United States Vice President Kamala Harris and former US President Donald Trump are still tied in seven states that are likely to decide the outcome of the November 5 presidential election, according to a Washington Post poll released on Monday. Support for both candidates in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin stands at 47%, with a margin of error of 1.7 percentage points. Across the seven states, voters gave Harris a net approval rating of 44% for her job as vice president, while 51% approved of Trump’s performance in his first term in office. The respondents chose the economy, inflation, the threat to democracy and healthcare as the most important issues ahead of the election, with more voters trusting Trump than Harris to handle the first three.
NN: This election will be decided on the streets or court house
US intelligence documents have been leaked, allegedly exposing Israel’s military preparations for potential strikes on Iran, says the New York Times.
The two documents are considered highly classified, and originate from the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA) – “responsible for analysing images and information collected by American spy satellites” – offer insights into Israeli military exercises and operational readiness. The two documents, dated October 15 and 16, were circulated on Telegram by accounts largely associated with pro-Iran sentiments. They provide detailed analyses of satellite images showing Israel’s military exercises, which appear to be in preparation for a retaliatory strike on Iran. The potential strike comes in the wake of escalating tensions following an Iranian missile barrage on October 1, itself a retaliation for an earlier Israeli attack. One of the documents is titled “Israel: Air Force Continues Preparations for Strike on Iran” and outlines recent Israeli exercises that seem to rehearse a potential military operation against Iran. These preparations reportedly include air-to-air refuelling operations, search-and-rescue missions, and the repositioning of missile systems in anticipation of potential Iranian strikes. The second document reveals Israeli efforts to move munitions and other military assets to strategic locations.Although the documents describe Israeli military movements and exercises, they do not provide satellite images themselves. The US intelligence gathered from these images suggests that Israel is gearing up for a strike, but it is unclear whether these documents reveal the full scope of Israel’s plans for Iran. The leaks have reportedly prompted immediate concern within the US government. US officials are divided over the severity of the leak, with some downplaying its impact given that the documents do not reveal new American capabilities. Others, however, are alarmed by the exposure of Israel’s sensitive military plans, particularly at a time of heightened tensions in the Middle East. President Joe Biden, when asked during a recent trip to Germany whether he was aware of Israel’s planned strike on Iran and its targets, responded with a brief “Yes and yes,” but declined to elaborate. While the exact source of the leak remains unknown, early indications suggest that the documents may have been taken by a lower-level US government employee. A joint investigation by the Pentagon, US intelligence agencies, and the FBI is underway to determine how the information was leaked and whether more documents could follow.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) struck 175 targets across Lebanon and Gaza during the last 24 hours, the military said early on Sunday. Israeli warplanes struck Hezbollah and Hamas military facilities, including warehouses and launch sites, the IDF revealed in a post on X (formerly Twitter.) At the same time, soldiers from the IDF’s elite Golan and Egoz units eliminated a Hamas cell operating in southern Gaza in close-quarters combat, the army stated .NN: does this look like peace to you. Until Hamas surrenders or is eliminated their will be no peace.
Israeli forces discovered various items on Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar’s body after his death on October 16. The findings included grenades, an assault rifle, nearly $11,000 in cash, a UNRWA employee’s passport, and personal items like prayer beads and letters to his son. Analysts suggest the presence of a fake ID and the passport indicate Sinwar may have intended to flee Gaza, raising questions about Hamas’s internal dynamics. The discovery has implications for UNRWA’s reputation amid accusations of aiding Hamas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to exact revenge after an attempted drone attack on his home. He blamed Hezbollah for the assault, calling it a “grave mistake.” Netanyahu promised that Iran and its proxies pay a “heavy price,” stating that Israel will continue to eliminate what it deems terror threats and those who support them. Netanyahu declared that Israel remains determined to achieve its war objectives, secure its borders and bring hostages home. “This will not deter me or the State of Israel from continuing our just war against our enemies in order to secure our future,” he said. The attack targeted Netanyahu’s northern Israel residence, though he and his wife were not there at the time.
