Elena Panina | Happy Victory Day! | With each passing year, Victory Day becomes more relevant to us. Not because we can't forget the past, but because the future demands that we win again. ■ For Russia, Victory is not an episode in history or just a ceremonial date. It is the only acceptable form of existence. It is a way to breathe, to stand on the earth, and to look to the sky. Either we emerge victorious from wars, or we fade, fade away, disappear from history. There is no third option—not then, not now. ■ That is why May 9 is a living reality, and Victory itself is timeless. It belongs equally to those who captured the Reichstag and to those who today hold the skies above Russia. It is one for all—for the fallen, for the living, and for future generations of the people. ■ Over the decades, Victory has become a Russian Easter—a resurrection from the dead. It comes every time reality seems to leave us no chance. Our Victory will come in this war, too. ■ Happy holiday! Happy Great Victory Day! (Translation: Google)

Andrew Korybko | His article is the most detailed warning yet from the most senior Russian official thus far of what the Kremlin is contemplating, under the newfound influence of hardliners like Sergey Karaganov whose sway over Putin has grown in recent months, to avert this growing German-led 1941-like threat. | Former Russian President and incumbent Deputy Chair of the Security Council Dmitry Medvedev published an incredibly detailed article ahead of Victory Day about Germany’s remilitarization. It’s much too lengthy to review point by point so the present piece will only highlight the main takeaways before analyzing its significance. Medvedev devotes considerable time to making the argument that Germany never fully denazified nor was this ever even sincerely attempted. That sets the stage for the present. ■ According to him, “The process of finally eliminating the political, legal and moral ‘vestiges’ of World War II in Germany has gained particular momentum following the beginning of the special military operation.” Likewise, “To mitigate the impact of failed geopolitical investments (in Ukraine), Berlin aims to consolidate its position as the leading military and political power of the European Union.” This led to its unprecedented remilitarization, which is dependent on the US, and informal talk of going nuclear.

✅ Germany’s new militarization: Revival of the spirit or blatant revanchism? (Dmitry Medvedev)

Moon of Alabama | Time is on the Iranian side. Its economy is used to work under sanctions and pressure. The U.S. (and global) economy can not do without the oil, gas, fertilizer and minerals which are currently blocked in the Persian Gulf. The U.S. can not win militarily. It is losing economically. | The current situation around the Strait of Hormuz is vague. We currently have what Chas Freeman calls (vid) a “ceasefire with Israeli characteristics”. Both sides continue to fight but try to avoid a larger escalation. The destroyers were driven off under intense Iranian fire:

■ Iran Caused Far More Damage to US Bases Than the Trump Administration Has Acknowledged (Antiwar)

■ Putin congratulates leaders, people of foreign countries on anniversary of Victory (TASS)
📌 Response to threats to disrupt Victory Day, reaction to Merz's words: Lavrov's statements (TASS)
■ Foreign leaders arrive in Moscow for Victory Day celebrations (RT)
■ Ветераны, отметившие 100-летие, рассказали свои истории "РГ" (rg.ru)
■ Moscow urges foreign missions to evacuate diplomats, citizens from Kiev (05/07/26)
📌 Germany’s new militarization: Revival of the spirit or blatant revanchism? (Dmitry Medvedev)

Iran's Army Navy has struck American destroyers with cruise missiles and combat drones near the Strait of Hormuz after US forces attacked Iranian oil tankers in violation of a ceasefire, forcing them to flee the area. | In a statement Friday, the Islamic Republic of Iran Army announced that its naval forces attacked American destroyers Thursday night “using various missiles, combat drones, and rockets,” after the aggressor vessels “in violation of the ceasefire, assaulted Iranian oil tankers near the Strait of Hormuz and in territorial waters.” ● The operation came after a series of US military attacks on Iranian ships and port areas. According to a statement by a spokesperson for the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, the “aggressive, terrorist, and outlaw” US military targeted an Iranian oil tanker transiting from the Jask coastal region toward the Strait of Hormuz.

