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Activists say an independent journalist in Belarus has been convicted of treason and sentenced to nine years in prison

A pitch from Donald Trump to present himself as the strongman of the Middle East could destabilize the world, a political analyst has warned. Though the U.S. joined Israel with a series of strikes on Iran, longer-term changes in the Middle East could prove troublesome for other world leaders not involved in the conflict. CNN analysts Stephen Collinson, Kylie Atwood, and Tal Shalev, suggest the strong-arming Trump has used to pull the U.S. into war with the Middle East could affect the wider world, irrespective of success. The trio wrote, "Relentless US and Israeli air attacks — in a military playbook that feels far more planned out than the political one — stand a strong chance of neutering Tehran’s power to threaten its neighbors. "This would benefit the wider Middle East, bill Trump as a regional strongman, deliver Israel from an existential threat, and improve U.S. national security after a near 50-year feud with the Islamic Republic."But without full regime change, Iranians might still pay a heavy price if crackdowns rather than counter-revolution follow. And if Trump’s war shatters the Iranian state and sparks civil war, a refugee crisis or grave economic consequence could destabilize the world."Further trouble for European nations could be brewing too, according to Julien Barnes-Dacey, program director for the Middle East at the European Council on Foreign Relations, who believes most countries do not know what to do about the ongoing situation. "They are, globally now, responding to the daily whims of a U.S. president who is causing immense disruption," Barnes-Dacey said. "They are caught between a rock and a hard place."On the one hand, they want to cling on to some sense of international law, or the rules-based order, and then on the other hand, they are desperately trying to keep themselves in Trump’s good books."Some nations now find themselves on the opposing end of what Trump wants and may incur the wrath of the president. Sophia Gaston, a senior research fellow at the Center for Statecraft and National Security in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London, believes Trump wants a demonstration of loyalty from the UK. She said, "The more a country like Britain invests in its sovereign strength, prosperity and capability, the more attractive it also then becomes for the United States as a partner, but also the more it can defend its own interests against the turbulence of such an alliance."

Kremlin strongman Vladimir Putin’s declining fortunes have taken a major turn for the better because Donald Trump’s war on Iran has given the staggering Russian economy a shot in the arm as oil prices lurch upward.According to the Wall Street Journal, Russian crude that was languishing unsold just days ago has become a hot commodity. The U.S. has eased sanctions on Russian oil, opening the door for key buyers to increase purchases. With oil and natural gas prices surging, Russian producers are reaping substantial profits.The shift is already visible in global markets. In India, traders who previously demanded steep discounts to purchase Russian oil are now attempting to sell at prices above global benchmarks—a dramatic reversal."The longer that this conflict goes on, the world will increasingly rely on both Russian crude oil and Russian refined products," said Naveen Das, senior crude analyst at Kpler.Emboldened by his suddenly improved fortunes, Putin has grown more aggressive with "renewed swagger' on the global energy stage. He has threatened to cut off remaining energy supplies to Europe before the continent's deadline to eliminate Russian LNG and pipeline gas imports by 2027."Other markets are opening now," Putin declared on state television Wednesday. "If they shut us down in a month or two, wouldn't it be better to stop now and move to those countries that are reliable partners?"Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed Friday that the Iran conflict has directly fueled demand for Russian energy products.Global benchmark Brent crude has surged nearly 30 percent since the attacks began. While higher prices normally benefit all oil producers, disruption in the Gulf has crippled Russia's primary competitors in that region, leaving Moscow uniquely positioned to capitalize on the crisis.You can read more here.

The White House has blocked the release of a joint intelligence bulletin warning state and local authorities of elevated terror threats stemming from Trump's military assault on Iran, according to the Daily Mail.A five-page report compiled by the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and the National Counterterrorism Center was scheduled for Friday release but has been indefinitely held up by Trump officials.The classified bulletin detailed "elevated threats by the government of Iran to US military and government personnel and facilities, Jewish and Israeli institutions and their perceived supporters, and Iranian dissidents and other anti-regime activists in the United States."Titled "A Public Safety Awareness Report: Elevated threat in the United States during US-Iran conflict," the document warned: "Radicalized individuals with a variety of ideological backgrounds also may see this conflict or other geopolitical events as a justification for violence."The five-page assessment provided specific operational details on how Iranian proxies could execute attacks across the country, along with guidance for local law enforcement response protocols.Homeland Security broke protocol by alerting the White House hours before the bulletin's scheduled release. Trump officials immediately ordered it placed on hold.The White House did not deny the suppression. Spokeswoman Abigail Jackson offered a defensive explanation: "The White House is coordinating closely with all government agencies to ensure information being disseminated is accurate, up to date, and has been properly vetted — even if that means taking additional time to review to ensure nothing is done in a vacuum."A senior DHS official directly contradicted the White House account, stating: "The three [agencies] were going to release a joint intelligence statement that would elevate the threat level and start addressing the Iranian threat on American soil. The White House stopped it, and verbalized down to DHS that any unclassified 'for official use only' information going forward concerning Iran has to be reviewed by the White House before any dissemination."You can read more here.