USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) floated from a drydock at Ingalls Shipbuilding on Dec. 6, 2024. HII Photo

Three sailors were injured in a fire aboard destroyer USS Zumwalt (DDG-1000) at HII Ingalls Shipbuilding on Sunday, USNI News has learned.

The ship fire was reported at approximately 9:45 p.m. while Zumwalt was pierside at the Pascagoula, Miss., shipyard, a Naval Surface Force spokesperson confirmed Wednesday in a statement to USNI News. The blaze was extinguished by the crew, the spokesperson said.

One sailor was transported to a local hospital for treatment for injuries related to the fire and is in stable condition. Two other sailors received first aid at the scene.

“The Navy is investigating the cause of the fire and determining the extent of the damage onboard,” the statement reads.

The guided-missile destroyer has been at Ingalls for a modernization period since August 2023, following the Navy’s decision to replace the long-range gun system with missile tubes to field long-range hypersonic missiles to turn the destroyers into blue-water strike platforms.

Shortly after arrival, Zumwalt was moved onto land where the Ingalls team completed major technology upgrades. The upgrades included integrating the Conventional Prompt Strike (CPS) weapon system and replacing the original twin 155mm Advanced Gun Systems with new missile tubes. In December 2024, Zumwalt was undocked and underwent further preparations for operational readiness.

In January, the destroyer took to sea for the first time in nearly three years after the installation of large missile tubes capable of fielding hypersonic strike weapons, USNI News previously reported.

The following is the complete statement from U.S. Naval Surface Forces, received April 22:

“At approximately 9:45 p.m. PST, Sunday, April 19, 2026, a fire was reported aboard Zumwalt-class guided-missile destroyer USS Zumwalt (DDG 1000) pierside at Pascagoula, Mississippi. The crew responded immediately and extinguished the fire. Three Sailors received treatment for injuries sustained in the incident and are in stable condition. One was transported to a local hospital and the two other Sailors received first-aid at the scene. The Navy is investigating the cause of the fire and determining the extent of the damage onboard.”

Caitlyn Burchett

Caitlyn Burchett is the managing editor of USNI News. She previously covered the Navy and Marine Corps for Stars and Stripes and regional defense news for The Virginian-Pilot. Follow @CaitlynBurchett

China and the DPRK will seek to conclude operations within three days using tactical nuclear weapons as part of their operational plans. Three days is the cutoff point before external reinforcements can be deployed. While it would be ideal to subdue the enemy without tactical nuclear weapons, if that proves difficult, they will not hesitate to use them. China and the DPRK have long prepared and repeatedly rehearsed three-day military operation plans that include the use of tactical nuclear weapons. The only difference is that China keeps such matters undisclosed, while the DPRK makes them public. In short, a war in East Asia would be an ultra-short war, ending within a matter of days.

If the war in East Asia breaks out, it will become a full-fledged World War 3. With the East Asian war, World War 3 will enter a full-scale phase.

The war in East Asia will be followed by the war in Eastern Europe. If China and the DPRK abandon their policy of “strategic patience” and launch wars over Taiwan and the ‘ROK,’ there is no reason for Russia not to do the same. Since February 2022, Russia has applied the well-known strategy of the attrition warfare from World War 2 in the war in Ukraine for four years; it will now shift to a new, prepared strategy.

Russia will expand the battlefield from the localized area of “Novorossiya” in Ukraine to the broader regions of Eastern and Northern Europe. This is precisely what NATO has long strategically intended through its eastward expansion policy. The expansion of the war in Ukraine into a wider war in Eastern Europe means that Russia will confront NATO forces directly, rather than NATO’s proxy, the Ukrainian military. In other words, the war between Russia and NATO over Ukraine will transition from a proxy war to a direct war.

In the war in Eastern Europe, Russia’s objective would be to incorporate Ukraine and other former Soviet states into the Russian Federation, and to force countries such as Poland in Central Europe and Finland in Northern Europe to withdraw from NATO, rendering them neutral buffer zones. If this objective is achieved, NATO will either be severely weakened or collapse altogether.

Russia will initially employ non-nuclear weapons such as the Oreshnik and will seek to restrain the use of nuclear weapons as much as possible. However, if the war is not concluded in the short term, it will use tactical nuclear weapons without hesitation. No NATO country—including the US, the UK or France—would dare wage a nuclear war against Russia. NATO’s collective defense system will collapse helplessly under Russia’s bold and overwhelming use of tactical nuclear weapons.

