Посла Армении вызвали в Москву для консультаций: Причиной МИД назвал шаги армянского руководства по интеграции с Евросоюзом | Российского посла в Ереване Сергея Копыркина вызвали в Москву, сообщается на сайте МИДа. В ведомстве заявили, что это связано с курсом армянских властей на сближение с ЕС, что подрывает интересы Евразийского экономического союза (ЕАЭС). ● В последние месяцы армянские власти не раз заявляли о стремлении укреплять связи с Евросоюзом, одновременно заверяя, что не планируют выходить из ЕАЭС. В Москве же многократно подчеркивали: членство в ЕС и участие в ЕАЭС невозможны одновременно. ● Президент РФ Владимир Путин заявил, что при выходе Армении из ЕАЭС страна потеряет торговые преференции, вырастут цены на энергоносители, изменятся условия трудоустройства граждан в России.

■ Путин рассказал о потерях для экономики Армении из-за ее желания войти в ЕС (Ведомости)
✅ Армения против всего ЕАЭС — теперь официально (Елена Панина)
■ Armenia may lose everything by violating agreement with EAEU - Russian Foreign Ministry (1 May 2025 )

Putin and Xi meet in Beijing to deepen bilateral ties, with new deals in energy and AI on the table and Xi calling for a West Asia ceasefire. | Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for a summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People, where the two leaders are expected to sign 40 agreements and a joint declaration at the conclusion of their talks, Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Beijing reported. ● The two leaders are scheduled to discuss strengthening the comprehensive partnership and strategic cooperation between their two countries, including trade, Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Beijing reported. ● Trade between Russia and China currently exceeds $200 billion, with more than 90% of exchanges conducted in local currencies. New agreements are expected to be signed, Al Mayadeen's Moscow bureau chief reported, with Al Mayadeen's correspondent in Beijing adding that they will cover energy and artificial intelligence sectors. ● On the energy front, cooperation in the hydrocarbon sector and the Power of Siberia 2 gas pipeline project are also on the agenda, according to RIA Novosti. The two presidents additionally agreed to extend the China-Russia Treaty of Good-Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation.

■ Explainer: Defying Western pressure: Russia and China deepen economic partnership (RT)
■ LIVE UPDATES: Putin and Xi Adopt Declaration on Establishment Multipolar World (Sputnik)
■ Russia-China Declaration: ‘New Chapter in Construction of Multipolar World’ (Sputnik)
■ Russia and China Reach Agreements on Important Energy Issue — Putin Aide (Sputnik)

All options are on the table. For example, look at the Bab al-Mandab Strait option as narrated by Press TV! https://t.co/Y7P6JfFCRU

— Peyman Jebelli بيمان جبلّي (@PJebelli_ir) May 19, 2026

Moon of Alabama | As long as Trump is politically (through the bond market) and personally (through stocks) bound to rising markets he will likely avoid anything that might lead to a large tumble of bond and stock values or even a crash. | At Naked Capitalism Yves Smith has held for a while that only ‘the markets’ can prevent U.S. President Donald Trump from further attacks on Iran. ● ‘The markets’ here are for one the bond market where any slump would mean lower treasuries, higher interest rates and problems for the U.S. to finance its debt. It is here where inflation hits Trump the most. Any interest increase is a political burden for Trump who has argued for the Federal Reserve to lower its benchmark interest rate. ● But ‘the markets’ are also the stock market where Trump is privately engaged. A recent filing to the US Office of Government Ethics revealed that more than 3,600(!) transactions were made between January and the end of March on Trump’s personal account, which is (allegedly) handled by his sons through a brokerage

Geopolitics Prime | Jared Kushner has done nothing as either a “peacemaker” or Trump’s relative. Given his close ties to Israel, some may suspect he and Netanyahu see Gulf economic pain as a way to make the monarchies more compliant | Saudi Arabia, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates have reportedly grown angry with Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, according to Bloomberg. Why? He took their money but didn’t give them a meaningful say in White House politics. Kushner plays a dual role: Trump administration Middle East “peacemaker” and founder of Affinity Partners, a private investment firm managing Gulf royal families’ money. Affinity is a Delaware-based LLC founded in 2021 with offices in Florida. The company is solely owned by Kushner. Since 2022, Affinity has been feeding off Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF). Official disclosures show the firm held $6.2 billion in assets under management across 6 clients in 2025. The capital comes almost entirely (around 99%) from non-US investors.

