Authored by Naveen Athrappully via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

American businesses signed 98 contracts valued at $170 billion with foreign government buyers during the first nine months of the Trump administration, the Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration (ITA) said in a Sept. 30 statement.

“The record $170 billion in contracts signed with foreign government buyers so far in 2025 vastly surpasses the $12 billion in contracts signed during the same period in 2021,” ITA said.

The contracts are expected to support 589,000 American jobs and ensure $144 billion worth of made-in-USA exports.

“The record-breaking U.S. business wins under President Trump’s leadership reflect an unwavering commitment to rebuilding U.S. industry for the American worker,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said.

“With record business deals abroad, America is strong again, and together with the American worker, President Trump is transforming the U.S. economy, rebalancing our global trade, and restoring America’s place in the world.”

In terms of value, the U.S. aerospace and defense sector inked $153 billion in contracts with foreign government entities, which is expected to keep the American industrial base strong, according to ITA.

Roughly $5 billion in deals have been signed that will strengthen energy security in the country, especially in the oil, gas, and nuclear sectors.

According to ITA, more than $800 million in contracts have been signed in the information technology sector. In the safety and security equipment sector, more than $600 million worth of deals have been entered, thereby countering untrusted tech and unfair tactics of foreign adversaries.

“In the first nine months of the Trump Administration, ITA advocacy has worked tirelessly to win contracts to support hundreds of thousands of American jobs,” said Commerce Undersecretary William Kimmitt.

“We will continue to be an unrelenting advocate around the world in support of American workers.”

The sharp uptick in business performance comes amid concerns about the state of the U.S. economy over the coming months.

In a Sept. 18 statement, think tank The Conference Board said that its leading economic index fell by 0.5 percent in August from the previous month, suggesting a near-term decline in the economy.

This was the largest monthly fall since April, according to Justyna Zabinska-La Monica, senior manager of business cycle indicators at the think tank.

“Overall, the LEI suggests that economic activity will continue to slow. A major driver of this slowdown has been higher tariffs, which already trimmed growth in H1 2025 and will continue to be a drag on GDP growth in the second half of this year and in H1 2026,” Zabinska-La Monica said.

Despite these projections, GDP growth has increased in the recent second quarter, signaling a strengthening of the economy.

In the first quarter of 2025, GDP contracted by 0.6 percent, according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis. However, in the second quarter, the first full quarter under the Trump administration, GDP grew by 3.8 percent, higher than initial estimates of 3 percent.

“America’s economic resurgence under President Trump continues: revised data show even stronger real GDP growth of 3.8 percent in Q2 2025 thanks to the Trump agenda of tax cuts, deregulation, tariffs, and energy abundance,” White House deputy press secretary Kush Desai wrote in an X post on Sept. 25.

A Sept. 24 statement from the Chamber of Commerce said that small business confidence continued to climb in the third quarter, according to a survey of small business owners.

“This quarter’s Index reflects a resilient small business community that’s cautiously optimistic about the economy,” said Tom Sullivan, vice president of small business policy at the chamber.

“But high costs are still holding many back from expanding and investing.”

Among the respondents. 46 percent said inflation was the biggest challenge, while 34 percent blamed the cost of goods and services as the most significant roadblock to expansion.

The economic outlook improved among respondents, with 40 percent saying the U.S. economy was in good health.

In a striking move for an administration that caters to the State of Israel and its American supporters, the FBI has severed its ties with the staunchly pro-Israel Anti-Defamation League (ADL), with Director Kash Patel saying the bureau refuses to team up with “political fronts masquerading as watchdogs.” 

The move comes after the ADL found itself facing a conservative uproar over including the recently-assassinated Charlie Kirk’s Turning Point USA in its “Glossary of Extremism and Hate.” On Tuesday, the ADL announced it was retiring the glossary, a measure that failed to spare the 102-year-old group from an extraordinarily rare rebuke from a senior US official. 

