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Trump's big defeat! Iran has accepted everything in the name of ceasefire, attacks on Gulf countries continue
Special Report: Investigative Journalist Malik Sarfaraz Hussain Awan: The Strait of Hormuz is not yet fully open. Iran has agreed to open the Strait conditionally under the two-week ceasefire agreement. So far, only a few Iraqi and Asian ships have been allowed to pass, while the Strait is not yet fully open for international shipping, especially ships of the United States and its allies. Iran's clear stance is that ships will have to contact Iranian forces and be allowed to pass in a controlled manner. Oil prices are still at high levels, although there has been some reduction after the announcement of the ceasefire. A two-week ceasefire agreement between the United States, Iran and Israel has been reached with the mediation of Pakistan. Iran claims that it has accepted all 10 of its key demands, including lifting sanctions on the IRGC, free oil trade and non-interference in the region. President Trump has called it a “double-sided ceasefire” and said that more talks will take place in two weeks. However, within hours of the ceasefire, confirmed reports of new attacks emerged. An Iranian missile and drone attack on the United Arab Emirates’ Habshan gas complex triggered air defenses. Three major power plants and water desalination plants in Kuwait were attacked, with confirmed damage. Multiple missile alerts were also issued in Bahrain. The Lavan Island oil refinery in Iran was attacked, which Iran claims was carried out by Israel or the US. Israel has continued its attacks in Lebanon and has clearly stated that the ceasefire does not apply to Lebanon. Despite this delicate situation, the Pakistani media is making a big fuss about the ceasefire, calling it a “historic success of Pakistan’s mediation.” Many major news channels and anchors have declared it a diplomatic victory for Pakistan and have created an atmosphere of celebration in their programs. However, the fact is that despite the ceasefire, military and air operations are continuing. Iranian attacks on Gulf countries and Israeli bombing in Lebanon are proof that the ceasefire exists only on paper, there is no peace on the ground. This joy of the Pakistani media is blind to the fact that tensions in the region are still very high and a single spark can turn the entire region into a fireball. This situation reflects that the countries claiming to mediate, including Pakistan, are actually celebrating only a superficial success while the real problems are yet to be resolved. Iran has declared the ceasefire as its victory because it has accepted its main demands, while the US and Israel are calling it a temporary pause. Meanwhile, the Gulf countries are under intense pressure. Their economy depends on oil and the partial closure of the Strait of Hormuz has caused them severe economic losses. The hype being made by the Pakistani media over the success of the mediation is, on the one hand, highlighting the diplomatic efforts of the government, but on the other hand, it is turning a blind eye to reality. The attacks on the Gulf countries within a few hours of the ceasefire are clear evidence that peace is still far away. If the Strait of Hormuz is not fully opened and the attacks continue, this ceasefire will prove to be only a temporary respite. At present, the situation in the region is extremely complex and unpredictable. On the one hand, Iran is claiming victory, while on the other hand, the US and Israel are calling it a temporary strategy. It is the responsibility of the Pakistani media not only to celebrate but also to present the truth to the public. The success of the mediation will be considered real only when the Strait of Hormuz is fully opened, all military operations stop and permanent peace is established in the region. The current situation is that despite the ceasefire, military and air operations continue, the Strait of Hormuz is partially opening and the region is still at risk of a large-scale conflict. The current euphoria of the Pakistani media may soon collide with the harshness of reality.
By Malik Sarfraz Hussain Awanabout 7 hours ago in Journal
Donald Trump's arrogance has been crushed? The real truth behind Iran's victory and Israel's forced ceasefire?
Special Report: Investigative Journalist Malik Sarfaraz Hussain Awan Resident Editor: Daily First Times, Islamabad: A miracle has occurred on the horizon of global politics that has sent shockwaves through halls from Washington to Tel Aviv, and Iran, which has been grinding under the mill of economic sanctions and military threats for decades, has finally forced the president of the world's only superpower, Donald Trump, to his knees. This announcement is a clear announcement of a new world order where no one will have a monopoly anymore because Donald Trump, who came with loud claims of destroying Iran in his second term as president, has finally crashed into Tehran’s iron wall and shattered. Reliable sources are confirming that Trump has accepted all 10 basic conditions of Iran without question, including complete freedom of oil trade, lifting of sanctions on the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps and firm guarantees of non-interference in the Middle East by the United States, which is being called the biggest defeat of Trump’s political life and a great victory of Iran’s unparalleled perseverance.
