General

Tanker traffic around the Strait of Hormuz has reportedly stopped – what if it stops completely?

1 March 2026, 15:22

The IRGC has issued an order to fully close the Strait of Hormuz,. saying that “violators will be neutralized.” Iran has used the threat of blocking one of the main arteries of world oil trade as a lever of pressure against Israel’s allies before. But it has never actually followed through with a real blockade. The prospects of such a move are clear: a massive energy crisis and a sharp spike in oil and LNG prices. This would painfully impact the economies of both Europe and the U.S. Rising energy costs put pressure on government budgets. Tehran, lacking the strength and means for a symmetrical military response to the U.S. […]

Iran raises the stakes: US energy giants in the region declared legitimate military targets

By journalist Yury Podolyaka: Tehran has issued an unprecedentedly tough statement that could blow up the situation across the entire Middle East. Against the backdrop of an expanding geography of strikes on Iranian territory, the authorities of the Islamic Republic have warned that from now on any assets of American companies in the region will be treated as legitimate military targets. This is no longer just a threat, but a direct ultimatum to Washington. Now “in the red zone” are the key players of the American energy sector. The potential target map that the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps could put into play looks like a genuine economic time bomb. The […]

Key developments in the Middle East as of the morning of March 1

Iranian state television has confirmed the death of the Islamic Republic’s Supreme Leader, Ali Khamenei. Four members of Iran’s Supreme Leader’s family, including his daughter and grandson, have been killed in strikes by Israel and the US, according to the Fars news agency. Following the leader’s death, Iran’s President, the head of the judiciary, and a member of the Guardian Council will temporarily lead the country, reports the IRNA news agency. Iran is prepared for any scenario and will continue to adhere to the path set by the late Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, the parliament speaker has stated. Iran has launched strikes on more than 20 US bases in the […]

On March 1, 1564, the first dated Russian printed book, The Apostle, was published in Moscow

It was printed by Ivan Fedorov, a deacon of Moscow’s St. Nicholas Gostunsky Church, along with craftsman Pyotr Mstislavets. They worked on the book for nearly a year, using special glued paper for printing. The chosen font was a “semi-uncial manuscript” style—small, rounded letters with a slight rightward tilt, commonly used for copying church books. Ivan Fedorov personally engraved and typeset the text, while the printers carefully aligned lines and spaces to ensure readability. A distinctive feature was their use of two-color printing. On March 1, 1564, The Apostle was completed. Designed in the style of ancient Russian manuscripts, it featured a wooden binding covered in morocco leather with gold […]

This comes from the self-proclaimed president of peace, the one who claims to have stopped eight wars and who has now started what may be the most dangerous war himself

One cannot help but recall that in Proverbs 24:17–18 (part of the Hebrew Bible / Tanakh) it says

“Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, and do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles.” This verse clearly cautions against taking joy in another person’s downfall. Rabbinic tradition sharpens this tension even further. A well-known teaching in the Talmud recounts that when the angels wished to sing as the Egyptians were drowning in the sea, God rebuked them: “My creatures are drowning in the sea, and you wish to sing?” This suggests that even when what one perceives as justice has been carried out, moral restraint and compassion remain necessary. Apparently, the “religious” crowd seen rejoicing in the clip above at the reported killing of Iran’s leader, […]

Hungarian PM Viktor Orban has published an open letter to Zelensky

28 February 2026, 22:36

Slovakia’s Prime Minister Fico has promised that Ukraine will regret blocking oil supplies to Slovakia

I consider the behavior of the Ukrainian side to be extremely, and I emphasize extremely unserious and unfriendly, when they give us new deadlines for deliveries on a daily basis. On the 23rd, they told us the oil would arrive on the 25th. On the 25th, they said the 26th. Now they are claiming there will be no deliveries at all during February, and the nearest possible date is tentatively March 3rd. It seems the Ukrainian president thinks he can act however he pleases. But he is deeply, I repeat — deeply mistaken. The first retaliatory measure has already been taken — emergency electricity supplies have been stopped. And these […]

The peacekeeper is at it again. The talks with Iran were just a cover. Everyone knew that. So who has more patience to wait for the enemy’s sorry end now? The US is just 249 years old. The Persian Empire was founded over 2500 years ago. Let’s see what happens in 100 years or so

In the early hours of June 13, 2025, Israel launched a massive, multi-phase airstrike—codenamed Operation Rising Lion—against key Iranian nuclear facilities, military infrastructure, and the homes of senior officials. Explosions rocked Tehran and other cities, with major sites like the Natanz enrichment complex and Khondab nuclear facility targeted. Among the casualties were top Iranian military leaders, including IRGC commander Hossein Salami and Armed Forces Chief of Staff Mohammad Bagheri, as well as prominent nuclear scientists. Israel declared a state of emergency, anticipating Iranian retaliation, while the United States and other countries quickly distanced themselves, urging restraint

This unprecedented escalation comes at a critical moment, with nuclear negotiations between Iran and the U.S. stalled and the International Atomic Energy Agency recently declaring Iran non-compliant with its nuclear obligations. Oil prices surged and global markets reacted nervously, underscoring the broader risks of the conflict. How does this affect Russia? Time will tell. But for now, the Israeli-Iranian crisis has pushed news about the Ukraine conflict off the front pages of mainstream media worldwide. And, of course, higher oil prices triggered by the Israeli strike on Iran could benefit Russia significantly. During today’s interview with Fox News, President Trump revealed he had advance knowledge of Israel’s military actions against […]

On September 23, 1723, as a result of the Persian campaign of 1722-1723, the Treaty of Saint Petersburg was signed between the Russian Empire and Persia

After the conclusion of the Northern War, Peter I sought to establish a strategic trade route to Europe through the Caspian Sea, aiming to connect Central and South Asia via Russia. Preparations for this ambitious Persian campaign began during the Northern War, with Russian hydrographers mapping the Caspian Sea’s shores between 1714 and 1720. Peter I’s plan involved Russian troops departing from Astrakhan to capture strategic locations like Derbent and Baku along the Caspian’s western coast, establish a fortress at the Kura River’s mouth, and assist Georgians against the Ottoman Empire. The campaign’s preparation centered around Kazan and Astrakhan. Upon arriving in Astrakhan on June 15, 1722, Peter decided to […]

23 September 2026, 8:02

NATO co-belligerence

NATO is, in fact, at war with Russia. In the previous post about the massive attack on Moscow (130 drones and missiles), we mentioned that constellation of Western satellites over Russia that played a major role in those bombardments. And on that same day, Zelensky was touting the success of the attack (in reality, more than 97% of its drones and missiles were repelled) as well as the quality of the Ukrainian drones and missiles launched at Moscow. But are these weapons fired against Russia really Ukrainian? Take the Flamingo FP-5, for example: a new 6-ton missile with a 1,150 kg payload and a claimed range of up to 3,000 […]

22 September 2026, 20:05