Drone Attack At Netanyahu’s House, Claims Iran;
A Hezbollah drone was launched at Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Caesarea residence on Saturday. The Prime Minister’s Office said that Netanyahu and his wife were not at the location. No casualties were reported as a result of the incident. In an interview with Prof. Amatzia Baram, a Middle East expert, he shared insights into the security situation in the Middle East and the connections between Tehran, Hezbollah, and the ongoing conflict in Gaza. A key question raised during the conversation was whether Qassem reversed his position in a second speech, aligning with Nasrallah’s statement: no ceasefire in the north as long as the fighting in Gaza continued. Baram explained, “Hezbollah was ready for a ceasefire in any case, but Iran doesn’t want to appear as if it has abandoned Hamas. Thus, they are pushing for continued fighting in the north.” He added, “Tehran changed Qassem’s position, realigning Beirut with Nasrallah.” Baram highlighted the aftermath of Safieddine’s assassination as a “critical moment”. Recently, Hezbollah announced the “next phase of the fighting,” increasing rocket fire on Israel. Baram explained that these actions aim “to pressure Israel into agreeing to a ceasefire both in the north and in Gaza.” Isncluding attacks n Isreals leaser
Iran had tried to target Netanyahu amid the clashes.
Murderous intent or sending a message
A significant question addressed was whether Iran sought to target Netanyahu directly. Baram pointed to Hezbollah’s drone attack on Netanyahu’s Caesarea residence as evidence of Iran’s capability to strike close to his home. “The Iranians knew the drone wouldn’t hit Netanyahu directly, but it was a symbolic message. They want to show they can reach anywhere,” Baram said. He clarified that this was not a strategic strike, as Hezbollah did not deploy its heavy, precise missiles. “Iran is likely saving Hezbollah’s strategic missiles for a larger conflict—one involving Iran directly, not just Hezbollah. These missiles serve Iran’s goals, not Hezbollah’s,” he explained. Baram also discussed the challenges in countering Hezbollah’s drone operations. He mentioned that Hezbollah occasionally launches multiple drones at once, complicating Israel’s tracking efforts. “The main challenge is early detection, especially when the drones fly at low altitudes and slow speeds,” he said. While technological solutions are being developed, Baram emphasized that the process is slow. Despite Iran’s failure to directly harm Netanyahu this time they swore to try again
Hezbollah is said to have launched a drone attack on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s private residence in Caesarea, his office announced on Saturday. The drone crashed into a building in the nearby area, but Netanyahu and his wife were not home at the time. Two other drones were also launched from Lebanon but were intercepted by Israeli air defenses, causing sirens to go off in Tel Aviv. There were no reported injuries in the attack.
NN: Nice try but no cookie! Remember the AI programing is done primarily by lefty liberals. They believe that Sinwars death is a plus for the peace process. The recent price action in oil Friday reflected these fantasies. In fact the exact opposite is try. Its obvious that Israel’s first attack on Iran will be soon. And the attack will be on their leaders.
Iran is closer to finding a way to circumvent the crucial Strait of Hormuz when it comes to oil exports. The Jask oil terminal, officially opened a few years ago, has seen but limited activity so far. However, recent satellite imagery reveals it has partially filled the facility with crude oil in what is being construed as a significant development in Tehran’s oil export strategy.
The importance of Jask has increased as of late as tensions with Israel grow. During periods of unrest, Iran has routinely threatened to shut down the Strait of Hormuz, a vital artery for oil shipments for several Middle Eastern producers. Unfortunately for Iran, it also relies on the Strait for its oil exports—but perhaps its leanings on the Strait is abbot to lighten up.
Jask could enable Iran to reduce its reliance on this narrow waterway, freeing up options for the country. Jask has filled to about half capacity, imagery shows, but the facility’s challenges remain. The terminal was designed to load up to 1 million barrels per day and store 20 million barrels. However, only one of the three planned loading buoys has been installed, limiting its operational capacity. Kharg Island, Iran’s primary oil export hub, has in the past handled three times that volume, maintaining its status as the dominant outlet since the 1960s. The most recent loading activity at Jask occurred from September 9 to 19, 2024, when the Iranian supertanker Dune loaded approximately 2 million barrels of crude. This marks the first significant loading at Jask since its initial trial runs in 2021, according to TankerTrackers.com, a firm specializing in monitoring Iran’s oil shipments. The Jask terminal’s partial activity may signal a shift in Iran’s export strategies, aiming to bolster oil flows while mitigating the risks associated with the Strait of Hormuz.
