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Iran & Israel Secretly Agreed Not To Attack Each Other Through Russian Backchannel

Putin and Iran protests
There may have been some back-channel dealmaking and a 'mutual understanding' reached between Iran and Israel far behind the scenes as protests unfolded on Iran's streets, and as President Trump began to make threats about striking Tehran.

At a moment Trump seems to have climbed down (at least for now) from the threatened drive to intervene militarily, The Washington Post has issued a Wednesday report saying Israel and Iran have been in indirect diplomatic contact via Russia as a mediator.

"Days before protests erupted in Iran in late December, Israeli officials notified the Iranian leadership via Russia that they would not launch strikes against Iran if Israel were not attacked first," WaPo writes. "Iran responded through the Russian channel that it would also refrain from a preemptive attack, diplomats and regional officials with knowledge of the exchange said."

Comment: It is good that a "pause" has been announced after the rapid escalation. May saner minds prevail.

No justification for attack on Iran - Putin


Star of David

Evil: Study finds Israel used deadly white phosphorus munitions widely in southern Lebanon

idf white phosphorus lebanon
© Image verified and geolocated by Ahmad BaydounExplosion of four white phosphorus munitions over the village of Kfar Kela, in southern Lebanon, on January 14, 2024. Coordinates: 33.2775017898045, 35.5617281832726
An investigation mapping out 248 strikes highlights Israel's use of white phosphorus during the recent conflict in southern Lebanon between October 2023 and November 2024. Open-source researcher Ahmad Baydoun, who conducted the study, emphasises the serious and ongoing concerns regarding the substance's impact on health, agriculture and the environment.

Burnt olive groves, devastated fields and toxic fragments buried underground - in southern Lebanon, Israel's use of white phosphorus during the conflict with Hezbollah from October 2023 to November 2024 left a lasting mark.

Although not explicitly prohibited by international law, the use of white phosphorus is regulated as an incendiary weapon. Its use against civilians or in populated areas is prohibited. In June 2024, the Israeli army claimed that it did not use white phosphorus shells to target or set fires, adding that "Israel Defence Forces procedures require that such shells are not used in densely populated areas, subject to certain exceptions".

Dominoes

Trump administration to end temporary protected status for Somalis

dhs flag
© Celal Gunes / Anadolu Agency via Getty Images file
The Trump administration is ending temporary protected status for Somali immigrants, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt confirmed in a post on X on Tuesday.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services confirmed on X that "Somali nationals with TPS are now required to leave the United States by March 17, 2026."

The United States provides temporary protected status to immigrants from certain countries that are affected by safety conditions such as natural and human-made disasters.

The Trump administration has moved to crack down on immigration from certain countries in Africa, Latin America and the Middle East. President Donald Trump has in particular targeted Somalis in recent weeks, accusing them of destroying the country and saying that "the Somalians should be out of here."

Russian Flag

US operation in Venezuela a 'flagrant violation' of international law - Lavrov

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
© Sputnik / Sergey GuneevRussian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov
The US attack on Venezuela earlier this month in which President Nicolas Maduro was abducted was a blatant violation of international law, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Wednesday.

Speaking at a press conference after meeting with Namibian Foreign Minister Selma Ashipala-Musavyi, Lavrov stated that Moscow's assessment of the US operation in Caracas remains unchanged. He added that the condemnation is shared by the overwhelming "global majority," including the Global South and East.

"Only Western Europeans and other allies of Washington try to shamefully avoid the principled assessments, although everybody understands that we're talking about a flagrant violation of international law," the foreign minister said.

Comment: Trump unveils details of first call with Venezuela's interim leader:
"We had a call, a long call. We discussed a lot of things, and I think we're getting along very well with Venezuela," Trump told reporters, praising Rodriguez as a "terrific person."

In a separate Truth Social post, Trump stated that "tremendous progress" was being made and specifically mentioned "Oil, Minerals, Trade and, of course, National Security" as topics discussed.

"This partnership between the United States of America and Venezuela will be a spectacular one FOR ALL. Venezuela will soon be great and prosperous again, perhaps more so than ever before!" he added.

Rodriguez characterized the talk as "long, productive and courteous" and said they discussed a bilateral agenda aimed at benefiting both countries. The dialogue represents a shift in tone, after Rodriguez initially declared defiantly that no "foreign agent" would control Venezuela or turn it into a "colony."