■ US disaster in Strait of Hormuz detailed (Press TV)
■ US Bombs Iran’s Qeshm Port and Bandar Abbas (Antiwar)
■ US fires on Iranian-flagged tanker during Strait of Hormuz standoff (AOL)
■ US Project Freedom fell apart after 'backlash' from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait (The Cradle)
✅ Саудовская Аравия запретила США использовать свои базы и воздушное пространство (Елена Панина)

Washington and Tehran have exchanged fire in the Strait of Hormuz, accusing each other of “unprovoked” violations | The US military has launched a wave of strikes on Iranian targets near the Strait of Hormuz, as Tehran accused Washington of violating the ceasefire and retaliated against American warships in the area. ● US President Donald Trump downplayed the latest strikes as “just a love tap,” after Tehran “trifled” with Washington, while warning that the US would strike Iran “a lot harder, and a lot more violently” unless Tehran signs a deal “fast.”

✅ Germany’s new militarization: Revival of the spirit or blatant revanchism? (Dmitry Medvedev)

Russia will respond if Kiev goes ahead with its “terrorist plans” to disrupt the upcoming Victory Day celebrations | Moscow has formally warned all diplomatic missions and international organizations about a potential large-scale retaliatory strike on Kiev, urging them to leave the Ukrainian capital immediately, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said. ● Earlier this week, the Russian Defense Ministry announced a two-day ceasefire on May 8-9 to mark the end of World War II in Europe, urging Kiev to follow suit and warning of a potential large-scale retaliatory strike on Kiev. The ministry pointed to comments made by Ukrainian leader Vladimir Zelensky earlier in the day, which it said contained threats to target Moscow during the Victory Day celebrations. Moscow’s warning must be taken with the utmost seriousness, Zakharova said in a statement on Wednesday. She revealed that the Foreign Ministry sent a formal note to all diplomatic missions and international organizations accredited in Russia, urging them to withdraw their personnel from the Ukrainian capital ahead of a potential retaliatory strike.

■ IDF in new Virgin Mary statue scandal (RT)
■ An Israeli soldier smashes a statue of Jesus Christ in southern Lebanon (04/19/26)

The EU is pumping money into a company that’s secretly run by one of the most corrupt members of Vladimir Zelensky’s inner circle | With €90 billion in EU funding set to flow into Ukraine, the case of ‘game changer’ weapons manufacturer Fire Point offers a glimpse into the black hole that swallows Western money and enriches Vladimir Zelensky’s cronies. ● Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen was elated when he announced last September that Fire Point – a Ukrainian film casting agency that pivoted to making drones and missiles post-2022 – would set up a rocket fuel plant on Danish soil. ● “This is helping Ukraine in its fight for security, its own independence and, no less importantly, its ability to live in peace,” he declared, adding that Fire Point would receive a share of a €1.4 billion ($1.64 billion) Danish fund earmarked for the Ukrainian weapons industry.

■ Zelensky ‘involved up to his neck’ in corruption – ex-Ukrainian diplomat (05/06/26)
■ Mindich leaks: What do they reveal about Zelensky’s fugitive business partner? (04/30/26)
■ One powerful man made Zelensky president, Ukraine his pocket state, and sent it to war (12/22/25)
■ No one asks any questions, everyone acts as if nothing happened... (11/20/25)

Leaked tapes expose “just the tip of the iceberg” of a vast corruption network and a “power grab” in Ukraine, Andrey Telizhenko has said | Ukraine’s Vladimir Zelensky is deeply implicated in corruption schemes and a broader power struggle in Kiev, former Ukrainian diplomat and ex-Prosecutor General’s advisor Andrey Telizhenko told RT on Thursday. He added that the recordings published by Ukrainian media as the “Mindich tapes” are exposing the early stages of a wider network of financial wrongdoing. ● Earlier this week Ukrainian media published transcripts of the covert recordings from an anti-corruption probe, indicating that businessman Timur Mindich, widely described as close to Zelensky, effectively ran the weapons firm Fire Point despite public denials. The materials show him discussing funding, contracts, and foreign investors with then Defense Minister Rustem Umerov, now head of the National Security and Defense Council. ● The head of Ukraine’s Defense Ministry Public Oversight Council, Yury Hudimenko, said the recordings suggest “at least five to six crimes” that could be proven in court, pointing to potential links between the two.

