Morocco Commits 400 Troops To Gaza Force

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Morocco Commits 400 Troops To Gaza Force

Morocco signed an agreement in Rabat on Wednesday committing 400 troops to the international force tasked with stabilizing Gaza during its postwar transition.

The commitment puts a concrete number on what has so far been described only in general terms, and it lands awkwardly at home. Morocco normalized relations with Israel in 2020 under the Abraham Accords, and that normalization has drawn repeated street protests in Rabat since the Gaza war began, which makes this deployment a domestic balancing act as much as a foreign policy statement.

Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita and Defence Minister Delegate Abdeltif Loudyi signed the agreement on behalf of Morocco, receiving Nickolay Mladenov, the high representative of the Gaza Peace Council, and the commander of the International Stabilization Force (ISF). Officials said Morocco is the first country to formalize an agreement of this kind with the Peace Council, building on commitments it made at the council’s founding meeting in Washington in February.

Under the deal, Morocco will send senior Royal Armed Forces officers into the ISF joint command, where they are expected to help monitor the ceasefire, secure aid corridors and support border security. Personnel from the Royal Gendarmerie and the General Directorate of National Security will help train a new Palestinian police force meant to gradually take over public order duties. Morocco also plans to build a military field hospital to serve both the international force and the Gazan population, and to fund programmes aimed at countering extremism and building tolerance.

Bourita described the agreement as consistent with Morocco’s long standing position on the conflict. “The Royal Vision has always been consistent,” he said, reaffirming Morocco’s support for a Palestinian state on the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, alongside Israel.

The ISF operates under a mandate set out in United Nations Security Council Resolution 2803, adopted in November after months of negotiation over whether the force would need a UN mandate at all. Officials describe its role as protecting civilians, enabling the return of displaced residents and creating conditions for reconstruction, not acting as an occupying force or taking sides.

Morocco has backed its position with aid as well as diplomacy. The kingdom says it has delivered close to 280 tonnes of humanitarian and medical aid to Gaza since the war began, including a shipment moved by an overland route negotiated with the parties involved, and its Bayt Mal Al Quds Agency has channeled more than 2.2 million dollars toward social, health and heritage projects benefiting Palestinians, particularly in East Jerusalem. Officials say Morocco was also the first country to pay into the Peace Council’s budget.

Reconstruction needs in Gaza remain enormous, with hospitals, schools, water networks and housing severely damaged and rebuilding costs estimated in the tens of billions of dollars. Moroccan officials say the ISF role is meant to support that recovery rather than substitute for a broader political settlement, which they maintain still depends on an eventual two state solution.

Bayport Profit Triples On Deposit Shift

Roger A. Agana
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Bayport Profit Triples On Deposit Shift

Bayport Savings and Loans more than tripled its profit in the first half of 2026, as a shift toward customer deposits reshaped how the lender funds itself.

Unaudited results for the six months ended June 30 showed profit after tax rising to GH¢82.52 million from GH¢26.47 million a year earlier, a 211.8 percent increase, while profit before tax nearly tripled to GH¢118.26 million from GH¢38.55 million. Net interest income doubled to GH¢220.22 million.

The improvement tracked a continued shift in Bayport’s funding mix. Customer deposits jumped to GH¢1.55 billion from GH¢471.59 million, more than tripling, while borrowings fell to GH¢386.83 million from GH¢481.04 million and loans from shareholders dropped to GH¢30.96 million from GH¢106.55 million, continuing a move away from costlier wholesale funding that the company has pursued since 2025.

Total assets grew 77.1 percent to GH¢2.44 billion, driven by a 68 percent rise in loans and advances to customers, to GH¢1.87 billion, and cash and cash equivalents that more than quadrupled to GH¢325.09 million.