By Malik Sarfraz Hussain Awanabout 22 hours ago in Journal
Trump's abuse, threats and obscenity: Have the global media and mediators now become only the protectors of Israel's interests?
Special Investigation Report: Malik Sarfaraz Hussain Awan, Investigative Journalist, Social Guardian, Humanitarian, Resident Editor Daily First Times Islamabad The United Nations Security Council has once again failed to issue conventional and limited statements. While the countries that have emerged as mediators around the world are also busy trying to persuade Iran to surrender instead of putting clear pressure on US President Donald Trump’s illegal policies, obscenities, abuses and threats by calling them false and wrong.
By Malik Sarfraz Hussain Awana day ago in Journal
What Makes a Film Feel Real? Inside the Approach of Andreas Szakacs Productions
What makes a film feel real? Not just visually—but emotionally, physically, and psychologically. In an industry often driven by spectacle, where visual effects and scale dominate the screen, some filmmakers are moving in a different direction. They are choosing authenticity over illusion, building stories that feel lived-in rather than manufactured. Among the production companies working within this space is Andreas Szakacs Productions—a London-based independent company focused on realism, human experience, and location-driven storytelling.
By Andreas szakacs3 days ago in Journal
Trump's abuse and insults: A confession of the shameful helplessness of the American superpower in the face of Iran
Special Analysis — Journalist Malik Sarfaraz Hussain Awan: Trump's abuse and vulgar language are making his helplessness and political failure very clear. It is an established fact that when someone has no strength anywhere and fails to control his opponent, he resorts to abuse and insults. Donald Trump has now become a psychopath and this growing disease of his is not only seriously damaging the American state identity but has also led to disrespect for the presidency of the superpower. If we look in the mirror of history, the heads of the great states of the world have always represented the dignity and moral highness of their nation through their language, tone and style of speech. But when the president of a world power publicly resorts to abuse, threats, and vulgar language, it is a clear admission of his political, moral, and diplomatic defeat. Trump's statement about "sending Iran to hell" is not only an insult to religious sentiments, but it also reveals his deep disappointment and frustration. He has failed to subdue a nation that has bravely fought severe economic sanctions, pressure, and hardships for the past several decades. The traditional and limited response of the international organization, the United Nations, to the humanitarian actions of the Trump administration has proven the complete helplessness of this organization. This organization has now fallen below the global level and become the protector of the interests of only a few powerful countries. International laws are enforced only on weak and poor countries, while whenever any concrete action is attempted to be taken against serious crimes against human rights, the United States immediately thwarts it through its veto power. This illegal war imposed by the United States and Israel has now entered a very dangerous phase. The Middle East could turn into a fireball at any moment. The silence of the international community over Israel’s flagrant violation and blatant disregard for international law is clear evidence that the entire region is standing on a powder keg and a spark can ignite the entire region. Other countries in the region also seem to be busy trying to convince Iran to surrender to Trump in the name of limited and safe diplomacy. They are unable to put any pressure on the US President and Israeli interests. This regional hypocrisy is actually the result of fear, weakness and self-interest, where instead of stopping aggression, the oppressed are being advised to bow down. At the same time, Amnesty International and other international human rights organizations also seem to be limited to traditional condemnation. When children are separated from their parents in war zones, hospitals are bombed, and civilians are targeted, the limited and ineffective actions of these organizations cast a big question mark on their existence. By claiming to push Iran to hell in his threats, Trump is as if considering himself the master of heaven and hell. However, followers of all religions know very well who is the real master of heaven and hell and who will make the final decision on the future of mankind. This president, who claims to be a god in subdued words, today holds the most important position in America, whose abusive and indecent statements are creating intense hatred and anger all over the world. America has now become a former superpower that has lost its moral superiority and is now trying unsuccessfully to control the world only through economic terrorism, sanctions, and pressure. Depriving ordinary citizens of medicine, food, and basic necessities is a serious crime against humanity. The American people and the world should get rid of a mentally ill and semi-crazy person like President Trump and take practical steps to promote true humanitarian compassion, justice, and peace on a global scale. If this is not done, his policies will have extremely dangerous and worrying consequences. Because of Trump, many countries in the world are under severe economic pressure, where people are burning in the flames of war on one hand and dying from lack of basic necessities on the other. This destruction is not limited to humans alone, but due to Trump's war and economic measures, animals, birds, trees, water sources, forests, and the entire global ecosystem are also being subjected to silent massacre. The lust for wars has put the entire ecosystem of the earth in grave danger. If the whole world still remains limited to political statements and traditional condemnation and fails to put real pressure on Trump, the dream of world peace will be shattered forever.
