Ivan Shishkin Midday. Near Moscow 1869
https://twitter.com/MarioNawfal/status/1933645555491876990
"Putin does not need Ukraine.
He doesn't need Europe.
Damn it, he already has enough land of his own.
He just wants to make sure that there are no United States weapons in Ukraine aimed at Moscow"(US Senator Tommy Tuberville on Russia’s special military operation) pic.twitter.com/scJZKSc6TB
— Richard (@ricwe123) June 13, 2025
Zhiri
https://twitter.com/angeloinchina/status/1933714354475839868
I just texted this to RFK: pic.twitter.com/NmHQiqayFs
— Steve Kirsch (@stkirsch) June 14, 2025
Far too close to WWIII. Stay away from that.
“Israel lacks the bunker buster bombs and large bomber aircraft needed to destroy Iran’s Fordow uranium enrichment site, which is built into a mountain and deep underground..”
Also: nobody knows how strong Iran is. They’re just guessing. Most of their stuff is undergound.
Detail: israel has 10 million people. Iran has 90 million.
• Trump Rejects Netanyahu’s Request To Join War (ZH)
• In the past 48 hours, Israel has asked the Trump administration to join its war effort, per Axios
• Israel seeks help targeting & destroying the fortified Fordow uranium enrichment site
• Axios says the Trump administration is so far rejecting the Israeli request
• But if Fordow remains intact, Israel’s mission to dismantle Iran’s nuclear program will be considered a failure
• AJ: At least 80 people – including 20 children – have been killed in Iran and four in Israel, with hundreds wounded on both sides in the ongoing tit-for-tat attacks.Axios underscores that “Israel lacks the bunker buster bombs and large bomber aircraft needed to destroy Iran’s Fordow uranium enrichment site, which is built into a mountain and deep underground. The U.S. has both within flying distance of Iran.” Meanwhile, the images coming out of Iran show unprecedented and shocking scenes of oil refineries burning uncontrollably while nearby highway traffic has been forcibly stopped…
[..] Latest updates (1850ET):
• An unconfirmed Israeli airstrike has targeted Iran’s defense ministry headquarters, causing minor damage.
• The Israeli Air Force reportedly bombed the Shahran oil depot near Tehran, Iranian state media reports.
• Two Israeli citizens have been arrested on suspicion of carrying out security offenses under instructions from Iran.
• Iran struck a two-story home in Tamra, east of Haifa, killing three.
• Jordan has suspended all flight operations in its airspace until further notice
• Several missiles were observed streaking above Jerusalem on Saturday night
• Israel also carried out airstrikes in Yemen Saturday night, aiming to eliminate Abdul Malik al-Houthi, a senior Houthi military leader
• Al Jazeera, citing Iran’s Tasnim news agency, reported that an Israeli airstrike targeted the country’s defense ministry headquarters in Tehran on Saturday evening, causing minor damage to one of its buildings
Clear enough?
• Poll: 90% of Americans Don’t Want US Involved in Israel-Iran War (CTH)
President Trump supporter Charlie Kirk presented a poll question on his Twitter account asking, “Should the US get involved in Israel’s war against Iran?” Almost a half million responses and the outcome is almost 90% saying no.
Should the US get involved in Israel’s war against Iran?
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) June 13, 2025
There is obviously a significant majority of MAGA Republicans who do not want the U.S. military involved in more foreign conflict. Also, it’s obvious this is not a scientific poll and more of a ‘sense’ amid the people who use Twitter; people who are often the strongest political influence voices for American politicians; but still, that is quite a remarkable outcome.
“Putin condemned Israel’s strikes on Friday, particularly noting that they occurred just before nuclear negotiations between Iran and the US scheduled for June 15..”
