The head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (RAI) Seyed Miad Salehi announced that Russia's coal was exported to India through Iran's railway for the first time. | The head of the Islamic Republic of Iran Railways (RAI) wrote on his social media account on Saturday that 7 freight wagons containing 9,500 tons of Russia's coal were exported to India through Iran's railway track in the last 40 days for the first time in the history of the railway. He also expressed hope that according to the president-elect Masoud Pezeshkian's recent note and according to his emphasis on cooperation with neighbors, China, and Russia, the country's transit would increase continuously. ● Russia has for the first time sent two trains laden with coal to India via the International North-South Transport Corridor (INSTC), which connects Russia to India via Iran, according to a statement by Russia’s national railway company. A multimodal route that includes a railway, roadway network, and seaports, the INSTC spans 7,200km (4,500 miles) from St. Petersburg to the port of Mumbai in India.

■ US warns India against deepening Russia ties (RT.com) []

Following bilateral talks, Moscow and New Delhi have outlined plans to further boost economic ties and expedite projects that could reshape the Eurasian geopolitical landscape | Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to Moscow for the 22nd annual bilateral summit between India and Russia has resulted in a joint statement covering areas such as energy and defense cooperation, trade, space, and connectivity. ● Moscow and New Delhi signed nine separate agreements, including on promoting cross-border investments, on trade and investments in the Russian Far East through 2029, and cooperation on climate change and low-carbon development. ● Russia was chosen as the country for Modi’s first bilateral visit after securing a third consecutive term in office. It was also his first trip to the country since the outbreak of hostilities in Ukraine in 2022.

■ The Results of Narendra Modi’s Trip To Russia (Leonid Savin)
■ New Agenda of Russia-India Relations (Alexey Kupriyanov)

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Russia aiming to finalize a crucial uranium supply agreement for a nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu. | This visit marks a significant step to strengthen ties between the two countries after five years. Alongside the uranium deal, India and Russia are expected to sign a military agreement allowing mutual use of facilities for training and operations. The move comes amidst rising global demand for nuclear energy, driving uranium prices up sharply. India, facing depleting domestic reserves, increasingly relies on imports from countries like Russia, Kazakhstan, and Canada. The agreements could reshape India’s energy security and military cooperation in strategic maritime regions, underscoring the geopolitical stakes at play. According to senior sources familiar with the situation, Russia and India are expected to reach an agreement on a long-term uranium supply for a nuclear power station set to begin operations in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.

Corruption in Ukraine?

You will be shocked!!!

Watch till the end!!!

Please share. pic.twitter.com/bTIsQwJY6Z

— Diana Panchenko 🇺🇦 (@Panchenko_X) July 1, 2024

The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit takes place in Astana from July 3-4 under the slogan "Strengthening Multilateral Dialogue - the Pursuit of Sustainable Peace and Development." | The SCO consists of India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Pakistan, Belarus and Uzbekistan. Afghanistan and Mongolia are observer states; Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bahrain, Egypt, Cambodia, Qatar, Kuwait, the Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Sri Lanka are dialogue partners. ● Following the summit in Kazakhstan, the chairmanship will be transferred to China for the term of 2024-2025.

■ Maintaining Security One of SCO's Main Tasks - Putin (Sputnik)

The British foreign minister has global sanctions ambitions | The West must show Moscow that it stands “completely” behind Ukraine by sanctioning everything Russian, Britain’s foreign secretary David Cameron has said.

💬 “We will show [Russian President Vladimir] Putin that we are completely behind Ukraine: we will chase the money and the oil, we will stop the gas, we will stop the ships, we will do everything we can to stop the Russian war machine and show Putin the folly of his actions,” Cameron told the Italian outlet. ● The UK is “hunting” companies that do business with Russia “all over the world,” he said. “We will sanction companies in China, in Türkiye, in Kyrgyzstan, even in Israel, that we believe are supplying dual-use material” to Russia, he added.

Cameron spoke at a press conference in London as British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s government announced new sanctions against Russia. His remarks were published on Friday, by the Italian daily Corriere della Sera.