The ADL is a hate group https://t.co/E7SXOajgoU

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 1, 2025

“James Comey wrote ‘love letters’ to the ADL and embedded FBI agents with them – a group that ran disgraceful ops spying on Americans,” wrote Patel on X. “That era is OVER. This FBI won’t partner with political fronts masquerading as watchdogs.” 

Patel’s jab at Comey referred to a speech the then-FBI director gave at the ADL’s National Leadership Summit in 2017, where he declared his “love” for the ADL. He called his previous 2014 speech a “love letter to the ADL,” adding, “from the perspective of the FBI, we’re still in love with you.”

FBI Director James Comey gushing about the ADL in 2014: “If this sounds like a love letter to the ADL, it is, because I intend it so.”

Comey to the ADL in 2017: “We are still in love with you.”pic.twitter.com/cdfHIpH8AM

— Decensored News (@decensorednews) November 2, 2023

As it announced the termination of its controversial 1,000-entry glossary, the ADL didn’t acknowledge any regrets about the content. Instead, the group said it “saw a number of entries intentionally misrepresented and misused,” casting itself as a victim and ignoring those whom the group has vilified as bigots for criticizing the Israeli government.  

Categorized under “Extremism, Hate or Terrorism,” the ADL’s now-deleted entry on Turning Point USA claimed the group had a history of “bigoted statements,” “attract[s] racists” and offers a “vast platform for extremists and far-right conspiracy theorists.” In July, pro-Israel groups and individual were outraged when the Turning Point USA 2025 Student Action Summit gave a platform to the likes of Dave Smith and Tucker Carlson, who condemned Israel’s conduct in Gaza and American interventions in the Middle East on Israel’s behalf, and said Jeffrey Epstein was an Israeli intelligence asset. The Grayzone reported that, after the event, “Kirk was bombarded with infuriated text messages and phone calls from Netanyahu’s wealthy allies in the US, including many who had funded TPUSA.”   

The FBI was taking their “hate group” definitions from ADL, which is why FBI was investigating Charlie Kirk & Turning Point, instead of his murderers … https://t.co/xTAfSY8vqr

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) October 1, 2025

The ADL has long delivered workshops on hate crimes, extremism and antisemitism to not only the FBI but many other law enforcement agencies and police departments across the country. In the past, the ADL has also facilitated programs where American police officers receive training from Israeli officers. That program was paused following significant backlash springing from concerns about the often-heavy-handed tactics employed in Israel, particularly against Palestinians. 

The ADL has also furnished the FBI with data on hate crimes since the 1940s. The group has faced significant criticism for using an expansive definition of an “antisemitic incident” that includes vocal opposition to the political philosophy of Zionism or comparing the actions of the Israeli government to those of Nazi Germany. For example, by counting the slogan “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” as inherently antisemitic, every rally in support of Palestinians has presented an opportunity to pad the numbers and cast antisemitism as a far larger problem than it actually is.  

Where the FBI is concerned, all the data sharing, workshops and alleged embedding of FBI employees at the ADL are a thing of the pst. As Patel told Fox News with a heavy sense of finality, “The FBI formally rejects any partnership with the ADL.”

*  *  *

For Him // For Her // Save the planet

Authored by Victoria Friedman via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said on Sept. 30 that it removed five senior officials from the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), accusing them of weaponizing a now-abolished aviation security watchlist to target innocent Americans.

The department said in a statement that the dismissals were the result of an internal investigation into alleged abuses committed by officials, in relation to the TSA’s “Quiet Skies” program, which was scrapped by the Trump administration in June.

DHS and TSA will be referring the matter to Congress and the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division, DHS added.

The department said that the dismissed officials had “systematically watchlisted and denied boarding to those who exercised their individual rights and resisted mask mandates on airplanes nearly six months after the CDC [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] relaxed its indoor mask mandate.”

Homeland Security added that the TSA had used the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol protests “as an excuse to target several dozen U.S. citizens.”

“These Americans were watchlisted and harassed despite there being no evidence of wrongdoing or illegal behavior,” the department said. “This targeted campaign of harassment continued through June 2021, six months after the events in question, despite no clear or immediate threat to aviation security.”