• Putin and Trump Discuss Iran and Ukraine – Kremlin (RT)
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his US counterpart Donald Trump spoke over the phone on Saturday, discussing the attacks between Iran and Israel and the Ukraine conflict, according to the Kremlin. The Russian presidential aide Yuri Ushakov called the conversation “meaningful, frank, and most importantly, very useful.” Putin condemned Israel’s strikes on Friday, particularly noting that they occurred just before nuclear negotiations between Iran and the US scheduled for June 15, he said. “Despite such a complicated situation, the Russian and American presidents didn’t rule out a return to the negotiating track on the Iranian nuclear program,” Putin’s aide added.
On Friday, Iran confirmed that Israeli attacks killed Major General Hossein Salami, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, and Major General Mohammad Bagheri, chief of staff of the Iranian Armed Forces, along with several nuclear scientists. In retaliation, Tehran fired dozens of ballistic missiles into Israel, some of which reportedly breached its air defenses. Putin and Trump also discussed the latest prisoner swaps between Moscow and Kiev. The Russian president also confirmed readiness to continue negotiations with Ukraine “after June 22.”
During the latest round of direct talks in Istanbul on June 2, the two sides agreed to carry out a series of exchanges, focusing primarily on seriously injured, ill, and younger captives. Russia also unilaterally decided to repatriate the bodies of more than 6,000 fallen Ukrainian troops on humanitarian grounds. Ushakov also stated that Putin extended birthday wishes to Trump, who turned 79 on Saturday. “Both presidents expressed their satisfaction with the personal relationships that allow [them] to communicate in a businesslike manner, [and] to seek solutions to pressing issues on the bilateral and international agenda, no matter how complex these issues may be,” Putin’s aide concluded.
https://twitter.com/DD_Geopolitics/status/1933934829789483231
“..The authorities in Moscow “totally support the Iranian position… that this is absolutely inadmissible and that nobody should be permitted to act as Israel does..”
• ‘Perverted Logic’ To Call Israeli Attack On Iran Self-Defense – Polyansky (RT)
Framing Israel’s attack on Iran as self-defense is a form of “perverted logic,” Russia’s deputy envoy to the UN, Dmitry Polyansky, has told RT, accusing West Jerusalem of flagrantly breaching the global body’s charter. On Friday, Israel struck Iranian uranium enrichment sites, while also killing several senior military commanders and scientists in targeted assassination operations, describing its acts as preemptive steps aimed at stopping Tehran from acquiring a nuclear bomb. Iran, which denies pursuing a military nuclear program, responded by launching multiple volleys of ballistic missiles at targets in Israel, including in the country’s largest city, Tel Aviv. In his interview on Saturday, Polyansky accused Western politicians claiming that Israel’s attack on Iran was “self-defense” of having “very perverted logic.”
“Of course, every country has the right to defend itself. But in this case, Israel launched an aggression – an attack against Iran – totally violating and breaching the UN Charter and international law… I cannot imagine how it can be framed as legitimate self-defense,” he said. The authorities in Moscow “totally support the Iranian position… that this is absolutely inadmissible and that nobody should be permitted to act as Israel does,” the diplomat stressed. The attack on Iran is “a very dangerous provocation against international law, against everything that really keeps our world together, and it can trigger very-very serious consequences regionally and internationally,” he warned.
According to Polyansky, the goal of the Israeli strike was to “undermine” the US-Iran nuclear talks, the next round of which is scheduled to take place on Sunday. Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Esmaeil Baghaei said on Friday that diplomacy was made “meaningless” by the Israeli attack on Iran, which he claimed was “allowed” by Washington. However, in a later comment Baghaei clarified that Tehran had not yet made a decision to call off Sunday’s meeting in Oman. Moscow wants the talks between the US and Iran to continue, Polyansky said. When it comes to resolving “the controversy around the Iranian nuclear program… we, of course, favor the way of diplomacy and restraint,” he stressed.
“Trump told reporters on Thursday at the White House that he preferred Israel not attack Iran. “I don’t want them going in, because I think it would blow it..”
“Israel is doing what any rational and responsible nation would do when faced with such an immediate existential threat..” Immediate? for 40 years?