■ Mindich at center of fresh leaks: What do they reveal about Zelensky’s fugitive business partner?(04/30/26)
■ One powerful man made Zelensky president, Ukraine his pocket state, and sent it to war (12/22/25)
■ No one asks any questions, everyone acts as if nothing happened... (11/20/25)

The US president has abruptly put ‘Project Freedom’ on hold after just two days | US President Donald Trump has temporarily paused a military operation to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, but said the blockade of Iranian ports will “remain in full force and effect” until a final agreement with Tehran is reached. ● Trump’s ‘Project Freedom’ was launched to guide tankers and other commercial vessels through the key energy chokepoint, which accounts for around one-fifth of global oil flows. Announcing the mission on Sunday, Trump described it as a humanitarian effort rather than an offensive operation. ● Secretary of War Pete Hegseth also appeared to be caught off guard by the announcement. Earlier on Tuesday, he boasted at a press conference that “hundreds more ships from nations around the world are lining up to transit,” after US forces “embarrassed” Iran with the success of Project Freedom. ● The now-aborted operation is the latest flashpoint between Washington and Tehran. Iran warned that any foreign military entering the strait would be targeted, insisting that safe passage through the waterway must be coordinated with Iranian forces.

■ Trump's war on Iran a 'catastrophe' with zero gains, made Tehran 'very strong’: Ex-US jurist (Press TV)
✅ 'Project Freedom' perishes in 48 hours as Trump retreats under the wall of Iran's asymmetric deterrence

Western governments see all gestures of goodwill as signs of weakness, the former Russian president has said. | Only the “animal fear” of unacceptable losses will prevent Germany and the wider “United Europe” from launching another attack against Russia, the head of the Russian Security Council and former president, Dmitry Medvedev, wrote in an article ahead of the 81st anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany. ● Moscow has condemned what it described as reckless militarization by the EU, accusing Western governments of seeking to inflict a strategic defeat on Russia while trying to turn it into a “model external enemy” to divert attention away from domestic problems.

German Chancellor Friedrich Merz openly vowed to turn the German military into the “strongest conventional army in Europe” in a speech just days after the world marked the 80th anniversary of the fall of the Third Reich last May. ● Last month, the German Defense Ministry unveiled a plan to reach this goal and field 460,000 combat-ready personnel by 2039, the 100th anniversary of Adolf Hitler’s invasion of Poland. German and other EU officials repeatedly cited 2029 as the first stage deadline to be “war-ready” for a potential conflict with Russia. (Article soon to be published on RT)

■ German ‘militaristic frenzy’ could end in tragedy – Moscow (RT)
✅ From ‘subhumans’ to ‘orcs’: How Nazi race theory lives on in modern Russophobia (C. von Hoffmeister)

A new poll has revealed deep skepticism among the American public regarding US President Donald Trump’s ability to lead, with a majority declaring him mentally and physically unfit for the presidency as the fallout from Washington’s reckless war on Iran continues to hammer the US economy. | The Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos poll, released on Monday, found that 59 percent of respondents believe Trump lacks the mental sharpness required to serve effectively as commander-in-chief, compared to just 40 percent who said he is equipped for the role. ● On physical health, 55 percent said the president is not in good enough condition to lead, while 44 percent disagreed. ● More than half of those surveyed, 54 percent, said they do not view Trump as a strong leader, and a striking 67 percent believe he does not carefully consider important decisions, pointing to the erratic and impulsive policymaking that has defined his approach to the Iran war. ● Other recent surveys show Trump’s disapproval ratings climbing to new highs, fueled largely by affordability crises triggered by the US-initiated war on Iran and sweeping tariffs.

The head of Central Command earlier claimed the US military had struck Iranian vessels in the Strait of Hormuz | Iran has dismissed claims that US forces sank six Iranian naval vessels that were allegedly threatening commercial shipping in the Strait of Hormuz. ● The head of US Central Command (CENTCOM), Admiral Brad Cooper, told journalists on Monday that the US military “eliminated” a small Iranian naval force in the region. ● The reported strike was part of Project Freedom – an initiative announced by US President Donald Trump on Sunday to escort tankers and other vessels that have been stuck in the Strait of Hormuz since the US and Israel attacked Iran in late February.

