Russians can now freely use Mir cards in Iran, following the completion of the final phase of integrating Russia’s Mir payment system with Iran’s Shetab network. Muhammad Abed Amiri, head of the Iran division at the BRICS Hub platform, confirmed the news to TASS on the sidelines of the Russia-ASEAN events in Kazan.

According to Amiri, Mir cards are now accepted without restrictions throughout Iran. “You can now easily use Mir cards in Iran. The third and final stage of integrating the Shetab payment system in Iran with Mir has been completed. Payments in Iran can now be made smoothly,” he said.

He clarified that this marks the conclusion of the last of three phases to connect the two national payment networks.

Addressing the impact of rising tensions in the Middle East on trade between Moscow and Tehran, the BRICS Hub representative noted that business is largely continuing as usual. However, he cited temporary communication outages-linked to internet shutdowns in Iran-as a challenge, though these did not halt trading activity.

Amiri also stated that Moscow and Tehran aim to boost bilateral trade by 2030, seeking to further expand business opportunities between the countries.

Earlier reports indicated that the A7 payment system, which helps bypass sanctions, along with Promsvyazbank, received a fatwa allowing Islamic cross-border transfers for settlements with partners in Asia, the Middle East, and Africa, including Iran. This move forms part of Russia’s broader effort to build alternative financial infrastructure amid its limited access to SWIFT.

Link

Trump doubled down on his prediction that the deal would be signed Sunday, though he added that he was “very unhappy” with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a Sunday phone call with Axios. The president told a reporter that Netanyahu “has no fucking judgment.”

Israel attacked Lebanon quite viciously today, again.- Trump is allegedly unhappy with this. I’ve heard this before. The US would have surely known Israel was going to and did attack Lebanon.

Top administration officials would not confirm whether a peace deal would be signed Sunday — though Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth told CBS he thinks the agreement is “on track.”

“From all I know, we are on track. It’s not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when,” Hegseth said.

While U.N. Ambassador Mike Waltz said Sunday morning he’s “confident” the peace deal will happen soon, he deferred to the White House when asked about the timing and logistics for signing the agreement.

Trump told reporters in the Oval Office on Thursday that a “great settlement” with Iran was close after more than 100 days of conflict. The president announced the timing of the peace deal in a pinned post on Truth Social on Saturday.

“The Deal is scheduled to get signed tomorrow, and immediately after it is signed, the Hormuz Strait is OPEN TO ALL,” Trump wrote, claiming his administration has “a much different and better” relationship with Iran than previous presidents.

A senior Iranian official shared details about the pending peace deal with Reuters on Sunday, claiming that in exchange for Iran immediately reopening the Strait of Hormuz and halting the expansion of its nuclear program (as well as agreeing not to acquire a nuclear weapon), the U.S. will deliver economic relief to the country in the form of $25 billion in frozen assets.

A White House source familiar with the deal told NOTUS that the framework reported by Reuters “isn’t accurate” but did not provide additional details.

So deal or no deal? Cause I’m not seeing one.

Conflicting messaging continues to encircle the status and details of a prospective interim peace agreement between the US and Iran, but regional industry sources tell Energy Intelligence that a deal may be more firmly grounded now than at any other time during the 3 1/2 month conflict.

Unclear, Murky,

Can Trump Restrain Israel?

The question really should be- Does Trump want to restrain Israel?

Personally, I think he can. But doesn’t want to.

One thing for sure about Trump is he never has a straight answer for anything. That’s a certainty

Trump calls off fresh strikes hours after threatening to hit Iran ‘very hard’

Trump says planned strikes on Iran are canceled, cites progress on potential deal

Speaking of Trump and Bibi’s war of choice;

World Bank lowers global growth forecast on Iran war impacts

The World Bank on Thursday lowered its global growth forecast to its lowest level since the pandemic, warning of the expanding economic impacts of the war in the Middle East on countries around the globe.

Worldwide growth is now forecast to drop to 2.5 percent in 2026, from 2.9 percent a year earlier, with headline inflation averaging four percent, the multilateral lender said in its Global Economic Prospects report.

The US-Israel war on Iran has sent energy prices skyrocketing, causing steeper inflation with the potential for increased borrowing costs as central banks seek to tame the rampant price increases.

The World Bank said it was making up to $60 billion immediately available to developing countries which have been hardest hit by the crisis. It said that number could increase to $100 billion over 15 months.

“In response to the current shock, we are providing liquidity where it is needed now — and we are ready with additional financing, guarantees, and private-sector solutions if pressures deepen,” said Ajay Banga, the Bank’s president.