Asset quality improved alongside the growth. The non performing loan ratio fell to 8.1 percent from 12.6 percent a year earlier, continuing a decline that saw the company’s full year 2025 ratio already meet the Bank of Ghana’s maximum NPL threshold set for the end of 2026, a year ahead of schedule. The capital adequacy ratio edged up to 12.2 percent from 11.9 percent, above the regulatory minimum, and the company reported no defaults on statutory liquidity requirements.

Earnings per share rose to 0.7033 pesewas from 0.2256 pesewas. The results extend a run of stronger performance for the payroll lender, which posted profit before tax above GH¢100 million for the first time in full year 2025 after years of relying heavily on borrowings and shareholder funding.

Bayport, a subsidiary of Mauritius based Bayport Management Ltd, is licensed by the Bank of Ghana to provide micro credit and other financial services and operates from 44 locations nationwide, including 10 service centres and 33 agency offices. The results were signed by directors Akwasi Aboagye and Pearl Esua-Mensah.

KOSPI Swings Test Asia’s Markets, China Watches

Roger A. Agana
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KOSPI Swings Test Asia’s Markets, China Watches

Wild swings in South Korea’s KOSPI, which briefly fell into a bear market before rebounding, are prompting investors to reassess risk across Asia, including in China.

The index hit an intraday record of 9,385.59 points on June 19 before tumbling more than 20 percent to enter a technical bear market on July 8, when it closed at 7,246.79. It has since clawed back some of those losses and remains up around 76 percent for the year, still the best performing major equity market globally despite the turmoil.

Much of the volatility has centered on Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, which together now account for roughly half of the KOSPI’s total weight, up from about a quarter at the end of last year, and drove close to 70 percent of the index’s gains before the sell off. Single stock leveraged exchange traded funds tied to the two chipmakers, popular with South Korea’s retail investors known as the Ants, have amplified the swings, triggering repeated trading halts on the Korea Exchange, including its 37th such pause of the year this week.

The turbulence stems largely from a reassessment of artificial intelligence spending, after doubts emerged on Wall Street over whether heavy AI infrastructure investment by companies such as Microsoft and Meta will generate matching returns, triggering a broader pullback in chip stocks that spread from the United States to Asia. Analysts have also pointed to South Korea’s central bank, which raised its benchmark rate a quarter point to 2.75 percent this week in a new tightening cycle aimed at curbing inflation.

Because South Korea and China compete for many of the same international investment flows, analysts said a prolonged correction in Seoul could push some investors toward Chinese equities if valuations there look more attractive, while renewed confidence in Korean stocks could keep drawing capital away from China. The effect on Chinese markets is expected to depend on what is driving the swings: if it reflects profit taking after a strong rally, the spillover should stay limited, but broader doubts about Asian growth or earnings could pressure Chinese stocks too.

China’s equity market has struggled to sustain momentum despite a series of government support measures, weighed down by soft domestic demand, a prolonged property downturn and slower growth, even as authorities have tried to encourage longer term investment.

Technology stocks are likely to remain the main channel for any spillover, since Chinese markets are increasingly driven by technology and AI related companies just as South Korea’s benchmark is dominated by semiconductor firms. A shift in sentiment toward the sector could ripple across both markets.

While there is no sign of immediate contagion, investors are watching earnings, monetary policy and geopolitical developments for signs of where capital flows across Asia head next, with South Korea’s post correction direction seen as an early signal for confidence in the region’s equities more broadly.

Sam George: Regulation Must Match Pace Of Trust

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Sam George: Regulation Must Match Pace Of Trust

Ghana must move faster on digital infrastructure and cybersecurity to keep public trust in digital finance, Communications Minister Sam George said, days after regulators revoked Zeepay’s licence.

Speaking at the Financial Architecture Summit in Accra, held under the theme “Innovation for Stability: Central Banking, Digital Finance and the New Architecture of Ghana’s Financial Future,” George said public confidence, not technology alone, would determine whether the country’s expanding digital payments sector succeeds. “Innovation must move at the speed of opportunity, but regulation must move at the speed of trust,” he said.