A senior Pentagon official has provided an updated estimate regarding the financial implications of the war on Iran, claiming that the war has already cost the United States approximately $29 billion since its onset on February 28, while estimates point to higher figures. | Defense Undersecretary for Comptroller Jules Jay Hurst made the revelation in a testimony before a House Appropriations subcommittee on Tuesday. The updated estimate marks an increase from an earlier figure of $25 billion mentioned during a hearing on April 29. ● Hurst attributed this rise in costs to the continuous reassessment by the joint staff and comptroller teams, reflecting updated costs associated with equipment repair and replacement, as well as general operational expenses for personnel deployed in the region.

■ US lawmaker says Washington lost 39 aircraft in Iran war, citing defense report (Anadolu Ajanasi)

Leo Hohmann | The answer is hiding in plain sight but nobody is looking or asking the right questions. | If you ask the typical Georgian why this extremely costly war was launched in the first place, many will parrot Trumpian talking points about having to stop Iran from getting a nuclear weapon. Some might also repeat the dubious claim that we had to get revenge on a regime that’s been “killing Americans for 47 years.” ■ I have discussed the real reasons this war was launched in multiple articles, and tops among them is an effort, a very risky effort, to cut China off from the vital oil and gas resources it relies on from the Middle East. Roughly 54 percent of China’s energy resources come from the Middle East. ■ And with President Trump’s big summit with Chinese leader Xi Xinping approaching on May 14, I felt it was timely to remind my readers of one of my most important articles, first published on Feb. 9, three weeks before the war started on Feb. 28. To understand this war, you must understand that it has every bit as much to do with China as it does Iran. ■ So please read the Feb. 9 article here and reread it if you don’t remember the details.

Iranian and Omani delegations convened a legal-technical meeting in Muscat to discuss the Strait of Hormuz, arrangements for the secure passage of ships, and the sovereign rights of both nations over the waterway, Fars News Agency reported on 12 May | The Iranian delegation was headed by Abbas Bagherpour, director general for International Legal Affairs at the Iranian Foreign Ministry, and included representatives of relevant institutions. ● According to Fars, the meeting was held as part of ongoing consultations between Tehran and Muscat at several levels on bilateral relations and regional developments. ● During the talks, the two sides reviewed the latest developments related to the Strait of Hormuz and discussed arrangements for the safe movement of ships through the strategic waterway. ● Iran and Oman also emphasized their sovereign rights and jurisdictions over the strait, stressing that it is part of the territorial waters of both countries.

■ Iran parliamentary commission finalizes plan to secure Strait of Hormuz: Chairman (Press TV)

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■ ‘A new chapter’: Leader says Iran will determine ‘new legal rules’ in Strait of Hormuz (Press TV)
■ After US defeat, new chapter forming for Gulf, Hormuz: Sayyed Khamenei (Al Mayadeen)
■ Iran Jewish leader to Sayyed Khamenei: We are proud of your leadership (Al Mayadeen)
■ آیت الله سید مجتبی خامنه‌ای:ایرانیان پاسدار فناوری هسته‌ای و موشکی‌اند (Tasnim)

