Sunday, January 18, 2026
Home Blog Page 1192

Ancient relics dating back 3k years found in Hamedan, western Iran 

Javad Khodamoradi commander of the security unit of the department said the relics were found by a person who owns a garden in the area by accident.

According to Khodamoradi, the ancient relics include 7 earthenware dishes and 3 bronze dishes which are not broken and 7 other earthenware dishes that are broken.

He added that the pieces date back 3 thousand years. He noted that most of the dishes have no adornments.

Khodamoradi further thanked the citizen who handed over the ancient relics to authorities.

Former Iran FM Zarif: Israel’s own-made image of invincibility shattered after Hamas attack

Javad Zarif

He was speaking in an interview with Entekhab news website. Zarif added that the reason why Israel wages brutal wars on others including the conflict in Gaza is that the regime wants to preserve the image of invincibility it has built of itself since its creation in the West Asian region.

The former Iranian foreign minister however noted that the October 7 attack on Israel by Hamas has shattered the image and, as acknowledged by senior US analyst Thomas Friedman, Israel will never become what it was before the Hamas attack.

Zarif further warned of Israel’s plot to drag Iran and Hezbollah into the war, saying such a scenario is Israel’s biggest wish.

He said Israel has suffered a defeat at the hands of Palestinian resistance groups and it is now pinning its hope on Iran and Hezbollah waging war on Tel Aviv, in which case, Israeli believes, the US will enter the war as well.

Asked if the so-called two-state solution for the Middle East crisis is still alive, Zarif said Israel will never accept it, adding that Biden’s push for the two-state solution will also be futile.

He further spoke about Russia’s take on the Gaza crisis. He said Russia is not playing a negative role in this regard but it has benefited from the conflict in Gaza.

He noted that Russia has always been a supporter of Israel and that the former Soviet Union was the first country to recognize Israel.

He also pointed to the situation in Ukraine. The former foreign minister said in Ukraine, Iran suffered a blow from Russia.

According to Zarif, the Russians received drones from Iran and revealed it, which was dangerous for Tehran.

Iran urges global community to stop Israeli crimes against Gaza

Nasser Kana'ani

Speaking at a weekly press conference on Monday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Nasser Kanaani said the Zionist regime “brazenly” bombards hospitals and puts them under a siege, but the world shows no reaction.

“It is the responsibility of the world to take action against the unbridled regime which is committing horrible crimes … with impunity under the international support provided by the US government at the [UN] Security Council,” he added.

“We hope that the world will come to its senses and not allow the continuation of the crimes, take heed of the cry of the oppressed people of Gaza, and take practical action.”

Kanaani also urged the Security Council to put pressure on the Israeli regime over the use of unconventional weapons and phosphorus bombs in Gaza.

Israel waged the bloody war on the Gaza Strip on October 7 after Hamas carried out a surprise operation against the occupying entity.

Since the start of the aggression, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 11,180 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children, and injured about 28,200 others.

It has also imposed a “complete siege” on the coastal sliver, cutting off fuel, electricity, food and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there.

Also in his remarks, Kanaani stated that the Zionist regime has obstructed the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza and that donor countries have not been able to deliver aid to the Palestinians.

“Most of the aid is stored in Egypt and its amount is like a drop in the ocean based on the statistics provided by global sources. This shows that all humanitarian principles and rules are being violated by the regime,” he noted.

The Iranian diplomat emphasized that the Islamic Republic believes in the formation of “a unified Palestinian government from the [Jordan] River to the [Mediterranean] Sea.”

He also reiterated Iran’s diplomatic solution to the Palestine issue which includes holding a referendum so that all Palestinian citizens can decide the fate of their country.

Referring to Saturday’s Joint Arab Islamic Extraordinary Summit on Gaza in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, the spokesperson said that the meeting indicates Iran’s “successful” efforts to mobilize regional and Arab-Muslim countries regarding the Palestine issue.

Iran’s four main priorities include ending the war, lifting the siege, opening humanitarian corridors, and dispatching humanitarian aid to Gaza, as well as confronting Israel’s coercive measures and forced displacement of the Palestinian people, he expounded.

Commenting on Washington’s anti-Iran allegations about recent attacks targeting American occupation bases in the region, Kanaani added the US should pay attention to its own “unacceptable” actions in support of Israel instead of making accusations.

“We have declared many times that neither resistance groups in the region take orders from Iran, nor do we give them orders,” he asserted.

He also highlighted a “contradiction” in the US behavior, saying Washington is sending messages claiming that it is not looking to expand the war while it is practically standing by the Zionist regime and preventing the adoption of a UN resolution to end the war.

