Fifteen people died when a military helicopter crashed in the Arequipa region of Peru, the air force announced on Monday.

Fifteen people died in Peru when a helicopter crashed during a flood rescue operation. The Peruvian Air Force reported that the Mi-17 helicopter lost radio contact while on a mission.

An Air Force airman has alleged that his eardrum was ruptured during an assault by Uttar Pradesh police, following a viral video showing policemen dragging a man into a vehicle.

Ukrainian air forces released night footage showing their air defense units successfully countering a combined Russian attack involving missiles and drones.

The Indian Air Force has grounded its Tejas fleet following a third accident in two years.

The accused allegedly attacked the father and son with sticks and iron rods, leaving them seriously injured.

The Air Force of the Armed Forces of Ukraine has released video footage showcasing their combat operations during a combined Russian attack that occurred on Sunday, February 22.

Brazilian firm Embraer is proposing its KC-390 Millennium aircraft for a major Indian Air Force contract for 80 medium transport aircraft. Embraer also plans to establish an India production hub if selected.

The Indian Air Force is gearing up to conduct Exercise Vayushakti-26 on February 27, 2026, at Pokhran, showcasing its operational capabilities including long-range precision strikes and multi-domain operations with indigenous platforms.

The Iranian government has declared the air force and navy of Cyprus, along with all European Union member states, as terrorist organizations in a retaliatory move.

Russian forces carried out a combined strike on critical infrastructure facilities across Ukraine on the night of 21-22 February. The Ukrainian Air Force recorded 345 aerial attack assets, including 3

The US Air Force announced a new color scheme for Air Force One, featuring red, white, dark blue, and gold, reflecting an aesthetic preference championed by former President Donald Trump and ending the Kennedy-era light blue design.

In a historic first, the US Space Force welcomed a delegation from the Philippine Air Force, including former Deputy Speaker Col. Michael Romero, to Buckley Space Force Base.

Joe Scott has been dismissed as the Air Force basketball coach following an investigation into his treatment of cadets.

The event will take place alongside the new Tulum Air Show, thus combining stock car racing with a Mexican Air Force-organized spectacular of fighter jet acrobatics and drone displays. The post Tulum airport will be the site of NASCAR’s return to Mexico in April appeared first on Mexico News Daily

