🇺🇦 Ukraine to seek alternatives to Patriot missiles amid global shortage, Zelensky says

There aren’t enough PAC-3 anti-ballistic missiles to go around, especially with partners prioritizing the war in the Mideast, Ukrainian leader says.

“PAC-3 deficit in the world, in Ukraine in particular, has never ended. Unfortunately. You know that the total production is about 60 missiles per month," Zelensky told journalists

"Of course, there are important steps on the territory of the European continent to increase production, but even this increase will not solve this issue,” he added.

Kiev has repeatedly asked for more PAC-3 missiles, which are used in Patriot air defense systems.

The U.S. campaign against Iran has made matters worse for Ukraine, as some of Kiev's partners are prioritizing supplies to the Middle East, Zelensky said.

🔗 https://www.politico.eu/article/time-for-search-for-alternatives-to-patriot-missiles-ukraine-volodymyr-zelenskyy-said/

🛢 Gas and diesel fuel shortages are going to happen soon globally

The supply loss from the closure of the Strait of Hormuz acts as an “air pocket” moving through the normal flow of oil out of the Gulf

Helpful map from JPM highlighting when that air pocket will “land” in different major consuming regions:

- East Africa last week
- East Asia this week
- Europe next week
- North America two more weeks.

@CIG_telegram

✡️ Trump pardoned nursing home owner Joseph Schwartz just 3 months into his sentence for a $39 million fraud scheme. Meanwhile, families who won multimillion-dollar wrongful death suits against Schwartz haven’t collected a cent.

🔗 https://www.propublica.org/article/joseph-schwartz-trump-pardon-skyline-nursing-home-patients

🇮🇷🤝🇱🇧🇱🇧 Israel Hayom: Iran sent a message to the US stating that if the fighting with Hezbollah in Lebanon does not stop, Tehran will not be committed to a ceasefire with Israel - and will continue launching attacks towards the country

@CIG_telegram

🇮🇷🕊🇵🇰🇨🇳🇺🇸 RUMINT says that Pakistan has been intermediating peace talks between the U.S. and Iran recently and Iran refused to discuss any deal with the U.S. through Pakistan until a 3rd party country agreed to offer guarantees that Iran would not be attacked again after an agreement was reached with the U.S.

A few hours ago it was announced that Pakistan's foreign minister, Ishaq Dar, will be arriving in Beijing in the coming days likely to ask China to offer Iran the guarantees that it will not be attacked by America and Israel again.

No guarantees that China would accept this proposal but, nonetheless, the Pakistani FM would not be making this trip if the U.S. would not have agreed at least in principle to this proposal.

China is now at the forefront of this war and their decision will decide if the 3rd Gulf War comes to a close or continues.

@CIG_telegram

🇩🇪✡️ A German court chose not to hold a full public trial in a child sex abuse case involving Israeli-linked former Bundestag politician Hartmut Ebbing, instead handling it through a criminal order — a fast-track procedure that avoids a public hearing and limits scrutiny.

Ebbing requested the expedited process, citing his “modest prominence” in Berlin and warning that a public trial could damage his role as treasurer of the German–Israeli Society (DIG). He argued that making the allegations public would harm the organisation, especially in the context following October 7.

The district court accepted his request, allowing the case to be handled without a full public hearing, significantly reducing transparency around the proceedings.

🔗 Europa

🇮🇷☢️ Spokesman of the Iranian ministry of foreign affairs, Esmail Baghaei, stated that Iran is reviewing the decision to withdraw from the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons but that Iran does not seek to build a nuclear weapon. — Fars.

@CIG_telegram

🇮🇷🇺🇸 Spokesman of the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Esmail Baqaei: We have had no direct negotiations with the United States so far

First of all, we have had no direct negotiations with the United States so far. What has been raised are messages received through intermediaries indicating the US desire for negotiations.

I don't know how many in the US take American diplomacy seriously! Our position is clear, unlike the other side which constantly changes its stance.

