The Babylon Times

📜 U.S. AND ISRAELI STRIKES HIT IRAN'S ENERGY GRID AND IRGC BITCOIN FARMS U.S. and Israeli strikes targeted Iran's energy infrastructure and grid, disrupting IRGC-linked crypto mining ops guzzling 2,000 MW—20% of the power deficit. These Bitcoin farms, gorging on cheap electricity, fueled blackouts while dodging sanctions to rake in billions for state and proxies. Strikes sparked local outages but slashed mining hashrate, freeing juice for temporary stability amid the war. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

UPDATE:📜 IRGC DEploys 40+ SPEEDBOATS NEAR QESHM ISLAND AMID US NAVAL BLOCKADE OF STRAIT OF HORMUZ Satellite imagery shows over 40 IRGC speedboats cruising in tight formation near Qeshm Island in the Strait of Hormuz in recent hours. The boats maneuver as the U.S. naval blockade chokes off Kuwait's crude oil exports and strangles vital regional energy shipping. This show of force ties into the latest U.S.-Iran talks on wrapping up the war, ditching sanctions, and maybe unclogging the strait. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 IRAN'S SECURITY HAWK SAYS ISLAMABAD TALKS ONLY LEGIT WITH LEADER'S NOD Majtaba Zarei, National Security Committee member in Iran's Shura Council, laid it out plain: Islamabad negotiations happened with the Leader of the Revolution's permission. Without that green light, they're neither legitimate nor legal. @TheBabylonTimes

UPDATE:📜 COVERT CAMPAIGN FUNDS INFLUENCERS TO PUSH PRO-US AI PROPAGANDA AND BASH CHINA ON TIKTOK, INSTAGRAM Undisclosed sources tied to OpenAI, Palantir Technologies, and Andreessen Horowitz bankroll influencers peddling pro-U.S. AI policies and anti-China lines. Payouts hit $5,000 per post, complete with scripts like "China beating the US in AI could threaten our kids’ data." No disclosure of payments or the group Build American AI required. Source: Wired. @TheBabylonTimes

📜 ISRAELI FINANCE MINISTER SMOTRICH HAILS TRUMP AS MIRACLE AMID U.S.-IRAN TENSIONS Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich praised U.S. President Donald Trump as "a miracle" and added,

"If Kamala Harris had been elected…"

He dropped the line while U.S.-Iran tensions simmer, with Iran floating a multi-point proposal to end the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz—only for Trump to brush it off as insufficient. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 IRAN'S NOBITEX CRYPTO GIANT RUN BY RULING ELITE KIN EVADES WESTERN SANCTIONS Nobitex, Iran's biggest cryptocurrency exchange, got started in 2018 by two brothers from the connected Kharrazi family—ruling elite ties, naturally, under a handy alternative surname. It now grabs about 70% of Iran's crypto action, with 11 million users and $11 billion total volume, Reuters says. The platform's a slick sanctions-buster, shuffling tens to hundreds of millions for sanctioned players like the IRGC and Iran's central bank. Keeps humming for state ops and everyday folks, blackouts or no. @TheBabylonTimes

📜 CHINA TELLS FIRMS IGNORE US SANCTIONS ON IRAN OIL BUYERS China's Ministry of Commerce ordered its companies to blow off U.S. sanctions slapped on Chinese oil refiners for daring to buy Iranian oil. Beijing calls the U.S. moves illegal extraterritorial bullying, vowing to protect its Iran oil trade from Washington's arm-twisting.

"Safeguarding its oil trade with Iran while resisting U.S. pressure."

@TheBabylonTimes

📜 TRUMP CALLS US NAVY SHIP SEIZURES IN STRAIT BLOCKADE PROFITABLE PIRACY US President Donald Trump weighed in on the Navy's ship grabs during the blockade choking the Strait of Hormuz, dubbing it "a very profitable business" and straight-up piracy. The stranglehold's stopped Iran's oil exports cold, with regional sidekicks like Kuwait shipping zero crude in April—their first blank since '91—stashing production in tanks or refineries. This gem comes right after Iran's 14-point pitch to the US: drop the naval noose, reopen the strait, quit the war everywhere, and maybe chat nukes. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 US REP RANDY FINE SAYS NO ARMENIANS ALLOWED IN CONGRESS US Representative Randy Fine casually declared he doesn't want Armenians serving in Congress. Because apparently, that's how you keep the halls of power pure. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

UPDATE:📜 TRUMP TO REVIEW IRAN'S PLAN BUT DOUBTS IT SINCE THEY HAVEN'T PAID ENOUGH FOR 47 YEARS OF 'ACTIONS AGAINST HUMANITY' First month: haggle over reopening the Strait of Hormuz, scrapping the US naval blockade, and wrapping up wars in Iran and Lebanon. Second month: Iran's nuclear mess. He doubts it'll fly—Iran hasn't shelled out enough for its supposed sins over 47 years. This as US strikes wiped 85% of Iran's missile production, the blockade halted Kuwaiti oil exports for the first time since '91, and IRGC boats poked around Qeshm Island. @TheBabylonTimes