John F. Kennedy Jr. and his wife, Carolyn Bessette Kennedy, attended the Municipal Art Society Gala in 1998. Richard Corkery/NY Daily News Archive/Getty Images John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife, and her sister died in a 1999 plane crash near Martha's Vineyard. Rumors of a "Kennedy curse" were fueled by multiple family tragedies over the decades. JFK Jr. and Carolyn Bessette's relationship is now the topic of an FX series, "Love Story." The Kennedy family has been subjected to many tragedies over the years, including two assassinations and a plane crash that took the lives of John F. Kennedy Jr. and two other passengers. Nearly 27 years ago, on July 16, 1999, John F. Kennedy Jr., his wife Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, and her older sister Lauren Bessette were killed in a plane crash off the coast of Martha's Vineyard in Massachusetts. There were no survivors from the accident. The relationship between John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy is now the topic of an FX series executive-produced by Ryan Murphy, "Love Story." Their deaths became a major news story and perpetuated rumors of a "Kennedy curse." JFK Jr.'s father, former President John F. Kennedy, was assassinated in 1963. His uncle, Robert "Bobby" Kennedy, was assassinated five years later in 1968. And two years before JFK Jr.'s death, his cousin Michael Kennedy also died after hitting a tree while skiing in Aspen, Colorado. Here's what we know about the plane crash that killed John F. Kennedy Jr. and two others. John F. Kennedy Jr. frequently made headlines throughout the 1990s. John F. Kennedy, Jr. at the Democratic National Convention in 1988. Bettmann/Getty Images As the son of a president and a member of one of America's most prominent political dynasties, John F. Kennedy Jr. was destined for the spotlight. JFK Jr. was born on November 25, 1960, just two weeks after his father was elected president. His father was assassinated on November 22, 1963, just three days shy of JFK Jr.'s third birthday. JFK Jr., affectionately nicknamed "John-John" by the public, attended the funeral on his birthday and was famously photographed saluting his father's casket. Throughout much of his adolescence and adulthood, he mostly remained out of the public eye. However, his public image began to change after he introduced his uncle, Ted Kennedy, at the Democratic National Convention in 1988. In September 1988, People named Kennedy, who was then a 27-year-old third-year law student at NYU, the "Sexiest Man Alive." JFK Jr. also dated a few celebrities throughout the 1990s, including "Sex and the City" star Sarah Jessica Parker, Cindy Crawford, and Daryl Hannah. John F. Kennedy Jr. began dating Carolyn Bessette, a publicist for Calvin Klein, in 1994. John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy in 1995. Rose Hartman/Getty Images They met in the fitting room at Calvin Klein, where Bessette helped JFK Jr. pick out wardrobe items, Elizabeth Beller wrote in "Once Upon a Time: The Captivating Life of Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy," cited by People. Tall, sophisticated, and beautiful, JFK Jr.'s new girlfriend captivated the public. After two years of dating, the pair married in an intimate ceremony on Cumberland Island, Georgia, People reported. While their wedding ceremony was private, their relationship was anything but, thanks to the prying eyes of the paparazzi. Evan Agostini/Getty Images; NY Daily News Archive/Getty Images The media attention may have even inspired Kennedy to get his pilot's license in 1998. "That was some of the happiest times he ever had. Floating around with the buzzards in his Buckeye [plane]. It was the freedom," his close friend Robbie Littell told "JFK Jr: An Intimate Oral Biography" author RoseMarie Terenzio, according to People. "He said, 'It's the only place I can go where no one is bothering me. I have complete silence, and no one can get to me except the air traffic controllers.' Maybe that gives you insight into what he was really dealing with on the ground," his college friend Gary Ginsberg said, People reported. John F. Kennedy Jr. was traveling to Martha's Vineyard with his wife and her older sister when their plane was reported missing. The hangar where John Kennedy Jr. kept his Piper Saratoga airplane. Ron Galella/Ron Galella Collection/Getty Images The Washington Post reported that Kennedy departed Essex County Airport near Fairfield, New Jersey, at around 8:38 p.m. on Friday, July 16, 1999. The sun was already beginning to set and "hazy conditions," which had been reported earlier in the evening, were getting worse, People reported. Kennedy planned to drop his sister-in-law Lauren Bessette on Martha's Vineyard before traveling to his family's compound in Hyannis Port with Carolyn. The couple was due to attend his cousin Rory Kennedy's wedding the following day, according to People. However, the plane never landed in Martha's Vineyard. An unidentified driver reported the plane had failed to arrive at Martha's Vineyard Airport as expected, according to the Post, citing an NBC report. It kicked off a search for the missing aircraft in the early hours of July 17. The Kennedy family notified the Cape Cod Coast Guard that the couple had not made it back to Hyannis. A Coast Guard helicopter searching for debris from John Kennedy Jr.'s plane. Daniel Goodrich/Newsday RM/Getty Images The Washington Post reported that the Coast Guard then began investigating whether the plane had landed at another airport. By 4 a.m., the Coast Guard began searching for the missing plane, and by 7:30 a.m., the Air Force and Coast Guard had launched 20 aircraft vehicles and two boats to search the area between Long Island and Martha's Vineyard, according to the Post's timeline. On Sunday afternoon, what was presumed to be debris from the plane was found on Philbin Beach on Martha's Vineyard. Among the debris was a headrest that was later concluded to be from the missing aircraft and a black suitcase that contained Lauren Bessette's business card. Rory Kennedy's wedding, scheduled for 6 p.m. that night, was put on hold as the family awaited more news. The Washington Post reported that after more debris was found in the days to follow, the search-and-rescue mission became a search-and-recovery mission. All three of the plane's passengers were now presumed dead. John F. Kennedy Jr. was 38 years old. Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy was 33, and her sister Lauren Bessette was 34. Five days after the crash, the bodies of John F. Kennedy Jr., Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, and Lauren Bessette were recovered. Massachusetts State Police divers left Menemsha on Martha's Vineyard on July 19, 1999. DON EMMERT/AFP/Getty Images The debris field was identified off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, relatively near the estate once owned by Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Kennedy's mother, The New York Times reported. (Kennedy Onassis died in 1994.) The bodies of John F. Kennedy Jr., Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy, and Lauren Bessette were discovered by Navy divers on July 22, 1999, after an extensive search approved by President Bill Clinton. The bodies of the crash victims, which were ''near and under'' the main body of the aircraft, were still strapped in, according to the Times. Details began to emerge about what led to the crash. A television technician holds up the official handout map of the search and rescue area off Martha's Vineyard. JOHN MOTTERN/AFP/Getty Images Kennedy had only flown about 72 hours without a flight instructor, and had only about 300 total hours of flying experience, The New York Times reported in July 2000. He had reportedly rejected an offer to have a flight instructor accompany the group on their journey. As a newly trained pilot, Kennedy was not licensed to fly and navigate the air using flying instruments. Instead, he had only trained to fly using sight alone, which would have been extremely difficult in dark or hazy conditions such as those on the night of July 16. Warren Morningstar, a spokesman for the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, told the Times that "flying at night over featureless terrain or water, and particularly in haze or in overcast, is a prime setup for spatial disorientation." About an hour into the trip, the plane's flight path became irregular as it began its descent into Martha's Vineyard, indicating that the pilot may have become disoriented by the darkness of the sky and the water, the National Transportation Safety Board concluded. "His flight path into the water is consistent with what is known as a graveyard spiral," Jeff Guzzetti, an NTSB investigator in the accident, told Terenzio, according to People. "The airplane makes a spiral nose down … kind of like going down a drain. The plane went into one final turn and it stayed in that turn pretty much all the way down to the ocean." The aircraft went down in the water about 7 miles from its intended destination of Martha's Vineyard. Mourners pay respects at the floral shrine outside of the building where John F. Kennedy Jr. and Carolyn lived in 1999. Allan Tannenbaum/Getty Images The Washington Post reported that the plane did not send out a distress call. Instead, it made its final descent and crashed into the Atlantic Ocean in under 30 seconds. Kennedy, Kennedy-Bessette, and Bessette's bodies were cremated and buried at sea off the coast of Martha's Vineyard on July 22, 1999. "We are filled with unspeakable grief and sadness by the loss of John and Carolyn and Lauren Bessette," Ted Kennedy said in a statement on behalf of the Kennedy family. "John was a shining light in all our lives and in the lives of the nation and the world that first came to know him as a little boy." As the country mourned the loss, rumors of a "Kennedy curse" were reignited. John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Carolyn Bessette-Kennedy attended the White House Correspondents dinner in 1999. Tyler Mallory/Liaison/Getty Images The extensive search captured the nation's attention, as did the tragedy of the three young passengers' deaths. Yet another tragic accident for the Kennedy family, the plane crash only added to rumors of a Kennedy family curse. "I've looked high and low and cannot find another family since the ancient Greek House of Atreus that has suffered more calamities and misfortunes than the Kennedys," Edward Klein, the author of "The Kennedy Curse: Why Tragedy Has Haunted America's First Family for 150 Years," said, according to The Washington Post. While there are many logical reasons for the fateful plane crash, it's nevertheless poignant that the Kennedy family, one of the wealthiest and most influential political families in the world, has suffered so much tragedy throughout the last 100 years. "The humanity of their story is what keeps us engaged," Kennedy family biographer J. Randy Taraborrelli told NBC News in 2019. "We peer behind the scenes of their wealthy lifestyle, and we see, for all the advantages they have, tragedy can still happen." Read the original article on Business Insider

