Tag: perpetual war

Chinese engineer’s tutorial on how to take down a US F-35 went viral. 5 days later, Iran claimed it did

Chinese people with expertise in technology and some who understand military equipment are creating tutorials to help Iran bring down the United States, according to a report. The reasons are not political, but personal.

Chinese people with expertise in defence are telling Iran how to attack American jets and carriers

Technically skilled people in China are sharing their knowledge online to help Iran counter the American military in the ongoing war. Someone posted a detailed tutorial on how to bring down the F-35 fighter jet on Chinese social media, and five days later, Iran claimed that it had struck the plane, SCMP reported. The video posted on March 14 went viral and garnered tens of millions of views, while the Iranian claim came on March 19.

Chinese tutorials on how to bring down F-35 fighter jet

The account “Laohu Talks World” posted Persian subtitles alongside it and explained how Iran could use its low-cost systems to destroy the advanced stealth fighter. The outlet reported that such tutorials have exploded online in China. Those with backgrounds in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) are sharing content to help Iran fight against the US and Israel, with some of them seemingly extremely aware of military equipment.

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Trump’s Tone-Deaf Sales Pitch for More War

The President’s address to the nation was a tone-deaf sales pitch for more war, delivered on the first night of Passover.

Civilian and military casualties are mounting across the region. Lives are being extinguished while triumphalist and violent rhetoric is offered as justification. War is being escalated in the name of peace, a contradiction that demands moral clarity, not political acceptance.

Each life lost carries equal value. No nation’s suffering is expendable. No people exist as collateral.

Iran is not an abstraction, nor just a target on a map. It is one of the great cradles of civilization, a society whose cultural and intellectual contributions long predate the rise of the modern West. To speak casually of bombing such a nation ‘back to the Stone Age’ reveals a colonial mindset that dehumanizes others and diminishes our own humanity in the process.

The extensive bombing of Iran by the United States and Israel, along with Iran’s counterstrikes, is already taking innocent lives. The global economy is destabilizing as a result.

Energy markets are being disrupted. Oil and gas production is constrained. Fertilizer supply chains are impaired. Critical materials are being cut off.

These consequences will be felt worldwide. Yet the deeper crisis is not economic, it is moral.

We have seen this before. The repeated invocation of a nuclear threat echoes the false claims of ‘Weapons of Mass Destruction’ used to justify the invasion of Iraq. That war cost thousands of American lives, the lives of hundreds of thousands of Iraqis, and trillions of dollars, while leaving a legacy of instability and grief that endures to this day.

If the President truly sought to prevent a nuclear Iran, he would not have abandoned the JCPOA, an agreement that placed verifiable limits on Iran’s nuclear program. Instead, we are presented with a cycle of escalation that defies logic and invites catastrophe.

Political rhetoric is becoming increasingly radical and dangerous. This is not a question of partisan politics. It is a question of conscience with very real global and domestic consequences.

The American people are not called to accept this. They are called to stand against it.

Members of Congress must have the courage to exercise their constitutional authority and rein this in.

War framed as strength is destruction. Violence presented as necessity is gratuitous violence, with consequences already accelerating destabilizing shifts in the global order.

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Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing: How Ukraine Meddled In the U.S. Election

Sometimes, political events far from American soil strike directly at the heart of U.S. policy. The upcoming parliamentary elections in Hungary on April 12, 2026, and the heated campaign now unfolding there are exposing information with profound implications for President Trump’s Administration and its relationships with nations long viewed as reliable partners – if not outright allies.

A single incident rarely commands attention on its own. But when it surfaces amid a pattern of events all pointing in the same direction, it demands serious scrutiny.

Hungary, that picturesque Central European nation, has become a vital strategic asset and trusted partner for the current administration.

The warm personal friendship between President Trump and Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is well known, but the deeper bond rests on shared principles: robust democracy rooted in national sovereignty, strict controls on migration, energy security, military strength, economic prosperity, and technological leadership.

Orbán’s platform mirrors our own “America First” agenda. He battles the same globalist elites in Brussels who enjoy the quiet backing of the Democratic Party. In many respects, the Hungarian government is fighting the very war Trump waged here at home.

Recent statements from Trump Administration officials affirming U.S. support for Orbán’s Fidesz party only underscore this alignment.

Then, at the close of March 2026, Orbán dropped a political bombshell. He publicly charged that Ukraine under President Zelenskyy had funneled billions of dollars – laundered through Hungary – into efforts to support Kamala Harris during the 2024 U.S. presidential election.

Hungarian officials, including Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó, detailed transfers of Ukrainian aid money routed westward to boost Democrats.

