3,500 US Troops Arrive in the Middle East on USS Tripoli as Iran Issues Threat Against Ground Invasion

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A force of 3,500 US sailors and Marines arrived in the Middle East aboard the USS Tripoli — as Tehran warned that American forces will be killed if President Trump orders a ground invasion of Iran.

The flagship for the Tripoli Amphibious Ready Group and 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit arrived over the weekend with troops in tow, US Central Command said Saturday.

Along with the troops, the amphibious warship brought transport and strike fighter aircraft, as well as assault and tactical assets, with the Pentagon allegedly preparing for weeks of boots-on-the-ground operations in Iran.

As the war in Iran continues to escalate, thousands of Marines are being prepped to deploy to the Middle East, sources told The Washington Post.

The troop movement would fall short of a full-scale invasion, with roughly 10,000 American troops being considered for deployment to boost the already significant military presence in the Gulf region. (Read more from “3,500 US Troops Arrive in the Middle East on USS Tripoli as Iran Issues Threat Against Ground Invasion” HERE)

IDF Chief Warns of ‘Collapse’ as Israel Delays Ultra-Orthodox Draft

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The Israel Defense Forces is “on the verge of collapse” due to acute personnel shortages, Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir has warned, according to local media. Opposition parties have accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of stalling on drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews.

Military service is mandatory for most Israeli citizens, both men and women. However, members of the Haredi community have historically been exempt from conscription. While the Israeli Supreme Court revoked the exemption in June 2024, Netanyahu’s cabinet has so far delayed drafting ultra-Orthodox Jews.

Parties within the ruling coalition representing the Haredi community have repeatedly threatened to withdraw support for Netanyahu should he introduce the measure.

Addressing the cabinet on Wednesday, Lieutenant General Zamir said he was “raising ten red flags for you before the IDF collapses,” as quoted by The Jerusalem Post.

In addition to its ongoing campaign against Iran, the Israeli military is continuing its years-long operation against Hamas in Gaza. The IDF also launched an incursion into southern Lebanon in early March, targeting Hezbollah militants. (Read more from “IDF Chief Warns of ‘Collapse’ as Israel Delays Ultra-Orthodox Draft” HERE)

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Uganda’s Military Chief offers to Fight for Israel

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Uganda’s military chief has offered to fight alongside Israel in its war against Iran.

Gen Muhoozi Kainerugaba posted a series of messages on social media saying his country could enter the conflict if hostilities escalated.

He called for a swift end to the fighting while warning that any attempt to destroy Israel could prompt Uganda to enter the war on Israel’s side.

“If Israel needs help, it only need ask. Their Ugandan brothers are ready to assist,” said Gen Kainerugaba, who is the son of Yoweri Museveni, Uganda’s president.

He framed his support based on historical ties, acknowledging Israel’s past support for Uganda. (Read more from “Uganda’s Military Chief offers to Fight for Israel” HERE)

Gay Ex-UK Justice Minister Who Hosted ‘Chemsex’ Parties Fined For Crystal Meth Possession

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A U.K. court fined former Conservative justice minister Crispin Blunt £1,200 (about $1,600) on Wednesday after he admitted possessing crystal meth, cannabis, and sedative drugs, following revelations he hosted chemsex, a sexual gathering where participants use drugs to enhance sexual activity.

The 65-year-old former Member of Parliament for Reigate, Surrey, U.K., who served from 1997 to 2024, pleaded guilty to four counts of possessing drugs at Westminster Magistrates’ Court. He also received a £480 (approx. $640) victim surcharge and £200 (approx. $260) in costs, The Guardian reported. Blunt represented himself in court and told the bench he had originally considered a jury trial to argue that drug possession should not be a criminal offence.

In a 30-minute statement, he criticized the legal system, saying politicians take the easy moral stance that drugs are bad and illegal, without considering the serious problems that approach causes. He suggested that his advocacy on drug policy reform, trans rights, and support for Palestinians may have contributed to the decision to charge him, according to Sky News.

Prosecutor Zarah Dickinson said Blunt’s actions stemmed from his professional experience in government. She said that after coming out as gay, Blunt saw first-hand the harm caused by the government’s drug policy during his time as justice minister. Dickinson added that Blunt later took part in the chemsex scene and that his personal experience with drugs helped shape his ideas on government drug policies, Sky News reported.

Police raided Blunt’s house in Surrey, in October 2023 as part of a broader investigation connected to a chemsex party. Officers found £200 to £250 (approx. $260 to $320) worth of crystal meth on his bedside table, £200 (approx. $260) of GBL — a chemical that acts as a sedative when used as a drug — in a syringe stored in a laptop bag, and cannabis valued under £10, along with weighing scales that had powder residue. Dickinson said Blunt remained calm throughout the raid, pointing out the drugs to officers, The Guardian reported. (Read more from “Gay Ex-UK Justice Minister Who Hosted ‘Chemsex’ Parties Fined For Crystal Meth Possession” HERE)

Pope Leo Hosts Exorcist Summit at the Vatican Over Fears of Worldwide Surge in Satanism

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. . .Pope Leo XIV hosted the world’s most senior exorcists at the Vatican, who reportedly warned him of a terrifying global rise in “occultism, esotericism, and Satanism.”

The Chicago-born head of the Catholic church held a private meeting with a delegation of Catholic priests from the International Association of Exorcists (AIE) this month, according to EWTN Vatican.

“They presented a report on the growing prevalence of cases related to occultism, esotericism, and Satanism, and the spiritual consequences they believe this has for many people,” the outlet reported.

“During the meeting, the Association asked the Pontiff to ensure that every diocese in the world has one or more adequately trained exorcist priests.”