• Trump Leverages Israel’s Attack To Force Iran To Table (jTN)
As Israeli warplanes and drones were launched into Iran, President Donald Trump was quick to distance the U.S. from Israel’s decision-making, but behind the scenes, his administration was aware of what Israel had planned. As soon as the smoke from the first bombs cleared, Trump pivoted to use the moment to implore Tehran back to the negotiating table and to protect Israel from a counteroffensive. Israel targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities and about 25 of its nuclear scientists. So far, two scientists have been confirmed dead, in addition to the commander of the Revolutionary Guard, the military chief of staff and senior general. The men were subject to international sanctions over their role in Iran’s longstanding bid to join Israel as the second nuclear-armed power in the Middle East, according to the Australian Broadcasting Company.
Trump told reporters on Thursday at the White House that he preferred Israel not attack Iran. “I don’t want them going in, because I think it would blow it,” Trump said, referring to a potential Israeli attack on Iran during the ongoing U.S. nuclear negotiations with Iran. “Might help it actually, but it also could blow it.” Trump said he preferred a diplomatic solution with Iran over military conflict. “I’d love to avoid the conflict. Iran’s going to have to negotiate a little bit tougher — meaning they’re going to have to give us some things that they’re not willing to give us right now,” he said. Trump had warned that an attack on Iran could spur a “massive conflict,” and signaled that an attack might happen if a nuclear deal is not reached with Iran.
“I don’t want to say imminent, but it looks like it’s something that could very well happen,” he said. “Iran cannot have a nuclear weapon. Other than that, I want them to be successful,” Trump also said. “We’ll trade with them, we’ll do whatever is necessary.” Behind the scenes, the U.S. had informed Israel that an attack on Iran would be unilateral and not involve the U.S. military. Israel had reportedly planned the attack for about 8 months. After the attack occurred, Trump warned Iran to come to the table and make a deal to avoid further destruction.
“I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to ‘just do it,’ but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn’t get it done. I told them it would be much worse than anything they know, anticipated, or were told, that the United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, BY FAR, and that Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come – And they know how to use it,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“Certain Iranian hardliners spoke bravely, but they didn’t know what was about to happen. They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse! There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end. Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire. No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. God Bless You All!” he added. Iran estimates that 78 people have been killed and 320 have been injured in the attack. Iran has now responded to the Israeli attack with their own ballistic missile attack on Israel, where over 50 people were reportedly injured and one confirmed dead as of Friday evening.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio was quick to emphasize that the U.S. was not directly involved in the planning of the attack on Iran. “Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran,” Rubio said in a statement. “We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region. Israel advised us that they believe this action was necessary for its self-defense.” Republicans in Congress have been supportive of Israel’s military actions toward Iran so far. “The Iranian regime is run by terrorists who have openly called for the destruction of Israel. Past measures of appeasement and diplomacy have been futile in stopping Iran from developing a nuclear weapon,” said House Budget Chairman Jodey Arrington, R-Texas.
“Israel is doing what any rational and responsible nation would do when faced with such an immediate existential threat. The United States must stand firmly with our ally as it defends its people and prevents a nuclear catastrophe,” he added.
“President Trump cannot claim he was uninformed. The Jerusalem Post reports that an Israeli government official told the Post that “There was full and complete coordination with the Americans.”
• Iran-the-Unready (Paul Craig Roberts)
Like all opponents of Washington and Israel, Iran proved itself unready. Muslims never seize the initiative. They sit on their butts until they are decapitated. Instead of taking Israel out, Iran suffered a serious attack and then feebly retaliated. Wars are not won by retaliation. The mystery is why was Iran unready? Iran has had years of US hostility dating from the Carter years and decades of observing Washington carry out the Zionist neoconservatives program of eliminating 7 Muslin countries. Iraq, Libya, Somalia, Syria, Lebanon, with the target now on Iran and Saudi Arabia awaiting in the wings.Why was Putin unready? Despite the warning of the US using a color revolution in Georgia to invade South Ossetia, Putin was caught off guard by Washington’s overthrow of the Ukrainian government and installation of a Washington puppet.