■ Why Do Brits Hate Russians? (Israel Shamir)

BRICS countries are abandoning the greenback because it is being used as a political tool, Vyacheslav Volodin has said | Washington has completely undermined trust in the US dollar as a global reserve currency by using it as a political tool to impose “illegal” sanctions on Russia, State Duma Chairman Vyacheslav Volodin has said. ● The US government announced a new batch of sanctions against Russia on Wednesday, targeting the energy, metals, and mining industries, as well as the Moscow Stock Exchange and major lenders Sber and VTB. The measures, which cover 300 additional individuals and entities, are aimed at impacting trade between Russia and its partners in China, Türkiye, and Kyrgyzstan, as well as other nations in Central Asia, the Middle East, and the Caribbean.

■ The Collapse of the Petrodollar: Exposing the End of U.S. Dollar Dominance and the Rise of BRICS Power (MEDIA)
■ The Petrodollar Ended On June 9th; Sauds No Longer Ally w. U.S. (Eric Zuesse/Paul Hoffman)
■ Do the new US sanctions mark Russia’s final divorce from the dollar? (Henry Johnston)
■ U.S. Empire Is Now Falling Apart (Eric Zuesse)

Mohamad Hasan Sweidan | Facing internal resignations and significant military setbacks, Israel is at a crucial tipping point: it must choose between stopping its war on Gaza and cutting its losses, or escalating conflict in Gaza and Lebanon and risking further strategic defeat. | On the evening of 9 June, Israeli war cabinet ministers Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot announced their resignation from the emergency government. This is not a step two war ministers in a government heading for victory would take. On the contrary. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, they say, is “preventing us from advancing toward true victory.” ■ By resigning, Gantz and Eisenkot aim at two main objectives. First, they want to alleviate the pressure on Netanyahu to accept a deal to stop the war, a strategy likely coordinated with Washington.  ■ Second, being among the most informed Israeli officials on the state of the war, they chose to jump ship, anticipating that Netanyahu’s continued insistence on prolonging the war would only lead to further disaster. In military terms, this means they have assessed that Israel’s Gaza operations have “peaked.”

■ Hezbollah Shells Israeli Military Sites, Settlements (Videos) (South Front)
■ Fierce Hezbollah strikes hammer Israeli army HQs, key defense factory (The Cradle)
■ North 'under massive attack': Hezbollah unleashes rocket barrage on northern Israel (The Jerusalem Post)

The Collapse of the Petrodollar: Exposing the End of U.S. Dollar Dominance and the Rise of BRICS Power | The Dawn of a New Economic Era. The end of the petrodollar, a system that has anchored global oil transactions to the U.S. dollar since the 1970s, signals a monumental shift in the global economic landscape. This change, rippling through international finance and geopolitics, could redefine the very foundations of global trade and economic power. As the petrodollar crumbles, the world stands on the brink of a new economic era, one marked by volatility, transformation, and unprecedented shifts in power dynamics. ● To grasp the magnitude of this shift, it’s crucial to understand the origins and significance of the petrodollar. The petrodollar system was born out of the 1973 oil crisis when the U.S. struck a pivotal deal with Saudi Arabia. In exchange for military and economic support, Saudi Arabia agreed to price its oil exclusively in U.S. dollars. This arrangement ensured a steady global demand for the dollar, cementing its status as the world’s primary reserve currency.

■ Developments to Dethrone Petrodollar Already Underway (Sputnik News)

The new measures target companies in countries such as China in a bid to “discourage” trade with Moscow | The US Departments of State and Treasury on Wednesday sanctioned 300 additional individuals and entities in Russia and elsewhere, which it accuses of having links to Moscow’s “war economy.” ● According to the Treasury Department, the latest measures target individuals and companies suspected of enabling Moscow to evade the Western embargo. [...] Wednesday’s measures target more than $100 million in trade between Russia and its foreign partners. Companies and individuals in China, Kyrgyzstan, and Türkiye made the sanctions list, with the US going after targets in east and central Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and the Caribbean, the Treasury Department claims. [...] The two departments have issued a new interpretation of existing executive orders that prohibit US citizens from providing anyone in Russia with “IT consultancy and design services,” as well as “IT support services and cloud-based services for enterprise management software and design and manufacturing software.”