The war in Central America would be the final stand. Central America would be the fourth major theater to emerge. While the war in East Asia will be ultra-short-term, the wars in West Asia, Eastern Europe, and Central America are poised to become mid-to-long-term struggles.

The victory of the anti-imperialist camp in the Eastern Hemisphere will powerfully inspire anti-imperialist forces in the Western Hemisphere. Strong anti-imperialist countries like Venezuela and Cuba will abandon humiliating negotiations with the US and fight under a clear banner of anti-imperialism. Nations such as Colombia, Mexico, and Nicaragua will join this current. The anti-imperialist struggle in Central America will expand to South America and evolve into a region-wide resistance by all Latin American peoples.

The US lacks both the will and the capacity to engage in full-scale war, including ground operations, in Central America. Its only option is limited warfare, and even that will become further constrained.

Military and economic support from anti-imperialist powers like Russia, China, and the DPRK will flow in, accompanied by an International Brigade movement reminiscent of the 1936 Spanish Civil War. The defeat of US imperialism in Central America is only a matter of time. Once the fever of anti-imperialism sweeps through Central America, the “Western Hemisphere Fortification” strategy will collapse before it can even truly begin.

As World War 3 intensifies, the imperialist camp will define anti-imperialist countries that inevitably employ tactical nuclear weapons as the “new axis of evil,” thereby completing the “New Cold War” structure.

Even if China, the DPRK, and Russia utilize tactical nuclear weapons in the East Asian and Eastern European theaters, the imperialist camp will remain paralyzed, unable to use tactical nuclear weapons in any theater due to the fear of Mutually Assured Destruction (MAD). Should the US launch any nuclear strike—tactical or otherwise—against China or the DPRK, those nations would immediately carry out retaliatory strikes against the US mainland. The same applies to NATO and Russia. Furthermore, under conditions where the nature of an incoming warhead—whether atomic or hydrogen—is unknown, all parties will assume the worst-case scenario and take corresponding countermeasures. As a result, the US and its allies would be in a position where they cannot utilize any nuclear weapons. Until now, the US has complacently maintained the belief that it could employ nuclear weapons without facing a reciprocal strike, assuming a state of Nuclear Primacy. However, the current reality has become the exact opposite.

Given the assumption that China, the DPRK, and Russia must be the first to employ tactical nuclear weapons, the US and Israel cannot resort to such weapons—even if the war in Iran prolongs and catastrophic consequences accumulate. The moment they use tactical nukes, they lose the ability to frame their opponents as the “new axis of evil.” This has been a consistent strategic calculation of the imperialist camp since the onset of World War 3.

Moving forward, the imperialist camp will prioritize the fortification of the Western Hemisphere under the “New Cold War” framework, while simultaneously attempting to maintain neo-colonial control over countries in Asia and Africa still under their influence. They will desperately struggle to emerge as the final victors—as they did during the Cold War—by leading the race in cutting-edge science and technology, including AI.

However, as anti-imperialist countries emerge victorious in major Eastern theaters, it is unthinkable that other countries in the East or Latin America in the Western Hemisphere will submit to imperialist slavery. In the realm of advanced technology, the anti-imperialist camp holds an absolute advantage, driven by the collective cooperation of the masses and inexhaustible resources.

Faced with the collapse of global hegemony and deepening political and economic crises, the imperialist bloc provoked World War 3 as a last resort through its “New Cold War” stratagem. Yet, this fatal error has only accelerated its ultimate downfall. Those who play with fire will perish by it. The imperialist camp cannot win in even one of the four major theaters. The people united will never be defeated. The final victory of World War 3 belongs to the anti-imperialist camp.

The war in West Asia is currently the only regional war. When the US and Israel attacked Iran, Iran retaliated by striking Israel and US military bases in Arab countries around the Persian Gulf. Alongside Iran, Hezbollah in Lebanon, Ansar Allah in Yemen, and Shia militias in Iraq immediately joined the anti-US and anti-Israel struggle. The war in Ukraine is still a conflict within a single country, and the war in East Asia has not yet begun. However, it is only a matter of time before wars in East Asia and Eastern Europe—the second and third regional wars—break out.

In October 2023, the war in Palestine quickly expanded into a broader war in West Asia. Hezbollah in Lebanon and Ansar Allah in Yemen joined in, and there were also clashes between Iran and Israel. However, this remained a regional war centered on Palestine—a localized conflict, confined to a limited area.