Why would Kyiv interfere in the election of its biggest benefactor? The motive is as obvious as it is cynical: a Democrat in the Oval Office might have guaranteed endless blank-check billions with minimal oversight, allowing Zelenskyy to prolong a bloody conflict indefinitely.

The backdrop of Ukraine-Hungary relations makes the accusation even more credible. Tensions have skyrocketed in recent months. Budapest has repeatedly demanded that Kyiv repair the Druzhba (Friendship) oil pipeline so Hungary and Slovakia could once again receive affordable Russian crude.

Zelenskyy refused, citing “infrastructure damage” without providing evidence, and barred technical inspection teams from assessing the site.

During a tense, media-covered meeting in his presidential office, Zelenskyy reportedly blackmailed Orbán over the issue.

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Iran shares ‘video of rescuers hunting for downed American pilot’ after showing wreckage of ‘shot down F-15 fighter jet’

Iran has aired footage of an alleged US search and rescue effort amid claims an American warplane was shot down over the country earlier today.

Iranian television channels have shared video of a helicopter said to be flying low over the countryside across southern Iran apparently trying to locate the pilot. The US military and White House are yet to comment on the claims.

It comes after Iranian military earlier today claimed it has brought down a F-35 fighter jet and forced it to crash.

However, pictures posted by Iranian media of the wreckage appeared to match an F-15 Strike Eagle aircraft based at a British RAF base. 

Aviation experts studying pictures posted of the apparent wreckage say it sports the US Air Force in Europe badge as well as a red tail flash belonging to the 494th Fighter Squadron based at RAF Lakenheath in Suffolk.

Meanwhile Iran has unleashed a ferocious attack on Gulf energy sites striking an oil refinery and desalination plant in Kuwait as well as a major gas complex in Abu Dhabi.

Authorities in Kuwait say one of its power and desalination plants has been damaged following an Iranian hit while the Habshan gas plant in the UAE has suspended operations in response to falling debris.

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Austria denies US military access to its airspace for Iran operations

Austria has rejected multiple US requests to use its airspace for military operations against Iran, citing neutrality laws, Austrian Defense Ministry spokesperson Colonel Michael Bauer announced on 2 April.

“There have indeed been requests, and they were refused from the outset,” Bauer said in a statement reported by public broadcaster ORF, adding that “every time a similar request involves a country at war, it is refused.”

A Defense Ministry spokesperson confirmed there had been “several” requests from Washington but did not specify the number, noting that each case is assessed under Austria’s legal obligation to avoid involvement in active wars.

The ministry added that Austria is not enforcing a blanket ban but is reviewing overflight requests individually in coordination with the Foreign Ministry. 

Still, officials emphasized that neutrality remains the main guiding principle behind each decision.

Opposition figures in Austria have called for an even stricter stance, with Sven Hergovich saying Defense Minister Klaudia Tanner “should not approve a single further US military flight to the Gulf,” warning the war is harming “Austrian economic interests, Europe as a whole, and world peace.”

US President Donald Trump criticized European allies as “very unhelpful” and said Washington would “remember” their refusal to support military efforts to take control of the Strait of Hormuz from Iran.

The move places Austria among a growing group of states restricting US military access as Washington and Tel Aviv continue their assault on Iran, favoring either diplomacy over military operations to end the fighting.

Earlier, Italy had also restricted US military access, denying warplanes permission to land at the Sigonella Air Base after flight plans were submitted mid-air without prior approval. 

Officials said the request fell outside existing agreements and lacked authorization, prompting Rome to block the landing except in case of emergencies.

Italian political figures had stressed that Italy “is not at war with Iran and does not want to enter it.”

Earlier, Spain had also barred US-linked warplanes involved in strikes on Iran from using its airspace and bases for combat operations, rejecting all related flight plans, including refueling missions.

Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Madrid had denied access for “this illegal war,” while allowing limited logistical support under existing agreement obligations, and also maintaining exceptions for emergencies. 

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US stock markets fall, oil soars as Trump promises to bomb Iran ‘back to the stone age’

The value of US stock markets fell, while the price of oil soared in early trading on 2 April following US President Donald Trump’s speech in which he vowed to bomb Iran “back to the Stone Age.”

The president said on Wednesday evening from the White House that the US would continue its bombing campaign on Iran “until our objectives are fully achieved,” suggesting the war will last longer than expected.

“I can say tonight that we are on track to complete all of America’s military objectives shortly, very shortly. We’re going to hit them extremely hard over the next two to three weeks – we’re going to bring them back to the Stone Age, where they belong,” Trump vowed.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell some 1.3 percent when the US stock market opened the following morning. The S&P 500 index was also down 1.3 percent, while the Nasdaq composite was down 1.7 percent. Much of the losses were recovered over the course of the trading day.