Gaza war costing Israel $260mn per day: Report

Gaza War

Israel’s war on Gaza has become “more expensive … than first predicted”, putting a strain on Tel Aviv’s public finances, Bloomberg reported on Sunday.

The Israeli finance ministry announced plans to borrow 75 percent more in November than last month as it has already seen the war inflict an economic toll of almost $8 billion, the report said.

The Netanyahu regime, it added, is increasingly turning to bonds to pay for the Gaza onslaught.

Israel’s offensive against Gaza has sent shockwaves through its $488 billion economy and disrupted thousands of businesses in the occupied territories.

However, Netanyahu stated Israel will be paying “whatever economic price this war exacts on us”.

Israel’s budget deficit ballooned more than sevenfold from 3.1 billion shekels in October 2022 to 22.9 billion shekels this October.

The Israeli finance ministry cautioned that the “abnormal” deficit is due to a “significant” increase in expenses since October 7, when Israel waged the bloody war on Gaza after Hamas carried out a surprise operation against the occupying entity.

In the coming months, Israel is expected to spend billions of shekels in the payment of military reservists, and the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of settlers from the areas near the Gaza border and their relocation.

Last month, the shekel fell for its longest sustained period in 40 years to an 11-year low.

Since the start of the aggression, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 11,200 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly women and children, and injured about 28,200 others.

It has also imposed a “complete siege” on the coastal sliver, cutting off fuel, electricity, food and water to the more than two million Palestinians living there.

IRGC commander: Gaza war spillover likely; Iran ready for all scenarios

Amirali Hajizadeh

Amir Ali Hajizadeh made the remarks on Monday on the sidelines of a ceremony to commemorate the 12th martyrdom anniversary of Hassan Tehrani Moqaddam, a general known for his relentless efforts to develop Iran’s missile program.

“The war has been expanded, and Lebanon is also involved. The extent of conflicts may increase even more…but Iran is ready for all circumstances,” he said.

He added the Americans are not a threaten to Iran, citing recent messages they sent to the Islamic Republic which he said used the “language of request.”

Iran is the top power in the region and no one is capable of threatening it, the top IRGC commander asserted.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian said last week that Tehran has received a new message from Washington claiming that the US seeks a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

“The Americans … delivered a message to us in the past three days (claiming) that they are after ceasefire and have carried out efforts in this regard,” said Amirabdollahian, adding that “they, however, back mass killing and genocide” of people in Gaza.

Elsewhere in his remarks, Hajizadeh said the Palestinians’ victories cannot be overshadowed by Israel’s criminal operations, adding that the regime’s onslaught in Gaza is now an international issue.

He emphasized that all nations across the world are now aware of the Tel Aviv regime’s criminal nature and its atrocities as repeatedly called out by Iranian officials over the past 40 years.

“The child-killing nature and the depth of the Israeli regime’s crimes are now clear to all but it will not survive for a long time,” the IRGC commander added.

He lauded the Palestinian fighters’ “big strategic victory” in the face of the Israeli regime.

“This victory will not be annihilated at all through the Zionist regime’s tactical measures and criminal operations as well as the martyrdom of children,” Hajizadeh stated, stressing that the Palestinian people would achieve a final definite victory.

Israel waged the bloody war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas launched Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity.

The Palestinian death toll from Israeli strikes on the Gaza Strip has climbed to 11,180, including 4,609 children and 3,100 women. More than 28,000 others injured in the regime’s military onslaught so far.

At least 22 hospitals and 49 health centers have ceased operations in Gaza due to Israeli attacks and a shortage of fuel needed to operate power generators.

Ukraine hoping for Zelensky-Trump call: Report

Trump and Zelensky

An individual close to Zelensky’s office reasoned that Trump, as the de facto 2024 presidential nominee for the Republican Party, effectively controls the flow of foreign aid to Ukraine, since Republicans hold the majority in the House of Representatives and the House has been responsible for blocking the White House’s efforts to continue funding the Ukrainian conflict.

Zelensky’s cabinet “understands this, and therefore is trying to organize a direct conversation between Trump and Zelensky,” the source told Strana.

Trump publicly turned down a previous invitation from Zelensky to visit Kiev earlier this month, explaining that he was concerned it would be “inappropriate” to go to Ukraine as Zelensky was currently “dealing with” Trump’s successor and 2024 rival, President Joe Biden, and Trump “would not want to create a conflict of interest.”

The Ukrainian president had issued the invitation publicly as a challenge to Trump regarding the latter’s boast that he could end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine in just 24 hours if reelected president in 2024. Zelensky in turn declared that if Trump would just come to Kiev, he would need just 24 minutes to convince the American that “he can’t manage this war. He can’t bring peace because of the [Russian President Vladimir] Putin.”