📜 ISRAEL’S FOREIGN MINISTER HAILS GERMANY AND OTHERS FOR SNUBBING MACRON’S PALESTINIAN STATE PUSH Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar says French President Macron tried rounding up global backing to recognize a Palestinian state, only to hit a wall. Germany, Italy, South Korea, Japan, Singapore, and New Zealand stayed out. Sa’ar calls these holdouts Israel’s big wins. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 FOREIGN POLICY WARNS US WAR ON IRAN WOULD UNLEASH GEOPOLITICAL EARTHQUAKE US magazine Foreign Policy states a war on Iran would trigger a major geopolitical earthquake. The United States and the world would face its strategic consequences for years to come. @TheBabylonTimes

📜 TRUMP DISMISSES IRAN TALKS AS PATHETIC LEADERLESS MESS DURING U.S. SCRUTINY OF THEIR 14-POINT DEMANDS reviews Iran's 14-point proposal, routed via a Pakistani go-between. It calls for ending the war in 30 days, reopening the Strait of Hormuz, lifting the U.S. naval blockade, ceasefires in Iran and Lebanon, security guarantees, full U.S. troop withdrawal, unfreezing funds, compensation, scrapping sanctions, and eventual nuclear discussions. Trump confirms he's eyeing it but derides Iran's evasion of accountability for past aggressions. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 ISRAELI OPPOSITION LEADER YAIR LAPID FLEXES MILITARY TRAINING IN VIDEO SNUB TO NETANYAHU Yair Lapid, ex-defense minister, trots out a video of himself doing physical exercises and handling weapons. It's his comeback to Benjamin Netanyahu's latest security credential flex amid their political squabbles. The clip lays bare the splits in Israel's top brass over defense. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 TRUMP CALLS RADICAL LEFT CLAIMS OF US LOSING IRAN WAR TREASON Former US President Donald Trump labels radical left assertions that America isn't winning its war in Iran as straight-up treason. This comes after he eyed a 14-point Iranian proposal funneled via Pakistan—demanding a 30-day war end, Strait of Hormuz reopening, US naval blockade lift, halts to Iran and Lebanon fights, security promises, US troops out, frozen funds freed, compensation, sanctions dropped, and nuclear talks later. Trump says it's a no-go. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 PENTAGON BRAGS US NAVAL BLOCKADE CHOKES $4.8 BILLION FROM IRANIAN OIL The Pentagon claims its naval blockade in the Gulf of Oman has conveniently blocked $4.8 billion in Iranian oil revenue. Since mid-April, dozens of ships turned away, over 30 oil tankers left floating aimlessly at sea. Iran's storage maxed out, forcing use of creaky old vessels for excess crude. Some shipments still limp to China via longer, pricier routes. All this disrupts exports amid Strait of Hormuz tensions. Axios @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 ISRAEL'S SECURITY MINISTER BEN-GVIR BLOWS OUT CANDLES ON GALLOWS CAKE FROM WIFE FOR 50TH BIRTHDAY Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir marked his 50th birthday with a cake from his wife, topped with an image of a gallows. The occupation's top security enforcer gets his festive touch of hanging hardware. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 TRUMP BRAGS ABOUT BECOMING PRESIDENT THREE TIMES AFTER SNUBBING IRAN'S PEACE PROPOSAL Trump stated, "I do a lot of things that are impossible to do, like becoming president three times." The boast comes right after he rejected Iran's 14-point proposal to end the war, claiming it doesn't hold Iran accountable for 47 years of actions against humanity and the world. All this as U.S. strikes wipe out 85% of Iran's missile-making capabilities, with Trump eyeing the remaining 15%. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

📜 TRUMP REJECTS WHITE HOUSE DOG PUSH, CALLS BIDEN'S BEAST A SERIAL SECRET SERVICE BITTER Trump recalled staff nagging him for a dog when he entered the White House, pointing out he'd be the first president without one in 68 years. He passed. Unlike Biden's vicious mutt, which chomped Secret Service agents 28 times while Biden strolled it. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum

UPDATE:📜 GERMANY'S DEFENSE MINISTER PISTORIUS SAYS US TROOP WITHDRAWAL FROM GERMANY WAS EXPECTED, TIME FOR EUROPE TO STEP UP Germany's Defense Minister Boris Pistorius notes the planned U.S. troop pullout from Germany was no surprise and should nudge Europe to pony up more for its own defense.

“It was anticipated that the U.S. might withdraw troops,”

he said, reacting to reports of cuts deeper than Trump's initial 5,000-soldier trim. This comes after Trump's signals of sharper reductions in U.S. forces there. Source: POLITICO. @TheBabylonTimes | Forum