DHS Secretary Kristi Noem wrote in a Sept. 30 post on X that the TSA had “wildly abused their authority, targeting Americans who posed no aviation security risk under the banner of political differences. President Trump promised to end the weaponization of government against the American people, and we are making good on that promise.”

Quiet Skies

The Quiet Skies program, abolished on June 5, was established by the DHS in 2012 under the Obama administration to ensure that higher-risk passengers are more thoroughly searched before they board commercial aircraft.

Once a passenger was identified and put on the list, he or she would be subjected to more invasive security screening by TSA officers at airports.

Conservatives had criticized the program for allegedly targeting them for their political views, rather than for posing a genuine security risk.

The DHS referenced an earlier internal investigation that found the TSA had conducted surveillance on former congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard—the current director of national intelligence (DNI)—under the Quiet Skies program.

In May 2025, the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee heard from its chairman, Rand Paul (R-K.Y.), that he had received records regarding Gabbard’s placement on the watchlist, which he said confirmed suspicions that she had been surveilled by federal air marshals during domestic flights in 2024.

“I am horrified by the idea that we took a former congresswoman and we are surveilling her and riding on jets with her,” Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) said during the hearing. “I want repercussions to come from this.”

On Sept. 30, the same committee held a hearing to examine the “weaponization of the Quiet Skies Program,” adding new documents to the record. The chairman said in a statement that he welcomed the ending of Quiet Skies, but said more work needed to be done to ensure that the program does not come back in the future with a different name.

“Every official who directed or approved surveillance of Americans for protected speech must be removed from office. Full transparency must become the rule rather than requiring a year of investigation,” Paul said.

Gabbard said via the same statement that the Quiet Skies program “has been used for nearly two decades to target and surveil everyday Americans, violating our constitutional rights and civil liberties, targeting political opponents, and costing taxpayers approximately $200 million per year, all while failing to stop a single terrorist.”

Noem said that the TSA’s critical security functions will be maintained and that the Trump administration “will return TSA to its true mission of being laser-focused on the safety and security of the traveling public. This includes restoring the integrity, privacy, and equal application of the law for all Americans.”

Arjun Singh contributed to this report.

Intel’s stock jumped over 7% Wednesday after Semafor reported the company is in early talks to make chips for longtime rival AMD in its foundry business. AMD shares also ticked higher, up more than 1% on Wednesday – and is up nearly 4% in Thursday trade.

Such a deal would be a major boost for Intel’s relatively new manufacturing arm, which has struggled to attract big customers and has been one of the key reasons Wall Street has had trouble getting behind Intel as an investment.

Analysts say landing AMD would not only validate Intel’s technology but also “send a signal to other chip companies” that the firm can handle large-scale production. AMD, for its part, would be entrusting critical chipmaking to its direct competitor—an unusual move given both companies battle in the x86 PC and server markets.

It remains unclear how much manufacturing AMD would shift from TSMC, its current supplier. Both Intel and AMD declined to comment.

Intel “currently lacks the technology to produce AMD’s most advanced, profitable chips,” Semafor wrote, meaning any potential deal may cover only part of AMD’s manufacturing, and “it is possible that no agreement will be reached.” Some reports suggest the arrangement could even involve a direct investment by AMD, similar to deals struck with other companies. Semafor has also reported Intel is in talks for backing from Apple.

As Tom’s Hardware notes; 

In the past several weeks, Intel has seen a flurry of activity and investments. The United States announced a 9.9% ownership stake in Intel, while Softbank bought $2 billion worth of shares. Alongside Nvidia, Intel announced new x86 chips using Nvidia graphics technology, with the graphics giant also purchasing $5 billion in Intel shares. There have also been reports that Intel and Apple have been exploring ways to work together.

Such a partnership with AMD could validate former Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger’s vision. He had previously expressed interest in building chips for all of the world’s major tech companies, including long-time rival AMD. It’s unknown if AMD is considering a stock purchase similar to Nvidia.