Joaquin Flores | The conflict between member states and the EC may push the whole union to the breaking point. | So the war-mad EU has finally approved the €90 billion loan to Ukraine after Hungary’s veto was lifted coming on the heels of a five month stall going back to at least December of 2025. One clear take away is that this is the City of London’s war. While the €90 billion sum represents a significantly lower figure than the previously pitched €140 billion which had caused a scandal back in November, (when the European Commission threatened to force member states to agree), this is still a case of good money being thrown after bad. At a certain point in the future, reality will come knocking. ■ EU officials also confirmed that the bloc’s 20th sanctions package on Russia has now been formally approved, ending a standoff that had held up the measure for days. The breakthrough came after oil deliveries through the Druzhba pipeline resumed, following earlier disruptions caused by Ukrainian President Zelensky turning it off in January, in a blackmail gambit to force Budapest and Bratislava to approve the €90 billion loan. The route running through Ukraine, is a key supply line for landlocked Hungary and Slovakia, both of which had been blocking the sanctions package while flows were halted. Zelensky said on Tuesday that shipments would restart, and by Wednesday officials in Budapest and Bratislava confirmed that oil was moving again.

Dmitry Medvedev | This is money from Europeans' pockets, the Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council said. | Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, Dmitry Medvedev, stated that the €90 billion EU loan to Ukraine will not be repaid and is essentially money taken from Europeans' pockets.

Earlier, it was reported that the Council of the European Union had completed the approval process for €90 billion in financing for Ukraine for 2026-2027. The European Union believes that the €90 billion it provided to Ukraine for military action against Russia will be repaid through reparations from Moscow, according to a statement from the EU Council regarding the approval of the "reparations loan." (Translation)

■ EU to never get back €90 billion allocated to Ukraine — Medvedev (TASS)

Elena Panina | Translation | In recent days, the US has intercepted at least three more Iranian-flagged oil tankers, Reuters reports, citing US and Indian shipping sources and two separate Western maritime security sources. According to the British agency, these are:

Thus, the US is effectively imposing a global blockade on Iranian maritime trade. At the same time, it's relatively safe for the Americans to seize Iran-linked vessels in the Indo-Pacific region. Tehran no longer has a blue-water navy. This is much safer than blocking Iran's maritime trade at the entrance to the Gulf of Oman, where they could potentially run into Iran's mosquito fleet, drones, and anti-ship missiles—if, of course, Tehran were to breach the blockade. Incidentally, US Central Command reported today that it has currently ordered: "31 vessels to turn back or return to port as part of the US blockade of Iran." Of course, Iranian oil importers like China and India could meet and escort Iranian vessels at sea. But are they ready to enter into conflict with the US? Judging by the unfettered American piracy, they are not yet ready. America does whatever it wants in the oceans. Such inaction will lead to no good. Washington will increasingly use maritime trade blockades to pressure undesirable countries.

■ US intercepts three Iranian oil tankers in Asian waters, sources say (Reuters)

Data from a major ship tracking company shows that dozens of oil tankers have managed to bypass the so-called naval blockade of Iran by the United States since it began earlier this month. | Data by Vortexa, cited in a Wednesday report by the Financial Times, showed that at least 34 tankers, including those carrying Iranian crude oil, had bypassed the US blockade since it was imposed on April 13. ● The ships included 19 tankers that exited the Persian Gulf to sail to international ports and 15 that entered the waterway from the Arabian Sea to head toward Iranian ports, the data showed. ● The report said at least six of the tankers that left the Persian Gulf during the US blockade were carrying Iranian oil cargoes amounting to 10.7 million barrels and worth at least $910 million. ● The FT said one of the tankers bypassing the US blockade and exiting the Persian Gulf was the Dorena, an Iranian-flagged supertanker that left Iranian waters on April 17 and had signaled its position off the southern coast of India a day later.

