Brigadier General Majid Mousavi, Commander of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) Aerospace Force (image from archive).

The Aerospace Force of the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) warns that if Iran’s southern neighbors aid potential American attacks against the Islamic Republic, the country’s retaliation will rob them of the capacity to continue producing oil.

“And let the southern neighbors know: If their territory and resources are used by the United States to attack the Iranian nation, they must bid farewell to oil production in West Asia,” Brigadier General Seyyed Majid Mousavi, the force’s commander, said on Tuesday.

He reminded that even during the period of “military silence,” the force has remained vigilant, eyes wide open and hands on the trigger, ready to defend this ancient land and its civilization spanning thousands of years.

The comments came in the context of a two-week lull that was announced by US President Donald Trump on April 7 following at least 100 waves of successful and decisive retaliatory strikes against the US’s and the Israeli regime’s latest bout of unprovoked aggression targeting the country.

The reprisal delivered severe blows to sensitive and strategic American and Israeli targets across the region, including those lying in the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia.

Also on Tuesday, Iran’s highest operational command unit said the Islamic Republic’s Armed Forces enjoy the upper hand in the face of the adversaries, and, therefore, do not let US President Donald Trump misrepresent the conditions governing the battlefield.

The remarks by Major General Ali Abdollahi, commander of Khatam al-Anbiya Central Headquarters, came after successive claims made by Trump concerning the state of affairs in the strategic waterway following his announcement of a short-term ceasefire.

The claims saw Trump take to his Truth Social platform, alleging that Iran had “agreed to never close the Strait of Hormuz again.” He also claimed that the United States’ “naval blockade will remain in full force and effect as it pertains to Iran, only, until such time as our transaction with Iran is 100% complete.” Trump additionally said that ceasefire negotiations “should go very quickly in that most of the points are already negotiated.”

Iranian officials have, however, categorically dismissed all such claims. The Islamic Republic even moved swiftly to close the chokehold to all traffic after Trump announced continuation of the blockade. Tehran has also refused to rejoin negotiations with Washington as long as the latter would not abandon its pressure tactics.

Source: Press tv

In a statement, the rights group noted that the planned protests are a response to rising fuel costs and their worsening impact on households and the wider economy.

The organisation reminded the National Police Service (NPS) that the Constitution guarantees the right to peaceful assembly under Article 37, stressing that police are obligated to facilitate not restrict demonstrations.

“The Constitution of Kenya guarantees every person the right to assemble, demonstrate, picket, and present petitions peacefully and unarmed. The police bear a primary responsibility to facilitate and protect this right, not suppress it.,” the statement read.

Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines

Amnesty said protest notifications are meant for coordination of public safety, not for seeking permission from authorities.

The organisation also cautioned police against the use of excessive force, citing past protests in which it documented cases of brutality, arbitrary arrests, harassment of journalists, and obstruction of medical personnel.

It warned that officers and commanders could be held personally liable for violations of constitutional and international human rights standards.

“Individual officers and their commanders may be held personally and criminally liable for violations of human rights, the Constitution, and Kenyan law,” the human rights group said.

Amnesty further pointed to a recent High Court decision in Kisumu, which declared the use of live ammunition against unarmed civilians during protests unlawful and unconstitutional.

The court, it noted, condemned instances where civilians were shot in their homes, on streets, or while fleeing, describing such incidents as a “grave failure of policing” and a violation of life and dignity.

Against this backdrop, Amnesty issued a series of operational recommendations to police ahead of the demonstrations.

The group called on officers to ensure full facilitation of peaceful protests, warning against arrests or intimidation of demonstrators who are lawfully exercising their rights.

It further emphasised strict command responsibility, insisting that senior officers will be held accountable for misconduct by personnel under their supervision.

“All officers must be clearly identifiable, with uniforms, name tags, and service numbers visible at all times,” the advisory stated.

On use of force, Amnesty stressed that it must remain a last resort and strictly adhere to necessity and proportionality principles.

“The use of live ammunition, rubber bullets, tear gas, or water cannons against peaceful protesters is prohibited,” it said, adding that de-escalation and dialogue should be prioritised.

Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters

Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox

The organisation also urged protection of journalists, warning against interference with media operations, internet access, or live broadcasts during the protests.