By Malik Sarfraz Hussain Awan3 days ago in Journal
Wanted!
Fargo, North Dakota. Want ad. October 2025 Wanted: Crimes. Specifically, fraud cases. We require that the perps never entered the State, never committed the specified crimes, whose social media account’s activity suggests suspicious activity related to crafting and cooking. The accused must be over the age of 55 and on Social Security. Our preference is for anyone who may be described as “little, old.”
By Alexandra Grant4 days ago in Journal
Fifth week of US and Israeli attacks on Iran: Tensions rise further
(Writing and analysis: Journalist Malik Sarfaraz Hossein Awan) The fifth week of the ongoing US and Israeli military operation against Iran has ended today. The US Central Command (CENTCOM) today released video of airstrikes targeting drones, tanks and missile launchers in Iran. These attacks resulted in massive explosions in the central Iranian city of Isfahan, where thick smoke was seen rising. In addition, attacks were also carried out near the international airport in the city of Mashhad. US President Donald Trump, addressing the nation, said that the US is close to achieving its strategic goals against Iran. He announced that severe attacks on Iran will continue in the next two to three weeks and said, "We will send them back to the Stone Age where they belong." Trump also said that countries shipping oil through the Strait of Hormuz needed to show courage. The Iranian military responded quickly, threatening "devastating, widespread and more severe" attacks. Immediately after Trump's speech, Iran fired a large number of missiles towards Israel. Explosions were heard in Tel Aviv and other areas. Israeli air defense systems intercepted most of the missiles, but missile debris injured at least 5 to 14 people near Tel Aviv. It was the largest missile barrage from Iran on Israel in recent weeks. Iran also launched missile attacks on Gulf countries. Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia disabled several missiles. A fire broke out at an airport in Kuwait, which was extinguished. Iranian officials said their military capabilities were still there and they would take "more devastating" actions in response. According to confirmed figures so far, at least 2,076 people have been killed and 26,500 injured in the US and Israeli attacks in Iran. Iran has rejected any request for a ceasefire and said that the fighting will continue until the US and Israel withdraw. Analysis: Situation Overview and Possible Outcomes Today’s developments once again bring the complexity of the entire conflict to the fore in a bloody reality. Imagine smoke rising in the streets of Isfahan, people fleeing their homes, and sirens blaring at Mashhad airport. US President Trump’s address is not only a declaration of military confidence, but also a message that demonstrates his determination to completely weaken Iran. But the Iranian military’s swift and powerful response suggests that this war is far from over. Iran’s missile attacks on Israel and the Gulf countries are an example of a lively response that shows that despite technological superiority, subduing regional powers is not as easy as it seems. This situation is igniting a dangerous fire for regional stability. While the US and Israel claim to have achieved their strategic goals, the threats of further attacks on Israel by Iran’s proxy forces, especially the Houthis in Yemen, are dragging the entire Middle East into a wider circle. Oil prices are skyrocketing, the shadows of a recession are deepening in global markets, and millions of families are being affected. The pain of human losses is not just in the numbers, but in the cries of every injured child, the tears in the eyes of every martyred mother. Behind the 2,076 deaths and 26,500 injuries, there are thousands of stories that can never be told. Military experts say that if this fighting continues for two to three weeks, the pressure on Iran’s economy will be unbearable. The threat of a closure of the Strait of Hormuz could affect global oil supplies, which could shake the economies of Europe, Asia, and the United States. China and Russia are still silent, but if this conflict escalates, they could also come to the fore, which could change the balance of global powers. Iran’s military capability is not yet completely exhausted. It still has missiles, drones, and underground facilities that give it the power to fight a long war. On the other hand, the American and Israeli leaderships are also facing internal pressure. The American public is feeling war fatigue, while the barrage of missiles in urban areas in Israel