INTEL ARCHIVE

War Hits IRGC Bitcoin Ops, Power Returns

War Hits IRGC Bitcoin Ops, Power Returns Iran’s blackouts were heavily driven by IRGC-linked crypto mining draining the grid. After 2026 strikes disrupted those energy-hungry ops, power demand dropped; leading to temporary stability and even surplus electricity despite the war. Crypto mining (incl. IRGC-linked farms) consumed huge power (~2,000 MW). In some estimates, mining caused ~20% of Iran’s power deficit. Electricity was extremely cheap → highly profitable Bitcoin mining. Crypto beca

How Iran Moves Money Despite Blackouts?

How Iran Moves Money Despite Blackouts? Nobitex, Iran’s largest crypto platform, was founded in 2018 by two brothers from the powerful Kharrazi family, closely tied to Iran’s ruling elite. Using an alternative surname, they built Nobitex into a dominant exchange handling ~70% of Iran’s crypto transactions and serving ~11 million users. Nobitex has become a key financial hub helping Iran bypass Western sanctions. It processes tens to hundreds of millions of dollars linked to sanctioned entiti

🌍 Global·Al Jazeera·3 days ago

China’s UN Envoy: Hormuz closure will dominate Trump-Xi talks

China's UN Ambassador Fu Cong says maintaining the ceasefire and reopening the Strait of Hormuz are “urgent” priorities.

🇦🇫 Afghanistan·NDTV World·3 days ago

Pakistan's Map Faux Pas In Peace Talks Meeting With Afghanistan

The map was shown at a meeting held in Istanbul earlier this week, which aimed to ease military tensions between Pakistan and Afghanistan.

CRITICALNuclear/Missile

US bypasses congressional review for military sales of $8.6 billion to Middle East allies

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🇮🇱 Israel·Dawn·3 days ago

HIGHGround

PMD issues Glof alert due to westerly wave, rainfall across GB and KP

The Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD) on Saturday issued an alert for glacial lake outburst floods (Glof) in the upper regions of the country, including Gilgit-Baltistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as a result of an expected westerly wave this weekend. A Glof refers to the sudden release of water and debris from a glacial lake, leading to the loss of lives, property, and livelihoods in mountain communities. Over 7.1 million people in GB and KP are vulnerable to the phenomenon, according to th

🇵🇰 Pakistan·Dawn·3 days ago

🇮🇱 Israel·TASS·3 days ago

Israel kills at least five people in southern Lebanon — emergency headquarters

It said that as rescuers continue to dismantle the debris, the number of dead and wounded may increase

HIGHGround

How Germany Misjudged Trump’s Anger on Iran

After Chancellor Friedrich Merz upset President Trump with criticism of the war, he offered no public sign he believed Mr. Trump’s threats to pull troops were serious.

🇮🇷 Iran·NY Times World·3 days ago

🌍 Global·Naval News·3 days ago

Japan’s US-2 joins Balikatan exercises in South China Sea

Japan’s US-2 advanced amphibious aircraft made its debut during Balikatan, the largest joint military exercises between the Philippines and the United States. A ShinMaywa US-2 aircraft of the Japan Maritime Self-Defense Force (JMSDF) splashed down in South China Sea as part of a joint casualty evacuation drill for the Balikatan exercises last April 27, according ... The post Japan’s US-2 joins Balikatan exercises in South China Sea appeared first on Naval News.

NEW: Iran says it executed two people for spying for Mossad.

🇮🇷 Iran·Jerusalem Post·3 days ago

US blockade costs Iran $4.8 billion, US Navy acting 'sort of like pirates,' Trump says - report

According to Pentagon officials, over 40 vessels carrying oil and other contraband have been redirected by the US military since the blockade began on April 13th.

🌍 Global·France 24·3 days ago

Summer holidays up in the air as Europe braces for jet fuel shortage

Low-cost airline Transavia this week announced its first flight cancellations in May and June, citing skyrocketing prices for kerosene, a widely used aviation fuel. As the war in the Middle East continues, European carriers are braced for more cancellations but hope to avoid a fuel shortage that will ground their fleets this summer.

🇮🇷 Iran·Al Monitor·3 days ago

Nobel laureate Mohammadi in Iran hospital after 'cardiac crisis', foundation says

(Corrects paragraph 6 to add dropped words about Iran war) May 2 (Reuters) - Nobel Peace Prize winner Narges Mohammadi was in an Iranian hospital after a "catastrophic deterioration of her health," including a "cardiac crisis", a foundation run by her family said. The secretary of the Norwegian Nobel Committee, which awarded Mohammadi the 2023 prize, expressed concern on Thursday that the condition of the Iranian human rights activist was worsening after she had suffered a heart attack in prison

CRITICALNuclear/Missile

Iran standoff could leave Trump worse off than before he went to war

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🇮🇱 Israel·Dawn·3 days ago

Mali's Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop:

Mali's Foreign Minister Abdoulaye Diop: Mali is not Syria, Mali is not Afghanistan. The armed forces are not trembling. Which Mali are they talking about? Who has an interest in Bamako falling? Who gives [terrorists] these drones… these resources? It’s not terrorists, it’s a proxy war.

CRITICALMISSILE_ATTACK

Hezbollah FPV drone strike destroying Israeli Merkava tank in Lebanon, showing a drone breaching its cope cage and triggering an explosion.