“Any shutdown or disruption of media would amount to unlawful restrictions on freedom of expression and access to information,” it warned.

Health workers, human rights observers, and other neutral actors, it added, must be guaranteed safe passage and protection at all times.

Amnesty also urged police to distinguish between peaceful demonstrators and individuals involved in isolated criminal acts, cautioning against collective punishment.

It further underscored legal safeguards for arrested persons, including timely access to legal counsel and appearance in court within 24 hours.

“All arrests must be lawful, targeted, and based on individual responsibility,” the statement said.

The rights body also called for immediate reporting of any deaths or serious injuries to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and full cooperation with oversight institutions.

“Public order and human rights are not mutually exclusive,” the organisation concluded. “There must be no further loss of life, no excessive use of force, and no suppression of media freedom during the exercise of the right to peaceful protest.”

The price of E5RON92 biofuel is capped at 21,934 VND (0.83 USD) per litre, down 658 VND per litre from the previous level, while RON95-III gasoline now costs no more than 23,042 VND per litre, a decrease of 719 VND per litre.

Retail fuel prices in Viet Nam were sharply reduced from 16:00 on April 21 following the latest adjustment by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MoIT) and the Ministry of Finance.

Accordingly, the price of E5RON92 biofuel is capped at 21,934 VND (0.83 USD) per litre, down 658 VND per litre from the previous level, while RON95-III gasoline now costs no more than 23,042 VND per litre, a decrease of 719 VND per litre.

The price of diesel 0.05S was reduced significantly to a maximum of 27,856 VND per litre, down 3,185 VND, while 180CST 3.5S mazut oil is capped at 19,631 VND per kilogram, a drop of 701 VND.

In this price management period, the authorities decided to allocate funds to the Petroleum Price Stabilisation Fund at 200 VND per litre for biofuel, 400 VND per litre for gasoline, and 600 VND per litre or kilogram for diesel and mazut oil. However, they opted not to disburse the funds for any petroleum products

Viet Nam’s fuel prices remain lower than those in several neighbouring countries, including Thailand, Cambodia, Laos and China, according to the MoIT.

VNA

Hezbollah Military Media issued on Tuesday a statement which announced that the Islamic Resistance fighters responded to the Israeli violations of the ceasefire by striking an artillery bunker of the “Israeli” enemy army in Kfar Giladi settlement with a rocket barrage and a swarm of loitering drones.

What follows is the text of the statement:

In defense of Lebanon and its people, and in response to the blatant and documented violations committed by the “Israeli” enemy, which have exceeded 200 breaches since the ceasefire came into effect and included attacks on civilians and the destruction of their homes and villages in southern Lebanon, and based on the right to resist occupation and expel it, the Islamic Resistance fighters targeted at 18:50 on Tuesday 21-04-2026 an artillery bunker of the “Israeli” enemy army in Kfar Giladi settlement—the source of the latest artillery shelling toward Yohmor Al-Shaqif town—with a rocket barrage and a swarm of loitering drones.

Israeli occupation forces have escalated violations of the ceasefire in southern Lebanon on Tuesday, carrying out sustained demolition operations aimed at destroying civilian infrastructure in the southern border villages, amid artillery shelling and continuous aerial surveillance.

Destruction after Israeli occupation forces carried out demolition operations in the southern Lebanese town of Rshaf (April 21, 2026).

Source: Al-Manar English Website

English / French / Spanish / Russian

[English]

The imperialist US has ignited the war in Iran, which immediately escalated into a broader war in West Asia. The conflict in West Asia, in turn, is accelerating the outbreak of war in East Asia, marking the full-scale escalation of World War 3.

The Trump faction has now become principal war criminals who have hastened the full-scale arrival of World War 3 through imperialist wars of aggression. The US chauvinists are now exposed as unprecedented fascists, surpassing even the globalists in their infamy.

The war in East Asia would further catalyze the war in Eastern Europe, and the Central American theater would be no exception. West Asia, East Asia, Eastern Europe, and Central America have become the primary battlegrounds of World War 3—the frontlines of national and class liberation where the anti-imperialist camp and the imperialist camp confront each other.