US Forces Korea and Chinese fighter aircraft had a brief aerial encounter over the Yellow Sea following a rare US Air Force exercise.

Air Force One is set to receive a new red, white, and dark blue paint scheme, replacing the iconic light blue design from the Kennedy era, as approved by President Trump.

‘I‘m a Melania fan, but I just need to ask, why is she wearing sunglasses in the dark?’ one user wrote

Oracle Corp (ORCL) is experiencing increased market confidence and upside potential, driven by recent federal contract wins.

Barack Obama caused frenzy after saying aliens were real on a podcast - and was forced to clarify he had not seen any evidence of them in a statement posted to Instagram over the weekend. There is a long-running conspiracy theory claiming that the US government is hiding extraterrestrials at Area 51, a highly classified air force site in Nevada. Lucy Hough speaks to host of the Guardian’s Science Weekly podcast, Madeleine Finlay Continue reading...

An inside look at SAM 26000, the Air Force One plane that transported eight US presidents and famously carried JFK's body back from Dallas.

An Indian Air Force Tejas fighter jet was significantly damaged after overshooting the runway due to suspected brake failure, leading to the pilot's safe ejection and the grounding of the entire Tejas fleet for technical scrutiny.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs guarantees that he will comply with the agreement with the US and reminds that authorizations given to the American Air Force are "tacit".

Ukraine's Air Force reports that by the end of winter 2026, one in three Russian drones used against Ukraine are being destroyed by interceptor drone crews.

Air Force will host San Jose State in a college basketball game, following Myers' 23-point performance.

An Indian Air Force Tejas light combat aircraft was lost after it overshot the runway at an airbase, sustaining major damage, leading to the grounding of the fleet for inspections.

An Indian Air Force jawan and his father were allegedly attacked with rods and sticks by members of a wedding procession in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh, on February 19th.

The Indian Air Force (IAF), in sectors such as Leh, has also held training sessions with the CISF on countering drone threats, their neutralisation and interoperability in response operations

Former UK Prime Minister Gordon Brown has urged a police investigation into allegations that Prince Andrew used Royal Air Force bases to meet with Jeffrey Epstein.

Iran has declared the naval and air forces of EU member states as terrorist organizations, in response to the EU's 'illegal and unjustified' decision to list the IRGC as a terrorist entity.

The Portuguese Air Force has acquired a sixth helicopter, which will be based in Ovar and undergo testing before being integrated into Squadron 551 for rural firefighting operations.

The Iranian government has declared the air force and navy of every European Union member state as terrorist organizations in retaliation for EU actions.

In a reciprocal move, Iran has officially labeled the European Union's naval and air forces as 'terrorist organizations'.

Iran's Foreign Ministry announced that it has designated the naval and air forces of all EU member states as terrorist organizations, in retaliation for the EU's decision to add the IRGC to its terror list.

The United States has for the first time transported a small nuclear reactor using a military aircraft, signaling a potential resurgence in nuclear energy for both military and civilian applications.

Joe Scott has been dismissed as the Air Force basketball coach following an investigation into his treatment of cadets.

An Iranian air force jet crashed during a training exercise, resulting in the death of the pilot.

The United States has withdrawn a significant portion of its planned air forces, including modern F-35 fighter jets, from the NATO exercise Cold Response.

The U.S. military has confirmed that Air Force One will be painted red, white, and blue, as hinted by President Trump.

Former President Donald Trump's administration pursued a deregulation blitz, and a new paint scheme for his Air Force One includes gold, red, white, and blue.

Air Force Olympians Kelly Curtis and Jasmine Jones are balancing motherhood, competitive sports, and military service as they prepare for the 2026 Winter Games, crediting the Air Force World Class Athlete Program.

Melania Trump made a bizarre fashion choice in the dark while departing Air Force One.

The US Air Force has prohibited its personnel from using a popular new technology, citing unspecified concerns. This move reflects the military's cautious approach to integrating emerging tech into its operational environment.

A historic Air Force base is undergoing a significant $133 million upgrade, with details emerging about the new constructions planned for the facility.

The US Air Force's F-22 Raptor conducted an autonomy test with a General Atomics testbed drone, demonstrating how the fighter jet could operate with a loyal wingman-type drone in future air combat scenarios.

Iran has reciprocally named the European Union’s naval and air forces as terrorist organizations.

An Air Force personnel and his father were allegedly assaulted by members of a wedding procession in Uttar Pradesh after they objected to the guests drinking on the road, with video footage showing punches and torn clothes.