■ Araqchi Condemns Trump’s ‘Project Freedom’ as Recipe for Deadlock in Hormuz (Tasnim)
■ Iran reports 5 civilians killed in US attack on civilian boats (Al Mayadeen)
■ Iranian news reports deny Maersk ship crossed strait under US escort (Al Mayadeen)

Two missiles have struck a US Navy vessel near the strategic Strait of Hormuz after it ignored warnings from Iran's naval forces, according to a report. | Fars News Agency reported that the American warship was moving in the vicinity of Jask port on Monday with the intention of transiting through the Strait of Hormuz, in violation of maritime security protocols. ● The vessel reportedly disregarded multiple warnings issued by the Islamic Republic of Iran's naval forces before being targeted. ● According to the report, the US vessel suffered damage from the strikes, forcing it to abandon its course and retreat from the area. ● The Islamic Republic of Iran had previously announced that any transit through the Strait of Hormuz without official authorization from Iran is not permitted, and that any disregard for this warning would be met with a decisive response from the country's armed forces.

■ Iran hits US Navy ship with missile strike (RT)
■ IRGC Rejects CENTCOM Claim over Passage of US-Flagged Merchant Ships Through Strait of Hormuz (Fars)
■ IRGC vows to 'forcefully stop' ships violating Strait of Hormuz regulations (Press TV)
■ Local Reports Say Two Missiles Hit US Navy Vessel in Southern Iranian Waters (Fars News)
■ Iran says it turns back US warship from Strait of Hormuz, US official denies missile strike (Reuters)
■ Iran releases new map outlining areas in Hormuz under its control (Anadolu Ajansi)

The initiative – Project Freedom – aims to rescue neutral vessels stranded since the start of the war with Iran | The US will guide third-party ships through the Strait of Hormuz, President Donald Trump has said, describing the move as a humanitarian effort to help stranded crews. ● An estimated 2,000 vessels have been trapped in and around the strait since Iran closed the waterway to most traffic in response to the US-Israeli bombing campaign launched on February 28. The US has since imposed its own naval blockade on Iranian ports. ● In a post on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump said the initiative – Project Freedom, which is set to begin on Monday – is aimed at helping countries that are “neutral and innocent bystanders” in the conflict.

■ Iran Warns US: Any Military Escort in Hormuz Amounts to 'Ceasefire Violation' (Sputnik)
■ JCS and CENTCOM Brief Trump on New Iran Strike Options (05/02/26)
■ Trump admin says Iran conflict ‘terminated’ (05/02/26) [❗️]
✅ Operation Project Freedom… Scamming the War Powers Act (Larry C. Johnson)
✅ Trump Moves Closer to Final 'Blowout' (Simplicius)

■ Israeli Sde Teiman Guards Admit To Training Guard Dogs To Rape (04/25/26)
■ How Israel Weaponized Sexual Torture Against Palestinian Hostages (11/25/25)
■ Israeli rapists announce they ‘will win’ (11/04/25)
■ What we know about the torture, abuse of Palestinian prisoners by Israel (10/18/25)
✅ Torture and Rape Are All in A Day’s Work for Israel’s Defenders (Philip Giraldi)

🚩 "The historical mission of our world revolution is to rearrange a new culture of humanity to replace the previous social system. This conversion and re-organization of global society requires two essential steps: firstly, the destruction of the old established order, secondly, design and imposition of the new order. The first stage requires the elimination of all frontier borders, nationhood and culture, public policy ethical barriers and social definitions, only then can the destroyed old system elements be replaced by the imposed system elements of our new order. The first task of our world revolution is *Destruction*...."

🚩 "All social strata and social formations created by traditional society must be annihilated, individual men and women must be uprooted from their ancestral environment, torn out of their native milieus, no tradition of any type shall be permitted to remain as sacrosanct, traditional social norms must only be viewed as a disease to be eradicated, the ruling dictum of the new order is; nothing is good, so everything must be criticized and abolished, everything that was, must be gone."

