Iran war: Trump claims deal is close (again), Iranians say not really (again)

Source: Independent [UK]

“Iran has denied that the US and Tehran have finalised all points in peace negotiations, as claimed by Donald Trump, reiterating that the regime will not compromise on its ‘red lines.’ Speaking to Iranian state TV: ‘We have not reached a final conclusion on this matter. This is a ⁠very important issue that is currently being reviewed by the relevant decision-making bodies.’ It comes after Donald Trump walked back his threat to strike Iran ‘hard’ last night, citing progress being made in peace negotiations. The US president said he ‘cancelled the scheduled strikes and bombings against Iran this evening.’ He added that ‘discussions and final points’ have been ‘approved by all parties involved.’ He later told reporters that a deal could be signed as soon as this weekend.” (06/12/26)

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/iran-us-war-live-trump-airstrikes-threat-israel-hormuz-deal-b2994438.html

Steve Trinward

FISA Fail: A Good First Step, But Hold Off on the Celebration

Source: Garrison Center
by Thomas L Knapp

“FISA was always terrible, and section 702 always made it even worse. I’m glad it failed of re-passage. It needs to die in a fire, permanently. But there’s nothing really to celebrate here, because we’ve known — since at least as far back as 2013 — how the US regime operates with regard to its surveillance powers. If the US regime doesn’t like the law, it breaks the law. If US regime figures are asked (under oath) about breaking the law, they deny (under oath) breaking the law. If a whistleblower outs the evidence that the US regime is breaking the law, the US regime charges the whistleblower with espionage and chases him out of the country, while the perjurers continue their skulduggery without penalty or punishment.” (06/11/26)

https://thegarrisoncenter.org/archives/20694

Thomas L. Knapp

Ukraine war: Three killed in mutual attacks

Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]

“Three people have been killed in the border region between Russia and Ukraine, according to officials, as the two sides launched attacks on each other in the latest exchange of fire. In Russia, two civilians were killed and two wounded in the region of Bryansk after Kyiv struck the settlement of Suzemka with artillery, Acting Governor Egor Kovalchuk said in a post on Telegram on Friday. A ⁠drone ⁠also hit an apartment building in Russia’s ⁠central region of Tatarstan, ⁠injuring three people …. In Ukraine, a drone attack in the border region of Sumy caused casualties. A 44-year-old woman working as a rail station operator died on her way to a shelter during the strike, according to the head of Ukrainian Railways, Oleksandr Pertsovkyi. Another woman, a station attendant, was wounded in the attack, Pertsovkyi added. Three people were wounded in separate attacks on Ukraine’s southern Mykolaiv region.” (06/12/26)

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2026/6/12/three-killed-as-ukraine-and-russia-exchange-cross-border-attacks

Thomas L. Knapp

Iran Is Now More Dangerous Than Ever

Source: Foreign Policy
by Rob Geist Pinfold

“U.S. President Donald Trump’s reason for launching a ‘special military operation’ against Iran in February remains disputed. But the United States’[s] broad goals were clear: compel Iran, which the 2025 National Security Strategy labeled as ‘the region’s chief destabilizing force,’ to abandon its sponsorship of a regional network of violent nonstate actors and curtail its nuclear program. In short, the United States sought to force Iran to comprehensively overhaul its grand strategy, through either regime change or a deal. To understand how badly this effort has failed, it’s important to understand how Iran’s grand strategy has shifted.” (06/11/26)

https://archive.is/vclJ1

Thomas L. Knapp

South Korea: Yoon sentenced to 30 more years over Pyongyang drone plot

Source: CNN

“A South Korean court sentenced former President Yoon Suk Yeol to 30 years in prison on Friday over charges linked to military drones sent over Pyongyang to help create a pretext for his failed December 2024 martial law declaration, Yonhap reported. The Seoul Central District Court found Yoon guilty of abuse of power and aiding the enemy, saying he had conspired in the October 2024 drone incursion from the outset, the news agency said. Yoon denied wrongdoing. His lawyers said he neither ordered nor later approved the operation, which they said was unrelated to martial law and instead a response to months of North Korean launches across the border of balloons stuffed with rubbish. … In February, a South Korean court sentenced Yoon to life in prison after finding him guilty of leading an insurrection linked to the martial law attempt.” (06/11/26)

https://www.cnn.com/2026/06/11/asia/south-korean-yoon-suk-yeol-drone-case-jail-intl-hnk

Thomas L. Knapp

Magnifica Humanitas, AI, and the State

Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by Ulrich Fromy

“The encyclical Magnifica Humanitas by Pope Leo XIV is a remarkable text in many ways. It recognizes the dangers of technological concentration and the threat that large private platforms pose to human dignity. The text warns of ‘social control made possible by the massive collection of data and use of algorithmic systems’ and speaks of ‘the architecture of visibility.’ However, it has a blind spot: it does not dare to name states as possible architects of these surveillance structures.” (06/11/26)

https://mises.org/mises-wire/magnifica-humanitas-ai-and-state

Thomas L. Knapp

Trump names new spy chief after pushback over previous pick

Source: BBC News [UK state media]

“US President Donald Trump has named the top federal prosecutor in New York to be the nation’s most senior spy chief, after lawmakers in Congress objected to his previous choice due to lack of relevant experience. Jay Clayton is currently serving as US Attorney for the Southern District of New York, and is overseeing several prominent cases, including the drug trafficking case against former Venezuelan President Nicholas Maduro. On Thursday, Trump tapped him to be the next director of national intelligence, the country’s top spy chief who oversees 18 government intelligence agencies. Outgoing Director Tulsi Gabbard’s last day is 30 June.” (06/11/26)

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cy497vjmd4wo

Thomas L. Knapp