Supply risks around the Strait of Hormuz are pushing crude higher, raising fuel costs and economic pressure worldwide | Oil prices jumped on Monday after the US seized an Iranian-flagged cargo ship near the Strait of Hormuz, dimming prospects for peace in the war on Iran and raising fresh supply concerns. ● Both Brent and West Texas Intermediate jumped more than 6%, to above $96 and $88 per barrel, respectively, in the latest swing after weeks of volatile trading. The gains followed renewed disruptions to shipping through the Strait of Hormuz over the weekend after a brief reopening late last week. Tehran has warned the route will remain restricted unless the US naval blockade is lifted. ● On Sunday, a US warship fired at and seized an Iranian-flagged cargo vessel, the Touska, in the Gulf of Oman. According to the US military, the ship was attempting to breach the naval blockade and reach Bandar Abbas via the Strait of Hormuz. Tehran condemned the move as “armed maritime piracy,” accusing Washington of violating the ceasefire in place since April 8 and warning of retaliation.

■ Iranian tanker breaks US blockade, reaches territorial waters (Al Mayadeen)
■ More than 40 ships cross Strait of Hormuz over past weekend — TASS calculations (TASS)

Elena Panina | The coming days will be revealing. The Trump administration could either continue to exhaust Iran with a naval blockade or escalate the conflict by resuming strikes. Israel is certainly in favor of the latter option. | On April 19, the Iranian container ship Touska attempted to break the American naval blockade and reach the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas. The USS Spruance (DDG 111) opened fire with a 127mm Mk. 45 artillery gun, disabling the ship's propulsion system. Marines from the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit then boarded the container ship from a helicopter and captured it.

❖ According to a spokesperson for the Iranian Armed Forces' Central Headquarters, the Iranian military responded by attacking several American ships with drones. The results are unclear. ● Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Ismail Baghaei officially stated on April 19 that the American blockade of ports and coastline is not only a violation of the ceasefire agreement but also an act of aggression under Article 10 of the Treaty on the International Criminal Court. 3(c) of the UN Convention "Definition of Aggression." It should be noted that an attack on the naval forces of another state is also considered an act of aggression: Article 3(d) of the Convention. ● At this point, it is unclear whether a second round of US-Iran talks in Islamabad will take place. "We have no plans to participate yet," Baghaei said. However, Iranian officials made similar statements before the first round of talks.

❖ We'll soon see how things play out this time. One thing is clear for now: the US isn't limiting itself in its pressure on Iran. They declared a naval blockade the day after the first round, and now they've seized an Iranian vessel. ● Thus, the US's "creeping aggression" continues even amid the ceasefire. Incidentally, the two-week ceasefire between the US/Israel and Iran expires on April 21, and between Israel and Lebanon on April 27. ● The coming days will be revealing. The Trump administration could either continue to exhaust Iran with a naval blockade or escalate the conflict by resuming strikes. Israel is certainly in favor of the latter option.

At least three vessels have reportedly been attacked since Iran renewed restrictions on the strait | Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has announced that no vessels, regardless of their flag, are allowed to pass through the Strait of Hormuz while the US maintains its blockade of Iranian ports. Any attempting to approach the waterway will be targeted, it said. ● On Friday, Tehran initially declared the waterway completely open for commercial vessels for the remaining period of the ten-day ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon, prompting a drop in oil prices on hopes of de-escalation. However, while US President Donald Trump praised the news, he said that the US blockade of Iranian ports “will remain in full force” until a peace deal is reached. ● This violated the ceasefire conditions, prompting Tehran to reimpose restrictions on the Strait of Hormuz, according to the IRGC.

■ Hegseth Says US ‘Locked and Loaded’ To Bomb Iran’s Power Plants and Energy Industry (Antiwar)
■ Tehran Recloses Strait of Hormuz, US Prepared to Seize Iranian Tankers (Antiwar)

State Department officials have reportedly warned Havana that it has a “small window” to implement reforms | US officials have urged Cuba to transition from socialism to a market-based economy and compensate American citizens and corporations whose assets were seized in the 1960s, US news outlets reported on Friday and Saturday, citing sources familiar with the matter. ● A delegation from the US State Department outlined the demands late last week during the first trip of the kind to Havana since 2016, as Cuba grapples with severe fuel shortages and blackouts following restrictions on oil shipments imposed by US President Donald Trump.

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.