AMD would be a major get for Intel, the latter of which has talked to many companies in a search for foundry customers. Current Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan has suggested the company could stop offering its 18A node entirely if there isn’t enough demand for it.

The news comes as Intel seeks a turnaround under CEO Lip-Bu Tan. Recent backing from the U.S. government, Nvidia, and SoftBank has been seen as a vote of confidence, though Nvidia stopped short of committing to Intel’s foundry. Intel, once dominant in laptop chips, has been “left flat-footed” by Nvidia’s rapid rise in AI.

Intel shares have surged nearly 77% in 2025. Still, doubts persist. As Bernstein’s Stacy Rasgon quipped: “If you aren’t sure they’ll come, don’t build it,” according to IBD.

By Bas van Geffen, Senior Macro Strategist at Rabobank

Searching For Alternative Options

The US shutdown enters another day. Moderates on both sides of the aisle are exploring ways to strike a deal to reopen the government. The senators’ ideas include a shorter stopgap bill than the seven-week extension provided in the bill that was passed in the House of Representatives, combined with possible assurances that Republicans are willing to compromise on health insurance subsidies. These bipartisan discussions have yet to yield any tangible results, though.

Every day Democrats keep the government shut down, the sombrero gets 10x bigger. 🪇

DEMOCRAT SHUTDOWN™️ pic.twitter.com/WzfsvlgTDm

— The White House (@WhiteHouse) October 1, 2025

Incentives are complicating the resolution of this impasse. The shutdown gives the Democrats some leverage, and they hope that their fight to preserve Affordable Care Act subsidies will give them an edge in the midterm elections next year. However, historically, such hostage-taking has often backfired. And the Republicans are already trying to shift the blame to their political opponents. Several government agencies explicitly mention the Democrats as the reason that public services are unavailable.

Aside from that blame game, the shutdown may not be too bad for team Trump, as our US strategist noted yesterday. It allows the administration to lay off civil servants permanently, which Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency sought to achieve in the first months of his term. And, unlike DOGE’s plans, the administration can now put the blame on the Democrats’ refusal to cooperate. White House Press Secretary Leavitt has suggested that these layoffs are imminent.

Markets have mostly shrugged off the government shutdown. US Treasuries ended the day slightly bid, with yields declining about 5bp across the curve, while equities post modest gains. Perhaps the market is not too worried about the economic implications yet, or perhaps the market believes that the Fed is now even more likely to step in, as a protracted shutdown could have ramifications for growth – even though the Fed is now facing another level of difficulty, with official data on the labour market and inflation unavailable until further notice. Chicago Fed President Goolsbee signalled unease with the lack of data, at a time when services inflation showed a renewed pickup.

Meanwhile, Europe is also at a political impasse of its own making. The European Commission has drafted various omnibus bills that aim to address complaints from multiple industries that red tape and regulation are stifling their competitiveness. Member states have set up procedures to fast-track this elimination of regulatory requirements. But, the European Parliament has objected to this omnibus-bill approach, because it clashes with the way the European Parliament operates. 

If procedures and the way of working complicate a simplification drive in the EU, then surely it must be an issue when it comes down to the defense of the continent. 

European leaders have agreed on the need to create a European “drone wall,” but the European Commission has yet to design a detailed plan for the defence system. Commission President Von der Leyen said that the eastern border would be a priority. But that has already led to complaints from Italy’s Meloni, who believes that the southern border should not be forgotten, and France’s Macron, who wants a more comprehensive approach. Will this drone wall get caught in its own red tape? As we noted in yesterday’s daily, power either needs to centralise further or be decentralised again, for Europe to remain responsive to such threats. 

And keep in mind that defensive shields such as this drone wall aren’t a one-off. The wall is not done when the bricks are laid, but it would probably require continuous maintenance and upgrades to stay current and effective. 

As a case in point, recent Russian innovations have increased the efficacy of their missile strikes. Interception rates have dropped as improved flight paths and evasive manoeuvres allow Russian missiles to escape the Patriot air defense systems. That could be a game changer. But so too could be the US’ approval to provide long-range Tomahawk missiles – and intelligence. 

