Exclusive: US turns to Ukrainian counter-drone tech after Iran attacks, sources say The U.S. military has introduced the technology at a key air base in Saudi Arabia.

www.reuters.com/business/aer...

Who Struck It Rich in the Markets When Trump Postponed Bombing Iran? A series of uncannily timed bets on the price of oil and stocks deserves a proper investigation. It’s far from clear that they’ll get one.

www.newyorker.com/news/the-fin...

FT Exclusive: Stockholm’s military intelligence head said Moscow is systematically manipulating data to fool Ukraine’s western allies into believing its economy has withstood the strain of its lavish war spending and western sanctions. ft.trib.al/uloekqX

Russian social media influencers are speaking out against what Putin has done to Russia. They fear this is their last chance before they lose all internet freedom in Russia.

NEW: RU forces conducted 4 platoon-sized or smaller mechanized & motorized assaults across the theater in the last 48 hours, but they are unlikely to bolster the RU spring-summer 2026 offensive.

Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, 4.19.26: isw.pub/UkrWar041926

More Key Takeaways ⬇️(1/3)

2/ Russian state polls are acknowledging growing societal discontent with Russian President Vladimir Putin against the backdrop of mounting war sacrifices and an unpopular censorship campaign.

NEW: Officials in Russian regions that the Kremlin has historically sought to shield from the effects of the war in Ukraine are beginning to acknowledge the impacts of Ukrainian long-range drone strikes in the Russian rear.

Full Report: isw.pub/UkrWar041726

Other Key Takeaways:

Appalling and disturbing news.

Jailed Iranian Nobel laureate Narges Mohammadi in critical condition, supporters say

www.france24.com/en/middle-ea...

How Iran out-shitposted the White House Tehran’s meme warfare became an uncanny mirror of American governance

By @sarahjeong.bsky.social via @theverge.com

www.theverge.com/policy/91040...

Zelensky in Syria: A new security actor in a crowded battlefield Analysis: Ukraine’s outreach injects a new layer of competition into Syria’s complex security landscape, where Turkey dominates and Russia retains a foothold

Zelensky in Syria: A new security actor enters a crowded battlefield

By Francesco Salesio Schiavi via @thenewarab.bsky.social

www.newarab.com/analysis/zel...

Ukrainian cat and its destroyed home

In Kyiv 4 people were killed and over 50 injured in overnight russian attack‼️

NEW: Russian forces conducted a large series of missile and drone strikes against Ukraine overnight on April 14 and 15.

Read the full Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, April 15, 2026: isw.pub/UkrWar041526

More Key Takeaways ⬇️ (1/2)

NEW: Ukraine’s Fortress Belt is the cornerstone of a militarily defensible frontline in eastern Ukraine. The Fortress Belt is optimized for defense across nearly every possible topographical and geographical characteristic relevant for military terrain analysis. 🧵(1/7) isw.pub/FortressBelt...

Trump is now saying he is going to blockade Iran's blockade of the Strait of Hormuz.

NEW: The Kremlin’s unilateral short-term, theater-wide ceasefire over the Orthodox Easter holiday came into effect at 1600 local time on April 11.

Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, April 11, 2026: isw.pub/UkrWar041126

Ukrainian interceptors downed Iran’s drones in Middle East, says Zelenskyy Ukraine’s president says military teams dispatched across the Gulf had delivered ‘positive’ results

Ukrainian interceptors downed Iran’s drones in Middle East, says Zelenskyy ft.trib.al/NH9Ou3E

Russian Bloggers Admit Ukraine is Winning the Drone War YouTube video by Jake Broe

Ukraine set a new record last month by successfully intercepting and shooting down over 33,000 Russian drones. Ukraine's drones are also continuing to hunt down and eliminate all of Russia's air defense systems. Russia's military bloggers are claiming that Russia is losing the drone war to Ukraine.

U.S. Races to Keep Israel’s Fight in Lebanon From Derailing Cease-Fire President Trump asked Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to limit attacks against Hezbollah.

President Trump asked Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu to tone down attacks in Lebanon that were threatening a fragile cease-fire.

Hormuz at near standstill as Iran warns ships to keep to its waters Ship traffic through the Strait of Hormuz stood at well below 10% of normal volumes on Thursday ​despite a U.S.-Iran ceasefire as Tehran asserted its control by warning ships to keep to its territorial waters while doing so.

Hormuz at near standstill as Iran warns ships to keep to its waters reut.rs/4t3m3qY

If the numbers keep sliding at this speed, relations are likely to turn real grim under the next U.S. president, whether that’s a Democrat, a Republican, or Trump on a third term.

BREAKING: European Union says navigation through Strait of Hormuz should be with 'no payment or toll whatsoever'

A Cease-Fire for Now in Iran, but a Blow to American Credibility

www.nytimes.com/2026/04/09/w...

This video shows the moment an Israeli missile struck and detonated in Beirut’s Corniche al-Mazraa district earlier today.

How Pakistan helped secure a fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran Pakistan has a historic relationship with Iran, but an agreement was far from certain, writes the BBC’s Caroline Davies

www.bbc.com/news/article...

Trump says he agrees to suspend bombing of Iran for two weeks U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday he has agreed ​to suspend the bombing of Iran for two weeks while accepting a ‌14-day truce proposal from mediators in the Iran war.

www.reuters.com/world/middle...

Viktor Orbán told Putin ‘I am at your service’ in October phone call Transcript reportedly details Hungarian leader offering whatever assistance he can to his Russian counterpart

www.theguardian.com/world/2026/a...

Iran talks show glimmer of progress as Trump deadline looms The thinking in the White House has shifted from "can we get there?" to "can we get there by 8 o'clock tonight?"

⏳NEW: Negotiations between the U.S. and Iran have made progress in the past 24 hours.

But reaching a ceasefire deal by Trump's 8pm ET deadline still looks like a long shot, sources tell Axios.

American journalist Shelly Kittleson has been released, an Iraqi official tells the AP American journalist Shelly Kittleson, who was kidnapped in Baghdad last week, has been released. That's according to an Iraqi official with direct knowledge of the situation.

apnews.com/article/jour...

Lebanon’s Coming Collapse An Israeli assault is pushing the fragile country to the brink.

“By joining the battle, Hezbollah inextricably tied Lebanon’s fate to the larger war,” writes Maha Yahya. “But it is also clear that Israel is using the war and Hezbollah’s provocations to justify a much larger—and potentially devastating—assault on Lebanon itself.”