In February 2026, the war in Iran broke out and immediately expanded into a wider war in West Asia. This Iran-centered war in West Asia is not limited to Israel alone but also includes Gulf Arab countries hosting US military bases. The regional war centered on the conflict in Iran is no longer confined to a localized war; it has become a war encompassing the entire West Asian region—a region-wide, all-out war.

The United States is on the back foot in the war in Iran. Although it has secured air and naval superiority with overwhelming military power, it is increasingly being pushed onto the defensive due to Iran’s resolute, determined, and calibrated countermeasures. Iran’s missiles and drones are effectively targeting US bases and key points in Persian Gulf Arab countries—US allies and vulnerabilities—as well as destroying strategic military and political sites in Israel’s capital and major cities.

In particular, Iran’s blockade of the Strait of Hormuz has driven up oil prices sharply, pushing the Trump administration into a corner. Gulf Arab countries are in distress and pressuring the United States, while public opinion within the US is rapidly deteriorating due to soaring oil prices. A war that was initiated to overcome the Trump administration’s political and economic crisis is instead heightening that crisis. The administration, fearing that the war in Iran could become a “second Iraq War” or a “second Afghanistan War,” is attempting to quickly contain the situation. However, it lacks the power to simultaneously restrain Israel’s aggressive push to completely dismantle the Iranian regime and Iran’s life-or-death counteroffensive. Starting a war may be easy, but ending one is never simple.

If the war in East Asia breaks out thereafter, Iran, like Russia would, will abandon its policy of “strategic patience” and shift from defense to offense. In other words, what has been a defensive West Asian war for the survival of Iran and the “Axis of Resistance” will transform into an offensive West Asian war that threatens the very existence of Israel. Iran has long prepared for a protracted war with the United States. This war in Iran is an unprepared war for the US, but a prepared war for Iran.

The war in West Asia accelerates the war in East Asia. If the very existence of the Iranian regime becomes endangered due to the initiation of a full-scale US ground war, the full-scale intervention of NATO forces, and the massive redeployment of US military power from the Western Pacific, China will finally carry out a war in Taiwan. The war in Iran is decisively pushing China toward launching a war over Taiwan.

In 1950, when the United States became bogged down in the Korean War, China immediately annexed Tibet. In 2026, if the US becomes entangled in the war in Iran, China will immediately annex Taiwan. China understands well that impatience is a problem, but so is the wait-and-see approach. Taiwan is at “the core of its core interests” and a “century-long aspiration” of the Communist Party of China. Recently, China has reorganized the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party. From December 29 to 31, 2025, China conducted an unusual and urgent encirclement exercise around Taiwan, and less than a month after the outbreak of the war in Iran, on March 14, 2026, it once again launched threatening military drills targeting Taiwan.

The war in Taiwan by China will immediately lead to a war in the ‘Republic of Korea (ROK)’ by the DPRK. According to the DPRK-China treaty concluded in 1961 between President Kim Il Sung, who visited Beijing, and Premier Zhou Enlai, and reaffirmed in 2019 between President Xi Jinping, who visited Pyongyang, and Chairman Kim Jong Un, if either China or the DPRK wages a war against imperialism, the other will inevitably join.

The imperialist camp attempted to provoke a “Second Korean War” on the Korean Peninsula between September and November, and December 2024, but these were thwarted by DPRK’s deterrence capability, its policy of “strategic patience,” and the heroic resistance of the people in the ‘ROK.’ Now, they are once again instigating a war in East Asia through a new route—via a war in Taiwan followed by a war in the ‘ROK.’

Combining a war in Taiwan with a war in the ‘ROK’ constitutes an East Asian war. Given current trends, the US and Japan will not intervene in these wars. They lack both the will and the capability to do so. The US has long claimed it can simultaneously win wars in two or more theaters, but it has never done so even once. If the wars in Taiwan and the ‘ROK’ are considered as a single theater in East Asia, then alongside the war in Iran, they form two theaters, and with the ongoing war in Ukraine, this becomes three. Moreover, the Iran war has expanded into a broader war in West Asia, and the war in Ukraine is set to expand into a war in Eastern Europe, forming three major theaters of conflict. An imperialist power that has never even secured victory in a single theater has zero chance of winning across all of them. In addition, a war in Central America would emerge as a final theater.

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[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.

Weighted average prices for gasoline and diesel fuel in the European Union rose sharply in March compared with the same period of 2025, by 9.4% and 19.8%, respectively. This marks the fastest increase since 2022, according to the European statistical agency Eurostat.