Growth forecasts for two-thirds of the world’s economies have been downgraded in the new report relative to January of this year.

And World Bank officials warned of the unequal nature of the shock, hitting low-income and developing countries harder than advanced economies.

“For now, Asia is the worst affected section of the global economy,” said Indermit Gill, chief economist at the World Bank.

President Donald Trump has said Arab states, as well as Pakistan and Turkey, should join the Abraham Accords as part of any peace deal with Iran, an apparent new addition to already slow-moving peace talks between the United States and the country that could further complicate prospects of quickly reaching an agreement. Trump said in a Monday social media post that it should be “mandatory” for Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Qatar, Pakistan, Turkey, Egypt, Jordan and Bahrain to sign up to improve relations with Israel.

Only complicates the issue….

Fake news

Trump cursed at Netanyahu in call over Lebanon escalation, sources say

Also, Armenia.. Cause readers here are aware that Armenia had long severed it’s ties to Russia and entered American/EU spheres of engagement and influence

On May 26, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio stopped in Armenia to sign three documents that culminated several years of negotiations, marking, from Washington’s perspective, the consolidation of Armenia’s Western pivot. From Yerevan’s perspective, the signing of the three documents reinforces the paradigmatic shift in its security thinking, as deepening ties with the United States has become one of the main pillars of the country’s growing security architecture. The general discourse on the signing of the TRIPP Framework Agreement, Charter on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, and the Framework on Mining and Critical Minerals, have revolved around the economic, technological, and commercial/interconnectivity components of the agreements. But at the deeper doctrinal level, it is the security component that is defining thinking at the policy-making level within official Yerevan.

In this context, this article addresses the security configurations of the agreements signed during Secretary Rubio’s visit, qualified through three analytical frameworks: 1) the TRIPP Framework Agreement consolidating the operationalization of the TRIPP project, an endeavor that was designed, from the outset, as a fundamental part to Armenia’s layered soft deterrence model; 2) the elevation of U.S.-Armenia relations from a Strategic Partnership to Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, which includes crucial defense and security elements that Armenia has never before had access to; and 3) the implementation of Armenia’s “mining-for-security” strategy through the signing of the agreement on mines, critical minerals and rare earths.

Interesting read

Iran said the U.S. strikes on Iran Monday were a “gross violation” of the fragile cease-fire between the two countries that began on April 8.

“The United States committed a gross violation of the ceasefire in the Hormozgan region in the past 48 hours. … Iran holds the U.S. regime responsible for all the consequences resulting from these aggressive and unjustified actions,” the Iranian Foreign Ministry said in a statement Tuesday.

Gen. Seyed Majid Mousavi, commander of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Aerospace Force, said on X: “Negotiation with the enemy is pure loss. … The treacherous enemy has once again violated the cease-fire during the time of negotiations. The Aerospace Force of the IRGC is prepared for a decisive, swift response and the implementation of measures ordered by the esteemed Commander-in-Chie

Capt. Tim Hawkins of the U.S. Central Command said in a statement that the strikes were “self-defensive” and were launched “to protect our troops from threats posed by Iranian forces.”

Get your troops out of the region!

On Monday morning, Trump posted on Truth Social: “Negotiations with the Islamic Republic of Iran are proceeding nicely! It will only be a Great Deal for all or, no Deal at all — Back to the Battlefront and shooting, but bigger and stronger than ever before — And nobody wants that!”

Israel intensifies attacks in Lebanon as Iran talks stall

Israel has launched new ground operations in Lebanon outside of the so-called ‘yellow line’, the area which Israel currently occupies; strikes have also been launched across Lebanon’s south and in the Bekaa, as part of the escalation.
Lebanon’s Health Ministry said on Monday that Israeli attacks have killed at least 3,185 people and wounded 9,633 since 2 March.
Iran’s lead negotiator, Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, has returned from Qatar to Iran following Qatari mediation to push through a deal with the US.
United States forces attacked missile launch sites and mine-laying vessels in southern Iran, in what a US military spokesman described as “self-defence” strikes.

US strikes as a show of ‘bad faith’, warns of consequences

It wasn’t immediately clear what the developments would mean for negotiations. The strikes came after Iranian parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf went to Qatar as part of the talks, which US President Donald Trump said Monday were “proceeding nicely.”

Washington Times- this feels like stock market manipulation

But, who knows?

The U.S. and Iran are expected to announce the finalization of a draft proposal of a peace deal to end the fighting on all fronts by Sunday afternoon, a source close to the negotiations told The Washington Times.