Oil prices rose sharply and remained high throughout the day. The price of US crude rose to $113 – a 13 percent gain.

Brent crude, the international baseline, rose more than eight percent, to $109 per barrel.

US stock markets rallied, and the price of oil fell to start the week, after Trump stated on Sunday he was having “serious discussions” with a “new and more reasonable regime in Tehran.”

But the price of oil has risen following Trump’s remarks, which underscored that the war will not end soon and the Strait of Hormuz will remain closed indefinitely.

Since the US and Israel launched a war on Iran on 28 February, the strategic waterway has effectively remained closed due to the threat of Iranian attacks and soaring insurance premiums for vessels wishing to transit it.

Energy prices have since skyrocketed, as Gulf oil exports through the strait have ground to a halt.

During his Wednesday address, Trump expressed no urgency in opening Hormuz, instead criticizing European nations suffering from fuel shortages for refusing to send their own warships to reopen it.

“To those countries that can’t get fuel – many of which refused to get involved in the decapitation of Iran, we had to do it ourselves – I have a suggestion,” he said.

“Number one, buy oil from the United States of America; we have plenty. We have so much. And number two, build up some delayed courage … Go to the strait and just take it. Protect it. Use it for yourselves. Iran has been essentially decimated. The hard part is done.”

Trump claimed that Hormuz would likely “just open up naturally” at the close of the war.

He called rising gas prices in the US a “short-term” matter, while claiming “the United States has never been better prepared economically to confront this threat.”

Regarding Trump’s threats, Esmail Baghaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Foreign Ministry, said Thursday that Tehran has “no choice but to fight back strongly.”

“We will not tolerate this vicious cycle of war, negotiations, ceasefire, and then repeating the same pattern,” he said in a statement reported by state media. “This is catastrophic not only for Iran, but for the entire region and beyond.”

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US, Israel destroy Iran’s historic Pasteur Institute, highest bridge in West Asia

US-Israeli airstrikes hit major infrastructure across Iran on 2 April, including a medical institute more than 100 years old and a key bridge linking Tehran to the city of Karaj. 

The Iranian Health Ministry said Thursday that the Pasteur Institute of Iran, founded in 1920 in collaboration with the Pasteur Institute of Paris, was heavily damaged in the latest US-Israeli attacks on the country.

The institute specializes in combatting infectious diseases and outbreaks such as rabies, smallpox, and cholera. It is also a leading hub for the production of vaccines. 

An Iranian Health Ministry spokesman, Hossein Kermanpour, called the strike “a direct assault on international health security” and an attack on “a century-old pillar of global health.”

Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Esmail Baghaei called the attack “heartbreaking, cruel, despicable, and utterly outrageous,” stressing it was “not merely another war crime, but a barbaric assault on basic human core values.” Over 300 health facilities have been damaged by US-Israeli strikes since the start of the war.

Washington and Tel Aviv also attacked on Thursday the B1 Bridge in Alborz – also known as the Ebrahim Raisi Bridge and recognized as the tallest bridge in the region.

It was developed with the involvement of the Khatam al-Anbiya Construction Headquarters, standing 136 meters high and stretching over a kilometer across the Karaj River valley.

It is now severely damaged, images have shown.

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Golden Dome, ships and missiles top Trump’s $1.9 trillion fiscal 2027 defence wish list  

US President Donald Trump is set to unveil a US$1.5 trillion (S$1.9 trillion) defence budget request for the next fiscal year on April 3, by far the largest year-over-year increase in defence spending in the post-World War II era.

Funding for Mr Trump’s marquee but controversial US$185 billion “Golden Dome” missile defence shield is expected to be included in the budget request, as well as Lockheed Martin F-35 jets and warships.

Procurement of Virginia-class submarines made by General Dynamics, and Huntington Ingalls Industries as well as other top shipbuilding priorities is expected.

In 2025, Mr Trump asked Congress for a national defence budget of US$892.6 billion then added US$150 billion through a supplemental budget request, sending the total price tag over US$1 trillion for the first time in history.

While the budget request framework for the fiscal year ending Sept 30, 2027, is set to be unveiled on April 3, a Pentagon official said more details on the defence budget will be announced on April 21.

Earlier this year the administration was contemplating whether the US$1.5 trillion budget request could be in the form of a US$900 billion national security budget, with a US$400 billion to US$600 billion additional request, similar to the structure used in 2026.

The administration plans to use funds for more weapons production in the hopes of deterring Chinese aggression in the Indo-Pacific region and to rebuild weapons stocks depleted by conflicts in Israel, Iran and Ukraine.