He identified interoperability, inclusive by design digital systems and cyber resilience as the three pillars he said should underpin the next phase of Ghana’s digital and financial transformation, alongside reliable digital infrastructure and trusted digital identity systems.

George said the ministry measures digital transformation by whether it changes an ordinary life for the better, and called on financial institutions, fintech firms and technology providers to build secure, transparent and accessible digital solutions that widen financial inclusion while protecting consumers.

Bank of Ghana Governor Johnson Pandit Asiama, who also addressed the summit, announced that the central bank had completed a new Digital Banking Framework and accompanying draft guidelines, now ready for stakeholder consultation ahead of implementation. He said the framework reflects a financial system no longer defined only by banks and banking halls but increasingly by digital platforms and payment networks.

Asiama also updated progress on regulating virtual assets following last year’s passage of the Virtual Asset Service Providers Act, saying the central bank and the Securities and Exchange Commission are developing licensing requirements and implementation guidelines. He pointed to a new directive requiring financial institutions to strengthen board level expertise in cyber risk management, alongside what he described as Ghana’s first comprehensive framework governing the use of artificial intelligence in areas such as fraud detection, credit scoring and customer service, plus new rules on the adoption of cloud technology.

The summit’s emphasis on trust and oversight comes days after the Bank of Ghana revoked the electronic money licence of Zeepay, one of the country’s best known fintech firms, over cash backing shortfalls and unresolved governance concerns, a case officials say underscores why closer coordination between regulators, banks and technology firms is needed as Ghana expands its digital financial infrastructure.

CLGA Flags Wild Swings In Assembly Rankings

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CLGA Flags Wild Swings In Assembly Rankings

Some Ghanaian assemblies that topped last year’s financial management rankings have fallen to around 90th this year, the Centre for Local Governance Advocacy (CLGA) has warned.

Speaking at a press briefing on the 2025 Public Financial Management Compliance League Table (PFMCLT), CLGA Board Chairman Bernard Joe Appeah said 153 of Ghana’s 261 Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs) scored above the benchmark in the latest assessment, up from just 12 the year before, part of a steady rise since the table launched in 2023.

“Some assemblies were 1st in 2024 and are around the 90th position in 2025,” Appeah said, calling for more consistent performance so that well performing assemblies can serve as models for others.

La Dade Kotopon Municipal Assembly topped the 2024 edition of the table, though CLGA has not specified which assemblies it was referring to in describing this year’s sharp reversals. Bia East District Assembly led the 2025 rankings, with Nkwanta South Municipal Assembly climbing from last place to second and Asokwa Municipal Assembly rising from 46th to third, showing gains can move just as sharply in the other direction.

Appeah also raised concerns about a persistent gap between internal and external audit findings at many assemblies, saying more work is needed to understand why the two frequently diverge, and urging closer scrutiny of the issue rather than treating it as a routine discrepancy.

Beyond financial management, Appeah called on assemblies to improve public engagement, noting that although the law requires them to hold town hall meetings and report their performance to residents, many rarely do so. He said stronger citizen participation remains essential to improving local governance and speeding up development.

He also urged journalists to maintain their watchdog role without partisan influence, saying reporters should understand governance issues well enough to help the public make sense of them.

The PFMCLT, an independent CLGA initiative, assesses MMDAs on development planning, budgeting, procurement, accounting, financial reporting, internal auditing and external auditing.

Analyst Urges Tiered Rules For Mobile Money

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Analyst Urges Tiered Rules For Mobile Money

Banking analyst Richmond Atuahene is calling for a major overhaul of Ghana’s financial regulation, arguing oversight of mobile money has not kept pace with its growth.

Drawing on recommendations from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Financial Stability Board (FSB), Atuahene argues Ghana needs what he calls activity based regulation, under which any provider performing bank like functions, such as holding customer funds or extending credit, would face comparable rules regardless of whether it is a bank, telecom company or fintech.