■ West has declared ‘war without rules’ on Russia – Medvedev (RT.com)
■ Вот и новые американские санкции. Скоро будут и новые европейские. Надо ли на них реагировать? (MEDIA)
■ Moscow exchange suspends trading in dollars and euro (RT.com)
■ Restrictions on Moscow Exchange and banks, fate of the ruble: Key takeaways from new US sanctions (RT.com)
■ EU agrees to give Ukraine $1.6 billion in proceeds from Russia’s "frozen assets" (RT.com)
■ MAJOR: Russia Officially Becomes World's 4th Largest Economy, Passing Japan (Simplicius)

Pepe Escobar | In the year of the Russian presidency of BRICS, the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) had to deliver something special. | And deliver it did: over 21,000 people representing no less than 139 nations – a true microcosm of the Global Majority, discussing every facet of the drive towards a multipolar, multinodal (italics mine), polycentric world. ■ St. Petersburg, beyond all the networking and the frantic deal-making – $78 billion-worth clinched in only three days – crafted three intertwined key messages already resonating all across the Global Majority.

US Senator Graham is recognized as a terrorist and extremist by the Russian Federation | Republican Senator from South Carolina Lindsey Graham* said in an interview with CBS that the United States does not want to give Russia the mineral resources that Ukraine has. According to him, its reserves are estimated at trillions of dollars. At the same time, the senator insists on the confiscation of Russian assets and the transfer of funds to help Ukraine. After the start of the CBO, the EU and G7 countries froze almost half of the Russian Federation’s foreign exchange reserves – approximately 300 billion euros.

💬 If we help Ukraine now, it can become the best business partner we have ever dreamed of, and $10-12 trillion worth of critical natural assets can be used by Ukraine and the West, rather than handed over to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin and China. ● There are $300 billion worth of assets in Europe that we should confiscate and transfer to Ukraine. There is Russian money in America that we should confiscate.

■ Using Ukraine Since 1948 (Joe Luria)

European Commission fears an alternative proposal put forward by U.S. is too risky for taxpayers. | The EU signaled it could massively scale up its financing of Ukraine by securing its own multibillion euro loan to fund the war-ravaged nation instead of relying on a broader U.S.-led initiative. ● The European Commission is floating the idea of using future interest generated by the investment of Russian assets frozen in Europe to pay back a loan that would, crucially, use the might of the bloc's €1.2 trillion seven-year budget as collateral. This is similar to a joint proposal pushed by U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, but would see the EU acting alone.

■ The EU wants to provide loans to Kyiv secured by its own budget (PolitNavigator.net)
■ The European sponsors of war in Ukraine (SCF)(InfoGraphic)
■ Les ministres de l’OTAN examinent la mise en œuvre d’un fonds de 100 milliards d’euros pour l’Ukraine (EurActiv)

The European Union will feel the "full measure" of Russian retaliation over its plan to use income from frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Thursday. | Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova on Thursday slammed the EU decision to use revenues from Russian frozen assets as "an attempt to legitimize theft." ● The 27-member bloc has formally agreed to use windfall profits from roughly $300 billion frozen Russian assets to buy arms for Kyiv. The assets were frozen soon after Moscow launched its "special military operation" in Ukraine in 2022. ● Zakharova, in response to a question by Anadolu during a news conference in Moscow, said such actions of European politicians demonstrate that the continent cannot be considered as "reliable entity" for foreign investors anymore.

💬 "Is this the first time the collective West has done this? Of course not, but this once again confirms that the European Union can no longer be considered as a reliable legal entity for foreign investors, whose investments can be confiscated or looted at any moment under one pretext or another," she stressed, and rejected claims that revenues from assets are not their part. ● She said many investors have started withdrawing their assets from Western jurisdictions, and after the EU's "unprecedented lawless decision" on Russia this process will accelerate significantly."

■ Putin signs decree allowing use of U.S. property in Russia as compensation (aNews)

At the "Russia-Islamic World: KazanForum", Afghan Minister Haji Nooruddin Azizi says Kabul would like Moscow to "participate in the reconstruction of Afghanistan and contribute to this process." | Afghanistan's acting commerce and industry minister told Sputnik on the sidelines of an international economic forum in Russia’s Kazan that his government wishes Russia's help in rebuilding the country. At the "Russia-Islamic World: KazanForum", Haji Nooruddin Azizi said,

💬 "We would like Russia to participate in the reconstruction of Afghanistan and contribute to this process".

The International Economic Forum of Russia and the countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (IOC) "Russia — Islamic World: KazanForum" is being conducted in Kazan, the capital of the Muslim-majority Russian region of Tatarstan, from May 14-19. Azizi added that Afghanistan has increased its imports of Russian oil products despite facing some restrictions in 2023, and that Kabul is hopeful that these restrictions could be lifted.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has described the Chinese city of Harbin as an important scientific and educational center that embodies the close ties between Russia and China. | Speaking at the opening ceremony of the VIII Russian-Chinese EXPO and the IV Russian-Chinese Forum on Interregional Cooperation, Putin said it was symbolic that these events were being held in Harbin, one of the largest scientific, educational, and innovation centers in China.

