Hi Global Recap readers,
This meme is really sticking, isn't it?
It’s like nobody even cares whether the original video of the life-size Mojtaba cardboard cutout was legit or not.
There are so many good ones that it’s hard to choose what to show here…
🇮🇷 IRAN
First Message,
Still Nowhere to be Found
Online rumors claim Supreme Leader Mojtaba Khamenei is in a coma and may have had one or both legs amputated after the Feb. 28 US-Israel strike on the House of Worship. This image plays off the viral “cardboard Mojtaba” meme, which took off after reports that a cardboard cutout was used in his place at a recent allegiance ceremony.
TLDR:
^ Iran teased that its new Supreme Leader would finally make a statement.
^ People waited to finally see him talk.
^ It ended up being a reading of "his statement" on state TV by a presenter.
^ "He" said Hormuz pressure stays and Gulf attacks continue.
^ This only added fuel to theories that a shadowy group of leaders is using Mojtaba’s name to run the Islamic Republic.
^ So the big takeaway was more escalation, not any reset.
Details
Message. "Mojtaba Khamenei" issued his first public message on Thursday, just days after being elevated to the title of "Supreme Leader."
But despite all the anticipation, he never appeared on camera and didn’t deliver the speech himself.
Threats. That said, his message was the following:
Pressure through the Strait of Hormuz would continue.
Attacks on Gulf Arab states could keep going, with talk of opening "other fronts" too.
Rumors. That did not settle the obvious question, which is what shape he's actually in.
Iranian officials have said he was wounded but still active.
For a lot of people online, that more or less confirms their suspicion that he is either dead or badly incapacitated from the Feb. 28 US-Israel strike that killed his father and several close relatives.
President Trump told Fox News Radio that Mojtaba is "probably still alive, in some form."
Power. That is the part that matters. His rise was closely tied to the Revolutionary Guards, and this first message sounded like more of their war footing, not a sign that Tehran is looking for an exit.
Stakes. The Hormuz threat is especially alarming because roughly 20% of the world’s traded oil flows through that narrow chokepoint.
That is a political problem for Trump too.
With the midterms coming up this year, any jump in oil prices could feed inflation and hit hard at the ballot box.
🇷🇺 RUSSIA
Russia's Approved Internet
Member of the State Duma Andrey Svintsov
Click for video
TLDR:
^ Russia is building a "whitelist version" of the internet.
^ Access would narrow to approved sites, apps, and core services.
^ A senior lawmaker said rollout could land within weeks.
^ Moscow got dragged into it last week, with mobile blackouts already hitting 68 regions.
^ Moscow alone lost billions of rubles in five days.
Details
Plan. Russia is rolling out a nationwide "white list" system that would cut the internet down to government-approved websites, apps, and key network nodes.
Andrei Svintsov, a deputy chair on the Duma's information policy committee, said the approved list would include basics like banking apps, marketplaces, mobile operators, email providers, and digital cash registers.
Svintsov said the infrastructure should be fully operational in two to three weeks.
Spread. A connectivity monitoring project says the system is already active in 71 regions, while mobile internet blackouts have hit 68. Moscow got pulled into that zone last week, with some central districts losing service completely and others getting access only to permitted sites.
Cost. One telecom source put the damage from just five days of disruption in the Moscow region at 3-5 billion rubles, or about $37-62 million.
Researchers estimate Russia lost about 1 trillion rubles (~$12.5 billion) in 2025 from intentional throttling, local blackouts, and social media bans.
📌 Context. Russia has already spent years throttling platforms, blocking services, and cutting access during sensitive moments. A whitelist system would go further by turning approved access into the default, not the exception.
🇺🇸 UNITED STATES
Synagogue Attack
in Michigan
Temple Israel in West Bloomfield.
TLDR:
^ A man drove into a Michigan synagogue on Thursday.
^ He got through a hallway before security engaged him.
^ The suspect, a 41 year old naturalized US citizen from Lebanon, ended up dead inside the vehicle.
^ No kids or staff were seriously hurt.
^ The FBI is treating it as targeted violence against the Jewish community.
^ Investigators also found explosives in the suspect's car.
Details
Attack. The crash happened at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield Township, about 25 miles (40 kmz) northwest of downtown Detroit. The man drove into the building and down a hallway before security stopped him.
Casualties. Officials said there were no serious injuries among the people inside, including children and staff at the preschool and family center.
One security guard was hit by the vehicle and taken to the hospital, and 30 officers were treated for smoke inhalation.
The vehicle caught fire inside the hallway, which made the scene harder to sort out right away.
Police said the suspect was found dead in the vehicle, but they were not yet saying whether he was shot by security or died by suicide
"We can't say what killed him at this point. But security did engage the suspect with gunfire."
An alleged photo of Ayman Mohamad Ghazali is circulating online.
Suspect. Officials identified the suspect as Ayman Mohamad Ghazali, a 41 year old who came to the USA in 2011 on an immigrant visa as the spouse of a citizen and gained citizenship in 2016.
Explosives. Law enforcement said they found a large number of explosives in the back of the suspect’s vehicle, which forced a big security perimeter while they checked for more devices.
🇮🇶 IRAQ
Erbil Strike,
Russia Accused
Explosions were seen around Erbil, northern Iraq, where drones hit a base used by British and American forces.
TLDR:
^ Iranian drones hit a coalition base near Erbil Wednesday night.
^ British forces shot down two, but others still got through.
^ UK officials say Russian tactics showed up in the attack.
^ No British troops were hurt, some American troops had minor injuries.
^ It's the third recent strike involving British forces.
Details
Strike. A swarm of Iranian drones hit a coalition air base in Erbil, northern Iraq, on Wednesday night. British forces destroyed two with Lightweight Multirole Missiles, but other drones hit the camp.
Blame. John Healey said Putin's "hidden hand" was behind some Iranian tactics and possibly some capabilities. Lt. Gen Nick Perry said there were definite signs of a Russian link, including drones flying lower to dodge detection.
Injuries. No British soldiers were injured. UK officials said some American troops at the base suffered minor injuries.
Pattern. The Erbil strike was the third recent attack involving British forces, after a drone hit RAF Akrotiri in Cyprus and a missile landed hundreds of yards from UK personnel in Bahrain. Moscow denied giving Iran intelligence support.
Spillover. Iran's new supreme leader warned the USA to close its Gulf bases or face more attacks, while oil climbed to nearly $100 (£75) a barrel. Healey said the UK was discussing extra military options around the Strait of Hormuz.
📌 Context. Iran sold thousands of Shahed one-way attack drones to Russia early in the full-scale war in Ukraine. UK officials say the low flying drone methods seen over Iraq look a lot like what Russia has used there.