He proposes a tiered licensing system in which requirements scale with an institution’s size and systemic importance, so that dominant operators such as MTN Mobile Money would face bank level standards on capital, customer fund protection, liquidity, governance, cybersecurity and anti money laundering controls, while smaller providers continue under lighter rules. He also wants mandatory interoperability so customers can move money across networks and banks without friction.

Atuahene also wants an expanded regulatory sandbox to let fintech firms test new products under supervision before full approval. Ghana already operates a sandbox through the Bank of Ghana, which admitted six fintech firms into the programme in January, and the central bank has separately announced plans to build a continental sandbox and a dedicated fintech legal framework as part of a broader push unveiled at this year’s 3i Africa Summit.

He argues no single regulator can adequately supervise mobile money on its own, since it sits across banking, telecoms, cybersecurity and data protection, and wants closer coordination between the Bank of Ghana, National Communications Authority and Cyber Security Authority through shared information, joint inspections and coordinated risk assessments.

Atuahene also wants a risk based approach that concentrates supervisory resources on larger institutions and higher risk transactions rather than applying identical rules to every provider, arguing this would strengthen stability without adding unnecessary burden on smaller operators.

Looking further ahead, he proposes restructuring Ghana’s financial oversight around the internationally used Twin Peaks model, splitting prudential supervision of banks, insurers and major mobile money operators under the Bank of Ghana from a dedicated Financial Conduct Authority handling consumer protection and market conduct, with a Financial Stability Council monitoring risks across the whole system. South Africa already runs a version of this model, with its Prudential Authority overseeing soundness and a separate Financial Sector Conduct Authority handling conduct.

Atuahene said the goal is not to restrain mobile money’s growth but to make sure “regulation evolves alongside innovation,” calling a smarter, risk based and activity focused framework essential to protecting consumers and preserving Ghana’s long term financial stability.

Tinubu Says Nigeria Making Foundational Economic Progress

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Tinubu Says Nigeria Making Foundational Economic Progress

President Bola Tinubu said Nigeria’s economy is making serious foundational progress despite the pain of reforms his administration has pursued since taking office in 2023.

Tinubu made the comment while receiving a delegation from Deloitte Africa, led by the firm’s Africa chief executive, Ruwayda Redfearn, at the State House in Abuja on Wednesday, a meeting also attended by Finance Minister Taiwo Oyedele and Nigeria Revenue Service chairman Zacch Adedeji. A statement from presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga quoted the president describing the reform process as difficult but worthwhile, saying it had been “a harvester of good things, if implemented well.”

Tinubu did not specify which measures he meant, but his government has pointed to the removal of a longstanding fuel subsidy, the unification of the exchange rate system and a package of tax reforms carried out through the newly established Nigeria Revenue Service as the core of the changes since he took office in May 2023.

Independent data lends some support to Tinubu’s account. Official figures cited by the tax authority show headline inflation, which peaked at 34.8 percent in December 2024, easing to about 15.9 percent by mid-2026, while external reserves have grown from under 4 billion dollars in 2023 to more than 50 billion dollars, aided by the subsidy removal and tighter monetary policy. GDP growth has held near 4 percent over the period, and the naira has stabilized under the unified exchange rate system after a sharp initial devaluation.

The picture remains mixed for many Nigerians. Inflation, though down from its peak, remains in double digits and well above pre reform levels, and roughly a third of the population was estimated to be living in extreme poverty in 2025. Public debt has also risen in naira terms even as the debt to GDP ratio has eased.

Deloitte Africa’s leadership praised the reform effort while stressing more needs to be done to translate the gains into everyday benefits. Deloitte West Africa chief executive Yomi Olugbenro said the foundation had been solidly laid, but that the bigger task now was cascading the reforms down to ordinary Nigerians.

Tinubu urged Deloitte, which reported 74 billion dollars in global revenue in 2025, to expand training and recruitment of young Nigerians as part of any deeper partnership with the government.

