"By way of deception, thou shalt do war." -- Motto of the Mossad
Posted by Tyler Durden, Authored by Pepe Escobar via 'Geopolitics Prime' substack,
The Mecca Sunni NATO pact between Saudi Arabia, Turkiye and Pakistan remains a puzzle. Or dodgy sub-standard theatre – complete with photo ops and sparse intel sharing. The full text has not been released. Everything is quite vague, only stressing “collective deterrence”.
by Tyler Durden
Friday, Aug 14, 2026 - 03:00 PM
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told Newsmax Thursday night that the Trump administration will announce unprecedented economic measures against Iran next week, signaling that a sharp escalation in economic warfare is just ahead as negotiations to reopen the Strait of Hormuz remain stalled. The warning comes as Tehran-linked Houthi rebel forces resume attacks on Saudi Aramco energy infrastructure, raising concerns that the conflict is spreading geographically and pushing Brent crude futures higher.
🚨 JUST IN: In a jaw-dropping development, Japan, Britain, France, Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands pledging support for securing the "Strait of Hormuz", reversing their earlier refusals amid United States pressure. pic.twitter.com/iW35RpAr6i
— THE INTEL PATRIOT 🇺🇸 (@DeIntelpatriot) August 12, 2026
Violence across two of the world’s most important shipping corridors escalated sharply this week after an attack by Iran-backed Houthi rebels killed six people near the Red Sea and U.S. forces separately fired missiles at a commercial vessel in the Gulf of Oman.
The incidents mark another dangerous turn in a conflict that is increasingly threatening global shipping and energy supplies. They also come as oil prices climb and negotiations aimed at restoring normal traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remain stalled.
newarab.com staff and agencies
Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz visited southern Lebanon on Wednesday, vowing to destroy infrastructure and keep troops in a so-called "security zone" as well as in Syria and Gaza.
by Tyler Durden
It is not just America's military bases in the Middle East which have been greatly reduced in terms of personnel or in some cases completely abandoned altogether due to the Iran war, but US Embassies in the region have also suffered forced downgrades of staff.
Iran's retaliation on US locations and assets across the region was much bigger and more effective than US planners apparently expected, and this could have lasting impact on how US military and diplomatic deployments operate in the region.
thecradle.co, newsdesk
Iranian Central Bank Governor Abdolnasser Hemmati announced on 12 August that the country will soon be joining the New Development Bank (NDB).
“The most important result of cooperation among BRICS member countries is the establishment of the New Development Bank, and our country will soon become a member of this bank,” said Hemmati.
BRICS states have worked to cut their reliance on the dollar by pushing for trade and financial transactions in national currencies.
by Jason Ditz, antiwar.com
Wednesday saw Israel continuing to attack towns and villages across southern Lebanon, wounding several people in strikes on Mansouri, Beit Yahoun, and Zawtar al-Sharqiyeh. Such strikes are effectively a daily occurrence in those areas.
In a civilian casualty report, the Pentagon acknowledged that at least 153 civilians were killed in its Yemen bombing campaign in 2025, though the number is an undercount
by Dave De Camp