A draft proposal was agreed to early Saturday and expected to be announced within 24 hours, the source said.

Top negotiators, including Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalifbaf, Vice President J.D. Vance, special envoy Steve Witkoff and President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, have approved the draft.

The draft version of the peace deal has been sent to leaders of both nations for final approval.

If successful, the deal would transform what has been a fragile six-week truce into a permanent peace, even as Mr. Trump has hinted fresh strikes would be possible.

_ Issued a couple of hours ago…US Embassy Kiev

Location: Ukraine, all districts

Event:The U.S. embassy in Kyiv has received information concerning a potentially significant air attack that may occur at any time over the next 24 hours. The embassy, as always, recommends U.S. citizens be prepared to immediately shelter in the event an air alert is announced.

The intentional strike on the school in Russian territory…. May be a factor in the warnings issued by the US Embassy

At least 18 people have been killed and dozens more – most of them students – have been injured in what President Vladimir Putin has described as a deliberate Ukrainian “terrorist attack” on a school dormitory in Russia’s Lugansk People’s Republic.

The attack on the main academic building and dormitory of the Starobelsk Professional College, which teaches students aged 14 to 18, was carried out in three waves, with 16 drones launched at the same target by the “neo-Nazi regime in Kiev,” according to Putin

Undoubtedly Starlink played a role..

A couple of interesting reads

https://www.asianews.it/news-en/Taking-to-the-Persian-Silk-Road-to-circumvent-the-US-blockade-of-Hormuz-65404.html#google_vignette

In response to the war, Tehran is looking for alternative transport routes in Pakistan (and Afghanistan, as already reported) and Russia, a valuable ally, across the Caspian Sea.

The need to expand transport routes is also pushing the Islamist regime to exploit their alliance with China, a key trading partner, to ship oil to China via a revived Persian “Silk Road” capable of circumventing blockades.

Steve H. Hanke, professor of applied economics at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, explains that alternative routes can provide the Iranian economy with consumer goods, food, and industrial materials, but “cannot replace” the container economy.

“Trucking is more expensive and Caspian throughput is constrained by port and fleet capacity,” the expert noted. In the past, he served as economic adviser to the US administration under President Ronald Reagan.

There will be costs and higher inflation, but not Iran’s “economic implosion” as some had predicted.

Regarding transportation, rail is among the alternatives being considered by the Islamic Republic’s leaders, particularly the rail corridor leading to China, which could prove valuable, especially for oil transport.

https://aa.com.tr/en/world/un-urges-maximum-restraint-after-renewed-us-iran-escalation-in-strait-of-hormuz/3931857

The UN on Friday expressed concern over reported recent exchanges of fire in the Strait of Hormuz, warning that the situation marks a “critical moment” for de-escalation amid heightened regional tensions.

“What I can tell you is that the secretary-general is concerned by the reported recent exchange of fire in the Strait of Hormuz,” UN spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters.

“He underscores that this is a critical moment for de-escalation, and urges all sides to exercise maximum restraint to avoid further escalation,” he added.

The UN is calling “for all the parties to fully abide by the ceasefire and refrain from any actions that could lead to any renewed escalation,” he said.

He added that diplomatic efforts to reopen the Strait of Hormuz are continuing amid renewed hostilities in and around the strait between the US and Iranian forces.

“There is an effort underway,” UN spokesperson Farhan Haq told reporters when asked about mediation efforts.

He said Jorge Moreira da Silva, head of the UN Office for Project Services (UNOPS), has been consulting with countries in the region and holding talks in New York, including with Iran’s permanent representative to the UN.

“So he is keeping that dialogue up, and we’re seeing where we can go with that,” Haq said.”

Hantavirus- blowing this out of all proportion in a manner very similar to the non pandemic- Covid

Coincidentally with vaccines in the works..

Boston Globe– Moderna flags work on vaccine before ship outbreak

Why experts says the hantavirus is not another covid

That’s what was said about Covid too. In the very early days

NOURNEWS – The adoption of an asymmetric naval warfare strategy in the conflict between Iran and the United States must be understood as a “rational strategic choice under unequal conditions.” Rather than striving to match the superior power, this approach seeks to “change the playing field.” It endeavors to turn weaknesses into opportunities, use geography as a lever, and link the military arena with economics and perception, thereby imposing its own desired rules on the battlefield.