New NITA Boss Takes Over Amid Reform Push

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New NITA Boss Takes Over Amid Reform Push

Ghana has named Nana Yaw Amoah-Yeboah as the new head of the National Information Technology Agency (NITA), as government moves to split the agency’s regulatory and commercial functions.

Minister for Communication, Digital Technology and Innovations Samuel Nartey George introduced Amoah-Yeboah as NITA’s new Director-General, succeeding Dr. Mark-Oliver Kevor, who stepped down last month to focus on his re-election bid as the NDC’s Eastern Regional Chairman.

George praised Kevor’s tenure, crediting him with strengthening the National Data Centre and advancing digital government initiatives, work that built on Kevor’s own effort last year to elevate NITA from an agency into a fuller regulatory authority. “We are now transforming NITA from an agency into an authority,” Kevor had said at the time.

George said the new Director-General takes over as government prepares a proposed NITA Act that would separate the agency’s regulatory and commercial functions, a change he said is meant to strengthen governance, improve transparency and position NITA as a more effective regulator of Ghana’s expanding digital economy. He also announced that all payments tied to infrastructure managed by NITA would now go directly to the agency, a move intended to protect public assets and tighten accountability over the country’s digital infrastructure.

George described Amoah-Yeboah as an experienced technology professional with more than a decade in the sector, including work on major government digital transformation projects, and urged him to keep an open door leadership style as the agency evolves.

NITA Board Chair Estelle Akofio-Sowah said she was confident in Amoah-Yeboah’s ability to lead the agency’s next phase and pledged the board’s full support. In his acceptance remarks, Amoah-Yeboah thanked the government for its confidence and pledged to work with the board, management and staff to deliver a secure, innovative and digitally inclusive public service.

EEZZY Foundation Boosts Farmers Day Prize Package

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EEZZY Foundation Boosts Farmers Day Prize Package

The EEZZY Group Foundation has donated a pickup truck, tractor and 20 motorcycles to Ghana’s 42nd National Farmers’ Day awards, adding to a growing list of corporate contributions.

The items were presented at the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) in Accra, and Minister Eric Opoku described the donation as one of the largest corporate contributions toward this year’s celebration, aimed at supporting President John Dramani Mahama’s Agriculture for Economic Transformation Agenda.

Opoku said the 2026 National Best Farmer will receive an enhanced package including the EEZZY donated pickup and tractor, a GH¢1.2 million cash prize committed by the Agricultural Development Bank, a longstanding sponsor of the award, along with assorted modern farm inputs and equipment. He said two other corporate partners had already donated additional pickup trucks, bringing the total secured for this year’s awards to three, alongside a 50 seat bus for the country’s best senior high school in practical agriculture.

“When agriculture goes wrong, nothing else in this country can go right,” Opoku said, stressing the sector’s importance to national food security.

Opoku said every donation received last year reached its intended farmer beneficiaries, and pledged the same this year. He added that the National Farmers’ Day Planning Committee, chaired by John Dumelo, would soon publish official bank account details for individuals and organizations wishing to contribute, with the Ministry set to publicly account for all cash and in kind donations once the fundraising drive closes.

The EEZZY Group Foundation’s support for Farmers’ Day follows a similar contribution from Development Bank Ghana, which donated a tractor for the award scheme in November 2025, and comes weeks after EEZZY separately committed GH¢800,000 to support Team Ghana’s preparations for the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

This year’s National Farmers’ Day, themed “Our Farmers, Our Food, Our Future,” will be held in Sunyani, the Bono Regional capital, on December 4, preceded by a five day National Agricultural Fair from November 30, organized in partnership with Agrihouse Foundation. The Ministry has approved 32 national award categories spanning crop production, livestock, fisheries, cocoa, research and other areas of the sector.

Iran Retaliates Striking Pentagon Bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan

Abayomi Azikiwe
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Iran Retaliates Striking Pentagon Bases in Bahrain, Kuwait and Jordan

During the funeral of the martyred Supreme Leader attended by tens of millions, United States President ordered the bombing of coastal areas

Geostrategic Analysis

Just weeks after the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the US government and the Islamic Republic of Iran, President Donald Trump resumed the bombing of this West Asian state.