The assistance comes as the South Asian nation faces pressure to repay $3.5 billion to the UAE | Saudi Arabia has pledged $3 billion in financial aid to Pakistan, the South Asian country’s finance minister has said. ● Pakistani Finance Minister Muhammad Aurangzeb announced on Tuesday that Saudi Arabia has committed $3 billion in additional deposits, with disbursement expected in the coming week. He is currently in Washington attending the World Bank–IMF Spring Meetings 2026. ● Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif will head to Saudi Arabia on Wednesday for an official visit.

✅ Saudi Arabia Didn’t Bail Pakistan Out For Nothing This Time (Andrew Korybko)
■ Leaked Documents Reveal Details of the Secret Saudi Arabia–Pakistan Mutual Defense Pact (04/14/26)

China has now explicitly warned the United States, by name, "NOT to block/intercept Chinese ships/tankers, or face consequences that could potentially include military." | China's Minister of Defense Admiral Dong Jun said publicly today "We are committed for peace & stability in the world. We are monitoring the situation in the middle east. Our ships are moving in and out of the waters of Strait of Hormuz. We have trade & energy agreements with Iran. We will respect & honor them and expect others to not meddle in our affairs. Iran controls the Strait of Hormuz and it is open for us."

Nate Bear | Americans, are scared. Scared that I’m right. Scared it’s true. Scared, basically, that the treats are going to be taken away. | This is the biggest energy shock since world war two, exceeding the oil crises of the 1970s and the Russia-Ukraine war, which previously were the biggest energy shocks in modern history. ■ The 1970s oil crisis struck 5 million barrels of oil per day off global markets. The war on Iran has caused an 11 million barrels of oil a day shortfall. The Russia-Ukraine war at its peak removed about 75 billion cubic metres of gas from the world. The war on Iran has caused a 140 billion cubic metres loss of gas. ■ Oil and gas are pretty much everything. Oil isn’t just fuel to get everything, including human bodies, from one place to another, it is also plastics, paints, solvents, cosmetics, engine lubricants. Gas isn’t just used for cooking. Around 23% of the world’s electricity is generated by gas...

Zakir Kibria | How did India – a founding member of the Non‑Aligned Movement, a pillar of BRICS and the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation – end up here, watching its most ambitious geopolitical play crumble while it sits silent in multilateral forums as a fellow member of those same institutions is bombed? | Bandar Abbas, March 2026. A Very Large Crude Carrier idles in the Strait of Hormuz. Overhead, drones and missiles have turned the sky into a sheet of fire. Israel and Iran are exchanging direct strikes – a war of aggression that began with a US‑backed Israeli campaign. The IMEC rail link, which was supposed to run through Haifa and the Negev desert, is now a geopolitical fault line. Shipping giants have suspended calls at Israeli ports. The corridor has become a ghost.

The EU foreign policy chief admitted that she had no good news on 90 mln euros in military funding to Ukraine | The European Commission (EC) has transferred 80 mln euros to Ukraine from expropriated proceeds from the reinvestment of frozen Russian assets, European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said. "We are providing an additional 80 million euros to Ukraine drawn from the profits of Russian frozen assets," she said during a visit to Kiev. Meanwhile Kallas admitted that she had no good news regarding the allocation of 90 mln euros in military funding to Ukraine, which is being blocked by Hungary and Slovakia.

The US president previously said he could seize Kharg Island to control Tehran’s oil exports, as in Venezuela | US President Donald Trump remains “generally open to the idea” of launching a special operations raid on an Iranian nuclear sites to capture some 450 kilograms of enriched uranium believed to be stored there, according to the Wall Street Journal's sources. The US president also told the Financial Times that he was not ruling out the possibility of American forces seizing Iran’s key export hub, Kharg Island, in order to take control of the Islamic Republic’s oil exports.

■ 'My Favorite Thing is to Take the Oil in Iran' – Trump (Sputnik)
■ US could capture Iran’s Kharg Island ‘to take the oil’ – Trump (RT)