If we analyze the naval battle between Iran and America through the classical patterns of war, massive fleets of heavy ships, aerial support, and direct engagements, we would be committing a conceptual error from the very start. The true configuration of this confrontation is not based on “power symmetry” but on “changing the rules of the game”; a strategy known in military literature as “asymmetric naval warfare.” Within this framework, Iran’s goal is not to directly compete with America’s technological superiority, but to neutralize it by imposing costs, complicating the environment, and drawing the battle onto its own preferred terrain.

The point of departure for this strategy is geography. The Strait of Hormuz is not merely a passage or a narrow waterway; it is the “geo-economic node” of the contemporary world—the passage through which a significant portion of the world’s energy flows. This characteristic gives any insecurity, even if limited or temporary, dimensions far beyond a local conflict. In such an environment, Iran benefits from the “advantage of proximity”: closeness to the coastlines, superior intelligence awareness, the ability to deploy layered forces, and rapid access to supply lines. In other words, geography for Iran is not a constraint, but a “strategic force multiplier.” Within this context, the main components of Iran’s asymmetric naval warfare can be formulated along several analytical axes:

Replacing the logic of “mass and dispersion” with concentration and absolute superiority. In the face of large, advanced naval battle groups, Iran relies on a network of light, fast, low-cost vessels that possess high mobility and rapid reaction capabilities. These vessels operate under the “swarm attack” tactic—simultaneous engagement from multiple directions to overwhelm complex defense systems. The logic of this approach is clear: even the most advanced systems have a limited capacity to intercept simultaneous threats. Thus, “increasing the number of threats” can lead to “reducing the effectiveness of superior technology.” Here, quantity becomes a tool to constrain quality.
 The integration of sea and coast as a continuous battlefield. Unlike classical models that view the sea as an independent arena, in Iran’s strategy, the sea is an extension of the coast. The deployment of missile systems along the coastline, on islands, and even inland creates a kind of “fire umbrella” that places the enemy’s presence in the region under constant risk. This is the logic of “anti-access/area denial,” the result of which is not necessarily the destruction of the enemy, but the denial of his freedom of maneuver. In such conditions, even if large warships are not damaged, they are forced into caution, distancing, and reduced mobility.
Naval mines as an invisible, low-cost deterrent. Mining is one of the oldest tools of naval warfare, but in environments like the Persian Gulf, it remains highly effective. The important point is that the “effect of a mine” is not limited to its explosion, but also lies in the “mere possibility of its presence.” This very probability imposes clearance operations, slowed movement, and increased operational costs on the opposing side. In a vital passage like the Strait of Hormuz, even a temporary disruption of shipping can trigger global economic consequences.
Ambiguity, uncertainty, and fluidity as weapons. In asymmetric warfare, the enemy’s certainty is the enemy of his effectiveness. Through force dispersion, diversity of tools, and tactical flexibility, Iran seeks to create an environment in which prediction is difficult. Where will the attack come from? With what intensity? At what time? This “operational ambiguity” is in itself a deterrent factor, because it forces the opposing command to exercise excessive caution and expend resources to cover all possible scenarios.
Linking the military arena with the global economic arena. In this strategy, the goal is not merely military engagement, but a “chain reaction” effect on the global economy. Increased risk in the Strait of Hormuz is quickly reflected in energy prices, insurance costs, shipping rates, and even financial markets. In other words, a limited tactical-level action can transform into a strategic-level shock. This is precisely the point at which “asymmetric power” crosses military boundaries and becomes an “economic lever.”
Layering the battle from sea to cyber and narrative. Asymmetric naval warfare is not merely about using different tools at sea; it is about linking different domains. Operations at sea can be accompanied by cyber actions against maritime infrastructure, information warfare, and narrative management in the media. In such a case, the effect of any military action is multiplied, because it is simultaneously reproduced in the minds of audiences and decision-makers.
Time as a strategic variable. In the classical model, speed and decisive blow matter most. But in asymmetric warfare, “gradual attrition” and the prolongation of time can become an advantage. The prolongation of an insecure situation, even at a low level, can place political and economic pressure on the opposing side. Especially when public opinion and markets are sensitive to instability, time becomes a tool for increasing costs.

The adoption of an asymmetric naval warfare strategy in the confrontation between Iran and America must be regarded as a “rational strategic choice under unequal conditions.” Rather than striving to match the superior power, this approach seeks to “change the playing field.” It endeavors to turn weaknesses into opportunities, use geography as a lever, and link the military arena with economics and perception, thereby imposing its own desired rules on the battlefield. Within such a framework, victory is defined not necessarily by the complete destruction of the enemy, but by “imposing costs, limiting options, and establishing effective deterrence”, a definition tied less to hard power and more to strategic intelligence.

Interesting read?