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Pentagon officials ‘cover up’ mounting casualties of troops in West Asia: Report

Nearly 750 US soldiers have been injured or killed since October 2023, The Intercept revealed in a new investigation released on 1 April – citing a defense official as saying that Washington is engaged in a “casualty coverup.”

At least 15 soldiers were injured last week in an Iranian attack on an air base in Saudi Arabia, two officials confirmed to the outlet, adding that “Hundreds of US personnel have been killed or injured in the region since the US launched a war on Iran just over a month ago.”

The report adds that CENTCOM’s updates have been outdated. 

“Since the start of Operation Epic Fury, approximately 303 US service members have been wounded,” CENTCOM spokesman Tim Hawkins said at the start of this week. 

The Intercept found that “The comment was three days old and excluded at least 15 wounded in the Friday attack on Prince Sultan Air Base in Saudi Arabia,” adding that “The command did not reply to repeated requests for updated figures.”

The US military also refused to provide the outlet with a number of deaths since the start of the war on Iran. The Intercept says it is “no less than 15.” Washington has not publicly admitted to more than 13 deaths.

“This is, quite obviously, a subject that [War Secretary Pete] Hegseth and the White House want to keep under major wraps,” the anonymous defense official said. 

The report accuses the US Army of “hiding losses.”

The Intercept said that in 2024, the the government of former president Joe Biden provided it with detailed information regarding the attacks on US bases which began after the start of the Gaza genocide. 

At least 175 soldiers were injured or killed as a result of those attacks, including the three who died in January 2024 when an Iraqi drone struck a base on the Jordan–Syria border.

This number does not include contractors. “Statistics show that there were almost 12,900 cases of injuries to contractors in the CENTCOM area of operations during 2024 alone. More than 3,700 were the most serious non-fatal injuries, including traumatic brain injuries, requiring more than seven days away from work,” the report reveals.

Eighteen contractors were also killed, all of them in Iraq, according to The Intercept. “The numbers are likely significant undercounts, but if even the fractional number of known contractor injuries is added to the tally, the casualty count for Americans and those on US bases may top 13,600.”

Numbers released by US President Donald Trump’s government, on the other hand, “lack detail and clarity.”

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Israel Is Conducting a Campaign to Ethnically Cleanse Southern Lebanon of Shia Residents

On March 28, George Saeed, 62, and his 24-year-old son Elie were driving back to their home in Debel, a Christian village in southern Lebanon close to the border with Israel. It was a route Saeed knew well. He ran a small laundromat beneath his house, where he washed uniforms for a Polish unit in the United Nations peacekeeping force stationed in the nearby village of Tiri. The trip from Tiri used to take a few minutes, but after the main road was bombed by the invading Israeli military he had begun taking a longer route through the neighboring village of Rmeich.

That afternoon, villagers saw George’s car pass through Rmeich and enter Debel, disappearing along the village’s steep, winding roads. When they were roughly 60 meters from their house, the crackle of gunfire rang out, followed by the blare of a stuck car horn.

Elie Louqa, Saeed’s nephew and the former mayor of Debel, was in Beirut when he got a call from his brother describing what had happened. He began contacting UN peacekeepers (UNIFIL), the Lebanese Army, and the Red Cross, asking them to reach the car. Both the Red Cross unit in Rmeich and the nearby UNIFIL contingent told Louqa they could not secure permission from their superiors to move.

After about 90 minutes, a group of young men from the village decided to go themselves. Carrying white blankets and mattresses to signal they were civilians, they reached the site of the attack and found the father and son dead inside their bullet-ridden car. They pulled the bodies out and carried them to the village cemetery for burial.

“You won’t find a man with cleaner hands. He was generous to a fault,” Louqa told Drop Site News. “Go and ask the people of our villages who George Saeed was.”

The killings were just one in a series of attacks on residents of several villages along the southern border who have chosen to remain in their homes despite repeated sweeping displacement orders by the Israeli military covering all of southern Lebanon.

Earlier this week, the Lebanese army announced its forces had withdrawn from southern border villages, leaving residents without even the semblance of protection. At least six Lebanese soldiers have been killed by Israel over the past month. The army said its troops had to “reposition” as they were being encircled and cut off from their supply lines but claimed it continued to “stand by residents” by “maintaining a group of military personnel” in the villages. What this meant in practice, according to residents, was that soldiers from the area could stay in their homes provided they did not wear army uniforms or carry arms.

“We don’t know why the army made this decision,” said Boutros al-Rai, a local farmer and civilian administrator. “For us, its presence made us feel protected.”

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