In areas that are squarely within Brussels remit, the Commission is making more advances. The EU’s anti-dumping task force has been announcing new measures almost weekly – albeit on very specific goods and products.

The European Commission is now also looking to amp up protectionist measures for its own steel industry. Brussels is considering halving the current import quota, as well as significantly increasing the tariff rate on foreign steel, “in line with what our American and Canadian partners are doing.”

The additional measures come as European products are also increasingly in the crosshairs of strategic rivals like China. Beijing is shunning European telecom equipment, in favor of its domestic networking equipment. This begs the question why Europe is not doing the same. Warnings about the potential risks of Chinese-made equipment have so far only made a small dent in their use in European infrastructure.

*  *  *

Tesla shares jumped 3.5%, rising to a fresh 2025 high and pushing Elon’s wealth above $500 billion, after the company reported stronger-than-expected third-quarter delivery figures. Deliveries came in at 497,099 vehicles, a 7.4% increase from a year earlier and smashing Bloomberg consensus estimates of 439,612. The numbers also beat the recently-boosted guidance from Goldman and UBS.

The bulk of the growth came from the company’s mass-market lineup: Model 3/Y deliveries reached 481,166, up 9.4% year-over-year and surpassing expectations of 424,828. Deliveries of Tesla’s other models totaled 15,933, representing a 53% jump from the previous quarter but slightly below estimates of 17,184.

On the production side, Tesla built 447,450 vehicles, down 4.8% from a year earlier and just under the consensus of 450,313. Model 3/Y production totaled 435,826, a 1.8% decline but still ahead of forecasts. Production of other models slipped to 11,624, down 13% from the prior quarter.

The strong delivery numbers likely reflect the pull-forward effect ahead of changes in US tax credits. Federal incentives that provided buyers with up to $7,500 for new EVs and $4,000 for used EVs expired on September 30 under new legislation passed by Congress. Tesla and its rivals had been factoring these credits into competitive lease and purchase offers, boosting demand in the final weeks of the quarter.

As we noted a week ago, Goldman recently raised raised both its delivery estimates and price targets into today’s report. UBS analysts also lifted their delivery forecast. “We believe our new forecast is more in line with buy-side expectations in the 470-475k range,” UBS analyst Joseph Spak told clients about a week ago.

Spak also predicted the stock wouldn’t move much as a result of a beat. He continued, “Despite a print that may be inline with buyside expectations, we tend to find the stock does react to beat/misses vs. the headline number.” 

UBS said in their note that a push to take advantage of the tax credit would help delivery numbers: “Strong deliveries in the US as Tesla pushes, and consumers take advantage of, the $7,500 IRA EV tax credit before its expiry at the end of September 2025. We believe 3Q25 could be the highest quarterly US deliveries since mid-2023 and potentially the highest ever. We believe demand is very likely being pulled forward so we’d expect a q/q drop in 4Q25, even if the new “lower cost” Model Y is introduced.”

He also said improved European and China sales, combined with strong delivery growth in Turkey and South Korea, could also help. 

While deliveries beat expectations, investors will be closely watching upcoming earnings results for more clarity on margins, particularly given the production decline and the impact of incentive-driven sales.

Authored by Will Izuchukwu via TheMerkle.com,

Tether has purchased another 8,888 BTC, increasing its total on-chain holdings to 86,335 BTC. At current prices, that’s worth over $9.7 billion, according to CoinMarketCap.

The company, however, claims its real stash is much larger. Tether reports holding over 100,000 BTC along with 50 tons of gold. It has also committed 15,000 BTC into Bitcoin XXI, a treasury management firm focused on Bitcoin strategies.

This steady accumulation shows how Tether is doubling down on Bitcoin as a reserve asset. While most stablecoin issuers remain tied to U.S. Treasuries, Tether is openly diversifying into scarce digital and physical stores of value.

