should be recalled that, under the Doha Agreement, the United States pledged that ‘it will not use or threaten force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Afghanistan, nor interfere in its internal affairs.’ Therefore, it is necessary that they remain faithful to their commitments,” the Afghan ruler stated.

The regime also expressed its intention to have “constructive relations” with the United States “on the basis of mutual and shared interests.”

“Accordingly, it is once again underscored that, rather than repeating past failed approaches, a policy of realism and rationality should be adopted,” it stated.

In response, Trump warned on the Truth Social platform that “bad things are going to happen” if the Taliban regime refuses to return control of the major air base to the United States.

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Adam Schiff, Tim Kaine Introduce Bill To Protect Caribbean Drug Traffickers From Trump Strikes

Sens. Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and Tim Kaine (D-Va.) introduced a resolution on Friday aimed at halting U.S. military strikes on drug trafficking operations in the Caribbean, saying the actions were launched without congressional approval.

The measure, filed under the War Powers Act, would prohibit use of the military against non-state groups involved in drug trafficking unless Congress authorizes it. War powers resolutions are privileged, meaning the Senate must take up the measure for debate and a vote.

The move follows two recent military strikes in the Southern Caribbean Sea—on Sept. 2 and Sept. 15—that targeted vessels that were carrying narcotics. Democratic lawmakers say they have not received key details about the incidents, including who was on board, the cargo, and the legal basis for lethal force.

President Donald Trump has said the vessels belonged to “extraordinarily violent drug trafficking cartels and narcoterrorists” operating out of Venezuela. He said the boats were carrying narcotics bound for the United States, calling them a direct threat to U.S. national security and vital interests.

“If you are transporting drugs that can kill Americans, we are hunting you,” Trump said after the Sept. 15 operation, which killed three people. He added there was “recorded evidence” that drugs were on board, including large bags of cocaine and fentanyl scattered in the water after the strike.

“Congress alone holds the power to declare war,” Schiff said in announcing the resolution. “And while we share with the executive branch the imperative of preventing and deterring drugs from reaching our shores, blowing up boats without any legal justification risks dragging the United States into another war and provoking unjustified hostilities against our own citizens.”

Kaine alleged the Trump administration had failed to explain why standard interdiction methods were not used.

“President Trump has no legal authority to launch strikes or use military force in the Caribbean or elsewhere in the Western Hemisphere,” Kaine said, adding that “Congress simply cannot let itself be stiff-armed as this administration continues to flout the law.”

The White House has said the earlier strike on Sept. 2 targeted the operations of Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan transnational gang designated as a foreign terrorist organization, and that it was conducted in defense of U.S. national interests.

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Netanyahu Fumes as UK, Canada, Australia, and Portugal Announce Recognition of Palestinian State

The UK, Australia, Canada, and Portugal all announced on Sunday their formal recognition of a Palestinian state, a step that comes a day before the opening of the UN General Assembly in New York.

“Today, to revive the hope of peace for the Palestinians and Israelis, and a two-state solution, the United Kingdom formally recognises the State of Palestine,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said in a post on X.

In response to the announcements, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that there would never be a Palestinian state and bragged about his work over the years to prevent one.

“It’s not going to happen. There will be no Palestinian state to the west of the Jordan River,” Netanyahu said. “For years, I have prevented the creation of that terror state, against tremendous pressure, both domestic and from abroad.

The Israeli leader also said Israel would continue expanding Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. “Moreover, we have doubled the Jewish settlement in Judea and Samaria, and we will continue on this path,” he said.

The Trump administration has discouraged its allies from recognizing a Palestinian state and has banned Palestinian Authority officials from attending the General Assembly. Trump has previously threatened a trade deal with Canada over its plans to recognize Palestine.

Netanyahu said that he will announce his response to the Western countries recognizing Palestine after he returns from the US. The Israeli leader will attend the General Assembly in New York and is expected to travel to Washington for his fourth White House visit of the year.