is spreading fear. This war is not only military but also psychological and economic. If a diplomatic solution is not found immediately, this regional crisis could turn into a world war. This situation teaches us a harsh lesson that when the use of force is excessive, its consequences are always disastrous. The Iranian nation still has the courage to resist, while the United States and Israel will also have to take care of their own goals as well as human lives. The international community must intervene immediately. The United Nations, the European Union, and the Arab League must work together to develop a peace plan to prevent further bloodshed. The situation is changing rapidly. New news is coming in every hour. If this fighting continues, it will change not only the geopolitics of the Middle East but the entire world. Restoring peace now requires not just words, but urgent action.
By Malik Sarfraz Hussain Awan6 days ago in Journal
The flames of war flared up in the Middle East: Trump’s adventures and Gulf contradictions have brought the world to a dangerous turning point
(Special Report: Journalist Malik Sarfaraz Hussain Awan) The Middle East is currently sitting on the worst and most dangerous gunpowder pile in history, where even a small spark can turn the peace and economy of the entire world into a pile of ashes. Donald Trump’s unpredictable foreign policy and American adventures in the Gulf region have so badly disturbed the traditional balance of the region that the flames of war are now crossing the borders and reaching the safest havens of the Gulf countries. The dramatic military and diplomatic developments in recent hours are clear evidence that this crisis is no longer just a regional conflict, but has emerged as a deadly poison for the global economy and security. The biggest and most horrific news has come from the United Arab Emirates, where the UAE Ministry of Defense has officially confirmed that its advanced air defense system destroyed 16 ballistic missiles and 42 drones launched by Iran in the air. Iran has mainly targeted industrial and military areas in Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Although the air defense prevented a major disaster by thwarting this major attack, debris and direct attacks have still caused heavy explosions in densely populated areas of Dubai and industrial zones in Abu Dhabi. Iran has specifically targeted the aluminum industry, damaging the Emirates Global Aluminum plant in Abu Dhabi and injuring employees working there. According to the Ministry of Defense, so far, two UAE military personnel, a Moroccan contractor working for the military, and eight civilians from Pakistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Palestine, and India have been killed in these attacks, while a total of 178 people from different countries have been injured. The decision of Yemen’s Houthi rebels to enter regular war has added fuel to the fire. Houthi spokesman Yahya Saree confirmed in his official statement that they have fired drones, including ballistic and cruise missiles, targeting Israel’s southern and sensitive military sites. This move by the Houthis will expand the scope of this war to the strategic routes of the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab. About 12 percent of the world’s trade passes through these sea routes. If the Houthis start targeting global shipping like in the past, the international energy market and supply chain will be completely paralyzed, resulting in exorbitant inflation and economic collapse on a global scale. If we look behind the scenes of all these serious military adventures, the biggest root is the open contradiction and double standards of the US Gulf policy. On the one hand, the US sings the tune of peace and security in the Middle East, and on the other hand, it keeps the region in a state of constant instability to protect its own economic and military interests. Due to this expediency, the Gulf countries are now realizing that the US umbrella is no longer a guarantee of their complete protection, and shells and missiles are now raining down on their own territory in the war for US interests. On the other hand, Israel and the US have not sat silent either. The Israeli Air Force has targeted and destroyed the Iranian Ministry of Defense factory in Tehran, which was manufacturing parts for ballistic missiles. In addition, Iran’s largest steel plants in Isfahan and Ahvaz have been bombed. The US Pentagon and the Israeli military are jointly targeting Iran’s defense and industrial infrastructure, and the US Air Force has carried out heavy bombing of Iranian coastal