Network

China cites 'national security concerns', orders domestic firms to stop using US, Israeli cybersecurity software

china cyberspace administration government office security
© Reuters/Thomas Peter
The step aligns with a broader strategic push by Beijing to insulate critical systems from foreign leverage in favor of domestic alternatives

Chinese authorities instructed domestic companies to stop using certain US and Israeli cybersecurity software, citing national security concerns and the risk of sensitive data being transferred overseas, according to informed sources cited by Reuters on 14 January.
Chinese officials, speaking through the sources - who spoke in anonymity - said the notice was issued in recent days and targeted software produced by roughly a dozen foreign firms.

The move affects Chinese companies operating across multiple sectors, although Reuters said it could not determine how many received the directive.

Pirates

Bessent: 10% of US budget lost to fraud, signals Musk has unfinished DOGE business

new york post cover us budget fraud losses
© New York Post
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent's interview with journalist Christopher Rufo suggests that Elon Musk still has unfinished business at DOGE, as fraud, waste, and abuse from Somali networks in Minnesota, California Democrats, and other deep-blue states have dominated the news cycle for the last several weeks.

Bessent told Rufo that somewhere between 5% to 10% of the total federal budget is siphoned off by fraud and abuse each year, citing data from the Government Accountability Office.

"So it's about 10% of the federal budget, 1 to 2% of GDP. And if we can narrow that number, President Trump asked for a $500 billion increase in the defense budget to fortify, you know, 10 to 20 years of neglect, and forever wars that we've been involved in that he's determined not to get us into. We need to flex up our military budget, if we can get rid of this waste, fraud, and abuse, we can finance a safer, sounder US with with that with without taking on more debt. Sounds pretty good outcome to me," Bessent said.

Comment: Some other (potentially) good news is the appointment of fiscal hawk Tim Burchett (R-Tenn) as chairman to the DOGE subcommittee. He, like Thomas Massie and Marjorie Taylor Greene, actually has experience in the real world of business. That can only be helpful.



Burchett will be stonewalled at every turn. We'll have to see how he handles it.


Red Flag

Trump's Justice Department launches criminal probe against the Fed's Powell

JPowell
© Business UpturnFed Chair Jerome Powell
The New York Times today reports that the US Attorney's office in the District of Columbia has opened a criminal investigation into Fed Chairman Jerome Powell. Ostensibly and officially, the investigation is into the nature of the Federal Reserve's renovation of its Washington headquarters, and whether or not Powell lied to Congress about the scope of the project. In the world of politics, stated reasons rarely match the actual reasons, however.

Corruption and mismanagement are always permissible in Washington so long as the guilty parties have friends in the administration. Powell was a Trump appointee in late 2017 but has since lost the president's favor. If Trump's public statements provide an accurate view into a reason for this, it's that Powell has not been inflationist enough for Trump. Indeed, this is the most likely actual reason for the administration's investigation into Powell.

After all, since before he was even sworn in for the current term, Trump has repeatedly and aggressively called for Powell and the Fed to force down interest rates. Although the Fed's FOMC has repeatedly lowered the target interest rate since Trump was elected in November 2024, this apparently has not been enough for Trump who has demanded that the Fed cut the target policy rate even more.


Comment: Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) is a committee within the Federal Reserve System (the Fed) that is charged under United States law with overseeing the nation's open market operations (e.g., the Fed's buying and selling of United States Treasury securities). This Federal Reserve committee makes key decisions about interest rates and the growth of the United States


Attention

US opens missile facility in Qatar amid Iran tensions

5 Jets
© Cherie A. Thurby/USAF/Getty Images
President Donald Trump earlier signaled support for protests in the Islamic Republic and threatened new strikes.

The US has opened a new air and missile defense coordination cell at a key airbase in Qatar amid rising tensions with Iran and President Donald Trump's promises to assist protesters in the Islamic Republic.

In a statement on Tuesday, US Central Command said the facility at the Al Udeid Air Base, which houses some 10,000 troops, will be comprised of American and allied personnel and seeks to "enhance integrated air and missile defense." The new cell is also intended to tighten information-sharing, threat warning, drills and joint responses for air and missile defense, US officials said.

Reuters reported, citing three unnamed diplomats, that some personnel had been advised to leave the base by Wednesday evening for unknown reasons. The agency noted that the US took the same measures ahead of strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities last summer, while the Al Udeid Air Base came under a retaliatory attack from Tehran at the time.

The move comes amid soaring US-Iran tensions, with Trump offering symbolic support for the riots, which began in late December as protests over the sharp devaluation of the Iranian rial and the sanctioned country's cost-of-living crisis. The US president, in particular, has urged Iranians to keep protesting and said "HELP IS ON ITS WAY," while also warning of "very strong" action in case of a harsh crackdown on rioters. At the same time, Trump did not rule out talks with Iran.