Investment in South American Agriculture

Beyond Bitcoin, Tether has been moving aggressively into traditional hard assets. The company owns 70% of Adecoagro, a major agricultural group in South America.

Adecoagro operates more than 210,000 hectares of farmland across Argentina, Brazil, and Uruguay. The land produces crops, dairy, and bioenergy, giving Tether direct exposure to food production and commodities.

This move highlights a long-term play. Instead of only relying on cash reserves, Tether is positioning itself in sectors that generate real-world value. Owning farmland in some of the most fertile regions of the world aligns with the company’s strategy to hedge against inflation and currency volatility.

A Push Into Hard Assets

This accumulation of Bitcoin, gold, and farmland fits a clear pattern. In May, Tether reported holding 100,000 BTC and 50 tons of gold in reserves. The firm has been public about its desire to move beyond just U.S. Treasuries and money market funds.

For Tether, hard assets mean stability. Bitcoin offers scarcity in the digital realm. Gold provides centuries of recognition as a safe haven. Land, particularly farmland, delivers both security and productive yield. Together, these holdings paint a picture of a company preparing for long-term resilience.

Stablecoin Market Nears $300 Billion

While Tether diversifies reserves, the broader stablecoin market is also expanding fast. According to data shared, stablecoin supply is on track to approach $300 billion.

This growth has been fueled by supportive policies from the new crypto-friendly administration in Washington. Regulators are encouraging integration of stablecoins into global finance, making them a key liquidity tool for crypto adoption.

More issuance means more liquidity. And more liquidity tends to boost trading volumes, DeFi activity, and token valuations. For Tether, which remains the largest stablecoin issuer, this environment provides a strong foundation to expand its influence.

Tether’s Strategy Compared to Rivals

Tether’s approach stands out compared to competitors. Other issuers like Circle focus mainly on short-term Treasuries and cash equivalents. Tether, however, is building a diversified portfolio of both digital and physical assets.

By doing so, it positions itself not only as a financial player but also as a resource-backed institution. This strategy can help protect USDT holders against systemic risks while creating long-term value.

Tether’s CEO has consistently argued that the company does not want to rely solely on the U.S. financial system. The investments in gold and farmland prove this point. The purchase of additional Bitcoin reinforces it further.

 Why It Matters for Crypto Markets

Tether is more than just a stablecoin issuer. With USDT commanding the highest market share in the sector, its balance sheet decisions carry weight for the entire crypto ecosystem.

When Tether buys Bitcoin, it reduces supply on the market. When it invests in farmland or gold, it signals confidence in real-world hard assets. These moves can influence not only investor sentiment but also broader discussions on what makes a reserve truly “stable.”

The stablecoin sector now represents a critical backbone of crypto liquidity. If Tether’s hard asset strategy proves successful, other issuers may follow. That could shift the reserve composition of the entire industry away from being dollar-centric toward more diversified, global holdings.

Tether’s next steps will be closely watched. Will the company continue scaling its Bitcoin reserves past 100,000 BTC? Will it increase gold holdings beyond 50 tons? Could it expand farmland operations to other regions?

For now, the pattern is clear. Tether is building a reserve that blends digital scarcity, natural resources, and financial instruments. The result is a hybrid model, part crypto-native, part old-world stability.

As the stablecoin market edges closer to $300 billion, Tether is ensuring that it remains more than just a liquidity provider. It is positioning itself as a heavyweight treasury with hard assets at its core.

For crypto investors, this strategy underlines a broader message: stability in the future may not come from dollars alone, but from a mix of Bitcoin, gold, and land.

German prosecutors announced in a statement Wednesday that authorities have apprehended three suspected Hamas members who were allegedly procuring weapons “for assassinations targeting Israeli or Jewish institutions.”

The trio has been charged with membership in a foreign terrorist organization and preparing an act of violence endangering the state, in a somewhat rare case, given Hamas does not tend to operate transnationally – especially in moments of direct, intensified war with the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).