cities and naval installations near the Strait of Hormuz in the past 24 hours in an attempt to cut off Iran’s supply line. In view of this extremely worrying and terrifying situation, a very important four-nation emergency meeting has begun in the Pakistani capital, Islamabad. The foreign ministers of Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Turkey are sitting together in Islamabad to find a middle way to reduce the dangerous tension in the Middle East. Pakistan is currently trying to play the role of a bridge between the US and Iran through back-channel diplomacy, because Islamabad knows very well that if the fire of war spreads further in the Gulf and the Middle East, its heat will directly burn Pakistan’s fragile economy and energy needs to ashes. The bottom line is that Donald Trump's personal adventures and the US administration's contradictory Gulf policies are now becoming unbearable for the world. This contradiction is a stain on the forehead of the global economy and peace that is gradually pushing the entire world towards a great war. Now is the time for the international community to abandon its traditional silence and expediency and raise its voice against these contradictions, otherwise history is a witness that when economic and political greed exceeds limits, then nothing but destruction is achieved.
By Malik Sarfraz Hussain Awan10 days ago in Journal
The Cost of Global Hegemony: An Analytical Study of Human Costs Since 1492. AI-Generated.
The story began in 1499 when an Italian explorer set foot on the continent that we now call America. This so-called discovery proved to be a great human tragedy for the original inhabitants, as the ruthlessness with which indigenous civilizations were wiped out in the struggle for resources is a sad chapter in history. The foundation of the American continent was laid on the desecration of innocent people who were targeted simply because they were an obstacle to the economic goals of the colonial powers. During various periods of European colonialism, millions of indigenous people living there were eliminated through forced evictions and systematic operations in order to lay the foundation for a new state. When independence was declared in 1776, its benefits were limited to a select few, while for the indigenous population and the millions of people who were forcibly brought in, these chains became even tighter. The policies adopted by the American state to expand its borders wiped out every nation and civilization in its path. From the beginning of the twentieth century, this state began to go beyond its borders and intervene from the Philippines to Cuba, the sole purpose of which was to protect its economic interests. At the end of World War II, when the world was looking for peace, the nuclear attacks on Hiroshima and Nagasaki proved that any human limit can be crossed in the pursuit of power. This was the turning point from which this state established its role on the global stage, which plunged the world into the fire of constant conflict. In the name of the Cold War, the entire world was divided and dozens of countries were turned into laboratories. More than three million human lives were lost in the Korean War, while the operations that continued for fifteen years in Vietnam not only targeted humans but also devastated the land there with toxic chemicals. Behind all these measures lies the interest of the arms manufacturing industries, which can only thrive in the event of confrontation. This is why, in the last eight decades, there has hardly been a year when this state has not been directly or indirectly engaging in some kind of adventure in some region. These attacks have always been presented in the attractive words of “democracy and freedom” to appease the global conscience, but now it is time to bring the facts to the world that this system itself has become the biggest challenge to world peace.
By Malik Sarfraz Hussain Awan19 days ago in Journal
Deserts of Silence: Bangladeshi Women Trapped in Libya’s Torture Market
By Tuhin Sarwar | March 14, 2026 The arid deserts of Libya and the vast, restless Mediterranean conceal a world of horror where Bangladeshi women are treated as mere commodities. Dreams of Europe fade under the weight of exploitation, with 14-year-old girls facing systematic gang rape, and desperate women forced to trade their bodies for a single glass of clean water. This normalized “business model” of sexual slavery has persisted, unchecked, over the last five years, leaving thousands of lives scarred and countless graves unmarked.
By Tuhin Sarwar26 days ago in Journal










