🇺🇸 Vance Boelter pleaded guilty Thursday to assassinating Minnesota House Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband, Mark Hortman, and to shooting State Senator John Hoffman and his wife, Yvette Hoffman, in attacks that prosecutors described as politically motivated.

•⁠ ⁠Prosecutors said Vance Boelter carried out the shootings while disguised as a police officer and driving a vehicle made to resemble a squad car.

•⁠ ⁠As part of the plea agreement, federal prosecutors will not seek the death penalty.

@CIG_telegram

🇨🇳🇮🇷⚡️ — China’s sharp reduction in crude oil imports during the Iran War has helped prevent a major spike in global oil prices, despite the prolonged disruption of the Strait of Hormuz, WSJ writes.

China’s imports fell from around 11 million barrels per day to 7.8 million in May, with the missing roughly 3 million barrels offset by lower fuel demand due to the growth of electric vehicles and high-speed rail, reduced refinery activity, greater reliance on coal-based petrochemicals, and a gradual drawdown of strategic and commercial oil reserves.

Analysts warn, however, that China’s reduced imports may not be sustainable indefinitely.

Petrochemical production has slowed, reserves are being depleted, and Beijing may need to return to the global oil market in the coming months, potentially placing renewed upward pressure on prices.

🇵🇰🇶🇦🇦🇪🕊🇺🇸 After Trump threatened to attack Iran, Pakistan, Qatar and the UAE scrambled to stop him

Senior officials from Qatar, the UAE and Pakistan rang Trump as he was threatening to strike Iran "very hard tonight." Their assurance of a deal in reach convinced him to pull back.

The calls, which have not been previously reported, came from Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani, United Arab Emirates President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Pakistani defense chief Asim Munir, according to two administration officials and a diplomat briefed on the calls. Both were granted anonymity to discuss a sensitive diplomatic mediation.

These countries have sway over Tehran and Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei, Trump said Thursday, and their assurance that a deal was near led him to walk back his attack plans , according to one of the administration officials.

📝: Until someone leaks the draft of the MOU, assume every story about a "deal" is fake. Iran's neighbours don't want to see their industries bombed again and are desperate enough to make up lies about "deals" to Trump in order to prevent the war from regaining the intensity it had.

🔗 https://www.politico.com/news/2026/06/11/gulf-leaders-called-trump-to-stop-him-from-hitting-iran-it-worked-for-now-00960157

🇮🇷⚔️🇺🇸 The Iranian missile cities the US couldn’t destroy

Weeks of bombardment appear to have only temporarily suppressed Tehran’s firepower hidden underground

For 40 days, US and Israeli aircraft pounded the mountains around Yazd, trying to silence one of Iran’s most important military projects: a buried missile complex carved deep into the granite above the ancient desert city.

Yet, according to residents, the Iranian missiles kept firing regardless. “US and Israeli forces kept bombing those mountains,” said one resident of Yazd. “And Iran kept launching missiles until the final moments before the ceasefire.”

The resilience of Iran’s underground “missile cities” has become one of the most significant and contested questions in the aftermath of the US-Israeli bombardment earlier this year.

While Donald Trump has focused on the damage done to the facilities, to Iranian officials and some outside analysts, the war has proved that the Islamic republic’s missile force can be suppressed — but not destroyed. Much of Tehran’s arsenal is ready again for the next confrontation.

That has helped Tehran maintain the core of its asymmetric strategy against the US and Israel, emboldening it to threaten shipping and energy infrastructure across the Gulf even after weeks of bombardment. In exchanges of fire with Israel and the US this week, Iran’s Revolutionary Guards launched multiple ballistic missile barrages.

A regime insider said the war — and the fate of the missile cities — had fundamentally reinforced the leadership’s belief that military power, rather than diplomacy, remains the ultimate guarantor of security.

“More than ever before, we have concluded that building trust is a meaningless strategy,” he said. “Only strength can serve as a deterrent, not arguments in international forums about our rights. The enemy must be convinced of our capabilities and must never be allowed to miscalculate again. Iran is demonstrating in practice that it is prepared to go further than its adversaries.”

The precise number of underground missile complexes remains unclear. Analysts estimate that Iran operates dozens of such facilities across the country, many buried deep inside mountainous terrain.

Their location has proved critical. Decker Eveleth, an associate research analyst at the Center for Naval Analyses, said facilities close to Iran’s western borders were more vulnerable because drones could loiter overhead and strike launchers as they emerged from tunnels. Sites deeper inside the country, however, were harder to suppress.

“The problem for the US and Israel has been that the things needed to pin down a lot of these bases require a lot of continuous operations,” he said.

A second person close to the Islamic regime argued the depth of many sites rendered them largely immune to conventional aerial bombardment. He said some were not even used during the war because numerous other facilities remained operational.

“No bomber can do much against facilities buried more than 70 metres underground,” he said. “Watching B-52s drop multiple bunker-buster bombs on a single site looked terrifying. Yet, only a few hours later, missiles were being launched from the same location. They cannot be destroyed. Full stop!”