Star of David

Patagonia under siege: How fires, foreign capital, and the Isaac Accords are reshaping Argentina's last frontier

Javier Milei Patagonia fire
Javier Milei • Patagonia Fire • Flag Israel
The fires started quietly. In early January 2026, a plume of smoke rose over the lenga forests and glacial valleys of Argentine Patagonia. By the time the blazes were fully visible from the air, thousands of hectares had been scorched, rural communities were under threat, and officials acknowledged that some of the fires were deliberate, with accelerants and military-grade devices recovered. Firefighters, aided by aerial units and the army, battled against fierce winds and a landscape already stressed by drought.

But these fires were more than an environmental crisis. In towns from Bariloche to Lago Escondido, whispers circulated that foreign actors, including known Zionists, might be exploiting the chaos. Indigenous Mapuche communities and local activists began raising concerns about Israeli nationals, sometimes identified as Israeli soldiers, moving into remote lands, their presence coinciding with government reforms easing foreign ownership of burned and rural properties.

What once circulated as a rumour has now become an unavoidable reality on the ground. Across Patagonia — on both the Argentine and Chilean sides, unease is growing as residents and visitors alike confront an increasingly visible and unexplained presence of Israeli nationals, many presenting themselves as ordinary backpackers. Their numbers are not seasonal anomalies but a constant: thousands arrive every year, in every season. In towns like El Calafate or Bariloche, which was a refugee city for Nazis after World War II, the signs are impossible to ignore; Hebrew lettering dominates shop windows, hostels, and travel agencies, creating the uncanny impression of a parallel cultural footprint embedded deep in the Patagonian frontier.

Star of David

El Pais reports Israeli tanks fired near Spanish UN peacekeepers in Lebanon

Israel Merkava Mk4 Barak tank
An Israeli Merkava Mk4 Barak tank
On January 12, Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) tanks fired towards a patrol of Spanish UN peacekeepers in southern Lebanon, though no casualties were reported, according to Spain's Defence Staff.

The incident occurred around 16:30 local time, when three Israeli tanks positioned themselves north of the so-called buffer zone within the area monitored by the Spanish battalion (Spanbatt) of UNIFIL's Eastern Brigade, commanded by Major General Antonio Bernal Martín, El Pais reports.

The buffer zone is a security perimeter surrounding five strategic positions maintained by the IDF in Lebanese territory following their last incursion in October 2024. A Spanish patrol moved south of the village of El Khiam to monitor the tanks after they reportedly left the buffer zone.

Comment: From Anti-war.com:
Just two weeks after Israeli troops fired on an injured a UNIFIL peacekeeper in southern Lebanon, yet another incident is being reported, with an Israeli tank firing multiple shells at a group of UNIFIL peacekeepers from Spain in the area around Khiam.

Three shots were fired in the incident, which took place on Monday. The shells landed within 150 meters of the peacekeepers, and the UN is warning that incidents of attacks on UNIFIL personnel are becoming "increasingly common," while reiterating that they amount to a "serious violation" of UN Security Council resolution 1701.

Though no UNIFIL peacekeepers were wounded in this case, the incident was particularly concerning because it involved two Israeli Merkava tanks both crossing into Lebanon and advancing deeper into Lebanese territory to go after the UNIFIL. Even when the peacekeepers were fleeing the initial firing, they report that the tanks were using a laser sighting to track them.

Spain is understandingly unhappy with their troops being fired on in the course of a peacekeeping mission, calling the attack "unacceptable" and also a "serious escalation." They urged Israel to stop targeting UNIFIL and respect international law.

That's a big ask, as Israel has targeted the UNIFIL repeatedly for years, and increasingly often in recent months. Israeli officials have said they view UNIFIL as a 'barrier' to their military escalation in Lebanon, which of course in why UNIFIL was created in the first place.

The IDF dismissed the complaints, saying the tanks attacked "Hezbollah infrastructure" that just happened to be about 150 meters away from an active UNIFIL patrol, and that the Spanish forces were never in any danger.

Given the precedents of both Israel regular attacking the UNIFIL, and their tendency to retroactively justify everything they hit by claiming it was secretly Hezbollah, this explanation is almost certain to be insufficient.
Not the first time the trigger-happy IDF have put UN troops in danger:


Israel will shrug it off just the way it did with this incident: