Retired child and adolescent psychiatrist and American expatriate in New Zealand. In 2002, I made the difficult decision to close my 25-year Seattle practice after 15 years of covert FBI harassment. I describe the unrelenting phone harassment, illegal break-ins and six attempts on my life in my 2010 book The Most Revolutionary Act: Memoir of an American Refugee.
When I checked my news feeds this morning, the Israeli and U.S. press were obviously giving a one-sided account of the Iran and Israel bombings in Day 3, making it look like Iran was nearly defeated, and Israel clearly had the upper hand.
This was one headline from an Israeli publication: “No reports of impacts in latest Iranian missile attack“.
As I did during the days of COVID when the corporate media was censoring anyone who was reporting injuries and deaths due to the COVID injections, I went over to Telegram and found a lot of video clips and photos taken from those inside Israel.
Netanyahu has urged Israelis NOT to show these, but Netanyahu has not had great support from the people in Israel for some time now, and many ignored him.
Here is a short compilation I have put together, videos recorded by Israelis themselves.
WARNING! THIS IS GRAPHIC! But no more graphic than what we see on a daily basis coming out of Gaza…
Who We Are: America’s Fight for Universal Progress, From Franklin to Kennedy Volume I 1750s to 1850s
By Anton Chaitkin (2020)
Book Review
(Part 3)
For me the most fascinating chapter of Who We Are concerns the takeover of the French Revolution by British Intelligence, leading to the mass guillotining of hundreds of revolutionary leaders (known as The Terror), and the eventual installation of the brutal dictator Napoleon. .
The role of British intelligence in the execution of Louis XVI, a strong supporter of American republicanism was well-known in US patriot circles at the time. In 1814, Thomas Jefferson, who associated closely with Lord Sheborne (see Hidden History: How Ben Franklin and his Friends Created Britain’s Industrial Revolution) and Franςois d’Iverson (who directly supervised Shelborne’s Swiss agents) from 1785-1790 (while serving as US ambassador to France, wrote about British efforts to “anarchize” the French Revolution.
André Abbé Morellet, who Shelborne paid to manage his French agents, was Jefferson’s main editor, translator and publisher, during his stay in France.
Other important paid British agents included Geneva-born Pierre Étienne Louis Dumont, Samuel Romilly, Étienne Clavière, Jacques-Antoines Du Roveray, Jean Paul Marat, Jacques Necker, Camille Desmoulins and the Comte de Mirabeau (elected head of the Paris Jacobin Club in 1790).
The primary British motive was to destroy the powerful alliance of French, American and Irish republicans who helped the US win the Revolutionary War and hoped to make similar revolution in France and Ireland.
Britain deliberately set the stage for the French revolution through the brutal trade war they launched against France in 1783, via the Eden free trade treaty at the end of the 1778-1783 Bourbon War. The latter was an undeclared war on France owing to strong French military support for George Washington’s Army. The treaty forced France to suspend all tariffs on British imports, while allowing the British to continue to charge protective tariffs on France exports. By undercutting the price of France’s domestic manufactured products, the treaty totally destroyed France’s industries and economy. Unemployment and food prices soared, leading to major bread riots.
A Vladimir Putin general claimed today that World War 3 has already started following Israel’s strikes on Iranian soil on Thursday night. Maj-Gen Apti Alaudinov, 51, urged the Kremlin to carry out mass mobilisation of up to one million fresh troops.
In a message published on the social media platform Telegram on Friday, the deputy chief of the Russian armed forces’ main military-political directorate wrote: “We need to declare mobilisation.” Alaudinov, who is a prominent propagandist and the commander of the Chechnya-based Akhmat special forces, added: “We need to prepare at least half a million people in advance. But realistically one million people. We need to call them up and start preparing them for the fact that the war has already begun, which we already know is happening – World War 3. But it has already taken on a new turn and a new momentum.
An explosion was caught on film in Tehran on Friday morning following an Israeli airstrike. via ISNA
By Jim Hoft
On Friday, Israel launched an aerial attack that decimated Iran’s military leadership and destroyed much of Iran’s nuclear and military capabilities.
This was a huge blow to Iran but not unexpected. The US had recalled several diplomats and officials across the MidEast earlier in the week in anticipation of an Israeli military strike on Iran.
In two days of aerial strikes Israel eliminated several of the top Iranian officials sleeping in their homes in Tehran.
Banafsheh Zand Bonazzi at Iran So Far Away posted a diagram of the top Iranian officials targeted and eliminated by the Israeli military.
The head of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corp (IRGC), the Commander of the Joint Staff of the Armed Forces, the Commander of the IRGC’s airspace, the Commander of the Khatam Al-Anbia Construction Headquarters, and others have been eliminated so far.
Israel announced that it was not against taking out the Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei. This would immediately make the ayatollah a rallying cry for his devotees.
According to Iran Wire, the reason Israel is having such great success in their military strikes and strategy so far is because Iran’s “highest offices” have been infiltrated by Israeli agents.
Israel has had success infiltrating the Iranian regime thanks to the mass corruption of the officials.
Escalating tensions in the Middle East and a potential closure of the Strait of Hormuz could drive oil prices up to $300 per barrel, Iraqi Foreign Minister Fuad Hussein warned during a phone conversation with German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul.
On Friday morning, Israeli jets bombed military and nuclear sites across Iran, kicking off an ongoing exchange of hostilities between the two countries.
According to Hussein, oil prices could surge to between $200 and $300 per barrel “if military operations were to break out, which would significantly increase inflation rates in European countries and complicate oil exports for producing states such as Iraq.”
The closure of the Strait of Hormuz, a key transport route, could “result in the loss of approximately five million barrels per day from Gulf and Iraqi oil supplies in the global market,” the Iraqi foreign minister was quoted as saying.
The Strait of Hormuz is a critical maritime passage through which about 20% of the world’s oil supply flows. On Saturday, Iranian MP and Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander Esmail Kousari stated that Tehran is seriously considering closing the strait to shipping.
Analysts have highlighted the potential impact of such a closure on global oil prices. JPMorgan analysts estimate that in a severe scenario, oil could surge to $130 per barrel. Other experts suggest that a complete blockade could push prices even higher, with some forecasts reaching $300 per barrel.
Brent crude prices rose 7% on Friday to $74.23 per barrel in response to the first attacks. While Israel has not targeted Iran’s main oil export facilities, analysts warn that future strikes could severely impact oil supplies. Conversely, the Islamic Republic could retaliate by disrupting oil shipments through the Strait of Hormuz.
Meanwhile, in Russia, the head of the Federation Council’s information policy commission, Aleksey Pushkov, has said that the conflict between Israel and Iran could lead to a significant increase in oil prices due to Tehran’s possible blocking of the Persian Gulf.
EXCLUSIVE: Israel has reached out to Iran through the United Arab Emirates, urging Iran to return to negotiations with the United States and accept a nuclear deal with zero enrichment on Iranian soil
According to an informed official, Israel’s objective in the recent strike was a ‘shock and awe’ moment, which was supposed to prompt Iran to rapidly and voluntarily agree to give up its entire nuclear program without requiring further widespread Israeli strikes.
Iran has informed the regional nation (very likely the UAE) that it will not exchange messages with Israel at this stage, neither directly nor indirectly, and that Israel should not have started a war if they were not prepared to continue it. – Exclusive Sources
Israelis describe being gripped by fear after Iranian attacks cause widespread destruction in Tel Aviv and elsewhere
Israelis said the initial euphoria over the shock attacks on Iran has given way to fear, after Iranian missiles slammed into central Tel Aviv and other parts of Israel, causing widespread destruction and killing at least three people.
Bright orange flashes illuminated the sky over Tel Aviv early on Saturday as Israeli air defence systems appeared to down some of the incoming missiles.
Still, fires and plumes of smoke could be seen in several areas of Tel Aviv, while explosions were also reported in Jerusalem.
Images and videos verified by Middle East Eye showed apartment blocks in Tel Aviv’s suburbs and the nearby city of Ramat Gan almost completely destroyed and the wreckage of several vehicles among the debris.
Emergency services reported early on Saturday that at least three people were killed across Israel and more than 40 were injured.
New MEE newsletter: Jerusalem Dispatch
More than 200 Israelis are reported to have been wounded since Friday.
“The night was very scary,” Meron Rappaport, a Tel Aviv resident, told MEE.
“There was complete euphoria over how we eliminated the Iranian leadership… but it’s clear to me that after a night like last night, people are in shock.
“There’s no one on the street. And if it continues like this, I don’t see anyone going to work.”
The aftermath of a damaged residential building after a ballistic missile strike in Ramat Gan, near Tel Aviv, on 14 June 2025 (MEE/Faiz Abu Rmeleh)
Early on Friday, Israel launched a flurry of attacks on sites across Iran, including its nuclear facilities, and killed several commanders in their residences – among them the head of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC).
Pushing the region into a new conflict with uncertain consequences, Israel continued its attacks across Iran for much of Friday, resulting in Iran firing hundreds of ballistic missiles towards Israel, in what the Islamic Republic called the beginning of its “crushing response”.
Following the strikes, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei said Israel’s deadly attacks would “bring it to ruin”.
“The armed forces of the Islamic Republic will inflict heavy blows upon this malevolent enemy,” Khamenei said in a televised speech.
Orly Yafa-Niger, a 67-year-old Israeli living in central Israel, told MEE that after initially supporting the strikes against Iran, reality quickly hit home that Israel was vulnerable and that Israelis, just like Iranians, could also be targeted.
“The attack surprised me,” Yafa-Niger said.
“We were sitting in a dorm when we heard a loud boom, and we began to wonder what it was and what it hit.
“Then we realised that it hit a building, destroyed homes. We realised that it’s happening here and it’s real and close. Suddenly, you accept that what’s happening in Iran can happen here, too.”
She added that the warning sirens, which sent millions of people rushing for safe rooms and bomb shelters, had triggered palpable fear among every Israeli.
“Our reality has changed,” she said.
“There are alarms and notifications, alerts to raise awareness that something is about to happen, which increases stress and uncertainty over what is going to happen. This raises anxiety.”
‘Disturbed fantasy’
Speaking to reporters on Saturday, Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz warned that “Tehran will burn” if the Islamic Republic continued responding to Israeli attacks by firing missiles at Israel.
“If Khamenei continues to fire missiles at the Israeli home front, Tehran will burn,” he said.
Despite the threatening language, several Israeli hospitals began relocating patients underground on Saturday, bracing for further retaliatory Iranian strikes.
Patients at the Sheba Medical Center, in the Tel Aviv area, were seen in video footage being transported to fortified underground facilities. Other footage showed staff transferring equipment and other essential medical gear.
Orly Noy, a Jerusalem-based journalist, told MEE that Iran’s attacks had shattered the myth that Israeli leaders had often repeated to the Israeli public: that they were immune to any and all reprisal attacks.
“The Israeli public has been convinced over the years that it can exist here in the region while deeply disdaining all its neighbours and rampaging in a thuggish and murderous manner against everyone – whenever and however it wants – relying solely on brute force.
“That’s why there was something so substantial about the sight of the bombed-out buildings in Ramat Gan,” he said.
“They are so similar to the images we’re used to seeing from Gaza. Those sooty grey skeletons of buildings, that billowing cloud of dust, that carpet of ash and rubble covering the street, those images of children’s dolls in the hands of rescue teams.
“The scale is, of course, completely different, but these images are nevertheless a momentary rupture of this disturbed fantasy that we are immune to everything,” he added.
In a televised address on Friday, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to continue attacking Iran for “as long as necessary” and also urged Iranians to rise up against their leaders.
But Yafa-Niger said that Netanyahu’s combative relationship with regional states would either lead to his downfall or result in Israelis leaving the country en masse.
“I have a very hard time with this messianic government, a government that is very extreme and not at all being run correctly,” she said.
“I’m also very worried about what will happen the day after and what will everything look like here if this government continues to rule.
“If there is no political change here, it will be very difficult for me here, very difficult.”
Vietnam has joined BRICS as its tenth partner country, marking a significant step in the bloc’s expansion, Brazil’s foreign ministry announced on Saturday.
BRICS was established in 2009 by Brazil, Russia, India, and China, with South Africa joining in 2010. The bloc later expanded to include Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Ethiopia, Indonesia, and Iran. BRICS accounts for around 40% of global GDP in terms of purchasing power parity — surpassing the combined economic weight of the G7, according to Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.
“With a population of almost 100 million and a dynamic economy deeply integrated into global value chains, Vietnam stands out as a relevant actor in Asia,” Brazil’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said.
The ministry added that Hanoi “shares with the BRICS members and partners a commitment to a more inclusive and representative international order.”
The group’s other nine partner countries are Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan.
Hanoi’s inclusion as a partner country grants it access to key economic initiatives without formal voting rights.
Earlier in June, Russian President Vladimir Putin hailed the group for “dictate-free” cooperation between its members, adding that Moscow intends to “continue working to build an effective system of equal and mutually beneficial international cooperation.”
Last year, speaking at a meeting of BRICS security representatives in St. Petersburg, Putin noted that 34 nations had expressed an interest in joining or cooperating with the group in one form or another.
The former Fox News host and MAGA figurehead rebuked Trump and the administration in his newsletter titled: “This Could Be the Final Newsletter Before All-Out War.”
“While the American military may not have physically perpetrated the assault, years of funding and sending weapons to Israel, which Donald Trump just bragged about on Truth Social, undeniably place the U.S. at the center of last night’s events,” the right-wing pundit added.
Carlson’s newsletter went on to say that the U.S. is now “in deep.”
“Washington knew these attacks would happen. They aided Israel in carrying them out,” Carlson continued. “Politicians purporting to be America First can’t now credibly turn around and say they had nothing to do with it.”
Deepening Divide Within the MAGA Movement
The conflict is already splitting MAGA down the middle, leading figures of the movement have said publicly.
“A direct strike on Iran right now would disastrously split the Trump coalition,” podcaster Jack Posobiec wrote on X. “Trump smartly ran against starting new wars, this is what the swing states voted for.” He added that it could cost the Republicans the midterms.
The Most Revolutionary Act 