For eight years Putin watched the buildup of a large Ukrainian army and failed to build one of his own. The Russians, Muslims, and Chinese seem incapable of understanding the Wolfowitz doctrine of Washington’s hegemony, or are they simply unable to face reality? The Fars News Agency says Iran is planning to attack US bases in the Middle East in response to the Israeli attack, preferring to call Israel’s declaration of war an “attack.” Planning? So again the pathetic Iranians announce in advance something they are planning to do so that Washington and Israel know in advance and are prepared to frustrate the attack. If Iran had been ready, the US bases would already have been destroyed.
The American public never learns either. The American people have been fed a constant diet of war propaganda against Iran for many hears going back to the Carter years in the 1970s when Iranians overthrew the American puppet ruler, the Shah of Iran, and established their revolution, thus depriving the US and the British of control over Iran’s oil. 9/11, an inside job that Washington blamed on Muslims in order to launch wars against seven countries, served to legitimize Washington’s 21st century wars in the Middle East. Israel has taken advantage of Washington’s alignment of Americans with Israel’s interest and has been for years in the forefront of encouraging war between the US and Iran for Israel’s gain. Unlike the attack on Russia’s strategic forces, President Trump cannot claim he was uninformed. The Jerusalem Post reports that an Israeli government official told the Post that “There was full and complete coordination with the Americans.”
In plain language Washington was involved and has jointly with Israel declared war on Iran. In his effort to protect US bases in the region from Iranian attack, assuming Iran still has the means and has the will to go with the means, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement, “Tonight, Israel took unilateral action against Iran. We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region.” George Orwell was right in predicting how words would come to mean their opposite. War is peace. And now US Secretary of State Rubio has turned “full and complete coordination with the Americans” into America’s non-involvement. As Washington was fully involved, why did Washington not tell Israel: “NO! Trump is trying to get out of one war, not be dragged into another by Israel.”
Obviously, Washington or whoever Washington’s master is–in this case it seems to be Israel–wanted war. This was obvious from the beginning of Trump’s “negotiations” with Iran. Trump’s definition as determined by his use of “negotiations” is another example of words being turned into their opposite. By negotiation, Trump means “complying with Washington’s demands.”
Trump says that Iran is responsible for the Israeli/Washington attack, because Iran was recalcitrant and despite Trump giving Iran “chance after chance” to agree with Trump’s demands, failed to sign Trump’s In this sentence Trump shows the essence of his view of negotiation: “Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire.” Apparently, Trump means “the Persian Empire.” So, failing to comply with Washington or Israel means war and destruction, or surrender after sufficient punishment. Despite this obvious fact, Putin is negotiating over Ukraine. How reckless will the next attack on Putin-the-Unready be?
“..in the coming days,” Tehran’s retaliation “will spread to all areas occupied by this [Israeli] regime and related US bases in the region.”
• Iran Could Strike American Military Bases – Fars (RT)
Iran could target US military bases in the Middle East as part of its retaliation after being attacked by Israel, Fars news agency has reported, citing an informed source. Tehran’s ambassador to the UN, Amir Iravani, said Washington’s support for Israel has made it complicit in the IDF strikes which killed 78 people and injured 320 others in Iran on Friday. A source with access to Iran’s military leadership told Fars that “in the coming days,” Tehran’s retaliation “will spread to all areas occupied by this [Israeli] regime and related US bases in the region.” “This confrontation will not end with last night’s limited action. Iran’s strikes will continue and… will be very painful and regrettable for the aggressors,” the agency’s interlocutor claimed.