Father Francesco Bamonte, AIE vice president, said ignoring these concerns “leaves many faithful without an adequate response to grave spiritual suffering, sometimes pushing them toward inappropriate solutions.” (Read more from “Pope Leo Hosts Exorcist Summit at the Vatican Over Fears of Worldwide Surge in Satanism” HERE)

US Sends 15-Point Plan to End War With Iran as Trump Says Regime Has Agreed to Scrap Nuclear Program

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The US has sent Iran a 15-point plan and cease-fire proposal to end the war in the Middle East — and President Trump claims the regime has already agreed to a critical part of the peace framework: No nuclear weapons.

“They’ve agreed,” Trump said Tuesday of his biggest demand. “They will never have a nuclear weapon. They’ve agreed to that.”

The peace plan was shared with Iranian officials Tuesday via Pakistan, according to the New York Times.

Trump’s special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner are reportedly seeking Tehran to agree to a monthlong cease-fire, during which the 15 points of the plan would be negotiated, according to Israel’s Channel 12.

The peace plan is believed to be based on the 15-point framework presented to the Iranian government last year, before Israel launched its 12-day war against the regime and the US bombed Iranian nuclear facilities in Operation Midnight Hammer, according to multiple outlets. (Read more from “US Sends 15-Point Plan to End War With Iran as Trump Says Regime Has Agreed to Scrap Nuclear Program” HERE)

Glitch Shuts Australia’s Biggest Maker Of Vital Fertilizer Input For 2 Months At Worst Possible Time

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Australia’s largest ammonia plant will be shut for two months to repair damage caused by a power outage, amidst a global supply crunch for the vital fertiliser and explosives ingredient.

To say that the shutdown comes at the worst possible time for the global fertilizer market would be an understatement: more than a quarter of the world’s traded ammonia flows through the Strait of Hormuz, as do 43% of urea shipments, the fertilizer made from ammonia. As we discussed in recent days, that flow has been cut to a trickle as Iran blockaded the SoH, as have vital gas supplies, causing fertilizer plants in India to shut.

Adding insult to injury, last week Yara’s Pilbara plant, which uses gas to produce 850,000 tonnes of ammonia a year, suffered a power outage, damaging equipment, BoilingCold reports.

A spokesman for the Norwegian company said workers and the environment were unaffected, and initial assessments indicated repairs could take about two months. . .

An adjacent plant, half-owned by Australia’s Orica, uses 140,000 tonnes of the ammonia to make the explosive technical ammonium nitrate (TAN) for WA’s mining sector. The remaining ammonia is shipped to Australian and international customers, and much of it is used to make urea fertilizer. (Read more from “Glitch Shuts Australia’s Biggest Maker Of Vital Fertilizer Input For 2 Months At Worst Possible Time” HERE)

Only Nuclear War can Destroy Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions, IAEA Chief says

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The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency on Sunday warned that military strikes alone cannot eliminate Iran’s nuclear program, saying only extreme and unthinkable destruction would fully dismantle Tehran’s capabilities.

IAEA Director-General Rafael Grossi, speaking on CBS’s Face the Nation, said nuclear war is the only way to erase Iran’s nuclear program, just one day after Iran said its Natanz Nuclear Facility was hit in an airstrike.

“Anywhere, unless it was nuclear war and you go for destruction in an unfathomable way, which we hope, of course, will not be the case,” Grossi said when asked whether the war could end Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

On Saturday, following the airstrike on Natanz, Grossi called for military restraint to avoid a nuclear accident. Recent assessments have indicated damage, though no widespread radiation leaks have been reported.

Despite those attacks, Grossi stressed that Iran retains critical knowledge and technical capacity that cannot be eliminated through conventional military means. (Read more from “Only Nuclear War can Destroy Iran’s Nuclear Ambitions, IAEA Chief says” HERE)

Houthi Join the Fight, Threaten to Close Red Sea Straits

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Yemen’s Houthi movement has announced it is entering the escalating regional conflict on the side of Iran, warning it plans to target US naval assets in the Red Sea.

In a statement released by a representative of the group, the Iran-aligned movement said: “We will strike American ships in the Red Sea. This war is a fight for the entire Ummah.”

The declaration marks a further widening of tensions across the Middle East, as Iran’s network of regional allies signals a greater willingness to engage directly amid ongoing hostilities involving Israel, the US and Gulf states.

Tehran is keeping the threat of ordering Houthis to take up arms in reserve, say analysts, as they could close the access to the Red Sea and cut off all oil and gas produced in the Gulf from reaching international markets. Iranian officials told Tasnim News: if the US launches a military attack on Iran’s main export terminal on Kharg island, Iran will activate the Houthis to shut down the Bab al-Mandab Strait and block access to the Red Sea. Bab al-Mandab Strait — handles 10% of all global trade.

The US spent $1bn trying to stop Houthi attacks on Red Sea shipping in 2024. and failed. Ships were forced to reroute around Africa and shippign costs went up 400% at that time. (Read more from “Houthi Join the Fight, Threaten to Close Red Sea Straits” HERE)

Mass Cattle Cull in Russia Feared to be From Bioweapons Research Plant ‘Leak’

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Tens of thousands of cattle have been culled in Russia, with fears that the animals were infected by a leak from a bioweapons research plant.

Thousands of animals have been killed amid furious protests from farmers in Siberia, with authorities giving differing accounts as to the reason why.

Some have cited an outbreak of ‘pasteurellosis’, which can normally be treated with antibiotics.

Disease control specialists have told farmers there was also an outbreak of ‘incurable rabies’, without citing evidence.

Farmers haven’t been shown the order from the Kremlin’s agriculture ministry, and are now claiming the organization is trying to conceal the true cause. (Read more from “Mass Cattle Cull in Russia Feared to be From Bioweapons Research Plant ‘Leak’” HERE)

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