Iran has significant tunnelling experience, developed through decades of building metro systems and long tunnels through mountainous terrain. But Grajewski said Iran drew crucial lessons from North Korea after a visit by Amir Ali Hajizadeh, the former head of the missile force who was assassinated by Israel last year.

“He was also the head of the construction aspect of the missile force,” said Grajewski. “He went to North Korea, he saw their underground missile silos and he’s like: ‘This is great. We can actually defend ourselves and build these cities that you could have, you don’t necessarily need air defences’.”

🔗 https://archive.ph/SjFeN

—❗️🇷🇸 URGENT: Serbian President Aleksandar Vučić announced today that he is considering running for the position of prime minister.

➡️ As part of the political transition, Vučić plans to resign from the presidency, a move that could take place within the next three months.

✅ @balkanspectator — the leading Balkan news channel in English

🇮🇷⚔️🇺🇸🇧🇭 SoarAtlas found an impact on a newly-built hangar (2025) at ISA Air Base in Bahrain, base hosting US Navy P-8 Poseidon.

The damage was done between June 2-7, IRGC targeted US Bases in Bahrain with Missiles & Drones on June 3 & June 6.

🔗 MenchOsint (@MenchOsint)

🇪🇹⚔️🇪🇹 Ethiopia's intelligence chief and former Tigray interim president Getachew Reda published a joint op-ed on Al Jazeera warning that hardline TPLF elements — backed by Eritrea — are preparing to launch an offensive against the federal government "in the coming days."

TPLF has not publicly responded to the "imminent offensive" claim.

The op-ed calls on the international community to pressure both TPLF hardliners and Eritrea before the situation collapses back into full-scale war.

If accurate, renewed conflict would be catastrophic — Tigray is still devastated from the last war.

A new round could pull in Eritrea directly while Ethiopia is already managing the Amhara Fano insurgency on a separate front.

🔗 Clash Report

🇮🇱🇸🇴⚔️🇸🇴🇹🇷 Another theater in the Israel-Turkey rivalry to watch is Somalia/Somaliland.

For Israel, Somaliland is not just depth for the Houthis/Iran, but also to "contain" Turkish influence in the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea, given Ankara's strong partnership with Somalia.

One of many factors in the complex competition in the Horn of Africa/broader Red Sea region.

🔗 Liam Karr

🇹🇷⚔️🇮🇱 A warning, not a threat: Understanding Erdogan’s speech on Israel

A journalist asked U.S. President Donald Trump a remarkably simple question: Could President Recep Tayyip Erdogan’s harsh rhetoric toward Israel push the two countries toward conflict?

Trump’s answer was not diplomatic. It was personal. He described Erdogan as “a very good friend” and “a strong leader,” then brushed aside the possibility of conflict by referring to the respect Erdogan supposedly has for him. “I don’t think that will happen as long as I’m president because he respects me.”

A few years ago, Tel Aviv quietly began developing a new strategic concept, as I discussed in a previous article. It was no longer enough to position Türkiye as a Sunni buffer against Iran. For Israel, it became far more useful to frame Ankara as the next major threat.

The plan operated on several levels. Türkiye would be portrayed, alongside Qatar and Pakistan, as part of a hostile Sunni bloc. Ankara’s growing ties with Gulf capitals would be undermined. Its expanding defense cooperation with the UAE would be disrupted. Turkish influence in Syria would be rolled back.

Behind this approach stood a coherent scenario. Iran’s regime would not survive for long. Gaza would fall under Israeli control. Syria would ultimately accommodate Tel Aviv’s demands.

In this victory scenario, Türkiye would find itself increasingly isolated across the region and gradually transformed into an unreliable actor in Washington’s eyes.

None of that happened.

While political pressure campaigns continued, something much more tangible was taking shape in the Eastern Mediterranean.

The trilateral framework linking Israel, Greece, and the Greek Cypriot administration presented itself as a platform for regional stability and energy security. Yet when examined alongside the joint cybersecurity center in Nicosia, the deployment of the Barak MX air defense system in Greek Cyprus, and military exercises such as Noble Dina and Iniochos, a different picture emerges.

Together, these initiatives form a layered containment architecture designed to constrain Türkiye’s operational freedom.

The latest piece was added in Houston last week. The Greece-Cyprus-Israel-US 3+1 format activated a previously dormant provision of the 2019 EastMed Act and established the Eastern Mediterranean Energy Center. The legislation itself states that one of the center’s missions is to analyze crises and threats related to competition over regional natural resources, energy reserves, and strategic investments.

In other words, this is not merely an energy cooperation mechanism. It is also an early warning and strategic analysis platform focused on a specific regional actor.

Türkiye, meanwhile, has pursued a different path. Rather than investing in EastMed, a project burdened by high costs and long implementation timelines, Ankara has moved toward an initiative with greater potential at a moment when tensions around the Strait of Hormuz are forcing the world to consider alternatives.