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🇷🇺 Russia·TASS·3 days ago

Achieving special military operation goals to mean justice to Odessa tragedy victims — MFA

The tragedy at the Odessa House of Trade Unions occurred on May 2, 2014, reported Russian Foreign Ministry press secretary Maria Zakharova

🇵🇸 Palestine·Middle East Eye·3 days ago

'Completely off limits': Britain considers restrictions on pro-Palestine rallies

'Completely off limits': Britain considers restrictions on pro-Palestine rallies UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said banning some pro-Palestinian marches could be justified, citing concerns about public safety and anti-Semitic incidents. Speaking to BBC, Starmer said he supports peaceful protest but added that certain chants are “completely off limits” and may require tougher action. The comments follow recent incidents in Golders Green, a north London area with a large Jewish community. S

CRITICALAerial

Hezbollah’s cheap drones pose challenge for Israel – like ‘children’s toys’

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🇮🇱 Israel·South China Morning Post·3 days ago

🇮🇱 Israel·Al Jazeera·3 days ago

China urges reversal of UNIFIL departure from Lebanon as conflict escalates

The UNIFIL mission has faced a growing number of casualties as Israel and Hezbollah continue to fight.

🇷🇺 Russia·Ukrinform·3 days ago

War update: 138 combats on front lines; most attacks occur in Pokrovsk and Huliaipole sectors

Over the past 24 hours, on May 1, 138 combat engagements between the Ukrainian Defense Forces and Russian invaders were recorded on the front lines.

🇷🇺 Russia·Ukrainska Pravda·3 days ago

New foreign-made components discovered in Russian drones

New components produced in 2025 in the US as well as European and Asian countries have been found in Russian UAVs, indicating that Russia is still managing to circumvent sanctions.

Trump:

Trump: I took three cognitive tests. Aced all of them. The first question is very easy -- it's a lion, a giraffe, a bear, and a shark. They say, "Which one is the bear?"

🇮🇱 Israel·Middle East Eye·3 days ago

CRITICALAerial

Morning update

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HIGHNaval

'Very profitable business': Trump says US Navy seizing Iranian oil ‘like pirates’

'Very profitable business': Trump says US Navy seizing Iranian oil ‘like pirates’ US President Donald Trump said on Friday that the US Navy was acting “like pirates” in seizing Iranian ships and cargo near the Strait of Hormuz. The US is carrying out a naval blockade of Iranian ports and has seized some of Tehran’s vessels. Iran has blocked nearly all ships passing through the Strait of Hormuz apart from its own since the beginning of the US-Israeli war on Iran. “It's a very profitable bus

🇮🇱 Israel·Middle East Eye·3 days ago

🇮🇷 Iran·Al Jazeera·3 days ago

Iran war: What’s happening on day 64 as Trump rejects Tehran’s proposal

US President Donald Trump says the latest Iranian peace proposal includes demands he 'can’t agree to'.

🌍 Global·Ukrinform·3 days ago

In Kherson, enemy attacks minibus, two dead, seven injured

In Kherson, the enemy attacked a minibus; two people were killed, including an employee of a municipal utility company and an unidentified woman whose identity is being determined, and several others were injured.

🇮🇷 Iran·France 24·3 days ago

'Still on a war footing': Tehran shares new proposal on ending Iran war

FRANCE 24 correspondent Reza Sayah shares what we know so far about Iran's latest proposal to move the stalled peace talks with the US forward.

CRITICALAerial

Hezbollah's fibre-optic drones pose new challenge for Israel's military

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🇺🇦 Ukraine·Dawn·3 days ago

CRITICALESCALATION

#USA

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🌍 GLOBAL·@OSINTdefender·3 days ago

HIGHNaval

Trump says 'not happy' with Iran proposal, claims hostilities 'terminated'

Trump says 'not happy' with Iran proposal, claims hostilities 'terminated' US President Donald Trump said he is "not happy" with new proposals from Iran, adding that negotiators have asked for concessions he “could not give”. He also claimed Iran’s leadership is divided into “three or four groups”, as talks continue without a breakthrough. In a letter to congressional leaders cited by CNN, Trump said hostilities with Iran have “terminated” following a ceasefire declared on 7 April 2026. He

🇮🇷 Iran·Middle East Eye·3 days ago

🌍 Global·Guardian World·3 days ago

‘There is real danger’: landline phone users voice fears over digital switchover

Rural dwellers reveal failings in backup plans, as campaigners call for deadline to be extended from 2027 to 2030 “Every time there is a power failure I lose all means of communication with the outside world,” says Robert Dewar of life in a remote village in the Scottish Highlands since the landlines were transferred from the old copper cable network to broadband connections. Blackouts also knock out the village’s mobile phone signal. “Our most recent power cut lasted for 42 hours,” Dewar says.

CRITICALESCALATION

#USA #Iran

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🌍 GLOBAL·@OSINTdefender·3 days ago

CRITICALNuclear/Missile

US to withdraw about 5,000 troops from Germany

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🇺🇦 Ukraine·Dawn·3 days ago

CRITICALGround

Europe's unwillingness to lead NATO pushed US to withdraw troops from Germany — Pentagon

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🇮🇷 Iran·TASS·3 days ago

HIGHNaval

Turkish activist slams Israel’s illegal interception of Gaza aid flotilla, calls it ‘piracy’

Turkish activist slams Israel’s illegal interception of Gaza aid flotilla, calls it ‘piracy’ Turkish activist Suayb Ordu says Israeli forces “kidnapped” Global Sumud Flotilla activists in international waters, calling it an “outright piracy.” Ordu emphasised that they were subjected to torture and abuse by Israel, being forced to cram into containers and treated like “animals.” On Wednesday, Israeli forces seized 22 Gaza-bound ships carrying humanitarian aid and detained over 180 activists

🇮🇱 Israel·Middle East Eye·3 days ago

Trump:

Trump: I do a lot of things that are impossible to do, like becoming president three times.

Trump on Iran:

Trump on Iran: We don’t know who the hell we’re dealing with. They call up, ‘This is Mohammed so-and-so.’ I say, ‘Are you a leader? We’re looking… we’re looking for a leader.’ It’s the only country in the world — nobody wants to be a leader.