Netanyahu and his government are considering annexing parts of the West Bank, and some Israeli officials called for the Israeli prime minister to take the step after the UK’s announcement.

“The days when Britain and other countries determined our future are over, the mandate has ended, and the only response to the anti-Israeli move is sovereignty over the homeland of the Jewish people in Judea and Samaria, and the removal of the foolish idea of a Palestinian state from the agenda forever,” Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich wrote on X. “Mr. Prime Minister, this is the time, and it is in your hands.”

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Donald Trump vows to defend Poland if it came up against Russia after its drones sparked ‘biggest escalation since WWII’

Donald Trump has vowed to defend Poland if it came up against Russia after its drone incursion sparked the biggest escalation since World War II. 

The US President made the commitment when speaking to journalists gathered outside the White House today as he left to attend the memorial for assassinated conservative activist Charlie Kirk. 

He was asked: ‘Will you help defend Poland and the Baltic States from Russia if Russia keeps escalating?’

The American premier responded: ‘Yeah, I would, I will.’ 

It comes after suicide drones sent by Russian president Vladimir Putin ‘repeatedly violated’ Polish airspace earlier this month during a Kremlin attack on Ukraine. 

The Nato country was forced to scramble its air defenses to take out the craft in the early hours of September 10 – in its first engagement since the Russia-Ukraine war began in February 2022. 

Some 19 Shahed-2 drones entered Polish airspace with at least three shot down – and just days later, another was neutralised over Poland’s presidential palace. 

It saw Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warn ‘we are closer to war than any time since World War II’ as he denounced the ‘large-scale provocation’, which tests ‘Nato’s response threshold’. 

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Venezuela Announces Capture of Alleged DEA Agent With Massive Drug Shipment

Venezuelan authorities announced on Wednesday the seizure of nearly 3.7 metric tons of cocaine and the arrest of several individuals, including a man they claim is a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) agent.

Interior Minister Diosdado Cabello said security forces intercepted a speedboat in the waters off Falcón state on September 14, carrying 100 sacks of cocaine and 2,400 liters of fuel. The operation, which Cabello described as “clean,” ended with five arrests. The detainees were identified as Joel Luis Rodríguez Ramos, Jesús Antonio Quilarte Carreño, Jhonny José Salazar Gutiérrez, Carlos Alberto Bravo Lemus, and Levi Enrique López, who Cabello alleged is linked to the DEA.

According to Cabello, the detainees confessed the shipment was part of a “false flag operation” designed to incriminate Venezuela in international drug trafficking and justify external aggression. “The four detainees are saying they work for the DEA,” Cabello told state television, calling the alleged plan a “maneuver for destabilization.”

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Trump Says ‘Bad Things Are Going to Happen’ If Afghanistan Doesn’t Hand Over Bagram Air Base

President Trump on Saturday warned that “bad things would happen” if Afghanistan didn’t agree to hand over the Bagram Air Base back to the US military, an idea that’s been rejected by the Taliban-led government in Kabul.

“If Afghanistan doesn’t give Bagram Airbase back to those that built it, the United States of America, BAD THINGS ARE GOING TO HAPPEN!!!” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

While Trump claims the US built Bagram, the airfield was first constructed by the Soviet Union. Bagram became the largest US military base in Afghanistan during the 20-year US war in the country, and US forces pulled out of the airfield during the withdrawal in 2021.

Trump said during his visit to the UK last week that one of the reasons he wants Bagram is because it’s “an hour away from where China makes its nuclear weapons.” The president made similar comments while he was on the campaign trail in 2024, saying that if he were still president during the withdrawal, he was going to “keep Bagram” and leave 4,000 troops at the facility.

In response to Trump’s latest comments, the Taliban-led government, known officially as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, called on the US president to uphold the Doha agreement, referring to the deal that was negotiated by the first Trump administration and led to President Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan.

“Under the Doha agreement, the United States pledged that it will not use or threaten force against the territorial integrity or political independence of Afghanistan, nor interfere in its internal affairs. Therefore, it is necessary that they remain faithful to their commitments,” said Afghan government spokesman Hamdullah Fitrat, according to TOLO News.