■ 'Sanitary zone' near Kharkov and talks on Ukraine: What Putin told the media in Harbin (TASS)
■ Dedollarization of Russia-China trade will continue — Kremlin (TASS)
■ China dumps largest amount of US Treasury and Agency Debt in history (Finbold.com)
■ Russia and China oppose seizure of foreign assets – Putin and Xi (RT.com)
■ Russia-China ties are model of relations between great powers – Xi (RT.com)
■ Putin Meets With Students at Harbin Polytechnic University (Sputnik News)
■ Russia, China Reveal Their Global Agenda (Moon of Alabama)
■ Global hegemonical restructuring (Hassan El Hajj)

■ Russia-China relations not opportunistic, not directed against anyone — Putin (TASS)
■ Russian-Chinese Cooperation is One of Main Stabilizing Factors in International Arena - Putin (Sputnik)
■ 90% of Russia-China transactions are in national currencies – Putin (RT.com)

Russian President Vladimir Putin has submitted a proposal to the State Duma, the lower house of Russia, to appoint Mikhail Mishustin as Russia's prime minister, State Duma speaker Vyacheslav Volodin said on Friday.

💬 "President Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin has submitted a proposal to the State Duma on the candidacy of Mikhail Vladimirovich Mishustin for the post of prime minister," Volodin said on Telegram.

■ Russia to undergo economic transition – deputy PM (RT.com)

■ EU agrees to tap Russian assets to arm Ukraine (RT.com)

 ■ At the end of the 1980s, the reference geopolitical model was the unipolar world, based on Western primacy. What cultural, military, and economic pillars is the Washington Consensus based on? Is it true freedom? – The military in economic pillars that dominate Washington today have nothing to do with freedom. They have to do with people who were unwilling to accept the collapse of communism. Whereby the enemy was transformed by communism to ethnic racism.

 ■ With the birth of the BRICS, is it possible to talk about a multipolar option? What are the limits that you see in this geopolitical dimension? – The birth of the BRICS was caused by these people we call the neocons who engaged in ethnic racism and targeted Russia by removing them from the world economy under SWIFT. This woke up many in the world, realizing that the dollar was now being weaponized and was no longer a monetary instrument exclusively. Nations began to realize if they did not conform to the commands of Washington, then they to could be removed from SWIFT. Thus they have divided the world economy bringing to an end globalization.

 ■ Is it still possible to avoid a large-scale world conflict? – It is unlikely that we can avoid world war. Governments need war because their debts are no longer sustainable. They will use the war as the excuse for defaults – as was the case for WWII. They will create Bretton Woods II with the IMF digital currency as the reserve.

The World Economic Forum (WEF) has admitted that the Covid pandemic was a globalist hoax that sought to eliminate cash and force the public to accept central bank digital currencies (CBDCs) and digital IDs. | Interestingly, globalists have revealed that the coming single digital currency will have two tiers. There will be one CBDC system for the general public to use and another that only global elites, corporations, and politicians will be able to access. [...] Central Bank of Bahrain governor Khalid Humaidan discussed plans for eliminating physical cash while speaking at the WEF’s “Special Meeting on Global Collaboration, Growth and Energy Development” on Sunday. During a panel discussion, titled “Open Forum: The Digital Currencies’ Opportunity in the Middle East,” Humaidan told WEF elites that the goal of a central bank digital currency (CBDC) is to replace cash with “100% digital” payments. He revealed that the pandemic was part of the plan to rapidly advance that goal.

A number of countries around the world have begun withdrawing their Gold Bullion from storage in the United States over fears about the US Financial System! It's not only our Financial System, it was the FORCIBLE SEIZURE of Russia's Sovereign Wealth Funds; the world now sees the USA as nothing more than a Den of Thieves! | Over the past ten days, at least FOUR (4) countries have decided to pull their Gold reserves from the United States: Cameroun, Ghana, Nigeria, and a fourth country.

 ● Cameroon: This movement is provoking discussions about the broader implications for international finance. It highlights the importance of diversification and risk management to navigate the complexities of the global economic landscape.
 ● Ghana’s decision to repatriate its gold reserves from the United States reflects a strategic move towards safeguarding against economic volatility and asserting greater control over its financial destiny.