🚩 "After destruction of the old order, construction of the new order is a larger and more difficult task. We will have torn out the old limbs from their ancient roots in deep layers, social norms will be lying disorganized and anarchic so they must be blocked against new cultural forms and social categories naturally re-emerging. The general masses will have been first persuaded to join as equals in the first task of destroying their own traditional society and economic culture, but then the new order must be forcibly established through people again being divided and differentiated only in accordance with the new pyramidal hierarchical system of our imposed global monolithic new world order." ~ N. Goldman, Founder of World Jewish Congress, "The Spirit of Militarism" (1915)

Trump says CENTCOM Commander briefed him yesterday on options to "blast the hell" out of Iran and "finish them forever." Below is an EXTENSIVE update of the situation. | US Central Command chief Brad Cooper and Joint Chiefs Chairman, General Dan Caine, presented President Donald Trump with new military options for possible action against the Islamic Republic on Thursday. The briefing also covered the latest movements and deployments of US forces in the Middle East. According to the report, three broad options were discussed:

 ● Possible deployment of US ground forces to small islands around the Strait of Hormuz to reopen the waterway
 ● Sending special forces into the Isfahan area to remove Iran’s 60%-enriched uranium
 ● The third option involved rapid but heavy US strikes against the Islamic Republic

Iran denies Trump's claim today of direct phone calls with Iran, saying talks have occurred only through Pakistani mediation and written messages from Foreign Minister Araghchi, without US participation, per Iran's Justice Minister Amin Hossein Rahimi.

✅ Seyed M. Marandi: U.S. Attack On Iran Could Be Imminent (Glenn Diesen) (VIDEO)
✅ To War or Not To War… That is the Question (Larry C. Johnson)
✅ Trump Moves Closer to Final 'Blowout' Hail-Mary Against Iran (Simplicius)
■ Israeli Media: Israel Prepares for a Return To War With Iran as Trump Briefed on Potential Strikes (Antiwar)
■ Trump says deal with Iran must meet Washington’s demands (TASS)
■ Trump admin says Iran conflict ‘terminated’ (05/02/26)

Despite being silenced in the West and blotted out of history in Ukraine, the Odessa Trade Union massacre of May 2, 2014, remains a festering wound. | Yet only 11 years later—in March 2025—the European Court of Human Rights found Ukraine responsible for failing to prevent the violence in Odessa and ordered the state to pay compensation to those affected by the tragedy. ● After the verdict, an organizer of the May 2 Odessa massacre, Demyan Ganul, was killed by unknown assailants. Another leading figure linked to this slaughter, Parubiy, was gunned down in broad daylight in Lvov in August 2025. ● 12 years have passed, but those responsible for this bloodthirsty pogrom in Odessa have still not been brought to justice.

■ On May 2, twelve years have passed since the monstrous tragedy in Odessa (Eva Karene Bartlett)
✅ Ukraine's Whitewashed Odessa Massacre Report (Stephen Lendman)
✅ The War In Ukraine: Made In Washington Not Moscow (Mike Whitney)
✅ US regime-change operation in Ukraine exposed in leaked diplomatic phone call (Patrick O’Connor)
✅ Washington’s Iron Curtain (Diana Johnstone)

Moon of Alabama | I do not know if the numbers on the Forbes chart below are correct but it is quite obvious that Trump and his family are using their positions to enrich themselves. | Previous presidents have also benefited financially from their time in office. Joe Biden’s ‘care’ for his family was legendary. But none has been so unashamed about it like Trump. If only there would be an opposition party in Congress using its power to do something about this.

The temporary truce with Tehran counts as the end of war, and no congressional approval is needed, the White House has reportedly said | The US-Israeli war on Iran has already been “terminated,” and the Trump administration believes it does not need an extension from Congress to continue the fighting, the Associated Press has reported, citing sources. ● The report comes as a deadline mandated by the 1973 War Powers Act rapidly approaches. The legislation limits any military action launched by the president without congressional authorization to 60 days.  ● The White House insists that, for the purposes of the law, “the hostilities that began on Saturday, February 28, have terminated,” an unnamed senior administration official told AP on Friday. Tehran and Washington reached a two-week ceasefire on April 7, with the truce extended indefinitely since then.