The sharpest increases in diesel prices were recorded in Czech Republic and Sweden (+27.6%), Estonia (+26.8%), Latvia (+25.4%), and Belgium and the Netherlands (+25.2%), while in other countries the increase was around 10%.

For gasoline, the largest increases were seen in Belgium, Sweden, Austria, Czech Republic, Estonia, and Lithuania, where prices rose by 14-15%.

Hungary was among the three countries with the smallest increases, with diesel prices rising by 7% and gasoline by 4.7%.

In November 2022, the weighted average price of diesel in the EU rose by 22.4%, while in October 2022 gasoline prices increased by 9.6%.

A sharp rise in fuel prices has significantly increased the cost of boat building in coastal areas of Karachi, including Ibrahim Hyderi, placing additional financial strain on the community.

According to local boat makers, the cost of constructing a standard fishing launch has jumped from Rs500,000 to Rs700,000, while the cost of medium-sized boats has also increased by around Rs200,000, pushing their cost close to Rs900,000. The surge is attributed not only to higher fuel prices but also to the rising costs of wood, iron, paint, and other materials used in boat construction.

Karachi’s coastal regions are known for building a wide range of vessels—from small ‘tikri’ boats to large launches such as 100-foot ‘rach’ and 150-foot ‘goja’. High-quality and expensive woods like sheesham, Burma teak, deodar, partal, and imported African ‘balau’ are commonly used in their construction.

Pakistan’s traditional boat-building craftsmanship is highly regarded internationally, particularly in the UAE and Iran. The construction process begins by assembling curved base wood (pathan), beam-like structures (mehra), and the stern component (sukhan), after which the full structure of the boat takes shape.

The coastal settlement of Ibrahim Hyderi presents a vibrant scene, where hundreds of fishing boats are either anchored after returning from the deep sea or being prepared for departure. Activities include net weaving, fuel filling, ice loading, and minor repairs, alongside the construction of new boats and refurbishment of old ones. Skilled artisans add intricate paintwork and decorative designs upon completion.

However, this traditional industry is now under pressure. Local boat builders—known as 'wada’—are highly concerned about inflation. Renowned boat maker Imtiaz Sabri said that building new boats has become difficult for fishermen, as costs of materials and equipment have surged hugely.

Kamal Shah, spokesperson for the Coastal Media Centre, highlighted that fishermen are already struggling with increased operational costs, including fuel and ice for fishing trips ranging from daily to monthly expeditions. Now, with boat construction becoming more expensive, many are reluctant to invest in new vessels—raising concerns about long-term impacts on livelihoods and the sustainability of this traditional craft.

It is worth noting that at Karachi’s coastal hubs, including Karachi Fish Harbour, boats of various sizes are built—from small two-person vessels to massive launches capable of catching and storing up to 100 tons of fish. Smaller boats like ‘tikri’ carry two fishermen, while ‘hori’ boats can accommodate up to five. Larger vessels range from 10–12 feet ‘donde’ boats to 16–24 feet launches, culminating in massive ‘rach’ and ‘goja’ boats stretching up to 100 and 150 feet, respectively.

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.

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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.

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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

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

Iranian air defenses: Precision, layered, and battle-proven

The mechanism behind Triton’s downfall lies in Iran’s robust, multi-layered air defense network, a testament to the Islamic Republic’s self-reliance and strategic foresight.

Iranian officials indicated that the drone was engaged after repeated warnings and clear evidence of airspace encroachment.

The engagement echoed a nearly identical incident from June 2019, when Iran’s air defenses downed a US Navy RQ-4A Global Hawk, the Triton’s predecessor and sister platform, over the same waters using the domestically produced 3 Khordad missile system.

The 3 Khordad air defense system, which was publicly displayed in Tehran during Islamic Revolution anniversary celebrations in February 2021, employs a phased array radar and can launch eight missiles while tracking four targets simultaneously.

The system is paired with Sayyad-2 missiles, which can hit targets within a range of 75 kilometers and at an altitude of up to 30 kilometers.

In the June 2019 interception, a single surface-to-air missile from this homegrown system brought down the intruding US aircraft after its stealth maneuvering in Iran’s airspace.

For the April 2026 interception, several possible systems could have been employed, each representing a different layer of Iran’s integrated air defense architecture.

The advanced Bavar-373 long-range surface-to-air missile system, Iran’s indigenous rival to the Russian S-300, boasts superior range, mobility, and resistance to electronic countermeasures.