However, the three – so far only identified by the first names and last initials, are not Palestinian. Two are said to be German, while the third was born in Lebanon. They are set to appear before a judge on Thursday.

The men identified as Abed Al G, Wael F M and Ahmad I were arrested in Berlin, which notably came a day before Yom Kippur, the holiest day of the Jewish calendar.

CNN has cited a prosecutor statement as saying, “Since at least the summer of 2025 the three have been involved in procuring firearms and ammunition” for Hamas.

Police found “various weapons, including an AK 47 assault rifle and several pistols, and a considerable amount of ammunition.” during raids on their homes during the arrest.

By this statement, it doesn’t appear as if they had yet acquired too big of an arsenal, but the prospect of random acts of terror and the potential for mass shootings by Islamist operatives remains a significant danger to Europe.

Interestingly, Hamas is not claiming responsibility for the alleged attack plot, but has instead denied that these men are its operatives and rejected that it conducts attacks on European soil:

Hamas said in a statement that the allegations against it were “baseless” and aimed to “undermine the German people’s sympathy for the Palestinian people”.

The group added that it had a policy of limiting its activities to what it considers Palestinian territory.

Back in December 2023, German and Dutch authorities arrested four people accused of plotting to attack Jewish institutions in Europe – but in such instances it remains murky whether the plotters were directly members or Hamas or else ‘Hamas-inspired’ or loosely linked.

Hezbollah too, out of Lebanon, is a group which is not known for conducting attacks on an international level, but typically stays confined to south Lebanon or the Mideast region, carrying out anti-Israel operations and missile strikes along the border.

Via The Cradle

The Netherlands’ largest pension fund, ABP, announced Wednesday that it had divested from US manufacturer Caterpillar, citing concerns over the use of its equipment by Israeli forces in Gaza.

ABP, which manages investments on behalf of three million government and education employees, confirmed it had sold its stake worth around $454 million as of late March.

“Our investment approach must ensure good returns while being socially responsible,” the fund said in a statement to AFP.  It added that when companies fail to meet its standards, discussions are held, but “if these do not lead to the desired results, ABP will stop investing in these companies.”

While declining to disclose decisions about individual firms, ABP acknowledged that “the composition of our investment portfolio is evolving, particularly in Israel–Gaza.” AFP said Caterpillar had been contacted for comment but offered no response.

The Dutch fund’s withdrawal came as European institutions were intensifying divestments from companies tied to Israel’s genocide in Gaza and its settlement drive in the occupied West Bank.

In late August, Norway’s $2-trillion sovereign wealth fund – the largest in the world – announced it had excluded Caterpillar and five Israeli banks after an ethics review concluded they were enabling grave violations of international law. 

The Council on Ethics said Caterpillar’s bulldozers and heavy machinery were deployed in “extensive and systematic violations of international humanitarian law,” including the destruction of Palestinian homes and property. 

It stressed that Caterpillar had failed to act against the weaponization of its equipment. The same review led to the exclusion of Hapoalim, Leumi, Mizrahi Tefahot, First International Bank of Israel (FIBI), and FIBI Holdings for underwriting and financing settlement construction, described as a “necessary prerequisite” for sustaining an illegal occupation.

Fund chief Nicolai Tangen described the divestments as “extraordinary measures” taken in response to the worsening humanitarian disaster in Gaza. He noted that exposure to Bet Shemesh Engines – a jet engine manufacturer servicing Israeli warplanes bombing Gaza – had triggered the review. 

President Trump has openly criticized nations and funds that boycott the Texas-based company.

Senator McCormick, an ally of President Trump, urged the White House to consider tariffs and restricting Norway’s access to US markets in response to the Norwegian sovereign wealth fund’s decision to divest from Texas-based Caterpillar https://t.co/3oN1DZMSAa

— Bloomberg (@business) September 5, 2025

Norwegian Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Store called the investment “worrying.” Earlier in August, the Norwegian fund confirmed it had already dropped 11 Israeli companies, underscoring a broader retreat by European investors from firms complicit in Israel’s military campaign and settlement expansion.