While Zelensky at the time praised Biden for coming to visit, the Democrat’s reelection in 2024 is anything but certain, with polls showing Trump pulling further and further ahead of his rival despite the Republican’s legal troubles. Dozens of felony charges against Trump could potentially put him behind bars for six lifetimes – a fact he has not hesitated to use for fundraising purposes.

After sending over $75 billion to Ukraine over the last two years, the US has nearly exhausted the funds it set aside for the conflict, and a growing faction in Congress is eager to draw the line at any further aid to Kiev.

Biden’s proposed $100 billion national security package – which included $61.4 billion earmarked for Ukraine – flopped in Congress last month when House Speaker Mike Johnson demanded separate bills to fund the conflicts in Ukraine and Israel.

Iran executes three for terrorist bomb blasts in southeast

Iran Prison

Chief Justice of Sistan and Baluchestan Province Ali Mostafavi-nia said the three death-row convicts, named Mohammad Barahouei, Mohammad Karim Barkazaei, and Edris Bilrani, who were members of the so-called Jaish al-Adl militant group were hung to death after going through the legal process.

The trio was charged with “corruption on the earth through participating in terrorist acts” for two bomb explosions in January and June 2019 in the provincial capital Zahedan that left several security forces injured.

They were also held accountable for vandalism and smuggling equipment and explosives to the country to make bombs for terrorist attacks.

The so-called Jaish al-Adl group is responsible for several terrorist attacks against civilians and security forces in Sistan and Baluchestan, bordering Afghanistan and Pakistan. The terrorist group openly calls itself a separatist group and says it seeks to cede the province from Iran.

Palestinian presidency rejects Israel bids to “separate Gaza from West Bank”

Gaza War

Nabil Abu Rudeineh, the spokesperson of the Palestinian presidency, stressed in a statement that Gaza is an integral part of the Palestinian territory under the jurisdiction of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO).

Abu Rudeineh stated the Israeli attempts to separate Gaza from the West Bank will fail and will not be allowed, regardless of any pressure or threat.

He urged Israel to stop aggression against Palestinian people in Gaza and the West Bank, calling on the United States to immediately act to halt the conflict in the enclave.

The spokesperson emphasized that security and stability in the region and the world “will only be achieved by ending the Israeli occupation and establishing an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders”.

Moreover, he reiterated that any international efforts would be futile as long as the occupation of the West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem persists.

Earlier in the day, Hussein Al-Sheikh, secretary general of the executive committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, said in a press statement that “the bitterness of failure drives the head of the occupying government into moral, humanitarian, and political blindness, leading to further killing, destruction, and displacement.”

He added that Netanyahu declared Saturday that his strategic goal in this conflict is the full occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, despite the Palestinians’ resilience to challenges.

In a televised speech on Saturday, Netanyahu announced that Israel would work to establish full security control over Gaza after the conflict, aiming to “eliminate security threats” while refusing to allow the Palestinian Authority to return to Gaza.

US carries out two strikes on “armed groups” in Syria

Syria

US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin stated the “precision strikes” targeted a training facility near the city of Albu Kamal and a safe house near the city of Mayadeen, in response to continued attacks against US troops in Syria and Iraq.

“The President has no higher priority than the safety of US personnel, and he directed today’s action to make clear that the United States will defend itself, its personnel, and its interests,” Austin said in a statement on Sunday.

Citing an unnamed local source, the Reuters news agency reported the US strikes targeted a camp run by pro-Iranian armed groups in an area west of Albu Kamal, in Deir al Zor province. The other strike was near a bridge close to the city of Mayadeen, which is near the Iraqi border and is a stronghold of pro-Iranian armed groups, it added.

The Associated Press news agency added one of the sites also included weapons storage, citing a US official who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss details of a military operation.

The US strike is the third in just over two weeks as Washington attempts to put an end to drone and rocket attacks against its forces in Syria and Iraq that began when the Israel-Hamas war started a month ago.

US and coalition troops have been attacked at least 40 times in Iraq and Syria by armed groups in recent weeks. About 56 troops have been injured in the attacks in Syria and Iraq, but all have returned to duty, according to the Pentagon.

Washington is concerned that the Israel-Hamas conflict could spread through the Middle East and leave US troops at isolated bases exposed.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian has rejected that Tehran had instructed armed groups in Iraq and Syria to launch missile and drone strikes on American troops stationed in the illegal bases in West Asia, insisting that they were acting on their own. Tehran and its supporters say Washington shares responsibility for Israel’s declared war against the Palestinian armed group Hamas.

The US military has stationed forces and equipment in northeastern Syria for years. Damascus maintains the illegal deployment is meant to plunder Syria’s rich mineral resources and to destabilize the country.