The Russian-supplied S-300 batteries, which Iran has operated and modified for years, remain a formidable component of the country’s strategic defense.

Alternatively, integrated electronic warfare suites could have jammed the drone’s command links, forcing the emergency descent and subsequent crash into the Persian Gulf waters.

What makes it particularly significant is the context: it came during the ceasefire, yet Iran’s defenses remained on high alert, refusing to lower their guard against ongoing provocations.

The IRGC’s swift claim of responsibility highlighted not only the technical feat, downing a high-value, high-altitude target operating at extreme range, but also the moral clarity of defending sovereign airspace.

Unlike the aggressors, who hide behind euphemisms like “mishap” and “operational security,” Iranian forces operate with transparency and pride, turning every defensive success into a national morale booster.

A US official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, confirmed that an American military drone had been shot down by an Iranian surface-to-air missile. He identified the drone as a US Navy MQ-4C Triton, which builds on elements of the RQ-4 Global Hawk with minor changes.#Iran pic.twitter.com/FMGGhDiaBL

— Press TV 🔻 (@PressTV) June 20, 2019

Geographical significance

The incident occurred in the middle of the Persian Gulf, off Iran’s Bushehr province.

Flight-tracking records showed the Triton operating in what Washington claims was international airspace, yet its abrupt deviation toward Iranian territorial waters suggested a deliberate probing of defensive perimeters.

It is significant that, according to the flight-tracking map, the drone’s sudden descent began in the northeastern half of the Persian Gulf, in other words, over Iran’s exclusive economic zone.

The drone’s final trajectory pointed directly toward the Iranian coastline, between Bushehr and Asaluyeh, placing it well within range of layered air defense networks protecting the southern approaches to the Islamic Republic.

Such proximity was no accident. During the broader US-Israeli aggression that began on February 28, 2026, similar platforms had been used to map Iranian coastal defenses, monitor naval movements, and gather intelligence for potential follow-on strikes.

The location, off Bushehr province, home to Iran’s first nuclear power plant as well as significant energy and military installations, was particularly sensitive.

Iran’s response in this precise location served as a clear warning: the waters and skies around the Persian Gulf remain sovereign territory, and any violation, ceasefire or not, will be met with force.

The downing of the Triton sent an unmistakable message to Washington and Tel Aviv that the Islamic Republic’s air defense umbrella covers every inch of its territorial waters and that no amount of technological sophistication can penetrate it with impunity.

Strategic implications: Humiliation for the aggressors

The loss of the MQ-4C Triton carries implications far beyond the $618 million price tag or the temporary degradation of US surveillance capacity. It represents a profound psychological and strategic defeat for the US-Israeli aggression campaign.

Throughout the nearly 40 days of strikes, Washington and Tel Aviv had projected an image of overwhelming technological superiority, precision strikes, stealth aircraft, and an unblinking surveillance network that left no Iranian move unseen.

The Triton’s downing shattered that image. If Iran could detect, track, and engage one of America’s most advanced drones operating at extreme altitude over international waters during a ceasefire, then no American asset in the region is safe.

The incident forces US military planners to reconsider the cost-benefit calculus of continued surveillance operations, potentially creating gaps in intelligence coverage that Iran can exploit.

For the Islamic Republic, the victory serves multiple strategic purposes. Domestically, it reinforces national morale and public confidence in the armed forces, demonstrating that the sacrifices of sanctions and the innovations born of necessity have produced tangible results.

Regionally, it sends a message to the Axis of Resistance and to adversaries alike that Iran remains the dominant military power in the Persian Gulf, capable of defending its interests against any aggressor.

Internationally, it challenges the narrative of inevitable American military superiority, offering a model of resistance that other nations facing imperialist pressure can study and emulate.

The timing—just one day after the April 8 ceasefire—adds another layer of significance.

It demonstrates that Iran’s defenses remain on full alert regardless of diplomatic agreements and that any attempt to use the ceasefire as cover for continued surveillance or provocation will be met with immediate and decisive action.

The aggressors cannot hide behind truces to advance their intelligence-gathering objectives; the skies over the Persian Gulf remain Iranian-controlled territory.

The MQ-4C Triton that plunged into the waters off Bushehr province now rests on the seabed of the Persian Gulf.

Its debris, should Iranian forces recover it, will yield valuable intelligence on American sensor technology, communications systems, and stealth characteristics, further enhancing Iran’s ability to counter future incursions.

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.