An Indian Air Force jawan and his father were allegedly thrashed by a wedding party in Bulandshahr following an argument over honking, leading to cross complaints being lodged with the police.

Bomb threat emails were received at the Army Public School in Dhaula Kuan and Air Force Bal Bharti School in Lodhi Road in Delhi, triggering immediate search operations by authorities, though nothing

COLUMBIA – The University of South Carolina baseball team plated four runs in the first two innings and used solid pitching to the tune of 10 strikeouts in a 4-2 win over Air Force Sunday afternoon (Feb. 22) to close the Salute the Troops Tournament at Founders Park. Air Force plated a run in the first […]

General Michael Claesson, commander of the Swedish Army, visited Iceland as a Swedish Air Force squadron undertakes NATO air policing duties in the country for the first time. Claesson also held meetings during his visit.

The Finnish Air Force is planning 'NATO clubs' for allied forces stationed in Northern Finland, with Rovaniemi's Maaherrantalo being considered as a club facility.

The Indian Air Force is gearing up for Exercise Vayushakti-26 on February 27, 2026, at Pokhran to demonstrate its full-spectrum operational capabilities, including precision strikes and multi-domain operations.

The Portuguese Air Force has received a new 'Black Hawk' helicopter, bringing its total firefighting fleet to six aircraft. The helicopter arrived at the Ovar air base.

A member of a neo-Nazi group, 1143, has accused Chega party deputy Rui Afonso of buying votes from group members, amidst other news including the Air Force receiving a helicopter for rural fire fighting.

For Joan, the soul-stirring roar of Kenya Air Force jets during Madaraka Day celebrations was a...

In a historic first, the US Space Force welcomed a delegation from the Philippine Air Force at Buckley Space Force Base, Colorado, marking a new level of cooperation.

Feb. 21—Friday's results NCHC Western Michigan 1, Colorado College 1 (SO) Minnesota Duluth 5, Miami 2 Omaha 4, Arizona State 2 Big Ten Michigan State 8, Notre Dame 2 Wisconsin 4, Michigan 1 Penn State 11, Ohio State 4 Atlantic Hockey Robert Morris 4, Canisius 1 Mercyhurst 3, Niagara 2 Sacred Heart 5, Holy Cross 1 Bentley 4, RIT 3 Army 4, Air Force 3 ECAC Union 4, Harvard 1 Dartmouth 3, RPI 1 ...

U.S. Olympic skeleton athlete and Air Force staff sergeant Kelly Curtis expressed pride in representing America amid teammate criticisms, which she defends.

<img src='https://i.cbc.ca/ais/0e924ace-144d-49dc-8a46-ffcd4215e5af,1771601490076/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%2839%2C0%2C5894%2C3315%29%3BResize%3D%28620%29' alt='A man with his head down walks down stairs off a plane.' width='620' height='349' title='U.S. President Donald Trump steps off Air Force One on Thursday.'/><p></p>

Gibbs-Lawhorn is set to lead UNLV in their upcoming game against Air Force.

More than 42,000 liters of fighter jet fuel were spilled at US Air Force bases in Gunsan, South Korea, last month, with another leak confirmed earlier this month.

The Air Force conducts training exercises to prepare aircrew for survival in enemy territory or hostile environments.

A cockpit-view video shows an Indian Air Force Mi-17 V5 helicopter actively dousing flames in Arunachal Pradesh.