Since April 7 when the administration in Washington claimed it would seek a peace agreement with Tehran, Iran has been viewed internationally as the victor in the war which was launched by the US along with its closest ally in Tel Aviv.

During the opening hours of the unprovoked attacks on February 28, the Ayatollah Sayyed Ali Khamenei and members of his family were killed. Also, an elementary school in the southern region of Iran at Minab was bombed by Pentagon warplanes killing more than 175 children.

Despite these atrocities and more, the Islamic Revolution Guard Corps (IRGC) has been able to wage a defensive campaign against the occupation state of Israel along with US military forces which are scattered throughout West Asia. The strategic Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s most important shipping routes, has become a pivotal area in determining the status of the international economy.

The funeral of the martyred Supreme Leader was attended by an estimated 47 million people in both Iran and neighboring Iraq. People from throughout Iran celebrated the life of Khamenei while pledging to avenge his targeted assassination.

During the summit of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) in Turkiye in early July, Trump spoke disparagingly regarding the Islamic Republic. In the wave of strikes which came during and after the NATO gathering, the Pentagon bombed civilian infrastructure along with imposing another blockade against Iranian ports in the Persian Gulf region.

In subsequent days additional provocations were carried out by the US. These airstrikes and continuing threats were in line with the comments made by the president at the NATO summit where he berated other members of the alliance for not joining the Washington-Tel Aviv war against Iran.

The Memorandum of Understanding between Iran and the US was designed to include Lebanon where Tel Aviv has been bombing for several months. Civilians have been killed in Beirut and other cities under the guise of eliminating the Hezbollah resistance forces which have been active particularly in the southern rural areas.

The White House had falsely stated that the pause in fighting after April 7 when Trump had threatened to eliminate Iran as a civilization, did not include Lebanon. Moreover, the MoU did not include any direct involvement by the occupation regime in Palestine. Consequently, the struggle for the liberation of Palestine and other states throughout the West Asia region is by no means over.

Inside of Palestine, the genocidal onslaught has continued as well. Official figures say that in excess of 73,000 people have been killed in Gaza. Others are still being forced from their homes in the West Bank by settlers, soldiers and other security forces.

In response to these attacks, the Iranian state media outlet Press TV noted that:
“The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) and national army have announced a series of missile and drone strikes against US military positions across Kuwait, Bahrain, and Jordan, describing the attacks as retaliation for American strikes on Iranian territory. The IRGC issued multiple statements early Wednesday detailing the destruction of key US military infrastructure, including a Patriot air defense complex, a satellite communications center, and HIMARS rocket launch platforms in Kuwait. The attacks were carried out under ‘Operation Nasr 2’ in the IRGC’s ‘seventh wave’ of retaliation.” (https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2026/07/15/772286/Impact-footage-captures-Iranian-strikes-on-US-assets-in-Persian-Gulf-)

The Trump administration remains in a quagmire. Since the failure of Washington and Tel Aviv to overthrow the Iranian government, they are faced with a situation of having to admit defeat or to carry on the military strikes in hopes of weakening Tehran.

As it relates to diplomatic solutions to the present situation, the State Department has proven incapable of settling disagreements in a peaceful manner. Although the White House claims that it has resolved numerous geopolitical conflicts and wars around the world, in reality the international situation remains contentious largely due to the actions of Washington and Tel Aviv.

Regional Warfare Has Global Implications

Iran has been able to regionalize the resistance to the role of imperialism and zionism in West Asia. With the closing of the Strait of Hormuz resulting in the sharp escalation in the price of energy resources and other commodities, Tehran is demonstrating its strategic strength in the defense of its revolution and its allies throughout the region.