Amid UN snapback sanctions targeting Tehran, Europe has also been calling for Iran to curb its missile program, but obviously the country just came under unprovoked Israeli and US attack last June, and launched dozens or possibly hundreds of ballistic missiles on Tel Aviv and other locations in Israel.

“Our missiles will reach the range that they need to,” a military official on behalf the elite Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) has responded, according to Fars news agency.

Deputy commander of the Khatam al-Anbiya Central Military Headquarters, Mohammad Jafar Asadi, indicated Wednesday said Tehran would increase the range of its missiles “to wherever necessary” in order to do whatever it takes to defend the country.

He described further that “with the resources we have, we are 100% ready; however we will not be the first to start a war, but if anyone invades our country we will respond decisively.”

And in particular he responded to European demands to place more limits on the range of its missile arsenal by saying, “I can only say they were wrong” to issue such demands.

Mideast analysts have recently speculated that Israel could be preparing for another attack on Iranian missile and nuclear sites, though Netanyahu is unlikely to want to anger Trump, or engage in any new strikes without his approval. Trump has hailed his ‘truce’ deal which ended the 12-day June war, and probably doesn’t want to jeopardize it.

It’s widely believed that Iranian missiles have a maximum range of 2,000 km, which covers the distance to Israel – Iran’s number one foe – but the Iranians are hinting at increasing this range. For example, missiles launched from the eastern half of the country, which are more protected from Israeli attacks, would of necessity be extended in range.

A recent missile tests suggests that the Iranians are indeed moving forward with extending the ranges of their missiles, as the Washington think tank FDD observes:

Late last week, Iranians took to social media to post pictures and video of what appeared to be the plume, or the high-temperature exhaust gases, of a ballistic missile in flight. The unpublicized nature of the launch by Iranian authorities, coupled with various images of the projectile’s odd trajectory, led to a guessing game as to whether the test failed and what kind of projectile was deployed. Was this an older missile with a poor flight-test track record, a newer missile with a different warhead, a space-launch vehicle (SLV), or, as one parliamentarian alleged, an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM)?

More recent open-source analysis indicates that the launch was an SLV test from a known space launch pad in Semnan province, while the projectile’s white plume points to the use of solid-propellant, a type of fuel for missiles that Israel targeted in the past due to its military utility.

Several angles of the projectile’s flight path, coupled with images of small bursts of smoke seen dotting the sky, hint at a technical malfunction, namely combustion issues. But even a failed test provides Tehran with information about the performance and reliability of its projectiles, while also signaling a continued interest in growing its missile program following the 12-Day War with Israel.

Like Israel, the Islamic Republic is seeking to rapidly replace the firepower it lost due to missile exchanges with Israel this past summer. FDD continues:

Beyond serving as the delivery vehicle for a potential nuclear weapon, Iran’s ballistic missiles play a key role in the Islamic Republic’s defense and security strategy, enabling it to deter and coerce adversaries. According to U.S. intelligence estimates, Tehran has long been home to the largest arsenal of ballistic missiles in the Middle East, most of which are road-mobile and stored in underground bunkers dispersed across Iran. Prior to the 12-Day War, Iran possessed an arsenal of roughly 2,500-3,000 ballistic missiles of various ranges and propellant types, as well as around 300-400 transporter erector launchers (TELs) used to move and fire these weapons.

After the war, Iran’s launchers and missiles were cut by roughly half, with a TEL count now estimated at 150-200, and an overall ballistic missile stockpile of about 1,300-1,500. Recent reports indicate that Iran is undertaking a sustained effort to restore its ballistic missile production facilities that Israel destroyed.

The Europeans led the way to impose snapback sanctions on Iran last week related to its nuclear program, leaving Tehran outraged, and so at this point it has little incentive to conform to Western demands. Instead it has every reason to want to bulk up its missile program, for the next potential round of fighting with Israel, amid continued tensions.

Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Bessent says that Treasury is targeting “Iranian weapons procurement networks that help maintain its ballistic missile and military aircraft program” in new punitive US action.