Obama Says Aliens Exist But Are Not Kept In Area 51 Authored by Rachel Roberts via The Epoch Times, Former U.S. President Barack Obama said in a Feb. 14 podcast interview that aliens are real but that none are kept at the secretive Area 51 military base in the Nevada desert, later adding that he didn’t see any evidence indicating that extraterrestrials have contacted Earth during his presidency. In the interview, when asked, “Are aliens real?” Obama replied, “They’re real, but I haven’t seen them—and they’re not being kept in [Area 51]. There’s no underground facility, unless there’s this enormous conspiracy and they hid it from the president of the United States.” Obama became the first leader of the United States to affirm the existence of extraterrestrial life when questioned by progressive podcaster Brian Tyler Cohen in a video posted on YouTube. After the interview went viral, Obama said on Instagram that he wanted to “clarify” his comments to Cohen, writing that he was “trying to stick with the spirit of the speed round” while speaking on the podcast. “Statistically, the universe is so vast that the odds are good there’s life out there,” he wrote. “But the distances between solar systems are so great that the chances we’ve been visited by aliens is low, and I saw no evidence during my presidency that extraterrestrials have made contact with us. Really!” In 2013, Obama was possibly the first U.S. leader to acknowledge the existence of Area 51, an Air Force base built during the Cold War, which has long been rumored to house extraterrestrials and unidentified flying objects (UFOs). Cohen did not ask Obama a follow-up question on the issue. Instead, he asked the former president what his first question had been upon entering the White House. “Where are the aliens?” Obama joked in response. Some critics, including British political commentator Calvin Robinson, said Cohen should have asked Obama for more information about aliens. “When a former President of the United States says on the record there are aliens, YOU FOLLOW UP WITH RELEVANT QUESTIONS. You do not continue reading from your script,” he wrote on X. The U.S. government first acknowledged Area 51’s existence in 2013 through a Freedom of Information request and has declassified documents detailing its history and purpose. The base has been a testing ground for a host of top-secret aircraft, including the U-2 in the 1950s and later the F-117 stealth fighter. Trump Admin on Aliens President Donald Trump has expressed skepticism about the existence of aliens, while acknowledging that “anything is possible.” Trump addressed the subject in several media appearances during the 2024 presidential campaign. On a podcast with Lex Fridman, Trump said he would consider pushing the Pentagon to release additional UFO footage that many believe is classified. “Oh yeah, sure, I’ll do that. I would do that. I’d love to do that,” Trump said, noting that public pressure to disclose records relating to UFOs is similar to that surrounding the John F. Kennedy assassination. On Logan Paul’s “Impaulsive” podcast in June 2025, Trump said, “Am I a believer? No, I can’t say I am." “But I have met with people, serious people, that say there’s some really strange things flying around out there.” Trump added that given the size of the universe, “Why wouldn’t there be something, somebody?” Vice President JD Vance has expressed his personal enthusiasm, telling the “Ruthless” podcast in August 2025 that he is “obsessed with the whole UFO thing.” “What’s actually going on? What were those videos all about? What’s actually happening?” Vance probed. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard said last August that she believes aliens may exist and that the U.S. government holds classified information on the subject. Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard in Washington on Dec. 2, 2025. Andrew Caballero-Reynolds/AFP via Getty Images Gabbard pledged to share disclosures from ongoing investigations into UFOs amid growing discussion of the phenomena at the highest levels of government. Pentagon Cases Unresolved The Pentagon’s All-domain Anomaly Resolution Office (AARO) continues to investigate more than 1,600 reports of “unidentified aerial phenomena,” an official term that has largely replaced “UFOs.” At a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing in November 2024, AARO’s director, Jon T. Kosloski, detailed cases the military believes it has solved—such as the widely circulated 2016 “GOFAST” video, now thought to show an object flying at 13,000 feet rather than right above the water—as well as other incidents which have so far defied explanation. Previous presidents, including Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter, have discussed their curiosity about alien life without confirming a belief in it. Carter reported that he saw an unidentified bright object in the sky when he was governor of Georgia in 1969, although he later said it was likely a natural phenomenon. A view of Area 51. Google Maps/Screenshot via The Epoch Times Clinton said that he was curious about the possibility of extraterrestrial life and that he had asked aides to look into both Area 51 and the Roswell incident of 1947, which gave rise to much speculation about a government cover-up. After Air Force personnel recovered metallic and rubber debris near Roswell, New Mexico, the U.S. Army Air Forces announced that they were in possession of a “flying disc” before retracting the statement within a day. Clinton said he was told there was no evidence of alien life in connection with the incident. In 1995, he joked about the Roswell incident, saying, “If the U.S. Air Force did recover any alien bodies, they didn’t tell me about it.” The American public is increasingly convinced that aliens exist and have visited Earth, according to recent polls. More than half (56 percent) of Americans believe extraterrestrials definitely or probably exist, according to a 2025 YouGov poll. Democrat (61 percent) and Independent (59 percent) voters are more likely than Republicans (46 percent) to believe aliens exist, with 73 percent of Americans believing the government would hide evidence of UFOs if it had any, and just 13 percent thinking it would be transparent, according to the same survey. Tyler Durden Tue, 02/17/2026 - 17:00

