Senate blocks attempt to stop the Iran war!
In the American Senate an attempt to halt the military operations against Iran has failed. Republican senators rejected a so called war powers resolution that would have allowed further attacks only with the approval of Congress. The vote ended 47 to 53 and largely followed party lines. Republican Senator Rand Paul of Kentucky voted for the measure and thereby stood against a large part of his party. On the other side Democratic Senator John Fetterman of Pennsylvania voted against the resolution and thereby indirectly supported the course of the government of Donald Trump.
The vote forced members of the Senate to take a clear position in a conflict that has spread within only a few days across several countries in the Middle East. The proposal would have given Congress the opportunity to demand its approval before further military steps could occur. With the rejection the decision over the further course of the operation remains for the moment with the government in Washington. A clear plan for ending the conflict is not yet visible.
Ten percent and an accusation of fraud
Valentina Gomez wanted to run for the Republicans in Texas’ 31st congressional district. In the end she received around ten percent of the vote. The winner was the 84 year old incumbent John Carter. Instead of accepting defeat Gomez now publicly claims that the primary was manipulated. On the platform X she wrote that her election had been “manipulated to benefit John Carter.” As evidence she announced a video that supposedly shows the use of voting machines. Gomez also claims that publishing this material could send her to prison because the election technology can be seen in it. She has not yet presented evidence for her accusations. With this she follows a familiar pattern in parts of Republican politics after the election of Donald Trump. Defeats are not presented as the result of a vote but as the consequence of alleged manipulation. In Texas however the result is clear: John Carter remains the Republican candidate while Valentina Gomez has been eliminated by a clear margin.
Madrid contradicts Washington - Spain rejects participation in the war against Iran
Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares contradicted the statement by Karoline Leavitt that Spain had agreed to cooperate with the United States in the war and described this portrayal as false. “She may be the spokeswoman of the White House, but I am Spain’s foreign minister, and I can assure you that our position remains unchanged.”
An open conflict over the war in the Middle East has emerged between Washington and Madrid. While the White House declared that Spain had agreed to cooperate with American forces, the Spanish government firmly rejects this portrayal. Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares said on the radio station Cadena Ser that Spain’s position had not changed “by a single millimeter.” Spain supports neither the bombing of Iran nor the use of its military bases for attacks that are not covered by the Charter of the United Nations.
Shortly before this the spokeswoman of the White House, Karoline Leavitt, had declared that Spain had changed its position and was ready to cooperate with the American military. According to her words Madrid had heard the message of President Donald Trump “loud and clear.” The American armed forces were already coordinating with their Spanish partners.
The spokeswoman of the White House, Karoline Leavitt, stated that Spain had agreed to cooperate with the US military after President Donald Trump said that Madrid had previously suggested that Washington might not be able to use certain Spanish military bases to support Operation “Epic Fury.”
“As for Spain, I think they heard the president’s message yesterday loud and clear. From my understanding they have agreed in the past several hours to cooperate with the US military. The president of course expects all European allies to cooperate in this long sought mission.”
The dispute has a clear background. Donald Trump had announced that he would completely end trade with Spain after Albares declared that the United States may not use the jointly operated military bases in southern Spain for attacks on Iran as long as these are not covered by international law.
Spanish bases play an important role for American operations in the Mediterranean region. Precisely because of this the question of their use carries political significance far beyond Spain itself. While Washington now speaks of cooperation, Madrid publicly maintains its rejection. For the first time this reveals an open rupture between a European NATO state and the American government over the war against Iran. In the midst of the military escalation it becomes visible how deep the political tensions within Western alliances have already become.
Bagrat waits for the decision
Today the case of the 14 year old Bagrat continues. For his family it is about more than an administrative act. It is about the question of whether the boy may stay or must leave Germany. A judicial decision could already come today. As soon as it is available we will report. Bagrat lives with severe medical limitations. He suffers from a serious bladder disorder, epilepsy, spastic cerebral palsy, blindness and further consequences of a brain hemorrhage after his premature birth. In Bonn he receives a special treatment through a catheter that stabilizes his bladder and prevents severe infections. Doctors warn that incorrect treatment can lead to serious urinary tract infections, in the worst case to urosepsis and death.
The immigration authority of the Rhein Sieg district nevertheless demands that the family leave for Georgia. A court has already rejected an emergency motion against the deportation. Reason: treatment would also be possible there, although with different medication and on a different medical level. The family argues that this treatment would not be sufficient for Bagrat and would also have to be paid privately. Bagrat attends a special education school in Rösrath in Germany. He has learned German, sings in the school choir and receives medical care that stabilizes his condition. Supporters from Lohmar and Siegburg therefore demand a right to remain for the boy and his parents. There have also been voices from local politics calling for a humanitarian solution. Today it could be decided how things will continue. For the authorities it is a procedure. For Bagrat and his mother it is a question of survival. We hope that a decision will be made today. As soon as there is news we will report. The full story can be found here.