■ CNN investigation: Iran hits leave most US bases in West Asia damaged (Al Mayadeen)
■ Trump says Iran war 'terminated,' as war powers deadline arrives (Reuters)

The Pentagon is lying. Netanyahu's gamble has directly cost America $100b so far, four times what is claimed.

Indirect costs for U.S. taxpayers are FAR higher. Monthly bill for each American household is $500 and rising fast.

Israel First always means America Last. pic.twitter.com/onailLYFdL

— Seyed Abbas Araghchi (@araghchi) May 1, 2026

Iranian officials criticize US leadership and reject claims that the “Israel”-related war on Iran was "self-defense", questioning Washington’s legal justification. | Iranian officials criticized the United States over its leadership and its justification for the US-Israeli war on Iran, debunking Washington’s fabrications and scrutinizing its political coherence and legal rationale. ● In reference to the reported cost of the US-Israeli war on Iran, estimated at 25 billion dollars by the US Department of War, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi maintained that "the Pentagon is lying." ● In a post on X, Araghchi asserted that "Netanyahu's gamble cost America $100b so far, four times what is claimed." (Al Mayadeen)

Caitlin Johnstone | Laws aimed at pro-Palestine protests should always be looked at as efforts to ban criticism of Israel. That’s what we’re seeing in the UK as the prime minister encourages the prosecution of anyone who says “globalise the intifada”. | I have said it before and I will say it again: there is no greater threat to free speech in the western world than Israel and its supporters. The whole of western society must resist tooth and claw the mad push to stomp out our right to oppose war, genocide, apartheid, and injustice.

The Israeli Defense Ministry said in a statement on Thursday that two cargo ships docked at the country’s ports of Ashdod and Haifa had arrived with thousands of air and ground munitions, military trucks, Joint Light Tactical Vehicles (JLTVs) and other military equipment. | The US has delivered 6,500 tons of munitions and equipment to Israel within 24 hours, West Jerusalem has said. ● The announcement coincided with media reports claiming that the head of US Central Command, Brad Cooper, has briefed US President Donald Trump on a plan for the potential renewal of military action against Iran in a bid to pressure it to consent to a more favorable peace deal. ● According to Fox News, what Cooper described as the “final blow” against Tehran could include a “short and powerful wave of strikes” targeting Iran’s “remaining military assets, leadership and infrastructure.” ● The ceasefire in the US-Israeli war against Iran was announced on April 8 after more than a month of fighting, but attempts by Washington and Tehran to reach a diplomatic settlement to the crisis have so far been in vain. The control of the Strait of Hormuz and the Iranian nuclear program reportedly remain the main stumbling blocks between the sides.

Larry C. Johnson | Blockades are acts of war | Pete Hegseth is lying about the US blockade of Iranian ports. On April 12, after JD Vance announced that talks with Iran had failed, Trump declared a naval blockade of Iranian ports and coastal areas. CENTCOM clarified that the blockade would be enforced against vessels of all nations entering or departing Iranian ports, but would not impede freedom of navigation for vessels transiting the Strait of Hormuz to and from non-Iranian ports. ■ Now, after more than two weeks, Pete Hegseth has been saying the US blockade is working and getting stronger, describing it as “ironclad,” “tightening by the hour,” and even “going global.” He said the Navy had turned back 34 ships, that transit through the Strait of Hormuz is now “much more limited,” and that the blockade will last “as long as it takes.” ■ He also framed the blockade as coercive leverage on Iran, saying it is meant to cut off shipping pressure until Tehran abandons its nuclear ambitions. In the same remarks, he warned the U.S. would “shoot to destroy” any Iranian boats laying mines or otherwise threatening commercial shipping.

✅ War On Iran: – Trump To Decide On Three Options (Moon of Alabama)
✅ Trump Settles on Flaccid 'Forever-Blockade' Strat as Broken-Down Carrier Limps Home (Simplicius)
■ Marine Traffic Nothingburger...Want "Freedom Fries" with That? (04/30/26)