The imperialist camp is committing a fatal error by opening multiple theaters simultaneously while failing to secure a victory in even a single one. Their “New Cold War” stratagem, plotted through the lens of World War 3, is already being thwarted by the overwhelming offensive of the anti-imperialist forces.

The Trump administration is currently mired in severe political and economic crises. As a consequence of the “tariff wars,” inflation has skyrocketed, causing public opinion to deteriorate sharply. The forced deportation of Latinos and other immigrants, combined with the outbreak of “Minneapolis incidents,” has further soured public sentiment. With the US Supreme Court ruling the tariffs illegal, the Trump administration’s trade policy has hit a major deadlock. To make matters worse, the “Epstein Files” scandal—which allegedly implicates not only Trump but also Melania—has stripped the administration of its remaining moral authority and perceived legitimacy. As a result, the ruling Republican Party has suffered crushing defeats in every election held since Trump’s inauguration. Most notably, they lost in Texas—a state where they won by a landslide in the last presidential election—and even in the MAGA stronghold of Georgia, the Democratic candidate managed to secure first place in the initial round of voting.

The Trump administration has committed a fatal strategic blunder by instigating the war in Iran and West Asia—and further driving the push toward conflict in East Asia—thereby overturning the very “Western Hemisphere-First” strategy specified in NSS 2025 (Nov. 2025) and NDS 2026 (Jan. 2026). Even within the US, condemnations are pouring in, labeling the Iran war as “a war for Israel, not for America.” Even Tucker Carlson, a journalist who has long supported Trump, denounced the war in Iran as an “absolutely disgusting and evil” decision. The film “Wag the Dog” is becoming a literal reality.

Despite taking the risk of reversing his own policy framework, Trump—far from burying unfavorable political and economic issues—is facing a deepening crisis of governance amidst record-low initial approval ratings for the war. In Iran, a hardline supreme leader with “Imam-level” authority has emerged. Furthermore, oil prices, which once soared to $120, are on a trajectory to surpass $150 and potentially reach $200. In a state of hyperinflation, the US will have no choice but to hike interest rates, which could trigger a stock market crash and push the US economy to the brink. Consequently, the Trump faction and the Republican Party are guaranteed a total defeat in the November midterm elections, leading to an immediate “lame duck” status. The war in Iran, initiated to evade crisis, has instead become the fatal blow that amplifies it.

Until recently, US chauvinists had opposed the war in Ukraine and the Palestinian-centered conflict in West Asia. More precisely, their stance was not “anti-war” but “war avoidance.” This was not based on a pacifist ideology, but on the pragmatic assessment that such wars are unwinnable and incur catastrophic loss of life and property. Yet, they have now overturned even this position by launching the war in Iran. Unlike the globalists, who waged indirect proxy wars through Ukrainian neo-Nazis and Israeli Zionists, this is a direct war with the US at the forefront. It is no longer a localized conflict centered on Palestine, but a full-scale war encompassing the entire West Asian theater.

The maximum expression of fascist policy is war against foreign nations, while its minimum level is the persecution of foreigners and immigrants. Until recently, US chauvinists had confined themselves to the minimum level—persecuting immigrants—thereby evading accusations of being a warmongering force. However, the situation has completely changed. If the US globalists were condemned as fascists for waging proxy and localized wars, then the chauvinists—who are now conducting even more extreme direct and full-scale wars—deserve to be denounced as fascists who surpass the globalists. The US chauvinists have opened the gates of hell with their own hands.

Zionist capital (Zionist transnational capital), the core force of the imperialist camp, encompasses and controls both the globalists and the chauvinists through a “seesaw system.” By funding the election campaigns of US chauvinist forces and strategically placing its henchmen within the chauvinist government, Zionist capital enforces imperialist war policies through extensive lobbying and public opinion manipulation. In the US system of state-monopoly capitalism, the monopoly capital that dictates national policy is Zionist capital, and the bureaucrats who execute it are the Deep State. Within the Trump administration, the anti-Deep State elements are weak, while the Deep State forces controlled by Zionist capital are driving the war in Iran with overwhelming momentum. It is no coincidence that officials of the anti-Deep State faction, such as the Director of the National Counterterrorism Center, have resigned in succession in opposition to the Iran war.