Billionaire Elon Musk said that he thinks only paper ballots should be allowed when voting in the United States elections as computers are “far too easy to hack.” Musk pointed out that he is someone who is in favor of computers and technology but warned that we “should not have computers do voting calculation at all” due to dangers of hacking. He insisted all voting should take place on paper ballots, in person with an ID.
Israeli troops had for more than a year hunted the leader of Hamas, who disappeared in Gaza soon after masterminding the 7 October attacks. Yahya Sinwar, 61, was said to have spent much of his time hiding in the tunnels under the Strip, along with a cadre of bodyguards and a “human shield” of hostages seized from Israel.
But ultimately, it appears he met his end in a chance encounter with an Israeli patrol in southern Gaza. His guard detail was small. No hostages were found.
The Israel Defense Forces says a unit from its 828th Bislamach Brigade was patrolling Tal al-Sultan, an area of Rafah, on Wednesday. Three fighters were identified and engaged by the Israeli troops – and all were eliminated. At that stage nothing seemed particularly remarkable about the firefight and the soldiers did not return to the scene until Thursday morning. It was then, as the dead were inspected, that one of the bodies was found to bear a striking resemblance to the leader of Hamas. The corpse however remained at the site due to suspected booby traps and instead, part of a finger was removed and sent to Israel for testing. His body was finally extracted and brought to Israel later that day as the area was made safe. Daniel Hagari, the IDF’s spokesman, said his forces “didn’t know he was there but we continued to operate”. He said his troops had identified the three men running from house to house, and engaged them before they split up. The man since identified as Sinwar “ran alone into one of the buildings” and was killed after being located with a drone. None of the hostages Sinwar was believed to be using as a human shield were present and his small retinue suggests either he was trying to move unnoticed, or had lost many of those protecting him.
Yoav Gallant, Israel’s defence minister, said: “Sinwar died while beaten, persecuted and on the run – he didn’t die as a commander, but as someone who only cared for himself. This is a clear message to all of our enemies.”
Drone footage released by the Israeli military late on Thursday was said to show Sinwar’s final moments before he was killed. The video appears to be shot from a drone flying through the open window of a mostly destroyed building. It approaches a man, with his head covered, sitting in an armchair on the first floor of a house that is littered with debris. The man, who seems to be injured, then throws what appears to be a stick at the drone and the video ends.
Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, said “evil” had been “dealt a blow”, but warned the Israeli war in Gaza had not been completed. In short, Israeli forces had narrowed Sinwar’s rough location to the southern city of Rafah, and were slowly moving in to get him. Sinwar had been on the run for more than a year. He had undoubtedly felt the Israeli pressure growing as other Hamas leaders, such as Mohammad Dief and Ismail Haniyeh, were killed, and as Israel destroyed the infrastructure he had used to prosecute the atrocities of 7 October. In a statement, the IDF said its operations in recent weeks in the south had “restricted Yahya Sinwar’s operational movement as he was pursued by the forces and led to his elimination”. Killing Sinwar was a major goal for Israel, which marked him for death soon after the 7 October attacks. But his end does not end the war in Gaza. While Netanyahu said he had “settled the score”, he insisted the war would continue – not least to save the 101 hostages still held by Hamas.
United States President Joe Biden on Thursday welcomed the confirmation of the killing of Hamas political leader Yahya Sinwar. “Early this morning, Israeli authorities informed my national security team that a mission they conducted in Gaza likely killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. DNA tests have now confirmed that Sinwar is dead. This is a good day for Israel, for the United States, and for the world,” Biden said in a statement published by the White House shortly after the IDF confirmed the news. In the statement, Biden revealed that following the attacks of October 7, US Special Operations and intelligence personnel worked closely with Israeli forces to track Hamas leadership. “With our intelligence help, the IDF relentlessly pursued Hamas’s leaders,” Biden said.