The US House of Representatives passed legislation on Saturday to transfer frozen Russian sovereign assets to Ukraine and ban TikTok unless it severs ties to its Chinese parent company. | House lawmakers passed the bill, dubbed the 21st Century Peace through Strength Act, in a vote of 360 in favor and 58 opposed. ● The legislation allows the executive branch to transfer frozen Russian sovereign assets to Ukraine, sanctions Iran, disrupts the ability of Palestinian organization Hamas to fund terrorism and sanctions entities involved in international fentanyl trafficking.

💬 Christine Lagarde says US plan to raise debt against Russian assets carries legal risk (Financial Times) | “Moving from freezing the assets, to confiscating them, to disposing of them is something that needs to be looked at very carefully,” Lagarde said, warning it could entail “breaking the international order that you want to protect; that you would want Russia to respect”. ■ Legal risks loom over proposal to transfer frozen Russian assets to Ukraine, warns ECB chief (Yahoo)

■ IMF warns about confiscating Russian assets (RT.com)
■ US House approves 89 billion euros aid package for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan (EuroNews)
■ US House advances $95 billion Ukraine-Israel package toward Saturday vote (Euractiv)

Iranian media reported Saturday that 64 tons of veterinary medicines have been exported to Afghanistan from Taibad in Razavi Khorasan province, citing the local veterinary network chief, Hassan Azarian. | Azarian highlighted the effectiveness of Iranian animal medicines as a key factor driving the increase in exports. ● Additionally, the IRIB news agency reported that last year, 885 tons of aquaculture supplements were shipped from the Dogharoon border to Afghanistan.

Nation of Islam–Research Group | The Money Behind Genocide | And as the world is watching a genocide for the first time captured in real time, people may not be aware that they are not watching a religious conflict at all. Rather, they are witnessing an economically motivated depopulation movement to gain control of yet more oil and gas reserves. [...] But today’s covetous King Benjamin has another goal. The Honorable Minister Louis Farrakhan pointed out in his monumental address on February 25th in Detroit that “Israel sees billions of dollars of oil wealth under Gaza and wants to build a canal larger than the Suez Canal and take advantage of that wealth.”

American plans would violate international law, Moscow has said | Moscow does not recognize Washington’s attempt to illegally claim over a million square kilometers of maritime territory, including in the Arctic and the Bering Sea, the Russian Foreign Ministry has said. ● Russian representatives informed the Council of the International Seabed Authority of this on Monday. The council is currently meeting in Kingston, Jamaica and operates under the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). ● The US is “unilaterally trying to reduce the area of ​​the seabed under the Authority, and hence the entire international community,” the Russian Foreign Ministry said in a statement. ● The US Department of State announced its “extended continental shelf” project in December 2023, claiming jurisdiction of approximately one million square kilometers beyond its territorial waters. The UNCLOS allows maritime claims of up to 200 nautical miles (370 km) from the shore in the world’s oceans.

Foreign Office Spokesperson Mumtaz Zahra Baloch said it is the sovereign decision of Pakistani government to move forward on Pakistan and Iran gas pipeline project. | She expressed these words while responding to the queries of the media persons regarding yesterday’s US congressional hearing, at her weekly news briefing in Islamabad today. She made it clear that at this point, there is no room for any discussion or waiver from any third party for the construction of the pipeline inside Pakistan’s territory. She said Pakistan has also conveyed to the US authorities the importance of this project for its energy security.

The European Union announced a 7.4 billion euro ($8.1 billion) funding package and an upgraded relationship with Egypt on Sunday. | The agreement lifts the EU's relationship with Egypt to a "strategic partnership" and was unveiled as a delegation of leaders visited Cairo. It is designed to boost cooperation in areas including renewable energy, trade and security, while delivering grants, loans and other funding over the next three years to support Egypt's faltering economy. ● The proposed funding includes 5 billion euros in concessional loans and 1.8 billion euros of investments, according to a summary published by the EU. Another 600 million euros would be provided in grants, including 200 million euros for managing migration. ● Such deals were "the best way to address migratory flows", said Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who travelled to Cairo alongside EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, the Greek, Austrian and Belgian prime ministers, and the Cypriot president.

■ Any forced displacement of Palestinians into Egypt ‘unacceptable,’ Greek premier says (Anadolu)