Trump’s dilemma left him with no choice but to carry out the war in Iran as planned by Zionist capital, and the world is now witnessing a domino effect of war as the conflict spreads to West Asia, East Asia, and Eastern Europe. The cunning of Zionist capital is starkly revealed in its decisive push for a full-scale escalation of World War 3 by utilizing the US chauvinists, who had previously opposed such a global conflict. Netanyahu’s notorious “40-year long-cherished desire”—a war against Iran—has been realized through the foolish chauvinist, Trump. The war in Iran is an imperialist war of aggression initiated by the chauvinist US government, instigated by Zionist Israel under the manipulation of Zionist capital.

The war criminals responsible for the war in West Asia are clearly the imperialist United States. The Trump administration—a chauvinist and imperialist government—is responsible for launching the wars in Iran and broader West Asia. If the war in West Asia escalates into a full-scale phase, it will inevitably lead to a war in East Asia. That East Asian war would mark the full-scale escalation of World War 3, making the Trump administration criminally responsible for it.

Russia has lifted restrictions on flights over Iranian airspace and resumed overflights, Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) said on Monday, reversing measures that had been in place since late February amid heightened regional tensions.

The agency also withdrew its recommendation to Russian airlines to suspend ticket sales for flights to and from the United Arab Emirates.

Rosaviatsiya also said in a statement that it has lifted restrictions on Russian airlines’ flights through Iranian airspace.

Transit flights and flights to Iranian airports may proceed provided they strictly adhere to all recommendations from Iranian aviation authorities, the statement added.

The airspace of several Western Asian countries was closed in late February amid an escalation of conflicts in the region, including a US-Israeli aggression against the Iranian territory.

By Ivan Kesic

Just a day after the ceasefire took hold on April 8, 2026, ending nearly 40 days of joint US-Israeli aggression against Iran, an American surveillance drone mysteriously plummeted from the sky off the coast of Bushehr province.

Iran immediately announced that its air defenses had once again humbled the world’s most advanced military, repeating a feat first accomplished in June 2019, when the same family of drones was brought down over the same strategic waters.

The ceasefire, which had temporarily halted the US-Israeli aggression on April 8, 2026, was supposed to usher in a period of de-escalation in the Persian Gulf.

Instead, within 24 hours, American military assets were once again suffering catastrophic losses in the very waters where the Islamic Republic has repeatedly demonstrated its air defense supremacy – because of their continued hostilities.

On April 9, 2026, a US Navy MQ-4C Triton high-altitude surveillance drone, a marvel of American aerospace engineering, transmitted an emergency signal, entered a rapid descent from above 15,800 meters, and vanished from radar off Iran’s Bushehr coastline.

The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) quickly announced that its air defense units had engaged and neutralized the intruder after it violated Iranian airspace

The United States initially responded with silence, then with a reluctant admission of a “Class A mishap,” carefully omitting any mention of hostile action.

Days later, the US reluctantly confirmed the loss – a catastrophic loss.

The true magnitude of this military feat is huge. Revised estimates placed the drone’s value at an astonishing $618 million per unit, nearly the cost of four F-35 fighter jets, or comparable to an E-3 AWACS, another platform Iran destroyed during the war.

This incident, occurring mere hours into a fragile ceasefire, exposed the continuing provocations by American forces and reaffirmed Iran’s unmatched ability to defend its skies using indigenous systems developed under decades of sanctions and aggression.

CBS News reports that Iran’s destruction of costly U.S. drones, including 24 MQ-9 Reapers and a $250 million MQ-4C Triton, has raised serious questions about the survivability and cost-effectiveness of American unmanned systems against advanced regional adversaries. pic.twitter.com/N8ZQ7bEzMR

— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) April 11, 2026

Drone’s final minutes over the Persian Gulf

The events unfolded with cinematic precision on the morning of April 9, 2026.

The MQ-4C Triton, operating under the callsign of a forward-deployed asset from Naval Air Station Sigonella in Italy, had been conducting a routine maritime reconnaissance mission over the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz.

Open-source flight-tracking data captured the drone completing roughly three hours of methodical patrol, scanning the waters for Iranian naval activity and commercial shipping.

These tasks were clearly aligned with maintaining pressure on the Islamic Republic naval forces, even under the smokescreen of a ceasefire.