By signing a memorandum of understanding with Saudi Arabia, Türkiye has taken a step toward integrating Gulf oil and commodities into secure overland railway routes, Turkish ports, and existing pipeline infrastructure.

🔗 https://www.turkiyetoday.com/opinion/a-warning-not-a-threat-understanding-erdogans-speech-on-israel-3221731?s=2

🇮🇱🇬🇷🇨🇾⚔️🇹🇷 How Israel-led military architecture aims at encircling Türkiye in Eastern Mediterranean

The summit held in Jerusalem brought a decade-long process, which had taken on a symbolic character, under a single framework in the areas of energy security, maritime infrastructure, intelligence sharing, and military coordination.

The documents signed in Nicosia also include exercise schedules, technology transfers, and joint planning mechanisms. The Greek General Staff gave its approval, the Israeli Ministry of Defence issued a statement, and the Greek Cypriot administration confirmed the details.

The joint statement emphasized the "protection of critical infrastructure" and intelligence sharing. Behind the cold language of a diplomatic communiqué, however, lies a far warmer calculation.

Israel’s proven, refined electronic warfare capabilities, which have adapted to the complexities of the digital age, are being geographically repositioned as part of this process.

The anti-drone architecture, derived from Iron Beam, radar fusion systems for target detection across the electromagnetic spectrum, signal jamming technologies, and sensor networks that detect unmanned aerial vehicles, is now making its presence felt on the eastern shores of the Aegean and in the airspace of Cyprus.

The Maritime Cyber Security Center of Excellence, which opened in Nicosia in February 2026, is perhaps the most intriguing component of this framework. It was designed to serve as the nerve center of a surveillance and early warning network covering undersea cables, energy platforms, port infrastructure, and Mediterranean maritime traffic.

The joint structure comprising the Israeli Cyber Directorate, the Greek cyber security authority, and Cypriot institutions positions the cyber domain not as a battlefield, but as a ground for preparation.

The same logic applies to the Barak MX system deployed in Cyprus. With a range of 150 kilometers and 3D radar capability, this system translates a topographical advantage into a technological reality.

Türkiye's response and broader geopolitical reality

The Blue Homeland doctrine has been at the center of debates for years, both in the legal sphere and on the operational front. NAVTEX notifications, drilling activities, the maritime jurisdiction agreement signed with Libya, and the strengthening of military infrastructure in the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC).

All of these represent countermeasures taken by Ankara in the context of a rivalry and realignment that has been ongoing for over a decade.

Every step taken has a response, every agreement signed has a countermeasure. The TRNC’s growing strategic importance adds a whole new dimension to this equation: Northern Cyprus is no longer merely a political issue, but is becoming a technical chokepoint.

There is no need to analyse every nuance to understand the situation unfolding in the Eastern Mediterranean. It is enough to look at the bigger picture: on one side, Türkiye—a country grappling with challenges both to its east and west, seeking to expand its maritime rights, and acting out of a desire to maintain its regional influence.

On the other side, three countries are seeking to build a common regional architecture against Türkiye by pooling their vulnerabilities, whilst seeking to transform those vulnerabilities into strength. And between these two, a rapidly evolving technological, operational, and diplomatic reality.

🔗 https://www.turkiyetoday.com/opinion/the-silent-war-in-the-mediterranean-3219517?s=5

🇹🇷❌🇫🇷 Türkiye lashes out at France-Cyprus military deal, says ready to give 'harshest response'

Türkiye's Ministry of National Defense (MoND) issued a sharp warning Thursday following the signing of a Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) between France and the Greek Cypriot Administration (GCA).

Ankara called the pact contrary to the 1960 Cyprus treaties and international law. It warned that the Turkish Armed Forces (TAF) "have the strength and determination to give the harshest response to hostile attitudes that threaten the security of Cypriot Turks."

The France-GCA SOFA, signed by the two countries' defense ministers, grants French military forces access to bases and military infrastructure in Greek Cyprus, expanding France's military footprint in the Eastern Mediterranean amid heightened regional tensions.

Türkiye and the Turkish Republic of Northern Cyprus (TRNC) view the deal as a unilateral attempt to alter the island's sensitive balance and as a direct violation of Ankara's guarantor rights under the 1960 agreements.

🔗 https://www.turkiyetoday.com/nation/turkiye-lashes-out-at-france-cyprus-military-deal-says-ready-to-give-harshest-respons-3221717?s=2

🇨🇾🇬🇷🤝🇮🇱🇺🇸 Official X/Twitter account of the Israeli MFA:

Israel, Greece, Cyprus and the United States have launched, on Friday June 11th, the East Med Energy Center, a new platform for cooperation in energy, technology, innovation and research.

The initiative will strengthen cooperation on energy security, cybersecurity, innovation and critical infrastructure while bringing together governments, universities, researchers and industry leaders.

A major step forward in strengthening regional cooperation and building a more secure and connected Eastern Mediterranean.

🔗 Israel