Iran's position has been clear from the beginning and we know well what framework we have in mind. The demands conveyed to us have been excessive and unreasonable.

The meetings that Pakistan holds are within a framework they established themselves, and we have not participated. It is good that regional countries are concerned about ending the war, but they should be aware of which side started the war.

🔗 https://t.iss.one/Tasnimnews/402655

🇮🇷🚢🇺🇸 Reporter: "If Iran is cherry picking what tankers get to go through the Strait, is that consistent with the president's message about wanting the Strait to be fully open?"

Leavitt: "I would reject that they are cherry picking."

🔗 The American Conservative (@amconmag)

🇺🇸❌🇮🇷 Reporter: “The president insists negotiations are underway. We just heard from Iran, they said no negotiations are taking place. They’re calling the proposal 'unrealistic'":

Leavitt: “I think the American people are smart enough not to take the word of a terrorist regime."

🔗 The American Conservative (@amconmag)

🇺🇸❌🇮🇷 Karoline Leavitt says Iran’s new regime is “more reasonable” than previous leaders “who are now no longer on planet Earth because they lied to the United States and strung us along in negotiations.”

📝: Replacing Ali Khamenei with Mojtaba Khamenei is considered "regime change" by the Trump Admin.

Also, Leavitt said Iran's "new" leaders are "more reasonable" in the same press conference she called Iran's regime "terrorist".

🔗 The American Conservative (@amconmag)

🇺🇸⚔️🇮🇷 Reporter on Trump's threat to strike desalinization plants in Iran: "Why is the president threatening what would amount to potentially a war crime?"

Leavitt: "Their best move is to make a deal or else the U.S. armed forces has capabilities beyond their wildest imaginations."

🔗 The American Conservative (@amconmag)

🇺🇸💸🇦🇪🇸🇦🇰🇼🇶🇦🇧🇭 The White House is considering making GCC countries support the financial burden of the 3rd Gulf War

Reporter: Who is paying for the cost of this war? Will those Arab countries step up to do it?

Leavitt: I think it's something the president would be quite interested in calling them to do

🔗 Aaron Rupar (@atrupar)

🇪🇺🚫🚙✈️ The European Commission is instructing member states to cut back on fuel consumption and is advising EU citizens to travel less

he European Commission is asking member countries to consider cutting back on oil and gas use, especially in the transport sector, in preparation for "prolonged disruption" to energy supplies from the Iran war.

The request, made by EU energy chief Dan Jørgensen, reflects fears that the conflict in the Persian Gulf is graduating from a price problem to an all-out energy supply crisis, with serious implications for the global economy.

In a letter to national energy ministers, seen by POLITICO, Jørgensen said that national governments should consider "voluntary demand saving measures ... with particular attention to the transport sector."

That could mean governments asking citizens to drive or fly less to save fuel for more essential purposes, as is already happening in some Asian countries.

European energy ministers will hold an emergency meeting Tuesday to discuss how to address the energy crisis.

🔗 https://www.politico.eu/article/brussels-urges-europeans-to-travel-less-to-avoid-spiraling-energy-costs/

🇸🇦🛢 Saudi crude reroute pushes Yanbu to its limits

Yanbu is being pushed toward its operational ceiling as Saudi Arabia reroutes crude flows away from the closed Strait of Hormuz. Exports are averaging 3.4 Mbd in March, with the recent week hitting 4.6 Mbd and peak days above 5 Mbd, testing system limits.

Congestion is building rapidly, with 30+ tankers waiting offshore and delays stretching to around five days, signalling that terminal capacity, rather than pipeline supply, is becoming the primary constraint. Eastbound cargoes must also transit the Bab el Mandeb, adding an additional layer of geopolitical risk to an already stretched system. As flows increase, the system is increasingly expressing strain through delays, rising freight exposure, and higher delivered costs into key Asian markets.

🔗 Kpler (@Kpler)