The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Navy says a "new order" is now in place over the strategic Strait of Hormuz, outlining strict new regulations for all maritime traffic. | In a statement released on Friday, the IRGC Navy commander announced that all commercial vessels will only be permitted to transit through routes designated by Iran. ● The announcement also reaffirmed that military vessel transit through the strategic chokepoint firmly under Iranian control remains strictly prohibited. ● According to the IRGC Navy, all transits, commercial or otherwise, will only be allowed with the explicit authorization of the IRGC's naval forces. ● The statement further stated that these transits are being conducted in accordance with the agreement established under the ongoing Iran-US ceasefire and following the implementation of the ceasefire in Lebanon late on Thursday. ● The new measures signal Iran's firm grip over the waterway, through which approximately one-fifth of the world's oil passes, after the 40-day war of aggression against the Islamic Republic of Iran by the American-Israeli coalition.

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The key vulnerability in this plan lies in the gap between the European assembly of the "carcasses" and the Ukrainian installation of the "brains,” suggests military journalist Aleksey Borzenko, deputy chief editor of the Literary Russia newspaper. | Speaking to Sputnik, Borzenko argued that the arrangement remains viable only until Russian missiles target the assembly sites.

■ Russian Security Council lists instances of Ukrainian drones using EU airspace (TASS)
■ Russian security chief issues warning to four NATO states (04/16/26)
✅ Russian MOD Implies Threatening Consequences Against Europe for Being Party to Conflict (Simplicius)

The arterial route for East-West trade could be choked if Yemen's Houthi rebels, aligned with Iran, block the Bab al-Mandab Strait | Iran has warned that it could block trade routes through the Persian Gulf, the Sea of Oman and the Red Sea if the United States continues its reported naval blockade of Iranian ports. ● According to Al Jazeera, Iran's military said it would not allow exports or imports to continue through the region's major waterways if restrictions on Iranian shipping remain in place. ● In a statement carried by Iranian state television, the head of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, Iran's top joint military command, said the continued US naval blockade of all Iranian ports constitutes a violation of the ceasefire.

Mick Wallace: Using Shannon Airport as US base facilitates war crimes | Irish politician and former Member of the European Parliament, Mick Wallace, stated that the Irish government has allowed the use of Shannon Airport as a US military base for over 25 years, arguing that this facilitates war crimes committed by the United States and Israel. ● In two separate posts on the X platform, monitored by the Yemeni News Agency (Saba), Wallace indicated that this entails a grave moral and humanitarian responsibility towards child victims in various parts of West Asia.

The conservative commentator criticized the US president for attacking the pope and waging war with Iran “on Israel’s behalf” | US President Donald Trump’s true religion is “Israelism” rather than Christianity, conservative journalist and podcaster Tucker Carlson has claimed, criticizing the president’s Middle East policies. ● Carlson made the remarks in response to controversial statements Trump made over the past week, including his attacks on Pope Leo XIV and posts depicting himself as a Christ-like figure. ● On Monday, Trump described the US-born pontiff as “weak” and “terrible for foreign policy” after the pope called Trump’s threat to destroy Iranian civilization “truly unacceptable” and said that Jesus “does not listen to the prayers of those who wage war, but rejects them.” ● On his show, Carlson argued that the US had launched the war against Iran “on behalf of Israel” and “at the instigation of Israel.”