As the aircraft initiated its return leg, its flight path took a suspicious northeastward turn, veering dangerously close to Iranian airspace after briefly skirting Saudi territory. The deviation was neither accidental nor minor.

Moments later, the drone transmitted the universal emergency code 7700, signaling an in-flight crisis. It began a rapid descent from its cruising altitude exceeding 15,800 meters, plummeting below 3,000 meters before its transponder signal vanished entirely from civilian radar networks.

The entire sequence, from the anomalous turn to total loss of contact, lasted less than 15 minutes, leaving military analysts worldwide scrambling for explanations.

IRGC air defense units did not keep the world waiting. Within hours, official statements confirmed that Iran’s layered air defense network had detected the intruder, issued warnings, and successfully engaged the target after it violated Iranian airspace.

The IRGC called it a necessary defense of national sovereignty against a hostile reconnaissance platform that had no business operating so close to Iranian territorial waters, especially during a ceasefire that the aggressors themselves had already begun violating.

America’s reluctant admission: From silence to “Class A mishap”

The US Navy’s response to the loss of one of its most expensive and capable surveillance assets followed a predictable pattern of evasion and downplaying.

For days following the April 9 incident, Pentagon officials offered no comment, allowing speculation to swirl while Iranian media and international observers had already pieced together the flight data exposing the drone’s final moments.

The silence was finally broken only on April 14, 2026, when the Naval Safety Command released its terse mishap summary.

The report confirmed the total loss of the MQ-4C Triton as a “Class A mishap”, military terminology for a catastrophic accident involving loss of an aircraft costing more than $2.5 million or resulting in significant damage.

The statement deliberately withheld the exact crash location, citing operational security, and classified the event without any mention of hostile action or Iranian involvement.

The price tag attached to the loss was staggering: the Triton represented not merely a $618 million piece of hardware but also one of only approximately twenty such platforms in the entire US Navy inventory.

This reluctant acknowledgment came only after Iranian media and international observers had already exposed the gap between American denials and the undeniable reality.

The Naval Safety Command’s report, by its very vagueness, confirmed what Iran had declared from the first moment: an American military asset had been lost in the waters off Iran, and the circumstances pointed squarely to a successful defensive operation by Iranian forces.

MQ-4C Triton: A high-tech instrument of aggression

To fully grasp the magnitude of Iran’s achievement, one must understand the MQ-4C Triton’s formidable capabilities and its central role in the recent US-Israeli war of aggression.

Developed by Northrop Grumman as an evolution of the RQ-4 Global Hawk, this high-altitude long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle stands as a maritime surveillance powerhouse.

With a wingspan approaching 40 meters and powered by a Rolls-Royce turbofan engine, it can soar above 15,200 meters for up to 30 hours, covering vast swaths of ocean, up to five million square kilometers per sortie.

The Triton’s sensor suite represents the cutting edge of American intelligence-gathering technology.

It includes the advanced AN/ZPY-3 Multi-Function Active Sensor radar for wide-area maritime tracking, synthetic aperture radar for all-weather imaging, electro-optical and infrared cameras capable of identifying objects from extreme altitudes, and sophisticated signals intelligence and electronic intelligence packages that can intercept communications and radar emissions from hundreds of kilometers away.

In essence, the Triton functions as a “satellite with wings,” providing real-time data to US naval forces, P-8 Poseidon patrol aircraft, and ground stations via satellite links.

During the US-Israeli war of aggression against Iran that began on February 28, 2026, these drones played a pivotal role in sustaining the intelligence-gathering campaign aimed at strangling Iran’s economy and military coordination.

Operating from bases as far as Italy and the United Arab Emirates, they monitored the Strait of Hormuz to identify potential Iranian naval threats, map coastal defenses, and relay targeting data for strikes on civilian infrastructure.

Their presence was not defensive but overtly provocative, designed to project American dominance over a region Washington views as its sphere of influence.

The loss of even one such platform, representing approximately 5 percent of the Navy’s limited Triton fleet, constitutes not just a financial hit but a severe degradation in persistent surveillance capabilities at a critical moment.

Iran’s successful neutralization of this asset demonstrates that no amount of altitude, endurance, or electronic sophistication can shield aggressors from determined, indigenous defense systems honed through years of sanctions-induced innovation.