Trump dodged questions about his Valentine’s Day plans with the first lady when quizzed by reporters

A Venezuelan-Like Oil Blockade Against Iran Could Enable The US To Divide-And-Rule RIC Authored by Andrew Korybko, The cascading consequences of such a blockade, which might not ultimately be imposed due it entailing a high risk of war with Iran, could simultaneously weaken Russia, India, and China. The Wall Street Journal reported that Trump 2.0 is considering imposing a Venezuelan-like oil blockade against Iran. It hasn’t yet done so due to concerns that Iran might attack the US’ regional military assets and/or seize its Gulf allies’ oil tankers, with either scenario destabilizing the global oil market and spiking the risk of war, so it might never ultimately happen. If the US were to successfully impose such a blockade, however, then it might be able to adroitly divide-and-rule Russia, India, and China (RIC). “The US Wants To Replicate The Venezuelan Model In Iran” by coercing Iran into subordinating itself and its energy industry to the US. The “Trump Doctrine”, which is shaped by Under Secretary of War for Policy Elbridge Colby’s “Strategy of Denial”, seeks to deny strategic resources to the US’ rivals. Accordingly, it has an interest in cutting off China’s average import of 1.38 million barrels of Iranian oil per day last year, which could hit its economy hard if they’re not replaced (and that might be difficult). These exports could then be redirected to India, thus enabling India to more than replace its average import of 1 million barrels per day of Russian oil last month, with the revenue placed in an escrow account per the Venezuelan precedent for release to Iran if it cuts a nuclear and missile deal with the US. Through these means, India could zero out its import of Russian oil while raising the US’ role over its energy security exactly as Trump 2.0 wants, with the end result dealing incredible harm to RIC. Russia’s budgetary revenue from such sales would be reduced and could only realistically be replaced in part through more sales to China, though that might not be as easy as it sounds. The UK is preparing a campaign to seize Russia’s “shadow fleet” in the English Channel after being emboldened by the US’ seizure of a Russian-flagged oil tanker near its coast. If Russia doesn’t impose unacceptable costs on the UK, and it didn’t impose any on the US for doing this, then its Baltic Sea tankers might never reach China. Those from the Black Sea might not reach it either if the UK allies with Greece and Cyprus to cut off Russia’s “shadow fleet” from that vector too. Pipeline exports, which have limits to how much they can be scaled, would then be the only means for replacing part of Russia’s lost oil exports to India with China apart from relatively minimal tanker exports from the Far East. The resultant economic pressure on Russia and China might make them susceptible to lopsided deals with the US on Ukraine and trade. As for India, it already entered into a partially lopsided deal with the US as regards the informal quid pro quo of it agreeing to zero out its import of Russian oil in exchange for their trade deal, and the US’ growing influence over India’s energy security could curtail its hard-earned strategic autonomy. This might then be leveraged for coercing a reduction in India’s purchase of Chinese goods and services so as to place more pressure on the People’s Republic to agree to its own lopsided trade deal with the US. This worst-case scenario of the US’ dividing-and-ruling RIC can be averted by Iran deterring or breaking a US blockade on its oil in parallel with Russia doing the same with respect to any British one against its “shadow fleet”. These options require immense political will since they entail the potential cost of a hot war breaking out between Great Powers so it’s unclear whether they’ll be implemented, but likewise, so too might the US and UK ultimately back off from their possible blockades for the same reason. Tyler Durden Mon, 02/16/2026 - 20:05

Several college basketball teams, including No. 2 Michigan and No. 16 Texas Tech, are in action, with key players leading their teams in crucial matchups.

An article observes Donald Trump holding onto Melania while descending Air Force One stairs, highlighting a moment from their public appearance.