Israel and the US will pay the price for being the “main pillars of terrorism in the region,” the source said. Israel has claimed that it targeted Iranian uranium enrichment sites in the airstrikes, as well as several senior military commanders and scientists as a preemptive measure aimed at stopping Tehran from acquiring a nuclear weapon. Iran, which denies that it is pursuing a military nuclear program, responded on Friday by launching multiple volleys of ballistic missiles into Israel, killing at least three people and injuring over 150, according to the Jerusalem Post.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement later on Friday that the attack on Iran was a “unilateral action” by Israel. “We are not involved in strikes against Iran and our top priority is protecting American forces in the region. Let me be clear: Iran should not target US interests or personnel,” he stressed. According to the Council on Foreign Relations, the US operates military sites across at least 19 locations in the Middle East, including eight permanent bases in Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. The think tank estimates that there are currently 40,000 to 50,000 US troops in the region.
He grinds on.
• Border Czar Tom Homan Discusses Border Security and Deportation Operations (CTH)
Border Czar Tom Homan appeared for a podcast discussion with Dr Phil. Homan makes a strong point about the “customs” aspect in Customs and Border Patrol and outlines how it was customs enforcement that backstopped the reason for the ICE raid in Los Angeles. There was a money laundering operation underway that had long been investigated. “ Dr. Phil and Border Czar Tom Homan break down the major LA raid targeting cartel-linked businesses, sparking protests and debate. They discuss a major multi-agency operation in Los Angeles targeting criminal enterprises in the garment industry. Homan explains how ICE, DEA, FBI, IRS, and other agencies collaborated to serve search warrants, uncovering $80 million in undeclared imports, $17 million in unpaid tariffs, and arresting 41 undocumented immigrants.
The operation, part of a larger investigation into money laundering and cartel activity, sparked intense protests and clashes outside targeted businesses. Homan discusses the challenges of balancing law enforcement with public outcry, the new zero-tolerance policy for interference, and the importance of transparency about the broader criminal context of these actions.”
Kellogg has been embedded in Kiev for 6 months. He has their view now. Useless for negotiations.
• Trumps Envoy Outlines Plan For Ukraine Peace (RT)
Keith Kellogg, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, has said peace in the Ukraine conflict is within reach. He has suggested exploring how terms outlined by Kiev and Moscow might align in a final agreement to end the fighting. During the latest round of talks earlier this month, Russia and Ukraine exchanged draft memorandums on a roadmap toward an eventual peace deal. Moscow’s version requires Ukraine to recognize the loss of five regions that joined Russia in referendums, withdraw its forces from those territories, commit to neutrality, and limit its military capabilities. Ukraine has dismissed the proposal, calling it “an ultimatum,” rejected any territorial concessions as well as neutrality, and demanded a full, unconditional 30-day ceasefire.
Kellogg, who was tasked with working on the memorandums exchanged between Ukraine and Russia, explained that his team has developed what they refer to as “term sheets” – documents outlining a potential end state for peace. According to him, they first reviewed the Ukrainian term sheet, followed by the Russian document. The memorandums were then combined to explore how their contents could align in a final agreement, he added. “We put them together. And we said, OK. How can you meld these two documents together to get to an end state?” he said during a forum organized by the German Marshall Fund in Brussels on Thursday. According to Kellogg, they now feel quite comfortable with the direction of the discussions. “We know what an end state looks like, could look like, should look like,” he said, adding, “if we could just get to that point, we think it’s winnable. And that’s where you really want to get to.”
When asked about what specifically the “end state” might entail, Kellogg referred to the idea of a comprehensive ceasefire. He clarified that such a deal would apply to positions held on the ground – essentially, where forces were physically located at that time. The May and June rounds marked the first direct Russia-Ukraine talks since 2022, when Kiev withdrew. Ukrainian negotiator David Arakhamia later said the pullout followed advice from then UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson not to sign a deal – a claim Johnson denies. Kiev returned to talks under pressure from Trump, in what Moscow called a long-overdue step. The Trump administration insists it’s seeking a settlement to the Ukraine conflict that will last, not Kiev’s surrender or Russia’s defeat.
