"A U.S. aid worker said that the Afghans, who were evacuated to Qatar, would face a choice between moving to the Democratic Republic of Congo and living under the Taliban":

• Trump Is Said to Be in Talks to Send Afghans Who Aided U.S. Forces to Congo (NY Times)

Iran quagmire updates:

• Iran Fires on 3 Ships in the Strait of Hormuz as US Maintains Blockade and Diplomacy Stalls (AP)
• US Navy Secretary Phelan Fired as Naval Blockade of Iran Continues (CNN)
• Clearing Strait of Hormuz of Mines Could Take 6 Months, Pentagon Tells Congress (Washington Post)
• What Would a Permanent ‘Tehran’s Tollbooth’ on Oil Mean for the World? (The Guardian)
• U.S. Withholds Iraq’s Own Money over Ties to Iran (NY Times)
• Neither War nor Peace with Iran (Reason)

"After Laura Loomer pointed to two women she claimed were connected to the late Iranian military commander, they were arrested and remain in immigration detention. One is now gravely ill":

• Two Iranian Women in ICE Detention Are Not, In Fact, Related to Qasem Soleimani, Documents Show (Drop Site)

Israeli war crimes continue:

• Lebanese Journalist Amal Khalil Bombed and Left to Die by Israel (Drop Site)
• From Teenager to Survivor in Gaza (Palestine Deep Dive)
• “Israel Kills Our Artists, But Gaza Still Rises” (Palestine Deep Dive)

In 2023, America's role in the overthrow of Imran Khan caused and "uproar" in Pakistan, but the major American media outlets "simply ignored the disclosure;" since then, things have gotten worse:

• How the Media Failed American Foreign Policy (Reason)

“Abbas brings a wealth of leadership, vision, and experience in the fight against the Chinese Communist Party, and is an unrelenting advocate for the plight of her Uyghur community, culture, and homeland":

• Campaign for Uyghurs’ Rushan Abbas Selected to Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation’s International Advisory Board (Campaign for Uyghurs)

"Heads of state rarely decide to kill each other, even in wartime. For if it’s legitimate for you to do it to them, then it’s open season on you":

• Amid War in Mideast, Lingering Questions over Killing Iran’s Leader (Washington Monthly)

"The United States need not hand its rivals a win by committing to another long war that will drain its resources and credibility"":

• How China and Russia Can Exploit the Iran War: And How America Can Avoid Playing into Their Hands (Foreign Affairs)

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Email any questions or comments to mfi@minaret.org.