Trump had suggested that the US may be working on a diplomatic deal with Afghanistan on Bagram, but that was rejected by Fasihuddin Fitrat, the chief of staff of Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry.

“Recently, some voices claim that we are in talks with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to negotiate the return of Bagram Airfield, or that we are seeking a political settlement after failing to take it by force. We assure the people of Afghanistan that no agreement over even an inch of our soil is possible,” Fitrat said.

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NATO Country’s Defense Chief Urges Shooting Down Russian Warplanes

A top government official from a NATO country is calling for shooting down Russian aircraft the next time they breach an alliance member’s airspace, following several drone and border incidents this month.

“NATO’s border in the North East is being tested for a reason. We need to mean business,” Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė wrote on X Friday, the same day that three Russian warplanes reportedly breached neighboring Estonia’s airspace over the Gulf of Finland.

“Three Russian fighter jets over Tallinn is one more hard proof that Eastern Sentry is long due,” she stated.

The Lithuanian defense chief concluded her message by invoking an incident which makes clear she’s in favor of shooting down Russian jets.

“Türkiye set an example 10 years ago. Some food for thought,” the minister wrote.

This was in reference to the unprecedented incident in which Turkish Air Force F-16s downed a Russian Su-24 over the Turkey-Syria border area in November 2015.

Lithuania has joined Poland’s call for urgent consultations with members of the NATO alliance under its Article 4. Article 4 consultations can lead to the alliance taking action if the consensus is reached. 

Regional observer Notes from Poland says “It has previously been invoked seven times, including by Poland and seven other countries when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.”

Upon Friday’s incident the Estonian foreign ministry described that three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets “entered Estonian airspace without permission and remained there for a total of 12 minutes.”

Additionally, EU diplomat Kaja Kallas, who hails from the Baltic country and was the first female prime minister, blasted the incursion as “an extremely dangerous provocation”.

European leaders are using these increasing instances to push for an ‘eastern flank’ aerial defense shield protecting NATO. Just last week the two largest eastern members of NATO said that Russian drones breached their airspace.

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Israel Wants ‘Aerial Corridor’ Over Syria to Strike Iran

Tel Aviv’s primary objective in discussions with Damascus is to establish an aerial corridor over Syria so Israel can restart its war against Iran. 

Axios reports that Israel presented the Syrian government, led by Ahmed al-Sharaa, with a maximalist agreement that would establish a no-fly zone over Syria. Additionally, Tel Aviv wants a large swath of Syria, from the Israeli border to Damascus, to become a demilitarized zone. 

An Israeli source told the outlet that an essential part of the agreement will be maintaining the ability to use Syrian airspace to attack Iran. “A central principle of the Israeli proposal is maintaining an aerial corridor to Iran via Syria, which would allow for potential future Israeli strikes in Iran,” they said. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu started an unprovoked war with Iran in June. Tel Aviv targeted leadership in Tehran, nuclear facilities, and scientists. President Donald Trump joined the war by striking three Iranian nuclear sites that Israel lacked the military capability to destroy. 

Israeli forces currently occupy southern Syria. Israel promised to withdraw its troops from Syria if Damascus accepted the agreement. On Wednesday, Sharaa said a deal with Israel was possible “in the coming days.”

Tel Aviv made a similar agreement with Hezbollah, where Israeli soldiers were scheduled to withdraw from South Lebanon after Hezbollah moved its forces out of the region. However, after the Hezbollah withdrawal, Tel Aviv maintained its occupation. Israel is now demanding that Hezbollah entirely disarm. 

The Israeli invasion of Syria began after President Bashar al-Assad was overthrown by al-Sharaa last year. Al-Sharaa, formerly Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, is the founder of al-Qaeda’s Syria affiliate. President Donald Trump has met with Sharaa and lifted some sanctions on Syria in a push to get Damascus to make a deal with Tel Aviv.

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