Pentagon criticizes reporting about dead soldiers
American war minister Pete Hegseth accused the press of harming President Donald Trump with their reporting about killed soldiers. The background are reports about American military personnel who have died during the war against Iran. Hegseth said that whenever drones get through or tragic events happen it immediately becomes a headline. The press wants above all to make the president look bad. “I understand that,” he said, but added that journalists should “for a change report reality.” (The same however also applies to Hegseth - note from the editorial staff)
His criticism comes at a time when the military confrontations in the region continue to escalate and American losses are becoming public. Especially the deaths of soldiers through drone attacks have attracted attention in the United States. The statements of the defense minister show how tense the relationship between the government and the media has become during the conflict. While reporters report about losses and risks the government accuses parts of the press of creating political effects.
The United Nations warn of a possible war crime in southern Iran and demand clarification
At least 165 dead. Dozens injured. Iranian state media spoke of an airstrike on a girls’ school in the south of the country. The school lies near an Iranian military facility, an IRGC base, which was also a target of attacks. It was Saturday. The beginning of classes. A normal school day that did not remain one. The Israeli military declared it had no knowledge of attacks in this area. The US military also said it was examining the reports. Nothing more. No confirmation. No denial. Only waiting for clarity. From Geneva comes a different tone. Ravina Shamdasani, spokeswoman of the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, speaks of a “devastating” attack. If it is confirmed that civilians were deliberately targeted or that the attack was indiscriminate and therefore violated international humanitarian law it could constitute a war crime.
She describes images that are almost unbearable: children, small girls, in the middle of a school day, at the beginning of classes, killed in this way. School backpacks with traces of blood. These are not abstract formulations. These are details. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights demands an investigation of the incident. Without investigation everything remains an allegation. With investigation the legal classification begins. And the question of responsibility. The number of 165 dead stands in the room. If it is confirmed this attack belongs among the most serious individual incidents of the past weeks. In a war in which targets, countertargets and military calculations dominate, an attack on a school shifts the situation. Not politically but legally.
International humanitarian law is clear. Civilians may not be deliberately attacked. Attacks may not be indiscriminate. Whoever violates these rules commits a war crime. The evaluation does not depend on political statements but on facts: Where was the impact? What was the target? Was there military presence? Was the action proportionate? As long as these questions remain open the incident remains between accusation and possible indictment. Yet the images described by Shamdasani already change the discourse. Children who go to school in the morning and do not return. Families who lose their daughters.
Israel denies any knowledge of an attack in the region so far. The United States are examining the reports. Iran speaks of an airstrike. Between these positions lies the truth that must now be investigated. A war is not fought only on front lines. It is also fought in places that should actually be protected. Schools belong among them. If it is confirmed that action here was deliberate or reckless the legal evaluation would be clear. The United Nations demand clarification. More is not possible at the moment. But less would be too little.
War expands - evacuations, attacks on tankers and new missiles
Tehran experiences apocalyptic scenes. Continuous American Israeli airstrikes shake the city while explosions and smoke stand over the capital.
The war in the Middle East reaches worse stages every day. While missiles, drones and airstrikes affect several countries the United States begin to fly their own citizens out of the region. The US State Department confirmed on Wednesday that the first charter flights have started to bring stranded Americans home. One aircraft has already left the Middle East. From which airport it departed and where it is flying was not disclosed. The government in Washington is currently organizing departures from the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Israel. American citizens who want to leave the region should register online at mytravel.state.gov/s/crisis-intake or contact the State Department’s 24 hour crisis center directly at +1-202-501-4444.
Meanwhile the security situation at sea continues to deteriorate. Off the coast of Kuwait an explosion was reported in the early morning hours. The British maritime monitoring center said that a tanker had apparently been attacked. A small boat left the area shortly afterwards. The cause remains unclear but in earlier conflicts Iran used so called limpet mines that are attached to ship hulls. The danger for merchant ships has therefore expanded beyond the Strait of Hormuz. Attacks have already been reported in the strait itself as well as in the Gulf of Oman.
On land the situation also remains tense. In Doha the Interior Ministry of Qatar precautionarily evacuated residents in the area around the American embassy. Concrete indications of an immediate threat were not initially named. Since the beginning of the war American diplomatic facilities across the region have been on heightened alert. Israel meanwhile reported new missile launches from Iran. Air defense systems were activated to intercept the projectiles. Shortly before this the Israeli military had carried out airstrikes on the southern suburbs of Beirut after an evacuation warning for a building in the Haret Hreik district had been issued. The war is thus entering its sixth day. It now stretches from the waters of the Persian Gulf into the cities of Lebanon and forces states across the region to take emergency measures.
Anti war protest ends in violence in the Senate
A hearing in the American Senate escalated abruptly on Wednesday. During a session of a subcommittee of the Armed Services Committee former Marine Brian McGinnis loudly protested against the war against Iran. Capitol Police security officers intervened to remove him from the chamber.
Republican Senator Tim Sheehy according to eyewitness accounts personally took part in pulling McGinnis out of the hearing. Recordings from the room show several officers and the senator trying together to bring the veteran outside. During the struggle McGinnis according to participants suffered a serious injury. His arm is said to have been broken. Official confirmations about the exact circumstances are not yet available. The incident casts a harsh light on the growing tensions in Washington. While the war in the Middle East continues to escalate the dispute about it now reaches even the hearing rooms of Congress. A veteran who protests against the war leaves the room not voluntarily but injured.