“Only through suffering the full ramifications of its decisions can the state’s voters and policymakers be compelled to change course..”
• Let California Collapse—and Let the Rest of America Learn (Armstrong Williams)
California has long prided itself on being a symbol of progressive governance, a supposed beacon of tolerance, opportunity, and inclusivity. But behind the glittering curtain of Hollywood dreams and Silicon Valley innovation lies a troubling reality—a self-inflicted crisis stemming from policies that defy economic logic and common sense. As California grapples with an unprecedented immigration surge, ballooning homelessness, and mass exodus of residents and businesses, the question arises: Should the federal government intervene The answer is unequivocally no. In fact, the federal government—particularly under President Donald Trump—should stand back and allow California to confront the consequences of its own ideological delusions.
Between July 2021 and July 2022, approximately 400,000 residents left California. The state, once a magnet for dreamers, is now hemorrhaging taxpayers and employers. Major corporations such as Tesla, Oracle, and Chevron have relocated to more business-friendly states like Texas and Florida. The exodus is not coincidental—it is a direct reaction to California’s punitive tax structure, suffocating regulations, and increasingly chaotic public order.And yet, while residents and businesses flee, California continues to double down on the very policies driving its collapse. It remains a sanctuary state, offering sweeping protections and incentives to undocumented immigrants. It has issued more than a million driver’s licenses to those here illegally and expanded health care coverage to include undocumented adults. These moves, while morally framed by their proponents, come with significant and unsustainable costs.
The state’s homeless population now tops 187,000—the highest in the nation—and two-thirds of those individuals live unsheltered. According to a Los Angeles Times report from January, recent immigration surges are directly contributing to this crisis. Public schools are strained, social services are maxed out, and law enforcement is overwhelmed. And with each passing month, the budgetary burden grows heavier.The recent immigration-related unrest in Los Angeles further underscores the state’s growing instability. When Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested over 100 undocumented immigrants during workplace raids, the city erupted in protest. Streets were blocked, fires were set, and National Guard troops and Marines were deployed to restore order. California leaders were quick to denounce the federal response, accusing Trump of political theater.
But that response—though controversial—was a necessary reaction to an unsustainable situation created by California’s own defiance of federal immigration law. It is important to understand what’s really happening here: California has positioned itself in ideological opposition to national sovereignty and law enforcement. The leadership in Sacramento and Los Angeles has chosen to prioritize ideological virtue signaling over practical governance, turning California into a testing ground for utopian policies divorced from reality. Now, as the weight of those policies begins to crush the state, there will be increasing cries for federal aid. But Trump—and any serious leader in Washington—should resist the temptation to intervene. To do so would be to reward failure and to shield irresponsible leaders from the consequences of their own actions.
California must be allowed to face the results of its governance. Only through suffering the full ramifications of its decisions can the state’s voters and policymakers be compelled to change course. More importantly, allowing California’s collapse to unfold naturally provides a stark warning to the rest of the country: This is what happens when border security is ignored, when economic productivity is punished, and when government becomes divorced from reality. Let California be the example. Let it show the nation what occurs when ideology eclipses governance and when virtue signaling replaces responsible leadership. The coming fiscal and humanitarian disaster will be not only a reckoning for California but a cautionary tale for every state flirting with the same disastrous policies.
So, let California collapse. Let it learn. And let the rest of America take notes.
Beat
Fun fact.
Cockatoos enjoy music and are known to exhibit dancing and rhythmic movements in response to it.
Studies have shown that they can perceive rhythm and melody, and some even synchronize their movements to a beat. pic.twitter.com/HAW2LG2P5G
— Massimo (@Rainmaker1973) June 14, 2025
Rays
https://twitter.com/gunsnrosesgirl3/status/1933877034997969221
Support the Automatic Earth in wartime with Paypal, Bitcoin and Patreon.
Home › Forums › Debt Rattle June 15 2025