The objective of imperialism in the present conjuncture is to maintain dominance across West Asia through the destabilization of the Axis of Resistance. This anti-imperialist and anti-zionist coalition spans from occupied Palestine to Lebanon, Iraq, Iran and Yemen. There are other forces with similar political ideals as the Axis within countries where the state is dominated by regimes which firmly remain within the western camp.

Governments such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Syria and Jordan are clearly within the orbit of western imperialism. However, there are many working people within these states whose sympathies remain with the Resistance forces. The liberation of Palestine and the removal of the zionist and imperialist threats against the masses of people within the region would constitute a major advancement in forging peace and qualitative development on a world scale.

Iran has stated in the latest phase of this anti-imperialist war that it will continue its vigorous defense of its people and their revolutionary process. According to Press TV:
“The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) says it has launched the third wave of Operation Nasr-2 against US military facilities in Bahrain and Kuwait in retaliation for renewed US aggression against Iranian coastal military positions. In a statement on Tuesday evening, the IRGC said naval and aerospace units carried out a coordinated missile and drone attack under the code name ‘Ya Zain al-Abidin.’ It also warned that continued US military action would prevent the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and halt regional oil and gas exports. According to the statement, the strikes destroyed several warehouses storing weapons and parts for enemy naval vessels and aircraft at Bahrain’s Sheikh Isa base. The IRGC also said it targeted the MQ-9 drone deployment ramp at Kuwait’s Ali Al Salem Air Base, destroying or damaging several drones. The operation was conducted ‘in response to the aggression carried out this afternoon by the child-killing US army’ against several Iranian armed forces coastal stations, it added.” (https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2026/07/14/772257/IRGC-pounds-US-military-facilities-Bahrain-Kuwait-warns-oil-exports-at-risk)

The Trump administration is facing the upcoming midterm elections amid high rates of disapproval. Economic issues remain uppermost in the minds of the majority of working people in the U.S. where inflation fueled by imperialist war has negatively impacted the cost of living.

In regard to security issues, opposition to the large-scale deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) agents on the streets of the U.S. has been a cause of great consternation throughout the country. The recent killings of civilians by ICE and CBP has prompted mass demonstrations in Texas and Maine.

Under the threat of losing control of the House of Representatives and Senate in the November elections, the White House has threatened to place greater restrictions on voting rights in numerous states. In the South, the MAGA interests controlling state legislatures have redrawn districts in efforts to ensure the continued domination of their political tendency within the Republican Party. If electoral campaigns failed to reverse the far-right trajectory of Congress, there could very well be an upsurge in mass demonstrations and other forms of resistance to the Trump program.

Senate Democrats Block National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)

New York Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer led a coalition of Democratic lawmakers in opposing the approval of the NDAA citing the continuing illegal war against Iran. The Senate and the House of Representatives have passed War Powers Resolutions in regard to the unauthorized attacks on the Islamic Republic.

The White House has ignored opposition to the Iran war which has grown in both Houses of Congress. Numerous Republican members of Congress realize the danger posed by the Trump administration by continuing its war against Iran.

Al Mayadeen emphasized the divisions within the Senate saying:
“Republicans sharply criticized Democrats for blocking the legislation, which would authorize approximately $1.15 trillion in defense spending for the upcoming fiscal year in line with the administration’s proposed budget. The bill also includes pay raises for US service members, as well as funding for new unmanned weapons systems and counter-drone technologies that military leaders say are essential for future conflicts. Ahead of the vote, Senate Majority Leader John Thune accused Democrats of politicizing the measure. ‘Democrats have allowed the politics of obstruction to determine so many of their actions for the last year and a half,’ Thune said. ‘I certainly hope that Democrats won’t now put politics ahead of support for our men and women in uniform.’” (https://english.almayadeen.net/news/politics/senate-democrats-block-ndaa-as-schumer-protests-trump-s-war)

These debates illustrate the necessity of eliminating the Pentagon budget. Working and oppressed peoples in the U.S. are suffering from job losses, inflation, state-sanctioned violence and racist political policies while trillions are being wasted on wars which cannot be won by imperialism.

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